The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1900-05-23
LEGAL LOCATIONS.
Notice Must Refer to Some Natural Object
or Permanent Monument.

II is very common thing for miners I
make locations OF mining claims which ar
legally faulty. For instance, minin
location which reads, commencing at in
itial stake" thence around the claim put
ting stake at each corner, and back 4
the initial stake Is legally void. And ye
this is the usual reading of mining loca
tons.
Every person who undertakes to make
a notice OF locating a mining claim shoult
first carefully read section 23zi of the re
vised statutes of the United States, for |
means just exactly what il says, and ther,
are many decisions of our courts which
have upheld this particular wording.
| First, the location must refer to som,
natural object" That means that the no
/ tice must state that the point OF discovery
or the place where the first stake is set, o,
the starting point OF the line around tn,
claim must refer to some natural object ol
permanent monument, which itself is moi
upon the ground which is claimed. So
the locator, (li there Is no natural monu
mcnt within reasonable distince) should
make a mound Of stones, or blaze large
tree, or measure to the confluence OF
streams or gulches, or to some well known
object, and should state IN his notice the
distance and direction OF his first stake
from such monument or natural object.
The purpose OF this is TO enable an out.
slider TO identity the claim; to give him
notice that II is claimed. The decisions OF
the land office and the courts are numer.
Gus upon this point, and they say that a
stone monument, hlaled trees, the con.
lluence ot streams, points of intersections
oi well known gulcheS, or oi roads, or IA.
vines, or prominent buttes or hills, or a
stake set Nv a government surveyor, are
and can he referred to rs proper monu.
ments. So, good way, when there is
rothing else, would be to erect a monu.
men, OF stones, giving the distance and
direction OF the lirst stake from such mon.
ment.
Another important matter is to so mark
the boundaries that they can hs easily
traced. \ reference 10 stakes set on each
corner cf a claim fifteen hundred feet long
aud sis hundred feet wide has been held
insufficient aS a means oi marking boun.
dairy; therefore the locator shou place
intermediate stakes, mounds oi stone, or
balcd trees along the line, 50 that there
will I've M difficulty IN readily trating the
line along with which the claim is made.
This viii give to all outsiders notice that
the land is claimed ana save trouble in
case OF any litigation.
\ irw hours care IN marking the boun'
darlcs fully, and In making the proper
reference TO a permanent monument or
natural object, and in properly describing
the same in the notice OF location will
make the location valid, and possibly save
much future litigation. A location which
lacks either OF these two important points
is invalid.
The Law reads as follows: The lota.
ton mus, be marked on the ground SO
that its boundaries can We readily traced. ~
IAN records oi mining claims hereafter
made shall contain the name OF names OF
the lotatorS, the date oi location and such
a description OF the claim or claims To-
Gated Nv reference 10 such natural object
or permanent monument rs viii identity
the claim. ."-lndustry and Mining.