The Washington times., 1909-12-13
MILLION OF ACRES
PLACED ON MARKET
Oklahoma Legislature Will
Dispose of Much of State
School Lands.

GUTHRIE, Okla, Dec 12.-An aggre-
gate of 1,632,O00 acres Of land VIII be
placed on the market by Oklahoma dur
ing the coming winter and spring, com
mencing with the sale of $1,000 acres Of
indemnity school lands ia Lincoln
county December Is.
The state owns 3.151 ,O75 acres or school
and public building land and about half
OF it is 70 be sold this winter under the
bin passed by the last Legislature.
which was a compromise between the
people who wanted all Of the lands sold
and those who wished 10 retain IL as a
permanent heritage FOR the schools Of
the state. Under this bin the State
viii sell the so-called indemnify lands,
the new. college lands, and the public
building lands, still retaining the COM
mon school lands proper. sections 16
and &c. and the original college lands
section e.
In Large Blocks.
The sale Of the indemnity lands and
the new college lands IS desirable be-
cause they lie IN large blocks and be-
ing non-ta1able seriously cripple the
school district. township. and even the
counties where they are located The
sale OF the public building lands Is
necessary 70 0kAhAAA AAAANAa ANA N-+~ Nv
ton of the many State institutions
which already have been created by the
Legislature. The lands were granted
for that specific purpose
The first sold viii DO the indemnity
lands. wherever any or all portions
Of sections 16. 30, ID or 80, the sections
granted to the State by the Federal
Government. were lost by reason OF
Indian allotments. fractional surveys.
large streams. etc. the governor or the
TERRITORY was allowed 10 select lanuS
of an equal area in lieu Of the lands so
lost, the lands thus selected being
known as indemnity lands.
The total amount so selected was
sos, ISS acres. and while the land Is scat
tered over the entire area Of the former
Territory Of Oklahoma, there are sew
eral places where they are massed in
acres OF B1ckapoO indemnity lands IN
Lincoln, Oklahoma, and Pottc-watOmie.
counties, where the first sales viii be
held. There is a tract OF 24,240 acres OF
part OF woodward county and one of
1900 acres in the center OF Beaver
In Caddo County.
There also are about 5000 acres Of in
demndty land IN Caddo county, 5000
acres in Comanche county, 42,000 acres
in Greer county. and 5000 acres in
1<iowa county. The sale win be started
IN these latter counties Immediately
following the completion OF the work IN
Lincoln. Oklahoma, and Pottawatornie
The big share Of the indemnity lands.
t14,Sl4 acres. are common school lands,
446I4 acres college land. and 1858 public
building land.
Virtually al OF these lands are now
leased under preference right leases.
which give the lessees the right to pur-
chase at the highest bid made In case
they do not elect 20 take the land al
that price, the purchasers must pay
them for their improvements ACCORDING
10 the appraisement made by the State
school land board
Terms Are Easy.
The payment for the improvements
must be in cash. but only 5 per cent OF
the purchase price Of the land has TO be
paid down. the remainder being payable
in forty equal annual iustailments, wifi
interest at 5 per cent
In the sale Of the new college lands
which win follow that Of the indemnity
lands, the lease question viii not bt
present 10 bother, as these lands arc
ing purposes There are I'm all LOO 0H
acres Of them, granted 20 The State by
the enabling act for the benefit OF state
educational institutions. TO be selected
out OF any public domain IN the State
not already appropriated
Last Of all viii come the sale OF Tho
public building lands which are scat
tered throughout all OF the counties or
the western half Of the State. and tota'
3l5,o65 acres Like the indemnity lands
they are subject to the preference righI
OF purchase By the lessee