Arizona citizen., 1879-10-04
Lnde cLnImS.

tioned is invited to forward them to p. 0. Box 5S5, Washington, D. c.
 QUESTIONS.
 1. What experience have you had, and where, and in what capacity, in the business of mining, mine survey ing, and mine litigation?
 ?. What defects, if any, in the Unit ed States laws, 'heir operation and ad- ministration as applied to lode claims, do you know, either from your own experience or from observation?
 3. What is your opinion as to the present official practice of filing sur veys of lode claims which overlap on the surface? State instances and re- ferences in full.
 i. What do you understand to be the top or apex of vein or lode? Can or cannot the top or apex, the course and angle or direction of the dip always be determined in the early workings of the veins or lOdes?
 ,. If no, are the intended rights of a discoverer properly defined and pro- tected by the locating of claim under the existing laws, of which the fOrego- ing terms are essential parts.
 6. Within your experience and knowledge, has or has not litigation and injustice grown out of the pOssibIli- ty oI determining the above points?
 '. Have you known of two seams, parallel or otherwise, of the same out crop, being located by different parties and giving rise to contest?
 8. If yes, in such a contest have you known the original locator being cut off in depth by the later locatorY
 g. Are not the OutcrOps of lodes often wider than the legal width of claims, whether as defined by the United States, State, Territory or local district regulation?
 10. Do or do not OutcrOps of narrow lodes sometimes so deviale from a straight line as to pass beyond the side lines of claims?
 H. Does the practice under the law of permitting lode locations of alleg ed lodes, on nOn-mineral ground, work to the advantage or disadvantage of the discovers of true lOdesS
 12. If A, on the Outcrop of true lode, makes a location and E locates a parallel claim outside of the side lines of As tract but over the dIp of As lode-B's subsequent location being on an alleged lode, but really on bar ren ground-can B, who has discover ed nothing, cloud the title of A, the diScoverer of a true lode, and put him to the cost and inconvenience of an ex- pensiye litigation? State instances and give particulars of the same.
 13. Are or are not a large majority of the disCoverers of rich veins, or their assigns, often burdened with costly litigatiOns to defend their rights from subsequent locatcrs in their i'm. mediate neighbOrhoOd, and in such eases is or Is not the legal attack most often directed to ;he portion of lhe dip of the lode which. has passed beyond the interior lines of the surface tract? H. In view of the known variety and cOmplexity of mineral deposits in rock in place, is it. CT IS il not, in your 1 judgment, possible to retain in the United States mineral laws a provision ' by which locators can follow the dip of their claims outside their lines without provoking litigation?
 b. Have you ever tsken part in or ganiZing a local mining district? If so, state fully where it was done; by how many parties, and whether neces- sarily actual miners or citizens ? 1 What officers were elected and their 1 dutiesy What books of record pro vided, and their object?
 Is. State generally the mode of or Iiginally taking up and locating a min. eral claim under mining customs and the effect of record of such location ! r. l. that record capable of subse- lquent amendment, and if so, how? IS. Within your knowledge, have mining titles been disturbed, or liti- gated, through fraudulent mgnipula tiOn or destruction of these records If so, what security is there against such frauds?
 l9. Calling your attention to the fact that copy of the certified of loca- tion, as ccrtifiued by the local mining recorder, iS the sole basis of the paper title for a mining claim, and under ex- ] the varying customs of innumerablC mining districts constitutes the pre-. liminary acts upon such cIaims-state whether in your opinion, all mining district laws, customs and records could advdntageOusiy be abolished as to future locations, and the imitation of record title be placed exclusively with the United States land officers?
 20. Calling your attention 10 the fact that under present laws an adverse claim, in proper form and seaSOnably filed, suspends the administration of the mineral laws by the United States land officers and tranfers the jurisdic . ton to the courts of law, both State and United States-please state whether, in your opinion, the adjust ment of controversies concerning min eral lands prior to issue of patent should not be left absolutely to the United States Land officers, in the same manner as contests under all other land laws?
 21. If you consider it desirable tc retain the leading features of the United States mining laws, what amendments, if any, would you sug gest 10 remedy any defects which your experience or observation has detect ed? If, on the contrary, you believe that the practice of following the dir beyond the side line of a claim is in. compatible with satisfactory admins tration, what method of location would you suggest?
 22. Ought there not Co he a limita ton as to possessory title under the mineral laws? and should not locators be compelled, on penalty of forfeiture 10 acquire the title by purchase from the Government within some reason 1.1 !