Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-01-26
ALL DUE TO A
CLERKS ERROR
Peculiar Situation Arises at Local
Land Office Over Error Made at
Helena Office Years Ago.
WRONG LAND is DESCRIBED
Sold for Taxes and Finally Bought
From Second Purchaser by the
6arnes-king.

A peculiar situation has developed
at the local land office with regard to
certain entry the land in question
being 100 acre tract situated near
Maiden. 1t may be said at the outset
that for the complications that have
already resulted and are likely to re-
suit. the local land office is in no
wise responsible. The whole trouble
is due to clerical error made at the
Helena land office when the Lewis
town district was created, and the
records were prepared at Helena for the
Lewistown office.
Mr.. Rafferty's Filing.
1t appears that away back in the
sos, one F. B. Rafferty, filed on a
piece Of land near Geyser, in Cascade
county, described as in township II
north, Of range 9 east. This went in
to the Helena office, and when the
register and receiver of that office pro-
ceeded to divide up the filings among
| the new districts, the Rafferty, land
was certified as being in township II
north, of range 10 east. This was
an erroneous description, and as a
matter of fact, applied to a 100 acre
tract near Maiden. in which Mr..
Rafferty, was not interested. and
which he knew nothing about.
Assessor Follows the Error.
Later on, the assessor, in making
up mis- rolls, took the tract near Mai
den from the records at the local land
office as belonging to Mr.. Rafferty,, and
after awhile the land was sold for de-
linquent taxes This was repeated
year by year until finally the tract
was bid in by A. Lincoln, the well
known rancher Of Deerfield, who OBJ
tanned a tax title to it. In all these
years Mr.. Rafferty, was never heard
from, for the good reason that he was
in possession of the land in Cascade
county that he actually filed upon.
Bought by n. H. Lang.
Last year Fl. Fl. Lang, the well
known Kendall mining man, decided
to buy this tract of land near Maiden
for its timber. and after negotiating
with Mr. Lincoln, secured it, the con-
sideration being good one. The t.
tie appeared to be all regular, and
quit claim deed from Mr.. Lincoln was
Sells to the Barnes-king.
Mr.. Lang remained in possession
of the property for some time, and
then sold it to the Barnes King Min
ing company of Kendall, the stated
consideration being something like $6,
900. The mining company wanted
the land for it's timber. and that fact
undoubtedly made the tract much
more valuable to ii than to any or
dinary purchaser.
Saw Mill Put Up.
! The Barnes-King company not long
ago put saw mill on the tract, and
has since been busily engaged in cut
ting timber. There appeared to be
no flaw in the company's title to the
property, and so far as known the
work is still going steadily forward.
A Timber and Stone Entry.
Recently. Lew f. Place. of this city.
in some way ascertained the facts
with regard to this land. and found
that while credited to Rafferty, it had.
in fact. never been entered by that
party at all. and that. according to
land. Having satisfied himself on
these points, Mr. Places next move
was to file timber and stone entry
in the local land office on this tract
OF land and he fully expects to prove
upon it in due course of time Just
what the final outcome of it will be
remains to be seen, but the situation
: arising from a clerical error made in
the land office at Helena is certainly
a most interesting one.