Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-18
LAND OWNED BY ALIENS.
Englishmen Who Cultivate Thousands
of Acres of Land.

OA ACRES OF AAHus
The Pioneer Press Saturday published
the following relative to land held by
aliens: Enquiries made at the land offices
Of the Northern Pacific, the Manitoba,
and the western division of the Omaha
developed the fact that foreigners are by
10 means so largely interested as land
lords as popular belief credits them with
being. Mr.. Power, the Manitoba Com
missioner, said he hadn't any list TO give,
as the policy Of the road was inimical to
sales to any but actual agricultuTists-
men who would improve the land at once,
render it productive, and thus encourage
immigration and general growth. Most
of the large ohldings along the line of
the Northern Pacific grew out of the ex-
change Of stock for the land at par value
to the farmer, and as foreign stock
holders were very much in the minority
when the original stock was thus ex-
changed, they did not acquire lands to
any extent. There are some Englishmen,
however, who have purchased large tracts.
Among them are Richard Sykes, Of Stock
port, and his partner, Mr.. Hughes. a
nephew of the famous English educator.
These gentlemen own, in fee simple, about
s.. 900 acres of Dakota land, in the cOun-
Ties Ol Il OSlEI. Cluttsudu. LaUOUTe anu
Wells, all in what is known as the James
River Valley. They have about 5000
acres under cultivation and are increas-
ing their acreage of productive land every
year. c. N. Beach. of London. who comes
to America every year to look after his
interests, has about 10000 acres in Dakota,
in the counties of Barnes, Stuttsman and
LamOure. Last year Mr.. Beach had 1,500
acres in wheat, and this year will have at
TaocA Efnfo O.
London, have about $4,000 acres, most of
il i'll the James River Valley, and
some in Burleigh county, uear Bismarck.
The Marquis Demores has about 1900
acres in Dakota. lying along the Little
Missouri, and 1000 in Eastern Montana.
These gentlemen purchased partly from
the government, and all Of them with the
avowed purpose of making the land pro-
ductive, either of grain, grass, cattle or
sheep. They are regarded as bona fde
owners, and not as speculative purchasers,
and all of them have encouraged immigra-
ton along the lines Of the st. Paul and
Sioux City and Sioux City and St. Paul,
now the western division of tue Omaha.
OF the foreign owners, the first in magni-
tude are the Close brothers, formerly Of
Lemars, Iowa, but lately removed to Pipe
Stone City, Pipe Stone county, Mimi. 1t
is scarcely correct TO call these gentlemen
aliens, as they live in the United States
and are thoroughly identified with Ameri-
can interests. Their possessions foot up
10000 acres, of which 10000 are Mil
waukee and st. Paul lands, in Pipe Stone
county, Mimi; 10000 from the same COM
paDy in OsceOla and Dickinson counties,
Iowa; $4,000 from the Sioux City Road, in
Rock and Mobiles counties, Mimi, and
10000 acres from the same road in Osce-
ola, Sioux and Lyon counties, Iowa. They
have many thousands of acres under cul-
tivatiOn, have built towns, roads-rail and
wagon-and brought to this country thou
sands of fellow Britons. From a list pre-
pared by Land Commissioner Drake, of
the Sioux City, it appears that there are,
besides Close brothers, 46 foreign land
owners along the line of that road in Min
nesOta and Iowa, the aggregate of their
possessions being $3.50. This makes a
grand total of 459,3SO acres owned by
foreigners in the territory mentioned"