The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-06-27
A LAND OFFICE AND A CUSTOM
HOUSE.

amy about the rapid settlement of the
sscountry around Benton a look at the no.
ltices of final entry of land which appear
in the RIVER PRESS would dispel it.
/ For the past few weeks these notices
have averaged a day, and now they
are observation-disclosures in even faster.
Yesterday mornings issue contained
the first publication of the intention eff
six settlers to make final proof on their
claims, this morning two more new
ones appear. A comparison with the
columns Of the other territorial papers
which print these notices show a decid-
ed difference in the number of claims
being taken and proved up on through
out the territory in favor of this section.
The Miles City papers where a land Of
flee is located) have only about one-third
as many such notices, Bozeman (another
land office no more, the Helena papers
lin which city the third land office is
located) not more than t%wo-thirds as
many are found, while in the local pa
pers published in the other sections
these notices cut, in comparison, a small
figure.
All these facts go to show the urgent
need of a land office in Fort Benton, and
if anything more were needed we have
only to look at the notices printed in the
Hbsbandn20f, more than half of which
come from a section tributary to Benton
the Judith Basin. Under the present
order Of things these settlers are obliged
to go to White Sulphur Springs or to
Helena to prove up, a distance Of often
from 100 to 200 miles, and when the
penses Of this trip for themselves and
their witnesses is figured it foots up a
sasm which the settler should not be
called upon to pay in order to acquire
title to the land which it has perhaps
taken nearly his all to improve. The
Judith country is filling up with new
settlers more rapidly than any other
part of the territory, and these settlers, |
who are coming to build up homes in
this fair portion of th%eecountry's domain
should be encouraged in every way and
/
not be subjected to so much unnecessary
expense. And this expense could be in
a great measure done away with by the
establishment Of a land office at Fort
Benton, which in many Of these cases is
not more than 40 Or so miles and in the
farthest less than 120. Besides these set
tiers come to this city for their needed
supplies, as do their witnesses, and can
easily arrange matters SO as to prove up
at the time of one Of their regular yearly
visits, thus saving the cost of a special
trip. Again, many of these settlers could
find competent witnesses to proye their
residence and cultivation among the cit
liens Of Fort Benton, this being another
benefit.
But we can carry our case still farther.
A commission has been appointed by
congress, among the duties of which
will be the matter of q treaty with the
Indians to the north Of us which by it's
terms will remove them from the fertile
of the Milk river and throw that
magnificent country open to settlement
oy the whites. There is no question of
he success of this commission in form
ng q treaty which will be speedily rati-
fed by the senate, and the result will
that next spring hundreds of people
will avail themselves Of this splendid
secure homes in one Of
he richest countries under the sun. A
and office at Fort Benton will then be-
ONE al absolute necessity, for these
cannot transact their business
trough an office four hundred miles off
nth work. So it will easily be seen
lat the establishment of a land office at
ais place Is only a question of time in T,
nv case, but our people and ourdelegate
hould move in the matter at once in
lstice to themselves.
And while the question of a land office
J being discussed, it would be as well to
pitate and advocate the erection of a
ustom house at this point, where the
,ffice of the collector of customs for Mon
ana and Idaho is now located. Should
his be done the land Office could be To-
,ated in the same building. The gov
eminent would save the cost of its con-
,truction in a few years in the matter Of
.ent for the two offices alone. We hope
hat Major. Maginnis' attention will be
directed to this matter during the visit
&M# .M &M%## - III EM4 III