Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-11-20

Hon. yos. 8. Wilson, Commissioner OF the
General Land Once, has finished his annual
report which contain much valuable infor.
nation relative 70 the soil, climate, territorial
eenfgurasion, industrial and commercial IA.
cilitief, social progress, and present status of
the different States and Territories. The States
Of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, in which the
Government title to the soil has been practical.
~ extnguished by private appropriation IN
DER the land laws. are grouped together Ia .
single article. showing some Of the results OF
our eenehcent land policy in the statistics,
showing their growth int powerful and IN
tellgent civilization. Each OF the other public
land States and Territories are made the sub
Ject of separate chapter, showing the cnarac-
ter and development of Its resources, the pro-
gress of settle ment and culture, the amount OF
public land remaining undisposed OF. the areas
OF surveyed and unsurveyed lands respective
ly, with such other topics as are judged OF in
terest and value in bringing each portion OF the
public domain into public notice.
The general and special grants for internal
Improvements are rehearsed and the proceed
ings of the Executive authority in their exscu-
ton are detailed. The land grants OF the Gen.
eTal Government in aid of education form the
theme Of an article illustrating the importance
of popular intelligence in a tree community.
The dife rent gran OF Con gress In aid OF public
schools, semin aTies, and colleges are analysed,
and statistics showing the extension and de-
velopne Mt of the educational establishments OF
the country are given. BY the census OF 1S6O IT
is shown that in that year our whole number
OF educational establis hments was ll3,uO6, with
1912 teachers. giving instruction to 5il7, $50
pupils, their income being S33,99O,iS2. In the
absence of later general statistics, the latest
reports OF educational movements in some of
our young Western cities are cited as illustra-
tons of educational progress during the current
decade. The grand totals of these grants,
amounting to nearly S),OOn,010 acres, transcend
The united area of New Hampshire, Massachu-
sets, Rhode, Island. Connecticut, New York,
New Jersey, and Delaware. The Commits
sioner urges the Importance of geological eX-
plorations of the public domain, and suggests
that public building De erected in Washington
with apartments for the accommodation of
scientific memorials representing each State
and Territory.
The report closes with a review Of the areas
Of public lands at different periods Of our his
tory, now amounting to nearly 3,000000 of
square miles, or 2,0OO,OO0,0O0 acres. There has
been disposed Of for cash for homesteads and
under the several land grants, over 6.e0O,OOO
of acres, of which large portion was for &C.
tual settlement; the total cash receipts during
the year being S1,5OO,0OO. The lands disposed
of for actual settlement add about 1850 farms
to the preduc Ell We resources of the country. OF
these $500 are within the limits of the southern
public States. The grants for Pacific railroads,
military wagon roads, and other railroads ap-
proxImate 1e6,0OO,O coo of acres The total area
Of the public domain, including Alaska, may
be stated in round numbers at ,s00,0 900; TO.
tai disposed of, 400,000,OO0; leaving undisposed
Of 1,38,000,0O0. The annual earnings OF the
American people are estimated at 1880 OOO, 900,
and their domestic trade at nearly SS0OO, 008, 900
per apnum