The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-09-08
Alaska Coal Lands.

The investigation OF the geological sur
vcy show that tho coal properties In
Alaska cover about 100 sgunrc miles,
and that there are known 80 be available
about $50 5000 tons. This is, however,
an underestimate OF the coal in Alaska.
because further developments vii! prob
ably inrronso this amount many times:
but we can say with considerable GER
tainty that there are two fields on tho
Pacific slope which can be reached by
railways at n reasonable cost from deop
watcr-in one case about nifty miles and
In the other case OF about 100 miles
which will afford certainly C.OnU.O. 10
tons Of coal. more than half Of which is
Of a very high grade or bitumluous and
Of anthracite. II Is estimated 70 he worth,
in the ground, onc-half cent n ton,
which makes It's value per acre from so
TO 500 The Coklug-coal lands Of PENN
Eylyania are worth from $50 to S2ppl m
acre, while other Appalachian fields are
worth from so to $3.50 an acre and the
fields In the central states from 81 to
g. 90 an acre and In the Rocky noun
tains SO 10 $3.50 an acre. Tho demand for
coal on tho Pacific coast is for about
i,Jo1O0O tons n year. II would encounter
the competition Of cheap fuel Oil OF
which the equivalent OF 1900 coo tons ot
coal year Is used there. II is estimated
that the coal could be laid down at Sc
attic or San Francisco, n hlgh-Erade BIZ
luminous. at 81 ton and anthracite at
s. or &c a ton. The price Of coal on the
Pacific slope varies greatly from time to
time IN the year and from year to year
from 81 to Sl2 n ton. with regular Goa.
supply established. the expert OF the
geological survey, Mr.. Brooks, who has
made report on tho subject does not
think there would DO an excessive profit
In tho Alaska coal mining because the
price at which tho coal could be sold
would be considerably lowered by CCmpe-
ttion from those fields and by the pres
cnce OF crude fuel oil. The history OF tho
laws affecting tho disposition OF Alaska
coal lands shows them to need amend
ment badly
on November l2, 1906, President Roose.
welt issued an executive order with
drawing all coal lands from location and
entry in Alaska. on May l6, 1907. he
modified the order so as TO permit valid
locations made prior TO the withdrawal
on November L. 1906 to proceed to entry
and patent. Prior to that date some 20
claims had been filed, most of them snid
to be Illegal because either made fraudu- |
lently by dummy entrymcn In tho lntor- |
est OF one individual or corporation or |
because OF agreements made prior to To- |
cation between the applicants 20 cooperate |
claims for iGo acres each. known ms the |
Cunningham claims" which are claimed |
TO be valid on the ground that they were |
made by an attorney for SO different |
and bona fldc claimants who, us |
alleged. paid their money and took the
proper steps to locate their entries and |
protect them. The representatives Of the
government in the hearings before the
land Office have attacked tho validity OF
these Cunningham claims on the ground
that prior 10 their location there was an
between the claimants to
pool their claims after they had been
perfected and unite them In one COM
pany. The trend OF decision seems to
show that such an agreement would in
validate the claims. although under the
subsequent law OF May Is, 1905, the con-
of such claims was permitted.
liter location and entry, in tracts of
$50 acres. II would be, OF course I'M
proper for mo to intimate what tho re-
lult OF the issue as to the Cunningham |
md other Alaska claims is likely TO be |
lut It ought to be distinctly Understood |
hat no private claims for Alaska coal |
ands have ms yet been allowed or per-
ected. and also that whatever the result
ss 10 pending claims. the existing coal
and laws OF Alaska are most unsatIsfac-
DRY anG should DO radically amended
70 begin with, the purchase price OF the
and is a fiat ratio OF $40 per acre. MI
hough, as we have seen. the estimate NJ
he agent OF the geological survey would