The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1882-11-11
New Rulings on Mining Claims.

on September 23d approved by the
secretary of the interior and COM
municated to registrars and survey
or-generals:
/. The first care in recognizing
an application for patent or placer
claims must be exercised in deter
mining the exact classification of
the land. To this end the clcarest
evidence of which the case is capa-
bic must be presented. If the
claim be all placer ground that fact
must be stated in the application
and corroborated by accompanying
proofs. If of mixed placers and
lodes it should be so set forth, with Il
description of all known lodes stu
ated within the boundaries of the
claim. A specific declaration such
as is required by section 1888 Re
vised Statutes, must be furnished
as to each lode intended to be
claimed. All other lodes are, by
the silence of the applicant, ex-
cluded by law from all claim by
him Of whatever nature, possessory
or otherwise.
2. Section 2, ,395, Revised Statutes
subdivision seven) requires the
surveyors to ''note in his field
books the true situation of all mines,
salt licks, salt springs and mill
seats which come to his knowledge. "
Also "all water courses over which
the lines he runs may pass" 1t
further requires him to note "the
quality of the lands" The descrip-
tive notes are required by subdi-
vision eight to be incorporated in
the plat by the surveyorgeneral.
3. If these duties have been per-
formed, the surveyors will furnish
a reasonable guide to the district
officers and to claimants i'll prose
cutting their applications. But ex-
perience has shown that great
neglect has resulted from inatten-
ton to the law i'll this respect and
the regular plats are of very little
value in the matter. 1t will there
fore be required in the future that
deputy surveyors shall, at the ex-
pense Of the parties, make full ex-
animation of all placer claims, and
duly note the facts as specified in
the law, stating the quality, the
composition Of the soil, the kind
and amount Of timber and other
vegetation, the locus and size of
streams and such other matters as
may appear upon the surface and
underground workings, whether
placer or lode, for mining pur-
poses.
4. In addition to this data which
the law requires to be shown in all
cases, the deputy should report with
reference to proximity to center of
trate or residence ; also of well
known systems OF lodes, deposits
or of individual lodes. lie should
also report as to the use or adapta-
bility ofthe claim for placer mining,
whether water has been brought on
in sufficient quantity to mine the
same or whether it can be procured
for that purpose, and finally what
works or expenditures have been
made by the claimant or his grant
ors for the development OF the
claim, and their situation and loca,
ton with respect to the same as ap-
piled for.
5. This examination should be
reported by the deputy under oath,
to the surveyor-general, and duly
corroborated, and a copy Of the
same be furnished with the appli
cation for patent for the claim, con
stituting part thereof, and includ
ing the oath of the applicant.
6. In case of proposed claim tol
lands not yet surveyed, the forego
ing regulations will govern an ap
plication for survey.
7. In controversies hereafter tC
be determined respecting the min
eral value of lands, their value fol
all purposes, whether agricultural
or municipal, or as seats for towns
will be considered without refer
ence to the decisions heretofore
made in particular cases. No de
cision finally executed, however
will be considered under this mod
itication.
s. No application by association
of persons for patent to a place.
claim will be allowed to embrace
more than 100 acres, nor will any