The river press., 1911-05-24
$257,623.26 FOR LANDS.
Chouteau County Residents Purchase
Nearly 20, 900 Acres.

Chouteau County Residents Purchase
Nearly 20, 1000 Acres.
The opportunity to purchase certain
tracts OF state land In Chouteau coun.
ty attracted q big crowd to the court
b h)use Thursday afternoon, when the
tracts we're offered for sale at auction
by Joseph Oker, deputy register OF
state lands. The visitors included
residents of all parts OF Chouteau
county-from various towns along the
main line of the Great Northern, from
the Bear Paw country, and from the
southern portion and southweste
end of the county. There were also
several resident of Helena and other
distant points who have ranch and
livestock interests in this part OF
Montana.
The proceedings we're opened BY
Mr.. Oker with an extended explana-
ton Of the conditions under which the
lands would be sold. Prospec.
tive purch asers were advised that the
rights of the present lessees Of the
lands would not terminate until Janu.
ary l, 1912; that the improvements
made at the expense of the lessee are
. charge against the purchaser at .
fair valu alton. the method Of arriving
at such valuation also being ex.
pl aimed. 1t was also stated that
rights of way for county roads
and railways that pass through the
land are included in the acreage offer.
ed for sale, as they are easements
under which the land may ultimately
revert to the purchaser. The terms OF
sale do not contemplate q bond for
future payments in cases where pur'
chase is made on installment plan; II
the purchas defaults In his annual
dues he forfeits what has already been
paid and the land reverts to the state.
The rem arks of Mr.. Oker were intend.
ed to give q clear understanding OF
the matter upon the part of applicants
for the purchase of any tract offered.
The revenues of the state land de.
partment will be increased over q
quarter OF q million dollars by the
proceeds of the sale of state lands In
Chouteau county. The various tracts
offered for sale had total acreage OF
81, 721 Al acres, and OF this amount
19,S27.29 acres found purchas The
prices ranged from $40. 90 to S26 90 per
acre, with an average selling price
of about S12.OO per acre.
When Mr.. Oker and his assistant
figured up the result of the sale Thurs
day evening, it was found that the
total of the prices at which the several
tracts were sold amounted to the hand.
some sum of S257 ,623. 26. This is be-
lieved to he one of the most successful
sales of state lands ever made by tht
public authorities.
The various state funds hat will ben
eft from the Chouteau county land SALE
will not be in immediate receipt OF the
quarter of a million dollars for which
the real estate was cold. A large pro
portion of the purchases were % ade or
time, the payments being Is per cen
OF the purchas price at time of sale
and the remainder in twenty annua
installments. The cash payments
however, will make q material addi
tion to the finances of the public in
stitutions that are maintained In par
by the revenues from state lands.
Most of the purchases at the lane
sale we're made at the appraised valu'
of the property, but in few instance
there was lively competition for I
tract that vas desired BY two or NOR
applicants. This situation applied Il
the Offering for which e26. 90 per acre
the highest price OF the day, was pait
by Conrad Kulage, OF the Shonkin
and there we're several other sales q
figures that largely exceeded the sp