Bacon and Beans from a Gold Pan

[gylnne]

Hi all,

I just finished a book anyone interested in gold panning, etc. would enjoy.

Bacon and Beans from a Gold Pan was written in 1972 by Jesse Coffey & George Hoeper

Here's their story:

This little gem of a book chronicles the true story of a young married couple (Jesse and Dot Coffey) who used small-scale placer mining methods to support themselves at the height of the Great Depression during the 1930s.

Jesse and Dot were living in the San Francisco Bay Area when hard times hit and Jesse lost his job as an engineer. Since the Coffeys both had previous experience gold panning and placer mining recreationally in the California Motherlode region, they decided to leave the grim reality of financial uncertainty, unemployment, and soup lines in the big city and head into the Sierra Nevada Mountains to try and make a living as small-scale placer miners. Initially, they worked an area in the Southern Motherlode region along Aqua Fria Creek in Mariposa County. Later, they moved north to work a section of the North Yuba River near Downieville.

Great little book, highly recommend it.

Curtis

 

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[blindpig]

Hi Gylnne ,.. I agree 100% ,..GREAT book !!
You know , one doesn't have to be "in to" gold prospect'n to enjoy this book ,...all the little life story's ,.. like cook'n that turkey ,.. etc , etc ... Anyway , loaned this book many times and it is always enjoyed !!
Now ,.. I would like to recommend too you & others a few more ...

"Dear Charlie" letters ; ISBN 0-914330-22-5 , published by the Mariposa Museum and History Center , P.O box 606 Mariposa , Ca. 95338
The Story line ; letters written home from Horance C. Snow about his life in and around the gold field of Mariposa ,Ca in 1853-

The Diary Of A 49er ; ISBN 0-9672561-0-0 , published by High Grass Publications .
The story line ; well,.. the title says it all ...

Well ,.. I do believe these books will do for well ,... at least a few COLD Kansas nights ..

Blindpig

 

[gylnne]

"Dear Charlie" letters ; ISBN 0-914330-22-5 , published by the Mariposa Museum and History Center , P.O box 606 Mariposa , Ca. 95338
The Story line ; letters written home from Horance C. Snow about his life in and around the gold field of Mariposa ,Ca in 1853-

The Diary Of A 49er ; ISBN 0-9672561-0-0 , published by High Grass Publications .
The story line ; well,.. the title says it all ...

Well ,.. I do believe these books will do for well ,... at least a few COLD Kansas nights ..

Blindpig
Appreciate the suggestions.

Curtis

 

[kuger]

Yes,was written right here in my "back yard",my grandfather was very good friends of the Coffee's.

It is a true story unlike the "Diary of a 49er".Still a good book but there are many actual accounts diaries in print that are "true"

 

[dave wiseman]

Yes Mr.Kuger,access to property was so much easier in those days..Is the old Kuger down from the north country as yet?

 

[kuger]

Yes Mr.Kuger,access to property was so much easier in those days..Is the old Kuger down from the north country as yet?

Need to write a book about you Dave!!!
He should be here next week....got a new addition to the family this week....now I really have no time!!!Seen Gerry C heading to the mine with two chaps

 

[blindpig]

Hay Kuger ,... yeah "The Diary Of A 49er" ,.is perhaps a wee bit over the top , and written more like a paper back novel . This maybe due to ,when in 1906 when C.L. Canfield "edited" this diary ,.he found "inspiration" in those Buffalo Bill novels of the day ,..possable..??
At best ,.. and I like to believe ,.. its an old man's account of his glory days ,..some old men "embellish" there life's ,... some, flat out try to B.S. ya ..??
that said ,.. Great story ,..The Man gets ,..The Gold ,..The Girl ,...The O' Dog ,....no story better then that !! In fact ,.if you read this book backwards ,. it would be a number one country song !!..

Anyway ,...I think ,.. I...errrr..Gylnne.. here would like to hear of a few more "good reads" from others here ,..Due tell...
Joel ..

