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

[GhostMiner]

13 minutes ago, beatup said:

this is getting better and better

Some tough guys on the way. War vets.

[flakmagnet]

Those photos are a good wake up. An important reminder of the backbreaking amount of work that was put in. Sure the gold was there but it was no easy pickings.

As we follow along on their adventures, I am constantly amazed at the level of work described in the journal - and seeing the setting again, 100 degrees in the summer and snow in winter. They earned their ounces.

[Swegin]

How many more pages are left?  I am a binge watcher/reader type of a person. LOL.

 

[GhostMiner]

8 minutes ago, Swegin said:

How many more pages are left?  I am a binge watcher/reader type of a person. LOL.

 

A fair amount LOL.

[GhostMiner]

   JULY 25   1936

   This morning we weighed up an ounce of gold which was a welcome sight and made us all feel a little better. Jacob and me resumed the digging chores and worked the gravel about 5 feet deeper below the raised area. We began to encounter broken country and then rounded channel rock. We made ourselves a short ramp to begin walking out buckets at this depth. I panned a few samples and saw nice color. 

   Late in the afternoon John’s friend Sarge and Ben had arrived at the camp. Jacob and me knocked off early with a total of 97 buckets for the day. We all helped our new security men set up their camps and got acquainted after supper. 

   Ben was a neighbor of Sarge and had served under him in the war and acted as though he was still his sergeant. Sarge was a gruff character and I got the impression he didn’t take any nonsense from anyone. I could see why he and John were good friends. They had come well prepared and packed heavy weapons. Sarge had an M1918 BAR from his Army days that was able to lay down heavy fire. He also had a light machine gun and service rifle. On his hip was a Browning hi power semi auto pistol. He also brought a box of grenades. Ben carried an Enfield six shooter in his holster and brought a shotgun as well as a Thompson sub machine gun. Sarge had an old White military surplus  truck with a hidden floor that housed a gun safe where he kept his weapons. I thought to myself that these guys are not fooling around. As it was getting near dark the plan was to take Sarge and Ben up to the dam area in the morning for a look and let them decide how to deploy.  

   I watched Sarge set up an observation post near camp and drank some whiskey with the crew. John said he was going to sit out in camp on watch for awhile as well and Ben would take the second half of the shift. 

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

[GhostMiner]

Sarge's BAR.

 

[1515Art]

Now we’re talkin, things are looking a lot better for Jed and his growing crew.

[GhostMiner]

Ben's weapon. These guys are not kidding around.

 

[1515Art]

Combat training and machine guns, just what the doctor ordered…I feel better now.

[tboykin]

34 minutes ago, GhostMiner said:

Sarge had an M1918 BAR from his Army days that was able to lay down heavy fire. He also had a light machine gun and service rifle. On his hip was a Browning hi power semi auto pistol. He also brought a box of grenades. Ben carried an Enfield six shooter in his holster and brought a shotgun as well as a Thompson sub machine gun.