Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to That'd be mighty stupid.

re: That'd be mighty stupid.
e — (archived)

Spanish and Mexican land grants included mineral rights, with a large percentage off the top of any discoveries going to the King/government. Needless to say most land grant holders didn't have searching for minerals high on their to do lists.

So if that prospector found gold on someone's land grant they would at best get a thank you from the owner before being tossed off the property. More likely they would get strung up being on their land without permission. It was only when U.S. law came in they would be able to stake a claim on someone ranch land, as happened at Sutter's Mill.

The 1842 discovery was by a resident of the ranch owner who had a right to be there as this article shows. And as a good renter he reported it to his Patron (the owner).

http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/worden/lw081496.htm

There is also physical evidence of gold mining in California in the 1820's, but of course NO Spanish or Mexicans records of any gold. Not a written word by a government that loved record keeping. I wonder why no one yelled Eurkea?

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