Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1909-01-29
BEACH PEOPLE
START PROTEST
Which is Taken Up All Over State
Against Congressman Mar
shalI's Bill
SENATOR MccuMBER INTRO.
DucES SUBSTITUTE BILL

UVHE homesteaders mass meet
ing called last Saturday and
held in the Beach hall is
proof enough that the homesteaders
are. aroused, and are opposed to the
bill introduced by Congressman
Marshall which would give only
surface title to all homesteaders in
the coal reserve whether there is
coal underlying their land or not.
There were fully $50 homesteaders
in town to attend the meeting,
and these with the town people
were more than the hall would
accommodate.
The proposition was discussed at
length and finally a committee was
appointed, Of which Ed. Hoverson
was made secretary, to take the
matter up with our representatives
at Washington, and enter a strong
protest against the Marshall bill.
An association was formed to be
called the "Homesteaders Protec-
i've Association Of North Dakota
and Montana and a membership
fee of $1.OO asked for defraying
any expenses that the association
would be put to, which amounted
to about $500, paid by those
present. MESSAGES of protest
against the Marshall bill were
Immediately sent to ,Messrs. Mar
shall, Gronna and Me- eCumber at
Washington. along with a copy Of
the petition containing several
hundred names.
Last week Senator Leutz intro
duced resolution in the senate at
Bismarck on behalf of the home
steaders protesting against the
Marshall bill. This resolution ap-
peared in last week. s Chronicle and
was supposed to have passed both
state houses, but this week Senator
Martin, who is interested in see-
ing that something is done so that
the homesteaders will get their
just dues, became aware that the
Leutz resolution was being held up
at Bismarck somewhere in the
house committees, and he immed-
lately sent word to Beach to have
the petition which was gotten up
here forwarded to him at Bis
marck so that he could use it in
getting the Leutz resolution
through the house. The request
was complied with and yesterday
a telegram was received from Mr..
Martin stating that the resolution
had been adopted and that it had
been sent to Washington with the
petition by wire.
It seems that the action of our
Golden Valley homesteaders and
the North Dakota Legislature has
caused our representatives at Wash
ington to sit up and take notice,
as a result the Marshal bill is al
ready being decorated with crepe
and will no doubt be laid to rest
amid the great rejoicing of the
North Dakota homesteaders.
According to a dispatch from
Washington, dated Jan. 9th, it
seems that Senator McCumber has
come to the rescue and has intro
duced a more satisfactory bill
which in all probability Will be-
come law before Congress ad-
journs, and the homesteaders will
then be able to make proof and get
the same kind of a title as their
neighbors got who proved up a
few years ago. Following is the
dispatch regarding the bill intro
duced by Senator cCumber:
Washington, D. c., Jan.27.-
Lands entered in North Dakota
under the homestead laws in the
past and. future, shall be patented
as such regardless of the fact that
the land embraced within the entry
may contain Ignite coal,'' de-
clared Senator McCumber today.