Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-03-16
THE COMING OF SETTLERS.

Westward, no. will be the watch
word for the next two months. Ac-
cording to reports the railroads ex-
pect to do a heavy business in bring
ing h~omeseekers to Montana and to
coast states.
1t is some satisfaction TO learn that
the majority of those who are COM
ing west are from the Mississippi
valley and are possessed of some
means. To such there are openings
for good investments in Montana.
No man or association should mis-
represent the actual facts about Mon
tana In a desire to settle up the state.
To give the impression that a mar
without means can come here and
take up 100 acres of land and prosper,
as has been done in the Mississippi
valley states and elsewhere is doing
both the state and the would-be set
tier an injury. There is very little
land of that kind left open for set
Element anywhere in the west. and
precious little of it in Montana. "A
few desirable locations may be found
but they are the exceptions and not
the rule, and even then the settler
will not do much more than get local-
ed before he will be looking for more
land-which the repealers of the lard
laws would shut him out of the chance
OF getting.
With the exception of some bench
lands where settlers are taking a
chance and some locations in the
mountains, desirable agricultural
lands were all taken up years ago.
However. as we have said before,
large holdings which have become too
valuable for the running of stock. or
which have been cut off by the fenc-
ing of the range. will be offered Tor
sale in such quantities as mag be de.
sired by purchasers. or sold as a
whole for the purpose of division.
Such lands are now being offered for
sale and some of them being rich in
soil and well watered and not far
from the markets, will eventually
prove valuable farms. Although con.
siderable of such land will change
hands during the present year, most
of the purchasers will have stock rails
ing in a small way in view.
While 1t is important that we have
farmers who will supply the home
demand for their products, still the
time has not yet arrived when the
demand is sufficient or steady enough
to make the raising of the smaller
products a special feature. At least
farmers of foresight and energy faiI
10 see sufficient encouragement foI
greater effort. They claim that they
can not sell their products for cash
al local stores but must take every
thing out in trade. AS a farmer needs
cash this is not very comforting Of
assuring. He must have a larger
market and with the building of new
railroads railroads that operatel he
will not be dependent upon the home
market, and the outside market will
be a cash market, necessarily.
While Montana will take high
rank as an agricultural state 1t would
seem that she ought to raise all that
her small population can consume and
we believe that this will eventually
be done.
Quite a few settlers will be seeking
homes in Fergus county the coming
summer and, so far as we can leain
they will be men of means, prepared
to buy improved lands and pay cash
for them.
While the man of no e Is thrice
welcome, he should not be lured OF
buncoed into taking up land thai
would not make him a living but on
ly add to his misfortunes.
About the only mes who are hold
ing out a false ~inducement OF tins
kind are the ultra irrigationists and
land law ~repealers. who are doing the