The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-16
THEY Do NOT LIKE.
The State Proposes to Hold the Lands in
tho Bitter Root yaiiey-A Let
ter From MIR. Evans.

|
Missoula, Jan. 15.-The decision of the
state land officers in regard TO the lands
| located for the state in the Bitter Root
valley. does not find favor in this part
! of Montana. 1t will be remembered
| that the arid land commission petition
ed the state TO relinquish its title to
| certain of these lands in order that GER
| tain irrigation schemes for the improve
ment of the valley might be carried
! through. In exchange for this land re-
1 lnquished the state was to make other
| selections, which would not entail any
1 loss to the state institutions. 1t had
! been stated that the state land COM
mission regarded the proposition favor
\ ably, and the people over here had been
| led to believe that the land would re-
! vert to the public domain so that the
| construction of the irrigating canal
could be commenced this year On this
| account, there was considerable disap-
| pointment when it became known here
| that the land would continue to be held
by the state, as the land officers decided
not to relinquish their title to the tract
| and thus benefit the people of the val
ley. In order to learn the exact facts
in connection with this land and it's
possible reversion to the public domain.
the Standard addressed a letter to j.
M. Evans, the register of the United
States land office for the Missoula dis
trict, asking for certain information
communication from Mr.. Evans has
been received in reply:
Replying to your favor of recent
date in the matter of the desired REIN
quishment of certain land now held by
the state of Montana in the Bitter Root
valley, I beg to say that by act of con-
gress, approved Feb. %, 1889, the state
OF Montana was granted several thou
sand acres of land for the establish
ment and maintenance of its schools,
.I.N
sttutions. In 1895, the state authorities
selected on the east side of the valley of
the Bitter Root, about 1000 acres to be
applied toward the satisfaction of the
grants made for normal schools, agri-
cultural college, and public buildings at
the state capital. These lands are stu
ated on the first and second benches"
of the valley, or what some people call
the foot hills They are from 80 10 300
feet above the level of the bed of the
Bitter Root river.
IF you will take map of the valley
you Will observe that very few streams
rise in the mountains on the east SIDE
and for that reason these lands are
without water and are comparatively
destitute of vegetation. The soil is
decomposed granite, with no clay sub
soil, and consequently produces moth
ing but a sparse growth of bunch grass
and sagebrush. About three or four
years ago, there was talk Of putting
canal on this land, taking water from
the Bitter Root river How far these
plans matured / am unable to say ex-
cept that a well-known firm of civil en-
gineers of Butte sent TO this office and
secured an estimate of the amount of
land that could be covered by such a
canal.
About this time a large number of
filings was made in this office. covering
land in the vicinity of the present state
lands, and from these parties / learned
that a project was on foot to put water
on this land. Subsequently, the state
made it's selections and with it APP
peared to vanish the projected canal.
few of the persons who had made fill
ings made final proof but most of them
abandoned the land. The parties who
did acquire title would now sell the
lands at from five cents to one dollar
per acre The former would probably
be fair price under present conditions.
Now. as to whether or not the state
institutions, as well as the people of
Ravalli county. would profit by the
surrender of these lands and the Sc
lection of other lands in lieu thereof,
you must form your own conclusions.
The act of congress that made these
several grants to the state provided
that none of them should be sold for
less than $40 per acre. Any land in the
Bitter Root valley with water for irri-
cation is worth from $50 to $50 per
acre. but contiguous land without wat
er or prospects of water is not worth
as many cents. The question then
arises, can these lands DE put under
water? To which i answer, yes, and
from 10000 to 10000 acres more, by the
same ditch or canal. But so far as ]
know, none of the schools or institu-
lions mentioned are in the irrigation
business, and, so long as this land re-
mains their property, it will remain,
to all intents and purposes, as barren
as the desert of Sahara.
"Orchardists and fruit-raisers tell
me that, If this land could be placed UNI
der water, it would make the finest
fruit land in Montana. But it is evil
dent that private capital cannot be in
dueed To invest money to improve land
that is the property of the state. So.
if the state declines To relinquIsh this
land for IL cannot be sold, the end of
this generation and the next will find
ii as barren as 1t is to-day.
In answer to your question as to
whether it would be business propo-
sition for the state or not, / have tried
to give you an idea as TO the present
and prospective value of the land I'M
der discussion. There are thousands
upon thousands of acres or mountain
Gus timber land i'll the state of Mon
tana. II is true that a large portion
of IL is unsurveyed but the state has
the power to get the same surveyed at
value, and, even after the timber is
removed, the land will be as valuable
as the present land held by the state
in Ravalh county. Men well yersed in
timber matters tell me that the timber
standing on 100 acres of fair timber
land Will, in five years bring from ST.
900 to $4,000. and in 10 years from now
much more.
As you say. the state has temporar-
lily declined TO relnquish these lands,
Yet | believe. If the authorities could
be induced TO go upon the lands and
make personal examination of them
see how Nalueless they are without
water. and be assured that some steps
would be taken 10 put water upon the
land If the state would withdraw
they would revoke their former deci-
sion, add much to the wealth of the in
situations involved and hundreds of
thousands of dollars 10 the taxable
property of Rayalli county. Montana"