Year: 1873

: 'z2ss fGENERAL NArURE-No. 1911


An act to provide Tor the sale of lands OF


the United States containing coal


BE it enacted by the Senate and House OF
Representatives of the United States OK
America IN Congress assembled, mat any
person above the age Of twenty one years,
who is a citizen of the United States, or
who has declared his intention to become
such. or any association of persons sever.
ally qualified as above, shall, upon app!ica'
tion to the register of the proper land othce.
have the right 10 enter. by legal subui-
visions. any quantity OF vacant coal !ands
of the United States not otherwise aPpro'
priated or reserved by competent authority,
not exceeding one hundred and SIXTY acres
70 such individual person, or three nunorea
and twenty acres to such association. upon
payment to the receiver OF not less than
zen dollars per acre for such lands. where
the same shall be situated more than n!teen
miles from any completed railroad, ana not
less than twenty dollars per acre Tor such
lands as shall be within fifteen lr1les u
such road.


SEC. > That any person or ASSOCIATION
of persons severally qualified as above. who
have opened and improved. or shal! here'
after open and improve, any coal lL1he or
mines upon the public lands. and shall oe III
actual possession OF the same, snail De en-
titled to preference right OF entry. uNoer
the foregoing provisions, OF the lilhes 50
opened and improved; provided, that "hen
any association of not less than tour per-
sons severally qualified as in section one
of this act, shall have expended not less
than five Thousand dollars in Working ana
improving any such mine or mines such
association may enter not eXceedlhs tx
hundred and forty acres, including saeh
mining improvements.


SEC g. That all claims under section two
of this act mustbe presented to the register
of the proper land district within sixty Gays
after the date of actual possession and the
commencement Of improvements on tho
land, by the filing of deciaratory state
ment therefor; provided, that when the
township plat is not on file at the date OF
such Improvement, filing must he made
within sixty days from the receipt OF such
ulat at the district Office; and provlsied fnr.
ther, that where the improvements snail
have been made prior to the expiration OF
three months from the passage OF this act.
sixty days from the expiration OF sad three
months shall be allowed for the fling OF
declaratory statement. and no sale nn0er
the provisions of this act shall be allowed
until the expiration of six months from tho
date hereof.


SEC. H. That this act shall be he'd 70
authorize only one entry by the same per-
son or association of persons under !ts
provisions and no association OF persons
any member of which shall have taken the
benefit of this act either as an individual or
as member of any other association, shah
enter or hold any other lands under tho
provisions of this act and no mem Der oI
any association which shall have taken the
benefit of this act shall enter or hold any
other lands under its provisions aud al
persons claiming under section two hereof
shall be required to prove their respective
rights and pay for the lands filed upon
within one year from the time prescribed
for fling their respective claims: and upon
failure to file the proper notice, or 20 pay
Tor the land within the required period. the
same shall be subject to entry by any other
qualified applicant.


SEC 5. That in case of conflicting claims
upon lands where the improvements shall
be hereafter commenced, priority OF posses.
sion and Improvement followed bv proper
filing and continued good faith. shall de-
termine the preference right TO purchase.
And also where improvements have already
been made at the date of the passage of
this act, division of the land claim
may be made by legal Subdivisions.
10 include, as near as may be, tho
valuable Improvements of the respective
parties; and Commissioner of the General
Land Office shall he and is hereby author
lied to issue all needful rules and regula-
tons for carrying into effect the provisions
Of this act


SEC. 6. That nothing in this act shall be
construed to destroy or impair any rights
which may have attached prior 70 i-s pass
age, or to authorize the sale of lands yalu-
able for mines of gold, silver or copper.


March 2 1879