ISSUE OF PATENTS FOR LANDS DISPOSED OF. AGRICULTURAL PATENTS ISSUED. The class of patents embraced under this subhead includes all patents issued on final and commuted homestead entries; on preëmption, timber-culture, desert, private cash, townsite, and other entries embracing land of an agricultural, nonmineral character. The number of such agricultural patents issued during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was 114,360, which, allowing 160 acres to each patent, would embrace an aggregate of 18,297,600 acres. MINERAL PATENTS. Of mineral and mill-site patents 1,792 were issued, as against 1,407 during the previous fiscal year, an increase of 385 patents. Of coal patents, 226 were issued, as against 224 patents during the previous year, an increase of 2, and including an area of 31,728.65 acres, as against an area during the previous year of 33,473.72 acres, or a decrease in area of 1,745.07 acres. In the following exhibit are shown the States and Territories in which mineral and mill-site and coal land patents were-issued: There were patented for the benefit of railroad companies under Congressional grants during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, 3,088, 679.23 acres, as shown in the following table: Union Pacific Railway Co.: Nebraska Colorado.. Little Rock and Memphis Railroad Co., Arkansas..... Chicago, St. Paul, Minnesota and Omaha Railway Co., Wisconsin Acres. 1,290, 275.82 950, 043.73 10, 441. 40 2,250, 760.95 32,272.24 65, 465, 09 240,00 156, 365, 66 Northern Pacific Railroad Co.: Minnesota North Dakota... Acres. 261,773. 01 302,094.99 Acres. Wisconsin Central Railroad Co., Wisconsin. Southern Pacific Railroad Co., California..... Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Co., Missouri and Arkansas.. Total 563,868.00 5, 418.51 6,598.95 7,529.83 160.00 3,088, 679.23 As against an area patented to railroads during the last fiscal year of 363,862.15 acres, or an increase of 2,724,817.08 acres. SWAMP-LAND PATENTS. The following statement shows the acreage by States of swamp lands patented during the year, also the acreage selected by the States and approved by this office, and the aggregate area of such lands patented to the States since the date of the grant: Swamp lands patented, also selected and approved, during the fiscal year ending June 30, During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, an area of 109,351.89 acres was patented to the several States under the swamp land grants, but during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, an area of 408,127.55 acres was patented to the States, showing an increase of 298,775.66 acres in the last fiscal year over the fiscal year last preceding. STATE SELECTIONS APPROVED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER PURPOSES. The approvals during the year under the different grants to the several States for educational purposes and under the saline grant, having the effect of a patent, embraced an area of 756,172.91 acres. ISSUE OF PATENTS FOR LANDS DISPOSED OF. AGRICULTURAL PATENTS ISSUED. The class of patents embraced under this subhead includes all patents issued on final and commuted homestead entries; on preëmption, timber-culture, desert, private cash, townsite, and other entries embracing land of an agricultural, nonmineral character. The number of such agricultural patents issued during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was 114,360, which, allowing 160 acres to each patent, would embrace an aggregate of 18,297,600 acres. MINERAL PATENTS. Of mineral and mill-site patents 1,792 were issued, as against 1,407 during the previous fiscal year, an increase of 385 patents. Of coal patents, 226 were issued, as against 224 patents during the previous year, an increase of 2, and including an area of 31,728.65 acres, as against an area during the previous year of 33,473.72 acres, or a decrease in area of 1,745.07 acres. In the following exhibit are shown the States and Territories in which mineral and mill-site and coal land patents were issued: There were patented for the benefit of railroad companies under Congressional grants during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, 3,088, 679.23 acres, as shown in the following table: Union Pacific Railway Co.: Nebraska Little Rock and Memphis Railroad Co., Arkansas. Chicago, St. Paul, Minnesota and Omaha Railway Co., Wisconsin Acres. 1,290, 275.82 950, 043. 73 10, 441. 40 2,250, 760.95 32, 272.24 65, 465. 09 240.00 156, 365, 66 Wisconsin Central Railroad Co., Wisconsin Southern Pacific Railroad Co., California.... Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Co., Missouri and Arkansas. Total 563, 868.00 5, 418.51 6,598.95 7,529.83 160.00 3,088, 679.23 As against an area patented to railroads during the last fiscal year of 363,862.15 acres, or an increase of 2,724,817.08 acres. SWAMP-LAND PATENTS. The following statement shows the acreage by States of swamp lands patented during the year, also the acreage selected by the States and approved by this office, and the aggregate area of such lands patented to the States since the date of the grant: Swamp lands patented, also selected and approved, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, an area of 109,351.89 acres was patented to the several States under the swamp land grants, but during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, an area of 408,127.55 acres was patented to the States, showing an increase of 298,775.66 acres in the last fiscal year over the fiscal year last preceding. STATE SELECTIONS APPROVED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER PURPOSES. The approvals during the year under the different grants to the several States for educational purposes and under the saline grant, having the effect of a patent, embraced an area of 756,172.91 acres. * Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi have each a grant for schools of the sixteenth section in each township with indemnity following the grant. There has been no occasion to compute the exact ag. gregate of the lands granted in place and the indemnity selections, but it may be roughly estimated at one-thirty-sixth part of the area of these States. † Colorado, Minnesota, and Oregon have each a grant of the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections for schools with indemnity following the grant. There has been no occasion to compute the aggregate of the lands granted in place and the indemnity selections, but it may be roughly estimated at one-eigh teenth of the area of these States. Nevada has a grant of quantity in lieu of the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections restored to the public domain under the act of June 16, 1880. § The total of approvals of school selections in Nevada includes 9,228.36 acres indemnity selected under the original grant, and not under the grant of 2,000,000 acres made by the act of June 16, 1880. The above-stated acreage of 756,172.91 acres, as against an area during the previous fiscal year of 539,779.84 acres, shows an increase of 216,393.07 acres. The increase in the fiscal year ended June 30, 1890, was over 300 per centum; the increase the last year over the previous fiscal year was over 40 per centum. This branch of the work will increase to a great extent on account of the admission of six new States, and the provisions of the act of February 28, 1891, amendatory of sections 2275 and 2276, Revised Statutes, by which the right of the Territories to select school land indemnity is placed beyond doubt. INDIAN AND MISCELLANEOUS PATENTS. The exhibit following shows the area of the land patented, and the States and Territories where located, during the year, on private land claims, donations, and Indian allotments, or selections in severalty, and scrip locations finally approved. Indian and miscellaneous patents issued during year ending June 30, 1891. |