Did the "Lost Pegleg Mine" ever exist?

gollum said:
In that last line, we are in complete agreement. I don't give a crap if it is coarse gold layered in dogsh*t. I will gladly take gold in ANY form! Most of the black nugget stories place them under a few feet of blowsand, so much looking will have to be done with a good Pulse Induction Gold Machine. If you are looking for surface nuggets , or nugs within a few inches of the surface you could use any gold machine (or any metal detector for that matter).

I will share another little tidbit that I don't think a lot of people know. One of the nuggets from the Ocotillo Area was tested, and as I recall, it was 73% gold, with most of the rest being copper and silver. I think they said it was about .900 fine (about 18 karat). The black coating was from copper oxidizing.

Bookaroo,

The book "Legendary and Geological History of Lost Desert Gold" came in yesterday. I blasted through it last night. Except for the geological stuff, most of the stories were just rehashes of the same stories that have been around about that region forever. It was very good though. Some of the stories I hadn't seen in a long time, so I have to say I enjoyed it, and I will be keeping it. Thanks for the reference.

Mike
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Well, at least we can agree about something. I had heard or read somewhere about some of the black nuggets testing about 70% gold. Is this one of the nuggets found near Ocotillo (I-8), not near Ocotillo Wells (Hwy 78)? I doubt it makes much difference. As you say most are below several feet of sand, and I suspect most are similar in composition.

JB
 

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Shortfinger said:
Well, at least we can agree about something. I had heard or read somewhere about some of the black nuggets testing about 70% gold. Is this one of the nuggets found near Ocotillo (I-8), not near Ocotillo Wells (Hwy 78)? I doubt it makes much difference. As you say most are below several feet of sand, and I suspect most are similar in composition.

JB
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Yes. The nugget tested was one of those from down near I8.

Mike
 

Mike, those black nuggets are not specifically found in the SW deserts. Our lil mine at Piedras Verdes carries them on the surface. Oxidized copper, black. Nope, no gold underneath - so far. sniff :dontknow:
 

Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp said:
Mike, those black nuggets are not specifically found in the SW deserts. Our lil mine at Piedras Verdes carries them on the surface. Oxidized copper, black. Nope, no gold underneath - so far. sniff :dontknow:
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Don Jose, I seem to remember reading somewhere about some surface deposits of copper/silver (perhaps in the Planchas de Platas region?) that have black nuggets as well. I'm still looking for the reference. If I find it, I'll put it in this thread as well. By the way, although copper is not gold, it's not exactly worthless, either.

JB
 

Found it. Actually copper with small amounts of gold. This was originally posted by Infosponge in the "Sister Michela Molina Documents" thread.

From the book titled "Missionary in Sonora The Travel Reports of Josrph Och, S. J." 1755-1767, pages 150 & 151.

Och pg.150.jpg
 

Hi short finger, it is only a small claim in the middle of huge one. Someday they will run out of copper and will need it -- I hope

Usual story,we filed, then the big co immediately overfiled locking us in. Same with my Escondida..
 

Bookaroo,

I have to say that while on the surface, The Lame Captain looks like an amazing book, it falls short on the details. I don't mean falls short, as in, leaves them out. I mean it falls short on the details, as in, they are wrong.

At first, I couldn't believe all the family history and details of Smith's Life that were included. What they couldn't have known in 1965 was that Ancestry.com (and the internet) would come along one day, and we could see the names of ALL of Christopher Smith's Children, and Thomas Long Smith was NOT one of them. There MAY have been a relation (both were from the same area of Kentucky), but nothing is for certain, except that Thomas L Smith was not Christopher Smith's son. None of the family history in the book stands close scrutiny. Entertaining read though. Not sure if I will keep it or not. I don't need any more Treasure Hunting Fiction. HAHAHA

Mike
 

Gollum, the question I have is where did they come from? If they are just lying on top, where did they come from? Is there evidence of any volcanic pipes around? Is it like the Geodes in western NM? From volcanic blow out? Just curious about them being on top of a butte. I could understand better if they were at the bottom of a butte.
 

audigger53 said:
Gollum, the question I have is where did they come from? If they are just lying on top, where did they come from? Is there evidence of any volcanic pipes around? Is it like the Geodes in western NM? From volcanic blow out? Just curious about them being on top of a butte. I could understand better if they were at the bottom of a butte.
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Audigger, my guess is there was an ancient river, either similar to the "big blue lead" that was responsible for most of the placer gold found in the Sierras during the gold rush, or possibly even a continuation or branch of the big blue lead. This river deposited the gold in its bed, which ended up, through uplifts and subsequent erosion, exposed on the tops of the buttes. Any of it that was washed down from the butte, and any of the eroded areas between the buttes, ended up in the washes, usually very deep in sand.

Regards,

JB
 

where is this picture taken in what state and the name of the mountain the peg leg mine is true in is located in canada
 

that what my grand farther told me when he was still alive tht the lost peg leg mines are true and it is also located in canada like the mines of jonathan swift the jonathan swift mine s is located in a different province of canada and the peg leg mines is also located in a different provinces of canada my friend that what my grand farther told me when he was still alive my friend
 

hi gollum where is this located of your picture my friend pls reply gollum if ever you read this message my friend
 

Hey bulletprobe, Are you the same one that said the Lost Dutchman mine was found in Canada or was found by a Canadian ?
 

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the lost dutchman mines is located in the usa i am not the one who said that the lost dutchman is located in canada my friend simon1 that what my grand farther told me when he was still alive my friend
 

Perhaps bulletprobe has various legends and stories confused. There are more than a few lost mine and lost ledge tales from Canada that have major references to people with peg legs. A few of these stories refer to the finder as someone called Pegleg.

The legend this section of the forum refers to is that of a certain Pegleg Smith who, when journeying from Yuma to Los Angeles in the early 1800s, found what were later identified as gold nuggets.
 

Hey guys I have been looking for information about Hank Brandt mine for a couple days and am getting excited to look around for it once fire season is over I'll be back home in socal. Sounds like it is on the boundaries of the carrizo impact zone or just inside any idea. Also I'm curious and am going to ask some family friends the Brandt's of Brandt's beef in imperial county If there is any relation to Hank Brandt. Wild chance but maybe.

PLL if you know anything I would love to hear more
 

Hello Mike: I interview Roy Rousch several years ago about this Desert Magazine story on the Peg Leg Story. Roy and I have been friends for many years and he is famous in the old Treasure Hunting Circles. Many of you out there may have heard of him. He and Jack Pepper, the editor of Desert were the best of friends and together went on many Treasure Hunting adventures. My brother and I were privileged to have joined the two on one of there hunts. Roy told me in NO uncertain terms that Jack admitted he dreamed up that whole series of stories on Peg Leg to enhance dwindling magazine sales, and it worked. So, my suggestion to Peg Leg Researchers is to discount that series of stories as pure fabrication. By the way, Roy Rousch is still alive in his late 80's and still as sharp as ever. If you contact him he will verify what I have related to you. Cordially, Gregory E. Davis
 

According to Robert Blair's book, Adolph Ruth searched for the Lost Pegleg before he went into the Superstitions. Apparently there is an AP story that describes his hunt - I have not yet been able to locate a copy.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo
 

I believe how what Pegleg Smith had found was a residual placer of gold .

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"Pegleg Was A Liar" - The Pegleg Smith Chronicles, Continued

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