The Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1852-1872, 1853-05-07
Monopoly Of Mining Claim. A gain.

Monopoly Of Mining Claim. Again.
A writer from French Guch last week in
formed us OF the tact that system OF monopo-
LIKING mining claims had gradually obtained a
foothold in various localities in this county. We
then warned the miners to be on their guard,
aud watch with untiring vigilance the insidi
.ous approaches of this, the worst foe that they
can possibly have TO contend with.
The following communication from Horse
town treats of the matter in hand:-
one Ho ,sETowx, MAY 1st. 1853.
EDIToRs CoURIER:-I our correspond ent -.
J. IT, from French Gulch speaks of miners
holding several claims in different localities at
the time. Allow me to tell you what ]
know on this subject.
/ have seen miners leave claims here tina!
they had been working since last fall and into
which they had but fairly got when the wafer
gave out. Some of these miners to my certain
knowledge spent eeks OF hard labor in cutting
bitches and otherwise getting their claims ready
for operation, aud had when the wafer failed,
realized no remuneration for this expenditure OF
time and money. Shall those men now lose
their claims because they do not choose to lay
idly by them during the summer, aud spend per-
chance what they made III the winter think
they onglt not lose them Yet your correspon-
dent from French Guch accuses such men of
monopoiZng mimi. claims. if they try to find
elsewhere employment for the simmer season.
with the full intention OF returning 10 their
claims the ensuing winter.
Permit NE observe that | am opposed to
any monopoly of mining claims But should we
hinder one man from selling his claim or anoth-
from purchasing 1t Suppose man who is
working valuable claim is compelled by cir
cumslances to leave this country. what could he
do if no one We're allowed 10 purchase claim
aud work it
In regard to this matter the rules and regula-
tions of the One Horsetown district say, that u
may hold many claims as he wants 10
buy provided he keeps hand at work in each
claim all The while. This law may lit
tie modfying but think the principle is right
for there every day men here who would
hire ont for fair wages, if they had "A chance
rather than try to find claim for themselves.
GERMANS.
Germanus' misunderstauds the cause of
complaint on the part of j. J. t. and conse
quenty does not meet the point at issue. -. J.
T." spoke of men who hold from two to four
seven and eleven claims each,' and prevented
industrious miners from working them, although
they were lying unoccuped and unproductive.
He made allnslon to claims that could not be
worked for the want of water; such claims are
not apt to be jumped in the early part OF spring
Neither did he accuse such men as "Germanus"
has instanced of monopolizing mineral lands
Had he done would not have favored his
positions. He has simply asked that most obi
system of monopoly be crushed in its inchoa-
ton,-,hat rule that has obtained throughout
the miues since their discovery, and which
"Germanus" acknowledges to be regulation of
the Horsetown district, be promptly enforced.
Every miner is perfectly familiar with the uni
versatility of that rule throughout the mnes-that
any claim unoccuped for certain number of
days may be Jumped"
That it is correct rule, and one absolutely es-
sental to the protection of miners is too obvi-
Gus to admit of controversion. Unless are
restricted to certain number of claims, sys-
tenn Of monopoly can and will speedily gather
into the hands Of comparatively few capital
lists the most valuable mining lands in the Coun-
ty. We ask what is to prevent a monied man,
under the Horsetown regulation, to go into that
district. purchase hundred claims, and work
them with Chinamen South Americans or Pa
cific Islanders whose services may be procured
perhaps for a mere song? And If one man may
do this what is to prevent ten, twenty or fifty
men doing the same thing Would not such ope-
rations work most injuriously to the interests OF
miners generally? We think so and hence
urge upon our miners the adoption of such rules
as will forever prevent the fastening upon US a
system that strikes at the very root of the great
mining interests of the country. We would not
see our miners reduced from their present indie
pendent position to a state but little differing
from European serfdom, as must inevitably be
the case if they permit few men to obtain pos
session OF the best mines.
WAR WITH MExIco.-There seems to be pro-
liability of another with Mexico 1t seems
n corta;n str;n Of land "a miles in width hy II 3