Gilpin County CO Archives History - Books .....Miner's Meeting 1920
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Robert Sanchez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00027.html#0006574 August 8, 2009, 11:35 pm

Book Title: Early Records Of Gilpin County, Colorado

MINERS' MEETING. [1]

        [1] Rocky Mountain Herald, June 2, 1860, p. 4. The resolutions were also
found in Gregory District, Record C.

    Proceedings of a Meeting of the Citizens of Gregory District, held Pursuant
to a Notice of Captain Sopris, President of the District,

                                         May 25th, 1860.
    Meeting called to order by Captain Sopris, at 8 P. M. W. W. Snelling chosen
Secretary.

    Capt Sopris, in a clear and concise manner, explained the object of the
meeting to be to take measures to obviate the various discrepancies in the laws
of the District, and to amend the laws in such manner as to give full and ample
encouragement to the new comer, while they should protect property already
acquired, but only where such property has been acquired bona fide, and urged
that a committee be appointed to propose such alterations as appeared necessary.

    On motion of H. P. A. Smith, esq., a committee of three was appointed to
draft resolutions relative to such alterations as appeared essential, which
committee consisted of Messrs. Smith, Hughes and Tasher, who thereupon retired
to draft resolutions.

    In the interval of the absence of the committee, the meeting was addressed
by Capt. Sopris, who congratulated the citizens upon their present prosperity
and future prospects; spoke at length of the riches existing in pur hills and
vallies, awaiting the labor of the enterprizing and industrious miner, and in an
eloquent manner warned them of the vices too often attendant upon a society
newly formed and afar from the influences under which they had been reared, and
spoke upon the evils and difficulties arising from the jumping of claims, and
the numerous trials arising therefrom.

    At 9 o'clock the committee returned and reported the following resolutions,
which were adopted:

    Resolved, 1st, That lead claims shall be held, where honestly taken up or
purchased, without any requisition of labor upon the same, for one year from
June 1st, to give time for supplying machinery for working the same.

    Resolved, 2d, That when machinery is owned or used by any person owning more
than one claim, that labor on one claim shall hold the others as firmly as if
they also were worked.

    Resolved, 3rd, That when any person owns a Gulch, Ravine, Flat or Patch
claim, where there is at present no water for working the same, he shall hold
the same without being required to work it, until ten days after there shall be
water sufficient to work the claim.

    Resolved, 4th, That where there is any doubt of the honesty of any bill of
sale of a claim, and the witnesses are, by any good reason, not to be found, the
holder may be examined under oath, at the request of any adverse party.

    Resolved, 5th, That the records of the District shall bear the same weight
hereafter, as evidence of title and right, that they have heretofore done, until
the repeal of the above laws.

    Resolved, 6th, That the first record, taken in good faith, of a mill claim,
shall, in all cases, be held good until the expiration of the present season;
and where any person shall place on record his intention to improve, shall hold
until the 1st of June, 1861.

    Resolved, 7th, That in case of the death of any person owning properly in
this District, it shall be the duty of the President to appoint an administrator
of the estate, who shall be required to give bonds and close up the property
according to the laws of Kansas Territory; and he shall, in all cases where
possible, appoint some relation of the deceased, in want of which, some other
responsible party, and he shall, in ail such cases, have the power and perform
the duties of a Judge of Probate.

    Resolved, 8th, That these laws shall be in force from and after their passage.

    Upon the reading of the 7th resolution, a spirited debate ensued between
Messrs. C. C. Post and IE. P. A. Smith, in which the latter vindicated the
propriety of adheiring to the jurisdiction under which we are placed, and
quietly abiding the action of Congress with regard to any new organization.

    The Chairman further addressed the meeting, proposing the appointment of
delegates to a General Convention of the several District, the object of which
Convention should be to establish a code of Laws, which should be adopted by the
people of the several Districts.

    The following gentlemen were then elected to attend said convention. R
Sopris, H. P. A. Smith and Geo. W. Brizee.

    Meeting then adjourned.
                     W. W. Snelling, Sec'y.


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