The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-11
OPENING OF THE BLACKFOOT.
Plass Of the Coded Portion viii he
Placed ON File nj KaIts-
peu April n.

Speclal correspondence OF the Stanuaru-
Libby. Mont, April S.-All doubts as
to the date OF the opening OF the ceded
portion of the Blackfoot reservation
were set at rest by the Issuance OF q cir
cular from the Kalispell and Office,
which arrived on last nights mail. This
~circular bears date April 4. n states
hat the approved plats of the ceded
portion will be placed on nle at the
Kalispell land Office at oon of April Is,
and after that time the coded lands will
be subject to entry. The circular then
goes o n to quote . provision from the
act Of June 10. 1896 co statutes. page
357). which will be OF general interest
to those who have followed dis
cussion there has been about the open
ing Of the Blackfoot reservation. The
provision IL as follows:
That upon the filing in the United
States local land Office for the district
in which the lands surrendered by arti-
Gle l Of the foregoing agreement are sit
uated OF the appraised plat of survey
authorized by this section. the lands so
surrendered shall be opened to occu-
patton. location n purchase under the
provisions Of the mineral land laws
only, subject to the several articles of
the foregoing agreement:
Provided, that the terms of this sec
ton shall not be construed to authorize
occupancy Of said lands for mining pur-
poses prior to date of filing said APP
proved plat of survey.
Provided. however. that n person
who. In good faith, prior to the passage
Of this act. had discovered and opened.
or located. a mine of coal, or other min
eral shall ave q preference right OF
purchase for 80 days from and after
the official filing in the local land office
Of the approved plat of survey provided
for by this section"
The last provision will legalize a lot
of locations made while the bill was
pending. n gives rise to some criti-
cism. As a matter of fact, access to
the coded portion of the reservation has
never been difficult and many prospec-
tors have visited in II years past. and
its mineral possibilities have been pref
ty well ~convassed. The Blackfeet are
plains indian and are afraid of the
mountains. They get scared If they are
in the big mountains over night, and
the coded portion has never been po-
Iced and the indefatigable prospector
has pushed in to "A considerable extent.
The depth of snow in the main range
of the Rockies will keep many miners
out at this season of the year, though
a number of aluable locations will
probably be made N the FIRST few days,
as they have been already spotted.
Jim Hill crossed the weather clerks
trocha during the past week and has
been operating his railroad on time, Or
whereabouts. On Monday Of last week
six delayed passenger trains came
through for the west, n there was a
continuous line Of vanished cars from
Kalispell to Spokane. The trouble was
the worst snowstorm ever known In the
main range from Blackfoot east to the
summit. The Great Northern mad it's
point, however, before this storm and
secured the contract for the United
States mails from st. Paul and Mime
apolis to Spokane and all points on the
sound. For the past 30 days there has
been a weigher on each mail car. and
from his report the compensation Of the
railroad for carrying the mails will be
fixed and the average VIII hold good
during the life of the contract, which
is for four years. As the klondike rush
of mail matter has been in full blast
during this period the railroad IL prob
ably not getting the worst of IL to any
appreciable extent.
The steel bridge across Liboy creek
has been completed ami the numerous
cribs to confine the creek on Its route
are also nearly done. The weather has
been very warm and springlike during
the daytime for a week past, but there
are heavy frosts at night, and this keeps
the snow in the Mountains from melt
ing. None Of the streams tributary to
the Kootenai has began to rise yet, and
the company will have its road In good
shape before the floods come.
Charles Marshall died on April ! OF
pneumonia and was buried the follow
ing day. He had been sick for two
weeks. He was 10 years of age and un-
married. His brother. ]. E. Marshall, OF
Spokane. came to Libby to attend the
funeral.
- ~ -. -
Mineral rel under n ID fin
ishing it up as fast as possible. 1t 10 a
two-story building for business pur-
poses. and when completed will be one
of the handsomest buildings in town.
John Rabietter and Wesley Bowen have
neat residences in course Of construc-
ton.
Personal Mentios.
G.. l.. Martin, superintendent OF
bridges for the Great Northern. In in
Libby experimenting the railroad work.
L. D.. Newcomb. one Of Libby's mer-
chant princes. leave on Friday for ~
visit to st. Paul and other old stamp
ing grounds of his In Minnesota.
J. A. Graham has gone to Havre.
where he has business interests. n
will be absent six weeks or more.
Mrs. Frank NJ. Leonard In back from
st. Paul, where h a been very Ill
for several months She Is much inn
proved in health.
Mrs. 8. d. Mccarthy has returned
from Spokane, where she remained for
several weeks for medical treatment,
and has been much benefited.
Mrs. George Robinson h III In Spo-
kane and Mr.. Robinson has been called
to her bedside. a fatal result of her ILL
Less being imminent.
John l.. HART. superintendent Of tho
Silver Cable. has returned from a trip
to Kalispell. Helena and Missoula-
James Beatty has returned from a
trip TO ~Sylvenite and says he Ia glad tn
get home.
A. L. Jaqueth. county surveyor Of
Flathead county. was in town to-day
on business connected with his once.
Charles Lindlahr. late Of Kalispell.
but now a resident of Syivanite. Is I'm
town looking after his business inter-
este