The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-03-11
Farming in Southwestern Min
neSola.

neSOld.
One hundred and sixty miles south of
st. Paul, in the midst of capital game
country, is Heron Lake junction, whence
the Black Hills branch of the ST. Paul
and Sioux City railway is carried SO
miles to Woodstock, and is theme to
pass through the Indian pipestone coun-
try, where easily cut and readily polished
ferrugino.s and calcareous clay beds oc-
cur visited once year by the Indians,
who believe the soil to be colored by the
blood of their forefathers, and who rev.
erently carry off supplies of the pipe
stone to be carved into various orna-
ments. Down this line will by and by
be brought portion of the varied min
eral wealth of the Black Hills and the
cattle reared in increasing numbers on
the bluffs and valleys of the Dakota
river. Five miles west of Heron Lake
Junction, where the sportsman will find
II capital hotel, the town OF Dundee is
rising; and three miles south, on the
Southern Minnesota railway, is Airlee,
where Lord Airlee, Tam informed, has pro
perty and has contributed handsomely to-
wards town improvements. Through
out these Western States lands are fire.
quently pointed out belonging to Eng
lishmen, who, to counterbalance the de-
probation unfortunately going on in
land property in England, are investing
in desirable estates in America, which
are destined to advance in value as rail
ways and immigration spread westward.
a quarter of century ago settlers from
the older States and from Europe were
buying farms in Illinois and Ohio at
from s. to SO an acre. Although con,
temptuously said to be "played out t"
and not always producing as much
wheat as they did when first brought
under cultivation, these lands neverthe
less are selling at from S25 to $50 an
acre, and some of the sellers are rein
vesting in Minnesota, Dakota, Iowa,
Missouri or Kansas, confidently antici-
pating good interest on their investment
and labor, and similar steady increase
ment in the value of their property. OF
such promising investments there is an
abundance throughout these Western
States In the State of Minnesota
alone, on the first day Of January,
1879, the official records report up
wards OF ten million acres unsurveyed
and unoccupied belonging to the United
States. Three million acres of surveyed
land belong to the States, and about the
same quantity is owned by the State of
Minnesota. For these the appraised
price is g 80 per acre, for lands situat,
ed within railway limits and IL % for
those situated without the twenty mile
limits. A considerable portion of the
most desirable Of these State lands has
already been taken up under pre-emp-
ton, homestead or timber acts. Necrly
seven million acres are still in the hands
of the five competing railway companies
who have conveniently gridironed ."
the State Of Minnesota with roads For
ten and occasionally twenty miles on
each side of their lines they have re-
ceived each alternate section of square
mile, and these sections they are dispos-
ing of at prices varying according to
eligibility, from - to SO. Credit may
be taken for payment, which may usu-
ally be made at the rate of 81 or 81 per
annum, seven per cent. being charged
on the deferred payments Corr Lon
don Times.