Recapitulation, by States and Territories, of the disposal of the public lands, etc.-Cont'd. [The area of commated homesteads, final homesteads, and final desert entries, and the area and amount of Indiau land and other areas in brackets are not included in the general aggregate.] States and Terri tories. Aggregate of all classes of entries, Expenses incident to the disposals of public area of lands disposed of, and re ceipts from all sources. lands. Recapitulation, by States and Territories, of the disposal of the public lands, etc.-Cont'd. [The area of commuted homesteads, final homesteads, and final desert entries, and the area and amount of Indian land and other areas in brackets are not included in the general aggregate.]. N.-MINERAL DIVISION. This division has charge of the following business: (1) Mineral and coal entries. (2) Contests between mineral claimants. (3) All other contests coming before the office where the mineral character of the land is involved. (4) Quasi contests. (5) Agricultural entries, involving the mineral character of the land. (6) Railroad lists referred to this division for examination, involving the mineral character of the land. (7) Petitions for suit by the United States to set aside patents on mining and coal claims, and on all mineral and coal lands which may have been erroneously or fraudulently patented as agricultural land. (8) Preparing certified copies of papers, plats, and records. (9) Correspondence. (10) Miscellaneous matters, e. g., relinquishments, and requests by registers and receivers and surveyors general for instructions in all matters relating to the disposal of mineral and coal lands. (11) The preparation and recording of all mineral and coal patents. The average number of clerks in the division for the year has been 26. The average for year ending June 30, 1891, was 23+. Two thousand and eighteen mineral and coal patents have been issued, an increase of 23+ per cent from the previous year. Eighty-two contest cases were finally disposed of, as against 92 for the previous year. One hundred and thirty-seven contest cases were considered, as against 265 for the previous year. Two thousand three hundred and thirty-seven current mineral and coal entries were examined, an increase of over 41 per cent. One thousand four hundred and twelve suspended entries were reexamined, as against 1,958 for the previous year. Of railroad selections examinations were made as to the mineral character of 7,003,050 acres. One thousand four hundred and thirty-three coal declaratory statements were canceled during the year. The work on ex parte mineral entries is in arrears about nine months, a gain of twenty-one months since last report, July 1, 1890. The examination of coal entries is up to date. The work on contest cases and quasi contests is in arrears about two months. The work on connected diagrams is up to date. Lists of railroad selections, involving 4,247,894.25 acres, remain suspended. Coal entries made. The following statement shows the quantity of lands sold and the number of entries, filings, etc., made under the mining and coal land laws during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891: Coal filings made 72 Mineral contests received 1,923 Quasi contests received 64 116 The work done during the fiscal year is shown as follows: Mineral patents issued, including necessary plats of surveys... Mineral and coal patents recorded, including necessary plats of surveys Suspended mineral and coal entries reëxamined Total mineral and coal entries examined or reëxamined... Coal declaratory statements canceled.... Agricultural cases and quasi-contest cases, involving mineral questions, Contest cases considered and decisions rendered subject to appeal Total number of contests considered The 1,792 mineral and 226 coal land patents issued during the year, the latter covering coal fields aggregating 31,728.65 acres, are for lands within the States and Territories given in the table below: 226' 2, 018 7,651 227 2,337 1,412 3,749 1, 433 513 82 137 The condition of the work at the close of the fiscal year is as follows: Mineral and coal entries unexamined. Mineral and coal entries examined and in the suspended files. 2,310 2,281 136 40 Agricultural cases and quasi-contest cases, involving mineral questions, examined and in suspended files 110 Lists of railroad selections, involving 4,247,894.25 acres, suspended. 5,571 1,248 72 Total.... (In entries received are included all entries made). Mineral and mill-site entries examined and patented during the year 6, 891 1,792 Coal entries examined and patented during the year Mineral, mill-site, and coal entries approved but not patented. Mineral, mill-site, and coal entries canceled during the year. 226 227 55 4,493 Mineral and coal entries for each State and Territory pending, examined and suspended and unexamined, June 30, 1891, are shown by the following table: Agricultural and all entries not mineral and quasi-contest cases, pending Agricultural cases received during the year Number finally disposed of during the year Number pending not acted on June 30, 1891 147 290 116 403 40 |