Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-01-11

II and applying the proceeds OF
sale. one-half to the public free
rols. and one-half 70 the payment
% he public debt. ~.
here was generally but little
|wn of these lands In the morgan.
counties, and but little demand
hem. until some time after the
ey of the capitol lands. The price
mon them by the law was much
q the value set upon the lands OF
viduals that had been previously
ted i'm said unorganized counties.
hen the board, composed of the
brnor. Encouragement and secrc-
of state, in 1880, valued the capt.
lands at the minimum price of
cents per acre, they had evidence
kspectable persons engaged in the
business i'm that section, that
could be bought there from in
kluals at a much less price. The
mol board, upon the second effort
I'M 80. 900 acres of the most valuable
in the capitol reservation, got
hem but little over fifty cents per
he public notoriety given to these
by the contract made for the
Hing of the new capitol, and their
Apness, compared to the price of
lar lands in other states, began to
hct the attention of capitalists,
ulators, and stockmen for some
before the call for the meeting OF
~ legislature, issued on the first of
rb. 1882, in which legislation in re-
to these reserved lands was speci-
and by which call the legislature
meet on the sixth of April, follow
was then recommended that the
imum price of these reserved lands
lid be raised to one dollar, and that
millions acres of them should be
part to the university, not omuch
"a gratuitous donation as in compen-
BIZ, and as a substitute for lands
IN away from the university by the
*titution of 1876, which was then
~ explained. Bills to protect these
Is and to set apart "A portion Of them
Bed the senate, bat failed to be
led in the house of representatives.
%lnay be asked why it was
Der that these lands should have
s. valued and offered at fifty cents
Facre, and in three short years, an
BIZ was made to raise the price to
6dollar per are. These lands may
Worth from five to fifty dollars per
Ie, when the time arrives, at which
81 can be put fully into
lctical use as agricultural
d pastoral lands. Most of
I'M then were not and practically
i'd not be used for any purpose, and
s1yalue of fifty cents was then prop
v placed upon them, upon an esti-
Ife based upon the experience of the
81, and upon the prospects under
ethen existing circumstances, as to
B1ength of time that might elapse
|Sre the lands could be thus utilized
q bring their full intrinsic value.
n the purchaser had bought them
"a, he would have paid the full
|6e (more than they brought at pri
~ sale, and he would have taken
4aisk of carry ing them with the
6essary expense. In three years the
hole prospect, as to the length Of
Iie for their utilization, had changed
die extensive information of their
|3ity and uses, that had, during that
~, been acquired, and upprece-
led demand for such lands, which
"a hardly have deem anticipated.
ce, upon this IN ode of calculating
&value of wild lands, which must
hys be resorted to in order to fix
\ value upon them at all, these lands
Re better worth one dollar per acre,
y purely business transaction, in
ril, 1882, than fifty cents per acre
aJuly, 1879, when they were first
sred for sale. 1t was therefore
per that the state should then have
Jed the price to ut least that
|punt
fad the recommendation been
,ded, and favorably acted on, Texas
bid have now either many millions
here's of land that have been sold. or
purchase of them secured undcr
law, or double the amount of
hey for which they have been and
u be sold.
FOR, rs | learn from the commits
per of the general land Office, there
b filed i'm his Office up to March /,
g, applications for 2IS,333 acres OF
BE lands, but payment had bean
Fie upon 1913, AIS acres OF them, and
lr 100000 acres OF them were
'raps,n that is, small tracts of less
IN 640 acres in organized counties,
only about $4,000 acres in unor
hized counties, where the great
: les of these lands are situated.
|ince the adjournment Of the special
eion, on the 9Th of May, 1882, there
Se been, up to the lst of January,
p, filed in his office, applications for
%, 4S0 acres, and he has unofficial,
lugh reasonably accurate informa-
p, Of applications to be shortly
tie, in the time allowed by law, for
Rut 100000 acres, making the APP
cation filed and to be filed since the
Pc of the special session, for $3.50, $50
1hese lands sold and to be sold at 80
ats per acre by the states.
q would be useless now to recount
conflicting views in the legislature,
a the objects, of interest and of spec
Nlon outside of 1t, which may have
fled to prevent the enactment, of
\ measures recommended. Their
Pure has permitted this sacrifice of
property of the state, by It's sale at
rlce far below its value, as Is evinced
'the brokerage speculatlons made in
sales of 1t to capitalists.
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
All of the branches of the state uni
fsity have been located, the main
|nch at Austin, the medical depart
pit at Galveston, the agricultural
4 mechanical college at Bryan, and
/! he late general election, the branch
lversity for colored youths at Aus
The agricultural and mechanical
lege Is the only branch now in OPP
Rion. 1t needs additional aid to
,lplete its arrangements for teaching
science and practice of agriculture
! the mechanical arts. The board
regents contemplate putting the
IN branch at Austin in operation