Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1901-08-23
TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER
State Lands in Carbon County to Be Placed
on Sale in the Month Of
September.
TO BE SOLD OR LEASED
An Area of 26, 400 Acres Of Land in This
County Involved, One Third Being
Agricultural.
TO BE SOLD OR LEASED

4 Plans are being matured for the first
auction sale Of state lands in this county.
It is rather novel expedient in the
realm Of state policy and is regarded
very much in the light Of an expert
ment.
According to the Helena Record
Register Thomas D. Long, of the state
land department, will transform himself
into an auctioneer in September, and
will hold public sale of the state land
in Carbon county at Red Lodge at that
time. That will be the beginning Of a
vigorous campaign for the purpose Of
pushing sales Of state land and realizing
all the cash possible to replenish the de-
pleted funds.
| The terms Of sale are either cash for
the whole price, or 30 percent cash and
the balance in seven equal annual pay
ments bearing percent interest. Only
the land appraised at more than $40 an
acre, which is the lowest price at which
the law allows the state to sell land, will
be sold. No land will be sold for less
than the appraised value.
The land to be offered for sale in Gar
bon county comprises an area Of 10000
acres, Of which about 5000 is agricul-
tural and the balance grazing. 1t all
lies north and east Of Red Lodge, very
little land in the southern part Of the
county having been surveyed.
The object is to give settlers an OPP
portunity to buy all the land there is for
sale,'' said Mr.. Long. eff it will
not sell, we shall lease it and
shall make more vigorous effort
than before to do so. If we find any
man using state land without having
bought or leased it, we shall compel him
to either pay for it or get Off ] believe
that in selling the land, we shall be en-
couraging settlement, but we must make
money out of it in order to pay interest
aud principal on the bonds of state in
stitutions. If we cannot do this by sell
ing, we shall lease it,
There is every indication that the
Forthcoming auction sales will bear rich
fruit. Money will be received in plenty
by the state treasury, state institutions
will be relieved Of debts, and last, but
not least, will be the increased immigra-
ton Of the best possible class Of settlers
Since the general announcement Of
hoS into nf fhn c{af l,o, ord Of LAM
commissioners to offer at auction hun-
dreds of thousands Of acres of these
lands inquiries from various parts of
the country have poured in upon the
land office. So voluminous has the cor
respondence become that the land office
force has difficulty in keeping up with
the requests for information.
Literally, almost, the people Of the
four corners Of the earth-of the United
States, anyway-are interested in Mon
tana real estate. Inquiries have come
from New England, from the south, the
middle west and every other section of
the country. All letters indicate that
the correspondents mean business.
If the present rate Of correspondence
continues, the interest in the forthcom-
ing land sales will equal, it not surpass,
that taken in the governments famous
lottery in Oklahoma recently. The state
land Office is preparing for a big bust
ness, in consequence, prior to the sales
and in transfers Of real estate after the
auctions have started.
While it is hardly probable that all of
the millions of acres of land owned by
the state will be offered at auction, the
entire lot is for sale. The only condi-
ton is that none be disposed of at less
than $40 an acre. Auctions will be con
Quoted wherever there are applications
for land, and the highest offer over the
appraised value will get the title.
Some Of the letters received by
Register Long give evidence OF the inter
est taken in the sales. is it good level
farm, land?" asks resident of Moline,
ILL.,, referring to real estate in certain
sections "How much is it worth per
acre?' continues this man. Can you
give me a list q. lands in Lewis and
Clarke and Deer Lodge eeupties:' asks
Ia Chippewa Fallsi Wis.,, man. Similar
letters have been received from Georgia,
Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri and several
other states. They indicate the wide
spread interest.
\ complete itinerary of the auction
business to be conducted by Mr.. Long
has not yet been arranged. He will
start in Carbon county with sale at
Red Lodge, Sept. l8. Flathead county
will probably be the next on the list, much
of the best land being located there.
The force in the land Office is now