The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-26
AFTER VALUABLE LAND.
y Tract AdjoininE McL.nn Park wante.
by several People.

y Tract AdjoininE Mcl.nn Park Wanted
by several People.
For the past few days the local land Of
fics has been engaged in hearing u case
that involves property valued at about
$4,000. The ease 10 entitled II. N. Blais-
dell Va s. n. Meadows. B. +. Piatt, Mary
IA. Jackmnn. 3. w. McNsal and the North
ssrn Pacific railroad. The property in
svolvsd ID the MI swA. seA sw1. nw14 se4.
az 4ssetian IL. about two miles from the
court house, adjoining the Mclean Park
troperty on the south. The history Of the
filings on the land 10 an interesting one,
and dates back to 1868. In that year Je-
rome &. Click fled his dsclaratory state
Iasnt for the west half and the southeast
quarter of the southwest quarter. In 1869
II. G. Wallace also fled his declaratory
I Statemsnt for the west half of the southeast
Qn1ftsr Of the sarne section. In 1870 II. G.
Band made : filing and in 1881 A. H: Beattie
same land. +. w. MoNsal entered
the land under the homestead
law in 1890, and contested Beattie's
application, n the ~latter's filing was can
selsd. "A. r. Comfy made q try for the
land in 1883. His entry was Cancelled by
he entered it AZ a Homestead. In 1887 this
was also cancelled for REIMBURSEMENT. In
1887 Geo. 3. Foote made a homestead on
try On the same land, In 1888 G. w. McNeal
made . homestead entry for the north half
Of the southeast quarter. In September,
1888. S. n. Meadows made q homestead en-
try for the Fsouthsast quarter of the south
west quarter, but this land having been Sc
lectsd by the Northern Pacific railroad,
the land Office sent the application to tbs
general land ofie for consideration The
local officers were directed to order athear-
ing for the purpose Of sscertaining the
status OF the land July, 6, 1882, the data of
the definite location of the railroad. The
Jesuit OF the hearing was that the local
land officers decided that the land was ex-
copied from the graft to the railroad by the
suhsisting claim Of H. N. Blaisdell, July 6,
1852. The company appealed to the general
land office, but before the appeal came up, the
railroad applied for q rehearing before the
land offics.
In 1880 Blaisdell made application at the
Helena land Office to make a homestead
entry for the n "a sw u, SO 4 sw a and
the NV. y Sc a. This application was re-
1ected. t1r the reason that the railroad
company had selected the n "a sw a and
20 u of the sw a, while the Il "a Of the
90 d had been homestsaded by L. W. Nc
Neal. and the SO a Of the sw a by S. M.
Meadows. Then Blaisdell filed a notice of
contest against Meadows, McNeal and the
Northern Pacific, alleging that he made a
IA eAc lduO III 1913, rs a nome
stead. He places the value of his improve
nents at $500, alleged that he was the first
settler on the land, that MoNeal
and Meadows settled there against his
protest, and that he had never
abandoned the claim. Also that he had re
sided continuously upon the land sine 1874.
ne also alleged that prior to 1881 he had
fully complied with the homestead laws;
that in 1874 he applied to the land office to
make q homestead entry, but was refused:
that supposing the railroad company had a
Fight to the land, and the COMPANY having
published an offer to sell the land, he made
Z written offer April 10. 1882, of $4l6 for ii.
This was refused and the company threat
oned ejectment.
In 1884 Blaisdell brought suit in the
United States district court to compel the
company to receive the money and issue
him a deed. This suit is now pending.
Prlor to BlaisdelPs notice of contest, Is. +.
Fiatt made an application to enter the land,
which was rejected; then Mary u. Jackman
nleo a notice OF contest against the North
ern Pacific railroad for the n n of the sw
n, Ibis was also rejected. Blaisdslrs
claim conflicts with all the Others. In his
suit In tho United States court against the
Northern Pacific he alleges he settled in
1874 upon the north half of the southeast
quarter and the west half Of the southeast
quarter. In the hearing in the cass be-
tween Neadows and the railroad company
bis testimony was that his land comprised
shs north half OF the southwest quarter, the
eoutheast quarter Of the southwest quar-
tor and the northwest quarter Of the south
eass quarter. All the parties save Mead
oWs asked for a rehearing and it was
granted. IL has now been adjourned till
June y. in order to receive material wit
nesses.
EZ IAhfaof hfnuon- ~sot - a.~~o .sx- 80.