The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-09-06
Continued From Page one.

Several thousand people had gath
cred at the registration building at
$3.50 o'clock when Judge Witten, Rep.
L. B. Hanna Of Fargo and Rep. III. r.
HeIgesen OF Milton arrived. Four men
were mixing the pile Of 10000 en-
velopes containing the landseekers' af-
fidavits which had been piled on a
huge platform thirty by forty feet.
erected just inside Of the registration
building.
AT $3.50 o'clock Judge Witten in
troduced Representative Hanna, who
introduced In congress the bill OPEN
ing the reservation.
Representative Hanna paid strong
tribute to Judge Witten for the emil
nently fair manner in which the land
drawing was conducted and explain
ed the provisions of bill which he
has introduced restoring 70 homestead
entry approximately 100000 acres of
land in the Berthold reservation which
had been reserved on account of con-
tanning Ignite coal.
L. 3. Hanna's Address.
Mr.. Hanna said In part: Judge
| Witten Is to be commended for the
manner In which he has conducted
| this drawing. He has given the mat
| ter of public lands his attention for
several years, and has simplified the
| method of conducting reMistrationA
aad the interior department has the
utmost confidence in him.
This drawing which Is about to
take place has attracted many people
to North Dakota from other states
and the advertising will Go our farm
ers and real estate men very large
amount Of good. I wish to say that
have alre> ay introduced a bill In
| congress which will come up for ac-
ton This coming winter permitting
settlers to file on the lands in the
reservation which were withdrawn
from homestead entry on account Of
containing coal II this bin becomes
law settlers can secure surface title
which will not interfere with the gov
eminent leasing the lands for coal
mining This will add at least 1000
or 1900 claims In the reservation.
Relative to the coal underlying
| these lands will say that / have
taken this matter up with the geologi-
cal survey, suggesting in the provision
that in the case Of Ignite lands which
| contain veins OF coal only thirty
inches thick and at a depth Of 500
feet are subject to reservation, main
tanning that these lands are practically
worthless for coal purposes and there
lie some question whether they will
ever be worth anything for mining
purposes
"The officials OF the geological sur
| yey. however, maintain that in short
| time the regulation will be changed
so as to prescribe q minimum thick
ness OF thirty inches and depth Of
| 1000 feet a fact which would indi-
/ cate that Ignite coal. of which, 1t iE
/ estimated, there are billions Of tons
in North Dakota, is much more va.lu-
able than the people generally sup
pose.
.'They also maintain that Ignite coal
/ will be briquetted successfully, that
some suitable binder will be found,
and that it will be placed upon the
market at q reasonable cost. Ignite
produces q larger amount Of gas and
This gas burned under boilers will pro-
4 duce ais many units of heat as the
i verv best West Virginia or Ohio soft
coal.
"In instances where settlers secure
| surface title to the land and some one
would wish to mine the coal under
meath. the settler Is paid for the actual
| land covered by the hoists and other
| mining machinery and also receives
/ damages for whatever Inconvenience
i he may suffer The settler lis allowed
to take all the coal that he may need
for his own use.
i sarb. Fact that fl,is land In the res
ervation is placed upon the mark y
win stimulate the development q
western North Dakota, make more
property for taxation. build more
| homes and mean more schoolhousea
and churches. Thriving cities and
villages will spring up on the reserva-
1 ton ais il by magic and In q few years
land which Is now roamed by the
red men will develop from its wild
untamed state to that Of one Of the
II best farming communities In tbs
1 northwest.
mThe indians who have been al
iotted the best claims I'll the reserva-
ton VIII be encouraged To follow the
example or the white man, to develop
the land to the fullest extent, and
within few years all the land u
the reservation will be under cult
walton. thereby adding materially *
II the resources OF North Dakota"
1siasssn Talks.
n Representative Eelgesen who fol
lowed Mr.. Hanna spoke Of the ire,
mendous development Of wasters
North Dakota and predicted tina