New-York tribune., 1878-07-19
A RUSH TO THE WEST.
SEVERAL MILLION MORE OF ACRES TAKEN UP THIS
YEAR THAN DURING 1s76J77-THE NEW EMI-
GRANTS PROSPEROUS.

SEVERAL MILLION MORE OF ACRES TAKEN UP THIS
YEAR THAN DURING 1S76J77-THE NEW EMI-
GRANTS PROSPEROUS
rBY TELEGRAPH THE rRIBusE-l
WASHINGTON July 1S.-COmmssiOncr William
son, Of the General Land Office, has prepared a com
parative statement Of the disposal Of public lands
during the fiscal years ending June 80 1877, and
June 80, 1873 which shows a general movement
Westward during tho past year from regions OF the
East The statement is prepared from the records
in mis- office and is valuable at this time In nearly
all the prominent Eastern cities societies OF emigra
tion have been engaged in forming colonies from
among mechanics and unemployed laborcrs with a
view Of settling them by companies or colonies on
the rich lands Of the West and thus relieving the
cities Of their superfuOus and idle population. As
Commissioner Williamson says, all this is certainly
the good that has from the evil of hard times.
The mechanics, instead of sitting down to groan
over the duness of business prospects, have packed
up their families and gone where work win bring
an honest return.
Taking Dakota Kansas, Minnesota and Nebraska,
the comparative statement of the disposal of lands
during the above periods shows how vastly the
emigration has increased. Lands are disposed of
by cash purchase, by homestead settlement, for
timber culture and by warrant and scrip location
four different methods and the records of each are
preserved separately IN archives of the General
Land Office at Washington. For Dakota the figures
are; ,o 1910
Cash .. 2O.336.G2 acres. 74,04O93 acres.
Homestead 1913. .S69S2 acres. SO4,29s.66 acres.
Timber culture &c. 6s,lSS.02 acros. I1O22434 acres
location 5,9S3.O4 acres. l9,346.sO acres.
The table shows an increase of 1,243 1883 acres
in one fiscal year. The same figuring for Kansas
shows an increase of 1.356.47sRs acres for Min
nesota, 761 35G.1O acres and for Nebraska. $685.
26s. .0S acres; making grand total in these four
localities alone of 3,724,572.20 acres. Reports
show that this business is going on and that the
settlers are doing well. The colonies that went to
Kansas and Dakota from New-York, through the
instumentality of John Kelly, about 1000 strong,
and those that went from Baltimore and Philadel'
pbia, indianapolis and Boston, are prospering be-
yond their expectations.
The above States have been selected principally
because the proportion Of farm and timber land is
much greater than in other of the Western States.
Nebraska having 40, 900 900 acres, can show only
about 500 900 acres of forest land. Places that
were recently covered with donse forests are now
almost naked because of the disastrous lres. Ims
leaves the land open TO settlement. Missouri. with
% 600 900 acres, has faly 9,OOOOOO acres ot INN,
her land Not more than per cent OF the area OF
Kansas is in forest land and this IS mainly IN the
eastern part Of the State and along the banks OF the
rivers. Efforts are being made IN Kansas and
Nebraska 10 restore the growth Of trees and ia some
cases good success has attended the movement
Arkansas is highly gifted in the way OF forests
She has 90 600 600 acres of timber of her 335OO,-
900 acres while only tenth Of Colorado Is forest
land