Secrets of Red Clay hidden under the remains of a Fractured Bedded Vein

[tinpan]

Hi all, This week i have hunting the remains of saddle quartz reef just below the tailing of a gold mine .The Garden Gully United -Ground first worked in 1857 Soon abandonded. In 1861 Latham's Reef at 175 feet.A public company was formed.The results were disappointed but was when leased to a tribute company.The tribute company struck gold in 1873 and in 1874 the lease expired and the parent company took over., 61,000oz's was won with some yeilds 10 oz,s per ton of rock .Prominent mine in the 1880's, 1890,s to 1900. Best gold -Latham reef 173 feet to 209 feet and from 600 feet to 2239 feet. Total gold yeild 444,337 ozs. Paid shareholders of the time $2,101,898 in dividends.

I started just below the main tails dump which is about half way up the hill and tailings is over 100 feet high.Since the mine closed in 1919 the annual rain has washed the ground beneath the bottom of the dump away. Revealing the fractured remains of a surfacing saddle reef. Run of slate and sedimentry rock ,large pieces of broken quartz . all nealy packed in red clay. I started slowly and picked a couple of pieces of gold out of the clay and then another piece. Ok time to go a back over the line of the reef again . Time to go deeper. Brought the gain up from 8 to max 15 . Go a bit noisey brought frq. down 5 to 99 . That did the trick. Nothing for a bout 40 feet and then a gentle sound as i passed the coil over this large piece of visable quartz .I knew the signal was not coming from the quartz or i would have got the it the first time. Drove the pick into the hard clay and pulling out 5 pound pieces .The 6th piece of clay light up and the GPX was on over load. Left that piece and drove in one more time and hit the solid rock pan. Ran the coil over the hole ,left no more targets. Either i had a nugget or neat little deposit missed by the first miners . After breaking up the lump i had a small hand full of gold pieces. Slightly worn so it was pocket of Colluvial or hill wash gold.

tinpan

 

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[CRUSADER]

Its epidemic here and the reason I dont post finds,"I find nuthing? "
Law enforcement is no help either....that would cause them to actually go do something

Sad to hear. We have had several situations where they have been caught on land they should not have been on (with spade & detector/whilst digging) with several witnesses & when the Police turn up they do nothing. Makes you wonder what they would do if I dug up gold coins in their back-yard.

 

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[tinpan]

Its epidemic here and the reason I dont post finds,"I find nuthing? "
Law enforcement is no help either....that would cause them to actually go do something

Sad to hear. We have had several situations where they have been caught on land they should not have been on (with spade & detector/whilst digging) with several witnesses & when the Police turn up they do nothing. Makes you wonder what they would do if I dug up gold coins in their back-yard.

Hi On a lighter note. The 2 biggest theives i know are the local gold dealer and my wife, who spends my gold money. I just got back from the dealer about an hour ago . I sold one oz lost 20% in commision and wife took 50% and just went shopping. Famous last words "I won,t spend that much ?" Thats only half the story once she has her new clothes, i will have to take her out for the evening.Always good to keep the wife happy . Now you know why she lets go hunting all the time.

tinpan

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Always enjoy reading your posts tinpan!
Great history, great photo's and great gold finds!

Congrats mate!
Dave

 

[kuger]

Its epidemic here and the reason I dont post finds,"I find nuthing? "
Law enforcement is no help either....that would cause them to actually go do something

Sad to hear. We have had several situations where they have been caught on land they should not have been on (with spade & detector/whilst digging) with several witnesses & when the Police turn up they do nothing. Makes you wonder what they would do if I dug up gold coins in their back-yard.

Hi On a lighter note. The 2 biggest theives i know are the local gold dealer and my wife, who spends my gold money. I just got back from the dealer about an hour ago . I sold one oz lost 20% in commision and wife took 50% and just went shopping. Famous last words "I won,t spend that much ?" Thats only half the story once she has her new clothes, i will have to take her out for the evening.Always good to keep the wife happy . Now you know why she lets go hunting all the time.

tinpan

Boy,aint that the truth!!!I deal with one buyer and he knows what I expect and if he cant give it,he doesnt get it.When he does.......my wife too see that is spent in a hurry!!

 

[High Plains Digger]

Tinpan: Back last summer or so when there was the huge discusson (nice way to put it) about divining and witching, there was a guy that said to send him the coordinates of a hill in one of your photos and he would find gold there. By my weak memory, it seems to be the same hill as in photo no.2. Is that possible? Did he indeed predict, thousands of miles away, that you would find gold in that hill? Makes my skin crawl to think it. Not that I want to bring up the divining controversy again. Just felt like an ax handle to the gut when I saw that photo (again?).

Kuger: I used to play on the rock dump of the Empire mine in Grass Valley, back before they mined it for base rock for the new freeway through town. You could go across lots of acres and pretty well down the side of the mound before you saw anything else but the "salt and pepper" granite from that location. Nary a plant in view. No nastersherums to step on at all.

