Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-18
SCRAMBLE FOR
CHOICE LANDS
YUMA HOMESTEADERS MUST
WAIT ELEVEN DAYS
SEEKERS AFTER FARMS REsIEGE
REGISTRAR
PIats to Number of 173 in New Desert
Region Reclaimed by Gov
ernment Coveted by
Many

Practically every state in the Union
is represented in a long line of home
seekers steadily growing from the en-
trance of the Chamber of Commerce
building where, at o'clock on the
morning of March 1, the United States
land office will distribute to eager ap-
plicants 17S 4O-acre farms of govern
ment land in it's great Yuma project.
The men are taking their places in the
line prepared to stick it out, either by
their standing qualities or luck in pro-
curing reliable substitutes, for eleven
DAYS and nights. The line is under po-
lice supervision and each waiter
gripped a card issued by the police de-
partment yesterday bearing his num-
ber.
The head of the line will be allowed
to enter the building at an early hour
the day Of the opening, and the line
of formation will be maintained in the
hall of the building until the last
farm has been disposed of, the land
department being determined to en-
force strictly the rule of first come,
first served" At the present rate the
Yuma land line, as it is called on
the street, will encircle the block and
then some.
Police Protect Homesteaders
w. S. McMannon, the first man in
line, applied to Chief of Police Gallo
way early yesterday afternoon for per-
mission to do the 'hitching post stunt
for eleven days and nights. ANY man
who can stay with it that long and
has a home for his object is entitled to
protection instead of interference" was
the big chiefs reply, and he not only
gave McMannon permission to camp on
the curb, but placed one of the best
natured policemen to stand guard over
him. Within a few minutes word had
spread that the Yuma lineup was on"
and in few hours a long line of men
had formed.
The Yuma land is said to be i'm
mensely rich and productive just so
soon as the government has placed
water upon (which the reclamation
service is now doing. Forty acres cost
the applicant $65 an acre, or $26O0 for
the farm. The government sells on
terms of $500 cash and the balance in
ten years. The value of this land, 1t is
said, will rapidly increase.
Any native born or naturaliZed citi-
zen of the United States or those who
have declared their intention to become
such, and are otherwise qualified under
the homestead act, may make applica-
tion for one farm unit. One set of
application blanks for each farm unit
has been prepared in advance by the
land office, and as the applicant reaches
the counter he will indicate to the
clerk the tract he desires. Residence
on the land must be established with
in six months of the date of entry and
maintained for five years to the eX-
clusion of a home elsewhere before
final proof can be made and the land
patented.
The wife of ]. N. Roberts, "a years
old, who occupies the third position
from the front of the line, shared al
ternately with her young husband the
long night shift on the cold curbstone
that the two might secure q home in
the governments new land.
Stamping her feet and drawing her
wraps closely about her to keep out
the cold night air, Mrs. Roberts en-
Enthusiastically explained that they were
to be the first settlers on the choicest
pick of the richest lands of Yuma and
wanted to know if he did not think
It worth while for a young couple like
her husband and herself to suffer a
little inconvenience for the sake of a
home all their own.