July 2001 (Vol. 70, No. 11) $3.25
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The Bawl Mill
• Do as I say, not as I do...
• A poor investment... -
Our Readers Say
“...I appreciate the details on the economics of the operation.” -
Global Warming—The Press Gets it Wrong, Our Report Doesn't Support the Kyoto Treaty
The National Academy of Sciences released a report on climate change, prepared in response to a request from the White House, that was depicted in the press as an implicit endorsement of the Kyoto Protocol. -
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Roadless Rule temporarily halted by U.S. District Judge
• Republican defection
• Congressmen fight for National Monument changes
• 3809 rollback decision expected soon
• Yucca Mountain: Done deal or "dead?"
• Miners battle for their rights in southern Oregon -
Former Sunshine Miners Find Work in Montana
Like almost 200 other Silver Valley miners, Butch Dempsey used to work at the Sunshine Mine in Kellogg. But, along with dozens of the others, he now works for the Columbus, Montana-based Stillwater Mining Co., about 400 miles to the east... -
CMA Conference Summary
I recently attended two out of three days of the California Mining Association’s Annual Conference in Monterey, California, and found it well worth my time. -
Uranium Deposits
The first reported occurrence of uranium in the United States was at Central City, Colorado, in 1871. However, prior to 1922, the ore was mined for its radium content, not uranium. -
Washington Gold & Fish Update
Washington’s mineral prospecting regulations, adopted Jan. 1999, have indeed caused great chaos for those who enjoy the hobby and also those who were accustomed to making a living by operating larger (8”) dredges. The discussion within the miners’ network has not decreased; at best it is a slow simmer. -
Prospecting for Diamonds: Is It a Diamond or Crystal Quartz?
Prospectors typically stumble upon diamonds while searching for other minerals. -
Basic Information About Gold Detectors
For those who rarely nuggetshoot, or are thinking about doing a little occasional nugget hunting, to buy a specialized gold detector may not be financially practical. Fortunately, a coin shooter with do-all capabilities, while it may not be as sensitive to sub-grain flakes, is satisfactory for many nugget hunting situations, especially if a smaller accessory coil is used. -
Oil Seeps in Northern California
Indians used asphalt from oil seeps in California for caulking boats and other objects long before the white man arrived. Spaniards noted seeps as early as 1542, and the Portola expedition in 1769 used oil for wagon axles and as a fuel. Spaniards also used crude stills for obtaining lamp oil for use in the missions. -
Diamond Dealer Prevails in Congo
The one he’s rolling around in his fingers is nice—5.23 carats, nearly the size of a marble, pure and white. But the diamond that Alphonse Ngoyi Kasanji is talking about is the big one—the one that got taken away. -
Picks & Pans: The Gold Bullion Mine
It was here, so long ago that the Gold Bullion Mine once had a promising future. I could almost hear the old stamp mill still echoing out its rhythm, pounding rich gold ore into small pieces. -
Arizona's Border Silver Camps
Not much has changed along the original stage road that runs easterly from an old schoolhouse northeast of Nogales into the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona. Marked on the maps as Duquesne Road, the route has been in use for over 130 years, climbing from the hot desert floor to an almost 6,000-foot elevation pass before dropping back down the eastern slope of the mountains to reach the old mining camps of Washington, Duquesne, and Lochiel. -
The Stonewall Jackson Mine, San Diego County, California
For obvious reasons southern California is not known historically for its gold mines. Gold production was concentrated heavily in the Sierra Nevada foothills in the northern part of the state. However, the high mountainous region of eastern San Diego County was the site of a number of productive hardrock gold mines, notably in the late 19th century. -
Proposal Submitted for Lab at Homestake
Rapid City, S.D. (AP)—Scientists and a team of South Dakotans have submitted a $281 million, five-year plan to turn Homestake Mine in Lead into the world’s largest underground laboratory. -
Melman on Gold & Silver
Man O Man, if politics isn’t the strangest game! First, we had a Presidential election that wasn’t over the night it’s over, but instead dragged on for weeks on end before “Dubya” was declared the winner. Then we had the Senatorial contest in Washington that dragged on for more weeks before the Democratic candidate won that squeaker, reducing the Senate to a fifty-fifty proposition with the Republicans having a minuscule edge by virtue of the Vice President being of their party.