7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 1/10

December 23rd, 2009 Published by: 1alp

Gold Prospecting Basics We hope you enjoy this little guide and have many  years of adventure and gold in every pan. Visit GoldNugget Prospecting to find open outings and meet other

prospectors.

Tip: Many prospectors discard the black san oncethey collect the gold from their labors. Did you know sometimes there is more money to be made from the

 black sand than from the few flakes or fines you may find some days. Check it out here: Money Fom Black Sand.

Prospecting for Gold in the

United States

 by Harold Kirkemo

 Anyone who pans for gold hopes to be rewarded by the glitterof colors in the fine material collected in the bottom of thepan. Although the exercise and outdoor activity experiencedin prospecting are rewarding, there are few thrills comparableto finding gold. Even an assay report showing an appreciablecontent of gold in a sample obtained from a lode deposit isexciting. The would-be prospector hoping for financial gain,however, should carefully consider all the pertinent facts

 before deciding on a prospecting venture.Only a few prospectors among the many thousands who

searched the western part of the United States ever founda valuable deposit. Most of the gold mining districts inthe West were located by pioneers, many of whom wereexperienced gold miners from the southern Appalachianregion, but even in colonial times only a small proportionof the gold seekers were successful. Over the past severalcenturies the country has been thoroughly searched by prospectors. During the depression of the 1930's, prospectorssearched the better known gold-producing areas throughoutthe Nation, especially in the West, and the little-knownareas as well. The results of their activities have never beenfully documented, but incomplete records indicate that anextremely small percentage of the total number of active

prospectors supported themselv es by gold mining. Of thefew significant discoveries reported, nearly all were made by prospectors of long experience who were familiar with theregions in which they were working.

The lack of outstanding success in spite of the great increase inprospecting during the depression in the 1930's confirms theopinion of those most familiar with the occurrence of gold andthe development of gold mining districts that the best chancesof success lie in systematic studies of known productive areasrather than in efforts to discover gold in hitherto unproductiveareas. The development of new, highly sensitive, and relatively inexpensive methods of detecting gold, however, has greatly 

increased the possibility of discovering gold deposits whicare too low grade to have been recognized earlier by thprospector using only a gold pan. These may be larenough to be exploited by modern mining and metallurgic

techniques. The Carlin mine near Carlin, Nev., is producingold from a large low-grade deposit that was opened 1965 after intensive scientific and technical work had becompleted. Similar investigations have led to the more recediscovery of a Carlin-type gold deposit in Jerritt Canyon, Ne

Many believe that it is possible to make wages or bett by panning gold in the streams of the West, particularly regions where placer mining formerly flourished. Howevemost placer deposits have been thoroughly reworked at leatwice--first by Chinese laborers, who arrived soon after thinitial boom periods and recovered gold from the lower gradeposits and tailings left by the first miners, and later b

itinerant miners during the 1930's. Geologists and enginee who systematically investigate remote parts of the country finsmall placer diggings and old prospect pits whose numband wide distribution imply few, if any, recognizable surfaindications of metal-bearing deposits were overlooked by thearlier miners and prospectors.

One who contemplates prospecting for gold should realize tha successful venture does not necessarily mean large profieven if the discovery is developed into a producing min

 Although the price of gold has increased significantly sin1967 when the fixed price of $35 an ounce was terminated, thincreases in the cost of virtually every supply and service ite

needed in prospecting and mining ventures have kept promargins at moderate levels, particularly for the small minoperator. In general, wide fluctuations in the price of goare not uncommon, whereas inflationary pressures are mopersistent. The producer of gold, therefore, faces uncertaeconomic problems and should be aware of their effects on hoperation.

Today's prospector must determine where prospecting permitted and be aware of the regulations under which he allowed to search for gold and other metals. Permission enter upon privately owned land must be obtained from thland owner. Determination of land ownership and locatioand contact with the owner can be a time-consuming chore b

one which has to be done before prospecting can begin.

Determination of the location and extent of public lands opeto mineral entry for prospecting and mining purposes alis a time consuming but necessary requirement. Nationparks, for example, are closed to prospecting. Certain lanunder the jurisdiction of the Forest Service and the Bureau Land Management may be entered for prospecting, but sets rules and regulations govern entry. The following statemefrom a pamphlet issued in 1978 by the U.S. Department the Interior and entitled "Staking a mining claim on FederLands" responds to the question "Where May I Prospect?"

