470 



LANDS, PUBLIC. 



On the Pacific slope they are advanced. The 

 highest amount payable is $34. By the act 

 of June 14, 1878, pre-emption entries are con- 

 vertible into homesteads, to date from original 

 settlement. 



Legislation to " encourage the growth of 

 timber on Western prairies " was begun March 

 3, 1873. By amendatory act of March 13, 

 1874, settlers are allowed entry of 160 acres of 

 public land, on condition that one fourth of it 

 be devoted to raising timber for a period of 

 eight years. Upon final proof at the end of 

 that time, or within five years thereafter, a 

 patent issues. Agricultural as well as timber- 

 land is thus secured by what is in reality a 

 bounty-act for raising timber. Timber-culture 

 entries are not liable for debt contracted prior 

 to issue of patent. The total amount of com- 

 missions and fees, payable at making of entry 

 and final proof, is $18. Serious objections to 

 the timber-culture laws, as encouraging frauds 

 upon the public domain, are urged upon the 

 attention of Congress. The number of timber- 

 culture entries patented for 1888 was 754. 

 The total number of entries made from March 

 3, 1873, to June 30, 1888, was 246,449, cover- 

 ing 39,958,558'45 acres, and 5,456 entries have 

 been perfected. Oaths of settlers under all 

 laws, in making final proof, when not taken 

 by registers and receivers, are made before 

 designated judicial officers. Acts of relief to 

 settlers suffering under drouth, incursions of 

 grasshoppers, etc., have been passed from tiui3 

 to time. 



The act of Aug. 4, 1854, graduated prices of 

 public lands to actual settlers from $1 to twelve 

 and a half cents an acre, according to the length 

 of time the land had remained unsold in mar- 

 ket. Entries under this act were original and 

 for adjoining farms. It was repealed June 2, 

 1862. The total number of acres disposed of 

 under the graduation act was 25,696,41 9'73. 



Agricultural lands are obtainable under the 

 above-mentioned laws, and 47,180 agricultural 

 patents were issued for 1888, against 24,558 

 for the year previous. Mineral lands are pat- 

 ented or held under possessory title. They are 

 not subject to pre-emption or homestead laws. 

 The ordinance of May 20, 1785, for sale of 

 lands, reserved one third part of all gold, sil- 

 ver, lead, and copper mined. The act of March 

 3, 1807, authorized lease of lands containing 

 lead by the War Department in the Indian 

 Territory. Lands containing lead and copper 

 in Arkansas, Missouri, Towa, Michigan, Minne- 

 sota, and Wisconsin were sold from March 3, 

 1829, under special law?, the mineral being 

 conveyed with the soil. The area of the pre- 

 cious-metal bearing region of the United States 

 is estimated at 65,000,000 acres. Iron is reck- 

 oned as among valuable deposits. The pre- 

 cious-metal bearing States and Territories are 

 California. Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, 

 Montana, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, 

 Dakota, and Washington. (See MINING LAWS 

 IN THE UNITED STATES.) One thousand and 



thirty-four mineral patents were issued for 

 1888; 1,314 entries were made, for 31,734 

 acres, realizing $117,996.85 ; 13,433 claims were 

 patented to June 30, 1887. 



Coal-lands, by act of July 1, 1864, were au- 

 thorized for sale, and opened to pre-emption 

 at $20 an acre. The act of March 3, 1873, 

 gave pre-emption right to 160 acres of coal- 

 lands at $10 an acre fifteen miles from a com- 

 pleted railroad, and $20 within less dis- 

 tance. Entry of 320 acres is allowed to asso- 

 ciations of persons. An additional entry of 

 640 acres is allowed to associations of not fewer 

 than four persons who have expended $5,000 in 

 improvements. The number of coal entries pat- 

 ented for 1888 was 114, and 152 entries were 

 made, realizing $342,849.40. The total num- 

 ber of entries of coal-lands to present date 

 cover 93,612-64 acres. 



Desert lands, by act of March 3, 1877, may 

 be entered to the amount of 640 acres, three 

 years being given from date of entry to conduct 

 water ; twenty-five cents an acre is paid at filing 

 of application, and the remaining $1 an acre 

 at any time within three years. The number 

 of desert entries patented for 1888 was 1,187. 

 The total number of entries to date under this 

 act is 16,821, covering 5,564,727 acres. Of 

 these 7,156 have been perfected. 



Saline lands are disposed of by public sale 

 and private entry at $1.25 an acre, by act of 

 Jan. 12, 1877. the act of May 18, H96, re- 

 served such lands to the United States. They 

 were leased by the Surveyor-General. Grants 

 not to exceed 12 in number, with 6 sections of 

 land for each spring, for school purposes and 

 public improvements, were made to each pub- 

 lic-land State up to Nevada, upon admission 

 into the Union; and 559,965 acres cover these 

 grants. No saline lands are sold in the Terri- 

 tories nor in States with grants unsatisfied. 



The act of June 3, 1878, authorized sale of 

 lands, containing timber and stone, unfit for 

 cultivation, at $2.50 an acre in California, Ore- 

 gon, Nevada, and Washington Territory. The 

 fee for entry of snch lands is $5. and 1,063,- 

 781*54 acres have been disposed of. The pro- 

 tection of timber on public lands from fire and 

 depredation has occupied the serious attention 

 of Congress from the origin of the Govern- 

 ment. Appropriations for the purpose were 

 made in 1878. Forty-one special agents were 

 employed by the General Land-Office for 1887, 

 under an appropriation of $75,000. The re- 

 ceipts for timber depredations for the fiscal 

 year 1888 were $13,320.65. The act of June 

 3, 1878, allowed cutting and removal of timber 

 for mining and domestic purposes from min- 

 eral lands in certain States and Territories. 

 Railroads were exempt. 



Town sites are entered on the public do- 

 main by three methods, under sections 2,380 

 to 2,390, inclusive, of the Revised Statutes. 

 Seventeen town-site patents were issued for 

 1888; the total number to date is 556. The 

 town-site and town-lot entries under all laws 



