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


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57 minutes ago, DOOGY-MD said:

31 Oz's, unbelievable!!

They are getting into the good stuff deep in the kettle.

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   JULY 2   1936

 

   We all had another happy morning for sure. Even with our lowered bucket count from yesterday we got 12 ounces of gold. It is of a very nice size and nearly all of it coarse and a few small nuggets sprinkled here and there for good luck. We are all four of us spoiled miners now and not caring for fine gold again. I tell the crew this can’t last forever but we’ll take it as it comes.

   The work at the dig site has continued to slow as the rock is getting larger every day. We are now cleaning the large rock at the bottom and then putting it in the basket to lift it to the surface where it is discarded. I continue to test pan gravels a few times during the day and am seeing heavy gold deposits. We are down about 13 feet in the hole now and considering the size of the rock I am starting to think we are nearing country. I have poked the bar around in the bottom but haven't hit anything that makes me think we are there yet. We stopped work about two hours before sunset with 72 buckets as we were all pretty much done in for the day. 

   We drove down to the creek with the last buckets and helped John wash them and had our supper. It was nearing dark when we saw a light coming up our side of the creek and approaching camp. There were two men with rifles. John hollered over at them and they came our way. We all stood up and were holding our guns as well. They had been drinking and had a bottle with them. I asked them what they were up to. One of them said they heard of a mining crew and a strike up here. A deputy  in the tavern had told them about it. They decided to drive up here before dark and try to find the crew. He said they needed jobs and knew mine work as they had hired on with a company last year for a spell. I told them I wasn’t sure why the deputy told them that and we were just prospectors camped out and looking for gold like everyone else that had come out here. They looked disappointed. The other guy asked us if we were going to stay up here for awhile or call it quits. I told him we hadn’t decided what we were going to do yet. Then I said we were all turning in and they bid us good luck and walked back down the mountain. John said the deputy had no business talking about our operation like that and we all agreed. He said if he saw him he would make it clear to him to keep his mouth shut and don’t tell people things he doesn’t know anything about. We were all mad about it for sure. That kind of thing has a way of spreading and can cause trouble. Will took watch and we all turned in.

 

   

   

   

 

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, greenhornet_au said:

A epic tale for sure.

Thank you.

You are most welcome.

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