Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1873-01-26
The Mining Law applied to Coal and
other Mineral Lands.

A<ane LFtOt"e, UOtn eultO' Idli.N anu w
its correspondents; and one of the lat
ter, Judge s, icer. of Salt Lake. has
drawn up a memorial. to he generally
signed and presented to Congress, for
the amendment of the mining law of
May 10th, 1872, to the following effect:
THAT section one and two of said
act lie and are hereby amended SO as
include all veins, ludeS. lodges, mines,
beds or deu1sitS OF metalii. ores or
valuable minerals. including hedges,
veins. mines, beds or deposits of coal.
iron. zinc, hismuth. sui phur. salt. al
kalies. ~ pSUin, fire clay, slate, mar
ble. fiuur 81 ar, kaulin. or other mine
rails valuable or useful in the arts,
manufactures or commerce."
The importance of the coal and iron
deposits OF Utah and Southeastern
Nevada warrant immediate and ener-
Hetic efforts to obtain the adoption of
such All amendment by Congress of
the existing mining law as will en-
courage the development of mines of
useful minerals other than those of
the precious metals. The Judge writes
rs follows of the difficulties at present
standing in the way of such develop
ment:
The laws as they now stand provide
no available provision for purchasing
these lands, as l explain ell i'll my pre-
viouS. Il tier. The laws of July /. 1864.
and Mare. 8, 1865, provide only for
purchasing these lands at Il public sale
at IL minimum OF $50 p L acre. ana the
right of entry at so per acre to those
wno We're actually and 6ont tide ell
gagged i'll the business OF coal mining
on the Sd OF March. 1865. Both these
laws are unavailable tn the poor pros
pectOr or UiScuverer of coal mines,
and throw the whole benefit into the
hands OF T. italiSlS and SleculatorS.
Again, tor all coal lands discovered or
occu, led since March 3, 1865. there is
virtually no law. except to purchase
at IuDiic sale at Il minimum OF so
per acre whenever the President sees
proper TO order these lands to lie
sold, thus giving the d~iscoverer no
preference.
not properly quartz Lodges" and
other valuable mineral beds or de-
pOSltS of substances other than ores,
there is no law at all by which title
can be obtained, EXCEPT by Iesorting
to perjury, and swearing that the
lands are agricultural, and t.:at the
claimant has established his ran.
chcrla = there, according to the pro-
visions of tho pre-emption law of Sep
teininr 4, ISL.
For instance, a man discovers and
omn w." o"S VI .no ni"lh
~. - uo,; ,ai I,l~t"ii.o VI "hioii
""S ~" orIole me i"St "eehj OF I"
IT,. N"''""lo iN"ii' MAJ
material tnt Inra,ion Of whirh il M
the mountain side among the cliff ana
rtcilices d rocks, or IN the barrtm.
"ih,iu fi,,n ~ s,,har ~ ,nssa "aaa. ~
mus, follow the p%rc-enIrlion law of
september 4ih, 1911, and erect his
,H"'i' >, h' eioo,, '."|e mi, ,aii'i'
land. huiid fences and reside t;,trcou
AS ht' hcnle. and generally do heap.
sMealiiS ao",lt tnihSS !lat ne aiiu
WHO VIM nj If hec,nSa ,baro ro
other way OF DONG it.
Al the last session or Congress, an
,'tf.rei cnaI and irnn rmJS e. '.
IL minimum Ol S.U Der acre, DUt could
be purchased only after extending
~. ,.io'','u uul'"is ,n ue'eiopihS
charge 50 g acre for mines of cold.
silver or other valuable metals, and
Sloor ~ et acre i"r an 1liier mines:
or WV Iennir. NV tive h,,nIr.G
"niia.H II, SNeloiiiie'' Oh a %"lu or
cva or iron nIiur A. a cnnunar,,n
l for one aive it up.
Judge Si'icer suijOins TO the amend
meht proposed four sections of addi-
tional provisions for CARRYING it into
,.l,;,,s ,,,r I,.d Lo.,;n. t,,a ,,;.o.
ais :, ,h,.,a,,,.. ~,
c,,y -, r.,,or;, Lo .,.nao.+ :.
~ %r.d. cn. a;..tuuo.
m;,,er ,,d mo, - nrav &c.,.
o.or,a.;n, : .;,m;. C,.;..s:.