Tomah Wisconsin GPAA Chapter – January 2019

Welcome

Welcome to the 2019 GOLD FEVER Newsletter.  Another year, another gold prospecting opportunity.  If you have not tried to find gold, you need to give it a try.  Let us know if you need help to get started, there are many people with experience that the help you.

 Do not forget the Newsletter and pictures can always be found at:

President’s Message

Happy New Year to all of the members! It’s time to clean up all of the concentrates and gold bags you have accumulated over the summer when you were just to busy to do it. Just got a Facebook post from the Minnesota and Wisconsin site that one of the members we so bored he went to Home depo for some all-purpose sand and he got 100 plus pieces of gold out of it, I tried this with Menards sand two years ago and got nothing. It depends on where the store is getting their sand from.  I haven't got around to panning my bags yet other than the Felix pay dirt I won at the gold show were I got over 2 grams with a nice picker I must remember to bring it to the next meeting to show off.

  In January Kurt Bublitz is coming in to talk about his six week stay in Chicken Alaska last summer. The meeting is on the 19^th hope for no snow on meeting date. If we ever have a storm on the day of the meeting I will try and contact all of you somehow not sure how quick I can get the Information up on the web site but I will try. I will also email as many of you as I can and call the rest.

 Looking forward to the trips to Michigan’s Muskellunge state park and Thermal city next summer but I will have to get my vacations for them first. I should be able to as I am the number two senior person in my department, could be number one by April. But I would want to split my weeks like from a Wednesday to a Tuesday so I have the full weekend at the site otherwise I have to burn two weeks for each trip and I only get 5 wouldn't leave many Fridays for the other outings, and hunting.

 Its three days to Christmas as I write this and I hope I don't gain too much weight. S

See you in the creeks when they thaw Mike Fait

PS I still am seeing member’s posts on Facebook that they are still in the creeks even now.

Upcoming Events

Tomah Club Meeting Town of LaGrange Town Hall – at 1;00 pm on the following dates, speakers will be announced as they are scheduled:

-       January 19, 2019 - Kurt Bublitz will talk about his six week stay in Chicken Alaska last summer.

-       February 16, 2019

-       March 16, 2019

-       April 20, 2019

Planned Outings:

-       May 15, 2019 -  Tomah metal detecting outing site to be determined

-       June 7-8-9, 2019 -  Upper Michigan outing Wausau chapter to Ontonagon for copper ,Yooperlites and maybe gold

-       June 15, 2019 - Nugget Lake outing –Tomah

-       July 13, 2019 -  weekend Muskellunge Lake Michigan outing - Tomah   gold in black sand, agates, fossils and Yooperlits

-       July 26-27-28, 2019 -  Midstate metal detectors club 23rd annual open hunt

-       August 9-10-11, 2019 - Thermal City North Carolina outing - Wausau – Tomah

-       Sept 6-7-8, 2019 -  Snyder county Park outing – Wausau

-       September 21, 2019 -  Nugget Lake group dig -Tomah

Tomah Wisconsin GPAA Chapter Minutes December, 2018

Club Business:                                                                                                                                                              

 Last month 15 members attended the meeting. 

Dean Race will be at the Wausau meeting in February if you would like a bag of his pay dirt you have to get the money to Mike Fait so he can buy a bag for you as the club doesn't have enough funds to purchase for all. Get the money to mike by the January meeting please lst year he sold his bags for $50 and $150.

Next month the meeting is on Jan 19. - Kurt Bublitz is coming in to talk about his six week stay in Chicken Alaska last summer.

Door Prized Hams went to Jeff Hastings and Ken Olp.  Everyone that brought a Christmas gift received a gift.  Everyone had a great time telling their stories from the past year.

Thank you to all that donated items for the Table Raffle – Larry Bender, Steve Miller, Merlin Meyer,   Jeff Hastings, Diane North, and Diane/Larry Kollins.  Sorry I missed anyone who donated.   

50/50 raffle went to Wayne Ellefson 

Gold nugget to Larry Bender

Gold concentrates bag to Larry Bender

Remember to bring a dish to pass for lunch!  Thank you.

