Fergus County argus., 1890-02-27
OUR LAND OFFICE.

The Great Falls Tribune thinks We
have become abusive in writing ON
this subject, because we have the
temerity to express our opinion that
Lewistown is entitled to n L. ;. Land
office. Mind you, Bro. Collins. We
have never maintained that Great
Falls should not have one: let that
town look out for itself and get all il
can, and the more it gets the better
we are pleased, Tor we are not prompted
10y any such petty iealousies or por-
cine ideas as impel certain persons at
the Falls, who work on the principle
that the bigger the hog the more
attention it attracts.
We have always maintained that it
was unfair to compel the settlers OF
this county to transact land business
at so remote n place as Helena: not
that We have ausht against the capi-
tai city, but because it is necessary to
travel SO far to transact any business
personally. and we do not now see
any reason to change our belief: nor
DO we think it would help matters in
the least were the land Office located
ut Great Falls, for after travelling two
days and a night by coach to reach
the latter village we should prefer to
take few hours ride by rail and be
somewhere at the end OF the Journey.
The Tribune maintains that Great
Falls had the prior claim to the first
land office established in mort hern
Montana" and in support OF that
proposition cites the fact that il pub
lished Il map showing Great Falls in
the center of circles within circles.
Just how that proves anything we
are unable to see. 1t reminds one of
Proctor knott's famous speech,
wherein he sarcastically argues that
Duluth Is the true center of the uni
verse, because one can stand in that
city and see the horizon clear around
i'll a perfect circle. There is more
agricultural land in Fergus county,
within Il radius OF sixty miles of Lew
istown, than can be found within a
like space anywhere else in Montana.
lust why all the settlers OF his county
should he compelled to 20 to Great
Falls, over such roads as the Falls
papers describe, and they describe
them truthiully, we are unable to see
So far as the eastern extremity of
Cascade county, which may be included
in this district. is concerned, it does
not amount to anything. aside from
what is naturally tributary to the
place.
II we do not properly represent
the people OF Fergus county" in this
the editor of the Tribune l.
the first man to call our attention to
il, and unless Bro. Collins motion
receives a second" from some citizen |
Of our county, we shall consider that |
our people do not care TO entertain 1t
That the growth of great Falls will
benefit this county Is indeed true; so
will the growth OF I.ewistown, and in /
a much greater degree; so Will the |
growth OF Benton; so will the growth +
Df many other towns. our only
interest in Great Falls l. that for the I
present it is our most accessible rail /
'oad point-we go there to take the |
ears to get somewhere, and we pas, /
through there to get back to Gods /
is II stopping place ON our
'oad-a sort OF pursatory which we
'annot well shun just yet.
But we are to have "A land office, /
therefore do we rejoice. We hope that I
Benton, Great Falls AMI all other
owns that want one will be equally /
'uccessiul,