Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-02-22
LANDS
CONTROVERSY
Settlers on Rock Creek Hold Meeting
at Moore and Form Association
for Mutual Protection.
RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED
Officers Elected-Addresses Made by
First Trial Begins Tomorrow.

Il hc lcdIlIlSs III lIle uISt VI inc NUN
creek bench land contest cases will
come on for hearing before the reg
lister and receiver tomorrow, and as
a preliminary to it, the desert land
entrymen on the bench held a mass
meeting at Moore Thursday afternoon
to perfect the organization of a mu-
tual protective association. This plan
was carried out by the adoption of
report of a committee previously ap-
pointed to prepare preamble, con-
stitution and bylaws, and the election
Of officers followed
The full purpose of the association
is set out in the preamble, but in brief
it is to enable each enryman against
whom a contest has been or may be
filed, to go into the fight with the full
strength of the organization back of
him.
Moore's Busy Day
1t was about the busiest day Moore
has had this winter. The train from
LewistoWn took down number of
people in the morning. and at 10
O'Clock the ranchers besan to arrive
They were slow in coming, however,
owing to the heavy snowstorm that
prevailed all the forenoon. BY one
O'Clock their outfits lined the streets.
and the one subject discussed by them
was the contest.
AT O'Clock the ranchers assembled
in Tooleys hall, and count showed
90 present. 1t was not large crowd
and the chairman explained that many
had been unable to come owing to the
storm. Still it was a representative
gathering of the desert entrymen, as
nearly every section of the bench was
represented at the meeting.
W. }. Owen, who presided at the
preliminary meeting held the week
previous, again acted as chairman
with Frank Robinson as secretary
The report of the committee was at
once called for. and Patrick Nihill
handed in the following draft of the
resolutions, etc;
Report Of the Committee.
whereas, the farmers and ranchmen
residing in the vicinity of Moore, Fer
gus county, Montana, have been har-
assed by a set of irresponsible real
estate boomers, who file contests and
protests against desert land and other
entries, for the evident purpose of
blackmail and extorton; and
Whereas, The members of this or
ganlZatlon are honestly endeavoring
to comply with the letter and the
spirit OF the several agricultural land
acts OF the United States, and are
striving to make homes for themselves
and their families, and to improve,
reclaim and develop the wild lands of
Fergus county; and
Whereas, The subscribers hereto
have been beset with many difficult
ties incident to the settlement and
development of the agricultural and
stock-raising districts of Fergus coun-
ty, Montana. most of them being poor
men with large families to support.
and striving to the best of their abl-
tiles to build homes and to improve.
reclaim ami cultivate the lands of this
country, and particularly the lands ad-
Jacent to Moore; and
Whereas, irresponsible land-sharks
and spectators are attempting to
blackmail and cast odium and suspic-
ion of the land department as to
the good motives of the settlers of this
section in the reclamation of their
desert and other entries: and
Whereas, Harrassing litigatiOns have
been instituted. the motive of which
, is to deprive the said farmers and
ranchmen of the fruits of their labor
in securing homes for themselves and
their families; therefore, be it
Resolved, That we organize ami
perfect the Farmers & Ranchmen' S
!. Protective Organization, of Moore,
Fergus county, Montana, the object of
which is to protect it's members i'll
their legal rights and under the land
laws of the United States, and to rem
der such moral and financial aid as
may be deemed necessary to those
who are unable, on account of then
poverty, to properly defend them
selves and be it further
Resolved, That the subscribers here
to proceed to organize by adopting a
suitable constitution and bylaws, and
electing officers, for the purpose Of
protecting their interests, and eSpec.
tally under the laws relating to land
entries, and that they subscribe their
names to this preamble and resolu-
tons, and adopt the following consti.
!. tuition and bylaws:
The constitution provides that the
| Va 'iS oSooSiotloIl oudIl Dc NLG
Farmers r Ranchmens Protective
Organization; the purpose of the or.
ganiZatiOn is the mutual protection
of the members thereof, under any and
all laws of the United States, partic
ularly those relating to land entries,
the principal place of business of the
association is to be at Moore; any
person is eligible to membership who
y believes in the motives and purposes
expressed in the preamble on the pay
ment of a fee of 81; the constitution
may be amended by two-thir1s vote
Il OF It's members at any annual meeting
1t is provided in the bylaws thai
the annual meeting shall be held or
, the first Monday in March, when Off
GERS for the ensuing year shall be
elected.
by unanimous vote the report of the
committee was adopted.
David HiI9er speaks.
David HilSer, of Lewistown. wa:
called upon to make an explanation
of the idea of the committee with re
gard to an organization. He said the
government had recognized the bench
as desert land from the beginning
ana every successive move made b,
it had been based on that idea. Plan:
had been formed in different parts O
the state for great irrigation projects
. and in the arid section it was full!