Rocky Mountain Prospectors &

Treasure Hunters Newsletter

The News
v. 15, n. 5 May, 2011 Going for the Gold
Visit RMPTH On The Internet At http://rmpth.com

Contents The Comstock Lode

1
2
2
The Comstock Lode
About The News
Book Review
I n 1859, The Comstock Lode was discovered in
Mount Davidson, 20 miles outside of Reno, Nevada.
The Comstock Load was one of the largest silver de-
posits, to ever be discovered within the United States.
This abundant silver mine led to the rapid development
4 Virginia Dale Stage Station of mining technology and industry, in the Nevada area.
5 Find Of The Year Program There is some debate over who actually discovered the
6 Geocaching Comstock Lode. Many attribute the original discovery to
7 Horace Austin Warner Tabor mineralogists, Ethan and Hosea Grosh, in 1857. The
8 Treasure Hunt Grosh brothers, left their mineral samples and claim
8 Maria Theresa Thaler maps, in the charge of Henry T.P. Comstock, for safe
9 Golden Touch keeping in their cabin, as they set off for California.
Great misfortune fell on the brothers and neither sur-
10 Calendar of Events
vived the year. Upon learning of the brothers deaths,
11 Calendars Comstock laid claim to the cabin and it’s contents. Al-
13 Rare Diamond Ring Find though, Comstock did not understand the maps and
14 Tools And Their Uses documents, left by the Groshes, he kept a watchful eye
16 Trading Post on local mine strikes, and quickly laid claim to an adja-
17 Gold Panning & Placering in cent area when one was made on Gold Hill. The oppor-
Colorado tunistic Henry Comstock, also managed to work himself
18 2011 Schedule of Events into a partnership in another claim in the surrounding
area. He eventually sold his mining interests and unsuc-
19 Contact List cessfully tried his hand as a storekeeper. Comstock then
tried prospecting in Idaho and Montana.

Eventually disheartened by his lack of success, he com-

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors;
we borrow it from our children."
mitted suicide. While the original discoverers and the
namesake of the strike, suffered terrible fates, many oth-
ers gained vast fortunes from it, and great overall pro-
gress resulted. When the strike was publicly announced,
adventurous would-be prospectors rushed to the area
seeking to strike lucrative mining claims. Mining camps
soon proliferated the landscape. The huge influx of pro-
spective miners and those seeking to cater to them,
quickly populated the newly founded community of Vir-
ginia City. During the boom years of silver mining, Vir-
ginia city was the largest city in Nevada, and was known
as a center of wealth during the era. 400 million dollars
worth of silver, as well gold ,were pulled from the area
from the years 1859 through 1878. The vast wealth gen-

- Native American Proverb (Continued on page 3)

 Advertising
About The News
Classified advertising for topic related items is free
he News is the official newsletter of the Rocky

T Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters

Club (RMPTH): our mailing address is P.O. Box
271863, Fort Collins, CO. 80527-1863.
Opinions expressed in The News are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the
club or its members. Publication of information in
The News constitutes no guarantee of accuracy. Use
of any information found in this publication is at the
sole risk of the user. Neither RMPTH, nor its coordi-
nators, nor The News, nor its editors or contributors
assume any liability for damages resulting from use
of information in this publication.
Submissions
Articles, letters and short items of interest on pros-
pecting, detecting and treasure hunting topics are
welcome and encouraged. All items submitted for
publication are subject to editing. Submittals for pub-
lication may be made in writing or, preferably, in AS-
CII text format on IBM-compatible disk. If you have
questions about a submission, please contact the edi-
tor for information.
for non-business ads. See the “Trading Post” section
for donation pricing of camera-ready display ads. Do-
nations for ad makeup from sketches, etc., are avail-
able on request.
About RMPTH
RMPTH is an independent nonprofit hobbyist social
club, open to anyone interested in prospecting, detect-
ing or treasure hunting. Its purpose is to provide an
educational and social forum of mutual benefit for
members. RMPTH holds a monthly meeting and con-
ducts various field outings, as well as offers special
presentations and seminars. Active participants have
voting privileges. The monthly newsletter, The News,
is readily available on the Internet. Persons wishing to
receive the newsletter in hardcopy, mailed format are
required to provide the amount of $24 per year re-
quired to print and mail. Otherwise, no annual dues
are charged as the social club functions strictly by
donation. 

Copyright

Unless otherwise noted, other nonprofit groups

may reprint or quote from any articles appearing in
The News without prior permission, provided that
proper author and publication credits are given and
that a copy of the publication in which the article ap-
pears is sent at no cost to RMPTH at the above mail-
ing address. Clubs wishing to exchange newsletters
with RMPTH are invited to send a copy of their news-
letter together with an exchange request.

Book Review
by Paul Lange

The Prairie Traveler by Randolph B. Marcy, Applewood Books, c. 1993,

Bedford, Maine, 286 pages, ISBN 0-918222-89-3.

T his book was originally published in 1859 by the authority of The War Department and was written by a U. S. Army
captain who had first hand knowledge of the American West. A number of “fast buck” people with a quick pen, vivid
imagination and little knowledge operating out of big eastern cities published a number of guidebooks that were
bought as if they contained free gold samples. As you search old houses, used book stores, libraries and private collections
you may come across an original guidebook that could be worth its weight in gold being valued at over $1,000 depending on
its condition. The 1858 gold strike in then what was the western part of the Kansas Territory had thousands of prospectors
flocking to the area between Denver and Pikes Peak. The Prairie Traveler became a best selling handbook for the westward
bound pioneers. It became the principal manual full of helpful information essential for safe passage west. Among the topics
included, it talks about the routes used by the travelers. There are a number of sketches to help your mind visualize what it
was like back then, a map of the Pike’s Peak gold region and a list of select itineraries showing distances in miles between
camping places. In the last year, I have acquired 5 different reproduced guidebooks, not the originals. If you come across any
of these guidebooks whether they are originals or reproductions, you have found a treasure. 

