Show NEW MINERAL ENTRY RULING washington aug 8 an exceptionally important decision has been rendered by the general laud office in abase coming before it on appeal from the local federal land office in montana in which the leading issue joined arose out of the rival claims of persons to a piece of land in that state one claiming it under an agricultural entry the other under a mining location the montana local office instead of adhering to the old established rule that a mining claimant must show that the land produced mineral in pay quantities as a present fact in a word that he must have a paying mine on the claim decided that the mineral contestant need only show that the land contains mineral in sufficient quantity and of such value as to justify a reasonable and competent person in expending time and mone money y in exploring and developing it where the prospector is actually working the ground this liberal ruling of the local land office was unqualified sustained by the general land office many of oar our best paying mines says the decision at some period of their existence would not have been able to withstand a contest by an agricultural cultural claimant under a strict construction of the c rule |