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 2/10

December 23rd, 2009 Published by: 1alp

There are still areas where you may prospect, and if a discovery of a valuable, locatable mineral ismade, you may stake a claim. These areas aremainly in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi,

 Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington,and Wyoming. Such areas are mainly unreserved,unappropriated Federal public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the

U.S. Department of the Interior and in national  forests administered by the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Public land records in the proper BLM State Office will show you which landsare closed to mineral entry under the mining laws.These offices keep up-to-date land status plats that are available to the public for inspection. BLM is

 publishing a series of surface and mineral ownershipmaps that depict the general ownership pattern of 

 public lands. These maps may be purchased at most  BLM Offices. For a specific tract of land, it is advisableto check the official land records at the proper BLM 

 State Office.

Successful gold mining under present conditions is a large-scale operation, utilizing costly and sophisticated machinery capable of handling many tons of low-grade ore each day.The grizzled prospector with a burro is no longer a significantparticipant in the search for mineral deposits, and thesmall producer accounts for only a minor share of the totalproduction of metals including gold.

Some degree of success in finding gold still remains forthose choosing favorable areas after a careful study of miningrecords and the geology of the mining districts. Seriousprospecting should not be attempted by anyone withoutsufficient capital to support a long and possibly discouragingcampaign of preliminary work. The prospective gold seekermust have ample funds to travel to and from the region heselects to prospect and to support the venture. He must beprepared to undergo physical hardships, possess a car capableof traveling the roughest and steepest roads, and not bediscouraged by repeated disappointments. Even if a discovery of value is not found, the venture will have been interestingand challenging.

Locations of important gold-producing districts of the UnitedStates are shown in some of the reports of the GeologicalSurvey listed at the back of this pamphlet. Geological agenciesof the principal gold-producing States where additional

information may be obtained also are listed. Information may  be obtained, too, from U.S. Bureau of Mines State Liaisonoffices located in the capital cities of most States.

Placer Deposits

 A placer deposit is a concentration of a natural material thathas accumulated in unconsolidated sediments of a stream

 bed, beach, or residual deposit. Gold derived by weatheringor other process from lode deposits is likely to accumulatein placer deposits because of its weight and resistance tocorrosion. In addition, its characteristically sun-yellow colormakes it easily and quickly recognizable even in very small

quantities. The gold pan or miner's pan is a shallow sheet-iro vessel with sloping sides and flat bottom used to wash gol bearing gravel or other material containing heavy mineraThe process of washing material in a pan, referred to "panning," is the simplest and most commonly used and leaexpensive method for a prospector to separate gold from thsilt, sand, and gravel of the stream deposits. It is a tediou

 back-breaking job and only with practice does one becomproficient in the operation.Many placer districts in California have been mined on

large scale as recently as the mid-1950's. Streams draining thrich Mother Lode region--the Feather, Mokelumne, AmericaCosumnes, Calaveras, and Yuba Rivers--and the TriniRiver in northern California have concentrated considerabquantities of gold in gravels. In addition, placers associat

 with gravels that are stream remnants from an older erosiocycle occur in the same general area.

Much of the gold produced in Alaska was mined from placerThese deposits are widespread, occurring along many of thmajor rivers and their tributaries. Some ocean beach sanalso have been productive. The principal placer-mining regiohas been the Yukon River basin which crosses central Alask

Dredging operations in the Fairbanks district have been thmost productive in the State. Beach deposits in the Nomdistrict in the south-central part of the Seward Peninsula ransecond among productive placer deposits of Alaska. Othhighly productive placers have been found in the draina

 basin of the Copper River and of the Kuskokwim River.

In Montana, the principal placer-mining districts are in thsouthwestern part of the State. The most productive placdeposit in the State was at Alder Gulch near Virginia Ciin Madison County. Other important placer localities are othe Missouri River in the Helena mining district. The famouLast Chance Gulch is the site of the city of Helena. There amany districts farther south on the headwaters and tributariof the Missouri River, especially in Madison County whiranks third in total gold production in the State. Gold h

 been produced at many places on the headwaters of the ClaFork of the Columbia River, particularly in the vicinity Butte. Placer production from the Butte district, however, h

 been over-shadowed by the total output of byproduct gorecovered from the mining of lode deposits of copper, leaand zinc.