Page 2 The News, May 2011

(Continued from page 1)
erated by the Comstock Lode not only spurred the
growth of Nevada, but the San Francisco area ,as well.
The decline of the mines, did not begin until 1874. The
rapidly increasing population quickly overwhelmed the
available water supply. It became evident that in order to
have enough water to run the necessary steam engines,
while still leaving enough for the everyday needs of resi-
dents, a new supply had to be tapped. To fulfill this
need, the Virginia City and Gold Hill Water Company
was created.
The company hired the
engineer Herman Schus-
sler to design a new sys-
tem, to supply the water
needed. Schussler over-
saw the installation of
miles of pipe, and con-
structed large flumes at
the source as well as the
outlet. At the time of it’s
completion it was consid-
ered the greatest pressur-
ized water system world-
wide. Much of the techno-
logical advancement,
which occurred through-
out the boom years of the
Comstock Lode, involved
attempts to mitigate the
dangers in mining at this
location. At first, ore was Sutro Tunnel
obtained through simple surface digging, as the surface
became exhausted of ore, it became necessary to mine
tunnels to get at the precious commodity. Early mining
efforts were often hampered by flooding. This problem
led to many technological developments in steam and
hydraulic equipment, in order to pump out the excess
water. As the mines tunneled deeper, the water they en-
countered was extremely hot. This super heated water
could kill a man in a matter of seconds and made the
tunnels unbearably hot. This dangerous situation, led to
several innovations in ventilation technology and con-
struction of the Sutro Tunnel.
The brilliantly conceived tunnel was the brain child of
Prussian born Adolph Sutro. He ran the drainage tunnel
under the Lode from the lowest point possible and ran
flumes in the floor of the tunnel to drain water off. The
tunnel which went through four miles of rock, was con-
sidered a technological marvel, at the time. The Com-
stock Lode differed from most silver deposits in that it
was hundreds of feet wide at points. Though the soft ore
was easy to dig, it did not supply much support, result-
ing in many cave-ins. The deadly problem of cave-ins
was resolved by the ingenuity of a German mine superin-
tendent named Philip Deidesheimer, who invented the
square set timbering method. In this method, timber
latticework was used to support the tunnels and ore ex-
The News, May 2011
hausted areas were refilled with rubble. The use of the
use of the square set method made such wide veins safe
to mine, but also required vast amounts of timber. Since
the region surrounding the mines was far too arid to
supply this timber, it had to be imported from the Lake
Tahoe area. To increase the speed and ease of transport-
ing all this heavy timber, J. W. Haines created the V-
flume. A method that used water pressure to flush the
logs down from Spooner summit, where they could be
loaded onto railcars. Overtime, pneumatic tools and new
formulas for blasting explosives, were developed for use
in the mines.
The wire cables used for the
famous cable cars of San
Francisco, were originally
developed for use in the
mines of the Comstock
Lode. The hemp ropes for-
merly used in mining, could
not adequately handle the
increased strain of hauling
ore to the surface, from
these deeper mines. Woven
wire rope was invented in
1864 to handle the task.
The new stamp mill method
of crushing the ore hastened
processing immensely and
several new ways of amalga-
mation, developed for use
on Comstock ore, further
sped processing. Most nota-
ble of these improved processes was the Washoe proc-
ess, which utilized steam-heated pans, to smelt the ore.
The discovery of the Comstock Lode also expedited the
infiltration of the railroad system, into the region. Prior
to the construction of the railroad lines in the area, large
teams of mules or horses hauled the ore, from the
mines. These teams also pulled wagons loaded with the
necessary timber, machinery and other supplies to the
mine. After the Central Railroad and the Virginia and
Tuckee Railroad were completed, ore transport could be
done far more efficiently. The Comstock Lode had a dis-
tinct and lasting effect, not only on the field of mining
and ore processing, but also left a lasting legacy in our
daily lives. It improved transportation. Methods of drain-
age and water supply, were enhanced by the obstacles
encountered mining the deposit. We can attribute far
more to the Comstock Lode, than precious ore and a
population explosion.
Below a miner works the Comstock Lode and at right
the Sutro Tunnel.
Arizona Gold Prospectors
http://www.arizonagoldprospectors.com/

Page 3
Virginia Dale Stage When the chips are down ......
the buffalo is empty!
Station

I n 1863, a stagecoach along the Overland Trail carrying

an army payroll of $60,000 (which would be about $1
million dollars today) in ten and twenty dollar gold
coins was destined for Fort Sanders in Wyoming Territory.
The gold shipment represented several months of back pay
for the soldiers at Fort Sanders; however, the unfortunate
soldiers never saw the gold.
Gold Glossary
Only about a mile from the Virginia Dale Station, the stage
was robbed by six masked outlaws at Long View Hill. The Bucket Line Dredge - Unlike the modern, small scale
gang took the strongbox from the stage and headed west dredges; a bucket line dredge was very large. Instead of
towards the wooded foothills, where they blew the lock off
sucking up water and gravel through the use of water pres-
of the box, removed the gold coins, and buried the treasure.
sure, the bucket line dredges would scoop it up and run it
through a long sluice box. Only 10 cents of gold was needed
for each square yard of material to make a profit back
when these dredges were common in the 1890s and on into
the early 1900s.

