The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-10
THE NATIONS REAL ESTATE.
Lands and buildings Owned by the
Federal Government.
(From the Kansas CITY Star)

II is matter of common knowledge
that the United States is and always
has been an immense landho,der. The
Government Of the United States orig
inally owned almost all the lands in the
country after the title ceased to run in
the name OF any king. most inter-
esting and decidedly bulky volume would
be that which would tell what the Gov
eminent has done with the millions and
millions of acres of land that have gona
GU: of its hands, leaving many millions
still in its possession.
For many years, while the older West
Illinois and the rest-was bling settled,
, the ruling idea was to sell the land to the
settler at SIZE an acre. Those years wit
messed the growth Of a great institution
the United States Land Office. 1t was the
| busiest place in the country, and hence a
/ thriving business came to be known as
land Office business The Government
decided that it would receive In its bust
ness only gold, silver and the notes of the
United States bank. This gave rise to the
expression land Office money"-the best
money--the sort about which there was
no dispute.
The great business OF disposing Of the
Government land gave rise to the range,
township. and sectional system of survey
ing lands. the simplest and most effective
style ever invented. and said TO be the
work of General Mansfield. who was faith
er Of the General Mansfield who fell at
Antietam.
While the Government occupied a large
number of buildings for It's land-selling
operations, for long time 1t did not own
them. The Government like St Paul,
dwelt in a hired house. The Government
building in which the United States COL
lects It's business agencies under one roof
is a comparatively modern institution In
the earlier and so-caIled better days OF
the Republic the Government commenced
several massive structures which II had
no definite intention, apparently. OF finish
ing. One of these famous edificas was a
Custom House at New Orleans, which
proved too heavy for the earth as created
in tina, neighborhood. and SO settled down
ward about as fast as the workmen rear
ed its rising walls.
At a later period, however. the ccm-
pcsite Government building became the
style, containing rooms for the United
States Court and the postoffice. at least.
and these sprang up-if the word
''sprang" can be applied to any Govern
mental structure-all over the country
Small towns. as well as large cities, b.
came the seats Of Government buildings.
Each of these had its origin in an appro-
priation by Congress. The faculty for So
curing these appropriations increased with
the number of separate and dis met appro-
priations desired While everybody felt
that the erection of Federal palace at
Sharksburg was waste Of public treasure,
the Sharksburg appropriation was helped
through by various points desiring similar
structures. and to which In return the
Sharksburg influence was kindly extended
In time Of need
But there Is mo rose without its thorn.
and most roses have several. The COM
pletion of the Government building at any
given point whs.oin the golden age, the
signal for thee most unsparing criticism
70 its style OF beauty. The responsibility
for the defacing of the natural scenery
was laid upon a mysterious official known
as the Government architect. This post
was filled for years by Il person named
Mulleti who truthfuily or otherwise was
credited with being the most profane man
in the United States. If so We have the
consolation OF knowing tha; Architect Null
lett was mercifully eonsoled IN giving
back something like the language he re-
ceived.
In time the clamors of an outraged peo-
pie. appalled, by the horrors of Federal
architecture. was heard. and by some,
needed. and reform was observed among
the arches of the Government buildings.
The hour is approaching when a building
reared by virtue OF an act of Congress
may be a thing of beauty and a Joy for
ever, which is usually the period occupied
in its construction.
The amount the United States has in
vested in real estate In the way of
houses in now considerable. The report
of the Treasury Department OF the cost
of the public buildings under the con-
troll of the Treasury Department, which
does not include some of the most ex-
pensive structures, shows the cost to be
1854. 000.0 600 Not including the Capitol
or the White House or the Department
buildings not belonging TO the Treasury,
the District OF Columbia has received over
100000. The United States has built
in the State of New York to the amount
Of $29, Isl. 677; in Pennsylvania, $780,
2s5; Ohio has received $I0213,227; Mis-
souri,, the fifth State In point OF popula-
ton, is fourth In the matter of expendi-
ture by the United States, coming in with
81, 130,379 The most expensive single
building erected by the Treasury Depart
ment OF the United States has been the
New York Postofiice, which has cost
81, 05s. All.