The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-19
WEDNESDAY, JULY ~, 1905.
MR., GIBSON'S BIG FARM.

On Monday last We took a drive with
Paris Gibson to his beautiful Sand
Coulee farm one mile sOuth of this
city. Mr.. Gibson has a farm Of J, 200
acres as smooth as a plank floor.
This is seeded principally to wheat,
oats and alfalfa. He has some beau
tiful fields Of these crops. The wheat
and oats are just heading out and
promise we'll. The alfalfa had all
been cut and the fields were covered
with shocks, and will probably yield
one ton per Observation-Disclosures.
Twenty-Five hundred acres. The ed.
itor Of the Husbandman must surely
be mistaken in thus estimating the
area Of Mr.. Gibson's farm. The own.
er of this agricultural bonanza made
his name famous. while a member of
the United States senate, as an advo.
cate of land law reform, claiming that
a ranch Of 100 acres is ample for the
needs of a settler and his family, and
that in certain favored sections a tract
OF 50 acres is sufficient to yield a liv-
ing to a citizen of industrious habits.
Reference to Mr.. Gibson's speeches
in the United States senate finds him
n of the leaders in Il campaign to
secure such changes ia the land laws
as shall restrict settlers to entries of
16O.acre tracts. Ga March ~, 1904,
he made some extended remarks upon
this subject, part of his speech being
to this effect:
1.-The discussions which preceded the
enactment of the homestead law clear
~ show that the patriotic men who
framed it intended that the public do.
main should be held for those who
would go upon 1t and establish homes,
and for no n else. The act was adj
mirably safeguarded against s~pecula-
tive use through the provision requir.
ing five years residence and cultiva-
ton Of the soil before title could be
granted: but the communication clause
incorporated in the act has too often
converted this beneficent into
an effective instrument for fraudulent
ly obtaining land in large bodies
which otherwise would have been con.
verted into homes of 100. acre tracts.
1.-The continuance of our presen,
system Of land laws will result in the
ownership by landlords of the princi'
pal part OF the ards states, whereas il
held subject to a homestead act that
a not be committed the public do.
main still remaining will become the
property of millions of fr%eeholders.
Nor should We forget that this oppor
tunity afforded by the government to
capitalists for obtaining title to vast
bodies Of public land is a very great
menace to the strength and endurance
OF he nation, for we are reminded by
constantly increasing disturbances be.
tween capitalists and the industrial
classes in our cities and manufactur.
ing centers that our hold upon liberty
and good government will largely de.
pend 10 the future upon the occupation
by a farming population OF the great
states west of the Mississippi river"
Is the possession of 1900 acres OF
land a menace to the strength and
endurance Of the nation? If not, at
what area does the great menace be.
gin to assume more or less alarming
proportions?
The region in which Mr.. Gibson's
big farm is located Is said to be on
desert in character. Bountiful crops
can be raised there every season with.
ont irrigatiOn-at least, that is the
testimony given in pictures repro.
duced from photographs. If some
enthusiastic immigration booster add.
ed picturesque !mpressiveness to the
photograph by hauling q few loads of
grain from q distance and stacking
them upon the bench land farm, no
one was particularly injured by the
deception.
A farm OF 1900 acres. if subdivided
into quarter section tracts, would pro-
vide ranches Of 100 acres each for
thirteen settlers; il cut up into SO.acre
tracts, twenty.seven guilty ators of the
soil could make homes thereon.
The assertion of the Husbaudman to
the contrary Notwithstanding, we in.
cline to the belief that Mr.. Gibson's
farm Is not Of such large area as 2,2O(
acres. We prefer to think of him as
a hardworking aud thrifty bench land
farmer, c%ultivating a l6O.acre trac,
with such success that it yields him
not only q good living but a surplus
that will provide comforts in old age,