uit . ▁ ▁St aking ▁claims ▁ ▁The ▁ge ological ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁Rand ▁required ▁expensive ▁heavy ▁mach in ery ▁to ▁mine ▁a ▁claim . ▁A ▁le ase ▁letter ▁from ▁the ▁government ▁was ▁needed ▁to ▁officially ▁se al ▁the ▁owner - d igger ▁relationship ▁and ▁obtain ▁the ▁funds . ▁The ▁owner ▁r ented ▁the ▁land ▁from ▁the ▁government , ▁usually ▁for ▁up ▁to ▁£ 5 / acre / yr , ▁receiving ▁in ▁return ▁£ 1 / mo ▁from ▁the ▁min ers ▁for ▁prospect ing ▁rights ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁very ▁much ▁a ▁s eller ’ s ▁market . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁the ▁government ▁officially ▁started ▁issu ing ▁le ase ▁letters ▁to ▁own ers ▁and ▁ten ants . ▁Are as ▁between ▁ 5 0 ▁and ▁ 5 0 0 ▁acres ▁could ▁be ▁granted ▁in ▁ 5 0 - acre ▁lots . ▁The ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁Gold ▁Law ▁that ▁allowed ▁this ▁also ▁gave ▁the ▁owner ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁reserve ▁a ▁t enth ▁of ▁their ▁farm ▁as ▁their ▁own ▁claim ▁before ▁open ▁prospect ing ▁was ▁allowed . ▁The ▁government , ▁however , ▁reserved ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁collect ▁ 2 . 1 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁gold ▁proceed s ▁as ▁a ▁tax . ▁O wn ers ▁could ▁st ake ▁another ▁ 1 0 ▁claims ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁they ▁paid ▁the ▁standard ▁£ 5 / mo ▁or ▁less ▁for ▁each ▁claim ; ▁they ▁also ▁specified ▁which ▁areas , ▁such ▁as ▁gard ens , ▁fields , ▁and ▁the