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THE MEETING IS AN ILLEGAL EVENT, NOTHING MORE. QUARTZVIEW AND OTHERS VIOLATED FEDERAL LAWS AND REQUIREMENTS.
Greetings fellow FORUM friends. Scoop returns. You are invited to participate in the updated website and FORUM topics.
expect one more month of cold but mild Alleghany winter. Observed geese are heading north today. Remember that big apple tree in front of Sixteen to One office? Hairy Headed woodpeckers are pecking away. Maybe Spring weather is moving into the 4600 elevation of Tahoe National Forest. The Ridge Road communities of Pike, Forest and Alleghany were loaded with apple trees 100 years ago. Gold miners and their families loved apples.Some trees remain and provide local settlers a delicious fall treat.Big snow storms are common in March and even April. The Sierra high country snow pack is about 76% for this time. Big difference is the high rainfall so the trees are very happy. For new readers or others not familiar with Alleghany, it is 19 miles of blacktop road where pavement ends and four dirt roads wind into the Tahoe forest…home to about 45 people.
QuartzView called for a special shareholder meeting of the Original Sixteen to One Mine which was held on November 3 at 11:00am in the map room at the mine. Shareholders could have joined by phone or in person. A vote was taken and the old board of the Original Sixteen to One Mine, Mike Miller and Robert Besso were voted off the board. There are 14,870,631 shares outstanding, 9,101,004 voted to change the board. Mr. Scott Robertson had resigned earlier in the year. The 3 new board members are Charles Crompton, Dave Conner and Doug Charlton.
Let’s get this new address for news going.Scoop likes origsix.com better but ain’t dropping out. Explain, office people about the change.Readers and writers like Scoop may be confused with the new ways.Suggestion: last entry says 204 day ago but Clips from Alleghany on old website continued. Are they lost here?
Scoop,
Actually, I’m not sure how bad the fire danger is up there right now. I’m thinking that it’s mostly the lower elevations that are so tinder dry.
At any rate, I can tell you that there are some subtle changes beginning to take place over the Eastern Pacific Ocean in the Jet Stream.
It’s possible that rain is only a little more than a week away if you can just manage to make it until then.
Best Regards,
Fred M. CainTahoe National Forest is going powerless in two hours along with an estimated 10% of the land mass of California. PG&E implements # 5 black out expected to last through October 28th. High winds expected this afternoon and evening into Sunday and perhaps longer coupled with hot temperatures has residents on edge. For the MINE, no electricity means the water is a rising!
Notice has been given last week to be prepared to evacuate: have a “to go bag”, gas in your vehicle, water and food, including food for Fido and Sylvester.
One safe haven in south west Tahoe is the underground Sixteen to One.
If all exit roads are on fire and fire is near, go underground. Sounds like a hippy battle cry from the late 60’s.
No fire threat PG&E shut offs yet in Alleghany. Possibility announced fro tomorrow. Beautiful day…no wind.
Has Alleghany been subjected to the PG&E blackouts during hot windy days?
If so, has that affected mining activity?
Fall burst upon Sierra County last week end with freezing temperatures and a dusting of snow. No big deal forunderground gold miners.
Lightning and heavy rain hit Alleghany. Third quarter federal mine inspectors (MSHA) wrote no citations for the underground.
Some tail lights were broken on the surface loaders and one report was not filed in July. That super pocket of gold remains hidden. “It’s in the next round” is miners response to how’s it going.
WOW ! ! ! ! Judging from the accuweather radar, northern California appears to be getting some rare summer rain this year. This year continues to be something else!
I assume that some rain has fallen on Alleghany, as well. There probably will not be much of a fire season up there this year but I’m sure no one will be disappointed about that!
Looks like you might just get a break in the fires!
Best Regards,
Fred M. CainRural America, off-the-path with country and city dwellers, encounters distinctive, not ordinary challenges. Alleghany raises the bar for jumping through life’s rural challenges. For example: Alleghany and the mine have lots of electric power. There are numerous outages year round. Yesterday, Alleghany had full power but the mine had no power. This means no compressed air and no water pumping. PG&E was notified, arriving mid-morning today. Power back on about 11am.
