Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1892-09-07
Important to Mining Men.

The following circular relating to the location of the lode claims ana the survey of the same Tor patent. has been issued to mine owners oi the territory from the office ol the United States surveyor general, Tue son. The circular quotes the sec, tions of the revised sta: uios and land office laws relating to these matters and gives notification that a strict observation of these proyi- sions will be insisted upon. There are also accompanying explanations of features of the law perhaps not thoroughly understood.
 Section 2320 U. $. Revised Stat utes is as follows:
 "Mining claims upon veins or lodes of quartz, or other rock in place, bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper or other valuable deposits, heretofore located, shall be governed as to length along the vein or lode by the customs, regu- lations and laws in force at the date of their location. 4 mining claim located after the 10th day of May eighteen hundred and seventy-two QS72) whether located by one or more persons, may equal, but shall not not exceed one thousand five hnndred feet in length along the vein or lode; but no location of q mining claim shall be made until the discovery of the vein or lode within the limits of the claim loca- ted. No claim shall extend more than three hundred feet on each side of the middle of the vein at tho surface, nor shall any claim he limited by any mining regula- ton to less than twenty-five feet on each side of tho middle of the vein at the surface, except where adverse rights existing on the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy two, render such limitation necessa- ". The end lines of each claim shall be parallel to each other.
 And Section 10 of the land office regulations reads:
 "With regard to the extent of sur face ground adjoining vein or lode, and claimed for the conven- ient working thereof, the Revised Statutes provide that the lateral ex- tent of locations of veins or lodes made after May 10, 1872, shall in no case exceed three hundred feet on each side of tho middle of tho vein st the surface. and that no such sur face rights shall be limited by any mining regulations to less than twenty five feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, except where adverse rights existing on the 10th of May, 1872, may ren- der such limitation necessary; the end lines of such claims to be in all cases parallel to each other. Said lateral measurements cannot extend beyond three hundred feet on either side of the middle of the vein at the surface, or such distance as is al- lowed by local laws. For example: 400 feet cannot be taken on one side and 200 on the other If how ever 300 feet on each side are allow ed, and by reason of prior claims but 100 feet can be taken on one side, the locator will not be restsiet- ed to less than 300 feet on the other side; and when the locator does not determine by exploration where the middle of the vein at the surface Is, his discovery shaft must be assumed to mark such point"
 The General Land Office require. a strict observance of its construc- ton of the law as given in Section 10 already quoted, and the rule is binding no less upon this office, than upon all claimants to mineral lands. Parties desiring official surveys of their claims prior to making appli- cation for patent, would do we'll to acquaint themselves with the law and regulations, previous to making application for survey, for no sur vey of lode mining claim will be approved by this office which does show a compliance with the provi- sions of law and regulations given above, and is not, in other respects correct.
 Surveys returned to this office which do not fulfill the above re- quirements, are disapproved and transmitted to claimants with a statement of the reasons for disap- proval; and unless additional de- velopments be made by them, dis closing the vein in the required po- sItion, the survey must be amended, by order of this office and at request of claimant, so that the lateral measurements may not exceed the length allowed by law, on eithor side of the middle of the vein at the surface. This office is allowed no discretion in the above matters, and applicants for survey would save themselves delay and extra expense, and relieve this office of much an noyance by developing the vein in the required position before making application for survey, or by exclud- ing from their surveys any excess of ths surface ground allowed by law on either side of the middle of the vein at the surface, in all cases where the vein is not disclosed in the proper position within the location.
 ROYAL A. JOHNSON,
 U. $. Surveyor General.