Miner's Christmas

[clay]

Ruby and I want to wish all the great friends we've made in prospecting a very Happy Holidays.

Ruby wrote a little poem for all those fine folks and for the friends still to be made, you are all special to us. Thank you for your friendship.

[.500 club]

Ruby and I want to wish all the great friends we've made in prospecting a very Happy Holidays.

Ruby wrote a little poem for all those fine folks and for the friends still to be made, you are all special to us. Thank you for your friendship.

The most enjoyable read of the season Ruby. I look forward to meeting you folks, thanks.

Merry Christmas everyone, Mele Kalikimaka From Hawaii.

Mario

[Reno Chris]

To My Friends Clay and Ruby - Have a great holiday!

Hope I get to see you at one or more of the GPAA shows this year. I'll be at: Pomona, Mesa, Red Bluff, Salem, Las Vegas, Boise, Reno and the ICMJ show at Placerville.

Have you heard about the big claim staking issue here in Nevada?

If not, see:

http://www.mineweb.c...41072&sn=Detail

Chris

[clay]

Wow what a nice Christmas present Chris, Thank You!

"The process of maintaining unpatented mining claims in the United States of America is clear and unambiguous. If a claim owner does not pay the fee on time' date=' the claim is forfeited and void. The effect of the law's forfeiture provisions is well-established."

"Coeur d'Alene Mines failed to pay the annual mining claim maintenance fee on time and the ground became open for mineral location. Rye Patch investors now have under their control mining claims located on additional gold and silver resources and a portion of the lands formerly part of an active mine."[/quote']

Any thoughts on whether the size difference between Coeur d'Alene and Rye Patch will create some new interpretations of the existing FLPMA 314© "abandoned" previously undefined terminology? Or is the big boy going to pay the little boy to go away and bother someone else? Or maybe the previously unimportant junior Rye Patch will be considering a lucrative "merger" offer?

I swear, mining has more drama than daytime soaps.

It looks like we will be at Mesa and possibly Las Vegas. Ruby and I have a contract next May but we are seriously considering playing hooky the week of the ICMJ show.

All the best to you and yours Chris, this and every season.

The Diggins

MinerDiggins

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[Reno Chris]

First, I have no inside information on this, my comments are my own speculations based only on what has been publicly reported.

There is a boatload of existing case law on the effect of not filing your paperwork on time - and you and I know very well what the consequences are - and Coeur knows it too. To decide against Rye Patch, the judge hearing this case would have to throw out loads of case law as this is by no means the first time this has happened in the mining industry.

Because of this, I would guess that the final settlement will provide that Coeur ends up paying an NSR royalty to Rye Patch on ore mined from their claims. I am guessing that it will end up being a multimillion dollar mistake for whoever let it go. Someday when it settles down I may get to hear the rest of the story - but I imagine no one is talking right now.

On the other hand, you never know for sure what is going to happen in a court of law.

There are other reports on this on the internet, you can Google them up and read more about it. There will also be even more in the coming months.

Will see you at Mesa, the lovely Mrs. Ralph will be with me at Vegas this year (and Placerville too) - she has no interest in mining.

[Hawkeye]

Have you heard about the big claim staking issue here in Nevada?

If not, see:

http://www.mineweb.c...41072&sn=Detail

Chris

I guess this could be classified as a big OOPS . There will be a job opening there.

Take care and keep those fees paid up.

Wes.

[clay]

There may be a bit of christmas cheer for Coeur d'Alene in all of this.

I'm just imagining how Rye Patch made a discovery and marked their 600 x 1500 foot locations.

Sure enough Nevada does have location laws. I didn't really imagine the Nevada State tree was "grown" on the basis of a rumor.

NRS 517.030 Monumenting of claim; required removal of plastic monuments.

1. Within 60 days after posting the notice of location, the locator of a lode mining claim shall distinctly define the boundaries of the claim by placing a valid legal monument at each corner of the claim.

A lot of things can get lost in an open pit operation but a regular pattern of stakes every 600 feet might just be a little obvious.

Either Rye Patch is riding the stock market rise on an invalid location based on paper filing alone - or this was an inside job.

How big is that pit Chris? How long would a head roll before it hit bottom?

Wanna bet Coeur d'Alene has already staked and filed at the county?

MinerDiggins

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[Reno Chris]

A few comments:

1. Coeur has a vast block of claims here - I'd guess more than 1000 in total.

2. Most of the claims at the core of the workings where the offices are, etc. are patented, and they own those, so they are not part of this issue.

3. I'd guess the claims are out on the periphery. Packard, where some of the new claims are is about 5 miles from the core facilities.

4. Rye Patch has many claims of its own in the area, so no surprise that they were watching.

6. You can check who has paid at the Reno BLM offices and see who has paid (or not) long before the info shows up in LR2000.

7. A 1and 1/2 inch square wood post constitutes a "legal" monument in Nevada - I got a load of them in my garage.

8. The Coeur Rochester mine is in the process of reactivating - it had been shut down for a while and just leaching the pads with no new ore being put on, so there is a smaller staff out there, and its been small for a while. They have just gotten the permits needed to reactivate operations.

