GhostMiner

Here's another picture from the southern kettle. I'm in the bottom if you can't tell LOL.

April 24 2002 Part Four After looking over the old northern faultline digsites Jacob wanted to head over to the Eastern Drift Mine. I offered to go back to camp and bring the truck up as it was nearly a mile hike from here and the road was still usable over to that area. Jacob agreed and I hiked down to camp and drove the truck to the point where the northern road was not passable and Y’d to the east. The crew was waiting there for me and we drove over to the mine. When we got there Jacob climbed out of the truck and had a good look at the ground. He tried to find the original tunnel that went into the mountain but there had been many slides in that area over the years and he could only point to a general area. He said they had cut channels into the mountain and had found a rich kettle in there somewhere. Jacob said that if he could find the original drift then he might be able to find the kettle. He said the gold in the kettle was richer than anything the old crew had ever seen and he figured that there was still a fortune in gold sitting in that mountain. He said the crew was just getting started on working it when they were attacked by the army of thugs. Jacob told us he never found out who had attacked them and killed his partners. He walked back and forth across the base of the mountain trying to remember where the old mine was but wasn’t able to do it. It would take some serious work to find it by hand. Jacob said that the entire area up there had gold in the gravels and there were a few good hot spots. We would need to dig into the base of the mountain to get in behind the slides and overburden. Jacob took a seat on a log and just stared at the mountain. He rolled another smoke and took out his flask of whisky. We took a seat with him and he told us about something that wasn’t written down in the journal. Something about his brother Jed and his gold. TO BE CONTINUED ...............

Supposedly, back in the 1980's there was a man who discovered a stash of gold on one of the claims. I won't give the amount here but if true it was enough if converted into today's prices to buy a couple of new pickup trucks. This was told to a partner of mine by an unidentified person who mysteriously showed up on the mine one day about 8 yrs ago. He even pointed to the general area. He gave no other information and left. Very interesting.

The Eastern Drift Mine area with it's many slides that have buried the old workings Jacob was talking about.

That old shaft looked creepy as hell to me. Those old boys were half crazy I think. Jacob told me some things I can't tell here.

This is a picture of the shaft Jacob was talking about.

April 24 2002 Part Three UP TO THE NORTHERN FAULTLINE WITH JACOB After about fifteen minutes we all headed back down the trail and headed north to the old road going up to the northern faultline dig site. Jacob was surprised to see the condition of the road. There wasn’t much left of it and we hiked about half a mile to get up there. Jacob told us this was a dangerous area back when he was working there. You never knew who might be up on the mountain and there were people who would try to rob you and steal your gold. Hooligans traveled up and down the mountain all the time and some were quite dangerous. When we got up there he led us over to a forty foot deep ravine that was located against the west side of the faultline. Whisky Jack had shown it to the crew back in 1936 and told them the old company was getting some good gold here back in the late 1800’s before the company moved them to another location. Whisky Jack had told them they never approached bedrock or country rock as they referred to it back then and they figured there was a pile of gold deeper down. Jacob gave us a wink and said he was going to tell us something he didn’t put in his journal. It seems he and the crew went up there in 1937 and dug out a shaft about thirty six feet deep where they hit bedrock and a pile of gold. He wouldn’t tell us how much they got but said it was plenty. He said they had dug a couple exploration drifts at the bottom but the bedrock dropped away nearly vertical and they had no idea how deep bedrock was from there. Then the entire workings flooded and collapsed so they moved on. He said there was never any mention of it in the journal. He said there were other things that happened that he and Jed never wrote down but didn’t want to talk about at this time. We got down in the ravine and sure enough, the old shaft was there but collapsed and flooded out. Jacob told us that there could be thousands of ounces still down there. We all looked at each other with our eyes as big as saucers. Jacob said the crew all had their hiding places for their share of the gold. He figured almost all of the gold from 1937 was still hidden somewhere on the mountain. He said that he was trying to remember where his was buried. The ground had changed some and he remembered hiding gold in five locations. He took us a bit further north along the faultline and showed us more of their old diggings. We were amazed at the amount of work they had done with pick and shovel work. Jacob talked about the difficulty of moving the bigger rocks by hand and how long the days were. Jed had taught him the value of hard work and none of the crew ever complained. He said he could still hear the ringing of the pick and shovel striking against stone and gravel. TO BE CONTINUED ...............

