sale of these lands amounted to $4,345,820, with a few acres still unsold, an average of a little over four dollars per acre. In 1850 and 1857 the state received 5,838,775 acres of swamp land, all but 6,961 acres of which was put into the school fund. This has so far produced $972,606 for the school fund, and $42,397 for the agricultural college. Both of these funds were spent by the state, and exist to-day as obligations, the state paying interest at seven per cent on the 16th section fund, and at five per cent on the swamp land fund. The state also received two townships of saline lands (46,080 acres). Of this 16,000 acres was used to start a normal school fund, which has since produced about $70,000 of endowment, and the remainder was put into an agricultural college fund. The national endowment for schools produced about five and a half millions of dollars for the school fund. 3. Florida. - Admitted in 1845. Received the 16th section lands for schools, a total of 908,503 acres. The 500,000 acres of land granted by the law of 1841 was also put into the school fund. All the fund built up before the War was lost in that struggle. The five per cent fund was also put into the school fund, and had produced $130,141 by 1910. Nearly a quarter of a million acres are still on hand, much of it of little value. A new fund of $1,415,155 has been built up since the War, though only in part from the sales of land. 4. Texas. Admitted to the Union by annexation in 1845. No lands were granted it by Congress, but as early as 1839 the state itself had set aside school lands, three leagues of land to a county. In 1866 all alternate sections along railway grants were devoted to schools, and in 1869 the proceeds of the sale of all public lands were put into the school fund. The present school fund is approximately $65,000,000, with additional county funds of over $11,000,000. There are also about four millions of acres of unsold lands, estimated as worth $1.50 each now. Texas will probably in time have a school fund of nearly $100,000,000, built up by itself from its own lands. 5. Iowa. Admitted in 1846. Received the 16th section for schools, a total of 905,144 acres. The grant of 500,000 acres of land to new states, the five per cent fund, and the saline lands were all put into the school fund, a total of 1,451,224 acres. The five per cent grant produced $633,638 for schools. All school lands have been sold, except 200 acres, and the school fund, with certain additions from other sources, now amounts to $4,799,722. The school lands probably sold for an average of not over two dollars per acre. 6. Wisconsin. Admitted in 1848. Received the 16th sec The 500,000 acres of tion for schools, a total of 958,649 acres. land to new states was also added to the school fund, as was the five per cent fund. This latter had produced $586,046 up to 1910. The lands have all been sold, but produced little, due to gross mismanagement. The total fund at present is only $3,926,226. The school lands probably averaged little over $1.25 per acre. The 46,080 acres of saline lands were given to the university, and produced about $150,000. The two townships of university lands produced about the same amount. The state also received 3,071,458 acres of swamp land, half of which was given to found a normal school fund. This is now about two millions of dollars, which means about the same average sale price. All of these III. STATES ADMITTED FROM 1850 TO 1880. states received two sections for schools, and nearly all added the five per cent fund and the 500,000 acres of land to the school fund. Much greater care of the school lands now characterizes the action of the state, and for the first time we meet a group having large and growing school funds. The first state to receive 1. California. Admitted in 1850. the 16th and 36th sections for schools. given to new states was also added to the school fund, as was the five per cent fund. The total grant for schools, including the new state lands grant, was 7,219,324 acres. The state still has much land unsold. Up to 1909 the sale price was $1.25 per acre, but since then sold by auction, and the price has averaged about $7 per acre. The five per cent fund had produced $1,032,896 by 1910, and produced $17,754 that year. By 1876 the school lands had produced a fund of but $1,737,500. The total school fund now is about six millions, about two-thirds of which has come from the sale of school lands. The fund probably will reach about $10,000,000, not counting additions made from other sources. With better management it should have been three times this amount. 2. Minnesota. Admitted in 1858. Received the 16th and 36th sections for schools, a total of 2,969,990 acres. The swamp land grant of 2,271,967 acres was devoted, one-half to the school fund, and one-half to a fund for charitable and reformatory institutions. The land sales have brought in over ten millions of dollars. The permanent fund is now about $22,000,000, and increasing a million a year from sales of land and timber, mineral leases, and iron royalties. The minimum sale price was fixed at $5 per acre in 1861, and present sales are much above this price. Much of the land is underlaid with rich iron ore, and it has been estimated that in time a fund of $100,000,000 will be produced from these grants. - 3. Oregon. Admitted in 1859. Received the 16th and 36th sections for schools, a total of 3,329,706 acres. The grant of 500,000 acres to new states, and the five per cent fund, were also added to the common school fund, as were a part of the swamp lands. The five per cent fund had produced $675,370 by 1910, and $41,145 was added in that year. The fund at present is $6,211,805 and with about 500,000 acres of unsold land under lease. Probably nearly five millions of this has come from the sale of school lands, and probably a fund of nine to ten millions may be produced as a result of the Congressional grants for schools. 