New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-06
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
ENORMOUS DRAFT UPON IT BY SETTLERS.
SOME sUGaEsrvE OFFICIAL FIGURES FROM THE
LAND OFFICE.
IBY TELEGRAPH no rnE TRrBrxs. /

Ibf TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUNE.t
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.-An official statement
furnished 10 Q TRIBUNE correspondent by the Commis
sioner OF the General Laad Oice shows something Al
the marvellous rapidly with which the newer States
and Territories becoming populated and tina enor
nous drafts which being male upon the public d.
main In order to satisfy the req rements OF actual se
tiers IL also Indicates that the public lauds
remaining In the Southern States, which hsd
been 80 long neglected, rapidly coming under see
ment The statement includes the important
transfers Of public lands in ten States and
Territories-Dakota, Florida. Kansas, Louisiana.
Minnesota, Mississippi. Nebraska Oregon, wash
ington and Wisconsin. Al compared with
the year ended Juno 30. 1882 the statsment
shows IN increase Of 35217 in the number OF entries
lcash sales original homestead entries and timbcrcul
ture entres, and the numo~r Of acres en-
tered The amount received from cash sales increased
from in 1882 to S7.56444s in 1885, or more
than 12s per cent
In 1882 the number Of preemption and other dlings
and of applications to purchase mineral timber and
stone lands IN the same States and Territories was
290S0 aud the Of fees 1885, In 1859
the number and amount wsre respectively 581 and
ssl,s4 The amount Of fees and commissions paid on
account of original homestead entries in 1882 &l56
66l; In 1883 II was $572,630.
Dakota. of course, takes the lead. both In
the amount Of land taken by actual settlers
ana In the amount sold for cash. In
that territory the number of homestead entries In
creased from 14156 covering 220s2 aeres 70 l91
covering 3,267,227 acrea The number Of umbcrcut
turs entrss up from $685. covering $50 acrus
to 1885, covering 1785 259 acres and the cash sales
increased from 67a,Sss at S977242 to l5ls06l
acres at $3,l0936z Probably the history Of no state
or Territory can furnish parallel to these nsures.
In Florida the cash sales increased from 128S72 scres
at $158,037 to 221,853 st $341, ,554, and the
number Of original homestead entries from l0l.033
IN Tho xnlfc Ian 49,
been pretty closely cued aad although the cash sales
increased from 90,962 acres at S1lS5s3 to 1914
acres at $ls9.329 tho homestead entries fell Oh from
637349 acres 70 508781 acres sud the timbcrcuturo
entries decreased from 273053 1877 $50 scrs
In Louisiana the cash sales decreased from S67 lS5
acres at s462o00 to ct S44s3l6 but The
homestead eatries up from s72, covering Il7703
acres, to s35. covering 124.650 acres, and
the timber culture entries increased from 1O04 acres 70
1884 acres. In Minnesota there dodIed increase
acres ais76 oat Sers vas sss cn IN crsns
homestead entries from 588, ,343 431 672 xcrcs
iaa ~ Tss so 4 i so1ss e
are are, rapidly acquiring patents for tasir fsems
sas In Minnesota they received psssass 70 sss2ss
this year. against 861 year. In Kznszs
amour. for 1883 was 5o6.osl acres, against 4s9so0
Tnsro entries in MisSssipp under tho timber
acres at y274,s20 to s4s,562 acres a. S1z0.-
lEcm 10000 acres W loI,OIS acres N0Df16k1
still has large area Of fertile public LANDS winch
open 10 settlement In that State tae original
homestead eutries in 1882 3,223, covering
47l,939 acres; In 1883 there 4,726 en-
tries, covering 7l6,505 acres, the casa salss
Increased from 1l1.575 acres ss .$143,753 -
l0o,62s acres At $Jll677 aud the number vi timber
acres, to 32l6, covering 47S2o4 aere La Oregon toe
cssn sales Increased Iron 52s3l9 $50 to
$4,000 acres =. but tae homestead entries fell
OF from l53532 acres 20 Ill 47t and the TIMBER
culture entries from 5o,03o acres to 35 463 acres-
In Washington ierrlory, however, tacre wAs TO
marxabic Increase, not only IN casn sses buG In home
stead AID rneercuturc entries Tue casa sales In
creased from 7l24i acse4 a. SlOz345 20 acres
at ~37l.430; tue original homestead entries frvm
23l l32 acres 70 acres aud the culture
entries .524 acres to l434I2 acres la wlscon
su. wiie sales fell on from $40, 595
S506,53o 10 342574 at yJ04, loo, the original
noosIead entries Increased from s7y covering 9e,475
acres, 10 9o2, covering lll.707 acres
While the foregoing figures all tho States
and Territories wica unoccupled public lands still
open TO settlement tney are Decved 10 larry the
enormous growth IN Population OF the new
states AID Territories generally, for they
include territory IN winch about three
fourths OF the pubic land sales ami made
last year In the south the eDLries Aiaoa.na aad
Arxansas wi probably saow great rela-
tlvely as In those states Tor otcial
ngures are gwen. IL Is known, TOO, tnss curing
the past year there has been large incicas OF inmi
grafton " New-Mexc0, Utah, Montana Adj other
iertor and consequently large Increase 10 the
amount VI pubic land whoa has couie in.o the posses
slOu % A