Will do.

I didn't write this down back in 2002 but at this point I began to realize there wasn't much that would scare Jacob. He'd seen it all and been to hell and back more than once. He was my hero in every sense of the word and I suddenly understood what the brotherhood of gold mining and prospecting was all about. I had much to learn as did Jim and Vern. We would protect our new partner in good times and bad. Little did we know what lay ahead for us. Also, today marks one year of posting this adventure with over 230,000 views. A BIG THANKS to Steve and all the readers.

A picture from down in the Southern Kettle.

April 24 2002 Part Two JACOB TAKES US TO THE SOUTHERN KETTLE The weather was fairly warm on the claims for this time of year. We all had on heavy flannel shirts as Jacob led the way out of camp and up the mountain. He was heading up towards the southern end of the faultline. It was a fairly easy hike until we got up on the ridge of the faultline. This is a remote area where the ground formed a spiny ridge with sharp drop offs on the left and right. The climb became steeper and we needed to pay attention to our footing. On the way up Jacob had shown us where the waterline had been run back in 1936. I couldn’t believe the shape he was in for his age. He was sure footed and made the climb at a slow but steady pace. After a ways the spine of the ridge formed a big Y with a trail to the left and to the right. Jacob headed right and we just followed his lead. I noticed there were a lot of large bear tracks and fresh scat. I asked Jacob about it and he said nothing had changed since his days out here. He said there were always a lot of black bear in this area. Jacob had his 45 on him and the crew was also armed with guns and bear spray. After about two hundred feet on the right side trail Jacob came to a stop and pointed downward to the left. There was a big pit there. He told us that was the southern kettle talked about in the 1936 journal. He said Whisky Jack had been the one who told the crew about it. Whisky Jack had worked it with the mining crew he was with back in the late 1800’s. Jacob said there might be a little gold left at bedrock and in the lower portion of the walls but they had worked it pretty hard. Whisky Jack had died from his bite to the face by the rattler before they had finished with the southern kettle. Jacob asked us if we wanted to go down into the pit and take a sample of the gravels with us. It was a steep drop of about fifty feet or so and I told him we should probably come back with some water for panning and do a good test. He agreed. He said he was too old to get down in the pit now. He laughed and said it wasn’t the getting down part that bothered him but the getting out part would be the problem. We all had a good laugh. He asked if we could take a short break and we agreed. He took a seat on a rock and pulled out his pouch of tobacco and rolling papers. I asked him if he ever bought cigarettes ready to smoke. He just chuckled and said they were too expensive and he always liked rolling his own. He’d been taught by his brother Jed when he was a youngster. Then Jacob pulled out a small flask of whisky and took a slug. He said it was good for his heart. As the four of us were sitting there talking quietly we heard a ruckus on the far side of the pit as a big black bear slid down the north wall and ended up down in the bottom. Jacob let out a hoot and a holler and asked us how we’d like to be down there now with that big bear. We all had a good laugh as we watched the bear down below us. Jacob pulled his 45 and fired two rounds in the bedrock about five feet from the bear. That animal scurried out of there as fast as he could climb and sprinted north and away from us. Jacob fired one more round into the air for good measure. We all laughed some more. After all the excitement had settled down some, Jacob told us about how they got the water up there to feed the tom. He said the tom was John’s baby and nobody but nobody was allowed to run it, not even Jed. Then he took a swig of whisky and a long drag from his smoke and I could tell his mind was back there working with the old crew from 1936. We just let him sit a spell with his memories. TO BE CONTINUED .....................

