New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-21
Jobs for Soldiers
On Great Wheat
Farm i'm West
Montana Farming Corpora
ton Will Take Hundreds
of Doughboys OH Indian
Reservation Development

Thomas D. Campbell, president of
the Montana Farming Corporation,
who last year induced New York's
leading financiers to enter the bust
ness of growing grain: yesterday re-
turned to the city to report to the
directors on preliminary work accom-
plished and plans laid for the coming
months.
The new idea of the Montana Farm
ing Corporation, which operates in the
large Indian reservations of the state
after which it is named, is TO attract
returning dough boys to the great wheat
factories" Of the West. The corpora
ton has already invited 200 demobil-
lied soldiers to join its organization,
and after the inexperienced have
learned the essentials of scientific
agriculture it promises to finance them
on fifty-fifty basis
Will Convert Tanks
Arrangements have been made by
Mr.. Campbell at Washington, it was
learned, to convert tanks into tractors.
The War Department is going to re-
lease to the corporation, which was
originally formed to stimulate food
production to help win the war, ten
artillery tractors which. operated by
two men, will be able to plough 100
acres in twenty-four hours. Moreover,
an army aviator has been engaged to
carry communications from one prop
erty Of the corporation to another.
Some of the distances arc more than
200 miles, and quick service has been
found necessary.
Negotiations have been completed
with Indian Commissioner Cato Sells
J,,i l,o
corporation to start in two weeks in
tensively to cultivate parts of the Fort
Peck reservation, in eastern Montana.
which is on the main line of the Great
Northern Railroad. The reservation,
which is now used chiefly as grazing
land, consists of 100000 acres. The
corporation will put in 100000 acres for
the next crop in wheat, flax oats and
barley. Under the agreement Endorsed
by Secretary Lane the Indians on the
reservation Will receive 10 per cent of
the crop for the first five years of the
contract and 20 per cent during the
second five years on irrigated lands.
After ten years the property, with all
Indians On the dry land 10 per cent
of the grain raised for the first five
years will go to the Indians, who will
regain possession of the land and I'M
provemcnts in five years
After " orld's Record
In the Grow reservation, which is al
ready under cultivation, the corpora
ton expects to thrash at least 10000
acres, and possibly 100000 at the next
harvest. Next August Mr.. Campbell's
helpers are going to try TO break the
worlds thrashing record, and the cor
poration will invite its directors,
among whom are included !. P. Nor
gan, Charles II. Sabin, James a. Still
man, Charles d. Norton, Maxwell Up
son and Francis II. Sisson, to visit the
reservations at that time Indians, cat
tlcmen and scientific farm workers will
spend many weeks preparing enter
tainmcnt for the tcnderfooters at the
forthcoming barbecue, which will prob
ably be unprecedented in the promi-
nence of the guests. The present
thrashing record 5480 bushels a day
vas made on one of Mr.. Campbell's
farms in 1918. The Montana Farming
Corporation will try to thrash 5000
bushels in day.
A definite programme of proft-taking
with all the workers for the corpora
ton is being worked out. Mr.. Camp
bell expects to visit New York once a
year to keep in personal contact with
the financial hackers of the enterprise