Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-03
MINERAL LANDS.
The Pr"vistons Contained Within til
New Bill Relating Thereto.

The Provisions Contained Within tho
New Bill Relating Thereto.
New York, Feb. "a Washington dis
patch saws:
The condition, for acquiring lille to min
eral lands prescribed in the new bill sent TO
congress by the public land commission, are
substan tally as follows:
l. Marking the position OF the claim on
the ground by monuments, and posting no.
tices thereon.
2. BY the discovery within said claim OF
lode placer or other valuable mineral de-
posit. either before the posting of said no.
tice or within ninety davs thereafter.
3. Within ninety days from the posting,
of said notice the locator must file with the
United States surveyor general, for the eur
veying district in which the claim lies, a
copy Of said posted notice, together with
proof of mineral discovery, and an applica-
tion for the survey Of his claim, and evil
dence that he had deposited to the credit Of
the United States depositary, the sum Of
$50.
4. Within one year from approval by
the surveyor general of the survey (which
shall be made by some duly appointed de-
putty mineral surveyor. chosen by the ap-
plicant for the survey, the locater, his
assigns, or his duly authorized agent, must
file, in the proper land office. an applica-
ton for patent under oath. together with q
copy of the plat and field notes of claim
duly certified by the United States survey
or general and proof that $500 worth of
labor has been expended or of improve
meuts made upon the claim by the claim
ants or his grantors, whereupon he shall
pay the amount per acre to be
hereafter fixed By congress. and shall be
entitled TO pa,eut for his claim
Failure by a locator to make application
for survey, and satisfactorily prove the
! mineral discovery within ninety dsvs sfte,
the posting of notices, shall subject bis
Claim to location by any other qualified
party; tho failure of the claimant to make
proof of work. and payment within the
time bereinbefore prescribed, shall work {
complete forfeiture Of the claim. and ,hs
survey therefore made shall be cancelled
The commission make no recommends
ton as to the pumt,er OF acres that shal
be fixed as 10 the maximum area Of tutur
locations, but their bill provides that al
. mining claims located after ,he-dav o
--f 1880 shall be bounded as TO sur
face by straight lines. and all right to min
erals ceutered therein shall be confine,
within vertical planes passing downwar
: through said straight boundary lines. An
! other very important section of the bill
] provides that "Al rights which hav
4 attached to mining claims under rreviou
acts Of congress shall not be affected by tn
operations Of this chapter, provided tbs
where such claims have not been, or sha
# not, within one year thereafter be consum
n mated by the required payment Of purcbas
9 money, such uncnnsummated claims sha
!. lapse, and the land embraced therein sha
2 thereafter be subject only to the operation
!. of this chapter.
The commission, in their areumen,atiy
report accompanying this bill say: Nv
find that large msjnrity Of the minin
!, men consulted during the examination I
10 western states end territories. clearly share
VI our conviction. first. that the local rcrul
= ,ions are Of no use; secondly. tina, they NJ
" a r,est positive harm; third. lha. ~ CO
n yressionsl enactment they should
ID promn.ly sbolshcd as 10 all future loc
Z iiona
e They say concerning their proposition
cs sub.titnts
= THE COMMON LAW rRtNcirLE
Z. for the prc-cn. svs,cm Of ledge location
no "Your commission, after q review Of I,
lines Of mining contests and cons'derati