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

[GhostMiner]

42 minutes ago, Tahoegold said:

Thank you GM for taking the time to post this!

   I caught a head cold last week (negative on the covid test). I started looking at stuff to read and THIS thread is all I've been reading!!

   I like to read, however, I haven't read a book in years. Nothin really got me interested. Now I'm as hooked as I was as a kid when TV shows had weekly stories!

    I'm finally caught up today and wanted to congratulate you on your endeavors. I really like Jed's writing style and have enjoyed all the comments too. I'm subscribed! TG

P.S. Can you at least let us know to look into the classifieds on this thread when you have the book ready? I don't want to miss out on one of the first editions! I'm subscribed and will be notified! Thanks!

   Thanks for reading the journal. I have had this sitting in an old chest for almost 9 yrs. For some reason, I decided to start posting it this winter. This forum was recommended to me and I gave it a try. Over 90,000 views since I first posted in late January. Never did I expect the interest it got. I am still amazed. If there is a book Steve told me when I post it in the classifieds it will appear in the sidebar. There is more to come.

[Tahoegold]

Well GM, it must certainly be a surprise for you. I am grateful for your efforts to post this.

   You are not only allowing us to read a really interisting story, you are allowing us to read history. 

    I'm from California and I have heard short stories of people finding rich deposits. THIS story makes me feel like I finally get to hear a real, first hand account from the very beginning. It's a treasure, surely time will show this to be true. 

   At least, now you know, there's great interest. Please, keep it up!

[GhostMiner]

8 hours ago, Tahoegold said:

Well GM, it must certainly be a surprise for you. I am grateful for your efforts to post this.

   You are not only allowing us to read a really interisting story, you are allowing us to read history. 

    I'm from California and I have heard short stories of people finding rich deposits. THIS story makes me feel like I finally get to hear a real, first hand account from the very beginning. It's a treasure, surely time will show this to be true. 

   At least, now you know, there's great interest. Please, keep it up!

Many thanks.

[Muppet]

Is whiskey jacks grave marked in town or is it long forgotten and disappeared? 

[GhostMiner]

2 minutes ago, Muppet said:

Is whiskey jacks grave marked in town or is it long forgotten and disappeared? 

We have not been able to find it although we know a general area. Somewhere near Paxton we think.

[GhostMiner]

   SEPTEMBER   17   1936

   This morning was a little warmer and the crew was up before daylight. I really miss sitting out at night by the campfire with Whiskey Jack and drinking our cups and talking about gold mining. We were all anxious to get working and felt way better because of Dutch helping out with security. John likes him as well so all is good. 

   One of the water pumps was running rough and Jacob and Will had to fiddle around with the carburetor and got it running right. That set us back just a little so me and John went at the shovel work and the gravels were flying. I could hear the sounds bouncing off the sidewalls of the pit. The sun was out and the temperatures were climbing again. It got up over 80 degrees for sure but that felt good after the cold night. There was no more sign of any fire either and that was a relief. Will came into the pit and dug with us a few times as well when he had the time. He was a worker and a half.  Jacob was way down the mountain and was told to stay down there near the first pump on watch when he wasn’t pump tending or he would have been in there with us also. We made hay and got ourselves 4 more ounces that day. We were scraping gravels right off country. 

   We headed back down the mountain and got into camp just before dark. Dutch said he hadn’t seen anything stirring all day. I told him that’s the way we like it around here. We all sat around the fire after supper for a while including Dutch and had a few drinks. Dutch was saying he’d like to try his hand at gold mining someday. I told him it was real hard work and there were no guarantees that he would make any money. He said he’d still like to give it a go sometime. He went over to his watch post and the crew turned in. I sat out keeping the fire going and drinking cups of Bushmills and rolling Burleys until midnight. I was thinking about old Whiskey Jack. 

   TO BE CONTINUED ...............

[GhostMiner]

   A bucket from Jed's dig site. Similar in size to a 5 gallon bucket. It's 14 inches high & about 10 X 9 in at top.

[Cascade Steven]

GM:  thanks for sharing the picture of the bucket.  Based on antiques from my grandfathers farm it appears to be a recycled 5 gallon oil can, either motor oil or food grade oil.  However, it could be something else. 

[deathray]

Way cool on the bucket!

[GhostMiner]

10 minutes ago, Cascade Steven said:

GM:  thanks for sharing the picture of the bucket.  Based on antiques from my grandfathers farm it appears to be a recycled 5 gallon oil can, either motor oil or food grade oil.  However, it could be something else. 

It's fairly heavy material. There are no markings on it.