Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-08-27
DAKoTA,s SCHOOL LANDS.
What Commissioners LOckhart's Re
port Will Show.

What Commissioner LNckhart's Re-
port Will Show.
There is no department Of the state gov
eminent in which the people have more
direct interest than in that of the school
and public lands. Commissioner Lock-
hart's forthcoming report will show:
When South Dakota was admitted to the
union the General Government made
grants to the state of 2,S48,4SO acres OF
land for educational and charitable pur-
poses. OF this amount the common school
fund received 2. l5O, 400 acres, and under
the provisions of the constitution none OF
these lands may be sold for less than $40
per acre, and the income therefrom Is to
he invested at a rate OF 8 per cent. pei an
num-. The lands which have so far been
disposed Of have brought an average price
of about $3.50 per acre, and II
it is all disposed Of at this rate
the income would be yet greater.
So far the state has disposed
of l45, 6S5 acres, leaving an immense area
yet to be disposed of, and it will be many
years before it is all finally taken, but
with an improvement in the financial al
fairs Of the country there is but little
question that the sales would soon reach
point where the income from the fund re-
ceived would keep pace with the needs Of
the state for school purposes. While the
fund does not yet cut much figure in the
reduction of taxes, there was distributed
among the schools, in the appointments
made December Is, 1895, aud June L.,
1896, $l.35 per capita, on a school popula-
ticn OF 104, 029.
The money which goes to the school is
that secured from the interest on money
received from the sale of school lands, and
from the leasing of lands yet held in the
name of the state. At the present time
the state has invested in the various coun =
ties in real estate loans and school bonds,
1923 OH .53, the county securing the largest
amount being Union will, $50, 74O.
Naturally the sales of lands have been
principally in the older counties OF the
southern and eastern portion Of the state,
INT while most of the lands have been
disposed of in several counties, only one
in which all of it has been sold Is Clay, in
the southwestern portion.
Besides the common school fund, the
Office has the management of about zoe, 900
acres of land for the benefit of the various
state educational and charitable institu-
tons. This land was not granted to the
state iii SpeciHc SecllOHS, dS was Tie ScuOOl
lands, and it was necessary for the COM
missioner to select the acreage granted
from any unappropriated public lands in
the state. OF this amount there has been
been selected up to the present time over
$50, 900 acres, most of which has been APP
portioned to the various institutions which
are to be benefited.
Wealth of the State
The valuation of the lands OF South Da-
kota, according to the last assessments, is
$73,6 S4 ,oS7 for farm lands and SIS, 900, 621
for town lots. This places the average
value of farm lands at 1872 per acre.
The total number OF cattle of all classes
is 514, $40, with an assessed valuation of
So, 045, 3l9. For horses the total number
is placed a 81 ,6l5, with a valuation OF
81, 697, 7S9. The number of mules and
asses is 4,75S, with a valuation OF 500, $50.
Of sheep there are $40, Isl, valued at $374,-
495. Hogs number PIP, 572, valued at $685.
$50. All other personal property is listed
at 50, 915, 476.
In the number of different classes or
live stock the counties which lead are
Choteau-an unorganized county-on
cattle, with 81, 1896; Brown on horses. with
12,SS7; Sphinx on sheep, with ? 1913; and
Clay on hogs, with Is, $50.