The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-22
NORTHERN PACIFIC LAND SALE.
Will Result in More Rapid Settlement Of
Railroad Lands.

.... ANANS I".I, @-4Asta
The report Of the projected sale by
the Northern Pacific of all its unused
lands in Montana and other western
states to a large syndicate of eastern
men, is believed to be authentic.
1.-The policy of the Northern Pacific
has, since it built through this coun-
try, been to sell the lands as rapidly as
possible to settle up the country and
thus assure a large freight tonnage for
the future said Karl. Simmons, land
agent for the Northern Pacific in Mon
tana, who was in Billings yesterday
closing up some land sales.
cit is not unlikely that President
Mellen believes that the lands could
be sold to good advantage and with
as good ultimate results in the way of
settlement as'if the road continued its
present system.
eff the vast acreage owned by the
company in this state could be dis
posed of at one deal it would really be
an advantage. The parties who are
reported to be negotiating for the pur-
chase of the Northern Pacific land are
undoubtedly considering the PROPOSE
tion with a view to re-selling in large
blocks to land companies. The land
being sold in parcels, by a syndicate
organized for that express purpose
would probably result in more rapid
progress in settling the lands, than if
the ordinary machinery Of the road
was directed towards the same end.
"Much of the Northern Pacific land
east of the Missouri river has already
been sold by the road, and in Mime
sofa within the last year or two all
the pine lands along a certain branch
of the road was sold, aggregating
more titan 1000, 900 acres. It has
been less than three years since a half
dozen very large companies were
organized to handle Minnesota and
Dakota agricultural lands, buying out
right in large tracts the acreage from
the railroad company. 1t is not at all
unlikely that the same policy may be
pursued regarding the disposition OF
western lands or those lands that lay
west of the Missouri river.
1T has been the policy Of the
Northern Pacific road from the first to
sell it's lands, whether to settlers or
ranchers. It was desirable to put peo-
pie in the country who would produce
something that the road might haul.
I know nothing officially of the report,
and the matter has only been. called to
my attention by the newspaper ar
ticles."
The last report of the land commits
sioner of the Northern Pacific shows
that the road owns in Montana H.
27O, 271 acres, and in tho other west
ern states, west of the Missouri river,
the acreage is as follows: North Da-
kota, 500, 900 Idaho, 1858, ara;
Washington, 6, 129, 934; Oregon, 49,
197-a total of 81, 562, 674 acres Of
western land owned by the Northern
Pacific. It will be seen that the COM
pany owns as much land in Montana
as all the others safes put together,
and the report, if true, will be a mat
ter of great Importance to this state,
the companies purchasing from the
railroad company will attempt to
speedily settle the lands.
Land agents in Billings are of the
opinion that the sale will be the
means of more rapidly settling up the
lands through this state, as they will
be sold out in smaller parcels to desir-
settlers from the east.