138 CLASSIFICATION OF THE PUBLIC LANDS. 



Au area bounded as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of sec. 31, 

 T. 24 S., R. 43 B. ; tlience west 2 miles; thence south 12 miles; thence east 9 

 miles; thence north 12 miles; thence west 24 miles, more or less, to the south 

 quarter corner of sec. 36, T. 24 S., K. 43 E. ; thence west 4i miles, more or less, 

 along the south line of T. 24 S., K. 43 E., to point of beginning. 



This withdrawal is made subject to all rights lawfully initiated under any 

 valid mining locations made upon said lands so long as such rights are main- 

 tained, in full compliance with law. 



Wm. H. Taft, 



February 21, 1913. President. 



As the geologic conditions under which potassium deposits are 

 formed differ from those required for the deposition of the other 

 nonmetalliferous minerals, except the related salines, special field 

 methods have been used for their discovery. The steps to be taken in 

 classifying lands as potash-bearing or potash-free subsequent to field 

 examination are, however, identical with those followed in the classi- 

 fication of lands with regard to such other resources as phosphate 

 and petroleum. The present laws do not provide for appraisal and 

 sale, as in the case of coal lands, nor for lease. 



MISCELLANEOUS NONMETALLIFEROUS MINERAL LANDS. 



Some of the important minerals besides those already discussed 

 are limestone, building and ornamental stones, cement materials, 

 slates, glass sand, gravel, volcanic ash, diatomaceous earth, kaolin 

 and other clays, fuller's earth, gypsiun, borax, salt, sulphur, monazite, 

 talc, soapstone, quartz, feldspar, cryolite, mica, gems and precious 

 stones, strontium compounds, fluorspar, barytes, pyrite, graphite, 

 asbestos, magnesite, abrasives, asphalt and other hydrocarbons such 

 as gilsonite and ozokerite, mineral waters, mineral paints, and bro- 

 mine, as well as guano and peat. 



A great many of the so-called nonmetalliferous minerals contain 

 metallic elements which either can not be extracted commercially or 

 are regarded as of little or no value as metals but which by their 

 union with nonmetallic elements from substances that are sought 

 because of their nonmetallic properties. This is true of such minerals 

 as corundum, an oxide of the metal aluminum, and gypsum, a sul- 

 phate of the metal calcium. Monazite is sought as the chief source 

 of oxides of several rare metals. There are, however, so-called non- 

 metalliferous minerals whose metallic content is high and which 

 may under certain conditions be regarded also as metallic minerals. 

 A notable example is pyrite, a sulphide of iron, which is extensively 

 employed in the manufacture of sulphuric acid because of its high 

 content of sulphur. "With advancement in industrial chemistry some 

 minerals now classed as nonmetalliferous may be placed in the cate- 

 gory of those which yield valuable metals and others now used may 

 be discarded. 



