Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-23

subject OF desert lands and irritation the
Governor says: Arizona contains nearly
1l4,OOO square miles, about $4,000, 900
acres OF land, about $4,000, 900 acres are
utilized for stock raising and upon it Craze
nearly 1000. 900 cattle, more than 1,OOO,-
0OO sheep, besides horses, mules and other
domestic animals. Nutritious grass grows
everywhere ard could the balance of the
land adapted to grazing be utilized for that
purpose this would become the greatest
stock raising country in the United States.
Want OF water is the only drawback to it's
occupation and development. For the
most part these lands lie SO that water
reservoirs can be constructed to pre-.
serve water from the rains of summer
and melting SHOWS of winter for the use OF
herds OF cattle and other stock. OF the re-
cral and agricultural, two-thirds are arabic
could they be irrigated. OF these 100, 900
acres can be reclaimed by judicious appro-
priation and distribution of the present
water supply. The Governor requests that
Congress be asked to demonstrate by ecien-
tlic survey and practical test the feasibil.
lty of artesian wells for giving supply of
water, and adds: "Around Denver q well
irrigates from forty to fifty acres; il half as
good results could be obtained in Arizona
we could produce wine raisns, fruits, nuts
b
population of 100000 people," The
Governor, in conclusion, predicts that the
Apaches removed, the Territory will double
in population and resources within the
next two years.
Unearned Land Grants to be Forfeited.
New YORK, October 21.-A Washington
special to the Post says: The Interior
Department has in contemplation q plan
by which efforts to forfeit the unearned
land grant which was unsuccessful in Con-
gress may be successful through depart
mental action. Law officers OF the land
office have the subject now under consider
alton and if the plan shall meet the
approval of the Secretary of the Interior
it will be put into operation. Some time
ago the Interior Department decided that
no land grant road should be considered
to have earned it's grant until it had filed
a perfected plat of its entire road and of
granted land claim. proceeding from these
decisions as a basis - is suggested that
suit may lie against the Northern Pacific
road in which the Government will main
tain that it is not entitled to any land
which it claims. For instance in the grant
from Duluth to Puget Sound, because these
lands were not earned and perfected plat
for that part of the route was not filed
within the time prescribed. This theory
proceeds, of course, upon the assumption
that the road could not earn any land if
it did the whole grant. and on this
theory the Secretary of the Interior will
doubtless be asked to declare lands for
feited and open to settlement.
Killed by an Explosion.
SANDY Hook, October 21.-The Ord
nance Board fired 12-inch mortar this
forenoon. The charge was fifty pounds OF
powder and shells loaded with sand. This
afternoon the shells were to be loaded with
powder. One shell was filled by soldier
named Joseph King. First Lieut.. William
M. Metcalf superintended the work. After
filing the next shell and screwing in the
plug it exploded, blowing the soldier to
pieces and fatally injuring Metcalf, who
lived but abont half an houIs His body
was fearfully mangled, while that of King
was picked up in pieces in the vicinity. The
clothes of both caught fire. Several others
were slightly injured and temporarily lost
their hearing. As about ten or twelve per-
sons were near the shell when it exploded,
it is wonder that no more were killed, ae
fragments of the shell flew in every direc
tion. 1t is surmised that some grains OF
powder lodged in the thread of the hole in
The shell, and the plug being screwed in
brought about the explosion. This is the
first fatal accident that has happened dur
ing the last 12h years, the length of time
that the Ordnance Board has been testing
guns here. Many guns have burst, but no
one was ever injured by such an explosion
before.