Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-12-22
GOOD WORK.


Harr'son's political family who has
made record that humiliates his pre-.
decessors, and puts his successor on
his met,le. That is John w. Noble,
Secretary of the Interior. Under his
predecessors, Lamar and Villas, the
department was genuine circum-
locution Office, where the art Of how.
not to.do.it was brought to perfec-
ton. 1t was equally impossible to
get the department to order survey
or to issue patent. Thousands of
purchasers of public land, who had
complied with all the formalities of
law, were put off with frivolous ex-
cuses when they wanted to perfect
their titles. A swarm of ATTORNEYS
made living by jogging the memory
OF land Office officials, generally with
very little success. The department,
was plunged into SO profound q
lethargic slumber that it was impos>
sible to waken it.
Mr.. Noble turned over a new leaf.
He pointed out to the officials of the
Land Department that they were
there to do business, not to read news
papers. And he said it in way that
worthless who, like Fat Joe, protested
against the disturbance Of their slum.
bers, naturally bestirred themselves
and got to work so that in the four
years Of Mr.. Mobiles administration
35O,95 final entries which were
legacy from MIR. Villas we're all
disposed of, 39s.l23 agricultural
patents were issued against l62,754
in the four years Of Lamar and Villas,
and four times as many acres Of public
land surveyed rs under those easy
going officials. The most torpid de-
partment of the government was
suddenly quickened into life. PEG.
pie found to their amazement ,ha, it
was possible to do business with the
land Office. l. will be interesting to
ncte how long this millennium will
last.
1t will be impossible to say how
long the land Office will continue to
be an important department of the
government until all the public lands
are surveyed. 1t is vaguely supposed
that there are nearly 5oO,OOO,oOO
acres exclusive of Alaska) We, un.
surveyed, but TIE statements on the sub.
ject which are occasionally embraced
IN reports of the Secretaries are mere
conjectures. The people q. the land
Office in this city have only vague
idea of the unsurveyed area Of public
land in this state: 1t is supposed to
be about 10000 900 acres. Last year
1871 1000 acres were surveyed in all
the states-at which rate we shall be
well into the nineteenth century be-
fore the survey is completed. The
sales last year amounted to 1864,
OGO acres, and the patents issued fer
lands previously entered to Is, APO 900
acres. OF Il Q lands unsurveyed west
of the rivers the great bulk is sup.
posed to be broken land, requiring
much labor and irrig alton to make il
valuable for agriculture; but much of
II may be found valuable when the
pressure of population leads to more
thorough exploration.
There is very little land in the world
that can be set down MS absobu,.l,
valueless If it lies SO that water can
be laid down on it. Students of
geography observe with interest the
respective shares which have been
taken by nature and by man in inn
parting fertility to localities. At
the time Of Caesars conquest of Gaul
the region now known as the Low
Countries appeared to be an irre>
claimahle swamp; it is now one Of the
most fertile portions Of Europe.
bikes, not nature, has done the
work. When the Moorish empire
OF Granada was in its glory the rough |
aud wild mountain ranges of Spain
south of the Tagus were a blooming
neglect has restored them to |
theiI primitive condition Of a wilder.
ness. Within tho historical period
the island of Malta was jagged rock,
scared by wind and sun. without a
shovelfull Of earth on it; soil was
brought from Italy in baskets, bags
and boxes, and now Malta raises
splendid crops OF cotton, wheat. honey,
oranges and figs. 1t is needless to
remind the reader of the marvel.
which industry has wrought in the
densely peopled provinces Of China by
converting deserts into farms.
Whenever the day comes that ell
The land In the Limited Sta1as -L;L