The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-01-12
CESSION ALMOST ASSURED FACT
Little Doubt that Grow Lands Will Be Opened-Bnos and
and Irrigation Companys Good Work
Nearer Home.

The reports received from Washing
ton indicate that after years of delay
and disappointment to the settlers OF
eastern Montana, congress will dur
| ing the present session take favorable
action in the matter of restoring to
the public domain one million acres
of land now a part of the Grow Indian
! reservation.
The treaty with the Indians for the
sale of the northern part of the reser-
walton was made during the autumn
of 1898, and Mr.. Carter, then a sena-
tor from the state, followed it up
| with a bill in the senate in the sue
ceeding congress for ratification of the
treaty. In the upper house the meas
ure met with the approval of that
body, but owing to the opposition OF
the house of representatives the Car
ter bill met with defeat
Senator Clark, the successor to Sen
ator Carter, then took up the pet
scheme of the people of eastern Mon
tana and again the opposition became
manifest. Finally compromise was
proposed and the bill was placed in
a most favorable light, but too late
to go through the congressional grist
mill at the last session.
When congress convened last month
on time was lost by the Montana dele
cation to place the Grow treaty bill
early on the calendar. 1t was intro.
duced simultaneously in the senate
and house and it is gratifying to learn
that Mr.. Dixon, representative from
the state, is assured by the commit
tee on Indian affairs that favorable
report will be made by the committee
and that he anticipates no trouble
when the measure is taken up on the
floor. With assurances that the Crow
treaty bill will receive the approval
of the lower house it is now almost
certainty that the long looked for
announcement of the opening of the
northern part of the Grow Indian res
ervation for settlement will be flashed
over the wires from Washington No
trouble is anticipated in the senate,
that body being almost unanimously
favorable to the measure.
Opens an Empire.
With the favorable action of con-
gress on the cession of Grow lands
an empire will be opened to settle
ment. The lands will be subject to
homestead settlement only, thus elm
mating every possibility of their ever
becoming the subject of land sharks
for speculative purposes. The bill
provides that the land shall be ap-
praised by government commission
ers who are familiar with land val
ues in this part of the country, and |
the classification of agricultural lands
within the ceded strip shall in no
case exceed SIS an acre. 1t is believ-
ed that the valuation for purely farm
ing lands will range about $3.50 an
acre. The valuation of the lands
classed as grazing will be nominal
Within the proposed ceded portion
of the reservation there are approxi-
mately 100000 acres of high class ag-
ricultural lands; ground that will net
the owner from $50 to $50 an acre
after it is brought under a perfect
state of cultivation.
The agricultural lands within the
proposed ceded part of the reservation
are all in proximity to the Yellow
stone and Big Horn rivers and the
water supply for irrigation and other
purposes will be inexhaustible. The
question Of litigation over water
lights in the valleys of the Yellow
stone and Big Horn will never be
one that will disturb the peace of the
people who locate homes there after
congress DEGREES that million acres
Of the Grow reservation shall be