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Hidden Features in Venezuela
October 2003 by Edgar B. Heylmun, PhD
Venezuela is considerably larger than the state of Texas and is located on the north coast of South America. The capital city of Caracas (pop. 4 million) is some 2,135 miles south of New York City. Most of the population is in the northern half of the nation, with paved highways connecting the principal cities and towns. The Orinoco River flows through the southern and central parts of the country, and much of the travel into the interior is along that river and its tributaries.Additional articles that might interest you...
Underground Mining: Stoping Methods
October 2016
In an old mine that does not have stopes, you know the old miners did not take much if any ore out of that excavation. On the other hand, if you see large stopes within the mine you know that it is these places where the miners found profitable ore deposits within the vein.

Gold Mining Boom in the Carolinas
July 2012
Not too far from the pine-filled mountains, a young boy was exploring along Meadow Creek in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, one fine day in 1799. He discovered a beautiful rock that he took home and put to good use as a doorstop. Shortly thereafter, a jeweler stopped by to visit his folks, and as it turned out, the new doorstop was actually a 17-pound gold nugget. That nugget truly did open a door as it marked the beginning of the first gold rush in America.
Not too far from the pine-filled mountains, a young boy was exploring along Meadow Creek in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, one fine day in 1799. He discovered a beautiful rock that he took home and put to good use as a doorstop. Shortly thereafter, a jeweler stopped by to visit his folks, and as it turned out, the new doorstop was actually a 17-pound gold nugget. That nugget truly did open a door as it marked the beginning of the first gold rush in America.
The Mole
June 2012
My wife Dorothy has always enjoyed tent camping. She thought she was really roughing it at established campgrounds until I convinced her to take a trip with me to drywash for gold in a remote corner of an arid desert wilderness...

Ask the Experts—Where can I find plans for a home-built suction dredge?
May 2007
Q: Years ago I had plans for building a home-built suction dredge called the Spartan dredge. I really loved that dredge. I now have a 12-year-old son who wants to start mining. We wanted to build our own at home but I’ve lost the plans.
Q: Years ago I had plans for building a home-built suction dredge called the Spartan dredge. I really loved that dredge. I now have a 12-year-old son who wants to start mining. We wanted to build our own at home but I’ve lost the plans.
The Fence
October 2009
When I dropped the boulder into my son’s hand everyone spoke a single word in unison, “Wow!”

The History of Gold Mining in Sierra County
February 2010
There may be some truth to some of the fantastic claims. The Ruby Drift Mine near Forest City is where 159 nuggets were taken out between 1937 and 1942—a total of about 1,000 ounces with an estimated value of $1.5 million when gold was...

Natural Gold Alloys
March 2014
Natural gold is never 100% pure; all natural nuggets contain at least some impurities. We're going to take a look at just what some of those impurities might be.

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