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■ t •
2
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4
5
6
KLONDIKE
6'-'
MINING LAWS, RULES AND
REGULATIONS
— OF THE —
UNITED STATES AND CAN AD A
APPUCABLE TO
Alaska and Northwest Territory
II
COPVHIGHr 189; PV W, 'J. HlLI.b*ANr) E.'M. A-'SHBRMAN
•> » • . ' « » <■
■J :i > ■* • . )
* < I • I
^ • » I. > I
W. J. HILLS and B. M. AUSHERMAN
Mining and General Attorneys
SEATTLE. - - - WASHINGTON
F»RICE, FIPXY CENXS
FOR SALE BY ALL NEWS AQBNTS
W J. HI us
B. M AUSHRRMAN
P. 0. B OX 1168
7
rrr
HILLS S AU8HERMAN
MINING AND CORPORATION LAWYERS
o
1^
Mining and business interests in the Pacific
Northwest looked after and attended to very care-
fully for all of our clients.
Careful investigations and conservative reports
on all propositions entrusted to us. We go our-
selves; we dojiat ^end:ag5ents**.*» .
Prompt R^pvieS- **.. * * .*•'-•• «
» T » t . ... «. »
• • . •
• , • » • • •
• •
>!,•'.: • . '
HON. F. E. WARREV,
HON. C. D CLARK,
U. S. Senators, Washington, D. C
.-t
OFFICE :
BURKE BUILDING, SEATTLE, WASH.
RRMAN
SI
^ERS
cific
are-
►orts
our-
PREFACE
o
f The compilers of this work from experience in the
practice of mining litigation and Icnowledge of the needs
and information required by the average miner and pros-
pector, and realizing that many a valuable claim has been
lost to the discoverer by reason of his lack of knowledge of
mining laws and failure to properly protect himself and his
property, and further realizing that the immense go'd fields
of the Great Northwest lie along the boundary line of two
separate and distinct nations whose laws are largely at
variance, have deemed it advisable to compile together the
^ Jaws of these two greatest nations on earth, furnishing full
f'data and complete information to all who penetrate or be-
-^ come interested in the famous Klondike region.
The compilers will be satisfied if the work proves to be
jjTi practically useful and assists the worthy miner in protect-
(^ ing that which he has labored for and so worthily gained.
83082
H.LWILHELM
ATTORNEY >*' COUNSELOR AT LAW
ALL FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS
BURKE BUILDING...
Seattle, Wash.
JlA , ^1tricr^
r> or ho'v'dlaitied
by them, but the t*?r}h uj'ider 'TvhicL" such peirsonS' hiAy' ac-
quire title to such lands is reserved for future legislation by
Congress : And provided further. That parties who have
located mines or mineral privileges therein under the laws
of the United States applicable to the public domain, or
who have occupied and improved or exercised acts of owner-
ship over such claims, shall not be disturbed therein, but
shall be allowed to perfect their title to such claims by pay-
ment as aforesaid: And provided also. That the land not
exceeding six hundred and forty acres at any station now
occupied as missionary stations among the Indian tribes in
said section, with the improvements thereon erected by or
for such societies, shall be continued in the occupancy of
the several religious societies to which said missionary sta-
tions respectively belong until action by Congress. But
(I UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
nothing contained In this act shall be construed to put In
force In said district the general land laws of the United
States.
I^nd Office Regulations— 96. The administration of thH
mining laws as prescribed by these regulations will be, so
far as applicable, adopted for, and extended to Alaska.
(1) The ex-offlcio register, receiver, and surveyor-gen-
eral, while acting as such, and their clerks and deputy sur-
veyors, will be deemed subject to the laws and regulations
governing the official conduct and responsibilities of similar
officers and persons under general statutes of the United
States.
(2) The Commissioner of the General I>and Office wllK
exercise the same general supervision over the execution of
the laws as are or may be exercised by him in other mineral
districts.
TITLE XXXII, CHAPTER 6.
MINERAL LANDS RESERVED— Sec. 2318. In all
cases lands valuable for mineral shall be reserved from sale,
except as otherwise expressly directed by law.
OPEN TO PURCHASE BY CITIZENS— Sec. 2319. All
valuable mineral dieposits In Jands belonging to the United
States;,' both surveyed and unsurvoyfed, are hereby declared
to be fVec and open, to ejcploratfo^^ and purchase, and the
lands in which t$ey are found to ofccupation and purchase,
by cjtlzens of, .the, UniteS States and those who have de-
claimed, .th^lr inteiDtipn to become .sucli,! ^h'der regulations
prescribed by' iaw; jipd according £© Tthe local customs or
rules of miners in the severaf mining* districts, so far as
the same are applicable and not inconsistent with the laws
of the United States.
DENGTH OF VEINS OR LODES— Sec. 2320. Mining
claims upon veins or lodes of quartz or other rock in place
bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, or other
valuable deposits, heretofore located, shall be governed as
to length along the vein or lode by the customs, regulations,
and laws in force at the date of their location. A mining
claim located after the tenth day of May, eighteen hun-
dred and seventy-two, whether located by one or more
persons, may equal, but shall not exceed, one thousand
five hundred feet in length along the vein or lode; but
no location of a mining claim shall be made until the die-
PKA.
to put In
le United
on of thH
ill be, so
ska.
eyor-gen-
piity 8ur-
gulatlons
5f similar
le United
)fflce wilK
cution of
r mineral
In all
rom sale,
5319. All
le United
declared
and the
purchase,
have de-
arulationa
stoms or
o far as
the laws
. Mining
in place
3r other
9rned as
ulatious,
. mining
sen hun-
)r more
housand
de; bat
the die-
UNITED STATES MIKING LAWS FOR ALASKA. 7
covery of the vein or lode within the limits of the claim lo-
cated. No claim shall extend more than three hundred
feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface,
nor shall any claim be limited by any mining regulation to
less than twenty-five feet on each aide of the middle of the
vein at the surface, except where adverse rights existing
on the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two,
render such limitation necessary. The end hnea of each
claim shall be parallel to each other.
PROOF OP CITIZENSHIP— Sec. 2321. Proof of citizen-
ship, under this chapter, may consist, in the case of an indi-
vidual, of his own affidavit thereof; in the case of an associ-
ation of persons unincorporated, of the affidavit of their
authorized agent, made on his own knowledge, or upon
information and belief; and in the case of a corporation
organized under the laws of the United States, or of any
StKte or Territory thereof, by the filing of a certified copy
of their charter or certificate of Incorporation.
LOCATORS' RIGHT&— Sec. 2322. The locators of all
mining locations heretofore made or which shall hereafter
be made, on any mineral vein, lode, or ledge, situated on the
public domain, their heirs and assigns, where no adverse
claim exists on the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and
seventy-two, so long as they comply with the laws of the
United States, and with State, Territorial, and local regu-
lations not in conflict with the laws of the United States
governing their possessory title, shall have the exclusive
right of possession and enjoyment of all the surface in-
cluded within the lines of their locations, and of all veins,
lodes, and ledges throughout their entire depth, the top or
apex of which lies inside of such surface lines extended
downward vertically, although such veins, lodes, or ledges
may so far depart from a perpendicular in their course
downward as to extend outside the vertical side lines of
such surface locations. But their right of possession to
such outside parts of sut^h veins or ledges shall be confined
to such portions thereof as lie between vertical planes drawn
downward as above described, through the end lines of their
locations, so continued In their own direction that such
planes will Intersect such exterior parts of such veins or
ledges. And nothing In thlg section shall authorize the lo-
cator or possessor of a vein or lode which extends in its
downward course beyond the vertical lines of his claim to
8 UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
enter upon the surface of a claim owned or possessed by
another.
OWNERS OF TUNNEL RIGHTS— Sec. 2323. Where a
tunnel is run for development of a vein or lode, or for the
discovery of mines, the owners of such tunnel shall have
the right of possession of all veinn or lodes within three
thousand feet from the face of such tunnel on the line there-
of, not previously known to exist, discovered in such tun-
nel, to the same extent as if discovered from the surface;
and locations on the line of such tunnel of veins or lodes
not appearing on the surface, made by other parties after
the commencement of the tunnel, and while the same is
being prosecuted with reasonable diligence, shall be invalid;
but failure to prosecute the work on the tunnel for six
months shall be considered as an abandonment of the right
to all undiscovered veins on the line of such tunnel.
REGULATIONS BY MINERS— Sec. 2324. The miners of
'iarh mining district may make regulations not in conflict
with the laws of the United States, or with the laws of the
State or Territory in which the district is situated, govern-
ing the location, manner of recording, amount of work
necessary to hold possession of a mining claim, subject to
the following requirements: The location must be dis-
tinctly marked on the ground so that its boundaries can be
readily traced. All records of mining claims hereafter made
shall contain the name or names of the locators, the date
of the location, and such a description of the claim or claims
located by reference to some natural object or permanent
monument as will identify the claim. In each claim lo-
cated after the tenth day of May, eighteen hundred and
seventy-two, and until a patent has been issued therefor,
not les9 than one hundred dollars' worth of labor shall be
performed or improvements made during each year. On all
claims located prior to the tenth day of May, eighteen hun-
dred and/ seventy-two, ten dollaro* worth of labor shall be
performed or improvements made by the tenth day of June,
eighteen hundred and seventy-four, and each year there-
after, for each one hundred feet in length along the vein
until a patent has been issued therefor; but where such
claims are held in common, such expenditure may be made
upon any one claim; and upon a failure to comply with
these conditions, the claim or mine, upon which such failure
occurred shall be open to relocation in the same manner aa
KA.
eased by
Where a
r for the
lall have
lin three
ne there-
uch tun-
surface;
or lodes
ies after
same is
Invalid;
for six
he right
liners of
conflict
^s of the
gcvern-
3f work
ibject to
be dia-
3 can be
er made
the date
r claims
rmanent
laim }o-
red and
:herefor,
shall be
On all
>en hun-
Bhall be
of June,
p there-
he vein
re such
>e made
ly with
I failure
uner aa
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA. 9
if no location of the same had ever been made, provided
that the original locators, their heirs, assigns, or legal rep-
resentatives, have not resumed work upon the claim after
failure and before such localion. Upon the failure of any
one of several co-owners to contribu his portion of the
expenditures required hereby, the co-ov,ners who have per-
formed the labor or made the ir^'^iovements may, at Lhc
expiration of a year, give such elinquent co-owner per-
so'i^l notice in writing or notice by pulJlcation in the news-
paper published nearest the claim f'^" at least once a week
for ninety days, and if at the expiration of ninety days after
such notice in writing or by publication such delinquent
should fail or refuse to contribute his portion of the ex-
penditure required by this section, his interest in tue claim
shall become- the property of his co-owners who have made
the required expenditures.
PATENTS, HOW OBTAINED— Sec. 2325. A patent for
any land claimed and located for valuable deposits may be
obtained in the following manner: Any person, associa-
tion, or corporation authorized to locate a claim under this
chapter, having claimed and located a piece of land for sucih
purposes, who has, or have, complied with the terms of this
chapter, may file in the proper landofflce an application for
a patent, under oath, showing such compliance, together
with a plat and field notes of the claim or claims in com-
mon, made by or under the direction of the United Stat^'^s
Surveyor-General, showing accurately the boundaries of the
claim or claims, which shall be distinctly marked by mon-
uments on the ground, and shall post a copy of such plat,
together with a notice of such application for a patent. In
a conspicuous place on th land embraced In such plat pre-
vious to the filing of the application for a patent, and shall
file an afliuavit of at least two peidons that such notice has
been duly posted, and shall file a copy of the notice in such
land-office, and shall thereupon be entitled to a patent for
the land, in the following manner: The register of the land.
oflBce, upon the filing of such application, plat, field-notes,
notices, and affidavits, shall publish a notice that such ap-
plication has been made, for the period of sixty days, In a
newspaper to be by him designated as published nearest to
such claim; and he sh 11 also post such notice In his office
for the same period. The claimant at the time of filing this
aplication, or at any time thereafter, within the «ixty days
I
10
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
of publication, shall file with the register a certificate of the
United States surveyor-general that five hundred dollary'
worth of labor has been expended or improvements made
upon the claim by himself or grantors; that the plat is
correct, with such further description by such reference to
natural objects or permanent monuments as shall identify
the claim, and furnish an accurate description, to be incor-
porated in the patent. At the expiration of the sixty days
of publication the claimant shall file his affidavit, showing
that the plat and notice have been posted in a conspicuous
place on the claim during such period of publication. If no
adverse claim shall have been filed with the register and
the receiver of the proper land-office at the expiration of
the sixty days of publication, it shall be assumed that the
applicant is entitled to a patent, upon the payment to the
proper officer of five dollars per acre, and that no adverse
claim exists; and thereafter no objection from third parties
to the issuance of a patent shall be heard, except it be
shown that the applicant has failed to comply with the terms
of this chapter.
ADVERSE PROCEEDINGS— Sec. 2326. Where an ad-
verse claim is filed during the period of publication, it shall
be upon oath of the person or persons making tht same, and
shall show the nature, boundaries, and extent of such ad-
verse claim, and all proceedings, except the publication of
notice and making and filing of the affidavit thereof, shall
be stayed until the controversy shall have been settled or
decided by a court of competent jurisdiction, or the adverse
claim waived. It shall be the duty of the adverse claimant,
within thirty days after filing his claim, to commence pro-
ceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction, to determine
the question of the right of possession, and prosecute the
same with reasonable diligence to final judgment; and a
failure so to do shall be a waiver of his adverse claim. After
such judgment shall have been rendered, the party entitled
to the possession of the claim, or any portion thereof, miiy,
without giving further notice, file a certified copy of the
judgment roll with the register of the land-office, together
with the certificate of the surveyor-general that the requisite
amount of labor has been expended or improvements made
thereon, and the description required in other cases, and
shall pay to the receiver five dollars per acre for his claim,
together with the proper fees, whereupon the whole proceed-
i
SKA.
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA. 11
ate of the
d dollars'
mts made
le plat is
ference to
1 identify
be incor-
ixty days
showing
nspicuous
on. If no
fister and
iration of
that the
!nt to the
adverse
rd parties
ept it be
the terms
'e an ad-
n, it shall
same, and
such ad-
ication of
eof, shall
settled or
B adverse
claimant,
ence pro-
ietermine
Bcute the
t; und a
n. After
■ entitled
3of, mtjy,
y of tht
together
requisite
Its madp
ses, and
is claim,
proceed-
ings and the judgment-roll shall be certified by the register
to the Commissioner of the General Land-Office, and a patent
shall issue thereon for the claim, or such portion thereof as
the applicant shall appear, from the decision of the court,
to rightly possess. If it appears from the decision of the
court that several parties are entitled to separate and dif-
ferent portions of the claim, each party may pay for his por-
tion of the claim with the proper fees, and file the certificate
and description by the surveyor-general, whereupon the reg-
ister shall certify the proceedings and judgment-roll to the
Commissioner of the General Land-Office, as in the preceding
case, and patents shall issue to the several parties accord-
ing to their respective rights. Nothing herein contained
shall be construed to prevent the alienation of a title con-
veyed by a patent for a mining-claim to any person what-
ever.
DESCRIPTION OF VEIN-CLAIMS— Sec. 2327. The de-
scription of vein or lode claims, upon surveyed lands, shall
designate the location of the claim with reference to the
lines of the public surveys, but need not conform therewitli;
but where a patent shall be issued for claims upon unsur-
veyed lands, the surveyor-general, in extending the surveys,
shall adjust the same to the boundaries of such patented
claim, according to the plat or description thereof, but so
as in no case to interfere with or change the location of any
such patented claim.
PENDING APPLICAl^ONS- EXISTING RIGHTS— Sec.
2328. Applications for patents for mining-claims under for-
mer laws now pending may be prosecuted to a final decision
in the General Land-Office; but ^^^ such cases where adverse
rights are not affected thereby, patents may issue in pur-
suance of the provisions of this chapter; and all patents for
mining-claims upon veins or lodes heretofore issued shall
convey all the rights and privileges conferred by this chap-
ter where no adverse rights existed on the tenth day of May,
eighteen hundred and seventy-two.
CONFORMITY OF PLACER-CLAIMS~Sec. 2329. Claims
usually called "placers," including all forms of deposit, ex-
cepting veins of quartz, or other rock in place, shall be sub-
ject to entry and patent, under like circumstances and con-
ditions, and upon similar proceedings, as are provided for
vein or lode claims; but where the lands have been pre-
12 UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
It
i^!
viously surveyed by the United States, the entry in its ex-
terior limits shall conform to the legal subdivisions of the
public lands.
SUBDIVISIONS— Sec. 2330. Legal subdivisions of forty
acres may be subdivided into ten-acre tracts; and two or
mere persons, or associations of persons, having contigous
claims of any size, although such claims may be less than
ten acres each, may make joint entry thereof; but no loca-
tion of a placer-claim, made after the ninth day of July,
eighteen hundred and seventy, shall exceed one hundred and
sixty acres tor any one person or association of persons,
which location shall conform to the United States surveys;
and nothing in this section contained shall defeat or im-
pair any bona fide pre-emption or homestead claim upon
agricultural lands, or authorize the sale of the improvements
of any bona fide settler to any purchaser.
CONFORMITY TO SURVEYS— Sec. 2331. Where placer-
claims are upon surveyed lands, and conform to legal subdi-
visions, no further survey or plat shall be required, and all
placer-mining claims located after the tenth day of May,
eighteen hundred and seventy-two, shall conform as near
as practicable with the United States system of public-land
surveys, and the rectangular subdivisions of such surveys,
and no such location shall include more than twenty acres
for each individual claimant; but where placer-claims can
not be conformed to legal subdivisions, survey and plat shall
be made as on unsurveyed lands; and where by the segre-
gation of mineral lands in any legal subdivision a quantity
of agricultural land less than forty acres remains, such frac-
tional portion of agricultural land may be entered by any
party qualified by law, for homestead or pre-emption pur-
poses.
EVIDENCE OF POSSESSION— Sec. 2332. Where such
person or association, they and their grantors, have hold
and worked their claims for a period equal to the time pre-
scribed by the statute of limitations for mining-claims of the
State or Territory where the same may be situated, evidence
of such posession and working of the claim for such period
shall be sufficient to establish a right to a patent thereto
under this chapter, in the absence of any adverse claim; but
nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to impair any lien
which may have attached in any way whatever to any min-
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA. 13.
ing-claim or property thereto attached prior to the issuance
of a patent.
PROCEEDINGS FOR PATENT— Sec. 2333. Where the
same person, association, or corporation is in possession
of a placer-claim, and also a vien or lode included within
the boundaries thereof, application shall be made for a
patent for the placer-claim, with the statement that it in-
cludes such vein or lode, and in such case a patent shall
issue for the placer-claim, subject to the provisions of this
chapter, including such vein or lode, upon the payment of
five dollars per acre for such vein or lode claim, and twenty-
five feet of surface on each side thereof. The remainder of
the placer-claim, or any placer-claim not embracing any
vein or lode-claim, shall be paid for at the rate of two dol-
lars and fifty cents per acre, together with all costs of pro-
ceedings; and where a vein or lode, such as is described In
section twenty-three hundred and twenty, is known to exist
within the boundaries of a placer-claim, an application for
a patent for such placer-claim which does not include an
application for the vein or lode claim shall be construed as a
conclusive declaration that the claimant of the placer-claim
has no right of pofesesssion of the vein or lode claim; but
where the existence of a vein or lode in a placer-claim is
not known, a patent for the placer-claim shall convey all
valuable mineral and other deposits within the boundaries
thereof.
SURVEYOR-GENERAL TO APPOINT SURVEYORS—
Sec. 2334. The surveyor-general of the United States may ap-
point in each land-district containing mineral lands as many
competent surveyors as shall apply for appointment to sur-
vey mining-claims. The expenses of the survey of vein or
lode claims, and the survey and subdivision of placer-claims
into smaller quantities than one hundred and sixty acres,
together with the cost of publication of notices, shall be
paid by the applicants, and they shall be at liberty to obtain
the same at the most reasonable rates, and they shall also
be at liberty to employ any United States deputy surveyor
■ > make the survey. The Commissioner of the General Land-
Office shall also have power to establish the maximum
charges for surveys and publication of notices under this
chapter; and, in case of excessive charges for publication,
he may designate any newspaper published in a land-district
H!
14 UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
where mines are situated for the publication of mining no-
tices in such district, and fix the rates to be charged by such
paper; and, to the end that the Commissioner may be fully
informed on the subject, each applicant shall file with the
register a sworn statement of all charges and fees paid by
such applicant for publication and surveys, together with all
fees and money paid the register and the receiver of the
land-office, which statement shall be transmitted, with the
other papers in the case, to the Commissioner of the General
Land-Office.
VERIFICATION OF AFFIDAVITS, ETC.— Sec. 2335.
All affidavits required to be made under this chapter may
be verified before any officer authorized to administer oaths
within the land-(' strict where the claims may be situated,
and all testimony and proofs may be taken before any such
officer, and, when duly certified by the officer taking the
same, shall have the same force and effect as if taken be-
fore the register and receiver of the land-office. In cases of
contest as to the mineral or agricultural character of land,
the testimony and proofs may be taken as herein provided
on personal notice of at least ten days to the opposing party;
or if such party cannot be found, then by publication Oi at
least once a week for thirty drys in a newspaper, to be des-
ignated by the register of the land-office as published near-
est to the location of such land; and the register shall re-
quire proof that such notice has been given.
WHERE VEINS INTERSECT, ETC.— Sec. 2336. Where
two or more veins intersect or cross each other, priority of
title shall govern, and such prior location shall be entitled to
all ore or mineral contained within the space of intersection;
but the subsequent location shall have the right of way
through the space of Intersection for the purposes of the
convenient working of the mine. And where two or more
veins unite, the oldest or prior location shall take the vein
below the point of union. Including all the space of inter-
section.
PATENTS FOR NON-MINERAL LAND, ETC.— Sec.
2337. Where non-mineral land not contiguous to the vein or
lode is used or occupied by the proprietor of such vein or
lode for mining or milling purposes, surh non-adjacent sur-
face-ground may be embraced and Included in an applica-
tion for a patent for such vein or lode, and the same may
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
15
ling no-
J by such
(be fully
^Ith the
I paid by
Iwlth all
of the
^Ith the
[General
ic. 2336.
;er may
r oaths .
lituated,
ny such
ing the
ken be-
ca^es of
of land,
irovided
? party;
)n oi at
be des-
►d near-
ball re-
Where
)rity of
itled to
ection;
)f way
of the
r more
te vein
inter-
.— Sec.
eln or
Bin or
t sur-
»plica-
5 may
to the same preliminary le-
notice as are applicable '"^
hereafter made of such non-
acres, and payment for the
rate as fixed by this chapter
The owner of a quartz-mill
a mine in connection there-
for his mill-site, as provided
be patented therewith, subject
quirements as to survey and
veins or lodes; but no location
adjacent land shall exceed five
same must be made at the same
for the superficies of the lode,
or reduction-works, not owning
with, may also receive a patent
in this section.
SALE BY LOCAL LEGISLATURE— Sec. 2338. As a con-
dition of sale, in the absence of necessary legislation by
Congress, the local legislature of any State or Territory may
provide rules for working niines, involving easements, drain-
age, and other necessary means to their complete develop-
ment; and those conditions shall be fully expressed in the
patent.
RIGHTS TO USE WATER FOR MINING— Sec. 2339.
Whenever, by priority of possession, rights to the use of
water for mining, agricultural, manufacturing, or other pur-
poses, have vested and accrued, and the same are recognized
and acknowledged by the local customs, laws, and the de-
cisions of courts, the possessors and owners of such vested
rights shall be maintained and protected in the same; and
the right of way for the construction of ditches and canals
for the purposes herein specified is acknowledged and con-
firmed; but whenever any person, in the construction of any
ditch or canal, injures or damages the possession of any
settler on the public domain, the party committing such in-
jury or damage shall be liable to the party injured for such
injury or damage.
PATENTS SUBJECT TO WATER RIGHTS— Sec. 2340.
All patents granted, or pre-emption or homestead allowed,
shall be subject to any vested and accrued water-rights, or
rights to ditches and reservoirs used in connection with
such water-rights, as may have been acquired under or
riecognized by the preceding section.
' MINERAL LANDS SUBJECT TO HOMESTEADS— Sec.
2341. Wherever, upon the lands heretofore designated as
nbineral lands, which have been excluded from survey and
skle, there have been homesteads made by citizens of the
Ignited StmteB, or persons who have declared t&eit* Intention
to become citizens, which homesteads have been made, Ipi-
16 UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
liill \
m
li
proved, and used for agricultural purposes, and upon which
there have been no valuable mines of. gold, silver, cinnabar,
or copper discovered, and which are properly agricultural
lands, the settlers or owners of such homesteads shall have
a right of pre-emption thereto, and shall be entitled to pur-
chase the same at the price of one dollar and twenty-five
cents per acre, and in quantity not to exceed one hundred
and sixty acres; or they may avail themselves of the pro-
visions of chapter five of this Title, relating to "Home-
steads."
HOW SET APART AS AGRIOULTURALr-Sec. 2342.
Upon the survey of the lands described in the preceding sec-
tion, the Secretary of the Interior may designate and set
apart such portions of the same as are clearly agricultural
lands, which lands shall thereafter be subject to pre-emp-
tion and sale as other public lands, and be subject to all the
laws and regulations applicable to the same.
ADDITIONAL LAND-DISTRICTS AND OFFICERS—
Sec. 2343. The President is authorized to establish addi-
tional land-districts, and to appoint the necessary oflScera
under existing laws, wherever he may deem the same neces-
sary for the public convenience in executing the provisions
of this chapter.
NOT TO AFFECT CERTAIN RIGHTS— Sec. 2344. Noth-
ing contained in this chapter shall be construed to impair,
in any way, rights or interests in mining property acquired
under existing laws; nor to affect the provisions of the act
entitled "An act granting to A. Sutro the right of way and
other privileges to aid in the construction of a draining and
exploring tunnel to the Comstock lode, in the State of Ne-
vada," approved July twenty-five, eighteen hundred and
sixty-six.
IN CERTAIN STATES EXCEPTED— Sec. 2345. The
provisions of the preceding sections of this chapter shall not
apply to the mineral lands situated in the States of Michi-
gan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, which are declared free and
open to exploration and purchase according to legal subdi-
visions, in like manner as before the tenth day of May,
eighteen hundred and seventy-two. And any bona fide en-
tries of such lands within the States named since the tenth
of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, may be pat-
ented without reference to any of the foregoing provisions
IKA.
on which
Jinnabar,
•icultural
lall have
to pur-
enty-flve
hundred
the pro-
"Home-
ec. 2342.
iing sec-
and set
icultural
)re-emp-
all the
'CERS—
3h addl-
officera
e neces-
ovisions
4. Noth-
impair,
icquired
the act
vay and
ing and
! of Ne-
ed and
). The
lall not
Michi-
fee and
subdi-
t May.
ide en-
3 tenth
>e pat-
visions
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA. 17
of this chapter. Such lands shall be offered for public sale
in the same manner, at the same minimum price, and under
the same rights of pre-emption as other public lands.
GRANT NOT TO INCLUDE MINERAL— Sec. 2346. No
act passed at the first session of the thirty-eighth Congress,
granting lands to States or corporations to aid in the con-
struction of roads or for other purposes, or to extend Lhe
time of grants made prior to the thirtieth day of January,
eighteen hundred and sixty-five, shall be so construed as to
embrace mineral lands, which in all cases are reserved ex-
clusively to the United States, unless otherwise specially
provided in the act or acts making the grant.
REPEAL PROVISIONS
TITLE LXXIV.
WHAT STATUTES EMBRACE— Sec. 5595. The fore-
going seventy-three titles embrace the statutes of the
United States general and permanent in their nature, in
force on the first day of December, one thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three, as revised and consolidated by
commissioners appointed under an act of Congress, and
the same shall be designated and cited as The Revised
Statutes of the United States.
REPEAL OF ACTS— Sec. 5596. All acts of Congress
passed prior to said first day of December, one thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three, any portion of which is
embraced in any section of said revision, are hereby re-
pealed, and the section applicable thereto shall be in force
in lieu thereof; all parts of such acts not contained in
such revision, having been repealed or superceded by sub-
Loquent acts, or not being general and permanent in their
nature: Provided, That the incorporation into such re-
vision of any general and permanent provision, taken from
an act making appropriations, or from an act containing
other provisions of a private, local, or temporary character,
shall not repeal, or in any way affect any appropriation,
or any provision of a private, local, or temporary charac-
nw
18
UNITED STATES MINING LAW& FOR ALASKA.
ter, contained In any of said acts, but the same shall re-
main in force; and all acts of Congress passed prior to said
last-named day no part of which are embraced in said
provision, shall not be affected or changed by its enact-
ment.
ACCRUED RIGHTS RESERVED--Sec. 5597. The re-
peal of the several acts embraced in £ 1 revision, shall
not affect any act done, or any right a . "uing or accrued,
or any suit or proceeding had or commenced in any civil
cause before the said repeal, but all rights and liabilities
under said acts shall continue, and may be enforced in the
.*nme manner, as if said repeal had not been made; nor shall
said repeal, in any manner affect the right to any office, or
cliange the term or tenure thereof.
PROSECUTIONS— Sec. 5598. All offenses committed,
and all penalties or forfeitures incurred under any statute
embraced in said revision prior to said repeal, may be pros-
ecuted and punished in the same manner and with the
same effect, as if said repeal had not been made.
LIMITATION— Sec. 5599. All acts of limitation, wheth-
er applicable to civil causes and proceedings, or to the
prosecution of offenses, or for the recovery of penalties or
forfeitures, embraced in said revision and covered by said
repeal, shall not be affected thereby, but all suits, proceed-
ings, or prosecutions, whether civil or criminal, for causes
arising, or acts done or committed prior to said repeal,
may be commenced and prosecuted within the same time
as if said repeal had not been made.
CLASSIFICATION OF SECTIONS— Sec. 5600. The ar-
rangement and classification of the several sections of the
revision have been made for the purpose of a more con-
venient and orderly arrangement of the same, and there-
fore no inference or presumption of a legislative construc-
tion is to be drawn by reason of the Title, under which any
particular section is placed.
ACTS SINCE DEC. 1, 1873, NOT AFFECTED— Sec.
5601. The enactment of the said revision is not to affect
or repeal any act of Congress passed since the first day
of December, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three, and all acts pasted since that date are to have full
KA.
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
19
shall re-
r to said
in said
;s enact-
The re-
)n, shall
accrued,
my civil
labilities
d in the
aor shall
Dfflce, or
nmitted,
r Statute
be pros-
nth the
, wheth-
' to the
iltiea or
by said
procaed-
r causes
repeal,
ne time
The ar-
J of the
ire con-
l there-
)nstruc-
Ich any
D— Sec.
) affect
•St day
Bventy-
Lve full
effect as if passed after the enactment of this revision, and
so far as such acts vary from, or conflict with any provision
contained in said revision, they are to have effect as subse-
quent statutes, and as repealing any portion of the revision
inconsistent therewith.
Approved June 22, 1874.
Act of June 6, 1874, Extending Assessment.
AN ACT to amend the act entitled "An act to promote the
development of the mining resources of the United
States," passed May tenth, eighteen hundred and
seventy-two.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assem-
bled, That the provisions of the fifth section of the act
entitled "An act to promote the development of the mining
resources of the United States," passed May tenth, eighteen
hundred and seventy-two, which requires expenditures of
labor and improvements on claims located prior to the
passage of said act, are hereby so amended that the time
for the first annual expenditure on claims located prior to
the passage of said act shall be extended to the first day of
January, eighteen hundred and seventy-five.
Act of February 11, 1875; tunnels:
AN ACT to amend section two thousand three hundred and
twenty-four of the Revised Statutes, relating to the de-
velopment of the mining resources of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress as-
sembled. That section two thousand three hundred and
twenty-four of the Revised Statutes be, and the same is
hereby amended so that where a person or company has
or may run a tunnel for the purpose of developing a lode
or lodes, owned by said person or company, the money so
expended in said tunnel shall be taken and considered as
expended on said lode or lodes, whether located prior to
or since the passage of said act, and such person or com-
pany shall not be required to perform work on the surface
of said lode or lodes in order to hold the same as required
by said act.
Approved February 11, 1875. (18 Stat, 315.)
m
20 UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
Act of June 3, 1878, Timber.
AN ACT authorizing tlie citizens of Colorado, Nevada and
V tlie Territories to fell and remove timber on the pub-
lic domain for mining and domestic purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress as-
sembled, That all citizens of the United States and other
persons, bona fide residents of the State of Colorado or
Nevada, or either of the Territories of New Mexico, Ari-
zona, Utah, Wyoming, Dakota, Idaho, or Montana, and all
other mineral districts of the United States, shall be and
are hereby, authorized and permitted to fell and remove,
for building, agricultural, mining, or other domestic pur-
poses, any timber or other trees growing or being on the
public lands, said lands being mineral, and not subject to
entry under existing laws of the United States, except for
mineral entry, in either of said States, Territories, or dis-
tricts of which such citizens or persons may be at the time
bona fide residents, subject to such rules and regulations
as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe for the pro-
tection of the timber and of the undergrowth growing upon
such lands, and for other purposes: Provided, The pro-
visions of this act shall not extend to railroad corporations.
Sec. 2. That it shall be the duty of the register and the
receiver of any local land-ofRce In whose district any mln-
eral land may be situated to ascertain from time to time
whether smy timber is being cut or used upon any such
lands, except for the purposes authorized by this act, within
their respective land districts; and, if so, they shall imme-
diately notify the Commissioner of the General Land-Of-
fice of that fact; and all necessary expenses incurred in
making such proper examinations shall be paid and allowed
such register and receiver in making up their next quar-
terly accounts.
Sec. 3. Any person or persons who shall violate the
provisions of this act, or any rules and regulatiDns in pur-
suance thereof male by the Secretary of the Interior, shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction,
shall be fined in any sum not exceeding five hundred dol-
lars, and to which may be added imprisonment for any
term not exceeding six months.
KA.
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
21
'"ada and
the pub-
)resenta-
ress as-
id other
)rado or
CO, Ari-
and all
be and
remove,
itlc pur-
■ on the
bject to
cept for
or dis-
;he time
ulations
the pro-
ng upon
he pro-
•rations.
and the
ly mlH'
to time
ly such
, within
imme-
and-Of-
rred in
allowed
t quar-
ite the
in pur-
r, shall
miction,
3d dol-
>r any
. Act of Jan. 22, 1880, Application by Agent.