4. Kansas. Admitted in 1861. Received the 16th and 36th sections, a total of 2,801,306 acres. The 500,000 acre grant to new states was also added to the school fund by the constitution of 1859, but the State Superintendent of Instruction says that it was never put there. The saline grant was used largely for a normal school fund. The school lands have all been sold, and the present state school fund is $9,100,000. The five per cent fund was also devoted to schools, and had produced $1,112,246 by 1910. The lands probably averaged about $2.50 per acre. 5. Nevada. Admitted in 1864. Received the 16th and 36th sections, but in 1880, after a few acres had been sold, the state exchanged all remaining lands with the National Government for 2,000,000 acres, to be located by the state. The 500,000 acres of land granted to new states, and the five per cent fund, at first granted for internal improvements, were later put into the school fund by consent of Congress. The five per cent fund had produced but $23,324 by 1910. The total school fund is only about $600,000 at present. Much of the school land is still on hand. Eventually, a fund of possibly two to three millions may be produced from the national grants. 6. Nebraska. Admitted in 1867. Received the 16th and 36th sections, a total of 2,702,044 acres. The 500,000 acre grant to new states and the five per cent fund were also added to the school fund. In 1867 a minimum price of $7 per acre was fixed, and in 1875 this was raised to appraised value. About half of the school lands have been sold, and a fund of about eight millions has been produced; 1,681,678 acres are now under lease, and estimated as worth ten dollars an acre, but probably will sell for more. A fund of $25,000,000 from the government grants for schools seems assured for the state. The five per cent fund had produced $540,377 by 1910, and is still increasing slowly. Received the 16th and 36th sections, a total of 3,715,555 acres. per acre was fixed by Congress, and raised to $3.50 by the state in 1887. By 1908 only 187,402 acres had been sold, and threefourths of the remainder was under lease. There were, at last reports, 2,553,598 acres under lease, estimated as worth $10 per acre, and 811,008 acres not under lease. The five per cent fund was also added to the school fund. The present state fund consists of $1,601,907 in actual funds, and a debt of the state to the fund of $1,225,975, making a total of $2,827,882. It seems not improbable that a fund of $30,000,000 will be produced, in time, from the national grants. IV. STATES ADMITTED SINCE 1880. - All received two sections and the five per cent fund for schools, while three states received four sections. These grants will be further increased as the title to Indian reservations is extinguished. It is in this group of states that the largest schools funds may be expected. 1. North Dakota. - Admitted in 1889. Received the 16th and 36th sections for schools, a total of 2,542,940 acres, with a minimum sale price of $10 per acre fixed by Congress. About two-fifths of the land has been sold, at an average of about $16 per acre, though recent sales have been much higher. The five per cent fund was also added to the school fund, and had produced $433,905 by 1910, and is increasing rapidly. The increase for 1909-10 was $55,167. The present school fund is $15,351,441, and is increasing rapidly. The 1,572,915 acres still on hand are estimated as worth about $22,000,000. Probably a fund of $50,000,000 will in time be produced from the government grants for common schools. 2. South Dakota. Admitted in 1889. Received the 16th and 36th sections for schools, a total of 2,539,175 acres. Minimum sale price fixed at $10 per acre by Congress. About onefifth of the land has been sold, and a fund of $8,357,817 has been built up. The five per cent fund for schools had produced $178,438 by 1910, and increased $40,567 during the year 1909-10. The unsold lands (2,075,168 acres) are estimated as worth $20 an acre. Probably a fund of $60,000,000 will be produced from the government grants for common schools. 3. Montana. Admitted in 1889. Received the 16th and 36th sections for schools, a total of 5,112,035 acres. Minimum sale price fixed at $10 per acre by Congress. In 1908 two million acres had not as yet been surveyed, and only one and a half mil lion acres were under lease. The permanent fund is now about six millions of dollars, with but a small part of the lands sold. The five per cent fund is also for schools, and this had produced $300,651 by 1910, and is increasing about $25,000 per year at present. The future of the fund is problematical, but it should produce sixty to seventy-five millions, and may produce one hundred millions under wise management. 4. Washington. - Admitted in 1889. Received the 16th and 36th sections for schools, a total of 2,488,675 acres. Minimum sale price fixed at $10 per acre by Congress. The five per cent fund, given for schools, had produced $367,700 by 1910, and is increasing. A state school fund of over eight millions has been built up so far from a sale of about one-eighth of the land. This is at an average of about three times the minimum sale price. The 2,055,073 acres remaining unsold are estimated as worth $20 an acre, and it seems not improbable that a school fund of sixty to seventy-five millions may be produced from the national grants for schools, if the lands are wisely managed. 5. Idaho. Admitted in 1890. Received the 16th and 36th sections for schools, a total of 3,068,231 acres. Minimum price fixed by Congress at $10 per acre. Sales so far have averaged twice this price. A fund of about three and a half million dollars has been built up so far from the sales of only a small part of the land, there still being 2,811,596 acres of unsold land. The five per cent fund, given for schools, had produced $206,723 by 1910, and is an increasing fund. It seems probable that the state may realize a fund of from forty to fifty millions from the national grants for schools. 6. Wyoming. Admitted in 1890. Received the 16th and 36th sections for schools, a total of 3,480,281 acres. Minimum sale price fixed by Congress at $10 per acre. The five per cent fund was also given for schools, and had produced $160,185 by 1910. By 1908 only 22,271 acres had been sold. The status of the fund in 1912 was stated as follows: Permanent state fund 3,758,010 acres unsold, estimated as worth $ 191,973 What the fund will produce in time is problematical. If a sale price of $10 per acre could be realized, a fund of $35,000,000 should be produced in time. If only $3 per acre, the minimum price fixed for Arizona, a fund of $12,000,000 should be produced in time. |