Anyone Know Ben Thompson ?

[Swegin]

Thanks for those photo's Dain. 

 

[flakmagnet]

What a cool thread Dave. Years ago I too was the recipient of someone's kindness (and patience), when I was learning. Actually I had a mentor in dredging and then later another teacher with a detector. That instruction came full circle years later and led to one of my best moments when I was able to turn someone on to their first piece of gold after they had been detecting without any luck for more than 8 years.

We are all better for sharing our hard-won knowledge. You don't have to give away your best sites but sharing information on detecting and prospecting methods is so easy when you get right down to it, and there is no better feeling than seeing someone take what you have given, learn from it and pass it on. Don't think we'll ever know as much as some of those amazing old timers though. The knowledge that dies with them will never be reclaimed. They simply do not make people like that much any more. Just think what they could have done with a 7000 in their day.

Thanks again Dave (and everyone else).

 

[Ausome]

Ben died several years ago, knew him when he would summer around Brandy City and Eureka diggings near Indian Valley in Sierra Co. Calif. For the Winter he would head south to Yuma area to dry wash, and get some free lodging courtesy of the Yuma Police Dept.. Ausome