White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-16
UNCLE SAM HAS
BIG COAL FIELDS
ENORMOUS TRACTS OF GREAT
VALUE THAT ARE BEING SOLD
UNDER NEW SYSTEM BY THE
GOVERNMENT.

Over seventy million acres of coal
land in the west is still owned by
Uncle Sam. The coal contents of
this land is enormous; it can be fig
ured only in hundreds of billions of
tons. Some tracts are of immense
value. containing beds of coal of the
highest grade, 80, 40, 80 and even
so feet or more in thickness. The old
way was to sell the coal land. regard
less of value, at the absurd figure
of $40 an acre If it was more than
fifteen miles from a railroad or at
$40 If within that limit. The pres
ent way is TO measure the coal in
an acre and sell the land at a price
determined by its content of coal.
As a result coal land has been priced
as high as $500 an acre and one
tract at even 5000 an acre. Since
March 4, 1909, the Geological Survey
has classified, by 40-acre tracts
S,527,166 acres of the government
coal lands, at a total valuation of
s560,S15.0S1 Including the work
done under the last administration a
total of 13,4S0.53S acres has now
been classified as coal land, at a yalu-
alton of s6~37,e19,41S. At the $40
to $40 minimum ate these lands
would have a valuation of S21S,2S9,-
942, so that the work done has re-
suited in a gain to the government of
nearly 1920, GOO, 600. Ii may be
noted that the proceeds Of coal land
sales are all deposited to the credit
of the reclamation fund"-the fund
that pays for the construction of the
governments vast water-storage pro-
jects.
The work involved in the elassif-
cation and valuation of the nations
coal fields is immense and the scheme
under which il has been worked out
is remarkably accurate and scientific.
The best evidence of its accuracy Is
the ready acceptance of the esti-
mates and valuations by purchasers
of coal lands and the fact that the
Geological Survey is constantly re-
ceiying applications and petitions for
the classification of coal lands.
As a result of geologic field exam
nations this administration has also
withdrawn 62.140. 54S acres of prob
able coal land and has restored to
agricultural entry 1|S,777.756 acres
of noncoal land, which has been
withdrawn from entry pending the
Geological Surveys determination of
its character. A single Montana with
drawal made last July. included 90
20S,S 65 acres. The amount of coal
contained in this area is almost in
credibly great. A single 40-acre
tract for example, contains over two
and a half million tons of coal. The
present outstanding Withdrawals
awaiting geological classification ag-
gregate so, 007 ,68S acres.
Another public fuel esourc in the
construction of which the administra-
tion is taking an active interest is oil.
Many of the public land states are
underlain by deposits of petroleum,
with which natural gas is frequently
associated. Two years ago the Geo
logical Survey reported to the Ma
tional Conservation Commission that
the oil contained in the California de-
posts alone amounted to eight and a
half billion barrels, and this estimate
Is o declared TO be moderate. Care
full geologic examination has been
made of the western oil fields, and
1861 acres of public oil land
have been withdrawn rom entry in
California. Oregon. Wyoming, Utah
and New Mexico, Colorado and Louis
lana. These Withdrawals are made
in aid of proposed legislation. for
the present gold-placer law under
which oil or gas land must be ac-
CURED is absurdly inadequate and
provides no means by which the gov
eminent can retain IN oil supply for
the navy, every new ship of which
Is now equipped with %oil-burning
furnaces.
Withdrawals of water-power sites
on public lands by the Geological
Survey in aid of proposed legislation
have included thousands of sites. The
Withdrawals made during the last
two years ove 161 streams in IL
states and aggregate 1,403,054 acres
Even the classification of agricul-
tural land in the west has devolved
upon the Geological. Survey, which
during the last two years has desig-
mated S6,005,S 5S acres as non-irri-
gable and thus subject to entry under
the enlarged-homestead act.