April 24 2002 Part One We got Jacob settled in last night and he retired for the evening early. He was quite happy with his camper and told us they never had anything so comfortable back when he was working the claims. I got up before the crack of dawn this morning but Jacob was already up and cooking his breakfast at his camper. Eventually the rest of the crew got up and we took a pot of coffee over to Jacob’s camper and we all sat around a small fire as the sun came up. Jacob spiked his coffee with a shot of whisky and he offered the bottle to us so we all had a shot in our coffee. Then he rolled a smoke while we fried up some bacon and eggs. He said he wanted to see his old dig sites today. Jacob said he would show us the southern kettle which was the last one the crew worked with Jed back in 1936. Then he wanted to head up to the northern area of the faultline where they had the big strike in 1936. From there he said we would go out to the Eastern Drift Mine. He also offered to show us the rocks where the treasure had been found. We could hardly wait and it was going to be a full day for sure. TO BE CONTINUED ..................

Bedrocker in the house!

April 23 2002 Part Two RETURNING TO THE MINE AFTER 65 YEARS : We had a few drinks at the Paxton Hotel and figured we better get moving. My partner Vern was at the mine anxiously waiting for our arrival. He had the camp all set up. There was a small camper for each man. We were still waiting on an approval for our Plans of Operation to bring in heavy equipment. I finally got to the turnoff road from the main road that would take us to the claims. As soon as I turned Jacob perked up. He said he still remembered that turnoff that followed the north/south creek. I drove slowly so he could get a good look. He pointed up the road to the left and said that was where their camp had been back in 1936-1937. It was just under a mile or so from the main road. Our camp was set up just one hundred feet north from where he showed us. I stopped just below our camp and parked the truck. Jacob got out and looked around. He was still spry for his age. Jim and I got out as well and I saw Vern walking down towards us from camp. He shook hands with Jacob. I could tell Vern was pretty nervous and I just gave him a wink to let him know Jacob was a good guy. Jacob didn’t say a word for a spell but was just taking in everything. He was remembering all the old days. Then I saw tears running down his weathered face. He walked over to an area of the creek and showed us where John had set the tom. He said there used to be a hopper where the crew dumped the buckets. He showed us the exact spot of the old camp. Then he broke down saying this was where the crew was murdered. I didn’t know what to say to him and I started to wonder if this had been a good idea. Vern went up to his camper and brought down a bottle of whisky and some cups. We took seats on a log and had a drink together. Jacob rolled a smoke and seemed to be making his peace. He told us he had a lot to show us and tell us. Vern, Jim, and I quietly slipped away and went up to our camp leaving Jacob to his thoughts. I figured he needed some time alone at his old camp. TO BE CONTINUED .............

Bedrocker in the house.

April 23 2002 Part One We arrived at Jacob’s cabin early this morning. After sharing some Irish Coffee with him we helped load his gear onto the truck and we were off for the mine. We talked about gold mining and swapped tales of adventures. However, mine paled in comparison to Jacob’s. By late afternoon we were getting close to the mine. When we drove past Paxton Jacob saw the road sign. He wanted me to drive up to the old hotel. I obliged and we took the little road which crossed the Feather River via an old one lane bridge and wound our way up the mountain until the hotel came into full view. I drove up to the parking area and Jacob got out. He stood there just looking at the building and I finally asked him what he was thinking about. He told us that Jed and the crew were in a big brawl there back in 1936. He said he was with them and they ended up in a fist fight and throw down that lasted about ten minutes. He said his memory was a bit faded but thought there were around ten guys that they took on. Apparently the fight was over some woman they had met in the bar one night and when their boyfriends and their friends arrived all hell broke loose. Jacob said they kicked the stuffing out of them and kept right on drinking. He said they used to drive out there every now and then for a Saturday night hoot as he called it. Back then there was no law and you took care of your own business the best way you could. He wanted to go in and look the place over. Jim and I looked at each other and kind of shrugged our shoulders and in we went. As soon as we walked into the big bar room Jacob said he remembered it well. He said the bar was the same but the tables and chairs were all changed as well as the interior colors. He pointed over to the far corner and told us that was where the fight had started. We took a seat at that corner table and ordered up some drinks. We toasted to our newly formed mining group. I had a feeling this was going to be quite an adventure. TO BE CONTINUED ...................

