St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-26
Where the Valuable Lands Lie, and How They May Be
quired by Homestead or by Pur-
chase

The wonderful crops harvested by the
farmers of the Northwest this year have
served to bring the Importance Of this
section of the country home to the peO-
pie of not only the United States but
also to those whose homes are in the
countries of the old world.
The wheat produced in Minnesota and
the DakOtaS, as we'll as the cattle of
Montana and the commonwealth named
above, are known all over the world.
The high grades of wheat raised and
the quality Of the beef exported have
combined to give these states the repu-
tation of being a land OF plenty, the
Golden Northwest" where abundant
returns are the sure reward of labor
bestowed upon the cultivation of the
soil. which is of marvellous richness and
SO cheap that home is to be had for
the mere asking in many cases.
But the residents of distant states ard
foreign lands, seeing and hearing only
reports as to the great productions of the
farms of the Northwest and knowing
little of its great area, are likely TO re-
ceive the impression that the entire
country has already been appropriated,
and that no more land remains for the
hOmeSeeker except at eXorbitant prices.
Or course the people who reside in the
Northwest know that the real develop
ment of the states OF Minnesota, North
Dakota, South Dakota and Montana has
only commenced, and that not One-half
of the best farming land is, up to the
present time, in the possession of
actual farmers. The fact is that hardly
more than half of this great section
has up to the present time been thrown
open to settlement. Every citizen of
this section is presumed to be heartily
interested in the growth and prosperity
of these states, and he cannot help to
bring about this development in a surer
way than by helping to attract settlers
to the fertile lands yet unsettled.
Those who know something Of the
great resources of the four states that
have been named predict that an era of
rapid development and uneXampled
prosperity is at hand. They do this
knowing of the opportunities that are
waiting TO be improved. The farmer
IN certain sections leads all other
classes, but the lumber woods of Mime
sofa and her iron mines, as well as her
clay banks and stone quarrieS, the sill
yer. copper and gold mines, and grazing
ldllbo III MOIldilA anu lllG OdhOldSs VIII
furnish all other classes of settlers with
employment aside from farming. No
section of the United States possesses
or ever did possess half the opportuni-
ties and natural advantages of the
Golden Northwest, and no section has
ever experienced or will experience as
rapid a growth and advancement as
this section in the next twenty-five
years. Nature has done wonders for
these four states. and all that remains to
be done is to call in the workers to i'm
prove these blessings.
Farmers WaEfed.
Minnesota, North Dakota, SoCth Da-
kota and Montana want farmers to settle
and develop their fine farming lands,
and make them blossom as the rose and
produce food for the world. They want
stock raisers. with millions of cattle and
horses, to Craze upon their hills and
broad grassy prairies. They want miners
and capitalists to develop their rich
mines, and lumbermen to utilize their
great forests. The object of this article
is TO point out the fact that there are
farms for millions, stock ranches for
thousands, and mines without humber
to be had for the asking almost in this
great Northwest. To do this most clear
ly the following subjects will be dis
cuSsed in the course OF the article;
First-Area of the state of Minnesota the
Dakotas and Montana, and amount of land
belonging to the government surveyed and
unsurveyed,
Second-How TO get farm or a mineral
claim from the government.
Third-Area Of railroad lands unsold in each
of these states, and how 10 procure it.
Fourth-PrObable amounts in the hands of
spectators and investors and not cultivated
and to be had Mt about the same price per
acre as railroad lands similarly located.
State Land.
The total area of Minnesota Is 1881
square miles, or little over SO, SOC. 900
acres, of which amount no less than
3,60S0l2 acres are water and 50,000,00
acres dry land. OF this area of land
and water 100000 acres have been
surveyed and 1000 900 yet remain to
be surveyed. all of which will sooner or
later be open to Homestead" OF all
this vast area only about 100000 acres
were under cultivation the present
year. Of course, there is q considera-
bic area of waste land, pine barrens
and swamps, but large part
of this is contained in the
yet unsurveyed reservations. OF the
10000. 600 or more acres unaccOunted for
IlG SONSIuHiSHC 10 Tic pOaSSSSOI VI al
| least One-third of it, which would be
100000 acres, of which perhaps one
fifth is among the best agricultural
lands in Northern Minnesota.
Railroad Lands.
The various railways centering in ST
| Paul have large bodies of selected land;
yet remaining unsold. Prominent
among these are:
Acres
The Great Northern. 800. O0
Northern Pacific .............. ....... 400, 90
Hastings q Dakota Sioux City & St.
Paul, Northwestern, ST. Paul & Chi
cago, Minnesota Central and other
| grants about. ..................1,00 0, on
| st. Paul d Duluth. ......... ........ $50, 00
Total Assoc
While this seems to be vast amount
of land, it is really but a small portion
of the grants given these companies
and shows that they have performed {
| great work for the safe in disposing o.
| the amounts they have. The congress
ional lands decided to Minnesota rail
roads have so far amounted to no les:
than S,081, 209.27 acres, divided up a:
! follows:
st, Paul, Minneapolis Manitoba 500, os1 4
saltwater st. Paul. ............. 65,1l3. g.
st. Paul, Saltwater & Taylor's
Falls $500. ... ......... 44246 Q
| Winona y st. Peter. ], 756, s52 .
st. Paul e Sioux City............. $50, 159 81
Sioux City Il St Paul............ 234.516 s.
Lake Superior & Mississippi...... s47 ,5S5 A.
| Southern Minnesota q Extension. 50S,6H Il
| Minnesota Central &C.. ........ IL, 546. 1
Hastings d Dakota. ........... 312,S9I S;
| St. Paul Il Northern Pacific. S0,5S0 s,
Total -. .................,....s osL2Oo. Q
In addition to the lands included il
the above congressional grants. swamp
lands amounting to 1894 acre!
have been given by the state to the fol
lowing roads, many of whom have since
been united with others.
Number of Acres Sc
Grantee. Apart or Conveyed
Lake Superior & Mississippi r. r. Co. 666 225 81
Taylor Fails d Lake Superior R.R.
Co. Observation-Disclosures. 74,515. g
| Agricultural college. ................ 1854. 1
Madelia & Sioux Falls wagon road. 1868
. ~ an