At this point, stress raised my blood pressure and I was figuring out escape routes through the brush, but thought it best to continue the conversation.

“The evidence is clear—mineral deposits alone are not enough to attract precious commodity investment dollars...”

If the material drops down out of the hopper too fast, it can overwhelm the riffles and you can blow the gold right out. If it runs too slowly, the riffles can clog up and the process is too slow.

The first requirement is permission from a land owner. This can be tricky and it’s always a bit nerve-racking to approach a stranger cold with such a request.