TREASURE HUNTER’S
CODE OF ETHICS

Stage Coach on the Overland Trail

I WILL respect private property and do no treasure
However, before they could spend their ill-gained wealth,
hunting without the owner's permission.
the bandits were pursued and killed by the U.S. Calvary.
The Calvary later found the iron strong box in a nearby I WILL fill all excavations.
creek, the sides and bottom gone, riddled with bullet holes
– and, obviously, empty. I WILL appreciate and protect our heritage of natural
resources, wildlife, and private property.
The Overland Trail stage line was regularly terrorized by
outlaws, where the surrounding area provided multiple op- I WILL use thoughtfulness, consideration, and courtesy
portunistic hideouts. One hideout, labeled the Robbers at all times.
Roost atop Table Mountain, was so popular that the outlaws
built a cabin there. Table Mountain, only about a mile I WILL build fires in designated or safe places only.
northeast of the Virginia Dale Stage Station, was a perfect
hideout, as it is difficult to climb with practically perpen- I WILL leave gates as found.
dicular cliffs and a rim of shale.
I WILL remove and properly dispose of any trash that I
At the time, it was rumored that Jack Slade, the Station
Master was the leader of the gang. Jack Slade, not as fa-
find.
mous as many other outlaw characters, was nevertheless,
as notorious as many of them. Slade was said to have had I WILL NOT litter.
an uncontrollable temper, was a heavy drinker, had mur-
dered in the past, and was eventually hanged in Montana. I WILL NOT destroy property, buildings, or what is left
Though the stage line suspected Slade, they could not prove of ghost towns and deserted structures.
it, so they just fired him. Uncharacteristically, the bad-
tempered Slade, left without any problems. I WILL NOT tamper with signs, structural facilities, or
equipment.
(Continued on page 5)

Page 4 The News, May 2011

(Continued from page 4)
Later Jack Slade moved on to Virginia City, Montana. A
heavy drinker with a bad temper, he wrecked a saloon soon
I was so depressed last night
after his arrival. Jack was arrested but he tore up the ar-
rest warrant and threatened the judge. Though he pleaded
thinking about the economy, wars,
for his life, he was immediately hanged. jobs, my savings, Social Security,
Virginia Dale, his girlfriend (or common law wife) was retirement funds, etc., I called the
brought to town by one of Jack's friends, took his body
home, pickled it in alcohol in a metal casket, and kept it Suicide Hotline. I got a call center
under her bed for several months. She then took it to Salt
Lake City, Utah and buried him in the old Mormon Ceme- in Pakistan , and when I told them
tery where his body remains today.
I was suicidal, they got all excited,
The gold taken by the robbers at Virginia Dale has never
been found. and asked if I could drive a truck.
Today, Virginia Dale is nothing more than a ghost town,
located in the northern part of Larimer County, about 45
miles northwest of Fort Collins, and just about four miles
south of the Wyoming border on US Highway 287. The old
Overland Trail Stage Station is listed on the National Regis-
ter of Historical sites and recently efforts have been made to
preserve the old station.

Jack Slade and others in front of Virginia

Dale Station

Legends of America
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/CP-
ColoradoTreasures2.html

Refreshment Volunteers Property Wanted

For Detector Hunt
May - Ray McGeheel & Anne Nichols
June - Betsy Emond & Mike Noll RMPTH is looking for private property on which to hold
July - Bryan & Lucy Morgan an organized club detector hunt. Obviously, it would be
August - Gary Anderson most ideal if this property is known to have seen some
September - Barbara Schuldt past historical activity. If you have such property or
October - Johnny Berndsen know of someone who does, please contact Paul Lange
November - Dave Montoya or Rick Mattingly to plan a club field outing event.

The News, May 2011 Page 5

Geocaching
creating puzzles to be solved, or setting up multi-part
caches. Consider these more challenging adventures
once you've got some experience under your belt, or if
Treasure Hunting With Your GPS you're embarking on this adventure with teens.

M
After you find the cache, dance your happy dance!
y family's split down the middle when it
(I'm getting excited just thinking about it.) Once you're
comes to outdoor fun. There are two people
settled back in at home, you can log back in to the
who are always looking for reasons to be/
Geocaching website to leave your comments.
play/eat outside, and two who prefer looking at nature
from behind glass, preferably while seated in a tem-
A few tips should you decide to try Geocaching with
perature-controlled environment with Wifi. As such,
your kids:
the answer to "what should we do this weekend?" is
rarely straightforward.
• Choose your first few
Not only is Geocaching a great caches wisely. Keep them
I'm always looking for ways
relatively easy to find, and
to coax the indoorsies out- family sport, it is also a great way to read the comments for extra
doors. And I think I've hit on
it: Geocaching. Or, as I pre-
learn and practice your GPS skills for assurance that the cache is
even more important stuff: like still hidden at that location.
sented it to my family, walks
Caches do occasionally go
that require gadgets (several finding that ‘lost’ mine, treasure missing, and it would be a
eyebrows lifted in interest as
hunting, prospecting, locating that shame to kick off your ex-
I'm usually the one hoping
perience with a disappoint-
the iPhone gets forgotten at ghost town, etc. ment.
home).
• Pack a pen and some little
items to leave behind. The rule is that if you take
Geocaching is essentially a treasure hunt with the
something from a cache, you must leave something of
help of a mobile GPS device. To begin, go to Geocach-
equal or greater value.
ing.com and sign up for a free account. Then search
• Consider Geocaching while on vacation. What bet-
for a cache to find...it can be in your neighborhood,
ter way to explore new territory?
along a trail, or anywhere else in the world. (I found
• Hide your own cache. Once your kids catch the
three within walking distance of my house.) The web-
Geocaching bug, they might want to create and hide
site will give you GPS coordinates and clues, which
their own cache. The "pay it forward" spirit feels good
you plug into your device and set out on the hunt!
for everyone. Geocaching.com gives you all the details
Your GPS will lead you to the vicinity of the cache, but
about hiding your first cache.
once you arrive you must find the final hiding spot
using the clues.
Parent Hacks
http://www.parenthacks.com/2010/06/geocaching-
But what exactly are you looking for? Generally, the
treasure-hunting-with-your-gps.html
cache a small waterproof container holding a logbook,
and sometimes, a collection of trinkets to trade. But 
folks who really get into Geocaching go much further,

