St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-26

Directly west of Minnesota lie the
two great states of North and South
Dakota. The area of the two DakOtas
is l50,932 square miles, or 90, 500, $50
acres, OF which not more than two
thirds have been surveyed. There is,
however, about 100000 acres of gov
eminent land in North Dakota alone
surveyed and ready for the hOmeseeker.
This can be had in the same manner as
government land in Minnesota, and Of
ferS large field for selection. In addi-
ton TO this free land in North Dakota
the railroad companies have in
the neighbOrhOod of 10000. 900 acres yet
unsold, while the state has large
amount of school land, which Is being
sold III manner similar to that pur-
sued in Minnesota.
In South Dakota the government
lands do not exceed 5000, 600 acres aside
from the Indian reservations, but in
this is included the 100000 acres Just
opened on the SissetOn reservation,
which is on the border of Minnesota.
and as choice land as can be found in
the whole country. Here, too, the
school lands are being sold with an eye
TO the future, when the values of farm
lands are certain to be much higher.
Montana, the golden, was the third of
the quartette of territories to enter the
Union as sovereign commonwealth in
1883, and is third In point of size, being
only eXcelled in this respect by Texas
and California. The area of the new
state is 145,776 square miles. which, ex-
pressed in acres, is not far from 90, 250.-
900. Here three great Industries flour
ish-mining, agriculture and stock
raising. Her great mountains are
filled with valuable minerals, her
plains produce a nutritious grass that
feeds and fattens the best cattle and
horses raised in the world. and her river
valleys are fertile beyond expectation.
Here the Northern Pacific railroad alone
owns 1900, 900 acres of land, which is
held at from Sl.25 to Sc per acre, and is
sold OIL the usual liberal terms.
Mining being the greatest interest In
the state, word as TO how mining
claims may be acquired may not be out of
place. AS the general government gives
homestead OF 100 acres to every
needy farmer DESTROYS of establishing
home for himself and family, just so
has it remembered the mineral pros
pectOr" IF limited means by giving him
placer claims, lode claims and water
rights, which become his by right OF
discovery and selection, and to which
he can acquire absolute title by the eX-
penditure of a few dollars in fees and
the performance of sufficient develop
ment work to indicate his good faith.
In addition to the railroad lands men
toned above, there are millions upon
millions of acres of cover nment land
that await the actual settler, as in the
DakOtas and Minnesota. Less than a
fourth of Montana has been surveyed
up to the present time.
The great crops of this golden North
west are advertising the country that
produced them this year as it was never
advertised before. The poor farmer of
the East, on his high-priced but worm
out farm, is hearing from his prosper
/ Gus Western cousin. The halfstarved
inhabitants of the old world are being
fed by wheat raised IN these states, and
they, like the American farmer of the
Eastern or Atlantic states, will
soon be on their way to this
land of promise and plenty. They will
all make first-claSS citizens and aid in
developing the country. For these rea-
sons, if for no other, they should be
welcomed and encouraged. An era OF
prosperity is certainly Just ahead tor
the states of Minnesota, North Dakota,
South Dakota and Montana.