Back last months one for the jobs I had was to survey the Desert Bar (Nellie E Saloon) www.thedesertbar.com
The bar sits on an old mining claim established back in the 1890s. While doing research I found the first claim papers on this site dating back to 1894 (if I remember right), in 1907 the US Mining Surveyor came out and surveyed the claim before the Federal Government passed the patented deed over.
Now the USGLO hadn"t surveyed this part of the State yet, so the USMS created a rock monument on top of the largest hillside on the northside of the claim and preformed a solar obs to start his work. In 1914 the USGLO came thru to survey the townships, as they set the section corner closest to the claim they tied into the USMS rock monument and noted it in there notes.
Now having all the USMS and USGLO feild notes in hand I take off to survey the Project site. Upon arriving at the site and talking with the owner on how I was going to start the job, he told me a brass monument was behind the bar area by the mens restroom. I thought, cool the section corner I need to start everything. After looking for 20 min or so, he walks over and clarifies his statement "its in the restroom".
Taking from the outside of the restroom
Now if you just step inside the restroom and look to the left wall you will see this nice beer holder for while you take a leak.
Well the section corner was just a tie monument for the work we were doing and a rough location on it was close enough to start to trace the 1907 USM Surveyor. Calced the bearing and distance to the rock monument to go find the starting point of the 1907 survey. Knowing the direction I determined this was the hill I needed to climb.
After the climb up, I found the rock monument laying on its side and Longhorn Sheep dropping all over the top of the hill.
A little rehab work.
View from the top, looking back at the bar.
Now the search for the corners of the Claim, all rock corners with NE (for Nellie E) and # 1 thru 4 on them. Here is what I found:
#1
#2
#4
Corner #3 was destroyed, but not needed for the work I was doing this time. I tied into 2 or 3 other mining claims in hope of continuing my research and finding another tie into corner #3. The USMS had an error in his calcs that resulted in the field monuments being 50' short in an east west direction, north south was within a foot. Taking all this into account I calced where I believed corner #3 would have been placed and found un-normal rock placement with a softer disturbed soil that fell within 2 feet of my calced location. Would like to confirm with another tie before I re-establish.
Only bad part about the job, the bar was CLOSED for the summer. It re-opened last weekend, guess its time to finish the research and head back to the job site.
Very COOL!
A couple of comments:
USMS = United States MINERAL surveyor (or Deputy MINERAL surveyor) not “ mining” surveyor. Just a FYI comment.
Once you have 1 (or more) of the actual Mineral Survey Corners (you have 3), the USMM/USLM and PLSS corners are pretty much ancillary points, and don't really factor into the PRIMARY retracement proposition. The USMM-to-Corner_1 should give you a pretty decent Basis-of-Bearing [check] though.
I can't seem to figure out the Arizona “Land Record” website, so I could not find the district [connecting] sheets, or survey plats (bummer).
Unless there Are (and there OFTEN ARE) adjoining and/or overlapping claims (unsurveyed) or Mineral Surveys, you may have all there is to finish the job, although I would also recover the Discovery Monument as well (if possible). The PATENT will of course tell the tale on any EXCLUSIONS that you will NEED to address (like other claims, tracts, reservations or surveys).
Be sure and GET the actual PATENT! (if you haven't already)
IF (big if maybe) this is a detached “loner” with no ad-joiners or conflicts, then you should consider the THREE recovered corners as your CONTROL in replacing the missing CORNER. Bear in mind that PARALLEL End-Lines are CRITICAL on lode claims under the General Mining Law, AND statutory limitations on length and width MUST also be considered in these cases. Whatever extralateral rights are intrinsically attached to this property (and there probably ARE some), can be complicated (possibly even extinguished) by a restoration that returns NON-parallel End Lines. The general rule is “substantially parallel” but that is a legal term that can vary by day/JUDGE/etc.
The so called “parallel end-line method” would be my first choice, BUT that might depend on OTHER considerations that I am NOT privy to. If there are other surveys NEARBY, then be very careful if you chose to use them in re-establishing the missing Corner (see extralateral rights above).
Looks like a great project, and now that the saloon is OPEN, it would be even BETTER!
Loyal
Former USMS
BTW...I see that the stones are marked "2483 A" which would indicate an associated Millsite Claim (2483 B) as well (which may or may NOT also be patented).
Great post!!!!! I'm glad I work in the "flatlands";-)
Have a great weekend!
BTW, is there a urinal or anything in that "restroom", or do you just pee on the wall?
bad link here is the correct one http://www.thedesertbar.com
Full running water in those restrooms. Water is the gold of the desert out here.
Loyal, I want to get my file and work computer at the office and continue the topic with you.
There was 5 or 6 claims that was all wrapped into the one Mineral Survey and they all overlapped, but corner #3 of Nellie E was the one corner that stuck out of the overlaps. The rest of the claims in this survey didn't tie down #3. I believe the rest of the mining claim corners I found in the field are results of unpatented and non surveyed claims. I just have to get back to the BLM office to finish the research.
Yes the mill site was about 3 miles away at the rivers edge.
Look forward talking to you more about this when I have all my information in front of me.
AZLS
Sure thing...I'm usually around the office here, although I will be in the field Tuesday and/or Wednesday.
Loyal
This survey is in the Seneca Mining District. The mill site was cancelled. The six lode claims in the survey were patented. I tried to upload the MS Plat and the District Sheet, but I can not figure out how. The MS is a compressed tif file and the District Sheet is a tif file.
Jerry