This District Includes The Head Waters Of The
Mississippi, And Extends West As Far As The Red River Of The North.
The Surveyors Have Been Engaged In Either District Only A Few Weeks.
I
don't expect there will be any land offered for sale in either
district till spring.
While on the subject of land offices, let me
observe that the appointments in them are among the most lucrative
under the patronage of the general government. There is a register and
receiver for each office. They have, each, $500 per annum and fees;
the whole not to exceed $3000. Aside from the official fees, they get
much more for private services. They have more or less evidence to
reduce to writing in nearly every preemption case, for which the
general land office permits them to receive private compensation. It
is rather necessary that the local land officers should be lawyers, as
they have frequent occasion to decide on litigated land claims.
Many explorations have been made of the region around the head waters
of the Mississippi, the reports of which have conveyed to the world
attractive information of the country, but information which only
approximated to accuracy. In 1806, Lieut. Pike explored the river as
far as Turtle Lake, and returned, thinking, good easy man, full surely
he had discovered the real source of the river, and yet the source of
the river was more than a hundred miles off in another direction.
Lewis and Clarke had ascended the river previously.
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