Gold Fever !!!
Tomah
Wisconsin GPAA Chapter January, 2015
Welcome
Welcome to the 2014 GOLD FEVER Newsletter.
Another year, another gold prospecting opportunity.
Do not forget the Newsletter and pictures can always be found at:
www.huntforgems.com/gpaatomahwi/
Presidents Message
I
would like to thank all of you that make it to the meetings and share your ideas
and experience with all those who do not get around or are just starting out
prospecting. The December meeting was a rehash of every ones trips thou out the
year. There were a lot of different kinds of prospecting spanning dry washing in
Arizona to dredging in Alaska and panning in Lake Superior. Sharing your stories
with us all made for an interesting afternoon.
It was decided that since we are going to S. Dakota in early June 5-7, that
going to Nugget Lake in the middle of June was too soon after the other trip. It
was decided to hold off on Nugget Lake until August 15. The June meeting will
either be at the Town of Lagrange hall or a metal detecting outing not all the
outings have been finalized yet.
Hope you have a happy new year Mike Fait
Upcoming Events
Jan 3, 2015 Wausau Prospector Meeting
Program: Finding diamonds in the Midwest.
Jan 17, 2015 - Tomah Club Meeting at Town of LaGrange Town Hall at 1:00 pm
Feb 7, 2015 Wausau Prospector Meeting Program:
Gold Prospecting in Alaska.
Feb 21, 2015 - Tomah Club Meeting at Town of LaGrange Town Hall at 1:00 pm
Program: Gold Prospecting in Alaska
Mar 7, 2015 Wausau Prospector Meeting NO MEETING Klondike Days in Eagle
River, Wi.
Mar 21, 2015 - Tomah Club Meeting at Town of LaGrange Town Hall at 1:00 pm
April 4, 2015 Wausau Prospector Meeting Program:
Gold Panning & Rock Collecting in South Dakota
April/May??? Tomah Club Spring Outing Metal Detecting Goose Island, Fishing
Camp.
Officers
President
Michael Fait (mgfait@charter.net)
715-384-9265
Vice-President Gary Morrison 715-316-2160
Secretary
Jeanne Morrison 715-316-2160
Newsletter
Editor - 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 Open
Tomah Wisconsin GPAA Chapter Minutes December, 2014
Old Business:
The December meeting was held at the Town Hall at the Town of Lagrange, 22731
Flint Ave. on Route #21 west of Tomah Wisconsin on December 20th,,
24 members and guests attended the December
meeting.
Thank you to
everyone that shared their summer trip stories.
There were stories about California, Alaska, Wisconsin, Colorado, and
South Dakota. We really get around
the country.
One of the
important messages that was brought forward by a couple of members, is to
contact members of the local Gold Clubs in the area that you are going to visit.
Many times they will help you find the best places to do you prospecting
and make new friends.
The joint
prospecting trip to South Dakota being planned for June 5, 6, & 7, 2015 with the
Wausau chapter, was discussed.
New
Business:
Januarys
meeting will be on the 3rd Saturday of January on the 17th
at 1:00 pm at the Town Hall at the Town of Lagrange, 22731 Flint Ave. on Route
#21 west of Tomah Wisconsin.
Please bring a dish to pass for lunch.
Planning for this summers outings will be discussed.
Raffles:
Donations to the raffle were from:
Larry Bender, Rita Dreier, Diane & Bill
North, Robert Wysocky, Wayne Ellison, Diane Collins, Steve Miller, and Val
Thompson - hope I didn't miss anyone.
Raffles:
50/50 raffle winner Merlyn Meyer
Gold raffle winners: Gold nugget David Ambrose, Pay Dirt Kim Mickelson,
Sapphire - John Schwingle
Door Prizes: Hams Earl Thompson &
Ron Rick
Gold
Price on 12/28/14 was $1,195.80 Silver
Price on 12/28/14 was $16.19
Respectfully submitted by Diane North
Newsletter Editor
MAY
THERE BE GOLD IN EVERY PAN !!!!
