South Utah Mines & Smelters v. Utah Leasing Co.
Opinion of the Court
The appellant in 1914, and for some years prior thereto, was operating a copper mine and concentrator. The crude ore was concentrated by use of a large volume of water owned and brought by it a distance of 8 or 9 miles through a steel-riveted pipe which, through long usage, was subject to breaks, and required care to keep it repaired and up to its capacity of 800 gallons per minute. The mill was incapable of extracting all the metal from the ore, and this unextracted metal was left in the tailings or refuse, which was collected in a huge dump. The appellee was engaged in the business .of extracting metal from refuse of this character. With a view to mutual profit, the parties entered into a contract'under which ap-pellee was to establish a mill near that of appellant and work over this heap of tailings. A necessary medium in the operations of ap-pellee was water. The contract, therefore, provided for the use by it of some of this water belonging to appellant. Shortly after the contract became operative, appellant shut down its mill, but continued to permit usage of water by appellee for its milling plant. Subsequently disputes arose between the parties as to the amount of water so used by appellee. Appellant claimed that the contract limited ap-pellee’s use to 200 gallons per minute, and that it was using far more and should pay for the excess. Appellee admitted it was using much more. than that quantity, but claimed that the contract gave it the right to use as much as was reasonably necessary for the operation of its plant. Upon appellant threatening to cut off or limit the water supply, appellee brought its bill, praying that appellant be enjoined from interfering with, limiting, or diverting from it such supply of water as it reasonably needed for operation, which amount it then estimated at 600 gallons per minute. After hearing, the trial court enjoined the appellant from preventing the appellee from securing and using such volume of water as reasonably necessary to its operations, not exceeding 600 gallons per minute. From this decree the appeal conies here.
“Second. The Mining Company agrees to furnish to the Leasing Company, free of cost, fresh water sufficient for its needs, but not to exceed at any time a rate of sixty (60) gallons per minute,- except as hereinafter provided. The water to be piped from the pipe lines of the Mining Company’s mill at the expense of the Leasing Company. If, however, the operations of the Mining.*151 Company shall be, at any time while this agreement is in force, suspended in its mine and mill the necessary repairs and running expenses in the keeping up of all repairs on the pipe line across the valley to the aforesaid plant of the Leasing Company shall be borne by said last-named company. The Mining Company agrees to furnish water in addition to the sixty gallons up to a total of two hundred (200) gallons per minute, to said Leasing Company, if in the opinion of the Mining Company this can be done without affecting its operations. The Mining Company also agrees to allow, during its milling operations, the Leasing Company to recover from the tailrace and slimes leaving the Mining Company’s mill such amount of water as it, the Leasing Company, is able to recover without, affecting the operations' of the Mining Company."
It would be difficult to select language which would more clearly and certainly express an intention to limit the maximum fresh water usage to 200 gallons per minute. Appellee seeks to avoid this language by saying that—
“It did not, nor does the contract in any other provision purport to deal with the situation which might arise and which afterwards did arise, to wit, the shutting down of the mine and mill of appellant.”
It then asks this court to supply that deficiency by nn implication that the parties had in mind at the time the contract was made, and intended as a part thereof, that if the appellant closed down its mill it should permit the appellee to use all of the fresh water it might need beyond 200 gallons.
The judgment is reversed, with instructions to dismiss the bill upon the merits, at the cost of appellee. ■
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SOUTH UTAH MINES & SMELTERS v. UTAH LEASING CO.
- Status
- Published