Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1914-11-06
MUCH LAND IS
OPEN TO LOCATION

Large areas Of public lands hereto
fore withheld from all forms of entry
because of the possible presence of
mineral deposits are now open to agri-
cultural settlement under a law which
went into effect July II, 1914. Entry
under the new act involves the re-
tention by the government OF title
to certain specified minerals believed
to underlie the lands This sort OF
agricultural entry of coal land has
been allowed since June %. 1910. and
of oil land in Utah since August %
1872. The present law extends this
right of non-mineral entry TO all public
lands Withdrawn, classified, or Yalu-
able for phosphate, nitrate, potash.
ALL gas or asphaltic minerals. Any
form of non-mineral filing may be
made-homestead, desert-land, timber
and stone state selection, or any 9th
er-the government reserving the
mineral deposits for which the lands
are believed to be valuable and the
right to prospect for and mine them.
IL Tor example, a man should make
entry in one of the great phosphate
Held of Florida, Idaho, Utah, Wyo-
ming or Montana his patent would
give him the right to the surface and
to all minerals which might thereaf-
ter be found except phosphate. Or
II his homestead should be in one of
the oil fields of California, Wyoming,
Utah, Colorado or Louisiana he would
receive patent to every thing but oil
and gas. Before the government or
Its assignee comes on his land to
prospect for phosphate or for oil, the
entryman is secured against any dam,
ages which he may sustain in the
course OF the prospecting or mining.
lnasmuch as large Withdrawals of
mineral lands have been made in the
arid and semiarid Western states.
where entries may be made under
the enlarSed-homestead acts, the re
cent law will considerably extend the
area open to dry-farmiHg homesteads.
Many applications for the designation
OF lands as subject to enlarged-home-
stead entry have in the past been re-
fused because the lands were with
drawn but these applications may now
be granted, and those whose applica-
tions have been refused on this
ground should resubmit them to the
director of the geological survey. In
this connection the director reiterates
a former statement to the effect that
no definite form of petition is re-
quired, and that there is no necessity
for employing the services of an at
torney to draw up petitions. He sug-
gests. however, that the following
rules be observed:
Each application should be limited
as far as possible to the specific tract
desired for entry and should contain
the applicants postofTice address and
range of the applicants original
homestead entry and the date of this
entry, as well as description, also
by legal subdivisions, of the land de-
sired for additional entry. Informa-
ton as to the possibility of irrlgating
the land should also be furnished and
should include the distance and direc-
tton of the lowest point of the land
above such source of water supply,
the depth at which water can be
reached by wells sunk on the land,
and all available information concern
ing attempts to obtain water by this
method. The general character of
the land, both of the homesteader's
original entry Gf he has made one)
and Of the land desired for additional
entry, should also be described, to aid
the geological survey In reaching a
decision as to it's non-irrigability. It
should be noted that at present only
entrymen who have not made final
proof are entitled to make additional
entry.
ed in letter sent to the director of
the United States geological survey,
Washington, D. G. A formal petition
drawn UP by q notary will not result
in any earlier consideration OF the
matter than will be given If the ap.
licant writes personally. Action will
be taken on each request as promptly
as is consistent with a proper regard
to other requests that are pending,
and the applicant will be Immediately
notified when final decision has been
reached,
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