The Arizona sentinel., 1909-12-16
DESERT WELLS.


 lowing bill "To encourage and promote the sinking of wells on desert lands in the Territory of Arizona:
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, " etc., "That it shall be lawful for any citizen of the United States, or any person of requisite age who may be entitled to become a citizen and who has filed his declaration to become such" and upon payment of 25 cents per acre, to file a declaration under oath, with the register and the receiver of the land district in which any desert land is situated within the Territory of Arizona, that he intends to dig, sink or drill, or that he or his predeces- sors in equity have already dug or sunk a we'll upon certain des- ignated nonmineral, unreserved and unappropriated public des- ert land not exceeding 10 acres in area, on the surface whereof there is not any continuous flow ing stream or spring of water, for the purpose of obtaining water for drinking purposes or for the watering of live stock or for mechanical use, and that he intends to complete the sinking of such we'll to a depth of 50 feet or more within the period of 15 months from the filing of such declaration. At any time after the expiration of 90 days and within the period of 15 months after filing said declaration, upon making satisfactory proof to the register and receiver aforesaid, that he has completed such well and that it is lined or cased in a work nanlike and substantial manner with @ view to reason ble permanency and practical use, and that said well has de- veloped an available supply of water for the purposes mention ed, and upon payment to the re eeivef the additional sum of $1 per acre for the tract of land not exceeding 40 acres, a patent for said land shall shall be issued to him: Provided, that in case the land is unsurveyed at the time of making final proof, the applicant may elect to await the making of the regular government survey; or may, at his own expense and under the supervision of the U. $. surveyor gen 2ral of Ari- zona, cause 8 definite survey to be accomplished which shall con- form as nearly as practicable to the United States system of public land surveys, etc. And provided, that no person shall be permitted to enter and receive patent for more than eight tracts of land of 40 acres each, or an aggregate of 320 acres under and by virtue of this act. And the right of any applicant to make entry on public land under and by virtue of any other act shall not be abridged or restricted by reason of his having acquired land under this act.
 Sec. 9 That at any time with in 90 days after the filing of the aforesaid declaration the Secre- tary of the Interior or the Com missioner of the General Land | Office may reject such declara- tion and filing upon the ground | that the land desigated is more valuable for general farming or for some other purpose than for the purposes described in the declaration filed by said appli- cant; and the Secretary of the Interior is authorized and em- powered at any time at his dis eretion, or by and with the ad- vice and assistance of the De- partmcnt of Agriculture, to ex- anime all or any of the public land within the Territory of Ar izona, either surveyed or unsur- veyed, in order 10 ascertain and to classify the land thatis chiefly | valuable for grazing purposes, and the land that is chiefly valu- able for purposes contem plated |