A squirrel made a fatal mistake. It climbed the utility pole, stepped onto the ground wire and then touched the high voltage wire. Oops. It was all over fast. Shareholders probably know your mine buys 500 amps of three phase 4160 volts from PG&E. Monthly bill is $5,500.
Our rural is in southwest Tahoe National Forest, of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Alleghany has an abundance and variety of wild life: bears, cougars, bobcats, foxes, deer, pigs, hawks, owls, ravens and smaller feathered friends, ringed tail cats, raccoons, coyotes, frogs, lizards, bouncing rabbits (multiple sizes), snakes, mice, giant wood rats, banana slugs and one less squirrel. Who can honestly infer that all mining is hostile environment for wild critters?
Alleghany is technologically rural: satellite internet only, no cell phone service and peculiarly odd hard wire phone service. A giant dish sends messages miles north to a screen that looks like the old drive-in movie screens. Scoop has no clue where that message goes; but something Alleghany knows for sure: unsecured phone communication and erratic operations. Moments ago all phone service except calling another Alleghany number is gone. Alleghany cannot dial the outside world. Are we isolated or not? This outage may last for days. So, if you are calling the mine office, Buena suerte.
you live/work in a beautiful area! Internet shminternet.
You could live in Bakersfield, and get very consistent internet & cell phone service…
Hoping for a safe fire season in your area this year!!!
Lightning strikes take out Sixteen’s office Internet service yesterday and others in Alleghany. Alleghany is 19 miles from California highway 49. Pavement ends at museum. Hell’s Half Acre is one of three dirt roads out of this remote mining camp. It has no cell phone service, regular phone service bounces off a dish miles away located on Hennes Pass. Now no Internet. Does it get any better than this?
Positive hard information about the value and need of a strong mining industry is picking up speed. The next two paragraphs lead a lengthy report you can find at:
thehill.com/opinion/international/444122-mine-us-minerals-dont-undermine-themOver the past 50 years, the United States has ignored and even shunned the importance of its mineral wealth like no other country in the industrial world.
Australia, Canada, Sweden, Russia, China and most other industrialized economies value their mineral resources and use them to their defense and economic benefit, and even for geopolitical advantage. Not so the United States. Indeed, our nation “boasts” a growing list of groups that are openly hostile to extractive industries, especially mining.Wake up America. Wars were fought for minerals from a a neighbors country.
Hooray!!!
Tree and brush fellers ontracted by PG&E arrive in Alleghany this morning to clear thirty feet around the new substation. The contract calls for no standing trees less than ten feet apart within 100 feet of the substation. The Paradise fire was a disaster which could have been reduced with forest management. Many in Sierra County, part of Tahoe National Forrest, screamed for understory and thinning for decades. Environmental pressure persuaded political and government personnel at the highest levels to ignore. California needs to get with this program immediately. Don’t spend another nine years studying a plan.
Happy to help, Scoop! Thanks for the details. (Does anybody know how to retrieve a lost password? I have it stored and hidden in this old computer, but I can’t log in from my phone, as I lost the password)
Karld, you just scooped scoop with your entry. According to reliable gossip about 100 ounces. One specimen with 15 ounces of gold sold for $48,195. Scoop needles Mike to write some narrative about each photo. How about that icicle?
OSTO’s Facebook page showed some delicious new gold/quartz that was mined about 2 weeks ago. Do we know the quantity that has been mined recently?
That Sixteen crew of miners did it again. For anyone doubting their capabilities, dedication and all other traits to be a California hard rock miner, blow it off. You’re ill informed. New 25 HP motor installed and pumping. Replaced a $500 high amp circuit breaker. Sixteen mine has enough power to run Alleghany. Mike said to thank PG&E line man, Armondo, a very thorough technician.
Scoop,
I sure hope that PG&E compensates you for this. They did this to my parents one time when they lived in Yountville.
In that case, an errant motorist hit a pole that caused the surge. (Surges happen when a higher voltage wire makes contact with a lower voltage wire or lightning can also do it).
