Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-06-25
HOW LEGION MEN GET LAND
Applicants for Homestead Entire,
Should First Make Personal In.
spection OF District.

In response to many inquiries from
ex-service men In the Middle West "a.
garding government land grants, Irwin
|. Femrite, secretary uf Arg0nne most
of the American Legion In Des Mojnas
Ia, has made On investigation # tbe
situation.
persons desiring to make homestead
entries" said Mr.. Femrite, 'should
first fully inform themselves as to .the
character and quality of lands thew
desire to enter and should in no case
apply to enter until they have ex.
amined each legal subdivision for
which they make application. Salts.
factory information concerning the
lands may be obtained from a I personal
visit to the district In which one
wishes to take out land.
Each applicant is required to swear
that he is well acquainted with the
charac,er of the land described in
his application and the only way that
he can assure himself that prior
settlers have no claim Is to make a
personal inspection of same.
"Ao ex-seryice man is required TO
establish residence on the land In.
volyed after his entry is allowed, un.
ess an extension Of time is granted
on account of sickness, climatic
reasons or similar excuses. Credit IL
given for service in the Army, Navy
or Marines, providing the applicant
has had eighteen months Of service. II
such Is the case, tie applicant is re-
CURED to live on the land only seven
months. If he obtains so much credit
for military service that there is re-
quired only II years residence, he
must prove only such amount Of
cultivation as will prove his good faith
as q homestead claimant. If his
credit for service requires more than
n years residence, he must show
cultivation to the extent Of one-six-
teenth Of the area of the land be-
ginning with the second year. Regard.
less Of credit for service, all appli-
cants must prove that there is a
habitable house on the land.
There is only one portion OF the
country where land may be obtained
without the requirement of a home
stead. At Sentinel, Ariz., there are
10000 acres open, for which no home.
stead is required, but which n~ecessi.
tates the payment of seVenty-fi re
dollars for three hundred and twenty
acres and an expenditure of one
dollar per acre for Improvement. This
Is arid land which may be used for
cotton raising IL irrigated. When
irrigated, 1t sells for from two to
three hundred dollars an acre. II
Is estimated that the cost Of irriga-
ton on three hundred and twenty
acres is about $4,000.
approximately 100000 600 acres Of
land ara open, including every state
west of the Mississippi river except
Iowa and Texas. The first thing to
do is to decide IN the state. Then,
get the location of the land Offices in
that state. All blank forms of affida-
Wits and other papers may be obtained
for the district Office In which the
land lies.
Taking out a homestead is not a
speculative proposition. If the appli-
can't can afford to establish himself
for the period required under the
homestead laws. taking advantage Of
the credit allowed him for service In
the World war, he will be well repaid
?fter a few years."