The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1883-05-19
THE n. r. LAND GRANT

THE n. r. LAND GRANT.
Within the past ten days there has been
an unusual amount Of excitement !" 'eA
ton to the lands held in Southern Mon'a""
under the land grant Of the Mortimer" ."
cific Railroad Company. This excitement
was created bv the publication Of the state.
ment that the Secretary of the Inferior ~
Washington had rendered decision !"
which he had officially approved the map
of the company defining the location O., o.
the Northern Pacific Railway through ",
Rocky Mountain (Nfontana) DIVISION ",eo
July &, 1881. The line thus approved ae'
parts from the former main line claimed oy
the company at Gallatin City IN 'a''a'''
county, and pass;n: over the main ra"se
bv the Mullan tunnel, unites with the man
line again at the mouth Of the Little BLACK
foot in Deer Lodge county. The company
all.ae that the main reason Of selecting TINS
route over the route formerly surveyed ana
located up the jefferson and Big Hole rtv'
ers and over the Divide or Deer Lodge
pass IL to shorten their trunk line forty.
three miles. The decision ofthe Secretary OF
the Interior, II is claimed by the filers, Will
have the effect 10 restore to the Govern
ment's public domain more than one mil
lion Of acres Of choice agricultural lands
in the Jefferson, Ruby, Big Hole, and bea'
verhead valleys and their tributaries. The
filers who are now hopping on to railroad
land in battalions assume that this Will oe
the final result Of the Secretarys decision'
and argue that while It will thus restore to
the public domain large amount OF land
in Southern Montana. It will withdraw from
the market and from settlement cores
bonding amount Of land in Northern Mon.
tana The assumption of the fIers Is not
we'll taken, and the rush for these lands Is
seemingly, premature. And why! First,
the date at which the lands are subject to
pre.emption or location has not been fixed
and the goth Of April--(the date Of the
Secretary of the Interior recognizing the
the map of the N P.)-will not hold In pre-.
empting for the reason that there is no land
to pre.empt until official notice Of its resto.
ration to the public domain has been pro-
perly promulgated. Second. The North.
ern Pacific Company is one Of those soul.
less corporations which having fastened its
fangs on to million Of acres Of fine land
will not relinquish its hold merely to &C.
commodate the settler or provide home
for the squatter. There is millions of
money In the possession Of these lands and
the Great Northern Monopoly is fully
posted as to their present and prospective
value. On the Mullan tunnel route there
is not enough land subject to the operations
of their charter to satisfy its demands
on the public domain. The Northern Pa.
cities charter is a peculiar document. 1t
was drawn, evidently, for the purpose Of
gobbling up this Northern country, and
Congress, blind to the interests Of the peo-
pie, made that charter a law of the land. Tn.
der the loose and comprehensive provisions
Of its charter the Northern Pacific can &c
outside Of the forty mile limit of its main
line and take any, and, IL needed, all Of the
public domain to satisfy its claim on Govern.
,nent land. II the company can not get
land on the Mullan tunnel route It will
come over on to the Jefferson. Big Hole
line and take all the public land in South.
ern Montana, and the filings Of the settlers
will amount to nothing. Whys Becaus.
the company by virtue Of surveys and prior
claims covers all these lands and they hav'
for years been designated on the plats, |,
alternate sections, as railroad land. Thi
is the situation Of the land question in thi
section. 1t would be better for the growtl
and prosperity Of Southern Montana
the monopolizing grip Of the mammotl
monopoly could be broken so that our fer
tile valleys would be open to the occupa
ton OF the settler seeking home withou
compelling him to buy the railroads It'll,
al round price, to the land he Is anxio,,
to occupy and cultivate. The rush for rail
rad land will result in advertising tn
Northern Pacifc's sections and In enhanc
ing their value, and the Great Monopol
will be benefited in the end.
"A telegram having been sent to Wash
ington making inquiry when action woul
be taken in relation to the N. p. land, tn
following dispatch was received at Dillon o.
Wednesday: "Noe for several weeks
Can not now say exactly when."