Gunnison news-champion., 1922-02-17
Ii.nnk l. md h. Scws Of the Stock
- 1nFH ItIn kbUllIIl Stoctnen-Fsi
4lHHuU 0IIu lJUIIlII, Plow and Shovel-Dry
4luAUu Uuu lluuSU ing Notes Of Interest
4. = FILES Ten CONTEST
HOMESTEAD CASES: ALLEG-
ING CONSPIRACY TO CON
TRUL LARGE BODY LAND
NioGtosc Press

MCEtTosc Fress:-
The United State has uncovered
what b. alleged 20 be a big scheme or
con piracy 70 secure control Of ten
sections uE grazing land. located in a
body in the SapiEer0 country By a
MOHtrUze st0csEuau, John s. Hoffman.
There have been filed Dol ID. Mou.rose
land oil ice ten separate contest eases
m which the United State g. the con-
testaHt and ten home tealrrz are con-
o. tees. Thesg cases are against
Frcydia ". Leonard, Of Mantro=e; Al
0uEu b. Bell, Of Sapineru: Walter y.
Ltchdald OF Montrose; Russell ".
Peckfam, Of Frgita; Lurius ". iioyt,
Of Sapinero; Melvin Calhoun Of Dem
yer; Scveren S. ByerTum Of Sapinero:
Ralph ". Moore. Of Newark. Ohio;
Samuel II. Archer Of MontT0se-
The government alleges collusion TO
got control Of large body Of valuable
grazing land in the Sapinero region in
contradiction 10 the rules and regula-
lions Of the land department.
The land department docs not look
with favor upon this kind OF home
stcading. as il wishes TO give as many
people As possible the public land and
not have il get into the control Of a
monopoly Of any individuals or com
panics-
Papers have been filed in the local
land Office and the cases will all be
heard together in the near future
Miss +. COhn, the expert land Office
woman attorney Of Denver, viii BE-
here 10 present the governments side
and Skinner 4 Bruce will handle the
case for the entrymen.
Il Is said that the government land
Investigators who spent the summer
here, got next TO the alleged deal and
that they even got hold Of the con
tracts In some Of the instances, and
this was how the case originated.
The government charges that said
cntrymcn did not make said entries for
their own exclusive individual benefit
but that they We're procured and in
duccd 10 make said entries by one John
Hoffman Of Montrose for the use and
benefit Of said Hoffman, and 20 give
him and his assigns the use and con-
troll of a large body Of public land
under written contracts entered into
by said cntTyrmen with the said Hoir-
man, the terms Of which are as fol-
lows: The said Hoffman agreed TO
put upon each entry improvements 10
the value Of $500 in consideration OF
which each Of said cntTymen leased the
land in their respective entries 20 said
Hoffman or his assign for n term of
five years and agreed to make tha nee
eEsary residence on the homesteads and
after same are perfected to give said
Hoffman the first option to purchase In
case they desired 10 sell the lands-crn-
braced in these entries.
In their answer to the foregoing z
charges the said cntrymen admit the
execution Of contract with one John
S. Hoffman for the improvement Of
said land, that said land was to be
improved strictly according to the
homestead laws and only after said
land was designated. That the said
John s. Hoffman was 10 use said lands
for pasture purposes in consideration
for making the Improvements required
By law Further, the defendants de-
ny each and every allegation in said
complaint made and alleged that said
entries were made for his sole use and
benefit and that they made no contract
with the said John S. Hoffman or with
any other person for the sale of said
land or any part thereof. The defend
ants all ask thatthey be given a near
ing in which to prove their conten-
tions.
A hearing will be held in these cases
in the Montrose land office probably
within the next sixty days.