Question on my finds on a old minners site, any Answers will help

goldentruth

Hero Member
Nov 3, 2011
523
38
French Gulch, North Calif.
Detector(s) used
"WHITES" GOLDMASTER "GMT" & "TESORO GOLDEN SABRE II" with silent search.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
last Saturday in the Historic Northern California Gold Minning town of French Gulch, I took my M.D. a Tesoro Golden Sabre, a matock Pick Axe, and a bucket with my hand dig tools.
(I also had my survival "Rambo style" Knife along with my "Katana- Samurai" short sword for the local Bears and mountian lyon in the area.) (Better than nothing!)
After a hike which led me up a hill, I noticed many pieces of quartz, (A good sign for gold). I am trying to uncover a Gold Minning camp (Hopefully a chineese one or a French settler one.)
I found a high form or rock which is pointed up like thick fingers in formation.
I found a collection of large almost square boulders and a area next to the boulder was a flat area with a 5 foot wall of neatly stacked rocks, all of one type about 3 feet high. It looks like a person could sleep in that flat area or camp there. This area was hit by the minners 5 years after the original "Sutters Mill" find. and in 5 years 3 million dollars of gold was taken out of this town. (Claims by the historic society says 60% is still in the ground there!) I metal detected the area and I hit some hot signals about 5 inches deep and 3 targets were "Iorn Stapples" 1 foot another stapple? My question is what are stapples doing in the high area almost at the peak? I think minners had wood boxes with cargo.goods, food packed in boxes? Any other ideas?
Is this a indicator to dig deeper for possible buried treasure?
I am heading out soonm it is 1 Pm here and the high temp now is 60 degrees, soon to drip to 50 when is starts to get dark. friends, send your ideas, Thanks. :headbang:
 

Curtis

Hero Member
Sep 3, 2008
899
1,009
Cincinnati
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Did you notice any fence close by? Are the Staples thick? Farmers/ranchers used staples to hold the barbed wire to the fence posts..they may have dropped some? could the stacked rocks be the foundation of a small building they lived in or stored stuff to keep the bears out? Good luck on your hunt, there are several stories of lost treasure in that area ..do you have T. Terry's booklet on CA?
 

OP
OP
goldentruth

goldentruth

Hero Member
Nov 3, 2011
523
38
French Gulch, North Calif.
Detector(s) used
"WHITES" GOLDMASTER "GMT" & "TESORO GOLDEN SABRE II" with silent search.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Thank for asking:The stapples are kind of thin like type possibly used for a woden box.
Today I did find a lot of fence wire and some was bent like a U with curled ends like for nailing.
I hit 5 1800's square nails then my detector sounded off and I saw a gold glimmer but it was a womans earing, gold plated with a backing. The last time I was high up on the rocky peak area that is when I heard a vehicle and a guy was by my car with his pit bull. (I was'nt scared, I had my "Katana" (Mini-Samuri) just in case for bears or the local mountian lyons due to all the tree cutting it is forcing animals into our small town area.
The Dude said he was paid to take care of his friends minning claim area " Chairmans MC". but he was living out of his van like a transient on wheels. Today by the fire ring I found a factory made wire with soft handles on both ends, like the kind the military uses to sneak behind some one and wire-choke someone to death.
I did not worry about this guy, I know "the arts", it is part of my lifestyle to do what I have to with economy of motion.This dude had no front teeth but he was friendly. I did also show him the my nice survival knife I was proud of and wearing. (He was kind of shocked I let him handle it.) Later I left him, it still had perma-frost on the ground there at almost dusk. Thanks for the reply.
 

littleneckhalfshell

Sr. Member
Jun 21, 2005
335
81
staples bring to mind a quick shelter. wood frame and canvas stapled on. after a long time the wood rots as does the canvas, leaving the staples. :-\
 

OP
OP
goldentruth

goldentruth

Hero Member
Nov 3, 2011
523
38
French Gulch, North Calif.
Detector(s) used
"WHITES" GOLDMASTER "GMT" & "TESORO GOLDEN SABRE II" with silent search.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Thanks for the reply/ideas.
I returned and checked out the area I did find some sycamore tree ( A sign of Chineese miners), The area was not giving me much signals. I have had the Tesoro VLF sensitivity at 3 to 4 all metals with Discriminate "on". I think since there is very little trash I am next going to put the sensitivity "All the way on". I will pick more depth as I've been told. By the way on my way up the clift, I was metal detecting around a tree stump and nothing but when I placed the concentric 8 inch coil inside the tree stump it registered, I pulled some old stump pcs out and found a "Geo-Treasure hunting" container with notebook & items inside and returned it.
Now I do think this place was inhabited in the past and will check further and will have to do some rock moving and digging.
I have a MD partner who will further check out this area. Thanks.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top