PREFACE. The following collection of district mining laws has been transcribed with great care in order to present accurate copies of the original records, with their multiform errors of grammatical construction, spelling, punctuation, &c. In most instances the transcripts are certified by the district or county recorders, and the accuracy of the remainder is attested by the special agents of the Census who made the collection. By the rigid exactness of the reproduction, the value of this record for the purpose of citation or reference is evidently enhanced, while the crude and defective character of these rudely framed codes is shown forth in a more natural and vivid light. 246 LOCAL MINING LAWS AND REGULATIONS. ARIZONA. YUMA COUNTY.-CASTLE DOME MINING DISTRICT. At a meeting held at La Paz on the 8th of December 1862 by persons claiming interests in mineral veins near the Castle Dome range of mts Col Snively was requested to act as Chairman and H Ehrenberg as Secretary of the meeting and the following resolutions were adopted. That the District wherein said veins are situated be called the Castle Dome District and be bounded as follows Beginning at tho Peak known as Castle Dom-Thence 10 miles south-Thence East 10 miles-Thence north 10 miles-Thence West 10 miles to the starting point. 2 That a mining claim in this District shall be 100 yards along said vein including all the angles spurrs &c belonging thereto3 That the Discoverer or Discoverers of a vein shall be entitled to 100 yds extra on each & every vein discovered by him or them. 4. That in taking possession of claims the shall be clearly defined by conspicuous stakes or monmts of rock with the names of persons claiming. 5. That 100 yards on each side of the vein where not conflicting with prior rights shall be considered part of the claim, and shall belong to the same, with any and every substance or thing found within these bounds on or below the surface. 6. That all claims shall be recorded within 10 days after claiming them 7. That all claims thus recorded shall be properly described in their boundaries, and their relative position, as bearing and distances (where practicable) to any natural or artificial object stated. 8. That in consideration of the want of mining implements and material in this section at present, the time for commencing operations on the claims is fixed to 15 March 1863. 9. That on and after that date all claims located shall be worked within 30 days. 10. That all claims shall be worked in good faith for at least 4 days in each month. 11. That companies holding various claims on the same vein shall not be obliged to work all of them severaly, but that the working of any one of their claims in accordance with article 10 shall be sufficient evidence of good faith and ownership of the parties claiming. 12. No claims shall be considdered abandoned or forfeited for suspension of work for want of water or on account of war with Indians or any other unavoidable circumstance or obstacle. 13. A Recorder shall be elected for the District who shall record the different claims, as presented in a book kept for that purpose and he shall give certified copies thereof 14. The fee of Recording shall be One Dollar for each claim, and no records of claims shall be made unless a specimen of the ore, coming from said claim shall accompany the statement to be recorded, which specimen shall be properly marked and preserved by the Recorder to serve as evidence in case of dispute hereafter. 15. The Recorder to be elected hereafter shall for the present keep his office in the town of La Paz Arizona 16 Herman Ehrenberg is hereby chosen Recorder for Castle Dom District. 17 Any five miners holding claims in this District shall have a right to call a general meeting of the miners interested in claims there, for the purpose of revising the mining laws, the election of Recorder or for any other purpose referring to the general interest of the District. 18 Any such meeting as mentioned in article 17 shall only be considdered legal by having 2 notices thereof posted within tho bounds of said district, and one at the Recorders office for at least 14 days previously. J. SNIVELY Chairman H. EHRENBERG Secretary. "Notice" At a meeting of the miners of Castle Dome District, held at La Paz the 14th day of September 1863— The object of the meeting having been stated by the chairman, to wit-the propriety of suspending work in Castle Dome District for a period, it was resolved and adopted by the meeting "That all labor necessary to hold possession of claims in said district be suspended until the 1st day of November proximo-" Whereupon the meeting adjourned "sine die" LA PAZ 14th September A. D. 1863 C. H. BRINLEY Secretary J. SNIVELY Chairman 247 MINER'S MEETING. Notice. A meeting of the miners will be held in this Town on Monday the 14th instant at 6 p. m. at the office of the Recorder, to take into consideration the propriety of a further suspension of the mining regulations which xpire by limitation on the 15th inst. Mining District of La Paz territory of Arizona T. H. BILDURRAIN Recorder Pursuant to the tenor of the above (which is copy of the Notice for a miners meeting) the miners of this District met at the appointed time and place and on motion Col. J Snively was called to the chair, and Mr. C. H. Brinley appointed secretary of the meeting Whereupon the meeting was called to order by the chairman, and the secretary was instructed to read the regulations concerning the suspension of work on mining claims as adopted by the meeting held in La Paz on the 11th day of April last past. The same having been read by the secretary, the following resolutions were offered and adopted. 