Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-03-24
INTERESTING REVIEW Of THE LIFE
AND ACTIVITIES OF JUDGE COWEN

square was the recognized size of a
placer claim. He Immediately went
to work. A patch of unworked
ground was shown him by a man
by the name of Rogers who ran
tent saloon near Webbersville. Cow
en- had brought some mining tools
with him, and he was better pre-
pared than most of them for mining.
But it takes no great magma
tion on the part of any one to know
that such a small patch of ground
did not permit of anything like eco
nomic and real successful mining.
Cowen said the gravel was rich with
gold, but working it out in the
manner he had to, reduced his earn
ings materially.
1t was not long till the miners
saw there was need of some better
code Of rules governing the size and
method Of locating placer ground.
Besides there was much friction be-
ginning to arise between individuals
working out their patches, in which
the bOlder and more aggressive i'm
posed on their less combative neigh
bors, but in some cases open hostil-
| tiles between claimants broke out,
and gun plays made with a few fatal
results. 1t was probably here that
old proverb among early miners orr
ginated that possession was nine
points of the law and the shotgun
was all other points. A lawlessness
began to spring up in the placer
fields and the better element saw
that the mining industry was drift
ing towards anarchy and chaos.
Judge Cowen was a man who al
ways stood up for law, order and
justice and he with others advocat-
ed changes in the method of locat-
ing placer ground and their rights
of possession. He was instrumental
in helping to call and organize the
first miners meeting, which was
held at the Kentucky House in Web
bersville,, California. The meeting
was largely attended and the fol
lowing code of rules and regula
tons We're unanimously passed ant
adopted. l submit crude draf
from what he was able to tell me
l. A placer mining claim would
be $50 feet long up and down TIL,
creek extending from Hill to hill, o.
rim to rim. A hillside, bench o
large bar claim would be $50 fee
square.
2. Each end of creek claim o
the four corners of the other claim
must be marked by suitable mon
ument of stone or wooden post
giving the name of the location
date of location and description.
3. Within ten days from date o
location. the name, date of locatiol
and description must be recorde
with the district recorder,
A.. The office of the District Re
! corder was created, and recorde
, duly elected. A stipulated fee Of 5
per location was granted. J. Z
Lauck, who afterward drifted t
, Pierce. was their first recorder.
paid him we'll for a while.
4 S. The right of possession to tn
location was determined by the bon
, fide use the claim was put to. Sus
, pension of work for thirty days cor
: stituted abandonment. There wa
, some debate over this clause. Som
, wishing to shorten the time an
others to extend 1t, finally agreein
a to thirty days.
y This was wise provision as
: gave the operator a lay over durin
;, high water or bad weather, whe
q the miner could go and get provi'
= ions etc. Judge Cowen said tn
: was the first miners meeting eve
4 held In California. This l am M
able to check out at this time. B,
r l do know that the central featur,
= Of the code established was the M
p cleus Of all subsequent mining Law
governing Dlacer mining in the we
J. which became known as the Cal
v fornia law. In subsequent discove
r les the miners modified 1t only
y meet the local conditions, caused
70 climatic conditions Of difference
the character Of the finds.
N Miners meetings became loc
= legislative bodies and also assum,
!, (Continued on local pAge.)