The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1870-04-22
L9nAe IL Deer LO61e Yollew.

Wehaye been furnished BY Mr. O1Bannon
Clerk of the District Court, With the follow
ing facts In regard to Lands in this valley
Seven townships have been subdivided
and the lands thereon opened for entry un'
der the homestead aid presumption laws,
Up to the present time there has been ono
town site entry-that Of Door lodge City,
which embraces m area Of 258 4o-f00th
acres. s. dcclsratory statements under the
presumption law have been died, claiming
in the aggregate, 1857 26-l00th acres. Fl
nal entry hss been made Of 7of the above
Claims, with IN aggregate area of S7S 90.
Tooth acres. There have been 10 homestead
entries, embracing Z, 1924 o. tooth acres. The
surveyed lands in this valley are embraced
in townships Nos. s, ca and 8 North of
Range . West, and Nos. 4, s and 6 North of
Range 10 West. The town of Deer Lodge
Is situated on the boundary between town.
ships and North of Range Wcst-two-
thirds Of the town-site being in the first
named township, though nine .tcnthsO the
buildings and improvements are in the latter.
Exterior lines have been run for town.
ships z and North Of Range 10 West. and
they will be sub1ividcd the coming summer,
aud lands thereon opened for entry. They
lie exclusively in the mountains west of Us.
and arc, in the main, rugged and broken,
but contain splendid timber lands and some
delightful little vallies, besides number of
chrystal lakes and la!sclets-onc of which
las recently been claimed and brought into
notice under the name of ''Irvine~ Lake
Owing to the PERCEPTIONS nature Of the coun-
try, the western tier Of sections in each
Of these last.raa,cd townships will not be
surveyed.
But small proportion Of the excellent
farming lands Of our valley have been ap-
rropriated, and VIC can offer splendid in.
ducemcnts to the weary and foot-sorc pill
grim who wants home Tho agricultural
element of our population, though gathered
from all lands. constitutes al orderly,
peaceable, industrious and intelligent COM
munity. It is composed rather more than
half Of forcisn-born citizens. There are
Canadian French scattered throughout the
valley, large number Of Welsh are settled in
the upper portion, cluster Of Danes about
our thrifty little town, and England, Ire.
land, Scotland. Germany, France, Spain,
Italy, Mexico, Cuba, South America and
nearly every State In the Union are repre-
sentcd. As an evidence of the peaccablc
and orderly disposition of our farming CON-
munity. there have been but few cross-filings,
and not single disputed case has been
carried to the land. Office from this valley.
It might 10 we'll to state in this connection
what would be tho effect upon our settlers
of grant of lands hcrcabouis for railroad
purposes:
Those who shall have established their
claims before such grant il male, will lie
fully protected in their rights. 1t has been
the custom heretofore to give to the railroad
for whose benefit the grant is made, the al.
ternate scctions-thosc with odd numbers,
l 3, 8, :, &c. After the grant is made, per.
sons who make settlement upon the odd
numbered sections, will have to purchase
of tho railroad Company, who will establish
Offices for the disposal of their lands Those
settling upon even numbered sections can
still purchase Of the government, but will
he limited to 80 acres each, for which they
will have to pay 81 so per acre, or $500
just the same as they would now have to
pay for 100 acres It would he well for
claimants who have neglected to die or
make entry to bear this fact in mind.