AN ACT to amend section twenty-three hundred and
twenty-four and twenty-three hundred v^nd twenty-flve
of the Revised Statutes of the United States concerning
mineral lands.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress as-
sembled. That section twenty-three hundred and twenty-
flve of the Revised Statutes of the United States be
amended by adding hereto the following words: "Provided,
That where the claimant for a patent is not a resident of
or within the land-district wherein the vein, lode, ledge,
or deposit sought to be patented is located, the application
for patent and the affidavits required to be made in tliLs
section by the claimant for such patent may be made by
his, her, or its authorized agent, where said agent is cou-
versant witli the facts sought to be established by said
affidavits: And provided, That this section shall apply
to all applications now pending for patents to mineral
lands."
Sec. 2. That section twenty-three hundred and twenty-
four of the Revised Statutes of the United States be
amended by adding the following words: "Provided, That
the period within which the work required to be done
annually on all unpatented mineral claims shall commence
on the first day of January succeeding the date of location
of such claim, and this section shall apply to all claims
located since the tenth day of May, anno Domini eighteen
hundred and seventy-two."
Act of March 3, 1881, Failure in Title.
AN ACT to amend section twenty-three hundred and
twenty-six of the Revised Statutes relating to suits at
law affecting the title to mining-claims.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives of the United States of America in Congress as-
sembled. That if, in any action brought pursuant to sec-
tion twenty-three hundred and twenty-six of the Revised
Statutes, title to the ground in controversy shall not be
esablished by either party, the jury shall so find, and judg-
ment shall be entered according to the verdict. In such
m
'.«i.
ri
i I
22 tJNiTEtJ STATES MINING LAWS 1^'OR ALASKA.
case costs shall not be allowed to either party, and the
claimant shall not proceed in the land-offlce or be entitled
to a patent for the ground in controversy until he shall
have perfected his title.
#
Affidavit of Agent.
AN ACT to amend section twenty-three hundred and
twenty-six of the Revised Statutes, in regard to min-
eral lands, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives of the United States of America in Congress as-
sembled, That the edverse claim required by section twenty-
three hundred and twenty-six of the Revised Statutes may
be verified by the oath of any duly authorized agent or
attorney-in-fact of the adverse claimant cognizant of the
facts stated; and the adverse claimant, if residing or at
tJie time being beyond the limits of the distiiCt wherein
tne claim is situated, may make oath to the adverse claim
before the clerk of any court of record of the United
States or the State or Territory where the adverse claim-
ant may then be, or before any notary public of such State
or Territory.
Sec. 2. That applicants for mineral patents, if resid-
ing beyond the limits of the district wherein the claim is
situated, may make any oath or aisadavit required for proof
of citizenship before the clerk of any court of record, or
before any notary public of any State or Territory.
Approved April 26, 1882. (22 Stat, 49.)
LAND-OFFICE REGULATIONS
Relating to Locations of Veins or Lodes After May lo, 1872
From and after the tenth of May, 1872, any person who
is a citizen of the United States, or who has declared his
intention to become a citizen, may locate, record, and hold
a mining claim of fifteen hundred linear feet along the
course of any mineral vein or lode subject to location; or
^ ^ an association of persons, severally qualified as above, may
'^ make Joint location of such claim of fifteen hundred feet,
KA.
UNITED STATES MINING T-AWS FOR ALASKA.
23
and tho
entitled
he shall
Ired and
to min-
epresen-
ress as-
twenty-
Jtes may
agent or
t of the
ig or at
wherein
se claim
5 United
je claim-
ich State
if resid-
claim is
!or proof
icord, or
NS
10, 1872
on who
ired his
nd hold
)ng the
ion; or
i^e, may
3d feet,
but in no eveftt can a location of a vein or lode made sub-
sequent to May 10, 1872, exceed fifteen hundred feet along
the course thereof, whatever may be the number of per-
sons composing the association.
With regard to the extent of surface-ground adjoining
a vein or lode, and claimed for the convenient working
thereof, the Revised Statutes provide that the lateral extent
of locations of veins or lodes made after May 10, 1872, shall
in no case exceed three hundred feel; on each side of the
middle of the vein at the surface, anct that no such surface
rights shall be limited by any mining regulations to less
than twenty-five feet on each side of the middle of the vein
at the surface, except where adverse rights existing on the
tenth of May, 1872, may render such limitation necessary;
the end-lines of such claims to be in all cases parallel to
each other. Said lateral measurements cannot extend bt^-
yond three hundred feet on either side of the middle of the
vein at the surface, or such distance as is allowed by local
laws. For example: Four hundred feet cannot be taken on
one side and two hundred feet on the other. If, howe\ er,
three hundred feet on each side are allowed, and by reason
of prior claims but one hundred feet can be taken on one
side, the locator will not be restricted to less than three
hundred feet on the other side; and when the locator does
not determine by exploration where the middle of the ve n
at the surface Is, his discovery shaft must be assumed to
mark s'lch point.
By the foregoing It will be perceived that no lode claim
located after the tenth of May, eighteen hundred and
seventy-two, can exceed a parallelogram fifteen hundred
feet in length by six hundred feet In width, but whether
surface ground of that width can be taken, depends up in
the local regulations or State or Territorial laws in force
in the several mining districts, and that no such local regu-
lations or State or Territorial laws shall limit a vein or
lode claim to less than fifteen hundred feet along the course
thereof, whether the location is made by one or more per-
sons, nor can surface rights be limited to les sthan fifty
feet In width, unless adverse claims existing on the tenth
day of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, render such
lateral limitations necessary.
It is provided by the Revised Statutes that the miners
of each district may make rules and regulations not in
m
m I
M
■■■liiniiiiiHiH*
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
conflict the laws of the United States, or of the State or
Territory in which such districts are respectively situated,
governing the location, manner of recording, and amount
of work necessary to hold possession of a claim. They
likewise require that the location shall be so distinctly
marked on the ground that its boundaries may be readily
traced. This is a very important matter, and locators
cannot exercise too much care in detiiiing their locations
at the outset, inasmuch as the law requires that all records
of mining locations made subsequent to May 10, 1872, shall
contain the name or names of the locators, the date of the
location, and such a description of the claim or claims
located, by reference to some natural object or perma-
nent monument, ac will identify the claim.
The statutes provide that no lode-claim shall be re-
corded until after the discovery of a vein or lode within
the limits of the claim located, the object of which pro-
vision is evidently to prevent the appropriation of pre-
sumed mineral ground for speculative purposes to the ex-
clusion of bona fiide prospectors, before sufficient work has
been done to determine whether a vein or lode really exists.
The claimant should, therefore, prior to locating his
claim, unless the vein can be traced upon the surface, sink
a shaft, or run a tunnel or drift, to a sufficient depth therein
to discover and develop a mineral-bearing vein, lode, or
crevice; should determine, if possible, the general course
of such vein in either direction from the point of dis-
covery, by whch direction he will be governed in marking
the boundaries of his claim on the surface. His location
notice should give the course and distance as nearly as
practicable from the discovery-shaft on the claim, to some
permanent, well-known points or objects, such, for in-
stance, as stone monuments, blazed trees, the confluence
of streams, points of intersection of well-known gulches,
ravines, or roads, prominent buttes, hills, etc., which may
be in the immediate vicinity, and which will serve to per-
petuate and fix the locus of the claim and render it sus-
ceptible of identification from the description thereof given
in the record of locations in the district, and should bo
duly recorded.
In addition to the foregoing data, the claimant should
state the names of adjoining claims, or, if none adjoin,
the relative positions of the nearest claims; should drive
r
KA.
UNITED STA1:ES MINING LaWS Fok ALASKA.
2^
State or
situated,
amount
1. They
listinctly
I readily
locators
ocations
1 records
!72, shall
te of the
claims
perma-
1 be re-
B within
ich pro-
of pre-
the ex-
i^ork has
y exists,
ting his
ace, sink
1 therein
lode, or
1 course
of dis-
marking
location
early as
to some
for in-
nfluence
gulches,
ich may
to per-
It SU3-
3f given
ould be
should
adjoin,
d drive
a post or erect a monument of stones at each corner of his
surface-ground, and at the point of discovery or discovery
shaft should fix a post, stake, or board, upon which should
be designated the name of the lode, the name or names of
the locators, the number of feet claimed, and in which
direction from the point of discovery; it being essential
that the location notice filed for record, in addition to the
foregoing description should state whether the entire
claim of fifteen hundred feet is taken on one side of the
point of discovery, or whether it is partly upon one and
partly upon the other side thereof, and in the latter case,
how many feet are claimed upon each side of the discovery-
point.
Within a reasonable time, say twenty days, after the
location shall have been marked on the ground, or such
time as is allowed by the local laws, notice thereof, accu-
rately describing the claim in manner aforesaid, should be
filed for record with the proper recorder of the district,
who will thereupon issue the usual certificate of location.
In order to hold the possessory right to a location macie
since May 10, 1872, not less than one hundred dollars' worth
of labc* must be performed, or improvements made there-
on, annually until entry shall have been made. Under the
provisions of the act of Congress approved January 22,
1880, the first annual expenditure becomes due and must
be performed during the calendar year succeeding that in
which the location was made. Expenditure made or labor
performed prior to the first day of January succeeding the
date of location will not be considered as a part of, or ap-
plied upon the first annual expenditure required by law.
Failure to make the expenditure or perform the labor re-
quired will subject the claim to relocation by any other
party having the necessary qualifications, unless the orig-
inal locator, his heirs, assigns, or legal representatives
have resumed work thereon after such failure and before
such relocation.
The expenditures required upon mining-claims may
be made from the surface or in running a tunnel for the
development of such ^.laims, the act of February 11, 1875,
prdviding that where a person or company has, or may,
run a tunnel for the purpose of developing a lode or lodes
owned by said person or company, the money so expended
in said tunnel shr!! be taken and considered as expended
It
fx
m
26
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
il
on said lode or lodes, and such person or company shall
not be required to perform work on the surface of said lode
or lodes in order to hold the same.
The importance of attending to these details in the
matter of location, labor, and expenditure will be the more
readily perceived when it is understood that a failure to
give the subject proper attention may invalidate the claim.
Tunnel Rights.
Section 2323 provides that where a tunnel is run for
the development of a vein or lode, or for the discovery of
mines, the owners of such tunnel shall have the right of
possession of all veins or lodes within three thousand feet
from the face of such tunnel on the line thereof, not pre-
viously known to exist, discovered in such tunnel, to the
same extent as if discovered from the surface; and loca-
tions on the line of such tunnel of veins or lodes not ap-
pearing on the surface, made by other parties after the
commencement of the tunnel, and while the same is being
prosecuted with reasonable diligence, shall be invalid; but
failure to prosecute the work on the tunnel for six months
shall be considered as an abandonment of the right to all
undiscovered veins or lodes on the line of said tunnel.
The effect of this is simply to give the proprietors of
a mining tunnel run in good faith the possessory rigiit to
fifteen hundred feet of any blind lodes cut, discovered, or
intersected by such tunnel, which were not previously
known to exist, within three thousand feet from the face
or point of commencement of such tunnel, and to prohibit
other parties, after the commencement of the tunnel, from
prospecting for and making locations of lodes on the line
thereof and within said distance of three thousand feet,
unless such lodes appear upon the surface or were pre-
viously known to exist.
The term "face," as used in said section, is construced
and held to mean the first working-face formed ir the
tunnel, and to signify the point at which the tunnel actu-
ally enters cover; it being from this point that the three
thousand feet are to be counted, upon which prospecting
is prohibited as aforesaid.
To avail themselves of the benefits of this provision
of law, the proprietors of a mining tunnel will be required,
KA.
UNITED STATES MINIIfG LAWS FOR ALASKA.
27
my shall
said lode
3 in the
the more
allure lo
he claim.
run for
overy of
right of
sand feet
not pre-
1, to the
nd loca-
not ap-
ifter the
is being
alid; but
: months
:ht to all
nnel.
ietors of
rigot to
/ered, or
'eviously
the face
prohibit
lel, from
the line
nd feet,
ere pre-
mstrued
ir the
el actu-
le three
speeting
rovislon
equlred,
at the time they enter cover as aforesaid, to give proper
notice of their tunnel location by erecting a substantial
post, board, or monument at the face or point of com-
mencement thereof, upon which should be posted a good
and sufficient notice, giving the names of the parties or
company claiming the tunnel-right; the actual or proposed
course or direction of the tunnel, the height and width
thereof, and the course and distance from such face or
point of commencement to some permanent well-known
objects in the vicinity by which, to fix and determine the
locus in manner heretofore set forth applicable to loca-
tions of veins or lodes, and at the time of posting such
notice they shall, in order that miners or prospectors may
be enabled to determine whether or not they are within the
lines of the tunnel, establish the boundary lines thereof,
by stakes or monuments placed along such lines at proper
intervals, to the terminus of the three thousand feet from
the face or point of commencement of the tunnel, and
the lines so marked will define and govern as to the spe-
cific boundaries within which prospecting for lodes not
previously known to exist is prohibited while work on the
tunnel is being prosecuted with reasonable diligence.
At the time of posting notice and making out the lines
of the tunnel as aforesaid, a full and correct copy of such
notice of location defining the tunnel claim must be filed
for record with the mining recorder of the district, to
which notice must be attached the sworn statement or
declaration of the owners, claimants, or projectors of such
tunnel, setting forth the facts in the case; stating the
amount expended by themselves and their predecessors in
interest in prosecuting work thereon; the extent of the
work performed, and that it is bona fide their intention
to prosecute work on the tunnel so located and described
with reasonable diligence for the development of a vein
or lode, or fur the discovery of mines, or both, as the case
may be. This notice of location must be duly recorded,
and, with the said sworn statement attached, kept on the
recorder's files for future reference.
By a compliance with the foregoing much needless dif-
ficulty will be avoided, and the way for the adjustment of
legal rights acquired in virtue of said section 2323 will be
made n: ach more easy and certain.
This office will take particular care that no improper
m
L i' '^ i
J ' • '.ft
ffifa
m
:ll!
•:li
28 UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
advantage is taken of this provision of law by parties
mailing or professing to make tunnel locations, ostensibly
for the purposes named in the statute, but really for the
purpose of monopolizing the lands lying in front of their
tunnels to the detriment of the mining interests and to the
exclusion of bona fide prospectors or miners, but will hold
such tunnel claimants to a strict compliance with the terms
of the statutes; and a reasonable diligence on their part
in prosecuting the work is one of the essential conditions
of their implied contract. Negligence or want of due dili-
gence will be construed as working a forfeiture of the right
to all undiscovered veins on the line of such tunnel.
iiiliii
'■" ■ .r
I'M
Manner of Proceeding to Obtain Government
Title to Vein or Lode Claims.
27. By section 2325 authority is given for granting
titles for mines by patent from the Government to any
person, association, or corporation having the necessary
qualifications as to citizenship and holding the right of
possession to a claim in compliance with law.
28. The claimant is required in the first place to have
a correct survey of his claim made under authority of the
surveyor-general of the State or Territory in which the
claim lies; such survey to show with accuracy the exterior
surface boundaries of the claim, which boundaries are re-
quired to be distinctly marked by monuments on the
ground. Four plats and one copy of the original field notes,
in each case, will be prepared by the surveyor-general; one
plat and the original field notes to be retained in the office
of the surveyor-general, one copy of the plat to be given the
claimant for posting upon the claim, one plat and a copy of
the field notes to be given the claimant for filing with the
proper register, to be finally transmitted by that oflQcer,
with other papers in the case, to this office, and one plat
to be sent by the surveyor-general to the register of the
proper land district to be retained on his files for future
reference. As there is no resident surveyor-general for the
State of Arkansas, applications for the survey of mineral
claims in said State should be made to the Commissioner
of this office, who, under the law, is ex officio the U. S.
surveyor-general.
.SKA.
)y parties
ostensibly
ly for the
t of their
md to the
will hold
the terms
their part
conditions
: due dili-
the right
lel.
nment
granting
it to any
necessary
right of
;e to have
ity of the
ivhich the
e exterior
es are re-
on the
eld notes,
aeral; one
the office
given the
a copy of
with the
It officer,
one plat
er of the
or future
il for the
'. mineral
missioner
he U. S.
UNITB3D STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
ae
^
29. The claimant is then required to post a copy of the
plat of such survey in a conspicuous place upon the claim,
together with notice of his intention to apply for a patent
therefor, which notice will give the date of posting, the
name of the claimant, the name of the claim, mine, or lode;
the mining district and county; whether the location is of
record, and, if so, where the record may be found; the num-
ber of feet claimed along the vein and the presumed direc-
tion thereof; the number of feet claimed on the lode in
each direction from the point of discovery, or other well-
defined place on the claim; the name or names of adjoining
claimants on the same or other lodes; or, if none adjoin,
the names of the nearest claims, etc.
30. After posting the said plat and notice upon the
premises, the claimant will file with the proper register and
receiver a copy of such plat and the filed notes of survey
of the claim accompanied by the affidavit of at least two
credible witnesses, that such plat and notice are posted con-
spicuously upon the claim, giving the date and place of
such posting; a copy of the notice so posted to be attached
to, and form a part of, said affidavit.
31. Attached to the field notes so filed must be the
sworn statement of the claimant that he has the possessory
right to the premises therein described, in virtue of a com-
pliance by himself (and by his grantors, if he claims by
purchase) with the mining rules, regulations and customs
of the mining district. State, or Territory in which ihe
claim lies, and with the mining laws of Congress; such
sworn statement to narrate briefly, but as clearly as pos-
sible, the facts constituting such compliance, the origin of
his possession, and the basis of his claim to a patent.
32. This affidavit should be supported by appropriate
evidence from the mining recorder's office as to his posses-
sory right, as follows, viz: Where he claims to be a loca-
tor, a full, true, and correct copy of sucn location should
be furnished, as the same appears upon the mining records;
such copy to be attested by the seal of the recorder, or il
he has no seal, then he should make oath to the same being
correct, as shown by his records; where the applicant
claims as a locator in company with others who have since
conveyed their interests in the lode to him, a copy of the
original record of location should be filed, together with
an abstract of title from the proper recorder, under seal
MM
III
1 i
f
Ml
^ -iM 1
■■■*<'.'■
30
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
or oath as aforesaid, tracing the co-locator's possessory
rights in the claim to such applicant for patent; where the
applicant claims only as a purchaser for valuable consid-
eration, a copy of the location record must be filed under
seal or upon oath as aforesaid, with an abstract of title
certified as above by the proper recorder, tracing the right
of possession by a continuous chain of conveyances from
the original* locators to the applicant, also certifying that
no conveyance affecting the title to the claim in question
appear of record in his ofl[ice other than those set forth in
the accompanying abstract.
33. In the event of the mining records in any case hav-
ing been destroyed by fire or otherwise lost, affidavit of the
fact should be made, and secondary evidence of possessory
title will be received, which may consist of the affidavit
of the claimant, supported by those of any other parties
cognizant of the facts relative to his location, occupancy,
possession, improvements, etc.; and in such case of lost
records, any deeds, certificates of location or purchase, or
other evidence which may be in the claimant's possession,
and tend to establish his claim, should be filed.
34. Upon the receipt of these papers the register will,
at the expense of the claimant (who must furnish the agree-
ment of the publisher to hold applicant for patent alone
responsible for charges of publication), publish a notice of
such application for the period of sixty days, in a news-
paper published nearest to the claim, and will post a copy
of such notice in his office for the same period. In all
cases sixty days must intervene between the first and the
last insertion of the notice in such newspaper. When the
notice is published in a weekly newspaper ten consecu-
tive insertions are necessary; when in a daily newspaper
the notice must appear in each issue for the required
period.
35. The notices so published and posted must be as
full and complete as possible, and embrace all the daia
given in the notice posted upon the claim.
36. Too much care cannot be exercised in the prep-
aration of these notices, inasmuch as upon their accuracy
and completeness will depend, in a great measure, the reg-
ularity and validity of the whole proceeding.
37. In the publication of final-proof notices the reg-
ister has no discretion under the law to designate any
iASKA.
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
'il
possessory
where the
able consid-
filed under
act of title
ig the right
^^ances from
tifying that
in question
set forth in
ly case hav-
davit of the
possessory
;he affidavit
ther parties
occupancy,
3ase of lo3t
purchase, or
possession,
egister will,
h the agree-
»atent alone
a notice of
in a news-
post a copy
iod. In all
rst and the
When the
Jn consecu- .
newspaper
^e required
nust be as
11 the data
i the prep-
ir accuracy
re, the reg-
is the reg-
iguate any
other than the newspaper "nearest the land" for such pur-
pose when such paper is a newspaper of general circulation.
But he will in all cases designate the newspaper of general
circulation that is published nearest the land, geograph-
ically measured. When two or more such newspapers are
published in the same town, nearest the land, he may select
the one which, in his honest and impartial judgment as a
public officer, will best subserve the purpose of the law
and the general interests of the public.
38. Newspaper charges must not exceed the rates es-
tablished by this office for the publication of legal notices.
39. The claimant, either at the time of filing these
papers with the register or at any time during the sixty
days' publication, is required to file a certificate of the
surveyoi'-general that not less than five hundred dollars'
worth of labor has been expended or improvements made
upon the claim by the applicant or his grantors; that the
plat filed by the claimant is correct; that the field-notes of
the survey, as filed, furnish such an accurate description
of the claim as will, if incorporated into a patent, serve
to fully identify the premises, and that such reference is
made therein to natural objects or permanent monuments
as will perpetuate and fix the locus thereof.
40. It will be the more convenient way to have this
certificate indorsed by the surveyor-general, both upon the
plat and field-notes of survey filed by the claimant as afore-
said.
41. After the sixty days' period of newspaper publica-
tion has expired the claimant will furnish from the office of
publication a sworn statement that the notice was published
for the statutory period, giving the first and last day of such
publication, and his own affidavit showing that the plat and
notice aforesaid remained conspicuously posted upon the
claim sought to be patented during said sixty days' publica-
tion, giving the dates.
42. Upon the filing of this affidavit the register will, if
no adverse claim was filed in his office during the period of
publication, permit the claimant to pay for the land accord-
ing to the area given in the plat and field notes of survey
aforesaid, at the rate of five dollars for each acre and five
dollars for each fractional part of an acre, the receiver Is-
suing the usual duplicate receipt therefor. The claimant
will also make a sworn statement of all charges and fees
v%
32
United states mining laws for alaska.
■■ii
iiiii:.:i:
:m
%
[ -ti
paid by him for publication and surveys, together with all
fees and money paid the register and receiver of the land
oflace; after which the whole matter will be forwarded to
the Commissioner of the General Kand Office and a patent
issued thereon if found regular.
43. In sending up the papers in the case the register must
not omit certifying to the fact that the notice was posted in
his office for the full period of sixty days, such certificate to
state distinctly when such posting was done and how long
continued.
44. The consecutive series of numbers of mineral entries
must be continued, whether the same are of lode or placei-
claims or mill sites.
45. The surveyors-general should designate all surveyed
mineral claims by a progressive series of numbers, beginning
with survey No. 37, irrespective as to whether they ai:e situ-
ated on surveyed or unsurveyed lands the claim to be so desig-
nated at date of issuing the order therefor, in addition to the
local designation of the claim. It being required in all cases
that the plat and field-notes of the survey of a claim must, in
addition to the reference to permanen*^ objects in the neigh-
borhood, describe the locus of the claim, with reference to the
lines of public surveys, by a line connecting a corner of the
claim with the nearest public corner of the United States sur-
veys, unless such claim be on unsurveyed lands at a distance
of more than two miles from such public corner, in which
latter case it should be connected with a United States mineral
monument. Such connecting line must not be more than two
miles in length, and should be measured on the ground direct
between the points, or calculated from actually surveyed
traverse lines if the nature of the country should not permit
direct measurement. If a regularly established survey corner
is within two miles of a claim situated on unsurveyed lands,
the connection should be made with such corner in preference
to a connection with a United States mineral monument.
The connecting line must be surveyed by the deputy mineral
surveyor at the time of his making the particular survey, and
be made a part thereof.
46. Upon the approval of the survey of a mining claim
made upon surveyed lands, the surveyor-general will prepare
and transmit to the local land office and to this office a dia-
gram tracing, showing the portions of legal 40-acre subdivis-
ions made fractional by reason of the mineral survey, desig-
nating each of such portions by the proper lot number, be-
SKA. .
With all
: the land
w^arded to
I a patent
ister must
posted in
tiflcate to
how long
'al entries
or placer
surveyed
beginning
ai;e situ-
3 so desig-
lon to the
all cases
ki must, in
:he neigh-
nce to the
ner of the
Itates sur-
a distance
in which
3s mineral
than two
md direct
surveyed
ot permit
ey corner
^ed lands,
'reference
onument.
7 mineral
rvey, and
ing claim
1 prepare
ce a dla-
subdiviff-
jy, deslg-
nber, be-
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA. 33
ginning with No. 1 in each section and giving the area of each
lot- . . ^
47. The survey and plat of mineral claims, required by
section 2325, Revised Statutes of the United States, to be filed
in the proper land office, with application for patent, must be
made subsequent to the recording of the location of the mine;
and when the original location is made by survey of a United
H States deputy surveyor such location survey can not be sub-
stituted for that required by the statute, as above indicated.
48. The surveyor-general should derive his information
upon which to base his certificate as to the value of labor ex-
pended or improvements made from his deputy who makes
the actual survey and examination upon the premises, and
such deputy should sjpecify with particularity and full detail
the character and extent of such improvements.
49. The following particulars should be observed in the
survey of every mining claim:
(1) The exterior boundaries of the claim should be rep-
resented on the plat of survey and in the field notes.
(2) The intersection of the lines of the survey with the
lines of conflicting prior surveys should be noted in the field
notes and represented upon the plat.
(3) Conflicts with unsurveyed claims, where the appli-
cant for survey does not claim the area in conflict, should be
shown by actual survey.
(4) Tlie total area of the claim embraced by the exterior
boundaries should be stated, and also the area in conflict with
each intersecting survey, substantially as follows:
Acres.
Total area of claim 10.50
Area in conflict with survey No. 302 1.56
Area in confl ct with survey No. 948 2.33
Area in conflict with Mountain Maid lode mining claim, un-
surveyed 1.48
It does not follow that because mining surveys are re-
quired to exhibit all conflicts with prior surveys the areas of
conflict are to be excluded. The field notes and plat are made
a part of the application for patent, and care should be taken
that the description does not inadvertently exclude portions
intended to be retained. It is better that the application for
patent should state the portions to be excluded In express
terms.
A survey executed as in the example given will enable the
applicant for patent to exclude such conflicts as may seem de-
siiable. For instance, the conflict with survey No. 302 and
M L2
4h
ifgri'..
m
|il
I'm
m
'W\
34
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
with Mountain Maid lode claim might be excluded and that
with survey No. 948 included.
50. The rights granted to locators under section 2322,
Revised Statutes, are restricted to such locations on veins,
lodes, or ledges as may be "situated on the Public domain."
In applications for lode claims where the survey conflicts with
a prior valid lode claim or entry and the ground in conflict is
excluded, the applicant not only nas no right to the excluded
ground, but he has no right to that portion of any vein or lode
the top or apex of which lies within such excluded ground,
unless his location was prior to May 10, 1872. His right to
the lode claimed terminates where the lode, in its onward
course or strike, intersects the exterior boundary of such ex-
cluded ground and passes within it.
51. The end line of his survey should not, therefore, be
established beyond such intersection, unless it should be
necessary so to do for the purpose of including ground held
and claimed under a location which was made upon public
land and valid at the time it was made. To include such
ground (which may possibly embrace other lodes) the end
line of the survey may be established within the conflicting
survey, but the line must be so run as not to extend any
farther into the conflicting survey than may be necessary to
make such end line parallel to the other end line and at the
same time embrace the ground so held and claimed. The use-
less practice in such cases of extending both the side lines
of a survey into the conflicting survey and establishing an end
line wholly within it, beyond a point necessary under the
rule just stated, will be discontinued.
PLACER CLAIMS
52. The proceedings to obtain patents for claims usually
called placers, including all forms of deposit, excepting veins
of quartz or other rock in place, are similar to the proceed-
ings prescribed for obtaining patents for vein or lode claims;
but where said placer claim shall be upon surveyed lands, and
conform to legal subdivisions, no further Survey or plat will
be required, and all placer mining claims located after May
ASKA.
idi and that
jction 2322,
s on veins,
ic domain."
inflicts with
n conflict is
lie excluded
vein or lode
ed ground,
lis right to
its onward
of such ex-
lerefore, be
, should be
jround held
ipon public
iclude such
3s) the end
conflicting
extend any
lecessary to
and at the
1. The use-
B side lines
tiing an end
under the
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
25
Ims usually
pting veins
he proceed-
ode claims;
I lands, and
3r plat will
1 after May
10, 1872, shall conform as nearly as practicable with the
United States system of public land surveys and the rectangu-
lar subdivisions of such surveys, and no such location shall
include more than twenty acres for each individual claimant;
but where placer claims cannot be conformed to legal sub-
divisions, survey and plat shall be made as on unsurveyed
lands. But where such claims are located previous to the
public surveys, and do not conform to legal subdivisions, sur-
vey, plat, and entry thereof may be made according to the
boundaries thereof, provided the location is in all respects
legal.
53. The proceedings for obtaining: patents for veins or
lodes having already been fully given, it will not be necessary
to repeat them here, it being thought that careful attention
thereto by applicants and the local oflUcers will enable them
lo act understandingly in the matter and make such slight
modificr.tions in the notice, or otherwise, as may be necessary
in view of the different nature of the two classes of claims,
placer claims being fixed, however, at two dollars and fifty
cents per acre, or fractional part of an acre.
54. By section 2330, authority is given for the subdivia-
ion of forty-acre legal subdivisions into ten-acre lots, which
is Intended for the greater convenience of miners in segre-
gating their claims both from one another and from Inter-
vening agricultural lands.
55. It is held, therefore, that under a proper construction
of the law these ten-acre lots in mining districts should be
considered and dealt with, to all intents and purposes, as
legal subdivisions, and that an applicant having a legal claim
which conforms to one or more of these ten-acre lots, either
adjoining or cornering, may make entry thereof, after the
usual proceedings, without further survey or plat.
56. In cases of this kind, however, the notice given of
the application must be very specific and accurate in de-
scription, and as the forty-acre tracts may be subdivided into
ten-acre lots, either in the form of squares of ten by ten
chains, or if parallelograms five by twenty chains, so long as
the lines are parallel and at right angles with the lines of the
public surveys, it will be necessary that the notice and appli-
cation state specifically what ten-acre lots are sought to be
patented, In addition to the other data required in the notice.
57. Where the ten-acre subdivision is in the form of a
square. It may be described, for instance, as the "SE^ of the
SW^^ of the NWi/4," or, if in the form of a parallelogram as
-'■T "1
m
i
i
?.\*«5l
.▼- Jfc
t —
!■ '
36
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
... • '"il.
I' ■S.'Xi
''J
■',-4
ill
J
ill!
lii
aforesaid, it may be described as the "W% of the W^^ of the
SWi/4 of the NWV4. (or the NVa of the SV^ of the NE^^ of the
SEVi) of section
-, township
range
as the case
may be; but, in addition to this description of the land, the
notice must give all the other data that is required in a min-
eral application, by which parties may be put on inquiry as
to the premises sought to be patented. The proofs submitted
with applications for claims of this kind must show clearly
the character and the extent of the Improvements upon the
premises.
Inasmuch as the surveyor-general has no duty to perform
in connection with the entry of a placer claim of legal sub-
divisions, the proof of improvemnts must show their value
to be not less than five hundred dollars, and that thpy were
made by the applicant for patent or his grantors. The an-
nual expenditure to the amount of $100, required by section
2324, Revised Statutes, must be made upon placer claims as
well as lode claims.
58. Applicants for patent to a placer claim, who are also
in possession of a known vein or lode included therein, must
state in their application that the placer includes such vein or
lode. The published a ad posted notices must also include
such statement. If 'veiriiS or lodes lying within a placer lo-
cation are owned by "tAer parties, the fact should be dis-
tinctly stated in the i^ replication for patent, and in all the
notices. But in all cases whether the lode is claimed or ex-
cluded, it must be surveyed and marked upon the plat; the
field notes and plat giving the area of the lode claim or
claims and the area of the placer separately. It should be
remembered that an application which omits to include an
application for a known vein or lode therein, must be con-
strued as a conclusive declaration that the applicant has no
right of possession to the vein or lode. Where there is no
known lode or vein, the fact must appear by the affidavit of
two or more witnesses.
59. By Section 2330, it is declared that no location of a
placer claim, made after July 9, 1870, shall exceed one hun-
dred and sixty acres for any one person or association of
persons, which location shall conform to the United States
surveys.
60. Section 2331 provides that all placer mining claims
located after May 10, 1872, shall conform as uearly as prac-
ticable with the United States systems of public surveys, and
3KA.
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
87
Nhii of the
EM of the
IS the case
land, the
in a mln-
Inquiry as
submitted
ow clearly
} upon the
o perform
legal sub-
heir value
; thpy were
, The an-
by section
claims as
ho are also
jrein, must
uch vein or
Iso include
, placer lo-
ild be dis-
in all the
med or ex-
! plat; the
e claim or
should be
include an
ist be con-
ant has no
here is no
affidavit of
cation of a
d one hun-
Dciation of
ited States
Ling claims
ly as prac-
irveys, and
the subdivisions of such surveys, and no such locations shall
Include more than twenty acres for each individual claimant.
61. The foregoing provisions of law are construed to
mean that after the 9th day of July, 1870, no location of a
placer claim can be made to exceed one hundred and sixty
acres, whatever may be the number of locators associated to-
gether, or whatever the local regulations of the district may
allow; and tuat from and after May 10, 1872, no location made
by an individual can exceed twenty acres, and no location
made by an association of individuals can exceed one hundred
and sixty acres, which location of one hundred and sixty
acres can not be made by a less number than eight bona fide
locators; and no local laws or mining regulations can restrict
a placer location to less than twenty acres, although the lo-
cator is not compelled to take so much.
62. The regulations hereinbefore given as to the manner
of marking locations on the ground, and placing the same on
record, must be observed in the case of placer locations so
far as the same are applicable, the law requiring, however,
that where placer claims are upon surveyed public lands the
locations must hereafter be made to conform to legal suLll-
visions thereof as near as practicable.
63. The first care in recognizing an application for pat-
ent upon a placer claim must be exercised in determining the
exact classification of the lands. To this end the clearest evi-
dence of which the case is capable should be presented.
(1) If the claim be all placer ground, that fact must be
stated in the application and corroborated by accompanying
proofs; if of mixed placers and lodes, it should be so set out,
with a description of all known lodes situated within the
boundaries of the claim. A specific declaration, such as is
required by section 2333, Revised Statutes, must be furnished
as to each lode intended to be claimed. All other knc^n
lodes are, by the silence of the applicant, excluded by law
from all claim by him, of whatsoever nature, possessory or
otherwise.
