Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-18
last GREAT land OPENING TO
TAKE Place IN MONTANA SOON
A Million and a Third Acres
Of Rich Homesteads
For Settlers.
w YHEN spring suns melt the
" SHOWS now covering Montana
w that state will be the theater

w YHEN spring suns melt the
" SHOWS now covering Montana
w that state will be the theater
Of a typical American scene
staged for the last time. Thousands of
women and men from all parts OF the
country will assemble in Poplar to ben
eft by Uncle Sans last great distribu-
ton Of farm land. 1t will b home.
stead crush rather than rush. The
picturesque race Of a former day that
marked the throwing open Of govern
ment land to settlers has given way
to the more prosaic method Of draw
ing lots. He who draws No. Is en-
titled to the first selection Of $50 acre
allotment, the winner of the second
ballot gets the next choice. and % II
goes until all the land has been award
ed to the lucky ones among the contest
ants, for there will be several times
more applicants than farms.
There will be excitement a-plenty In
spite of the new manner of distribu-
ton. Success will depend not ON fleet
ness, but on luck. Under the former
system the prospective homesteaders
were lined up. and at signal they be-
gan rush that was one Of the most
thrilling sights In the modern west,
Oklahoma was settled in that way. It
was a race assuredly to the swift
Men on horseback-yes. men and wom-
en-spurred their mounts to distance
others who sat In buckboarls or farm
wagons behind feet trotters or gallop-
goal first staked out the best claim.
Those who followed took the leavings.
For the majority. including practical
~ all those who Travelled afoot, moth
ing was left.
Million and Third Acres.
It Is no small section Uncle Sam will
give away in Montana this spring
nothing less than million and third
acres. The tract is the major part OF
the big Fort Peck Indian reservation
at Poplar. Wise men in Washington
have decided that Poor 10 has had
the place to himself long enough. They
think he will be better OF with few
thousand white neighbors. and they
also deem It time to lower the cost Of
living for the hundred million or so Of
palefaces sprinkled over the United
States. It Is figured the necessaries OF
life will be made little cheaper by
opening the reservation to homestead
ers, since the quick agricultural devel-
opment that Is sure to follow Is ex.
pected to add 0,U0O.OU bushels OF
grain to the nations annual production
There are 2.O6s.6e3 acres In the Fort
Peck tract. but the interior department
has allotted 723.693 to the Mandans
and Sioux now settled there. leaving
1.345, 900 acres to be taken up by the
descendants of the pilgrim fathers and
other immigrants. 1t Is about the rich
est land in the dry farming region. as
is proved by the results obtained in the
$500 acres now under cultivation.
Two years ago the whole tract was
bare prairie. and even last year the
cultivated area was only 1900 acres.
In twenty-four months the land has
been improved. without irrigation and
with little rain. to the point where fax
has run eighteen to twenty-six bush.
els to the acre. wheat twenty to TWEEN.
ty-fve and oats sixty to eighty five
Tract Could Supply Nation.