Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-12-10
PUBLIC LANDS.
Extracts From the Report Of Commissioner
Sparks.


WAsHISGroN, December 5.-The re-
port Of the Commissioner Of the General
Land Office has been submitted and the
following is taken therefrom: The op-
erations for the fiscal year ended June 80,
1885, were chiefly under the previous ad-
thinistration. assumed the duties of the
office March 2S, 1885, and accordingly have
but three months and q few days of my
own supervision of it to account for This
brief period was insufficient to enable me
to more than realize the situation and to
make announcement toward such reforms
as soon perceived were imperative in the
public interest, the need and importance
Of which have become more and more con-
spicuous with each days added experience.
1 found that the magnificent estate OF the
Nation in the public lands has been to a
wide extent wasted under defective and
improvident laws and through laxity of
public administration astonishing in q
business sense if not cuIpable in reckless
ness of official responsibility.
From the reports of the subordinate
divisions of this Office, which are appended
in detail, it appears that during the last
fiscal year the sales, entries and selections
of public land under various acts of Con-
gress relating thereto embrace 10, III, 6O3.37
acres, and of Indian lands ss1, s5O.2l acres,
making total of 0,995, 513.5S acres, being
q decrease as compared with the year 1854
of 6, 535, Al acres. and an increase over
the year 1858 of 1865, 4s07s acres.
The receipts from the disposals of public
lands are S7.6S6, ll4.S0; from sales of In
dian lands, $685., 1852; total of SS,6l9,-
1882, being a decrease as compared with
the year 1884, of "a, 159, 532.O1. and with
1858 of S3,OS6, 1913, to which is to be
added SS,S2l.S6 for certified copies of
Office, making the total receipts for the
year from all sources SS,G2S, 420.1S.
The number of patents issued Oh various
general land laws during the year was 73-
172, an increase of 2l.S35 over the year
1884.
The total number of entries and filings
made during the year is 24l, 524, aggreeat-
ing SO, 436, $40 acres, decrease of 45,2Ss
entries and filings as compared with the
year 1854, and an increase Of 15,43S over
the year 1883. The number of entries and
filings posted ON the records is 398, 1913, an
increase Of 71,S07 over the year 1854. The
number of public and private cash entries
and entries under the homestead, timber
culture, timber land and desert land laws
approved for patenting is 70,G56, an in
crease of 1880. Nine thousand nine hun
dred and two homestead, timber culture
and other contests, exclusive of pre-elnp-
tons, were examined and acted upon.
Eleven hundred and four ex-parte cases
were confirmed by the board of equitable
adjudication.
The number of private cash entries Is
4,068, embracing Il, 302, 3S4 acres, a decrease
of 1,077,290.6l acres; 1891 ,29671 acres
were sold under the pre- emptiOn law, being
q decrease of 1914, 1915 acres; 1,129,4 43.75
acres are embraced in committed home
steads, decrease of 29S, 1862 acres. The
total cash sales, including land sold at pub
lie and private sale, presumption, committed
homestead, mineral lands. timber and stone
lands, ETC., amount to 5,230.S7o.54 acres.
The amount Of receipts from cash sales is
Sc, 223, 926.74, an average of fraction less
than $1.l9 per acre.
Fifteen thousand eight hundred pre-emp.
ton entries were made during the year, en-
bracing an area of 2,314, 296.71 acres, de-
crease of 5,4S6 entries and 1914, 100. IS acres
Fifteen thousand and forty-one ex-parte
cases were approved for patent and 727 con-
tested cases decided. The number of pre-
emptiOn entries remaining Enacted upon at
the close of the fiscal year was 1884. The
number of presumption filings recorded dur
Ing the year was 47,946, which at 1GO acres
each, would cover 7,67l, 1860 acres.
The number of original homestead entries
made during the year iS 50,S77, embracing
Of -
4, 16S entries and 5,624.35 acres as COM
pared with the year 1884. Final proof was
made on 22,O66 entries, embracing $685.
679 II acres, an increase over the previous
year of 223 entries, and a decrease of ST.
l04. 3S acres. One thousand five hundred
and sixty-five soldiers homestead declara-
tory statements were fled, covering $50
400 acres.
Thirty thousand nine hundred and eighty
eight timber culture entries were made, en-
bracing 4,755, 005.57 :cres, an increase of
1000 entries and $40. 541.70 acres. Final
proof was offered on $50 entries, embracing
80, 800 &c acres
One thousand and twenty-seven entries,
embracing 139,30l.93 acres, were made I'M
der the timber and stone land act of June 3,
1873 Chiefly timber land entrieS) in the
States of California and Oregon and Wash
ingt0n Territory Ito which States and Ter
ritory and the State of Nevada the act only
is applicable), being decrease of 1865 en-
tries and 200, 1876 acres as compared with
the year 1884.
One thousand five hundred and eighty
eight mineral entries of the public lands
and IS mineral entries of the Ute Indian
lands were made embracing 81, 215.02 acres
and 1,2SG.7S acres, respectively; total of
1866 entries and 36.501.S0 acres. There
were 1,405 mineral applications filed on
public lands and SO on Ute lands, total Of
LASS applications. One hundred and sew
enty-three adverse claims were filed against
entries of public mineral lands and against
entries of Ute mineral lands. There were
90 coal entries of public lands and Is en-
tries of Ute lands, a total of A entries, EN-
bracing 3,675.19 acres and 2,279.94 acres,
respectively; a total of 5,995.l3 acres.
State selections under educational and i'll
ternal improvement grants were made, ag-
gregating 299, 239.6S acres, an increase Of
142, 627.60 acres over the year 1884.
Eighteen railroad patents and one wagon
road patent were issued during the last
fiscal year, embracing 1,i54, 1922 acres.
Lists of selections are Oh file amounting to
14,273. O57.S1 acres, out of which 1857
S39.47 acres are suspended, OH account of
the failure of the companies to complete
their roads within the time required by the
granting acts. The number of settlement
claims within railroad limits pending at
the close of the fiscal year was 8, 165, of
which 2,O34 have received some action, and
Gill have not been acted upon. One
hundred and sxty-four and one-half miles
of land grant railroad were reported as
constructed, making the total reported con-
struction to June 80, 1885, 17,631.54 miles.
Ready to Mote.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. December 81
Nearly two months ago it was announced