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- in reply to: Miscellaneous #2022
I have a hardrock tunnel in which I would like to follow a vein and in some cases, I would just like to take out some of the quartz. Do to the amount of work, I was thinking about a hammer drill and or a electric rock buster, I guess it is a smaller jack hammer. This tunnel is off the road but I do have a 4 wheeler which would allow me to take the generater and other equipment in. Probably a 3-5 watt generator. I can’t use dynimite becuse of the spotted owls breeding most of the summer so I have to use these other methods. Suggestions as to what to use size of gen , drills rock hammers or alternatives would be greatly appreciated.. I am reopening this tunnel from the thirties, which did produce at that time. Thanks again.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2021Discharge water line at 1500 level split apart yesterday. No damage to pumps. Britt repaired it today and pumps are back running. Mike and Joe checked water level in Tightner shaft this morning. Here is how they got there: 800 level to hoist station, ride skip to 1700 level and walk south 1/3 mile, climb down 450 feet of metal ladders to 2100 station where the big sump is located in a footwall drift, transfer to single compartment and climb down 200 feet to water level, which is holding at 2300 level or about 100 feet above the 2400 target. The north and south workings of the mine are in balance (water level), which is a good thing. Once pumping resumed today level will drop. The electrical box at the 2300 level is under water and must be replaced when the miners get the money to resume the project. The ground, utilities, ladders and construction looked good. Joe spent two years in the Tightner shaft on rehabilitation. It remains “turn-key”.
The Cat 910 loader needs a new cutting blade, which Joe is installing. Should be back on the job tomorrow. Dave and Jay drilled and shot their heading. Ian running hoist for Britt. Small amounts of gold almost daily. David continues to cut, producing slab for our manufactures.
Mike has made deal with Barrick for the gold concentrates and Robinson Timber to haul loads to Carlin, Nevada. Snow on Donner Pass delayed the trucking. Gold hit $414.10 today. Rae managing accounts payable with more bills than cash. She looks forward to the payment from Barrick.
Mike writing a brief for what should be the last of the harassment by MSHA during the 1996 to 2001 period. The facts paint a picture of a federal agency that strayed from its Congressional mandate to protect the American miner. The conduct of these federal agents represents the evils of unrestrained or unchecked power. Better days are with us now. Mike gets upset with people who call the miners liars or incompetent. He expects the standards of federal agents to meet or exceed non-government employees, which is lacking. These two contested citations are Jonathan lightly tapping a hex screw into wood without wearing safety glasses and allegations that two miners were not given basic training before going underground. The paper work was improperly filed and that should have been the violation.
Snow on the ground. Alleghany is a beautiful place, especially when the residents valuable junk is covered.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2020Perfect weather in Alleghany. Ian Haley, past mine superintendent has a crew of four and sometimes five. They broke a round a day north of the ballroom the past week and sacked those little teasers of high-grade. If you listen to Ian, a pocket could happen any round. Scoop has seen each sack and concurrs. Water remains stable. PG&E is still connected. Joe has the Cat 910 front end loader purring and will begin screening the richest ore pile on the landing. We hope to truck the old mill concentrates to Nevada next week, weather pending. The concentrates are near the paved road and covered to prevent moisture accumulation. Mike sold slab today. The buyer has $500,000 to fill his inventory. Where is Mister Pocket when you need him!
in reply to: Another U.S. precious metals miner goes foreign #2019For a comprehensive analysis to this historic event read the article entitled “A Review of Last Week’s Gold Market” that was made available today, November 23, 2003, at http://www.jsmineset.com”
The author is James Sinclair who is the most knowledgeable person on the planet concerning gold.
in reply to: Gold Enters Major Bull Market #2018The following is an excerpt from the November 22nd Dow Theory Letters written by Richard Russell(http://www.dowtheoryletters.com).
FYI…..I spoke after the close today with a longtime friend of mine. He’s been a trader on the floor in New York for about a decade. I can always trust him to gove me the straight scoop on what’s happening and what the chatter is, as opposed to some trader friends who will talk their book no matter how long you’ve known them.
This guy says something VERY big is happening behind the scenes in the gold market right now and tension on the floor is higher than he’s ever seen it. He believes there is now a symstematic, behind-the-scenes effort by multiple buyers to take delivery of as much gold as possible. I asked him what was wrong with that, and he replied that there IS no gold out there in size at any level right now. There’s no physical offered in size at any reasonable level, and he said it has never been more of a paper market than now.
