ARIZONA GHOST TRAILS by Richard J. Hinton 1969 Frontier Book Co., Publisher Fort Davis, Texas 79734 From The Handbook To Arizona c1877 Limited to 1000 copies Summary of Mining Laws, Federal, Territorial, and Local; Desert and Timber Lands; Homestead and Pre-emption Rights; Spanish and Railroad Grants. Land Offices. Officers of the Territory. Legislation on Irrigation. Artesian Wells, Mining, Etc. Routes, Distances, and Fares from and to all the Principal Points east and west, and in the Territory. Altitude of Important Points. Meteorological Tables. Mineral Springs. Southern Pacific Railroad Lands, Etc. * * * * * Before the passage of the Act of 1866, by Congress, the ownership of the mineral lands was retained by the nation. The first discussion of the policy of selling such lands began in 1850, the argument being to make them a source of revenue. The policy of leaving the mineral land open for private exploration and development prevailed, and remained the rule until 1866. The uncertainty of titles, etc., was urged in 1865-6, as reason for a change. Under legislation preceding that date, no title could be or was conferred to mining claims, beyond possessory rights, maintained by working and payment of a small royalty. Citizens of the United States might explore and occupy under regulations as prescribed by law. In the absence of congressional enactment, local legislation was authorized to provide necessary rules; the local customs and district rules not in conflict with the United States laws were also recognized. The law was, in reality, a license only to go upon the mineral-bearing portions of the public domain. Ownership, however, attached to the minerals extracted, and the government had no claim to them, except so far as royalty or license fees were concerned. The Act of 1872 Is not compulsory upon miners. They are not obliged to procure a United States patent for their claims. Those who do not, hold exactly the same relations that they did before its passage, provided no adverse claim is interposed. The Revised Statutes of the United States, Sections 2,318 to 2,352, of Title “Mineral Lands”; also, “Miscellaneous” provisions ditto, embracing Sections 910, 2,238, 2,258, 2,386 and 2,406, provide that for Quartz Mines Any person who is a citizen of the United States, or who has declared his intention to become a citizen, and no others, may locate and hold a mining claim 1,500 linear feet along the course of any mineral vein or lode subject to location; or any association of persons, severally qualified as above, may make joint location of such claim of 1,500 feet; but in no event can a location of a vein or lode, made subsequent to the date mentioned, exceed 1,500 feet along the course thereof, whatever may be the number of persons in the company.