Sunshine Mining Co. v. Metropolitan Mines Corp.

DONALDSON, Chief Justice.

Sunshine Mining Company (Sunshine) and Metropolitan Mines Corporation (Metropolitan) own contiguous mining claims in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District in Shoshone County, Idaho. In the 1940s, Sunshine and Metropolitan entered into a total of three agreements. The first agreement — the 1941 Agreement — granted Sunshine a right-of-way through Metropolitan’s property to explore, develop and mine any veins within Metropolitan’s ground which might belong to Sunshine under the law of extralateral rights. The second agreement, which is not a part of the record, gave Sunshine…