I then asked him two questions: Who are the buyers, and has there been Fed intervention? He thinks that the buyers are too large to simply be short or intermediate-term speculators, and says the chatter is that the buying is coming out of Asia. In the terms of the Fed, he said that almost all traders on the floor including him believe the Fed has been periodically intervening to cap the rallies in gold….but then he said something that was somewhat shocking. He thinks the Fed has actually been trying to BUY gold. He thinks the periodic attempts to cap rallies(which he says happened yesterdaay, by the way) have two purposes: to not allow gold to spook the bond market and the dollar, AND to give the Fed a chance to buy gold lower from speculators when the rallies fail.
Apparently, there is some speculation among in-the-know traders that at some point next year, the Fed may be forced by the dollar and bond markets to float the idea of an eventual return to at least a PARTIAL dollar/gold link. Some of the chatter comes from the fact that earlier this year, Greenspan made a speech that started off mentioning how the gold standard had led to stable prices over a long period of time.
In any event, that’s the scoop. There was a lot of tension in my friend’s voice, and he repeatedly said that something “very big” is happening in (the) market right now. The last thing he said was that he thinks $500 gold within the next 6 months is “a done deal.”
-END-Here is another scoop, on last Monday while gold was being forced down by the gold cartel, from about the $400 level to just under the $385 level, I personally witnessed some important buying in the precious metal stocks, especially the silver stocks.
One important point can be made here, the public was not doing any buying that day. The people that were buying the gold and silver stocks on Monday were knowledgeable and wealthy individuals. Two individuals that came to mind were Monty Guild(mguild@guildinvestment.com) and Warren Buffett.in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2017Interested people may contact the Company about the private placement outlined in Newsletter #50. Write us and include your telephone number and mailing address. It may be possible to e-mail the document and suitability questionnaire and subscription agreement. Alternative types of financing by those whose duties require them to make decisions about investments in capital goods are also under consideration. Normally, such decisions should be made on grounds of long-term economy. Herein is a prospective difference between investors. A shareholder sent us an interview by a self proclaimed stock and trend analyst, who wrote, “I like high risk with high rewards. I look for the probability of making money verses losing it. The first thing I look for is value, tangible assets and their relative value. These are high quality assets that can be purchased for a reasonable price.”
The annual meeting of membership for Underground Gold Miners Museum was held last night at Dave Scinto’s office in Grass Valley.
The new slate of Directors are: Rae Bell Arbogast, Ian Haley, Conway Jones Jr. and Dave Scinto.
A Directors meeting was held immediately following the membership meeting. Newly appointed officers are as follows: Dave Scinto, President, Ian Haley Treasurer, Rae Bell Arbogast, Secretary.in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2016SCOOP
What Private Placement Program are you referring to that excludes potential non-accredited investors from participating?
Stephen Wilson
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2015What Private Placement Program is the company using? Is it the 504 Program, the 506 Program or is it the SCOR Program?
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2013A few recent phone calls prompt additional information about Newsletter #50. The price per share of the Private Placement is $1.00. The offering is for accredited investors meeting levels of sophistication or wealth. Similar questions about how can the small shareholders have the same opportunity as the large ones were raised at the annual meeting. Security laws apply; however, people interested who do not meet the government requirements have an opportunity to buy shares for less than the private placement on the OAU X-mart at the Sixteen to One web site.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2012A long time gold collector from Nevada purchased a $4,950 specimen this morning. Dave and the buyer worked to find a specimen to mirror his specific desires and budget. He had $10,000 to spend. Rae will send 25% of the purchase price to PG&E It marks a positive step in the direction of solving the crisis of running the mine without their electricity.
Director Dan O’Neill is spending the weekend in Alleghany. He needed another underground ‘fix’ to move him to the completion of our first joint venture. It is words and drawings of the mine and gold. The final six pages have been difficult for Dan to create.
Mike hired a trial lawyer to answer a collection service’s lawsuit filed in Sacramento against the company. There will be an affirmative defense as well as a motion to dismiss. The attorney will also prepare a hasty list of causes of action against the old gang of Sacramento carpetbaggers called, “The Men and Woman of the CDAA.”
