Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Malheur enterprise. (Vale, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1917)
" wt.tiuiiiuuu. 1 in nig iui vii j? many inaugurated, warmsprings xroject Assurcu. wuiow-Awer rroject maxing iicaaway. uwyhcc 1'roject r rog rasing . The F ro mm Bl'Oiran Cmint.rv Mnrn PrnsnorniiB tlinn nvni- r2ionf Ttrainnrrn TfniAvfa nm'nff T r r jk. n 01 si-11.1 tt ttji xi i A p t L t , ulvv uuv iivjww uuuis iiniui Asaujiiig xvpiui uaiuiug. onucpi sjujgSy xiigitcr man uver. xuaincur iouniy is a luccca xor xnvcvivs. ' - . - - . - 'V t t VOLUME VIII, NQ. 6 THE 640-ACRE HOMESTEAD ACT RESUME Percy M. Johnson Explains Meaning of New Law in Operation-Many Have a Wrong Idea on New Law WHAT CLASS OF LAND SUBJECT TO ENTRY No Land May Be Entered Under New Act Unless it is Designated by Secretary of the Interior. By Percy M. Johnson. "Washington, D. C, Dec. 30, 1016 Receive and suspend applications with petitions for designations under Grazing Homestead Law approved yesterday." (Signed) Tallman, Com. The above telegram received at the Vale Land Office, Dec. 30, at 2:55 p. m., closed the official year of 1916 by giving to the Public the greatest land bill in history. This bill has been under considera tion for some time, and, after con siderable revising and amending it has now become a law. Due to the fact that, the bill has been changed and revised so much since its incep tion, the general public has been at loss to know the real purport of the act, and many have a wrong concep tion of its principles. This act is en titled "An Act to Provide for Stock raising homesteads, and other pur poses." Wliat Class of Land is Subject to Entry. No land can be entered under this act until designated by the Secretary of the Interior as being the class of land coming within the scope of Sec. 2, which provides that the lands sub ject to entry must, in the opinion of the Secretary, be chiefly valuable for grazing and raising forage crops, does not contain merchantable tim ber, are not susceptible of irriagtion from any known source of water sup- j ply, and are of such character that 640 acres are reasonably requiredjfbr the support of a family. Who Jl'ay Enter the Land. Sec. 3 provides that any qualified homestead entryman may enter in a contiguous and in the most compact form practicable, an area not exceed ing 640 acres of the class of land de scribed above. It further provides that an entryman now holding land under the 320 acre or other homestead laws', will be entitled to an additional entry so that the total area will npt exceed 640 acres, provided, however, that the original entry is of the char acter of land above described as be ing within the scope of this act. Such additional entry must be contiguous to the original entry where ever it is possible to obtain contiguous land of the character required, but if only a portion, or none of the contiguous landMs subject to entry under this act; 'the additional, or balance of the additional entry may be taken any where within a radius of 20 miles from the original entry. What Must Be Done To Acquire Title Cultivation of the land is not re quired, but there must bo permanent improvements placed upon the land to the value of not less than $1.25 per acre, and at least one-half of the improvements must be made within three years from the date of entry thereof. The regular rules as to res idence applies to this act, which re quires that the land be the bonafide homo of the entryman, and at least 7 months residence thereon each year. Tho filing fee for 640 acres is $34.00. Additional Entries. Sec. 4 provides that any homestead entryman of lands of the character herein described, who has not sub mitted final proof upon his existing entry, shall have the right to enter, subject to the provisions of this act such amount of contiguous lands de signated for entry under the provi sions of the act as shall not, together with tho land embraced in his original entry, exceed 640 acres, and residence upon the original entry shall be cre dited to both entries, but $1.25 per aero of permanent improvements must be placed on the additional en try. (Continued on page 5.) The Central Powers have subdued Roumania, Belgium, Servia, and Mon tenegro, but San Marino still holdi 0t, New York Morning Telegraph. FLOOR COVERED WITH WATER Bank Cashier Arises From Bed to Find Cold Water in Every Room in the House. About 4 o'clock Wednesday morn ing Mrs. Dunaway, wife of J. P. Dun away, cashier of the U. S. National Bank of Vale, was awakened by one of the children and jumped out of bed to see what was the trouble, and when her feet struck the floor she yelled "Ouch!" Mr. Dunaway immediately jumped out to ascertain what she was yelling about, and he, too, yelled "Ouch!" They discovered that every room in the house was covered with an inch of icy cold water, caused from a frozen water pipe of an unused wa ter faucet bursting in tho house. Outside of fte ruination of two practically now rugs in the house, no other damage of importance was re ported. Tho cellar was filled nearly foot deep, with all