That surge took out Mom & Dad’s stereo, microwave and something else, can’t remember now.
But anyhow, PG&E did reimburse them for their loss.
Regards,
Fred M. CainHeavy snows, winds and poor power line management cause extensive and expensive damages in Sierra County’s Alleghany/Downieville areas. Power surges of 60,000 wasted the main lines. Fifteen PG&E and contractor trucks at a time parked along Ridge Road near the Alleghany dump for days and the new substation in Alleghany. Surges took out Sixteen’s computer equipment and the pumping system. All is expected back working by tomorrow.
Storm Alert announce for California beginning two hours from now. Heavy rain turning to snow as low as 2,000 foot elevation. Eight to ten feet high atop sierra Nevada Mountain. Flooding possible in southern CA and northern CA near fire areas. High winds expected. Sixteen to One miners worked into the late hours this week. Indicates gold was mined. Over and out.
Newmont Mining will take over Goldcorp in a deal worth US$10 billion, creating the world’s leading gold company.
Under a definitive agreement revealed on today (January 14), Newmont will acquire all shares of Goldcorp for 0.328 of a Newmont share each. That represents a 17-percent premium based on the companies’ 20-day volume-weighted average share prices.
“This combination will create the world’s leading gold business with the best assets, people, prospects and value-creation opportunities,” said Gary Goldberg, CEO of Newmont.
The newly merged company will be one of the largest gold producers in North America, and according to David Garofalo, president and CEO of Goldcorp, the merged miner will oversee more than 3 million ounces of the combined company’s total annual gold production.
Draw your own conclusions about the move to mega –ness, mighty giants or monster monoplies!The deal comes after last year’s US$18.3-billion Barrick Gold) and Randgold Resources , which many market watchers considered a bullish event for gold.
Been bugging Mike for some mining news. He said here, a recent update written to our geologist.
Hi Mark,
Just because we haven’t talked for a while means we have not been busy (you, me and the mine). Two Fridays ago I witnessed the end of a week unlike any I’ve seen in forty years. I was at the mine when the crew was closing the portal. Never have I seen a more work fatigued crew of miners. From their hard hats to their muck boots hard, wet and griminess reeked from their entire bodies. The 1700 rehab is a bitch! The crew is working the same plan when you were underground last. Clearing the 1700 foot level from 49 winze to Tightner Shaft is close to completion. It hasn’t been an easy trip!One major pile of muck remains, about the same size as the last one. The last one took sixty cars to load, tram and dump down an abandoned raise from the 1900 foot level. That equals 120,000 pounds of shot quartz and vein material or almost half a million Quarter Pounders. Much was hand shoveling.
Due to the higher elevation of the 49 winze, the train had to pull the load up-grade. The dump pocket is South of the winze. The current pile has a dump pocket less than 100 feet away, which is a relief to the men. The utilities are in: compressed air, water, electricity and phone.
I remember well the 1700 level before we stopped pumping in 2005). It is solid rock, very nice for travel. When under water, muck from above stored in the old raises and stopes washed onto the level. The plan is going well but taking longer due to unknowns the crew discovered.
With the pain comes an interesting potential gain. The muck came from the 1500 level when we mined the million dollar day (2500 ounces with spot at $450 a troy ounce. The 1500 station didn’t have much of a dump pocket, so the miners used an existing raise from the 1700 level to move the material. The 1700 station has a great dump pocket, one of the best.
Gold was present while loading the cars; however time is critical so we didn’t spend much time with detectors. The Tightner 1700 station is our target for lowering the pump. You will have an efficient travel way to the 1500 North targets. You know our intentions.
A very competent all around mechanic is handling all the maintenance now. It makes a huge difference. Mining is heavy industry so everything will break or just quit running over time. Fortunately, Al, who you haven’t met yet, has solved and fixed every project, making the crew happy. Also it keeps them underground. We are still short handed. Plan on a visit in January. Reid has an interesting place he wants you to see.