(2) Section 2395, Revised Statutes (subdivision 7). re-
quires the surveyor to *'note in his field books the true situa-
tion of all mines, salt licks, salt springs, and mill seats which
come to his knowledge;" also "all water courses over which
the lines he runs may pass." It further requires him to
"note the quality of the lands." These descriptive notes are
required by subdivision 8 to be incorporated in the plat by
the surveyor-general.
I
K
i
r^tsu
■^r
■'if
I
38
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
(3) If these duties have been performed, the public sur-
veys will furnish a reasonable guide to the district officers
and to claimants in prosecuting their applications. But ex-
perience has shown that great neglect has resulted from the
inattention to the law in this respect, and the regular plats
are of very little value in the matter. It will, therefore, be
required in the future that deputy surveyors shall, at the ex-
pense of the parties, make full examination of all placer
claims surveyed by them, and duly note the facts as specified
in the law, stating the quality and composition of the soil, the
kind and amount of timber and other vegetation, the locus
and size of streams, and such other matters as mixy av^pear
upon the surface of the claim. This examination should in-
clude the character and extent of all surface and underground
workings, whether placer or lode, for mining purposes.
(4) In addition to these data, which the law requires to
be shown in all oases, the deputy should report w^ith refer-
ence to the proximity of centers of trade or residence; also of
well-known systems of lode deposit or of individual lodes.
He should also report as to the use or adaptability of the
claim for placer mining; whether water has been brought
upon it in sufficient quantity to mine the same, or whether
it can be procured for that purpose; and, finally, what works
or expenditures have been made by the claimant or his
grantors for the development of the claim, and their situation
and location with respect to the same as applied for.
(5) This examination should be reported by the deputy
under oath to the surveyor-general, and duly corroborated;
and a copy of the same should be furnished with the applica-
tion for patent to the claim, constituting a part thereof, and
included in the oath of the applicant.
(6) Applications awaiting entry, whether published or
not, must be made to conform to these regulations, with re-
spect to examination as to the character of the land. Entries
already made will be suspended for such additional proofs as
may be deemed necessary in each case.
MILL SITES
64. Section 2337 provides that "where non-mineral land
not contiguous tu the vein or lode is used or occupied by the
proprietor of such vein or lode for mining or milling purposes,
such non-adjacent surface grounds may be embraced and in-
cluded In an application for a patent for such vein or lode,
d<
b
P
V
IKA.
ublic sur-
ct officers
But ex-
from the
ular plats
jrefore, be
at the ex-
all placer
s specified
le soil, the
the locus
ay ai^pear
should in-
Lderground
oses.
requires to
yith refer-
ice; also of
iual lodes,
lity of the
in. brought
or whether
v'hat works
nt or his
ir situation
)r.
the deputy
rroborated ;
he applica-
hereof, and
Liblished or
IS, with re-
id. Entries
U proofs as
VNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
30
ilneral land
pied by the
ife purposes,
ced and in-
ein or lode,
and the same may be patented therewith, subject to the same
preliminary requirements as to survey and notice as are ap-
plicable to veins or lodes; but no location hereafter made of
such non-adjacent land shall exceed five acres, and payment
for the same must be made at the same rate as fixed by this
chapter for the superficies of the lode. The owner of a quartz
mill or reduction works, not owning a mine In connection
therewith, may also receive a patent for his mill site, as pro-
vided in this section."
65. To avail themselves of this provision of law, parties
holding the possessory right to a vein or lode, and to a piece
of non-mineral land not contiguous thereto, for mining or
milling purposes, not exceeding the quantity allowed for such
purpose by section 2837, United States Revised Statutes, or
prior lawj, under which the land was appropriated, the pro-
prietors of such vein or lode may file Jn the proper land office
their application for a patent, under oath, in manner already
set forth herein, which application, together with the plat
and field notes, may include, embrace, and describe, in addi-
tion to the vein or lode, such non-contiguous mill site, and
after due proceedings as to notice, etc., a patent will be
issued conveying the same as one claim.
66. In making the survey in a case of this kind, the lode
claim should be described in the plat and field notes as "Lot
No. 37, A," and the mill site as "Lot No. 37, B," or whatever
may be its appropriate numerical designation; the course and
distance from a r^orner of the mill site to a corner of the lode
claim to be invariably given in such plat and field notes, and
a copy of the plat and notice of application for patent must
be conspicuously posted upon the mill site as well as upon
the vein or lode for the statutory period of sixty days. In
making the entry no separate receipt or certificate need be
issued, for the mill site, but the whole area of both lode and
mill site will be embraced in one entry, the price being five
dollars for each acre and fractional part of an acre embraced
by such lode and mill site claim.
67. In case the owner of a quartz mill or reduction works
is not the owner or claimant of a vein or lode, the law per-
mits him to make application therefor in the same manner
prescribed herein for mining claims, and after due notice and
proceedings, in the absence of a valid adverse filing, to enter
and receive a patent for his mill site at said price per acre.
68. In every case there must be satisfactory proof that
the land claimed as a mill site Is not mineral in character,
m
mm
>'«i
^ya^
,..JV'
■*\;i
40
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
■'■' I
tl
• I
Which proof may, where the matter is unquestioned, consist
of the sworr statement of the claimant, supported by that
of one or more disinterested persors capable from acquaint-
ance with the land to testify understandingly.
69. The law expressly limits mill site locations made
from and after its passage to five acres.
70. The registers and receivers will preserve an un-
broken consecutive series of numbers for all miner. I d^^riea.
■ ( (
POSSESSORY RIGHT
71. With regard to the proofs necessary to establish the
possessory right to a mining claim, section 2332 provides that
"where such person or association, they and their grantors,
have held and worked their claims for a period equal to the
time prescribed by the statute of limitations for mining
claims of the State or Territory where the same may be situ-
ated, evidence of such possession and working of the claims
for such period shall be sufficient to establish a right to a
patent thereto under this chapter, in the absence of any ad-
verse claim."
72. This provision of law will greatly lessen the burdet.
of proof, more especially in the case of old claims locate
many years since, the records of which, in many cases, have
be' n destroyed by fire, or lost in other ways during the lajiatt
of time, but concerning the possessory right to which all
controversy or litigation has long been settled.
73. When an applicant desires to make his proof of pos-
sessory right in accordance with this provision of law, he
will not be required to produce evidence of location, copies of
conveyance, or abstracts of title, a'j in other cases, but will b?
required to furnish a duly certified copy of the statute «'
limitation of mining claims for the State or Territory, r,
gether with his sworn statement giving a clear and succine.
narration of the facts as to the origin of his title, and like-
wise as to the contimmtion of his posiesfcic:: of the mining
ground covered by his application; i\\6 aie^ thereof; the
nature and extent of the mining that nas bef;^ uone thereon;
whether there has been any opposition to his possession, or
litigation with regard to his claim, and, if so, when the same
ceased; whether such cessation was caused by compromise or
by judicial decree, and any additional facts within the claim-
ant's knowledge having a direct bearing upon his possession
^
k.SKA.
led, consist
ed by that
n acquaint-
tions made
:ve an im-
!r-::.l (i"*ii«a.
stablisli the
•ovides that
ir grantors,
qual to the
for mining
nay be situ-
the claims
right to a
of any ad-
the burde*
ims locate
cases, have
ig the lar:s«
) which all
roof of pos-
of law, he
on, copies of
but will be
) statutr (:*
jrritory, r.
ind succinc
e, and like-
the mining
;hereof; the
ine thereon;
ssession, or
3n the same
apromise or
1 the claim-
3 possession
UNITED STATUS MINING LAWS FOR AI.ASKA
41
and bona fides which he may desire to submit in support of his
claim.
74. There should likewise be filed a certificate, under
seal of the court having jurisdiction of mining cases within
the judicial district embracing the claim, that no suit or
action of any character whatever involving the right of pos-
session to any portion of the claim applied for is pending,
and that there has been no litigation before said court affect-
ing the title to said claim or any part thereof for a period
equal to the time fixed by the statute of limitations for min-
ing claims in the State or Territory as aforesaid, other than
that which has been finally decided in favor of the claimant.
75. The claimant should support his narrative of fact^
relative to his possession, occupancy, and improvements by
corroborative testimony of any disinterested person or per-
sons of credibility who may be cognizant of the facts in the
case and are capable of testifying understandingly in the
premises.
76. As a condition for the making of application for
natent according to section 2325, there must be a preliminary
.showing the work or expenditure upon each location, either
; y shov/ing the full amount sufllcient to the maintenance of
' ssession under section 2324 for the pending year; or, if there
lati been failure, it should be shown that work has been re-
.'.aed so as to prevent relocation by adverse parties after
abandonment.
The "pending year" means the calendar year in which
application is made, and has 'no reference to a showing of
work at date of the final entry.
77. This preliminary showing may, where the matter is
unquestioned, consist of the affidavit of two or more witnesses
familiar with the facts.
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE REGISTER AND RE-
CEIVER AND SURVEYOR-GENERAL IN CONTESTS
AND HEARINGS TO ESTABLISH THE CHARACTER
OF LANDS.
78. The "Rules of Practice in cases before the United
States district land offices, the General Land Office, and the
Department of the Interior," approved August 13, 1885, will,
as far as applicable, govern In all cases and nmreedings aris'
I
I
m
m
"'ill
M
V'.^.
:-m
'. » i
:^i
,1
I'll
42
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
ing in contests, and hearings to determine the mineral or
non-mineral character of lands.
79. The only tracts of public land that will be withheld
from entry as agricultural land on account of its mineral
character, ^'11 be such as are returned by the surveyor-gen-
eral as min : nd even the presumption which is supported
by such retui: ay be overcome by testimony taken at a reg-
ular hearing.
80. Hearings to determine the character of land, as prac-
tically distinguished, are of two kinds:
(1) Where lands which are sought to be entered and
patented as agricultural are alleged by affidavit to be mineral,
or when sought as mineral their non-mineral character is al-
leged.
The proceedings relative to this class ar*^ in the nature
of a contest between two or more known parties.
(2) When lands are returned as mineral by the sur-
veyor-general.
When such lands are sought to be entered as agricultural,
notice must be given by publication for thirty days, with post-
ing in the local office for the same period.
81. At the hearings under either of the aforesaid classes,
the claimants and witnesses will be thoroughly examined with
regard to the character of the land; whether the same has
been thoroughly prospected; whether or not there exists with-
in the tract or tracts claimed any lode or vein of quartz or
other rock in place, bearing gold, silver, cinnibar, lead, tin,
or copper, or other valuable deposit which has ever been
claimed, located, recorded, or worked; whether such work is
entirely abandoned, or whether occasionally resumed; if such
lode does exist, by whom claimed, under what designation,
and in which subdivision of the land it lies; whether any
placer mine or mines exist upon the land; if so, what is the
character thereof — whether of the shallow surface descrip-
tion, or of the deep cement, blue lead or gravel deposits; to
what extent mining is carried on when water can be obtained,
and what the facilities are for obtaining water for mining
purposes; upon what particular ten-acre subdivisions min-
ing has been done, and at what time the land was abandoned
for mining purposes, if abandoned at all.
82. The testimony should also show the agricultural ca-
pacities of the land, what kind of crops are raised thereon,
and the value thereof; the number of acres actually cultivated
for crops of cereals or vegetables atiri within which particu-
SKA.
Mineral or
e withheld
ts mineral
veyor-gen-
supported
n at a reg-
id, as prac-
itered and
)e mineral,
acter is al-
the nature
y the sur-
?ricultural,
with post-
aid classes,
mined with
3 same has
ixists with-
f quartz or
', lead, tin,
ever been
ch work is
ed; if such
esignation,
lether any
^rhat is the
36 descrip-
eposits; to
e obtained,
for mining
slons mln-
abandoned
ultural ca-
d thereon,
cultivated
ih partlcu-
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
4S
lar fen-acre subdivision such crops are raised; also which of
these subdivisions embrace the improvements, giving in de-
tail the extent and value of the improvements, such as house,
barn, vineyard, orchard, fencing, etc., and mining improve-
ments.
83. The testimony should be as full and complete as pos-
sible; and in addition to the leading points indicated above,
where in attempt Is made to prove the mineral character of
lands which have been entered under the agricultural laws,
it should show at what date, if at all, valuable deposits of
minerals were first known to exist in the lands.
84. When the case comes before this office, such decis-
ion will be made as the law and the facts may justify; and In
cases where a survey is necessary to set apart the mineral
from the agricultural land, the necessary Instructions will be
given to enable the proper party, at his own expense, to have
the work done, at his option, either by United States deputy,
county, or other local surveyer; the survey in such case, where
the claims to be segregated are vein or lode claims, must be
executed in such manner as will conform to the requirements
in section 2320, United States Revised Statutes, as to length
and width and parallel end lines.
85. Such survey when executed must be properly sworn
to by the surveyor, either before a notary public, officer of a
court of record, or before the register or receiver, the de-
ponent's character and credibility to be properly certified to
by the officer administering the oath.
86. Upon the filing of the plat and field notes of such
survey, duly sworn to as aforesaid, you will transmit the same
to the surveyor-general for his verification and approval; who,
if he finds the work correctly performed, will properly mark
out the same upon the original township plat in his office,
and furnish authenticated copies of such plat and description
both to proper local land office and to this office, to be affixed
to the duplicate and triplicate township plats respectively.
87. With the copy of plat and description furnished the
local office and this office, must be a diagram tracing, verified
by the surveyor-general, showing the claim or claims segre-
gated, and designating the separate fractional agricultural
tracts in each 40-acre legal subdivision by the proper lot num-
ber, beginning with No. 1 In each section, and giving the area
in each lot, the same as provided In paragraph 45, in the sur-
vey ot mining claims on surveyed lands.
88. The fact that a certain tract of land Is decided upon
, "■?."
:m
'■>-.*■,
..^L-mij
■1^^^
1
r
44
UNITE] STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALiASKA.
testimouy to be mineral in character is by no means equiva-
lent to an award of the land to a miner. A miner is com-
pelled by law to give sixty days' publication of notice, and
posting of diagrams and notices, as a preliminary step; and
then, before he can enter the land, he must show that the
land yields mineral; that he is entitled to the possessory
right thereto in virtue of compliance with local customs or
rules of miners, or by virtue of the statute of limitations;
that he or his grantors have expended, in actual labor and
improvements, an amount not less than five hundred dollars
thereon, and that the claim is one in regard to which there
is no controversy or opposing claim. After all these proofs
are met, he is entitled to have a survey made at his own cost
where a survey is required, after which he can enter and pay
for the land embraced by his claim.
89. Blank forms for proofs in mineral cases are not
furnished by the General Land Office.
^1$'
"I
4^
I .
1
: f::'
.,1
i
■:j!i;
.;^,iii
-1
■' ■ '1 i >
■
Y 'l'^ '
FORMS
NOTICE OF LOCATION— LODE CLAIM.
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned having compiled
with the requirements of chapter 6, title 32, Revised Statutes of
the United States, and the local customs, laws and regulations,
has located linear feet on the lode, situated in
mining district, in county, State of ; described as fol-
lows
Discovered Located Locator.
NOTICE OF LOCATION— PLACER CLAIM.
Know all men by these presents, that I the under-
signed citizen of the United States, resident of county of
and State of having complied with the provisions of chapter
6, title 32 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, and with
local customs, laws and regulations, claim by right of discovery
and location, as a placer claim, containing valuable deposits of
the following premises situate, lying and be tig in
mining district (or county), county of , and State of ,
to-wit: (Description.)
To be known as: (Name).
Located , 189.. Date of certificate , 189..
LiASKA.
leans equiva-
ainer is com-
f notice, and
T step; and
low that the
le possessory
1 customs or
f limitations;
ial labor and
ndred dollars
which there
these proofs
his own coat
nter and pay
ases are not
IM.
ving complied
;d Statutes of
d regulations,
iated in
icribed as fol-
., Locator.
AIM.
... the under-
unty of
)ns of chapter
tes, and with
: of discovery
le deposits of
e ag in
tate of
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALAIKA. io
AFFIDAVIT OP LABOR PERFORMED.
State of county of , ss:
Before me. the subscriber, personally appeared ,
who, being duly sworn, saith that at least dollars worth of
work or improvements were performed or made upon the
lode, situate on mountain, in mining district, county
of State of between the first day of A. D,
189., and the thirty-first day of A. D. 189.. Such expenditure
was made by or at the expense of , owner (or one of the own-
ers) of said claim, for the purpose of complying with the law and
holding said claim.
Sworn and subscribed to before me this .... day of A.
D. 189..
(Seal.) , Notary Public.
NOTICE OP RIGHT OP WATER.
The undersigned claims the water running in this stream for
mining purposes to the extent of cubic inches per second of
time, to be conveyed by (ditch or flume) from this point to
claim 18.... (Signed)
A copy of this notice is to be posted where it is intended to
divert the water, and a copy filed for record in the oflfice of the
county auditor of the county in which the point of divergence
may be, within ten days; and actual work must be commenced
within six months.
TUNNEL CLAIM LOCATION CERTIFICATE.
Know all men by these presents, that the undersigned, citi-
zens of the United States, have this .... day of 18.,,
claimed by right of location, a tunnel claim for the purpose of
discovering and working veins, lodes or deposits on the line there-
of (cuttin the lode and working the lode). Said tunnel
claim is situated in the mining district, county of
State of and the location and bounds of said tunnel are
staked on the surface at the place of commencement and ter-
mination, as well as along the line thereof; said claim is moro
particularly described as follows: (Give courses and distances,
and describe as in lode location by natural objects.
Dated Locator.
GRUB STAKE PROSPECTING CONTR/ CT.
In consideration of provisions advanced to me by ,
and of his agreement to supply me from time to time, as I may
reasonably demand them, with tools, grub and mining outfit
generally, and the sum of $.... in hand paid, I agree to prospect
for lodes and deposits In districts, and to locate all dis-
coveries which I may consider worth the expenditure, and record
the same in the joint names of said outfitter and myself, and in
our names only, as equal owners. My time and labor shall stand
against his money, provisions, etc., as aforesaid. All expenses of
survey and record shall be paid by the outfitter, and I agree to
make no debts on account of this agreement. Work done on
f
46
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
•
'' ' I
"I.
411 „ '
claims after record and before the expiration of this contract
shall be considered as done under this contract, and no charge
for labor or lime shall be made for the same. This contract shall
stand good during the whole of the summer and fall of ex-
piring and during all of that period I will not work or
prospect on my own account, or for any parties other than said
outfitter.
Dated ,
I agree to the terms above stated.
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE.
County, , 189—.
To— (names of all parties who have record title to any portion
of the mine). You are hereby notified that I have expended
dollars in labor and improvements upon the lode (describe
the claim), as will appear by certificate filed 189., in the
office of the Recorder of said county (or district), in order to hold
said premises, under the provisions of section 2324 Revised
Statutes of the United States, being the amount required to hold
the same for the year ending , 189.. And If within ninety
days from the service of this notice (or within ninety days after
this notice by publ.cation), you fail or refuse to contribute your
proportion of such expenditure as a co-owner, your interest In
said claim will become the property of the subscriber under sale*
section 2324. (Signed)
Note.— At the expiration of 180 days, this notice should be
recorded with the aflRcJavIt of the newspaper publisher, that the
same was published for the period of ninety days, together with
the afl^davit of the party signing the notice to the effect that
one or more of the co-owners named in the published notice hare
not paid their share of the expenditure. This completes the
record title.
State of , County of ss;
AFFIDAVIT OF FAILURE TO CONTRIBUTE.
being duly sworn, deposes and says that for the
year ending , 189., he expended at least dollars In labor
and improvements upon the lode (or placer claim-
here describe the claim), to hold the same under the laws of the
United States and of this (district, Territory or State,):
that due notice thereof was personally served upon ,
co-owners, on the day of , 189., (or was duly published
in the as appears from the affidavit of the publisher
thereof); and that (of the said) co-owners have failed
or refused to contribute their share of said expenditures within
the time required by law.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of
189..
MINER'S LIEN.
Know all men by these presents, that I, , of the county
of state of do hereby give notice of my Intention to
hold and claim a lien, by virtue of the statute in such case made
.SKA.
lis contract
no charge
ntract shall
)f , ex-
ot work or
r than said
. 189-.
any portion
en^ed
le (describe
189., In the
der to hold
24 Revised
red to hold
thin ninety-
days after
ribute your
Interest in
under sale.
should be
■r, that the
?ether with
effect that
notice hare
ipletes the
UNITED 8TATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
and provided, upon (describe premises), with all improve-
ments and appurtenances, situated In mining district,
county of state of
The said lien being claimed and held for and on account of
work and labor done by me as for , owner of said
premises in and upon said premises, from the day of
A. D. 189., to the day of A. D. 189..
The total value of said work and labor being dollars,
upon which there has been paid the sum of dollars, leaving
a balance of dollars still due, owing and unpaid to me, the
said claimant. (Signed)
Make oath to same before proper officer.
Note.— For materials insert "goods furnished and delivered to
owners of said premises, for use on said premises, and which were
used on said premises, as per bill annexed" in place of "work
and labor."
TUNNEL CLAIM— LOCATION CERTIFICATES.
Know all men by these presents, that the undersigned, citizens
of the United States, have this day of 189., claimed
by right of location, a tunnel claim, for the purpose of discover-
ing and working veins, lodes or deposits on the line thereof (cut-
ting the lode, and working the lode). Said tunnel
claim Is situated In the mining district, county of
state of , and the location and bounds of said tunnel are
staked on the surface at the place of commencement and termina-
tion thereof, as well as along the line thereof. Said claim is more
particularly described as follows: (Describe the commencement
and termination by reference to natural objects and permanent
monuments, and the line by courses and distances.)
Dated , 189.. Locator.
PE.
^at for the
rs in labor
:er claim—
iws of the
3r State,):
published
publisher
ave failed
fes within
of
ie county
ention to
ase made
POWER OF ATTORNEY TO LOCATE AND SELL.
Know all men by these presents, that we, the undersigned
(names) citizens of the United States, have made, consti-
tuted and appointed A. B. (some third person, who will locate
and stake), our true and lawful attorney for us, and in our
names to locate, stake and record for us each lode claims and
placer mining ground in the county, state of
and, having located the same, to bargain, sell, grant, release and
convey the same, entire or in separate parcels, to make proper
deeds, seal, acknowledge and deliver the same to such persons
as our attorney may desire; hereby ratifying and confirming all
lawful acts done by our said attorney by virtue hereof.
Witness our hands and seals, this day of 189..
(Names).
State of County of , ss:
On this day of 18.., before me In and for
the county and state aforesaid, appeared personally known
to me as the persons whose names are subscribed to the fore-
going power of attorney, and acknowledged the execution there-
of as their free act and deed, for the purposes therein mentioned.
Given under my hand and ...... seal the day and year above
written.
I
48 UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR AL^ASKA.
. NOTICE OF RIGHT TO WATER.
The undersl,:i:ned claims the water running in this stream
to t'" 3xtent of Inches for mining purposes, to be conveyed
by (ditch or flume) from this point to the placer claim.
Dated ,18... i.ocator.
Note— This notice is to be postei* near the outlet, and the fol-
lowing form is to be duly recorded n the district or county Re-
corder's office.
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PRE-EMPTION OF RIGHT OF WAY FOR DITCH AND
LOCATION OF WATER.
To whom these presents may concern, know ye., that I,
of the county of in the state of a citizen of the
United States, do hereby declare and publish as a legal notice
to all the world, that I claim, and have a valid right to the occu-
pation, possession and enjoyment of all and singular, that tract
or parcel of land lying and being in the county of , in the
state of for the exclusive right of way for the purpose of
constructing a flume or water ditch from stream to
placer claim, more particularly described as follows: Commenc-
ing (here describe the exact route for ditch or flume.)
I also claim, and have a valid right to the enjoyment and use
of inches of water from said stream for mining purposes,
to be conveyed through such flume or water ditch to said claim,
together with all and singular, the hereditaments and appur-
tenances thereunto belonging, or in any wise appertaining.
Witness my hand and seal this day of A. D. 18..
(Name.)
Notice posted on the stream , 18...
Ditch commenced at claim or at stream , 18...
State of County of , ss:
On this day of , 18.., before me, a In and for
the county aforesaid, in the state aforesaid, personally appeared
, to me personally known to be the person who executed the
foregoing written instrument, and acknowledged that he ex-
ecuted the same for the uses and purposes therein set forth.
Witness my hand and official seal.
MINING DEED.
This indenture, made the day of , in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and , between
....... of the county of .and state of , party of the
first, and of the county of and state of -
party of the second part;
Witness, Tliat the said party of the first part, for and In
consideration of the sum of dollars, lawful money of the
United States of America, to him In hand paid by the said
party of the second part, the receipt whereof Is hereby acknowl-
edged, hath granted, bargained, sold, remised, released, and for-
ever quit-claimed, and by these presents does grant, bargain
^-*lv^®™^^®' release, and forever quit-claim, unto the said oartv
of the second part, his heirs and assigns, the ...... lode as lo-
cated, surveyed, recorded, and held by said party of the flrlt
SKA.
UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
49
.... stream
e conveyed
claim.
L, part., of the first part, and of the county of
state of , part., of the second part:
Wltnesseth, that the said part., of the first part hereby agree
that if the said part., of the second part shall, on or before the
expiration of from the date hereof, pay or cause to be paid
to the said part., of the first part the sum of ($ ) dollars
In gold coin, he will, upon such payment being made, make,, ex-
ecute and deliver to said part., of the second part the title to all
th.. certain lot, piece or nflrofti of land situate, lying and bslng
if
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UNITED STATES MINING LAWS FOR ALASKA.
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in the county of state of bounded and particularly
described as follows, to- wit:
The said part., of the first part further agree., that the said
part., of the second part, .... agents, employes or assigns may
ac any time during the said period of enter upon said
premises and work, mine and prospect the same in such man-
ner as .... may deem best, and mill any ore that may be taken
therefrom (provided all work done thereon shall be done In a
good, workmanlike manner), and may place thereon (and re-
move at .... pleasure) such machinery and fixtures as may be
necessary for the convenient working thereof.
The said part., of the second part hereby agree., that In
the working, mining or prospecting of said premsles — will not
suffer or permit any lien to attach thereto for or in consequence
of any indebtedness .... may incur for labor, materials r m-
provcments .... may employ, purchase or place upon said n-
ises during the said period of ; and that In case .... .11
fail to pay or cause to be paid to said part., of the first pare the
said sum of $.... within said period of , .... will, at the ex-
piration of said period of time, quit and surrender to said part., of
the first part the said premises, and will within days there-
after remove F.ny machinery and fixtures that .... may have
placed thereon.
It is mutually understood and agreed that the stipulations
and agreements herein contained shall apply to and bind the
heirs, executors, administrators and assigns of the respective
parties hereto.
In witness whereof, the said parties have hereunto set their
hands and seals the day and year first above written.
(Seal.)
(Seal.)
(Seal.)
ESCROW AGREEMENT.
The 'nclosed deed of the Is hereby placed with
In tiaorow. If A. B. shall place, or cause to be placed to
the credit of C. D., with on or before 189., the
full sum of dollars, then and in that case the said Is
hereby authorized to deliver the Inclosed deed to A. B., or hii
order. In case the said A. B. shall not place, or cause to ' e
placed, to the credit of said C. D., with said , the full sum
of dollars, on or before 189., then the said is
hereby authorized to deliver the Inclosed deed to the said C. D.,
or his order. (Signed) C. D.
E. P.
}KA.
artlcularly
It the said
signs may
upon said
such man-
r be taken
done in a
I (and re-
is may be
).. that in
will not
mseqiience
als c m-
said tx-
W
it pare the
at the ex-
d part., of
ays there-
may have
tipulations
i bind the
respective
3 set their
(Seal.)
(Seal.)
(Seal.)
with
I placed to
., 1S9., the
.id is
B., or hfj
luse to '6
e full sum
id is
said C. D.,
l> C. D.
25. F.
A. B,
T^
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
I AN ACT RELATINO TO GOLD AND OTHER MINERALS
EXCEPTING COAL.
This act may be cited as the "Min-
[Being Chapter 34 of the Statutes of 1896.]
HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of
the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Colum-
bia, enacts as follows:
SHORT TITLE— 1.
eral Act, 1896."
INTERPRETATION— 2. In the construction of this Act
the following expressions shall have the following meanings
respectively, unless inconsistent with the context:
"Mine" shall mean any land in which any vein or lode,
or rock in place, shall be mined for gold or other minerals,
precious or base, except coal:
"Mineral" shall mean all valuable deposits of gold, silver,
platinum, iridium, or any of the platinum group of metals,
mercury, lead, copper, iron, tin, zinc, nickel, aluminum, anti-
mony, arsenic, barium, bismuth, boron, bromine, cadmium,
chromium, cobalt, iodine, magnesium, manganese, molybde-
num, phosphorus, plumbago, potassium, sodium, strontium,
sulphur (or any combination of the aforementioned elements
with themselves or with any other elements), asbestos,
emery, mica, and mineral pigments:
Limestone, marble, clay, or any building stone when
mined for building purposes shall not be considered as min-
eral within the meaning of this Act:
"Rock in place" shall mean all rock in place bearing
valuable deposits of mineral within the meaning of this Act:
"Vein',' or "lode." Whenever either of these terms Is
used in this Act, "rock in place" shall be deemed to bo In-
cluded:
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MINING I.aWS (>l- HUITIBH COLUMBIA.
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"Miuerai claim" shall mean the perisouai right of prop-
erty or interest in any mine.
. "Mining property" shall include every mineral claim,
ditch, mill-site, or water right used for mining purposes, and
all other things belonging to a mine or used in the working
thereof:
"Legal post" shall mean a stake standing not less than
four feet above the ground, and squared or faced on four
sides for at least one foot from the top, and each side so
squared or faced shall measure at least four inches on its
face so far as squared or faced, and any stump or tree cut off
and squared or faced to the above height and size:
"Mill-site" shall mean a plot of ground located, as de-
fined by this Act, for the purpose of erecting thereon any
machinery or other works for transporting, crushing, reduc-
ing, or sampling ores, or for the transmission of power for
working mines:
"Streams" shall include all natural watercourses, whether
usually containing water or not, and all rivers, creeks, and
gulches:
"Ditch" shall incluf^e a flume, pipe or race, or other arti-
ficial means for conducting water by its own weight, to be
used for mining purposes:
"Ditch-head" shall mean the point in a natural water-
course or lake, or other source, where water is first taken
into a ditch:
"Free miner" shall mean a person or joint stock company,
or foreign company, named in and lawfully possessed of a
valid existing free miner's certificate, and no other:
"Record," "register," and "registration," shall have the
same meaning, and shall mean an entry in some ofilcial book
kept for that purpose:
"Full interest" shall mean any mineral claim of the full
size, or one of several shares into which a mineral claim shall
be equally divided:
"Cause" shall include any suit or action:
"Judgment" shall include "order" or "decree:"
"Real estate" shall mean any mineral land in fee simple
under this or any Act relating to gold mines, or to minerals
other than coal:
"Joint stock company" shall mean any company duly
incorporated for mining purposes under the "Companies
Act," "Companies Act, 1890," and any company duly incor-
porated in British Columbia for mining purposes under the
"Companies Act, 1862" (Imperial), and shall include all com-
llA.
gilt of prop-
neral claim,
urposes, and
the working
ot less than
ced on four
3ach side so
aches on its
r tree cut off
:e:
:ated, as de-
thereon any
ihing, reduc-
3f power for
'ses, whether
creeks, and
>r other arti-
ireight, to be
.tural water-
s first taken
ick company,
issessed of a
ther:
lall have the
oflScial book
n of the full
il claim shall
je:"
in fee simple
r to minerals
Dmpany duly
"Companies
Y duly incor-
es under the
lude all com-
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
»
panics, whether foreign or local, registered or incorporated
under the "Compani'^s Act."
PART I. — Free Miners and Their Privileges.
WHO MAY BE — 3. Every person over, but not under
eighteen years of age, and every joint stock company, !i?hall
be entitled to p11 the rights and privileges of a f r vc ii^iiuer,
and shall be considered a free miner upon taking o'.»r i free
miner's certificate. A minor who shall become a free miner
shall, as regards his mming property and liabilities con-
tracted in connection therewith, be treated as of full age. A
free miner's certificate issued to a joint stock company shall
be issued in its corporate name. A free miner's certificate
shall not be transferable.
CERTIFICATE— 4. A free miner's certificate may be
granted for one or more years, to run from the date thereof,
or from the expiration of the applicant's then existing certifi-
cate, upon the payment therefor of the fees set out in the
Schedule of Fees to this Act. Only one person or one joint
stock company shall be named therein.
FORM 0F~5. A free miner's certificate shall be in the
following form:
BRITISH COLUMBIA— FREE MINER'S CERTIPCATE-NOT
TRANSFERABLE.
Date Valid for year., o .y. No
This is to certify that of brs paid me this day the
sum of ,, and is entitled to all the rj' rits and privileges of a
free miner for year., from the ...... day of 18...
(Signature of Hold Commissioner or Mining Recorder, as the
casv-^ may be.)
APPLICATION IN ABSENCE OF RECORDER— 6. If
any person or joint stock company shall apply for a free
miner's certificate at the Mining Recorder's office during his
absence, and shall leave the fee required by this Act with the
officer or other person in charge of the said office, he or it
shall be entitled to have such certificate from the date of such
application; and any free miner shall at any time be entitled
to obtain a free miner's certificate, commencing to run at the
expiration of his then existing free miner's certificate, pro-
vided that when he applies for such certificate he shall pro-
duce to the Mining Recorder, or in case of his absence shall
leave with the officer or other person in charge of the Mining
Recorder's office, such existing certificate.
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54 MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
"SUBSTITUTED CERTIFICATE "—7. If any free
miner's certificate be accidentally destroyed or lost, the owner
thereof may, on payment of the fees set out in the Schedule
to this Act, have a true copy of it, signed by the Mining Re-
corder, or other person by whom or out of whose office the
original was issued. Every such copy shall be marked "sub-
stituted certificate," and unless some material irregularity
be shown in respect thereof, every original or substituted
free miner's certificate shall be evidence of all matters therein
contained.
PENALTY FOR MINING WITHOUT— 8. Every person
and joint stock company engaged in mining for minerals
(other than coal) shall take out a free miner's certificate, and
every person or joint stock company who mines or works as
a miner in any mineral claim, mine held as real estate, or
tunnel, or in any flume, drain, or ditch, without having
taken out and obtained such certificate, shall, on conviction
thereof in a summary way, forfeit and pay a penalty not ex-
ceeding twenty-five dollars, besides costs: Provided, always,
that nothing herein contained shall prejudice the right to
collect wages or payment for work done by any person
who, through not being a free miner, has rendered him-
self liable to the above penalty.
