The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-10-16
Public Lands i'm Wisconsin.

To Hon. Henry Dodge we are indebted
for copy of Report of the Secretary o!
the Interior, in relation TO the Public Lands.
From it we learn that the Indian title to
lands in Wisconsin has been extinguished,
except Il narrow strip adjoining its meridian
boundary, owned hy the Chippewas, and
containing about 10000 acres; aud the
Oneida Reservation, containing G5, 400
acres. or the entire area Of Wisconsin,
five-eighths is surveyed.
he Commissioner recommends that a
change of boundary be made between the
Green Bay and Chippewa Land Districts,
So that range line, instead of the Wiscon-
sin river, will divide them.
OF the pine timbered lands, he says:
The pine timber stretches over q vast
urea Of country, hut wherever the surveys
bave been carried is intersperse.l with, and
forms but small proportion Of, the timber
OF which the forest is composed. The
streams at some points, and many of the
small lakes, are belted with this timber; but
these belts are very narrow. large pro-
portion of many of them have already been
prostrated, part consumed, aud the re-
nminder LETT to rot; and "a swarm of labor
ers are constantly employed, not in the de-
Ve'opment OF resources, (as Is true of the
agricuiturist and mlner) but in their impov-
erlshment. This wasteful consumption of
timber Is constantly increasing; and not
withstanding the rapid progress made by
the detailed surveys, there has not yet been
brought INTO market any considerable guam
uty of this class of lands. But the surveys
out OF the appropriation of the S0th Of Sep
tember last, and those out of the appropri-
alton that will be made at the approaching
session of Congress, will together for n
sum that will enable the surveys to reach
many, and all the most important localities,
and Will place |, IN the power of the Presi-
dent, by the first of January, 1852, to ex-
pose to sale the major part Of The pne-tim-
bered lands OF w Wisconsin and Minnesota. -
As a remedy, the Commissioners makes
the following recommendation:
sit Is OF the highest importance that the
pine bearing lands Of Wisconsin aud Min
nesota be thrown upon the market at the
earliest day practicable. These lands are
cultivated only to limited extent, but
throughout iEe various localities there are
distributed arabic lands, timbered in large
proportion by sugar-mapIe, and sometimes
IN small proportion hy pine. Wherever
the pune timber Is abstracted, the land, not
being tlllable, is thereafter unsaieable, and
the surrounding lands which are adapted to
agriculture, are thus lessened in value by
their great distance from produce market
Whereas, should the pine-bearing and ag-
ricutural lands be brought into market sim
ultaneously, the interests Of the luinberman
and farmer being reciprocal, ho'h would he
benefited in high degree-rhe former in
being saved the exorbitant price heretofore
paid for the transportation of his supplies,
and the latter an equal amount in the home
consumption of his produce. Thus, by the
lands being speedily surveyed, the pine tim
ber may be made to sel--not only the lands
upon which il stands, but many Of The ad-
joining !ands--and also TO deveiope in a
high degree the essential resources and ad-
vance the interests of the State and Terri
tory in which the lands arc situated, as far
as possible, and TO the utmost extent con-
sistent with your instructions and the inter
es,s of other portions of the district
Green Bay Advocate.