Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1888-03-09
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
How Settlement is Deferred and
Progress Hindered by Lack
of Surveys.
The Arabic Lands of Custer
County Described in Detail
From Reliable Data.
Stockgrowing and Agriculture
the Two Great Industries of
Eastern Montana,
Which Judiciously Combined
Will Result in Universal
Prosperity.
THE PUBLIC LANDS,

Surveyed and Unsurvsyed In Eastern Mon
tana.
While the people of eastern Mon
tan 4 are agitat Dg the subjects Of set
Element, artificial irrigation. new rail-
roads, srtesian wells, ETC., IL would be
well kJr them to turn their attention
to ono Of the most important consider
Natlons which effect the development
Of a new country. II IL not expected
that there eau be a permanent com.
munity built up with imaginary
claims to property. So if a permanent
community is built up it will he neces-
rary for people to have some resson
able assurance Of acquiring legal title
to such property. Tbi. cannot he
done so long as the country remains
unsurveyed. This IL more particu-
larly embarrassing to settlers 10 land
grant sections Of the public domain,
where every odd section is railroad
land; and, therefore, one Of the
greatest and most pressing needs OF
the country, at present. is the survey
of the public lsnd-, so as to enable
hundreds Of settlers all over the coun-
try to acquire title to the lands upon
which they have been living from one
10 six years. IL has q tendency t.
greatly retard settlement where the
settlers have found others who had
settled upon the improved lands with
in the granted limits and found them.
selves upon railroad land after the sur
vey, and to have to pay In many cases
more than the government price for
their lands.
For the fiscal year ended June 30ih,
1887, there was appropriated for field
work of public surveys SIS 900 most, IL
not ali of which was appropriated for
the survey Of timber lands on account
OF timber trespass. AT the price for
which the surveys were advertised by
the honorable commissioner ~ the
general land office, no bids were re-
ceived and by request Of the surveyor
general of the territory to The commits.
sioner the appropriation was ordered
applied on the survey Of lands in agri.
cultural districts. Out OF thi. sppro.
priatlon there was awarded toHarrisc n
and Scheetz, contracts for about So, ,5OJ
to survey part OF the Tongue river
valley. The balaucs Of the appropria
ton was tuIne back into the treas
ury. This was the amount Of money
from the appropriations used upon
surveys for Montana for the fiscal
year ended June 81, 1887.
This survey was completed some
time last fall with not enough money
In the surveyor generals Office to fin.
ish the plats Of those townships. Sc
the contractors were left either TO dc
without the money for their work un-
til Congress should appropriate sufii'
cient money to work up the survey OF
do the work gratis. The contractors
are still without their money. The
settlers where such surveys were
made are anxiously awaiting an oppor'
tunlty 10 make entries and filings to
their lands ~ soon as the plats shall
have been received At the local land
office. Besides this there remains q
urvey made by Lsmport on Tongue
river and Rosebud river almost two
ears ago, where there are good settle
ments AMI survey not yet accepted by
he department., while the settlers on
these lands are also anxiously awaiting
sn opportunity to enter and file on
their claims.
In the matter Of petitions | would
state that number Of blank petitions
for surveys were sent 10 this Office by
the surveyor general almost two year:
ago, 10 be sent TO localities where there
were requests for surveys made.
have used care aud vigilance In dis
tflbuting them where they would be
likely TO d. the most good and have
up to the present returned to the sur
veyor general signed aud properly
filled out about live or six aud more
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