Gunnison news-champion., 1913-08-08
Canmlssluaof a
Maes Expi>ias he
NesS Nliaiag Laws

iast segsssszpss ressxsse 10 the w,zssh
II i.sa< ciAssss 1s.snI.s,n cssnfs ~
. sx4sssax es,~1ay and tnere are sn-
aesht<tis aAs&y persoss snteTesses
"a r4srsn1 who as~sre ~ kase tas-
1asser c3.ss~d sp. In commuaa-
csssea ~ she NewslChsmpisa the
camm'~~soe~s ea u4snes sssempss 10
explasn skese Dssters The cosamn
Hsesssseu and sk~ Isss are as fAiows.
E.astos:
lAsa< Ssr:
Judging BY the asny seeaesss
sscsssed fso0 nssssn9 nsss VI Colo
rsae for epsaseas aud explanations
resasdsag ske lsss PASSED ey the
lsss sesssoa II the legislature. affect
ssag the wsdsh of lode cls,us, ! be-
heve the psbl,caaloa Of these laws in
full aud the accom- pas.lag stsseuseut
wosld be ef value b large nunsber
II yoar readers Ii msst he under
stood tha, whsa ! have stated here.n
Is not b. be construed as legal advice
am sserely 9svsaG yea the informal
ofinioas ef Ga attorney with whom
| have TALKED regarding these aew
laws.
The Legislature passed two laws
fx.ag the width of lode clslms. One
II these. H. b. 50, has been IN effect
since jelly Is, 1913 This isw fixes
the width If ell lode claims at 3lO
ieet. thai 10. 80 feet ON each side II
the middle IT the vein a, the surface.
Later, NJ b. 5ss was passed chang
ing the width 10 GOO feet, or 3t0
feet ON each side Of the middle Of the
VEN; showing that the evident inten-
tioa Of the Legislature 10 ~ make the
width Of lode clsims 60 feet, except.
ing in Gilpin. Boulder, Clear Creek
and Ssmmit counties. H b 50 be
ingths present lsw the width Of all
clsims now taken up will be 300 feet
total until that Law 10 superseded.
H. b. SIS, unless ii is referred,
which appears not probable, will be
come effective August IL, 1918, and
will supersede II b. So. After that
date the width Of ell lode claims will
be GOO feet 600 feet ON each side Of
the nlddle Of the vein except in the
fosr cousties mentioned in the bill
H. B. 5Ss contsins q provision
which pssmiss the four counties
neatioosd 10 incFease the width of
their claims fro1 800 ieet 10 any
width they sse ft, nol 70 exceed 600
feet Bot THE cannot be done ex-
cept st a general election. A general
election 10 one held every two years,
ct which the state officials are elected
The next general election will be in
November, 1914 The same provi.
sion permits these four counties TO
decrease the width Of lode claims so
that they will be less than 300 feet
if they SO desire. The same pro-
vision permits all other counties 10
decrease the width to anything less
than GOO feet For exsmple-lf
Teller county wished 10 fix the width
of lode claims at 100 feet, 800 feet,
400 feet or 500 feet il could do so
by voting favorsbly on the PROPOSE
tion ut q general election But in
no case can a county increase the
width beyond 600 feet.
1T is not necessary that either OF
the two laws passed by the last SEES
sion be voted ON at any general
election; they became the laws and
will remain the laws until the coun-
ties or future legislature changes
them. However as H. b. 5SS in
cludes H. B SO, the latter will be-
come imperative after August IL,
when II. B 5SS takes effect
"A claimant filing on property be
fore August IL, can claim only 800
feet width, bat after that date he can
file an amendment. making the
wi tn GOO feet, except in the four
counties mentioned, unless, Of course,
he is trespassing on some other
mans claim. The same applies to
all claims which h~ve not been pat
ented
I'VE have been asked about
assessment work As we under
stand, assessment work is governed
by United States statutes, and refers
only TO claims regardless Of width
Therefore, one who is doing annual
labor ON claim, and increases the
width of that claim by amendment,
need not do any more work than he
would have done under the original
location. To summarise-the legal
width of claims fled until August
II, is 800 feet in all counties; after
August II, GOO feet except in the
four Counties mentioned.
1T must he understood that this
is not legal advice, but the opinion
of attorneys with whom we nave
I fall al rerardipr the laus