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

[GhostMiner]

32 minutes ago, GhostMiner said:

   May 22   2002

 

   We were all up fairly early. The weather was warm but not hot. I still have not seen what Jacob refers to as the Big Heat. I suppose it will eventually come and I will see how our crew handles it. We have not had any more issues with trespassers or thieves so guard duty was suspended. However, Jacob will remain at camp during the day to guard things. He did mention that he would enjoy getting up to the site from time to time to check on things and give advice so we will rotate people starting today so Jacob can be at the mine site for a few hours daily. We need him to be a big part of our decision making as far as where and how to run things.

   After lunch Jacob came up to inspect the site. He gave us some direction as to our digging operations and took some sample pans. He brought one over and showed us some gold. That always fuels us for the rest of the day. Then he grabbed up a shovel and started to do some digging. I could see his face light up as he shoveled the gravels. He worked at a slow and steady pace. 

   By the day’s end we had washed about 16 yards of gravel. Jacob told us the ground was looking very promising. We all want to see over 100 ounces and with the gold caches included we are well on our way. If I can get an excavator up here eventually there will be no stopping us. 

   TO BE CONTINUED ...............

 

   Our gold cuts were now at around 15 ounces each or about $4500 in 2002 which was a fair amount of money. I will never forget this day as long as I live. It was the beginning of a big change in the way I looked at life and my finances would continue to grow. $4500 back in 2002 would buy you quite a bit. Now gold is hovering around $2000/ounce and probably going higher. 

[GhostMiner]

  May 23   2002

 

   This morning’s cleanup showed .3 ounces in the pan. Jim stayed down at camp while Vern, Jacob, and I went up to work the mine. It was a beautiful morning for working and we went at it until around 2:00 PM when we broke for lunch. Jacob went back down to camp and Jim came up to dig. The rounded channel rocks were good to see but were playing hell with our digging speed  not to mention our joints. I couldn’t imagine how Jed and Jacob and the rest of the old crew were able to do what they did. My hands and elbows ache every day. Vern, being the younger member of the crew, was fairing a bit better. Nobody ever complained and Jacob told us to just keep a steady pace and don’t push yourself past the breaking point. We were all hoping the permit would be approved before the weather got too hot. 

   By the end of the day we had managed a hard fought for 12 yards of washed gravels. Now I understand why those old boys drank whisky at night. It killed the pain. After supper that’s what we all did, had a couple of drinks with Jacob. 

   TO BE CONTINUED .............

[GhostMiner]

   July 6   1950

 

   The gravel continues to lack value. The sloping bedrock has flattened out and what gravel layer exists is thin and barren of gold. I have finally made contact with the geologist and he will be at the mine tomorrow to give his evaluation of the project.

[GhostMiner]

It's obvious that things are not going well for these guys. Having the actual entries here I know the ending. Of course with mining, sometimes you get lucky. And sometimes you go broke. 

[GhostMiner]

   May 24   2002     Part One

 

   We had a pretty good cleanup this morning with .6 ounces in the pan. We got an early start with Vern, Jim, and I going up to dig and Jacob staying down at camp. Our cut into the base of the mountain is quite wide now and we have seen some examples of rolling bedrock. Due to all the upheaval in this entire area bedrock is illusive. One day you encounter it and the next it has dived deeper. Without the necessary heavy equipment and permits we are waiting for the work continues to be slow but steady. Fortunately, the weather has remained on the cool side. At the end of the day we washed 14 yards of gravel. 

   TO BE CONTINUED .............

[GhostMiner]

   May 24   2002     Part Two     Jacob Unwinds A Tale

 

   When we got back to camp Jacob was working on a good supper for the crew. He told us he was quite proud of the way we were working and our determined attitudes. He said that is exactly what it takes to be a gold miner. He served up hash with hot water cornbread and his own baked beans from a special recipe. I’m telling you that this was one heck of a good supper for a tired and hungry crew.

   After we ate he broke out some beer and a bottle of Bushmills. It seemed like he was in a pretty good mood and felt like talking. He wasn’t always like that. Sometimes he was very quiet and introspective. We knew when to leave him alone and always let him decide when he wanted to have a good talk with us. Tonight, as we stoked up the campfire and sipped some good Irish whisky, he asked us if we wanted to hear a true story. A story that only the crew from 1937 had been told. I said yes, of course we do. So he began to tell us what he said was a true tale that he had experienced right here where we were sitting.

   TO BE CNTINUED .................

