Sharum v. Whitehead Coal Mining Co.

223 F. 282, 138 C.C.A. 524, 1915 U.S. App. LEXIS 1709
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedApril 14, 1915
DocketNo. 4322
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 223 F. 282 (Sharum v. Whitehead Coal Mining Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sharum v. Whitehead Coal Mining Co., 223 F. 282, 138 C.C.A. 524, 1915 U.S. App. LEXIS 1709 (8th Cir. 1915).

Opinion

CARLAND, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment dismissing appellant’s amended bill on motion. The grounds of the motion are as follows:

“(1) Because said amended bill of complaint sets up a new and independent cause of action from that set up in the original bill of complaint, the said amended bill of complaint having changed the cause of action from a suit to cancel a lease to an Injunction enjoining the defendant from committing a trespass.
“(2) Because the complainant has a complete and adequate remedy at law, and this court has no power to grant the relief asked for in said amended bill of complaint.
“(3) Because there is a misjoinder of causes of action.
“(4) Because there is a defect of parties, in that Hugh Henry is not made a party to this suit.
“(o) Because said amended bill of complaint fails to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action in favor of complainant and against this defendant.”

[1] The bill, after alleging the citizenship of the parties and the amount in controversy, proceeded as follows;

"Fourth. That your complainant is the owner, in fee simple, of the east half (E. %) of the northwest quarter (N. W. %) of section thirteen (13), township, eleven (11) north, range twelve (12) east, containing eighty (80) acres of land, more or less, situate in Okmulgee county aforesaid, in the state of Oklahoma ; and that your complainant derived title thereto under and by virtue of a certain warranty deed, dated August 21, A. D. 1900, executed by one Hugh Henry, who was, prior to and upon said day and at the time of the execution and delivery of said warranty deed, the owner of said land.”
•‘Sixth. That said warranty deed,’ as aforesaid, was executed and delivered, for a good and valuable consideration by your complainant to the said Hugh Henry duly paid, and convoyed to your complainant an absolute title in foe simple to said land, subject only to the terms and conditions of a certain coal and asphalt mining lease, so called, bearing date November 10, 1903, and ex[284]*284ecuted and delivered by the said Hugh Henry to the defendant herein. * * * Said coal and asphalt mining lease is in words and figures following, to wit:
“ ‘Coal and Asphalt Mining Lease,
“ ‘Creek Nation, Indian Territory.
“ ‘This' indenture of lease, made and entered into, in quadruplicate, on this 19th day of November, A.. D. 1903, by and between Hugh Henry of Henryetta, Indian Territory, party of the first part, and Whitehead Coal Mining Company, a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the territory of Arizona, and duly authorized to carry on business in Indian Territory by compliance with the act of Congress approved February 8, 1901 (31 Stat. 794), of Henryetta, Indian Territory, party of the second pax*t, under and in pursuance of the provisions of section 17 of the act of Congress approved June 30, 1902 [32 Stat. 504, c. 1323], and ratified by the Muskogee or Creek National Council of July 26, 1902, and the rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior relative to mining leases in the Creek Nation, witnesseth: That the party of the first part, for and in consideration of the royalties, covenants, stipulations, and conditions hereinafter contained and hereby agreed to be paid, observed, and performed by the party of the second part, its heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assigns, do hereby demise, grant, and let unto the party of the second part, its heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assigns, the following described tract of land lying and being within the Creek Nation and within the Indian Territory, to wit: The south half (S. %) of the southeast quarter (S. E. %) of section twelve (12), and the east half (E. y2) of the northwest quarter (N. W. %), less' amount occupied as right of way by St. Louis, Oklahoma & Southern Railway, amounting to 8.40 acres, of section thirteen (13), of township eleven (11) north, of range twelve (12) east of the Indian meridian, and containing 151.60 acres, more or less — for the full term of fifteen years from the date hereof, for the sole pxirpose of prospecting for and mining coal and asphalt; the party of the second part to occupy so much only of the surface of said land as may be reasonably necessary to carry on the work of prospecting for, mining, storing, and removing such coal and asphalt.
“ ‘In consideration of the premises the party of the second part hereby agrees and binds itself, its heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assigns, to pay, or cause to be paid, to the party of the first part as royalties the sums of money as follows, to wit: On asphaltum the sum of ten cents per ton for each and every ton of crude asphalt produced, weighing 2,000 pounds, or the sum of sixty cents per ton on refined asphalt. On the production of all coal mined under this lease the sum of eight cents per ton of 2,000 pounds on mine run, or coal as it is taken from the mines, including what is commonly called “slack.”
“ ‘And the party of the second part further agrees and binds itself, its heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assigns, to pay, or cause to be paid, to the lessor, as advanced annual royalty on this lease, the sums of money as follows, to wit: Fifteen cents- per acre per annum, in advance, for the first and second years; thirty cents per acre per annum, in advance for the third and.fourth years; and seventy-five cents per acre per annum, in advance, for the fifth and each succeeding year thereafter of the term for which this lease •is to run — it being understood and agreed that said sums of money so paid shall be a credit on the stipulated royalties, should the same exceed such sums paid as advanced royalty, and, further, that should the party of the second part, neglect or refuse to pay such advanced annual royalty for the period of sixty days after the same becomes due and payable, then this lease shall, at the option of the lessor, be null and void, and all royal ties-paid in advance shall become the money and property of the lessor. All royalty accruing for any month shall be due and payable on or before the 25th day of the month succeeding. ^ -
^ “ ‘It is agreed by the parties hereto that the land described' herein shall not be held by the party of the second part for speculative purposes, but in good faith for mining the minerals specified, and a failui'e for one year by the party of the second part to do a reasonable amount of development work or of min[285]*285ing shall be held as a want of compliance with the purposes of this lease and shall render it null and void.
“ ‘The party of the second part further agrees and binds itself, its heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assigns, to pay, or cause to be paid, to the party of the first part the royalty as it becomes due.

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Bluebook (online)
223 F. 282, 138 C.C.A. 524, 1915 U.S. App. LEXIS 1709, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sharum-v-whitehead-coal-mining-co-ca8-1915.