The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-04-23
PREPARING FOR RUSH
OF SETTLERS
RAVALli EXPECTS TO BE SHIP
PING POINT FOR SUPPLIES
FOR FlATHEAD.

the town consisting of two hotels,
postoffice and general store and two
or three houses, which achieved tame
because it was here that Pablo
famous buffalo were shipped to Can
ada, is preparing for the rush OF
homeseekers when the Flathead reser-
walton is thrown open to settlement.
Sometime during the coming summer,
it is expected, that drawing VIII oc-
cur and thereafter Ravalh expects TO
be an important shipping and supply
point for a great agricultural dis
trict.
To see what the reservation lands
offer to the settler, representative or
the dry farming congress, which VIII
hold it's fourth convention at Billings,
Mont, next fall has just made TRIP
through what is said to be farming
district which is said to be representa-
tive of the agricultural lands that will
be thrown open, probably this sum-
mer What he saw convinced him
that within the reservation there are
thousands of acres of as rich soil as
can be found anywhere in Montana.
The reservation is approximately 90
miles long and 40 miles wide and con-
tains 1,425,OOO acres. The survey has
been completed and accepted except
as to fragmentary portions on the Dor
ders, which are being surveyed. There
have been allotted to persons mold
ing tribal relations and belonging on
the reservation 222 1882 acres, leav-
ing for disposal, as provided by act OF
congress, approved April %, 1904 (53
Stat, 3O2), about 100000 acres. A
commission, consisting of five men,
bers, appointed by the president, is
inspecting, classifying and appraising
all of the lands to be disposed of,
which, according to the act are to be
divided into first agricultural land of
the first class; second, agricultural
land of the second class; third, timber
land: fourth, mineral land fifth, graz
ing land. After the inspection has
been approved by the secretary of the
interior, the lands are to be disposed
of under the provisions of the home
stead, mineral, and townsite laws of
the United States, except the timber
lands and sections 16 and SO in each
township. which shall be granted to
the state of Montana, for school pur-
poses.
West of Range.
The reservation lies west of the
main range of the Rocky mountains on
the Pacific slope in western Montana.
1t is between the 47th and 4Sth par
allels and the Hath and 115th merid-
ians. The climate is said to be less
severe than the eastern slopes, ex-
cept in the north it's boundry is the
crest of craggy, snow-capped sum-
mits. On the east the Mission (Siny-
aleamn) range rises steadily toward
the south where it joins the Cabinet
mountains, which form the boundary
on the south and partly on the west
the remainder of the western border
being a branch Of the kootenais The
northern boundry is straight line
from the Mission to the Kootena
mountains, crossing Flathead lake al
most in the middle, leaving approx
mately half of this Economically pic
turesque body of water in the reser-
walton
Streams rising in the perennial crys-
tai banks and drifts on bordering
mountains, flow from either side to-
ward the center of the reservation
furnishing abundant supply for farm
ers along the concourses. The Penc
d'Oreille, or F'lathead river flows
from Flathead lake southwark across
the reservation. The Jocko, some
times called Prune river because it Is
full of trout rises in the Mission
mountains and crosses part of the
reservation, joining the Pend d'Oreillt
at Dixon.
Five Projects.
To utilize theses treams and smaller
creeks and flood waters, the govern
ment reclamation service has outlined
five projects. One along the Jock'
river from the agency to Ravalli
covers $4,000 to $4,000 acres one in thu
Mission valley covers about 1900
acres, another in the vicinity of Ro
nan includes about 10000 acres; thu
fourth is contemplated for the Littl
Bitter Root country, west of Pen'
dOreille river, about $4,000 acres; TIN
fifth and largest, the feasibility o
which has not been determined, is tn
proposed use of a portion of the poWe
of the Pend d. Oreille river falls t.
pump water on to the bench land
stretching southwark from Flathea
lake and is intended to cover abou
$4,000 acres. 1t will necessitate tn
driving of tunnel 5000 feet throug
some 800 feet to storage reservoirs
which visitors to the reservation sa
will submerge some Of the finest agri
cultural lands in that part Of the res
ervation and obliterate several pros
porous farms. This is the most ex
pensive of all of the proposed pro
jects, involving an expenditure of a
least 81 100000. Contracts for some @
these projects, it is expected will b
awarded this spring
1t is estimated that these irrigatio
projects will increase the cost Of tn
land to homeseekers SIS to $50 an acr
and perhaps more.
But less than per cent of the totf
acreage of the reservation is consid
red irrigable land, according to tn
scope of the projects covering ar
proximately $4,000 acres. More tina
three quarters of a million acres
agricultural land remain to be mad