The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-30

whole is being violated in the most
open and high-handed manner, pos
slhIy in an even more fragrant man
ler than was originally intended. I'm
Ter this law LANDS which produce |
native grasses sufficient in quantity. |
f unfed by grazing animals, to make |
IN ordinary crop of hay in usual sea- |
sons. are not desert lands" Not |
with standing that this clause is plain |
and carefully worded. it is a fact |
that in Montana at least. thousands |
4" on thousands of acres Of land have
been proved up under the desert land
act. that will MOI only produce large
crops of hay without irrigation, but
are so situated with relation to the
that they seldom fail to
yield from 20 to 80 bushels of wheat
to the acre without irrigation. The
bench lands which lie under the
many showers which the valleys
never see. 1t is a fact also, that this
important provision defining what
lands are not desert lands, has never.
% my knowledge. been properly con-
stdcYel by the interior department.
in it's application to Montana, with
its highly diversified soil and condi-
tons.
Under the desert land act. the en-
tryman is required to reclaim his
land, according to the letter of the
law, make final proof and pay for it,
and then sell the water or divert it
to another claim. In that way. one
small stream of water sufficient to re-
claim 800 acres, only, may be made
to reclaim a half a dozen or more
tracts, as there is nothing in the
law. as I have stated. to prevent the
alienation of tn water from the
land once proved up and patented.
But some one will say, it will not be
for the interest Of the land owner to
LET the land revert to the condition in
which the claimant found it. Such
an assumption is not correct, for i'm
mense bodies of land are being con-
stantly taken mp under this act, not
for agricultural purposes, but to eX-
tend range limits for herds and
focks. or to prevent the occupation
of the land by farmers and small set
tiers, and such lands are seldom re-
claimed in accordance with the law.
But it seems that the desert land
act did not afford facilities entirely
satisfa Glory to those desiring to OBJ
| tain lands in large tracts. from the
| IA ion. for We find a provision adopt
ed March 3. 1891. whereby the desert
land claimant can assign his claim
70 another person after entry and be
fore patent. BY means of this pro
vision. the capitalist or land corpora
ton can employ men and women liv
ing in cities and villages to take uI
lands, and by temporarily transfer
ring water rights. are assigned to the
land company. BY proper manipu
IA ion of these privileges, supposed
to be granted by the nation in the in
tegest of home builders. capitalists
and live stock companies are rapid!
becoming the owners of large bodies
of the most fertile and the most fav
orably situated lands of the Rock,
mountain country. That a large par
of the desert land entries and fina
proofs are fraudulent can not be de
MED. In my opinion, there has no
been a proper compliance with thu
act in one case out of ten. Doubles!
this is largely due to the fact tina
lands proved up under the desert lant
act have not been examined b.
agents Of the government, excep
where contests We're filed. If a few
land inspectors of the ability and in
tegrity of Colonel Mosby were givel
full authority to examine the land
of Montana and Wyoming acquire,
. under the desert land act, the result
would create widespread consterns
; ton 1t is true, few agents coul
examine only a small number Q
tracts, compared with the whole nun
, be- for which final proofs are mad
annually, but the results obtaine
would very largely put stop to tn
present wholesale land frauds. If
; adopted, men Of sterling integrit
, should be employed and the utmos