Idaho was once a leading placer-mining State. One of the chidredging areas is in the Boise Basin, a few miles northeaof Boise, in the west-central part of the State. Other placdeposits are located along the Salmon River and on th

Clearwater River and its tributaries, particularly at Elk CitPierce, and Orofino. Extremely fine-grained (or "flour") gooccurs in sand deposits along the Snake River in southeIdaho. Placers in Colorado have been mined in the Fairpldistrict in Park County, and in the Breckenridge district Summit County. In both areas large dredges were used durinthe peak activity in the 1930's.

The most important mining regions of Oregon are in thnortheastern part of the State where both lode and placgold have been found. Placer gold occurs in many streamthat drain the Blue and Wallowa Mountains. One of the moproductive placer districts in this area is in the vicinity

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 3/10

December 23rd, 2009 Published by: 1alp

Sumpter, on the upper Powder River. The Burnt River andits tributaries have yielded gold. Farther to the west, placermining (particularly dredging) has been carried on for many 

 years in the John Day River valley.

In southwestern Oregon, tributaries of the Rogue River andneighboring streams in the Klamath Mountains have beensources of placer gold. Among the main producing districts inthis region are the Greenback district in Josephine County andthe Applegate district in Jackson County.

Minor amounts of placer gold have been produced in SouthDakota (the Black Hills region, particularly in the Deadwoodarea, and on French Creek, near Custer) and in Washington(on the Columbia and Snake Rivers and their tributaries).

In addition to these localities, placer gold occurs along many of the intermittent and ephemeral streams of arid regionsin Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and southern California.In many of these places a large reserve of low-grade placergold may exist, but the lack of a permanent water supply for conventional placer mining operations requires the use of expensive dry or semidry concentrating methods to recoverthe gold.

In the eastern States, limited amounts of gold have been washed from some streams draining the eastern slope of the southern Appalachian region in Maryland, Virginia,North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Many saprolite (disintegrated somewhat decomposed rock that liesin its original place) deposits in this general region also have

 been mined by placer methods. Small quantities of gold have been mined by placer methods in some New England States. Additional placer deposits may be discovered in the East, butprospecting will require substantial expenditures of time andmoney. The deposits probably will be low grade, difficult torecognize, and costly to explore and sample. Moreover, mostof the land in the East is privately owned, and prospecting can

 be done only with the prior permission and agreement of theland owner.

Lode Gold

Lode gold occurs within the solid rock in which it wasdeposited. Areas likely to contain valuable lode deposits of gold have been explored so thoroughly that the inexperiencedprospector without ample capital has little chance of discovering a new lode worth developing. Most futurediscoveries of workable lode gold ore probably will result fromcontinued investigations in areas known to be productive inthe past. The districts in which such new discoveries of gold

may be possible are too numerous to be listed in detail inthis pamphlet. Some of the famous districts are: in California,the Alleghany, Sierra City, Grass Valley, and Nevada City districts, and the Mother Lode belt; in Colorado, the CrippleCreek, Telluride, Silverton, and Ouray districts; in Nevada, theGoldfield, Tonopah, and Comstock districts; in South Dakota,the Lead district in the Black Hills; and in Alaska, the Juneauand Fairbanks districts. Deposits in these districts generally are gold-quartz lodes.Prospecting for lode deposits of gold is not the relatively simple task it once was because most outcrops or exposures of mineralized rock have been examined and sampled. Today'sprospector must examine not only these exposures, but also

 broken rock on mine dumps and exposures of mineralizrock in accessible mine workings. Gold, if present, may not b

 visible in the rock, and detection will depend on the resuof laboratory analyses. Usually, samples of 3 to 5 pounds representative mineralized rock will be sent to a commercianalytical laboratory or assay office for assay. Obviouslknowledge about the geological nature of gold deposits anparticularly of the rocks and deposits in the area of intere

 will aid the prospector.

