Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 156, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1916 — A New Homestead Opportunity [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A New Homestead Opportunity

The government will open Colville Inaian reservation in Washington to settlers in July -—This article tells you what to do to secure land, y t r

7 x&MmM the first time Vsl In history Uncle —f Sam is to open \^l||p ■ for settlement an Y||| Indian reservation within 50 miles of the gate- > way of a big city. Such have been the strides of civilization. July 5 to 22 are the dates set by the government for registration for homestead land upon the Colville Indian reservation, the eastern boundary of which is just 50 miles from Spokane, Wash. There are 350.000 acres to be thrown open to settlement, which will provide homes for about 2,000 settlers. This country about to be opened to the white man is regarded as one of best Btock raising and diversified farming regions in the entire Northwest. There is said to be everything there a settler could desire—an ample supply of good water, plenty

of grass, an abundance of timber and a mild climate. The surrounding country already is well developed. These conditions, coupled with the fact that Spokane, a city of 125,000 population, is almost upon the spot, furnishing a ready market for all produce, make the Colville Indian reservation drawing the greatest chance has appeared -tfpon Uncle Sam’s “wheel of fortune” since the

days of fie Oklahoma rush. The places of registration designated by the government are Otnak, Spokane, Wenatchee, Republic or Colville, Wash. These are all good, live towns —within easy reach of any part of the land to be opened for homesteads. How to Secure Land. Practically any American citizen or any Individual who has declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States may secure land on this reservation under the homestead law, provided he does not already own more than 160 acres of land or has not already exhausted his homestead right. The registration dates have been designated by the government as July 6 to 22, inclusive. The first thing to do in order to secure land on the Colville Indian reservation is to make a trip to Spokane, Wenatchee, Omak, Colville or Republic, the points of registration. Before or after registering applicants for homesteads may make a tour of inspection of the reservation and familiarize themselves with the nature of the land open to settlement

Registration. Arriving at Spokane, Wenatchee, Omak, Republic or Colville, any day from July 6 to 22 inclusive, you may make application at one of the notary booths which will be established for that purpose, and nowhere else. All necessary blanks, legal forms and information will be furnished by the authorized notary before whom applicant . appears. Twenty-five cents will be charged by the notary for the taking of each Affidavit. No other charge is made for registering. Any qualified person, in addition to his own application, paay make one other application as agent-fora former soldieri or sailor (or his widow or minor orphan children), on Colville Indian reservation. How Allotments Will Be Made.

After applications are filed they will be deposited in sealed cans and beginning at 10 a. m. July 16, in the city of Spokane, Wash., the cans will be opened and applications impartially taken, selected Indiscriminately from the whole number of applications presented, a sufficient number being collected to reasonably cover the amount Qf land opened to settlement. The applications so selected will be numbered serially in the order in which they are drawn, beginning with num--ber one, and the numbers thus assigned shall fix and control the order in which the person’s name on application may make entry on the land. A list of the successful applicants showing the number assigned to each will be published and an individual

notice promptly mailed to the tortunate applicants. Beginning at 9 a. m. on September 6, 1916, and continuing on such dates as will be designated by the secretary of the interior, persons holding numbers assigned to them will be permitted to select and enter the tracts they desire. Proper notice of place at which this selection may be made will be given applicant. Immediately upon receiving notification, successful applicant should visit the land personally if he had not already done so and at time and place specified make a selection, within ten days after which he must make a final filing. After selecting the tract he desires to enter, applicant will be allowed ten days following the date of selections within which to complete entry at the proper land office. During this ten-day period he must file a homestead application at the land office, accompanying the same with the usual filing fee and commission and in addition paying one-fifth of the appraised value of the tract selected. If the lands are in the Spokane (Wash.) land district, entry must be made at the Spokane land office; if in the Waterville (Wash.) land district, entry must be made at the Waterville land office. The balance of the appraised value of the land may be paid in five annual equal installments, commencing one year from the date of entry, if three-year proof is submitted. The unpaid installments, in case entry is commuted before the expiration of the three-year period, must all be paid at the time of proof. Applicants making entries on or before November 1, 1916, will be allowed until May 1, 1917, within which to establish residence upon the land. After establishing residence upon the land applicants must make it their permanent home and residence until they have commuted (which may be done within 14 months after continuous residence and payment of full value of land plus $1.25 additional per acre), or else the applicant must lifa on the land and cultivate it continuously for three years. After three years’ continuous residence and cultivation, upon filing his final papers, and making his final payment with the usual small land office final filing fee, the settler gets a clear title to the land from the government.

Improvements and Cultivation. Any time within six months from the date of filing the homestead entryman is required to establish his permanent residence upon the land that he filed on. A habitable house must be constructed and one-eighth, or 20 acres on a 160-acre entry, must be under cultivation by the second year. At the end of three years or, when final proof

is applied for, one-eighth of the total entry must be under cultivation. Those Not Entitled to Homesteads. Minors, unless at the head of a family. Those who own more than 160 acres of land. Those who have already filed on, 160 or 320 acres of federal land. Foreigners who have not filed first citizenship papers. Criminals or any

soldier, sailor or government - employee dishonorably discharged from the government service. Those who have already commuted on other federal lands or given up previous filings. Excepting that some who lost or abandoned homesteads before February 8, 1908 (if claim was honest), yet have homestead privileges. If you are in doubt you had better write to the proper office. Widows’, orphans’ and minors' rights are—fully—protected—by law; single women who afe citizens of the United States and deserted and divorced women, also may file. Soldiers and sailors who have served over 90 days in war time may make application arid the term of their service will be deducted from the total fime in which they can get a clear title, but they must reside at least 12 months on the land, cultivate and improve it like any other citizen. Soldiers’ and sailors’ widows and minor orphans have special privileges in being allowed to file by agent, but must dive on and cultivate land like anyone else. There is a greater variety of climate, soil and resources in this new homestead country than in any other Uncle Sam has opened. The soil is very rich and suitable for raising all temperate zone fruits and vegetables and live stock. There is an abundance of water everywhere.