The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-24
PUBLIC LANDS.
INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO W'oH
TO SECURE HOMeSTEADs.
One Billion Acres Yet to Select From
Prices of Lands and Loaation
of Government Agents-Best
Way to Go West.
[Cincinnafi Fnnllirer !

tCihclhhau Enquirer
A Washington attorney with opportunities
for obtaining correct knowledge on the SUBJ
jet has published a book on public lands.
The government retains some land in Ala
bama Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, Indiana.
Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Alaska and ali
the states and territories west of the Missis-
sippi river excepting Texas and Indian tar
ritory. Application has been made 70 the
general land Office in Washington for the
few remaining acres in Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois. The other states and territories are
divided into districts. in each of which is a
land Office, presided over by two officers.
known respectively as register AMI
receiver. They are agents or sales
men for the government and when
sales made by them are approved
by the commissioner of the general land
office IN Washington, patents or deeds for
the land are issued to the buyers LAM
may be secured under the homestead. pre
emption and timber culture laws as well as
ut public sale and private entry.
Tie government has two grades of land
the minimum and double minimum lands,
priced Sl35 and $3.50 per acre respectively.
Land within railroad limits is placed a.
the latter figure townships are SIX miles
square and are subdivided into thirsv-eiz
sections o. one mile square each, containing
$50 acres square acre has frontage OF
about 800 feet. The government reserves
sections Nos, and 50 for school lands.
The book of 12O pages, after giving Tho
fnlnutest detail, closes with some sensible ad
| vice to settlers, as for example: "Mtgrats il
] families from three to twenty, as lower rate!
Tor outfit, travelling AMI other expenses cal
be obtained, while the discomforts of COINS
| upon governments are materially lesseneC
where friends so in colonies Ascertain al
| information possible about the mean temper
| allure, extremes Of heat and cold, the amour
| of rainfall, chils and fever in the region de
| clded upon. Go to a state or TERRITORY
| whose officials appreciate churches AM
| schools; where taxpayers perceive tina
! every dollar spent on education and religion
Is saving of $2 on jails and penitentiaries
| where newspapers, libraries, literary, TEN
| perance and other societies are encouraged
| Railroad facilities river and LAX
| transportation and neaTneSs tomarkets mus
be looked to; nearness to mills, stores am
water supply; Indians, drought, grasshor
pers, potato-bUgs and every thing else tina
can affect future success. Locate near tn
! junction Of rivers or valleys, where vale
crosses q river or ends at a lake. Such loca
tons secure good markets for farm pyodua
and rapidly advance tie price of hand III
t:5:a which the government gives is in fe
nipple, not a lease for term Of years; In
| utpetual ownership. it is the buyers pro,
'ry to hold during life and transmit to hi
H'lis. or ne may sell it at will There is II
."paiord. no rent to pay, nor are any churc
rates. expected he is himself lori Of tn
manor and peer Of Lis feIov-citizan5 of al
| CO e.
iae land commission app intel by cor
gross III 1870 TO codify TIE .acts in regard t
he public domain published report i
! ST., IN wEicn i tue following: Unsurveye
LANDS, june 81, 1888. 93s. t26 81; surveye
and undisposed Of, 27I. 3s2 299 Total nun
Der Of acres, 1873, SIS S1d, equal to 7,49S, ~
homesteads OF lGJ aCCss each.
In FIVE southern skates Of surveyed and III
surveyed governments lands undisposed c
there was in Fiori Ia 9G37 153 $4,000; Ais
bama- ,, 2:}s. 90 43-i00; Mississippi 2,20I, 81
"a io9; Arkansas, ), 20, So 5000; Louisiana
I,241 104 7LI01 Total IS, G3)645 93-I00.