The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-03-21
COMMITTEE REPORTS OUT
AMENDED NOLAN BILL
Unofficial Advices Are to the Effect That An Amended
Nolan Bill Has Been Reported Out by the House Public
Lands Committee-Amended Bill Leaves Territory as
Originally Set But Comedies Several Changes Asked For

said International boundary line;
thence southerly along the westerly
boundary line of Range 8, east to the
northerly boundary line of Township
SO north, as the eaSterly boundary of
the area to be included therein; thence
westerly along said northerly bound
airy line of Township SO north,
across Cook and Lake counties to the
eaSterly boundary lines of Range ID
West, in st. Louis county; thence
northerly along said eaSterly boundary
line of Range Is West, to the nor
therly boundary line of Township Is
north; thence westerly along said last
named line to the westerly boundary
line of Range 81 West; thence nor
therly along said westerly boundary to
the International boundary; thence
following the said International bound
airy line southeasterly to the point of
beginning on said westerly boundary
line of Range East
Explanation.
1.-THE purpose of this proposed
amendment is to limit the area in
volved so as to obviate the objections
of the residents of Cook county and
Lake county and also the objections of
the people in the populous agricultural
sections of st. Louis county who do not
want to be covered by the provisions
of this bill
Township IS definitely lies north of
the richest agricultural region within
st. Louis county. Coming down fur
ther south, the township line of SO is
the entry point of rs per cent of the
canoeists who take trips during the
summer in the area involved and in
the Canadian area beyond the border.
South of the north line of SO is the
richest mining region in the world,
with a heavy population, with large
holdings of private mineral lands, on
which there are no delinquencies in
taxation which are being reserved for
future use and development, and there
are no lakes to speak of outside of
BURNSIDE and Vermilion lakes, which
are in highly developed state, for the
promotion of tourist trade and which
have never been made an issue by any
one in America for the purposes of eX-
ploitation along the lines of logging or
for power purposes. We maintain
there is not single engineers report
in the country pertaining to these
lakes in that particular region. 1t is
to be particularly noted that no govern
ment land is on the shores of either
of these lakes.
Continuing east, where the line of
Township So goes through the Superior
National Forest, that portion of the
Superior National Forest south of
Township SO, is not tourist country,
the only canoe route available, ac-
cording to those familiar with the re-
gion, is through a portion of the Isa-
bella River. There are only about a
half dozen canoeists year in that
section during the summer This is
not tourist country. There are no
water power developments there. The
region, notwithstanding, is not agri-
cultural but bare, and deSolate, COM
posed of gabro, granite and some min
eral formations which extend therein,
they being an extension of the Mesaba
range.
Continued east to Range East, in
Cook county, which is the eastern limit
of the area embraced in this amend
ment, thence north to the boundary,
the lands east are private lands, SUBJ
JCCU W lOCdl OdAdU1Oll III SOOh SOul1Oy,
on which at present revenue is being
derived.
These lands are being held for the
mineral possibilities in the way Of cop
per, nickel, silver, gold and for lake
shore possibilities bordering Lake Sup
erior.
''The statement has been made by
the proponents of the original bill that
the bill would not apply to private
lands; and, If 1t does not apply to
these lands, then there is no reason
why this land to the east should be
included within the area of the bill.
The border waters in that region, which
empty into Lake Superior, are not
suitable for canoe use. The Pigeon
river comes down through series of
canyons, inaccessible to either fisher
men or canoeists. This land is now
being carried on the tax rolls of Cook
county and is the collateral for the
bonded Indebtedness of Cook county
and outstanding interest bearing war
rants Taxpayers of Cook county
reasonably insist that your honorable
committee give this matter the very
serious consideration it deserves. There
is power project on the Pigeon river,
on the boundary, which lies entirely
within the Lake Superior watershed
and has nothing whatever to do with
the watershed in which the lakes that
are sought to be protected by the pur-
pose of this bill are involved. While
the completion of this project is not
Immediately contemplated, as there is
no need of the power at this time, the
residents of Cock county wish to make
this statement: That, when it is COM
pleted, it will not flood q single acre
of federal lands within the Superior
National Forest OR adjacent, to it. or
in any way effect any government
lands.
I'm further explanation of the
boundary description here, it is to be
noted that, in the vicinity of Gheen,
Cook and Orr, at the western end of
the boundary description, instead of
having the boundary continue west on
the boundary line Of SO north, the
boundary line is extended up to the
line of Township IS, North, SO as to
exclude this rich agricultural section.
Attention has already been called
to this in the other part of this dis
cussion and maps have been submitted.
It is desired that your committee note
that practically all of these people are
opposed to the limits defined by Mr.
Oberholtzer, who insists that an arbit-
rary line be accepted and that arbitrary
line be the north line of Township go
North
Amendment No. 2
cit is respectfully submitted that your
committee further amend the Nolan
bill by striking out the words or APP
preparation contained in line 8 and 9