Hopefully this wont scare anyone...

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

That reminds me, there are a few other lost rich nugget mines, said to be in the vicinity of volcanic cones or buttes. Some volcanic gold in Southern California is with a black coating, known as black nuggets. Anyway, Goler's probably were not those black gold nuggets. Is the area open to searching? Any mining claims in the way?

I would say look over some maps closely, if you've got a hunch about where it might be, check it out. :icon_sunny:

A spring, if there is still any water, would support vegetation growth...unless it contains natural arsenic. Moisture in the soil tends to bring up mineral salts, increasing conductivity and giving your nugget detector false signals. :thumbsup:
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

cork426 said:
Hangman,

If you make it down this way, drop me a line. Its a very short drive from my place. Two people can cover more ground! Cork

TY Red for the info. As far as I know its all BLM and there was no active mining going on when I was there last.
That was years ago though. I've been wanting to hike Black Mtn again just to do it before I drop dead so any offer to return to that area is tempting. It can happen. Also I know of a site not far from Randsberg where I marked off a treasure site years ago. I don't use a detector and never have and this site would require a detector. The incident in the Mojave was a violent one where a Concord was destroyed in the action. Knowing the exact site where the incident began was proven when I found two surface artifacts both belonging to a Concord coach. The problem is I don't know how far south from the P-O-I where the action ended. Between those two points is a fair amount of gold, assuming its still there. Landmarks are easily identifiable and are still clearly visible today.

I will give this idea serious thought Cork, and need to check my finances first. But I'm not far from Tahoe and you're a straight shot down 395 for me. :occasion14:
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

I'll be here. :thumbsup:

As for mining claims, most are expired in the Goler area as well as the Black Mountain area. I never see anyone except Dirt Bikers or guys on their ATV's. I may head out there this Sunday. I'll shoot some pics...
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

cork426 said:
Hangman,

If you make it down this way, drop me a line. Its a very short drive from my place. Two people can cover more ground! Cork

Cork, Just sitting here thinking back to the last time I was in Randsburg, I remember how much I loved that town and for years kind of fancied myself living there. Still do on occasion when I think of returning to Black Mtn. The last time I was through there was around 1991 and back then there were a lot of LAPD AND LAFD guys retiring there buying property. Whats it like these days?
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

Hangman,

Not much has changed. The town looks exactly the same. Still the slow Old West Town it has always been. The biggest thing that goes on is the weekend afternoon off-road crowd that rides the Dirt Bikes, ATV's and Buggies to the White House Bar & the General Store for Lunch. Property is very reasonable in Joburg and Randsburg. Cork
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

Hangman,

Here is a pic I snapped leaving Randsburg this past Sept...

Cork
 

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Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

Good, glad to hear the Goler area isn't all in claims...sounds like most is open to searching. I know GPAA used to have a couple claims somewhere in the Randsburg vicinity, but if they are still there, not much of a problem...still have one of their old claim guides for reference.

Last time out to Quartzsite, AZ...that was the big problem, everywhere you looked pieces of pvc pipe sticking in the ground with claim signs. Randsburg in the past has produced a few nuggets between 1-2 lbs. and a whole lot nicer than you'd find around Quartzsite.

I've located another couple lost nugget mine stories in that Southern California desert vicinity, involving volcanic cones or lava flows. I have a very old treasure book on my shelf which tells about and shows a photo of a black gold volcanic nugget, from the Salton Sea area. Most all of these lost volcanic mines mention black nuggets. There seems to be a lot of shifting sands with some stories also, making finding them hard. :wink:
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

I took this shot of Randburg's Main St. around 89 - 90. It looks like crap from scanning it, oh well. :icon_scratch:
Thanks for the info Red, I'm curious to learn the name of the old book you mention and who the author is, and if you'd like to part with it for a fair price provided I can't find it elsewhere for a less-then-fair price? :walk: Let me know.

