Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-07-25
can be compared. It is impossible to give even
the approximate increaae Of population or the
increase of area put into cultivation directly

can be compared. 1t is imposs;ble to give even
the approximate increase Of population or the
| increase of area put into cultivation directly
along the line of this road since it's constrdc-
tion. except to say that from barren prairie
and an unbroken Forest the whole line of the
| road is now one continuous string of fsrms.
"The United States owned nearly all the wild
lands along the line of this road when the
grant was made. and the prices under the
graduation act lied from 1871 cents to $l.25
| per acre. and no sale for them. The act max
! ing the grant advanced them at once to $3.50
per acre: and in less than two years after the
grant was made not acre could be entered
from the United States, it was al taken up, and
| to-day is nearly all in cultivation, and worth
| from $40 to 500 per acre. The United States
| was the immediate gamer because from land
| it could only expect from 12j1 cents to $l.2
per acre for, it realized $50 per acre. and that
| within less than two years, while if the grant
| had not been made. some of the shilling lands
would yet remain unsold. Nor did the people
who invested at the increased price lose any
thing, because the building of the road, increas-
ing facilities for transportation of everything,
induced capital and population to flock in to
| such an extent that an advance of 200 per
cent. was no inducement for any one to sell the
$3.50 per acre lands.
mo accurate figures can be given In regard
to the value of farm products before and after
the construction of the road, but it is . well
known fact that corn before the road was built
was usually drug in the market at from five
to fifteen cents per bushel. while since then it
has found ready market at from twenty cents
to 81. 10 per bushel, the usual prince ranging
from about twenty-five to sixty cents per
bushel. Other farm products have varied in
about the same ratio.
mo comparison was made, 80 far as the in
creased valuation for taxation is concerned, as
there was but little of anything along the line
of the road to tax before it was constructed,
but now everything is subject to taxation ex-
cept the few remaining acres still held by this
company. .s1 .:
gether but will give you some idea of what the
road has done and what others may do in the
future
From statistical reports of Minnesota We
ascertain the following suggestive facts:
The commencement of immigration in any
number was in 1857, stimulated by the promise
of railroad building under the Congressional
grant of land to the State for that purpose
made the previous winter. This. however, was
checked by the financial difficulties of 1858,
and until the close of the war everything was
in that State practically at . stand still. In
1864 active preparations were commenced and
the following figures show advancement to this
time:
Population in 1865. ............ 25O, 900
Population in 1877. 7.............. 675, GOO
Taxable valuation of property in
1865. Observation-Disclosures. s45, ,1s4, 900
Taxable valuation Of property in
1s77.................. 22o, ,s26, 900
Average taxable value of lanas in
1865. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. $3.50 per acre.
Average taxable value of lands in
1877. ....................... 7.76 per acre.
Average rate of taxation in 1865, .O458 per acre.
Average rate of taxation in 1877 .0l72 per acre.
Wheat, AREA 1865. O,0O0 acres
Wheat, AREA 1877. ,819, 76O acres
Wheat, yield 1865. 9.475, 600 bus.
Wheat, yield 1877. .4O, ,0OO, 900 bus.
The total area in 1877 cultivated to wheat,
oats, corn barley, potatoes. rye and buckwheat
aggregates 2,S66, 400 acres, the total product
"A, ,867 600 bushels, worth at home, sixty mill
lions of dollars.
We confidently claim that the results thus
shown are the direct outgrowth of development
brought about by the building of railways, and
what is true Of the two States cited for illus
tration will follow all Others opened to settle
ment in the same way.