Mike escorted a movie producer to a spot in the mine this morning that fit his script. The small company will return in November to shoot the segment just off the 800 level, travel way. The main character is a gypsy who will read some scrolls from King Solomon and somehow give guidance to the rest of the cast of actors.
Yesterday, Mike was on the phone with our long time PG&E representative. He was still talking when everyone else left the office. It sounds like the two of them were bouncing options.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2011The volume was not great, but miners sacked gold every day this week, except Thursday. In one heading the gold showing has increased. This isn’t the big one, but even a couple of hundred ounces will be appreciated.
in reply to: Miscellaneous #2010The Sierra County Sherrif’s Office has several of the newspaper stories regarding this incident hanging on the walls of its office in Downieville. The Child actually disapeared from the yard of the family’s vacation home in Goodyear’s Bar. (near Downieville) Evidently the child was never found. It is believed a mountain lion got him.
P.S. A message to RICH below, yes we would love to hear more of your stories from Alleghany !in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2009Cold weather continues in Alleghany.
The tour last Saturday went well. Joining the tour were Ken Rohrigh and his wife. The Rohrighs are one of the founding families of Alleghany although none of them reside here anymore. Ken is working on setting up a family history web-site. The museum was able to provide him with one photo he did not have.
Our sales tax return for the third quarter was filed timely last week. Rae has not completed the third quarter financials yet.
The Museum holds its annual membership meeting on Nov.13th at the Offices of Francis Scinto and Associates in Grass Valley.
PG&E called on Monday and said the power will be shut off this week.
The underground crew is down to three miners: Ian Haley, David Cates and Britt McDaniel.
A small amount of high-grade continues to come out daily.in reply to: Miscellaneous #2008hi guys,
my name is tracy ward and i’m a reporter for the oakland press in pontiac, mich.
in researching a story about a 1945 murder in our area, there was a story about dickie tum suden, a 3-year-old gold heir who turned up missing in downieville, california.
the only thing they found was his mitten.
i only have half the story and i’ve run the name online, but no luck.
i was just curious if they found him and what happened with it… it was probably a pretty big case at the time.
any help would be appreciated.. i was just curious about what happened to this poor kid.
thanks,
tracy, heyskoop@aol.comin reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2007Alleghany awoke to the silence of snow, a drastic change from the record heat just three days ago. Sixty-eight fourth grade children, parents and teachers from the Forest Lake Christian school arrived at the museum for their seventh annual underground outing. Rae and Ian gave the tour to the Ballroom, where everyone admired the mine while eating their lunch. It is inspiring to see the interest, joy and excitement on everyone’s faces as they get set to head underground. True educational experiences at this mine are remembered forever.
MSHA inspectors arrived yesterday to inspect the newly installed steel ladders in the 49 winze. Everything is A-OKAY.
Miners drilled and blasted several signals yesterday…small chunks of high-grade are better than nothing. The pump on the 1500 level is working with its float switch working properly. This will make the system more efficient and cut power consumption. The old mill concentrates are all out of the mine. Next stop is the Barrick refinery in Nevada. No one knows for sure how much money they will bring into our bank.
Tomorrow a group from the Pertoleum Association is taking the underground tour. They have expressed support for the mine.in reply to: Miscellaneous #2006P.G.& E.doesnt care about the law they do whats best for them . They are still mad about being dereged and have been taking it out on us ever sense.
They dont want gold just money so that they can buy off a few more of our elected officals. Golds to easy to trace.in reply to: Miscellaneous #2005NEW COMMERCIAL!!!
Original Sixteen to One.
Where you can relieve the dream of a 49er and touch the legendary whopper and buy gold but you better bring your VISA CARD as CASH is not accepted here.
lol…maybe an SNL skit. 🙂
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #2002Still no word from PG&E.
The fires in Southern Calif. make the one we had in Alleghany seem trivial. Our hearts go out to all who have lost homes, property and family members.
Yesterday a package arrived from Saturn Surplus. Nobody had ordered anything, Mike opened it to find safety glasses. “I wonder if somebody who read the Forum sent these” Mike pondered just as Melissa spotted an envelope containing the following message:
Dear Fellow MinersJust finished reading the posts on your forum about the safety inspector and the recent fine for no safety glasses. Talk about somebody trying to justify their jobs. I check on your web site often. It is very well designed and formatted. I do mining as a hobby and own a patented hard rock mine in sawyers bar that I go to two times a year. Just thought I would send you guys some free safety glasses to keep you out of trouble. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Mark WisniskiThanks Mark! you made our day!
in reply to: Miscellaneous #2004Lets ponder something…
What is safer?
the coordinates of the dynamite beemed from a secure palm device to a secure satellite to a secure server in the doj server farm or….