1st That on or before the 15th day of October next ensuing it shall be incumbent upon all claimants to mining ground situated in this district to sink a hole on each company lead or lode of five feet in depth; and in default thereof, all said claims will be liable to forfeiture and re-location. 2d That all claimants to mining ground in this district shall elect and stake off their claims on or before the 15th day of October next ensuing 3d That the foregoing resolutions shall in no wise be construed as effecting claims which have already been worked in conformity to the mining laws of this District 4th That Mr. C. H. Brinley retain in his possession the records of this District until the successor of the present incumbent be elected On motion Geo. W Leigh was appointed secretary. On motion a committee of three was appointed by the chair to Draft laws for the District. The chair appointed James Porter Thomas Bidwell & Dr. Rogers said committee. On motion the meeting adjourned for one hour to give the committee time to prepare their report. SEC. 1st That a mining claim in the District shall be three hundred feet along the vein including all the dips angles & spurs, and also fifty feet on each side of the Lode or vein, and all metals therein contained SEC. 2. That the discoverer or discoverers shall be entitled to an extra claim of three hundred feet SEC. 3d A monument at least 18 inches high and a notice designating the distance each way from the monument. SEC. 4th That all persons holding claims which are duly located as described in section third, to have the same recorded by the Recorder of this District within thirty days, upon failing to comply, his claim shall be deemed vacant and subject to location by any other party. And the recorders fees shall be Two dollars and fifty cents for recording each notice. When said notice shall not contain more than five names, each additional name above that number shall be charged twenty five cents. SECT. 5th It shall also be the duty of the claimants, or one of them to sink or cause to be sunk a shaft or cut a tunnel at least five feet within the period of six months from date of record, which shall entitle the owners thereof in full possession for twelve months. SECTION 6th That all the laws conflicting with foregoing are hereby repealed. SECT. 7th That a Recorder for the District be elected on this day, and hereafter, on the first Monday in November, annually, and the Recorder shall hold his office and have Books of Record in this district and he shall have power to appoint a competent Deputy, and his Books shall at all business hours be open for inspection in the presence of the Recorder or his Deputy, and all stationary and other expenses pertaining to the office shall be borne by the said Recorder. And at the end of his term, or in case of resignation, he shall deliver at once to his successor all papers books &c of whatsoever nature pertaining to said Recorders office. All deeds for mining claim in this District shall be recorded in the books of Record for the sum of two dollars and fifty cents each. SEC. 7th That all extensions taken shall be as distinctly marked and boundaries as clearly defined as in the original location, and shall be governed & held only by the same laws and regulations as are applied to all other claims. On motion Col. J. Snively was nominated for Recorder and was unanimously elected. GEO. W LEIHY Secretary CASTLE DOME DISTRICT MINING LAWS J. SNIVELY Chairman In accordance with the previous notices posted at La Paz and Arizona City, we the miners of Castle Dome District held a miners meeting at Castle Dome City on Saturday the 2d day of November 1867 at 12 o'clock m. Mr. Bidwell called the meeting to order and nominated Mr. Lindsay as President. Mr. Lindsay was declared elected & Mr. Bidwell was declared elected Secretary. On motion a committee of three was appointed by the chair composed of T. H. Rhea, C. Rogers and T. P. Laird to report a set of laws for the government of the District, who report as follows: Whereas, all laws & regulations heretofore made and providing for the location and regulation of mines and mineral deposits in the mining district of Castle Dome have ceased by default, and Whereas, the laws of the United States and that of the territory of Arizona