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

[GhostMiner]

28 minutes ago, GhostMiner said:

   Yes, pretty stupid wasn't it. He got sucked in because there was an active permit he could use to start mining without waiting. The problem was he was mining low grade tailings. He paid the $100K because it included the permit which proved to be worthless. Gold fever is real & it's scary. People's eyes glaze over & common sense goes out the window. 

   I also witnessed the complete destruction of a mining crew one night. I was at their claim helping out & decided to sleep in my truck where the crew was camped. These were a rough bunch of guys out of Nevada. There were 5 of them and 2 big German Shepards used as guard dogs & they were all mean as hell - the dogs & the crew. They were up past midnight drinking whisky and doing a gold weigh when the trouble started. Why I stayed there is beyond me except by then I was too scared to make a move. They all had side arms & knives. Somehow, there was a discrepancy concerning the cut & distribution of gold to 2 of the crew. Knives were pulled and a big fight erupted. 

   There was a big wooden table near their campfire and one guy got pushed over backwards and crashed across it and was hit over the head with a whisky bottle. The guy that had the bottle was suddenly attacked from behind by one of the crew with a big knife. He had it up against the guy's throat and I figured he was dead but the crew leader shot off 3 rounds from his 45 and hollered for everyone to cool it or eat lead. The dogs were going nuts and I was afraid to make a move to get to my truck & get out of there because they didn't know me & I would have been ripped to shreds.

   The crew boss finally got everyone calmed down enough & they all started drinking again. That's when I took my exit & pronto. I heard the crew was never the same again & broke up a few days later. Yes, mining in the Sierra Nevada - I could write a book. Oh wait, I have.

[Phillips_R]

9 hours ago, GhostMiner said:

That's just one of several examples of what I have seen happen to people with gold fever. It can be ugly.

Well maybe I'll take gold mining back off my bucket list...  

[GhostMiner]

36 minutes ago, Phillips_R said:

Well maybe I'll take gold mining back off my bucket list...  

Just be careful who you hang out with.

[rvpopeye]

That guy selling worthless claims is headed for a blanket party ,,, or worse  ! 🥸

Oh AYUH  GM ! You are describing a series and it seems you are already into it 3 stories !  🖖 I think you might even have enough for a Boxed Set !   "Gold: Tales of Tailings

(I didn't copyright that, or copyright search . It's yours if it clears the search ....) 

[Old Miner Don]

16 hours ago, GhostMiner said:

   Oh, & here is something else about those claims. Just a couple of yrs prior to selling the claims to this person the claim owner had leased them to greenhorns from New York State who had gold fever. They had never mined before just like the other guy. The cost? He charged them $25,000 for a lease. Did they get any gold? I heard maybe an ounce before they went bust. Can you say ouch? Or predator?

The seller sounds like he could be one of the guys selling on (ouch)bay.

[GhostMiner]

10 hours ago, rvpopeye said:

That guy selling worthless claims is headed for a blanket party ,,, or worse  ! 🥸

Oh AYUH  GM ! You are describing a series and it seems you are already into it 3 stories !  🖖 I think you might even have enough for a Boxed Set !   "Gold: Tales of Tailings

(I didn't copyright that, or copyright search . It's yours if it clears the search ....) 

Not bad LOL.

[Mike Furness]

Sounds like a great title for a series.

[GhostMiner]

   May 26   2002

 

   

   There was .7 of an ounce in the pan this morning. Everyone is in a good mood and ready to work out here. Once again, all four of us headed up to the site and Jacob wanted to do a bit of digging before returning to camp. So all four of us worked the dig and I couldn’t help but think of the old days when Jacob was here back in 1936, 1937. I could almost see the old crew digging away with us shoulder to shoulder. I looked over at Jacob and he was hard at it and was really moving gravel. 

   The weather was perfect for working, cool and sunny. By lunch break I could tell Jacob was getting tired and I suggested we all go down to camp for something to eat. Vern shut down the pump and we drove back to camp and had a good lunch together while talking about the claims and the gold. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

   All four of us got back to work and Jacob put the pick and shovel down and took samples until nearly dark. We have really made good progress today and washed 19 yards of gravel. All the pans Jacob tested were looking rich as well. He always made sure to show us the good ones to keep us working hard. Based on what I was seeing I am expecting close to an ounce tomorrow at the weigh.  

   TO BE CONTINUED ...............

[Tahoegold]

Camping, getting gold, working hard and staying in shape. Getting gold stories from one of the guys from the 30s. Who wouldn't jump at the chance and bust butt to get a chance to hit it big? Heck, if you found enough and didn't loose out on too much, I'd still be happy with that!

[GhostMiner]

8 hours ago, Tahoegold said:

Camping, getting gold, working hard and staying in shape. Getting gold stories from one of the guys from the 30s. Who wouldn't jump at the chance and bust butt to get a chance to hit it big? Heck, if you found enough and didn't loose out on too much, I'd still be happy with that!

   Absolutely! There is nothing like hearing about the old days from a guy who's been there & done it. I will always remember that season.