The Many Lost Treasures of Mariposa, CA (Photos Added)

[Lanny in AB]

Eagle--haven't heard from you in a while as I've been on a bit of a vacation, so I thought I'd stop in to see how things are. And, I find that you're still discovering little treasures--nicely done. I also see that you're in a very reflective mood, and that you're wisely postulating on possible future conditions. People do need to be prepared. If you look at what's going on in the European Union, it's pretty scary. And, what's going on here in North America isn't much more reassuring.

Once again, thanks for the incredibly entertaining stories that you post. I know from long experience how long it takes to string stories together, and I'm not so sure that others appreciate the incredible sacrifice you make to post your tales. But, I certainly know how long they take to write, and I sincerely appreciate your efforts to so unselfishly share them. You have shared many wonderful tips and secrets--I'm glad so many people are appreciating what you're doing for them, and those that don't realize what you're doing for them--well--it's their sad, but unrecognized, loss.

All the best,

Lanny

 

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[EagleDown]

Halito Brother Lanny, I can imagine your "vacation". Probably a lot like mine. Tying up loose ends, upgrading equiptment and a whole clutch of other chores before dredging season is here.

Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't been in more often, but my time has been pretty well occupied for the last month. I type a couple of sentences, then the phone rings, or some one comes by, and the day's shot. But. the ones who really get to me, are the ones who call and say they're coming by and never show up. (After I've waited most of the day for them.) Oh well, no biggy. I figure that a man is only as good as his word, so I learn who I can or cannot trust.

I'm glad that you like my stories and take the time to let me know. Thank you!! I hope you enjoy this next one. It might even "Blow your socks off".

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

A Bed of GOLD!!​

You may have read historical accounts of conditions during the “Great Depression”, but for a short recount, keep in mind that, like my father, men walked, hitch-hiked and drove (if they had cars,) all over this country seeking work and sent most of their pay home, to support their families. I recall my oldest sister talking about our mother receiving 2 or 3 dollars in the mail from our father. Not much by today’s economy, but it kept mom, my three older sisters and myself fed for a couple of weeks. Of course, meals were supplemented by what mom and my 2 oldest sisters could grow and gather locally.

This episode took place in the early 30’s and since it was so mind boggling, it has remained strong in my memory for over 55 years. So, without further ado, on with the story.

It was during the heat of the summer, in the small town of Barstow, California, when an unkempt, disheveled man staggered up the main street of town. He collapsed in the middle of the street before he made it to the shade of the little café. As it was lunch time, there were several RR workers and other townspeople in the café. Everyone rushed out to help the man. I can only imagine the excitement that swept over the crowd when they realized that the hat he had been carrying in his arms and was laying there beside him, had hit the ground spilling out a veritable cornucopia of GOLD NUGGETS!

Shortly after they got him to the small building that served as a clinic, it was discovered that his pockets were also filled with nuggets.

Unlike most stories of this nature, the man did recover and told this awesome story.

He had left the farming country of the mid-west hoping to get to Los Angeles, where he had been told he could probably find a job at the docks. The only way he could get there fairly quickly was to hitch a ride on a freight train. Everything was going well for him, up to the time the train reached the Mohave Desert, where he was discovered by the RR Security Officer. (RR Dick.) He remembered everything up to the RR Dick striking him in the head with a club. The next thing he remembered was waking up, probably the following day.

He went on to say, when he woke up, the sun was almost directly overhead. He had a splitting headache, and as he managed to struggle to his knees, he was almost blinded by the light reflecting off of the bed of gold nuggets he had been lying on. As he stood up, he found that when he had been thrown off of the train, he had rolled down the slight embankment and ended up about 25 feet from the RR Tracks, in a dry wash.

He knew he had to get to a town, or die of thirst there in the desert. So, he picked up a chunk of some chalky material, (probably calitchi[?]) and marked an X on the end of the RR tie adjacent to the dry wash. Then he filled his pockets and hat with nuggets, and after kicking some dirt down from the rim of the wash so that the gold was somewhat hidden from view, he started walking in the direction he had been heading before being thrown off the train.

As his thirst and hunger grew, he pretty much lost track of time, but was fairly certain that it took him about 3 days to reach the little town of Barstow. After much discussion, the Dr. and townsfolk agreed that if he did indeed take 3 days to make the hike into town, that it would place the bed of gold approximately 30 miles from town. So, some kind of deal was agreed upon, that as soon as he was “up and around”, they would supply him with the necessities required to go back out for more gold. And 3 or 4 of the locals would go with him, (for a percentage of course,) and help him dig and load it up.