empowers the miners of their respective Districts to make all rules and regulations for the location of mines Resolved 1st That the District shall be known as "Castle Dome" and bounded as follows-Commencing at the mouth of the Yuma Wash on the Colorado River, and thence in a direct line to the peak known as the Castle Dome & thence in a South easterly course to the Gila River, thence along said River to its confluence with the Colorado River thence along the main channel of the Colorado to point of beginning Resolved 2nd That Two hundred feet shall constitute a claim, running with the Ledge or Lode and one hundred feet on each side with all dips spurs & angles of said Ledge or Lode Resolved 3rd Where parties owning mining claims have complied with section 25 of chapter 50 Howell Code & sunk a shaft ten feet deep cu said mines are hereby declared valid and not subject to relocation. And all mining claims that have not complied with said section are hereby declared abandoned and subject to relocation. Resolved 4th All Locations made in pursuance to this Law shall be made by the parties making the same by building a monument of substantial material on the Lode or vein & placing a notice on some conspicuous place in said monument with the names of the Locators & the number of feet claimed by them year Resolved 5th That 30 (thirty) days shall be allowed to record all Locations made in this District. Resolved 6th That Peter Dall County Recorder is hereby declared ex. Officio Recorder of this District and shall hold his office for one Resolved 7th That upon application of three miners interested in this District by petition to the Recorder he shall call a meeting of the miners of said District by posting notices at three different places within the County of Yuma giving at least ten days notice and said mecting shall be held within the limits of this District The Recorder may deputize some person to act instead at said meeting, and he shall call an anual meeting for the transaction of all business of said District. Parties may transmit their notices to the Recorder with the fees and the Recorder shall file them at once-The Recorder shall not be compelled to make any Record without his fees in advanceResolved 8th The Recorder shall receive the following fees: Fifty cents for each name on a notice and twenty five cents for each certificate of location; fees in currency. Resolved 9th That a shaft at least ten feet deep shall be sunk within twelve months from the date of the location. Resolved 10th All Locations made subsequent to the passage of an act of Congress of the United States for the Government of Mineral Laws and in conflict with said act is hereby declared abandoned and subject to re location. Those Preables and resolutions reported by the committee for the government of this District which was unanimously adopted "MINERS MEETING” HELD AT CASTLE DOME YUMA COUNTY ARIZONA TERRITORY JULY 17th 1871. Pursuant to notice posted according to law calling a meeting of all parties interested and working as miners in the Castle Dome Range Yuma County Arizona Tery. to be held on the evening of Monday the 17th day of July A. D. 1871 at which time the following named miners met together in the cabin of the "Castle Dome mine” Wm Scriver, Nick Gunther, Neal Johnson, John Wreno, Jos Ruth, Wm Conway, Geo. Wilson, John T. Voison, John McWade Abe Hoagland, John Boland, Danl Johnson and Wm P. Miller. The meeting was called to order at 8 p. m. & the following named parties were duly elected Officers of the meeting-Abe Hoagland as Chairman and Wm P. Miller as Secretary After a statement of the object of the meeting by the chairman upon agreement of all parties the following were adopted article by article by the miners present as a code of laws for defining working & regulating of all lcde & ledge claims & locations of said District. CASTLE DOME MINING LAWS. JURISDICTION. ARTICLE I The jurisdiction of the following laws shall extend over all lode, ledge & vein mines and mining property within the following described and bounded District. Commencing at a point known and being the centre of the "Castle Dome Mine" on the “Buckeye" lode in the "Castle Dome" Mining Range, and running from said point North Ten (10) miles. South Ten (10) miles, and all mines within said boundary shall be known as being in the "Castle Dome" Mining District. DIMENSIONS OF CLAIMS ARTICLE II Any person shall be entitled to locate on any ledge or lode that is open to location by discovery or other wise, one claim of Two Hundred feet with an additional claim of Two Hundred feet for discovery, & for each and every individual name located on same ledge forming one company Two Hundred feet; provided that there shall not be over three thousand feet held on any one ledge or lode by any one company and said claim or claims shall include all dips spurs angles & variations of the ledge, and said claimants shall be entitled to one hundred feet of ground on each side of the ledge for the purpose