Dodge v. Wilkinson

OPINION

This appeal arises from a gold claim dispute. John L. Dodge sought land to mine in the Fairbanks area. In the fall of 1977, he located 1 several claims on federal public land at the headwaters of Miller Creek, above an area on the creek where Frederick D. Wilkinson was operating a substantial placer mining venture. Dodge named his claims P, R, 0, F, I, and T, the “PROFIT” group.

Dodge met Wilkinson at Wilkinson’s mining operation that fall and told him that he had staked the claims. Wilkinson contended that he had located claims on October 3, 1976, in the same area. Wilkinson’s new…