The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1873-08-16
DECISION ON MINERAL LANDS.

Commissioner Drummond, of the Gen
eral Land Office, Washington, in a com
munieation addressed to 4. S. Davis, sets
forth several important facts regarding
the occupancy of mineral lands in the
United States, few of which we copy
for the benefit of those interested. The
decision was brought about by applica-
tons being made to take up lands con-
tanning valuable deposits Of borax, car
Donate and nitrate of soda. sulphur. alum
and asphalt, and the question arose as to
how, or under what classification such
deposits should be claimed.
The first section cf the Act Of Congress. ap.
proved May TO- 1872. reads as follows That
all valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging
to the United States both surveyed and unsnr-
Veyed, are hereby declared 90 be free aud open
to exploration and purchase, and the lands In
which they gre found, to occupation and pur-
chase, etc.
The second section declares THAT mining
claims upon veins or lodcs Of quartz or other
rock In place bearing gold, silver. cinnabar
lead, tin. copper or other valuable deposits here.
tofore located, +" otc
Section six refers 30 "a patent for any lard
claimed and located for valuable deposits"
The Commissioner further on SAYS:
To the several inquiries in the letter referred
to. therefore reply, that lands valuable on ac-
count of borax, carbonate Of soda nitrate OF soda
sulphur, alum and asphalt as well as all yslu-
able mineral deposits, may be applied for, and
patented under the provisions Of the mining Act
of May 10, 1872.
The following opinion is particularly
definite and interesting, and-will be of
value to all mining men, as calculated to
save trouble and expense in locating, etc.
In this connection deem IL matter Of i'm
portance to give the construction this Office places
upon the expression, "yein or lode OF quartz or
other rock in place., 10 prevent mistakes in 10
eating the two classes Of mines referred to,
thereby saving To claimants considerable expense
and delay In geology and among miners, veins
or lodes imply generally an aggregation of mine
raj matter found in the fssurcs Of the rocks
which inclose 1t, but of great variety, veins
differing very much in their formation and ap-
pearance. Lode is term in general use among
the tin miners Of Cornwall, and was introduced
on the Pacific coast by emgqants from the Cor
nish mines, and signihes hssuro filled either
by metallic or earthly matter. In several Of the
mining districts the terms lead and ledge are
employed in the local regulations concerning
mines. Lead Is used 10 convey the same idea as
lode, while ledge would seem TO indicate a layer
or stratum of mineral intcrpOsod between
course or ridge of rocks.
Veins may be either sedimcntary. plnionic, or
segregated, Of nhltration or attrition, depend
ing upon the peculiar formation or mode Of ac-
currence Of the mineral deposit. There is also
another form of deposit different from either Of
those mentioned above, called contact deposit.
European miners mention still others. called in
England floors" in Germany " stockwerke. "
and form Of deposit known a. "fahlbands .
These latter are, more properly speaking, ore
bearing belts. irregular in their dimensions but
presenting a certain degree OF parallelism with
each other. Similar In some respects to the fail
bands are the metalliferous zones or " "amygda.
loidal bands, which are said 10 exist on Mount
Lincoln and Mount Brugs Colorado.
However, If the question were raised. neither
of the forms Of deposit known as contact deposit,
fahlbands or segregated veins could be accepted
as true Inetallfsrous veins, nor could It be fire.
fquently made 10 appear, without expensive ex-
rayatiOn. whether the metal In the mine for
which "a patent s sought occurs in the form OF a
true vein or not. But there is no reason or sup
posing that the terms were employed IN their
strict geological adjudication. The plain object
Of the law is to dispose Of the mineral lands Of
the United States for money value. and whatever
form Of deposit can be embraced in the general
phrase, "yein, or lode Of quartz or other rock IN
place." must be sold at the rate Of 1--WE dollars
per acre. II is evidently the policy Of the Gov
crnment TO include as much land as possible ua.
der this designation, for the reason that the
most valuable metals and minerals occur in the
several vein formations, II is desirable that the
lands wherein they are discovered should be sold
in limited quantities, thereby preventing the
few from monopolizing large tracts which onght
To remain open to all for exploration and deyel-
opment and for the further reason that the
Government derives larger revenue from the
sale of lands of this description.
In fine, 1 include in the first class, all land
wherein the mineral matteri is contained in veins
OF lodges occupying the original habitat or loca-
cation of the metal or mineral whether in true
or false veins. in zones, in pockets, or in the
several other forms in which minerals are found
in the original rock. whether gangue or matrix
is disintcgrated at the surface or not.