Morris tribune., 1881-02-10
STATE LANDS.
Their Condition as Shown by the Following
Brief Extracts from the Report Of the State
Auditor

SCHOOL LANDS.
One-eighteenth Of all the lands in the State
eral government ''for the use of Schools" but as
only onehalf the entire of the State is avail
able for agricultural purposes, there is not more
than 500 600 acres of school land situated within
the limits of what is recognised as the habitable
part of the State. One million two hundred and
seventy thousand acres of this land have been ap-
praised and 66O, 600 acres have been sold. There
are eight agricultural counties, viz: Big Stone,
Kittson. Lac qu Parle Lincoln, Murray, Pipe>tone,
Traverse and Yellow Medicine, containing about
bss bseU St od an mo part 81
uninhabited portion, or one-tifth of the whole
State, is still unsurveyed, and more than one
fifth of the timbered region, or the equivalent of
one-tenth of all the land in the State is occupied
by Indian reservations. 1t is impossible to make
even an approximate estimate of the value of the
school land in the unsettled district. The expora-
uons for pine timber thus far made have included
about 900 acres. About $4,000 acres of the
land examined was found more or less valuable for
timber. The total sales of timber from this land
amount to $373,0O and the value of the timber
remaining thereon is estimated at $111.O00, but
when cut will probably bring double this amount
The sales of timber have been limited to the region
on the St Croix and Mississippi rivers and their
tributaries
By act of congress of February 26, 1859. the
State became entitled to indemnity for sections siX
teen and thrtysix in each township, in consequence
OF reservations, prescriptions and from natural
causes Selections were made some years since for
deficiencies in the old surveys including the settled
pats of all the surveys have been examined and
lists of deficiencies made. The examinations show
deficiencies to the amount of 337, 5l1 acres the
selections made amount to 124,e9? acres, leaving
212,614 to be selected mostly in the timbered
land districts. full year labor has been expended
on these LISTS: they have just been completed, and
the examinations for selection have commenced.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY LAND.
As the proceeds of these lands constitute
fund. they may be classed together. Under the ag-
ricutural college grant, % 439 were selected
versity grants, total of 167 for the ben
eft of the State university a. ia of the first
grant to the university were disposed of by the
gents at an early day, and the proceeds used in de-
traying sundry expenses, that only about 15O.-
600 acres actually became available for the uni
versity. About orehalf of this quantity has been
sold shown in the several tabular statements re-
ferring to these lands.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT LAND.
There have been 37.455 acres of these lands sold
during the last two years, and the total sales now
amount to los, 900 acres, leaving 397 900 of
the grant unsod, of which 35O,9s3 acres have been
examined and appraised. The proceeds of land
and timber sold with accrued interest amount to
$72l7 IA, and the appraised value of the land that
has been examined is 81, ,SOS, 900. Estimating the
unapprased land at SIS per the present value of
the entire grant in round numbers is $2,750,OOO.
THE PUBLIC BUILDING LAND.
Under the act of congress authorizing our State
government, we received ten sections of land 'for
the completion and erection of public buildings,
which were selected in Kandiyohi county. Pro-
vision should be made for their sale and for the in
vestment Of the proceeds until the money may be
needed in the erection of capitol building.
STATE SWAMP LAND.
The grants made prior to the resduary grant for
the benefit of soldiers orphans amounted to 2 100,
366 acres, of which 1921, ,266 acres have been
earned and l ,O52, ,294 acres have been conveyed,
leaving 242, 526 still due from which must be
deducted 5.426 acres earned on the Madelia and
Sioux Falls road, but not found in place. making the
actual amount required to satisfy the grants earned
237.526 acres. OF this amount 1OO,695 acres is
due the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad
company, but the State claims an offset of 1924
acres on account of swamp land enormously con-
veyed BY the general government on its congress
sional grant, which, if allowed, will reduce the
amount due the company to 52,471 acres. Selec-
tions of ,3s,l26; acres for the Taylor's Falls
25 north of Duluth, leaving 51,474 acres still
due on the grant. There are also 240 acres due
and unsolicited on the St. Paul e. Chicago grant
There is apparently unnecessary delay on the part
of the Lake Superior & Mississippi and the st.
Pau! & Chigoca companies in making their final
selections and obtaining an adjustment of their
grants. They have been requested to complete
their selections, and probably will do ere long
These two companies have taken the greater part
as we'll as the most valuable of the swamp lands in
the Northern Pacific railroad besides quite extern
sive selections made north Of that road along the
north shore of Lake Superior, by the L. s. &s NJ.
company, and down the Red River valley by the St.
reslduary soldiers orphans grant, the legislature,
apparently ignoring its sweeping provisions. has
since made other grants, amounting to 521 ,06S
acres. If the residuary' grant is still operative.
Of course all subsequent grants are void.
This is question to be considered and decided by
tn this legislature and upon its decision must depend
swamp lands. If the soldiers orphans and the State
institutions grants are confirmed and perpetuated,
provision should be made for exploration, apprasals
and sales of the lands, but if these grants be
Cancelled, and subsequent grants continued, then
such provision will be unnecessary. Only 1,S41,-
go acres Of swamp lands have been patented to
thn fhrrn