Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-12-10
so long as my life and health are spared,
and remain, gentlemen,
Very truly and respectfully yours,
Gro. TIcKNoR CURTIS,
Convention of Black Hills Miners.

Convention of Black Hills Miners.
The miners meeting which is to be
held at Deadwood on THURSDAY. the
18th of this month, is being more and
more talked and thought Of as the day
set for it approaches. That there should
be changes in the mining laws, as a min
ing country develops and the work be-
comes more systematic, 10 natural en-
ough, and this is matter in which all
who are in any way engaged In the
industry should be. and probably are
interested. The proposed legislation Is
to be in behalf Of the Black Hills, not
any particular section or locality, aud
every mining camp should be represent
ed at Deadwood next Thursday. Since
the convention was proposed the Black
Hills press have commented freely on
the work that would devolve upon the
delegates, and many valuable sugges-
tions have been made. The following
letter which c. w. Robbins has given to
the press, touches upon Number Of the
pfiHCipdi poiu'o III INV law wuSfe
changes are needed, and 1t should be
read and considered by all interested in
the matter:
Il see by the Deadwood press that
there Is a call for miners convention,
to meet at Deadwood on the 18th OF
December. 1892, which is now close at
hand. The object Of this meeting is to
REVISE the laws now governing the mines
in the state Of South Dakota. This
is a subject which Is now often brought
up among a certain class for discussion,
and as the topic is new to many Of your
readers. will enumerate few of the
propositions which heard advanced.
First-I occasionally meet with par
ties who are in favor Of making mining
claims 600 feet square, and as a reason
they give this: That the ore bodies in
some instances in the Black Hills are
more than 800 feet wide, which is tho
present limit under our statutes.
Now. l do not propose in this letter to
comment or give my personal opinion
of the merits or demerits of each propo-
sition, as / know that your space is
limited and it would be asking too much.
But, nevertheless, as a miner. / am in
terested in this movement, and il am
permitted to be present at the gather
ing. may possibly have something to
say, and if not present shall endeavor
to send paper to be read before that
convention. But to proceed with my
enumeration.
Second-There are those who believe
that 800 feet Is wide enough, but that
1900 feet is too long. and that the claim
osnsI J%32sappP2z 9o o,R.fshces mgfsh e. tNo SoT9
three men own all the mineral in the
district, and that the district is thereby
hindered in its development greatly to
the detriment of the state.
Third-lt is also urged by some that
the law Of the apex is wrong and that
miner instead of being allowed to follow
his vein on its dip beyond its side line,
as the present law allows, he should be
compelled to stop a. his side line drawn
vertically downward to the depths of
the EARTH. This proposition, however,
should be dismissed at once, as it il
governed by United States laws, with
which no state law can b. permitted to
conflict.
Fourth-We come now to a proposition
which is more dwelt upon than all the
rest combined, and upon which the
main interest of the convention will
probably center, to-wit: That there
should be law enacted regulating the
number Of locations miner may hold.
II is claimed by many that both the
government and the state have bsen too
liberal to the prospector in this respect
and that the privilege has been very
much abused-in fact to such an extent
that We have in almost every mining
camp few who have earned the sobri-
quet of claim fiends. What is meant BY
this is to describe the disposition of GER
tain parties who 20 on stalking continu-
ally for speculative purposes and never
stop to develop their property.
This Ia brief outline of some Of the
propositions which will probably come
up for discussion at the convention and
upon which some improvement in the
law IL sought"