Agricola, Georgius
,
De re metallica
,
1912/1950
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1,100 Rhenish guldens, were distributed to each one hundred and twenty-eighth
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share. </
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>From the Annaberg mine which is known as the Himmelich Höz,
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they had a dole of eight hundred thaler; from a mine in Joachimsthal
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which is named the Sternen, three hundred thaler; from the head mine at
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Abertham, which is called St. </
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<
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>Lorentz, two hundred and twenty-five thaler
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12
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<
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>The more shares of which any individual is owner the more profits he takes.</
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>I will now explain how the owners may lose or obtain the right over a
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mine, or a tunnel, or a share. </
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>Formerly, if anyone was able to prove by
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witnesses that the owners had failed to send miners for three continuous
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shifts
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13
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, the
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Bergmeíster
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deprived them of their right over the mine, and
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gave the right over it to the informer, if he desired it. </
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<
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>But although miners
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preserve this custom to-day, still mining share owners who have paid
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their contributions do not lose their right over their mines against their will.
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>Formerly, if water which had not been drawn off from the higher shaft of
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some mine percolated through a vein or stringer into the shaft of another
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mine and impeded their work, then the owners of the mine which suffered
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the damage went to the
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Bergmeíster
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and complained of the loss, and he sent
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to the shafts two Jurors. </
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<
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>If they found that matters were as claimed,
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the right over the mine which caused the injury was given to the owners
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who suffered the injury. </
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<
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>But this custom in certain places has been changed,
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for the
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Bergmeíster,
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if he finds this condition of things proved in the case
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of two shafts, orders the owners of the shaft which causes the injury to
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contribute part of the expense to the owners of the shaft which receives the
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injury; if they fail to do so, he then deprives them of their right over their
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mine; on the other hand, if the owners send men to the workings to dig
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and draw off the water from the shafts, they keep their right over their
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mine. </
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>Formerly owners used to obtain a right over any tunnel, firstly, if
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in its bottom they made drains and cleansed them of mud and sand so that
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the water might flow out without any hindrance, and restored those drains
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which had been damaged; secondly, if they provided shafts or openings to
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supply the miners with air, and restored those which had fallen in; and
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finally, if three miners were employed continuously in driving the tunnel.
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<
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>But the principal reason for losing the title to a tunnel was that for a period
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of eight days no miner was employed upon it; therefore, when anyone
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was able to prove by witnesses that the owners of a tunnel had not done
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these things, he brought his accusation before the
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Bergmeíster,
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who, after
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going out from the town to the tunnel and inspecting the drains and the
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ventilating machines and everything else, and finding the charge to be true,
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placed the witness under oath, and asked him: “Whose tunnel is this at the
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present time?” The witness would reply: “The King's” or “The
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