Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-05-22

- Is @se'ss4sfa 50 Il
sslas 4saissw
2, 1853. ss !. q .... Y. NJ. IS (,
Erosd Is destined I'd cross the State, tefniinia.
Itine at Sioux City,, while the Lyoas yoad
crosses aAsa suitaLle distance hetwesn,the
last twoabove mentioned. These roads will
furnish four great trunks across the State,
! thuss safFording facilities to the-intsrior une-
quallea by any State lin the Union.
y wHERs WILD LANDS NAY BE HAD.
i There is yet land to be had within conve-
nient distances of the lines of these roads,
and the emigrant should, If possible, select
his future home with view to derive benefit
from these improvements Between Des-
noines City and the Missouri River there
are yet some excellent lands which may be
tpre-empted or purchased when the Land
Office opens. A large slope Of country is
yet open for settlement in the NORTHWESTERN
part Of Iowa. The present railroad system,
however, does not reach that part Of the
State. In northern central Iowa, in the
counties Of Cerro Gordo, Worth, Winnebago,
Hancock, Wright, Franklin, Hardin and
Kossuth, for instance, there are government
lands yet unoccupied, from which good
selections can be made. Most of the land
in the Fl. Desmoines District has been
bought up, but good farming lands can be
bought at slight advance over the govern
ment price. From personal knowledge of
that section of the country, i can recommend
it to the emigrant. It's rapidly improving,
and will be the first of the districts above
mentioned to enjoy the advantage of rail
road. Indeed, the whole valley Of the Des-
moines river is beautiful and extremely
fertile. Cedar valley is also a region that
cannot fail to satisfy the agriculturist, and
it exceeds, perhaps, almost all othsr parts
of the State in the rapidity with which it is
being settled. Numerous towns are situated
in its valley Of very rapid growth, among
which are Cedar Rapids, Vinton, Waterloo,
Cedar Falls, Waverly and st. Charles The
timber along the Cedar river is good, and
the soil, in point Of fertility, cannot easily
he excelled aSs -
FINE FARMING LANDS -
May be bought at prices ranging from
$3.50 to SIS per acre, according to quality
and proximity to growing towns. The emil.
grant who has only small capital to start
with will naturally seek the cheapest method
Of getting home, and among the many
farms offered for sale and the rich prairie
inviting the farmer to labor, he will be in
doubt as to what he should buy. A careful
comparison of the cost of making the usual
Improvements on western farm with the
cost of wild prairie, conyinces US at once
that the latter would be decidedly the cheap
est. A man who has not calculated the diff
ference will pay SIS an acre for an improved
farm, (as it is called, when he could get the
same quality Of unimproyed land close by
for S. per acre. A house ready to go into
with his family, and fields already enclosed,
are tempting bats to the weary emigrant,
but simple calculation will convince him
that the improvements have cost him twice
as much as they are worth. Often in these
purchases the emigrant must take one or two
hundred acres of unimproyed land at the
same price. This is q base imposition upon
the emigrant, as must be seen at glance,
and may be exhibited as follows A tract
of 800 acres of nnimproved prairie, at SIS
per acre, costs $500; an improved farm of
l60 acres, at $l5 per acre, costs $240O, to
which is generally added say 100 acres or
more at the same price, making the cost of
the whole. farm &4SOO--thus showing the
to cost 5000. These i'm
proyements generally consist Of log house,
log stable, and from $lo0 to $4OO worth of
fencing. Should the emigrant, however,
still feel disposed to buy an improved farm,
| advise him by all means to buy of the
owner. Beware of speculating agents, and
examine titles carefully. Buying Of the
owner will save him from 800 to 5000
which the agent would pocket for commits
sion.q The rage Of speculation, which has
now subsidized in Iowa, introduced q reckless
Of getting in debt, as the real es,
tate records will bear witness. This fact
renders il necessary that the titles should be
examined to their sources. r,s
ss PURCHASING GOVERNMENT LAND.
Those who design purchasing government
land Or pre- empting should go direct to the
land Office Of the district in which they pro-
pose settling. On application to the Re-
ceiver, small township maps may be obtained,
which indicate the lands already sold therein,
With the assistance of the settlers through
the country, all the unsold land may be ex-
amined. a surveyor il often employed, but
his is aneedless expense indeed, the neigh
boring settler can generally point them ont
with greater accuracy than the surveyor.
When q suitable tract has been. found, he
may at once purchase or pre- empt it.
The emigrant having now purchased his
land, either improved or in its wild state, is
ready to begin business. If his land is un-
Improved, he needs house, stabling, and
fencing. # his timber is convenient, he can
soon build house in the western style, and
inclose q few acres Of hisrich prairie for his
Rrst erep. To do this, he will need help,
which can be had for from 8 2 to s15 per
month"; After q small field has been en-
,losed and the ground broken for early veg
stables, he is ready to begin thu moro sx-
tended business Of farming By breaking
IL. ~