Karl von Mueller

[mdj]

I think KvonM was the best author when it came to treasure hunting... ever. I'd like to know your opinions. I've read alot of misinformation about him (even on this site) . I'd like more info. Thanks. I've read Treasure Hunters Manuals 6 & 7, Master Hunter Manual, Encyclopedia of Buried Treasure Hunting, Waybills to El Dorado, Journals of El Dorado, Sudden Wealth, Coinshooters Manual and I might have forgotten one or two.

 

[mdj]

I probably should have put this in the book section.

 

[maui]

mdj, i have read some of KvonM writings and i also agree with you about his material. he was extremely good. as for the other books you have read i have not read any of them
but sure would love to when i am able.
quick question, which books would you yourself recommend ?
i appreciate your opinion.

 

[Frankn]

He was a good writer, but a bit ruthless in his actual hunting habits. He was a buddy of Garrett.
I have some of his books, along with Terry, Penfield, Speck (ghost towns), etc. A lot of the new stuff is basically copied and added to. Frank...- Hay, just my opinion!

 

[gollum]

Didn't know him personally, but seems like a bit of an egomaniac.

I can never get past his opinion of the Lost Dutchman Mine, which seemed to be basically "If I couldn't find it, then it must not exist." I know his books are good and chock full of good advice, buuuuut...


Mike

 

[gunsil]

Myself and a couple of friends found some pretty nice scores back in the seventies after reading #6 and #7 and following his advise. All would-be cache hunters should read these books.

 

[mdj]

Ok. I would highly recommend reading his Treasure Hunters Manuals #6 and #7 first. These were written for advanced professional treasure hunters. He treasure hunted with several treasure hunters of the time but his main pardner was Bill "Hardrock" Hammond. As far as being ruthless, I never got that impression from reading any of his books, just the opposite he helped many treasure hunters when they were stuck. The same goes for being an egomaniac I got the opposite impression. It was just his opinion. A small amount of his advice is outdated but most of it is still important and credible.

 

[mdj]

I never knew the man, nor did I ever meet anybody who knew him. So it seems weird to be defending him. But I thought his books were great. I was reading Lost Treasure magazine, that was the first I heard of him. So I decided to read his books.

 

[lastleg]

Ruthless? Not the sort Charles Garrett hung with. You may be thinking of Mahan who had a mean
streak but made quality detectors. His son had the same streak, cold as ice. vM told it straight, not
a PC character. He would have been banned on this forum.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Never met the man. I own or have read the books mentioned plus a few more. Some of his advice maybe ruthless but truthful. But in treasure hunting the treasure doesn't wait around if you don't get to it first, it's gone, and the guy who finds it isn't going to feel sorry for you.

The older treasure books have some very valuable info in them that you may not be able to find now days, true gold.

 

[mdj]

He treaure hunted the old Santa Fe and Oregon trails in the 20's before hobby metal detectors were even thought of. And was pretty successful too. I've never seen Treasure Hunter Manuals 1 through 5, but they are listed in his Journals Of El Dorado book. Its a bibliography of books that have anything to do with TH'ing. Those were mostly written in the 50's. But all the information in these books was incorporated into his THM's 6& 7. They are the comprehensive, all incusive treaure hunting books that not only told you how to research but even has chapters on what clothing to wear, first aid, tools etc. It answers the questions of who, what, when ,where, why and how, and even had a chapter on gold dredging. If anybody has any information about him (not in his books) or even knew him personally I'd like to hear about it.

 

[TheOldMan]

born Charles Dean Miller in Minden Nebraska - treasure hunted the pioneer trail campsites along the Platte River before commercial detectors were invented. If one would happen to come upon any of his books: Karl Von Muellar AKA Deek Gladson, etc at a reasonable price consider it a bargain. The National Prospectors Gazette's and treasure hunters newspapers are absolute collector items. What would really be awesome was if someone had any recordings of any of his old radio shows and interviews.

 

[RustyGold]

Where would one find his books? Mueller is the name of my wife's family and what may seem cold/cruel is just part of their heritage and how they communicate! Straight to the point!

 

[gollum]

Don't get me wrong. He had a wealth of info in his books. If you actually read his account of searching for the Lost Dutchman, he seems to say "If I can't find it, then it doesn't exist." THAT is where we parted ways!

Mike

 

[Frankn]

Don't get me wrong. He had a wealth of info in his books. If you actually read his account of searching for the Lost Dutchman, he seems to say "If I can't find it, then it doesn't exist." THAT is where we parted ways!

Mike

Mike
I think you make a good point about him.
I have heard stories from other prospectors about him not wanting to split with the land owners.
Yes he knew how to put a book together to make it interesting.
Every coin has two sides, lol Frank...-

 

[TheOldMan]

I "heard" . . . he "heard" . . . she "heard" . . . they "heard" . . .we "heard" . . . someone "heard". . .

 

[RustyGold]

I "heard" . . . he "heard" . . . she "heard" . . . they "heard" . . .we "heard" . . . someone "heard". . .

I read... he read... she read... they read...we read... someone read...!

 

[mdj]

I just wrote a long post but some how lost it. I bought all of my books on Amazon except for one on ebay. If you'll read THM # 7 in the chapter WHERE under the subtitle Caves on page 47 (of my reprinted copy), you'll see that his thoughts on the Lost Dutchman Mine were much more than just - If I cant find it, it must not exist, although one of his pet peeves was lost mines.

 

[gollum]

I just wrote a long post but some how lost it. I bought all of my books on Amazon except for one on ebay. If you'll read THM # 7 in the chapter WHERE under the subtitle Caves on page 47 (of my reprinted copy), you'll see that his thoughts on the Lost Dutchman Mine were much more than just - If I cant find it, it must not exist, although one of his pet peeves was lost mines.

Here is the quote from Dean Miller (Karl von Mueller):

"Hardrock Hammond and I spent a fortune in time, effort and expense and concluded that there never was a Lost Dutchman Mine - that the dutchman's gold came from a cache of highgrade that he had secreted."

Knowing what we know today. The records we have. The tested ore. Etc Etc Etc. Especially since the "Dutchman Ore" from the matchbox is said to have come from no known mine. Even Joseph Porterie (who assayed the Dutchman Ore) who had been the head assayer at the Vulture Mine said that he had never seen ore like that from any mine he had ever seen, and he was familiar with about every major gold mine in the Az area.

Knowing all this, and rereading Miller's Statement, says to me in no uncertain terms that "If all they had expended in time, effort, and money didn't reveal the location of the mine, then it never existed." Quite an egomaniacal statement!

Mike

 

[mdj]

Well I'm not trying to get in a pi--ing contest over this. Like I said I didn't know the man. No personal grudge to bear here. I'll just say his books are loaded with information, and great stories of found and unfound treasure. In fact when I discovered these books, after reading a copy of Lost Treasure magazine, I couldn't believe books like these even existed. I couldn't get enough and tried to buy all of them related to TH'ing. THM # 6 has been called the bible of treasurehunting.