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

[GhostMiner]

1 hour ago, Lanny said:

No cell service where we were either. Had to make a drive to a tiny store with a satellite phone for any kind of connection. (Lots of places I still chase the gold where cell service goes to die.)

We used to hang those black shower bags (the ones with the red nozzles) in the trees in the sun to get warm water for our showers. Lots of people can't relate to truly living off-grid, nice to meet a kindred soul.

Good luck chasing that gold, nothing better to keep life amazing, and it sounds like you're on some likely ground.

Looking forward to the rest of Jed's story.

All the best,

Lanny

Thanks Lanny. Good luck to you as well.

[GhostMiner]

   MAY 11   1936

   By now we have over $5000 in gold. John and I decided not to involve the law out here as we feel that might lead to worse trouble if information gets leaked in town. We both decided to handle any problems ourselves. I went up to the dig this morning and John held watch at camp while waiting for gravels. I dug a good part of the day while also hauling down buckets for John. The kettle is played out. I was able to get 52 buckets. These gravels were taken at or near the bottom and I was hopeful for a big day. I was right to be hopeful. The weigh was heavy once again. We got a haul of 72 ounces. We now have nearly $8000 in gold between us. For me this is nearly four years wages. I looked at John and told him we had a chance to get rich, we just need to find another pot hole in the old channel. John asked me if I thought I could find another one. I told him it was in the hands of God but I would try. I told John we had done what few miners had ever done, we had worked a glory hole. We just need to keep digging along the fault north where the old hydraulic boys stopped. The work will get much heavier now as we need to dig much more gravel to get to pay. We will soon be coming to summer months and creeks will slow. That is another thing we will face. I think we have another six or seven weeks before our water supply for washing gravels becomes an issue. After that we will need to rocker box the gravels which will be very slow compared to the tom in a fast creek or we need to get a pump. I'm going up to the dig on first watch with a bottle of my Irish tonight while John gets some rest.

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

[delnorter]

I’ll guess 890 ounces. Great reading GhostMiner. You are right, at times the remote places in Northern California can be down right dangerous from man or beast.

Thanks for the adventure,

Mike

[DOOGY-MD]

Wow, $8000 in gold, that's alot of money back then...where would they cash it in without creating a ruckus?

[Jim_Alaska]

It is hard to imagine those kinds of clean-ups from a pick and shovel operation.

[GhostMiner]

4 hours ago, delnorter said:

I’ll guess 890 ounces. Great reading GhostMiner. You are right, at times the remote places in Northern California can be down right dangerous from man or beast.

Thanks for the adventure,

Mike

Many thanks & got your number recorded. 

[GhostMiner]

4 hours ago, DOOGY-MD said:

Wow, $8000 in gold, that's alot of money back then...where would they cash it in without creating a ruckus?

They were hiding it and may have had a buyer for small amounts. 

[GhostMiner]

3 hours ago, Jim_Alaska said:

It is hard to imagine those kinds of clean-ups from a pick and shovel operation.

It has been done before. McKinley Creek in Alaska in early 1900's a crew took out something like 1700 ounces by diverting a waterfall. It might have been more than that. I have a Dept of Interior report and a journal that pretty much jive with each other. I have also done samples that have shown heavy deposits in rhat area, 

[GhostMiner]

13 minutes ago, GhostMiner said:

It has been done before. McKinley Creek in Alaska in early 1900's a crew took out something like 1700 ounces by diverting a waterfall. It might have been more than that. I have a Dept of Interior report and a journal that pretty much jive with each other. I have also done samples that have shown heavy deposits in rhat area, 

I also have reason to believe there is still big gold in that fault. 

[GhostMiner]

   I woild like to put a crew of hard working people togerher to work Jed's site once again. It is a true treasure hunt.