Regards,
MikeFIRE, PARADISE, CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING
Group,
I would like to add to David I’s comments on Paradise. Yes, it is a terrible tragedy. What makes it especially tragic is that it was probably entirely avoidable and unnecessary. I like David’s idea with the sprinkler system.
Our wonderful news media along with most “liberal” politicians have been quick to point their fingers at climate change.
According to this scenario this is the future and we have already seen it now in Paradise. Fires will grow bigger and get much worse. But, if that’s the future, what about the past?
I would strongly recommend to everyone that they read the book STORM by George R. Stewart. It was written very nearly 80 years ago. At the end I couldn’t help but marvel at just how little California’s climate has changed in all those years. Yes, that’s right! Not how MUCH it’s changed but how LITTLE! These kinds of things, droughts and floods, have been happening in California for thousands of years and the cycle is just repeating itself once again.
And yet something must’ve changed to make this disaster so bad. Something, indeed, but what? I believe that what has changed is all that development in the woods. How much of Paradise as a community actually existed in 1980 never mind in the late 1930s when Stewart wrote STORM? I was there in the early ’80s and I remember it being very small. I don’t think they even had a traffic light yet but I can’t say that for sure.
So, if the decision is made to rebuild Paradise they will have to come up with a plan to ensure that this does not happen again. And here’s another VERY serious thought: I have wondered about all the development around Auburn, Colfax, Grass Valley and Nevada City. Could this be the next over-developed area to explode?
Developers and residents alike simply have to learn to live with fire and find a way to work around it. You simply cannot change California’s natural environment and pretend that it will never burn because it is going to. To try and blame it all on “global warming” really amounts to an attempt to shift the blame elsewhere.
As for now, rain has arrived and Grass Valley and Nevada City are safe – for another season. But people need to put their heads together and start building David I’s sprinkler system.
And Paradise? Just wait another couple of years and see what happens. The area will be covered by millions and millions of tiny conifer seedlings reaching for the sky as the fire cycle reaches its conclusion. The trees belong. The houses don’t. So, if we’re gonna have houses there then we need to start asking some very serious questions and come to some kind of resolution.
Fred M. Cain,
Topeka, INThe fire in Paradise is a real tragedy. This should be a wake up call for all small communities thru out the Sierras, about the possibility of that it could happen too their town. away to defend against this possibility is to cut a fire break around the whole town with a sprinkler system piped along the fire break. i think this is something that should be done in Allegheny California.
Testing this new subscriber.
The miners are bringing up gold, a true rumor. People in California got no idea that California still has gold. Why don’t you get active with a PR campaign?
“SIXTEEN TO ONE DOES IT AGAIN” should be headlined across California and even USA. What did those miners do? Here’s just a glimpse. Click NEWS for exchange of emails between MM Miller and Brian Terhorst. Brian, long time FM radio DJ, interviewed MM live on KVMR 1995 at the Nevada County fair. Brian had difficulty walking. Both discussed how he could see the mine. Brian moved to DJ position in Chico, returning to Nevada City last year. Never made it underground.
Twenty three years later in May, Mike and Brian are sitting next to each other, live again on radio at KVMR, encouraging public support during pledge drive. Mike repeated last year’s offer for Sixteen to One mine tours as a gift. Donations to station were $120 for one and $180 for two.
Big change apparent. Now Brian is confined to electric wheel chair plus full time oxygen. Something happened in that room between them. The underground trip was raised. Commitments were made and a decision hit the listeners: Brian will go underground with the final KVMR tour July 7. Check the News topic. You will be touched as was Scoop.
Original Sixteen to One Mine, Inc. Annual Shareholder Meeting
held in Alleghany, CA on June 16, 2018One hundred fifty three shareholders and guests registered to attend the one hundred seventh event. Michael M. Miller, president called order at 10am. Minutes of the June 17, 2017, meeting were read by J. Farrell. Those who had proxies were asked to submit them at this time. Special speakers for the day were: Mark Payne (company geologist), Steve Shappert (retired gold miner/hoist operator and guide at the 800 station), and David Conner (major jeweler and customer for quartz/gold gemstone).