UNCERTIFICATED PERSON NOT ENTITLED TO IN-
TEREST— 9. Subject to the proviso hereinafter stated, no
person or joint stock company shall be recognized as hav-
ing any right or interest in or to any minteral claim, or any
minerals therein, or in or to any water right, mining ditch,
drain, tunnel, or flume, unless he or it shall have a free
miner's certificate unexpired. And on the expiration of a
free miner's certificate the owner thereof shall absolutely
forfeit all his rights and interests in or to any mineral
claim, and all and any minerals therein, and in or to any
and every water right, mining ditch, drain, tunnel, or flume,
which may be held or claimed by such owner of such ex-
pired free miner's certificate, unless such owner shall, on
or before the day following the expiration of such cer-
tificate, obtain a new free miner's certificate: Provided,
nevertheless, should any co-owner fail to keep up his free
miner's certificate, such failure shall not cause a forfeiture
or act as an abandonment of the claim, but the interest of
the co-owner who shall fail to keep up his free miner's
certificate shall Ipso facto, be and become vested in hia co-
A.
any free
, the owner
le Schedule
Mining Re-
3 office the
irked "sub-
irregularity
substituted
Lers therein
i^ery person
r minerals
ificate, and
>r works as
1 estate, or
out having
conviction
ilty not ex-
led, always,
tie right to
iny person
dered him-
ED TO IN-
stated, no
ed as hav-
lim, or any
ning ditch,
ave a free
*ation of a
absolutely
ly mineral
or to any
1, or flume,
)f such ex-
shall, on
such cer-
Provided,
up his free
I forfeiture
interest of
ee miner's
in his 00-
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
'o6
owners pro rata, according to their former interests: Pro-
vided, nevertheless, that a shareholder in a joint stock com-
pany need not be a free miner, and, thoush not a free
miner, shall be entitled to buy. sell, hold, or dispose of any
shares therein: And provided, also, that this section shall
not apply to mineral claims for which a Crown grant has
been issued: Provided, always, that if any person or com-
pany shall acquire, by purchase or otherwise, any mine or
mineral claim, or interest therein, and it shall appear that
some person or company through whom he or it claims
title has neglected to take out or keep up a free miner's
certificate, according to the provisions of this Act. such
person or company so acquiring such mine or mineral
claim, or interest therein, may, within one month from the
time when he or it shall first acquire kno\v ledge thereof, or
if knowledge already acquired within one month after this
Act becomes law pay to the Recordr of the Mining Divis-
ion in which the claim affected is ^m ' the fee or fees
which ought to have been paid by sucii p« i so] or (ompany
in default as aforesaid, and thereupon the tilU of such per-
son or company so acquiring the said mine r minei il
claim, or interest therein, shall be deemed to be and always
to have been as good and effectual as if no such default hail
occurred, but this last proviso shall not affect litig. lion
pending at the passage of this act.
LICENSE FOR EMPLOYEES, AND LIST— 10. Bverv
owner of a mine or mineral claim, and every contractor f-
the performance of any work upon a mine or mineral clu.iU,
shall pay the annual fee for a free miner's license for any
person in their employment and liable for the fee, and may
deduct the amount so paid on account of such person from
the amount of salary or wages due or to become due to
him from such f,.'ployer upon production and delivery of
the receipt for such tax to such person. Every such owner
or contractor shall furnish to the Mining Recorder or Col-
lector, when requested by him so to do, from time to time,
a list of all persons ia his employ, or indirectly employed
by him, liable to pay the said license fee; but no such state-
ment shall bind the Recorder or Collector or excuse him
from making due enquiry to ascertain its correctness.
PENALTY— 11. If any person fails to pay the said
license fee for his employees, or to deliver to the Recorder
or Collector the list mentioned in the preceding section
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MINIMG l^AWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
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when required to do so, or knowingly states anything false-
ly in such list, such person shall he liable to a penalty not
exceeding one hundred dollars, to be recovered, together
with the amount of the unpaid license fees, upon summary
conviction before one Justice of the Peace.
FREE MINER MAY PROSPECT— 12. Every free
miner shall, during the continuance of his certificate, but
not longer, have the right to enter, locate, prospect, and
mine upon any waste lands of the Crown for all minerals
other than coal, and upon all lands the right whereon to so
enter upon, prospect, and mine all minerals other than coal
shall have been, or hereafter shall be, reserved to the Crown
and its licensees, and also to enter, locate, prospect, and
mine for gold and silver upon any lands the right whereon
to so enter and mine such gold and silver shall have been,
or shall be, reserved to the Crown and its licensees. Ex-
cepting out of all the above description of lands any land
occupied by any building, and any land falling within the
curtilage of any dwelling house, and any orchard, and any
land for the time being actually under cultivation and any
land lawfully occupied for mining purposes other than
placer mining, and also Indian reservations and military
or naval reservations: Provided that where any hydraulic
mining works, established in accordance with the "Placer
Mining Act, 1891," have been in operation, the land which
may have been uncovered by the operation of such works
shall not be located or mined upon by any free miner other
than the person or persons carrying on such hydraulic
works for a space of six months next after the same shall
have been so uncovered: Provided that in the event of
such entry being made upon lands already lawfully occu-
pied for other than mining purposes, and not being a por-
tion of lands granted to ana held bj"" or for a railway com-
pany under any railway subsidy Act heretofore or to be
hereafter passed, such free miner, previously to such entry,
shall give adequate security to the satisfaction of the Gold
Commissioner or Mining Recorder for any loss or damages
which may be caused by such entry; and provided that,
after such entry, he shall make full compensation to the
occupant or owner of such lands for any loss or damages
which may be caused by reason of such entry; such com-
pensation, in case of dispute, to be determined by the court
having jurisdiction in mining disputes, with or without a
^ury.
MINING LAWS OF BRlTiSH COl.UMBlA.
I?
GAME — 13. Any free miner shall be at liberty, at any
period of the year, while actually prospecting or engaged
ill mining, to kill game for his own use.
"PLACER MINING ACT"— 14. A free miner shall have
all the rights and privileges granted to free miners by the
"Placer Mining Act."
SIZE AND FORM OF CLAIM— 15. Any free miner de-
siring to locate a mineral claim, shall, subject to the pro-
visions of this Act with respect to land which may be used
for mining, enter upon the same and locate a plot of ground
measuring, where possible but not exceeding, fifteen hund-
red feet in length by fifteen hundred feet in breadth, in as
nearly as possible a rectangular form, that is to say: All
angles shall be right angles, except in cases where a boun-
dary line of a previously surveyed claim is adopted as com-
mon to both claims, but the lines need not necessarily be
meridional. In defining the size of a mineral claim, it shall
be measured horizontally, irrespective of inequalities of the
surface of the ground.
HOW TO STAKE— 16. A mineral claim shall be
marked by two legal posts, placed as near as possible on the
line of the ledge or vein, and the posts shall be numbered 1
and 2, and the distance between posts 1 and 2 shall not ex-
ceed fifteen hundred feet, the line between posts Nos. 1 and
2 to be known as the location line, and upon posts Nos. 1 and
2 shall be written the name given to the mineral claim,
the name of the locator, and the date of the location. Upon
No. 1 post there shall be written, in addition to the forego-
ing, "Initial Post," the approximate compass bearing of No.
2 post, and a statement of the number of feet lying to the
right and to the left of the line from No. 1 to No. 2 post
thus: "Initial post. Direction to post No. 2,
feet of this claim lie on the right, and feet on the
left of the line from No. 1 to No. 2 post."
All the particulars required to be put on No. 1 and No.
2 posts shall be furnished by the locator to the Mining
Recorder, in writing, at the time the claim is recorded,
and shall form a part of the record of such claim.
When a claim has been located, the holder shall im-
mediately mark the line between posts Nos. 1 and 2 so that
it ckn be distinctly seen; in a timbered locality, by blaz-
ing trees and cutting underbrush, and in a locality where
there Is neither timber nor underbrush he shall set legal
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MINING LAWS OP BUVnsn COLUMBIA.
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posts or erect monuments of earth or rock not less than
two feet high and two feet in diameter at base, so that
such line can be distinctly seen.
The locator shall also place a legal post at the point
where he has discovered rock in place, on which shall be
written "Discovery Post:" Provided that when the claim
is surveyed, the surveyor shall be guided entirely by posts
1 and 2 and the notice of No. 1, the initial post, and the
records of the claim.
•It shall not be lawful to move No. 1 post, neither shall
it be lawful to move No. 2 post, except for the correction
of distance by the Provincial Government Surveyor. Nos.
1 and 2 posts shall govern the direction of one side of the
claim.
(a.) The holder of a mineral claim shall be entitled
to all minerals which may lie within his claim, but he shall
not be entitled to mine outside the boundary lines of his
claim continued vertically downwards:
(b.) This Act shall not prejudice the rights of claim-
owners nor claim-holders whose claims have been located
under former Acts:
(c.) No mineral claim of the full size shall be recorded
without the application being accompanied by an affidavit
or solemn declaration in the Form S, made by the appli-
cant or some person on his behalf cognizant of the facts:
That ^he legal notices and posts have been put up; that
minerai has been found in place on the claim proposed to
be recorded; that the ground applied for is unoccupied by
any other person as a mineral claim, and is not occupied
by any building, or any land falling within the curtilage
of any dwelling-house, or any orchard, or nny land under
cultivation of any Indian reservation. In the said declar-
ation shall be set out the name of the applicant, the num-
ber and date of his free miner's certificate, and the name
of the place where the said certificate was issued, and the
date of the location of the claim. The words written on
the No. 1 and No. 2 posts shall be set out in full, and as
accurate a description as possible of the position of the
claim given, having special reference to any prior locations
which it may join:
No mineral claim which at the date of its record is
known by the locator to be less than a full sized mineral
claim, shall be recorded without the word "fraction" being
added to the name of the claim, and the application being
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
accompanied by an affidavit or solemn declaration in the
Form T, made by the applicant or some person on his be-
half cognizant of the facts: That the legal posts and
notices have been put up; that mineral has been found In
place on the fractional claim proposed to be recorded; that
the ground applied for is unoccupied by any other person
as a mineral claim, and is not occupied by any building, or
any land falling within the curtilage of any dwelling-house,
or any orchard, or any land under cultivation, or any
Indian Reservation. In the said declaration shall be set
out the name of the applicant, the number and date of his
free miner's certificate, and the name of the place where
the said certificate was issued, and the date of the location
of the claim. The words written on the No. 1 and No. 2
posts shall be set out in full, and as accurate a description
as possible of the position of the claim given. A descrip-
tion of the land bounding the fractional claim on all sides
shall state whether it is vacant Crown land or land occu-
pied by mineral claims, with the names of the claims. A
sketch plan shall be drawn by the applicant on the back
of declaration, showing as near as may be the position
of the adjoining mineral claims, and the shape and size,
expressed in feet, of the fraction desired to be recorded:
(d.) Provided that the failure on the part of the loca-
tor of a mineral claim to comply with any of the foregoing
provisions of this section shall not be deemed to invalidate
such location, if upon the facts it shall appear that such
locator has actually discovered mineral in place on said
location, and that there has been on his part a bona
fide attempt to comply with the provisions of this Act,
and that the non-observance of the formalities hereinbefore
referred to is not of a character calculated to mislead other
persons desiring to locate claims in the vicinity.
SUNDAY — 17. Any location made upon Sunday or any
public holiday shall not for that reason be invalid, any law
or statute to the contrary notwithstanding.
STAKING OUT— 18. In cases where, from the nature
or shape of the ground, it is impossible to mark the loca-
tion line of the claim, as provided by this act, then the claim
may be marked by placing legal posts as nearly as possible
to the location line, and noting the distance and direction
such posts may be from such location line, which distance
and direction shall be set out in the record of the claim.
*^'X
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MINING 1.AWB OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
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RECORD— 19. Every free miner locating a mineral
claim shall record the same with the Mining Recorder of
the district within which the same is situate, withn fifteen
days after the location thereof, if located within ten miles
of the oflace of the said Mining Recorder. One additional day
shall he allowed for such record for every additional ten
miles or fraction thereof. Such record shall be made in a
book to be kept for the purpose in the office of the said
Mining Recorder, in which shall be inserted the name of
the claim, the name of each locator, the number of each
locator's free miner's certificate, the locality of the mine,
the direction of the location line, the length in feet, the
date of location, and the date of the record. Such record
shall be, as near as may be possible, in the form B in the
Schedule to this Act, and a certified copy thereof shall be
given by the Mining Recorder to the free miner or his
agent. A claim which shall not have been recorded within
the prescribed period shall be deemed to have been aban-
doned.
WHEN A FREE MINER ENTITLED TO RECORD—
20. A free miner shall not be entitled to a record of a min-
eral claim until he shall have furnished the said Mining
Recorder with all the above particulars.
RECORDER'S OFFICE— 21. Upon the establishment
of a mining division and the opening of a Mining Record-
er's Office therein, under the authority of this Act, such
office and none other shall be the proper office for record-
ing all mineral claims within such mining division, and
making all records in respect thereof.
RECORDING CLAIM IN WRONG DISTRICT— 22. If
through ignorance any free miner shall record a mineral
claim in a different mining division to that in whch such
claim is situate, such error shall not affect his title to such
claim, but he shall, within fifteen days from the discovery
of his error, record such claim in the mining division in
which it is stuate, and such new record shall bear the date
of the first record, and a note shall be made thereon of the
error and of the date of the rectification of the same.
ABSENCE OF RECORDER— 23. If a free miner ap-
plies at the Mining Recorder's Office during his absence to
record a mineral claim, or any document or other mat-
ter required by this Act to be recorded, and leaves the
fee required by this Act, and the particulars and information
MINING L.AWS OF BKITISH COLUMBIA.
•1
mineral
order of
n fifteen
en miles
nal day
onal ten
ade in a
the said
name of
of each
he mine,
feet, the
3h record
B in, the
shall be
5r or his
ed within
Jen aban-
ECORD—
of a min-
id Mining
blishment
? Record-
Act, such
)r record-
sion, and
r— 22. If
I mineral
hch such
e to such
discovery
vision in
the date
on of the
me.
Qiner ap-
bsence to
tier mat-
ives the
ormation
required to enable the Mining Recorder to make such
record, with the ofHcer or other person in charge of said
office, he shall be entitled to have such record dated on
the date of such application.
DURATION OF CLAIM— 24. Any free miner having
duly located and recorded a mineral claim shall be entitled
to hold the same for a period of one year from the recording
of the same, and thence from year to year without the ne-
cessity of re-recording: Provided, however, that during
each year and each succeeding year, such free miner shall
do, or cause to be done, work on the claim itself to the value
of one hundred dollar**., and shall satisfy the Gold Com-
missioner or Mining Recorder that such work has been
done, by an affidavit of the free miner or his agent, setting
out a detailed statement of such work, and shall obtain
from such Gold Commissioner or Mining Recorder, and
shall record a certificate of such work having been done:
Provided, also, that all work done outside of a mineral
claim with intent to work the same shall, if such work
have direct relation and be in direct proximity to the
claim, be deemed, if to the satisfaction of the Gold Com-
missioner or Mining Recorder, for the purposes of this
section, to be work done on the claim: Provided, further,
that any free miner, or company of free miners holding
adjoining mineral claims, or any two or more free miners
who locate and record adjoining mineral claims, to be
worked by them in partnership under the provisions of any
Act for the time being in force, shall, subject to filing a
notice of their intention with the Gold Commissioner or
Mining Recorder, be allowed to perform on any one or
more of such claims all the work required to entitle him
or them to a certificate for work for each claini so held
by him or them. If such work shall not be done, or if such
certificate shall not be so obtained and recorded, in each
and every year, the claim shall be deemed vacant and
abandoned, any rule of law or equity to the contrary not-
withstanding.
PAYMENT INSTEAD OF ASSESSMENT— 25. The
holder of a mineral claim may, in lieu of the work re-
quired to be done by section 24 of this Act, on a claim
in each year, pay to the Mining Recorder in whose office the
claim is recorded the sum of one hundred dollars and re-
ceive from such Recorder and record a receipt for such
'•i^l
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■ '■ 'Hi
62
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
h'^:'^V
payment. Such payment and the record thereof in any
year shall relieve the person making it from the necessity
of doing any work during the year in and for which and
upon the claim in respect of which such payment is re-
corded.
SURFACE RIGHTS— 26. The owner of a mineral
claim shall be entitled to all surface rights, including the
use of all the timber thereon for mining or building pur-
poses in connection with the working of said claim, so
long as he holds the said claim for the purpose of devel-
oping the minerals contained therein, but no longer.
PRIORITY OF LOCATION— 27. In case of any dispute
as to the location of a mineral claim the title to the claim
shall be recognized according to the priority of such loca-
tion, subject to any question as to the validity of the record
itself, and subject, further, to the free miner having com-
plied wih all the terms and conditions of this Act.
IRREGULARITIES PREVIOUS TO LAST CERTIFI-
CATE OF TITLE— 28. Upon any dispute as to the title
to any mineral claim no irregularity happening previous to
the date of the record of the last certificate o* work shall
affect the title thereto, and it shall be assumed that up to
that date the title to such claim was perfect, except upon
suit by the Attorney-General based upon fraud.
ONLY ONE CLAIM HELD BY FREE MINER—
29. No free miner shall be entitled to hold in his own
name, or in the name of any other person, more than one
mineral claim on the same vein or lode, except by pur-
chase, but such free miner may hold by location a claim
upon any separate vein or lode.
ABANDONMENT— 30. A free miner may at any time
abandon any mineral claim by giving notice in writing of
such intention to abandon to the Mining Recorder, and
from the date of such notice all interest of such free miner
in such claim shall cease.
MACHINERY ON— 31. When a free miner abandons a
mineral claim he shall have the right to take from the same
any machinery and any personal property which he may
have placed on the claim, and any ore which he may have
extracted therefrom, within such time as shall be fixed by
the Gold Commissioner or Mining Recorder.
MINING LAWS OP^ BRITISH CoLUMlilA.
fl-.
in any
ecessity
Lich and
t is re-
mineral
ling the
ing pur-
aim, so
f devel-
3r.
dispute
he claim
ich loca-
te record
ng com-
*
ERTIPI-
the title
3vious to
3rk shall
lat up to
ept upon
*IINER—
his own
than one
by pur-
a claim
any time
Titing of
der, and
ee miner
andons a
the same
he may
Qay have
fixed by
RE-LOCATION Oip^— 32. No free miner shall be enti-
tled to re-locate any mineral claim, or any portion thereof,
which he shall have failed to record within the prescribed
period, or which he shall have abundoned or forfeited, un-
less he shall have obtained the written permission of the
Gold Commissioner to make such relocation; and he shall
hold no interest in any portion of such mineral claim, by
location, without such permission.
RIGHT TO LODES DISCOVERED IN A TUNNEL—
33. Where a tunnel is run for the development of a vein
or lode the owner of such tunnel shall, in addition to any
mineral claim legally held by him, have the right to all
veins or lodes discovered in such tunnel: Provided that the
ground containing such veins or lodes be marked out by him
as a mineral claim, and be duly recorded within fifteen days
after such discovery; and provided further, that such veins
or lodes are not included in any exsisting mineral claim.
Any money or labor expended in constructing a tunnel to de-
velop a vein or lode shall be deemed to have been expended
on such vein or lode.
INTEREST IN CLAIM— 34. The interest of a free
miner in his mineral claim shall, save as to claims held as
real estate, be deemed to be a chattel interest, equivalent to
a lease, for one year, and thence from year to year, subject
to the performance and observance of all the terms and
conditions of this act.
PURCHASE OF— 35. Any lawful holder of a mineral
claim shall be entitled to a Crown grant thereof on payment
to the Government of British Columbia of the sum of five
hundred dollars in lieu of expenditure on the claim. The in-
tending purchaser shall comply with all the provisions of
section 36 of this Act, except such as have respect solely to
the work required to be done on claims.
WHO ENTITLED TO CERTIFICATE OF IMPROVE-
MENTS — 36. Whenever the lawful holder of a mineral claim
shall have complied with the following requirements, to the
satisfaction of the Gold Commissioner, he shall be entitled
to receive from the Gold Commissioner a certificate of im-
provements in respect of such claim, unless proceedings by
the person claiming an adverse right under section 37 of this
Act have been taken:
(a.) Done or caused to be done work on the claim itself
in developing a mine to the value of five hundred dollars,
'+'i
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
w; -
m
exclusive of all houses, buildings and other like improve-
ments. For the purpose of this section work done on the
claim by a predecessor or predecessors in title shall be
deemed to have been done by the applicant who receives a
transfer of such claim; but in no case shall the coat o' sur-
veying be considered as improvements or work done ou the
claim:
(b.) Found a vein or lode within the limits of such
claim:
(c.) Had the claim surveyed by an authorized Pro-
vincial Land Surveyor, who shall have made three plats of
the claim, and who shall have accurately defined and marked
the boundaries of such claim upon the ground, and indicated
the corners by placing monuments or legal posts at the a.j^les
thereof, and upon such monuments or posts snail be in^.'-red
by him the name and the official designation of the ciaim,
and the corner represented thereby, and who shall have, on
completion of survey, forwarded at once the original field-
notes and plan direct to the Lands and Works Department.
After a certificate of improvements has issued in respect of
any claim so surveyed, prima facie evidence of its location
upon the ground may be given by any person who has seen
and can describe the positions of such posts purporting to be
so marked as aforesaid, and the said field-notes, or a copy
thereof certified in accordance with the "Evidence Act,"
shall be received in all courts as prima facie evidence of the
facts which they purport to set forth:
(d.) Shall have posted on some conspicuous part of the
land embraced in the survey a copy of the plat of ;.he claim,
and a legible notice in writing, in form F of the schedule to
this Act, of his intention to apply for a certificate of im-
provements, and shall also have posted a similar notice in
the Mining Recorder's office, and such notice shall contain —
(1.) The name of the claim;
(2.) The name of the lawful holder thereof;
(3.) The number of such holder's existing free miner's
certificate.
(4.) His intention to apply for certificate of improve-
ments at the end of sixty days, for the purpose of obtaining
a Crown grant;
(5.) The date of the notice:
(e.) Inserted a copy of such notice in the British Colum-
bia Gazette and in any newspaper published in the Province,
and circulating in the district in which the claim is situate,
for at least sixty days prior to such application, which inser-
MINING LAWti OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
le miner s
tlon can be made at any time after the posting of tlie notice
on the claim:
(f.) Shall have filed with the Mining Recorder a copy of
the surveyor's original field-notes and plat immediately after
posting the notice on the claim of his intention to apply for a
certificate of improvements:
(g.) Filed with the Mining Recorder —
(1.) An affidavit of the holder of the claim, or his agent,
in the Form G in Schedule of this Act.
(h.) At the expiration of the term of the said publication,
provided no action shall have been commenced and notice
thereof filed with the Mining Recorder, he shall forward to
the owner or agent, under Form I of the Schedule to this Act,
the documents referred to above, together with a certificate
that the notice provided by section 36, sub-section (d), has
been posted in his office, and the field-notes and plan de-
posited for reference therein from the date of the first ap-
pearance of the said notice in the British Columbia Gazette
and continuously therefrom for a period of at least sixty
days. The Recorder shall also set out in Form I the name
of the recorded owner of the claim at the date of signing the
same.
CERTIFICATE NOT IMPEACHED WHEN— 37. (1.) A
certificate of improvements when issued as aforesaid shall
not be impeached in any court on any ground except that of
fraud.
(2.) In case any person shall claim an adverse right of
nny kind, either to possession of the mineral claim referred
to in the application for certificate of improvements or any
part thereof, or to the minerals contained therein, he shall,
within sixty days after the publication in the British Colum-
bia Gazette of the notice referred to in section 36 hereof
(unless such time shall be extended by special order of the
court upon cause being shown), commence an action in the
Supreme Court of British Columbia to determine the question
of the right of possession or otherwise enforce his said claim,
and shall file a copy of the writ in said action with the Min-
ing Recorder of the district or mining division in which the
said claim is situate within twenty days from the commence-
ment of said action, and shall prosecute the said suit with
reasonable diligence to final judgment, and a failure to so
commence or so to prosecute shall be deemed to be a waiver
of the plaintiff's claim. After final judgment shall have been
rendered in the said action the person or any one of the per-
sons entitled to the possession of the claim or any part there-
■t *
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Ami
V :; ^
.V>
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i
4
I
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of, may file a certified copy of the same in the office of the
Mining Recorder. Alter the filing of the said judgment, and
upon compliance with all the requirements of the next pre-
ceding section, such person or persons shall be entitled to the
issue to him or to them of a certificate of improvements in
respect of the claim or the portion thereof which he or they
shall appear from the decision of the court rightly to pos-
sess: Provided that this section shall not apply to any ad-
verse claim filed or action to enforce the same commenced
prior to the date of this Act coming into force, but the same
shah be continued in the same manner as if this Act had not
been passed.
CERTIFICATE OF IMPROVEMENTS— 38. After the
Issuing and recording of such certificate of improvements,
and wnile such certificate shall be in force it shall net be
necessary to do any work on such claim.
WHEN ENTITLED TO GRANT— 39. On the granting
and recording of such certificate of improvements in respect
to a mineral claim situate outside of the Railway Belt, the
holder thereof shall be entitled to a Crown grant of such
claim without the payment of five hundred dollars required
by section 35. And on the granting and recording of such
certificate of imnrovements in respect of a mineral claim
situate inside the Railway Belt, the holder thereof shall be
entitled to a Crown grant of such claim on the payment of
five dollars per acre to the Mining Recorder.
APPLICATION FOR GRANT— 40. The holder of a
mineral claim for which a certificate of improvements has
been granted and recorded shall make application for a
Crown grant to the Gold Commissioner, enclosing his certi-
ficate of improvements, the Crown grant fee of five dollars,
the Ltining Recorder's Certificate, Form I, the field-notes and
plat, and the affidavit, Form G, within three months from
the date of such certificate of improvements, and in default oi
such application having been made within such time sucli
certificate of improvements shall lapse and become absolutely
void.
TRANSFER AFTER APPLICATION— 41. If the hold
er of a mineral claim, after applying for a certificate of im-
provements, shall sell and transfer such claim to another free
miner, upon satisfactory proof of such sale and transfer being
made to the tiold Commissioner, the new holder of the claim
shall be entitled to a ceitificate of improvements In his own
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
07
name. And if a sale and transfer shall be made to any per-
son or company after a certificate of improvements shall
have been issued, upon proper proof of such sale and transfer
being made to the satisfaction of the Chief Commissioner of
Lands and Works, the Crown grant shall issue to the new
holder of the claim.
WHEN NOT TO TRANSFER— 42. V/hen a holder of A
mineral claim has taken out his certificate of improvements
he shall not record any transfer of his rights in the said
rlaim until he obtains his Crown grant.
LIEN — 43. The issuance of a Crown grant shall not in-
validate any lien which may have attached to any mineral
olaim previous to the issuance of such Crown grant.
WHAT PASSES BY GRANT ON WASTE LAND— 44. A
Crown grant of a mineral claim located on any waste lands
of the Crown shall be deemed to transfer and pass the right
to all minerals within the meaning of this Act (excepting
coal) found in veins, lodes, or rock in place, and whether
such minerals are found separately or in combination with
each other, in, upon, or under the land in the said Crown grant
mentioned.
WHAT PASSES BY GRANT WHEN ALL MINERALS
(SAVE COAL) HAVE BEEN RBSERVBD~-45. Crown
grants of mineral claims located on lawfully occupied lands,
the right whereon to enter, prospect, and mine all minerals
fother than coal) has been reserved to the Crown and its
licensees, shall pass to the grantee all minerals within the
meaning of this Act (other than coal) found in veins, or lodes,
or rock in place, and whether such minerals are found sep-
arately or in combmation with each other, which may be in,
upon, or under the land in the said Crown grant mentioned,
and including all the rights given to mineral claim holders
of mineral claims so located, but such Crown grant shall ex-
pressly reserve the rights of such prior occupant.
(Where the mineral claim is located on land lawfully
occupied under a timber lease, the Crown grant shall convey
the surface and minerals within the meaning of this Act
(save coal) found in veins, or lodes, or rock in place, but
shall reserve the timber.)
WHAT PASSES BY GRANT W^HEN GOLD AND SIL-
VER HAS BEFAT RESERVED~4G. Crown grants of mineral
claims located on lawfully occupied lands, the right whereon
to enter and mine gold and silver has been reserved to the
'■>■
68
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
■r::"5!
"itfcV
It
.1
til'
Crown and its licensees, shall pass to the grantee all the gold
and silver found in veins, or lodes, or rock in place, which
may be in, upon, or under the land in the said Crown grant
mentioned, and including all the rights given to mineral
claim holders of mineral claims so located; but such Crown
grant shall expressly reserve the rights of such prior occu-
pant.
ADVERSE CLAIM TO PART— 47. If an adverse claim
shall only affect a portion of the ground for which a certifi-
cate of improvements is applied, the applicant may relinquish
the portion covered by the adverse claim, and still be entitled
to a certificate of improvements for the undisputed remainder
of his claim, upon complying with the requirements of this
Act.
AFTER JUDGMENT— 48. When judgment in such case
Is rendered by the court, a memorandum of such judgment
shall be entered in the "Record Book;" and if by any judg-
ment the original boundaries of any claim shall be changed.
a plat made by a Provincial Land Surveyor, and signed by
the judge by whom the judgment has been p;iven, shall be
filed in the office of the Mining Recorder.
RECORDING— 49. Every conveyance, bill of sale, mort-
gage, or other document of title relating to any mineral claim,
not held as real estate, or mining interest, shall be recorded
within the time prescribed for recording mineral claims:
Provided, always, that the failure to so record any such docu-
ment shall not invalidate the same as between the parties
thereto, but such documents as to third parties shall take
effect from the date of record, and not from the date of such
document: And provided further, that after the issuance
of a Crown grant for any mineral claim it shall not be neces-
sary to register any transfer or other document of title exe-
cuted subsequent to such Crown grant with the Mining Re-
corder of the district in which the said claim is situated; but
all documents relating to the same may thereafter be regis-
tered in the same manner as are other documents of title re-
lating to the transfer of real estate, and all the provisions of
the "Land Registry Act," and any amendments thereto shall
apply to such registration.
TRANSFERS— 50. No transfer of any mineral claim, or
of any interest therein, shall be enforceable unless the same
shall be in writing, signed by the transferer, or by his agent
authorized in writing, and recorded by the Mining Recorder;
■M '■
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
C9
the gold
e, which
vn grant
mineral
•h Crown
ior occu-
rse claim
a certifi-
•elinquish
e entitled
•emainder
ts of this
such case
judgment
any judg-
i changed,
signed by
I, shall be
sale, mort-
eral claim.
le recorded
al claims:
such docu-
:he parties
shall take
ate of such
e issuance
t be neces-
f title exe-
^lining Re-
tuated; but
ir be regis-
of title re-
ovisiona of
lereto shall
al claim, ov
;s the same
y his agent
g Recorder;
and if signed by an agent, the authority of such agent shall
be recorded before the record of such transfer. All mineral
claims derived under Crown grant, and every transfer thereof,
or any interest therein, shall be registered under the provi-
sions of the "Land Registry Act,"
UNDER " GOLD MINING AMENDMENT ACT, 1873 "—
51. The transfer of any real estate acquired under the pro-
visions of the Gold Mliiirg Amendment Act, 1873," shall be
:i. writing, signed by the transferrer or his agent authorized
in writing, and neea not be by deed or under seal.
ILI>NESS AND DEATH OF MINER— 52. No mineral
(^iaim suall be cpen to locaiion by any other person during
'he last illness nor, unless with the permission in writing of
I he Gold Commissioner, for twelve months after the death of
the lawful holder.
FAULTS OF OFFICIALS— 53. No free miner shall suf-
fer from any acts of omission, or commission, or delays on
the part of any Goverrment official, if such can be proven.
PART II.— Mill Sites.
LOCATION OP"" — 54. A free miner may locate any unoccu-
pied and unreserved Crown land not known to contain min-
nral, and not exceeding five acres, as a mill-site. No free
miner shall be entitled to obtain and hold under this section
more than one mill-site for each mineral claim lawfully held
by him. Such mill-site shall be as nearly as possible in the
form cf a square. On locating a mill-site, the free miner
shall comply with the following requirements:
(a.) Mark out the land by placing a legal post at each
Tirner:
(b.) Post a notice on each post, stating —
L The name of such free miner:
2. The number of his free miner's certificate:
3. His intention, at the expiration of sixty days from
the date of the notice, to apply for the land as a mill-site:
4. The date of the notice:
(c.) Post a copy of such notice on the office of the Min-
ing Recorder.
LEASE AND CROWN GRANT, WHEN— 55. On the
oxpiration of sixty days after the fulfillment of the above
requirements, the free miner shall deposit, in duplicate, in the
■t.ii
'Ml
*%. ■
70
MINING LAWS OP BRITISH COLUMBIA.
.' i; .'
'■""♦.
- r^
office of the Mining Recorder, a plat of the said land made
by an authorized Provincial Land Surveyor, and prove by
affidavit that he has complied with the above requirements,
and that the said land is not known to contain minerals, and
shall furnish such other proof of the non-mineral character
of the land as the Gold Commissioner may require; the free
miner shall then be entitled to a lease, for one year, of said
land, which lease shall be executed by the Gold Commis-
sioner. If, during the continuance of such lease, such fre^^
miner shall prove to the satisfaction of the Gold Commis-
sioner that he has put or constructed works, or machinery for
mining or milling purposes, on the said mill-site of the value
of at least five hundred dollars, he shall be entitled to a
Crown grant of such mill-site upon payment of five dollars
per acre of such land. Any free miner now having a lease
of a piece of land for a mill-site, upon proving to the satisfac-
tion of the Gold Commissioner that he has put or constructed
works, or machinery for mining or milling purposes, on said
mill-site of the value of at least five hundred dollars, shall,
on payment of five dollars per acre, be entitled to a Crown
grant of such mill-site.
APPLICATION FOR CROWN GRANT OP MILL-STTB
— 56. On applying for a Crown grant of a mill-site, the free
miner shall —
(1.) Pay the sum of five dollars per acre to the Mining
Recorder:
(2.) Deposit with the Mining Recorder the following
rlocuments:
(a.) Lease of the mill -site:
(b.) Plat of the mill-site:
(c.) Surveyor's original field-notes:
(d.) A certificate from, the Gold Commissioner that
works or machinery for mining or milling purposes have
been put or constructed on the mill-site to the value of at
least five hundred dollars:
(e.) Application for the Crown grant.
