BOOK IV. 97 



tain reasons by the Bergmeister ; in another the money which one mine 

 supplies to another for drawing off water or making machinery ; and in 

 another the decisions of the Bergmeister and the Jurors, and the disputes 

 settled by them as honorary arbitrators. All these matters he enters in the 

 books on Wednesday of every week ; if holidays fall on that day he does it 

 on the following Thursday. Every Saturday he enters in another book the 

 total expenses of the preceding week, the account of which the mine manager 

 has rendered ; but the total quarterly expenses of each mine manager, he 

 enters in a special book at his own convenience. He enters similarly in 

 another book a list of owners who have been proscribed. Lastly, that no one 

 may be able to bring a charge of falsification against him, all these books 

 are enclosed in a chest with two locks, the key of one of which is kept by the 

 Mining Clerk, and of the other by the Bergmeister. 



The Share Clerk enters in a book the owners of each mine whom 

 the first finder of the vein names to him, and from time to time replaces the 

 names of the sellers with those of the buyers of the shares. It sometimes 

 happens that twenty or more owners come into the possession of some 

 particular share. Unless, however, the seller is present, or has sent a letter 

 to the Mining Clerk with his seal, or better still with the seal of the Mayor 

 of the town where he dwells, his name is not replaced by that of anyone else ; 

 for if the Share Clerk is not sufficiently cautious, the law requires him 

 to restore the late owner wholly to his former position. He writes out a 

 fresh document, and in this way gives proof of possession. Four times a 

 year, when the accounts of the quarterly expenditure are rendered, he 

 names the new proprietors to the manager of each mine, that the manager 

 may know from whom he should demand contributions and among whom 

 to distribute the profits of the mines. For this work the mine manager pays 

 the Clerk a fixed fee. 



I will now speak of the duties of the mine manager. In the case of the 

 owners of every mine which is not yielding metal, the manager announces 

 to the proprietors their contributions in a document which is affixed to the 

 doors of the town hall, such contributions being large or small, according as 

 the Bergmeister and two Jurors determine. If anyone fails to pay these 

 contributions for the space of a month, the manager removes their names 

 from the list of owners, and makes their shares the common property of the 

 other proprietors. And so, whomsoever the mine manager names as not 

 having paid his contribution, that same man the Mining Clerk designates 

 in writing, and so also does the Share Clerk. Of the contribution, the 

 mine manager applies part to the payment of the foreman and workmen, 

 and lays by a part to purchase at the lowest price the necessary things for 

 the mine, such as iron tools, nails, firewood, planks, buckets, drawing-ropes, 

 or grease. But in the case of a mine which is yielding metal, the Tithe- 

 gatherer pays the mine manager week by week as much money as suffices 

 to discharge the workmen's wages and to provide the necessary implements 

 for mining. The mine manager of each mine also, in the presence of its 

 foreman, on Saturday in each week renders an account of his expenses to 



