The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-12-04
Uncle Sans Real Estate.
From the st. Louis Democrat.

In the appendix to the last Report from the General
Land Office it is state1 that the whole of the Uni
ted States including water surface measures three
millions and quarter miles This plumber oimlles IS
equal 1850 0o0, 900 Of acres. Deducng two-httbs
of the whole from this quantity for land covered 0F
water or irrecamabe and otherwise useless for farming
purposes we have about 81 900 900 farms of loo acre
each. The existing political divisions over this area
include IS States and Territories besides the Indian
Territory and the District Of Columbia. The smallest
of these forty-six divisions which is Rhode lamd con-
tains only 800 square miles, large part of which is
covered by the waters Of Narragansett Bay and the
largest Texas has 274 1856 An act Of Congress- last
year, contempates reduction in the size of Utah from
lO6 3S2 square miles 10 S. 057 miles, the difference
being stip from the western side Of Utah to be added
TO Nevada The same act provides for taking y : 3
miles from Arizona which originally bod l26 l4l ana
annexing it to Nevada, which would leave Arizona
with lis, $40 miles. Both additions would increase
the area of Nevada from 81, $50 to II Z, 0S7.
Ofpublie lands surveyed up 10 June Both, 1865, the
total Ala, 1905 acres, leaving unsulEeyed at
that time 991 sos 240. The total Of public lands DIS
posed of last year 4,629,312 OF these
1,l99,65S entered under the Homestead act and
only 3SS, 294 sold for cash.
There has been great deal of special legislation
concerning mineral lands belonging to the United
States Copper lands in Wisconsin cannot be sold un
der SIS an acre. nor coal land under $40. The gener
al act Of 1866 is important as declaring tnat mineral
lands whether surveyed or not, open TO explola
ton and occupation by all citizens of the United
States and by those who have declared their intentions
to become Citizens subject the laws of the United
States and miners rules and regulations no. in conflict
with those Laws. The minerals intended are gold sill
yer, cinnabar and copper. Persons claiming mine
containing either OF these metals and who have eH-
pended 81 900 in labor to develop it, may il there is
no conflict with other claimants, enter the tract claim
ed and will receive a patent therefor, granting them
the mine with The right follow the vein with lis dips,
angles and variations to any depth. In Colorado, bya
territorial law, lode consists OF l6CO feet lan9thwse
OF this the dscoverer get title to 400 feet, the
remainder being reserved for the benefit Of schools.
Any person may take up many odes as he pleases.
1t is evident that ode5 located and even
under the present law there is no provision Tor prop
er landmarks, conflicts Of title must arise
deal of litigation has already resulted from this
prolific source of mischief.
There have been surveys i'll Utah since 1857. No
doubt there rich mines there, but the development
of them is hndered, according to e Statement OF the
Surveyor General of that Territory, because the heads
of the Mormon Church discourage mining We trust,
however, it is not reported by him chat persons
vino have made Improvements there have been expel-
led intrudeIs by the Mormon authorities and that
Mormons who rented houses to Gentiles' have been
punished by expulsion from the church.
No lands have yet been surveyed in Idaho, Montana
or Arizona In the Pacific States and Territories of
the latest organisation the quantity surveyed last year
did not exceed one million five bundled thousand
acres. In the mining States the divisions cannot well
be made TO correspond with those called for by our
land surveying system. There only agticul ural lands
can be surveyed, and such lands limited in qant,y
The report Of the Surveyor OF Colorado is very full
His description of the Middle Park shows it to consist
in largs part of broad fertile valleys, wateled abund
antly by mountain springs, separated by ranges of
low hills covered with pine timber. These valleys are
covered with heavy growth Of The grasses clover,
wild rye and barley Petroleum in large quantities has
been found at the confluence OF the White and Green
rivers in the shape Of coal similar to the Alberne
coal Of New Brunswick. Coal abounds near the head
of the Park There are also many hot springs. The
streams are full of fish. Very favorable notice is TAX
ell of the upper valley of the Arkansas which, for pu
poses of irrigation, supplies abundance of wafer for
all the lands susceptible Of cultivation. The season is
Two months longer than in the neighborhood of Den
yer. Indian corn and tobacco can be raised thele
wheat barley and oats flourish. But little falls
The valley of the Platte is larger, and affords large
expanse of agricultural land. 1t is calculated that
there four millions of oarabe land in Colola
do Thus farthe farming has fully kept pace with Che
population.
still In August, 1866, the production not over
s27 900 week, from Is mills out of so Central
City, IS of them having ceased running. There was
plenty of rich ore but it could not be saved at profit
The ores refractory. Many new processes failed 10
reduce them. 1t the general opinion that smelt-
ing would have TO be resorted TO-. The SurveyolGen-
erl However, expressed the hope that with the cheap
ening of labor and materials which would be fac,,-
ted by railroad communication, the mines could be
worked with profit. There hopes have been we be-
leve realised 10 extent since the date OF his
port While the mills were idle the miners were at
work getting out large quantities of ore, while hun
lreds of new odes have been opened. In guch min
ing there considerable activity, the effect of cheap
err labor which has continued. In the OF 1866
The places produced twice as mach gold as all the
quartz mills.
Strange it may seem, that part OF our domain
which lies in Washington Territory, not much south of
the 49h parallel is blessed with only very heal
thy but very enjoyable climate West Of the Cascade
range the winter temperature corresponds with that of
Southern Virginia. while its summer temperature is
milder than that of New York In the winter there is
-Dod deal of rain, but the snow nelts and dis
Gears In this district of Washington is Che most
rable farming land in the Territory is supposed
la: not more than a third part of the Territory is
, liable for farming and grazing There are
ii mines in Washington, few Of which, however, are
ked the inhabitants being better employed in rails
crops from the soil and coming money out Of their
o.vss. The population which 10y the last census was
1ot quite 10000 has increased largely within the last
even years.
The operations Of the Land Office, since The last re-
port, which will be exhibited in the report which will
3e forthcoming will, it is supposed show an in
,ease in the breadth of surveys and of the quantity
If land disposed of. The reference to the mining
zion in Colorado will also, it is expected be Of much