The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-10-11
OUR LANDS and TIMBER
Annual Report Of The Commissioner Of
the General Land ONCE.
ACRES SURVEYED AND SOLD
Better Protection Needed For Public
Timber Lands-Some Fig
ures of Interest to
Montana.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10.-The annual re-
port of the commissioner general of the
land Office Croft shows the number of ag-
ricultural patents issued during the fiscal
year ended June 20, to be III. .2i7, embrac-
ing $50 acres, as against 7O,l4l issued
i'm 1889, with an aggregate area OF IL 1,22O,-
$50. OF mineral and mill site patents
1.l07 were issued showing an increase in
the year of 494. OF coal patents, pa
issued, an increase of SO patents. repre-
senting 1886 acres. State school selec-
tions aggregate 539,779 acres. Selections
for the previous year aggregated only
1872, $50 acres. The acreage of swamp
lands patented to the several states dur
ing the year was l09,35l. There were pat
ented or certified under law, for the bene-
fit of railroad companies during the year
1863, ,S62 acres. This is decrease for the
year Of 81, 1888 acres.
The total cash sales during the fiscal
year was 3,3O2. SAG acres. Original home
steads, timber culture, state selections
school and swamp, railroad selections and
others of miscellaneous character, 1862 :
685 acres. Indian lands disposed of ag-
gregate 133,305 acres, making a grand
total of 12,79S, ,736 acres. Total cash re-
ceipts of the Office from various sources
during the fiscal year were S7,7S0 ,5l7, of
this amount Sc, 6,3i9, Ia were received from
cash sales. of June 30, 1889, there were
| 216,75l final entries OF all kinds pending
and AT the close of the fiscal year 1880
there were 20S, ,269 pending, showing a de-
crease as compared with the previous year
| of 6S,687 entries.
| patlrg,aI lalantiana a,,anntinu a.. =
| 1855 acres were pending at the close of
| the year, an increase over the previous
year of 332, ,70i acres. There were also i'm
| Oregon wagon road selections pending 10
| the amount OF 30i,9i2 acres. Ex-parte
mineral entries are in arrears about two
| and a half years. Contest cases, quasi
contests and ex-parte coal entries are up
| to date. The mileage of land grant rail.
roads actually constructed up to the close
of the last fiscal year was 1000 miles.
| Surveys have been accepted after ex'
animation in the field of 4, 4,462,69l acres in
cluding Arizona 597,148 acres; California
162, ,03l; Colorado 473,4 ,457; Dakota 929,9s2
Montana 620.16l; Nevada 40S, ,S57r New
Mexico 237, ,131; Utah 576, ,525; Washington
1s0,122; Florida 2,5le; Idaho q, las; Mime
sofa 144,S55; Nebraska 23,039; Oregon
S4,1O0.
Upon the subjec Of the forests Of the
public domain the commissionerjfnds the
most valuable timber on the public land.
is being rapidly exhausted, and the law.
relating TO the subject utterly inadequat,
TO properly protect the public forests from
unlawful appropriation or the interests o
the settlers. Over $4,000 were received
last year from timber depredations.
| Provision should be made for the legiti
mate procuring of timber from publ;
lands by mill men and lumber manufac
turers for the sale 10 the extent necessar,
to supply the community in the location
in which they operate with lumber ant
other timber products needed in settle
ment thereof, but the expectation of pub
lie timber should be prohibited, as ais,
should the removal of timber from any o
the reserved lands and from the noun
tainous regions and other woodlands a
or in the vicinity of the headwaters ol
sources of the streams, which for eli
matte, economic or public reasons shoult
be held permanently as forest reserves
exception being made i'm favor of settler
or minors for their personal necessities.