Mohave County miner., 1883-07-01
Mining Titles.

There Is perhaps no class of prop
 erty about which there Is so mucl
 contention and litigation as mines
 This fact is not surprising or to b
 wondered at when the great value O
 this kind of property anC
 the peculiar and oftentimes care
 less and negligent manner in whicl
 the inceptive rights to such propert,
 is obtained, are taken into consider
 ation.
 It is astonishing how very ofter
 locations of mining claims are made
 in an insufficient manner and how
 frequently valuable rights are lOst
 by a failure to comply carefully witl
 the few simple laws regulating theil
 acquisition and possession. Ere
 quent and fruitful sources of liti- gation are conflicting and adverse locations. These spring up and multiply in proportion as mines
 prove themselves of value and as che district in which they are situated, Is brought into prominence and at tracts capital. Seme of these adverse claims are the results of acts per formed and rights acquired in goO0 faith, but many are bogus, gotten ul by men who devote their lives tC such nefarious practices and who al ways infest new and promising mn ing districts. The latter, althougl they they may not ultimately sue ceed in courts, often occasion as much litigation and expense to bonj fde mine owners as the former, anc have of late years increased in sucI alarming proportions as to materially interfere with the mining industries.
 So obscure and unsatisfactory are the titles to many good claims made by the above causes, and so many purchasers have been deceived ano swindled by adverse claims after wards disclosed that capitalists and investors have become timid, and very generally are coming to the con clusion that much the safest plan is to purchase only patented claims.
 In view of this fact, 1t would. seem that the wisest thing a claim owner can do is to procure a U. $. patent for his mine. The cost Is little. If B claim is worth locating and the as work necessary to hold pos session of it, it is worth patenting. A patent relieves a claim owner from all fear of any future conflicting or adverse claim, settles the question oi 5ltle to the entire satisfaction of in- Testors, always enhances the value of a property, and frequently en- lbles owners to sell their claims without trouble, when otherwise pur- ;hasers could not be found.
 As a matter Of economy even a patent is desirable. The cost of ob aiming a patent is not greater than hat of 8 few years assessment work md from the time a claim owner has and paid for bis land he is elieved from the yearly expenditure lpon his claim which is often So great a tax upon his time and pocket The receipts of the receiver of the ocal land office for the purchase rice of the land included in 9 min Dg claim Is virtually equivalent to q ,atent and for all intents and pur poses, will serve hlm equally as well, Intil letters of patent are issued hlm.
 Too little importance has hitherto 'een attached to U. $. patents here D Arizona, but now that our Terri ory has proven itself to the world ich in the precious metals, and so 1any thousands of dollars are beng ttracted here for investment, It ught not to continue so. Owners f claims, no matter in what stag development, ought to hasten to rocure patents, for their own good nd protection as we'll as for the sat sfaction of investors. The other inning States and Territories are ar ahead of Arizona in this respect. nd it will not do for us any longer 9 undervalue the importance ot ood mining titles or to postpone ob- aiming U. $. patents,-Tucson Git { zen.
 Mining Proverbs.