The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-21
MADE GOOD SELECTIONS.
State Land Agent Stuart Tells About
the Work Done So
Far.
About One Third Of the Federal
Donation to Montana Picked
Out.
The work Hal Heen Dfmoult OWING "a
Various Reasons but Good Lands
Chosen.

Chosen.
Since his appointment by q Gov. Tools
on March l, 1891. State Land Agent Gran
vile Stuart has selected from the public
domain ITO, 1898 acres which leaves less
than 0 1900 yet to be selected under the
provisions of the congressional acS do
mating these lands TO the stats OF Montana
for educational purposes. Mt. Stuart. who
10 ono Of the pioneers OF Montana and In
timatsly acquainted with the vast scope OF
country within its boundaries has made
many trips about the state in search Of
available land. Most Of the travelling was
done on horseback and BY wagon. Ths
board Of state land commissioned ara we'll
pleased with the character Of his work and
IL 10 considered most fortunate that this
important piece of work should have fallen
into tho hands Of one 90 capable. The
selections made and approved by
the local land officers are divided ~ fol-
lows: Fol public buildings. "A. 073.& acres;
agricultural college. 18,0l4.26 acres; sehool
Of mines. 26, 1871 10 acres; state reform
school. IL, 266 o. acres; asylum for deaf and
dumb. 8.401.38 acres; state normal school.
20, 7O1. ~ acres. In addition to the above q
list was filed for GAO acres in the abandoned
Fort Ellis reservation for q permanent
militia camp ground ~ provided for In the
act providing for the disposal of the reser-
walton. In his second annual report Mr..
Stuart says that the most considerable body
of valuable agricultural land remaining In
the hands of tho United States within the
state OF Montana ID In she north end Of
Missouls county, the soil Of which ID q
sandy loan Of unusually great depth. I'M
dsrlaid by a white hardpan clay. imper.
vious TO water. holding II near the surface
and rendering irrigation unnecessary. 6uoh
y the opinion OF the settlers and which
Mr.. Stuart's observations on the condition
Of growing crops seemed to corroborate. He
says this region, lying north and northwest
from Flathead lake, and known 40 the Flat.
head valley, 10 evidently the ancient bod Of
the lake, which during the glacial period
was filled up by the deposits brought down
by the enormous glaciers which filled the
canyons of the Flathead. Swan. Whitstih
and Saltwater rivers. and which have re-
duced tho lake to about one-third it's orig
inal size. The climats of this valley il
humid to = much greater degree than any
other portion Of the Rocky mountain re-
Rion. excepting perhaps. the national park
plateau. the elevation Of which is about
1900 feet. the Flathead valley averaging
about Z, 800 or 5000 feet. It's moist climate
is owing to its being at the western foot of
the Rocky mountains which rise abruptly.
and arrest the moisture laden clouds from
the Pacific ocean. causing the precipitation
of four-ffths of their moisture or the
western slopes of the main rang thus pro-
ducing the magnificent forest growth that
occupies about two-thirds of the Flathead
valley. and which extends westward to the
prairies of eastern Washington.
when appointed | At once went to thi0
REGION" says Mr.. Stuart, knowing 1t to
contain the greatest quantity of good land.
but unfortunately for the interests of the
state, I could not select IL, because il was
mostly unsurveysd. ana al the Great
Northern railway began to build through
the valley there was a rush Of sQuatters who
SOON located all the most valuable land,
while the state being unable to squat on it.
could not secure any at all. examined
and reported on his part Of the state up to
the international boundary and to the
Idaho line, and the board made application
for survey: OF q number OF townships.
none Of which seem to have been completed,
or rather, the plats have not reached the
land Office 10 that filings can be made.
I'm order that the state might be enabled
to secure some of this land the state board
made application to Secretary Noble. Of she
interior department.. to have these town.
ships withdrawn from settlement until they
were surveyed. and finally, in February.
1892, no made an order Withdrawing six
townships in the upper part of Saltwater
valley from settlement until tbs surveys
were completed and the state had made It's
selections. subject. however. to the rights
prior tn the order of withdrawal. These
six townships. if surveyed in full, will SON.
tain 1873, 240 acres, Of which the state will
probably secure 100000 acres, mostly fns
forest land, with excsllent soil, and wolf
Watered by numerous small streams,
In my first report mention was made of
the selection of $3.50 acres indemnity
school lands to make good amount settled
upon before survey (2.OO3 and 70. 100 acres),
and to mako good amount lost by reason Of
certain sections. Nos. 1G and 36. being frac-
tional. because only partly surveyed be-
cause of rugged mountains. and to make
good sections 16 and 36 where they were en-
tirsly unsurvessd for tho same reason; that
is to say, where only part of a township
was surveyed because the rest of it was
rugged mountains.
''Thess selections we're a. in tho Mis-
soula land d~istrict. and were rejected by
that land Office, they holding that the
townships were not fractional, when a por-
ton OF them were not surveyed because
that portion was rugged mountains. The
state board OF land commissioner appealed
to Land Commissioner Carter. who sus-
u uuo iOCaI lHuO OluOSs Inc HUNSe
board then appealed the case to Secretary
of the Interior Noble. In January, 1897.
the board instructed ME to make an exam-
ination Of the sixteen townships selected
by the state from the abandoned military
reservation at Fort Ellis, and the board
took steps to protect the timber"
Mr.. stuart also selected II, 1913. SO aores in
the Missoula land district which were 70
jectsd because of some technicality in the
cession Of lands in Bitter Root valley to
the United States by the Flathead Indians.
The case has been appealed and the state
will probably secure the land.
In conclusion Mr.. Stuart SAYS; I'm
making the foregoing selections / have ex-
mine and rejected as much, perhnns
more. than the quantity chosen, and lest il
might be thought that l have not been suf-
f~ioisntiy expeditions in my selections. I will
state the difficulties to be overcome in nv
work. First, II WAS absolutely necessary
that l should have copies of all township
plats in localities whore my knowledge of
the state caused me to think there was good
land. 1t being impossible to select, without
the means to identify each and every Geo
ton. SO az TO know what Ia claimed by the
Northern Pacific railroad, what ia valuable
and what is worthless. Therefore. us
needed, l made Coz les of plata on tough
linen PM or. on each of which I marked all
lands that were vacant and carried them
with me in the field. rolled in n tin cvlindAP