WHAT PASSES— 57. Crown grants of mill-sites shall
pass to the grantee all the surface of the land in the said
Crown grant mentioned, bi^t all such Crown grants shall ex-
pressly reserve all minerals* under the said land, and the righf
to the Crown and its licensees to enter and mine the said
minerals, and may be in the following form:
id made
rove by
rements.
als, and
haracter
the free
, of said
Commis-
lUch fre*^
Commis-
inery for
he value
led to a
e dollars
g a lease
I satisfac-
nsti acted
s, on said
irs, shall,
a Crown
ILL-SITE
e, the free
he Mining
following
•f» 'y'
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
n
ioner that
)oses have
'aliie of n^
■sites shal'
n the saifi
,s shall ex-
d the righ*
le the said
(L. S.) ROYAL ARMS.
Province of Briiirh Columbia. No
Victoria, by tlie grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, Queen Defender of tlie Faltli, and so forth.
To all to whom these presents shall come— Greeting:
Know ye that we do by these presents, for Us, Our heirs and
successors, in conideration of the sum of to Us paid, give
and grant unto h.... heirs and assigns, All that
parcel or lot of land situate and numbered on the
official plan or survey of the said in tha Province of British
Columbia. To have and to hold the said parcel or lot of land, and
all and singulai" the premises hereby granted, with their appur-
tenances, unto the said h.... heirs and assigns for-
ever.
Provided, nevertheless that It shall at all times be lawful for
Us, Our heirs and successors, or for any person or persons acting
in that behalf by Our or their authority, to resume any part of
the said lands which it may be deemed necessary to resume for
making roads, canals, bridges, towing-paths, or other works of
public utility or convenience, so nevertheless that the lands so to
be resumed shall not exceed one-twentieth part of the whole of
the lands aforesaid, and that no such resumption shall be made
by any lands on which any buildings may have been erected, or
which may be In use for the more convenient occupation of any
such buildings.
Provided also, that It shall at all times be lawful for Us, Our
heirs and successors, or for any person or persons acting under
Our or their authority, to enter into and upon any part of the said
lands, and to raise and get thereout any minerals, within the
meaning of this Act, which may be thereupon or thereunder situ-
ate, and to use and enjoy any and every part of the same land,
and of the easements and privileges thereto belonging, for the
purpose of such raising and getting, and every other purpose
connected therewith, paying in respect of such raising, gettmg,
and U'se, reasonable compensation.
Provided also, that It shall be lawful for any person duly
authorized in that behalf by Us, Our heirs and successors, to take
and occupy such water privileges, and to have and enjoy such
rirhts of carrying water over through or under any parts of the
hereditaments hereby granted, as may b(} reasonably required for
mining or agricultural purposes In thd vicinity of the said
hereditaments, paying therefor a nasonable compensation to the
aforesaid , h.... heirs and assigns.
Provided also, that it shall be at all times lawful for any
person duly authorized In that behalf by Us, Our heirs and suc-
cessors, to take from or upon any part of the hereditaments
hereby granted, without compensation, any gravel, sand, stone,
iime, timber, or other material which may be required In the
construction, maintenance, or repair of any roads, ferries,
bridges, or other pub.lc works.
In testimony wher of We have caused these Our Letters to be
made patent, and the Great Seal of our Province of British Co-
lumbia to be hereunto affixed: Witness, His Honour ,
Meutenant-Governor of Our Province of British Columbia, at
Our Government House, In Our City of Victoria, this day
^f in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
, and In the year of Our Reign.
By Command.
72
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
^-
i.
4 ^
Hf
I
I;
Tunnels and Drains.
LICENSE TO RUN— 58. Any free miner, being the
holder of a mineral claim or mine held as real estate, may,
at the discretion of the Gold Commissioner, obtain a license
to run a drain or tunnel, for drainage or any other purpose
connected with the development or working of such claim
or mine, through any occupied or unoccupied lands, whether
mineral or otherwise, upon security being first deposited or
given to such Gold Commissioner to his satisfaction for any
damage that may be done thereby, and upon such other
terms as he shall think expedient.
Water Rights.
GRANT OF— 59. A free miner who is the holder of a
mineral claim or mine held as real estate, or of any mill-
site, may, at the discretion of the Gold Commissioner, obtaiJi
a grant to a water right in any unappropriated water, for
any mining or milling purpose, for any term not exceeding
twenty years, upon such terms and coiulitions as such Gold
Commissioner shall think fit.
WHAT nONR RRiFORR APPT.VrNG FOR GRANT— 60.
Before applying for any such grant, the free miner shall—
(1.) Post a notice in writing on a legal post upon some
conspicuous part of the ground on which such water is in-
tended to be used and a copy of such notice on the office of
the Mining Recorder for at least sixty days, which notice
shall contain the following particulars:
(a.) The name of each applicant:
(b.) The number of each applicant's free miner's cer-
tificate :
(c.) The name, or if unnamed, a sufficient description
of the stream, lake or other source from which such water
is intended to be taken:
(d.) The point of diversion, or intended ditch -head:
(e.) The number of inches of water applied for:
(f.) The purpose for which it is required:
(g.) The date of the notice.
(2.) If more than three hundred inches are applied
for, a deposit shall be made with the Gold Commissioner of
twenty-five dollars, to be refunded if the grant is not made.
Liner's cer-
MINING LAWS OP BRITISH COLUMBIA.
73
RECORD OF— 61. The grant of such water right shall
be recorded in the office of the Mining Recorder within the
time limited for the recording of mineral claims, which
lime can he extended by the Gold Commissioner in his dls-
rretion.
EFFECTUAL, WHEN— 62. No grant shall take effect
until recorded.
PRIORITY OF NOTICE— 63. On any dispute prior to
such grant, priority of notice shall constitute priority of
right.
DATE OF GRANT— 64. A grant duly recorded shall
speak from the date of the grant and not from the date of
the record.
RIGHTS OF MINERS— 65. Every such grant shall be
subject to the rights of such free miners as shall, at the
date of such grant, be working on the stream above or be-
low the ditch-head, and of any other persons lawfully using
such water for any purpose whatsoever; and such grant
shall be deeemed as appurtenant to the mineral claim, mine
held as real estate, or mill-site, in respect of which it has
been obtained, and whenever the claim or mine shall have
been worked out or abandoned, or whenever the occasion
for the use of the water upon the claim, mine or mill-site
shall have permanently ceased, the grant shall be at an end
and determined.
WATER NOT SOLD— 66. No person shall be entitled to
any such grant of water for the purpose of selling such
water, or of using the same otherwise than for the purposes
for which the water was recorded.
COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION— 67. Within
six mouths after the grant is made, the grantee shall com-
mence the construction of the ditch or other works through
which he intends to convey the water, and shall prosecute
the same diligently and uninterruptedly to completion, un-
If^ys interrupted by the severity of the weather: Provided,
always, that the Gold Commissioner may, in his discretion!
allow such work to cease for any time, upon cause being
shown. Upon the non-fulfilment of any of the condilionr
nf this section the grant shall be forfeited,
CHANGE OF POINT OF DIVERSION— 68. The Gold
Commissioner shall, in his discretion, have power to alljow
■Af'^
.*. ;
^«;i
m
:r
74
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
■♦I:
a grantee of any water right to change the place of diver-
sion, on giving such notices and complying with such terms
as the Gold Commissioner may require.
WASTE OP WATER— 69. Every such grantee shall
take all reasonable means for utilizing the water granted to
him; and if he wilfully waste any water, or take a quan-
tity of water in excess of his requirements, the Gjld Com-
missisoner may declare his grant to be forfeited.
BRIDGE STREAM, ETC.— 70. Any person desiring to
bridge any stream, claim or other place, for any purpose, or
to mine under or through any ditch or flume, or to carry
water through or over any land already occupied, may do
so with the written sanction of the Gold Commissioner.
In all such cases the right of the party first in possession,
whether of the mine or the water right, is to prevail, so as
to entitle him to compensation if the same be just.
rude:, WATER MEASUREMENT— 71. In measuring
water in any ditch or sluice, the following rules shall be
observed: The water taken into a ditch or sluice shall be
measured at the ditch or sluice head. No water shall be
taken into a ditch or sluice except in a trough placed hori-
zontally at the place at which the water enters it. One inch
of water shall mean half the quantity that will pass through
an orifice two inches high by one inch wide, with a con-
stant head of seven inches above the upper side of the
orifice.
NOTICE ON APPROACHING DITCH— 72. Whenever
it shall be intended, in forming or upholding any ditch, to
enter upon and occupy any part of a registered claim, or
mine held as real esta'e, or to dig or loosen any earth or
rock within four feet of any ditch not belonging solely to
the registered owner of such claim or mine, three days'
notice in writing of such intention shall be given before
entering or approaching within twenty feet of such other
property.
RIGHT TO DIVERT DITCH— 73. Any person hereto-
fore or hereafter engaged in the construction of any road or
work may, with the sanction of the Gold Commissioner,
cross, divert, or otherwise interfere with any ditch, water
right, or other mining rights whatsoever, for such period
as the said commissioner shall direct.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
76
OWNER CONSTRUCT WATER WASTE — 74. The
owner of any ditch, flume, or pipe shall, at his own expense,
construct, secure and maintain all culverts necessary for
the passage of waste and superfluous water flowing through
or over any such ditch, flume, or pipe.
KEEP DITCH IN REPAIR— 75. The owner of any
(•itch, Hume, or pipe shall construct and secure the same in
a proper and substantial manner, and maintain the same in
good repair to the satisfaction of the Gold Commissioner,
so that no damage shall occur to any road or work in its
vicinity from any part of the works of such ditch, flume, or
pipe.
LIABLE FOR DAMAGES— 76. The owner of any
ditch, flume, or pipe shall be liable and shall make good, in
such manner as the Gold Commissioner shall determine, all
damages which may be occasioned by or through any parts
of the works of such ditch, flume, or pipe breaking or being
imperfect.
WHAT IS NOTICE— 77. If any written notice to the
party intended to be affected thereby be posted for ten days
on some conspicuous part of any premises referred to in
such notice, and also in the office of the Mining Recorder,
such notice shall be deemed good and sufficient.
RENEWAL WATER RIGHT— 78. When the term for
which any v/ater right has been granted shall have expired,
the grantee thereof may, at the discretion of the Gold Com-
missioner, obtain a renewal of the same for a reasonable
term, not to exceed ten years, provided the necessity for the
use of said water for the purpose for which it was originally
granted continues to exist.
COMMISSIONER LAY OUT ROADS— 79. Nothing
herein contained shall be construed to limit the right of the
Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works to lay out, from
time to time, the public roads of the Province, across,
through, along, or under any ditch, water right, or mining
right, in any Crown land, without compensation, provided
that as little damage as possible shall be done in so doing.
pk
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
.,'(., . 'i,.
PART III.— .Mining Partnerships.
GOVERNMENT OF— 80. All mining partnerships shall
be governed by the provisions hereof, unless they shall
have other and written articles of partnership.
PARTNERSHIP TO BE ANNUAL— 81. A mining part-
nership shall, .unless otherwise agreed upon, be deemed to
be a yearly partnership, renewable from year to year by
tacit consent.
SCOPE OiF~82. The business of the partnership shall
be mining and such other matters as pertain solely thereto.
RECORD OF — 83. Mining partnerships can locate and
record in the partnership name a mineral claim for each
partner, but the name of every partner, and the number of
every partner's free miner's certificate shall be on the record
of every such claim. The partnership name must appear on
every such record, and all the claims so taken up shall be
the property of the partnership: Provided, always, that no
free miner who is the member of a mining partnership,
holding by right of location a mineral claim, shall be en-
titled to hold by right of location in his own name or in the
name of any other partnership any interest in any other
mineral claim on the same vein or lode on which the partner-
ship claim is situate.
PARTNER FAILING TO KEEP UP FREE MINER'S
CERTIFICATE— 84. Should any partner fail to keep up
his free miner's certificate, such failure shall not cause a
forfeiture, or act as an abandonment of the partnership
claim, but the share of the partner who shall so fail to keep
up his free miner's certificate shall, ipso facto, be and be-
come vested in his partners, pro rata, according to their
former interests, on the said partners paying the free
miner's certificate for the year.
RIGHT TO VOTE— 85. A partner in any mining part-
nership or his agent authorized in writing shall, at any
meeting thereof, be entitled to vote upon any interest or
fraction of an interest wuich he may hold therein; but the
result of the votes given shall be determined by the number
of the full interests voted upon, and not by the number of
partners voting at such meeting.
a]
)s shall
ly shall
ig part-
^med t(j
^ear by
ip shall
thereto.
ate and
or each
Tiber of
3 record
pear on
shall be
that no
nership,
1 be en-
r in the
ly other
partner-
JINER'S
keep up
cause a
;nership
to keep
and be-
:o their
he free
ig part-
at any
jrest or
but the
number
nber of
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
77
MAJORITY, MAKE ASSESSM^INTS— 86. A majority
of such votes may decide when, how long, and in what man-
ner to work the partnership claim the number of men to
be employed, and the extent and manner of levying th'i
assessment to defray the expenses Incurred by the partner-
ship: Such majority may also choose a foreman or man-
ager, who shall repress nt the partnership, and sue and bf3
sued in the name of the partnership for assessments and
otherwise; and he shall have power to bind them by his
contracts: Every partner, or his duly authorized agent,
shall be entitled to represent his interest in the partnership
property by work and labor so long as such work and labor
be satisfactory to the foreman or m; ager. In the event of
hiich workman being discharged by the fornnan or man-
ager, the court having jurisdiction in mining disputes may,
if requested, summon the foreman or manager ^ cfore it, and
upon hearing the facts make such order as it shall deem just.
ASSESSMENTS— 87. All assessments shall be payable
within thirty days after being made.
DEFAULT— 88. Any partner making default in pay-
ment after receiving a notice specifying the amount due by
him, shall, if such amount be correct, be personally liable
therefor to the partnership, and his interest in the partner-
ship property may be sold by the partnership for the pay-
ment of the debt, and any further assessments which may
have accrued thereon up to the day of sale, together with all
costs and charges occasioned by such default: and it the
proceeds of the sale be insufficient to pay off the several
sums mentioned, the court having jurisdiction in mining
disputes, upon being applied to, shall issue an order directed
to the Sheriff to seize and sell any other personal property
of the debtor. Notices of sale shall, in either of the above
cases, be conspicuously posted thirty clear days prior to the
day of sale in the vicinity of such mining or other property,
and on the Court House or Mining Recorder's office nearest
thereto. But if such partner be absent from the district
such notices shall be posted as aforesaid sixty clear days
before the day of sale, and a copy of such notice shall be
published in some newspaper circulating in the district
wherein such mining or other property is situate. Such sale
shall be by public auction to the highest bidder. The pur-
chaser shall be entitled to possession of the property sold,
and to a bill of sale therefor signed by the auctioneer; such
78
MINING LAWS OP BRITISH COLUMBIA.
1^
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I
I
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' ■ ■ I
h •''■•
bill of sale shall confer such title upon the purchaser as the
owner had. And for the purpose of carrying out the provi-
sions of this section the Mining Recorder of the mining di-
vision in which the property to be sold is situate, or some
one appointed by him, may act as auctioneer.
NOTICE OF ABANDONMENT~89. After a notice of
abandonment in writing shall have been served on the fore-
man or manager of a partnership by any member thereof,
and duly recorded, such member shall not be liable for any
debts or other liabilities of the partnership incurred after
service and record of such notice, and no member shall be
deemed to have abandoned an interest until service and
record of such notice.
TITIyE TO ABANDONED SHARE— 90. Upon the
abandonment of any share in a mining partnership, tlie
title to the abandoned share shall vest in the continuing
partners, pro rata, according to their former interests.
WHAT PARTNER MAY SELL— 91. Any partner shall
be entitled to sell, or contract for the sale of, his interest in
the partnership property, but such interest shall continue
liable for all the debts of the partnership.
DEBTS AFTER SALE— 92. No partner shall, after a
bill of sale conveying his interest has been recorded, be lia-
ble for any indebtedness of the partnership incurred there-
after.
Limited Liabilities.
LIABILITY — 93, Any mining partnership composed of
two or more free miners may limit the liability of its mem-
bers, upon complying with the requirements following, that
is to say:
Upon filing with the Mining Recorder a declaratory
statement containing the name of the partnership, the loca-
tion and size of every partnership claim, and the particular
interest of each partner; and also placing upon a conspicu-
ous part of every such claim, in large letters, the name of
the partnership, followed by the words "Limited Liability."
NAME— 94. The words "Limited Liability" shall there-
upon become part of the partnership name.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
n
as the
Jprovi-
[ng di-
some
lice of
fore-
lereof,
lor any
|l after
hall be
^e and
m the
p, the
inuing
s.
r shall
rest in
>ntinue
Lfter a
be lia-
there-
>sed of
mem-
?, that
ratory
1 loca-
icular
spicu-
me of
ility."
there-
EIFFECT— 95. After such conditions shall have been
complied with, no member of such partnership shall be lia-
ble for any indebtedness incurred thereafter beyond an
amount proportioned to his Interest in the partnership.
ACCOUNTS— 96. Every such partnership shall keep a
correct account of its assets and liabilities, together with the
names of the partners, and the interest held by each, and
shall make out a monthly balance sheet showing the names
of the creditors, and the amounts due to each, and file the
same among the papers of the partnership; and such bal-
ance sheet and all the books of the partnership shall be
open to the inspection of creditors at all reasonable hours.
PARTNER SELL HIS INTEREST— 97. Every partner
in such partnership shall be at liberty to sell or dispose of
his interest therein, or of any part thereof, to any free
miner.
AFTER SALE, NOT LIABLE FOR DEBTS— 98. No
member of such partnership, after a bill of sale conveying
his interest has been duly recorded, or after he has served
a notice of abandonment of his interest on the foreman, and
left a copy thereof with the Mining Recorder, shall be liable
for any indebtedness of the partnership incurred thereafter.
DIVIDENDS— 99. No such partnership shall declare
any dividend until all its liabilities have been paid.
FOREMAN — 100. Every such partnership shall appoint
a foreman or manager, who shall represent the parentrship,
who shall sue and be sued in the name of the partnership,
and his contracts in relation to the business of the partner-
ship shall be deeemed to be the contracts of the partner-
ship.
PARTNERSHIP LIABILITY— 101. No such partner-
ship shall be liable for any other indebtedness than that
contracted by its foreman or manager, or by its agent duly
authorized in writing.
FAILURE TO COMPLY— 102, Should any such part-
nership fail to comply with any of the provisions of this
Act relating exclusively to "limited liabilty" r-." "tnerships,
such partnerships shall, from the date of such failure, cease
to be a "limited liability" partnership.
<^M-
f. ''4
^'
80
MINING LAWS OF BRITiaH COLUMBIA.
I
fill
u
PART IV.
Mining Recorders -Appointment, Duties, Powers.
APPOINTMENT— 103. The Lieutenant-Governor in
Council may appoint any person to be a Mining Recorder in
and for any part of the Province.
ELiECTION—104. Where mineral land is discovered in
a part of the Province so situate that the provisions of this
Act as to free miner's certificates and records of minin?
property cannot be justly applied or enforced by reason of
there being no Gold Commissioner or Mining Recorder in
the locality, it shall be lawful for the miners of such local-
ity to hold meetings at such times and places as may be
agreed upon, and at such meetings, by a two-thirds vote,
to appoint one of their number to issue free miners' certifi-
cates and to enter records of mining property; and such
certificates and records shall be valid, notwithstanding any
informality therein: Provided that all records so made,
and all fees for the same m accordance with the Schedule to
this Act, and a list of all free miner's certificates issued,
and the date and term thereof, and the fees for the same, be
forwarded to the nearest Gold Commissioner or Mining Re-
corder as soon thereafter as practicable.
CERTIFICATES— 105. Every Mining Recorder shall
issue free miners' certificates and "substituted certificates"
to all persons and companies entitled thereto.
FORMS, COUNTERFOILS, ETC.— 106. Such free min-
ers' certificates shall be taken from a printed book of forms,
with duplicate counterfoils, one of which counterfoils shall
be filed in the office of the Mining Recorder.
BOOKS KEPT BY RECORDER— 107. Every Mining
Recorder shall keep the following books:
(a.) A book to be known as the ''Record Book."
(b.) A book to be known as thr "Record of Abandon-
ments."
(c.) A book to be known as the 'Record of Affidavits:"
(d.) A book to be known as the "Record of Convey-
ances:"
(e.) A book to b© known as the "Record of Free Miners'
Certificates."
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
n
fwers.
Lor in
Irder in
red in
of this
minin?
son of
der in
I local-
nay be
s vote,
certin-
d such
ng any
made,
idule to
issued.
ime, be
ing Re-
r shall
flcates"
e min-
forms,
s shall
Mining
andon-
ivits:"
jnvey-
Ilnera*
■
CERTIFICATE— 108. Upon receipt of an affidavit set-
ting forth a detailed sta; yinent of work, as required by sec-
tion 24, the Mining Recorder shall issue a certificate of work
in the Form E in the Schedule to this Act.
FILING AND RECORD— 109. Upon issuing such certi-
ficate of work, the Mining Recorder shall file such affidavit
in the Record of Affidavits, and also record such certificate
of work in the Record Book.
RECORD OF SAME— 110. Upon receiving a certificate
of improvements, the Mining Recorder shall record the same
verbatim in the Record Book.
RECORDER MUST RECORD— 111. The Mining Re-
corder shall record all extensions of time, licenses, permits,
grants of water rights, and other privileges granted by the
Gold Commissioner or Miining Recorder, and all forfeitures
declared by the Gold Commissioner, and a memorandum of
every judgment atfecting a mineral claim or other mining
property, in the Record Book.
WHAT TO BE ENTERED IN BOOK— 112. Upon
any Mining Recorder issuing a free miner's certificate, or
upon any free miner applying to record any mineral claim,
bill of sale, or other instrument, the Mining Recorder shall
enter in the free miner's certificate book the particulars of
such free miner's certificate, giving number of certificate,
date, place of issue, and to whom issued,
ABANDONMENTS— 113. Upon the receipt of a notic-T
of abandonment, the Mining Recorder shall record the same
in the Record of Abandonments, and file such notice, and
write across the record of the claim affected by such notice,
in the Record Book, the word "Abandoned," and the date of
the receipt by him of the notice. If only an interest in a
mineral claim is abandoned, and not the entire claim, the
memorandum in the record shall show which interest is
abandoned.
AFFIDAVITS— 114. The Mining Recorder shall record,
by copying out verbatim all affidavits and declaratory state-
ments required to be recorded in connection with his office,
in the Record of Affidavits.
CONVEYANCES— 115. The Mining Recorder shall re-
cord, by copying out verbatim, in the Record of Convey-
ances, all conveyances, mortgages, bills of sale, contracts for
Jh^
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82
MINING LAWS OP BRITISH COLUMBIA.
sale, and other documents of title, including powers of at-
torney, or other authorities, to execute all or any of the
above description of documents when brought to him for
that purpose.
DOCUMENTS— 116. The Mining Recorder shall record in
the Record Book all other documents relating to mining
property which may be brought to him for record, and shall
file all such documents which may be brought to him ^o be
filed.
DATE — 117, Every entry made in any of the above
books shall show the date on which such entry was made.
BOOK, INSPECTION OF— 118. All books of record and
documents filed shall, during office hours, be open to pub-
lic inspection tree of charge.
COPY TO BE EVIDENCE— 119. Every copy of, or ex-
tract from, any entry in any of the said books, or of any
document filed in the Mining Recorder's oflSce, certified to
be a true copy or extract by the Mining Recorder, shall be re-
ceived in any court as evidence of the matters therein con-
tained.
APPLICATION FOR CROWN GRANT— 120. Upon re-
ceipt from the holder of a certificate of improvements of an
application for a Crown grant in the proper form, and all
moneys payable in respect of the claim for which a Crown
grant is applied, the Gold Commissioner shall send such
moneys, together with the undermentioned papers, to the
Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works.
(1.) The certificate of improvements:
(2.) AflOidavit of the holder of the mineral claim, or his
agent — ^Form G:
(3.) A copy of the plat of the mineral claim:
(4.) The copy of the surveyor's original field notes:
(5.) Mining Recorder's certificate — Form I.
MILL-SITES— 121. Upon receipt from the lessee of a
mill-site of all the moneys and documents mintioned in
section 56, the Mining Recorder shall send the same to the
Gold Commissioner.
RECORDER, FEES — 122. Before issuing any free
miner's certificate, or substituted certificate, or certificate
of work, or making any entry in any book of record, or
filing any document, or making any copy or extract there-
MINING LAWa OF nRITISH COLUMBIA.
from, the Mining Recorder shall collect the fees payable in
respect thereof.
t
ord in
lining
shall
to be
Mining Divisions.
[i
MAY DISTRICT— 123. It shall be lawful for the Lieu-
tenant-Governor in Council to divide and subdivide any dis-
trict into mining divisions, and to establish in each mining
division a Mining Recorder's office.
ESTABLISHMENT OF RECORDER'S 0FFICE~-12I.
Upon the establishment of a mining division, and the
opening of a Mining Recorder's office therein, under the
authority of the last preceding section —
(a.) Such office, and none other, shall be the proper
office for recording all claims, records, certificates, docu-
ments, or other instruments affecting claims, mines held as
real estate, or mining property situate within such mining
division; and whenever, by this Act, or any Act amending
I he same, anything is required to be done at or in the ofllce
of the Gold Commissioner or Mining Recorder of the dis-
trict, it shall, if the same affects or concerns any claim,
mine held as real estate, or mining property situate within
a mining division, be done at or in the office of the Mining
Recorder of the mining division wherein such claim or
mine, or other mining property, is situate:
(b.) Upon the district or division of any Mining Re-
corder being divided or subdivided into mining divisions, it
shall be the duty of such Mining Recorder to make, or cause
to be made, a transcript or" all the entries in all the books
mentioned in section 107, affecting claims, mines held as
real estate, or mining propc rty situate in each newly created
mining division, and to forward the same to the Mining Re-
corder of such mining division, and such transcript shall
be kept in such office as part of the records of such office,
and all transcripts of such records, certificates, documents
or other instruments shall prima faCiC be deemed to be true
copies of the several records, certificates, documents, or
other instruments of which they purport to be transcripts;
and such transcripts or copies thereof, when certified by the
Mining Recorder of the mining division in whose office they
are kept, shall be admissible in evidence in all courts of
judicature in this Province.
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
■:1'
GOLD COMMISSIONER, AS MINING RECORDER—
125. When there shall be no Mining Recorder for a district
or division, the duties of the Mining Recorder shall devolve
upon the Gold Commissioner, and it shall at all times b'^
lawful for the Gold Commissioner to perform the duties of
the Mining Recorder, and the Gold Commissioner shall have
all the powers of a Mining Recorder.
OFFICE HOURS— 126. The Mining Recorder's omce
shall be open upon such days and hours as the Lieutenant-
Govenor in Council may from time to time appoint, and
failing any particular appointment, shall be kept open upon
all days, excepting public holidays, from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m., and
ciuch times shall be deemed the office hours of such office.
PART V.
Gold Commissioner's Ministerial Powers. —
Tunnels and Drains.
LICENSES FOR TUNNELS— 127. It shall be lawful
for, but not incumbent upon, the Gold Commissioner to
grant a license to any free miner, being the lawful holder of
a mineral claim, or mine held as real estate, to run a drain
or tunnel, for any purpose connected with the development
or working of such claim or mine, through any occupied or
unoccupied lands, whether mineral or otherwise, upon se-
curity being deposited or given to him, to his satisfaction,
for any damage that may be done thereby, and upon su<*h
other terms as he shall think fit.
Water.
WATER RIGHT— 128. It shall be lawful for, but not
incumbent upon, the Gold Commissioner to grant a water
right to any free miner who is the lawful holder of a miu-
eial claim, mine held as real estate, or mill-site, in any un-
appropriated water, for any mining or milling purpose, for
any term not exceeding twenty years, and upon such terms
and conditions as the Gold Commissioner shall think fit,
upon being satisfied that all the conditions of section 61
have been complied with. And in all cases where he shall
think fit
such wat
REN
grant to
incumbei
grant foi
satisfied
purpose
exist.
FOR
not com]
grants ol
declare t
REC
dared f(
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ord Bool
WA"]
the gran
sion, on
change.
AUT
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author it,
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through
son her*
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with an
whatsoo
shall til
o\^-
order t
in such
all dan
parts c!
being ii
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
tt
think fit to extend the time for the recording of the giant of
such water right.
RENEWAL OF GRANT— 129. On the expiration of tho
grant to any such water right, it shall be lawful for, but not
incumbent upon, the Gold Commissioner to renew such
grant for a further period not exceeding ten years, on being
satisfied that the necessity for the use of the water for the
purpose for which it was originally granted continues to
exist.
FORFEITURE -130. Upon proof that any grantee has
not complied with all or any of the conditions upon which
grants of water rights are held, the Gold Commissioner may
declare the grant to be forfeited.
RECORD— 131. When such grant shall have been do-
clared forfeited, the Gold Commissioner shall cause such
forfeiture lo be recorded by the Mining Recorder in the Rec-
ord Book.
WATER — 132. The Gold Commissioner may permit
the grantee of any v/ater right to change the place of diver-
sion, on being satisfied that others are not injured by such
change.
AUTHORITY TO MAKE BRIDGE OR DITCH— 133.
The Gold Commissioner may, in all proper cases, grant an
authority in v/iiting to any person desiring to bridge any
stream, claim or other place, for any purpose, or lo mine
under or through any ditch or flume, or to carry water
through or over any land already occupied, and to any per-
son heretofore or hereafter engaged in the construction of
any road or work, to cross, divert, or otherwise interfere
with any dit(h, water privilege, or other mining rights
whatsoever, for such period as the said Gold Commissioner
shall think fit.
OWNER OF DITCH "134. The Gold Commissioner may
order the owner of any ditch, flume, or pipe to make good,
in such manner as such Gold Commissioner shall think fit,
all damages which may be occasioned by or through any
parts of the works of such ditch, flume, or pipe breaking or
being imperfect.
S6
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
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Working of Mines or Claims, and Other Powers.
RE-LOCATION OF CLAIM— 135. The Gold Commis-
sioner may, in his discretion, permit a free miner to re-lo-
(late a mineral claim, or any part thereof, which may have
been abandoned or forfeited by such free miner: Provided
that such re-locations shall not prejudice or interfere with
the rights or interests of others.
SPACE FOR DEPOSITS— 136. The Gold Commissioner
may mark out a space of ground for deposits of leavings and
(leads from any tunnel, claim or mining ground, upon such
terms as he may think just.
PUBLIC SAFETY— 137. The Gold Commissioner shall
have the power to summarily order any mining works to be
so carried on as not to interfere with or endanger the safety
of the public, any public work or highway, or any mining
property, mineral claims, mining claims, bed-rock drains,,
or bed-rock flumes; and any abandoned works may by his
order be either filled up or guarded to his satisfaction, at
the cost of the parties who may have constructed the same,
or, in their absence, upon such terms as he shall think fit.
CROWN GRANTS— 138. Notwithstanding anything
contained in the "Gold Mining Amendment Act, 1873," or
in any Crown grant issued under the said Act, or under this
or any other Act, it shall be lawful for the Gold Commis-
sioner, in his discretion, and with or without any
terms or conditions, to allow to the owners of mineral
claims all such rights or privileges in and over mineriil
claims, or other claims held as real estate, as may be al-
lowed in and over claims not so held; and owners of
claims held as real estate shall be entitled to the same rights
and privileges as owners of claims not so held.
LEASE OF MILL-SITE— 139. Upon receiving an appli-
cation for a mill-site from any free miner, and upon proof
being furnished to his satisfaction of the non-mineral char-
acter of the land applied for, and the deposit in duplicate
of a plat of said land, and upon proof by affidavit that the
applicants has complied with the requirements of section 54
of this Act, the Gold Commissioner shall issue to the appli-
cant a lease of such land for one year, in the form in the
Schedule to this Act.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
87
CERTIFICATE OF WORK, MILL-SITF.— 140. Upon
boing satisfied that the lessee of a mill-site has put or con-
structed thereon works or machinery for mining or milling
purposes to an amount of not less than five hundred dollars,
the Gold Commissioner shall issue his certificate to that
effect.
RECORDER— 141. Upon receipt from the Mining Re-
corder of the moneys and documents mentioned or referred
to in section 121, the Gold Commissioner shall satisfy him-
self that the same are in order, and then forward the same
to the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works.
GOLD COMMISSIONER, POWER— 142. The Gold Com-
missioner shall have power to do all things necessary or
expedient for the carrying out of the provisions of this Act.
6»
Administration.
ESTATE OF INTESTATE DECEASED MINER— 143.
The Gold Commissioner, or any person authorized by him,
shall take charge of all the property, within the district of
such commissioner, of any deceased free miner until the
issue of letters of administration or probate of the will, if
any, and may cause any mineral claim? held or owned to
be duly represented or dispense therewith at his option:
Provided, however, that where any free miner shall die
intestate, and the value of the personal estate of such de-
ceased free miner is less that three hundred dollars, it shall
not be necessary for the Gold Commissioner to obtain from
any court letters of administration, but in such case the
Gold Commissioner may administer and wind up the per-
sonal estate of the deceased, and do all things necessary
and proper therefor, and act in all respects as if letters of
administration to the personal estate of such deceased free
miner had been granted to such Gold Coramhoioner, and
the Gold Commissioner shall produce and pass *iis accounts,
in each estate of which he shall undertake the administra-
tion, before a judge of the County Court of tho district.
- PART VI.~ County Courts.
JURISDICTION, PROCEDURE, FORMS, AND COSTS—
144. In addition to the jurisdiction and powers given to
County Courts by the "County Courta Jurisdiction Act," and
8S
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA,
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other Acts, every County Court shall have and exercise,
within the limits of Its district, all the jurisdiction and
powers of a Court of Law and Equity —
(1.) In all personal actions, where the debt or damages
claimed arise directly out of the business of mining (other
than coal mining), or from the exercise or interference with
any right, power, or privilege given, or claimed to be given,
by this Act or any other Act relating to mining (other than
( ,al mining):
(2.) In all actions between employers and employees,
where the employment is directly connected with the busi-
ness of mining (other than coal mining:)
(3.) In all actions for supplies to persons engaged in
mining, whero such supplies were bought, contracted for,
or supplied, or were alleged to have been bought, contracted
for, or supplied for mining purposes, or for consumption by
persons engaged in mining or prospecting:
(4.) In all actions of trespass on or in respect of min-
eral claims, or other mining property, or upon or in respect
of lands entered or trespassed on, or claimed to have been
entered or trespassed on, in searching for, mining, or work-
ing minerals, (other than coal), or for any other purpose
directly connected with the business of mining (other than
coal mining), or in the exercise of any power or privilege
given, or claimed to be, by this Act, or any other Act relating
to mining (other than coal mining):
(5.) In all actions of ejectment from mineral claims or
other mining property, or from lands entered, or claimed to
have been entered, in searching for, mining, or working
minerals (other than coal), or for any purpose directly con-
nected with the business of mining, or entered, or claimed
to have been entered, under some power, right or authority
given or obtained under the provisions of this Act, or any
other Act relating to mining (other than coal mining):
(6.) In all suits for foreclosure or redemption, or for en-
forcing any charge or lien, where the mortgage, charge or
lien shall be on mineral claims, mines, or other mining
property:
(7.) In all suits for specific performance of or for re-
forming, or delivering up, or cancelling any agreement for
sale, purchase, or lease of any mineral claim, min^, or other
mining property:
(8.) In all suits for the dissolution or winding up of
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COI.UMHIA.
