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Sam, the Tenderfoot Prospector
November 2005 by Chris Ralph
There were many thousands of tenderfoot, greenhorn prospectors that came out west in the 1860s and 70s. Some came to make their fortunes; some came to flee other problems back east; and some just came for the adventure. Probably every one had a tale to tell, but one of these adventurous individuals was a young man named Sam, and this is his true story.Our Readers Say
• Prospecting for Diamonds in Kimberlite by W. Dan Hausel
• Miners referring to their activity as “recreational”
Looking Back
Excerpts from California Mining Journal, our original title, published 50 years ago this month.
An Unusual Death in Downieville's Gold Rush
While women were extremely rare in the early California gold camps, their relative absence did not always guarantee their safety or protection if they happened to be of Mexican nationality. The most memorable, graphic example of this tendency took place in Downieville, seat of Sierra County located on a fork of the Yuba River.
That First Nugget
After getting all the gear together we headed up the old road that led us to an old ground sluice site. George and Kaleb were using lightweight VLF (very low frequency) detectors. I carried a newer technology unit that is just a tad coil-heavy in the front.
The Bawl Mill
• "Fast and Furious" investigation slowly moving forward
• EPA needs to be held accountable
Resurrecting An Old Hard Rock Mine—A Series of Small Victories
…we cheered and high-fived each other as the ore cart slowly crested the top of the headframe, then picked up a bit of speed on the short downhill section and came to an abrupt halt, ejecting its contents of ore…
CA Supreme Court Rules Against Rinehart - But There Is A Solution
Even if the California Supreme Court had ruled in favor of Rinehart, suction dredge miners would be facing the wrath of the State Water Resources Control Board...
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The Bawl Mill
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• Mining Companies Competing for Labor
• Placer Gold in Russia
• The Rampart Goldfields, Alaska
• Tales of California Gold Discoveries 3rd in a Series—Bloody Nick The Miner
• Company Notes
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• Metal-Mineral Identification Utilizing a Detector
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Looking Back
• Melman on Gold & Silver
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