Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-04-14
FORTY MILLIONS.

FORTY MILLIONS.
Comnissloner Ruth Says That win BE the
Amount Of the Dakota school Fund.
Sioux City Journal: The Hon.
Thomas H. Ruth, commissioner of
school and public lands of South Da-
kota, was in the city on his way
north. Said he:
I'VE have been getting ready to
start on the land sales which will be-
gin Wednesday at Canton. A bill
was introduced into the legislature
last winter which, II it had passed,
would have prevented our making any
more sales. The proposition was to
provide for the leasing of all the
school lands, but to prohibit their
sale. The idea was to give the state
the benefit Of the appreciation in val
ues, but don't think the effect would
have been satisfactory. The farmers
who leased the lands, having no per-
manent interest in them, would lave
got all they could out of them for the
time being, and paid no attention to
any permanent improvement. The
result would have been lot of run
down and seedy farms. AS general
thing the farmers prefer to take un-
broken land and get a fair start on it
rather than to begin with a farm
which has been worn out by former
tenants. The effect might not be SO
bad in the older states where it is
necessary to make the very best use
OF the land in order to make it pay.
1--WE have in South Dakota 3, ,0OO, 600
acres OF school lands, besides 10000
acres OF endowment lands given by
the general government for the pur-
pose OF the state institutions. We
are permitted under the statute to
sell one-third of this amount during
the first ten years that we hold it.
We have, however, sold about l,OO0,-
GOO acres and shall sell about $4,000
more this year. The minimum value
for which we are allowed to dispose
of it is $40 per acre. That which we
shall sell has been appraised at from
$l2 to $50 per acre. Our sales will be
from the school lands alone, however,
and the endowment lands will not be
touched at present. We, shall not
have any trouble in making sales as
we have land boom on at present.
The terms. too, are very reasonable
and the buyers appreciate the fact.
'"Tl.e proceeds of the sales, of course,
become part of the school fund.
that now on hand amounts to 81, AGO.
600 and the present sales will add
something like $3.50, 600 more.
"We have 33, 900 acres near Sioux
Falls and $1,000 near Watertown.
This land is, of course, very valuable.
Then there are a number of sections
near other large towns. During the
summer we shall plat one section at
Chamberlain and sch it as town lots.
Parts Of sections will also be plated
at Mitchell and Huron.
Another source Of revenue for the
school fund is the5 per cent. it re-
ceives of all sales Of government land
within the state. We shall claim our
regular per cent. for lands sold both
before and since the admission of the
state.
..'By an act of the last legislature
the Office of state agent was created
to prosecute these as we'll as other
claims against the general govern
ment. This Office was given to
Goodykuntz, of Chamberlain, and we
shall push matters.
''south Dakota will, think, when
her lands are all turned into money,
have the largest school fund of any
OF the states. should estimate
that it would amount to $4O,O 900. {"
Municipal Elections In North Dakota.
Bismarck. S. Allen, mayor: j.
Homan, treasurer; E. c. Chase, JUS
tice; f. H. Barrett, clerk; aldermen,
y. ID. McDOnald, A. Healy, A. RObl-
don, II. Cunningham, H. L. Reade,
George Gussner, William Braithwaite.
o. III. Beal.
Grand Forks-Aldermen: First
ward, w. A. Gordon; second, Jacob
Anderson; third, E. c. Cooper: fourth,
w. j. Doheny; fifth, J. p. Kingsland:
sixth, j. X. Swan.
Fargo-Aldermen: First ward, E.
Ellison; second Henry Hector; third,
w. d. Sweet; fourth, s. J. Hill; fifth,
s. J. vidger; sixth, G. G. Schuyler.
Devils Lake-Ole Serumgard, A. S
Pattie and Fred Fox were elected al
dermen, without opposition. L. ID.
McGahan was elected city justice
over L. Council by SO majority.
"Any degree of success may be
~x<osno.7 bovo hn ,,,ov, ne nn%o,o.s,s..,