Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1912-01-13
GOVERNMENT IS LENIENT
With Regard to New Settlers and Only
Requires Act Of Good Faith.

The Sioux-Falls Argus-Leaders spscia
correspondent at Gregory publishes th,
following:
The daily newspapers throughout
South Dakota have recently devoted con
siderable space to grievances Of home
steaders in this State. 1t is stated tha
homesteaders are not receiving proper
treatment from the Government in the
matter Of making proof They claim
that proofs are held up for months by
special agents from the Government and
that considerable hardship has attended
the homesteader in convincing the Gov.
ernment Of his right to his farm. A
dispatch from Rapid City states that q
new ruling has been made in decision
handed down by Assistant Commits.
sioner 8. v. Proudft at Washington, in
which he states that where the wife and
family reside on the claim during the
period of fourteen months, this is q res
idence and that is all that is necessary
in applying for patent. Kull & Old.
ham, locators of this city, have called
attention to the fact that this is not q
new ruling and many Trip county
homesteaders have proved up and re.
ceived their patents where the wives
held down the claim and the husband
worked in town. This is as good proof
as can be made.
What the Government does demand
though is that homesteaders show good
faith in making his homestead his home.
The Government is very lenient with
homesteaders in the matter of home.
steading but Uncle Sam insists that
homesteaders make home of their
claim if they expect to prove up. An
occasional visit over Sunday to the
claim does not constitute a residence,
but II a mans family Is living on the
land, and even though he is employ cd
In town and no other home 10 main
tanned, no trouble will be experienced
by him when his proof is sent in to
Washington.
When a homesteader makes applica-
tion at the land Office for a patent, his
proof Of residence is generally his own
evidence and the Government has no
other way of learning of his good faith
except from the Government agents who
sometimes come into q territory and
find cases whore the applicant for q
patent has not been honest with the
Government in his application. No
trouble with special agents has ever
been brought to notice where a real
homesteader took his land to make q
home. When flimsy proofs are sub
mitted to the department at Washing
ton these special agents are sent to in
vestigate and when cases are found
where the homestesder has not COM
piled with the homestead ruling, his ap-
plication is promptly rejected. The law
is very plain on matters pertaining to
homesteads and special agents are not
apt to make very many mistakes in
heir reports at headquarters. Most OF
The trouble with special agents has been
IN the Pierre and Rapid City districts,
where it is alleged that homesteaders
have not made sufficient residence to
prove up.
Most South Dakota newspapers would
convey the idea that once homeseek or
was induced to file on a claim he was
subject to all kinds of hardships from
he Government. There are thousands
,f acres of homestead land in South Da-
xota and the Government is anxious to
have the soil titled and the press of the
State should rather aid than binder the
settlement. Instead of censuring the
work of the special agents in this matter
South Dakota newspapers should be frst
% condemn such actions on the part Of
homesteaders.