Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-11-13
The PUBLIC LANDS,
How They are Disposed OF, and Who Gets
Them,

From letter in the Cincinnati CONNER
clal, we condense the following interest
ing facts with reference to the public lands
IN the United States, and their manage
ment by the government
First as to the amount of public land.
Excluding Alaska, We own in public land
nearly billion and half of acres. Includ-
ing Alaska, we own a billion and eight
hundred millions. Half million of acres
OF this has been surveyed. At the rate we
sold and gave away land last year, two
hundred years more will see the State like
prohigate heir, run through its whole
possessions. In Florida we still possess
seventeen and half million acres in
ONO, only tlve hundred acres unappropri-
ated IN Missouri nearly two million acres;
IN Alabama seven million acres the same
amount IN Louisiana in California one
hundred and six million of acres, SO that
tnat State really owns only about one
eighth of herself. More than half of Kan
sas belongs to the United States, and Mis-
slsslppl owes one-eighth of her soil to the
United States.
The process of survey and sale is as fol.
lows
From some point of altitude in each
great district of country base line is run
east and west and meridian north and
south. Upon these bases and meridians
regular townships, six miles square, are
carefully laid off and accurately mum bered
IN order, as north or south, and east or
west OF the original initial point. These
townships are again divided into sections
of mile square, and subdivided even into
quarters of quarter sections, or forty acres.
which can be bought isolatedly.
Those. therefore, who wish to buy pub
lie lands must buy them with reference to
some one of these meridians, arbitrarily
established by Government Land Office
10 the Land Commissioner of the United
states IS only ponderable as confederacy
of twenty bases and twenty three meri-
dians.
The first of the meridians ever establish
ed divided Indiana and Ohio. They all
have names as Systematically as our States.
One of them, for example, runs through
Brigham Young's Temple at Salt Lake,
and monument marks where the base
line lntersects this meridian. Another is
the San Bernardina meridian, which in
tersects on the top of q peak in Califor-
MIA.
To understand what is doing all over the
unoccupied part of this country, imagine
a series OF surveys going on in twenty odd
districts, the crossing parallels and meri-
dlans being as fixed and positive as
the chains OF mountains or the beds of
streams The land Offices arc frequent ;
the work goes on fast as population pours
map Of much Of the United States presents
a vast plain, open to wolves and Indians,
except where, here and there, the squares
Of survey checker it's surface. The whole
energy Of the government is turned toward
the beneticence of filling up these regions
with the industrious poor, who it is hoped
will keep fee III the land and be contribu-
tors to the wealth of tho Republic and
founders of happy families. The expenses
Of surveying the pubIic lands are consid-
erably over $400,O0 year. By this we
see where SO many of the young men 90,
who study surveying in the high schools
and lyceums of the country There is in
city special manufactory of
theodolltes and surveying apparatus of va
rious kinds. After State is fully surveyed
and the land sold, the archives of the Land
Office within are given over to the State
There are also millions of public lands
given away by the government for railway
and other public improvements.
The United States have given away of
swamp lands, valuable when reclaimed,
three times the surface of Holland, Bel
man marshes. The value of this gift may
be estimated by the fact that $3.50, ,OOO, 900
worth of lands in the Tensas bottom can
be reclaimed at cost of So, 100000.
Up to 1867 Congress had given to the
Pacific railroads 129, 900, 600 of acres of
land. With what was also given to wagon
roads, this amount Of land is five millions
acres more than are included in New Eng
land, all the Middle States, Virginia,
Maryland and Ohio.
The government has bestowed large
grants of lands upon it's soldiers and sail
Ors, and has also given fair proportion to
De uSed in tho construction of common
roads. Between 177G and 1855, about nino
hundred thousand choice farms. of eighty
lcres apiece, have been given to the sol.
1iers Of our various wars.
About two and half million acres of
he public lands were set aside for colleges
n the various States east of the public
lomain last year, or about one-third of the
whole quantity disposed OF. The whole
lmCunt of land to be given to educational
'auses, according to legislation now oper-
Ltlng, will be ultimately about seventy
wo millions of acres. In 1862 all the
States now existing were presented with
ome thirty thousand acres of land for
II Congress, as fund to establish col
eyes in agriculture. mechanics and mines.
Nearly one-fourth of all the public land
disposed of in 1867 was taken for home
teads, or about l, 500, 600 acres Since the
Homestead act was passed, 60, 900 farms,
'r more than Z 1000, 900 acres os land, have
'een taken up and occupied under it, and
t is probable nearly half million people
re now existing and thriving on the pub
ic domain by reason Of this philanthropic
egislatiOn.
The American Homestead act has made
nore proprietors of land than there are in
IL Great Britain. In America there are
1ore than j, 200, 600 Of freeholders.
The vast machinery Of the Land Office
J not, of course, kept running without
considerable cost.
The salary of the Commissioner of Pub
C Lands is $1,000. His chief clerk and
ecorder gets each $4,000. Nine principal
Jerks receive 81, 800. There are about
ne hundred and thirty clerks, with sala-
les from 81, 500 to 81, 200, and twenty five
aborers, &C., at 500 to $500. All these
re employed at Washington. Then there
re twelve active surveying districts, each
nth surveyor, at from 81, 900 to $1,000,
nd two or three clerks and a draughtsman