Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1895-10-18

Oregon, IransacfiOusd
IS. Educational and
sritsbis Grants.
Ellington, u. 13.-In the re-
Ter of the general
lana I1scal year 1896, just
rendered to g. Secretary of the inte-
ricr. 1t Is stated that the decline In
the land business noted in his last re-
port still continues. There was dur
ing the year a decrease Of 1905 origi-
nal entries, or 3.016.6s5 acres. In the
number Of final entries there was de-
crease of 1854, amounting to 356,Oo9s
acres. In the receipts there was de-
= crease of $734,370. The number of
homestead patents issued was 50,6lSs OF
a total of 70 coal and 1912 mineral pat
ents issued coal and rs mineral pat-|
ents were issued to residents of TIL
state of Washington, 8 mineral pat&
ents to residents of Oregon, and So min
eral patents to residents of Idaho
OF total of s.1S4,336 acres Of land
patented to railroads there were pat
! ented to the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company s,34s, 473 acres in Washing
ton, and O.. Ala acres in Idaho. To the
Oregon and California company 1876, 10S
acres were patented in Oregon.
Lists of swamp land selections en-
bracing 400 acres were fled by the
state of Oregon during the year. Lists
embracing 400 acres were approved, and
40 acres were patented. making a total
of 12S,036 acres patented to the state
ais 1~kA - L.
grant.
To the state Of Washington there was
certified in satisfaction of the educa-
tional and charitable grant the follow
ing: Agricultural college, 36,452 acres;
public buildings. 41.796 acres: school in
demnity. 1874 acres; scientific school,
1894 acres; state charitable, education
al, etc, institutions. S5,S02 acres state
normal schools, 40,699 acres, making a
total Of 261, S17 acres.
To the state of Idaho the following
selections were certified on account of
congressional grants: Agricultural,
1854 acres; insane asylum, S703; peni-
Tertiary, 1889 acres; public buildings.
1870 acres; state normal school, 5S07
acres, making total of 137,2 3S acres.
Indian and miscellaneous patents
embracing 321 acres were issued to the
state of Washington, 47,009 acres in
Oregon and 152,52S acres in Idaho.
There were surveyed during the year
in the state of Washington S53,9O7
acres OF land, in Oregon ,252 acres,
and In idaho. 1,43O.S95 acres.
SUGGESTION IN SURVEYS.
The surveyor general of Washington,
in his report to the commissioner, sug-
gests that the special examiner under
orders directly from the land office,
should be required to furnish copy of
the report containing the results of his
examination to the the surveyor gen.
erals office. If this were done the con-
dition of the field work of the surveyors
could be ascertained at once, which
would result in the saving of much
money, time and labor.
The surveyor general of Oregon
merely reports the work done in his Of
fee during the year, with the addition
al information that the Willamette
Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon
Road Company deposited $13,901 for
the survey Of lands within the limits of
Its grant, and the Oregon and Califor-
MIA Railroad Company deposited $23S5
for surveys and $3.50 more for office
work in connection with these surveys.
In his annual report the surveyor
general Of Idaho says: 1.-THE growth
OF Idaho in population and material
welfare during the past year has been
steady and of substantial character.
The homeseeker of the class who at
taches himself permanently to the soil
has settled upon government lands or
embarked in business throughout the
confines of Idaho. while the mining ope-
Qnd hoa
located in mining camps. Petitions
from settlers and applications from the
state land board for public surveys
have continued demand for increased
appropriations for that service The
applications for surveys OF mineral
claims for patent under the mining
laws have increased nearly three fold
over those Of last year.
Owing to the decision of the comp
troller of the treasury the appropriation
for public surveys was not available
within land grant limits and for that
reason no surveys could be made within
the limits of the grant to the Northern
Pacific Railroad Company. The de-
mand for surveys has been especially
great in the panhandle" but OWNS
to said decision. settlers there could not
be accommodated with surveys in the
recently awarded contracts.
An important recommendation made
by the commissioner is that appropria.
tons for the survey of the public lands
be hereafter made continuous.
A table of estimated vacant land in
the United States gives 5,229,520 acres
surveyed and 13,S67,521 acres uusur.
veyed in the state of Washington; "a,
S95,S97 acres surveyed and 1881 ,s1(
acres unsurveyed in Oregon, and S,47s,-
0s7 acres surveyed and S7,771, 165 acres
unsurveyed in Idaho.
ARID LANDS.
Under the head of Donations or arid
lands to states the commissioner says
Congress. at its last session. enact
ed legislation in the form of an agree.
ment to donate one million acres of des
ert land to each of the desert land
states upon the condition that they be
irrigated. reclaimed, occupied and cul-
tivated by actual settlers, and also that
the state shall not sell or dispose CT
more than 100 acres to any one person.
This office proceeded promptly to pre-
pare regulations concerning the selec-
tiOn of the lands flor he iSS,,a IF