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large canals or irrigating ditches, or allowing companies to be formed, granting thein all the land they irrigated or covered by their canals at a small price per acre, not above the price now fixed by law for pre-emption claims; and I am fully persuaded that the most intelligent persons who are acquainted with the productiveness of the "sage brush lands" would indorse these suggestions. These canals would cost the expenditure of large sums of money that no man could afford to make for isolated

farms.

Your especial attention is called to the timber lands, and I most respectfully urge the necessity of some law by Congress for their disposal. There are large tracts of mountainous districts valuable only for minerals and timber. The disposal of the former has been provided for, but not so with the latter.

The timber regions, as a rule, are not suitable for settlement under the homestead and pre-emption laws, and the laws should be so modified as to place them upon the market, say in small tracts of eighty or one hundred and sixty acres, to any person wishing to purchase. If these timber lands were in the bands of a large number of persons, the general interest would be to prevent destructive fires and the fearful waste and destruction of timber now going on, the government would realize the value of the lands, and the Territory would be greatly benefited.

Until some changes are made in the land laws, providing for the sale of these table lands in unlimited quantities, they will remain unoccupied for all time, or until Congress shall adopt this or some similar plan.

The desert land bill only covers the case in part and then by evading its spirit, for the money to make the canals under the law has to be furnished by capitalists, and the men filing under the desert land laws are doing it for others. Why not make the law so that men can openly and squarely buy all the land they want, and without any restrictions? They, of course, will see to it that canals are built to irrigate and make it available for sale to settlers. It might be well to limit the time of these sales until three years after the survey shall have been made, thus retaining the land three years for the preference of actual settlers under the pre-emption and homestead laws, and this is certainly long enough to keep millions of acres of land idle waiting for some one without a dollar to come and "settle."

I have no patience with the present policy of retaining millions of acres for pre-emption and homestead claimants, when from the situation of these lands they never can be made available by bona fide settlers under existing laws. Let the lands be sold, and let these Western Territories improve and settle up. Under existing laws only lands that can be irrigated by a few weeks' work in digging a small ditch will be located, while thousands of acres must and will lie idle until the laws are changed.

It will be seen from our tables that the office work is up to date, and that all expenses have been kept within the appropriations, and in some instances quite a balance in our favor. No part of the amount deposited for clerk hire has been used, the work having been done by the regular clerks. The appropriation for clerk hire at the last session of Congress is not sufficient, should the appropriation for surveys be as large as the prospective requirement demands.

There are large tracts of excellent lands in the eastern portion of the Territory that, from present indications, will be settled as soon as surveyed, and thousands of acres would be sold at once if the land laws should be changed as suggested.

The present rates of surveying are insufficient for surveying, and they should be fixed at about the rates submitted in my estimates.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. J. A. WILLIAMSON,

Commissioner General Land Office.

L. F. CARTÉE, Surveyor General of Idaho.

A.-Estimate of expenses incidental of the survey of the public lands in Idaho for the fiscal

For salary of surveyor general

year ending June 30, 1879.

OFFICE EXPENSES.

$3,000 00

For salary of clerks.

4,000 00

For rent of office, messenger, fuel, books, and other expenses.

2,000 00

$9,000 00

SURVEYING SERVICE.

For surveying 100 miles standard lines, timber and mountains, at $15

1,500 00

For surveying 100 miles standard lines, at $13..

1,300 00

For surveying 72 miles exterior lines, timber and mountains, at $15

1,080 00

For surveying 600 miles subdivision lines, timber and mount

ains, at $12

For surveying 480 miles exterior lines, 40 townships, at $12.. For surveying 1,800 miles subdivision lines, 30 townships, at $10...

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B.-Statement of expenditure of appropriation for compensation of surveyor general and clerks for his office, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

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ᎠᎡ.

1876

C.-Statement of incidental and office expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

1876 To amount expended 3d quarter..
To amount expended 4th quarter.
To amount expended 1st quarter..
To amount expended 2d quarter..
To balance.

1877 1877

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D.-Statement of the expenditure of the appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

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E.-Statement of original maps and copies transmitted to the General Land Office and to the

district office since my last report.

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Number of contract.

F.-Statement showing the condition of contracts entered into since June 30, 1876.

Name of deputy.

Date of con- Character, amount, and localtract.

ity of work.

Remarks.

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standard parallel north through range 1 west. Exterior lines aud subdivisions of townships 16 and 17 north, range 1 west, and subdivisions of township 12 north, ranges 4 and 5 west.

Oct. 23, 1876 Extend the base line east to the east boundary of Idaho Territory. Exterior and subdivisions of townships 1 and 2 south, ranges 35 and 36 east, and townships 1 north and 1 and 2 south, ranges 37 and 38 east.

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Jan. 4, 1877 Exterior lines of townships Deputy en route to locality.

11 and 12 south, ranges 33 and 34 east; of townships 13, 14, 15, and 16 south, ranges 31, 32, and 33 east and subdivision lines of townships 11 and 12 south, ranges 33 and 34 east, and township 13 south, range 33 east, and townships 14 and 15 south, ranges 31 and 32 east, and fractional townships 16 south, ranges 30, 31, and 32 east.

