Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1874-08-06
THE PIOCHE DAILY RECORD
MINING LAW,
Laws Of Congress Governing the Loca.
ton, Holding and Working of
Mining Claims Upon the Public
Domain.

Below will be found an abstract of the Mining
Laws of the United States, as passed by Con-
gress and approved May 10, 1872. These are the
last. and hence the only mining laws Of general
interest and force, with the single exception of a
portion Of section 8, in reference to the reloea-
tion of claims and mines located prior to the
passage Of the general mining law. The Act
amending the section alluded to will also be
found. following the general law modifying sec
ton s. 30 that claim located prior to May 10,
1872. is not subject to relocation until June 10,
1874.
AN ACT to promote the development of the
Mining resources Of the United States
Be IL enacted by the Senate and House of Rep
resertatiyes of the United States OF America in
Congress assembled That all valuable mineral
deposits in lands belonging TO the United States,
both surveyed and unsurveyed, are hereby de-
elared to be free and open TO exploration and
purchase, and the lands in which they
are found to occupation and purchase
by citizens Of the United States and
those who have declared there intention to be-
come such. under regulations prescribed by law,
and according to the local customs or rules of
miners in the several mining districts, so far as
the same are applicable and not inconsistent
with the laws ofthe United States.
SEC. 2. That mining claims upon veins or
lodes of quartz or other rock in place bearing
gold silver cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, or other
valuable deposits heretofore located, shall be
governed as to length along the vein or lode by
the customs, regulations, and laws i'll force at
the date OF their location. mining claim located
after the passage of this act, whether located by
one or more persons, may equal but shall not
exceed one tn ousand five hundred feet in length
along the vein or lode; but no location OF min
lug claim shall be made until the discovery of
the vein or lode within the limits of the claim
located. No claim shall extend more than three
hundred feet on each side of the middle Of the
vein at the surface, nor shall any claim be linn
tied by any mining regulation to less than twen-
ty-ive feet each side Of the middle of the vein
at the surface, except Gre adverse rights exist
ing at the passage of this act shall render such
Limitation necessary The end-lines Of each
claim shall be parallel TO each other.
SEC. 3. That the locators of all mining loca-
tions heretofore made, or which shall hereafter
be made, on any mineral vein, lode, or ledge. sit
uated on the public domain, their heirs and as
signs, where no adverse claim exists at the pas
sage of this act, so long as they comply with the
laws of the United States and the State, Terri
torial and local regulations not in conflict with
said laws of the United States governing their
possessory title, shall have the exclusive right of
possession and enjoyment Of all the surface in
cluded within the lines of their locations and of
all veins lodes, and lodges throughout the entire
depth, the top or apex of which lies inside of
such surfaee-lines extended downward vertical
ly, although such veins, lodes or lodges may so
far depart from perpendicular in their course
downward as to extend outside the vertical side
lines of said surface locations: Provided that
their right of possession to such outside parts
of such veins or lodges shall be confined to such
portions thereof as lie between vertical planes
drawn downward as aforesaid, through the end
lines OF their locations, SO continued in their
own direction that such planes will intersect
such exterior parts Of said veins or lodges: And
provided further, that nothing in this section
shall authorize the locator or possessor of vein
1a1a ,sIa
beyond the vertical lines of his claim to enter
upon the surface Of claim owned or possessed
by another.
SEC. 4. That where a tunnel is run for the
development OF a vein or lode, or for the discov-
cry Of mines, the owners of such tunnel shall
have the right of possession of all veins or lodes
within three thousand feet from the face Of such
tunnel on the line thereof, not previously known
to exist, discovered in such tunnel, to the same
extent as if discovered from the surface; and
locations on the line Of such tunnel of veins or
lodes not appearing on the surface, made by
other parties after the commencement of the
tunnel, and while the same is being prosecuted
with reasonable diligence, shall be invalid; but
failure to prosecute the work on the tunnel for
six months shall be considered as an abandon
ment of the right to all undiscovered veins on
the line Of said tunnel.
