Seward daily gateway., 1932-01-21

i OuUSCIlUefS O1ISl WTlLc LO llc Gateway as well as many others seeking copies of the mining laws of Alaska. So for these, and others interested in Alaska's great nat ural resource, same is published herewith with the suggestion that it be clipped out and carefully pre- served for future use:
 ALASKA MINING LAWS The mining laws of the United States were extended to Alaska by the Act of Congress approved May IT, 1884, and with a few amend ments particularly applicable to the Territory of Alaska, have been followed in the Territory since that time.
 These laws provide for the loca- tion and patenting of both lode claims and placer claims.
 Before making a location of a lode claim it is necessary for the locator to find gold, silver, copper, lead, or some other mineral in rock in place within the limits of the land located Following this dis covery the locator is required to mark the boundaries of the claim which is limited to 300 feet on each side of the lode discovered and 1900 feet along said lode. After the discovery and the marking of the corners a notice is required to be posted in a conspicuous place on the claim giving the metes a n d bounds description, the name of the locator and the date of the lOca- ton of the claim, a copy of this notice to be recorded with the Re- c0rder for the district in which the land is located within 90 days from the day of the location. Following the location the owner is required to do $100 worth of work on, or for the benefit of the claim during each year until the land is patent ed. After eXpending $500 for the development of the claim the oW- ner can secure patent by having the land surveyed, submitting evil dence of the Improvements th e mineral character of the land, and paying the government $5 an acre.
 The other class of location s known as placer claims. A location of this kind is based upon the discovery of gold, silver, copper or other mineral in sand, gravel or other formation where the deposit is not found in rock in place but as a secondary deposit, Under the law as first extended to Alaska the location of a placer claim amount ing to 20 acres could be made by any citizen of the United States who had made the required dis cOvery, and ? or more persons not exceeding 8 in number could To- cate an association claim not to exceed 160 acres, or in the propor- tion of 20 acres to each person. The law required that the locator dur ing each year after the location expend $1O0 for the improvement of the claim and as soon as he had expended a total of $500 be was allowed to secure patent by show ing the character of the land, the extent of his improvements, and ] by paying the government $2.50 per acre
 1 Generally these laws still exist
 in the Territory of Alaska, except
 so far as they allude to pla cer claims.
 Under an Act of Congress p
 proved August 1, 1912, not more
 than placer claims of 20 acres each can be located by an individ-
 ual in any one month, and no per
 son can locate as agent more than
 2 additional claims in any one month for two others. This law limits the size of an association placer claim to 40 acres instead of 160 acres.
 Patents can be issued only to