Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-06-10
PROSPEROUS ON
ALASKA CREEK
The Argus Correspondent Finds
Everything Prosperous on the
Bench Up On Spring Creek.
COUNTRY FAST SETTLING UP
Twenty Desert and Homestead En-,
tries Made This sprins-Much
Grain Being Sown.

Rogers, Mont, June S.-The recent
warm weather has given the growth
Of crops and grass a great impulse
in this section of the county and If
the present conditions continue the
Rogers district will produce the best
crops in its history. No finer range
is een in the county than that on the
forks of Spring creek and on the
Alaska bench. Cattle are in excellent
condition, many Of them being almost
fat enough for shipment already.
IN the Alaska bench more than 20
desert and homestead entries have
been made this spring, and this large
highland park, which, until the past
two years, was considered only fit
for grazing purposes, is proving an ad-
mirable agricultural district. This
bench lays in the V formed by the
headwaters of Flatwillow and Spring
creeks, just at the north base of the
Big Snowy mountains. Its area is
about five and a half miles east and
west and from three to three and a
half miles north and south. The al
titude is fully two thousand feet great
er than that of Lewistown and from
several points on the bench a good
view Is obtained of that part of Lew
istown in the vicinity OF the court
house. The general topography of the
bench is of a rolling character, the
soil being the black loan usually
found at the base of all the mountains
Of this part Of the state. Numerous
small streams furnish an abundant
water supply to the ranchers who have
settled there. The most disagreeable
feature connected with the bench"
Is its present inaccessibility. The
roads leading to it now are of the
toughest kind, being almost impassa-
BILE in places, but of course this will
be remedied in a year or so, when
the county roads leading to and
through 1t have been established.
This season several hundred acres
of grain will be grown on Alaska
bench and in another year II will be
one of the principal grain growing Sec
tons OF that part of the county. The
Sneeks brothers, whose ranches are
located nearest to Spring creek. have
sown 65 acres of wheat and oats this
season and have improved their ranch
es in a substantial and permanent
manner. They do not live on the
bench proper, but the road leading
from Spring creek to the bench passes
through their lands. This road leaves
Spring creek at the school house a
short distance above the Rogers post
office.
Durstine brothers have two well i'm
proved ranches right in the center of
the bench. They were located about
two years ago. This season IS acres
Of wheat and oats will be grown on
them.
Thomas G. Nelson, formerly night
marshal of Lewistown. has a good
ranch on the south side OF the bench.
He Is sowing 80 acres in grain. Be
side these William Terry has taken
a homestead and desert claim, Will
liam Yard has q homestead and Miss
Abel has a desert claim, all Of these
being recent locations, and from Mr..
Nelson we learn that eight other
homeseekers have found locations on
the bench within the past two weeks.
Mrs. Rowser has located a desert
claim adjoining the Durstine ranches
and z. r. Logan, a recent arrival from
the east, has a homestead on the
southeast side of the park, near the
Nelson ranch. On nearly every one
oil these locations from ten to fifty
acres will be broken this season and
sown in grain. Those who are located
on Alaska bench appear to be well
pleased with their surroundings and
1t looks as II a prosperous commun.
ity will result from the settlement Of
that section.
On both forks of Spring creek crops
are somewhat later than usual but are
looking thrifty.
]. H. Elijah has just finished thresh.
ing on the head of Fatwiliow; his
last season crop Of course.
Along the main Spring creek hay
and grain crops are all as fiourIshing
as further up.