The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-07-11
FORT ELLIS.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN CON-
GRESS REGARDING THIS
LARGE REsERVA-
Tl0N.
Mr.. Toole Recommends That it be Opened
to a Settlement, at once.

by prominent military men, will b,
thrown open Tor settlement and not sol,
to the highest bidder as was feared. Or
the day above mentioned, the following
amendments to the land laws were read
| "sKc.-. That the Secretary of the In
terror be. and is hereby, authorized t.
have the lands embraced within aband.
oned military reservations regularly sur
veyed by an extension of the public sur
veys thereon.
SEC. That said lands when 80 sur
veyed shall, upon the approval of such
surveys by the Secretary of the Interior
become part of the public domain and
subject to entry and settlement unde,
the homestead laws of the United States
and not otherwise.
SEC. That the Secretary of the In.
terror shall cause any improvements
buildings. building materials, and other
property which nay be situated upon
such lands, not heretofore sold by the
United States authorities. to be appraised
by three competent and disinterested
men. to be appointed by him, who shall
after each having been duly sworn to i'm.
partially and faithfully execute the trust
imposed in him, appraise the said i'm
provements, buildings, building materials
and other property situated thereon and
report their proceeding to the Secretary
of the Interior for his action thereon
and thereupon the Secretary of the In
terror shall cause the same to be adver-
tised for sale at public auction. to the
highest bidder, for cash, in at least two
newspapers OF general circulation, pub.
lished in the state or territory Where
said reservation is situated for four sue
cessive weeks, giving the time and place
of said sale. Any sale of improvements
made under the provisions of this act
shall be subject to the approval of the
Secretary of the Interior.
"SEc.-. That all acts and parts of acts
in conflict herewith are hereby repealed" !"
In support OF this amendment Mr.,
Toole said The object and purpose of
this bill, as frequently declared in the
House. is to reserve the public land OF
the United States for the benefit of ac-
tual settlers. The amendment which I
have offered is in keeping with the spirit
and purpose ofthe bill. The act of July
g, 1884, for the disposition of abandoned
and useless military reservations, pro-
vides for selling these reservations, at
public sale to the highest bidder. The
result ls. and has been since the passage
of the act that Instead of these lands fall
ing into the hands of actual settlers or
of homesteaders, they have fallen into
the hands Of capitalists and individuals
who have combined to buy the whole of
the land or 30 much thereof as they
deemed necessary for the purpose intend
ed by the purchase. This matter has
been brought to the attention of the
Commissioner of the General Land OF.
fee, and in his last annual report he
says:
Complaints and protests continue to
be received at this office against the sale
at public auction of lands embraced in
relinquished military reservations.
These reservations embrace some of the
choicest remaining agricultural lands of
the United States, and are needed for
settlement purposes. 1t is impossible for
settlers to compete with capitalists at
public sales, and if sold in that manner
the lands are certain to pass into the
hands OF large proprletors, from whom
the farmer hereafter can purchase, If at
all. only at greatly enhanced rates. The
general situation and the condition pub.
lie feeling in respect to the manner of
disposing Of these reservations ia shown
in the following letter from the register
and receiver at Bozeman, Montana.
The register and receiver write with
special reference 10 the Fort Ellis mill
tary reservation, which has been aband.
oned, and which contains 81 600 acres of
land and is unoccupied at this time.
They say in their letter:
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICE,
BozEMAN, MoNT., FEB., II, 1887.
SIR: We, in response to public request
and from our own convictions in the
premises, respectfully call your attention
to the matter of the disposal of the Fort
Ellis military reservation, that having
been determined and placed in the
hands of the Interior Department.
We believe that the best interests ol
the government and Of our people would
be met, not by its sale in large or small
bodies, but by its relegation to the public
lands and its disposal under the land
laws of the United States.
This reservation contains over 80, ,OO(
acres, and consists Of agricultural, grass
timber, stone, coal, and mineral lande
It commands available irrigating water
and is one of the best locations in thil
Territory and the best on many accounts
now remaining unsettled in this lane
office district.
1t would be rapidly taken up by bons
fed settlers and locators, and should i
be sold, as seems now intended, the re
suit in our opinion would be damagin,
TO public interest and great disappoint
ment TO our people. Already we hear o
syndicatea formed to attempt its purchase
in body. This we and all good citizen
would deplore, as such disposals woul,
not only prevent its general settlement
and consequent general improvement,
materially depriving the country Of tax
paying property and added population
but it would establish almost within on
little city, and between us and the Vel
lowstone, a monopoly of lands which
is rightly the policy of the government
and the Department and the people t
discourage.
The available lands of this district ar
not so great in extent that this countr
and territory can afford to quietly wi
ness such disposals of this extensive an
valuable area, and we feel that unde
the circumstances, we can consistent
address you upon the subject.
A petition has gone fol ward asking th
donation Of small area, with the bull,