Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1906-03-08
NOTES FROM BILLINGS
irrigation Tunnel in Big Horn Valley.
Top Price for Sheep-Montana's
System of Caring for Insane.


realize the enormous extent of the
In the vicinity Of
Billings is the Grow reservation
which is soon to be opened for settle
ment and it is claimed that when the
irrigation works are finished that are
now in progress or soon will be under
way, in that reservation, that 5000
farms of irrigated land will be ready
for occupants. These farms of govern
ment land are not yet determined as
to size. some parties claiming that
the government will cut the land up
into 40, 80, 120 and l6O acre tracts
and others claim that the old home
stead laws will prevail on the new
irrigated land, the claimant being
allowed to file on l6O acres. but pay
ing for the water or COST OF his ditch,
in some equitable manner which is
vet 10 be announced.
Billings will be the headquarters
for the settlers who come to this
newly opened territcry which has
heretofore been kept out of cultlva-
tion by Indian occupancy. AS showing
some idea of the great extent and
cost of this one irrigation project.
the contractor in charge of the Cor
bett tunnel, part of the work in
the Big Horn river basin country in
Wyoming, says that over 500 feet of
the immense bore have been COM
pleted. Nearly 200 men are at work
on the tunnel and so far no delays or
accidents have occurred. A great
deal of machinery is being brought
in by contractors to expedite the
work and. when finished the bore will
be three miles in length, the longest
irrigation tunnel in the country The
work must be completed within a
year from this time.
These irrigation works are the
means of making business lively in
the towns near where the work is
going on. Billings is claiming to
be the livliest business town in Mon
tana where exclusive mining inter-
ests do not prevail as at Butte.
Land buyers are coming in and there
promises to. be great stampede for
lands when the Crow reservation is
thrown open.
The Burlington extension to Great
Falls, from Billings is being surveyed
and. preliminary work begun. There
seems little doubt but what the Mil,
waukee will etxend a branch line in
to Miles City, and Montana people
in the northern part of the state
are jubilant over report that the
500 is going to etxend its line from
Kenmare to Havre, Mont. From
Glendive to Helena the country is
under a big blanket of snow, and
still the usual chinook is delayed
which is expected to melt the snow
in day or two. The snow is unusual
at this season of the year, but IS wei
coined by stockmen as good for grass.
All winter tie weather in central
Montana has been mild and walking
out Of doors. on dry unfrozeD ground
vas pleasant exercise. The range has
been dry and grass short.
A local paper states that band Ct
two year old wethers was sold this
week at Lewisown, Mont, to the
Sweet Grass Co.. buyers at S6 head
for immediate delivery. This is said
to be the highest price ever paid in
the state for stock sheep. j.
Montana farmers association is
preparing to secure a storage house
in Seattle for storage of soft wheat
for shipment to the Orient. They
claim they can not get square deal
in the present arrangements and are
virtually attempting to do what
North Dakota and Minnesota farmers,
are in getting independent grain
grading and storage facilities at Sup
erior, Wis.
The state Of Montana let's out the
care Of its insane patients by con-
tract and let's the contract every two
years to one firm. which has 5uilt suit
able buildings at Warm Springs.
There are GIG patients now at this
asylum In charge Of private contrac.
tors whose bid for such service was
ESQ a day per patient or an aggTe-
gate Of 146, 90 year. Several hun
dred thousand dollars. .hay We been in
vested By the contractors Ia suitable
buildings and as no other firm can
compete with them they have 9 9
virtual monopol u 5of the business and
have. had nearly thirty Years. The.
Original members of 4 the firm n are
desds sbnts sthe work IL carried ON .by