There are many publications of interest to those seeking moinformation about gold. The following list is representativ

 Anyone contemplating a prospecting venture or mininoperation should consult some or all of these and othpublications as well to become better informed on thfascinating and challenging subject. Many papers, maps, anarticles on gold and related heavy metals were publisheon the results of investigations conducted in the mid- late-1960's by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureaof Mines. Titles and instructions for ordering many of theappear in the publication catalogs of each agency. Some ma

 be out of print but may be consulted in libraries of the twagencies, and in many city, college, and university libraries.

Selected References on Gold

• Cobb, E. H., 1984, Lode gold and silver occurrences  Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resource MaMR-84, scale 1:2,500,000.

•  _____, 1984, Placer gold occurrences in Alaska: UGeological Survey Mineral Resource Map, MR-83, sca1:2,500,000.

• Jones, Robert S., and Fleischer, Michael, 1969, Goin minerals and the composition of native gold: U.Geological Survey Circular 612. 17 p.

•

Koschmann, A. H., and Bergendahl, M. H., 1962, Gold the United States, exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii: U.Geological Survey Mineral Resource Map, MR-24, sca1:3,168.000.

•  _____, 1968, Principal gold-producing districts of thUnited States: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Pap610, 283 p.

• Ransom, Jay Ellis, 1975, The gold hunter's fieldbooNew York, Harper & Row, 367 p.

• Simons, Frank S., and Prinz, William C., 1973, Gold United States Mineral Resources: U.S. Geological SurvProfessional Paper 820, p. 263-275.

• Theobald, Paul K., Jr., 1957, The gold pan as quantitative geologic tool: U.S. Geological SurvBulletin 1071-A. 54 p.

• U.S. Bureau of Land Management, 1977, Patentina mining claim on Federal lands: U.S. GovernmePrinting Office, 21 p.

•  _____, 1978, Staking a mining claim on Federal landU.S. Government Printing Office, 18 p.

• U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1967, Production potential known gold deposits in the United States: U.S. Bureau Mines Information Circular 8331, 24 p.

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 4/10

December 23rd, 2009 Published by: 1alp

• U.S. Forest Service, 1971, Mining and mining claimsin National Forest Wildernesses: U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 19 p.

•  _____, 1975, Mining in National Forests: CurrentInformation Report No. 14, U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture, 20 p.

• U.S. Geological Survey, 1978, Suggestions forprospecting: pamphlet, 24 p.

•  ____, 1979, Gold: pamphlet, 24 p.

•  Ward, F. N., Nakagawa, H. M., Harms, T. F., and VanSickle, G. H., 1969, Atomic-absorption methodsof analysis useful in geochemical exploration: U.S.Geological Survey Bulletin 1289, 45 p.

•  Wells, John H., 1969, Placer examination-principles andpractice: U.S. Bureau of Land Management TechnicalBulletin 4, 209 p.

•  West, J. M., 1971, How to mine and prospect for gold:U.S. Bureau of Mines, Information Circular 8517. 43 p.

•  ____, 1980, Gold in Mineral facts and problems: U.S.Bureau of Mines Bulletin 671, p. 367-381.

•  Wise, Edmund M., 1964, Gold, recovery, properties, andapplications: New York, D. Van Nostrand, 367 p.

* U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1991-287-748

This publication is one of a series of general interestpublications prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey to provideinformation about the earth sciences, natural resources, andthe environment. To obtain a catalog of additional titles inthe series "General Interest Publications of the U.S. GeologicalSurvey," write:

U.S. Geological Survey Information Services

 P.O. Box 25286

 Denver, CO 80225 

 VIEW a list of other USGS General Interest Publications

Gold prospecting

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gold pan

Gold prospecting is the act of searching for new gold deposits.Methods used vary with the type of deposit sought and

the resources of the prospector. Although traditionally commercial activity, in some developed countries placer goprospecting has also become a popular outdoor recreation.

