El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-03

Las Cruces. N. NJ, Aug. 3.-The com
plications arising from the three year
homestead law makes it a question
whether the bill IS a benefit TO the
entrymen in this arid country. The
homestead entries have dropped off
over so percent in this land district
since June when the new law became
operative. and the large number OF
notices filed by those who made entry
prior TO the passage of the law, noti-
Tying the land department that they
prefer TO prove up under the old law,
raises the, question as to the ability of
the average homesteader being able to
comply with the provisions of the act.
It is known that in the rich noun
-tain-XatieyS- WheFe-the- hest crops are
raised without irrigation, the field or
five acres is equal to a field Of 20
acres in the middle west and the aver
age homestead in the mountain country
VIII not average over five to 10 acres
of tillable land to the quarter section.
This class Of land is valuable for
stock raising, and the settler can raise
enough for his own wants. but when
ii comes to filling from 20 acres up
on a quarter section to comply with the
requirements of the new law, the land
is not suitable for cultivation.
One of the homestead entrymen
under the new law wrote to senator
A. B. Fall regarding the provisions OF
the act, citing the clause which gives
the secretary Of the interior a right |
to allow less cultivation in cases where !
the conditions will justify such ac-
ton. The senator in his reply writes
as follows:
I have written a letter to the sec
rotary of the interior urging upon him !
the immediate necessity of issuing a
ruling applicable to homestead entries /
where the rainfall averages II inches |
or less, to the effect that under his /
discretionary powers the homesteader !
will be required to prove the cultiVa- /
ton of not less than five acres. L ]
will communicate his views upon the /
subject to you AT the earliest moment. !
Very sincerely yours,
Albert B. FAN"
The register a. ] receiver of the Unit I
ed States land office nave just received /
plats Of the following townships which 4
join the Arizona state line forming I
the fractional townships where the !
San Simon valley enters New Mexico. |
The townships just surveyed are 2S 1
south of range p west, and township ]
% south of ranges q and % west. (
These three townships will be open to /
entry in the office here on September I
8, 1912 at 8 o'clock a. n and the actual |
settlers at the time of the survery will /
be allowed 80 days within which to
make entry after which those portions ]
of the townships not entered viii be
open to the general public
The land embraced in these fraction
al townships is all subject to entry IN
der the enlarged homestead act. In
other words an entry for a homestead
can be made for 800 acres instead OF (
but 160 acres as is the case in the
velley and the other valleys
Of the state The land is located along |
the FL Paso & southwestern railway |
near Rodeo, and several settlers are
already improving places which Will be
by them IS soon as the land is
open
rrta s,,r,-a,- 90 +r-,-,,el,s~. &c -,.. -
range s east has also been approved
and this land will be subject to entry
on the same date. This township is
at Newman on the Rock Island north
Of FL Paso about 20 miles and the rush
for this land which borders on the
state of Texas will cause a rush on
the land office similar to the one last
fall when lands were opened on the
ella and Frisco rivers in Grant county.
Heavy Rain.
The entire valley was visited by q
heavy rain Friday night that began
about p. m and continued well
through the night thoroughly saturat-
ing the ground and doing a great
amount of good to the orchards and
field crops, all except the alfalfa. and
those who were cutting their third
crop of alfalfa and had the hay down
n the field found that the damage was
quite heavy.
Road Improvements will be begin /
1t once as the county commissioners
ave OIutIEQ i've ROAD QId2S Tor use
IN the various roads and the commit
zee in charge of the work has just
'een waiting for a soaking rain 10 get
busy and put the roads in shape to
ravei by the use of these drags-
Fair Committee Meets.
The members Of the executive COM
nittee Of the Mesilla Valley Fair as
ociation held a sepcial meeting in the /
ffice Of the secretary on Friday night !
or the purpose Of approving contracts 1
or printing and making arran gements
or a site to hold fair on Septem-
er Is 10 %. The bids for printing !
stter heads and envelopes were opened 8
nd authority given the secretary TO
ave The work done. The orders for
upply of colored Autographs for ad- :
ertising theta were prepared and a :
esign for the cover of the premium I
81 approved. II
Bids wiz be asked for to furnish the | T
remium list which will consist of / {
rom As to so pages of book paper. e
ach page being 5 IL by II inches t