Arizona weekly enterprise., 1881-12-24
Mexican Mines and Mining Laws.

There is some little difference in the mode of proceeding in different states, but those differences do not change the law in any case. The difference is as fol lows: In the State of Sonora there Is still kept up the old Spanish title of hav- ing mining engineer or expert in each district, whose duty it is to know what mines are open to location. He is also the person who measures of your location and makes out all papers apertaining to the possession of mining property. He also has the privilege of visiting each mine owned in his district, for which he receives suitable fee. He is obliged by his office to make one visit each year, yet he can make several, if he thinks fit, for all of which he has to be paid. In So- nora the first authority to go to is the Pre- feet of the district. To him you present your notice of location. He sends it to the expert to see if there is any prior claim, or if the ground is really open to location. If all right, he sends it back approved. It is then sent to the Gov ernor for his signature and approval In the State of Chihuahua proceedings are much more simple. The power in- vested in the commission of miners elect ed by all the mine owners in a district were delegated to the judges of the dis trict, by a law of the general government. This law, by most of the states, has been adopted. So that in the State of Chi huahua you have only to go to the judge of the first instance Gas he is called), and present your notice of location. He signs and approves and puts up in public place notice of such location, and at the end of fifteen days Gf no counter clainn) you can
 go to work, and at the end of sixty oI ninety days, as the case may be, call fol
 possession. Although, if there should be
 an adverse claim, such claimant is entitled to a hearing up to the end of the sixty ol ninety days, after which time he is nc longer entitled to be heard, no matter however just his claim may be.
 In these articles l merely give the frs steps necessary to secure a mining clain in Mexican territory. To give all tn law it would be necessary to give a trans lation of the mining laws of Mexico. M, object is only to teach my fellow-citizen how to commence operations in Mexico r but when man gets settled down t I work, l would advise him to get trans
 lation of the Mexican mining laws whicl
 can be had at any frst-class bookstore i San Francisco or New York.
 e There is also another matter that 0 would impress on all persons engaged i
 mining in Mexico. Many persons are UT der the impression that the law require e pillars of certain size, which is not tn $ case. The law says that there must | # left supports sufficient to insure the safet l. of employees and operatives employed in til
 mine and you can take out every thing j. but in that case you would be required n replace the supports of ore with timber ( Il mason work. l have been at some min, ,s where the quantity of bricks, mortar an
 rock sent into the mine was literally ill Y" mense Then again. have been at son re mines where the pillars or supports le ir were mere matter of form, as the soli' r. ity of the ground did not require a1 i. more for safety.
 V In my next I will introduce matte " somewhat more interesting.
 WILLIAM ,TEENINGs