 

[kuger]

That is exactly what I beleive happened.Its unfortunate that history is ever edited at all but it is.The journal of Charles Harvey is a great example,of a fellow who "embellished",he was down and out poor and wrote his diary at a late age and "added",to it to be more popular.Unfortunatly the "true",story of this "49 er",was lost.
As far as great reads one of my favorite is the Journal of John Doble.Another great is Three Years in Calif,by William Perkins.Gold Seekers by Nicholas Perlot,who was truly the first white man into the Yosemite Valley,and befriended the local Indians.........I could go on and on,I am quite a student of the period and have an ever growing library!!

 

[loby]

Hyy Guys....... Thanks alot for sharing such a nice info with us..

 

[Fullpan]

Can anyone explain what "loby" above is and how it works?

 

[Goodyguy]

Just in case anyone missed this thread........

100's of hard to find and rare prospecting journals and books from the 1800's on.
Read them online or have them read to you free.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/266213-motherlode.html



Here is the direct link to 524 free to read books on gold mining and prospecting
http://openlibrary.org/subjects/gold_mines_and_mining#sort=edition_count&ebooks=true

 

[63bkpkr]

Thank you Gents! This type of information and folks willing to share it is what brought me here.

63bkpkr

 

[TerryC]

Just in case anyone missed this thread........

100's of hard to find and rare prospecting journals and books from the 1800's on.
Read them online or have them read to you free.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/266213-motherlode.html



Here is the direct link to 524 free to read books on gold mining and prospecting
Gold mines and mining (Open Library)

Thanks, GG. I have ammassed a library of my own yet I bookmarked your link for MORE!
@63.... Hey Herb, here's a piece of trivia many don't realize... The Mark Twain cabin located near Sonora, CA was built DECADES after he passed through the area. TTC

 

[kuger]

Yes the one that is there now is about the fifth

 

[63bkpkr]

Thanks Terry,
I did not know that. Possibly 'he marked the spot' while he was there and that's why it was built in his name. Sort of a Twain stopping spot so to speak.........63bkpkr err, Herb

 

[kuger]

No Herb,it is the location of two Bros cabin in which Twain spent a night or two.....

 

[TimC]

Speaking of books about gold mining, I usually never downgrade a book for any reason, but, sadley this is my first time. I bought The Bible on the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine and Jacob Waltz. By Helen Corbin. The book is written well, and in no way a dull read, but unfortunatly, to me the book is more of a venue for Ms Corbin to publish several diaries of early gold prospectors, than to inform about the "Dutchman" mine. One thing I can't digest is on Jacobs deathbed he told two people there, in german where the mine was. When asked later what Jacob told them they addmitted that they didn't speak a word of german. When asked if they can repeat the german words he spoke, they remarkably were able to remember them. But, I must say that the diaries of Weaver, Pauline, Wickenburg and others might be of historical interest. TKC

 

[TerryC]

Tim, you still have Jerry's phone number? He should have gotten home by now. I was hoping for some pics and a report. When did he leave? I've got a book coming... Gold: History and Genesis of Deposits. A Textbook... very pricey. TTC

 

[TimC]

He is home, but has to catch up on local things first. He told me that he wants to put all the info together for one post, instead of a piece at a time. He will call us first to let us know when he will post. Give him time.. he is a working man, not like us lazy bums. TKC

 

[Fullpan]

In the book, "Bacon and Beans...", they talk about going up to the high country to a hard rock mine and really doing well because the gold ore had oxidized
after 50 or so years in the air. Question is this - In the 1860's there was a mini stampede to the "meadow Lake mining district" that was located above
6,000 feet just north of I-80. There were many lode mines started due to high assays of quartz veins in that area. But the whole thing went bust because
the gold was locked up in sulphide (refactory) ore that was too difficult and expensive to process - so is anyone out there that thinks, just like the Coffeys,
the gold has oxidized enough to be economically recoverable off the tailings piles of those old mines?