The Seymour v. Slide and Spur Gold Mines case in 1893 revolved around a dispute over mining rights on public lands. The plaintiff, Seymour, claimed that the defendant company had unlawfully encroached upon his mining claim. He sought to recover damages for ore extracted from the disputed area by the defendants and also requested an injunction against further extraction activities by them. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the defendants, stating that they were entitled to mine within their own boundaries even if it meant extracting minerals extending into adjacent claims below ground level (the apex rule). This ruling was based on existing federal law which allowed miners to follow veins or lodes of mineral deposits even when they extended beyond vertical side lines of their surface locations. However, this decision did not absolve miners from potential liability for damage caused due to negligent operations or failure to provide adequate support for adjoining owners' properties. It emphasized that while property rights are important, so too is responsible use of those rights with respect towards neighboring landowners.

In the dissenting opinion for Seymour v. Slide and Spur Gold Mines, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a lower court ruling denying Seymour's claim of ownership over mining lands in Idaho was incorrect. The dissent disagreed with the majority’s interpretation of an 1866 law which allowed miners who discovered valuable mineral deposits on public land to stake a claim on those lands. They believed that this law should have been applied retroactively to include claims made before its enactment, including Seymour's claim from 1863. Furthermore, they contended that even if this were not the case, there were other legal grounds upon which Seymour could assert his rights over these lands - namely through 'adverse possession', as he had occupied and worked these mines uninterrupted for more than five years prior to any counter-claim being filed against him by Slide and Spur Gold Mines.