Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-24
DRAW FOR FARMS
Details of First Distribution OF
Land Under Reclamation
Act and the Cost.
PAYMENTS IN INSTALLMENTS
Forty-seven Acres in Each Tract
Awarded in irrigation Tract Near
Billings, Mont.

The apportioning of irrigated lands
at Billings, Mont, the other day was
the first of the sort held under the
reclamation act, says the Kansas City
Star. 1t was not, as many persons
may suppose, free distribution OF
farms. 1t was an opportunity present |
ed by the government TO buy land
through which system of finely built |
irrigation bitches or fumes with ce- |
ment and steel locks and gates had |
been constructed by competent ell
and they must be paid for by the men |
who file upon the farms. Approximate |
~ the cost will be something more
than $3.50 in inStallments for farms
of fOrty-seven and one-half acres each.
This cost IS very reasonable when the
fact is considered that the water sup
ply for the future, or while the Yellow
stone river continues to run, is assured
by the government. The soil assures
the crops. Several men in Kansas City
drew farms in the new district.
IN apportioning the land the govern
ment officials thoroughly mixed the
thousands of envelopes containing the
names of applicants and took 1900
from the many. OF these 1900 the
first 631 Were entitled to file entries on
farms in the order in which their en-
velOpes We're numbered. The farms
contain an average OF forty and
Onc-half acres, which, experience has
shown, Is about all that any ordinary
farmer can cultivate by irrigation.
Forty acres are said to be enough.
All persons who file on the irrigation
farms are required to pay the land
| office fee, a building charge of $50
an acre, to help defray the cost of
building canals, locks and other parts
of the system; maintenance charge of
! 60 cents an acre until further notice
and charge OF 81 an acre for the land
| to be paid to the Crow Indians.
These payments must be made as
| follows: At the time of entry each APP
| plicant must pay to the receiver of the
| billings land office the usual fees and
| commissions and 81 of the Indian pur-
|
/ in addition, So on account of the build
| ing charge and 60 cents as operating
| and maintenance charges for each ir
| riGable acre embraced in his entry
| and thereafter lie must pay on the In
dian purchase price 10 cents annually
for four years, beginning with the end
| of the second year, for each acre en-
| braced In his entry, and in addition
thereto he must, IN accordance with
notices issued by the secretary of the
| interior. pay annually for each irriGa-
BE acre embraced ia his entry not less
| than S3 on account of the building
| charge and such sum as may from
| time to time be fixed as charges for
| operation and maintenance. The build
ing charge of $50 an acre may be paid
in not less than four or more than
nine annual installments. in addition
to the payment made at the time of
entry. This makes the farms cost
S1.EaO or 81 900 each.
| Part of Crow Reservation.
The land acquired ia the drawing Is
known as the Huntley reclamation
project. 1t IS a part of the old Crow
Indian reservation ceded to the gov
eminent. Ultimately the project will
provide irrigation for about 3200G
acres of arid land lying south of the
Yellowstone river and extending from
Huntley to Bull Mountain station on
the Northern Pacific railway. The
tract is from two to four miles wide
and nearly thirty miles long.
|
ton and Quincy with the Northern Pa
cific is at Huntley, at the west end OF
the irrigable land, and both railroads
extend through the lands in such q
way as to give excellent railroad IA
E cilities.
The reclamation service planned the
irrigation system so that water is t.
be delivered to practically every farm
on the $1,000 acres. The main cana
is built to divert 400 cubic feet sec
ond from the Yellowstone river about
two miles west of Huntley. For the
first two miles the canal is carried
along the Huntley bluffs and approx
] mately parallel to the Northern Pacific
tracks. This location requires severa
e sections of concrete lined canal ant
three tunnels, also lined with concrete
: and aggregating $3.50 feet in length
The first tunnel, T00 feet long. carrie:
the water from the headgates under
the Northern Pacific railway.
The main canal is being built unde
present contracts to length of twenty
three and one-half miles and can b,
extended about eight miles furthe
when conditions justify the eXpendi
ture. The structures on the main ca
nal, such as culverts, wastegates, sy
!. |