Prospecting for placer goldProspecting for placer gold is traditionally done with a gopan or similar instrument to wash free gold particles fro

loose surface sediment.1 The use of gold pans is centuries ol but is still common among prospectors and miners with litt

financial backing.Deeper placer deposits may be sampled by trenching

drilling.2 Geophysical methods such as seismic, gravity magnetics may be used to locate buried river channels th

are likely locations for placer gold.3 Sampling and assayina placer gold deposit to determine its economic viability

subject to many pitfalls.4

Once placer gold is discovered, the gold pan is usually replac by sluices or mechanical devices to wash greater volumof material. Discovery of placer gold has often resulted discovery of lode gold deposits when the placers are traced

their sources.

Prospecting for hardrock gol

depositsProspectors for hardrock, or lode gold deposits, can use mantools. It is done at the simplest level by surface examinatioof rock outcrops, looking for exposures of mineral  veinhydrothermal alteration, or rock types known to host godeposits. Field tools may be nothing more than a rock hammand hand lens.

Hardrock gold deposits are more varied in mineraloand geology than placer deposits, and prospecting metho

can be very different for different types of deposits. A with placer gold, the sophistication of methods used prospect for hardrock gold vary with the financial resourcof the prospector. Drilling is often used to explore thsubsurface. Surface geophysical methods may be used locate geophysical anomalies associated with gold depositSamples of rocks or soil may be collected for geochemiclaboratory assay, to determine metal content or dete

geochemical anomalies.5 Hardrock gold particles may be tosmall to see, even with a microscope.

Most gold today is produced in large open-pit and deeunderground mines. However, small-scale gold mining is st

common, especially in third-world countries.

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 5/10

December 23rd, 2009 Published by: 1alp

Recreational prospecting

 Alaska Gold Nugget, Blue Ribbon Mine, Alaska

 Alaska Gold Nuggets in goldpan, Blue Ribbon Mine, Alaska

Old workings in a drywash in southern Arizona.

This 156 ounce (4.8 kg) nugget was found by an invidividual prospectorin the Southern California Desert using a metal detector.

see main article: Recreational gold mining

Small-scale recreational prospecting for placer gold has beenseen in many parts of the world including New Zealand(especially in Otago),  Australia, South Africa,  Wales (at

Dolaucothi and in Gwynedd), in Canada and in the UnitStates especially in western states but also elsewhere.

See also

References

1. ^ J.M. West (1971) How to Mine and Prospect for PlacGold , US Bureau of Mines, Information Circular 8517.

2. ^ J.G. Stone and others, "Using diamond drillin

to evaluate a placer deposit: a case study,"  Minin Engineering, September 1988, p.875-880.

3. ^ Scott A. Stebbins (1987) Cost Estimation Handboo for Small Placer Mines, US Bureau of MineInformation Circular 9170.

4.  ̂Placer Examination Principles and Practice (n.d.) UBureau of Land Management, Technical Bulletin 4.

5. ^ R.P. Fischer and F.S. Fisher (1968)  Interpretin Pan-Concentrate Analyses of Stream Sediments Geochemical Exploration for Gold , US GeologicSurvey, Circular 592.

External links

Gold Prospecting BasicsBy Designated Author on December 12th, 2009

Useful information for the new prospector. Please post youcomments and suggestions. What is your favorite mining tooLet's share experiences and tips.

How To Mine And Prospect For Placer Gold

By: J.M. WestBureau of Mines Publication - Information Circular 8517

Equipping Yourself 

Camping and outdoor recreation in general have become popular that many commercial sources of equipment aninformation are now available. Some stores appeal to th

 budget-minded, while others, such as the specialty shofor camping supplies, have a wider selection of usualmore durable products. Books on camping are availabat the library, and reliable merchants will recommend thequipment best suited for a particular use. Many of thcomforts of home can be found in the ordinary camp toda

Backpacking has benefited from developments in lightweigmaterials and foods. The amounts and types of goods anequipment selected will depend on the remoteness of yolocation and accessibility of a resupply point. The prospectmight wish to travel with a mobile home, trailer, or campeor he might simply pack his gear on his back and head up thtrail. A few suggestions are in order here, but the individumust do much of his own planning, since requirements antastes vary so greatly.

Basic Equipment

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 6/10

December 23rd, 2009 Published by: 1alp

 Among the essential implements needed for prospecting are apick; a long-handled, round-pointed shovel; and a gold pan,preferably a 10- or 12-inch-diameter pan which can usually 

 be purchased at hardware stores in gold-mining areas. A small prospector's pick is also useful, and a magnet and asmall amount of mercury should be carried to separate thegold from black sand after panning. Specialty stores andmanufacturers can provide the more elaborate equipment,such as skindiving gear, ready-built sluices, and mechanicalgold separation devices, if desired.

