Told to 'Subsist on the Climate': A Homesteader's Plea Denied

Acting Land Commissioner Bowers, formerly of Boston, has rendered another stereotyped decision refusing Adele C. Leonard, a poor woman who lives on a homestead near Port Angeles, a leave of absence for the purpose of earning money to support herself and improve her land. Mr. Bowers repeats that while poverty may be the result of a casualty in the meaning of the statute, Miss Leonard will have to stay at home and subsist on the climate.

The controversy between Charles R. Myers and Mrs. Frances H. Ledger over the north half of the northwest quarter and southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 8, township 30 north, range 6 east, has been decided by the general land office in favor of the former. At the hearing before the local office Mrs. Ledger testified that she did not know the description of the land, nor when it was located, and never was on it, but filed because she understood it was in controversy and her attorney advised her to take the step.

The rejection by the local land office of the homestead application of Harman Elsbert to enter as a homestead the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 3, and the north half of the northeast quarter and quarter of the northwest quarter of section 23, township 22 north, range 1 east, which land was covered by the entry of Charles H. Davis, was sustained by the general land office. Elsbert is the man who said in print that he would go to Washington City to have the general land office right his wrongs. If he failed he was going to have the president interfere in his behalf. The trouble between Davis and Elsbert arose on Elsbert's offer of final proof. Davis claimed that Elsbert had failed to settle on or cultivate the land, and submitted evidence which resulted in the cancellation of Elsbert's entry. Elsbert paid for taking all the testimony, which amounted to $24.