Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-11-27
rsct.on Of permanent monuments ia

Section twenty makes it optional with
the locator TO do 500 worth of work OF
pay 500 in cash each year, except that
in the first year he shall be required to
pay but $50, having already deposited
$50 for survey, and such work or pay
ment shall be credited upon the total
amount of $500 required TO be expended
upon each claim prior to issuance of
patent.
The proof of work done shall consist
of an affidavit of 800 cubic feet Of exca-
vation, if in solid rock, or 500 cubic feet
if in loose rock or soil, the exact place
of such work TO be set forth in the afli-
davits. Tunnels run for the purpose of
developing lode shall be considered as
expended on the lode, and work on the
surface shall not be required in order to
hold the claim. Failure to do the work
or maize the payments, as specified, be-
fore December 81 of each year shall
work an absolute forfeiture.
Section tweLty-four is as follows:
"All rights which have attached to pat
ented mining claims, or for which appli-
cation to patent has been made under
previous acts of Congress shall not be
affected by the operation of this chap
ter, provided that where application for
patent upon claims now held under ex-
isting statutes shall not have been initi-
ated prior TO December 81, 1892 all pos
sessory rights shall lapse, and the land
embraced within such claims shall
thereafter be subject only to the opera
ton Of this chapter"
Under section twenty-five lands used
for mining and milling purposes may be
patented the same as lode or placer
claims. The owners Of reduction works
not engaged in mining may also obtain
patent for his mill site.
In the absence Of legislation by Con-
gress the legislature Of any state may
provide rules for working mines, invo!y-
ing easements. drainage and other nee
sssary means to their complete deyel-
opment. Vested water rights are pro-
tected. Coal and iron, valuable for
domestic and commercial purposes may
be entered by legal subdivision in COM
pact bodies not exceeding 500 acres, and
the payment Of not less than $40 per
acre.
Other sections refer principally to
forms of procedure in the land or sur.
veyor generals office.
The draft of the law, of which the
above is a partial digest, is submitted
for the judgment of the members of the
committee and of such citizens as are
prominent in mining or mining litiga
ton, in order that when the law il
finally crystalized it may meet the
views of the majority of those interest
ed, as nearly as possible.
On the whole the proposed law is ar
Improvement on the present one. The
size Of claim which may be located viii
meet with objection by many, and much
can be said both for and against it. w,
think it is too large. 1t is about sixteel
times as large as the claims in Mexico
about four times as large as the claim
now allowed in this country. and til,
largest IN any civilized governmen
with whose laws we are acquainted. I
would give the first locators in minin
camp almost absolute control oft, an,
would tend, We think, to retard tn
development Of new regions.
We can see no sense in requiring
man to discover mineral. No man vii