April 21 2002 Part Three We stayed and had lunch with Jacob. Bacon and eggs fried up in a big iron skillet with biscuits and gravy. The three of us sat at a wooden table and talked about the old days at the mine. Jacob told us about John and the other crew members. He said they had been like family. Jed and John were as rough and tumble as it gets. They would fight at the drop of a hat if needed. He said that after a year of working on the mine with them he had become just like his brother. He said the journals were the real deal but a lot had been left out. Some of it intentionally. I asked him about the shaman. Jacobs' demeanor changed when I brought him up. He said that was the beginning of the end for the crew and didn’t want to talk about it. Ever. I changed the subject to the gold and treasure on the mine. He said he had never been back but would like to see the old mine one more time. He had never had the chance to dig up his loot from 1937. I figured this was as good a time as any and I summoned up the courage to ask him my question. Would he come back to the mine with me? Would he be willing to stay on the property for a while and be a consultant? Would he be a partner with us? Jacob didn’t even hesitate. He gave me the answer I was looking for. He said he’d like to get back there and do a little mining with us and show us what they had done and where there might still be a good amount of gold. He also wanted to dig up his stash if he could remember where it was all buried. He poured us another cup of whiskey and the three of us made plans right then and there. Jacob, Jim, and I along with Vern Kidder would be mining partners supported by my investors back east. We figured up our percentages in the deal and wrote it up on a piece of paper. Then we all signed it. Vern was back in California and he was hoping for something like this and I couldn’t wait to tell him. Jacob said to give him a day to get ready for the trip down to the mine and secure his cabin. I told him we’d be back for him the day after tomorrow and we shook hands with him and thanked him again. Then Jim and I headed for a nearby town and found ourselves a place to stay until we headed back to California. TO BE CONTINUED ...............

April 21 2002 Part Two I must say that it was an amazing experience meeting a living legend. Jacob was lean, about five foot ten inches in height, had a full head of gray hair,trimmed beard, and stood nearly straight as an arrow. He was a bit grizzled and looked hard as a rock. If I were to make an uneducated guess at his age I would have thought him to be fifteen to twenty years younger. I was tongue tied for a few seconds and then simply stuck my hand out and said I was Mark and happy to meet him. He gave me a half grin and shook my hand. He had a vice-like grip. Jim shook his hand next. He told us to come in and have a seat. The cabin had one large room with the kitchen on one side and a living room area with a big wood stove. There were a few chairs near the stove with a small table in between them. Jim and I sat on one side and Jacob took a seat facing us. There was a bottle of Bushmills on the table and some tin cups. He offered us a drink as he poured one for himself and we readily accepted. Jacob took a drink from his cup and said he had heard I had filed on the old mine. I told him he was correct. He also asked me how I had gotten hold of his journal. I told him I not only had his journal but his brother Jed’s as well. His eyes lit up when he heard that. I had brought them with me and told him he should have them. When I handed them over I could see his eyes tear up and he took another drink from his cup. I told him how I had gotten Jed’s journal and that I had gotten his from a descendant of Sheriff Dan. Jacob told us that he had made a mistake in trusting Dan and had been told that Dan decided to work with a group that owned a logging company near the mine and took over the claims. I told Jacob I was very pleased to be able to give the journals to him. Jacob said that he hadn’t been back to the mine since the July 4th attack and was forced to hide out like an outlaw. He had heard he was a wanted man to be investigated for various felonies. He shook his head and told us the mining crew had only defended themselves against the worst vermin imaginable. Jacob said that from what he had heard the logging group knew little of mining and were hard pressed to find anyone who would work for them. The townsfolk didn’t want anything to do with the old mine and considered it very dangerous to be out there. After a few years the group hadn’t made much money and simply abandoned the claims. He said he was set for life from the gold he had mined with Jed back in 1936 as well as the money he got when the crew sold the treasure. He said he didn’t put all the information in his journal and had plenty of secrets about the mine and what was buried up there. Jacob said that every man was responsible for his own stash and there was gold and treasure buried all over the mountain. He said that none of them wanted to bury valuables in just one location in case they were found as it would wipe out their poke. He said they all had their hiding places where small amounts of loot was stashed. By now we had finished our drinks and without asking Jacob poured us another round. He seemed happy to have us for company. I told him about my little company and my other working partner Vern Kidder as well as my group of passive investors back East. He warned me to be careful of passive investors as they could quickly become aggressive investors trying to mess with me. Jacob pointed to the far wall. His Thompson was hanging there. He said he kept it loaded and ready for action just in case. I wanted to ask him about some of the gunfights he wrote about in the journal but figured I best not bring any of that up unless he started talking about them. However, I did have one important question for him that I was ready to ask. TO BE CONTINUED ...............

