The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-20
BRANDED Az A FALSEHOOD.
4 story From Row That Gran VILE
Stuart Says Il UntrMs.

~ 0tUry FROM LOW Known Tn0e Nr6n WIG
Stuart Say Is UntrMs.
To INDEPENDENTS: In your paper Of
this morning, under ths head OF General
News Of the State" appears the following:
"A lady At Lewistown says that six years
ago. In company with her son, she attempted
to settle IN ths vSilay Of the Big Horn river.
They had several head OF cattle and fonr
good horses. Soon after locating ON a
quarter section OF government land they
were called upon by Representatives of the
stock association. who deliberately shot
down two of tho horses, stampeded the 0at-
tie. and threatened the lady and hor son
with instant death II they did not at once
leave the rAnRa.:'
! presume this was copied from one Of
the lIewiHtown newspapers, and whether
written by n lady or by the editor. it il q
wilful and malicious falseh0od aud q gross
libel on tho good name Of a large and re-
spsctsd portion Of our people. Its publica.
lion just ut this time, when serious trouble
prevails among the stockmen of Wyoming,
Ia calculated to create this impression that
q slnlilar state Of affairs exists in Montana,
which y not true in even the slightest de-
gree. The article 10 10 palpably false on
the face Of it that I I'm greatly surprised
that tho leading paper of the state should
!epublish 1t without comment, to the great
injury OF our state Ia general, and Of q
large number of its best and most public
citizens in particular.
undertook to 'lOcate a quarter section of
government land" has not q quarter SEQ
tion of government LAM in it exclusive Of
the Fort Custer military reservation), it
being a portion Of the vast reservation DO.
longing to the Grow Indians. and on which
and the Indian police are authorized to
drive of any n trying to take up and
occupy their lands. If there is any foundn-
ton for this ignorant and injurious lie, 1t
is probably this: The lady, knowing it to
be Indian land and not olen to settlement,
there when warned of by the police, who
were finally compelled to drive her stock
of to force her TO move; but ! doubt their
killing two Of her horses. They certainly
would not ave done SO except under
great provocation. Our own citizens
such statements, but eastern people
not convsrssnt with our affairs
and localities, wonld be misled, and if CON
templating a residence here would at once
change their minds. 1t is we'll known that
the inspectors employed by the Montana
Stookgrowers' association n by the board
OF stock commissioners. who always acted
in concert with each other, spent more
time in hunting up and bringing to punish
ment the thieves who preysd upon the set
tiers n small owners than in protecting
the large owne,s. who were better able to
protect themselves. Oppression of settlers
md small stock owners would not have
been tolerated for an instant, and l do not
recall an instance of the kind during the
seven years that ! had the honor to be
president of the board of stock commits
sioners. All classes we're. and still are,
treated with the strictest impartialitv, a.
may be seen by reference to the records in
the seoretary's Office, and which are always
open for inspection by the public.
GRANVILLE STUART.
Helena, May 10, 1882.