February Newsletter 2013

 

Gold Fever !!!

Tomah Wisconsin GPAA Chapter – February, 2013

Welcome

Welcome back the 2013 GOLD FEVER Newsletter. The Tomah, Wisconsin GPAA Chapter newsletter is your newsletter, please let me know what you would like to see in it, we hope to bring you more information in the coming year.

I hope you enjoy the information and articles included in this newsletter. If you can receive this Newsletter by mail, by either attended a meeting, or sent a book of stamps for postage.

We are also always looking for speakers. If you have taken a trip or just have a story about somewhere, we would like to hear about it. You do NOT need to be an expert speaker; everyone likes to hear about what other members are doing.

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

www.huntforgems.com/gpaatomahwi/

President’s Message

We had a good meeting last January, Phil Oliver was a really interesting speaker and had lot of really neat agates to show. Things went good for the whole meeting then I tried to go home.

First stop was to Kwik Trip for gas, water light came on in the car as I got out I could see a trail of anti-freeze on the ground leading up to my car. I bought some more anti-freeze and began looking for a garage that was open on Saturday afternoon no such thing exists. Stopped at Wal-Mart but they don't do engine work, but they let me use their phone. Called several garages none were open. Bought some more anti-freeze and some duck tape going to see how far I can go. Got as far as the casino about 4 miles, light came back on, car was real hot. They wouldn't let me make any long distance call. Put in more anti-freeze and back to Tomah stopped at the Best Western Motel they were nice, let me make several call finally got a brother-in-law to come from Marshfield and pick me and Gayle up.

Was real windy by the time he got here, we saw a tumbleweed roll thru the gas station. Hwy 80 by Dexterville was closed a big pine had fallen across the road. We were able to sneak under it on our side but the semi on the other side was stuck there. It was snowing when we finally got home at 8:00pm. Car was brought home Tuesday. My brother-in-law Jim took my truck and a trailer down and brought it back. That used an entire tank of gas. Still not sure what is wrong with it hope is it is only a bad thermostat.

Well it was a nice meeting at least.　　　　　

See you at the meeting Mike Fait.

p.s. Hope Dean Race can get to the meeting with less trouble.

pp.s. Starter went out of the truck on Wednesday

 

Items for Sale:

Two Metal Detectors – Capt. Bob Minshall has 2 very nice Tesoro metal detectors for sale for $450 each. Contact Capt. Bob at (815)519-9323 for more information.

Tomah Gold Club t-shirts – with Gold Club emblem and created either with your personal name or without your name. Contact Mike Fait if you are interested.

Officers

President – Michael Fait (mgfait@charter.net) 715-384-9265

Vice-President – Gary Morrison 715-316-2160

Secretary – Diane North (dbnorth@centurytel.net) 608-635-7031

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

Outing Chairman – Richard Niemyjski (richnski@frontiernet.net) 608-637-3295

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

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

Upcoming Events

February 16, 2013 – Club Meeting at Town of LaGrange town hall – Dean Race will be the Guest Speaker. Dean Race will be here to talk about his mining claims in Alaska.

Feb23-24 - Echoes of the past-Historical trade show sat 9-5 sun 9-3 Sunnyview Expo Center,　 Winnebago fair grounds on Cny'Y" 1/2 mile E of hwy 76

March 2,3 - Klondike days Eagle River, Wi

March 23-24 - Greenbush Gold and Treasure Show at 375 Buffalo St. in Sheboygan Falls Wis.

At 10:00am-4:00 pm

April 5-7 - Morgan Monroe St. Forrest Martinsville ,Ind ( Greenbush outting)

April 26-28 spring time in Parrish (Wausau outing)

June 7-9 - Michigan outing to UP (Wausau outing)

June 15 - Nugget Lake outing

Aug 2-4 - Snyder park outing ( Wausau outing) Neillsville,Wi

August 24-25, 2013 – GPAA Gold and Treasure Expo in Winnebago county fairgrounds

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 500 west first st.　 Pecatonica,il　　　Moss hall

Wisconsin Area Clubs

Greenbush Wisconsin GPAA Chapter – holds their meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 3:00 pm in the Greenbush Town Hall, N644 Sugarbush Rd, Greenbush Wi. – Contact: Ron Smith 920-207-4092

Midstate Metal Detecting Club – meets every 3rd 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 1st Saturday of the month at 11:00 am in the community room at Cedar Creek Mall next to I-39 just north of Gander Mountain. Take I-39 exit 185. Contact: Kurt Bublitz 715-340-2831 or e-mail lizzy101@charter.net

Wisconsin Northwoods Adventures GPAA Chapter – holds their meetings on the 2nd Saturday of every month at 11:00 am, at B.S. on Main, 34 N Main St. Rice Lake, Wi. Contact: Mike Wiersma 715-833-7603

MAY THERE BE GOLD IN EVERY PAN !!!!

