Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-05

Large areas Of public lands hereto
fore withheld from all forms of entry
because Of the possible presence Of
miner deposits are row open 10
agricultural settlement under law
which went into effect July =, 1915,
Entry under The new act involves the
retention 10y the Government Of tile
TO certain specified minerals believed
10 undeT!Ie the lands This sort %
agricultural entry Of coal land has
been allowed since June -, 1910. ana
OF OIL land II Titan since August ~,
1917. The present law extends this
right Of nonmIneral entry to all public
lands Withdrawn classified, or Valu
able Tor phosphate nitrate, potash oil.
gas, o. aspnaitlc minerals. ANY form
Of nonmIneral filing may be made-
Homestead, desert lana timber and
stone. state selection. or any other
the Government rese~vins the mineral
deposits for which the lands are be-
heyed TO be valuable and the right
10 prospect for and mine them. Il
for example q mar should make en-
Try Ill one Of the great phosphate
fields Of Florida ldahu. Utah, wv
Nins, or Montana his patent would
give nm the right H. The surface and
10 all minerals winch might thereaf-
ter De found eXcep; phosphate o. II
his homestead Should he III one Of tn
oil fields If California. wyoming
Itah. Colorado ur Louisiana h@
would receive Patent to everything bll.
oil and gas. Before the Governments
or its assignee comes on his land 10
prospect for phosphate OF for oil. the
unt~Eman is secured against any dam
ages which he may sustain IL the
course OF the prospecting or mining.
.sNili Open Up Dry-F Farming Areas.
nasmuch as large Withdrawals of
s~neral lands have been made in tha
arid and seniarid Western STATES.
where entries ma be made under the
enlarged Homestead acts. the recent
law will considerably extend the area
open To dryfarmIng hunesteads.
Many applications Cor the designation
Of lands as subject 10 enlarged home
stead entry have IL the past been re
fused because the lands We're with
drawn. hut these applications Ma,
now he granted, ana those whose ap-
pllcarions have been refused on this
ground should resubmlt them 10 the
Director Of The Geological Survey. Ir
this connection the Director reiterates
former statement to the effect that
no definite form of petition is re
CURED, anG that there Is no necessity
fot employing the services Of an at
torney to draw up petitions He sue-
Eests, however, that the following
rules be observed:
Each application should be limited
as lar as possible to the specific tract
desired for entry ana should contain
the applicants post office address and
description. by sections township
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. Tnforna-
tion as TO the possibility Of irrlgating
The land should also be furnished and
should include the distance and direc
tion OF the nearest stream or existing
or proposed irrigation canal. the ele-
walton of the lowest point Of the land
above such source of water SUNNY
LIZ tNPt4t al WHICH Wdter can he
reached by wells sunk on the land.
and all available information concern
ing attempts 10 obtain water hv th,s
method. The general character of
the land, both of the honasrea der,s
original entry ,if he has made onel
and of the land desired for additional
entry. should also be described. to aid
The Geological Survey in reaching 4
decision as 10 It's nonirrigability II
should be noted that present only
entrymen who have not made final
proof are entitled to make additional
entry.
rms information should be en-
hodieo In q letter sent to the Director
L 5. Geological Survey. Washington,
u. c. formal petition drawn uu by
notary will not result in any sar,iar
consideration of the matter than will
be given If the applicant writes uer-
scnally. Action will be taken IN aacb
request as promptly as is cons;sten,
with proper regard TO other re-
guests that are pending. and the an
nStat will he immediately notified
Wren final decision has been
reached.