The Shasta courier., 1870-12-24
S II ASIA COURIER.
MINING CLAIMS-LETTER OF A. A.
SARGENT.

Inc Ioliowlng reply TO resolutions ad-
opted by a mass meeting Of the miners of
El Dorado, has been sent to the Union for
publication:
WASHINGTON, December 9th, 1870.
Friend: | thank you for your sketch
of the miners meeting. | think it well
that those interested should discuss such
matters. But some Of the objections to
the law are not well taken. As to the
price, So 80 per acre, it is one half the
price under the quartz law. | fought it
down from $50 per acre, in committee, to
81 SO. 1t was hard to make members
from other States understand that the
miners had anything more to do than pick
up gold in their claims. They only hear
Of big strikes. Besides, the price of any
Government land around Placerville is 81
81 per acre.
The bill puts the miner on level with
the farmer. by enabling him to buy his
land as well as the farmer Before only
the latter could do it, and the only protec-
tion of the former was miserable system
of affidavit filling, which terminated moth
ing, and left the miner liable to be fre-
queDtly summoned to the land Office to
show that his claim is, or continues to be,
worth more for mining than agriculture
COmpl int is made of the necessity of
publishing and posting on the claims an
advertisement; but this is intended as
protection to the miner in possession of
claim to prevent its being patented to
some one else without his knowledge.
What can be substituted for it?
1t is required that 81 ,000 worth of i'm
provements shall be put on claim before
patenting; but this is to prevent specula-
tor getting patents for claims which they
have not improved There is not an old
claim in the State worth anything which
has not much moe valuable improvements
on it than that. Any cut or tunnel is an
Improvement III that sense; any ex-
peuditure in working. For new claims it
Is not hardship, for no time is fixed dur
ing which the work is to be done. aud a
claim not worth that expenditure in deve-
/ lopment is not worth purchase
1t is objected that conflicts nf right be.
tween rival mines or e"mpani,s are not
triei al the Land Office There are sev
eral reasons why this would be uudcsira-
sic-hrst. the gravity Of the interest in
vol,ed require, the intervention of Jury
aud Count of Record. where the fullest
effect my bc given O. miners eusiulns
second, the great eosf oi transporting
numff ffsu- witnesses such di-fai ess ln-tsad
a a-ine them go the sport thsr.l. .n q
resulsf t'aufi ~ the ~ ces.i'ae. sfe fah
be- ihslaaiins af. unis ui ara sa1 aasgi - a
eeaassl sud .i-il,. - .rfssi uag b. a
E a. ~taiH atf h.e Az saet a fhf
+ laffsss .h.fs "a .f issnN HfHss Ma
fnfH aNH sana afsis - Hf hsss
fas 49, 80 a ffs MNsa @
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cas-
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- as 49,
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~ Fssfsf asf w. fsn #NA t4 t'
eiafm nnsiff uatntur ra.t..a.s ths'asafi
- gaaf'a nstasf- hass 90 sfflsa ts has
thsu eiAiu... asd holl fhshl - f..finsfil
There !. ~ tiu,s hasd. ~ under ths pc
empfioa hw durng which a psfsan g. O.
apply or else io-e hi. claim lie ean sai'
I've er twenty year. and then apply. keep
ing up bis claim meanwhile. a. before
50 any one who dout like the law need
Dot Be troubled by il Bot tho progress O