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

[Old Miner Don]

Question for you Ghost Miner... how did you guys handle the safe keeping of the gold?

Did you make the split as you went along and everyone was responsible for they're own gold?

 

[Old Miner Don]

Just now, Old Miner Don said:

Question for you Ghost Miner... how did you guys handle the safe keeping of the gold?

Did you make the split as you went along and everyone was responsible for they're own gold?

 

Also just a fyi... I changed my Bedrocker display name to Old Miner Don.

[GhostMiner]

15 minutes ago, Old Miner Don said:

Question for you Ghost Miner... how did you guys handle the safe keeping of the gold?

Did you make the split as you went along and everyone was responsible for they're own gold?

 

   Hello Old Miner Don & good to hear from a reader I hadn't seen here before. Early on it was determined that each crew member would receive his share of the gold after a gold weigh was completed. Then it became their personal responsibility to take care of it as best they could. I did not put this in the journal but we dealt with several gold buyers and some of the crew converted part of their poke into good old U.S Dollars. Some held on to most of their gold. As you have read previously, there was a turnover of the members of the crew and Jacob considered the ones who left weak links in our mining machine. I'm not convinced of that and every man must make his own decisions under difficult and sometimes dangerous times. I still have gold from that season & right now I wish I had kept it all but sometimes you need to cash some of it in to live on. Cheers & thanks for reading the journal.

[GhostMiner]

   September 20   2002

 

   The weather was in our favor once again today. Conor and I really like running the tom. There are no moving parts to worry about breaking on us. The downside is it will only process about one third of the gravel the trommel is capable of and it is not catching as much of the fine gold. However, it is doing its job and we may build a bigger one for next season. It would be something like a Pearson Box with a big grizzly and hopper capable of running much more pay gravel. The only issue is the fact that you aren't breaking up all the clay. If you are not in heavy clay it would work fine. I plan on getting some good opinions on all of this during the off season.

   We got a good start this morning and worked until nearly dark to get our 100 yards washed. Tomorrow will be another cleanup. I went up to the dig site this afternoon and Jacob has got himself quite a pit going. He’s down about 35 feet in depth and slowly widening the diggings towards the west. There’s lots of rounded river rock and the bedrock seems flat. He’s having to send upper gravels that are not as rich along with the bottom bedrock gravel. We are definitely on the gold with no end in sight.     

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

[GhostMiner]

Here's is what I'm talking about with a Pearson Box with the exception of adding a big grizzly bar setup on top to screen off the bigger rock. It's all about volume and no moving parts over finesse and technology with one of these beasts. Cram in the gravels. 

 

 

[GhostMiner]

   Not in the journal  :  Comparing permitting & Plans of Operation from back then to now - man, have times changed. No politics here of course, just the process. Everything is slower and more detailed. As I was saying back in the Winter, I am attempting to get back to doing some mining on those claims again. I filed paperwork and need to transfer some water licenses out of a lessee's name and into mine. However, I was told I need to start the process over from scratch. Not a big deal but just time consuming. All of the environmental studies need to be done again as well. More time. I have put in a plan for an area of virgin gravels we tested back in 2019. They are 3000 ft from the north/south running creek I talked about in the journal. I have used two pumps hooked in series to get water over there before from a pond but that pond dries up in Summer. That was a 2000 ft deal with a 100 foot climb in elevation before the ground dropped back downhill again. The creek will be a 150 ft  climb in elevation until it goes back downhill the last 800 ft. Should be interesting. Just based on what experience with pumps I have I am thinking three or maybe four pumps in series will get the job done. I am talking 3 inch pumps. This time around I will use foot valves as well. In 2019 there were no foot valves and every morning the water lines had to be purged so the pumps could start pushing water without much back pressure. Purging pumps first thing in the morning means taking the caps off the top and letting the back pressure blow water 30 feet into the air while you take a cold shower in 45 degree air. Not a fun way to start your day LOL. I'm smarter now - I think. I figure to looses 2/3 of the gallons per hour the pumps are rated for but that's ok as they will just need to keep a big holding pond replenished as needed. I am also delving into the idea of using a small electric water pump to run continuously. I have been talking with a person who suggested this idea and it would be much easier. When I put in plans I throw everything in there just in case and that is something I learned the hard way. 

[GhostMiner]

   September 21   2002     Part One     Here They Come

 

   The weather is still in our favor. We stuck with our routine. Conor and I cleaned the concentrates while Jacob and Clay dug and hauled the pay. We have a good system going now. There is still no word on the trommel but we have not really missed it much.

   Around 1:30 I radioed Jacob that the gold weigh was done. To my surprise he said he and Clay were going to keep working straight through to about 5:00 PM before coming down to camp for supper and to see the gold. So Conor and I got back to washing gravels and worked until 5:00 PM as well. We were able to get another 20 yards of gravels processed. About that time I heard Clay’s truck  coming down the mountain with Jacob riding shotgun. I really wanted them to see the gold in the pan.Finally, just before supper, everyone was gathered around the table with the gold pan and scales. Clay let out a low holy sh.. and sat back in his chair. I just smiled and put the pan on the scale. There was 119.4 ounces. This was the bedrock gold we were dreaming of. And it looked like we might not be finished yet.

   Clay let out a whoop that shook the mountain and old Jacob did one of his Irish jigs. Conor had tears in his eyes and I just sat there stunned. It was getting on towards dusk now and Jacob brought out a bottle and we all had a drink and then another drink. As I set the bottle on the table near the gold we looked over at five men walking down the creek and coming towards camp. We didn’t recognize any of them and they sure weren’t Forest Service personnel. I didn’t like the looks of them and neither did anyone else.              

   TO BE CONTINUED ............

[GhostMiner]

 

[GhostMiner]

4 minutes ago, GhostMiner said:

 

Watch out you sinners     Don't you know that your time has come

Watch out you winners    Now it's the same for everyone

 

[Tahoegold]

Just now I'm thinking, maybe there should have been a look out by now. Too bad someone like Sarge isn't on the look out. Those guys would have been toast. I hope you are ready!