 

[kuger]

Tinpan: Back last summer or so when there was the huge discusson (nice way to put it) about divining and witching, there was a guy that said to send him the coordinates of a hill in one of your photos and he would find gold there. By my weak memory, it seems to be the same hill as in photo no.2. Is that possible? Did he indeed predict, thousands of miles away, that you would find gold in that hill? Makes my skin crawl to think it. Not that I want to bring up the divining controversy again. Just felt like an ax handle to the gut when I saw that photo (again?).

Kuger: I used to play on the rock dump of the Empire mine in Grass Valley, back before they mined it for base rock for the new freeway through town. You could go across lots of acres and pretty well down the side of the mound before you saw anything else but the "salt and pepper" granite from that location. Nary a plant in view. No nastersherums to step on at all.

Yes,thank you .The Chinese locust trees (Acacia)will grow on pavement they do,but if I get a chance I will take a picture or two to prove my point...of course placer tailings have a lot of soil...different "animal".

 

[uglymailman]

Hey tinpan. Could Crusader do like the Spaniard's did when going back to the new world? If they made gold into chains or jewelry they didn't have to pay taxes on it.
Could Crusader take your nugget,put it on a piece of string & put it around his neck & call it a necklace (gift) and not declare it? Nice gold.

 

[tinpan]

Tinpan: Back last summer or so when there was the huge discusson (nice way to put it) about divining and witching, there was a guy that said to send him the coordinates of a hill in one of your photos and he would find gold there. By my weak memory, it seems to be the same hill as in photo no.2. Is that possible? Did he indeed predict, thousands of miles away, that you would find gold in that hill? Makes my skin crawl to think it. Not that I want to bring up the divining controversy again. Just felt like an ax handle to the gut when I saw that photo (again?).

Kuger: I used to play on the rock dump of the Empire mine in Grass Valley, back before they mined it for base rock for the new freeway through town. You could go across lots of acres and pretty well down the side of the mound before you saw anything else but the "salt and pepper" granite from that location. Nary a plant in view. No nastersherums to step on at all.

As far as your concerned this area can be found mentioned in American Literature written by Mark Twain in the late 1890's The gully is 12 miles long and runs west to east ,13 of the main bedded reefs cross the gully from south to north. Some of highest yeilding mines were in this area .There are hundreds of mines in this location and every one of them is recorded.This area was mined for over 130 years and we today still pick over the left-overs. So too put a mark on any pic that i take of the gold feild doesn,t give anyone the right to say they have found gold from thousands of miles away using divining. Hardly think it is fair for some-one too take credit for something that history records some 130 years before. Gee a 3 year old can put a red X on a pile of dirt. Any dirt pile around here was once some type of gold mining activity.This part of a 1200 mile square gold feild total mines know 5500 Fact. No offence but gold mining is real and dowsing is just different to be polite. Even the best miner is still human and often misses pieces of gold.

tinpan

 

[tinpan]

Hey tinpan. Could Crusader do like the Spaniard's did when going back to the new world? If they made gold into chains or jewelry they didn't have to pay taxes on it.
Could Crusader take your nugget,put it on a piece of string & put it around his neck & call it a necklace (gift) and not declare it? Nice gold.

Well i,m not sure on that one but i don,t think it would be a worry.By the way for the record i don,t give other men necklaces or kisses

tinpan

 

[nsdq]

Hi all The last pic is of the new booster just on the market. Built for all late model gpxs .The technology and idea was invented by the local minelab shop. Not sure when goes into full production. One step a head of the average . .

tinpan

nice recovery of gold, the rooster boster haha i have seen a energy drink with that name thats why i am laughing cool finds

 

[Nutriasub]

I have been so entertained this morning with this post it's great!

Thanks for all the info and the great pics, and congrats on the gold!

 

[goldentruth]

Fantastic finds tinpan! I have the same talings types in our town in Shasta, Northern Cal with the shale black/redish dark brown and some light tan & med tan. The hydrolic sections have tons of lot of round creek stones the size of grapefruit and 1 to 2 feet long pcs. The piles are 8 to 9 feet high piles. I did find what looks a clean out area where I found a bucket full of hot rocks in a 4 foot diameter area. I think I'm getting close. I have over looked the dirt mound areas which I will try next. I have a therory of metal detector hunters only concentrate on the west side of the creek and not the East side because many don't want to cross the creek, I have to pick up some high rubber boots to cross the creek, I think I might also find old coins etc. Anyways it is great to hear of your new digs & Gold. Much good luck ahead.

 

[uglymailman]

I thought it was trading nugget for Roman coin. Didn't think there was any romance involved.

 

[olekyground]

Sweet nugs!! Thanks or posting!

 

[tinpan]

I thought it was trading nugget for Roman coin. Didn't think there was any romance involved.

uglymailman i was only having a joke. if crusader wants to trade or if he meant what he said as an example in reguards to law . The later i think but all the same .It would only be polite to make him an offer. Subject to ground contamination of germs most countries have laws about this in customs.So i can offer him this clean natural matrix . Looks great in quartz . great keeper.

hey crusader want to swap heres my offer tinpan