Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-03
LAND FOR THE HOMESEEKER
What the Government is Doing to
Satisfy the Demand in This Line.
SEVERAL IRRIGATION PROJECTS
Have Been Partly settled, but
There Is stin Much Land Open
! to Settlement on All of the
Various Tracts.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2.-The activities
the federal government in the work Of
general land office, which has been
ming 10 settlement vast areas Of lands
the Indian reservations, and tine reclaim
on service which has developed water
r several hundred thousand acres OF des-
II lands has attracted the attention Of
iomesekers from all over the United
States.
The west, which has remained so long a
terra i~ncognita to most Of the people who
dwell eat of the Mississippi, has suddenly
come into prominence as a land of golden
opportunities and a large influx Of settlers
has followed. An enormous amount of
money he's already been expended by this
government and by private enterprise TO
make habitable many fertile valleys In
The west. New communities are sprlnglng
up in the arid states and territories so
rapidly that It is difficult to keep pace
with the development. An especially in
toresting and cheering phase Of the growth
Of these communities is the splendid class
of citizens who have established them
selves in the new country. They are
largely the young, vigorous and intelligent
descendants Of the pioneers Of the Mlssis-
sippi valley who have been crowded out
Of the thickly settled agricultural districts
by reason OF the growth in population and
the high price OF farm lands. They repre-
sent the best and most progressive citi-
zcns Of the country, and their coming to
the west predicates the ~upbuilding in an
incredibly short time of agricultural COM
munities which will be as nearly ideal as
can be found anywhere in the world.
To meet the steadily increasing demand
for homes on the land, the government is
extending its irrigation works as rapidly
as the funds will permit. On a few Of the
great projects there are farms remaining
which are open to homeseekers under the
liberal terms of the reclamation act. For
the Information of a very large class Of
homeseekers, a brief description Of several
Of these large projects is appended.
shOshOne Project, wyoming.
The lands in this project were opened to
settlement on May %, 1909, and are rapidly
being taken UP. About 100 farms are still
available. These farms, as q rule, are
level, requiring no expense for clearing.
They are near towns and within easy
distance Of the railroad. In size they
range from forty to eighty acres depend
ing upon nearness to towns. The farms
have been plated In such a manner that
there are eight farm houses along each
mile Of the main highways, thus contribute
ing to neighborliness and eliminating
loneliness. In the brief period of four
months the country has taken on an ap-
pearance of a suburban community. Here
is a region possessing an equable and
heaIthful climate, a fertile soil adapted
to a wide variety of crops, with coal and
oil In the near neighborhood and with ex-
cellent transportation facilities. This sea-
sons crops warrant the prediction that the
Shoshone region will become in a short
time one Of the most prosperous farming
districts in the northwest
HuntIey Project, wyoming.
Situated In the southern part OF Montana
in a part of the valley Of the Yellowstone,
where irrigation has been practiced sue
cessfully for many years, the Huntley pro-
ject offers many advantages and attrac-
lions to the homeseeker and to all classes
OF professional and business men and
mechanics. More han 800 families are now
established in homes on this project,
several thousand acres have been put In
crops, and the growth of the new towns Is
keeping pace with the agricultural de-
yelopment. With two transoontinental
railroads traversing the entire valley no
farm is more than two and one-halt mles
from a shipping station.
Agricultural experts predict that apples
and other hardy fruits will become i'm
portant wealth producers in this section
All the crops of the north temperate zone
do well here. Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota
and Nebraska nave contributed some OF
the best blood and brains to the develop
ment Of this project with exceedingly
gratifying results, To the man OF small
means who desires to secure q home OF his
own. the Huntley project offers a most
inviting opportunity at the present time.
sun River Project, Montana.
Located in the northern part of the
state, near the rapidly growing city OF
Great Falls, the Sun river project Il
attracting a very high class of people
who are making a garden in the desert
To the man who is accustomed TO th'
vigorous climate of New England. or o.
Minnesota and Wisconsin. this section 1
peculiarly attractive. The lands are GOV
cred with bunch grass and blue-toint. fur
nishing excellent grazing. There Is m
sage brush to clear and but little level
ing to do to prepare and for irrigation
The farms are eighty acres each OF ir
rigable land, and in addition each home
steader may secure another eighty acre
Of unirrigated land without charge. Con
sidering the low price of water right, onll
$50 per acre. payable in ten years with
out ipterast this NAV he regarded as NJ