30 OUR FEDERAL LANDS 



lands containing valuable minerals, nor coal entry 

 on lands containing gold, silver or copper ; lands in- 

 cluded in desert entries or selected under the Carey 

 Act must be desert lands ; enlarged homestead lands 

 must not be susceptible of successful irrigation; 

 placer claims must not be taken for their timber 

 value or their control of water courses; and lands 

 included in building stone, petroleum or salt places 

 must be more valuable for these minerals than for 

 any other purpose. So through the whole scheme of 

 American land laws runs the necessity for deter- 

 mining the use for which each tract is best fitted." 



As a natural outgrowth of our theory of devel- 

 opment of natural resources, Congress bestowed 

 large areas of land upon each new state as created. 

 Just as the thirteen original states had started the 

 national government in business by gifts of land, so 

 did the national government by similar action speed 

 each later state upon its way. The lands given were 

 of far differing kinds. The greater part were for 

 common school purposes and were designated school 

 lands; but they were granted without selection, so 

 many acres to the section. The state could use them 

 for what it chose, or exchange for lands more con- 

 veniently located as actual need developed. Lands 

 were also given for internal improvement, for stock 

 driveways, for water holes in desert tracts, for pub- 

 lic roads, very importantly for railroad development, 

 and for many other uses. 



Besides these original gifts, Congress has al- 



