The Ravalli Republican., 1898-02-16
THAT BENCH LAND CANAL.
Still Chance To Get 1t if Our People
Will Get Cp and Rustic.

Will Get Up and Rustlc
Some weeks ago the arid land COM
mission asked Of the state board Of {
| land commissioners that the state
board rclinquish the selections OF
lands made on the east side in this
county and reserved as school lands,
in order that the arid land commits
sion might bring these lands under
cultivation and into the market by
the construction Of a canal from the
Bitter Root river to cover the large
area Of rich soil in the upland and
footlll land lying all the way down
the valley to several miles below
Stevensvillc. This proposition was
refused BY the state board of land
commissioners, and the disappoint
ment to the arid land commission
and ,the people Of this county has
been very great. The newspapers Of |
this county and the Anaconda Stan
dard expressed this feeling Of dis
appointments, and showed how the
lands in question could not be Of any
possible good to the state for many !
years, even il then, as they could
not be sold unless water could be
got on them by means Of canal,
and this could not be done by the
state, thus practically rendering the
lands useless to the school funds and
anyone else, retarding the settle
ment of the valley without any Off
set.
t The matter seemed to be dropped
G for all time and the people Of Ravalli
7 seemed to settle down to the con-
yiction and the unpleasant certainty
/ that through the apparent short
/ sighted policy OF the state board
n some of the most fertile portion Of
: their county would have to 60 un-
occupied. The REPUBLICAN is happy
to state to the people that there is
senle hope Of obtaining the desired
. concession from the state board, and
- that if the people will only take
hold Of the matter in earnest '>5}lerc
> is a prospect Of getting the board to
+ reconsider tie first action. And we
believe chat if the matter IS actively
II ayitatcd the desired attention may
l. be secured. And we would suggest
G that meeting Of all the citizens OF
IS this section be held in Stevensville
e at an early date, say, Saturday next
It to take action in the matter, get up
{; petition to the state board TO com
ply with the request Of the arid land
- commission and release The land in
- question. We are told that the
u u people Of the upper end Of the county
- arc preparing to move, and that Il
y meeting will soon be called at Ham
y ! ;lt,,, tol, hrol orrv in
y the matter. The people hereabouts
should also be up and doing. Let US
1e have a mass meeting, get action
Q started, combine with the people
= above in the good work, and have 4
A. county meeting in the near future tt
at take up the question in earnest.
H. Information has been received al
IS. this Office to the effect that the ariC
land commission stands ready to tak'
hold OF the canal project at once
u and to put the canal through just a
IL soon as the state board can be in
IT., duced to relinquish the lands ant
the preliminary surveys can be made
" And we believe that il d count.
er meeting can be had Hon. Donalt
Ky Bradford and other members Of tt,
y arid land commission who have take
a good deal Of interest in the matter
he and who arc having SO much success
as in pushing d similar enterprise il
to Yellowstone county, will come Owe
Ot to the meeting and explain the mat
.re ter further and more fully and assis
to- to the fullest extent Of their know
ers edge and power.
I'M The canal as proposed would t
,rc about 65 miles long, extending frOl
about the Harlan bridge to Eigl
- Mile, and would irrgate and plac
'lee 'le under cultivation fully 80, 900 acre
leu of the finest and richest soil in IT,
- 10 northwest. With necessary an
a. needed addition to the tillablc lan(
-. d. Of the county, Rayalli's populatic
,l's would double itself Immediately, j
~ ~ asscssablc property would also near
w. w. double. and the revenues Of tt
ne county derived thercfrom would ten
oc' w. to lower materially the asscssmel
~, and make the burden Of county az
'eu ministration fall a great deal lightt
NV W. on the taxpayers. The matte
~ sio should be aytatcd, the project
p'o ~, one we'll worth trying for, and tt
o,s REPUBLICAN is satisfied that IL
eN; effort will be successful if the peop
~ will only take hold in earnest. l.
some Of our leading people take no
;er- and call meeting. We cannot g
RE- anything without asking. Let
tor ask, and remember that he who llcl
ace himself is tho one most likely to r
ted ceiyc help II we sit down and wa
nd, for things to come to us nothing W
rec come That may be set down as
ing certainty.
Iic
orn Dissolution Notice.