The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-12-13
Considerable Red Tape.


One OF the most important rulings
this year bearing on land applicat ions
was received at the Duluth land office
Wednesday morning from the secre-
tary OF the interior. Briefly il. re-
qllires all applicants for public land,
honest cad. timber and stone or under
whatever law is entered. to make an
affidavit that he has personally visit
ed and seen The land.
The radical! nature of this is not
appreciated until it, is understood
that about three-fourths of all he
land taken in Duluth district is never
Seen by the enLIyman at the time he
files his application.
The depart ure is due to the enact
of Il law by congress about Il year ago
making all unoccupied public lands
of the United States containing salt
springs ar deposits of salt in any
form. and chiefly valuable therefor,
subject to local ion and purchase un.
der the provisions of the law relai ing
to placer mining claims.
TO make lie law effective the land
department has prepared atfidavits
which the applicant must make 1T
the time of his entry. swearing that
he knows Of his personal knowledge
that the land he desires contains no
salt.
Heretofore ii has been the custom
| for the great bulk of entrympn to
take advantage of HE provision that
allows six mont lis from the date of
filing in which To perfect residence.
They would file on the claim wanted
and go out aud look at it, later.
AS the Duluth Office does more hIsi-
hess I han any her in the United
States with possibly one except ion,
the large number of people affected
will he interested in Knowing lie
text of the affidavit. 1t is as follows:
Mr.. Blank" being duly sworn, ac-
cOrding 10 law, depnSes and SAYS that
he is the identical person who is an
applicant for guvel ument title 10 he
Certain Land; that he is we'll acQuaiut-
ed will the character of said describ-
ed laud and with each and every
legal subdivision hereof, having fire.
quenIly passed over the same; that
his personal knowledge of said land is
such rs TO enable him to testify I'M
derstandingly with regard hereto;
that there is not. 10 his knowledge,
within the limits thereof, any salt
spring. or deposits of salt in any
form, such aS To make il chiefly val
liable ON account thereof: that no
portion Of said land is claimed for
saline purposes: hat said land is eS-
sent tally non-saline land. and t hat his
applica ion therefor is not made for
the purpose of fraudenlly Obtaining
title to saline land. but with The
object of securing said land for agri-
cultural purposes.
| Whether it, is necessary for the
entryman TO have witnesses to cor
rObOrate his statements is not vet
known 10y he local officers, but they
expect further light shortly.
| The application of his law to Min
nesOta. where, SO far us known. there
are no salt deposits whatever is some
what peculi n. and simply adds To lie
red tape and trouble connected with
| land entries bout benefit to The
government. Local attaches of the
department. however, say that The
bill was passed by congress tOapply to
| lie whole country wit h0ut giving lie
land depart ment aui hOriry to except
non-salne dist riots, aud the latter is
obliged I o accept the law as it stands.