Arizona republican., 1892-09-02
IMPORTANT TO MINING MEN.
Concerning the Locatioa and Survey oi
 Lode Claims.

Lode Claims.
 The following circular relating to the location of the lode claims and the sur vey of the same for patent has been is- sued to mipe owners of the territory from the office of the United States surveyor general, Tucson. The circu- lar quotes the sections of the revised statutes and land office laws relating to these matters and gives notification that a strict observation of these provi- sions will be insisted upon. There are also accompanying explanations of fea lures of the law perhaps not thoroughly understood.
 SECTION 2s7o, U. S. Revised Statutes, is as follows:
 Mining claims upon veins or lodes of quartz, or other rock in place, bear tug gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, cop Der or other valuable deposits, hereto fore located, shall be governed as to length along the vein or lode by the GUS toms, regulations and laws in force a' the date of their location. A mining claim located after the 10th day of May eighteen hundred and seventy-two, I872). whether located by one or more persons, may equal, but shall not exceed one thousand five hundred feet in length along the vein or lode; but no location of a mining claim shall be made until the discovery of the vein or lode within the limits of the claim located. No claim shall extend more than three hun dred feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, nor shall any claim be limited by any mining regula- ton 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 tenth day of May, eigh- teen hundred and seveilty-two, render such limitation necessary. The end lines of each claimshall be parallel to each other"
 And Section 10 of the Land Office re- gulations reads:
 with regard to the extent of surface ground adjoining vein or lode, and claimed for the convenient working thereof, the Revised Statutes provide that the lateral extent of locations of veins or lodes made after May To, 1872, shall in no case exceed three hundred feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, and that no such surface 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 ad- verse rights existing on the 10th of May, 1872, may render such limitation neces- sary; the end lines of such claims to be in all cases parallel to each other. Said lateral measurements cannot extend be- yond three hundred feet on either side of the middle of the vein at the surface, or such distance as is allowed by local laws For example,: 4oo feet cannot be taken on one side and 200 on the other. If, however, 300 feet on each side are allowed, and by reason of prior claims but Ioo feet can be taken on one side, the locator will not be restricted 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 requires a strict observance of its construction 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 application for ! patent, would do well to acquaint them | selves with the law and regulations, | previous to making application for sur Ney, for no survey of a lode mining | claim will be approved by this office | which does not show a compliance with | the provisions of law and regulations | given above, and is not, in other re- poets correct.
 Surveys returned 10 this office which | do not fulfill the above requirements, | are disapproved and transmitted claim | ants with statement of the reasons for | disapproval; and unless additional de- velopments be made by them, disclosing | the vein in the required position, the | survey must be amended, by order of | this office and at request of claimant, so | that the lateral measurements may not 1 exceed the length allowed by law, on either side of the middle of the vein at the surface. This office is allowed no discretion in the above matters, and ap- plicants for survey would save them selves delay and extra expense, and re- lieve this office of much annoyance by developing the vein in the required po- sition before making application for survey, or by excluding from their sur. veys any excess of the 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.