Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-11-14
LOCATING MINING CLAIMS.

In the matter of locating and
stalking claims many prospectors
are very careless, says the Montana
Miner. In fact, il is stated, and
with too much truth, that few claims
are properly located. On this point
the law is very plain, and if a claim
is worth locating and recording, the
locators should certainly follow ev-
cry provision of the law closely.
According to the statutes, claim
may be located along a lode or
ledge for 1900 feet and not less than
% feet or more than 300 feet on
each side of the discovery. The dis
covery, either shaft or tunnel, must
be the starting point Of the meas
urements and the stalking of the
claim. The law emphasizes this
point. Some of the most valuable
property in the Belt Mountain il
now under contest arising from a
mistake made in the location Con-
tcsts would not have been possible,
with the consequent jeopardizing
the title of the property, had the
locator complied strictly with the
law. To make the matter palmer
We illustrate: Suppose A makes a
discovery 100 feet east from the
side lines of a claim already loca-
ted. In stalking ground he does not
commence at the discovery, but
goes $50 feet southwest and sets the
southwest corner stake, thence runs
GOO feet easterly to the southeast
corner, thence northerly 1900 feet
to the northeast corner. thence
southcrly 1900 feet to the south
west corner, and does not mention
the discovery. A afterwards finds
favorable indications 400 ieet east of
his discovery and sets to work. He
is inside of his stakes, but is be-
yond the limit the law allows on
either side Of the discovery. b
comes along and reads As location
notice, having some doubts, and de.
string the ground, measures the dis
lance from the discovery to the
point where A has been at work 400
feet to one side of his discovery and
believing the location not valid To-
Gates the ground lying east of the
point 300 feet east of AS discovery.
Although this takes il. the ground
on which A has done most of his
work, b claims he can hold it. In
all probability the question will be
settled in the courts. The law,
however. is quite plain on the point.
The description of the exterior
boundaries is another point on which
many are careless. Last month we
were shown the location notices OF
some valuable mining property,
which are not worth the paper on
which they are written. Following
is verbatim copy of one Of them:
Beginning at this discovery shaft
running thence east 300 feet to east
center end stake. thence west 750
feet to northwest corner stake, thence
west $50 feet TO northwest corner
stake, thence 800 feet to south
west corner stake, thence west GOO
feet to east corner side stake" II
that notice describes the boundaries
of any tract Of ground we fail to see
/ it. The other notices which we saw
were just as faulty. In fact, in the
whole lot there was not a single one
which described the boundaries oil
any single piece of ground Sup
pose some one comes along and
reads these notices, sees that they
are not legal and jumps the ground
on whom will the blame rest? K,
norance excuses no one. If YOU
have claim worth locating see
that the notice is properly writtea
The corner stakes should be nj leas,
four inches square at the top, and
il is a good plan to write the nam,
Of the claim and corner on Gael