Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-09
IS NOT WILD NOR
WOOLLY

10 settlers This work will be done rapidly.
but II Is safe to say that II viii be a year
from now before the great rush to this
country begins.
When the lands are opened applicants
will register at the two chief land offices
near the reservation. One of these Is at
Mlssoula on the Northern Pacific railway
at the far south. and the other Is here at
Kallspeu, on the Great Northern railroad
within a short distance from Flathead lake
and close to the upper part of the reserva-
ton which, l am told. contains by Tar the
best lands. The Great Northern railroad al
ready runs from here to the head of Flat
head lake, and It has secured the right OF
way for an extension Of seventy miles skirt
ing the eastern shores OF that lake and run
ming between Il and the Mission mountains,
80 as 20 connect with the station OF Dixon
and the Northern Pacific on the south. This
road Will open up the whole eastern part Of
the reservation and will make kalispell the
natural entrance to II. 1t viii cause most
OF the homeseekers to come here to reg
lister. and the prospects are that there VIII
be between fifty and one huDdred thousand
here at that time. The laws provide that
would-be settlers must come TO the nearest
land office in person and file their claims
Registration may be made within sixty
days from the date OF opening. and as soon
as President Roosevelt announces the time
the rush will begin.
Uncle Sans Big Lottery.
The names Will be set down In the order
of their registration and each person viii
be given n number At the end all the
numbers will be put In wheel and Uncle
Sans officials will run the lottery. Those
whose numbers are first drayn will have
the first chance to pick out their land and
the lottery will go on until all the tracts
are disposed of. Every one will have an
oven chance at the drawing and the last
man registered may get the first prize This
will be far better than the arrangements
which prevailed at Oklahoma. where the
man with the fast horse and the bully with
the big gun were able to outdistance or
force their ways into the best lands.
There will be ) $50 big prizes in the lot
terry. The farms given TO the settlers Will
comprise about 10000 acres, and there
will be altogether about 5000 quarter sec
tons For these the government VIII
charge a nominal price. and 1t is safe to say
as soon as the land is allotted 1t will be
worth S25 per acre above Uncle Sans
charges. This will give each farm value
Of 81 COO or o total of S2O.OOOOoO. Did you
ever hear of such a lottery. with such
prizes2 Srhere is nothing like It on record.
In addition to this there will be other
lands less valuable. The reservation alto
gethcr contains 10000 acres but about
300 900 OF these are 90 be given to the In
dams and there are in addition about 500
OpO acres covered with timber. There are
also mineral regions and hot springs. about
which VIII grow up health resort; and
the Pend D'Orelle river. which drains Flat
head lake. has an enormous fall. which will
be valuable for the generation Of power
OF all kinds
The lands are to be divided up into five
classes-hrst and second class agricul-
tural lands. grazing lands. minerals lands
and timber lands. The timber lands are Of
enormous value, and they will probably be
sold at auction IN fOrty-aCre tracts to the
highest bidders, and the money held in
trust for the Indians. The mineral lands
will be subject TO the same regulations s
l.. d
cultural lands win probably be appraised
at about 50 per acre. which was the APP
PUNISHMENT as to the Rosebud reservation,
open to settlement year or two ago.
Paradise of the Rockies
The Kallspen people call this region the
paradise OF the Rockies. According to them
Il Is a Garden OF Eden. where the sun al
ways shines. the crops never fail. and APP
pies superior to that OF which Eve gave
Adam the core can be grown by sticking a
tWig In the ground. They laugh at the idea
OF the Flathead lands being worth only
SIS an acre. and say they viii bring $50
and upward. which is the price Of good
farm lands about here.
And. indeed. Flathead county is rich. 1
have driven for miles up and down the
valley through fine farms all the way.
There are big barns and comfortable
homes. The land Is well fenced and some
OF the fields contain a hundred acres or
more Inc soil IS black loan from one 10
eight feet deep. resting on a sabsoil Of cay
! am told Il is as rich guano. and the
board OF trade here says that II is now
yielding a million bushels OF oats and a
half million bushels OF wheat every year.
One or the queer features OF this locality
Is the climate. II is q land of warm WIN
teTs and comparatively cool summers. on
the eastern side OF the Rockies the Their
momete- goes down 10 twenty thirty and
forty degrees below zero. Here the aver
age Is from fifteen TO forty degrees above
that point. and the summer nights are al
ways cool
On the Reservation.
The Flathead lands are said to be es-
peCially fine They are well waterea. and
there gre parts OF them where irrigation
Is possible Flathead lake one-half OK
which lies in the reservation, is about
thirty miles long and from eight to six
teen miles wide. II now has a steamer
uy01 1t. and one can go by the Great
Northern railroad to Somers and thence
By boat the full length OF the lake to
Poison. where a stage line will take him