Montana Ore Purchasing Co. v. Boston & Montana Consolidated Copper & Silver Mining Co.

70 P. 1114, 27 Mont. 288, 1902 Mont. LEXIS 117
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 24, 1902
DocketNo. 1,629
StatusPublished
Cited by58 cases

This text of 70 P. 1114 (Montana Ore Purchasing Co. v. Boston & Montana Consolidated Copper & Silver Mining Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Montana Ore Purchasing Co. v. Boston & Montana Consolidated Copper & Silver Mining Co., 70 P. 1114, 27 Mont. 288, 1902 Mont. LEXIS 117 (Mo. 1902).

Opinions

ME. CHIEF JUSTICE BEANTLY

delivered the opinion of the court.

This action was brought to recover damages for trespass upon a portion of the Johnstown (patented) lode mining claim, situ[296]*296ate in Silver Bow county. In a second cause of action the plaintiff asks that its title be quieted to tlie premises in controversy, and that defendant be restrained from trespassing -pendente lite, and, upon final decree, that it be perpetually enjoined from trespassing or asserting any right or title to plaintiff’s property. Before the cause was set for trial, the plaintiff was, by leave of court, allowed to dismiss the first cause of action without prejudice. The cause then proceeded as one in equity to determine an adverse claim made by defendant under Section 1310 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The comjdaint alleges; in substance, that the plaintiff is, and for a long time has been, the owner and in possession of the portion of the Johnstown described, and of all of the veins, lodes and ledges having their tops or apices therein; that the top or apex of a certain vein, bearing gold, silver and copper, lying within the surface boundaries of the Johnstown lode, extends through the whole length of the claim, and is substantially parallel with the side lines thereof; that it is intersected by the end lines of the claim, which are parallel; that said apex lies within the lines of the part described, and passes through the east and west end lines thereof; that said vein, in its course downward into the earth, so far departs from the perpendicular as to extend beyond the south side line of the Johnstown claim, and of the premises owned by the defendant within the Johns-town, and into and beneath that certain other claim known as the “Pennsylvania,” the greater portion of which is claimed by the defendant; that this claim lies partly adjacent to and south of the plaintiff’s premises; that plaintiff is the owner and in possession of said vein or ledge, not only to the extent of those parts of it which lie within the vertical planes extending downward through the surface boundaries of the conveyed portion, but also- of all portions lying outside of these planes, and between two planes drawn downward, the one through the east end line of the Johnstown claim, and the other through the west end line of the part described, so extended in their own direction, respectively, as to intersect the exterior portion of said vein beneath the surface of the Pennsylvania claim, and north [297]*297of a plane extending from the north side line of the said claim at the surface into the earth toward the the south at an angle of 40 degrees below the horizon; that all the ores, minerals and metals lying within said planes are owned by the plaintiff throughout the entire depth of the vein; that the defendant claims an estate or interest adverse to the plaintiff in those parts of the vein lying outside of the plaintiff’s surface lines and beneath the Pennsylvania claim; that this claim of the defendant casts a cloud upon plaintiff’s title to such exterior parts of said vein, and interferes with the plaintiff’s use and enjoyment of its property; that said assertion of interest by the defendant is without right or title; that the plaintiff’s title cannot be quieted or adequately protected by one or more actions at law, because numerous suits between the parties, involving the title of the plaintiff to different portions of the vein underlying defendant’s surface, will be necessary; that the defendant has entered upon certain portions of the vein beneath the surface of the Pennsylvania claim, has extracted valuable ores therefrom, and is engaged in prosecuting mining developments for the purpose of removing other valuable ores; that said entry is without right and against the wish of plaintiff; that the defendant threatens to continue to enter upon the vein of plaintiff, and to extract, remove, and convert to its own use valuable ores belonging to plaintiff; that plaintiff does not know and cannot ascertain the value of the ores so taken away; and that, if the defendant be not enjoined, the plaintiff will be compelled to resort to a multiplicity of suits to protect its rights, while in the meantime its estate is being wasted and destroyed. The prayer demands that the defendant be required to set forth the nature of its claims; that it be adjudged that defendant has no right or title to any part of the vein or ore bodies in controversy, that the plaintiff’s title be quieted, and that defendant be forever enjoined from removing any ores therefrom or asserting any right or title thereto.

The defendant, in its answer, makes the following- denials: That the plaintiff is the owner of the veins, lodes or ledges having their tops or apices within the premises described, or is en[298]*298titled to tbe possession of tbem tbrougbout tbeir entire depth; that tbe top. or apes of any veins or lodes lies within tbe Johns-town lode claim, or that tbe said tops or apices extend through the length of the claim parallel to the side lines, and pass through the end lines thereof; that the .top or apex of any of the veins or ledges described lies within the portion of the Johns-town owned by plaintiff, or passes on its strike through the end lines thereof; that, while the vein claimed by defendant so far departs from the perpendicular on its dip as to extend under the Pennsylvania, it passes through the end lines of the claim or the part thereof owned by the plaintiff; that the plaintiff is the owner of the parts of the vein lying outside of the lines of the Johnstown claim,' and within the planes described by plaintiff ; that the plaintiff is the owner of any vein within the Pennsylvania claim, whether beneath the plane extending into the earth at an angle of 40 degrees below the'horizon from the north side line of said claim, or not; that the plaintiff is the owner of any ore bodies beneath said plane; that any claim of the defendant thereto casts a cloud upon plaintiff’s title, or restricts the plaintiff’s enjoyment thereof; that the claim of the defendant is Avith-out- right or title; that the right or title of plaintiff cannot be protected by one or two actions at law, or that numerous actions ought to folloAv between the plaintiff and the defendant touching different portions of the Arein or lode of the plaintiff underlying the Pennsylvania claim; that it has, by underground Avorkings or otherwise, entered upon the lode claimed by plaintiff Avithin the Pennsylvania claim, or at all, and extracted valuable ores therefrom, or that it is noAV engaged in so doing; that the extraction of any ores from said lode by the defendant is against the Avishes of the plaintiff, or that the defendant is continuing or threatens to continue to extract ores therefrom and to convert them to its own use, against the wishes of the plaintiff; that, unless the defendant is restrained and enjoined from entering upon said vein and removing ores therefrom, it Avill continue to do so, to the great or any injury of plaintiff; that the plaintiff cannot ascertain the value of the ores which the defendant is extracting or aauII extract; and that the plaintiff will [299]*299be compelled to bring a multiplicity of suits against defendant in order to protect its property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
70 P. 1114, 27 Mont. 288, 1902 Mont. LEXIS 117, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/montana-ore-purchasing-co-v-boston-montana-consolidated-copper-silver-mont-1902.