Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-11-26

classed as agricultural. have already
been taken up, the better part of them
fifteen and twenty years ago. With
the poorer land that Is left 1t is pro-
posed to make it ever harder to OBJ
tain than heretofore. If the settler
pays the price and locates he must
stay on it the full five years or starve.
All the remaining land cannot be dis
posed of any other way, and II set
tiers don't want it 10 one a get 1t
and no n can realize from it, not
even the government, as there Is a
prejudice against leasing. OF course,
the government can dispose of the
land at s1.25 an acre, but this is much
more than a great deal of the land Is
worth, even for grazing purposes.
But in taking the position the Trib-
une and some eastern papers do, they
assume that government irrigation is
soon to reclaim all or a majority of
these lands. II true then there would
be no question about holding them
for actual settlers. But this view is
largely chimerical, judging from sur
veys recently made in this region.
II will be remembered that early
last month the Tribune contained an
article mentioning the arrival there
of Samuel b. Robbins and Hugh Nc
Nair, civil engineers of that city VINO,
for two months had been busy work
ing on surveys for proposed govern
ment reservoirs and irrigation bitches
and canals. They were investigating
the irrigation possibilities Of the
country drained by the Musselshell
river and its tributaries. They were
absent ten weeks. They started In
work at the head waters of the Mus.
selshell and worked down to where
that stream flows into the Missouri.
The further account of their expedi-
ton and investigation is as follows:
THE whole country on both sides
of the stream was carefully inyesti'
gated and a comprehensive report
made up concerning its topography,
the character of the soil. size of the
streams and possibility of bringing
the land under irrigation.
While neither of me engineers
will discuss their report it is under
stood that II will be unfavorable. II
is said that the lay Of the land is such
as to make irrigation practically i'm.
possible. Where the land lies so ii
can be irrigated it is remote from pos.
sible reservoir sites.
The country is said to be suffering
from lack of sufficient water supply
and the range is insufficient to sup.
port the large herds now there. The
report will probably be prepared with
in a short time and submitted to En-.
gineer Babb, who mas charge OF the
eight government irrigation survey
parties in this state. The trip was
a long and tedious one. Since leav.
ing here the engineers travelled about
hOO miles Inv wagon"
This report by competent civil en-.
gineers, after a careful inspection OF
a vast region, verihes the contention
made by this paper in its controversy
with the Tribune some months ago,
viz: that the topography of the coun-
try was not such as to make large IT.
rigation schemes practicable. There
are millions of acres of government
land in the region penetrated by the
engineers that cannot and never will
be reclaimed by the government. ow-
ing to natural distractions. II they
cannot be rendered habitable and are
not subject to entry under the desert
land act, and will not be leased. what
will be done with them?
Before the land laws are repealed
c commission should be appointed for
each of the arid states to make selec-
tions Of lands that can be reclaimed
by government irrigation and made
fit for settlement. This done the gov
eminent could then lease OF sell its
remaining lands and thereby realize
C fund which could be applied to ir.
rigation where it is practicable.
II will be a good many years before
the people of Fergus county realize
any benefits from national irrigation,
while radical changes in the land laws
might work incalculable injury.