Gold Price on 12/31/18 was $1,282.10               Silver Price on 12/31/18 was $15.47

Respectfully submitted by Diane North – Newsletter Editor

Tomah Gold Club e-mail:   

Rare Gems and Minerals in Wisconsin

Wisconsin shares its coastline with two of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The state of Wisconsin is famous for its vast deposits of iron ore, but for rock hounds there are other minerals that are more interesting. Some of the gemstones and minerals that are common in the state are the Lake Superior agate, calcite, quartz and malachite. Michigan isn’t the best state for fossil hunting, but there are a few types of fossils have been found in the state.

Article I.          Lake Superior Agate

Lake Superior agate that occur in orange, yellow and red colors and were formed as a result of the volcanic activity that took place in the United States billions of years ago can be found at various beaches close to the shoreline of Lake Superior. One such location in Wisconsin is that of Saxon Harbor Beach on Lake Superior in Iron County. Another location where Lake Superior agate can be found is at the Apostle Islands located on the northern end of Wisconsin on the shoreline of Lake Superior.

Article II.      Calcite

Calcite is a commonly occurring mineral throughout the state of Wisconsin and can be found in many counties at various mines. Some of the locations that are known to have calcite crystals are the Blackstone Mine and the Eagle-Picher Mine situated in the Shullsburg District of the Lafayette County, at the Montreal Mine and around Platteville in Grant County, and various locations in Milwaukee, Racine, and Iowa Counties.

Article III.   Quartz

Quartz is a widely found mineral throughout the state of Wisconsin. The quartz crystals that are found in Wisconsin occur in various forms and colors. Reddish brown and molted variety of quartz also known as zebra sandstone can be found in the Jackson County. Other locations where quartz can be found in Wisconsin are at the William Quarry in Columbia County, and locations in Grant, Saul, and Juneau Counties. At some of these areas the quartz are found in colors such as pink, green, grey and milky.

Officers – elected for 2019.

President – Michael Fait (mgfait@charter.net) 715-384-9265   (Cell phone to be used only on meeting days = 715-305-8319)

Vice-President – Gary Morrison 715-316-2555

Secretary – Jeanne Morrison 715-316-2555

Newsletter Editor - Diane North (dbnorth@centurytel.net) 608-635-7031

Treasure – Gayle Fait (mgfait@charter.net) 715-384-9265

Outing Chairman – Jeff Hastings (monkeyhast@frontier.net)  (608) 637-3097

Claims Director – Richard Niemyjski (richnski@frontiernet.net) 608-637-3295

State Director – Mike Flint (mwink12@excite.com) 608-372-0694

APPROVED DEALERS:

Deer field Detectors.  Dealer for Whites, Fisher, Garrett, Minelab, Bounty Hunter, Detector Pro Detector & Pinpointers, Sunray Detector Accessories, & many misc. detecting accessories.  Deerfield Detectors, N3091 CTY Rd. B, Hancock, WI 54943 (715) 572-1845 or e-mail stmill@uniontel.net or http://www.deerfielddetectors.com/

Wisconsin Area Clubs

The Kettle Moraine Prospectors of Wisconsin – We still meet in the Community Center in Plymouth, Wi.  on the second Saturday of the month, providing the church doesn't have something else on their schedule .- 1:00 PM Meetings  Contact: Chuck Riel – 414-328-3194 or visit wisgold.org/index.html

Midstate Metal Detecting Club – meets every 3^rd Wednesday at 7:00 pm at Shooters Bar and Restaurant at the intersection of Hwy 39 and 54, next to the Shell Station.  Contact: Steve Miller 715-572-1845

Wausau Prospectors – meets the 1^st Saturday of the month at 11:00 am at the Village Town Hall in Brokaw Wisconsin. Address is: 218 2^nd St., Brokaw, WI. Take US 51 north of Wausau and take exit 197. Then go east on county road WW. At the 4 way stop in Brokaw take a right. You are there (just past the Credit Union).  Contact:  Kurt Bublitz 715-340-2831 or e-mail lizzy101@charter.net

Wisconsin Michigan Prospectors.GPAA Chapter – holds their meetings on the 3^rd Saturday of every month at 11:00 am, at meeting location for the next few months at Newinghams Supper Club at 722 Main St. Wausaukee, WI 54177. Contact Ron Smith.  

MAY THERE BE GOLD IN EVERY PAN !!!!