The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-12-03

the road has been built, and is now in daily
operation from Duluth, on Lake Superior,
westward to Bismarck, on the Missouri river
q distance of $50 miles; and from Kalarna. on
the north side Of the Columbia river. in the
territory of Washington, northward to Tacoma
on commencement Bay, Puget Sound dis
lance OF los miles. The cost of the SURVEYS
OF the lines of the road, including necessary
purchase OF right of way. has been 81, 108.-
o95.1o. The extent of lines surveyed is 8. 3SS
miles, and, in addition, 1850 miles of river
reconnaissance. When the final locations
snail nave been made the number of miles
surveyed will be about $4,000, and the cost
OF OF the surveys will aggregate about $780,
0Og-equal to about 1925 per rifle. The in
qeDteoness OF the company is as follows
First-mortgage bonds COLLAR. s28. 847. 600
tirst-mortgage bonds (sterling), s. $50. 900.
bills payable, $702, 293 80; accounts payable.
$50, 042.20; bonds and scrip issued to fund
interest, $685. total, $31, 558, 3O56.
The amount of stock of the Texas and Pa
cifc Railway Company authorized by law is
800, 0O0,O 600; capital stock issued: scrip stock
for partial payments on account of subscrip-
tions, 100000; full-paid stock. 81 ZOO, 600;
total, $t,6O0,000. The indebtedness of the
company is as follows frst-mortgage 6 per
cent gold construction bonds issHed, 50 21O..
OOO; hrst-mortgage land-grant per cent
currency bonds Issued, So, PSI, 900 floating
debt, So, 207, HAS debt of the Southern Pa
clhc Railroad Company to the State OF Texas.
assumed UNI by the Texas and Pacific Company,
50, 204, 964.69; total $22,473, 400 So The
companys assets are as follows 800 miles of
constructed and equipped road; 107 miles of
partially constructed and equipped road: $50
miles OF telegraph line. $40, 708, 986.63; ac-
counts collectable. $73. 481.77; supplies on
hand, $138. 990.78; cash on hand, S97, 183-to-
tai, 81, 018, 642.18. The road will extend
OTts Ia Po1 r.
ego, California, with branch from Marshall.
Texas, to Texarkana, there connecting with
the Cairo and Fulton railroad, and from Tex
arkana through Paris and Sherman, connect
ing with the main line at Fort Worth
During the fiscal year ending June 80
1874, public lands were disposed of as fol
lows:
Cash sales ............ 041, 3454e
Mlntary warrant locations ........... 1873, 5000
homestead entries. 518, 861 SO
ilmper culture entries. ............... 803944.4
Agricultural college scrip locations. 112 1892 SO
Certified to railroads. 264 314 40
Approved to State as swamp . 300 1877 OF
Certified for wagon-roads. ......... 1891 II
Certified for agricultural coIleges..... 114239lS
Certified for common schools ......., 6989984
Certified for universities. ........... 64636 50
ments ..........,............ l24,s86.7G
Sioux half-breed scrip locations. ~ 10000
Chippewa half-breed scrip locations zee 1l,671.7I
Total NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. $50 ,87293
a quantity less by 8, 499 1888 81 acres than that
disposed of the preceding year. The cash
receipts were So, 1853, 938. so, a sum less by
1898, ST. than that received the preceding
year. During the year %, 1872, .43 acres
were surveyed, making, with the quantity
previously surveyed, 649, 1896, 052 acres, and
leaving yet to be surveyed /, 185, sos 348 acres.
1t Is worthy of notice that the dminution in
the aggregate quantity of lands disposed of
the last fiscal year, as compared with the year
before, is found chiefly in the amount certi-
fed to railroads. 1924. 314.42 acres in the
year ending June 80, 1874, against 6, 083, 1867
acres In that ending June 3d. 1873 Nearly
million acres were entered under the Timber
act, which augurs we'll for the now treeless
prairies of the West. The entries under this
and the Homestead act exceed by over half
million acres like entries during the preced-
ing year. Such entries being made for actual
use, are the surest criterion Of the progress
of the country.
The rapid destruction of timber in this
country, and especially that which is found
on the pubic lands, ls source Of great solicit
tude to all persons who have given the sub
ject any consideration. If this destruction
progresses in the future as rapidly as in the
past, the timber lands of the government will
soon be denuded Of everything that is valua-
bic. Effective legislation protecting these
lands from such wasteis absolutely necessary,
and cannot longer be neglected without seri-
GUS injury to the public interests.
| The recommendations of the Commissioner
are, that pine and fir lands shall not be sub
| ject to entry under the presumption and
! homestead laws; that system of SURVEYS be
devised by which the quantitysof pine and fir
| timber on each smallest subdivision of a Sec
ton may be at least closely appropriated
that an immediate exploration by experts of
the unsurveyed portion of those States and
| Territories known to contain pine and fir tim
Der be made with a view of ascertaining the
| geographical situation Of such districts that
the reports of such explorations be followed
by immediate surveys, appraisements, procla-
| nations ana sales, at not less than
| the appraised value, and for cash
only. Under the laws now in force for
the disposition Of public lands, it is difficult.
If not impossible, to obtain more than the
minimum price ($1.25 per acre) for land,
however valuable. When timbered lands are
advertised for sale, private parties, desiring
to purchase, make such arrangements and
combinations as to prevent competition
hence, the lands, if disposed OF st all, are
sold at the minimum when offered at public
sale, and, If not then sold, are immediately
entered at the minimum government price by
such parties. The most effectual means of
preventing these practices is, III my judgment,
to adopt the suggestions of the Commissioner
regarding the survey and appraisal of these
lands, and when they are offered at public or
private sale to make the appraised value their
minimum.
The Customs Bureau
ANNUAL REPORT OF COMMISSIONER JOHNSON
~