GhostMiner

Yep.

The big corporations in mining do all of those things for their projects. However, that doesn't help the small scale miners or exploration companies that lack the funding & clout.

Still the same.

This all concerns a person who has a lease from us on one of our creek claims. He put in a plan to do bulk sampling using a mini excavator & highbanker. After an eight month weight he was denight an approval because the water board refuses to issue a license. They are using the 2016 dredging law to violate his rights. His plan has nothing to do with dredging. I have had several plans approved there along the creek in the past but was informed that beginning in 2020 the Forest Service will go along with the state of California & water boards on their rulings. Previously, they ignored them and issued approvals. I think we know why they changed in 2020. Our advisor tells me when you sign a Plan oof Operation with the regulators you are bound by a contract. He tells me that if any plan falls under the level of surface disturbance that would trigger SMARA we should simply start working without a POO. At that point, if we are challenged we would show the appropriate laws currently in place that protect us and also show the laws in place that the authorities are violating or twisting to fit their agenda. All something to mull over and research further. Rights are rights and should not be trampled upon.

One of my partners has a phone meeting scheduled with Shannon tonight concerning our problems with the water board. Then our lawyer.

Federal mining laws are there to protect miners rights. We are told we have no rights. I am debating with myself on testing this by setting a pump in the water and processing gravels closer than 100 yds to the waterway. Hand digging and a settling area for run off. I have told the FS of this. They told me they will have a meeting with the water board tomorrow.

Is anyone here a member of the AMRA? If so, do you think it is worth the price of joining?

June 21 1937 Another great morning at the weigh. Those buckets were all rich and we saw nine ounces in the pan. The pay streak is very steady in the location being worked. I know this can change at any time but for now we will just dig until something changes. A few more weeks of this will set us up nicely. Before Hudson and I went up to the dig site, deputy Dan made an appearance at camp. He said the sheriff was satisfied with the report he had filed concerning the death of Sarge and it would go down as an attempted robbery at our camp. The investigation would continue but seeing as the entire story was fabricated there would be no conclusion. The sheriff knew nothing of Dan’s trip to Mexico and knew nothing of what had transpired. Dan figured the investigation would probably fizzle out after a month or so. Dan told us that the news of Sarge’s death had spread like wildfire through town. Some of the town folk were calling for an end to our mining operation as it was bringing lots of drifters and rif raff with bad intentions into the area. He told us that we might have to put the sheriff in our back pocket to tamp down any further investigations as to activities out here. He told us that the sheriff was corrupt and could be easily bought. Dan said that with the sheriff on the payroll we would essentially have complete control of the town and the entire county as well. I told him I needed to think about all this and said I may ask to have a meeting set up with the sheriff on this matter. With that Dan left our camp but not before I placed a gold coin in his greedy hand. The weather for the day was like an oven and Hudson and I worked our tails off hauling buckets out of the dig site. By day’s end we had dug out 180 of them and were ready for some cold beer down at camp. After supper we all sat around the fire as the night air cooled and replaced the heat of the day. It felt good and we all pulled cold Lucky’s out of the creek until nearly midnight while talking about what Dan had told us. I thought to myself that we just might be running the entire county soon. TO BE CONTINUED ..............

June 20 1937 This morning we weighed up another four ounces of gold. I also informed the crew that we now had just over 100 ounces for the season. Very good considering we have been part time miners up to now. That should help to put some wind behind our sails as we press on. The heat has come in with a vengeance. The early mornings are quite cool but by noon we see 90 degrees and over 100 degrees by mid afternoon. The work is not too hard as we are not digging deep but laterally. If the crew can keep with it we will get back into good working shape quickly. The main staple out here is beans, hash, and bacon. Will and I worked the digsite today. We seem to be in an old river channel that contains gold. As we are cutting across it we are seeing good results. The question is how wide the channel goes. I have not gone very far out with test holes but we are just working it until we run out of the pay streak. I am hoping it lasts all season. If we find the outside perimeter we will then need to drift into the mountain which will be much slower and harder work. I have learned that no channel is endless and there will be a day where we run out of the good gravels. Until then we just keep working it. Will and I stopped just before dark and dug 170 buckets. We were both dog tired. TO BE CONTINUED ..................

Wish I knew him. I need a deep shaft dug about 80 - 100 ft in depth. Any volunteers? I'll make a deal for the gold we get.

Just dig where the old man tells you.

June 19 1937 This morning we helped John finish up washing our buckets of gravel which had totalled up to 160. When the panning was done we ended up with just over five ounces. Everyone had a smile on their face. It was a good way to start our day. Hudson and I went up to the eastern drift and worked across the face of the mountain. We had gotten a bit of a late start due to helping John finish the buckets and it was noon before we knew it. The sun was beating down hard on us and we drank plenty of water. By mid afternoon the temperature had risen up near 100 degrees and our clothes were soaked in sweat. We took a break in the shade and I drove the truck down to John with some full buckets to wash. Then I pulled four Lucky’s out of the cool creek and took them back up to the dig with me. Hudson and I sat there for a spell and drank them. They sure tasted mighty good. Eventually we got going on the shovel work again and finished up at dusk with 130 buckets. It sure wasn’t any speed record but the gold was there in spades. The day had been nice and quiet and it was good to be gold mining again. TO BE CONTINUED ...............