In some cases, a bucket or wheelbarrow may be needed totransport materials to the washing site, and in addition, aheavy 1/4- to 1/2-inch-mesh screen is handy to separate outcoarse materials. A small screen cut to nest in the upper partof a gold pan can be useful for the same purpose in panning.

 A gold pan the same size as the one used for panning willmake a most efficient nesting screen if a close pattern of holes is drilled in the bottom. Holes usually should be 1/4 to3/8 inch in diameter, depending on the average size of thematerial being sampled. Distance between holes should beabout the same as the diameter of the holes. In some areas

these pans can be purchased readymade. For weighing gold, asmall balance scale graduated in milligrams may be desirable.

 A compact, folding type of balance is available for this purpose.

 A compass will be needed for establishing claim lines andfor finding your way out of the woods if lost. Adequatemaps should be carried. A hand magnifying lens is helpfulin identifying minerals. Bags may be needed to carry outsamples; plastic bags are the best because samples may 

 be damp. A rocker may be transported to the site eitherassembled or in a knocked-down condition. If mining isplanned, lumber and other materials to build a sluice may be

carried to the site. (See construction details under respectiveheadings.) More elaborate equipment such as pumps, pipes,hoses, and light plants might be taken in by pack animals if desired.

Personal gear includes a good pair of boots, sturdy clothing, weatherproof gear, sleeping bag, tent, and such other things asone might want for comfort and sanitation. A foam pad or airmattress adds comfort to sleeping. A length of rope is usefulfor many purposes around camp, from raising the food outof reach of animals to extracting a car from a mudhole. Forhiking, all necessary equipment for the period away from campshould fit into a manageable backpack of some kind.

 An ax, a flashlight, a knife, and matches are almostindispensable. (Fires in the National Forest should be madeonly in designated areas or after consulting the local forestranger.) A water bucket is often required, and a good crosscutsaw will be found useful. Guns and fishing equipment can

 be taken to supplement the food supply and to providesome additional recreation. Guns are seldom necessary forprotection from animals. A canteen with a 2-quart or largercapacity is advisable in many areas, depending on dryness of 

the climate. You will need water-purification tablets whestreams are contaminated, whether by grazing stock or fother reasons. A miner's lamp, which consumes calciucarbide, is sold at some hardware stores and can be used fa serviceable light, although most people when away froelectricity prefer gasoline or propane lamps. A carbide lam

 will also be useful for any underground work. The specminer's safety lamp is recommended wherever air may be baStoves that burn gasoline or pressurized gas are in wide uin camping and even gas refrigerators may be taken along "

cool the beer." (For low-budget operations, a swift-runninstream will serve this same purpose well.) For any length time in the field, an oven for baking is a valuable amenity. reflector oven for use next to a campfire can be made of ligsheet metal and will give excellent results, also serving asplace to keep food warm.

Supplies

Freeze-dried foods are generally good and easy to carand prepare, although somewhat more expensive thamost other foods. For estimating pack weights, about

pounds of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods is needed pperson per day. Canned foods should be avoided whe backpacking because of their weight, but they are otherwisatisfactory. Disposal of empty containers should be don

 with consideration to others who may follow and wish uncluttered landscape; burial is usually recommended.

Suggested food supplies for a prospector's camp include thfollowing: bacon, beans, cheese, salt, baking powder and sodcoffee, tea, onions, potatoes, fruits, corn. peas. raisins, ricflour, crackers, cereals, butter or margarine, powdered mileggs, pancake and waffle mix, sugar, syrup, and fresh me

and vegetables as practicable. Many other items can be addto the list, but these are most of the basics. Utensils shouinclude a variety of dishes, silverware, a sharp knife, spatulcan opener, frying pan, coffee pot, and several different sizof pots and pans. Towels, both paper and cloth, soap, scourinpads, and metal or plastic tubs or basins will be needed fcleaning up.

