The Quest for Maine Gold

[OreCart]

A 9th Generational Farmer, my story begins in 1849 when my Great Uncles, many times removed; went to California in the search for gold. They never realized it, but they should have stayed home. A few years later, in the swimming hole they used on hot summer days here in Maine, held gold.

Myself, my interest in prospecting started about three years ago when the town decided to improve a road, and blasted a cut through bedrock. Upon seeing the quartz it did not take a brain surgeon to figure out that if gold was found in the stream at the bottom of the mountain, and potential gold bearing quartz was found at the top, then somewhere in between lay some gold deposits.

But 2500 acres is a lot of land, and this is Maine; steep, forested and not a lot of roads to access it. But with difficulty comes potential. Always farmers, and always owning the land from 1746 to today, it was never surveyed. I was not about to set off blindly to go search for the gold, I needed a plan.


(Continued)

 

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[OreCart]

Always enjoying geology along with my wife Katie, when the State was doing Bedrock Mapping here, they asked if they could access our land. I was more than willing, and learned a lot from the geologists.

The first was, our geology is strange here. There is a very narrow band of land, perhaps 3 miles wide, where the earth was pushed upwards by volcanic action. Even the geologists was surprised to find it. But having lived here all my life, the geology here is really all I know. Yes, there are gold bearing locations in Maine, but my land is nowhere near them which motivates me to actually find gold, because no one even knows it is here. For that reason I do not care about the placer gold that is here, for right now anyway, I want to find the lode gold.

 

[OreCart]

But I am a farmer, and we plan by using maps.

Over the last three years I have used Google Earth, topographical maps, LIDAR, watershed, and bedrock mapping to slowly follow from where the placer gold was discovered in the 1800's, upstream. I have also talked with numerous geologists, surveyors and foresters to get an idea where to look. Another great resource has been my own families archive, a great Uncle stating that "him and his chum brother drove a lead and copper mine 10 feet deep, and 115 feet underground.

Knowing where that is, and calculating all that in, along with all the other information, I was honing in on a few areas.

 

[OreCart]

The two weeks ago I started my first trip out into the woods with the sole purpose of looking for gold. You could say that was the real start of my journey into prospecting.

I had actually intended to check a stream for placer gold in an attempt to move further up the mountainside, but the truth is, I am pretty sick. I just do not have the stamina I used to, and as frustrating as it is, I experience a lot of set-backs. My dire is to reach this goal; in this case, a certain stream before winter set in, but I just could not get there. Halfway out through the woods, I knew there was an outcropping of rock and went there instead.

I knew that because I logged that mountain for the last 30 years, and know every stump and rock. Yet I had never looked over this outcropping of rock thinking it held any potential. Two weeks ago it did not look good either. The rock outcrop is about 15 feet high and fifty feet long, and contains two such outcrops. But upon looking at what first seemed like just solid bedrock, there was the quartz, galena, copper pyrite, iron pyrite and melanite! It is not in veins, but pocketed throughout the outcrop.

 

[OreCart]

In looking back at the maps, I should have known! As I traced the stream from where the gold was found in the 1800's, I saw a massive beaver dam and thought, "what the heck is that doing there". Then I realized I had gotten lost on the satellite map. That beaver dam was ours, and the outcropping of rock's face, literally fell into what would have been a streambed before the beavers stemmed the stream flow.

What an idiot I am! But then again, I am a prospector without a donkey, and as I humped out ore samples, I really, really began to realize how sick I am, how heavy ore samples are, and how I should have kept my last donkey. (Stupid thing was attacking sheep).

So now my story leads me here. A man needs to know his limits, and learn from others much more knowledgeable then himself.

I have no disillusions of striking it rich, I am retired and content and know God will take care of my families needs. To that end though, I do have a working gravel pit so I do know crushing and screening operations, and would not mind trying a SMALL gold operation IF the ore was enough to warrant it. My only goal there would be to help pay for the property taxes, at the going rate of gold, about 8 ounces per year, not counting the cost of the gold recovery operation.

 

[Joe-Dirt]

Huh, good Luck brother,sounds like that will keep you busy. Don’t forget to post some pictures once you’re up and running

 

[gold tramp]

Had a camp in Argyle, just fish no gold, bet your counting the days till fiddle heads are ready.
Would like to make it back those old woods one day.
Gt.

 

[OreCart]

Had a camp in Argyle, just fish no gold, bet your counting the days till fiddle heads are ready.
Would like to make it back those old woods one day.
Gt.

I am about an hour from Argyle. Nice area that is for sure.

