The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1871-05-27
SATURDAY MORNING. MA, -. 1871.
Patents 10 Placer Mining Claim. ON sur.
veyed Lands.


Under date Of Nav 9Th. 1871. in answer to
letter fron A. A. Sargent. Commissioners
Drummond has adds essed letter to the Re-
gister and Receiver at Sacramento. which
seems 20 settle qnevtion of construction be-
tween the United States Surveyor-General
and tie Sacramento Land Office. as TO wbefh-
er the Surseyor-GeDeral is required to Act
upon the survey of legal subdivision into
ten-acre tracts, whore such survey is made
by county or lacal surveyor. and gives 9TH
er important information, as will be seen
from the following:
II il thouvht that the terms of the Act Of
Yah July. 1870, are too plain to admit of any
misrepresentation or doubt upon this point
but To the end thar NIL parties may he advis-
ed of the duties devofvihg upon them in act
ing upon claims Of this class. the following is
communicated
An application for a patent for placer
mining claim is required by the ne. To come
within the Same conditions applicable to
claimants Of veins or lodes. and the proceed
ings prior 10 the snrve7 are the same in both
cases rs is fully set forth in the circular in
structions from this Office bearing GATE the
9Th August. 1870.
After the expiration Of the ninety DAYS no.
tice given in such eases, proof Of which r,ust
be made 10 the satisfaction Of the Register,
the placer mining claimant. where the sub
division of forty-acre tract is necessary.
may engage under private contract either a
United States deputy, or a county or local
surveyor tn perform the work AT the expense
OF such placer claimant such fGrty-acre tract
TO be invariably laid off into four lots ofeaual
area and to snit the circumstances Of the
case these lots may he either in the form OF
squares, l0xl0 chains. or in the form of par
allelograms, 5x20 chains; but the lines of
these surveys must not be run diagonally to
those of the regular surveys, but parallel
and at right angles Herewith, so as to avoid
confusion in the disposal of the remainder of
the land
Such survey when executed must be prop
erly swcrn to by the surveyor. either before
the Register or Receiver, a Notary Public,
or an officer of Court of record, the Gepon
ent's character and crediblity tc be certified
by the officer administering the oath.
Upon the filing of the plat and field notes
of such survey duly sworn to. you will trans
NIT the same to the Surveyor General for
veriicaton and approval, who, if he finds the
work TO havo beer correctly executed. will
give such ten-acre lot, where the same con-
stitutes the entire claim, its appropriate nu-
merical designation in the order of surveyed
mineral claims in the township, and in cases
where several of these ten-acre lots constitute
and are comprised within one claim they will
not receive separate numbers for each lot,
but the whole will receive one number in the
order Of mineral claims in the township.
The Survevor-General will then mark such
claim upon the original township plat on file
in his Office, ard send an authenticated copy
of the Flat and field notes of tie survey to the
Register of the proper local land office and to
this office, as in the case of vein or lode sur
veys.
Thereafter, If no adverse claim has been
presented. an entry will be allowed of such
claim at the rate of two dollars and fiftv cents
for each acre or fractional part Of an acre en-
braced in the survey; the local land officers
preserving an unbroken series of numbers for
all mineral claims, both lode and placer and
ther report tie case to this office in the usual
manner, accompanied with letter Gf trans
mission.
1t is to he distinctly understood that the
foregoing remarks as to "urvey are intended
to apply only to those placer claims which
cannot he entered in forty acre legal suhdivi- |
sions without interference with the rights OF |
other bona tde mineral or agricultural claim
ants in the same tract, and yon will in all
cases require testimony as to whether or not
such claimants to such forty-acre tract exist
and where such are found. require the appli- |
cant, at his own expense, 70 cause the survey |
toto ten-aere lots ia manner aforesaid so as to
segregate his claim frpm the remainder and
where there are no such other claimants in |
the same forty, require the entry to conform
in its exterior limits to such forty-acre legal
subdivision.
In case there are several placer mining
claimants within the same subdivision they
have the option of making joint entry of the
land, or at having such smaller Subdivisions
made and receiving separate patents.
You are requested 30 acknow the re-
CENT of this communication IS Mo-
Very respectfully. your nhedient servant,
W. W. CURTls Acting Commissioners