The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1897-10-29
UNCLE SANS DOMAIN.
Report Of the Commissioner of the
General Land Office.
AREA OF PUBLIC LANDS YET VACANT.
Millions Of Dollars Loss Sustained by the
Government Trough Timber Thieves
and Forest Fires No Provi-
sion for Protection

WASHINGTON. Oct 2T.-Commissioner
Of the General Land Office Binger Her
man has submitted his annual report
TO the secretary Of the interior. Com
pared with the previous year IL shows
a decrease of a,2es original homestead
entries aggregating as, SIS acres In
the entire disposals of public land
there was a falling off of $3.50, 4od
acres. The areas sold for cash
reached 4i9, 052 acres and mis-
cellaneous entries aggregating
1884, 554 acres. The receipts from dis
posal of public lands amounted to ST.
500. $50; and from disposal of Indian
lands s43s, 7is. There were 81, 0s7 agri-
cultural patents issued, approximating
s, i55. $40 acres. There were patented
or certified with the effect of patenting
for the benefit of railroad companies,
under congressional grants, 5, 101. s69
acres, decrease of over 10, 900, 900
acres from the previous year.
An approximate estimate Of the num-
Der OF acres of vacant public lands in
the several states and territories at the
close of the fiscal year is as follows:
Alabama, 532 $3.50; Arizona, "a, 400. oil;
Arkansas, 3. 81, 042; California, 43, SAL, :
o44: Colorado, 40,037. 204; Florida, L.
797, 662; Idaho. As. 962. s55; Kansas. t.
O46. $50; Louisiana. 5000; Michigan,
522. 43i; Minnesota, q, 240, 500; Mississip-
pi, AL, $40; Missouri, 497, 764; Montana
II, s32, 9l7; Nebraska, 10, 669, 1853; Neva-
da, 6i,57s.556; New Mexico. SO. 9s3. 047;
North Dakota, 2l,3s5, 293: Oklahoma,
s,I05, 23S; Oregon. 35 500, 31s; South Da-
kota, 10, $50 IT'S; Utah, a.. 205, 070; Wash
ington. 17,95s, $50; Wisconsin, 454, l0T;
Wyoming, 40, 34l, sss; Alaska, 369, 500, :
800 acres.
The figures above given do not in
clude the vacant land embraced in
military timber and Indian reserva-
tions, reservoir sites, tracts covered by
selections, filings, railroad grants, ect.
There were $40 cases of depredations
on public timber reported during the
year, involving a value of s635, 064,
recoverable to the government Near
ly 300 permits have been issued to cut
public timber since the passage of the
permit law. with an estimated amount
of timber thus allowed to be cut of
300. 000, 900 feet. Commissioner Her
mann says:
Large corporations aud companies
have secured permits at different times
TO cut many millions of feet, notably
the Big Black Foot Milling Co, Bitter
Root Developing Co. and Anaconda
Mining Co., all of Montana. Since my
induction / have refused TO allow any
license or use to exceed one quarter
section, and any further quantity upon
showing of the real necessity.
AT the present timber.dealersv yearly
sweep vast quantities of timber from
the public lands in the interests of
spectators without paying dollar to
the government, and conhagrations
rage through the public forests
without government effort to
check destruction. The timber
loss yearly from these sources
conseryatively runs up into the millions
of dollars 1t is .mpracticable to pro-
tect and administer the forests upon
the public domain without provision
for the maintenance OF a full local
force to supervise the timbered lands
and execute these laws"