Contract to Explore for Copper
Articles of agreement made and entered into this ninth day of
October in the Year eighteen hundred and Seventeen, between Moses
Austin of the county of St. Louis and Territory of Missouri, of the
one part, and Elias Rector, Stephen Rector, Risdon H price and
Thompson Douglass of the county and territory aforesaid, of the
other Part, VIZ, the Said Austin, at his own individual expence to
make a full and fair experiment upon a certain tract or tracts of land
lying in the Territory of Illinois and County of Monroe in which
there is suppos'd to be a Mine of Copper, to ascertain which the said
Austin is to make the experiments, Then the said Rectors, Price
and Douglass so far as they are interested obligate themselves to
convey to the said Austin, in the event of his finding Mineral a
proportion of said Land, equal in quantity to, one Seventh of the whole,
at the same prices and upon the same conditions as they themselves
have become possessed of the same It is further agreed that in all
future purchases of Lands contiguous to, or Joining the aforesaid
tracts, the parties to these presents shall have a Joint and equal
interest, as also Thos A. Smith and Justus Post, who are equally
interested with the said Hectors Price and Douglass, provided they shall
assent to this agreement—, for the performance of the conditions of
this contract the parties Bind themselves to and with each other as
witness our hands and seals the day and date above written—
Moses Austin [seal]
Elias Rector [seal]
Stephen Rector [seal]
Risdon H Price [seal]
Thompson Douglass [Rubric] [seal]