»
Of
any mining partnersliip, whether registered or not, under
the provisions of this Act:
(9.) In all suits relative to water rights claimed under
this Act. or any other Act relating to mining (other than
coal mining):
(10.) In all proceedings for orders in the nature of in-
junctions, where the came are requisite for the granting of
relief in any matter in which jurisdiction is given to the
County Court by this Act:
(11.) Provided, always, that at any time during the prog-
ress of any action, suit or matter relating to or concerning
any of the classes of objects in this sectio*- ^>efore referred
to and enumerated, any of the parties to such action, suit
or matter may ai»ply by summons to any judge of the Su-
preme Court at Chambers for an order directing the transfer
of such action, suit or matter into the Supreme Court, and
upon such summons an>' judge of the Supreme Court may.
if satisfied that it is expedient such action, suit or matter
should be so transferred, make an order directing the trans-
fer of such action, suit or matter into the Supreme Court,
and may in and by such order give all necessary directions
for effectually procuring and completing such transfer, and
may make such order as to costs, as well of the proceeding-;
theretofore had and taken in the County Court as of such
summons, as he may think fit, and from and after the mak-
ing of any such order for transfer into the Supreme Coui't
all proceedings in respect of such action, suit or mal:ter,
shall be had and determined in the Supreme Court, and the
jurisdiction of the County Court in respect thereof shall
absolutely cease and determine. The Supreme Court, or a
judge thereof, shall have discretion to order that any case
so transferred shall be heard, tried or disposed of without
pleadings.
COUNTY COURT JUHTSDICTION— 145. The jurisdic-
tion given to County Courts by this Act shall be known as the
"mining jurisdiction" of the County Court, and the words
"mining jurisdiction" shall be written or printed on all sum-
monses, writs and other process, and all other documents in
every action or cause brought under the mining jurisdiction
of the County Court.
COUNTY COURTS AND OFFICERS— 146. County
Courts and County Court Judges, Registrars, Sheriffs, and
other officers, shall have the same duties, powers, privileges.
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MINING LAWS OF liRlTISH COLUMBIA.
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and authoritios in all actions and suits, and other proceedings
hiouiiht under the mining jurisdiction of the County Court,
as they now have, or at any time hereafter may have, in ac-
tions and suits and other proceedings brought under the ord-
inary jurisdiction of the County Court, and the provisions of
all Acts for the time being in force reguhiting the duties and
powers of County Courts, and County Court Judges. Regis-
trars, Sheriffs, and other officers, and regulating the pracLice
and procedure In County Courts, and all Rules and Orders for
the rime being applicable to the ordinary jurisdiction of the
County Court, shall, so far as practicable and not inconsist-
ent with this Act, apply to the mining jurisdiction of the
County Court.
ADJOINING DISTRICTS— 147. Where disputes arise
concerning mining property, portions whereof are situated
in adjoining or different districts, the County Court of either
of sucli districts before which tlie dispute is first brought
shall determine it.
SUMMONS, RETURN OF— 148. The hearing of
any summons, plaint or other process in any County Court
shall not be deferred beyond the shortest reasonable time
necessary in the interests of all parties concerned, and it
shall be law^ful for the Registrar to make summonses or
other proceedings retuinable forthwith, or at any other timo.
WHERE COURT MAY DECIDE— 149. In all mining ac-
tions or suits the Court may decide the question at issue up-
on the ground in dispute, and such decision shall be entered
as in ordinary cases, and have the same virtue and efTect as
If rendered in court.
JURY — 150. In any mining cause or suit, either party
may require that the issues of fact shall be tried by a jury,
and the Judge may, before delivering judgment in any action
suit, or other proceeding, direct all or any issues of fact to be
found by a jury.
COSTS — 151. In all actions, suits, and other proceedings
within the mining jurisdiction of the County Court, the
Judge may order that costs be taxed on the higher or lower
scale allow(»d by the County Court Rules; or if he shall con-
sider the case of sufficient importance, he may order that
costs be taxed as in the Supreme Court, and the costs so
ordered shall be the costs recoverable in such action, suit,
or other proceeding.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLTTMBIA.
91
COUNTY COURT. JURISDICTION OF— 152. Every
County Court having jurisdiction in mining disputes ahall,
wltii reference to real estate lield under the "Gold Mlninn
Amendment Af;t, 1873," or under this Art. and notwith-
standing any law to the contrary, have the same powers and
authorities to decide all matters or disputes arising between
the owners thereof, or between the owners thereof or any
third person, or between mining joint stock companies, or
between shareholders therein, or between them and the com-
pany, in the same way and as fully as it might do con-
cerning claims not being real estate, and actions, suits and
other proceedings relating to such matters or disputes shall
be brought and had in the same manner as actions, suits, or
proceedings relating to mining claims not being real estate.
MAY ISSUE. WRITS— 153. Any County Court Judge
having jurisdiction in mining causes, may direct the issuing
of writs of capias ad respondendum, ne exeat regno, and ca-
pias ad satisfaciendum in all cases in which by law he has
jurisdiction over the subject-matter of the suit, but under
and subject to such conditions as a Judge of the Supreme
Court might usually require in applications of a similar na-
ture.
M
1
PART VII. — Penal and Miscellaneous.
154. Any person wilfully acting in contravention of this
Act, or refusing to obey any lawful order of the Gold Com-
missioner or of any Judge presiding in a Court, shall, on
conviction thereof in a summary way before any two Justices
of the Peace or a Stipendiary Magistrate, or before any Jud?e
of a Court having jurisdiction in mining disputes, be liable
to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars, or to
imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for any term not
exceeding three months.
155. All fines and penalties imposed or payable under
this Act may be recovered by distress and sale of any mining
or other personal property of the offender; and in default of
sufficient distress by imprisonment, with or without hard
labor, not exceeding three months.
156. All fines, fees and penalties collected under this
Act shall be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of
British Columbia.
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
157. Nothing herein contained shall, save where such
intention is expressly stated, be so construed as to affect
prejudicially any mining rights and interests acquired prior
to the passing of this Act; and all mining rights and pri7i-
leges heretofore and hereunder acquired shall, without the
same being expressly stated, be deemed to be taken and held
subject to the rights of Her Majesty, Her heirs and success-
ors, and to the public rights of way and water.
158. Every free miner, on application to the Mining
Recorder of the district, shall be entitled to a printed copy of
this Act on payment of the sum of twenty-five cents.
BEFORE WHOM AFF'IDAVITS MADE— 159. Affidavits
and declarations made under the provisions of this Act shall
be made before «ome Judge or Registrar of a Court of Record,
or before some Gold Commissioner, Mining Recorder, Sti-
pendiary Magistrate, Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, or
Commissioner for taking affidavits.
RIGHT TO EXAMINE CLAIM— 160. The Minister of
Mines and the Provincial Inspector of Mineralogist shall have
the right to enter into or upon and examine any mineral
claim or mine within the meaning of this Act.
1. ' ''V '■
Rules and Regulations.
LIEUT.-GOVERNOR MAKE RULES— 161. The Lieu-
tenant-Governor in Council may make such orders as are
deemed necessary from time to time to carry out the pro-
visions of this Act according to their true intent, or to meet
the cases which may arise and for which no provision is
made in this Act, or when the provision v/hich is made is
ambiguous or doubtful; and may also make regulations for
relieving against forfeitures arising under section 9 of this
Act; and may further make and declark^ any regulations
which are considered necessary to give the provisions in this
clause contained full eft'^^ct; and from time to time alter or
revoke any order on orders or any regulations made in re-
spect of the said provisions, and make others in their stead,
and f-^rther impose penalties not exceeding two hundred dol-
lars, ur not exceeding three months' imprisonment, for viola-
tion of any regulations under this Act; and further provide
that any statement or returns required to be made by said
regulations shall be verified on oath. Every order or regula-
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
93
such
affect
prior
pri7i-
it the
i held
ccess-
inine
tion made by virtue of the provisions of this section shall
have force and effect only after the same has been published
for two successive weeks in the British Columbia Gazette;
and such orders or regulations shall be laid before the Legis-
lative Assembly within the first fifteen days of the Session
next after the date thereof.
Taxation of Mines and Moneys Invested Therein.
162. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act,
mines and moneys invested therein shall not be exempt from
taxation, but shall bear such rate as may be imposed by any
law in the Province.
ANNUAL TAX— 163. There shall be levied and collect-
ed from the owner or occupier of every mineral or placer
claim of which a Crown grant has issued, including Crown
grants issued under authority of an Act made and passed in
the 36th year of Ker Majesty's reign, entitled "An Act to
amend the 'Gold Mining Ordinance, 1867,' and the 'Gold Min-
ing Amendment Act, 1872,' " an annual tax of twenty-five
cent.3 for every acre and fractional part of an acre of land
conveyed by the grant, payable on the thirtieth day of June
in each year. Such tax shall form a charge upon the claim.
The Assessor appointed under or by virtue of any existing
Assessment Act, or any Collector appointed under the "Pro-
vincial Revenue Tax Act," is hereby authorized, as to the
mineral or placer claims situate within the district for which
he is appointed, to collect and receive the tax. In the event
of the tax not being paid to the Assessor or Collector, the
Geld Commissioner may in his discretion cause the claim
upon which the tax is charged to be offered for sale by pub-
lic auction, of which sixty days' notice shall be posted upon
the principal Court House of the district in which the claim
is situate, and in one newspaper, if any, published in such
district, and may sell such claim, receive the purchase money,
and execute a conveyance thereof to the purchaser. The pur-
chase money shall be applied in payment of the expenses of
advertising and the payment of the tax, and any surplus
shall be paid into the Treasury in trust for the owner of the
claim. In the event of there being no purchaser, or if the
price offered shall not be suflficient to pay the tax and ex-
penses of advertising the land shall absolutely revert to the
Province, and the Crown grant thereof shall be deemed void.
94
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
The Assessor or Collector may, before offering the claim for
sale, sue the owner or occupier for the tax, in a summarj'
manner, before any Justice of the Peace, who may adjudge
the same to be paid; and in default of payment the amount
due, together with costs, may be recovered by distress of the
goods and chattels of the person against whom the tax may
be recovered: Provided, that if the owner of any such min-
eral or placer claim shall establish, to the satisfaction of the
Gold Commissioner, Mining Recorder, or Assessor and Col-
lector of the district in which the claim lies, that the sum of
two hundred dollars has been expended thereon in labor or
Improvements in any one year, then the tax shall not be
levied in respect of such claim for such year.
CHANGE OF NAME— 164. Where a claim has been re-
corded under any name, and the owner or his agent is desirous
of changing the same, the Recorder of said mining division
may, upon application being made by such, owner or agent,
and upon payment of a fee of twenty-five dollars, amend the
record accordingly: Provided, however, that such change of
name shall not in any way affect or prejudice any proceed-
ings or execution against the owner of the said claim.
LOCATION DESTROYED— 165. Whenever through the
acts or defaults of any person other than the recorded owner
of a mineral claim or his agent by him duly authorized, the
evidence of the location or record on the ground, or the
situation of a mineral claim, has been destroyed, lost, or
effaced, or is difficult of ascertainment, nevertheless, effect
shall be given to same as far as possible, and the Court shall
have power to make all necessary inquiries, directions and
references in the premises, for the purpose of carrying out
the object hereof, and vesting title in the first bona fide ac-
quirer of the claim.
1-4
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PART Vm.— Repealing Clause.
166. The Acts and parts of Acts mentioned in this sec-
tion shall stand repealed and be repealed; but such repeal
shall not be deemed to imply that any of the said Acts or
parts of Acts which have been repealed at any time prior
to the passing of this Act have been in force since such re-
peal: Provided further, that such repeal shall not affect any
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
|m for
imarj'
lount
)f the
may
min-
•f the
Col-
|um of
>or or
lot be
rights acquired, or any liabilities or penalties incurred, or any
act or thing done, under any of the said Acts or parts of Acts:
The "Mineral Act, 1891," the "Mineral Act (1891) Amend-
ment Act, 1892," the "Mineral Act (1891) Amendment Ant,
1893." the "Mineral Act Amendment Act, 1894," and the
"Mineral Act Amendment Act, 1895," are hereby repealed.
167. Nothing herein contained or enacted shall affect
any litigation pending at the time of the passage of this Act.
168. The jurisdiction conferred upon a Gold Commis-
sioner by section 6 of the "Mineral Act" shall not be exer-
cised until after the end of the next Session of the Legislative
Assembly.
PLACER MINING ACT, 1891
AN ACT RELATING TO PLACER MINES (AS
AMENDED IN 1894, 1895 AND 1896).
[For originals see 1891, c. 26; V894, c. 33; 1895, c, 40; 1896, c. 35.]
Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the
Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia,
enacts as follows:
«
SHORT TITLE~1. This Act may be cited as the "Placer
Mining Act, 1891."
INTERPRETATI0N--2. (1896, c. 35, s. 2.) In the con-
struction of this Act the following expressions shall have the
following meanings respectively, unless inconsistent with
the context.
"Mine," "placer mine" and diggings" shall be synony-
mous terms, and shall mean any natural stratum or bed of
earth, gravel or cement mined for gold or other precious
minerals or stones:
"Placer claim" shall mean the personal right of prop-
erty or interest in any placer mine; and in the term "mining
property" shall be included every placer claim, ditch, or
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dd
MTKtNG LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
water right used for placer mining purposes, and all ot'ier
tilings belonging thereto or used in the working thereof.
Placer claims shall be divided into creek diggings, bar dig-
gings, dry diggings, bench diggings, and hill diggings.
"Creek diggings" shall mean any mine in the bed of any
river, stream, or ravine, excepting bar diggings.
"Bar diggings" shall mean any mine over which a river
extends when in its flood state.
"Dry diggings" shall mean any mine over which a river
never extends.
"Bench diggings" shall mean any mine on a bench, and
shall, for the purpose of defining the size of a claim in b ach
diggings, be excepted from "dry diggings."
"Hill diggings" shall mean any mine on the surface of a
hill, and fronting on any natural stream or ravine.
"Precious stone diggings" shall mean deposit of precious
stones, whether in veins, beds, or gravel deposits.
Streams and ravines" shall include all natural water-
courses whether u.sually containing water or not, and all
rivers, creeks and gulches.
"Ditch" shall include a flume, pipe, race, or other arti-
ficial means for conducting water by its own weight, to be
used for mining purposes. '
"Ditch head" shall mean the point in a natural water-
course or lake where water is first taken into a ditch,
"Free Miner" shall mean a person, or joint stock com-
pany, or foreign company named in, and lawfully posECSsed
of, a valid existing free miner's certificate, and no other.
"Legal post" shall mean a stake standing not less than
four feet above the ground, and squared or faced on four
sides for at least one foot from the top, and each, side so
squared or faced shall measure at least four inches on its
/ace so far as squared or faced, or any stump or tree cut off
and squared or faced to the above height and size.
"Record," "register," and "registration" shall have the
same meaning, and shall mean an entry in some official book
kept for that purpose.
"Record," when used without qualifying words showing
that a different matter is referred to, shall be taken to refer
to the record of the location of a placer claim.
"Full interest" shall mean any placer claim of the full
size, or one of several shares into which a mine may be
equally divided.
MININQ LAWS OF BRITISH C01.UMBIA. •?
"Close season" shall mean the period of the year during
which placer claims in any district are laid over by the Gold
Commissioner of that district.
"Cause" shall include any suit or action.
"Judgment" shall include "order" or "decree."
"Real estate" shall mean any placer mineral land held
in fee simple.
"Joint Stock Company" shall mean any company duly in-
corporated for mining purposes under the "Companies Act,"
"Companies Act, 1890," and any company duly incorporated
in British Columbia for mining purposes under the "Com-
panies Act, 1862" (Imperial), and shall include all companies
falling under the definition of a foreign company in the
"Companies Act."
PART I. — Free Miners and Their Privileges.
(Sections 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are the same as sections 3, 4, 5,
6 and 7, Part I.)
MINING WITHOUT CERTIFICATE— 8. Every per-
son and joint stock company engaged in placer mining shall
take out a free miner's certificate, and any person or joint
stock company who mines or works as a miner in any placer
claim, or on any bed-rock flume, drain, or ditch, without
having taken out and obtained such certificate, shall, on
conviction thereof in a summary way, forfeit and pay a pen-
alty not exceeding twenty-five dollars, besides costs: Pro-
vided, always, that nothing herein contained shall prejudice
the right to collect wages or payment for work done by any
person or company, who, through not being a free miner,
has rendered himself or itself liable to the above penalty.
UNCERTIFICATED PERSON NOT ENTITLED TO
INTEREST, ETC.— 9. (1895 c. 40, s. 2.) No parson or joint
stock company shall be recognized as having any right or
interest in or to any placer claim, mining lease, bed-rock
flume grant, or any minerals in any ground comprised there-
in, or in or to any water right, mining ditch, drain, tunnel,
or flume, unless he or it shall have a free miner's certificate
unexpired. And on the expiration of a free miner's certifi-
cate the owner thereof shall absolutely forfeit all his rights
and interest in or to any placer claim, mining lease, bed-
rock flume grant, and any minerals in any ground com-
ic 1,4
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■*rich shall be inserted the name of the claim, the name of
eact neator, the number of each locator's free miner's certi-
ficate, the locality of the claim, its length in feet, the period
for which such record is granted, the date of location, and
date of the record: Provided that a free miner shall not be
entitled to a record of a claim until he shall have furnished
the Mining Recorder with a written statement of the above
particulars.
REMOVAL OF POSTS— 24. After the recording of a
placer claim, the removal of any post by the holder thereof,
or by any person acting in his behalf, made for the purpose
of changing the limits of his claim, shall act as a forfeiture
of the claim.
PLACE OF RECORD— 25. Upon the establishment of
a mining division and the opening of a Mining Recorder's
office therein, under the authority of this Act, such office and
none other shall be the proper office for recording all placer
claims withiti-'^uch mining division, and making all records
in respect thereof.
WRONG DISTRTCT— 26. (1896, c. 35, s. 4.) If through
ignorance any free miner shall record a placer claim in a
different mining division to that in which such claim is situ-
ate, such error shall not affect his title to such claim, but he
shall, within fifteen days from the discovery of his error,
record such claim in the mining division in which it is situ-
ate, and such new record shall bear the date of the first
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
M'M
record, and a note shall be made thereon of the error and
of the date of the rectification of the same.
DURATION— 27. A free miner having duly located a
placer claim, shall be entitled to record the same for one or
more years, upon payment of the fees set out in thx'- Sched-
ule to this Act.
RE-RECORD— 28. A free miner shall, at any time dur-
ing the existence of his record or re-reccrd, be entitled to ex-
tend the term of his interest in his placer claim for one or
more years, upon payment of the fees set out in the Schedule
to this Act, by re-recording such claim. Such re-record shall
be made in the Record Book, and shall set out —
(1.) The name of the claim:
The name of each holder of an interest in such
(2.)
claim:
(3.)
tiflcate:
(4.)
(5.)
(6.)
The number of each such holder's free miner's cer-
The locality of the claim:
The period for which such re-record is granted:
The date of the re-record.
APPLICATION TO RECORD IN RECORDER'S AB-
SENCE — 29. If a free miner shall apply for a record, and
shall make such application at the Mining Recorder's oflflce
during office hours, but during his absence, and shall leave
the fee required by this Act, and the particulars and infor-
mation required by section 23, with the officer or other per-
son in charge of the said office, he shall be entitled to have a
record dated on the date of such application.
APPLICATION TO RE-RECORD-30. If a free miner
shall apply for a re-record, and shall make such application
at the Mining Recorder's office during office hours, but dur-
ing his absence, and shall leave the fee required by this Act,
and the particulars and information required by section 28
with the officer or other person in charge of the said office,
he shall be entitled to have a re-record dated on the date of
such application, but commencing to run from the expiration
of his existing record or re-record.
CONDITION ON WHICH MINER MAY HOLD— 31. A
free miner, having duly located and recorded a placer claim,
shall be entitled to hold the same during the existence of
his record or re-record of such claim upon complying with
al] the terms and conditions of this Act
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
103
and
RIGHT OF MINER— 32. Every free miner shall have
the exclusive right of entry upon his placer claim, for the
miner-like worlting thereof, and the construction of a resi-
dence thereon, and shall be entitled exclusively ♦o all the
proceeds realized therefrom: Provided that the C 'd Com-
missioner may, upon application made to him, allow other
free miners such rights of entry thereon as iriy b'^ neces-
sary for the working of their claims, upon uch term"? as
may to him se^^m reasonable.
IRRF^ULARITY PRIOR TO RECORD— 33. Upon any
dispute as to tne title to a placer claim, no irregularity made
prior to the date of the then current record or re-record of
such claim shall affect the title thereto, and it shall be as-
sumed that up to the date of such record or re-record the
title to such claim was perfect: Provided, always, that it
shall at all times be open to prove that the ground was im-
properly or insufficiently staked, or that the stakes have
been illegally moved.
WORKS IN CONNECTION WITH CLAIM— 34. Tunnels,
shafts and ditches shall be considered as belonging to the
placer claim for the use of which they are constructed, and
as abandoned or forfeited by the abandonment or forfeiture
of the claim Itself.
RIGHTS OF OTHERS-35. In tunneling under hills, on
the frontage of which angles occur, or which may be of an
oblong or elliptical form, no party shall be allowed to tun-,
nel from any of the said angles, nor from either end of such
hills, so as to interfere with parties tunneling from the
main frontage.
INTEREST IN CLAIM— 36. The Interest of a free
miner In his placer claim shall, save as to place/ mines held
as real estate, be deemed to be a chattel interest, equivalent
to a lease, for such period .as the same may have been re-
corded, renewable at the end thereof by re-recording, and
subject to the conditions as to forfeiture, working, represen-
tation, re-recording and otherwise, for the time being in
force with respect to placer claims.
NO RIGHT TO VEIN OR LODE— 37. The holder of a
placer claim shall have no right to any vein or lode, as de-
fined by the "Mineral Act, 1891," within the limits of such
placer claim, unless he shall have located and recorded the
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
ground as a mineral claim; and until he shall so locate and
record such ground, the same shall be open to any free miner
to locate and record as a mineral claim.
DUTIES OF PLACER CLAIM HOLDERS— 38. Every
placer claim as defined by this Act shall be represented and
bona fide worked by the holder thereof, or by some person
on his behalf, continuously, as nearly as practicable, during
working hours, and shall be deemed to be abandoned and
absolutely forfeited when the same shall have remained un-
worked on working days by the holder thereof, or some per-
son on his behalf, for the period of seventy-two hours, ex-
cept during the close season, some lay-over, or leave of ab-
sence, or during sickness, or for some other reasonable cause
which shall be shown to the satisfaction of the Gold Com-
missioner.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE— 39. Every free miner, or com-
pany of free miners, shall be entitled to a leave of absence
for one year from his or their placer claim or set of claims.
(a.) Upon proving to the Gold Commissioner that he or
ey has or have expended on such claims, or on any portion
of the set of claims, in cash, labor, or machinery, an amount
equal to one thousand dollars on each full interest, without
any return of gold or other minerals in reasonable quantities
from such expenditure: and
(b.) Upon the application of such leave being signed by
all the holders of the claim or set of claims.
Such leave of absence shall not be deemed to relieve the
holder of such claim or set of claims from carrying out the
provisions of this Act respecting free miner's certificates,
records and re-records of such claims; nor shall this section
affect the discretionary, power of the Gold Commissioner
with respect to granting a leave of absence under other con-
ditions.
NOT TO APPLY TO LEASES— 39 A. (1895, c. 40, s. 3.)
The provisions of sections 39 and 42 of the said Act shall not
apply to land or mining property held under mining leases,
pursuant to Part VII. of the "Placer Mining Act, 1891," but
such leases shall in all matters be governed by the terms
thereof.
FORFEITURES— 40. Every forfeiture of a placer claim
shall be absolute, any rule of law or equity to the contrary
notwithstanding.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH CX>LUMBIA.
106
NOT ENTITLED TO LAY OVER— 41. No placer claim
located and recorded in any district within fourteen days
before, or at any time during the close season, shall be
deemed to be laid over, unless so much work shall have been
bona fide done thereon by the holder thereof as shall, in the
opinion of the Gold Commissioner, fairly entitle him to have
such claim laid over.
LAY OVER, INSUFFIENCY OF WATER— 42. Where
the supply of water is insufficient to work hydraulic or other
placer claims requiring water to enable them to be worked,
such claims shall be laid over by virtue of this section dur-
ing such insufficiency, but no longer, except by leave of the
Gold Commissioner; but a notice of such insufficiency of
water must be posted on the office of the Mining Recorder
within three days from the cessation of work.
RECORD OF CHARGES— 43. Every bill of sale, con-
veyance or mortgage of a placer claim, or of any fraction
thereof, shall be recorded within the time prescribed for
recording placer claims.
TRANSFERS IN WRITING— 44. No transfer of any
placer claim, or of any interest therein, shall be enforceable
unless the same or some memorandum thereof shall be in
writing, signed by the transferrer, or by his agent author-
ized in writing, and recorded in the Record of Conveyances.
" GOLD MINING AMENDMENT ACT, 1873 "—45. The
transfer of any real estate acquired undei the previsions of
the "Gold Mining Amendment Act, 1873," shall be In writ-
ing, signed by the transferrer, or by his agent authorized in
writing, and attested by a subscribing witness.
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PART III.— Tunnels and Drains.
LICENSE TO TUNNEL OR DRAIN THROUGH OTHER
LAND — 46. Any free miner requiring to run or construct a
tuni^el or drain in connection with his claim through any
occupied or unoccupied lands, whether mineral or not, shall
obtain a license from the Gold Commissioner for that pur-
pose, which license shall be granted or withheld In the abso-
lute discretion of such Gold Commissioner; and shall also
give such security to the Gold Commissioner for any damage
that nay b« caused by such tunnel or drain ai sucb Gold
106
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Commissioner may require. Such license shall be subject to
such terms and conditions as the Gold Commissioner shall
think fit, and shall be recorded in the Record Book.
BELONG TO CLAIM— 47. A tunnel or drain shall be
considered as part of the placer claim, or mine held as real
estate, for which the same was constructed.
RIGHT OF WAY— 48. Any free miner may apply to
the Gold Commissioner for a grant of right of way and entry
through and upon any mining ground in his district, for the
purpose of constructing a drain for public drainage of mines.
FORM OF APPLICATION— 49. The application for
every such grant shall be in writing, and shall set out the
name of each applicant, the nature and extent of the pro-
posed drain, the amount of toll to be charged, the term of
years for which such grant is to be made, and all other privi-
leges sought to be acquired. The application shall be left at
the Mining Recorder's office addressed to the Gold Commis-
sioner. A notice of such application, setting out the above
particulars, shall be posted on the office of the Mining Re-
corder and on the ground for thirty clear days before such
grant shall be made.
DEPOSIT OF $25—50. The applicant for every such
grant shall deposit with the Mining Recorder, at the time of
the leaving of his application as aforesaid, twenty-five dol-
lars, which shall be refunded in case the application shall be
refused.
RIGHT OF WAY, ETC.— 51. Such grants shall be in
writing and signed by the Gold Commissioner, and shall not
be given for a longer period than twenty years, and shall
give such rights of way and entry and such powers to assess,
levy, and collect tolls from all persons using such drain, or
benefited thereby, as the Gold Commissioner shall think fit,
but not in any case to exceed the term, rights, or powers set
out in the application.
COVENANTS OF GRANTEE— 52. The following cove-
nants and conditions on the part of the grantee and his as-
signs shall be deemed to be part of every grant, whether ex-
pressed therein or not:
(a.) That he shall construct a drain or drains of suffi-
cient size to meet all requirementB within the time therein
named :
1
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
lor
(b.) That he shall keep the same in thorough working
order and repair, and free from all obstructions, and in de-
fault thereof that the Gold Commissioner may order all nec-
essary alterations or repairs to be made by any free miners,
other than the grantee or his assigns, at the cost and ex-
pense of the latter; such cost and expense to be levied by
sale (subject, however, to the conditions of the grant) of all
or any part of the drainage works, materials, and tolls, or
any of them:
(c.) That he shall, within a reasonable time, construct
proper tap-drains from or into any adjacent claims, upon be-
ing requested in writing by the holders thereof so to do ; and
if such grantee shall fail to commence the construction of
any such tap-drains for five days after receipt of such re-
quest, or after making such commencement shall for three
days fail to proceed with such construction, he shall permit
such holders to construct such tap-drains, in which case
such holders shall only be chargeable with one-half the
specified rates of toll, or such other proportion as the Gold
Commissioner may direct:
(d.) That he will not, in the construction and mainte-
nance of such drains and tap-drains, in any way injure the
property of others, and that he shall make good any damage
done by him.
RECORD GRANT— RENT— 53. Every such grant shall
be recorded in the Record Book, and the deposited sum of
twenty-five dollars shall be retained as a recording fee. A
rent of twenty-five dollars for each quarter of a mile and
each fraction thereof shall be paid annually to the Mining
Recorder by the grantee; such rent to commence from the
date of the grant.
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PART IV.— Water Rights.
WATER RIGHTS— 54. Every free miner shall be en-
titled to the use of so much of the water naturally flowing
through or past his placer claim, and not already lawfully
appropriated, as shall, in the opinion of the Gold Commis-
sioner, be necessar^ for the due working thereof.
UNAPPROPRIATED WATER--55. (1894, c. 33, a. 2.)
A free miner may, at the discretion of the Gold Commis-
sioner, obtain a grant to a water right in any uuappropri-
,-57. The grant of such wat^er right shall be
recorded in the office of the Mining Recorder in the Record
of Water Grants, within the time limited for the recording
of placer claims, and shall during each year of the continu-
ance of the grant, and whilst it shall be in operation, be
re-recorded as in the case of a placer claim.
GRANT NOT EFFECTUAL UNTIL RECORDBI>-58.
No grant shall take effect until recorded.
NOT TO BE SOLD— 59. No free miner shall be en-
titled to a grant of the water of any stream for the purpose
of selling the water to claim holders on any part of such
stream. The Gold Commissioner may, however, grant such
privileges as he may deem just, when such water is intended
to work bench or hill claims fronting on any such stream;
provided, that the rights of free miners then using the
water be protected.
DISTRIBUTION OF WATER— 60. The owner of any
water right may distribute the water to such free miners
and on such terms as he may deem advisable, within the
limits mentioned in his grant: Provided, always, that such
owner shall be bound to supply water to all applicants, being
free miners, in a fair proportion, and shall not demand
more from one than another, except where the difficulty of
supply is enhanced.
RIGHTS OF MINERS BELOW DITCH HEAD— 61. If,
after the grant has been made, any free miner or free min-
ers locate and bona fide work any placer claim below the
ditch head, on any stream so diverted, he or they shall col-
lectively be entitled to forty inches of water if two hundred
inches be diverted, and sixty inches if three hundred inches
be diverted, and no more, except upon paying to the
grantee compensation equal to the amount of damage sus-
taini'd by the grantee on account of the diversion of such
extra quantity of water; and, in computing such damage.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
109
the expense of the construction of the ditch shall be con-
sidered.
PRIORITY OF NOTICE— 62. On any dispute between
applicants for a grant prior to such grant being made, pri-
ority of notice shall constitute priority of right, if any.
DATE OP GRANT— 63. A grant duly recorded shall
speak from the date of the grant, and not from the date of
the record.
RIGHTS OF PERSONS USING— 64. Every such grant
shall be subject to the rights of such free miners as shall, at
the date of such grant, be working on the stream above or
below the ditch head, and of any other persons lawfully
using such water for any purpose whatsoever.
WATER RIGHT APPURTENANT TO CLAIM— 65. A
grant of a water right made in respect of any placer claim,
or placer mine held as real estate, shall be deemed appurte-
nant to such claim or mine, and whenever the claim or mine
shall have been worked out, abandoned or forfeit'^d, or
whenever the occasion for the use of the water upon the
claim or mine shall have permanently ceased, the grant
shall be at an end and determined.
[Section 66 is same as Sec. 67, Part II., except read
"thirty days" instead of "six months."]
POI> . DF DIVERSION, CHANGE— 67. The grantee of
any water right may obtain permission from the Gold Com-
missioner to change the place of diversion, on giving such
notices and complying with such terms as the Gold Commis-
sioner may require.
[Sections 68, 69 and 70 are same as Sees. 69, 70 and 71,
Part II.]
NOTICE ON APPROACHING ANY DITCH— 71. When-
ever it shall be intended, in forming or upholding any ditch,
to enter upon and occupy any part of a placer claim, or
placer mine held as real estate, or other land, or to dig or
loosen any earth or rock within twenty feet of any ditch
thereon, three days' notice in writing of such intention shall
be given to the owner of such ditch, before entering or ap-
proaching within twenty feet thereof.
[Sections 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78 are same as Sees.
73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79, Part II.]
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
»T*,
PART v.— Mining Partnerships.
HOW GOVERNED— 79. All milling partnerships shall
be governed by the provisions hereof, unless they shall have
other and written articles of partnership.
TO BE ANNUAI>— 80. A mining partnership shall, un-
less otherwise agreed upon, be deemed to be a yearly part-
nership, renewable from year to year by tacit consent.
SCOPE OF— 81. The business of such partnership shall
be mining and such other matters as pertain solely thereto.
RIGHTS OF— 82. Mining partnerships can locate and
record in the partnership name a placer claim for each part-
ner who is a free miner. Such partnership claims may be
located and recorded as a set of claims, and each such claim
shall be staked as an ordinary placer claim. One stake on
each such claim shall be marked as an initial stake, by writ-
ing thereon the words "Initial post." It shall not be requi-
site to post more than one location notice on each set of
claims, which notice shall be on the first initial post.
RECORD OF CLAIMS— 83. A set of claims may be re-
corded in one record. The name of every partner, and the
number of every partner's free miner's certificate, shall be
on the record of every such set of claims. The partnership
name shall appear on every such record, and all claims so
taken up shall be the property of the partnership.
PARTNERS, TO VOTE— 84. A partner in any mining
partnership, or his agent authorized in writing, shall, at any
meeting thereof, be entitled to vote upon any interest or
fraction of an interest which he may hold therein; but the
result of the votes given shall be determined by the number
if the full interests voted upon, and not by the number of
partners voting at such meeting.