I don't have any pictures of fiddleheads, but there is a spot in the forest here that grows them quite well in the Spring. You can see where my wife and I were surrounded by ferns (fiddleheads in the Spring of course) when this picture was taken.

 

[arizau]

Since you own and operate a gravel pit, are you aware that they are sometimes noted to contain placer gold? A good place to start for you to check yours for gold would be to sample pan some of the sand screw clean out material. It is already concentrated to a certain extent. I have read where some operators actually have set up a separate circuit to take advantage of that fact....maybe you down the road?

Welcome to the forum and good luck.

 

[OreCart]

Since you own and operate a gravel pit, are you aware that they are sometimes noted to contain placer gold? A good place to start for you to check yours for gold would be to sample pan some of the sand screw clean out material. It is already concentrated to a certain extent. I have read where some operators actually have set up a separate circuit to take advantage of that fact....maybe you down the road?

Welcome to the forum and good luck.

I thought of that, and asked about it, but one guy on the internet (claiming to do his Masters on Geology) said that gold would not be found there.

I am not sure. Here in Maine, gravel is always found on the Northeast side of the hills, but my gravel pit is located NorthWEST of where I found this promising outcrop. It is not that far, maybe 1/4 mile away, and uphill from the gravel pit.

The outcrop of rock is literally on the dividing line. It is located on the south side of a deep ravine, the ravine being swampy maybe 100 feet across. But to the right, it goes a few hundred feet down hill, forms a stream, and two miles down stream was where gold was found. To the left however, the swampy area goes for a few hundred feet, forms a stream, then runs right into my gravel pit (8 acre pit).

The gravel pit is pretty deep though, at least for where I live; 32 feet to bedrock and well below the water table. The State NRCS Geologist laughed at me when I asked her about gold being there?

One other funny thing geologically speaking; within 200 feet of this outcrop of rock, in the ravine headed towards my gravel pit, is quick-sand. Real quicksand is not what you see on TV from old 1960 re-runs, but it is there. I always assumed it was just an area loaded with dead sand that had a spring in it.

But all this is why I came here, to help me go in the right direction. (And I am thankful too by the way for all the help).

 

[OreCart]

I got some ore samples here I thought I would share. I would love to hear your thoughts on these

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

I got some ore samples here I thought I would share. I would love to hear your thoughts on these

View attachment 1673686View attachment 1673685View attachment 1673684View attachment 1673683

My first thought is to crush them and see what pans out.

 

[smokeythecat]

You are going to have to do several things. The first is sample from all the likely spots on your property. If you can handle it you may want to get an all terrain vehicle. For the samples you have crushing and panning for a start, but you might just want to send some to an assay office and they can spot the little stuff. I have gold on my property, but it's such a hassle, it's not worth it. The actual vein is under my house and it also contains native silver. I had an x-ray diffraction test done on it by a professional. I think he charges about $40 per test. If you get some of the metallics in a crushed form, xrd might be an inexpensive way to see if there is any AU in it.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

Those rocks look like silver ore I've found that also carried some gold and they are test worthy for sure. Way easier to do yourself for an idea of what's in them before you spend money.
Go to the hardware and a short 3 inch pipe with a bottom cap and a smaller but longer pipe to slide inside with both ends capped and crush with a 3 lb hammer after breaking it up into gravel size. Wear glasses FOR SURE and maybe some face protection and crush in water in the tube so theres no dust. ( or dont breathe the dust)
Then you'll at least get an idea of what's there when you pan the dust out and if theres gold you'll see some with a loupe.
Qwik easy test you can do around the ranch and it's worked for me and cheap.

 

[OreCart]

Smokey/Johnny:: Your replies are exactly the reason I came on this site, for this kind of advice, so thank you first and foremost

I did kind of wonder if what I was calling Galena might be silver, but did not want to jump too conclusions.

As for testing, I wish you two had been agreement because that would have made things easier! (LOL) I had thought about crushing this rock up and sending it to my father-in-law who pans, and knows what he is looking at, but was not sure if there would be enough gold in there for him to see? Or alternatively, if I should send a sample in to have it tested? I would need help with how to do that because I have no idea on how that is done.

I can see gold shiny flecks under a loupe in the rock, but I am too dumb at this to determine if they are iron pyrite, copper pyrite or real gold. Some shine in the light, and some shine even when its cloudy out, but a few specks shine like a lighthouse beam going out to sea, but I have no idea what that means? I feel dumb, but I do want to learn too.

 

[OreCart]

I got kind of got carried way with Gold Fever on thoughts of mining even if it was just to pay the taxes here. (They are out of control in Maine, so anything would help). I have always wanted to open a quarry though because a gravel pit seems kind of...well...sissyish in terms of mining. But I hate to see gravel leaving at $2 a cubic yard too if I find out there is gold in it!