Cripple Creek Lore

The Cresson Mine in Cripple Creek Colorado was the scene of a fantastic discovery. On November 24, 1914
miners working on the 1200' level had the luck of breaking into a vug 40 feet high by 20 feet long and 15 feet
wide. The walls were covered with sylvanite and calaverite crystals with thousands of flakes of pure oxidized
gold and bronze colored calaverite crystals the size of a thumbnail lining the entire vug. 20,000 ounces of gold
was a good estimate for the first few days, but they actually mined over 60,000 ounces of gold in about four
weeks!

The Cripple Creek Mining District of Colorado is still producing today. During 1997 and 1998 the Cresson
Mine alone produced about 230,000 ounces of gold per year.

Page 6 The News, May 2011

The News, May 2011 Page 7
Treasure Hunt Maria Theresa Thaler

R MPTH member Paul Mayhak has put together

T he Maria Theresa Thaler is probably one of the

a local Treasure Hunt for members. Paul has most famous and well known coins of the world.
hidden a target in a local location. By putting
clues together and using your treasure hunting skills Originally struck in Austria from 1740 to 1780, the
of deduction you may locate the target. The prize: a Thaler was the currency of the Austrian Empire. It was
big honkin' chunk of silver in the form of an Austrian very important for trade with the Levant (parts of Tur-
Maria Teresa Thaler - about the size of a U.S. Silver key, Lebanon, Syria). Over time, the Maria Theresa
Dollar. The actual coin is similar the one picture be- Thaler became the best known and most popular silver
coin in the Arabian world. After the death of Empress
low.
Maria Theresa in 1780, Joseph II permitted the Austrian
mint to continue striking
At each monthly club meeting Paul will release one the coin with the 1780
more clue which will close in on the hiding place and dies in order to meet de-
description of the target (target is not the coin!). After mand from the Middle
the meeting the collective clues will also be published East. The 1780 thaler was
in the next months newsletter. But, you have to attend the only silver coin that
the meeting to get the very latest hot clue which may the Arabs trusted and
well enable you to be the winner of this fine prize. would accept. Since then,
the Maria Theresa Thaler
Thanks to Paul Mayhak for donating his time and has been restruck for
prize coin for our treasure hunting enjoyment! trade purposes at Vienna,
Austria with the 1780
date frozen in time. The
Clue One: "I am hiding somewhere in a Loveland taler became the unoffi-
Park." cial currency in some ar-
eas of Africa and Asia,
Clue Two: Come to the May Club Meeting! and may still be in use
today as a "trade silver
dollar" in some Arabian
Clue Three: Come to the June Club Meeting!
bazaars.
Good Luck! Particularly on older
strikes earlier than about
 1850, almost each indi-
vidual coin shows minor
differences. Such differences help specialists to deter-
mine the origin and strike date of individual specimen. A
close examination of more than 20 coins struck in Ven-
ice between 1817 and 1833 showed that nearly all coins
were struck from different dies. Major characteristics of
common variants are described in the List of variants.

Various articles claim that the Maria Theresa Thaler was

re-struck with an unchanged appearance since 1780.
However, this is only really true for restrikes made after
about 1850. Earlier strikes are usually relatively easy to
identify and classify. Unfortunately, the statement may
cause collectors - and sometimes dealers - to believe that
their coins might be original coins struck in 1780 or
shortly thereafter. Sometimes such coins will actually be
sold as "original strike". In reality, most of those
"originals" will be post-1850 strikes.

http://www.theresia.name/en/


Maria Teresa Thaler
Page 8 The News, May 2011
Golden Touch
OLD NEWS

A Russian turnip farmer who hoped to get rich by

buying a metal detector to look for hidden treas-
ure dug up a hoard of gold jewelry worth more
than 1 million GBP.
A COLORADO TREASURE WAGON ROBBED
The Guard Shot and a Large Sum of Money Car-
But dozy Gennady Zimin, 51, from Annenkov said he ried Away.
thought the trinkets were junk, and asked a pal to put
them on eBay for 50GBP.
April 12, 1895, Wednesday
He said: "I got the metal detector second hand. I had al-
ways heard local talk of treasure around here but I
would have been happy with some scrap metal. CRIPPLE CREEK, Col., April 11. -- The overland
Wells-Fargo treasure wagon from Grassy Sta-
"I was quite pleased with the trinkets when I found them
- I just wanted to sell them and get a bit of extra cash." tion, the terminus of the Midland Railroad, was
stopped by two masked men and robbed this
"I guessed they were old, maybe even antiques, but I
never realized just how valuable they would be. When morning.
someone offered me 50,000 rubles (1,000 GBP) for a
quick sale I was over the moon - but then the police
turned up and seized the lot.