of working said ledge. WORKING THE CLAIMS ARTICLE III—If any person company or their agents within thirty days from the date of locating their claims commence work on said claims, and sink a shaft or slope to the amount of Depth of fifteen feet by three ft. wide and five feet on any part of their claim or claims, said claim or claims shall be considdered and held under good title for the period of six months from the date of Location, and if any person company or their agents within thirty days from the date of location of their claims commence work on their claims & sink a shaft or slope to the depth of thirty feet by three feet wide and five feet long on any part of their claim or claims, said claim or claims shall be considered and held under good title for the period of one year from the date of location Provided that all claims located between the 15th day of June and the 1st day of October shall not be required to work on their claims until the 1st day of October and all claims thus located shall be under good title until the first of October by monument & location notices. The working season for this district shall be from the 1st day of October until the 15th day of June of each year when work shall be prosecuted according to these laws to perfect Title. WHAT CLAIMS TO BE ABANDONED. ARTICLE IV All claims that have been located since July 1st 1870 that have not done the amount of work as described and required by Article III of these laws and shall fail to comply with the provisions of these laws, shall be considered abandoned after thirty days from the date of the working season October 1st 1871, and shall be subject to be located by any other party or parties. "RECORDER" ARTICLE V There shall be a District Recorder elected by the miners in meeting at the mines of this District, to hold office for the term of one year from date of Election and said Recorder shall furnish Books for recording claims to be kept on and within said mining District of "Castle Dome." The Recorders fees shall be for each and every claim of two Hundred feet twenty-five cents and for each certificate fifty cents. "TITLES" ARTICLE VI No title to any claim here after located or taken up shall be considered valid unless recorded in the books of the District Recorder within sixty days from the date of such location if located during the working season, as described in Article III otherwise within sixty days from October 1st the beginning of the working season. LOCATIONS HOW MADE ARTICLE VII Location shall be made by placing a good and sufficient monument at some point on the claim with a notice stating the number of claims and feet, names of parties date of location and the course of said claims from said monument. FORMER RULES & LAWS ARTICLE VIII All laws, rules & regulations here-to-fore passed for the purpose of regulating controlling working locating and management of the mines in this District are hereby declared null & void, & of no account whatever. CERTIFICATE ARTICLE IX Any person or company having located any claim or claims in accordance with these laws, and having the same duly recorded as provided in these articles, & making oath that such person or persons or company have done the requisite amount of work on such claim or claims in developing the same as required by these laws, then the District Recorder shall give to said person or persons in company a certificate of title to said claim or claims according to the amount of work performed from time to time for each year as provided "BOOKS PAPER &C" ARTICLE X The District Recorder shall pass all books papers & records to his successor in office-William P. Miller having been duly elected at this meeting is hereby declared the District Recorder for the term of one year from date and shall be in the District either in person or by deputy with Books of Record by the 1st of October 1871 ARTICLE XI-Nothing in these articles shall at any time be inconsistant with the laws of the United States. The foregoing laws were enacted by the miners of Castle Dome Mining District, at the Central Location of said District July 17th 1871 WM P. MILLER Secty. ABRAM R. HOAGLAND Chairman Recorded July 27th A. D. 1871 at 3 o'clock p. m. JAMES S. SPAUN County Recorder pr A. A. MIX Deputy MINERS MEETING HELD AT CASTLE DOME MINING DISTRICT YUMA COUNTY A. T. JANUARY 9 A. D. 1875. Pursuant to notice posted according to law December 30th A. D. 1874, calling a meeting of all parties interested and working as miners in the Castle Yuma County A. T. to be held on the evening of Saturday January 9th A. D. 1875 the following miners met together in the house of Miller & Hopkins in said Dist. viz-W. L. Hopkins, G. W. Cole, J. D. Sibold, W. O. Lyon, W. J. Helms, H. Jones, W Logan, Thomas J. B. Heath, J. D. Rittenhouse and Chas Farrel. The meeting was called to order at 7.30 oclock p. m. and the following named parties were duly elected officers of the meeting-viz-W. L. Hopkins as President, and J. D. Rittenhouse as Secretary. |