The sheriff that has the location of our dynamite on a memo in his office in a file cabinent with a cam lock? Not to mention how many people have access to said file cabinent and with or without the keys to open it.
Who is to say all that info isn’t stored in a database on a computer in cali anyways? Anyone wanna take a bet on that?
Oh well, its the same mentality people have about paying bills online they would rather send a check in an envelope that everyone knows is a payment and put it in an unsecure mailbox outside their house to have the mailman who may or may not have it always secured deliver it to the sorter which may or may not take your check to get it mailed to another mailman to put it in another unsecure box or B)pay online with secure encryption to another computer with secured encryption behind a firewall and not to mention your probably paying on a visa debit card which your only liable to 50 bucks of unathorized charges by federal law?
Tough choice.
So Mike do you bank online at all? What is the big deal about letting the government know where the dynamite is anyways and what is your guarantee when the authority when back to her truck she didn’t just put it in anyways?
Sometimes finding the real battles in life are half the battle.. IMHO, you shoulda just let it go.. BIG DEAL!
Since this topic has surfaced on the Forum again I see I was remiss in replying to the inquiries of Dick Davis. (I could have sworn I did, maybe the Forum gremlins deleted my message?)
For those of you who don’t know, Underground Gold Miners of California Museum was founded in 1995 as an educational 501 (c)3 non-profit corporation. The greatest challenge to any such endeavor in Alleghany is the lack of Human Resources. Currently the museum has about 30 members and is holding its annual meeting to elect the Board of Directors on November 13th. Directors serve a one-year term.
The museum rents the old General Store in Alleghany where its office, gift shop and displays are located. (Displays are an ongoing project) Currently the museum is open by appointment and during special events.
Tours of the Sixteen to One Mine provide the main source of revenue for the museum. These educational tours explore the history and geology of the Sixteen to One Mine and the Alleghany Mining District.
Currently I am managing all aspects of the museum but would be happy to see others get involved.
Donations made to the museum are tax-dectible and can be mailed to: UGMM, P.O. Box 907, Alleghany, CA 95910, a receipt will be provided.
Volunteers are needed to open the museum next season: May through Oct. lodging may be available. Volunteers are also needed to assist with displays and record-keeping/collection management. If you are interested contact me at 530-287-3223. For tour or membership information click on “tours” on this web-site.
Thank you to all who have supported the museum over the years.in reply to: Another U.S. precious metals miner goes foreign #2000Japanese expansion in American gold mines
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. commits $333 million to develop the Pogo gold mine in Alaska. It is the largest gold mine development project ever undertaken by a Japanese company. Sumitomo Metal Mining holds a 51% interest in the Alaska claims. Teck Cominco Ltd owns 40%, while Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp. holds the remaining 9%.
Sumitomo began developing gold mines in the 1970’s. Its Hishikari, Kagoshima Prefecture has produced gold since 1985. Production ranges between 7-8 tons of gold a year. The mine is expected to run out of reserves in about 20 years, which lead the company to look for prospects in Alaska in 1991. The firm is expected to produce 12.5 tons of gold at the mine in 2005. Hmm.
Following is a letter sent to the Museum Board of Directors today.
Directors
Underground Gold Miners Museum
P.O. Box 907
Alleghany, CA 95910Dear Directors,
Please accept or reject the acquisition of the Phil O’Donnell drill collection under the terms outlined in the enclosed Draft. I will do what I can to find financial sponsors to support the museum’s acquisitions. Once this first phase is completed, I intend to donate additional equipment to the museum – at this time I do not know the historic value or interest in the remaining drills. It will take research. I believe the twelve identified have significant value. The same may be true for some of the others. I may suggest a similar program like this one. I just do not know at this time.