Weather co-operated, making the meeting dust free. Temperature was about eighty degrees. Water, lemonade and tea was plentiful. The change of bring- your- own-lunch helped the flow for everyone. The underground and mine site were locked before 4pm. Gold sales stayed open until 5pm. Compliments were offered to the crew and helpers.
The day’s schedule and events were discussed: underground inspection of the Ballroom and Tightner Shaft; trail to Kanaka Creek (lunch site); geology, map viewing, additional details about the operation and question/answers by Payne and Miller in the map room; gold display at Company office is historic theater; special gold display at Underground Gold Miners Museum in Alleghany.
President Miller reviewed safety, hazards and noteworthy points for the underground which included: light depredation while underground and returning outside; reveal any health issues prior to sign- in at portal; take a sample but any rock with gold must be given to mine; don’t wander off the trails; day in life of the miner.
A van and bus are available both to the portal and back to the landing and town (neither broke down or ran out of gas). Mike encourages all to walk the mill trail (notice the high-grade mill). This year both winter and spring were friendly to the wild animals, trees and ground vegetation. Enjoy the day.
Mike opened a discussion on current status of State and Federal regulatory agencies. Both are moving in the right direction towards a more just and fair treatment than in the past. He told of his frustrations with these agencies when they are the ones violating the laws of the country. He gave examples. The guests and shareholders were free to choose their next movement.
Most people walked to the portal. Some took the bus or van. Others left to see the gold on display or for sale. Twenty or more went to the map room. After all statements, questions and disclosures, discussed in the open map room, were completed, Mike verified that proxies exceeded 7,169,428 shares, the amount required for a quorum. Olan Stortroen nominated Michael M. Miller, Hugh Daniel O’Neill III and Robert Besso for re-election. Betty Williams and Ryan Baum voiced a second. Proxies were cast to continue the current members of Original Sixteen to One Mine, Inc. governing Board. The meeting was adjourned at 2:15pm.
Vigorous weed whacking everywhere in Alleghany. Numerous and varied wild life sightings. Spring season almost over but what great weather it was in the Northern High Sierra. Pines, firs, cedars, oaks and madrones lush foliage. Open water ways running clear and clean (they always are except during heavy rain or snow melt). Father’s Day weekend must be near. Sixteen to One annual shareholder meeting June 16 . Underground Gold Miners Museum gold show coming to the camp.
Happy Happy Happy is the best way to describe all living things. Hooray for life!Spring has arrived in Northern California.
Alleghany’s historic fruit trees have blooms that withstood the erratic weather changes from summer to winter the past four months. How exciting! The ants, yellow jackets and caterpillars are on the move. Natural water still creeps from the huge subterranean ponds. But the gold? What is going on now with the gold?
Pundits on the bullish side shout that it is being manipulated. Pundits on the bearish side rarely say anything. Neither are 100% correct. SCOOP claims a .9999 pure (like gold) opinion. SCOOP says, “It is controlled.”Most people, and specifically big investors, have little or none. Most gold mining corporations have none. SCOOP excludes the big boys, they have a lock on new supply…..control.
Who controls the gold that was mined in California between 1848 and 1914?
Who controls the gold that was mined in South Africa for decades?
Where is the gold that famously was stacked on shelves in Fort Knox?
Who has the fortitude, time and wisdom or intelligence to answer SCOOP’s questions?
Alleghany is an ICE BOX. Even running water is freezing. The 15 to 24 degree Fahrenheit low- invasion is causing problems as it continues through its second week. Looks like it’s here for another week.
Weather! Why does it get so much radio and TV attention? Between weather, sports and every local accident or shooting, news, real news is nowhere to be seen.
Okay. News… all those beautiful apple blossoms are frozen and gone. News…A very important federal brief was dropped off at Alleghany’s post office today, heading to Washington DC. News…despite billions with negative heads, Earth is still spinning and the sun still shines.
Alleghany and other parts of Northern California are in trouble. Two beautiful apple trees in front of Sixteen to One office are in beautiful full bloom. Yes it would be bumped crops if only these white and pinkish blossoms can stay strong and hold off old man frost. Survive winter. Last week temps hit record heat but it lightly snowed yesterday. It is only mid-February. Don’t put your sweaters away yet.
