The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-14
SCHOOL LAND
DEPARTMENT
HAS NEW PLAN
For the Leasing of Townsite
Lots to Highest Bidder.
is A REVENUE PRODUCER
Appraisment Now Going on at
Luther Lincoln County.

Guthrie. o. T. May 1S.-The territorial
school land department. has inaugurated
system of townsite leases which is sure
to bring in an immense amount OF money
to the school funds Of the territory as the
years go by Secretary Jas. J Houston
has been working on the matter for some
time aud made the announcement today
that the appraisement of lots at Luther,
Lincoln county was being carried on by
chas- Cunningham, one OF the members
of the school land office force
These lots VIII be leased to me highest
bidder for term Of three years. any
person has the privilege Of submitting
bids TO the school land department for
any number Of lots. and should he be the
highest bidder The lots wiz be awarded
him for a term Of three years. After the
three year lease expired. the lessee has
the privilege Of renewing the lease with
out competition. for another term Of years
at the appraised value, subject to legis-
lative and congressional acts.
, schedule OF appraised prices win be
made up and placed on nle in the school
land department and if the person desir-
ing to bid on lots should make an offer
over the appraised value. as was the case
in the letting Of the bids for leases in the
new county. the man making the highest
bid VIII get the lot.
o. p N Butler, cashier Of the First
National bank at Lawton. has entered
into contract with the school land de-
partment 10 plat forty acres Of school
land adjoining the townsite of Lawtom on
the west and to lease the same to indi-
viduals desiring lots. Butler. when the
lands in the new country were leased
secured $50 acres west Of Iawton. paying
$3.50 for three years lease. The ap-
praised rental FOR three years is sI00 per
annum. making an aggregate of $500 for
three years. Butler gave a bonus Of
$3.50 for The land. The next bid wss
sl.So0. Guthrie man offering bonus
of s,0oo. In consideration for having the
land plated after It is surveyed. Butler
is 10 receive the rentals for the time re-
naming in his lease. These leases on lots /
will expire on January J. 1875. ard at that
time. Mr. Butler relinquishes all of his !
partment and viii also turn over a com /
piete record Of an persons holding lots |
All transfers viii be recorded in the school (
land office. Only eighty acres Of the
land is being plated at tlfis time The 1
balance OF the quarter tsill be used for 4
agricultural purposes. When the school I
land department takes this matter up the |
lessees will have the privilege OF renewing /
their leases at the appraised value set by /
school land department without compet- !
ton.
The argument was advanced that Butler /
would make a good thing ont of the mat
ter, but as he held a three year lease on /
the land. the only manner in which the |
people Of I-awton who desired more room
could he accommodated was to make n
contract Of this kind When Mr. Butler
submitted his original bid to the school
land department. he made provisions Of I
this kind. and the bid was rejected with
the statement that ne must make
straight bid and that IF he secured the
land. the townsite matter could bc talked
OF then lie submitted his bid which AZ
forwards secured the land for him
j. J. Houston. secretary ef the board I
VIII GO 10 Mountain View within few
days 70 look over the school land situa-
tion there Under former administra-
tion. the Mountain View Improvement
company was given contract to rclin-
quish all claims 70 persons securing town
lots from them on a tract Of school land
held 10y the company providing that five
per cent Of the purchase price was turned
over 20 the school land department The
members Of the school land board hold
that the Improvement company nas not
lived up % its part Of the contract owing
70 the fact that monthly reports were not
sent In 70 the department and for this
reason the hoard holds the contract for
feited and VIII make some other previs-
ions in regard 70 the matter
Under the lve per cent provision TIE
board would have secured q neat sum OF
money, hut ii is alleged that the improve
rnent company relinguished fifty lots 1T
price cf 81 each. thus giving the school
land department five cents per let when
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