Diary of a 49er, Part I: July 4th, 1849, Salmon Falls, South Fork of the
American River
July 4th:
Here we are, at length, in the gold diggings. Seated around us, upon the ground,
beneath a large oak, are a group of wild Indians, from the tribe called the
"Diggers," so named from their living chiefly upon roots. These Indians are of
medium size, seldom more than five feet and eight or ten inches high; of a dark
complexion, with long black hair which comes down over the face. They weave a
basket of willow so closely as to hold water, in which they boil their mush,
made of acorns dried and pounded to a powder, or their flour, purchased at some
trading tent. They have brought us in some salmon, one of which weighs
twenty-nine pounds. These they spear with great dexterity, and exchange for
provisions, or clothing, and ornaments of bright colors.
We are surrounded on all sides by high, steep mountains, over which are
scattered the evergreen and white oak, and which are inhabited by the wolf and
bear. This will always be to us a memorable Fourth of July, as being our first
day at the California gold mines. We have spent the day in prospecting. This
term, as it designates a very important part of the business of mining, requires
explanation. I should first, however, give some description of the bar upon
which we are to labor. This lies on both sides the river, and is covered with
smooth, brassy-looking rocks, some of which weigh many tons. It is a little
higher than the water-level; but we find, as we dig down, that the water soon
begins to flow in, and must be "bailed out." This bar, or rather a succession of
bars, extends a distance of some miles up and down the river, over which the
water runs with surprising rapidity in the freshets, which are common during the
rainy reason, and break up and reduce the gold-bearing quartz, tearing it away
from its primitive bed, robbing it, in its course, of its virgin gold, and
breaking it down until it is at length deposited, in greater or less abundance,
within some crevice or some water-worn hollow, or beneath some rock so formed as
to receive it. These bars vary from a few feet to several hundred yards in
width. In order to find the deposits, the ground must be "prospected."
A spot is first selected, in the choice of which science has little and chance
everything to do. The stones and loose upper soil, as also the subsoil, almost
down to the primitive rock, are removed. Upon or near this rock most of the gold
is found ; and it is the object, in every mining operation, to reach this,
however great the labor, and even if it lies forty, eighty, or a hundred feet
beneath the surface. If, when this strata-belt of rock is attained, it is found
to present a smooth surface, it may as well be abandoned at once; if soft and
friable, or if seamed with crevices, running at angles with the river, the
prospect of the miner is favorable. Some of the dirt is then put into a pan, and
taken to the water, and washed out with great care. The miner stoops down by the
stream, choosing a place where there is the least current, and, dipping a
quantity of water into the pan with the dirt, stirs it about with his hands,
washing and throwing out the large pebbles, till the dirt is thoroughly wet.
More water is then taken into the pan, and the whole mass is well stirred and
shaken, and the top gravel thrown off with the fingers, while the gold, being
heavier, sinks deeper into the pan. It is then shaken about, more water being
continually added, and thrown off with a sideway motion, which carries with it
the dirt at the top, while the gold settles yet lower down. It must be often
stirred with the hands to prevent "baking," as the hardening of the mud at the
bottom is called. When the dirt is nearly washed out, great care is requisite to
prevent the lighter scales of gold from being washed out with the magnetic sand,
which is best done by pushing back the gold, and cleaning the sand from the edge
of the pan with the thumb. At length a ridge of gold scales, mixed with a little
sand, remains in the pan, from the quantity of which some estimate may be formed
of the richness of the place.
If there are five to eight grains, it is considered that "it will pay." If less
gold is found, the miner digs deeper or opens a new hole, till he finds a place
affording a good prospect. When this is done, he sets his cradle by the side of
the stream, in some convenient place, and proceeds to wash all the dirt. This is
aptly named prospecting and is the hardest part of a miner's business. Thus have
we been employed the whole of this day, digging one hole after another washing
out many test-pans hoping, at every new attempt, to find that which would
reward our toil, and we have made ten cents each.
TO BE CONTINUED:
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 Rice Lake
Regional Airport located west of Cameron and west of hwy53 on 19th St.,
Rice Lake, Wi. Contact: Mike
Wiersma 715-833-7603