Show ANNUAL assessment WORK this is the time of the year when the claim owner gives thought to the performance of annual assessment work upon his property it is highly important that this work be done in strict compliance with the law and no harm can be done if a little more work is done than is really demanded in some localities district laws conflict with the federal statutes but in a test case it will be found that the federal law must be complied with and that the irregular district regulations will not hold good in cases where work has been begun before the close of the year but not completed ted no loss to the claim holder is sustained if he continue the work without interruption ter and into the following year actual occupancy and personal possession is regarded by the law as an evidence of good faith on the part of the claim holder and he may complete the required work and hold good title even if this work is carried on into the year 1912 in the event of the performance of assessment ses work upon a group of claims this can be done at one point on the group provided the work so done tends to the development and improvement of the whole group but such work cannot apply to detached claims or to claims in the group which cannot be bene fitted by the work being carried on in some instances however work on a group can be applied to a detached claim if it can be shown that the claim benefits by the work performed wagon roads even if constructed in the near proximity but not on a claim or group of claims if built for the use of the property in question and are necessary for the successful operation of the claim or claims will be accepted as assessment work A building permanent in its character will apply as assessment work as will also the services of a watchman when such services are utilized in keeping mine workings in repair and the property in condition for active operation the statutes provide that work to the value of be done in the performance of annual assessment work such work is valued at what it is reasonably worth if it is reasonably worth the fact that it was performed at a less cost does not imply that the claim holder has not complied with the requirements of the law A great many factors must necessarily enter into the question of what constitutes the performance of annual assessment work such for instance as the cost of labor the cost of provisions and supplies and ahe the distance from supply points and the claim owner who is endeavoring in good faith and honesty to develop and exploit his holdings is not very likely to have his work questioned and especially when he does not rely upon the supposed technicalities of the law to tide him over year after year in the possession of his property |