Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-01-17

THE HEREW|THAL.
An Increased Appropriation
Must be had From Congress
for Montana Surveys.
Major Downey's Views on This
Subject and the Benefits OF
Irrigation.

AiiS dtiOus
THE QUESTION OF PUBLIC SURVEYS.
What is Needed for Custer County and How
1t Could be brought About.
Ever since the Yellowstone valley
began to be settled there has been
more settlers than surveys and the
disadvantages that have accrued from
this state Of affairs, have deferred
many from making entry ON public
lands and discouraged others who had
made entry in perfecting their titles.
Being anxious to find out why this
b anch Of the public service seemed so
inadequate to the demands we cast
about for some one well Informed on
the subject and by pardonabIe decep
ton lured Special Agent Jas. F.
Downey Of the general land office in.
to our sanctum yesterday and tapped
him as follows:
"Mr. Downey do you know any.
thing Of the status Of public surveys in
Montana, and why the territory in
general gets SO little and Custer coun.
yin particular such beggarly share
Of the appropriation ?'
"Well, yes; do know something Of
the subject, and at the outset, let me
say to you that the main trouble that
you complain Of lies with Congress
The general land Office has been per,
sisteDt and eloquent In its demands for
a greater appropriation for surveys OF
public lands. but spirit Of false econ
omy In Congress. exercised no doubt
by the members from states which
have no public lands to be surveyed,
has thus far been able TO control, and
the great west that is attracting immi
grafton 30 fast is deprived of the means
Of stalking out settlers claims. This
subject is one on which I am particu
larly willing to talk, as in my travels
through eastern Montana i have seen
much and perhaps more Of the hard
ship imposed on the settler and the
detriment entailed on the country
through lack Of surveys, than mosl
any other man living In the county.
As to the email portion Of the amount
set apart for the territory that you
get down here, you must look out foi
that at Helena; mining surveys have
heretofore used most of the annual ap
preparation and unless agricultural
Montana comes to the front and as
serts herself, will continue to do So"
"You think then that the first stel
TO be taken 10 with Congress?"
"Most assuredly; petitions should b
prepared both from the city and fror
different county localities and sent I
Delegate Toole, not to the geners
land Office, mind you. urging him 4
, the strongest terms to make a fight fl
q larger appropriation for surveys. 1
this he will be aided and Joined b.
every member whose state or territor
has an acre of unsurveyed lands, an
the combined arguments that can b
brought to bear. showing the injustic
done to the settler and the new an
struggling country where he has trie,
to make home, by denying him tn
privilege. The member from the eas
no doubt thinks that In this land o
elegant distances settler can ge
along just as well on ranch that
unsurveyed, as II H. were surveyed
, This is not 30; there are many thing
important to the settler and the CON
muni:y that are intsrfered with Q
prevented by non-survey Of the land
For Instance the settler does not kno,
) whether he Is on railroad or q go,
/; ernment section and consequently
, deferred from building as comfortabl
and permanent dwelling as he woul
II he knew where he stood as regart
title TO his land. Then under exisI
Ing laws the fencing OF the publ
A domain is prohibited. The settl,
4 might desire TO make some enclosur
that would be OF benefit 10 him In bu
iness, but fearful Of the .consequenc
should he happen to enclose publ
land, he refrains and his business su
fers thereby. These issdvantages tn
settlers are under In this section, are.
am satisfied, keeping hundreds mo-
from making entry OF public lands
this locality. know that II the lane
. hereabouts were surveyed and II
plats filed In the local land offices tn
there would oe swarm Of land take
at once. Why even now there are se
eral townships that have been su
yeyed but the plats have been wilt
q held from the local Office aud the su
veys are still unpaid for, and parti
having lands In these townships q
) no better OF than n surveys had n
been made"