Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-04

St. Paul. Mimi, January 3.-The BIZ
ennial report of State Auditor Robert
c. Dunn to the Minnesota Legislature
was given to the press tonight and
contains some trartling figures and rec
concentrations. drawn from a rigid in
depreciation of the law and ca,eful
examination of the records of his office,
which includes the land department.
The general land department busi-
ness shows that the grants of land to
railroad companies by Congress and by
the State within the limits OF the State
of Minnesota, to aid in the construction
of the $500 miles of line have amounted
10 over twenty million acres. The to-
tai area of the State is about forty six
million acres.
A REASONABLE VALUATION
of these railroad lands is $103. 900 900,
or about $50. 900 per mile. OF these
lands the companies have already io-
ceived over ten million acres, ana un-
der the swamp land act from the State
they have received over 100000 addi-
tiOnal
He calls particular attention to the
grant originally made to the Little Falls
railway, and now owned by the North
ern Pacific. 1t consists of 100000 acres,
and was given 10 aid in the construction
Of that railroad from its eastern terml-
nus TO the western boundary OF the
State.
For uncompleted portions Of the line
the land should
REVERT TO THE STATE.
The line was only built TO Morris alto
gether S711s miles, and the Auditor holds
that the grant does not attach to the
2215 miles from that TO the State line,
making a difference of 100000 acres in
the grant. AS the company has al
ready received 100000 acres, which is
in excess of what they earned, the Leg
islature is asked to take proper action
to recover these lands, which are val
ued at not less than 50 per acre. The
Auditors conclusions and recommen-
datiOns regarding mineral lands, how
ever are most startling. He recon-
mends that the Legislature direct that
action be begun in the courts looking
to the recovery of lands already con-
veyed to the Duluth & Iron Range rial
road, amounting to 100000 acres, and
that the remaining portion, 100000
acres, be
DECLARED FORFEITED.
These lands. cOnservatively valued, are
worth Sc. 600 600. being located eXclus-
lively in st. Louis. Lake and Cook coun-
ties. which comprise the mineral and
timber portions of the State. He then
calls attention to the constitutional
provision that all State lands must be
sold at public auction. AS the timber
has been considered part of the real
tv. il has been similarly disposed OF,
and the State Auditor now raises the
question whether the mineral is not
also a part of the realty and should
therefore be disposed of in like man
ner The Rockefellers and the Mime
sofa Iron Company hold ninety per cent
of the mining contracts On State lands
Including the famous Oliver mine
with its great ore deposits-and these
were all secured at private sale. so that
If his contention be approved there
would be
A GENERAL SHAKING UP
in mineral contracts.
The land on which the Rich noun
tain iron mine is located was selected
in 1883 by the then State Auditor tor
indemnity school land. In 1883 the
same afficial-apparently through an
error or oversight-executed a relin-
enlistment back to the government.
This land is valued at not less than $l2,-
600 600. State Auditor Dunn takes the
ground that possibly the State still
holds title to these lands under the
original selection and that the relin-
enlistment was null and void because
the Auditor had no power to execute
such REIMBURSEMENT. that power re-
naming with the Governor.