Stephen Johnson Field

“ It is there enacted that 'lands valuable for minerals' shall be reserved from sale, except as otherwise expressly directed, and that 'valuable mineral deposits' in lands belonging to the United States shall be free and open to exploration and purchase. We also say lands known at the time of their sale to be thus valuable, in order to avoid any possible conclusion against the validity of titles which may be issued for other kinds of land, in which years afterwards rich deposits of mineral may be discovered. ”

“ Indeed, the discovery of a rich mine in any quarter is usually followed by a large settlement in its immediate neighborhod, and the consequent organization of some form of local government for the protection of its members.' It would seem, therefore, that the entry of a town-site, even though within its limits mineral lands are found, would be as important to the occupants of other lands as if no mineral lands existed. ”

“ We say 'land known at the time to be valuable for its minerals,' as there are vast tracts of public land in which minerals of different kinds are found, but not in such quantity as to justify expenditures in the effort to extract them. ”