I would be happy just discovering some gold though, even if it was a trace amount like what is under your house Smokeythecat. My daughters would love that, and get into geology more then they already do.

We get out as a family, even in the winter, and one time I "salted the mine" so to speak, by placing geostones around a big boulder. With hammer in hand we broke them open, and to this day they think they discovered "gems". Silly things cost Katie and I seventy-five dollars, but it was worth it. We would have spent that just going to a restaurant.

I would be crushed (pun intended) if I did not find gold here, that is why I have spent 3 years trying to increase my odds before I send in a sample to be tested. But if you think the ore looks good, I will send it in.

 

[OreCart]

You are going to have to do several things. The first is sample from all the likely spots on your property. If you can handle it you may want to get an all terrain vehicle.

ATV? I thought all prospectors aspired to have a donkey? I even picked out her name...Pickaxe, as in, "Come on Pickaxe, we have to haul out some ore". Like her namesake striking quartz, it has a nice ring to it. And when she is not hauling a sluice box, or pulling an Ore Cart, she can watch my sheep. (LOL)

Having a donkey has other benefits though. Since my wife and I are together on everything, people could look at her donkey and say. "Jeesh Ore Cart, your wife has a nice...wait for it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,burrow!! Why, what did you think I was going to use for a term? :-)

Myself, I was going to use the username on TreasureNet of Clean Shaven Prospector, but did not want to type that in every time I logged on.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

Also, its important to only send in the gold bearing because to much gangue will throw off the accuracy of the numbers.
Once you determine where the gold is you can narrow down the pay vein and concentrate on that material for testing and the test will be more accurate. Make sure you send in the best grade you can get so you have the right numbers to work with.

 

[OreCart]

Also, its important to only send in the gold bearing because to much gangue will throw off the accuracy of the numbers.
Once you determine where the gold is you can narrow down the pay vein and concentrate on that material for testing and the test will be more accurate. Make sure you send in the best grade you can get so you have the right numbers to work with.

So how much weight comprises of an rock sample? I thought I read it was 8 oz, and yet somewhere else I read it was 4 pounds. Also, where do you recommend sending it? And what will it show. Just gold, or silver, copper, and lead too

I really know NOTHING about this stuff.

 

[arizau]

Smokey/Johnny:: Your replies are exactly the reason I came on this site, for this kind of advice, so thank you first and foremost

I did kind of wonder if what I was calling Galena might be silver, but did not want to jump too conclusions.

As for testing, I wish you two had been agreement because that would have made things easier! (LOL) I had thought about crushing this rock up and sending it to my father-in-law who pans, and knows what he is looking at, but was not sure if there would be enough gold in there for him to see? Or alternatively, if I should send a sample in to have it tested? I would need help with how to do that because I have no idea on how that is done.

I can see gold shiny flecks under a loupe in the rock, but I am too dumb at this to determine if they are iron pyrite, copper pyrite or real gold. Some shine in the light, and some shine even when its cloudy out, but a few specks shine like a lighthouse beam going out to sea, but I have no idea what that means? I feel dumb, but I do want to learn too.

As a first step, I would go ahead and pulverize, to mostly powder, any rock that you think may contain gold particularly ones that have specks that show a distinct yellow or gold color in full and shaded light done by waving your hand over it. That color aspect alone is pretty much fail safe to identify those particles as gold. As a plant operator and farmer you probably have access to some screens to determine sand or soil particle sizes. If not, window screen and mesh kitchen strainers will likely give you two or more size fractions close too or smaller than the specks you observed. Pan the different sizes separately or have your father in law do it for you. Since the specks were visible before pulverization, you or he will see them in the pan too if they are gold....Gold is malleable so it could flatten some but not lose it's original size unless it happens to be divided in the process....it will not shatter like the surrounding rock. Use the same visual method as you did when you scanned the rock initially. I would not bother with getting assay work done until I was sure there is gold in what I am finding.* Sample size is a whole different ball game. Results from a bulk sample of representative material all the way across the face of the mineralized zone or vein will give you an indication of how much per ton the "ore" is worth. An assay obtained by cherry picking prime material only tells you how much that/those particular rocks are worth.... they are usually not representative of the whole ore body. Smaller powder samples are usually cuts from a much larger powder sample in fact that may be/is part of the method that an assayer uses when sent a bulk sample.

* Microscopic gold is possible but probably not profitable to mine unless there is a significant deposit of silver ore to go along with it.