The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-05-31
TWO BIG LAND LOTTERIES.


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public will have an opportunity to
participate in a big land lottery In
eastern Montana, the government au.
thorities being now engaged In survey
ing the Grow reservation and COM
pleting other preparations for opening
it to settlement. About two years later
it is proposed to hold another lottery
of lands located in what is now the
Flathead Indian reservation.
The lands in these reserv atoms, it
is ann ounced, will be apportioned by
the drawing method that has been used
in South Dakota and other parts OF
the country. Every person who wish
es to take a chance in the drawing
must file his name al the nearest land
Office to the reserve in which he hopes
to secure land. If he enters IN the
drawing for the Grow reserve land, he
will 60 to Billings, and il he takes a
chance on the Flathead lands, he will
file his application in the land Office
at Missoula.
According to Congressman Dixon,
each person who secures a lucky num-
Der in the Grow reserve drawing can
file upon not to exceed eighty acres,
and is not compelled to live upon the
land. Those who receive the first
choice of lands in the Grow reserve
have sixty days in which to make Sc
lections, and if they do not care to
live on the land, they will have the
opportunity to pay for it outright at
the rate Of 81. so an acre. Those who
live on the land have the privilege of
paying for it in annual installmcnts.
The ones who get second choice Of the
lands will not be required to pay as
much as $3.50 an acre for it.
Speaking of the Flathead reserve,
which will not be ready for settlers
until about two years from now, Major
Smead, former Indian agent, says it
contains about 1900, 600 acres, of
which about half is mountains, lakes
and grazing land. There is about
500, 600 acres of agricultural land on
which water can be conducted, or rath.
err land that can easily be irrigated.
A large portion of it needs no irriga.
ton, such lands being at the base of
the Mission range aud north of St.
1gnatius. The Jocko and Mission
valleys require irrigation. Agricul.
tural conditions on the alton
are similar to those in Missoula and
Flathead counties.
OF the 500, 900 acres OF agricultural
lands the Indians will be allotted sc
acres each. However, the Indians vi
minor age will receive 40 acres only.
The land allotted to the Indians will
not be the best nor the poorest land,
but an average. Those now having
homesteads will no doubt request that
they be allotted such land, aud this is
frequently poor land. The reserva.
ton is about equally divided between
Missoula, Sanders and Flathead cOun.
ties, Pend d'Oreille river being the
boundary between Missoula aud San.
ders counties. In the allotment to the
Indians they will receive less than
2OO,O 600 acres Of agricultural land,
thus leaving more than 300, 600 acres
for settlement.
There is more agricultural land in
the reservation than in Missoula and
Ravalli counties combined, which d
take care of more than 10000 people.
In addition to this the lands allotted
to the Indians can be leased by them to
settlers, thus making the white popula-
ton even greater. The reserv alton
contains upwards OF 400, 900 acres OF
rich grazing land and about 1000
quarter sections OF heavy timber land.
Roman is considered the enter of the
best agricultural district. and is but
81 miles from Missoula and about -
miles from k%alispell. There is an
abundance of water for ali purposes
and the opportunities for water power
arc u~ueNce!led.