La Junta tribune., 1917-01-06
ENLARGED HOMESTEAD ACT
6iO-ACrc Homestead Act Passed by
Congress and Signed by Prcsi-
dent, Now Effective


ago, and the last OF the old year,
President Wilson attached his sigma
t1re to the law, making 1t operative.
What 1t will mean to the western
country is difficult to even estimate
az this time. At any rate, II means
that practically every foot of govern
ment land will soon disappear and
j before many years, all Will appear
on the assessment rolls of the various
( counties. To have this land patented
Z has been the dream of the empire
! that has been dangling before the
( eyes of the West for several gener-
ations. To have 1t subject to taxa
lion to help bear the burdens of the
I government; to have II peopled.
I even though sparingly, has long
been one of the desirable things.
4 But last but not least. is the settling
I OF the status OF this land for all
/ time to come; to enable the states
OF the West to build upon some
thing definite and to work out the
destiny of large bodies OF land that
up to the present time have been
decidedly uncertain. For out of this
ficiently ingenious to make of 1t n
real asset to the country.
This new act simply means that
thousands and thousands of acres OF
land that is incapable of cultivation
will be patented for the use of pas
turing alone. Our stock industry will
become more stable; they will know
Just what they can depend upon
from one year to another. Our herds
will be smaller: will be better bred
and given better care: the net re-
turns viii be greater; and where we
had one big stockman In the bust
iA~-5ss few years ago. we will have
many in his place with greater
aggregate number OF stock, netting
probably twice the money each year.
Then again II means people and
more peopre In our country. People
is what We have always lacked In
this western country. and people Is
W hat we want and must have II ever
We are to have a great country.
During the past week, A. S. Mar
hall. who is local representative
of the Pueblo Land office. received
filings on land In Otero county at
the rate OF about twenty-five day.
and up to the present time about
$50 filings had been made since last
saturday. II is not probable that
here will be any $40 acre tracts
of government land. or government
land OF any description, left In Otero
county. before the present month
comes to n close. The fee for filing
on a Gs0 tract Ii S3i. aud for 500
acre tract the fee Is see. 80 IL viii
be seen that considerable money has
been coming into the local land Of
lice during the past week.
According to the report OF the
pueblo land office II IL advisable for
all who desire homestead in this
district TO speak quickly ms there viii
be none left II the present rush con-
tinucs. on January /. 1916. there
were 2,29O.567 acres OF government
land In the Pueblo land district.
which comprises fourteen counties,
During the year l.290,567 acres Of
land were filed upon. leaving an es-
timated total OF 100000. acres. or
less than onc-half the amount OF n
year ago. The largest number Of ap-
plications presented were for land
In Las Animas county, with Otero
county second. and Pueblo county
third.
In the United States land office IN
Pueblo last Tuesday 232 applications
were received. and on "Wednesday
1873 more. Receiver J. u. orman de-
clarcd that the two days business
made record that probably has not
been execlicd by any land office in
the United States. The increased
number OF filings was due to the pass
ing OF the Gao act permitting settlers
already on land to take up an add
tlonal amour, and TO permit new set
tiers to take up Gao acres OF land
instead Of the previous maximum Of
ago acres.
Many OF the applications are made
In writing. There were 81 letters Of
application received at the office
Wednesday leaving SO to be made
over the counter.
Tho number Of applications made
during the last two days Ia more than
has been made in some months dur
Ing the last three years.