Arizona citizen., 1873-12-27
MINING LOCATIONS.
What is Required of Claimants Be- fore They Can Have an Official Survey for Patent.

Claimants to mineral lands, as rule,
 are very careless in making original lOca- l tions, even when they believe their claims
 are very valuable; and many who think | they act with great eXactness, often omit important requisites in marking th cir | claims. The court records of the mining States and Territories contain ample evi- dence of these facts, and the majority of
 contests which occupy the time of the land offices and veX and damage claimants,
 grow out of the latters' neglect to properly mark their boundaries on the ground and sufficiently describe them in the notices on
 the claim and for record. It is in the in terest of all bona fide claimants that they be compelled to protect their own interests
 We are particularly pleased that the Com missioner of the General Land Office has issued the following instructions, for right
 Tn the face of official advice sought by and given to claimants, many of them will
 want to know if they cannot avoid doing lthis, or get around that, or in some man.
 ner evade a duty required by law as pro-
 lection of their own interests, especially in cases of contests or blackmall Su1ts
 The circular instructions herewith printed
 have been addressed to the Surveyor-Gen- eral of Arizona, and all interested may as we'll familiarize themselves with their re-
 ouirements, for a strict compliance of them
 will be eXacted:
 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ] GENERAL LAND OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C., November 20, lo73.) SIR: Information has reached this Office that deputies, in surveying mining claims. are in the habit of following the direction of the parties in interest instead Of adher- inp to The lines established ill the original locations of such claims, and thus in effect making a private instead Of an official survey.
 finder all laws and regulations, whether local or general, the locations or clam | in such manner as to give notice to all the world of the nature and extent of the same is not only indispensable, but in most cases mining claims are initiated thereDy, and all subsequent proceedings are based uDOn and must conform to such location. A failure to make and record the loca- tion in accordance with the law and regu- Iatinns in force at the date of the location will defeat the claim, and if 1t Is not made
 with such deflnlteness as to operate as notice to all persons seeking to acquire rights to mining lands 1t Will be void for if follows. therefore, that in making surveys of mining claims It becomes es- sentially necessary to ascertain the boun- daries thereof as established by the origin al location, for the rights or the claimant are limited and defined by such bounda- ries. , .,.,. other lines or boundaries is tantamOunt to making a new location of the claim, and the rights of adjoining locators who nave | complied with the requirements O1 the law may be interfered with and defeated | thereby. - , The practice of making surveys accord | inc to the dctatiOn of parties Ill interest, | instead of in accordance Wlth the orlSlhal location, has already caused great con- | fusion and been productive ol SIeaU HlJury l to bona fide claimants. You will therefor require the applicant | for a survey to furnish copy ot the Oilgln- al record of location, property certlIleu to | by the recorder having chafSe Ol Iie rec 1 Ords of mining locations Tn the dlStrlcC where the claim is situate, and cause all official surveys of mining claims to be
 made in strict conformity 10 the lines es- | tablished by the original locatl0n ts re- | corded: and if the record of locations made prior to the passage Of the mining act of May 10, IS72 is not sufficiently deli nite and certain to enable the deputy to make correct survey tnere1ron, ne should, after reasonable notice Ill writing, tO he served personally or through the limited States mail on the applicant for survey and adjoining claimants Whose residence or pOSt-Offlce address ne may know or can ascertain by the exercise of
 reasonable diligence, take the testimony of neighboring claimants and other per sons who are familiar with the boundaries thereof as originally located and asserted by the locatOrS of the claim, and alter having ascertained by such testimony the
 boundaries as originally established he should mak e survey Tn accoruahce herewith, and transmit full ana correct returns of survey, accompanied by the copv of the record of locations, the testi- mony, and a copy of the notice served on the claimant and adjoining proprietors, certifying thereon when, in what manner and on whom, service was made.
 The act of Congress of May lO, lSI2, eX- presslv provides that "the location must
 be distinctly marked on the ground, so that it's boundaries can be readily traced" and "that all records of mining claims hereafter made shall contain the name or names of the locatorS, the date Of the loca- ton. and such description of the claim or claims, located by reference to some natural object or permanent monument ds will identify the claim"
 These provisions of the law must De strictly complied with in cash case to en- title the claimant to a survey and patent, and therefore should a claimant under
 location made subsequent to the passage | of the mining act of May 10, 1872, who has not complied with said requirements Tn
 regard to marking the location upon the
 ground and recording the same, apply TOT
 a survey you will decline to make II.
 The only reliet for a party under sucn
 circumstances will be to make a new !oca-
 tion in conformity to law and regulations,