Old mining camps and towns are ringed with fruit trees, especially apples. Those miners and their women loved apples. Hard ciders to pies are noted in old diaries. Scoop thinks the camp will be apple less this summer.
Scoop left Alleghany to investigate South America but is backStill Digging – ABC10 News segment on the 16 to 1.
Here are my X-mas and New Year wishes:
A merry X-mas, a little dry walk on the lower level and several million dollar days in 2018 for the entire Origsix-Crew.
Regards from Bavaria,
HansANNOUNCEMENT OF INTEREST
A public administration hearing takes place in Nevada City California on August 8 through 11 beginning at 9am at the Nevada City Council room on Broad Street. The topic regards around citations issued by Mine Health Safety Administration to Original Sixteen to One Mine, Inc. (Respondent). Sixteen to One is the oldest American gold mining company and the last traditional underground hard rock-high grade operation in California. It was incorporated in San Francisco in 1911. Home town is the small mining town, Alleghany, about an hour drive from Nevada City.
The hearing is under the management of Judge William Moran (ALJ), who calls Washington DC his workplace. The Secretary of Labor is responsible for both the ALJ and the prosecuting solicitor Laura Pearson, who works from Denver; however an ALJ must administer the hearing in a fair manner. All mining operations that affect interstate commerce are subjected to Congressional law passed in 1977, creating standards or regulations to improve the safety of miners. The hearing is open to the public.
Michael M Miller, director and president of Sixteen to One, represents the Respondent. His interest in California gold mining began in 1974. After a seven year proxy fight to replace an old, tired and ineffective board of directors, he took control of the company in 1983. The focus of this hearing has broad federal impact on mining throughout the United States. At issue is not over regulating as this topic does have merit but questions the background training and experience of enforcement, the inspector.
Nevada County and all the Sierra Nevada Mountain range is steeped I hard rock gold mining history. Miners developed a wide variety of skills and this holds true today, even more so. A lead mine know about carpentry, engineering, plumbing, electrical and diesel maintenance, structural geology, and above all the common and not so commonsense of working in an hostile environment. Miller will introduce evidence to show that an inspector without these behaviors may not be able to interpret an underground work environment. The lack of skilled underground mining inspectors is recognized by MSHA District Headquarters in Vacaville, CAlifornia. It will be up to the ALJ to evaluate the harsh reality that California gold miners have suffered and continue to suffer lost time and many times lost ability to mine due to this ongoing problem.
Most miners in our area and Northern California only use Douglas Fir for ground support. A very colorful part of the Sixteen to One mine has 1800 or early 1900 peeled Doug Fir uncut (round like the way they grew) timber. Much of these ancient old growth trees are as sound today as they were when brought unde4rground.
What is used for the timbers? Pondorosa Pine?
When there is no news from Alleghany, Scoop shan’t fake news. Seems the great California weather not gold mining is the news to write you this morning: wonderful late spring rain. For all outside California, our greenery is lush, vibrant, a joy to see and very healthy. Starve vegetation for years in a drought and when record setting rain and snow happens, the earth is like a sponge and the forest is responding with renewed life.
Yesterday some radio person asked listeners to support soap. My old ears took interest. Soap? What is he asking me to do about soap? It didn’t take long for SOAP means, “Save Our Ailing Planet”.
Scoop wants details, clarifications presented with current and historical facts. Scoop sends off a mental email to the radio guy: What?
If soap means Save Our Ailing Planer and the organization is asking for money and support, WHAT means:Where’s Health Ailing Today?
According to reports about the Sixteen to One and action around town, the miners are helping the lumber industry because truckloads of beautiful mine timbers keep coming. This winze project is a major improvement for the company.
Mike and “Scoop”,
There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever. The 16 to 1 has some very dedicated people at all levels. That’s one reason that I have faith in this enterprise.
One day, one fine day, you will all be “discovered” and rewarded as well for all your efforts.
Keep the faith !
Regards,
Fred M. Cain- AuthorPosts
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