Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-07-25
Washington.
GONE WEST.

Washington advices of July 22d give
some further information concerning
the increase of sales of public lands in
the west for the year of 1873. The
statement of Commissioner Williamson
was prepared from the records in his
office, and is valuable at this time. In
nearly all the prominent cuottIII Uitive
societies of emigration have been en-
gagged in forming colonies from among
mechanics and unemployed laborers
with a view Of settling them by COM
panies or colonies on the rich lands
of the west, and thNs relieving the
cities of their superfiuous and idle
population. As Commissioner Viii
hanson says, all this is certainly the
good that has come from the evil
of hard times. The mechanics, instead
of sitting down to groan over the dull
ness of business prospects, have packed
up their families and gone where work
will bring an honest return.
Taking Dakota, Kansas, Minnesota,
and Nebraska, the comparative state
ment of the disposal of .lands during the
above period shows how vastly the emil
grafton has increased. Lands are dis
posed of by cash purchase, by home
stead settlement, for timber culture,
and by warrant and scrip location-four
different methods-and the records of
each are preserved separately in az
chives Of the general land office at
Washington. For Dakota the figures
are:
Cash ...... 20, 386 acres. "a, 94O acres.
Homestead ......123, 500 acres. sO4, 29S acres.
Warrant and scrip
locatlon......... 5, 9S3 acres. Il, 346 acres.
The table shows an increase of 1 ,243,
423 acres in one fiscal year. The same
figuring for Kansas shows an increase
OF 1856, ,470 acres; for Minnesota, 761, ;
356 acres; and for Nebraska, 363 ,26S
acres; making grand total in these
four localities alone of 1924, ,572 acres.
Reports show that this business
is going on, and that the set
tiers are doing we'll. The colonies that
went to Kansas and Dakota from New
York, through the instrumentality OF
John Kelly, about 1000 strong, and
those that went from Baltimore and
Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Boston,
are prospering beyond their expecta-
tiOns.
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. Ne
braska having 100000 acres can
show only about 100000, acres OF
forest land. Places that were re-
Gently covered with dense forests
are now almost naked, because of the
disastrous fires. This leaves the land
open to settlement. Missouri, with
100000 acres; has fully 100000
acres of timber land. Not more than
6 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 to restore
the growth Of trees, and in some cases
good success has attended the move
ment Arkansas is highly gifted in the
way of forests. She has 100000
acres oftimber of her 33,500,OOO acres,
while only tenth of Colorado is forest
| land
WHISKEY.
The commissioner of internal revenue
has received from Gov Wade Hamp.
ton petition drawn by prominent
member of the South Carolina legisla.
ture, signed by several members and a
large number of judges and leading at
torneys in the northwestern part of the
state, asking for the pardon of ffteer
illicit distillers who are under arrest il
that section. Such petitions are arriv
ing nearly every day, and a very gen
eral impression appears to prevail
among offenders against the revenue
laws in that state that the good office:
of Gov. Hampton will be exerteC
in their behalf If the department felt
confident that these offenders. whe1
pardoned, would observe their promise.