Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-08
THE CONVENTIONS WORK,

Tho Board OF Trade at it's meeting last
night appointed an imposing delegation to
attend the convention to meet at Helena
next Tuesday to consider measures to pre-
vent the mineral lands OF Montana being
gobbled up by patents to the Northern
Pacific Railroad. So far as the delegates
from Butte are concerned they can with
sincerity contend that from the source OF
Silver Bow Creek to M~issoula, including the
rich Deer Lodge Valley, is entirely under.
laid with mineral. The Deer Lodge Valley
itself is about as fair an agricultural Sec
ton as could be patented. But new dis
c%overies of valuable mines may be made
there at any time over it's entire surface, as
instanced by the discovery and develop.
ment OF the Mountain Lion there lately.
The same thing may happen in any part
OF the section described.
1t will be in order for the convention at
present, in compliance with Acting Land
Commissioner Stockslager' suggestion, ito
furnish the General Land Office with any
evidence or information they may have as
to the mineral character of any lands
selected by the company" This will not
be difficult to do. The convention can
point to the new discoveries being made all
the time over the tract, and urge the in
evitable conclusion upon the department
that the entire land selected by the COM
pany lying anywhere in or near the noun
famous region OF Montana is equally rich
in undeveloped mineral resources.
Tlo A.-- H. "
day that in the issuance of patents for
lands to the company "lists for the selec.
tions are always carefully examined in con
nection with mineral records, and all lands
even suspected OF being mineral in charac-
ter areexcluded from patent" He added
that as the Montana portion of the road
was not built until the expiration of the
period prescribed by law for it's compile
ton, "the issue OF patents was suspended
pending action by Congress in the matter
OF forfeiture, and this suspension has not
been removed, and no patents for land in
Montana are likely to be issued in the near
future" From which it may be assumed
that there is time to devise a thoroughly
digested scheme to meet the emergency.
There is no occasion why any land in the
regions referred to in Montana should he
patented to the company. It has
forfeited all right to them. But
even if the forfeiture is re-
moved by Congr,ss patents to those
lands can be withheld, and an indemnity
grant made to the company in lieu of these
lands within the limit OF the right OF a
An immense mass OF bills are now before
Congress for consideration, and very i'm.
portant legislation is pending. 1t will be
difficult to get Territorial bills attended to.
But it the right influences are brought to
work the exigency Of the case will not fail
to impress itself on the committee in whose I
charge such a matter would be placed and
a DILL passed at this session forever ex.
emptlng from operation of the grant to the |
Northern Pacific Railroad all lands in |
Montana lying west Of a particular merid-
ian OF longitude to be decided upon. This |
is what the convention should make ar
rangements to put in shape for action in |
Congress. Among the large number of in.
fiuential men from every part of Montana
certain to be present next Tuesday, there !
should be no difficulty in putting matters
in shape SO as to reach the desired end
without delay.