The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-20

For several years the urgent need OF
reform "a the mining laws % washington
state has been plainly apparent 10 pros
pectorx. miners and mining men In gen
e-al. and now an organized effort Is
being made in Okanogan county 70 bring
about the necessary change The exist
ing regulations. especially those relating
20 the locating OF claims ard the annual
assessment work required 20 bs performed
thereon. are r1iserably inefficient. and. as
a result. every new and promising camp
that starts up Is more or less s.rangied
In It's infancy.
Chief among the evils under the present
law is the elaim-staking business A man
can locate and record any number OF
claims he wishes 10. He need perform no
preliminary work whatever. nor need
In controlling. perhaps. fifty or more loca-
tons. bat the whole Of that ground Is
tied I'D until and for full year follow
ing the subsequent first OF January. A
striking example OF this work is offered
by a correspondent In the new gold camp
on the Twisp. tributary OF the Methow.
II is said that two men own 10 claims
there. and these men were working on the
stats road for SIS per Gay TO obtain
means TO buy provisions. When this state
OF affairs was seen by prospectors who
went there. they left the place in disgust,
for they wen knew that this meant stag
nation. The squaw creek district has
less extent, and Lake Chsaan has not been
altogether free from the business
These facts are well known TO every
one In the state who is interested in
mining, and, ia order to remedy the de-
fects IN the present law. petitions are
being sent TO the different districts, which
viii be- presented to the state legisla-
ture. and miners and prospectors are
signing them freely. The movement orig
mated In the northern part OF okanogan
county. and the reform demanded Is that
the state OF Washington shall enact laws
similar to those or Colorado. which proved
10 be so satisfactory in that state that
Montana and Idaho adopted them, and
their rapid advancement Is sufficient proof
OF their wisdom In so doing.
Briefly outlined, the principal law is
that a prospector. on finding ledge shall
post the usual notice at the point OF dis
covery. which viii enable sae finder to
hold the claim for ninety days. and that
before the expiration OF that time he shall
expose the vein to a depth OF not less
than ten feet. That he shall find one OF
the walls. and the rock shall be in place.
these requirements within tho specified
time. he cannot record the said claim.
The locator Is also required TO have wit
nesses 10 certify that these conditions
have been compiled with, and TO make
affidavit To that effect.
1t is also tho prevailing opinion that the
law requiring work not less than 500 In
value TO be done annually on each claim
should be more stringent and better en-
forced. Assessment work Is. as often as
not. an utter farce. There are numerous
claims In the mining country that have
been held four or Eve years, and have not
tsn-foot hole on them, and a common
trick is TO do nothing at all but relocate
them on each succeeding LIST OF January
or as soon as they can be reached. and
thus hold the ground while evading the
work. II is this grabbing OF claims for
mere purposes ef speculation that is kill
ing some districts. Its extension will de-
lay development OF mining IN this state
FOR years