My heart is with this truly unique and special museum. Its headquarter is in the livery stable that became the Alleghany Supply Company and hub of miners for years. That the museum’s building sits atop the Sixteen to One vein and the Tightner vein is not the reason it stands apart from any other museum’s unique attraction in California’s gold belt. (None can ever replicate this.) The owners of the mines are a primary reason. For Alleghany Mining District ownership took on a meaning proven to be different from all other mining districts in the gold belt. From the Oriental to the west and the Red Star to the east; from the Ireland to the south and the Blue Lead to the north, empirical experience, vicarious experiences, direct and hands-on work, luck or fate, and of course faith provided the will. Then again it may have been greed or fear. It could be seen as stubborn. For each reason all, however, will agree it is an adventure and a fragile one at that.
The collection belongs in Alleghany and may become a center and display theme for the museum of hard rock miners who blast away in the white and brilliant quartz, underground in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. These drills evolved, as did the realization by the placer miners that the heavy nuggets they found were first imbedded in the white and gray outcrops of quartz. Ownership began right then; but only in the Alleghany District has productivity touched three centuries. Why, is open for speculation. My guess is the mining community knew its value. The mines established stability.
Anyone familiar with the value of historical preservation will recognize the adventure of keeping the past in a safe place. Supporters familiar with the elations of providing historical preservation may find this tiny dream attractive. Rare are opportunities to participate in an historical grass roots preservation program such as this. I hope you recognize the best safe place for the collection is in a live gold mining community. It is a worthwhile undertaking.Sincerely yours,
Michael M. Miller
Please let me know immediately. I am not in a financial position to delay a decision.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1998Power remains on at the mine. We continue to be grateful to those responsible.
Due to the uncertainties this morning, a short-handed crew met this morning to go over options. Mike and Ian remained at the mine. They reviewed maps and discussed alternatives for short-term gold production. They spent the rest of the day underground. The hoist and skip were positioned to limit problems or hazards anticipated without power. The water level was checked. A list of gold detection cites were examined and prioritized for gold expectations, time lines and safety. Three targets well above the water line jumped out from the many and will be systematically attacked. The Ballroom heading remains number one, but cannot be efficiently worked with a short crew.Transporting the mill concentrates has become a chore, not impossible but not quick. The barrels break and cannot be lifted into the Peterbuilt without a lot of handwork. We only have one guy to work the project. It would be easy if we did not care about dirt and rock contamination, but we do.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1996Hey we can get Arnold as a board member now!
think of all the publicity. 🙂
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1994Scoop – after reading your last about MSHA and the hearing, I started to get pissed off at what is happening at the mine and at society in general. First of all, the MSHA is just another bureacracy created by a bunch of politicians to justify their positions and create their legacy as the protectors of society – yea right! They – bureaucrats – also believe in the notion that if people/organizations/industries can’t be responsible for themselves, then the government will step in and do it for them. What ever happened to personal responsibility? Granted there are aspects of the MSHA that are good in that they promote safe mining standards and practices – most of which any mining operation should do anyway. The problem is that once an inspector position is created, in order for him to justify his position, he has to find something wrong with whatever it is he is inspecting. The mind set of a bureaucrat is there has to be something wrong – no body can be that safe! So what struck me here is if the inspectors felt that Jonathan should have been wearing safety glasses – where were theirs? They must have been standing in close proximity to Jonathan when he fixed the sign. I bet there is no mention in the MSHA safety manual about the distance one must be from a supposed safety hazard before the need arises for wearing protective glasses. The other thing that really struck me was the expense incurred by all, to get all, to the hearing. This was not an expense paid by the Judge, the Inspector, or the prosecutor – but by you know who – you and me the tax payer -and for what – and it’s not over yet!?
On the up beat – 500 ounces at today’s Kitco price should really help with the bills – like PG&E. Hang in there guy’s and Scoop – keep up the good work!in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1995Well, at the risk of stirring up the wasp’s nest again, I’ll embrace Oak’s comments and Scoop’s commentary, especially the persistence you guys are exhibiting. The one comment about the overall cost to us, the tax-paying public, brings back to light the validity of the fight, since without one MSHA wins a default. (My gut tells me the expense will be warranted in an overturn of the citations!)
Perhaps MSHA’s aggression will soon be relegated obsolete. I believe the initial directives had little to to do with safety (as Jonathon’s immediate action reveals) but instead with political grandstanding.
