Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-05-01
NATIONAL.
WASHINGTON, d. c.
The "Go West, Young Mani Has Be-
come a Thing of the Past.

The "GO West, Young Mani! Has Be-
come Thing of the Past.
People who have got farms will do we'll
to keep them if they can, i. @. if they are
not swallowed by monopolists and corpora
tions. In his recent annual report, Secre-
tary j. Sterling Morton backed with some
striking figures his belief that the neal
future will show marked growth of value
in the agricultural lands Of the United
States. The Geological Survey has just
completed an exhaustive inquiry into the
subject The conclusions are even more
forcible than those the Secretary advanced.
There is still vacant and open to settle
ment within the United States, not includ-
ing Alaska, $50, 600, 900 acres. That is one
third of the total territory From these
grand figures it might seem that
Uncle Sam is rich enough
To give us all a farm,
as was sung away back in free soil and
homestead law days. But the expert Of
the survey, Mr. Newell, has examined
carefully and scientifically this remaining
comparatively small regions of Government
lands which can be titled without irriga-
ton are rapidly passing into the hands Of
settlers. A few years ago the Government
issued rose colored and enthusiastic reports
on the possibilities of irrigating the great
tracts of arid lands. The view was taken
that large percentage of the desert could
be made to blossom as the rose, through
storage systems. Mr.. Newell's findings are
much more conservative. There is a mar
row limit to the probabilities of economic
and profitable irrigation. 1t cuts down the
quantity of land left for home making to q
fraction.
In the original thirteen States, and in
Kentucky, Vermont, Tennessee, Maine
and West Virginia there is no public land.
Texas, by the terms of her annexation, re-
tanned possession of her domain. TIE
others are known as the pu bile land Staten.
Four of them, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and
Ohio, have disposed Of their public lands.
In the nine remaining States of the Mis-
sissippi Valley the vacant area varies from
a little under l 900 up to s, 7S7 square miles.
The rate of disposal shows that an average
of II IS per cent has been taken by the in
dividuals and corporations during the past
five years. If this rate is maintained all Of
the public lands in Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, and Wisconsin will
pass out of the possession Of the Govern
ment in the next nine years.
ut Is safe to assume that within de-
cade the amount of vacant land within
these States will be insignificant, Mr..
Newell says. NEARLY 60 per cent of the
total area vacant lies in the States of
Arkansas and Minnesota. Next to
these come Florida and Louisiana,
and then, in order, Missouri, Mississippi,
Alabama, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Much of the vacant land in the two
States first named is rugged and timber
clad, with soil reputed to be too poor for
successful agriculture. On the other hand,
in Florida and Louisiana the greatest part
of the vacant land is swampy and can be
reclaimed, if at all, only at considerable
expense for drainage canals and bikes or
levees to prevent overflow. In the re-
naming States the lands are largely tim
bered, and some Of them may be valuable,
not only for forest products, but also for
agricultural purposes In all Of tn, States