The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-09-29
COAL LANDS
RESTORED
PRESIDENT TAFT ISSUES ORDER
OPENING Cos, 100 ACRES
TO SETTLERS.

Order Means Much to Canyon anC
Neighboring COunties-NO More
"Senseless Conservation" Say the
Prominent Men-SenatOr Boraf
Elated.
An executive order restoring to
entry 66S,160 acres of land In Can
yon, Ada and Washington counties,
hitherto held as coal land" unde
Withdrawals by the government, was
received last Monday by the United
States land Office at Boise, from the
commissioner of the general land
Office in Washington.
These lands in 20 townships of
the state, now thrown open to en-
try without single cloud on the
title to the settler, are sites for
thousands of new homes In Idaho.
The lands could be used for farming
before, under the federal laws, even
though they had been reserved I'M
der the classification as coal lands"
but the settlers refused to take
them up and run the chances of
trouble with the government should
any special agent get the notion
that coal could be found there, it is
said.
The letter explains that the presi-
dent issued thO order under
change made by the director of the
geological survey altering the CLASH
fication of the lands. It restores
the following lands to entry as
homestead lands: Townships / and
2, ranges 1, 2, 3, east; township
north, range east; townships l.
10 inclusive north, ranges 1 and 2
west; townships IL, IL and 13|
north, range west; townships 1-13|
inclusive north, range west.
The land restored was withdrawn
from entry following a policy Of
conservation to hold within the title
of the government all lands that
had indications of coal bearing. Like
the withdrawal of power sites, the
coal lands were gradually set aside
from all forms of entries. Later
the lands were examined and those
not found to contain coal in sufl-
cient quantity were recommended to
be restored.
The order is taken by prominent
federal officials and the people gen.
orally as the beginning of better
things in Idaho. They say that it
means that the senseless "conser-
walton by special agents" of public
lands which show not the slightest
trace Of coal will cease and that ag-
ricultural lands will be left for ag-
ricultural purposes hereafter.
Senator Borah in particular is
elated, for it was due, almost en-
tirely to his efforts that the restora-
ton order was issued. In an inter-
view given Immediately after the
order became public he is quoted
as follows:
Il regard this as the beginning of
better things. am sure that other
orders will follow that one within
the next few days and that, In the
course of time, the whole of the
Snake River valley will be thrown
open to settlers. Washington has
made me that promise and 1 be-
lieve 1t will be carried out. The
conservation of lands as coal lands
which anybody would know had no
trace OF coal in them, seems to be
over.
That is one of the results of
Secretary Fishers visit to the state
and conference I had with him
while he was here. The remainder
of these lands will be thrown open
soon, totalling more than 1,84O,000
acres of the most fertile agricul-
tural lands in the state, and the
lands that bear not the slightest
signs of coal, except to the special
agent who is sent out there to find
it. have expressed myself about
these special agents 80 often that 1t
is useless to go into 1t again. The
restoration order means q great
deal for the state OF Idaho. for 1t
means more homes for the settlers
who are coming here"
Marriage Licenses.