The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-04-06
SQUARE

ScCtiOu OI IHo Union, cWuTaClHS tuo VeSecih
States and Territories, are just now the theme
Of general discussion among Western jour
nails. The papers published in those districts
in which the ore bodies lie horizontal with
the surface are unanimous in the opinion that
the suggestions of the commissioners are
eminently wise and practicable, while those
published where the lodges dip at an angle
with the surface are equally positive that the
commissioners are radically wrong in their
ideas upon The matter at issue. The subject
Of making new laws governing the location
of mines, though delicate, is Of the highest
Importance, and if there are any suggestions
the adoption of which will tend to prevent
mining litigation and insure the miner peace
able possess on of his ground and protection
from cl~aim-jumpers, every reason exists why
those suggestions should be given force
through the necessary legislation, so that the
profits and benefits of legitimate mining,
which are already large, may be increased as
far as possible.
1t is said that the commissioners are in
favor of a square location law, or at least are
not in favor of allowing mine owners to fol-
low their lodges beyond the side lines. In
their recommendation to this effect they are
certainly open to the charge which has already
been preferred against them--that Of advc-
eating legislation of special instead of general
advantage. Evidently they have not profited
by their experience in the States ard Terrific
ries west of the Rocky Mountains, the region
where the permanent mineral wealth of the
country lies. Through some reason
which reflects unfavorably either on
their hones'y or on their intelligence,
they seem irIbued with the false if not ride
ulous notion. that all the valuable mines in
the United States are located within the
boundaries Of Colorado and particularly in
the Leadvi!le district, and their sole aim ap-
pears to BE- to procure the enactment OF min
ing laws for the promotion of mining enter
prises in that particular section, utterly
disregardful of the requirements in other
districts. A square location law would I'M
doubtedly work to excellent advantage in
Leadville. The mines there are called blan-
ket mines, though from recent developments
in the Little Pittsburg, ssheet " mines would
seem a more befitting expression. Where
these horizontal deposits of ore predominant
and a man is allowed to follow his vein as far
as he chooses, endless and expensive litigation
may be expected and it is we'll in such cases
to enforce a square location rule. But where
the mines dip as they do in Montana, Utah,
Nevada and in some parts of Colorado, such
a law is obviously unjust and detrimental to
the great and growing mining industry. It
would put a stop to deep mining, and only
those properties which are rich near the sur
face could be proftably developed.
The amount of surface which under the
proposed law, a man will be allowed to locate,
has not yet been definitely decided upon, but
we will make a few reasonable suggestions:
We will first suppose that the surface limits
will remain as they now are--60O by 1900
feet, three hundred feet being allowed on each
side of the point OF discovery. The average
dip of the veins in this camp, at a very liberal
calculation, is forty degrees. 1t thus appears
that a vein dipping north or south from the
point of discovery would at a perpendicular
distance of 35S feet cross a vertical projection
of the side line, at which point, under the
proposed law, all further development would
be prohibited. The diagonal distance worked
along the dip Of the vein would be 46S feet.
But if through a modification in the present
Law, the miner should be allowed 10 take the
whole OF his six hundred feet OH one side of
his discovery shaft in that event he would
be able to attain a greater depth within the
limits of his location, but could not ex-
plore to a depth which has been reached
in other mines Iunder the existing law.
Allowing then that a location embraced six
hundred feet north or south of discovery
point to the side line !; then a vein dipping at
an angle of forty degrees would, at a perpen-
dicular distance of It's feet, intersect a verti-
cal projection of the side line, the distance
along the dip of the vein being 933 feet. But
these are not square locations, it may be
claimed. We will therefore suppose that a
man may locate a claim 900 feet square
and that as under the existing law he must
stake out half of that area north and half of
it south of the point of discovery (if the ledge
extends east and west). In this case the
amount Of surface ground Oil either side of
discovery would be limited to 495 feet. Then
a vein dipping in any direction at an angle of
forty degrees would at a perpendicular dis
lance of 500 feet cross a vertical projection of
the side line, and terminate the further trx-
ing of the mine. The depth of the incline
would be TO feet.
These figures alone are q sufficient COM
mentary on the unwisdom and ~inutility of the
proposed law, which, beyond doubt, would
prove a positive detrinient to mining in any
noIlnfru HIaro fhS uoinS d, MT La Ior;uontal