[GhostMiner]

   May 24   2002     Part Three

 

   Jacob said it was back in late May in the 1937 mining season when it all happened. The crew had decided to go into town to blow off steam but Jacob decided to stay at camp. He remembered it being a cold night and he had stoked up a fairly big campfire and was sipping whisky and thinking about the previous season. Before he went any further he looked at the three of us sitting around the fire with him and asked if we had ever heard any strange sounds around camp since we had arrived. We shook our heads no. He nodded and went on with the story.

   According to him he had heard voices coming down the mountain along the  side of the creek near camp. Jacob said the sounds got his attention and he grabbed his Thompson and got out of the campfire light and hid in a dark spot outside of camp. He kept real still as two figures started to come into view. They were jabbering away about gold and mining and both of them were drinking from whisky bottles and laughing as they came into camp. Jacob went on to say that something about them didn’t look right and he could see right through them at times. He stood up to get a better look and realized it was Jed and Whisky Jack as sure as could be.

   When Jacob hollered out to them he said they looked him dead in the face with cold stares and it made his skin crawl. He said he was so shocked he could hardly get any words to come out of his mouth. Then he said the two of them kind of floated off the ground a few feet and drifted slowly up the mountain until they were out of sight. Then Jacob looked at us and said this was not a lie but as true as true could ever be so help him. He told us that he expected to see them again out here one night. He didn’t exactly know why but just had one of his feelings. 

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

[GhostMiner]

38 minutes ago, GhostMiner said:

   May 24   2002     Part Three

 

   Jacob said it was back in late May in the 1937 mining season when it all happened. The crew had decided to go into town to blow off steam but Jacob decided to stay at camp. He remembered it being a cold night and he had stoked up a fairly big campfire and was sipping whisky and thinking about the previous season. Before he went any further he looked at the three of us sitting around the fire with him and asked if we had ever heard any strange sounds around camp since we had arrived. We shook our heads no. He nodded and went on with the story.

   According to him he had heard voices coming down the mountain along the  side of the creek near camp. Jacob said the sounds got his attention and he grabbed his Thompson and got out of the campfire light and hid in a dark spot outside of camp. He kept real still as two figures started to come into view. They were jabbering away about gold and mining and both of them were drinking from whisky bottles and laughing as they came into camp. Jacob went on to say that something about them didn’t look right and he could see right through them at times. He stood up to get a better look and realized it was Jed and Whisky Jack as sure as could be.

   When Jacob hollered out to them he said they looked him dead in the face with cold stares and it made his skin crawl. He said he was so shocked he could hardly get any words to come out of his mouth. Then he said the two of them kind of floated off the ground a few feet and drifted slowly up the mountain until they were out of sight. Then Jacob looked at us and said this was not a lie but as true as true could ever be so help him. He told us that he expected to see them again out here one night. He didn’t exactly know why but just had one of his feelings. 

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

Yep, this was a real story from him and he was very serious as I recall. I have one to tell along this same line tomorrow. Cheers.

[GhostMiner]

21 hours ago, GhostMiner said:

Yep, this was a real story from him and he was very serious as I recall. I have one to tell along this same line tomorrow. Cheers.

   So here is my experience that relates to this story that Jacob told us back in 2002. Fast forward 10 yrs. One of my partners & myself were camped in the same place. We had been coducting grab sample assays on one of the claims along the creek. We were sitting outside the tents drinking a beer and discussing the day's events. It was around 10:00 PM and there was a fire ban in place because it had been a dry Summer as usual. There was a quarter moon and we had several battery powered lanterns hung up for light but outside of camp it was nearly pitch dark. 

   The two of us were talking when suddenly my partner alerted to something. I asked him what was up and he told me he heard someone talking in the trees just 40 ft outside of camp. I stopped talking and listened. I heard the voices as well but the words were unintelligible. They would stop for a few seconds & then start up again. We didn't see anyone and as far as we knew there was no one around this area but the two of us. 

   After a few minutes of this we both got up and shined flashlights in the area of the voices and asked if anyone was there. No reply. So we slowly walked over in that direction with our sidearms at the ready just in case. Then it happened. There were two figures of men that were glowing slightly against the blackness of the forest. At times the figures were transparent.They were talking quietly to each other and paid us no mind. For the life of me I could not make out anything they were saying and the two figures began to drift north up the mountain several feet off the ground. We both just stared at them completely dumbfounded and unable to speak. After about 15 seconds or so they were out of our sight. We tried to follow them but they both had vanished in the night. I will never forget that experience on the claims and thankfully have a witness who saw what I saw and heard what I heard. Otherwise, I may not believe what had happened out there. That's my story & it's as real as real gets.