Local police had been called by museum curators in

Moscow that had discovered the items online - and the
farmer who will get nothing has also been told he may
face charges for trying to sell the 5th century hoard.

"By law the objects are under state protection as they are
part of our archaeological heritage," said district attorney
Vladim Teplyakov.

Austrian Times

The News, May 2011 Page 9

Calendar of Events
May Meeting
Wednesday, March 2. We will meet at the Pulliam
RMPTH DUES
Building in downtown Loveland at 7:00PM. Refer to
the adjoining map for directions.
RMPTH is an unincorpo-
Meeting Agenda
6:00 - 7:00 Planning & Social Hour
rated Social Club with
7:00 - 7:30 Business, Announcements & Find of no income generated. All
the Month Program
7:30 - 7:45 Break expenses are covered by
7:45 - 9:00 "Crack & Crevasse Prospecting" by donation. Members are
Bryan Morgan.
requested to consider
donating a minimum of
$1.00 at each monthly
meeting to cover club
expenses.

MAP TO THE MEETING PLACE

Pulliam Community Building
545 Cleveland Avenue, Loveland, Colorado

Directions:
The Pulliam Community Building is situated on the west side of Cleveland Avenue in Loveland,
Colorado. Park at the rear of the building (west side). Entry to the meeting room is from
the doorway on the south side of the building (not the main entrance on Cleveland Avenue!).

Page 10 The News, May 2011

 May 2011
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
RMPTH Planning
Session 6:00P
RMPTH Meeting 7:00P

8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Mothers Day Lions Park Clinic
9:00A-12:00P

15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Armed Forces Day

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31
Memorial Day

June 2011
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4
RMPTH Planning Nugget Shooting
Session 6:00P Clinic at Lions Park
RMPTH Meeting 7:00P
10:00A - 12:00P

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Eldora Ski Resort
Detector Outing

19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Fathers Day Summer Begins

26 27 28 29 30

The News, May 2011 Page 11

 RMPTH Field Outing Statement
NOTE: The Coordinators and participants stay in touch
and continue to review and plan upcoming presentations
and outings for the year on a monthly basis. Our editor
Rick Mattingly needs timely event information for each
issue of The News. Please get information about any par-
ticular event to him by the 15th of the month to meet the
printing deadline for the next issue.

Planned trips, outings, activities, and meeting programs

are in the newsletter and on line at the clubs website.
Planning is a work in progress and additional outings and
activities are added and sometimes deleted on an ongo-
ing basis. Events planned in the upcoming month are
emphasized to the attendees at the monthly meetings.
Contact the Presentations Coordinators or Editor if you
have any suggestions or ideas throughout the year for
fieldtrips, outings, and programs.

The best made plans may change at the last minute due
to the illness of the Trail Boss, weather, land access, ve-
hicles breaking down, wrong meeting sites, etc. Please
be understanding of extenuating circumstances and con-
tact the coordinator or Trail Boss of a specific event if
there is any question of an event being cancelled or
changed at the last minute.

A Cased Daguerreotype of a 49er Holding a Gold Nugget.

In 1848, James Marshall was surveying the water course of a

Clean That Coil Cover
You should always utilize an inexpensive coil cover to pro-
tect that expensive detector coil from damage. However,
should your detector ever become unstable, giving false
signals, etc., suspect the coil cover. Carefully remove the
cover from the coil and clean both the cover and the coil
itself. Even though coil covers provide a tight fit, over time
mineralized dust can accumulate inside the coil cover and
result in false signals. Make this simple procedure a part
of your normal annual maintenance.
sawmill he was building on the American River (California). He
bent down to pick up a shiny metal object which turned out to
be a gold nugget. Marshall touched off the chain of events that
would culminate in the greatest of all western gold rushes.
Within a year, 'The 49ers' as they came to be known, by the
thousands made the mad scramble for the "New El Dorado."
California gold fever spread like wildfire, luring prospective min-
ers from around the world. The California Gold Rush was on.
This Daguerreotype is a remnant of 'Days of Old, Days of Gold,
Days of '49'.
This fantastic one-quarter plate daguerreotype of an unidenti-
fied gold miner sitting at a table with California gold miner's
scales and holding a gold nugget is an extreme rarity. The pho-
tographer tinting shows great detail of his fancy vest and tie.
The photographer then tinted this huge gold nugget that the
man is holding. It is believed that the contents of the jar are
fuses used in blasting at the mines. This image, even though it
has some flaking, is a very rare item. The daguerreotype has
the seal broken on verso, repaired tape hinge on case.

From The William A. Turner Collection.

Estimate: $12,000 - $16,000.