MAJORITY MAKE ASSESSMENTS— 85. A majority of
such votes may decide when, how long, and in what manner
to work the partnership claim, or set of claims, the number
of men to be employed, which number shall not be less than
one man to each claim, and the extent and manner of levy-
ing the assessments to defray the expenses incurred by the
partnership. Such majority may also choose a foreman or
manager, who shall represent the partnership, and sue and
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Ul
SO
be sued in the name of the partnership for assessments and
otherwise; and he shall have power to bind them by his
contracts. Every partner, or his duly authorized agent,
shall be entitled to represent his interest in the partnership
property by work and labor, so long as such work and labor
be satisfactory to the foreman or manager. In the event of
such partner or agent being discharged by the foreman or
manager, the court having jurisdiction in mining disputes
may, if requested, summon the foreman or manager before
it, and upon hearing the facts make such order as it shall
deem just.
WHEN PAYABLE— 86. All assessments shall be pay-
able within five days after being made.
DEFAULT BY PARTNER— 87. Any partner making
default in payment after receiving a notice certifying the
amount due by him, shall, if such amount be correct, be per-
sonally liable therefor to the partnership, and his interest in
the partnership property may be sold by the partnership for
the payment of the debt, and any further assessment which
may have accrued thereon up to the day of sale, together
with all costs and charges occasioned by such default; and
if the proceeds of the sale be insufRcient to pay off the sev-
eral sums mentioned, the court having jurisdiction in min-
ing disputes, upon being applied to, shall issue an order
directed to the Sheriff to seize and sell any other personal
property of the debtor. Notices of sale shall, in either of
the above cases, be conspicuously posted ten clear days prior
to the day of sale, in the vicinity of such mining or other
property, and on the Court House or Mining Recorder's office
nearest thereto. But if such partner be absent from the
district, such notice shall be posted as aforesaid thirty clear
days before the day of sale, and a copy of such notices shall
be published in some newspaper circulating in the district
wherein such mining or other property is situate for the
same period. Such sple shall be by public auction to the
highest bidder. The purchaser shall be entitled to posses-
sion of the property sold, and to a bill of sale therefor signed
by the auctioneer; such bill of sale shall confer such title
upon the purchaser as the owner had.
[Sections 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95. 96, 97, 98 and 99 are
same as Sees. 89, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100 and 101,
Part III.]
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MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
PART VI.— Bedrock Flumes.
APPLICATION FOR RIGHT OP WAT FOR BEDROCK
FLUME — 100. One or more free miners may apply to the
Gold Commissioner for a grant of exclusive rights of way
through and entry upon any mining ground in his district,
for the purpose of constructing, laying and maintaining a
bedrock flume.
HOW MADE— 101. Every such application shall be in
writing, and shall be left at the Mining Recorder's oflace, ad-
dressed to the Gold Commissioner, and shall state the name
of the applicant and he nature and extent of the privileges
sought to be acquired. Thirty days' notice of such applica-
tion shall be given, by affixing the same to some conspicu-
ous part of the ground through which the rights of way are
asked, and a copy thereof upon the walls of the Court House
or of the office of the Mining Recorder of the district. Prior
to such application, such ground shall be marked out by legal
posts, placed at intervals of one hundred and fifty feet along
the proposed main line or course of the flume, with a notice
of such application affixed to one of such posts. And it shall
be competent for any free miner to protest before the Gold
Commissioner within such thirty days against such appli-
cation being granted, but not afterwards. Every application
for a grant shall be accompanied by a deposit of one hundred
and twenty-five dollars, to be left with the Mining Recorder,
which shall be refunded if the application be refused, but not
otherwise.
TERM— 102. Every such grant shall be In writing,
signed by the Gold Commissioner, and shall be for a term not
exceeding five years.
RIGHTS OF GRANTEE— 103. The grantee shall be en-
titled to the following rights and privileges, that is to say;
(a.) The right of way through and entry upon any new
and unworked river, creek, gulch or ravine, and the exclusive
right to locate and work a strip of ground one hundred feet
wide and two hundred feet long in the bed thereof to each
grantee named in such grant.
(b.) The right of way through and entry upon any
river, creek, gulch, or ravine worked by miners for any
period longer than two yean prior to such entry, and alrtady
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Ut
wholly or partially abandoned, and the exclusive right to
stake out and work both the unworked and abandoned por-
tions thereof, one hundred feet In width, and one-quarter
mile in length, for each grantee named in such grant:
(c.) Such right of way through and entry upon any riv-
er, creek, or ravine discovered within two years next pre-
ceding the date of his application before mentioned, and upon
any portions of which any free miner is legally holding and
bona fide working a claim, as to the Gold Commissioner may
seem advisable:
(d.) The right of way through and entry upon all pla-
cer claims which are at the time of the notice of application
before mentioned bona fide being worked by any free miner,
for the purpose of cutting a channel and laying his flume
therein, with such reasonable space for constructing, main-
taining, and repairing the flume as may be necessary: Pro-
vided, that the owner of such last-mentioned placer claim
shall be entitled to take and receive the gold or other min-
erals found in the cut so made:
(e.) The use of so much of the unappropriated water of
the stream on which the flumes may be located, and of other
adjacent streams, as may be necessary for the use of the
grantee's flumes, hydraulic power, and machinery to carry
on his mining operations, and the right of way for ditches
and flumes to carry the necessary water to his works, sub-
ject to the payment of any damage which may be done to
other parties by running such ditches or flumes through or
over their ground:
(f.) The right to all the gold or other minerals In his
flumes:
(g.) No person locating new and unworked or aban-
doned ground within the limits of such grant, after the no-
tice above mentioned has been given, shall have any right or.
title as against such grantee to the ground so located.
CLAIM-HOLDER MAY CONNECT WITH— 104. A
holder of a placer claim through which the line of the gran-
tee's flume is to run may put in a bed-rock flume in his claim
to connect with the grantee's flume, upon giving the grantee
ten days' notice in writing to that effect; but he shall main-
tain the like grade and build his flume as thoroughly and of
as strong materials as are used by such grantee.
DUTIES OF CLAIM-HOLDER— 105. A claim-holder
constructing such flume through his claim shall keep his
m
•'ill
U4
MINING LAWS OP BRITISH COLUMBIA.
M
flume free from obstruction, and he shall be entitled to all
the gold or other minerals found therein, but he shall 'je
subject to the same regulations with regard to cleaning up
the flume, repairs and other matters in which both parties
are interested, as may be adopted by such grantee; and such
claim-holder shall have the right at any time before the
abandonment of his claim to become a partner of the gran-
tee, by uniting his claim and flume with the ground and
flume of the grantee, and taking an interest proportionate
to that which he shall cede to the grantee; or he may aban-
don his claim and flume, and such abandonment shall enure
to the use and benefit of the grantee.
WORK TO BE DONE— 106. The grantee shall lay at
least one hundred feet of flume during the first year of such
grant, and three hundred feet annually thereafter, until com-
pletion of the flume; but the amount of flume to be laid may
be reduced at the discretion of the Gold Commissioner.
USE CLAIM-HOLDER MAKE OF FLUME— 107. Any
free miner lawfully working any claim where a bed-rock
flume exists shall be entitled to tail his sluices, hydraulics,
and ground sluices into such flume, but so as not to obstruct
the free working of such flume by rocks, stones, boulders, or
otherwise.
RECORD O'F GRANT, RENT— 108 The grantee shall
record his grant with the Mining Recorder within three days
after obtaining the same, and pay for such record the fee
provided in the schedule to this Act; and he shall also pay
to the Mining Recorder annually a rent of twelve dollars and
fifty cents for each quarter of a mile of right of way legally
held under such grant.
INTEREST OF GRANTEE— 109. The interest of the
grantee in his grant, and in all flumes and flxtures connect-
ed therewith, shall be deemed to be a chattel interest equiva-
lent to a lease for the term of such grant.
EXTENSION OF TERM— 110. Upon the expiration of
the grant for a bed-rock flume, it may be extended for any
further term not exceeding five years for any one extension,
at the discretion of the Gold Commissioner.
FORFEITURE— 111. Any grant of a bed-rock flume
shall be forfeited whenever the grantee shall fail to comply
With the conditions thereof, or of this Act.
MININI LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
US
PART VII.— Leases.
LEASES OF UNOCCUPIED LAND FOR PLACER MIN-
ING, ETC— 112. (1896, C. 35, 8.5.) It shall be lawful for the
Gold Commissioner, with the sanction of the Lieutenant-
Governor in Council, to grant a lease of any unoccupied and
unreserved Crown land for placer mining purposes or for
precious stone diggings for any term not exceeding twenty
years, on such terms and conditions as he shall think fit;
and any free miner desiring to obtain a lease of any placer
mining ground shall mark out such ground by placing a legal
post at each corner, and shall post a notice on the post near-
est to the placer mining claims then being worked In the
immediate locality, and also on the office of the Mining Re-
corder, which notice shall set out —
(1.) The name of each applicant:
(2.) The locality of the ground to be acquired:
(3.) The quantity of ground:
(4.> The term for which such lease is to be applied for.
«
APPLICATION FOR— 113. (1896, C. 35, s. 6.) The free
miner, after staking the ground and posting the notices a.
aforesaid, shall, within thirty days, make application In
writing, addressed to the Gold Commissioner, which appli-
cation shall be in duplicate, with the plan of the ground
on the back, and shall leave the same at the office of the
Mining Recorder, which application shall set out —
(1.) The name of each applicant:
The number of each applicant's free miner's cer-
(2.)
tificate:
(3.)
(4.)
(5.)
(6.)
The locality of the ground:
The quantity of ground:
The term of the lease desired:
The rent proposed to be paid.
TRIPLICATE GROUND PLAN— 114. (1896, C. 35, s. 7.)
On making such application the free miner shall deposit
with the Mining Recorder, for the use of the Gold Commis-
sioner, a plan of the ground, in triplicate. And every per-
son making application for a lease of mining ground for any
purpose under the provisions of this Act shall deposit the
sum of twenty dollars with the Gold Commissioner at ihe
time the application is made. If the application is granted,
the twenty dollars deposited to be applied toward the pay-
IP
liii
If
'I'lil
ill
M
lie
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
ment of the first year's rent, and the balance of the tlrst
year's rent shall be paid by the applicant within sixty days
after the Gold Commissioner gives him notice of the execu-
tion of the lease, which notice may be sent by letter to the
applicant to his address; such address to be left with the
Qold Commissioner when the application for the lease is
made. If the application is not granted, the twenty dollars
deposited is to be returned to the applicant; but in case the
applicant fails to perform his part in accordance with hi»
application, then the twenty dollars deposited shall be for-
feited to the government, and his application shall be void.
115. (Repealed by 1896, c. 35, s. 8.)
AREAS— 116. (1896, c. 35, s. 9.) Applications shall not
be for greater than the following areas or distances:
In creek diggings on abandoned or unworked creeks,
half a mile in length:
Any other placer mining ground, eighty acres; but In ao
case shall any lease extend along any creek or river more
than five hundred yards, creek diggings excepted:
Precious stone diggings, ten acres; but the right to mine
for precious stone shall not include the right to mine for gold
or other precious metals, unless the ground be held also for
that purpose separately, under the provisions of this Act:
Provided, always, that nothing in this Act shall be
deemed to affect the right of any holder of a lease of placer
mining ground to a renewal thereof, if such holder has sub-
stantially made and performed upon the ground the labor,
work, and expenditure required by such lease as a condition
of renewal thereof.
AGRICULTURAL OR OCCUPIED GROUND— 117.
(1894, c. 33, s. 6.) A lease shall not be granted for any min-
ing ground any portion of which is actually occupied by free
miners, unless witb the consent of such occupiers; and no
lease shall be granted for any mining ground which is, in
the opinion of the Gold Commissioner, available for agri-
cultural purposes.
GOLD COMMISSIONER, POWERS OF— 118. (1896, c.
35, s. 10.) The Gold Commissioner may, with the sanction
of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, grant or refuse any
application for a lease of placer mining ground, or modify
the terms and conditions of such application as he shall
think fit.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Ill
APPLICATIONS, PLAN ANNEXED— 119. (1896, C 35,
B. 11.) Every application fpr a lease of placer mining
ground, together with the plan of the ground and the Gold
Commissioner's report thereon, shall be forwarded by such
Gold Commissioner to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council,
and no lease shall be granted on any such application with-
out his sanction.
LEASES TO BE WRITTEN— 120. (1896, c. 35, s. 12.)
Every lease of mining ground shall be in writing signed by
the Gold Commissioner and the lessee, and shall be in dupli-
cate or triplicate, as the case may require, and one copy of
every such lease shall, as soon as possible after it is issued,
be transmitted by mail by the Gold Commissioner issuing the
same, to be filec^ in the office of the Mining Recorder in the
mining division of the district in which the mining ground
leased is situated.
CONTENTS OF— 121. Every lease shall provide for se-
curing to the public reasonable rights of way and water,
and shall contain a covenant by the lessee to mine the
ground in a miner-like manner, and shall contain such cov-
enants for the continuous working of such ground as the
Gold Commissioner shall think reasonable, and shall re-
serve the right to frea miners to enter on such ground and
mine for veins or lodes, as defined by the "Mineral Act,
1891."
FORFEITURE OF— 122. (1896, c. 35, s. 13.) On the
non-performance or non-»>bservance of any covenant or con-
dition in any lease, such lease shall be declared forfeited
by the Gold Commissioner, subject to the approval of the
Minister of Mines, unless good cause is shown to the con-
trary. After any such declaration of forfeiture, the mining
ground shall be open for location by any free miner. No
lease, whether made before or after the passage of this Act,
shall hereafter be declared forfeited, except in accordance
with this section.
TO BE ONLY FOR PLACER MININGS— 123. Leases
shall be granted for placer mining only, and shall not be
assigned or sub-let without the written consent of the Gold
Commissioner.
GRANT OF WATER— EXTENSION— FORFEITURE—
124. (1896, c. 35, s. 14.) When any placer mining ground
is held under lease, the lessee of such mining ground shall
': !|
us
MINING LAWS OP BRITISH COLUMBIA.
1
\S.';
■ ■ • ■
be entitled to a free grant from the Gold Commissioner of
such quantity of unappropriated water, from any stream or
lake, together with the right and privilege to construct, erect,
and maintain dams, gates, and flumes for the purpose of di-
verting, storing, and controlling such water as may, in the
opinion of the Gold Commissionei*. be necessary to work the
said mining ground efficiently, anC shall have the right of
way through any mining ground ter the purpose of con-
structing ditches and flumes to convey such water to the min-
ing ground so held, which grant shall be for the same term
for which the mining ground is leased. Whenever such
mining ground shall have been efficiently worked as required
by the conditions of the lease, to the satisfaction of the Gold
Commissioner, and if at the expiration of the lease a por-
tion of said mining ground remains still to be worked, the
lessee may obtain an extension of the lease and grant, upon
the same conditions as the original lease and grant, for such
reasonable time as will enable him to work out such por-
tion of said mining ground as still remains unworked, and
the Gold Commissioner may, with the sanction of the Lieu-
tenant-Governoi in Council, grant such extension by memor-
andum endorsed on the lease; Provided, that whenever the
mining ground so held under lease has been forfeited, aban-
doned, or worked out, or the occasion for the use of the wa-
ter upon such mining ground shall have permanently ceased,
the grant of such water shall terminate. But in any case
where the ditch or flume constructed for conveying such wa-
ter shall have a carrying capacity of not less than five hun-
dred inches, and shall have cost not less than five thousand
dollars, such ditch or fiume shall remain the property of the
owner thereof.
PROCEDURE TO OBTAIN GRANT— 124a. (1896, c. 35,
8. 15.) Before applying for any such water grant, the holder
of a lease shall —
(1.) Post a notice in writing on a legal post upon some
conspicuous part of the mining ground on which such water
is intended to be used, and a copy of such notice on the
office of the Mining Recorder for at least twenty days, which
notice shall contain the following particulars:
(a.) The name of each applicant:
(b.) The number of each applicant's free miner's certi-
ficate:
(c) The name, or if unnamed, a sufficient description
:*«.|.
IBIA.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
U9
imissioner of
ny stream or
nstruct, erect,
mrpose of di-
5 may, in the
r to work the
5 the right of
'pose of con-
er to the min-
he same term
henever such
3c> as required
n of the Gold
lease a por-
I worked, the
d grant, upon
rant, for such
)ut such por-
iworked, and
I of the Lieu-
)n by memor-
wrhenever the
rfeited, aban-
se of the wa-
lently ceased,
t in any case
ing such "Vid-
tian five hun-
Bve thousand
operty of the
(1896, c. 35,
t, the holder
5t upon some
1 such water
otice on the
days, which
liner's certi-
: description
of the stream, lake, or other source from which such water
is intended to be taken:
(d.) The point of diversion or intended ditch-head:
(e.) The number of inches of water applied for:
(f.) The purpose for which it is required:
(g.) The date of the notice.
OONSODIDATION OF CLAIMS— 124b. (1896, c. 35, s.
15.) Any free miner, or two or more free miners, holding
adjoining leases of placer mining ground, may consolidate
his or their holdings into one holding, not to exceed six hun-
dred and forty acres, by filing with the Mining Recorder a
declaratory statement containing the name of the company
or partnex'ship which is to hold the* consolidated lease, the
location and size of each lease, and the particular interest
of each free miner in the leases to be consolidated, and such
statement shall be signed by the holder or holders of the
leases to be consolidated. After filing such declaratory
statement, such free miner, or free miners, shall be allowed
in each and every year to perform on any one or more of
such leases all the work that is necessary to be performed
to hold all such leases, and any water grant that has been
made for the working of any one of such leases shall, after
the consolidation of such leases, be appurtenant to and may
he used on any one of such consolidated leases; and provided
further, that when two or more leases have been consoli-
dated into one holding, as provided in this section, and such
leases contain a provision that a certain amount of money
shall be expended ia working each of such leases each year
in order to hold it, the holder or holders of such leases may,
in lieu of the required expenditure in work on such leases
in each year, pay to the Mining Recorder of the Mining Di-
vision in which such leases are situate, a sum equal to
twenty-five per cent, of the aggregate amount required to
be so expended in work on the consolidated leases, and re-
ceive from such recorder and record a receipt for such pay-
ment; and payment and record thereof in any year shall re-
lieve the person making it from the necessity of doing any
work during the year in and for which and upon the lea.=je
in respect of which such payment is recorcied.
RECORD OiF WATER GRANTS— 125. (1896, c. 35, s.
16.) Every grant, and every extension of a gri^nt, of a water
right for mining grounds leased shir, be recorded In the
120
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
i
"A
i
f^-
"Record of Water Grants," but it shall not be necessary to
record such grant or extension annually.
LEASE OF RIVER BED, ETC.— 126. (1895, c. 40, s. 8.)
It shall be lawful for the Gold Commissioner, with the sanc-
tion of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, to grant a lease
for any term, not exceeding twenty years, of the bed of any
river below low water mark for dredging purposes, for a
distance not exceeding five miles, upon such terms as ne
shall think fit: Provided, always, that every such lease
shall reserve the right to every free miner or mining com-
pany to run tailings into such river at any point thereon,
also to mine two feet below the surface of the water at low
water mark, by putting in wing-dams, whether such free
miner shall locate before or after the date of such lease; and
it shall be lawful for the holder or holders of any lease or
leases, whether granted before or after the passing of this
Act, engaged in dredging for gold in any such river, at the
time when they may be engaged in dredging, to cut into any
bar, bench, or old channel on any of the banks of such river
on which they hold leases, or mine in any bench or bank
thereof during high or low water, provided the same ground
is not leased under the "Placer Mining Act, 1891," and
amending acts, or any other act, or is not at such time beiag
worked by free miners, the right being always reserved to
free miners to construct wing-dams as far as may be de-
sired into any of such bars, banks or benches for the pur-
pose of conducting mining operations either by sluice or
rocker, and parties holding such dredging leases shall not in
any manner interfere with any free miner or stop him from
working any part of said rivers or benches, otherwise than
by dredging, of which the holders of such leases shall have
the full right.
^0^•>'-
Dredgers — Protection.
DREDGERS— 126a. (1895, c. 40, s. 9.) It shall not be
lawful for any free miner to construct wing-dams within
one thousand feet of any dredger while working, nor to ob-
struct any dredger in any manner.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
m
m
sary to
), s. 8.)
e sanc-
a lease
of any
for a
as ne
lease
? com-
lereoii,
at low
!li free
le; and
jase or
of this
at the
to any
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banlc
round
," and
; being
•ved to
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e pur-
iice or
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to ob-
PART VIII.
Mining Recorders— Appointment, Duties/Powers.
(Sections 127, 128, 129 and 130 are same as sections 103,
104, 105 and 106, part 4.)
BOOKS KEPT BY MINING RECORDER— 131. Every
Mining Recorder shall keep the following books, to be used
for placer mining entries:
(a.) A book to be known as the "Record Book:"
(b.) A book to be known as the "Record of Abandon-
ments:"
(c.) A book to be known as the "Record of Affidavits:"
(d.) A book to be know as the "Record of Convey-
ances:"
(e.) A book to be known as the "Record of Water
Grants."
RECORD AND RE-RECORD OP CLAIMS— 132. Upon
the application of or on behalf of any free miner, and upon
receipt of all the particulars required by section 23 of this
Act, the Mining Recorder shall record any placer claim, by
entering all the particulars required by said section in the
Record Book, which entry shall be, as near as convenient, in
the Form B in the Schedule to this Act. Upon the applica-
tion of or on behalf of any free miner, and upon receipt of
all the particulars required by section 28 of this Act, the
Mining Recorder shall re-record any placer claim, by enter-
ing all the particulars required by said section in the Record
Book, which entry shall be, as near as convenient, in Form
C in the Schedule to this Act. The Mining Recorder shall
not make any such record until he has received all the par-
ticulars required by section 23, and any record made in vio-
lation of this section shall be absolutely void.
LAY.OVER— 133. The Mining Recorder shall record
every lay-over, leave of absence, license permit, and other
pri/ilege granted and forfeiture declared by the Gold Com-
missioner in the Record Book.
WATER GRANT— 134. The Mining Recorder shall re-
cord all water j-rants and extensions thereof in the Record
of Water Grants.
(Sections 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141 and 142 are same
as sections 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119 and 122, part 4.)
mil
III
12S
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
REX:ORDER TO RECMVB DOCUMENTS— 143. The
Mining Recorder shall receive all applications and other
documents addressed to or intended for the Gold Commis-
sioner, and forward the same to the Gold Commissioner.
TO RECEIVE MONEY— 144. The Mining Recorder
shall receive all deposits of money directed to be made by
this Act, and apply the same as directed by this Act.
TO COLLECT RENT— 145. The Mining Recorder shall
collect all rents collectible under the conditions of any lease
or other documents granted under the provisions of this Act.
MONEYS TO BE PAID INTO TREASURY— 146. The
Mining Recorder shall forward to the Provincial Treasury
all fees, rents, lines, penalties, and other moneys collected or
obtained by him in accordance with the provisions of this
Act.
(Sections 147, 148 and 149 are same as sections 123, 124
and 125, part 4.)
HOURS— 150. The Mining Recorder's office shall be
open upon all days, excepting public holidays, from 10 a. m.
to 4 p. m., and such times shall be deemed the office hours of
such office.
i
m
PART IX. — Gold Commissioner's Powers.
POWERS OP COMMISSIONER— 151. Tt shall be lawful
for the Gold Commissioner to perform the following acts
in accordance with the provisions of this Act:
(a.) He may lay over any or all claims, and may grant
to any holder of a claim leave of absence for such period
and reasons as he may think proper:
(b.) He may prescribe the number of miners who shall
be required to work in prospecting a set of claims until gold
in paying quantities is found:
(c.) 'For the more convenient working of back claims
on benches or slopes, the Gold Commissioner may permit the
owners thereof to drive a tunnel through the claims fronting
on any creek, ravine, or water-course, upon such terms as
shall see^ expedient: Provided that in tunneling under
hills, on I ac frontage of which angles occur, or which may oe
of an obiong or elliptical form, no party shall be allowed to
tunnel from any of the said angles, nor from either end of
■■
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
12S
such hills, so as to interfere with parties tunneling from
the main frontage:
(d.) He may mark out a space of ground for deposits
of leavings and deads from any tunnel, claim, or mining
ground, upon such terms as he may thinlt just:
(e.) He may extend the limits of a claim in "bench dig-
gings" beyond te limits of the bench, but not to exceed
100 feet square:
(f.) He may, in case of disputed boundaries or meas-
urements, employ a surveyor to mark and define the same,
and cause the reasonable expense thereof to be paid by
either or both of the parties interested therein:
(g.) He may permit or order mining posts to be
moved:
(h.) He may summarily order any mining works to be
so carried on as not to interfere with or endanger the safe-
ty of the public, any public work or highway, or any min-
ing property, mineral claim, placer claim, bed-rock drain,
or bed-rock flume; and any abandoned works may by his
order be either filled up, or guarded to his satisfaction, at
the cost of the party who may have constructed the same,
or, in his absence, upon such terms as he shall think fit:
(i.) He may, upon application made to him, allow a
free miner such right of entry upon any adjacent claim as
may be necessary for the working of his claim, and upon
such terms as may to him seem reasonable:
(j.) He may grant licenses and rights of way for the
purpose of constructing drains or tunnels, and may exer-
cise such powers as are specified in Part III. of this Act:
(k.) He may grant water rights, and renew the same,
and declare the same forfeited, and grant all such privi-
leges, and exercise such powers ai are specified in Part IV.
of this Act:
(1.) He may grant rights of way for the purpose of con-
structing a bed-rock flume, and may extend the grant at its
expiration, in accordance with Part VI. of this Act:
(m.) He may grant leases of placer mining ground, and
of unappropriated water to work the same, and may grant
renewals of such leases, and grant such privileges and exer-
cise all such powers as are specified in Part VII. of this
Act:
GRANTS UNDER G. M. A. ACT, 1873—152. Not-
withstanding anything contained in the "Gold Mining
m
'^
124
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Amendment Act, 1873," or in any Crown grant issued under
the said Act, or under this or any other Act, it shall be law-
ful for the Gold Commissioner, in his discretion, and with or
without any terms or conditions, to allow to the owners of
placer claims all such rights or privileges in and over min-
eral or other claims held as real estate as may be allowed
in and over claims not so held; and owners of claims held as
real estate shall be entitled to the same rights and privileges
as owners of claims not so held.
POWER TO CARRY OUT ACT— 153. The Gold Com-
missioner shall have power to do all things necessary or ex-
pedient for the carrying out of the provisions of this Act.
Administration.
%
DECEASED MINER'S PROPERTY— 154. The Gold
Commissioner shall take possession of the mining property
of any deceased free miner, and may cause such mining pro-
perty to be duly worked, or dispense therewith at his option.
ESTATE OP INTESTATE DECEASED MINER— 155.
The Gold Commissioner, or any person authorized by him,
shall take charge of all the property of any deceased free
miner until the issue of letters of administration or probate
of the will, if any: Provided, however, that where any free
miner shall die intestate, and the value of the personal es-
tate of such deceased free miner is less than three hundred
dollars, it shall not be necessary for the Gold Commissioner
to obtain from any court letters of administration, but )n
p 3h case the Gold Commissioner may administer and wind
i> the personal estate of the deceased, and do all things
L 3ssary and proper therefor, and act in all respects as if
letters of administration to the personal estate of such de-
ceased free miner had been granted to such Gold Commis-
sioner and the Gold Commissioner shall produce and pass his
accounts, in each estate of which he shall undertake the ad-
ministration, before a Judge of the County Court of th« dis-
trict.
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
1»
under
law-
ith or
era of
PART X.— County Courts.
JURISDICTION, PROCEDURE FORnS. AND COSTS.
(Section 156, see 144, part 8, omitting subsection 11.)
Sections 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164 and 165 are
same as sections 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152 and 153,
part 6, Mineral Act.)
JURISDICTION, SUPREME COURT— 166. The Juris-
diction given to the County Court by this Act shall not in
any manner interfere with or lessen the jurisdiction of the
Supreme Court.
PART XI.— Penal and Miscellaneous.
(Section 167 is same as section 154. part 8.)
PENALTIES— 168. All fines and penalties imposed or
payable under this Act may be recovered by distress and
sale of any mining or other personal property of the offend-
er, and in default by imprisonment, with or without hard
labor, for any term not exceeding three months.
FINES, ETC.~169. All fees, rents, fines, penalties and
other moneys collected under this Act shall be paid into the
Provincial Treasury.
(Section 170 is same as section 1.57, part 8.)
COPIES OF ACT— 171. Every free miner, on applica-
tion to the Mining Recorder, shall be entitled to a printed
copy of this Act.
(Section 172 is same as section 159, part 8.)
Taxation.
MINES AND MONEYS INVESTED NOT EXEMPT— 173.
(1895, c. 40, s. 12.) Notwithstanding anything contained in
the said "Placer Mining Act, 1891," or amendments thereto,
mines and moneys Invested therein shall not be exempt
from taxation, but shall bear such rate as may be imposed
by any law in force in the Province.
(Section 174 is same as section 161, part 8, except read
"Placer Mining Act, 1891," instead of "section 9 of this Act."
v»
MINING LAWS OP BRITISH COLUMBIA,
PENDING LITIGATION NOT AFFECTED— 175. (1895,
c. 40, s. 14.) Nothing in this Act (1895, c. 40, s. 14) shall af-
fect litigation pending on the first February, 1895.
CoE^mation.
SHORT TITLE— 1. TLis Act may be cited as the "Min-
eral Claim Confirmation Act, 1893."
NOT TO AFFECT THE TITLE TO CERTAIN CLAIMS.
2. The title to any claim bona fide located in accordance with
the provisions of the "Mineral Act, 1891," after the passage
of the "Mineral Act (1891) Amendment Act, 1892," but be-
fore the receipt by the Mining Recorder of the district in
which such claim is recorded of intelligence that such
Amendment Act had been passed, and of the nature of the
provisions respecting the size, shape, and method of staking
mineral claims thereby substituted for the provisions pre-
viously existing shall be in no wise affected or prejudiced by
the passage of the said Acts.
LODE CLAIMS.
FORMS USED UNDER BRITISH COLUMBIA LAWS.
(From Statutes, 1896.)
Form A— LOCATION NOTICE.
Mineral Claim.
I have thia day located this ground as a mineral claim,
to be known as the Mineral Claim feet In length by
feet In breadth. The direction of the location line Is
and feet of this claim lie to the right and feet to th«
left of the location line.
Dated this .... day of , 189..
Take care to number the posts 1, 2, making the Initial post 1.
• Form B— RECORD OP MINERAL CLAIMS.
Mineral Claim. No. of Certificate
Located by: (Set out the name and receipt form of payment (^
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
U7
the record fee of each locator, and the No. of each locator ■ Free
Miner's Certificate opposite such name.)
The claim Is situate ,. .
The direction of the location line la
The length of the claim Is feet.
The claim was located on the day of , 18»..
Recorded th;» day ot ....... 189.. ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^
(If the stakes are not on the location line, comply with sec. IS.)
Form C-RECORD OF PARTNERSHIP MINERAL CLAIM.
g Mineral Claim.
Located In the partnership name of
The members of the partnership, and the Nos. of their re-
spective Free Miner's Certificates are
The receipt form of payment of the record fee.
The claim is situate
The dirfction of the location line Is
The length of the claim is feet.
The claim was located on the day of 189..
Recorded this day of , 189.. _
, Mining Recorder.
(If the stakes are not on the location line, comply with sec. 18.)
Form D— APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF WORK.
free miner, make
Aflidavit.
I , of In the District of ....
oath and say:
I have done, or caused to be done, work on the Mineral
claim, situate at , in the District of , to the value of at
least one hundred dollars, since the day of , 189.. The
following is a detailed statement of such work: (Set out full
particulars of the work done in the twelve months in which such
work is required to be done by sec 24.)
Sworn, etc.
(This affidavit may be made by an agent, and can be altered
to suit circumstances.)
Form E— CERTIFICATE OF WORK.
(Name of claim) Mineral Claim.
This is to certify that an aflidavit setting out a detailed state-
ment of the wo)k done on the above claim since the day of
189., made by has this day been filed in my office, and
In pursuance of the provisions of the act in that behalf, I do now
issue this certificate of woik in respect of the above claim to
Dated
., Gold Commissioner or Mining Recorder.
Form F— CERTIFICATE OF IMPROVEMENTS.
Notice.
Mineral Claim.
Situate In the Mining Division of District.
i^^her© located
Take notice thut I Free Miner's Certificate No.
., Intend, sixty days from the date hereof, to apply to the
I
m
Ml
128
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
mining recorder for a certificate of improvements, for the purpose
of obtaining a Crown grant of the above claim.
And further take notice, that action, under section 37, must
be commenced before the Issuance of such certificate of improve-
ments.
Dated this day of , 189..
Form O— APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF IMPROVE-
MENTS.
Applicant's Affidavit.
I of , in the District of make oath and
say:
1. I , the recorded holder, and am In undisputed
Eossession of the Mineral Claim, situate at in the
Ustrict (or Division) of
2. I liave done, or caused to be done, work on the
said claim in developing a mine to the value of at least five hun-
dred dollars, full *partlculars whereof are hereunto annexed and
marked "A "
3. I '. , found a vein or lode within the limits of the
said claim.
4. I, , had the claim surveyed by who
has made three plats of the said claim.
5. I , placed one such plat on a conspicuous part
of the land embraced in such plat on the day of , 189..
6. I posted a copy of the notice hereunto annexed,
and marked "B," at the same place as said plat Is posted, on the
day of 189., and another copy of the Mining Recorder's
office at on the day of 189., which said notice
and plat have been posted, and have remained posted, for at
least sixty days concurrently with the publication of the said
notice in the British Columbia Gazette.
7. I ., inserted a copy of the said notice In the
British Columbia Gazette, where It first appeared on the
day of 189., and In the , a newspaper published in the
province and circulating in the district in which the said claim
is situated, where It first appeared on the day of 189.,
and was continuously published for sixty days concurrently with
the publication of the said notice In the British Columbia Ga-
zette prior to the date of this affidavit.
8. I, d'.posited a copy of the field notes and plat in
the Record Office at rn \he day of , 189., and they
remained there for reference for sixty days concurrently with
the publication of the said notice in the British Columbia Ga-
zette.
Sworn and subscribed to at , this day of
189., before me.
•Particulars must be exclusive of all houses and other like
Improvements.
This affidavit may be made by an agent, duly authorized, In
writing, and can be altered to suit circumstances.
Form H—CERTIFICATB OF IMPROVEMENTS.
Mineral Claim.
This Is to certify that of In the District of
Fre« Miner's Certiflcat« No , has proved to my satis-
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
la*
(action that he has compiled with all the provisions of the
"Mineral Act" to entitle him to a certificate of Improvements
In respect of the Mineral Claim situate at , in tht
District of ; and In pursuance of the provisions of the said
Act I do now issue this certificate of improvements, In respeol
of the above claim, to
Dated Gold Commissioner.