vegeablcs and other food articles floating around on i tho top. Needless to say, Mr. Duna way spent the remanider of the day at home, where he was kept busy sweeping water from tho rooms, and draining the cellar. LEVY FOR 1917 COMPLETED BY COUNTYCOURT General Fund Now $8,000.00 Less Than in 1916-Levy Coincides With Resolution Proposed by Thomson. Wo publish today on another page the complete tax levy made by. the County Court for 1917, for county, school, state and roads. The total levy amounts to $194,000' as against $196,000 for 1916. The general fund is $8,000 less than 1916. The office of the sheriff shows a great falling off in criminal matters as the levy has been cut $1,500. School districts generally, throughout tho county have levied less money than in 1916. The general school fund at $8 per head is increased by $2,500 showing considerable increase in pop Dilation. Roads being deemed a nec essity and of more importance today than almost anything else, the Court increased the levy over last year to an amount about .$2,000 greater, Many of the districts, in fact, all of them, have been short of funds for necessary work. The Court assumed that tho Tax Limitation law means, what it says and they consequently cut the High School levy to $1,670. Whether this will stand the testof tho law if at tacked remains to be seen. There are 76xountry children attending the high schools of the three towns nnd at the rate given by the several districts there will be a shortage of $4,000. Tho city levies have gone high in to tho air as to rates but the actual taxes will be somewhat less than last year. The State of Oregon gets $2,000 more than in 1916 i. e., $35,000 as against $33,000 for 1916. The levy coincides almost exactly with the resolution of W. G. Thom son introduced at the meeting which discussed the budget. The Court might have levied a total of $207,000 but desiring to keep the rate as low as possible they decided to get along with less. Under the present law the taxes for 1918 cannot exceed $205,000. Following is a condensed statement of the levies for tho cities and general levies. To tho city lev ies must be added their own levies, which brings Ontario to 64 mills and Vale to 74 mills. It is hoped tho as sessment for 1918 will lower this rate and the taxes can be raised only 6 per cent. Cities. Mills Ontario 587,184 27 Vale 278,436 Nyssa , 174,201 Jordan Valley .... 82,135..., Juntura i 37,705 General Levies. State Tax .v General School 37 26.5 22 , 22 . 4.7 3.7 7.7 .3 10.7 27.1 General Road High School ... General Fund Advance in marine insurance-rates to 15 per cent, coincident with the peace-movo, may be called construe-'! criticism. WcU Street Journal. VALE, OREGON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1917. NEW HOMESTEAD LAW IS OPERATIVE Complete Text of New Stockraising Homestead Law-Opinion Is That New Law wil Result in More and Bettet Stock for Malheur County. The Stock-raising Homestead law is now tho law of the land. We pub lish tho law complete, and also a resume of tho law by Mr. Percy M. Johnson. There are many varied opinions as to Its effect. Naturally those who have for many years used tho ranges of Malheur and Harney at will, see destruction in the Jaw. Others are more optimistic and think tho final result will bo more and better stock of all kinds. Still others there aro who seo bene fits to small owners. It Is, of course, certain that speculation in a small scale will take place. Hundreds of sections will be taken in order to sell to large companies. Follows the complete text of the law: An Act, H. R. 407, to .Provide for Stock-raising Homesteads, and for Other Purposes. Be it enacted, etc., That from and after tho passage of this act it shall be lawful for any person qualified to make entry under the homestead laws of the United States to make a stock-raising homestead entry for not exceeding 640 acres of unappropriat ed Unreserved public land in reason ably compact form: Provided, howev er, That the land so entered shall theretofore have been designated by the Secretary of tho Interior as "stock raising lands." Sec. 2. That the Secretary of tho Interior is hereby authorized, on ap plication or otherwise, to designate as stock-raising lands subject to entry under this act lands the surface of which is, in his opinion, chiefly val uable for grazing and raising forage crops, do not contain merchantable timber, aro not, susceptible of irriga tion from "anyf k'nown source of "wW ter supply; and are of such character that 640 acres aro reasonably requir ed for the support of a family: Pro vided, That where any person quali fied to make original or additional en try under the provisions of this act shall make application to enter any unappropriated public land which has not been designated as subject to en try (provided said application is ac companied and supported by properly GRAND JURY RETURNS FOUR INDICTMENTS Grand Jury Makes Report and Finds Four True Bills of Indictmen-Hanna Will Be Tried for Assault. In the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon: In the Matter of the Final Report