Heritage Auctions
October, 2007

Page 12 The News, May 2011

Rare Diamond Ring
Find
14 April 2011
Rare Diamond Ring Goes To Auction
A rare 15th Century diamond ring found in
Leicestershire has sold at auction for £42,000
($72,000 US) - double its estimate.
The ring, which had a guide price of £15,000 to
£20,000, was purchased by a private European buyer
at Bonhams in London on Wednesday.
Metal detectorist John Stevens discovered the gold
ring in a field close to Fleckney in July 2008.
Emily Barber from Bonhams said: "It's a wonderful
find, an unexpected one, and a great result."
Diamonds were not commonly used during the 15th
Century as craftsmen did not have the tools to cut
them.
The crystal in the ring remains the same pointed
shape as it would have been found in nature.
"It's very rare to have jewels from this period come up
for auction, so when they do, they're competed over
by collectors," Ms Barber said.
Mr. Stevens said he would give half the profits to the
owner of the land where the ring was found.
He is also planning a celebratory holiday and hopes to
buy new metal detectors for two of his friends who
were with him at the time of the discovery,
The ring's original owner is unknown, but Gothic
script inscribed around the outside of the loop reads:
"amour mi tien" [love keep me] in Old French.
British Broadcasting Corporation
News Leichester

The News, May 2011
Photo:
The outside of the ring is inscribed with the words
"amour mi tien" (love keep me).
Dead Man's Cave
In the winter of 1880 three prospectors – E.J. Oliver, S. J. Harkman
and H.A. Melton were prospecting two miles north of what would
later become known as Dead Man Camp. As they were working, the
sky threatened an oncoming blizzard and they quickly looked about
for shelter.
Spying a small opening in a shear rock wall across the canyon, they
made their way through the opening, lighting several crude torches.
Though the passageway was narrow and less than four feet high, it
opened up into a large 20-foot long room.
Shining their torches around, Oliver found the first of five skeletons
scattered around the dusty, dark
cavern. While exploring the cavern, they found several tight passage-
ways extending into the gloom of the mountain.
Choosing one, they followed the tunnel deeper into the mountain
until it too, opened up into a large vault-like chamber. Shining their
torches around, Melton noticed shelves on the western wall that had
been carved into the stone. Bringing his torch closer, he saw several
odd looking stones stacked on one of the shelves and picking one
up, he was surprised at its heavy weight. When he and his partners
scrutinized it more carefully, they were astounded to discover that
the stone was actually a crude bar of gold!
After the threat of snow had passed, the three excited men gathered
up five of the bars and headed over the pass to Silvercliff, in the Wet
Mountain Valley. Immediately, they had the bars assayed, which
proved to be worth $900 apiece.
Becoming instant celebrities in Silver Cliff, the men were questioned
by all whom they encountered about the source of the gold bars, but
all three men steadfastly refused to divulge the location, making
plans to return to Dead Man's Cave in the spring.
In the early spring, they made their way back to Dead Man Cave.
They thought the cave would be easy to find again but when they
returned, there were many places that looked like the area in which
the cave had been found. Over the years, they frequently returned to
the area but they never again
found the cave.
The story of these three prospectors was reported in both The Fair-
play Flume and The Denver Post in 1880. To this day, the gold has
never been found.
Legends of America
http://www.legendsofamerica.com
Page 13
Tools And Their Uses
DRILL PRESS:
A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat
metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you
in the chest and flings your beer across the room, dent-
ing the freshly-painted project which you had carefully
set in the corner where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL:
Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere
under the workbench with the speed of light. Also re-
moves fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fin-
gers in about the time it takes you to say, "Oh, sh--!"
SKILL SAW:
A portable cutting tool used to make
studs too short.
PLIERS:
Used to round off bolt heads. Some-
times used in the creation of blood-
blisters.
BELT SANDER:
An electric sanding tool commonly
used to convert minor touch-up jobs
into major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW:
One of a family of cutting tools built
on the Ouija board principle... It
transforms human energy into a
crooked, unpredictable motion, and
the more you attempt to influence
its course, the more dismal your
future becomes.
VISE-GRIPS:
Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt
heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used
to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your
hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH:
Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable ob-
jects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the
grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to
remove a bearing race..
TABLE SAW:
A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch
wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK:
Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you
Page 14
have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack
handle firmly under the bumper.
BAND SAW:
A large stationary power saw primarily used by most
shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces
that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the
inside of the line instead of the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST:
A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of every-
thing you forgot to disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER:
Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for
opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing
oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name im-
plies, to strip out Phillips screw
heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER:
A tool for opening paint cans. Some-
times used to convert common slot-
ted screws into non-removable
screws and butchering your palms.
PRY BAR:
A tool used to crumple the metal
surrounding that clip or bracket
you needed to remove in order to
replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER:
A tool used to make hoses too
short.
HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of
war, the hammer nowadays is used
as a kind of divining rod to locate
the most expensive parts adjacent
the object we are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE:
Used to open and slice through the contents of card-
board cartons delivered to your front door; works par-
ticularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records,
liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund
checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for
slicing work clothes, but only while in use.
SON-OF-A-BI*** TOOL:
Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the ga-
rage while yelling "SON-OF-A-BI***" at the top of your
lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will
need.