(More coming soon)

 

[EagleDown]

Well, I said soon and since I'm taking a short break for lunch, I guess this is soon.

~~~\/~~~

AND, A New Legend is Born​

(But, after the “birthing”, fades into obscurity.)​

It was about 3 months before he was recovered enough that he felt he would be able to stand the rigors of the desert. But finally, the morning came when the small band of expectant enterprisers set out on their quest to find. The Bed of Gold.

Long before they arrived at the spot where the gold was thought to be, they started walking off to the side of the RR bed, just in case their agreed upon distance was incorrect. After they had been out in the field for 3 days, it was estimated that they were about 35 miles from town and still had not found the RR tie with the X on the end of it. And, to make matters worse, they were running low on water. So, it was agreed that they should turn back towards town. Of course, they would keep track of the ties to make sure that they hadn’t accidentally missed the one with the X on it.

So, back they headed, and arrived back in town without having yet seen a RR tie with a white X on the end of it. They decided to wait a couple of days to rest up, before heading back out with a more plentiful supply of food and water. About 3 days later, they started back out along the rail road tracks.

This time, they took along a couple of extra mules, dedicated to carrying just the extra water to see them through the journey and subsequent digging. I would imagine that they also expected the extra mules to carry all of their gold on the return trip to home.

I believe they spent a little over a week in the search on this trip. Still, no success. All in all, there were reportedly 3 exploration trips made before the idea was voiced that it was all some sort of scam, and they had been wining and dining this guy for nothing. So, he ended up as sort of an “out-cast” as far as the town was concerned.

One of several things that struck me about this story was; that the man continued searching for the lost bed of gold nuggets up until he ultimately went to his “just rewards”. Now, I don’t really believe that if it was a “scam”, that he would have wasted the balance of his life searching for a non-existent fantasy.

And, one thing I couldn’t figure out was; how could the good people of Barstow forget about all of the gold he was carrying when he staggered into town??

In any case, as I have stated in one of my earlier posts, it seems that at my birth, the Spirits got together and decided that I should be a repository for lost treasure stories. So, to further their aims, in 1964, I was directed to a short term job, working for the SantaFe Rail Road in Barstow shortly after hearing this story.

They started me out at the very bottom of the ladder by assigning me the title of “Swamper”. That meant that I had the job of cleaning the diesel engines with a mop and diesel fuel. Hey, it was a living. And, it gave me a little extra on my Social Security.

After a couple of weeks of that miserable job, I saw a notice on the bulletin board that there was an opening for dispatcher, (typing skills required) so I applied and got the job. (I’m talking about guidance here!!)

I was having lunch one day with another employee, who worked in records. I told him about the story that I’d heard and he said he’d check in records and see if he could find anything about it. Of course, back then, I had my notebook that I kept, with names and dates so he had something to work with.

It was several days later before we got together again for lunch and I had an opportunity to ask about it. He said he hadn’t found anything about any gold, which didn’t surprise me, as the RR wasn’t involved in that aspect of the story. But, he said he had found something interesting though. It seems that the records showed that; during the period the man was laid up and recovering, a crew had been sent out in that direction and had replaced close to 50 of the older RR ties. He said that there was also a notation that there had been a sand storm that had lasted for a couple of days, thereby disrupting the labor.

So, this leaves me with a firm belief that approximately 30 miles North of Barstow, there is a dry wash, probably filled with wind blown sand, that is the secret burying place of………..
A BED OF GOLD NUGGETS (Maybe.)

I hope you enjoyed this one!

Eagle

 

[truckinbutch]

You , Sir , and your efforts are priceless
Jim

 

[EagleDown]

You , Sir , and your efforts are priceless
Jim

Thank you Jim!! I truly appreciate the compliment.

I've been telling all of my experiences here, mostly about lost mines and treasures, now I believe it's time that I tell about 2 or 3 that have been found. Ones that I know for a fact. Well, I have told a couple already, but there are others that I recently remembered.

The problem with them is, though I knew about them quite well, I'm trying to put them into a story format. Sometimes, that's not the easiest thing to do. But, we'll see.


Thanks for your comment!!

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

Now, for my friends who might be interested, as things stand right now, I should be at Briceburg on Friday, May 13, 2011. (And no, I'm not superstitious.) If I have to change the date for some unforseen reason, I'll be sure to post it as early as possible.

I should arrive at Briceburg about noon, or a little before. I entend to spend the week-end there, then I'll have to go into Mariposa to the county recorders office to check on some claims. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to meet with a couple of my readers.

Love and Respect,

Eagle

 

[Lanny in AB]

Eagle--I just got back from a weekend trip to the mountains. The snow is now melted down enough that I was able to make it to the mine.

I loved your last story about the bed of gold, and of your personal connection when you worked for the RR--fascinating stuff.

You do an incredible job telling your stories, and I've been through Barstow a bunch of times, but I knew nothing of your story then. But I know I'll have a whole different view of the place from now on!

All the best, and thanks again,

Lanny

 

[watcher 2]

Eagle,
I am not from your area. But I can plan on being there on Friday. I would like to meet you in person. By Briceburg, are you refering to the Briceburg Visitor Center for the Merced River Recreation Area. Or a camp grounds that I cannot locate. I would not want to miss you. Some directions would be of assistance.
Thanks
Watcher

 

[EagleDown]

Eagle,
I am not from your area. But I can plan on being there on Friday. I would like to meet you in person. By Briceburg, are you refering to the Briceburg Visitor Center for the Merced River Recreation Area. Or a camp grounds that I cannot locate. I would not want to miss you. Some directions would be of assistance.
Thanks
Watcher

Hello Watcher........My first stop will be the Briceburg Visitor Center, then if the road down-river is open for traffic, I'll drive on down to the last campground (RailRoad Flats.) You can obtain maps of the campgrounds at the visitor center. I entend to spend the week-end there camping at night and taking pictures during the day. I need to add some photos to some of the areas I've described in my various stories. I would be honored to meet you. As I said, I should arrive by noon Friday, but, I've learned that some of my parts (for an order,) were back ordered. I have to assemble the units and ship them before I leave here. Hopefully, I can get the parts earliy enough to ship them on Thursday.

If I am going to be later in arriving, I'll post it on Thursday, before I leave here. Anyway, thanks for asking!!

Eagle

 

[watcher 2]

Eagle,
The visitors center was closed yesterday. May not be opened yet. Road is clear down steam. Detoured around the big slide area.

Watcher

 

[EagleDown]

Hello Lanny. Thanks for the visit and compliment!!

Yeah, that whole desert area is really strange. I remember back in 1985, a man and his son were operating a small drywasher somewhere near Randsburg. The man said he was shoveling materials onto the classifier when he realized one of the larger stones didn't bounce off like usual. Instead, it hit the classifier with a "thunk", then just slid off. He picked it up off of the pile of other stones and wiped the clay/dirt off..............A 6oz nugget.

It seems that the desert has gold all the way from the Golden Astor mine to well beyond Barstow. It's all ancient sea(?) bottom. I've found out-crops of calichi (fossilized shell-fish,) throughout the high desert there. ALL of it had at least picker sized gold in it. I used a whisk broom to sweep the loose, weathered calcite into my pan, then brought it all home in a bucket to pan out at my leisure. No 6 ouncers yet, but almost an ounce of pickers out of three quarters of a 5 gallon bucket. Not too shabby.

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

Eagle,
The visitors center was closed yesterday. May not be opened yet. Road is clear down steam. Detoured around the big slide area.

Watcher

Thanks for the update my friend. According to their (BLM) site, it was scheduled to open April 1st. Well, I guess we'll find out when I get there.

Who knows, maybe their budget is reduced and no one will be there all summer. (Could we be so lucky??)

Eagle

 

[EagleDown]

Howdy My Friends,

Hey, I won't be around a computer for the next
5 or 6 days, so please hold any questions, etc. until;

>>> Wednesday, May 25, 2011 <<<

Of course, posts and well wishes are deeply
appreciated. Thanks!!!! (In other words, let me know
you're still reading my little stories.)

Thar's GOLD in them thar hills!!!
See you lateeeeerrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eagle

 

[Lanny in AB]

Eagle,

Glad to see that you're getting out and getting in to the hills again. Your stories are, as the French would say, "Les histoires d'excellence!"

All the best my friend, and update us on what you've been up to,

Lanny

 

[EagleDown]

