Kodiak Mirror

Gold Claim Staked By John Gibbons

A gold claim has been staked near Mission Creek in the area beyond the Kodiak Baptist Mission by John Gibbons, local garbage contractor, and Myrna Perkins, city clerk.

The official posting for the claim states that gold was discovered last Aug. 20. The notice was posted on March 20, stating that gold was discovered in the area of Mission Creek.

The claim is staked with four corner markers blazoned on trees and the official notice is in a tin can nailed to a tree near the road leading to the T. T. Jackson ranch.

The mining laws for the Territory of Alaska state that only one discovery of mineral is required to support a placer location. However, it must give reasonable evidence that it is valuable for such mining.

When asked this week if he had found gold, Gibbons remarked, "If you found gold, would you tell anyone about it?"

The claim has not yet been filed with the local U. S. Commissioner or, according to the Anchorage Times, with the land office in Anchorage.

The Territorial laws also state: " The locator or locators of a placer claim shall within 90 days after posting notice of location file with the recorder of the district a certificate of location."

In addition to posting notice and filing the person holding a placer claim must do $100 worth of labor and improvement annually on the claim.