All Articles
The Trapiches of Chile
October 2000 by Dr. Ralph E. Pray
In Chile, the trapiche (tra-peach-ee) method of milling gold ore began more than 400 years ago. The first trapiche, also known as a Chilean mill, was a stone wheel weighing two or three tons rotating on an axle.Silver Mining Returning to Texas
Today, a Canadian company is reviving the mine to take advantage of silver prices that have tripled since 2009, giving the few dozen residents still living in the area more action than they’ve seen in decades.
Ask the Experts
• What processing plant should I choose based on my ore type?
• How to select an area to start prospecting?
The Bawl Mill
• Cell phone tax is un-appealing
• Awkwardly dressed
• Would Mother approve?
Picks & Pans: Family's Identity Forged Working Nevada's Gold
My mother stands in the desert, a hot wind kicking up puffs in the sand around her feet. She’s staring hard at the rusted buckets, weathered boards and mine shafts scattered throughout the sagebrush, concentrating, and I can tell she’s not really here. Not here now, at least. She is here 65 years ago. And this is not a long-abandoned ghost town at the end of a dirt road in one of Nevada’s endless stretches of nowhere.
My Lucky Thirteen Nuggets
Even with my favorite top-of-the-line gold detector there were several false digs. Many of the hot rocks gave a solid signal that was too much like a nugget to ignore. After trying several tests I just dug everything because it is better to be safe than leave a big, deep nugget for a more diligent gold hunter.
A Primer on Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies
Some financial commentators have speculated that bitcoin and other virtual currencies have captured a portion of funds that would have been invested in gold. I find it a bit ironic that people who invest in precious metals would even consider another fiat currency.
Looking Back
Excerpts from CMJ published 50 years ago this month.
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The Bawl Mill
• A Word from the Editor
• Under the Guise of Environmental Protection—EPA Revealed
• The Centennial Lode and the Centennial Ridge District, Wyoming
• Company Notes
• Picks & Pans—In Search of Nome Creek Gold
• Massive Sulfide Deposits in Oregon
• Recreational Dredging on the South Yuba River
• Tales of Liberty Gold
• Drywashing Alluvial Placers
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
