Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-14
HOMES IN MINNESOTA.

HOMES IN MINNESOTA.
r,g,re. from the Railroad and Land Offices
showing Lands Sold and Entered for April
ALSO for the Four Months from January
I to April 3O--A Large and Steadily In
creasine Rush for MinnesOta's Broad
Acres.
A visit by a GLOBE reporter yesterday to
the land offices of the different railroad COM
panies located in this city, demonstrated the
fact that the inquiry for homes in Minneso-
ia, is steadily increasing, the sales during
the month of April being largely in excess of
any preceding month of the year, as the
sales of the four months from Jan. 1, 1878,
to April 80, is in excess of the sales dur
previous year. At the time of the reporters
visit yesterday, he found the Offices of the
several land departments filled with persons
examining tho maps and getting informa-
ton as to the different localities, and he was
informed that what he then saw, was but a
repetition Of each preceding day of the pres
ent season. At the same time, the passage
~
our city by rail and team to homes already
selected, OF in search of government lands,
is unexampled in the history of the State.
For the past few days, the passage through
the city. of hardy emigrants, men
women and children, in their own convey
ances-the prairie schooner so-called--bear-
ing their household effects, farm machinery,
ETC., and usually followed by good number
of Stock has been larger oven than IN the
earlier years of settlement, when such con-
veyances we're the only means for reaching
the interior of the State. This great influx
of new corners is especially gratifying from
the fact that it is no ephcmeral movement
brought about by expensive and broadcast
advertising by the State, as in the case Of
Kansas and other southwestern sec
tons, but is the legitimate result of the
now we'll established facts, verified beyond a
question by statistics, that Minnesota, for
fertility of soil and healthfulness of climate,
has not its equal in the galaxy Of States
forming the American union.
The sales Of land by the railroad COM
panies visited yesterday, of course, COM
prise but small portion of the whole
amount taken for settlement through the
various land Offices and other railroad land
departments, for the month, but they will
serve to give some idea of how rapidly Min
nesota's broad acres are passing into private
hands for occupancy and Improvement
The sales Of the St. Paul & Sioux City
company, for the month, were 97S3 and
74-1OO acres, and by the Sioux City & St.
Paul company, 6,722 and 6-1O0 acres, an ag
gregate of 16,5O5 and 8O-100 acres. For the
four months, from January 1 to April 80,
the sales of the first named company aggre-
4o5 Nd nd n
latter, 29,5O7 and. 83-1OO acres, a grand ag-
gregate of 1880 and 800 acres
The land department Of the st. Paul Il
Pacific company, had very busy month,
the sales showing very handsome increase
over the preceding months Of the year. The
totals for the month, for the Main and
Branch lines, foot up 2O,17l and J0-1OO
acres, and for the months from January to
April 80, G4,527 and 97-]O0 acres. The
great bulk of these sales were in small tracts
for immediate occupancy and improve
ment.
At the land Office of the Northern Pacific
company, the reporter found Mr.. j. B.
Power, the head working land commissioner,
full of business, and especially pleased over
the showing of his sales for April and the
year. The records show sales in April of
lands in Minnesota to 20 purchasers, of 49,
GA and 36-lOO acres, and in Dakota, of Al,
1872 and 91-1OO acres, a total of 75,437 and
17-1OO acres. This gives an average
sale to each purchaser of 627 acres.
But deducting six sales aggregating 20,729
acres, and the average for the remaining
sixty six purchasers is only $40 acres. OF
these sixty-six purchasers forty-fve bought
for immediate settlement and Improvement
Thanks to Mr.. Power we are also able to
give in this connection the business of the
land offices at Detroit and Fargo for the
month of April. At Detroit the entries
numbered 462, covering GA, 418 acres, and at
Fargo the entries were 6S1 in number and
covered 1882 acres.
For the four months from January l to
April 80, the Northern Pacific company sold:
In Minnesota, 3O,O54 acres; in Dakota,
1850 acres-a total of 1885,
5G4 acres of railroad lands. During
the same time the entries of government
land in Minnesota, in the Northern Pacific
country, aggregated 1862 acres, and in
Dakota 423,927 acres, total of 622, 579
acres, giving a grand aggregate of govern
nent and railroad lands sold and pre-empted
in the Northern Pacific country, during the
four months Of 7S9,143 acres. To give q
better idea of the extent of country thus
obtained for settlement and improvement
than is conveyed by the mere figures, it can
be stated that the amount represents solid
area Of thirty-seven townships, equal to a
tract of land one and one-half the size of
Fillmore county, one Of the largest counties
in the State. Add to the above aggregate
the sales of the other railroad companies,
and the entries in the other half dozen land
offices in the State, and the figures would be
really surprising, and would more than con-
firm all that has been claimed for the rapid
settlement of the State. Figures don't lie,
and with the figures as they stand the most
enthusiastic Minnesotian can we'll rest con-
tent.
RIVER NOTES.