~~~\/~~~
Here again, There again
Gone again Finnegan!!
~~~\/~~~

Thar’s Gold In Them Thar Hills!!
(Unfortunately it’s still there)​

Hello All,

I got back here Wednesday, but have been busy catching up on some work. Now that I have a little time, I figured I should start posting some of the pictures I took.
Unfortunately, a weather front moved in, shortly after I got there and it rained.
(And rained and rained and………) So, since I didn’t want to harm the MXT, I didn’t get an opportunity to do any ‘tecting.

So……..The first of four; The historic monument at the site of the town of Agua Fria.

2 and 3; the fields where the town was. (Now, private Property.) Still, it might be worth talking to the owners. Perhaps splitting any finds?

The fourth and final one in this set shows a bit of the Agua Fria and some of the awesome bed-rock.

 

[EagleDown]

More photos​

In this next set, the first is the quartz vein outcrop I showed in a different location, in a previous post. It can be seen across the river from Briceburg. (Sorry, I left this part out.) I was told that it can be traced for about 75 miles, from the air. It’s part of the same one the Mt. King mine was working.

The second one is a section of the old pack-mule trail that went up to the South Fork of the Merced.

The third is; where a miners cabin once was. The arrow is pointing to the stone wall it was built up on.

Fourth, another cabin foundation.

More photos later​

 

[EagleDown]

Here's one I took with my other camera. (Telephoto lens) I estimated I was at least 2 miles from the quartz vein that the Mt. King was working. I just surprised myself when I downloaded it. Much better than I expected.

 

[EagleDown]

In August, these fine gold traps will be out of the water.
The one on the left is actually bed-rock.

 

[EagleDown]

Here are some more.

The first one was taken to give you an idea of how high the road is from the river. (About 20 ft.) One of these next pictures was taken while standing in the same spot that I shot the river from.

The next three show show ANCIENT ALUVIAL uncovered by the recent slides. In the one I marked with Xs and Arrows, the Xs (and the bottom arrow,) point to the old river bed-rock. The top two arrows are pointing to river worn boulders that I would estimate are each over a ton in weight. (There were several other places where the ancient aluvial had been exposed, but I figured this was enough to give you an idea of the potential for finding gold here.)

Lanny, your comments would be a welcome addition to these posts.

And the final one was taken because they were pretty.