Death Valley Historic Resource Study A History of Mining

"Pursuant to the above notice a special miners meeting was held on February 10, 1873, at the camp aforesaid of R. C. Jacobs & Co., with the following result:

W. L. Kennedey was elected Chairman, and R. C. Jacobs Secretary of the meeting.

On motion the following resolutions were offered, voted upon separately and adopted:

Resolved, That we the miners of Panamint Mountains, here assembled, do ordain and establish the following:

1. The new district shall be known as, and called the "Panamint Mining District," and its boundaries shall be as follows: Commencing in "Windy Canyon" (a point four miles north of Telescope Peak) at a point called Flowery Springs, and running thence in an easterly direction, following the said "Windy Canyon" to the summit of the range; thence down the east side and out to the center of Death Valley; thence southerly to "Mesquit Springs," on the eastern slope of "Slate Range;" thence westerly to the summit of "Centrie Canyon," and down the same to its mouth, continuing the same course westerly to the center of "Slate Range Valley;" thence northerly to a point in "Panarnint Valley" ten miles due west from "Flowery Springs;" thence easterly ten miles to the place of beginning.

2. We adopt as the laws of this district the act of Congress approved May 10, 1872, with the regulations issued thereunder from the General Land Office, bearing date of June 10, 1872, and September 20, 1872, with the following additional local regulations:

3. An exact copy of the notice of location of a mining claim, tunnel claim, mill site or timber claim must be handed to the Recorder of this district for record within twenty days from the posting on claim of said notice, or the location will be held as abandoned, and for every such record and certificate of same the Recorder shall be entitled to a fee of two dollars.

4. On locating a claim, if the locator so desires, it shall be the duty of the Recorder to visit the same personally and examine the boundaries thereof, for which he shall be entitled to a fee of five dollars and mileage at the rate of fifty cents per mile for every mile or part of a mile that the claim may be situated distant from the Recorder's place of residence.

5. One foot in blasting ground in either shaft, drift or tunnel, of ordinary size, shall be valued at $20, and in picking ground at $5 dollars, and when application is made by a claim holder, or legal representative of a claim, for a certificate showing the amount of labor performed or improvements made upon a claim, it shall be the duty of the Recorder to make a personal inspection of the same, and if in his judgment the amount seems correct he shall give a certificate to that effect, and for such inspection and certificate he shall receive a fee of five dollars ($5), with mileage at the rate of (50c) fifty cents per mile for each mile or part of a mile that the claim may be situated from the Recorder's place of residence.

6. The owner of a mining claim, tunnel claim or mill site situated in this district may hold for the use of such claim or claims the timber contained in an area of (320) three hundred and twenty acres of land.

7. It shall be the duty of the Recorder to call meetings of the miners whenever a petition is presented to him signed by ten or more persons owning claims in this district, or by legal representatives of such owners of claims, requesting him to give notice of such meeting for the purpose of altering or amending the laws of this district, and he must post such notices, stating the object of the meeting, in at least three different and conspicuous or public [places] in the district, but no such meeting shall be held in less than 10 or more than 20 days from the date of such notice, and no person except a claim owner or his legal representative shall have a vote at such meeting.

8. A Recorder shall be elected on the 10th day of February of each year, and it shall be his duty to post notices in three or more public places in the district, ten days previous to the expiration of his term of office, to the effect that a miners meeting is called for the purpose of electing a Recorder, stating where the election is to be held, and appointing two claim owners, or legal representatives of such, as judges of such election, who shall permit none but claim owners, or legal representatives of such, to vote at any such election. The Recorder shall purchase the books, etc., necessary at his own expense, and on retiring from office shall deliver them to his successor, receiving payment from the said successor of the original cost of said books.

9. At all meetings held in this district a majority of the claim owners present voting for or against a measure shall constitute the adoption or rejection of such measure.

10. These laws, rules and regulations shall take effect from the date of their' passage.

11. The Records of the district will be kept in Surprise Valley, Panamint Mountains.

After the adoption of the foregoing resolutions, an election for Recorder was declared in order. Robert Stewart was put in nomination, and on a vote being taken was unanimously elected for the annual term commencing February 10, 1873.

It was unanimously resolved that R. C. Jacobs compile the laws of Panamint Mining District and forward them for publication to the office of The Inyo Independent, Independence, Inyo county, California.

W. L. KENNEDAY, Chairman, R. C. Jacobs, Secretary.

Mormon Canyon, Panamint Mining District, Cal., February 10, 1873.