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

[GhostMiner]

24 minutes ago, Bedrocker said:

I want to go camp out there, but I don't want to either.

You would be most welcome. This Summer we are planning on some events out there. 

[GhostMiner]

8 hours ago, Bedrocker said:

I want to go camp out there, but I don't want to either.

Not a place for feigned of heart.

[GhostMiner]

Just now, GhostMiner said:

Not a place for feigned of heart.

My partner Vern was actually run off the claims by gunshots a couple of years ago. He recorded it on video. I will see if he is willing to release it. We think there is millions in gold & treasure still on the claims. I would advise that the area remains a dangerous place.

[geof_junk]

GhostMiner I think I found Jed,s Truck.

If it is not the36 Ford then it must be this one.

 

[Bedrocker]

4 hours ago, geof_junk said:

GhostMiner I think I found Jed,s Truck.

If it is not the36 Ford then it must be this one.

 

Nice truck!

[GhostMiner]

6 hours ago, geof_junk said:

GhostMiner I think I found Jed,s Truck.

If it is not the36 Ford then it must be this one.

 

Yep, that's it LOL.

[GhostMiner]

   April 29   2002     Part Three

 

   Jacob told us that the government agent was about as welcome here as a rattler at a square dance. Then he gave us one of his winks and we all busted out laughing. We eventually all got back to work digging. We had no idea what the gravels here would hold as far as gold values but intended to find out as fast as possible. Everyone wanted to start mining and seeing gold. We dug the rest of the day and got a nice cut going into the base of the mountain. Jacob took a pan of gravel for sampling and he let out a curse or two. Nothing but some black sand. Not one single flake.

   It was getting late and we had skipped lunch as well. We decided to call it a day. When we got back to camp what did Jacob want to eat? More of that canned stew. It seems like he can’t get enough of it. We sat around the fire eating and Jacob was going on about how life was at camp back in his day. They usually bathed down at the creek which he said wasn’t too bad after a real hot day but wasn’t much fun if the weather was cold. Jed kept saying he would fix up a hot shower with a tub heated by a fire and a pull chain but they never got around to it. Jed loved his hot water cornbread and cooked it up quite often. Sometimes it turned out good and sometimes not so good. Beans, bacon, stew, corn bread, and crackers mostly. And of course whisky and beer. He said the crew also played cards for gold some nights. Knife throwing contests were also popular with them as well as shooting cans and bottles set in various locations. The life of a mining crew up in the mountains. 

   TO BE CONTINUED ...............

[GhostMiner]

   Posting my writings from back in 2002 is sure bringing back a lot of memories. So many things I didn't write about at the time. I am going to post them as I recall them. One that comes to mind was a hot Summer night sitting with Jacob outside his camper. It was dark out. Vern and Jim had gone into town for dinner at a bar they liked while Jacob and I decided to stay at camp. He kept thinking he heard voices up to the north of camp. This was creek and mountain on the west side of the creek. He always kept the old Thompson close. I didn't hear anything but he was convinced we were about to be attacked. He was clutching the Thompson and insisted that I arm myself which I did. After about half an hour and nothing happening he told me the hooligans may have left the area or they might be circling us. Another half hour passed and he finally put the Thompson down. I never heard a thing and he went to bed. A little later Vern and Jim came back from town and I told them what had taken place. We just chocked it up to Jacob remembering some bad things from the past out there.  

[GhostMiner]

  April 30   2002

 

   The morning broke clear and cold. We got ourselves back up to the new dig area and went to work. By noon we had a nice lateral cut started and broke for lunch. As usual, Jacob took a sample of gravel to pan. Nothing, not a flake. I noticed he had a concerned look on his face. He told us we were digging virgin material as far as he could tell. He said nothing had been disturbed at this location. Then he said that sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes not so good. He said it might have been tested by the old timers way back and there were no values and they moved on. Or, we just may need to keep working in farther. He wanted to see some sign of gold there soon, even just a flake or two for starters. 

   After we had lunch we worked deeper into the mountain. We had a nice, steady pace going. No one was saying much but I knew we were all thinking the same thing, we wanted to see some gold.

   Around 3:00 PM I saw Jacob take another sample over to the tub and pan it out. We stopped digging and watched him. When he finished he just tossed the remains out of the pan with a quick shake of his hand and shook his head in disgust. Nobody said anything and we just went back to work.

   By 5:00 PM we were pretty tired and hungry. We decided to knock off for the day. Once again Jacob took a sample and once again there was no gold to show for all our hard work. I was feeling discouraged but Jacob said we needed to stay in this location a while longer. We all agreed. We’d give it more time.

 

   TO BE CONTINUED .................