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Show Gedarstrom Homestead Contest Case Tried Testimony (o ilu Hccchcd llj ItcgWcr and ItccclTcr of (lencral Laud Office. The contest case of tho Gocnimcnt vs. Thor Cednrstrom lasted all day Wednesday nnd Thursdays About ono jear ago Mr. Ccdarstrom made llnal conimuntatho proof and n government Inspector who examined conditions recommended that his application bo not granted. It appears that several months before this a private party hod also flled n contost against Cedar-slrom, Cedar-slrom, but concluded later not to pro-sccuto pro-sccuto his enso, so the inspector In making his examination questioned the witnesses depended on by the private pri-vate contestant. The case wns originally set before 8. W. Ross as 'referee, but he having been n witness for Ot'tfarstrom In the Intter's proving up, it was deemed advisable ad-visable to transfer It to Willlnm Asher, another notary public. AIlss Riley of tho Utah Farmer ofllco uctcd as ofllclal stenographer. Thoro vvero about fifteen fif-teen government witnesses und nearly ns many more for tho dofense. Government Gov-ernment Inspector Snow conducted tho enso for tho land ofllco and E. W. Senior, n Salt Lnko laud attorney, looked nftor tho examination of Cde-arstrom's Cde-arstrom's witnesses. Tho government's contention wns that Ccdarstrom had failed to maintain main-tain his rcsldcnco on his homestead, residing clsowhoro during tho time he should havo been on his laud. Cedar-Btrom's Cedar-Btrom's witnesses testified that while ho had been nbsofU nt intervals In Salt Lako City on black marblo deals and at Pelican Point looking after his sheep, still tho homestead was his homo. Ho also showed that ho had cleared about twenty acres of brush nnd had four acres ready for seeding nt tlmo of proving up. Thnt ho had built two houses, a barn, etc. Slnco making final proof Cednrstrom has planted out n four-ncro orchard, plowed up fifty acres of land and planted thirty acres of it to wheat, and fenced much of his homestead with n woven wlro fence. Had he dono this boforo proving up there would probably havo been no contest, and It may bo tho means of causing tho department to glvo him tho benefit of tho doubt now. Tho laud lies on tho lako front next to Snratoga. Thoro Is about Blxty acres In tho tract and slnco the establishment es-tablishment of tho now pumping plant It has grown to bo quite valuable. MIbs Riley will mako a transcript of the case, which will probably cover from 600 to 800 typewritten pages, vhlch will then bo received by the reglstor nnd receiver of tho general land office In Snlt Lako City, who will render the decision. Should Cednrstrom Cednr-strom lose out in Salt Lake City ho will then nppeal to tho general land ofllco nt Washington. |