Jump to content

** Lost Gold At The Dead Man's Mine ** A Miners Journal **


Recommended Posts


Thanks GM, This is so far becoming a great little story. I'm hooked can't wait to hear more. This might make a good movie!!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Reg Wilson said:

I have to admit that I am enjoying this saga a great deal.

   Thank you. I feel it is a story worth telling.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, dogodog said:

Thanks GM, This is so far becoming a great little story. I'm hooked can't wait to hear more. This might make a good movie!!!

I agree. There is a long way to go and the journal gives an insight into the cut throat life back in the depression era. It's going to get intense. I will eventually post pictures of the area as well that will show what Jed's diggings look like today. It's pretty amazing.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Reg Wilson said:

I have to admit that I am enjoying this saga a great deal.

Thanks for reading the journal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

   APRIL 24   1936

   I woke up several times last night thinking I heard someone near my camp. I slept with my rifle by my side. I am on edge and keeping alert for sure. I don't think the hooligans know where i'm camped as they came in from the top of the mountain to the north of my dig area. Hopefully they won't be back. If they do I will deal with them. I am wondering if I was followed from my visit to town. I don't think so.

   Today I processed the gravels dug yesterday. Country rock seems to be at varying levels on the fault. I got some good coarse gold out of the heavies, I think enough to keep me working hard. I can load 20 buckets of gravel in the truck at a time. This is a bit shy of a ton. I should be able to bring down 50 to 80 buckets a day. I am dumpimg the buckets into a large metal holding container near the creek. It's shallow and low to the ground for easy dumping and shoveling work. Then I will process gravels the next day. Alternating the work should help keep me from tiring too much. I am no stranger to hard work having done logging and farming as well as gold mining.

   The small amount of gold I have mind thus far is hidden away in a can far from camp. That way if I am robbed the thieves will not get it. My journal is not kept at camp either. I am giving thought to bringing out a good friend to work with me. I have not made a decision on this yet but he is a good man and would come to the claim if asked.

    TO BE CONTINUED ..................

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, GhostMiner said:

   APRIL 24   1936

   I woke up several times last night thinking I heard someone near my camp. I slept with my rifle by my side. I am on edge and keeping alert for sure. I don't think the hooligans know where i'm camped as they came in from the top of the mountain to the north of my dig area. Hopefully they won't be back. If they do I will deal with them. I am wondering if I was followed from my visit to town. I don't think so.

   Today I processed the gravels dug yesterday. Country rock seems to be at varying levels on the fault. I got some good coarse gold out of the heavies, I think enough to keep me working hard. I can load 20 buckets of gravel in the truck at a time. This is a bit shy of a ton. I should be able to bring down 50 to 80 buckets a day. I am dumpimg the buckets into a large metal holding container near the creek. It's shallow and low to the ground for easy dumping and shoveling work. Then I will process gravels the next day. Alternating the work should help keep me from tiring too much. I am no stranger to hard work having done logging and farming as well as gold mining.

   The small amount of gold I have mind thus far is hidden away in a can far from camp. That way if I am robbed the thieves will not get it. My journal is not kept at camp either. I am giving thought to bringing out a good friend to work with me. I have not made a decision on this yet but he is a good man and would come to the claim if asked.

    TO BE CONTINUED ..................

   At this point I thought it would be good to show a picture of the creek where Jed camped and set up the tom. I am also showing the top of the fault line looking out to the west and a side view from the bottom.

img018.jpg

DSC00125.JPG

DSC00234.JPG

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

   APRIL 25   1936

   The weather today was not fit for a dog. I may have been the only thing moving on the mountain. Cold and periods of heavy rain. I had a good dig which helped keep me warm. There was actually an area of loose gravel above country and I was able to take 90 buckets out. I am thinking this will be good pay. This area along the fault is like a treasure hunt. There may be some trapped gold waiting to be freed by my shovel.

   As my day is ending the rain is also diminishing. I've got my tent stove providing much needed comfort. I am just too tired to cook supper so dried beef and crackers will do me fine. I will end my day with a good cup of Irish. 

   TO BE CONTINUED ....................

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, GhostMiner said:

I am also showing the top of the fault line looking out to the west and a side view from the bottom.

Is this a true fault or more like a tilted bed of hard rock intruding into the gravels?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, hawkeye said:

Is this a true fault or more like a tilted bed of hard rock intruding into the gravels?

It's a true fault. I have all the geology reports. It runs north / south and the high side is anywhere from 60 ft to 100 ft above the bottom. When I read in the Dept of Interior report what this guy found I was amazed. I didn't know anything about Jed or his work until I stumbled on the report while doing research. Then I was able to get the journal from descendants of a mine president who worked near there in the 1960's. His family had it and gave it to me. As I put more entries out I will show pictures of his dig site as well as myself and a partner & our wives testing the ground. I'll just say for now that there are some good pockets still hiding there. Here is a picture of some gold we got at Jed's dig site while doing bucket samples with a recirculating sluice. The gold weighs out to 7 grams. For now I won't say how many buckets we ran because I don't want to ruin the journal story. There are areas of sizeable tonnage. I'll be posting lots of info on that later on. 

IMG_20190902_193831 (2).jpg

IMG_20190831_235355.jpg

  • Like 7
  • Thanks 1
  • Oh my! 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • The title was changed to ** Lost Gold At The Dead Man's Mine ** A Miners Journal **

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...