9. Could the claims have been staked with no one noticing? Its possible, but I get your point that someone should have seen and wondered what was going on.

10. Could there have been some input from someone inside - a disgruntled employee or ex-employee? who knows! Could it just have been an employee got laid off and by accident no one made sure that someone else did his job? - who knows! I just dont know anything of the rest of the story about how it happened and as of yet, no one is talking. Perhaps I will know more by the time we meet up in Vegas.

11. Discovery? this is all historically productive ground and some was mined by Coeur in the past and some has known, drilled resources. There are existing discoveries on the land, so no new discovery needs to be made.

12. Its a big, big pit - a head could have rolled a quarter mile when I was last there 15 years ago, and they have done a lot of mining since then.

13. You never know about lawyers - to this point Coeur is legally trying to hold its old claims and staking new ones admits the old ones are void and is only of use if Coeur can prove some fault in RP's new claims. RP is a small but still experienced company. They know how to stake claims properly.

Guess we will find out more as time goes on.

[clay]

A few comments:

1. Coeur has a vast block of claims here - I'd guess more than 1000 in total.

2. Most of the claims at the core of the workings where the offices are, etc. are patented, and they own those, so they are not part of this issue.

3. I'd guess the claims are out on the periphery. Packard, where some of the new claims are is about 5 miles from the core facilities.

4. Rye Patch has many claims of its own in the area, so no surprise that they were watching.

6. You can check who has paid at the Reno BLM offices and see who has paid (or not) long before the info shows up in LR2000.

7. A 1and 1/2 inch square wood post constitutes a "legal" monument in Nevada - I got a load of them in my garage.

8. The Coeur Rochester mine is in the process of reactivating - it had been shut down for a while and just leaching the pads with no new ore being put on, so there is a smaller staff out there, and its been small for a while. They have just gotten the permits needed to reactivate operations.

9. Could the claims have been staked with no one noticing? Its possible, but I get your point that someone should have seen and wondered what was going on.

10. Could there have been some input from someone inside - a disgruntled employee or ex-employee? who knows! Could it just have been an employee got laid off and by accident no one made sure that someone else did his job? - who knows! I just dont know anything of the rest of the story about how it happened and as of yet, no one is talking. Perhaps I will know more by the time we meet up in Vegas.

11. Discovery? this is all historically productive ground and some was mined by Coeur in the past and some has known, drilled resources. There are existing discoveries on the land, so no new discovery needs to be made.

12. Its a big, big pit - a head could have rolled a quarter mile when I was last there 15 years ago, and they have done a lot of mining since then.

13. You never know about lawyers - to this point Coeur is legally trying to hold its old claims and staking new ones admits the old ones are void and is only of use if Coeur can prove some fault in RP's new claims. RP is a small but still experienced company. They know how to stake claims properly.

Guess we will find out more as time goes on.

Thanks Chris.

I agree with all your points but number 5.

Ruby says HI! and we both wish you and the lovely Mrs.Ralph a great holiday season. Looking forward to seeing you this spring.

Barry & Leigh

[Reno Chris]

I agree with all your points but number 5.

I was taught to count by Presidential candidate Rick Perry.

[clay]

I was taught to count by Presidential candidate Rick Perry.

That's alright Chris 'cause you make up for it with good spelling.

I grew up reading Structural Geology and George Kunz and John Sinkankas.

You spell gooder than all those guys.

"Fists Full of Gold" by Chris Ralph

5 out of 5 stars on Amazon

Rob has it and if you've got big feet it will fit in a stocking.

[Reno Chris]

I corresponded with Mr. Sinkankas for a time when he was working on "Gemstones of North America - Volume 3". He was a fine gentleman and I enjoyed conversing with him (it was a time when email was less common). I actually got a thank you mention in the front of the book.

[clay]

Wow Chris that is a real honor!

Mr Sinkankas was an acquaintance of my father's. He called him the "Admiral". In the early and mid 60's I too corresponded with him.

Of course I was a boy at the time. I think Mr. Sinkankas found it amusing that a young rockhound would find his rather dry work of value.

In any case he was a very gracious man who had a profound influence on my adult life - that is another story best left to another time. Ruby is probably wondering when this thread stray might return to her original intent.

Happy Holidays to All!

May there be nuggets on your boot soles.

[notoriouskelly]

Sure appreciate the tremendous contributions and camaraderie the Diggins crew make to our mining community.

THANK YOU, Clay & Ruby, and Merry Christmas!

[Reno Chris]

Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays to All!

However here is a link to more info on the Coeur Rochester thing:

http://agoracom.com/...essages/1626583

[Border Boy]

Seet poem , sorry we didnt get to kick back last time i was up hopefully ill make it up again soon, Merry Christmas Miner Diggins from the Border

[clay]

And a Merry Christmas to you and yours Justin.

I think I just spotted Santa...

Lets see...

1. Red cap - check

2. Pie Belly - check

3. Brought a new minelab for me Woo Hoo!- check

4. Faithful companion Chata - check

Yep that's Santa.

Merry Christmas Kelly!

Merry Christmas to all!