The News, May 2011
Bench Placers
Gold Glossary
Bench placers are usually remnants of deposits formed during
an earlier stage of stream development and left behind as the
stream cuts downward. The abandoned segments, particularly Alluvial Or Bench Deposits - An alluvial
those on the hillsides, are commonly referred to as "Bench" grav- deposit is an ancient river-washed rock and
els. Frequently there are two or more sets of benches in which gravel bar that may be thousands of feet
case the miners refer to them as "high" benches and "low" from the nearest stream, creek, or river.
benches. In California and elsewhere, most bench deposits were Alluvial (or bench) deposits contain un-
quickly found by the early miners who proceeded to work the tapped potential for finding gold because
richer bedrock streaks by primitive forms of underground min- such areas have never been worked before.
ing. At the time these were referred to as "hill diggings." Follow-
ing the development of hydraulic mining in the 1850’s, many of
the larger bench deposits were worked by hydraulics and the
smaller ones by ground sluicing. During the depression years,
much of the so-called "sniper" mining was carried out on the Gold Facts
remnants of bench gravels.
Symbol: AU
Atomic Number: 79
Atomic Weight: 196.967
Melting Point: 1063° (1945° F)
Specific Gravity: 19.2
MOH’s Scale of Hardness:
2.5 - 3

Karat

24K = 100% Pure Gold

18K = 75% Pure Gold
100 Ounce Nugget Found 14K = 58% Pure Gold
10K = 42% Pure Gold
The nugget that got away from the California 49ers. This video (link below)
shows a 100 ounce nugget that was recently discovered in California. The
stuff dreams are made of! Named the “Washington Nugget” because the
Troy Weights
nugget was discovered near the famous northern Mother Lode Gold Rush
mining camp of Washington, California. This nearly 100 ounce monster gold 1 grain = 0.0648 grams
nugget (and several others) were found in an unmined section of the Omega 24 grains = 1 penny
-Malakoff Tertiary Channel in February 2010, by a lucky area land-owner.
weight (DWT) = 1.552 grams
http://geology.com/news/2011/giant-gold-nugget-the-100-ounce- 20 DWT = 1 ounce =
washington-nugget.shtml 480 grains = 31.10 grams

If your curiosity is peaked, take a look at how much this nugget went for
at auction.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/17/california.nugget.auction/
YOUR
index.html?hpt=T2
ADVERTISEMENT
The Geology of Gold
A collection of articles on the geology, mining, prospecting and history of
COULD BE HERE!
gold.
Call Rick Mattingly
http://geology.com/gold/
at 970-613-8968
GPOC Quill April 2011 or rickmatt@q.com
The News, May 2011 Page 15
 Trading Post
FOR SALE: MINELAB SD 2200 Detector: 10-1/2"
Mono Super Coil; 10-1/2" SD-Series Super Coil; Two About Trading Post
Batteries w/Wall Charger; Headphones; Battery Back-
pack; Waist Battery Pack; Signal Enhancer; Extra
The News runs classified ads in Trading Post
Lower Stem; Backpack Carry Case; Video. $2,100.
for three consecutive issues. Trading Post ads
Call Paul at (970) 482-7846. for topic related items up to 10 lines (or 70
words) long are free. To place an ad in Trading
FOR SALE: Keene High Banker, includes stand, hose Post contact Rick Mattingly at (970) 613-8968
and 5 HP Briggs and Stratton pump. Great condition, evenings
$900.00 or Best Offer. Contact Cindy Bone at (970) or e-mail at: rickmatt@q.com
669-8247.

FOR SALE: Prospecting equipment: 4" Dredge and Commercial Advertising

more plus Whites VSAT Gold Detector. Contact Specifications
Homer at (970) 224-4244
(Monthly Donation Rate)
FOR SALE: Two CoilTec coils for MineLab GP or SD
Full Page (8 1/2" X 7") $30
Series: 14" Round Mono, $150.00. 5" x 10" Joey
Half Page (3 1/4" X 7") $20
Mono, $75.00. Like New. Plus Shipping. Call (307) One Third Page (3" X 4") $15
886-3937 or Cell (307) 654-1432. Business Card (2 3/4" X 1 1/2") $ 5
WANTED: Federal or state duck stamps; mint or Ads must be received by the 15th of the
used. Contact John Hart at (307) 778-3993. preceding month. Contact Rick Mattingly for in-
formation on this service at
FOR SALE: Garret Treasure Ace 300 Detector.- $225 (970) 613-6968 evenings or e-mail at:
OBO. Contact Roger at (970) 622-0821. rickmatt@q.com.

NOTE:
Purchase arrangements are between the buyer and

All mistakes and

seller only and involves no financial benefit to RMPTH.

misspellings were
intentionally made so
that you could have the
pleasure of finding them.

