The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-22
NEW COMPANY SECURES CON-.
TRoL OF BLAIR PROPERTIES
AND INCORPORATES.
BIG IRRIGATION SCHEME
Extensive Ranches in Nevada Valley
in Upper BIackfoot Country Are
Near Half Million Dollars-Biq
Improvement Project Planned.
Special to The Daily Missoulian.

Special to The Daily Missoulian.
Helena, Jan. 21.-Articles of incor-
portation of the Montana Blair Land
& Irrigation company were filed with
ital stock is $4,000 all paid. The in
corporators are f. M. Clark, c. A.
Latham and I. B. Weir, and the
principal place of business will be
Helena. Under the articles the COM
pany was to engage in the land busi-
ness anywhere in Montana and in the
construction of irrigation works.
The incorporation of the Montana
Blair company marks the consumma-
tion of one the most important land
deals that has been made in western
Montana in long time. This COM
pany has become the owner of the
celebrated Blair ranches in the Ne
vada valley in the upper Blackfoot
country. The sale was made by r.
deb. Smith of Missoula and was COM
pleted Monday at the home ranch of
Mr.. Blair The agreement of sale was
}. wi
Clark, the latter of Chicago. The
purchase price is somewhere near half
million dollars.
For about nine months Mr.. Smith
has been engaged In accomplishing this
sale. He interested Messrs. Clark and
Latham in the proposition last spring
and since that time the negotiations
have been carried on. The purchas-
ers are men who are extensively in
terested in western lands and have
several important propositions in wyo-
ming which they are now engaged in
perfecting, among them being recla-
nation project involving about a mill
lion dollars which is to apply to lands
taken up under the Carey act.
AS soon as these men had seen the
Blair land, they became thoroughly in
terested in the plan which had been
proposed by Mr., Smith. They at once
instituted most careful examination
of the land. An irrigation expert was
sent out from Chicago to investigate
the conditions; soil expert came and
made extensive analysis of the land;
a commercial land agent inquired thor
ouSiiiS ihto liiC MAJ hCt lCdluI opO
the reports Of these engineers and ex-
perts the Chicago men made their de-
cision to conclude the purchase.
The Blair ranches include more than
10000 acres. About 5000 acres are
under cultivation; about the same
amount Is irrigated pasture land, ca
pable of cultivation but until now used
simply as grazing land for the stock.
The rest of the acreage is semi-arid
land, much of which can be reclaimed
as there is a large water right which
goes with the ranch and is included in
the sale. The possibilities are great
and the new owners will doubtless
improve them. Two large streams run
through the ranches and the land lies
so near the mountains that the water
supply Is permanent and reliable.
]. w. Blair is one of the well-known
residents Of northern Powell county.
He has lived for many years In the
upper Blackfoot country and has made
fortune in the stock business. The
sale of his holdings was suggested to
him less than year ago and when he
consented to consider a proposition,
Mr.. Smith at once took up the mat
ter and has pursued his negotiations
to this successful end.