Hangman
 

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Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

Sure Hangman, it was written by George Mroczkowski called "Professional Treasure Hunter" and I believe he had a museum in San Diego (I'll have to check, has been a while since reading it). He used the primitive Garrett detectors before computerized detectors where on the market. So, Charles Garrett published it.

I don't think I'd part with the book, but if you could find a copy...is amazing all this guy did with the old machines. He discovered the tracks in the desert of where renegade Spanish soldiers plundered treasure from Missions in Mexico. They took about 10 oxcarts with them, raided an Indian camp while the men were gone hunting. Indians caught up with the Spanish renegades at night, burnt the oxcarts. Mroczkowski found not only tracks from these carts, he got some treasures like gold/garnet crosses, crucifix, and a catch of coins, relics. The charred remains with maybe some bones too, shows it was the actual site.

The BLM then posted signs up to keep people out. I doubt if the signs are still there, it would allow people to find the location. The book tells where and other stuff like that in the desert. The book was printed during 1979-86 by Ram Books. I don't know if any has been printed since then, ask around...maybe you could get one.

I think the above story and the black gold nuggets both are important info because the leads indicate the general area with sufficient details. :coffee2:
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

Got it!!! Thank you both. $9.95 1st edition / out-of-print. Went through Powell Books in Portland, Oregon. I used to hang out there as a teenager. Biggest book store I've ever seen. :icon_sunny:

Hangman :icon_study:
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

excellent...glad i could help...abebooks is the place for weird and unknown copies.

i got lost in portland...crazie drivers...whew...ended up hiding in a coffee house/bookstore downtown till traffic subsided...
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

Sounds like you did the right thing. When I visit family in Portland / Beaverton I like to stop in at Powell's and still hang out there. The bookstore is like a city block square with floor after floor of books. It seems like they had a coffee shop downstairs at the street level / entrance. When I was a teen in the 70's that area was far less populated then today. I have shopped abebooks before but wasn't aware that is was a good source for the weird and unknown. I enjoy that. Looking forward to reading this new book, up until now I'd never heard of it.

Happy hunting guys,
:icon_study:

pippinwhitepaws said:
excellent...glad i could help...abebooks is the place for weird and unknown copies.

i got lost in portland...crazie drivers...whew...ended up hiding in a coffee house/bookstore downtown till traffic subsided...
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

Glad you were able to get the book Hangman! I've since realized there is maybe another volcanic cone mystery out there...but for now I'm just fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together. :icon_study:
 

Re: Hopefully this won't scare anyone...

Red_desert said:
Sure Hangman, it was written by George Mroczkowski called "Professional Treasure Hunter" and I believe he had a museum in San Diego (I'll have to check, has been a while since reading it). He used the primitive Garrett detectors before computerized detectors where on the market. So, Charles Garrett published it.

I don't think I'd part with the book, but if you could find a copy...is amazing all this guy did with the old machines. He discovered the tracks in the desert of where renegade Spanish soldiers plundered treasure from Missions in Mexico. They took about 10 oxcarts with them, raided an Indian camp while the men were gone hunting. Indians caught up with the Spanish renegades at night, burnt the oxcarts. Mroczkowski found not only tracks from these carts, he got some treasures like gold/garnet crosses, crucifix, and a catch of coins, relics. The charred remains with maybe some bones too, shows it was the actual site.

The BLM then posted signs up to keep people out. I doubt if the signs are still there, it would allow people to find the location. The book tells where and other stuff like that in the desert. The book was printed during 1979-86 by Ram Books. I don't know if any has been printed since then, ask around...maybe you could get one.

I think the above story and the black gold nuggets both are important info because the leads indicate the general area with sufficient details. :coffee2:
George Mroczkowski taught me the Garrett,when my uncle bought it.
Sadly,my uncle sold the Garrett in the mid 80s.
Yes,George had a business,I think in Old Town SanDiego.
George was a good teacher.Patient about things.
I really didn't know about George the treasure hunter until a few years back.
Found out in the past 5 tears or so,he passed away. :'(
 

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