of the Grand Jury: We, the Grand Jury, have been in session two days and have carefully investigated all matters brought to our attention, and all matters within our own knowl edge, and have returned to this Court four true bills and one not a true bill, and having carried out our duties and fully completed our work ask to be excused. Signed: Fred Currey, Foreman, Robt. R. Overstreet, G. W. Taylor, C. W. Madden, M. Page, Howard Mal- lett, Ira Dail. Indictments Returned. Harvey Bryce for burglary, steal ing grain from E. is. Fields' granary in Dead Ox Flat Frank Hanna for assault and bat tery on the person of Emmett Kim ball. Ben Seaweard for larceny of steers from Wm. Jones. TAKES OREGONIAN AGENCY J. D. Rogers, of this city, has taken tho agency of the Oregonian from N. C. Pike, and that paper's headquar ters will be at the Rogers News Stand from now on. Russia announces that the Allies have agreed to let her have the Straits and Constantinople provided, of course, that she can get them. Kansas, City Star. Outlines of the Kaiser's peace terms indicate that he has failed to include a provision that Americans may again' be . allowed to travel on Bteamshipa.vrhfiWphln North Am erican, corroborated affidavit of the appli cant, in duplicate, showing prima fa cio that the land applied for is of tho character contemplated by this act), such application, 'together with the regular fees and commissions, shall bo received by the register and re ceiver of the land district in which said land is located and suspended un til it shall havo Ijeen determined by the Secretary of the Interior whether said land is actually of that charac ter. That during such suspension the land described in the application shall not be disposed of: and if tho said land shall be designated under this act, then such application shall be allowed; otherwise it shall be re jected, subject to appeal, but no right to occupy such larids shall be acquir ed by reason of said application until said lands havo been designated as stock-raising lands. Sec. 3. That any qualified home stead entryman may make entry un der the homestead laws of lands so designated by tho Secretary of the In terior, according to legal subdivisions, in areas not exceeding 640 acres, and in compact form 'so far as may bo subject to the provisions of this act, and secure title thereto by compli ance with the. terms of the homestead laws: Provided, That a former home stead entry of land of the character described in section 2 hereof shall not be a bar to the entry of a tract with in a radius of 20 miles from sijch former entry under the provisions of this act, which, together with the former entry, shall not exceed 640 acres: Provided further, That the en tryman shall bo required to enter all contiguous acres of the character herein described open to entry prior to thegntry oJt34n$y noncontiguous IandF Provided further, That instead of cultivation as required by the homestead laws the entryman shall be required to make permanent im provements upon the land entered be fore final proof is submitted tending, to increase the value of the same for stock-raising purposes, of the value of not less than $1.25 per acre, and at least one-half of such improve ments shall be placed upon tho land within three years after the date of Riverside Couple Married in Vale First Wedding Ceremony of 1917 in Vale, performed, by Rev. W. J. Luscombe, Monday morning Monday, January 1, 1917, at the Methodist parsonage, William L. Blaylock and Miss Minnie E. Rogers were united in marriage. The bride came to this section of the country to live about 4 years ago, fro.m Wasco county, Oregon; while the groom has spent most of his life in Malheur county, having moved here from Ar kansas in early childhood. Tho newly married couple return ed to Riverside, Oregon, Monday ev ening where they will reside on their ranch. Their many friends wish for' them a happy and prosperour career. Wood Statistics There were cut from the National Forests in the fiscal year 1916, 604, 920,000 board feet of timber. Of this amount, 119,483,000 board feet was cut under free use privilege by 42, 055 Individuals. In all, 10,840 sales of timber were made, of which 97 per cent were under $100 in value, in dicating the extent to which the homesteader, rancher, miner, small millman, and others In need of a lim ited quantity of timber draw upon the Forests. As things are now drifting, the next Hague Conference will draft reg ulations to prevent neutrals from an noying the belligerent nations. Washington Post. Colonel Roosevelt is planning a trip to the Fiji Islands to visit the extinct volcanoes. Birds of a feather will flock together. Nashville Southern Lumberman. The Kaiser must be puzzled by the fact that the Almighty has seen fit to reduce the potato-crop of Germany more than 50 per cent, under last year's yield. New York Sun, Chicago's pie-eating burro way have got his tip from the Democratic donkey-Pittsburff Chronic), fMl graph, r entry thereof. Sec. 4. That any homestead entry' man, who has not submitted final proof upon his existing entry, shall have