The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-30
IT WILL BE YEARS
BEFORE THE STATE BOTANICAL
AND GEOLOGICAL HISTORY Is
DONE.
NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY.
PRESIDENT Pu,LSRrrRv or uu
BOARD OF REGENTS, SUBMITS
TO LEGISLATURE
VoLUMINOUs STATEMENT ABoUr rr
How the Original Grant Was Usaa
and supplemented by ApprOpria-
ttOns of the State.

In compliance with a resolution
adopted by the house some time hack
President j. S. Pillsbury, of the state
board of regents, has submitted a volu-
m1nous report of the geogical and
natural history survey, its doings and
expenses and the results achieved from
1917 to Aug. 1, 1896. The report. when
received and reported, was referred to
the committee on public lands, and will
De printed as an appendix of the house
journal.
Inc report recites the terms of the
original grant made by the govern
ment IN 1857 to the state of Y sections
OF land in all The act providing for the
geological and natural history survey
OF the state was passed by the Iegis
iature in its session of 1872, and by its
terms the salt lands were placed in
charge of the board of regents of the
university The original grant from the
government was 46,0S0 acres, and subse-
quent investigation revealed the fact
that of this number 27.515 acres.
through one cause and another. had
neen practically lost to the state, some
1000 acres of the 27,5OO falling prey to
spectators. The law of 1873, enacted
upon the recommendation Of a number
of very prominent men, placed at the
disposal of the board of regents the
remainder of the Salt spring lands.
the object Of the transfer being the pro-
vision of funds to conduct the state
survey. In addition there was appro-
pr1ated $4,000 annually to continue I'M
til such time as the proceeds Of sales
OF Salt spring lands should annually
equal that amount. In 1879 congress,
at the request of the state, and at tina
instance of g. memorial presented from
the legislature, granted "A additional
sections of some $4,000 acres to replace
lands which had been lost as described.
practically leaving the state with the
amount of land in the original grant
Until 1877 the income from the Salt
spring lands supported the survey.
when there came a demand for more
rapid completion of the work. The
legislature of that year appropriated
$4,000 for the ensuing biennial period.
with instructions that explorations be
economically conducted in those dis
tricts which might yield discoveries Of
natural gas or iron ore. Four years
later $4,000 additional were appropriat-
ed, and two years later SO, 900 addition
al. These amounts as expended through
the survey, were the direct means of
opening up to the commercial world
one of the richest and most extensive
mining regions of the globe, especially
as this applied to the Mesaba range.
where the value of the iron-bearing
lands became known and their value
appreciated through the Instrumental
ity of a survey before they had been
entirely sold to private parties and
the revenue therefrom lost to the state.
Appended to this portion of the re-
port is a brief statement of the pro-
ceedS of all sales of Salt spring lands to
Aug. l of last year. The amount was
$10S,629, or an average price of Sc per
acre. The entire cost of the survey
from its inauguration is quoted at $685.
ACT. The mines discovered as a result,
of the survey are declared to have al
ready yielded the state $204,284.
1t is stated that the field work OF the
geological part Of the survey is now
finished, and that the final report OF
the same will be ready for print this
summer; the botanical and geological
part of the work will not be complete
for several years to come.
A statement is also made in the re-
port Of the progress of the botanical
and geological divisions of the survey.
Under such heads as "herbarium" and
collections" library" field work.
a brief summary is given of the work
as 1t has been carried on and Of the
results which have rewarded the labors
of those who had it in charge The
size of the herbarium is said to be
100000 specimens, the fifth in size on
this continent, and in the line of scien-
tif1c results it is set forth that more
than 600 species of plants not previous
ly known to be indigenous to the soil
of the state have been found within it's
borders, while a thousand others are
now known to the survey and await
ing publication Twelve species new
to science are also recorded as being
discovered. OF the geological depart
ment of the work it is said that only
about one-tenth of the fauna Of the
state have yet been arranged for ex-
hibition. but that all the material
which the survey has secured has been
stored in Pillsbury hall at the univer-
sity, where 1t is now awaiting care.
The treasurer's report, as given by
Treasurer Joseph E. Ware. of the uni
versity, gives in detail the expenditures
and receipts as they have come in or
have been paid out by the survey.