Judge Carey Rules for the Silver-Lead Company in Metaline Claim Fight
A Stevens County court decision turned on whether assessment work had been done on valuable lead claims in 1905—and the mining district was watching.
The case of A. D. Norman and George Tiger vs. Sterling Silver-Lead Co., tried at Colville, has been decided by Judge Carey in favor of the defendant. The case arose over a relocation of some valuable lead claims owned by the Sterling Silver-Lead Co. and located at Metaline. The Sterling Silver-Lead Co. applied for patent for the claims, and the plaintiffs filed an adverse claim and afterward brought suit to quiet their title. The point in issue was as to whether or not the assessment work had been done on the claims for 1905.
This decision means considerable to the Metaline mining district, it is said. The claims already have a large body of galena ore exposed in the workings.
Witnesses for the Sterling Silver-Lead Co. were J. J. Dehuff, Dr. H. Done, George Samms, E. Carr and E. J. Smock, of Metaline; W. Warner, M. Fordham, of Spokane, and A. Booth, United States deputy mineral surveyor. Allen & Allen were the attorneys for the Sterling company. Witnesses for the plaintiffs were D. Birks, E. A. Patrick, George Tiger, D. Norman and Mr. Robertson. A. G. Gray was attorney for the plaintiffs.
“The point in issue was as to whether or not the assessment work had been done on the claims for 1905.”
The Metaline mining district’s lead claims were wealth, and the case turned on a mundane rule—proof of assessment work—that still governs mining claims today. In a region now known for recreation and the Pend Oreille River, this 1909 ruling reminds us that land ownership often rests on paperwork as much as ore.
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