The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-02-10
STATE LANDS.

SIAlE LAAtUo.
Their Condition a Shown by the Following
Brief Extracts from the Report of the State
Auditor. 49,.
One-eiRhteenth Of oil the lands in the State
nearly ooc set apart Sy the gen.:
only onehaf the entire area Of the State is avail
able for agricultural purposes: there is not more
than acres OF school iano s t WITHIN
part of the State. One million two hundred and
seventy thousand acres of this land have been ap-
and
Kittson. Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Murray, Ppestone,
Traverse and Yellow Medicine. containing about
S esG s cS
nninhabited portion, or one-ftth OF the whole
State, is still unsurveyed, and more than one
fifth OF the tin ersd 5eg9 o. sE ING equivalent ct
by Indian reservations. It is impossible to make
even an approximate estimate OF the value OF the
lions for pine timber thus far made have included
about l14,OOO acres. About $4,000 acres Of the
land examined was found more or less valuable for
timber The teal sales Of timber from 70 t; snd
remaining thereon is estimated at Sill 900, but
when cut will probably bring double this amount.
The sales Of timber have been UNITED to the region
ION the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers and their
By act Of congress Of February! 26, 1859. the
State became entitled to indemnity for sections six
teen and thirty six in each township in consequence
of reservations, pre-emptions and from natural
causes. Selections were made some years since for
deficiencies in the old surveys including the settled
portions of the State During the last two years tho
plats of all the surveys have been examined and
lists Of deficiencies made Tho examinations show
deficiencies to the amount Of 33a,5l1 acres, the
212,614 acres to be selected mostly in the timbered
land districts. full years labor has been expended
on these lists: they have Just betu completed, and
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND U UNIVERSITY LAND.
AS the proceeds of these lands constitute ono
fund, they may be classed together. Under the ag-
and ~, 7O8 acres were selected under the two uni
versity grants total of 1877 147 acres for the ben
eft Of the State university: 774 acres of the first
gents at IN carly day, and the proceeds used in de-
fraytng sundry expenses, 90 that only about 15O,-
600 acres actually became available for the uni
sold, shown in the several tabular statements re-
ferring to these lands.
There have been 81. ass acres of these lands sold
during the last two years, and the total sales now
amount to 1O3 900 acres, leaving 900 acres Of
the grant unsold of which $50 1888 acres have been
OF
1921 74, and the appraised value Of the land that
has been examined Is 81 sos, 900. Estimating the
the entire grant in round ndmbers is $2,75O,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 Kahdiyohi 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 residuary grant for
the benefit Of soldiers ORPHANS amounted to 212o-
earned and 4O52. 294 acres have been conveyed,
leaving 242526 acres still due from which must be
@ on IN ana
actual amount required to satisfy the grants earned
237.526 acres. OF this amount 100.695 acres Is
due the Lake Superior and Mississippi Eailrosd
acres on account OF swamp land enormously con-
veyed By the general government on its congress
sona which, if gs will refuge the
lions of 1926 acres for the Taylor's Falls
Is no, II. Of Duluth, leaving 81 acres still
and unsolicited on the St. Paul &. Chicago grant.
There is apparently unnecessary delay on tho bart
Of the Lake Superior & Mississippi and the st:
selections and obtaining an adjustment Of their
grants. They have been requested to complete
heir selections, and probably viii do 20 ere long:
as well as the most valuable Of the swamp
the State, including everything Of value south Of
the Northern Pacific railroad, besides quite extern
sive selections made north of that road along the
north shore Of Lake Superior, by the L. 8. & NJ.
company, and down the Red River valley by the St.
Paul & Chicago company. Notwithstanding the
sesiduary soldiers orphans grant, the legislature.
apparently ignoring its sweeping provisions, has
since made other grants, amounting to 521 ,O68
acres. II the residuary grant is still operative.
Of course all subsequent grants are void.
This is question to be considered and decided by
this legislature, and upon its decision must depend
the future policy of the State with reference to the
swamp lands If the soldiers orphans and the State
institutions grants are confirmed and perpetuated
provision should be made for exploration, appraisals
and sales of the lands but if these grants be
Cancelled, and subsequent grants continued, then
such provision will be unnecessary. Only 1,s4l,-
go acres Of swamp lands have been patented to
the State, though there are considerable quantities
surveyed but not patented. The aggregate grants
not considering the residuary grant-exceed the
amount of lands patented by 8O3, 696 acres. No
reliable estimate be made of the probable guam
tty Of swamp lands that viii inure to tho State on
completion Of the sufveyA
THE INSANE ASYLUM.
Investigation by the Special Committee Of tho
State Legislature.
The Legislature having ordered an investiga-
don into the calamitous fire recently at the in
sane asylum at st. Peter, Minnesota, and having
appointed ii. B. Wilson, J. N. Castle. l. w
Collins, and DR.: 8. B. sheardown, to conduct