Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1915-02-06
SECTION HOMESTEAD
Bill Passes House-Action Now Awaited
in Senate, Then Presidents Sig
nature to Become Law.

stead Dill Dy the house on January lotn, I,
many inquiries have been received
regarding the terms of the pro-
posed law. What changes, if any, may
be made In the Senate, is unknown, of
course; but as the bill now stands, its
provisions are as follows:
/. Qualifications of homesteader the
same as at present..
Size of "stock raising homestead" GAO
acres.
2. Secretary of the Interior desig-
mates territory to which the enlarged
homestead law shall apply; must be pas
ture land; not susceptible to irrigation
from any known source; must contain
no timber fit for making lumber; GAO
acres reasonable for family to make
Lying upon, and better fitted for stock
raising and forage plants than otherwise.
8. Must be in compact form as far as
may be; instead of cultivation, permen.
ent improvements tending to make it
better adapted for stock.raising to the
value of $l.25 per acre must be put on
entry, and at least one-half within three
years from date of filing.
4. Any homesteader in such desig-
mated section who has not submitted
proof may enter additional land conti-
guous to his homestead not exceeding
in all $40 acres, and the time he has
lived on his present homestead counts
on both. But he must make improve
ments tending to make it better as a
stock raising farm to the amount if $l.25
per acre.
5. Those who have made proof or re-
ceived patents in such stock raising Sec
tions and who own and reside upon said
| lands. may make an additional entry to
contiguous lands which shall not exceed
the difference between what they haye
entered and $40 acres. Of he has go
acre homestead, he may enter 4S0 acres;
| if he has entered 320 acres he may enter
800 acres more) and upon proof that he
has made improvements of $l.25 per
acre, receive certificate and patent to
same.
6. In case there is not sufficient con-
! tiguous territory to make a complete
homestead of $40 acres. entryman (or
patentee) may take land of similar char
acter within ten miles in same land dis
trict, subject to same improvements as
mentioned above, but no non-contiguous
territory can be entered till all conti-
guous territory is taken.
| 7. If there is neither contiguous land
nor land within the ten mile limit, any
one who has acquired title to home.
stead within any land district designa-
ted as stock raising lands may relinquish
| (if not patented) or convey (if patented)
back to the United States the land he
holds, and make another entry of full
$40 acre homestead in the same land
district. In these cases proof must be
submitted that applicant lives upon his
land, and it is not mortgaged. (You
can see the government could not handle
encountered land) Under rules which
are to be laid down by the Secretary o.
the Interior, the homesteader, it is evi
dent, will be allowed to dispose of i'm
provements.
s. Communication is not allowed.
9. ANY entryman or patentee has
within this territory, a preference right
to file on contiguous land Gland adjoin
ing his own entry) within thirty days
Provided, that if the land adjoining two
or more entrymen or patentees is no
sufficient to give each his additiona
acreage, the Secretary of the Interio
shall divide what there is equitabl.
among those who apply for preference
rights. Provided, further, that if onl.
one forty-acre tract adjoins the land O
two or more entrymen or patentees, th
one first applying will be allowed first t
file.
Sec. 10. This section provides tina
anyone who has obtained patent t
his land may, If he owns and lives o.
the land, purchase not to exceed 80
acres of land, if contiguous to his home
stead and not taken, appropriated, o
reserved, at $1.25 per acre, under rule
prescribed by the Secretary of the III
terror. Provided, he cannot purchase
: more than added to his land alread
homesteaded will make $40 acres.
Sec IL. All patents issued under thi
law will contain clause reserving tn
coal and other mineral rights to the e
: yernment, and prescribing the rules b
, which prospecting and mining shall b
, carried on, should mineral be foun
thereon.
Sec. IL. Provides that the Secretar
: of the Interior is empowered to max
all rules and regulations in harmon
with the law for carrying it into effee
Persons interested in. this bill shoul
remember that it is not yet a law; ths
J the provisions apply only Should it bt
, come law to lands which the Secretar
of the Interior selects and puts into dii
tricts-which shall be all or part of tn
J present land districts known as stoc
8 raising territory. In the discussion {
the bill and by declaration Of its sponsor
Mr.. Ferguson (Arizona), it is clear it
intended to apply to all the semi-ari
, sections of the West. Additions t.
3 homesteads can only be had by those VIII
q still own and reside upon their land
: Entrymen under the law get the full .er
larged homestead of $40 acres.
Some of the Pierre people who hay
t been studying the calendar very car
d fully have discovered that there will b
o no full moon in the month of Februar
o while in January and March there wi
V ha two full moons This is a most III