Estimated number of acres of Common School land in Counties established but not organized, as also in Counties organized, but not having a complete record of their lands, and the amount of indemnity school lands therein:

     Making a grand total of two million, four hundred and forty three thousand, one hundred and forty-eight acres of Common School land owned by the State at the close of the year 1878.

     By an Act of Congress, approved April 19th, 1864, seventy-two sections of land were granted to Nebraska for Saline purposes. These lands were selected by the agents of the State and confirmed by the Interior Department, as follows:

All unsold Saline lands are located in Lancaster County.

     By an Act of Congress, approved April 19th, 1861, fifty sections of land were donated to Nebraska for a penitentiary or State prison. The land was selected by the State and confirmed by the Interior Department, as follows:

     February 17th, 1870, selections made and confirmed for..32,044,01 acres.

     Under an Act of the State Legislature, approved June 20th,

1867, twenty sections of the Saline lands were selected and set apart for the purpose of endowing the State Normal School, at Peru, in Nemaha County, which are reported as follows:

     The unsold Normal School lands are all located in Lancaster County.

     The aggregate amount of lands in Nebraska, received by the Union Pacific Railway from the Government, was 5,926,400 acres, of which about 4,000,000 acres are unsold. All are contiguous to their line of road, being distributed through the following Counties.

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* It appears that decimal points are missing in the table, space appears in position where the decimal would be expected.

     About 2,000,000 acres of the above mentioned lands are in the Platte Valley, nearly 1,000,000 acres being in Eastern Nebraska, and hence are among the best lands of the State, for grain and fruits. So much has been said and written about the beautiful and fertile valley of the Platte, that it seems unnecessary in these pages to say more than that it is all the human heart could desire, for he that could desire more in the way of soil, climate and water, would exhibit a most inexcusable ingratitude to his Creator, who spoke into existence such a gardenlike section of country for his children. A few years ago this beautiful valley, extending westward from the Missouri River through the entire length of the State, was the home of the Indian and the trapper, while a little later it became the great overland trail to the Pacific. Today it is the richest agricultural district to be found in the West. The soil has been proved, as have also the climate and water, and nothing has been found wanting. To such as may contemplate buying homes in the West, the Author--who, as stated in another portion of this work, has been a citizen of this State for the past twenty-five years can conscientiously say, no better lands, on more advantageous terms, can be obtained in any other portion of the Union than in the great Platte Valley of Nebraska.

     The Union Pacific lands are all placed at prices, and on terms that bring them within the means of any man who is possessed of energy and industry, and desires to secure a home. The range of prices for these lands are wide in the extreme, and are fixed according to location, quality and soil, water and general surroundings. The buyer can find lands as low as $2, $3, $4, $5, or even up to $10 per acre. To illustrate: in Douglas, Washington,

Saunders, Hamilton and Kearney Counties, at from $5 to $10 per acre, while in most of the other Counties it ranges from $2 to $10. Considering their location, relating to railway and market facilities and school and church privileges, these lands are certainly selling at a low price.

     The lands are sold on ten years' time, with one tenth down, and the remainder in annual payments, at six per cent. interest, and where parties prefer to pay cash down, a discount of ten per cent. is made. A large per cent. of the lands sold by the Company are now under a good state of cultivation, and in many instances the products of the soil has paid for the lands, leaving the purchaser a large margin for his labor. The Company extend the most liberal facilities to all who desire to examine their lands. Land exploring tickets are sold at greatly reduced rates, while the actual buyer is transported free of charge.

     Liberal reductions are also made in the transportation of freight for settlers. Immigrant houses, as they are called, are provided at a moderate cost, to such as are not able to immediately settle on their purchases.

     This Company received from the Government a land grant in Nebraska amounting to 2,382,208 acres; they received from the State of Nebraska, 50,104 acres, and when they took possession of the Omaha & Southwestern Road they acquired the land grant made to that line by the State, of 100,010 acres, making their total land possessions in Nebraska, originally, 2,532,322 acres. Of this amount 1,423,598 acres have been sold up to June, 1879, leaving over a million acres yet to be disposed of, and which are offered at such low figures and reasonable terms as to place them within the reach of all persons of moderate means desiring farms in the West.

     The B. & M. Lands are situated chiefly in the north-central and south-central portions of the State, and are designated as the "North Platte" and "South Platte" lands. They are sold for cash, or on the two, six or, ten years' credit plan.

     On the Ten Years' Credit Plan, only the interest, at six per cent. is required at the time of purchase. At the commence-

ment of the second, third and fourth years, the same payment is required, and not until the beginning of the fifth year is any part of the principal to be paid. At this time one-seventh part of the principal is required, with interest at six per cent. on the balance, and one-seventh with interest on the balance each year thereafter, until the whole is paid.

     On the Six Years' Credit Plan, a discount of twenty per cent. is allowed, and only the interest at six per cent. for the first three years required, after which equal yearly payments of principal, with interest at six per cent.

     On the Two Years' Credit Plan, a discount of 32 1/2 per cent. is allowed, one-third of the principal being paid down and the balance in equal payments the second and third years, with interest at six per cent.

     On the Cash Plan, a discount of thirty-five per cent. is given.

     In the South Platte Country the B. & M. Company has remaining for sale about 350,000 acres of choice prairie lands, situated in one of the best settled portions of the State, where towns, churches, schools, railroads, bridges, orchards, etc., are already established.

