The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-06-19
THE NEW HOMESTEAD LAW.

by the president q few days ago, is in
the form of an amendment to certain
sections of the revised statutes. The
measure reads substantially as fol-
lows:
No certificate shall be given or
patent issued therefor until the expira-
ton Of three years from the date OF
such entry: and if at the expiration OF
such time, or at any time within two
years thereafter, the person making
such entry, or il he be dead his widow,
or in case of her death his heirs or
devisee, or in case of Q widow making
such entry her heirs or devisee, in
case of her death proves by himself
and by two creditable witnesses that
be, che, or they have q hsbitsble
house upon the land and have actually
resided npon and cultivated the came
for the term of three years succeeding
the time OF fling the affidavit, and
makes affidavit that no part of such
land has been alienated, except as
provided in section 2,288, aud that he,
che or they will bear true allegiance
to the government of the United States,
then in such case be-, she or they. if
at that time citizens Of the United
States, shall be entitled to q patent,
as in other cases provided by law.
Provided, that upon fling in the
local land Office notice Of the beginning
of such absence, the entryman shall
be entitled to q continuous leave OF
absence from the land for a period not
exceeding five months in each year
after establishing residence, and upon
the termin alton Of such absence the
entryman shall file a notice Of such
termination 10 the local land Office,
but ia case OF communication the IA
months actual residence as now re.
quired by law must be shown, and the
person committing must be at the time
q citizen of the United States.
Provided, that when the person maxi
ing entry dies before the offer Of final
proof, those succeeding TO the entry
must show that the entrymau had com.
piled with the law in all respects, ss
would have been required of the entry
a had he lived, excepting that they
are relieved from any requirement Of
residence upon the land.
Provided further, that the entryman
shall, in order to comply with the re-
quirements of guilty alton herein pro-
vided for, cultivate not less than
one-sixteenth Of the area of his entry,
beginning with the second year OF his
entry, and not less than one-eighth,
beginning with the third year of the
entry, and until final proof, except
that in the case of entries under sec
ton 6 of the enlarged homestead law
double the area of Guilty. alton herein
provided shall be required, but the
secretary of the interior may, upon a
satisfactory showing, under rules and
regulations prescribed by him, reduce
the required area of GUILTY alton: Pro-
vided, that the above provision as to
GUILTY. alton shall not apply to entries
under the act OF April %, 1908, CON-
monty known Is the Kinkaid act, or
entries under the act OF June II, 1902,
commonly known as the reclamation
act, and that the provisions Of this
section relative to the homestead per.
iod shall apply to all unprotected
entries hereafter made upon which
residence is required.
If at any time after the fling of the
a6adavit % required In section 2,29(
and before the expiration Of the three
years mentioned in section 2,29l, it il
proved, after due notice to the settler.
to the satisfaction Of the register Of
the land Office that the person having
fled such afldsvit has failed to estab
tsblish residence within six montht
after the date Of entry, or abandoned
the land for more than six months q
any time, then and in the event tn
land 90 entered shall revert to TIL
government: Provided, that the three
years. period of residence herein 6xei
shall date from the time of establish
ing actual permanent residence upor
the land: And provided further, tina
where there may be climatic reasons
sickness or other unavoidable cause
the commissioner of the general LAM
Office may, in his discretion, allow tn
settler II months from the date of fl
Ia which to commence his residenc
on said land under such rules an
regulations as he may prescribe.
Homesteaders Will Be Notified.
? Every homestead entrymsn who ha