Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1884-05-09
THE WASHINGTON BUDGET.

THE WASHINGTON BUDGET.
WASHINGTON, May Sin the senate the chair
laid before the senate communication from
the secretary of the interior, submitting q
supplement to the provisional estimates, calling
for $276.620 for further clerical hire, which
will be necessary if the pension bills now
pending should be passed. Mitchell, of the
commisteeon pensions, reported favorably with
an amendment in the house bill, granting pen
sions to soldiers of the Mexican war, which was
placed on the calendar, and the bills heretofore
introduced in the senate for the same object
were indefinitely postponed. The amendment
provides that no such officer, enlisted man or
widow, shall be entitled to the benefits of this
act unless dependent in whole or in part on his
or her own labor or assistance from others for
support. Davies offered resolution, which
was agreed to, calliog on the secretary of the
interior for information ~ to whether any steps
had been taken to prosecute one Halfernes for
shooting an Indian named Black Wolf. Hal
fernes, he aaid, was 9 cowboy, who made bet
with his friends that he could put rife bullet
through the Indians hat without touching bis
head. He made slight mistake, however. and
put the bullet through the head instead of the
hat. The Indians felt outraged by this and
in the excitement growing out of the incident,
burned honse belonging to the cowboys.
The house burners were tried and sentenced
to five years imprisonment, but the man who
shot the Indian is still untried and unpunished
The Indians naturally felt that justice had not
been done them, and the resolution was in
tended to bring out the facts as to what effort
was made to prosecu to the frat offender. Van
Wyck offered a resolution, which, at the sugges-
tion of Conger, was laid over one day, directing
the secretary of the interior to withhold grant
ing patents to or recognizing any claim made by
the Northern Pacific railway adjoining and on
account Of what is known as Pugallup branch,
built many years ago, until this congress shall
take &C ion on the question Of forfeiture of the
lands granted said road.
In the house, after several reports, including
that of bill from the committee on commerce
for the appointment of Missouri river COM
mission, the house debated and passed the bill
loaning $1,000, 900 to the managers of the New
Orleans exposition. The vote was 1874 to 81.
The American forestry congress concluded its
annual session today. Papers were read by
Messrs. Eggleson, of Washington, F. T. Baker,
of Topeka, B. E. Vernawa, of New York, on the
value and management of good timber lands. A
general discussion upon the subject showed the
prevailing sentiment was that the land laws
of the United States should be amended 30 az to
distinguish between simple agricultural land
which be almost arid and treeless and valuable
timber lands of the public domain. 1t Was
urged that the preservation of the timber lands
was matter OF national Importance, and such
land should be withdrawn from settlement or
public disposal. A paper by @. M. Read, of
Hudson, O.. on the preservation of the forest
on the head waters of streams, was received
with marked attention and warmly commended.
The last paper, by John 8. Hicks, of New York,
was entitled ''The planting of trees by railroad
companies" Hicks presented interesting
statistics of the consumption of wood by rail-
road. He estimated that the cost per mile of
ties at 1924 every years or total per annum
of $149, 100 for the $4,000 miles of railroad
in United States. To supply the necessary
timber would require 12,672 million acres of
wood land kept in constant growth, or 1880
acres per mile for single track rail, which
would be equivalent to strip of land over four
hundred feet wide along side of every mile of
a single road, and adding one-half to the esti-
mate for double lines and sidings, and assum-
ing that only one.half the distance could be-
planted, it would require nearly one-half q
mile of growing timber alongside
of each mile of railroad to
produce sufficient number of ties for use, ex-
elusive of the timber consumed in bridging
and fencing. There are many places owned by
the railroads that could be planted with trees,
which protect the road from snow drifts and
wind storms while growing. The committee
appointed to examine into the merits of the
bill pending before congress, entitled "a bill to
establish national experiment stations in con-
nection with agricultural colleges in the various,
states,' presented report which was adopted,
earnestly endorsing the bill and urging its pas
sage. The committee on publication recon-
mended the appointment of standing commit
tee on the publication and issue of bulletins
from time to time, as means of communica-
tion among the friends of forestry.
More Horse Thieves.
The villianous gang of horse thieves who have
been prowling about the northwest for some
time appeared upon the scene of action again
Wednesday night and stole five horses from Mr..
John Staley of Mclean county. Mr.. Staley has
been in Mclean county for some time and had
accumulated neat little foundation for for