The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1875-02-20
School Lands Decided to Railroad Corpo.
rati ms.

At your request submit the following
statement, for the information of the
senate, in answer to the resolution oil
that body in relation to the five hundred
thousand acres of land granted to the
state of Kansas by an act passed by
congress September 4, 1861:
On the fifth of March 1874, I was
commissioned by you for the sale of these
lands, but was instructed by you to make
no sales, aud, if possible, straighten VI
the records and business of that office.
found that no person had kept the office
or performed any service since 1871, and
what papers and books belonged to i;
were scattered around promiscuously.
found among the papers, notes for land
sold, including interest, amounting to
about S11, 900. Some of the notes are
marked paid, while Others have no in
dorsement of any kind.
have made every effort possible to
find the parties who gave the notes,
have visited Iowa. City in the State of
Iowa, and found one Lagrand Byington,
whose notes to the amount of about four
thousand dollars are in my possession.
The notes are not paid and will not be
until suit is brought. Others l have
been unable to find, and it will require
time to learn just how much is still due
the state on these notes.
] doubt if any Of them have been paid.
I find the records of the Office in a worse
shape than anything of the kind that I
have ever before mel with in the course
of business. There has been no system
of accounts kept. and have been com
PEELED to get such information as / could
from the various state officers, and the
parties who have purchased land. As to
the land remaining unso!d, am unable
to give the exact number of acres, but
taking the original patents from the
government to the state and comparing
the list with the patents issued by the
state to others. l find about eight thou
sand acres yet unpateuted by the state.
but about four thousand acres have
been sold and certificates of sale issued
and half the purchase money having
been paid and the balance being vet IN.
paid and having about six years interest
due. In manv instances have secured
from the register of deeds, where, thnsa
lands are, abstracts of titles, AMI find
that there are patents on record, but no
record of their issue in any of the state
Offices.
have found entire sections patented
in this way. and on further investigation
may find some lands supposed to be
unsold patented in the same way.
You can readily see that it is now i'm
IL, TO J,a nF nd
yet unsold. l find that the state has
sold and received pay for, and issued
patents for three thousand fiye hundred
and sixty acres, and in some of these last
mentioned cases, suits have been COM
menced by one party against the; other
and one of these win lose and will I'M
doubtedly ask the legislature to refund
the money wrongfully held by the state.
I have prepared the papers to COM
mence suits on the notes, they having
paid part of the purchase money, have
an equitable interest and can only be
Invested of it by suit in court.
From the accounts in the treasurer's
Office l am unable to tell whether all
the money has been paid over or not,
but have good reason to believe it has
not. and that there is money still due the
state from persons formerly connected
with this office The certificates are not
dated when payment is made, and for
that reason it is impossible to say how
much money should have been paid into
the treasury.
1t will require some time to investigate
these land sales, and ascertain just the
of acres yet unsold, and the
amount of money yet due on sales that
have been made. Any other information
that may be required will, if possible. be
to the senate or its committee
at any time.
TSigned1 +. III. DRENNING,
State Land Agent.