The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-02-14
AND STILL THERE'S ROOM.

! A Helena Independent reporter, in
conversation with Register Langhorne
OF the Helena U. s. land office, learned
some interesting facts relative to land
matters, which though substantially pub.
lished in the LEADER columns heretofore
will bear repetition: The Register said
''There are 17,680,84O acres of govern
ment land which can be taken up when.
ever anybody feels like having it. 1t is
unsurveyed Us yet, SO all the newcomers
have to do is to establish squatter's right
to 100 acres, and if within five years the
government fails to make an appropria-
tion for surveying, the squatter will own
his land without any trouble. Though
should the survey be made, the only
difference that would arise is that the set
tier could file on it right off, and if he
happened to take up the land in such a
way that the section line passed through
his claim he would have to file separately
on each part crossing the section. A sec
eXpanse of territory includes the Gros
Ventre, Piegan, Blood, Blackfeet and
portion occupied by Forts Assiniboine
and Belknap and the reduced Indian res
ervation. The Manitoba road runs
through this entire 100000 acres.
Here is a portion of the act of Congress
which explains under what entries the
land may be taken up" and the register
pointed out the following section:
IAN act to ratify and confirm an agree
ment with the Gros Ventre, Piegan, Blood,
Blackfeet and River Crow Indians in
Montana, and for other purposes.
"Sec. 8. That lands to which the right
Of the Indians is extinguished by the fore
going agreements are hereby part of the
public domain of the United States and
are hereby open to the operation of the
laws regulating homestead entry, except
section 2, 2,301 of the Revised Statutes, and
to entry under the townsite laws and the
laws governing the disposal of coal lands,
desert lands and mineral lands: but are
not open to entry under any other law
regulating the sale or disposal of the pub
lie domain.
"Approved May 1, 1885," .....
"You will notice." he said, continuing.
''that none of this land can be taken up
under the timber culture act.
"This is not all the land there is left.
either; but think it's enough for you for
one day."
While the thought of 100000 acres
of government land open for settlement
was ringing in the reporters head he ran
across Col. Broadwater. "Is this correct
colonel; 100000 acres Of land along
the Manitoba left open for settlers?"
mo, 1t isn't correct; there are 14880,-
GAO acres of that land, and 1t is tho garden
spot of the world. In two years time
We'll show you that the most prosperous
section of Montana is up in that Milk
River country. The whole place is one
rolling prairie, and is 1900 feet lower
than Helena. There is no longer any
doubt as to the fertility of the soil; no
irrigation is required, and as an illustra-
tion of what can be produced there need
only mention that for years past, at the
Belknap agency farms thirtyfve bushels of
wheat and seventy-bushels of oats to the
acre is the regular crop, to say nothing of
the vegetables grown there. All kinds
of garden truck is raised. There are more
inches of rainfall there annually, on nc
count of the low altitude, than in any
other portion Of Montana. The country
is exactly like that of Dakota from James
town to the Red River of the North.
through which the Northern Pacific runs"
'Do you expect much immigration this
ayes, u great deal of it. Three colonies
are being organized, One of these num-
bering 800 settlers, is preparing to come
out and take up land along Milk river.
The other colonies are being made up in
Minnesota and Wisconsin. There is the
coming farming country, and for grazing
lands 1t has no equal