Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-07-27
Opening ReservatIons.

Opening reservations.
Asked what progress was being
made in preparation for throwing
open The FlathCad and crow reserva.
tions, Mr.. Dixon said: The blue
prints. showing the township sites,
etc, have been sent iu Washington,
and ought to be back in Helena the
carly part of next week. and the bids
will be called Tor the survey. Pos
sibly in about Gnc months time the
contracts will be let and the survey
commenced.
I'm the cast OF the Crow reserva-
rion the survey ought to be complet-
ed this fall. but the Flathead survey
will require at least one year. The
Crow reservation should be opened
some time next year.
The Flathead reservation will not
be- open for two years. II will take
one year To make the survey. and az
ter that the commissioner will have
to allOt and appraise the surplus land.
Under the law. each Indian will get
81 acres of laGL, or. in other words,
n little over luU,0uu acres, or about
o%uc.iftcenth CT the Flathoad land
goes IA the Indians. while the rest is
thrown open to the homcstcador. The
reservation Is q very big one. II has
100000 more acres of land than the
state Of Delaware, and comprises
some OF the most fertile country in
Montana,
Questioned a. TO the progress be.
ing made in irrigation. Mr.. Dixon
said:
81 had a loltCi from Mr.. Newell
chiCf engineer of the geological sur
ycy. a few days ago. | gave him a
special invitation a short time age
10 come to Montana and look into
some new and possible irrigation
plans, and he has replied that he
would be here about the 18th or 20tr
OF august.
The government now has on hant
the Milk River proposition. involving
an outlay of $500, 900 which appro
priation we got last winter; also, The
Glcndive work on the Yellowstone. in
yolving an expenditure of $l,500.000
and that practically is ready TO he le
by the contract.
Il recently brought TO the attention
of the bureal a project over in Beay
erhead county, near Dell, TO irrigat,
the Prickly PeaI valley, near Helena
and also a proposition on the cas-
side of the Bitter Root. but the en-
g~ineers are so busy this summer. tina
SO far | have been unable TO get an!
of them to look the ground over,
Great Possibilities.
Montana has greater pOssibilitic
under the national irrigation act thai
any state in the arid region. We hay
more land TO irrigate and more watc
to do it with than any other part O
the country. | know the bureau pee
pie feel that We have more POSSIBLE
lies than any other state in the wesI
81 think the national irrigation &C
will be of immense benefit to Mon
tana, and that it will bring into til
eastern part of this state ten pcOpl
where there Is but one today. 7
this work the people don't dream q
lh. possibilities OF the east side g
Tho Rockies created by this irrigatio
aCI. II will rCyolulioni2c condition
in - years.
The people OF the west owe III
passage OF this act moe 10 Prcsider
Roosevelt than any other individual
! Il was his continual work and pus
lNaJ brought The eastern senators Il
Ia line. lie simply forced the han
oI those CastCIn senators, He la
lived IN The west and knew the po
sihilities and conditions There VIZ
Q most unwarrantcd prejudice again
this bin in the cast. but Prcsidel
HI Roosevelt Oygrfnmp IN