My Last Trip.....Part 2
June 01, 1998 at 17:04:44
The next lode mine I found was way back in the mountains. After much climbing....... I found a burro/foot trail that went along the side of the mountain and looped back a long the side of the adjoining hill. The trail has not been used in many, many years. It was a great trail at one time edging around the very steep hillsides. It was washed out in many places or covered by small rock slides. It was a difficult climb and walk. I could see what looked like a well built flat spot a long the trail on a saddle of the hill a head of me and thought it could be an camp from the old days. It turned out to be just that. A bunch of old lead sealed tin cans (opened) and the remains of the lean to the old timer lived in. Next to the camp site were the remains of his fire assay ? stove. I have never seen one before. Also next to it was a large pile of rotten iron wood all cut to about 10 inch lengths. Iron wood is a very dense wood that will burn very hot. Dry iron wood will also sink in water. I will try to describe the stove the best I can. It was about totally destroyed by a small rock side or the burros just danced on it. The stove was made out of thin metal about 12 X 14 inches and may have been 14 or 18 inches high. The door was in one piece. It had 2 hinges and a latch. The door was insulated with black pumice and cut to match the small curve that the stove had on the front. The inside of the stove was made of fire brick and was probably grouted. The top of the stove also must have been able to be open. There was a molded fire brick top with a small molded handle with a hole in it. This is how the crucibles were load into it. I could not read the name in the brick at that time. It did say "Made in Los Angles". There were also 3 large crucibles that must have been in the stove at the time it was smashed. Some were fresh, but fired and some where well glazed. They were in many pieces with the fire brick. There was 5 lengths of 2 inch X 24 inch stove pipe. At each section it was wired together with steel straps and each section had a tin can wired to the pipe so as to make a "one can" shelf. I figured when the stove was in use the old timers set their bean cans there to heat up some food. The fire for the stove may have been made under the stove in a separate compartment. I found several steel ? rods that may have supported everything above the fire. Perhaps someone knows this type of stove and can post something about it.
From this point of view at the camp I could see one shaft with a small amount of tailings. I walked and climbed again the trail to the shaft and then a little higher and over a small saddle to the 3 shafts that followed the vein ore. The shaft I first saw was 20 feet into the hill at right angles the to 3 shafts over the saddle. I guess they tried to come into the same vein as the other shafts. It never made it and they gave up. Two shafts were again side by side and 60 feet into the hill. The third was about 30 feet way. The three shafts worked the same vein of ore. There were two ore piles. One was large chunks of black fissure quartz and the other was broken up pieces of the same material. At the edge of the large pile of was 3 broken used crucibles. All were used and well gazed. I filed my back pack with about 30 pounds of ore, took some pictures and headed down the trail. I felt sorry for the burro that had to walk that trail years ago with heavy loads. It took me over one hour to make the walk down the trail to the wash below. Without a rest stop or fall! My welcome when I made it into the wash at my Jeep was rattle snake #2.
I have no other stories to tell from this trip at this time. It was long and tiring. I am glad to be back in Key West. I ordered the RC1 from Keene and it should be here in a few more days. Then I can work on my ore that I carried back to Key West as well as about 30 pounds of back sand. I started to build a Poop Tube to day to work my findings from the rock crusher. We'll see what happens......Richard...Sorry to create any problems because of my metal detector post but the truth is the truth and 3/4 oz at 20 inches happened. May be it was at 19 inches or may be it was at 21 inches, I do not care why or what ever. I have the nugget, it is no longer in the ground! A 3/4 oz nugget is no longer a large nugget to me.
 Follow Ups:
Post a Followup
| 
