The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-08-09


secretary Of the interior shall dispose of
the same under the public land laws, and
such actual settlers as ere new on said
tract in pursuance OF military authority
shall be entitled to the first right fentry:
Provided, That the following described
portion Of said tract shall be disposed of
under the provisions of section twenty
three hundred and eighty-seyen of the
revised statutes Of the United States. re-
lating to townsires on public lands, to
wit: Beginning at the northeast corner
of lot numbered three, in section four
teen, township twenty-fourth north, Of
range eight east of the principal meri-
dian; running thence due east eighty
chains: thence due south to the Missouri
river; thence along the northern bank
of said Missouri river to the intersection
| ofthe eastern line of lot three in section
twenty-three of said township; thence
due north along the line of the townsite
of Fort Benton to the place ofbeginning,
as an addition to and q part OF the
present toWnsite OF Fort Benton: Ind
provided further, That there is reserved
from said described tract Of land to Mrs.
Sarah e. Eastman. widow and admins
tratrix of Francis Henry Eastman, and
William S. Wetzelsth e land on which
the fur-trading post know as Old Fort
Benton stands, and the land inclosed and
occupied by them, rs described on plats
on file in the war department, the same
being six acres, more or less, to which
they shall have the prior right of entry,
and that the same be conveyed to them
by the proper authorizes Upon their M
pliance with law. The county judge of
the county in which said toWnsite is
s{1yatn n shall 40 rco ~ ha 7l4 n q 49,
and plat Of said tract Of land and the
said plat Thereof shall be filed in the office
of the register Of the proper land office
within ninety days from and after the
passage Of this act; and thereupon it
shall be lawful for the county Judge, as
trustee of said townsite, to make entry
of said of land at the local land ohie, and
to dispose OF the same to occupants in the
same II as il the same had been q
part of the original townsite OF Fort Ben
ton.
Some of the parties who rustled around
last evening to locate several acres of
land will probably learn from the fore
going that they have bit off more than
they car chew, SO to speak. The statute
relating to town sites allows any one
person to take up two lots and any addi-
tional lots he has Improvements upon to
the value of $3.50. The part to be an
nexed to the town site-which includes
all the bottom on this side of the river
and a portion Of the bluffs-wiIl be sur
veyed and plated under the direction of
the probate judge, after which parties
can come forward and enter their two
lots-anc no more save where they have
the requisite improvements. There will
be some 5000 lots altogether, and we
venture the prediction that every citizen
of Benton that wants two lots, whether
he did any stalking last night or not, can
secure them. Our probate Judge, fortu-
nately, is not q mar to be bull-dozed,
and he will see to it, as he can, that the
fair thing is done.
The portion OF the reservation that
lies on the south side of the river is
thrown open to actual settlement, and
as Jas. McDevitt and John f. Murphy
are located upon the same, have it
fenced and a crop growing, they will
beyond a doubt hold it. It was rumored
last night that Mike Lynch had jumped
McDevitt's claim, q rumor that, under
the circumstances, we are inclined to
discredit.