the right to enter, subject to the provisions of this act such amount of contiguous lands designated for entry under tho provisions of this act as shall not, together with the amount embraced in his original entry, ex ceed 640 acres, and residence upon the original entry shall bo credited on both entries, but improvements must be made on tho additional en try equal to $1.25 for each acre there' of. Sec. 5. That persons who have sub mitted final proof upon, or received patent for, lands under tho homestead laws, and who own and reside upon the land so acquired, may, subject to the provisions of this act, make addi tional entry for and obtain patent to contiguous lands designated for en' try under tho provisions of this net, which, together with tho area there tofore acquired under the homestead law, shall not exceed 640 acres, on proof of the expenditure required by this act on account of permanent im provements upon the additional entry. Sec 6. That any person who is tho head of a family, or who has arriv ed at tne ago or zi years ana Is a citizen of tho United States, who has entered or acquired under tho home stead laws, prior to the passage of this act, lands of the character de scribed in this act, tho area of which is less than 640 acres, and who is unr able to exerciso the right of addi' tional entry herein conferred because no' lands subject to entry under this act adjoin the tract so entered or ac quired or lie within the 20-mile limit provided for in this act, wayi unori auuiimuiiK iiruui vnat ne ruaiawr upon ana nas not som tno land so entered or acquired and against which land there aro no encumbrances, relinquish or reconvey to the United States the land io occupied, entered, or' acqulr ed, and in lieu thereof, within the same land-office district, may enter and acquire title to 640 acres of tho land subject to entry under this act, but must show compliance with all (Continued on page 2.) ft C. EASTHAM WILL FIGHT THE MANEY BROS. Legal Talent Will Fight Ma for $250,000 Damages--Promises Are Made For Resumption of Work The legal complications In connec tion with the Bully creek enterprise are now in the whirlpool of creation. Andrew Deegan returned from Phil adelphia with full powers, it is said, to take any action he sees fit. Legal, lights in Philadelphia have been engaged and H. C. Eastham, a prominent local attorney, will repre sent Mr. Deegan and his clients at this end. "It is proposed," said Mr. Deegan, "not only to fight the Maney Bros, lien but we shall sue them for about $250,000 damages. Our people have furnished the money and we are try ing to get some of it back. It is rumored that great promises are being made as to resumption of work in the spring. The time has passed when endeavors to create a public sentiment by futurities. See ing is believing and throwing dirt the real evidence. Steps will now be taken to declare the contracts void. Papers will be prepared and tho suit entered in the April term. And the $25,000,000 War Depart ment deficit caused by the detention of tho National Guard on the border takes no account of the boys' own de ficits. Cleveland Leader. Denmark voted overwhelmingly to accept $25,000,000 for her West In dies, not letting the fact that they aren't worth it Interfere with her al truistic desire to aid the United States Philadelphia North AraerJ. can, Roujnanln appreciates just hw much ehe was needod by the Altlra,-, Wall Stmt JournMi """ COLD WEATHER CAUSES INJURY Vale Boy Falls Asleep From Cold, and Slides From Load of Hay Not Badly Hurt. Sheepmen coming in on the road from McLaughlin's ranch to Vale SundflV. found thn tinrnnRpinns hrvlv , j of Myron McLaughlin, 15-year old son of John McLaughlin of Vale. Ho was taken to W. F. Hall's ranch whero first aid treatments restored his con sciousness. Medical aid was summoned and tho lad brought to Vale, whero he was moving around town a few hours la ter, evidently none ,the worse for his experience, save a badly bruised and skinned face. The team which hn was driving meandered a short dis tance down tho road, stopping at a fence corner. ' "I was driving down tho road," said young McLaughlin at tho Hall ranch, "and it was awfully cold, and I was about half asleep and half awake. I must have slid off the load of hay on my face, because that's all I remem ber until I woke up here." TRAIN SERVICE GETTING.WORSE AS DAYS PASS Cars of Lumber Come From Portland in Five-Day's, and Stock is Handled More In efficiently Than Eyer. Saturday, Dec. 80. train scheduled to' leave-'Onlafioiiat 10 a.