Scoop….I love your input. I’ll bet we all read it everyday. -RB
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1993On September 21,2001, mine manager Jonathan was showing two MSHA inspectors an area of the second exit. He found a sign that was pointing in the wrong direction. He immediately corrected the situation. Either inspector said nothing to him about the incident, until the next day, when they returned and issued a citation to Jonathan and the company. The citation said that Jonathan was driving nails into timbers and flying chips could easily cause permanent disabling eye injuries because he failed to wear safety glasses.
The standard cited was 57.15004: eye protection shall worn “where a hazard exists which could cause injury to unprotected eyes.” Jonathan repositioned the sign and turned the hex screw into the soft wood with his thumb. He then tapped it with a small tool called a rap wrench, which most miners carry with them in their belt. The sign was about chest high. Jonathan did the right thing: he saw a potential wrong in a safety situation and corrected it. It was a small act yet he recognized the problem and fixed it. While his eyes were unprotected, no hazard existed.
Does this standard say that at all times a miner must wear safety glasses when he hit or strikes an object? No. It says when a miner is in danger he must wear eye protection. Why did the two inspectors not say something at the time of the incident? This is most unusual. In over twenty years of interacting with MSHA inspectors, I cannot remember one time when an alleged situation could result into a written citation that the incident was not discussed immediately.
Well, the citation was appealed and a hearing was held yesterday. The judge flew to Sacramento from the East coast. The prosecutor drove up from San Francisco. One inspector flew in from Montana. Bruce Allard drove up from Vacaville to prove his allegation. The MSHA Program Policy Manual states that: “In determining whether a violation could significantly and substantially contribute to the cause and effect of a mine safety or health hazard, inspectors must first find that an injury would be reasonably likely to occur if the violation were not corrected.” Allard could not provide the evidence to meet this requirement. He also testified that a miner must be wearing safety glasses any time he strikes an object. Wrong! Both sides will file a brief , so a decision is months away.
About 120 fifty-five-galloon drums of gold concentrates have accumulated from past milling at the mine. We are moving them near the county road where a transport company will take them to a refiner in Nevada for processing. Gold recovery is expected in the range or 500 ounces. The project should be completed next month.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1992On October 1st, Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District did an inspection of the mine surface workings. The written report arrived in last week’s mail. The conclusion: “In Compliance”
Tomorrow we have a hearing with MSHA in Yuba City. (8:30 a.m. at the Courtroom Family Law Building, 430 Center Street.) This is regarding a citation that was contested two years ago.
Last night the Downieville Lions had their monthly meeting and dinner at Casey’s Place.
The weather is beautiful in Alleghany.in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1990On Wednesday an OSHA inspector visited the mine. No citations were issued.
Phillip O’Donnell author of “A Hardrock Miner & Endangered Freedom” (see “News” on this site) collected mining drills from in and around Alleghany for 50 years. He restored many of them.
On Monday Oct.6th a friend of the museum aquired the O’Donnell drill collection to keep it from leaving Alleghany. The museum will be looking for business and individual sponsors to help it aquire a portion of the collection. Details still need to be worked out.Last winter the window in Mike’s office was blown out by a windy storm. The window was literally blown to bits. A new sheet of tempered glass has been installed just in time for the winter.
Speaking of which, temperatures were in the 40’s last night.in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1989The 40HP pump is back in place and running. It is quite a task moving heavy pieces of equipment in and out of the mine.
The new ladders continue to go in on the 49 winze. The miners estimate this project will be done Monday or Tuesday of next week.
Rae finished the 2002 financials for the Museum today. Membership renewal letters and nomination requests went out for the Museum last week. Membership information is posted on this web-site under “Tours”.
David has been trying to scrape up cut-rocks in Gold Sales.
No word from PG&E about shutting the power off.
It is dry and windy in Alleghany. A little rain would be good.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1988The 40 hp pump motor was fixed yesterday. Mike is driving down to Auburn today to pick it up.
The new ladders are going into the 49 winze.
Rae has been busy getting all the financial data for Underground Gold Miners Museum set up in Quickbooks. It is a mostly volunteer job but she enjoys it.
Something very exciting for the museum happened yesterday but this Scoop doesn’t want to scoop that Scoop so you will have to wait for the details.
in reply to: Miscellaneous #1987Does anyone out there know of where we can get parts for G/D slushers We need some stuff for our old 5 cyl beast. I have had no luck on the net. I know there is a bunch of them out there. Let me know what ya have. –Mike Nolen
Mockingbird Mine
Midpines Ca.