State Treasure - Wisconsin

By Anthony M. Belli
From page 52 of the October, 2012 issue of Lost Treasure
Copyright © 2012 Lost Treasure, Inc. all rights reserved

　

Stolen Gold & Silver
Specie Leads to Arrest of 22 Greedy Lawyers
MARINETTE COUNTY - This little-known Wisconsin treasure is still thought to be buried in the vicinity of Beaver in southwest Marinette County.
On October 16, 1924, Martha Battaglan was arrested in St. Paul, Minnesota, for felony theft of $11,200 in gold and silver specie, which she had stolen from her father, Gottleib Mattrick, when visiting his farm near Beaver, Wisconsin.
She was brought to trial in Marinette and pleaded guilty to larceny.
She was sentenced to five years in prison, an order which the judge immediately vacated, placing her on parole instead.
Six months after Martha’s arrest, on the night of Saturday April 25, 1925, deputies with the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office were summoned to the farm of Gottleib Mattrick.
Upon their arrival, they found a group of local farmers armed with shotguns had surrounded a party of 22 men that’d been caught prowling the Battaglan farm with flashlights.
Not only had the farmers arrested the 22 men, but they’d also put armed men to guard their cars discovered hidden nearby.
The men were caught with shovels digging about the premises when captured by Gottleib, his sons and neighbors.
The 22 men were arrested and all their vehicles were impounded by the Sheriff.
The Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation and concluded that all 22 men were attorneys and all had some connection to Martha Battaglan’s criminal case six months prior.
After Martha’s arrest in October, she confessed to the theft of her father’s money and informed police she had hidden the bulk of the treasure on her father’s property and had taken several thousand dollars home to her residence in Minneapolis.
Officers searching Martha’s residence did recover an undisclosed amount of the loot.
Meanwhile, officers were searching the Mattrick farm for the rest of it.
Martha stated she buried the balance of the treasure 20 feet in a line straight south from a tree stump on her father’s land.
Deputies located the stump and, by following her instructions, recovered another $3,000.
The total amount recovered by officers cannot accurately be set since law enforcement only told the media they’d recovered "several thousand dollars" from Martha’s Minneapolis home.
Local research may reveal the amount seized from Martha’s home as well as the location of the Mattrick Farm.
With the price of silver and gold today, the value of the cache would greatly exceed that of the face value of the coins.
The Tainter Treasure

Tomah Wisconsin GPAA Chapter Minutes for January, 2013

Old Business: The January Meeting was held at the Town Hall at the Town of Lagrange on Route #20 west of Tomah Wisconsin on January 19th. 23 Members attended the January meeting.

Phil Oliver came and demonstrated how to grade and price agates. He had members figuring out there own prices from the guide sheets he handed out and the agates he brought. Phil used to teach in college and it shows.

Perry Brown showed a high banker he assembled and has for sale.

Merlin Meyer showed his hand operated trommel

New Business :

February’s meeting will be on the 3rd Saturday of February on the 16th at 1:00 pm.

Guest speaker – The Guest speaker is someone that most everyone is familiar with, but he always brings new pictures and stories from the real "Frozen Tundra". Dean Race will be visiting us with all of his gear, supplies, and GOLD….

Stamp Donations: You are welcome to donate some if you have a few extra. Regular 1st Class stamps went up again in January, so the cost to send out the Newsletters is going up.

Donations to the raffle were from: Robert Wysocky,Mike Fait, Larry Bender,Perry Brown Steve Miller,Wayne Ellefson sr.and Larry and Diane Kollins Everyone is always so generous with their donations, with new and useful items that a lot of you have donated. We thank all of you.

Raffles:

50/50 raffle winner - Jeff Hastings

Gold raffle winners: Steve Miller, Dan Koehler, and Jeff Hastings

Again, we are always blessed with everyone that buys raffle tickets. Raffles are a lot of fun and the proceeds help the club continue to function. Between the Table raffle, Gold raffle, and 50/50 raffle – most everyone is guarantee to win something. Thank you.

Gold Price on 01/31/13 was $1662.40 – only 20 cents down from last month.

Silver Price on 01/31/13 was $31.38.

Respectfully submitted by Diane North – Secretary

Click on pictures to see it in full size