The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-01-29
IMMENSE LAND SALES

100000 Acres Sold to an English Land
Compony-Part Of the Land. in No.
bles Co,tnty-Plaas to settle the Lands.
The ADVANCE tips its hat again to
Jas. II. Drake, the driving Land Com
missioner Of the St. Paul 8 Sioux. City
road. We said recently that his con-
nection with the management of the
road was like attaching a locomotive to
a standing train. And now it seems
he has made the biggest and the fastest
run ever made in the Northwest, if the
following from the Pioneer-Press is
correct: o..
Some weeks ago it came within the
purview of Il Pioneer Press reporter
that a big land sale had been or was be-
ing effected by the st. Paul & Sioux
City land department to London,
England, company; but the news-gatll.
erer had to be content with onlv few
vague rumors, too indefinite for publi-
cation, as the land commissioner reso-
lutnl y and perseverlngly evatled all ques-
t!onlhgs, however. pertinaciousIy put.
Yesterday, however, the reportorial
pump was applied with more definite
results, which were Of such 4 nature as
to warrant their being laid before the
public. Mr.. Drake finally acknowl-
edged that, for some time past, he had
been negotiating by letter and by trans
Atlantic Cable with the Land Coloni-
zatlon and Banking company of Lon
don, England. AS an evidence of good
faith. several of these kilograms were
submitted to the reporters inspection.
The negotiations cu!m;nlted within the
last day or two in the closing of trade
for 200, 600 acres Of the st. Paul & Sioux
City railroad lands at Sc per acre, pava-
bic in three annual inst; Nments. With
int rest 1T stve per cent. per aunum on
the balances due. The very ponderous-
ness of the sale barely left the reporter
breath to ask what lands would b4 aft
ected by the sale. The land c0mmiss-
Toner replied that the sale would close
NIL the railroad S lands in Iowa, except
a portion of Dickinson county, and it
embraced large tract in Mobiles coun-
ty, Minnesota. Pursuing the tenor of
his narration, Mr.. Drake added that
tho English company proposed estab-
fishing agencies at ali Of the important
points i'll the United Kingdom, aud to
facilitate emigration from Britain aud
Ireland by offering the lands to emi-
grants Oh instalmel.ts derived from
products Of the soil, and by securing
them cheap transportation from Eu-
rope to their colonies. The arrange
ments on this side of the Atlantic will
he equally rei'lj'te. The colonization
company will establish town Sites at
convenient points, w'lereat grain cItva
tors will be erected, and all OTHER fac
lilies afforded the colonists.
The conditions and preliminlrics OF
the gigantic scheme are fully agreed up
on Ivy both sides, and MIR. Drake Las
been notified 10y telegraph that the
English cunpany's agent will shortly
sail from England to st. Paul to make
the first Payment and examine and sign
the necessary deeds. So vast, indeed,
is the transaction that Mr.. Drake nat
ural|y felt doubtful Of expressing him
self upon it heretofore, and will prob
ably continue to be dubious until tile at
torney arrives pays tile money and
signs the papers For fear any misun-
dtrstandiny might arise between the
parties to the bargain, tie English com
pany CALLED lity one words in one lM.is-
sage, which WdS answered 10y Mr.. Drake
in IL message of forty two words ex-
pressing his understanding OF the trans
action. The words accepted and con-
frmed by both were then flashed be-
tween the two continents to make "as.
snrance tlouh|y sure" If this transac-
ton is accomplished, and there seems
to be no reason why it should not, 1t
viii be the largest sale Of lands for set
Element and Improvement that has ever
been effected in the Northwest.