The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-03-21
To Take Advantage Of Oppor-
tunity to Get Land.
IN LINE ALL NIGHT
Waiting For the Hour Of the Opening
of the United States Land Office
For Business.

The rush of people anxious to file
on choice claims in the four town.
ships which were thrown open for SCI.
Element at o'clock this morning, is
now an incident of the past. All
night long crowd of men stood out
side of the land Office building.
At 4:3O o'clock the outside door was
thrown open and there was a scramble
up the stairway. 1t was good-na-
tured crowd, however, and the two
police officers who had been detailed
to look after the formation of the line
had little to do.
There were old men far past the
strenuous age, young men barely in
their majority and women, and it is
safe to say that the line of 62 persons
at o'clock. with those who continued
to take place up to o'clock, was in
creased by the additions to 200 and
that all the choice land OF the 400
quarter sections has been taken up.
The ruling of the local land office
which put all applicants for land in the
four townships, who were in front III
the land Office at o'clock a. M, upon
the same footing, did not seem to he
taken seriously by those anxious to
make filings, and as a consequence,
when the door was thrown open there
was a jam in the room which was al.
most crush. The arrangement of
the Office made it necessary for those
who completed films to pass out the
same door through which they had
entered and as consequence there
was considerable confusion.
The first person to make filing was
T. E. Butler, business manager of the
Bee. who was followed so rapidly by
others that it was impossible to keep
track of them. During the first hour
60 applications were received and the
time of filing entered.
The Northern Pacific railroad was
represented by Frank Davies of Hell.
ena. chief land examiner for the com.
pany, who was present to offer an in.
demnity list for the odd sections in
township 26, north of range 81 west,
and one-half section in Township &c.
north of range "a west. In all the
Northern Pacific claims seven and
one-half sections, most of which is a
part of the land located west of the
Stoner place on Flathead lake.
1t is expected that many contests
will arise from the filings made this
morning as there are squatters on
much of the land in the several town.
ships. who have made extensive i'm
provements and upon which land sew.
eral persons have filed.
In the crowd were perhaps rs wo-
men. but in the case Of filing on gov
eminent land they stand on an equal
ity with all others and as a conse.
quence there were number caught
in the squeeze. They were just rs
anxious and took the crowding in as
good part as the men.
When the rush was over and those
who had gathered to see the fun hal
departed, the floor in the hallway had
the appearance Of public house af.
ter an election jamboree. There
were empty whisky bottles. soda bot.
ties, parts of decks of playing cards,
boxes. chairs and old papers.
EARLY in the morning, although many
had not slept during the night, there
was continued round of joshing, an
every fellow had story to tell of his
nights rest. One man was found
standing on copy of the Bee which
he stated had been his bed. and claim
ed that he had been kept warm by the
roasts it contained.
The land officials do not think that
there will be much of a rush tomor
row. but expect filings to be made for
several days.
All in all it was the greatest rush OF
settlers known in the history of the
local land office.