“Handed in his checks last year at Austin. Anyhow, he never did any assessment work here. You can see that. Just filed his location notice and let it go at that,” Budd explained.
“Didn’t he patent any of his claims?”
“I reckon. But not these. He couldn’t have. There’s not been enough work done on the ground. He jest scratched around.”
“If he patented there would be a record of it, of course.”
“I ain’t so sure of that, either. The house where they used to keep the county papers burned down in the big fire a coupla years ago more or less.”
“Well, the recorder would know.”
“Oh, he died a month since. But we’re in the clear. All you got to do is to use yore eyes to see this land couldn’t a-been patented.”
Hugh used his eyes and they corroborated his friend’s opinion.
The partner surveyed roughly the claims they decided on, drove in corner stakes, and put up their announcements of ownership. Four locations were taken in partnership. Each of them filed on several individual claims. Hugh took one in his brother’s name, the rest in his own. One of these last was to be held in trust for Vicky until she became of age. It was a custom of the country to take up mining prospects for friends.
Hugh wrote the notice for the partners. It read: