The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-01-23

Conditions are different now. The ricf
placer streams where the gold was II
the top sand are all worked out. TIL.
lode claims that cropped to the surface
have all been located and their wealth
has been taken from them. Prospect.
ors have covered nearly every acre Of
this mountainous country. have exam
ined every outcropping rock and have
stripped the surface of It's minera
wealth.
The old time prospector Is becoming
extinct, the poor mans mining days
discovered still exist. but no outcrop-
pings mark their hidden sites; their
tops are covered deeply with soil OF
rock they can only be discovered by
systematic search and large expendi-
ture Of money and time. Men with
means to employ skillful labor and
provide the latest improved machinery
and methods must be the prospectors
of the future,
Wealth can not be attracted to this
enterprise unless the investor feels Sc
cure Wealth is willing to take p
chance IL It feels that 1t will reap the
benefit of whatever discoveries It may
make. If the government would have
| it's mineral lands prospected. 1t must
give better security to the capitalist
than that now offered. If capital may
spend $4,000 in prospecting for min
eral and be constantly in danger of a
total loss by some one else coming In
and opening up the ledge 1t has so long
searched for, there Is little inducement
offered for its expenditure.
Why should not the citizen who en-
ters upon mineral land with view to
discovering and extracting the mineral
wealth contained therein, be accorded
the same protection as the citizen who
enters upon agricultural land. intent
upon cultivating the soil and making
it yield It's supply of fruits and vege-
tables?
Why should we retain system that
requires the citizen to produce. his
mineral before he can secure his right
10 hold even the hole he is sinking or
having discovered his ledge and locat-
ed his claim, may have the fruits of his
labor taken from him by prior loca-
tor. whose ledge dips into his. or whose
surface ground lies across the strike
Of his ledge.
Is there any reason why the citizen
should not be allowed to enter upon
that vast tract of land in our state
designated as mineral land by the gov
eminent, locate so or 100 acres, and
proceed to prospect the same for pre-
cious metals, secure in the knowledge
that whatever ne discovers Is his and
that no one may enter upon his domain
and deprive him of the fruits Of his
labor?
Homestead and Desert Plan.
Instead Of requiring that the discov-
cry be made in the first instance, why
not follow the homestead and desert
plan? Reverse the order of things and
let him go upon the land and mark off
the boundaries and take the definite
time to make good by discovery of
minerals.
l am in favor of a change In our
,,,~t,, tln ,tt
go upon the public mineral lands and
locate so or 100 acres much in the
same manner that he may enter home
stead or desert lands.
Require him to spend certain
amount annually in actual prospecting
and development work. Allow him but
one entry. abolish the follow the dip"
and confine him to the
walls Of his claim.
Give him three or five years to prove
his claim, and If, at the end of that
time, he can show that he has mineral
in place in paying quantity and has
actually expended in the development |
Of the claim the prescribed annual
amount, give him patent to the land
upon payment of nominal price |
therefor. Require him to make appli-
cation for patent at the end Of the |
prescribed period or else forfeit his
If his mineral land Is worth
lnything, get 1t on the assessment
oil.
At any time after location, allow
lin. if he desires to do so. to file an
of his claim and restore
o him the right to make another en-
ry.
] believe law Of this kind, or of a
milar nature, would prove more at
ractive to the investor than the pres
mt system of discovery before the
ther fellow gets there and It will in
erfere in no way with the present
method for he may still
AXE his chance on prior discovery
he secs fit to do so.
Scientific Prospecting.
Our mineral lands must be prospect
d scientifically and thoroughly II we
xpect to uncover and appropriate the
,ineral that lies buried in them. Sc
urity TO the prospector of the future
,ust be guaranteed II We expect him
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