The Saint Paul globe., 1899-08-19

Receipts of the State Land Office
show Big Business.
HELENA, Mont, Aug. 1S-The demand
for Montana grazing and AGRICULTURAL
lands IS greater this year than ever be-
fore in the history of the state and con-
stantly Increasing. The receipts of the
state land office and the report of the
land department of the Northern Pacific
Railway company alike show an unpre-
cedented amount Of business in the sale
and lease of lands for the last few
months. This is owing to no BOOM but
is simply an indication that the various
industries of the state are fast becoming
established on broader and surer founda-
uons than at any time in the past.
Figures will not lie" and during the
eight months of the present fiscal year,
beginning with Dec. l, 1928, the state land
Office has received from sales and leases,
SIP 4l6.47. This, compared with the re-
ceipts for the same months of the pre-
Gliding fiscal year, amounting to $66 574 50,
shows a gain of more than $45SOU over
last year. Even with no further increase
over last year, the state land department
would at the end Of the year show
grand total of $175O0 but with the con-
stantly increasing business of that Office
it is believed that so per cent is an con-
servative estimate of the gain which will
be made over last year for the next four
months Figuring on this basis, the state
land office will probably turn over to the
state treasurer for the present fiscal year,
more than $200,COO
The Northern Pacific land agent, having
headquarters at Helena, reports that the
sale of railroad lands in Montana this
year will exceed those of previous years,
and f w Wilsey, Northern Pacific land
agent for the district comprising Mime
sofa, North Dakota and Montana, esti-
mates from sales already made and the
constantly increasing demand for land,
that half million acres of railroad lands
in Montana viii be sold this year, as
against $4,000 acres sold last year, which
latter amount exceeded the sales of any
preceding twelve months
While there have been good blocks Of
railroad lands sold west Of the main
range, the greater demand is for the
grazing lands in the eastern part of the
state and most of the sales OF the past
few mOHthS-SOme of which have been
very large-haYe been of lands lying be-
tween Helena and Miles City. What few
pieces of agricultural land remain to the
company in Montana are being rapidly
purchased bnt the majority Of sales con-
sist Of grazing lands and are to the
stcckmel- of the state though Montana
is receiving her share Of immigration and
Of the very best class of@settlers.
Regarding these sales the agent says:
q look upon the sale of railroad and
state lands to stoclI9roWers as q splendid
thing for the state. 1t means added per-
manency to the steclTaising and wool
growing industries in this state. Under
the old range system there was no special
stability to thu business. Cattlemen could
close out their interests in short order,
when they deemed eXpedient, but when
they have money invested in lands, it
means they VIII take care of their bust
ness and remain with it. When stock
man secures for his own a certain tract
of grazing lands, the uncertainty of his
business is for the most part removed
He knows Just how many cattle or sheep
he can care for, and he understands that
10 other PERSONS interests can conflict
with lis own"