ALASKA. 
98 
only agricultural lands and not include lands entered or sought to be entered 
under mineral land laws. 
* * * * * * * 
Approved, March 3, 1891. (26 Stat., 1095.) 
MINERAL LANDS OPEN TO EXPLORATION, OCCUPATION, AND PURCHASE. 
1. It will be perceived that by the foregoing provisions of law the mineral 
lands in the public domain, surveyed or unsurveyed, are open to exploration, 
occupation, and purchase by all citizens of the United States and all those who 
have declared their intentions to become such. 
STATUS OF LODE-CLAIMS LOCATED PRIOR TO MAY 1 O, l8/2. 
2. By an examination of the several sections of the Revised Statutes it will 
be seen that the status of lode-claims located previous to the 10th May, 1872, 
is not changed with regard to their extent along the lode or width of surface . 
3. Mining rights acquired under such previous locations are, however, enlarged 
by such Revised Statutes in the following respect, viz : The locators of all such 
previously taken veins or lodes, their heirs and assigns, so long as they comply 
with the laws of Congress and with State, Territorial, or local regulations 
not in conflict therewith, governing mining claims, are invested with the exclu¬ 
sive possessory right of all the surface included within the lines of their loca¬ 
tions, and of all veins, lodes, or 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 loca¬ 
tions at the surface, it being expressly provided, however, that the right of pos¬ 
session to such outside parts of said veins or ledges shall be confined to such 
portions thereof as lie between vertical planes drawn downward, as aforesaid, 
through the end lines of their locations so continued in their own direction that 
such planes will intersect such exterior parts of such veins, lodes, or ledges; no 
right being granted, however, to the claimant of such outside portion of a vein 
or ledge to enter upon the surface location of another claimant. 
4. It is to be distinctly understood, however, that the law limits the possess¬ 
ory right to veins, lodes, or ledges, other than the one named in the original 
location, to such as were not adversely claimed on May 10 , i8j2 , and that 
where such other vein or ledge was so adversely claimed at that date, the right 
of the party so adversely claiming is in no way impaired by the provisions of 
the Revised Statutes. 
5. In order to hold the possessory title to a mining claim located prior to 
May 10, 1872, and for which a patent has not been issued, the law requires that 