     The following is a list of the Counties in which these lands are located, as also the number of acres in each, and price per acre:

     The North Platte lands, comprising over 650,000 acres, well

adapted to farming and stock purposes, are located in the following Counties, with the amount in each and price:

     The B. & M. land sales during the year 1878, were 511,609 acres, for which they realized $2,616,870; or, in other words, their land sales for 1878 averaged about 42,000 acres per month, at an average price of $5.11 per acre. These lands were sold to 4,000 purchasers, who are rapidly improving them.

     The land grants to other railroads in the State are very small compared to the grants made to the Union Pacific and the Burlington & Missouri roads. These lands are located mostly in the northeastern and southeastern portions of the State, and are now nearly all sold, the unsold being in the market at prices corresponding with other railroad land of those sections.

     The lands of the Pawnee Reserve - now embraced by Nance County - which contained 288,000 acres, have been appraised for sale, and are now on the market at from $2.50 to $10.00 per acre. The terms of sale are one-third down and the balance in two deferred payments.

     The west half of the Otoe Reserve, in the southeastern part of the State, has also been appraised for sale, and is now open to buyers, at prices ranging from $2.50 to $10.00 per acre, the terms of sale being the same as in the Pawnee lands.

     The Indian reserve lands in the State amount in the aggregate to several hundred thousand acres, all of which is admirably adapted to farm and stock purposes.

     A large per cent. of the wild lands in the eastern and older

settled Counties of the State, is owned by speculators and non-residents, who hold it merely for speculative purposes. Owing to the stringency of the times, however, much of this land has been forced upon the market within the past few years, and may be purchased at from $4.00 to $12.00 per acre, the price varying according to location, quality of the soil and general surroundings.

     To the immigrant and all those seeking homes in the West, Nebraska undoubtedly offers the most inviting field for the location of homestead, pre-emption and timber culture claims, it having the largest acreage of desirable Government lands now untaken of any State or Territory in the Union, the amount being estimated in round numbers, at 24,000,000 acres.

     The NORTH PLATTE Land Office, in Lincoln County, having jurisdiction over the Counties of Lincoln, Cheyenne, Keith, Dawson, Chase, Dundy, Hitchcock, and portions of Buffalo, Phelps, Gosper and Frontier, also a large portion of unorganized territory of the State, has upwards of 20,000,000 acres yet unclaimed and subject to entry under the homestead, pre-emption and timber culture laws.

     The NIOBRARA Land Office, at Niobrara, in Knox County, has about 900,000 acres within its jurisdiction subject to entry, which are located mainly in the northeastern portion of the State.

     The NORFOLK Land Office, at Norfolk, in Madison County, has some 500,000 acres within its jurisdiction yet unclaimed, which are located chiefly in the Counties of Madison, Stanton, Antelope, Pierce, Boone and Wheeler.

     The GRAND ISLAND Land Office, at Grand Island, Hall County, has upwards of 1,000,000 acres of Government land yet unclaimed, which is situated mostly in the Counties of Hall, Howard, Merrick, Platte, Wheeler, Greeley, Valley, Custer, Sherman, Buffalo and Dawson.

     The BLOOMINGTON Land Office, at Bloomington, Franklin County, having jurisdiction over Government land in the Southwestern part of the State, has about 1,000,000 acres yet of unclaimed land.

     The LINCOLN and BEATRICE Land Offices have disposed of nearly all the desirable land under their jurisdiction.

     Under the provisions of the Homestead Law every person who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and is a citizen of the United States, or who has filed his declaration to become such; any soldier or sailor who served ninety days, or upwards in the Union army during the war of the Rebellion, and the widow or orphan children of any soldier or sailor is entitled to 160 acres of unappropriated public lands anywhere outside of the limits of a railroad land grant. Soldiers and sailors of the Union Army, or their widows and orphan children, however, are entitled to a full quarter section within the limits of a railroad land grant, all other parties being entitled to only eighty acres therein. Six months' time is allowed from the date of filing a homestead claim in which to begin actual settlement; and five years' continuous occupation and improvement of a homestead entitles the claimant to a patent therefor. Soldiers and sailors of the late war may have the period of their service in the army or navy deducted from the five years' occupation required to perfect title; but no patent will be issued to any homestead settler who has not resided upon, improved and cultivated his homestead for a period of at least one year from the date of beginning said improvements.

     Any person entitled to the benefits of the homestead law, may pre-empt any number of acres, not exceeding 160, except such as already own 320 acres, or have abandoned a residence on lands of their own in the same State or Territory where they seek to make such pre-emption. Actual settlement must be made on lands pre-empted within sixty days from the date of filing the claim, and a patent may be secured for the same at the expiration of thirty months from the time of filing, on payment of $1.25 per acre, where the land is located outside the limits of a railroad land grant, and $2.50 per acre where it is within said limits.

     Under this law, any homesteader, pre-empter, or any citizen of the United States may file a claim upon 160 acres, or less, for the purpose of timber culture. The ratio area required to be broken,

planted, etc., under the amended law of 1878, is one-sixteenth of the land embraced in the entry. The party making an entry of 160 acres is required to break or plow five acres of the same, during the first year, and five acres in addition during the second year. The five acres broken or plowed during the first year be is required to cultivate by raising a crop or otherwise, during the second year, and to plant in timber, seeds or cuttings, during the third year, The five acres broken or plowed during the second year, he is required to cultivate by raising a crop or otherwise, during the third year, and to plant in timber, seeds or cuttings, during the fourth year.

     Entries of less than 160 acres are required to be broken or plowed, cultivated and planted, in trees, during the same periods, and to the same extent, in proportion to their total areas, as for entries of a quarter section. At the expiration of eight years from the date of filing a patent may be secured for the land embraced in the entry. Not more than 160 acres in any one section can be entered as a timber claim. No residence upon the land is required.