82 ALASKA. 



said district of Alaska, subject to such regulations as may be made by the Sec- 

 retary of the Interior and approved by the President. * * * Parties who 

 have located mines or mining privileges therein, under the United States law 

 applicable to the public domain, or have occupied or improved or exercised acts 

 of ownership over such claims, shall not be disturbed therein, but shall be 

 allowed to perfect title by payment so provided for. 



Commissioner Hermann says that the patenting of mineral 

 lands in Alaska has been going on since 1884. 



UNITED STATES MINING LAWS. 



As the mining laws of the United States apply to Alaska, they 

 are printed here in full : 



united states mining laws and regulations thereunder.* 



Department of the Interior, 



General Land Office, 



December 10, i8gi. 

 Gentlemen: Your attention is invited to the Revised Statutes of the United 

 States and the amendments thereto in regard to 



MINING LAWS AND MINING RESOURCES. 

 Title xxxu, Chapter 6. 



Section 2318. In all cases lands valuable for minerals shall be reserved from 

 sale, except as otherwise expressly directed by law. 



Sec. 2319. All valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United 

 States, both surveyed and unsurveyed, are hereby declared to be free and open 

 to exploration and purchase, and the lands in which they are found to occupa- 

 tion and purchase, by citizens of the United States and those who have declared 

 their intention to become such, under regulations prescribed by law, and accord- 

 ing to the local customs or rules of miners in the several mining districts, so far 

 as the same are applicable and not inconsistent with the laws of the United 

 States. 



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, here- 



* Department of the Interior, General Land Office, Washington, May i6, 1893. — 

 This circular is reissued for the information and benefit of those concerned. — S. W. 

 Lamoreux, Commissioner. 