More in the next entry but I have to say that meeting a living legend in person that you have read about was quite an experience.

April 21 2002 Part One For the sake of this entry in what is now my own journal I will refer to John’s descendant as Jim. We made it up to the road where Jacob’s cabin was located around 5:00 PM. The road was actually more of a trail but good enough for my truck to navigate. After climbing up the mountain for about 2 miles we spied the cabin. It was a simple affair. The weather was cool but above freezing and we could see the smoke from a wood fire coming out of the chimney pipe. I was really nervous about this meeting. I had no idea other than from what I had read in Jacob’s journal how Jacob would act towards us. He had allowed the meeting so it gave me hope for the best. John Jr. and I walked up a long pathway to the cabin and he knocked on the heavy wooden door. After what seemed like an eternity, we heard the door handle engage a lock and it slowly swung open. There before us stood Jacob Stevens. TO BE CONTINUED ................

I am really happy to now be able to reveale this next part of the story which is most amazing. I can say that 85 yr old Jacob Stevens was a man's man in every sense of the word. I will continue in the next entry which was started in April of 2002. Even my wife is now asking where is the gold hidden?

Each man was responsible for his own stash. Did Jacob know where any of it was?

So if I do the math young Jacob is now 85 yrs old. "Wonder what he'll have to say?

WHAT FOLLOWS NEXT WILL PROVE TO BE ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE. April 20 2002 My name is Mark Price. I am the president of a small mining group. In 2002 we filed and took control of the old mining property now referred to as The Dead Man’s Mine. The ground had sat dormant for many years. After researching the rich and wild history of the claims we were able to explore them and file our paperwork to own the mineral rights. While beginning the research on the property I came across an old government report with an outline of the history of work done there with a portion of it dedicated to the Stevens brothers in 1936 and 1937. This also included an old journal kept by both of the brothers who were Jed and Jacob. Jed was murdered and Jacob had disappeared after an attack of thugs back on July 4, 1937. The 1937 gold take was recorded in the journal as 218.75 ounces which was rather large considering the crew only was able to mine part time because of all the issues they faced as well as a complete work stoppage on 4th of July 1937. The crew had been murdered with the exception of Jacob who had somehow made an escape and disappeared for years. According to research, there was some kind of escape tunnel at the watchpost the crew was using on the mountain. Jacob was only twenty years old when he vanished like a ghost in the night. A sheriff named Dan Caldwell then took over the mine along with a group of small investors working with a foreign controlling cartel. This group worked the claims for the next three years and then abandoned the property. It remained that way until the time of my filings except for a few brief mining attempts. The mines on this property have what I would call a legendary or notorious reputation and are supposed to be cursed. There were several attempts to work the area back in the 1950's which met with disaster and in some cases death. After I completed the necessary paperwork I began to research the Stevens brothers. I wasn’t coming up with much information so I turned to researching one of the partners named John Denham. This proved to be most fruitful. One of his living relatives told me that Jacob had contacted John’s family about a month after the shootout. He was hiding out in the Sierra Nevada mountains and fearing for his life. The amazing part of this find is that Jacob is still alive and John’s family and descendants have kept in contact with him all these years. They informed me that he never married and was living alone in a cabin up in the remote mountains of Oregon. When I found this out I was beside myself with excitement and contacted my partners back East. We decided that we would attempt to make contact with him. With the aid of John’s descendants I arranged to go up to his cabin with one of them who wants to remain nameless. The two of us will be traveling up to Oregon to meet Jacob tomorrow. TO BE CONTINUED ................

Stay tuned........