The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-05
THE LAND DEPARTMENT.
Advance Sheets of Commissioner
Sparkle Annual Report.

FUSSto VI nix lLuA ICpOEC VI G1c OOu1Iu1S-
sioner of the General Land Office. 1t is
quite a lengthy document. butdeals in little
that Is OF interest to the readers of this Sec
tlon. Some mention is made in relationtO
the Montana improvement Company and
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, in
regard to timber depredations, but the
matter has been commented upon in the
newspapers to such an extent that there is
no interest in the matter given.
Mr.. Sparks evidently thinks that there is
q great deal OF rottenness in the conduct OF
the Land Office and its branches, as will be
seen by the following extract from the in
troductory remarks:
II found that the magnificent estate OF
the Nation in it's public lands had been to
Il wide extent wasted under defective and
lmprovident laws and through a laxity OF
public administration astonishing in
a business sense if not culpable
IN recklessness OF official responsibility.
The widespread belief of the people OF
this country that the Land Department has
been very largely conducted to the advan-
tage OF speculation and monopoly, private
and corporate, rather han in the public
interest, | have found supported by devel-
opments in every branch OF the service. 1t
GEMS that the prevailing idea running
through this office and those subordinate
to 1T was that the Government had no dis
%tinctivc rights to be considered and no spe-
clal Interests to protect; hence, as between
the Government and spoilers OF the public
domain the Government usually had the
worst Of it. l am satisfied that thousands
OF claims without foundation in law or
equity, involving millions OF acres of public
land, have been annually passed to patent
upon the single proposition that nobody
but the Government had any adverse in
terest. The vast machinery of the Land
Department appears to have been devoted
to the CHIEF result of conveying the title OF
the United States to public hands upon
fraudulent entries under strained construc.
tions Of imperfect public land laws md
upon illegal claims under public and private ,
grants"
In his recapitulation of the work trans
acted ut the department over which he
presides, the Commissioner gives the fol
lowing summary under the various laws:
PRE-EMprioN.
Fifteen thousand eight hundred pre-.
.emption entries were made during the year,
embracing an area OF 2,311, 297.71 acres,
a decrease OF 5.4S6 entries and 1914, 1915
acres.
Fifteen thousand and forty-one ex-parte
cases were approved for patent and 727
contested cases decided. The number OF
pre-emption entries remaining Enacted
at the close Of the fiscal year was
32,374. The number of pre-emption fill
ings recorded during the year was 4 1896,
which, at $50 acres each, would cover T.
GIL 800 acres.
HOMEsTEADs.
The number Of original homestead en-
tries made during the year is 5O,S77, EN-.
bracing an area OF 7,415, SS5.53 acres, a
decrease OF 4,16S entries and AIS, 624.35
acres as compared with the year 1884.
Final proof was made on 22,OG6 entries,
embracing 1902, 679.11 acres, an increase
over the previous year of 2 entries, and
a decrease of 81, 1O4 .3S acres.
One thousand five hundred and sixty-ive
soldiers homestead d~eclaratory statements
were filled, covering 25O.4OO acres.
TMBER-CULTURE ENTRIES.
Thirty thousand nine hundred and
eighty. eight timber-culture entries were
made, embracing 4,755,OO5.57 acres, an
increase Of 1850 entries and 67O,541.7O
acres. Final proof was offered on $50 en-
tries, embracing 9O,3OO.G6 acres.
DESERT LANDS.
Two thousand seven hundred and sixty
six desert-land entries were made, embrace
ing 92S, 25O.O6 acres, being an increase OF
337 entries and u decrease OF 23,557.S6
acres as compared with the previous year..
Final proof was made on ATS entries, EN-
bracing 100, 9S4.3O acres.
TIMBER N STONE LAND ENTRIES.
One thousand and twenty-seven entries, en-
bracing 139,3O1. 90 acres, were made under
the timber and stone land act Of Jun 3,
1873, (chicfy timber-land e~ntries), in the
States Of California n Oregon and Wash
ington Territory Ito which States and Ter
ritory and the State of Nevada the act only
is applicablel, being a decrease OF 1,3G5 en-
tries and 2OO.117.96 acres as compared
with the year 1884.
MINERAL LANDS.
One thousand, five hundred and eighty
eight mineral entries OF the public lands
and sixty-eight mineral entries OF Ute In
dian lands were made,e embracing 35,215.O2
acres and 1.2S6.7S acres, respectively; n
total OF 1856 entries and 36,5O1.SO
acres.
There were LAOS mineral applications
filed on public lands and so on Ute lands,
q total OF 1,455 applications.
One hundred n seventy-three adverse
claims were filed against entries OF public
mineral lands and 8 against entries OF Ute
mineral lands.
There were 20 coal entries OF public lands
and Is entries OF Ute lands, a total OF II
entries, embracing 3,675.19 acres and
2.279.94 acres, respectively; Il total Of
5,955.13 acres. j.,
There were also 6O2 public coal.land fill
ings and CD Ute filings, a total OF 6 FL
ings.