The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-26
SUCCESS OF
OPENING is
UNPARALLELED
Thus Says Secretary of Inter
iOr in His Report.
DETAILS OF INTEREST
Small Percent of Expense Has
Never Reen EquaIed.
DETAILS OF INTEREST

Washington. Nov. 25.-The secretary of
the interior in his report concerning the
opening Of the KiCwa and Comanche land
gives some very interesting details not
heretofore published.
''The unparalleled success of said open
ing, the successful manner in which the
assistant commissioner and his assistants
conducted and completed their unusual
and extremely laborious work, and the
systematic and business like way in which,
ne discharged the duties imposed upon
him by the department viii. I trust,
cause said opening to be accepted as a
precedent for all future openings Of the
public domain.
The assistant commissioner also had
charge OF the sale Of town lots in the
county seats, which he located and sur
Neycd Every lot WAS sold. The total re-
ceipts from the sale aggregated S736, ,033
The expenses incurred in making the sales
Of SAID town lots aggregated $5,S3115 a
little less than four-ffths OF per cent Of
the total receipts. leaving a balance Of
s73029lS5, which was deposited 10 the
credit Of the secretary of the Interior
as trustee OF said town sites, in the sub
treasury at ST. Louis
Under the act Of March 5. 1901. it was
provided that the expenses incident 20
surveying and sUbdividing and selling
Of SAID town lots should be deducted from
the sales thereof Those expenses .equaled
s, ,zS4.z4, one-third of which, or 81, ,76l. H. is
properly chargeable against the receipts
from the sale Of each t0wnsite. and as
the whole sum. S5.2S4.24 was audited by
the general lana office and paid from the
- Cd
eriy charseabIe. said sum should be de-
Quoted from the receipts of the sales Of
said town lots. on account Of said eX-
penses. and deposited TO te credit of the
treasurer Of the United States. which
would leave the total net receipts from
the sale of the three townsites $72i.917.6l.
While an jtemized statement of the ex-
penses incident TO the registration, draw
ing aad making entries under the proc
lamation cannot he prepared until fun
reports have been received from the local
landofices at Lawton and El Reno very
close estimate Of the same can be made
as follows:
Salaries and per diem of W. a. Rich
ards and 35 detailed clerks during
the time engaged IN registration,
drawing and making entries (es-
timated ......--.-.....-......-.-. ,271
Railroad fare and necessary trav-
Washington. d. C. to Oklahoma
and return ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 500
Incidental expenses of registra-
ton and drawing, as shown by
advances made to the local off
GERS .......---.-... .......-.-.... $500
Salaries OF registers and receivers
for two months ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. . 600
Salaries of 80 local landofice clerks
for two months ...................... 500
Total .................................. SD. .7s1
In addition to other fees. Of which no
Recount is now available the land Offices
at Lawton and El Reno received as fees
upon the 1l.63S homestead entries made
during the 60-day period. the sum of
Si62 932, which sum viii be deposited in
thhe treasury. Deducting from this sum
the amount of expenses as estimated, a
balance Of Sfi2If1 is left TO the credit OF
the government up0n this account. This
is net sum accruine TO the government
IN the transaction Of the business of
opening these ceded lands TO settlement
RuG entry.
AS showing the financial working Of
the plan prescribed by the proclamation
= 1T = proper 10 take into account the net
receipts from the sale Of the three county
seat townsites. although they viii be de-
voted to public Improvements in the re-
spective counties. The net receipts from
the townsito sales were S7249l7 which.
added to the Sl42ls1. the net receipts of
the homestead entries. makes a total OF
.S67. 05S as the net receipts from the OPEN
inE q those lands mo 10 October 3. 1871.
tho end of the 69-day period fixed by the
proclamation.
1T IS believed that the orderly and
husinessllke methods that characterized
this opening and the small per cent that
N f., ..f .ef- 7.fe
total receipts make a showing that has
never been equalcd I'm any opening OF sale
of public lands I'm the whole history CT
ihe public land system
The quiet ana orderly manner in which
the opening was accomplished is most
gratifying. especially when contrasted
with The utter disregard of law and order
tine 0utragcs. ard the contests which
characterized the former openings on the