Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1909-01-22
WE WERE UP AGAINST A BRACE GAME.

for the formation OF the new land dis
trict with it's home town Of Harlow
ton as the place for the location of
the land office. 1t was it's duty to do
the best it could. but it's efforts in
boosting the proposition along were
as useless as were the objections
raised by the people of the district.
The whole proposition is Il payment
of political debts. State senator Clar-
ence p. Tooley needed the votes of
Harlowton at the last election, and it
is evident that the promise was then
made to throw his influence to Har-
lowion's project for HarlowtOn's
political support OF his candidacy to
the state senate. state Senator Tool
ey is a close flield of L. 5. Senator
Carter. In fac. Mr.. Tooley will him
sell tell You thai he is voting for Mr..
Garter al the tima. Upon the arrival
of the Hon Mr.. Toolty in Washing
ton. Senator Carter introduces the
81 arlowtnu s.anti District Bill and
thereby pays a political debt to his
tions 'ihv bosses rt!a: to h with
the people. T'lat HAS been the way
tie political nli"archy in Montana
hos been held intact 70 10, these
many years. "nl ii will continue to
be the way until the people rise up
ami swat this poll ic:ll dragon 4 dead
~ blow Wit, their ballots.
TIE Young tdii rot the Musselshell
News. WHO has l&tely cone from a
sta" Nh 'r: tli< i"ouir; y nlNttiy rule.
is " inassing pella:'s fort!ip tir>. time
in his life, the sublime spectacle Of
loli, iaus paying their politic"l
debts. regardless of thu rights of the
people. II" is witnessing the work
inys 81 gang politics "a wheel within
a wheel in I'll it's primitive perfec-
ton. and merhiIical molrrness: the
only state in the Union tclay where
the bosses rule absolutely, and the
people are denia,! the right Of petition.
inprt va" or" 90 earth who
~could HAY, ,c,u nontana
congressional delegation against this
bill but the Hon. Clarence =. TOoley.
\ word from him would have stopped
all the proceedings in the formation
o. the EIarloWton land office district
| is therefore evident that the people
OF the proposed new district have been
protesting to the wrong people. They
SHOULD have protested t." the Hon.
Clarence =. Tooley at Two Dot in
tead of the Montana congressional
delegation at Washington. ID. {.
In view of these facts the folio wing
from the Musselshell News seems
puerile and displays parvinimity on
the part of the writer that would Or
dinarily impel commiseration instead
Of censure:
Let the Knockers from Judith Gap. I.cwistown
and billings put away their hammers. Their
hammering has been done III vain. Their trivial
contention that the land district with the
land Office at lIarowton would he announcement to
homesteaders within the district has Tx we
shown to 1T. ,'nfourdel and prompted 10y Jealous
motives. The fan, noise made by the Judith Gap
IL
wilderness OF tlisair while the result of tele-
grams with which the congressional delegation
at Washington WAS ho,nlar.icd" by Billings
boosters, has been to quicken action III Washing
tom and Helena that the hol.csteaders in the
Musselshell Valley may not l1 deprived of the
convenience of communication and travel.
II the writer had said that 1.-The re-
suit of the protest had been to quick
in Il, ri, l,nt snnl
debts could be paid" he would have
told the truth. How many home
steaders are there in the Musselshell
valley? The Mussplshell valley
proper is strip of land from IA quar-
ter of Il mile to Il mile wide. Nearly
all this territory was taken by the
stOckmen years ago. There are not
as many hOmesteads in this entire
strip Of country known as the Mussel-
shell valley as their are in one town.
ship adjoining Judith Gap. The gov
eminent land that comprise the sand
dunes Immediately surrounding liar
lowtOn will never be filed upon and
will remain IA barren waste for all
the territory taken from the Billings
land district. There is nothing around
Roundup but coal lands and noun
tains, hence Roundup will not raise
any objection to the lIarlowton land
district. The real territory. there
fore, that will bring business to the
new land Office is the territory taken
from the Lewistown land Office dis
trict, all of which lies in the immetli-
ate vicinity of Judith Gap.
But here is the limit MOI being
the Musselsheli valley /" sign petit
ton favOring the new land office. and
needing some recommendation 10 off
set the protests f-O.l actual residents