Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-07-29

tOfOre provided at MissOula.
"By an act of congress Indian allot-
tees OH the Flathead reservation were
permitted to sell sixty of the eighty
acres OF the irrigated lands. hereto
fore allotted to each Indian, and pro-
vision also was made for surveying
into two and five acre tracts the en-
tire unalloted lake front of Flathead
lake, which in the future probably
will become the great summer resort
of the northwest.
"Ihe sum of slo,OOO was appropri-
ated to make surveys preparatory to
the building of roads and trails in the
Glacier national park, which was ere
ated at this session OF congress.
1.-THE bill authorizing the construc-
ton OF railroad bridge across the
Lower lellowstOne was passed. thus
preparing the way for the building OF
line from the Lower Yellowstone to
Bismarck.
"The bill was passed by the senate
providing for the opening up Of the
Crow Indian reservation. The meas
ure rs originally introduced followed
the ordinary methods of opening res
ervatiOns. but Il number Of Indians
came to Washington and made ar
rangements with firm Of lawyers
who interfered and procured support
IN Nae committee on Indian affairs to
Sncai All extent as to prevent favor
able report on the first bill. In or
der to get the matter through, anOth-
er bill was framed and passed divid-
Ing the surplus lands among the In
dians transferable to actual. settlers,
was insured by the provision which
made such surplus lands subject to
taxation after three years. The bill
carefully guarded against ,nonOpO-
hstic holdings by requiring actual
settlement in order to qualify the
person to purchase from an Indian.
This bill was not approved by the
committee on Indian affairs of the
house which substituted the original
bill. The opposition of the attorneys
engaged by the Indians delayed the
report by the committee until late in
the session SO that it's consideration
could only be procured by Il suspen-
sion of the rules Of the house, which
required tw0-thiris vote. When
the motion to suspend the rules was
made 144 votes were registered in fav-
or of the motion and 122 against it,
showing clear majority OF the house
in favor OF the bill, but something
short Of the twO-thirds majority
necessary to suspend the rules in Or
der to take it up for consideration.
The bill is on the calender and will
pass ut the next season.
"A bill was passed by the senate
establishing land office at Harlow
ton and is now pending in the house
and Will be passed by that body
at the next session. The same condi-
tions apply to the bill granting to the
city of Bozeman land to protect it's
water supply. 1t is on the calender
and will be taken up early III the
next session.
''ln addition to the legislative work
100 new pOstOflices have been estab-
lished in the state during the fiscal
year. Rural free delivery extension
has kept abreast of times. Large
areas Of agricultural land previously
withdrawn from settlement in cen-
tral Montana has been restored to en-
try. The policy of encouraging home
stead entries in forest reserves has
been liberalized. State land grant Sc
lections have been given careful at
tention and the opening Of agricul-
tnral lands to settlement has pro-
gressed with all possible speed. The
survey of the Blackfeet, the Fort
Peck, and the Flatlesd Indian lands
has been pushed forward, and the
allotment work has been pressed SO
as to open surplus bands in each case
of settlement. The work OF the posi-
tive assurances that bill will be
passed ut the next session OF congress
providing for an additional United
States judge for the Montana dis
trct,"
l.. II. Drake, Jr., of the firm of
Stnrm Il Drake that has grocery
stores at Billings and Buffalo, was in
the city yesterday, having spent the
night here to allow his team a rest
after Il days drive. Mr.. Drake left
Billings on this overland trip Tuesday
morning. 1t is not a novel trip for
hiM. rs he has been located in central
Montana for ten years and has made
the same trip dozens of times and I'M
der all circumstances. The crops
along the way, $" he reports, are not