The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-08
COAL AND IRON. LANDS
IN ALABAMA OPENED TO SETTLERS.
rn.s. of Law Passed By til. Late Congress, .nd
it, Interest to Some wheeling IuIs,tOr.
Lads Heretofore Reserved By the
Government Open to Prs.snp Ion.

In the closing hours Of the late Congress q
bill was passed on a subject which has lately
attracted considerable attention in Wheeling,
namely The iron and coal lands in Alabama.
By the new law these lands are exempted
from the Acts OF Congress relating to mineral
land. and consequently are on the same iooti
ing, with slight exception, as agricultural
lands belonging 10 the public domain, and
open to occupation by presumption, under the
homestead laws, or by purchase as prescribed
By the acts on the subjsct
Heretofore, by the Acts OF 1877 and "a.
none Of these lands could be obtained except
by purchaser t price not less than go per
acre, II II lay within fifteen miles OF rail-
road, and $40 II ut greater distance from u
Railroad, Two railroads, the Memphis d
Charleston and the Mobile & 0hio-skirt the
coal and iron fields, and hold grants OF alter
nate sections OF land for fifteen miles on
either side Of their lines; so that the opera:
lions OF this law gave them the monopoly OF
the mineral deposits. The mineral lands.
mary OF them, rare Of little value rs mineral
lands. Some Of them will be OF great value
when additional transportation facilities are
secured by the construction OF more rail-
roads and the land thus rendered accessible.
Il has been the complaint Of those inter.
ested In the welfare and progress Of Alabama
that the law only discouraged immigration
and retarded the growth and development OF
the State, as no desirable lands were LETT for
agricultural purposes outside OF the section
from which tue dog.in-the.manger policy oil
the railroads prevented the acquisition Of
titles by farmers.
In spite OF the fact that similar lands in
Missouri, and lands having valuable mineral
deposits in Kansas, Nebraska, Michigan and
other States, had been exempted by special
enactmet from the operation OF the general
law governing mineral lands, the interested
corporations were strong enough To- prevent
the passage OF q similar law In relation 10
Alabama lands in two successive Congresses.
Finally, however, after thorough discussion
at the late session, the bill became law.
There are undisposed OF in the State 1857.
$50 acres OF coal lands and 224 0O0 acres Of
iron lands belonging 10 the Government, aud
now open 10 acquisition, after the provls-
IONS of The new law are complied with, in the
same manner as any other Government
lands. As remarked before, much OF this
land is Of no present value, owing to Its In.
accessibility, while others which are included
| In the mineral lands are not rich enough IN
mineral deposits to pay for operating the
mines. There are some lands yet included
In the public domain, however, which are
both rich In coal or iron, or both, and within
working distance from the railroads. In O
report BY Land Commissioner Mcfarland, in
response to resolution OF inquiry from tue
House Committee on Mines aud Mixing, In
1882, he expressed the following opinion:
.'ihe policy OF so disposing OF the public
lands that large areas will be owned By single
individuals or corporations may well be
doubted. or at least merits careful consider
alton. It Is also to be borne In mind that
too restrictive policy Is a substantial induce
ment to fraud, aud at the best may postpone
but briefly the acquisition OF large titles by
individuals who command the necessary cap
ital and enterprise" ..,.
In view Of The general reputation Of Ala
bama iron territory, 1t wonld not be sur
prising II there should be rush to secure
portions OF the land newly opened to immi.
grants, especially as the region embraced In
the surveys and set apart heretofore as min.
eral lands within the meaning OF the statute,
| 10 admitted TO comprise some OF the most
desirable lands for agricultural uses even In
that Mecca OF the planter, Alabama. A pro-
yiso was attached 10 the bill by the recon-
mendation OF the Interior Department, that
| certain lands known to contain valuable
mineral deposits shall first be offered at public
sale In tracts OF forty acres. These lands lie
| mostly In the vicinity OF Birmingham, and
| the proyiso was added 10 enable the Govern
ment to obtain the best prices for the best
lands, as well as for the purpose OF enabling
owners OF furnaces to acquire additional coal,
the railroad companies now having O sub
stantial monopoly OF the coal tract not being
able 10 supply the demand for coal for use
in the iron furnaces Of Birmingham and
vicinity.
The foregoing facts were commented on in
the hearingof an lSrKILleEScER man yester'
day by gentleman who was familiar win
them, ana who said:
II was very much interested in the 1STEL'
LIoRSuEg's article on iron manufacture In
Alabama the other day, but think some OF
the manufacturers from whom the intsrma'
ton was obtained do not care 10 say all they
might on the subject"
"How Is that?"
"Why, It is notorious that there are good
opportunities for Investment down there,
especially since the action OF Congress few
days before 1t adjourned"
How dees that effect the Wheeling inves.
tors aud operators who have property thert?"
directly, not ut all; but 1t opened upa
wide field for competition, by placing In the
market hundreds Of thousands OF acres Of
coal and irUn, much Of 1t valuable now, and
more OF 1t Offering almost as favorable invest
ments as was that which has Just become SO
printable to the Woodwards and their asso.
ciates when Mr.. Woodward, Sr., with long
look ahead, obtained the most desirable site
for q furnace In Alabama, II not In the
country"
arWy III A ~ N nnT1r