Page 16 The News, May 2011

 WEEKEND & SMALL-SCALE
MINER’S CODE OF ETHICS
I WILL respect other prospector’s claims and not work
those claims without the owner’s permission
I WILL have on-site all necessary permits and licenses
I WILL build fires in designated or safe places only, and
in accordance with current State and Federal guidelines
I WILL be careful with fuels and motor oils and be cog-
nizant of their potential destructive effect on the envi-
ronment
I WILL remove and properly dispose of all trash and
debris that I find - I will not litter
I WILL be thoughtful, considerate and courteous to
those around me at all time
I WILL appreciate and protect our heritage of natural
resources, wildlife, fisheries and private property, and
respect all laws or ordinances governing prospecting
and mining
I WILL NOT remove stream bank material, destroy
natural vegetation or woody debris dams, nor discharge
excess silt into the waterways
I WILL NOT refuel motorized equipment in the stream
I WILL NOT allow oil from motorized
equipment to drip onto the ground or into the water
I WILL NOT prospect in areas closed to prospecting
and mining
Offer Your Assistance To Any
Of Our Program Coordinators
The News, May 2011
Gold Panning &
Placering in Colorado
a Book Review by Rick Mattingly
I
f you are at all interested in gold prospecting in Colo-
rado you simply must get your hands on a copy of
this publication from the Colorado Geological Survey.
The full title of this publication (at 83 pages I would call
it a book!) is “Information Series 33, Gold Panning and
Placering in Colorado, How and Where” by Dr. Ben H.
Parker, Jr., published in 1992.
In the Forward of this publication it is explained that
due to the numerous inquiries to the State regarding this
subject it was decided that a short “booklet” should be
prepared. The Colorado Geological Survey contracted
with Dr. Parker to accomplish this task and in the proc-
ess the “booklet” grew into a book. A masterpiece of in-
formation on gold occurrences and the gold mining his-
tory of this state.
Dr. Parker explains the geology of gold placers in Colo-
rado and, along the way, provides complete instructions
on panning and sluicing including excellent photographs.
He also provides very detailed instructions and plans for
constructing various sluice boxes and rockers.
The book goes on to describe every area of major gold
occurrence in the state complete with detailed maps and
history of each area. In each instance he also provides
very precise recommendations as to the best location
within each area in which to prospect for gold today.
Short of someone guiding you by the hand this is the
next best thing!
The history of these mining areas is really fascinating
and the book is chock full of historic photographs of
miners and mining equipment in action. The photos of
some of the old dredges and hydraulic equipment at
work are amazing. In most cases Dr. Parker has also
cited from mining record the documented amount of
gold extracted from these locations from 1862 forward
in dollars, ounces and parts per volume.
All in all, this is one fascinating book. If gold strikes your
fancy you must see this thing! To order your very own
copy contact the Colorado Geological Survey at:
Colorado Geological Survey
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 715
Denver, Colorado 80203
Ph: (303) 866-2611
Now that’s tax dollars well spent!
Reprinted from the Premier Issue of “The News”, July,
1996. For the benefit of all our newer members, this
publication is a treasure trove of information regarding
recovery of gold in Colorado and is a ‘must have’ for
your library.
Page 17
 Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club
2011 Schedule of Events

Month Meeting Program Trip/Activity

January Club Business and Open Forum No Trip/Activity Scheduled

Love Token Coin Presentation

February By Rick Mattingly
No Trip/Activity Scheduled

Update on Mining Laws, Permits and

Land Access for the 2011 Prospecting
March Season, What the Future Looks Like. GPS, Compass & Map Clinic
By Ben Higley, President,
Gold Prospectors of Colorado

Gold and Platinum in Wyoming

April Clear Creek Gold Panning
By Wayne Sutherland, WGS

‘Let’s Go Gold Panning On The Arkansas’ Event

Crack & Crevasse Prospecting
May Prospecting, Detecting & More Clinic at Lions Park -
By Bryan Morgan
Advertised and Open to the Public

Gold Nugget Shooting Presentation Nugget Shooting Clinic at Lions Park

June
By Rick Mattingly Eldora Ski Resort Detector Outing

Gold Refining Presentation Manhattan Ghost Town Detector Outing

July
By David Emslie Gold Nugget Shooting Outing

Detecting Presentation Ames Monument, Vedauwoo & Wyoming State Museum

August
By Tom Warne Tour

Annual Coin & Prize Hunt

Meteorite Presentation
September Colorado Mineral & Fossil Show—Denver
By Dr. Robert Brownlee
Lucite Hills Wyoming Gem Outing

Bottle Hunting Presentation

October Off-Road Detector & Cache Hunt
By Rick Mattingly

Annual “Show & Tell” &

November Local Detector Outing
Silent Auction

Annual Find of the Year Awards &

December Flatirons Mineral Club & Model Train Show
Christmas Party

Good Hunting in 2011!

Page 18 The News, May 2011
 Rocky Mountain
Prospectors & Treasure Hunters
Contact List
RMPTH Coordinators Home E-Mail
Coordinator Paul Lange 1-970-663-5776 plange50@msn.com
Coordinator Robert Crain 1-970-484-6488 ———————–
Coordinator Bryan Morgan 1-970-416-0608 brymorg@frii.com
Coordinator Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 rickmatt@q.com

The News Staff

Editor-in-Chief Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 rickmatt@q.com
Assistant Editor Dick French 1-970-482-2110 dickyf99@comcast.net

Internet Web Site

Web Master Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 rickmatt@q.com

Volunteers/Coordinators
Joe Johnston 1-303-696-6950 cjoej1@peoplepc.com
Find of the Month Betsy Emond 1-970-218-0290 ———————–
Paul Mayhak 1-970-482-7846 pjmcolo@q.com

Paul Lange 1-970-663-5776 plange50@msn.com

Presentations
Johnny Berndsen 1-970-667-1006 johnnyberndsen.com
Club Historian Peggy Stumpf 1-307-632-9945 circlestar@yahoo.com
Club Librarian Joe Johnston 1-303-696-6950 cjoej1@peoplepc.com

Bryan Morgan 1-970-416-0608 brymorg@frii.com

Panning Demos
Darrell Koleber 1-970-669-2599 gutshot1016@yahoo.com

Setup &
Volunteer Needed! ———————– ———————–
Refreshments

Tom Warne 1-970-635-0773 goldigger48@msn.com

Door Prize Jacob Wootton 1-970-980-6016 jacob-wootton@yahoo.com
Johnny Berndsen 1-970-667-1006 ———————–

General Information Contact: Paul Lange at 1-970-663-5776

Visit RMPTH on the Internet at: http://rmpth.com

Let’s Go For The Gold !

The News, May 2011 Page 19

The News
Rocky Mountain Prospectors &
Treasure Hunters Club
P.O. Box 271863
Fort Collins, CO. 80527-1863

MAY, 2011 ISSUE