The Saint Paul globe., 1899-08-04
LAND is In DEMAND
SALES BY RAILROAD COMPANIES
WILL BE HEAVY THIS
YEAR
ALL AGENTS ARE VERY BUSY


Thrown on the Market at From
$3 to $40 an Acre-AnnuaI Re-
port of Land Department Now in
Hands of President of the Great
Northern Makes a Good Showing.
he sales of Minnesota railroad lands
this year will be large The demand for
land has been much heavier since Jan.
than for several years preceding. The
land department of the Great Northern,
Northern Pacific and st. Paul & Duluth
have disposed of thousands of acres this
summer to desirable settlers and the land
agents state that the demand will con-
tinue through the fair with a prospect of
heavy sales next spring.
The Northern Pacific owns thousands
of acres in Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard,
Itasca, Mil Lacs Morrison, Aitkin, Todd
and Wadena counties, comprising a large
amount of pine land as we'll as fertile sec
tions adapted to farming. These lands
are on the market at from So to $40 per
acre. During the spring a large number
of settlers took up homesteads in these
counties and the sales have continued
strong all summer.
The Great NOrthern's sales have been
largely of lands included in the original
grant made to the st. Paul, Minneapolis
& Manitoba These lands are included
in Wilkin, Otter Tail, Todd, Benton, Nor
rison, Big Stone, Traverse, Marshall,
Stevens, Grant, Sterns; Sherburne, Kit
son, Anoka, Kandiyohi, Pope and Swift
counties. The aggregate acreage. of the
lands now owned by the Great Northern
and st. Paur, Minneapolis & Manitoba is
less than that of the Northern Pacific, as
the lands have been on the market longer.
The land department officials state that
with the spring of the year an unusual
demand for lands was manifested Many
desirable sections were taken up at once
and business increased in volume over
that OF previous years By 10 per cent. A
noticeable feature of this years business
is that the great majority of those seek
ing homes, not only had money, but had
sufficient to pay for their farms in cash
and retain d comfortable balance. The
annual report Of the land department,
which is in the hands of the president
of the road, makes an excellent showing.
The St. PaUr q Duluth has disposed
Of thousands of acres of Northern farm
ing and timber lands Inquiry yesterday
brought the statement that sales have
been heavier than usual. The sales of
agricultural lands have heavily overbal-
anced those of pine lands and in many
sections the increase in settlers has been
marked. The rush for lands comes usual
ly in the spring. At this time many pros
pective settlers who have previously in
vestigated desirable iands, come Into the
state and purchase homesteads. The rail-
road land agents anticipate a heavy bust
ueSs this fail with those wishing to take
up lands and prophesy that next spring
will see the greatest increase in land
sales in years.
AS far as the state is concerned, de-
niand for agricultural lands has been bet
ter during the summer than for some
time past. Under the law regulating the
sale of state lands no land can be dis
rcsed of at a private safe. State Auditor
Dunn is now arranging to hold a num-
beC of sales in the southern and west
ern part of the state from which locality
a greater number of the Inquiries are
coming The land is first appraised by
the state. and advertised for sale at least
four weeks prior to the sale No land can
be sold for less than S5 an acre. Neither
can it be sold at a figure less than the
appraised price. Fifteen per cent of the
purchase price is paid at the time of the
sale The state then issues forty-year
contract with interest at 5 per cent. The
interest may De pdlu DIT ANY IlHle-
Many of Mr.. Dunns inquiries come
fl ON distant points, from people owning
improved farms in other states, who de-
sire to settle in Minnesota, and from
farmers who want to locate their sons
on good agricultural lands in this state.
In fact Ii often happens that letters are
received from people in New York and
the Eastern states.
The state auditor reports an increase
of 80 per cent in the number of land
patents issued by his Office during the
year ending July 81 over the preceding
year The last legislature refused to re-
duce the rate of interest on land certifi-
Gates, and Mr.. Dunn attributes the large
number who have paid up and received
patents to the fact that the settlers pre-
fer taking this method of securing their
land in preference to paying per cent
interest. In two years the number of
patents issued has increased 200 per cent.
The following is Mr.. Dunn's report for
+I,o