70 Allen M. Thompson... June 19, 1877 Exterior lines of townships Deputy in the field.

3, 4, 5, and 6 south, ranges 14, 15, and 16 east, and subdivisions of townships 6 south, ranges 12, 13, and 14 east, and townships 4 and 5 south, range 15 east, and townships 3 and 4 south, range 16 east.

G.-Statement of descriptive list sent to local land office since the date of my last report.

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H.-Tabular statement of townships surveyed since the date of my last report, showing the areas of the public lands.

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I.—Statement of application for the survey of mineral lands and mill sites for the fiscal year

ending June 30, 1877.

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J.-Statement of amount deposited with United States assistant treasurer for office work for mineral claims in Idaho for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

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K.-Names, nativity, &c., of surveyor general, clerks, &c., for the fiscal year ending June 30

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K.-Report of the surveyor general of Utah.

UNITED STATES SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Salt Lake City, Utah, September 3, 1877.

SIR: In compliance with instructions contained in your letter E, of April 3, 1877, I have the honor to transmit herewith my annual report, with accompanying tabular statements in duplicate, of the surveying operations in this district for the year ending June 30, 1877.

A.-Statement showing condition of surveys of public lands contracted for during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

B.-Statement of public lands surveyed in Utah during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

C.-Statement showing the description of land for which township plats and descriptive lists have been furnished the local land office at Salt Lake City and Beaver City during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

D.-Statement of special deposits made by individuals for the survey of public lands in Utah for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

E.-Statement of special deposits made for office work in the survey of mining claims for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

F.-Statement showing condition of appropriation for incidental expenses for office of surveyor general of Utah for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

G.-Statement showing condition of appropriation for salaries of surveyor general and clerks in his office.

H.-Statement showing condition of special deposits for office work in the office of the surveyor general for Utah for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877. I.-Statement showing number of plats made during the year.

J.-Estimate of appropriation required for the surveying service in Utah for the

fiscal year ending June 30, 1879..

K.-Statement of public lands surveyed in Utah up to June 30, 1877.

L.-Statement showing number of miles run, rate per mile, and total cost of surveys as returned in Utah for fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

M.-Statement of condition of appropriation for surveys of public lands in Utah for fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.

Map of Utah Territory, showing the extent of public surveys.

The estimate for the surveying service in this Territory is submitted as being just and reasonable, and the appropriation to be made should not be for less than the amount asked for.

SURVEYS DURING THE YEAR.

The operations of the surveying service in this district embrace agricultural, grazing' and mineral lands.

Ninety-six townships were surveyed, embracing 881,483.17 acres of agricultural and grazing lands, 64,137.56 acres of mineral and coal lands, making a total area of 1,10,009.32 acres.

The resurveys, as shown in statement "B," embracing an area of 64,388.59 acres, executed by Andrew J. Stewart, sr., under contract No. 66, were not approved, but appear on returned subdivision plats, as per instructions from the department.

The number of acres of public lands disposed of at the local land office at Salt Lake City for the fiscal year were

Homestead entries....
Final homestead entries
Cash entries ...

Agricultural college scrip.
Valentine scrip.

Military land warrants
Timber culture.

Desert land.

Mineral lands.

Coal lands....

Total

Acres. 57, 090.85

28, 531.61

11, 390, 33

160

160

160

418.50

42,652.94

443.2735

480

132, 488.2725

OFFICE WORK.

There were made in this office during the year 252 plats of public land surveys, 335 plats of mining claims, and 210 transcripts of field notes.

AGRICULTURE.

The percentage of increase of land under cultivation over that heretofore reported is about 30 per cent., making an aggregate of about 339,970 acres, while the average yield per acre shows a gratifying increase over former years.

Notwithstanding the opinion of many who deem our lands "arid, desert, and worthless," those same lands under proper tillage produce forty to fifty bushels of wheat, seventy to eighty bushels of oats and barley, and from two hundred to four hundred bushels of potatoes to the acre, and fruits and vegetables equal to any other Territory or State in quantity and quality. Our plains and mountains feed and fatten many thousands of cattle and sheep from their rich and nutritious grasses. Utah is rich in her agricultural and grazing lands as well as in her

MINERAL RESOURCES,

which are inexhaustible in silver, copper, lead, iron, coal, sulphur, and an abundant deposit of gold.

The development of the mines of Utah shows an abundant increase in quantity and quality of all classes of ore. Our coal produces the best quality of coke, equal, if not superior, to the best quality of Pennsylvania.

RAILROADS.

Although no new enterprises have been started, the old lines are being extended to different and distant parts of the Territory and into the mining camps.

In regard to the disposition and sale of the public lands, I renew my suggestion made in my last and preceding report, (see page 278 of the printed Report of the General Land Office for the year 1876,) adding that Congress should at once make some provision for the sale of the timbered lands. The timber of this country is valuable

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