Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-01-19
HOMES FOR HALF A MILLION.

The government will throw open for
settlement two large Indian reserva-
lions in Montana this year and next.
Some of the finest unoceupied lands in
the west are 10 be found in these por-
tons of Montana, and with the album
dant natural resources and the fertility
of the soil there is room there for half
a million people.
The Grow reservation. which will be
opened in August of this year is 5.4,5
square miles in area and is situated in
southeastern Montana. The winter is
quite long and cold and the summer
usually very hot and dry. Irrigation is
a necessity in order To carry ON sue
cessful agriculture.
The Crow Indians farm considerable
land raising wheat. oats, barley and
hay. They possess large bands of cat
tie which feed upon the wild. rich
grasses growing abundantly in the val
leys and upon the bench lands.
The valleys Of the Big Horn and Lit
tie Horn contain immense areas of rich
agricultural lands. Abundant water is
available for irrigation
Extensive irrigation work has been
done upon the reservation by the In
dams. Many miles of the most sub
stantial canals have been constructed.
Portions of the reservation will be
found to be adapted to the cultivation
of the hardy fruits.
The Flathead reservation. which, it
Is said, will be ready for opening dur
ing the summer Of 1907, lies in the
northwestern portion OF the state In
extent it is about forty by sixty miles
and comprises about 100000 acres.
This land is called the Switzerland Of
America. The Mission range of noun
tains, which border the reservation. are
beautiful to look upon. ranging in al
titude from $500 feet to 10.4o0 feet:
from the evergreen covered hills To the
everlasting snow capped peaks.
1t is estimated that there are not less
than one-half million acres of rich
farming lands on the reservation. be-
sides large amount of uplands and
grazing lands. There are about 1000
Indians to receive allOtments To each
Indian there Is allotted eighty acres. a
total Of 100000 acres. This will leave
unappropriated about $4,000 acres Of
choice lands. AZ nearly all of the In
dams entitled to allotments are already
located on their lands. having been iiv-
Ing upon them and farming them to
some extent, the present unappropri-
ated lands are nearly all available to
the homeseeker and will be easier of
attainment than II the Indians were
still to be provided for.
In portions of the reservation sue
cessful farming may be carried on
without irrigation but as a rule it will
be found that the irrigated farm will
predominate
All of the grains and grasses are
known to yield abundantly throughout
the reservation. Fruit such as berries,
cherries, plums. apple and pears thriA.e.
Diversified farming will be possible
throughout the reservation.
In addition to the extensive farm
lands there Is about 10000 acres OF
choice timber land. which will be sold
to the highest bidder; 500. 1000 acres
classified as mountain and 450, 900 acres
grazing lands. The climate is COM
paratively mild. The mountains are
known to be rich In minerals.
Why will people continue to crowd
the tenement districts of the east when
such boundless opportunities are Of
Tered for free homes in the great and
growing west? Come west. young man
come west