- m., arrived at Vale 12:25-distance, 16 Yiiles, Sunday, no service, no mail. Monday, train scheduled to leave Ontario at 10 a. m., arrived at Vale, 12:30 p. m Distance, 16 miles. Tuesday, arrived 11:40. Wednesday, arrived 11:30. Mail arriving at Ontario 6:33 Sat urday evening, both east and west, all Sunday mail, including Sunday pa pers from Portland and Boise, held over, arriving at Vale sometime af ternoon on Monday. No moro outrageous discrimination in inadequate train service is known to exist than this. When Bushu and Brooke mot tho citizens of Vale, they agreed to re commend the morning and evening train and positively stated that there was no intention of taking off Sunday service. ' They immediately proceeded to Nampa or some other way station on their alleged main line, and held an other meeting without giving Vale citizens notice, and -forthwith put out a schedule, discriminating in charac ter, unjust in that it deliberately de stroys values, and Is a monument, of duplicity not exceeded by an ancient tyrant The inefficiency of tho 0. S. L. has done for more than Its share in cro ating a car shortage in the west. They own comparatively few cars and depend on utilizing way cars and for eign cars billed into the territory, for their own service. Coal cars from Utah that should be delivered in 72 hours are seldom gotten across thoir potty divisions un der ten days, more frequently 12 to 14 days, Thus a car does about 1-3 of its possible and reasonable duty. Cars of lumber come from Portland in five days, and two days of that is taken up by the O.. S. L. in getting the cars from Huntington to Vole. Stock is handled more inefficiently than on any road in America. We are in possession of a story on stock handling that would bring a smile of derision to the face of any real rail road operator, while our 0. S. L. al leged operators think they have done well. In fact under the circumstances they have done well, for the time of everyone who is not actually on duty handling trains, is busy fooling tho public with cither some personal at tention or writing fake stories for the papers. Germany would be Invincible with a sense of humor. Wall Street Jour nal. Why not give the Nobel peace prize to tho Kaiser? Baltimore American. Wall Street Is crying for help. The war-brides are fajnting. Baltimore American. The British cen8? wno re4 the lettwa can hsV" f!P llluitens, about hlmwlf ,-Wnir JtrMt Journal, " " SUBSCRIPTION, $2.00 PER YBAiR 3 WARMSPRINGSj BOND BIDDERS MAKE OFFERS Bids Made Friday Afternoon Have Not Been Made Pub-lie-String on Government Money Proposition. SATISFACTORY BID IS TO BE HOPED Unless Development Begins . n , Valley This. Spring It Will Be Dea4d For Coming Generation. ? ? Sovcral bidders for the bonds of ;tho Warmsprings Irrigation Districtare in town. Just what they have bid at tho meeting called at 2 p, m. Friday is not now known. There developed a string on tho government monoy proposition which Messrs. Mallctt and Wood endeavor ed to put through in, Washington.Tho dtffipillf.V Hon fn thn fnllnwinn. flmloA in the Reclamation Extension Act" ap proved Aug. 13, 1914. The clause is as follows: Section 12. That before any con tract Is let or work begun for tho construction of any irrigation project hereafter adopted the Secretary of the Interior shall require tho owners of private lands thereunder to agree to dispose of; all lands in excess of the area which he shall deem sufficient for the support of a family uporfjtho land,;!n question, upon such tcrms'and at tnot.. to e exceed such price. asHtho jMSj; anft if any .landowner shalre-' fuse fo'ngreo to tho requirements fixed by tho Secretary of' the Inter ior, his land shall not, be Included within tho project if adopted for con struction. There has been some idle talk about this not applying to tho Warmsprings project, but It is certain thatithe above is a very plajn provision o$ the law and tho Warmsprings project Is an irrigation project. ' Thus, while it is certain that no forecast can bo made as to the ex act size of tho farm unit which .the Secretary might declare, sufficient to support a family It Is equally certain that such unit cannot be ' made less than ten acres nor' moro than 160 acres for the reason that this limita tion is plain provision of tho roclama--tion act. Tho price which the Socretary' might set for tho excess' land cannot be stated until further Investigation as to values, etc. As tho matter ' stands now to accept government money if wo could got it, which is more than doubtful would mean that unless a very largo majority of';thjJ" acreage should sign the requirements of tho Secretary before ha would, or. der work to begin, tho project would fall. It is to be hoped that a satisfactory bid may bo received for the bonds as it is now or never. Malheur Valley will begin development this spring or it is dead for a generation. CHANGES TAKE PLACE AT THE COURTHOUSE W. H. Doolittle Returns to ed With Short Stay in the County Scat-New Officers are on the Job. A number of changes have taken place at the court house the past week. Ernest Dlven has become de puty County Clerk, Mr. Moody hav ing assumed the duties of clerk. T W. II. Doollttlo, who filled out tU term as clerk vice J, P. Houston has returned to Ontario. Mr. DoolltUa expressed himself as well pleasii with his short sojourn in Vale and leaves the town with a feeling of friendship. ijlg "The position was acceptable to me at the time," said Mr. Doolittle, "but there are things coming up in the im mediate future in which there shvU bo more money than In any poltleu We aro so closely allied with th ld; ed interests of the county, and Imvm a. tt it '. a