Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1907-02-01
STATE LAND OFFICE.
seynopsis of Work Done in That
Office During Past Two Years.

Ufflce During faSt Two Tears.
E. L. Marvin, special agent for
the land board during the past two
years, gives some interesting figures
showing the work of his department
during that time.
In their two years, which will not
be up until along in February, thev
have compiled no less than 1900
1plats, showing all the lands owned
by the state, down to the smallest
parcel of soil anywhere within the
state borders. The plats cover all
the surveyed part Of Idaho, but there
is necessarily very large area not
yet surveyed, in the back counties
of the north and northeast, where
the state has not been able to select
Its lands. There will be approxi-
mately 1000 of these plats when all
are finished.
These plats are drawn on COM
prehenslve scale, and are colored to
show the various grants to which
the lands belong. Each grant.
whether capitol building, university
or other state institutions, is shown
all through in its distinctive color.
The plats make several large
volumes, and represent thousands Of
dollars in work. But they are &C
curate, and invaluable in showing
what the state owns.
| All the lands are indexed fully,
each grant separately, NO that a
glance is sufficient to find any trac,
Of land, its ownership, and any
other facts concerning it. 1t 10
worthy Of note that prior to this
administration there was practically
nothing of the kind in the Office.
j Of the special state grants,
amounting in all TO 66s,0sO acres,
there has been selected according to
the state records, which do not agi ee
exactly with the United States
records and cannot be considered
absolutely correct .until verified by
careful examination, a to.al of
668, O34 acres. OF this, the state
has clear-listed, or patented, total
of $50, 749 acres.
To go into o comparison of reT
ceipts, the report shows that the
total receipts of the land depart
ment from 1891 to 1905 were, 81,
500, 56S.37. The receipts for the
! past two years were s7e4.92S, OF
more 5e per cent as much as during
! all the years preceding. The aver.
age price of lands sold by the state
land department for the period from
. 1891 to 1905 was $l4.28 per acre
. the average price the past two years
has been $l6 70. Part of the in.
t crease has been due to the settling
b up of the state, and the demand fol
0 lands. The fact that the best land
had been sold years ago from thu
d most populous and well settled com
g munities, leaving only the refuse t.
e be sold in the past two years, wher
e indeed there has been any at all t.
i sell, is partial compensation for tn
e increasing population and demand
e Of timber, a total OF 1868
g acres was sold prior to the past tw'
9 years, at an average price of Us. |
u per acre. Most Of this was sold i
large bodies and on 20-year col
u tracts. In the past two years, tin
D. Der has been sold from Is, AGO. 5
'e acres, at an average price Of $l4.s
70 per acre. Most of this is on 10 an
E. l5-year leases or contracts, and
~ great deal of it was on isolated an
y. scattering tracts.
In the years from 1891 to 100!
= agricultural and grazing leases pal
to $l0s, 449.94. In the past two year
ed the same items paid S54, 2s4 So,
:. more than onehalf as much as Il
y. IA years preceding.
to Deeds to the number of 226 ha,
ne ne been issued from the department