209-966-3346in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1986The sump pump on the 1500 level died today. It has been a gem for eight years. The system will be down until the 40 horse power motor is repaired.
Fifteen ten foot ladders are finished. We are using steel after all, having designed the ladders with old two inch pipe and one inch re-bar.
in reply to: Miscellaneous #1985Hello All,
I’m a new member, registering as “Wombat16to1” (John) [it told me that plain old “wombat” name was already taken here ~ is there another wombat here?]. Allow me to introduce myself and interests. I am a geologist in Australia, and also one who has gone back to university for extra degrees, studying Social Sciences, with a view to entering consultancy work in Earth AND Social Science arena (or anything to do with either if work is scarse).
I have a piece of student assignment research to do, which will last into 2004. The topic is: “THE PLACE OF GEOLOGY AND MINING IN SOCIETY”.
I feel the Mother Lode country is an excellent place to study this, and Californian gold history also has a great deal in common with the Australian goldfields as I’m sure most people realise.
If anyone has views about the (changing nature) of the place of geology and mining in society please send me views, material or URL references to john.mail@ozemail.com.au or to PO Box 264, Summer Hill, NSW 2130.
Cheers for now … John
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1984Saturday was a scary day for the residents of Alleghany. It was three in the afternoon and there was a stiff breeze blowing warm air up the canyon when the page went out that there was a fire in town. Luckily four out of six of our active fire-fighters were in town. (this is good for a Saturday!) Another arrived shortly having just gone up to the dump. As the fire-fighters went past the fire to get to the fire-house the fire had already spread from the Park by the County yard where it started (lower road) to one house and was to the upper road in one spot. Several people were in town who don’t live here and they all jumped in and helped. Everybody pitched in. Our big truck was parked near the top of the fire where the primary attack took place, by this time the one house was fully involved and could not be saved. However, nothing else was lost. Amazingly the crew, residents and visitors in town managed to protect other houses and keep the fire from jumping the upper road until more enforcements came. And did they come! We had air tankers, helicopters, CDF crews, Pike Fire Department, Downieville and so many we couldn’t keep track! CDF took over the incident and kept crews here until last night. Luckily there were only three minor injuries.
Sadly one family lost their home and the fire was started by some kids showing each other how to start fires at the park. A bank account has been set up at Placer Sierra Bank in Downvieville to help the family who lost their home. Six acres burned, a lot of it Sixteen to One property.
A huge thank you goes out to all the people and agencies who helped save the town of Alleghany!in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1983A suggestion for the display of the 116 piece collection – a classic place would be someplace in San Francisco – the City was built with 49er gold and a lot of it probably from the 16 to 1. The old San Francisco Mint would be a location once it is brought back to life. The City wants to remodel it to mixed-use and bring it up to current earthquake codes. Another location might be the Federal Reserve building. It is going through a remodel – that would be ironic wouldn’t it? Or maybe one of the big banks.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1982Here’s to priceless determination!!!!!
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1981Rae paid the end of the month bills. Most of the accounts that are past due are co-operating with us. Mike loaned the company$12,000 today to cover the checks. It’s an unsecured loan. Scoop is confident in reporting that Mike believes in both the Ballroom heading and the crew’s ability and motivation to search, locate, and blast its way into a worthwhile pocket. Mining the Sixteen to One is unlike any other gold mine in certain ways. Rae posted a new photo today showing that February had a $100,000 day. In 1993 there was the million dollar day. In 1995 it was the two million dollar week.
in reply to: Clips from Alleghany #1980Pumps are operating.
Crew continues maintenance in 49 winze. Work going well. Rae filed a Form 8 today with the SEC as notification of our inability to pay our auditors.Director O’Neill spent the day in Alleghany yesterday. He put together and eight page booklet of his drawings of the CDAA activities against all of us. One great line is uttered by the CDAA alligator or crocodile, some reptile anyway acting like a Carpet Bagger.
The miner says, “So maybe the grand jury will drop it…..evidence that we are innocent, and all that….and we can go home.” The reptile says, “maybe not! maybe not enough evidence of your innocence in the crime we made up in first place.”This episode is under “Carpetbagger” in the comic section of our web site.
The booklet is entitled: “You are invited to a Hanging! We got the Bad Guys.”
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