SEC. 8. That the miners of each mining dis
trict may make rules and regulations not in con-
hict with the laws of the United States, or with
the laws of the State or Territory in which the
district is situated, governing the location man
ner of recording, amount Of work necessary to
hold possession Of mining claim, subject &c
the following requirements: Location must be
distinctly marked on the ground SO that its
boundaries can be readily traced. All records OF
mining claims hereafter made shall contain the
name or names Of the locators, date of the loca.
ton, and such description OF the claim or
claims located by referenence to some natural
object or permanent monument as will identify
the claim. On each claim located after the pas.
sage of this act, and until patent shall have
been issued therefor, no less than one hundred
dollars worth Of labor shall be performed or i'm.
provements made during each year. On all
claims located prior to the passage of this
act, ten dollars worth Of labor shall
be performed or improvements made
each year for each one hundred feet
in length along the vein until patent shall
have been issued therefor; but where such claims
are held In common, such expenditure may b.
made upon any one claim; and upon failure t.
comply with these conditions, the claim or min,
upon which such failure occurred shall be ope1
to relocation in the same manner as If no loca
tion of the same had ever been made: Provided
That the original locators, their heirs
assigns, or legal representatives, have not re
sumed work upon the claim after such falur
and before such location. Upon the failure o
any one Of several co-owners to contribute hi
portion of the expenditures required by this act
the co-owners who have performed the labor o
made the improvements may, at the expiration
of the year, give such delinquent co. owner per
sonal notice in writing or notice by publication
in the newspaper published nearest the claim
for at least once week for ninety days, and If a
the expiration of ninety days after such notice il
writing orby publication such delinquent Shout
fail or refuse to contribute his proportion t
comply with this act, his interest in the clair
shall become the property of his co-owners VIII
have made the required expenditures.
SEC. @. That patent for any land elaine
and located for valuable deposits may be Oh
tanned in the following manner: Any person
association, or corporation authorized to locate
claim under this act, having claimed and locate
piece of land for such purposes, who has, {
have. complied with the terms of this act. ms
fle in the proper land-ottice an application for
patent, under oath, showing such complianc
ogether with plat and feld-notes of the clail
claims in common, made by or under the d
ection C. the United States Surveyor Genera
showing accurately the boundaries of the clail
or claims, which shall be distinctly marked /
monuments on the ground, and shall post o cor
Of such plat, together with notice Of sue
application for a patent, in conspicl
Gus place on the land embraced in such plat pr
vious to the filing OF the application for a pa
ent, and shall file an affidavit Of at least tw
persons that such notice has been duly posted
aforesaid. and shall file copy of said notice
such landofiie and shall tAereupon be entitle
to q patent for said land, in the manner folloy
ng: The register Of the land-office, upon Il
filing Of such application, plat, feld-notes, n
such application has been made, for the peric
of sixty days, in q newspaper I : oe by him desi
mated as published nearest to said claim; and
shall also post such notice in his office for u
same period. "' ,claim at the time Of fill
this application. lat any time thereafter wit
in the sixty days of publication, shall file wi
the register certificate Of the United Stat
Surveyor General that five hundred dolla
worth of labor has been expended or improv
ments made upon the claim by himself or gra
tors; that the plat is correct with such furth
description by such reference to natural objec
or permanent monuments AZ shall identify II
claim, and furnish an accurate description, to
incorporated in the patent. AT the expiration
the sixty days of publication the claimant sha
ale his affidavit showing that the plat and n
lace have been posted in a conspicuous place {
the claim during said period Of publication.
40 adverse claim shall have been filed with II
register and the receiver of the proper land-off
at the expiration of the sixty days of publicatiC
Il shall be assumed that the applicant is entitl,
to a patent, upon the payment to the proper c
acer Of hve dollars per sere, and that no sdver
claim exists; and thereafter no objection fro
third parties to the issuance of patent shall
heard, except it be shown that the applicant Ia
failed to comply with this act.
SEC. Z. That where an adverse claim shall I
filed during the period of publication, il shall
upon oath Of the person or persons making Il
same, and shall show the nature, boundarie
and extent Of such adverse claim, and oil pr
ceedings, except the publication of notice ar
making and filing Of the affidavit thereof, sha
be stayed until the controversy shall have bee
A1zI, 1al hx-u ~ -.