May 2007 (Vol.76, No.9) $3.75
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Ask the Experts—Where can I find plans for a home-built suction dredge?
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. -
Ask The Experts—Can you help explain the ratings in Melman On Gold & Silver?
Q: I’m a fairly new subscriber. I enjoy Leonard’s financial column but his ratings at the end don’t seem to make sense. He will highlight problems with the economy but rate it “Positive.” Why is that? -
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Endangered Species Act update
• California Fish & Game tries yet another route to stop gold dredgers -
Recovering Values from Black Sands
Every placer miner has to deal with it in one form or another, and some locations have it far worse than others, but nearly every placer has at least some of it: black sand. It collects in our concentrates and gets in the way of recovering our fine gold. -
Typhoon Exploration—Junior Mining Company Moves Forward in Quebec
One of the mining world’s oldest sayings is, “If you want to find a new mine, look near an existing one.” Few areas have had a more prolific mining history and more present activity than the region of southwest Quebec... -
Kalgoorlie, Australia—Born of Gold
In June 1893, a wiry Irish prospector by the name of Paddy Hannon was prospecting the harsh, dry country east of Coolgardie in Western Australia. It was country that could suck the moisture from a man’s body in days... -
Colorado Court Rules on Cyanide Ban
The Colorado state Court of Appeals ruled that counties have the authority to ban the use of cyanide in gold mining. -
Selling Your Gold—Where To Start
I don’t know of any miner or prospector who really wants to sell their gold. But the income might be needed to keep the mine going, buy new equipment, take a vacation or put food on the table. Whatever the reason, where does a person start? -
The Business of Mines—Consider Your Tax Deductions Now
Uncle Sam, the not-so-silent partner of every miner, dredger and prospector is willing, using our tax laws, to help reduce out-of-pocket expenditures necessary to acquire business assets and property. In addition to the well-known depreciation deduction, however, the tax laws permit tax write-offs for other, less tangible business assets. The best time to explore and lock-in many of these overlooked and misunderstood deductions is now, well before the end of the tax year. -
Exploration, Development and Taxes
Further demonstrating the importance of seeking professional assistance and advice are the tax rules governing the expenses of a mining company. The tax treatment of mine exploration and mine development costs is confusing, complex and often overlooked or ignored—except by the ever-vigilant Internal Revenue Service. -
US v. Donald Eno—IBLA Rules in Favor of Miner
Don Eno, a long-time member and supporter of Public Lands for the People, won his case in front of the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA), defeating the Forest Service’s attempt to prevent him from mining on his placer claim. -
Miners Clean Washington Rivers and Streams
The Washington Department of Health has issued several warnings about mercury contamination in fish and shellfish. The small-scale mining community is the only group that is actively removing mercury and lead from the waterways of the State of Washington using the only economically feasible method available—with suction dredges and other small-scale mining equipment. -
Melman on Gold & Silver
It seems like we cannot get away from the major themes as each month we continue to receive important news on the same general categories such as housing, global warming, Iran, weakness in the US Dollar, etc. Unfortunately, if variety happens to be your cup of tea, the same categories have dominated the news once again. -
Looking Back
Excerpts from California Mining Journal, our original title, published 50 years ago this month.
