The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-17
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Facts Showing How Rapidly the Newer
States and Territories Are
Being Populated.
Dakota Takes the Lead in the Amount
Of Land Taken by Actual Settlers.
A Good Showing Also Made by the
Southern States, So Long
Neglected.

Washington Telegram to the Chicago Inter
An official statement, furnished by the
Commissioner Of the General Land Office,
shows something of the marvellous rapidity
with which the newer States and Territories
are becoming populated, and the enormous
drafts which are being made upon the pnb-
lilo domain In order to satisfy the require
ments OF actual settlers. It also indicates
that the pubic lands remaining In the
Southern States, which had been so long
neglected, are rapidly coming under settle
ment The statement includes the more
important transfers OF public lands in the
10 lowing States and Territories: Dakota,
florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mis-
sisnppi, Nebraska, ore. on, Washington and
Wisconsin As compared with the year end
ed June 80, 1882, the statement shows an
increase of 35, III In the number OF entries
leash sales, orig nal homestead entries and
timber culture entriesJ and !, so ,SI3 In the
number Of acres entered. The amount re-
cetved from cash sales increased from $3,-
1854 in 1882 to $500 ,449 in 1888, or more
than D per cent In 1882 the number of
Fe-emption and other filings and of appi-
cations to purchase mineral, timber and
stone lands in the same Stat es and Terri
tories was ~, 0S0 and-the amount OF fees re-
ceived, S64, 56S; in 1885 the number and
amount were resi- ectively AZ, 591 and $9l,-
S43. The amount of fees and commissions
paid on account Of original homestead en-
tries In 1857 was s456,661; in 1883 it was
$5.2,6t
Dakota, Of course takes the lead both in
the amount OF land taken by actual settlers
and in the amount sold for cash In that
Territory the number OF homestead entries
increased from 14,156, covering 2,2DS,ytS
IN 4 yarfv, rr0 Vt,<a
number OF timber-culture entries ran up
from 9,36S, covering Ia q, b. acres, to H.,
566, cover ng l,7G5, 30 acres and the cash
sales increas ed from 673, .SS acres at 1917
242 to 1,5lS,0s1 acres at IS, l093SL Probably
the history Of no State or Territory can
furnish parallel to these figures
In Florida the cash sales increased from
IN, ST. acres, at Sl5S 037, to III S53 acres, at
$4l ,b54, and the number of original home
stead entries from 19l, 053 acres TO 2l2, o9o
acres
The public lands of Kansas have been
pretty closely culled, and, although the cash
sales increased from 80, 962 acres at slls,-
6S1 to l5a, IA acres at sls9.329, the home
stead entries fell OH from So, $40 acres to
5OS, 'Sl acres, and the timber-culture entries
decreased from Zs3, 053 acres to 81, $50 acres
In louisiana the cash sales decreased from
367, 400 acres at Ss62, tOO to 355, 30 acres at
S44SF3l6, but the homestead entries ran up
from.SE2, covering If, 70j acres 10 935 COW
erfDg l24 go acres, and the timber culture
entries increased from l,O0i acres to z, 154
acres.
In Minnesota there was q decided increase
m cash sales from BE, 4G5 acres ut s4S2,
80 to 1913 acres DIT 81, 81, 9s6, but there
was falling of in original homestead en-
tries from 5cS, 343 acres to 43l ,o.2 acres,
and In timber culture entries from
1874 acres to IL, 40 acres The home
stead settlers of this State are rapidly ac-
curing patents for their farms after FIVE
years OF settlement, as also Is the case in
to .SI23S acres this year against z45, c8j
last year. In Kansas the amount in 1885
was o ,0S1 acres, against 400 800 in 1882.
There were no entries in Mississippi under
the Timber Culture act, but the cash sales
increased from 10, A5o acres at s&74 so 10
S49, 562 acres at S440,1t2. and the original
homestead entries from los. 4SS acres to
l61, 0.g acres
Nebraska still has q large area of fertile
public lands which are open TO settle
ment In that State the number of
original homestead entries in 1882 was
1913, covering AL, $50 acres; in 1885 there
were AIS entries. covering 1850 acres.
The cash sales increased from III, 515 acres
at Sl43, 153 TO 100, G2S acres at SSH .677, and
the number of timber culture entries ran up
from 2,OS0, covering 29S, $40 acres, to 3,216,
covering 4'S,204 acres.
III OIcBOH Uuc CASH bdleS nCIcdBcQ ITOm
52,3l9 acres at So, SEQ, 10 5a,C6j acres at
sl23, sos; but the homestead entries fell Off
from 153, 53! acres to III ,476 acres and the
timber-culture entities from q, 05S acres to
IS, 463 acres
in Washington Territory. however,
there was a remarkable increase, not
only in cash sales, bat in Homestead and
timber culture entries. The cash sales in
creased from l,214 acres at Sl02, .45, to
25l ,Oo6 acres at S57l ,44G; the original home
stead entries from PSI, 132 acres o ISL, 57S
acres, and the timber-culture entries from
81 ga acres is 143 4l2 acres.
In Wisconsin, while the cash sales fell off
from 34S, $50 acres, at S56, 53S to 81, 574
acres at $500, 165, the original homestead en-
tries increased from So covering 9S,47S
acres, to 062, covering Ill, 707 acres
While the foregoing figures do not cover
all the States and Territories in which unoc-
cupied lands are still open to settlement,
they are believed to show fairly the enor-
nous growth in population of the new
States and Territories generally, for they in
clude the Territories in which about three
fourths of thespublic land sales and entries
were made last year.
In the South the entries in Alabama and
Arkansas will probably show as great an in
crease relatively as in those Southern States
for which the official figures are given 1t
Is known, too, that during the past year
there has been large increase OF immigTa-
ton TO New Mexico. Utah, Montana and
other Territories, and consequently q very
large increase In the amount of public land
which has come into the possession Of actu-
al settlers