Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-03-20
SQUARE nIsINa LOCATIONS.

Mines and Mining. is q very elaborate
document, consisting Of 2s2 sections,
covering 1874 printed pages. 1t embraces
In its scope public agricultural, mineral.
timber and desert lands. Radical changes
are provided for the disposition OF the
timber lands a. also and especially in
the location Of mineral lands, which are
Of much interest to the people OF Ne
vada. Representative Dsgssts. in . re-
cent letter relative to this important
bill. says:
especially direct attention TO the min
sral land sections, which abolish all local
mining laws. and provide exclusively for
surface locations on gold and silver veins.
Thu area In left blank, but the language OF
the bill is that ''all right TO the minerals
contained therein shall DO confined within
vertical planes passing downward through
said strsighs boundary lines" AL Of
which means that veins cannot DO followed
beyond their surface boundaries. This
does not apply. Of course. to claims already
located. but TO such - may be hereafter
located.
These are very important changes. and
the press and people OF Nevada should give
them immediate consideration. The report
OF the Commissioners has not yet been
printed, but I am Informed that tho
changes are made on what is represented
TO be- the Judgment Of prominent mine
owners in Nevada and elsewhere, a. we'll
a. the approval Of Professor Clarence King.
A Washington telegram Of the 18th
instant, since Mr.. Dageett's letter was
written. says that the majority OF the
Committee have decided to approve the
section abolishing ledge locations and
are in favor Of the adoption Of the COM
mon Law system Of bounding claims BY
vertical lines. The majority also voted
to fx the maximum area OF mining
claims at t~wsnty.one acres I; provided,
that the length shall not In any case
exceed 1900 feet. and to give the locator
ono years time after discovering min
erals to perfect his title. by paying 81 %
DER acre for his claim. instead OF 50. As
at present. He 10 also to DO allowed to
hold his claim for twelve months by
merely stalking it of and applying for q
survey. A minority OF the Committee
disssntsd from these propositions. Yes
tsrday. the telegraph says. there was .
spirited discussion in the Committee ON
the proposition to allow the miner one
year after making his location in which
to discover minerals. Berry OF Califor-
mia, and Campbell Of Arizona, strenu.
ously opposed the proposition. but in
view OF the fact that in some parts OF
the country minerals are found from 200
to 800 feet below tho surface. the Com.
mittse determined to give the prospector
one year in which to find them. The
COMMITTEES agreed to the amendment
offered by Bedford Of Colorado. reducing
the price Of mineral lands from So to
90 so per acre. and also to extend tho
time for applying for = patent from one
to two years.
This square location proposition would
answer better for coal fields or irregular
beds Of mineral deposits, such as those
Of Eastern Nevada or Colorado, than for
the true assure quartz veins Of this State
or California. Such veins are rarely
found standing perfectly vertical. but are
inclined to dip to the east or south or
some other direction. therefore the dis
covsrsr. until hs can definitely ascertt n
at considerable expense Of labor and
money. the dip or inclination Of his
ledge. would hardly be able to locate his
claim at all. except lspgthwiss OF the
groupings. Meanwhile IL his discovery
were OF any spprecisbls value. other
shrswd miners. instead Of locating EEK.
tensions" might locate on either side OF
him and have o pretty sure thing on
getting his ledge sooner or later. Had
this rule been established in the first
history Of the Comstock. the original
locations would have been worked out
long ago. and the Gould & Curry. Saw.
ago. Ophir. yellow Jacket and all the
rest OF the old established mines would
now be absorbed by the eastern ranges
Of locations under entirely different
names.
The effect would have been to dis.
courage and perhaps prevent deep work.
ines, for no mining company would feel
disposed to eIpsnd much money in
heavy machinery to explore or follow q
ledge that was evidently going away
from them into an adjoining location to
the east. Let the ore pay ever 80 well.
the company owning that adjoining loca-
ton would DO apt to think several times
before starting q shaft from the surface
to sink two or three thousand feet to
intercept that ledge. the moro especially
As they would DO supposed not to be in
formed how well the ore had paid. and
whether the pay streak extended into
their ground or not. A company hold
ing q ledge from the surface and follow.
ing its dip. extracting the ore to pay for
the explorations downward. would have
full confidence, backed up by their costly
works. heavy machinery and deep open
ings already paid for. Their only
course in such q case would be to sell
out their improvements to the winning
company to the best advantage. or buy
their location. good argument can DO
made on either aide OF the proposition.
The new rule would work considerably
toward the prevention Of monopoly and
give moro people q chance. It certainly
I- l...x.