This certificate will become void unless a Crown grant is ap-
plied for within three months from this date.
(Form may be altered to suit circumstances.)
Form I— MINING RECORDPJR'S CERTIFICATE.
Mining Division District Mineral Claim.
Date located Date recorded,
To
Sir— I herewith enclose the following documents relating to
your application for a certificate of improvements to the abov«
claim :
Affidavit of , applicant (Form H);
Copy of plat of claim;
Copy of surveyor's field notes.
And I hereby certify that has published a notlo*
of his Intention to apply for a certificate of Improvements for
sixty days in the British Columbia Gazette, from the day of
189., and newspaper from the day of 189..
That during the above period a notice In accordance with section
86, subsection (d), has been posted, and a copy of the field notes
and plat of the said claim deposited for reference In my ofUce,
and that no notice of any action having been commenced against
the Issuance of a certlflcte of improvements to the said claim
has been filed in this office up to this date. The recorded
owner of the said claim at this date la
Dated 189.. Mining Recorder.
Form J— MILL SITE.
Notice.
Take notice that I, , of , In the District of
Free Miner's Certificate No Intend, sixty days from
the date hereof, to apply for acres of land for a mill site.
situate at in the District of as a mill site.
Dated ....^
i
Form K— MILL SITE.
Affidavit of Applicant Prior to Lease.
I , of , In the District of , free miner,
make oath and say:
1. I have marked out the land required by me for a mill slt«,
by placing a legal post at each corner.
2. I have posted a notice on each such post, and on the Mining
Recorder's Office at , a copy of which notice is hereto an-
3. The said land is not known to contain minerals, and Is not,
to the best of my knowledge and belief, valuable as mineral
land.
:!!
M L6
MtO
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Form L— LEASE OF MILL SITE.
This Indenture, made the day of , 189., between
the Gold Commissioner for the District of here-
inafter called the lessor), of the one part, and of
in the Distilct of free miner (hereinafter called the
lessee), of the other part wltnesseth, that in exercise of
the powers vested in him by the "Mineral Act," he, the
said lessor, does hereby demise unto the said lessee, his ex-
ecutors, administrators and assigns, all that (describe the mill
site) for the term of one year from the date hereof, subject to
the provisions and conditions of the "Mineral Act" relating
to mill sites.
In witness whereof, the said parties have hereunto set their
hands and seals.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
Form M— MILL SITES.
Certificate of Improvements.
This is to certify that has put or constructed works
or machinery, for mining or milling purposes, to the value of at
least five nundred dollars, on the mill site described in and de-
mised by indenture dated the day of , 189., and made
between during the existence of such lease.
, Gold Commissioner.
Form O-TUNNEL OR DRAIN LICENSE.
To all whom it may concern:
Take notice that , a free mine and the owner of
having given security to the amount c ' for any
damage he may do, has this day obtained a Hci^nse from me to
run a tunnel (or drain) from to his sa^j c.aim (or mine).
The said license is granted on these exr-reds conditions: (Set
out conditions, If any.)
Dated Gold Commissioner.
SCALE OF FEES TO BE CHARGED.
For every Free Miner's Certificate (for each year) $5 00
Every substituted certificate 1 00
Recording any claim 2 50
Recording every certificate of work 2 50
Recording any "lay over," or every other record required to
be made In the "Record Book" 2 50
Recording every abandonment, including the memorandum
to be written on the record 2 50
For any other record made In the "Record of Abandon-
ments" 2 50
For recording every affidavit, where the same «loes not ex-
ceed three folios of 100 words 2 50
For every folio over 3, 30 cents per folio.
The above rate .shall be charged for all records made in the
"Record of Affidavits."
For all records made In the "Record of Conveyances," where
the same do not exceed three folios 2 50
For every folio over three, a further charge of 30 cents per
folio.
(Si
and ni
Tl
R(
day oj
R(
Lt
Tl
respe(j
Ti
feet.
L(
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMHIA. 131
For all copies or extracts from any record In any of the
above named books, where such copy or extracts shall not
exceed three folios, per copy 2 50
Where such copies or extracts exceed three folios, 30 cents
per folio for every folio over three.
For filing any document 2i
For a Crown grant 5 00
FORMS FOR USE UNDER PLACER MINING ACT.
A— LOCATION NOTICE.
(Set out name of claim) Placer Claim.
Take notice that (set out the name of each locator) have this
day located this ground as a placer claim (or as a set of
placer claims), to be known as the Placer Claim
feet in length. Its general direction Is
Dated
(Mark one post "Initial Post" and fix this notice on that post.
If a set of claims is located only one notice is requisite, but ther«
must be an initial post for each claim.)
B— RECORD OF A PLACER CLAIM.
(Name of Claim Placer Claim.
Located by No. of certificate (Set out th«
name of each locator, and the number of each locator's Fre«
Minor's Certificate opposite such name.)
The claim is situate The length of the claim Is
feet. Recorded for years.
Located on the day of 189.. Recorded this
day of , 189.,
C— RE-RECORD OF A PLACER CLAIM.
(Name of Claim) Placer Claim.
(Set out the name of each holder of an interest In such claim,
and number of each holder's Free Miner's Certificate.)
The claim is situate
Re-recorded for years, to commence to run from the
day of ,18...
Re-recorded this day of , 189..
D— RECORD OF A SET OP PLACER CLAIMS.
(Set out the name of each claim.)
Located In the partnership name of
The members of the partnership and the numbers of their
respective Free Miner's Certificates are:
The claims are situate The length of each claim Is
feet. Recorded for years.
Located on the day of 189.. Recorded on this
day of 189..
182
MINING LAWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
E— TUNNEL OR
(Same as Form O, ante.)
DRAIN LICENSE.
F— APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC DRAIN GRANT.
We (set out names in full of each applicant), the undersigned
free minerj, do hereby apply for a public drain grant, to enabl*
us to construct a drain (set out nature and extent of proposed
drain), and to charge the following tolls to all persons using
such drain (set out proposed tolls), such grant to run for
years, and we do further apply for the following privileges to be
Included in such grant (set out privileges sought to be acquired).
Dated
To the GoJd Commissioner.
(Post notice on ground and on Mining Recorder's Office, set-
ting out application.)
'^S
G— WATER NOTICE.
Take notice that we (set out the name of each applicant and
number of each applicant's Free Miner's Certificate), shall, twenty
days from the date of this notice, apply to the Gold Commissioner
for a grant of a water right over water in (set out the name, or,
If unnamed, a sufficient description of the stream, lake, or other
source from which water is to be taken.)
The Intended point of diversion is The number of
inches of water to be applied for is The purpose for which
such water is required is
Dated
Forms C to H, lode claims applicable for placer.
i
by
wh
Bta
YUKON
Ameadments and Additions Adopted May la, 1897, Ooverning Placer
Mining on tlie Yulcon and its Tributaries and
Nortliwest Territories.
/amendments and additions adopted May 12, 1897, goT-
erning placer mining on the Yukon and tributaries and
Northwest Territory:
"Privy Council, Canada, at the Government House at
Ottawa, Friday, the 21st day of May, 1897.— Present, His Ex-
cellency the Governor-General, in Council: Wher<.ia8,it is
found necessary and expedient that certain amendments
and additions should be made to the regulations governing
'placer mining' established by order of the council of the 9tb
of November, 1889.
"Therefore, his excellency, in virtue of the provlsiona of
'The Dominion Lands Act,' chapter 54, of the Revised Stat-
utes of Canada, and by and with the advice of the Queen's
Privy Council for Canada, is pleased to order that the fol-
lowing regulations shall be, ard thp same are hereby, sub-
stituted for the governance of placer mining along the Yu-
kon river and its tributaries, in the Northwest Territories,
in the room, place and stead of those regulations established
by order in council of the 9th day of November, 188S.
(Signed.) "JOHN J. M'GEB,
"Clerk of the Privy Council.
"To the Honorable the Minister of the Interior."
Interpretation.
"Bar Diggings" shall mean any part of a river over
which the water extends when the water is in its flooded
state, and which is not covered at low water.
Mines on benches shall be known as bench diggings, and
shall for the purpose of defining the size of such claims be
excepted from dry diggings.
m
134
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
m
"Dry diggings" shall mean any mine over which a riv«r
never extends.
"Miner" shall mean a male or female over the age of 18,
but not under that age.
"Claims" shall mean the personal right of property in a
placer mine or diggings during the time for which the
grant of such mine or diggings is made.
"Legal post" shall mean a stake standing not less than
four feet above the ground and squared on four sides for at
least one foot from the top: Both sides so squared shall
measure at least four inches across the face. It shall also
mean any stump or tree cut off and squared or faced to the
above height and size.
"Close season" shall mean the period of the year during
which placer mining is generally suspended. The period to
be fixed by the geld commissioner in whose district the
claim is situated.
"Locality" shall mean the territory along a river (tribu-
tary of the Yukon) and its affluents.
"Mineral" shall include all minerals whatsoever, other
than coal.
Nature and Size of Claims.
•V-f
First — Bar diggings: A atrip of land 100 feet wide at
high water mark, and thence extending along into the river
to its lowest water level.
Second — The sides of a claim for bar diggings shall be
two parallel lines run as nearly as possible to its right
angles to the stream, and shall be marked by four legal
posts, one at each end of the claim at or about high water
mark, also one at each end of the claim at or about the edge
of the water. One of the posts at high water mark shall be
legibly marked with the name of the miner and the date
upon which the claim is staked.
Third — Dry diggings shall be 100 feet square, and jh-ill
have placed at each of its four corners a legal post upon
one of which shall be legibly marked the name of the miner
and the date upon which the claim was staked.
Fourth — Creek and river claims shall be 500 feet long,
measured in direction of the general course of the stream, and
shall extend in width from base to base of the hill or bench
on each side, but when the hill or benches are less than 100
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
135
18,
n a
the
the
•ing
d to
the
feet apart, the claim may be 100 feet in depth. The sides of
a claim shall be two parallel lines run as nearly as possible
at right angles to the stream. The sides shall be marked
with legal pos's at or about the edge of the water and at
the rear boundaries of the claim. One of the legal posts
pt the stream shall be legibly marked with the name of the
trr,f,r and the date upon which the claim was staked,
ifth— Bench claims shall be 100 feet square.
Sixth— In defining the size of claims, they shall be
measured horizontally, irrespective of inequalities on the
surface of the ground.
Seventh — If any person or persons shall discover a new
mine, and such discovery shall be established to the satis-
faction of the gold commissioner, a claim for the bar dig-
gings 750 feet in length may be granted.
A new stratum of auriferous earth or gravel situated in
a locality where the claims are abandoned shall, for this
purpose, be deemed a new mine, although the same locality
shall have previously been worked at a different level.
Eig) i -The forms of appli (Ration for a grant for placor
mininw urn'- he grant of the same shall be those contained
in fcx a: ^1 :nd 1 in the schedule hereto.
Nini. - A claim shall be recorded with the gold commis-
sioner 1:11 -: ho<=-2 district it is situated within three days after
the location thereof, if it is located within ten miles of the
commissioner's office. One extra day shall be allowed for
making such record for every additional ten miles and frac-
tion thereof.
Tenth — In the event of the absence of the gold commis-
sioner from his office, entry for a claim may be granted by
any erson whom he may appoint to perform his duties in
hifr j">-'^nce.
Eircntl'— Entry shall not be granted for a claim which
has not been staked by the applicant in person, in the man-
ner specified in these regulations. An affidavit that the
claim was staked out by the applicant shall be embodied in
form H of the schedule hereto.
Twelfth— An entry fee of $15 shall be charged the first
year and an annual fee of $100 for each of the following
years. This provision shall apply to the locations for which
entries have already been granted.
Thirteenth — After the recording of a claim, the removal
of any post by the holder thereof, or any person acting in
IM
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
m
I
I
his behalf, for the purpose of changing the boundaries of
his claim, shall act as a forfeiture of the claim.
Fourteenth — The entry of every holder for a grant for
placer mining must be renewed, and his receipt relinquished
and replaced every year, "i" entry fee being paid each
year.
Fifteenth — No miner shall i eive a grant for more than
one mining claim in the same locality; but the same miner
may hold any number of claims by purchase, and any num-
ber of miners may unite to work their claims in common
upon such terms as they may arrange, provided such agree-
ment be registered with the gold commissioner and a fee of
«5 paid for each registration.
Sixteent'i — Any miner or miners may sell, mortgage or
dispose of his or their claims, provided such disposal be
registered with and a fee of |2 paid to the gold commis-
sioner, who shall thereupon give the assignee a certificate
In form J in the schedule hereto.
Seventeenth — Every miner shall, during the continu-
ance of his grant, have the exclusive right of entry upon
his own claim for the miner-like working thereof, and the
construction of a residence thereon, and shall be entitled ex-
clusively to all the proceeds realized therefrom; but he shall
have no surfaxie rights therein, and the gold commissioner
may grant to the holders of adjacent claims such rights of
entry thereon as may be absolutely necessary for the work-
ing of their claims, upon such terms as may to him seem
reasonable. He may also grant permits to miners to cut
timber thereon for their own use, upon payment of the dues
prescribed by the regulations in that behalf.
Eighteenth — ^Every miner shall be entitled to the use of
90 much of the water naturally flowing through or past hia
claim, and not already lawfully appropriated, as shall in
the opinion of the gold commissioner be necessary for the
due working thereof, and shall be entitled to drain his own
claim free of charge.
Nineteenth — A claim shall be deemed to be abandoned
and open to the occupation and entry by any person when
the same shall have remained unworked on working days by
the grantee thereof or by some person on his behalf for the
space of seventy-two hours, unless sickness or other reason-
able cause may be shown to the satisfaction of the gold
oommissioner.or unless the grantee is absent on leave given
of
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THK YUKON. 137
by the commissioner, and the gold commissioner upon ob-
taining evidence satisfactory to himself that this provision
is not being complied with, may cancel the entry given for
a claim.
Twentieth— ^If the land upon which a claim has been lo-
cated is not the property of the crown it will be necessary
for the person who applies for entry to furnish proof that
he has acquired fvom the owner of the land the surface right
before entry can be granted.
Twenty-first — If the occupier of the lands has not re-
ceived a patent therefor, the purchase money of the surface
rights must be paid to the crown ,and a patent of the surface
rights will issue to the party who acquired the mining
rights. The money so collected will either be refunded to
the occupier of the land when he is entitled to a patent
therefor, or will be credited to him on account of payment
for land.
Twenty-second — When the party obtaining the mining
rights cannot make an arrangement with the owner thereof
for the acquisition of the surface rights it shall be lawful for
him to give notice to the owner or his agent or the occupier
to appoint an arbitrator to act with another arbitrator
named by him in order to award the amount of compensation
to which the owner or occupant shall be entitled. The
notice mentioned in this section shall be according to form
to be obtained upon application from the gold commissioner
for the district in which the lands in question lie, and shall,
when practicable, be personally served on such owner or his
agent, if known, or occupant, and after reasonable efforts
have been made to effect personal service without success,
then such notice shall be served upon the owner or agent
within a period to be fixed by the gold commissioner before
the expiration of the time limited in such notice. If tne
proprietor refuses or declines to appoint an arbitrator, or
when, for any other reason, no arbitrator is appointed by
the proprietor in the time limited therefor in the notice pro-
vided by this section, the gold commissioner for the district
in which the lands in question lie shall, on being satisfied
by affidavit that such notice has come to the knowledge of
such owner, agent or occupant, or that such owner, agent or
occupant willfully evades the service of such notice, or can-
not be found, and that reasonable efforts have been made to
effect such service, and that the notice was left at the lait
138
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
place of abode of such owner, agent or occupant, appoint an
arbitrator on his behalf.
Twenty-third — (a) All arbitrators appointed under the
authority of these regulations shall be sworn before a justice
of the peace to the Impartial discharge of the duties assigned
to them, and they shall forthwith proceed to estimate Khe
reasonable damages which the owner or occupant of such
lands according to their several interests therein shall sus-
tain by reason of such prospecting and mining operations.
(b) In estimating such damage the arbitrators shall
determine the value of the land, irrespective of any enhance-
ment thereon from the existence of mineral therein.
(c) In case such arbitrators cannot agree they may
select a third arbitrator, and when the two arbitrators can-
not agree upon a third arbitrator, the gold commissioner for
the district in which the lands in question lie shall select
such third arbitrator.
(d) The award of any two such arbitrators made in
riting shall be final, and shall be filed with the gold com-
missioner for the district in which the lands lie.
If any cases arise for which no provision is made In
these regulations, the provisions of the regulations govern-
ing the disposal of mineral lands other than coal lands ap-
proved by his excellency the governor in council on the 9th
day of November, 1889, shall apply.
LEGAL FORMS.
1^
M
B
CERTIFICATE OF ASSIGNMENT.
The form of a certificate of aslgnment of a placer mining
claim is as follows:
Form J— No Department of the Interior, Agency
189.. This is to certify that (B. C.) has (or have) filed an as-
signment in due form dated , 189.., and accompanied by a
registration fee of two dollars, of the grant to (A. B.)
of , of the right to mine in , (Insert descrip-
tion of claim) for one year from 189..
This certificate entitles the said (B. C.) to all rights
and privileges of the said (A. B.). in respect of the
claim assigned, that Is to say, the exclusive right of entry upon
the said claim for the miner-like working thereof and the con-
struction of a residence thereon, and the exclusive right to all
proceeds therefrom for the remaining portion of the year for
which said claim was granted to the said (A. B.),
that Is to say, until the , 189..
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
139
an
The said (B. C.) shall be entitled to the use of so
much water naturally flowing through or past hia (or their)
claim, and not a'ready lawfully appropriated, as shall be neces-
sary for the due working thereof, and to drain the claim free of
charge.
This grant does not convey to the .«aid (B. C.) any
surface rights in paid claim or any rights or ownership in the
soil covered by the said claim, and the said grant shall lapse
and be forfeited unless the claim is continual. y and in go^d faith
worked by the said (B. C.) or his (or their) associates.
The rights hereby granted are tho?e laid down in the Domin-
ion mining regulations, and are subject to all provisions of the
said regulations, whether the same are expressed herein or not.
, Gold Commissioner.
APPLICATION FOR GRANT.
The foim of application for grant for placer mining claim
and aflfidavit of applicant is as follows:
Form H— I (or we), of hereby apply under the Do-
minion mining regulations for grant of a claim for placer min-
ing as defined in the said regulations in (here describe
locality) and I (or we) solemnly swear:
First— That I (or we) am (or are) to the best of my (or our)
knowledge and belief, the first discoverer (or discoverers) of the
said deposit, or
Second— That the said claim was previously granted to
(here name the last grantee), but has remained unworked by the
said grantee for not less than
Third— That I (or we) am (or are) unaware that the land is
other than vacant Dominion lands.
Fourth— That I (or we) did on the day of mark
out on thfr ground in accordance in every particular with the
provisions of the mining regulations for the Yukon river and Its
tributaries, the claim for which I (or we) make this application,
and that in so doing I (or we) did not encroach on any other
claim or mining location previously laid out by any other per-
son.
Fifth- That the said claim contains as nearly as I (or we)
could measure or estimate an area of square feet, and that
the description (and sketch, if any) of this date hereto attached
signed by me (or us) sets (or set) forth in detail to the best of
my (or our) knowledge and ability Its position, form and di-
mensions.
Sixth— That I (or we) make this application in good faith to
acquire the claim for the sole purpose of mining, prosecuted by
myself (or us) or by myself and associates, or by me (or our.)
&ssi&rns
Sworn before me at this day of , 189..
(Signature)
GRANT FOR PLACERS.
The form of grant for placer claim is as follows:
Form I— Department of the Interior agency
189.. In consideration of the payment of the fee prescribed
by clause 12 of the mining regulations of the Yukon river and its
tributaries by (A. B.) accompanying his (or her) ap-
140
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
gllcation No , dated 189.., for a mining claim
I (here Insert description of locality) the minister of
the Interior hereby grants to the said (A. B.) for the
term of one year from the date hereof the exclusive right of
entry upon the claim (here describe In detail the claim).
(iranted— For the miner-like worlclng thereof and the con-
struction of a residence thereon, and the exclusive right to all
the proceeds derived therefrom. That the said (A. B.)
shall be entitled to the use of so much water naturally flowing
through or past his (or their) claim and not already lawfully
appropriated as shall be necessary for the due working thereof,
and to drain his (or their) claim free of charge.
This grant does not convey to the said (A. B.)
any surface right in the said claim or any right of ownership in
the soil covered by the said claim, and the said grant shall lapse
and be forfeited unless the claim is continuously and in good
faith worked by the said (A. B.) or his (or their)
associates.
The rights hereby granted are those laid down in the afore>
■aid mining regulations and no more, and are subject to all the
8 revisions of said regulations, whether the same are expressed
erein or not. , Gold Commiaaloner.
AMENDMENTS OF JULY 27, 1897.
ml
BENCH CLAIM, SIZE?— A bench claim shall be 100 feet
•quare and shall have placed at each of its four corners a
legal post upon which shall be legibly marked the name of
the miner and the date upon which the claim was staked.
CROWN RESERVATION— Entry shall only be granted
for alternate claims, the other alternate claims being re-
served for the Crown to be disposed of at public auction, or
In such manner as may be decided by the Minister of the
Interior.
TRESPASS, PENALTY— The penalty for trespassing
upon a claim reserved for the Crown shall be immediate
cancellation by the gold commissioner of any entry or en-
tries which the person trespassing may have obtained,
whether by original entry or purchase, for a mining claim,
and the refusal by the gold commissioner of the acceptanc
of any application which the person trespassing may at any
time make for a claim. In addition to such penalty, the
Mounted Police, upon a requisition from the gold commis-
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
lii
im
J of
Ihe
I of
m-
lU
».)
ing
lly
>f.
».)
in
)at
)d
Bloner to that effect, shall take the necessary steps to eject
the trespasser.
ROYADTY — A royalty of ten per cent, on the gold
mined shall be levied and collected by officers to be appoint-
ed for the purpose, provided the amount so mined and taken
from a single claim does not exceed five hundred dollars per
week. In case the amount mined and taken from any
single claim exceeds five hundred dollars per week, there
shall be levied and collected a royalty of ten per cent, upon
the amount so taken out up to five hundred dollars, and
upon the excess, or amount taken from any single claim over
five hundred dollars per week, there shall be levied and col-
lected a royalty of twenty per cent., such royalty to form
part of the consolidated revenue, and to be accounted for
by the officers who collect the same in due course. The
time and manner in which such royalty shall be collected,
and the persons who shall collect the same, shall be pro-
vided for by the regulations to be made by the gold commis-
sioner.
Default in payment of such royalty, if continued for ten
days after notice has been posted upon the claim in respect
of which it is demanded, or in the vicinity of such claim,
by the gold commissioner or his agent, shall be followed by
the cancellation of the claim. Any attempt to defraud the
crown by withholding any part of the revenue thus provided
for, by making false statements of the amount taken out,
shall be punished by cancellation of the claim in respect of
which fraud or false statements have been committed or
made. In respect of the facts as to such fraud or false
statements or non-payment of royalty, the decision of the
gold commissioner shall be final.
No Mining by Proxy.
AN ACT TO RESTRICT THE IMPORTATION AND
EMPLOYMENT OP ALIENS— (Assented to 28th June, 1897.)
Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Sen-
ate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
1. From and after the passing of this act it shall be un-
lawful for any person, company, partnership or corporation
In any manner to prepay the transportation, or in any way
to assist or encourage the importation or immigration of
any alien or foreigner into Canada, under contract or agree-
142
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
ment, parole or special, express or Implied, made previous to
the importation or immigration of such alien or foreigner,
to perform labor or service of any itind in Canada.
2. All contracts or agreements, express or implied, pa-
role or special, hereafter made by and between any person,
company, partnership or corporation, and any alien or for-
eigner, to perform labor or service, or having reference to
the performance of labor or service, by any person in Canada,
previous to the immigration or importation of the person
whose labor or service is contracted for into Canada, shall
be void and of no effect.
3. For every violation of any of the provisions of section
one of this act, the person, partnership, company or corpor-
ation violating it by knowingly assisting, encouraging or so-
liciting the immigration or importation of any alien or for-
eigner into Canada, to perform labor or service of any kind
under contract or agreement, express or implied, parole or
special, with such alien or foreigner previous to his becom-
ing a resident in or a citizen of Canada, shall forfeit and pay
the sum of one thousand dollars, which may be sued for and
recovered by Her Majesty's Attorney General of Canada or
the person duly authorized thereto by him, as debts of like
amount are now recovered in any competent court in Can-
ada, the proceeds to be paid into the hands of the Receiver
General; and separate suits may be brought for each alien
or foreigner who is a party to such contract or agreement.
4. The master of any vessel who knowingly brings ^no
Canada on such vessel and lands o^ permits to be landed
from any foreign port or place any alien, laborer, mechanic
or artisan who, previous to embarkation on such vessel had
entered into contract or agreement, parole or special, ex-
press or implied, to perform labor or service in Canada, shall
be deemed guilty of an indictable offense and, on conviction
thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than five
hundred dollars for each alien, laborer, mechanic or artisan
so brought or landed and may also be imprisoned for a term
not exceeding six months.
5. Nothing in this act shall be so construed as to pre-
vent any citizen or subject of any foreign country, tempor-
arily residing in Canada, either in private or official capa-
city from engaging, under contracts or otherwise, persons
not residents or citizens of Canada, to act as private secre-
taries, servants or domestics for such foreigner temporarlVr
MINING REGULATIONS FOR THE YUKON.
143
to
er.
a-
jr-
to
da,
ion
all
residing in Canada; nor shall this Act be so construed as to
prevent any person, partnership or corporation from engag-
ing, under contract or agreement, skilled workmen in for-
eign countries to perform labor in Canada in or upon any
new industry not at present established in Canada, provided
that skilled labor for that purpose cannot be otherwise ob-
tained; nor shall the provisions of this Act apply to profes-
sional actors, artists, lecturers, or singers, or to persons em-
ployed strictly as personal or domestic servants: Provided,
that nothing in this Act shall be construed as prohibiting any
person from assisting any member of his family or any rela-
tive or personal friend, to migrate from any foreign country
to Canada for the purpose of settlement here.
6. The attorney general of Canada, in case he shall be
satisfied that an immigrant has been allowed to land in
Canada contrary to the prohibition of this Act may cause
such immigrant, within the period of one year after landing
or entry, to be taken into custody and returned to the coun-
try whence he came at the expense of the owner of the im-
porting vessel, or, if he entered from an adjoining country,
at the expense of the person previously contracting for the
services.
7. The receiver general may pay to any informer who
furnishes original information that the law has been vio-
lated such a share of the penalties recovered as he deems .rea-
sonable and just, not exteeding fifty per cent., where it ap-
pears that the recovery was had in consequence of the info^
mation thus furnished.
8. No proceedings under this Act or prosecutions for
violations thereof, shall be instituted without the consent of
the attorney general of Canada or some person duly author-
ized by him.
9. This Act shall apply only to such foreign countries
as have enacted and retained in force, or as enact and retain
in force, laws or ordinances applying to Canada of a char-
acter similar to this Act.
!•(,>-
*—
MINERAL OFFICERS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.
MiniBter of Mine3. — Hon. Col. James Baker.
Provincial Min^jralogist — W. A. Carlyle.
Public Assaycr. — H. Carmichael.
MlnltKBT Recorders.
NANAIMO— M. Bray, Nanaimo.
NEW WESTMINSTER— D. Robson, New Westminster.
Ex^.ST KOOTENAY— J. Stirrett, Donald; F. C. Lang,
Golden; G. Go?die, Windermere; C. M. Edwards, Fort
Steele; M. Phillips, Tobacco Plains.
WEST KOOTENAY— J. H. Graham, Revelstoke; Cory
Minhennick, Lardeau; A. Sproat, New Denver; John Keen,
Kaslo; W. J. Goepel, Nelson; J. Kirkup, Rossland; J. C.
Rykert, Rykert's; T. Taylor, Trout Lake; R. J. Scott, lUe-
cillewaet.
CARIBOO — W. Stephenson, Quesnelle Porks; J. Bow-
ron, Bakerville.
^YALE— W. Dodd, Yale; L. Norris, Vernon; O. A. R.
Lambly, Osoyoos; W. McMynn, Midway; H. Hunter, Gran-
ite Creek; G. C. Tunstall, Kamloops.
IJILLOOBiT— C. A. Phair, Lillooet; F. Soues, Clinton.
CASSIAR — Ezra Evans, Manson Creek Omineea; James
Porter, Laketon.
ALBERNI— Thomas Fletcher, Albernl.
VICTORIA— W. S. Gore, Victoria.
Ooifl^ Commissioners.
FOR THE PROVINCE^W. S. Gore.
AliDERN'I— Thomas Fletcher, Alberni.
CARIBOO— John Bowren, Richfield.
CASSIAR DISTRICT— James Porter, Laketon, Cassiar.
LILLOOET DISTRICT— Frederick Soues, Clinton.
EAST KOOTENAY DISTRICT— J, F. Armstrong, Don-
ald.
WEST KOOTENAY DISTRICT— N. Fitzstubbs. Nelson;
J. D.. Graham, Revelstoke.
YALE DISTRICT— Charles Lambly, Osoyoos; G. C.
Tunstall, Kamloops.
Assayers.
Public Assayer, H. Carmichael, Victoria; W. Pellew Har-
vey, Vancouver; J. A. MoFarlane, Vancouver; Robbins A:
[x)ng. Rossland.
LATEST AMENDHENTS
Rules for placer mining on* Vukon, JV. fV. T., issued by the Canadian
Goi'ernment January i8th, 1898 :
it I p-ee miner' shall mean a male or female over the age of 18, but not
under that age ; or a joint stock company named in, and lawfully possessed
of, valid existing free miner's certificate, and no other.
"A free miner's certificate shall not be transferable. This certificate
may be granted for one year, to run Irom the date thereof or expiration of
the applicant's then existing certificate, upon payment thereof df the sum
of ?'o, unless the certificate is to be issued in favor of a joint stoi cotnpany,
ir> ch case the fee will be I50 ; for a company having a nominal capital
e: 'n}4 |ioo,ooo the fee shall be |ioo.
•■ Only one person or joint stock company shall be named in a certificate.
This certificate shall also grant the holder the privilege ol fishing and shoot-
ing, subject to provisions of cutting timber for actual necessities, for build-
ing houses, boats and for general mining operations for the exclusive use of
the miner himself ; but such permission shall not extend to timber which
may have been granted to other persons or corporations.
" Certificates may be obtained by applicants in person at the depart-
ment of the interior, Ottawa, or from the agents of Dominion lands at
Winnipeg, Man.; Calgary, Edmonton and Piince Albert, in the Northwest
territory ; Kamloops and New Westminster, B. C. ; Dawson in the Yukon
distiict; also from agents of the government at Vancouver and Victoria,
B C.
" No person or joint stock company will be recognized as having any
1 ight or interest in or to any claim unless he or it, or every person in his or
its employment, shall have a free miner's certificate unexpired ; and, on the
expiration of a free miner's certificate, the owner thereof shall absolutely
forfeit all his rights and intere.sts unless he shall, on or before the day fol-
lowing the expiration of such certificate, obtain a new free miner's certifi-
cate. Nevertheless, should any co-owner fail to keep up his free miner's
certificate, such failure shall not cause a forfeiture or act as an abondon-
meut of the claim, but the interest of such co-owners pro rata according to
their former intere.sts ; provided, nevertheless, that a shareholder in a joint
stock company need not be a free miner.
"Every free miner, during the continuance of his certificate, shall have
the right to etite. , prospect or mine for gold and minerals upon any lands
in the Yukon district, whether vested in the crown or otherwise, except
upon government reservations and land lawfully occupied. A creek, gulch,
river or hill claim shall not exceed 250 feet in length in the general direction
of the stream or ravine on which it fronts, and shall not be more than 1000
feet in width, Every alternate ten claims shall be reserved for the govern-
ment of Canada.
l«t«J
ti'-f
I
it '
Si
"That is to say, wli en a claim is located, the discovery claim and nine
additional claims adjoining each other, and numbered consecutively, will be
open for registration. Then the next ten claims of 250 feet each will be re
served for the government, and so on,
" The penalty for tresspassing upon a claim reserved for the crown shall
be immediate cancellation of any entry or entries which the persons trans
gressing may have obtained, whether by original entry or by purchase of a
mining claim, and the refusal of the acceptance of any application which
the person trespassing may at any time make for a claim.
" If any free miner or party of fiee miners discover a nev^ mine, and
such discovery shall be established to the satisfaction of the mining re-
corder, creek, river or hill claims of the following size shall be allowed :
" To one discoverer of claim, 500 feet in length ; to a party of two dis-
coverers, two claims amounting together to loco feet in length , to each
party beyond two in number, a claim of the ordinary size only.
" A claim shall be recorded with the mining recorder in whose district
it is situated within ten days afler the location thereof
" Entry shall not be granted for a claim which has not been staked by
the applicants in person in the manner specified in these regulations. An
entry fee of $15 shall be charged the finst year, and an annual fee of $15 for
each of the following years. A royalty of 10 per cent, on the gold mined
shall be levied and collected on the gross output of each claim. The sum ol
$2,500 shall be deducted from the gross annual output of a claim when esti-
mating the amount upon which royalty is to be calculated, but this exempt
tion shall not be allowed unless the royalty is paid at a banking office or to
the gold commissioner or mining recorder.
" The following regulations are adopted lor the issue ot leases to persons
or companies who have obtained a free miner's certifieate to dredge for
mineral other than coal in the submerged beds or bars of rivers in the
provisional district of the Yukon, in the Northwest territory.
" The les.see shall be given the exchisive right to subaqueous mining
and dredging for all minerals, with the exception of coal, in and along an
unbroken extent of five miles ot a river.
•• No more than six such leases will be issued in favor of an individual
or company, so that the maximum extent of river in and along which any
individual or company shall be given the exclusive right above mentioned
shall under no circumstances exceed thirty miles. The lease shall be for a
term of twenty years, renewable at the dircretion of the minister of the in-
terior. The-lessee shall have at least one dredge in operation upon the five
miles of river leased lo him within two seasons from the date of his lease,
and if, during one season when operations can be earned on, he fails to et-
ficiently work the same to the satisfaction of the minister of the interior,
the lease shall oecjme null and void, unhss the minister of the interior
shall otherwise decide; provided, that when any company or individual
has obtained more than one lease, one dredge for each fifteen miles or
portion thereof shall be held to be compliance with this regulation.
" The lessee shall pay a rental of ?ico per annum for each mile of river
so leased to him. The lessee shall also pay to the crown a royalty of 10 per
cent, on the output in excess of ^15,000."
a