Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-12-17
THE GAZETTE
CEDAR FALLS, DECEMBER II, 1859

CEDAR FALLS, DECEMBER II, 1859.
-. =
The Public Lands. a
Annual Report Of the Commissioners
or the Land Onee-.Lands Disposed
r. OF Durimg the YeAr.-Pre- esn psiou
and Homestead Rights--ISailway
and special Grants. .... T.
We extract from the report of Land
Commissioner Wilson the following
passages of general interest: s
THE PUBLIC LAND SYSTEM.
The operations Of the public land
system during the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1899, were prosecuted in all
the public land States and r arritories
except Wyoming and Alaska. Sur
veys have been completed In Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Nilsson.
ri, Alabama, Mississippi, Wisconsin,
and Iowa. The entire area of the
public domain is 1854 ,90s, 400 acres,
of which, during the past year, lO,-
So, ,S06 acres, were surveyed, involv>
ing 40,S49 lineal miles oil survey. -
The entire area surveyed is sos, ,567.-
T52 acres, leaving unsurveyed ,326,.
430, ,64S acres. Interesting accounts
of boundary surveys are given, with
chorographical and Typographical in
formation of great value.
LANDS DISPOSED OF DURING THE YEAR.
The disposal of public land. in
seventy-three local land offices dur
ing the year embraced 1868, I5l .97
acres. being nearly million acres
more than last year. The cash re-
celpts We're $4,372, ,ss8,2s, an increase
of 81 $40, l60.3S over last year.
ga PREEMPTIoN RIGHTS.
The policy of forbidding settle
ment on the public lands without
purchase, enacted by the law of 1907,
was oyerpowered by the press of inl-
migration. Congress first healed a
multitude of breaches, of this law by
special retroactive statutes, and final
ly, by act of September 4, 1s4I, estab-
lished the pre-emption privileges az
a permanent element of our system.
The homestead. policy is the worthy
supplement of the pre-emption. A
Great increase of appropriation of
of public lands by actual settlers un-
der these two classes of laws is shown.
1t is estimated that by direct and in.
direct operations of the land system
during the last fiscal year, 10000
small farms were added to the free
holds of our sepublic, about double
the entire number of land owners in
England, as reported In the decennial
census of 1871. @'s
INCREASE OF IMMIGRATION.
The liberality of our naturalization
laws has drawn an immense immi.
grafton from Europe. About 10, 900
600 OF our population are due from
this cause. These have largely
availed themselves of the kindly
provisions of our land laws, absorb
ing an immense amount of land. 1t
is estimated that foreign immigrants
have brought to this country, since
100, $400, 600, 600 gold value. Grants
Of land have been made to officers
and soldiers OF the different wars of
the republic, thus testifying the ma
tions gratitude to its defenders. Our
immense grants in aid of popular ed-
ucation are vindicated us a social ne
cessity, the only means Of securing
such diffusion of Intelligence as
will serve as basis of free institu-
tions.
SPECIAL LAND GRANTS. '"
Large grants have been made for
the support of universities and col
leges. A special donation has also
been made to the States OF so, 600
acres for each Senator and Represen-
tative they were entitled to under the
apportionment of 1860. The aggre-
gate amount Of land finally accruing
under all these grants will be not less
than 1885, ,S02 acres. The DISPOSE
ton of these grants by several OF the
States is given in the report.
GRANTS FOR RAILWAYS AND INTERAL
| IMPROVEMENTS.
The policy of grants for internal
improvements, and especially for
railways, is considered at length, and
asketch of the railway system of the
United States is given at large. Its
history naturally divides itself into
three eras. ft 4.sss.
First. It's primary stage, ON the
Atlantic slope, in which it had to
await the slow accumulation of the
necessary capital for its construction.
Second. Its secondary stage, In
the Mississippi, in which, by the de-
nation of public lands otherwise un-
saleable, 1t created its own endow-
ment by the values 1t impaired to
the soil.
Third. Its definitive stage west OF
the Mississippi. in which 1t appears
as a forerunner of civilization, gath
ering strength to project itself across
great wilderness tracts to reach our
Pacific States. At the close of the
present year there will be IL Opera
tion $4,000 miles of road. The tom
age Of 1858 is estimated at over 100,-
0o0, 900, representing cash value of
Sl2, ,0O0, ,000, 900. At the close of this
century We will have not less than
loo, 900 miles i'm operation, with O
tonnage beyond present estimate
The enormous expansion of railways
was one Of our national necessities.
The liberal policy Of landed and loan
subventions by the government was
the groundwork of this prosperous
movement, but the Commissioner
thinks.that the time for such extraor-
dinary assistance has passed, and re-
eonnmends Its withdrawal. ~
THE PAcIFIcRAILRoADA AND TIE FuTURE
OFTIiE COUNTRY. Giaa1T9
The report concludes with revie W
rof the commercial position of the
United States, tracing a lire Of COM
merce around the earth between the
fortieth and fiftieth parallels, to
which all the local currens of trade
will converge. The completion OF
our Pacific Railroad. with the in.