The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-08-10
OUR ARID LANDS.
Chairman Stewart and the Sena-
torial Committee Arrive in
MOntanas Capital.
They Hold an Interesting Meeting at
Which Valuable information
IS Adduced.
Nal. Hinton Talks About the Arid Lands
of the Beautiful Yellowstone
Valley.

director OF the geological survey, Col.
X. Hinton. irrigation engineer, K. ). Bo
Boswell. stenOgrapher, Eugene Davis, sc
geant-at-arms, Dr. Hines, assistant Sc
geanIat-arms, Chas. j. Happier, clerl
and P. II. WarmaD, secretary to Maj
Powell.
Senator Plumb, of Kansas, who has bee
waiting the arrival of the committee here
Joined them yesterday and will renal
with them now. Other members OF tn
committee, but who did not arrive are. A
lison. of Iowa, Hiscock, of New lors
German, OF Maryland, and Jones, of Al
kansas.
At yesterdays session testimony wa
heard from several gentlemen, includin
Col. Sanders, "Jacky" Robinson. Coz. De
Lacy, Maj. Maginnis, Judge Knowles, Gen
Greene and Others The Montana Societ.
of Civil Engineers presented an elaborat
report of the condition of irrigation, the eX
tent of the arid lands, land under cultiva
tion, etc. 1t shows that there are 20, 900.
900 acres OF arid lands in Montana, which
may be reclaimed by a system of iIriga
of land IN the territory under cultivation
improved or is occupied by settlers. Tn
total area of the territory IL states TO b.
146, O00, 900 square miles. Ii then goes OI
aud describes in detail the amount of lanC
under cultivation in each county and tbs
quantity not settled upon; the number oi
bitches in each one. and the quantity Of
water utilized. 1t also gives a number o
available sites for storage reservoirs
among which are Lake Benton, norti
lake north of Fort Benton. Ii treats on th'
subject of irrigation north of the Yellow
stone river and shows how vast territory
there can be placed under cultivation by 1
series of irrlgating bitches, the wster being
taken from the Yellowstone. The repor
is well prepared and full of interest.
Senator Stewart while interrogating In
the matter of bitches, suggested that tbs
county commissioners might have contro
Os the bitches owned by corporations, Il
regulate the rate 10 be charged to settlers
and il the corporation does not live up e
agreements 10 cOnfiscate the water. The
matter should be under government con
troll or else the country would soon gener
ate into seTfdom The permanent owner
ship of bitches, be ssid, should never be
tolerated. He said to settle country you
have 90 make the settler feel secure
Settlers, as a rule. are a poor class of peo
pie. 1T they acquire piece oi
government land they VIII nave
was a waste of time 10 argue that the
lands of Mo tana could depend for moist
ure on the rainfall. The farm Will We
to irrigate and will have to buy water from
a ditch corporation; he says, II have nc
money" Say the corporation irTigates
sents a share. The corporation will, per
haps, issue stock to the farmer upon this
basis, granting him time 10 pay, and IN
return vii! take q mortgage or his farm
and give the water. This will not make the
farmer feel secure. and II you will have
him settle you have TO make him feel Sc
cure.
Judge Knowles said there is always q
prejudice against owners OF bitches. and
the constitutional convention had provided
fHr their fQXaffnn well the farmer
The judge then switched off in an endeayoI
to a. certain il the government could not be
induced, 10y memorial or othe wise,
to give TO Montana certain pasture
state would have control Of these lands,
might sell or lease them and devote the
proceeds TO building bitches and reservoirs.
Senator Stewart said il might be done,
but just at present the government Is max
ing investigation as to the condition of the
arid lands, and afterwards will survey
them. When the population of Montana
Is larger the government may donate the
lands; but he didn't care TO discuss that at
this time. He had not reached that far vet
"But we want the arid lands" said Judge
Knowles. "My state was nearly ruined by
getting land too quick" said Stewart
"The first thing a state should do is 10 find
out what they want TO do with the land.
We had to make the surveys. Just walt
till the government does this and then try
TO get the lands.
Senator Plumb said il was the policy of
the government not 10 sell land 20 any body
and it is not going to do so, only in small
quantities, and that to actual settlers Ma
ginnis asked. in view of the fact that the
swamp lands of the states sre given tn the
states, and as Montana did not have any
swamp lands, would the government give
Montana a grant of land, in lieu thereof.
and Senator Plumb said he thought not.
Senator Stewart voiced the sentiments of
Aa NH o. QG :
would never dispose of any lands that may
be irrigated. only 10 settlers. Speaking Of
the pasture lands, be said il would be q
very nice thing TO have pasture land ad
joining each farm, where cattle might feed
during the summer months, where the
stock would become fat and ready for mar
keL he said Montana was destined TO be
the great meat producing country of the
United States, as 1t has all the favorable
climatic attributes
Senator Plumb, while talking on the dis
p0sal of the public domain TO settlers, said
the timber lands should be preserved, and
his idea would be not to sell the timber
lands but only the timber thereon.
Stewart said laws covering this point
would have TO be enacted and in fact q
great many laws by which reservoir sites
aud bitches could be maintained and pro-
visions making ample reservation for
nights of way for bitches.
Senator Stewart said part OF their mis-
timber. and Col. Sanders was called upon
10 testify as to what he knew about the
subject. In his best strain the veteran col
onel started of with an abOrate descrip-
ton OF the topography OF the orests
Speaking of the forest fires OF the present
season he said there had been more
timber burned in Montana during the
month OF July than the people have used
in twenty-five years. he said the fires or
iginated from various causes and lightning
was one Of them. In answer 20 question
he said there was no timber on the agr1cul-
t1rsl lands OF Montana with the exception
OF a few poplar or cotton wood trees along
the banks of the streams. The timber Is
all confined to the mineral lands He said
Montana had three kinds OF trees-the
lodge-pole pine, which grows denseiy. Ike
wheat IN held. TO q height of forty and
fifty feet, and from six 20 ten inches In
diameter At the base. This, be said, was
very valuable for mining purposes Next
were the pine tree and sort Of flr tree
The Rocky mountains, he said, are one
vast upheaval OF rock, covered by q thin
layer OF earth upon which the trees grow.
When they grow tall and large. and re-
Quire more nutrition, the underlying soil
cannot supply the necessary food and they
die and topple 70 the ground. From Helena
west, be said, the trees that have fallen
down are decayed IN the center, and he
nOtlced this often In trees that were being
hewed. These trees are full OF resinouS
furnish food for flames.
suppose the government sent out a
tim Der agent" asked Stuart, Hinstead Of an
Inspector % arrest people. who should give
timber 10 the people at certain price. re-
Quiring them 10 clear Of the fallen timber,
would this have . tendency TO preserve the
forests and ct give the people all the tim
Der required and Be satisfactory?
Sanders said he Was syerse to the gov
ernment turning itself into a huckstering
shop fer the purpose Of selling timber, but
q penalty should be imposed against care
lessness- He thought an imported agent
would be better adapted 70 the work than
q local person. as il might De ffscult to
get q man 10 act j. G. Robinson, Of
Deer Lodge, said be was interested in
. large huming businss whore 50 900 cords
Df wood were handled annually. LARGE
quantities Of resinOus substances and the
OOughs &C trees were Left behind. aud there
vks no means OF burning these without en-
dAngering the forests. The greatest pre-
caution was taken 81 all times against Ere
IN the wood camps. and Of all the fres
started none that he had heard o. OH xinafed
where men were employed The FIRE OF
XIX Park was started By lightning. be had
been advised BY q responsible person. lie
did not know how the forests could be