The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19

While II viii be noticed that so far
as appraised the lands belonging to the
last-named six institutions average as
high in value by including the value OF
the timber as do the lands belonging
to the State university; il has been
seen that. with the exception of the
State Reform school grant. which sold
a section of very valuable timber. the
receipts 10 these last six funds during
the past year are very small The
reason fer this is that practically all
the lands so far selected to the credit
OF these grants are either very ordinary
grazing lands which have not yet been
leased in any great extent. or they are
timber lands vet too far removed from
the present timber markets to make
the timber much In demand An arti-
Gle has been lately going the rounds of
the press to the effect that the state in
the past had selected large bodies Of
valuable agricultural lands TO the det
riment of NOuld-be settlers. that the
state had been permitted by the gen.
eral government to go i'm ahead of the
settlers and file on these lands; and
that the state land officials at the pres
ent time contemplated swooping down
on large bodies Of newly -suryeyed ag-
ricultural and timber land.
With all due respect to the writer OF
the article, | would say that the APP
praisement Of the lands so far selected
done IN the past; much to the sorrow
of the friends of these institutions. Not
to exceed per cent of all the selec-
tons made. exclusive of the selections
made for the university many years
ago. are agricultural lands of even or
binary character The total selections
50 far made win not average Si.25 in
value exclusive of the timber land The
fact of the matter is. rs every man who
has studied the question knows. there
is very little vacant agricultural land
left In the state, surveyed or unSur-
Neyed. outside OF the reservations.
What is left is in such small tracts
that the state cannot look it up. The
truth Is, squatters. settlers and specu-
latJrs have not only kept far in adj
vance Of the state in the matter of Sc
lcctiOns. but have gobbled up thou
sands Of acres Of the choicest school
lands, under one pretense or another
The university grant CHANGED to Sc
cure about 1000 acres of choice agri-
cultural land in FIathead county:
though in the same year over 1900
acres Of practically arid land was Sc
lected for this grant in Meagher. Fer
gus Custer and Yellowstone counties,
and this was done in 1SS2 when the
grant might have been filled with the
choicest agricultural and timber land
in the territory.
The vital question before the land
be made for poor selections secured in
the past. AMI how can the revenues 70
the six needy Institutions be increased.
The officers in charge propose to ac-
compish This ii possible There yet
remains To be selected about EOS 900
acres Of state institution lands. and il
is proposed to select them with the very
best interests Of the funds In view.
Where il Is possible 20 do SO valuable
timber VIII Re selected, and whore X IS
necessary 20 al the grants with graz
ing lands. none but &ell-watered graz
ing lands VIII be selected The inter-
ests e the whole people are more 70 be
r Earael than the interests Of the Few.
aud where the state can take uiyan-
ta@e 9f ta- new surveys. I Viii be
done
stock Een from all over the range
portion II the state are making lppli-
eat.uU e the state 20 have lands Sc
i leete3. S. .Hat they may rent aud fence
/ ~tr %. for winter range. The cattle men
/ h. come u a point where they must
fence some pasture and guard against
druuth and provide winter pasture
realize tHat fha uld method If ranging
Is nib longer safe There Is nu way
| howe ever. mat they can secure posses