The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-01
STATE LAND GOING Up.
PARTS OF THE
STATE
PROSPECTS FOR 'ee DEMAND
Timber Lands Have Also Advanced,
and the Last Sale of Stumpage
Was the Most Successful That
Has Been HeId-HistOry of the
Salt Spring Lands Held In Trust
by the State University.

The sale of state lands for the month
or January. made by State Auditor
Dunn. has been a record breaker. Us
TALLY the first month in the new year
does not find a very brisk market for
state lands, perhaps mainly for the rea-
son that most of the states holding is
covered with snow anywhere from two
to five feet. The business fer January
was as follows:
Acres
6z patents school lands .................. 5,569
2 patents agricultural college lands.... 1872
l university patent of so acres. ...... 80
Iotal ........ ........... ............ 6,S41
Mr. Dunn regards this as a bright
indication of What the business Of the
year will be. He assarts that all kinds
OF agricultural lads in every part Of
the state have advanced in price since
last fall. The last few years have seen
an increase in the price of farm lands
unlmproved in the rural sections of
the state of very nearly 100 per cent.
The railroads have been holding the
price of their lands UP, and the general
ly stimulated condition of this market
has resulted in an increased revenue
to the state
Mr.. Dunn says he looks forward to
1899 as record breaker in the volume
s1oners' department of the auditors of
flee. George Flynn. chief land clerk,
has an unusually large number of in
qufries on his desk for this season of
the year from all over the state, inquir-
ing when land sales will be held.
Timber lands have also advanced ma
terially in price. The last sale of
stumpage was the most successful held
in the history Of the state, and another
sale will in all probability be held some
time during the spring.
In addition to this the regents of the
state university have sold during the
last month salt spring lands to the val
ue of $22, ,591.4 "A. These lands are held
In trust by the regents of the state uni
versity and sold from time to time at
the discretion of the board. The sales
during the last month just about cleans
up these lands, which We're granted by
congress in 1857. The grant to the
state gave the salt springs of the state,
not to exceed twelve in number, with
six sections of land adjoining each
spring, making in all seventy-two sec
tions of land or 46,080 acres, subject to
the disposal Of the state legislature.
The twelve salt springs were DULY dis
covered, and the lands selected by the
state No one ever heard of such a
thing as a salt spring in Minnesota,
although at the time the state officials
had no trouble in locating twelve bub-
bling salty springs. They were for the
most part located In the western and
northern counties.
The legislature Of 1873 passed a law
transferring the salt spring lands to
the custody and control OF the regents
of the Minnesota state university to be
sold in such manner or In such
amounts consistant with the laws, Of
the state of Minnesota as they may see
fit, the proceeds thereof being held in
trust by them and only disbursed in
accordance with the law ordering a
geological and natural history survey
Of the state.
The lands have been nearly all dis
posed Of by the regents, and when the
final accounting is made later in the
year it will show an aggregate Of
something like 100000, including in
terest derived from salt spring lands.
Plans for the o. r. C. Convention.
Mayor Kiefer has called a meeting of rep
resentatives of the different commercial bod
les, to be held in the executive office, Thurs
day afternoon at 4 o'clock, for the purpose
Of discussing arrangements for bringing the
national convention of the Order of Railway