LOL. I must admit I have never done any metal detecting except once with a borrowed Gold Bug. I got bored after an hour and gave it back to the guy who owned it. That picture was taken when I was testing an old tailings dump on one of our mines. I was standing on top of a 70 ft thick tailings pile. Needless to say I never made it to the bottom LOL. However, after I dug there for a few hours and found no gold my son in law took over and I moved to another area to test. He dug for two days and ran everything through a little 12 volt recirculating sluice and got a few nice pickers and some fines. He got down about 10 - 12 feet. It was tough material with lots of rock. He broke one of our shovels the second day and I had to go into town and buy a new one for him. Always an adventure out there with the gold, artifacts, and wild critters.

And don't forget to fill the hole back in when finished.

Who enjoy's digging holes besides me? Using an excavator is lots of fun but sometimes it can be even better if you use a pick and shovel. There is something exciting about hole digging. You never know what is lying just below your feet. I'm always looking for gold but sometimes you fing unexpected treasures. Old coins, nails, buckets, tuttle tooth saws, jewelry, cans, bottles, gems, etc, etc. Besides the possibility of finding interesting and forgotten items it's also great exercise. So I say, if you are feeling bored, go dig a hole. You just might find something cool. Happy digging!

I remember hearing from you in the old days.

I'd stick with IronDigger.

June 18 1937 This morning we had a brief crew meeting. We feel we can once again get back to work but must remain on high alert at all times. There are the four of us here alone once again but we now have two deputies in town on our payroll. They should be of great help to us when needed. Will and I went up to the digsite after breakfast with Hudson on guard duty and John working the tom. We got into a good rhythm of digging and the sound of the pick and shovel work rang out in the cool morning mountain air. I felt the sweat rolling off my brow once again and the handle of the shovel in my hands as well. We broke for a quick lunch and resumed the digging and worked clear into the dusk. Even then we didn’t want to stop but finally did and drove the last of the buckets down to the tom. Every pan I had tested today looked rich. I have gold fever like never before and so does the rest of the crew. Even with our wealth obtained from our treasure find we still crave gold. I think we will always want it no matter what. Tonight after supper we drank to Sarge. John made a really beautiful speech about his friend. We all knew it could have been any of us going home in a box. I have told the others that if I am killed out here I want to be buried up on the mountain overlooking Jed’s first strike at the glory hole kettle. I want my casket buried in a secret location and filled with gold and Irish whisky. I have vowed to haunt any claim jumpers or high graders that enter the mining property. Every one of us also swore an oath to defend each other and all our goods to the death. We vowed never to be run off our claims and to defend them with honor. Jed would have expected no less and never was there a braver man than he. To that we drank well into the night. TO BE CONTINUED ...................

Well, I guess i'm safe for now. I've certaily got my share of posts here LOL. Best website ever.

They believe it violates SB637 so can't approve POO's.

Many thanks Clay.

The ban is caused by the water board, not the Forest Service. The FS had been approving plans in out area until 2022 when the state raised hell about all of this. They are using the dredging laws to stop the use of pumps in streams. At present I am trying to get a clarification on wether they will ban the use of pumps in streams if the water is to be used at a greater distance than 100 yds. Our local minerals agent informed me she was instructed by here boss to stop approving plans involving the creeks for now because they are now working with the state on all of this. Not sure where this will end up but most likely court. One of my partners in the company is working on this at the present time so we are early in the process of sorting this out. There are federal mining laws that should protect the ability to mine on claims that are legally filed.

June 17 1937 We are back at our camp tonight. Our dealings with the Mexican gang did not go as expected. We are all in very poor spirits. Sarge has just passed away from his wounds. Deputy Dan is heading back into town to arrange for Sarge’s body to be sent home for burial and his truck will go back as well. Dan will swear out a statement that we were attacked here at the mine and tried to defend ourselves. Hopefully that will be the end of it. I am paying Dan an extra cash amount for this. He is in as deep as we are now. The crew sat around the campfire and talked about Sarge. We were all remembering all the brave things he had done for us. Now Sarge is dead and Ben is locked away in prison. Which one of us will be next is all I can think about tonight. TO BE CONTINUED .................

June 16 1937 Part Five John and I quickly decided to go up on the east side of the hill overlooking the trail. We could see the flashes from the outlaw’s gunfire and there looked to be four of them bunched tightly together. We moved in behind a large boulder and we opened up on them. They were taken by surprise as we sprayed the Thompson’s bullets in their direction. The gunfire stopped. Then we moved around to the west side of the hill overlooking the trail. They were still firing away with rifles. We counted ten of them but there may have been more, we just couldn’t tell for sure. We fired bursts and a few of them stopped firing. The rest of them scattered. We didn’t try to follow as they knew the terrain and we didn’t. Instead, we hustled down to where Dan and Sarge were taking cover. Dan looked at me and said Sarge was hit and not in good shape. Sarge wanted us to go after them and take them out but I told him they were long gone by now and we needed to get out of here while we had the chance. We needed to get back to the horses. Sarge was unable to walk and we carried him down the trail in the silence of the night. All I could hear was our boots crunching on gravel and small rocks along the trail. TO BE CONTINUED ..................