Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-08-05
HALF MILLION
ACRES CLOSED
On Account Of Coal Deposits This
Vast Amount Is Withdrawn from
Entty---Attects This County

tntfy AtleCtS lniS C0uQty
The officials of the U. S. land
office were officially notified the
last week that by executive order,
dated July Z, 1910, large tracts Of
land in various parts of the country
where there are still vacant and
unpatented lands are withdrawn
from settlement, location, sale or
entry, pending examination and
classification with respect to coal
value by special agents Of the
government.
In the Dickinson land district
the tracts reserved cover the fol-
lowing townships and ranges:
Townships 1873 to l45 n, range
81 W; township l46 n, range 81
W; townships 1873 to las n, range
80 W; township LAG n, range 81 W;
townships 1873 to l46 q. range SO
W; township lat n, range 80 W;
townships 1873 to l46 n. range 20
W; townships l47 n, range ga W:
townships 1873 to l46 n, RANCE 95
W; townships l47 and l45 n. range
95 w; townships 1873 to l43 n,
ranges SO, 81, SO, SO, loo:. town
ships 1873 to l39 n. range l0l W;
townships l43 to 148 n, range
1Ol W; townships 1873 to l3S n.
range 1902; township 1873 n range
1O2 W; townships 143 to LAG n,
range l02 W; townships 1873 to
1873 n, range l03 W; townships l4l
to l4S n. range l03 W; township l37
n, range lo4 W; township 1872 n.
range l04 W; townships l4l to
148 n, range l04 W; township l34
n, range 105 W; townships 1876 to
l48 n. range los W; townships l3a
to 140 n, range LOG W.
It should be taken into account
that the department has previously
withdrawn land in several town
ships along the Little Missouri
river, and possibly other localitie:
of the district which does not
show in the foregoing list.
The unappropriated lands il
the Dickinson district, according
to the official report July l, were
1888. .141 acres, the amount appro
priated the past year being 264,
859 acres. This disp osition o.
public lands has been mostly b!
homestead filings, but it also in
cludes some coal entries, isolated
tract purchases, etc.
The Dickinson land distric
comprises all of Stark and Bill
linqs counties, the most Of Dun'
and Hettinger and part Of Nc
Kenzie. The homestead filing
the past year have been coming
in at perhaps an average rate o
10 to II a day and mostly fron
Dunn, Billings and McKenzi
counties.
This executive order is issue
in conformity with authority con
ferred by acts of congress ap
proved July q and rs, 1910, auth
orizing withdrawal Of public land
in certain cases (for coal investi
gation) and to provide for agricul
tural entries on coal lands.
:: Under this order, until furthe
Instructions, no entries or sale
will be allowed in the distric
affected and no final certificate
will be issued on final proofs.
The United States land officer
will. however. accept filings an
final proofs and issue receipts fo
money paid and suspend the same
awaiting further action on the par
of the government. 1t is prob
able that the mineral characte
of the lands withdrawn will b
determined by the geological SUI
vey department, but just whe
this work can be done is unce,
tain, because Of the vastness Q
the undertaking and probable ir
sufficiency Of appropriations t
carry on the work.
It is likely, although this SUI
position is not based upon any
thing official, that the government
will ask all claimants affected
exercise the right of election
that is, accept title to the surfac
of the land, reserving to tn
government all rights to coal an
mineral beneath. to be dispose
of in the future as the govern
ment sees fit, the owner of tt
surface to be reimbursed for ar
damage at any time on account {
any mining Of coal on the lar