Extra clothing should be included in your supplies for warmand for changes. Mosquito netting may be a virtual necessity some areas, and adequate amounts of a good insect repelleshould be packed.

Probably the most troublesome and at times the greatehazard in the wilds today is the bear. People may argue whitype of bear has the meanest temperament, but any type mleave your camp a shambles when in search of food, anunder certain circumstances any bear will attack a persoPlacing food out of reach or in a secure container will hereduce the attraction. Fortunately, most bears will turn anrun when frightened by loud noises. Other wild animals aseldom dangerous except when provoked, but smaller onsuch as packrats can inflict considerable damage on camp geand foodstuffs. Poisonous snakes, spiders, ticks, scorpion

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 7/10

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 8/10

December 23rd, 2009 Published by: 1alp

 washing sluice concentrates and material cleaned by handfrom bedrock in other placer operations.

One to three cubic yards, bank measure, can be dug and washed in a rocker per man-shift, depending upon thedistance the gravel or water has to be carried, the characterof the gravel, and the size of the rocker. Rockers usually arehomemade and have a variety of designs. A favorite designin the Western States consists essentially of a combination

 washing box and screen, a canvas or carpet apron under thescreen, a short sluice with two or more riffles, and rockersunder the sluice. The bottom of the washing box consistsof sheet metal with holes about one half inch in diameterpunched in it. A rocker in use at Greatervllle, Arlz., was 3feet 4 inches long and 1 foot 9 inches wide on the inside andhad a slope of 5 inches. The screen box was 6 inches deepand 20 inches square inside and had a bottom of sheet iron

 with 1/4- to 1/2- inch holes punched about 2 inches apart.The baffle was 28 inches long and consisted of a piece of canvas. A single riffle 3/4 inch high was used at the end of therocker. Figure 3 is a drawing of a prospector's rocker made by 

 W. B. Young of Tucson, Ariz. The bottom of a rocker should be made of a single wide board, if one can be obtained, and

planed smooth. This will greatly facilitate cleanups. The costof building rockers ranges from $5 to $15, depending mainly upon the cost of lumber.

 After being dampened the gravel is placed in the box l or2 shovelfuls at a time. Water is then poured on the gravel

 while the rocker is swayed back and forth. The water usually isdipped up in a long-handled dipper made by nailing a tin canto the end of a stick. A small stream from a pipe or hose may beused if available. The gravel is washed clean in the box and theoversize inspected for nuggets and dumped out. The undersizegoes over the apron, where most of the gold is caught. Careshould be taken that too much water is not poured on at onetime, as some of the gold may be flushed out. The riffles stopany gold that gets over the apron. In regular mining work therocker is cleaned up after every 2 or 3 hours, or oftener whenrich ground is worked, if gold begins to show on the apronor in the riffles. In cleaning up after a run, water is pouredthrough while the washer is gently rocked; the top sand anddirt are washed away. Then the apron is dumped into a pan.The material back of the riffles in the sluice is taken up by aflat scoop, placed at the head of the sluice, and washed downgently once or twice with clear water. The gold remains behindon the boards, whence it is scraped up and put into the pan

 with the concentrate from the apron. The few colors left in thesluice are caught with the next run. The concentrate is cleaned

in the pan. With skillful manipulation of the rocker and a careful clean-up nearly all the gold is recovered. Violent rocking is avoidedso that gold will not splash out of the apron or over the riffles.The sand behind the riffles should be stirred occasionally, if itshows a tendency to pack hard, to prevent loss of gold. If thegravel is very clayey it may be necessary to soak it for somehours in a tub of water before rocking it.

 When water is scarce two small reservoirs are constructed, onein front and the other in the rear of the rocker. The reservoirat the front serves as a settling basin; the overflow goes to theone at the rear where the water is used over again.

Power rockers,- The capacity of rockers may be increased busing power drives. The use of such a machine was illustrat

 by the operation Of George Graves in the Lynn district, EureCounty, Nev., during the summer of 1932. The rocker was 4inches long, 27 inches wide at the top, and 21 inches wide at th

 bottom. It was 24 inches high in front and 21 inches at the reaThe screen had 5/8-inch round holes. The gold was caught othree aprons of canvas and wood. Riffles of 1/2- by 1/4-in

 wooden strips were used on the aprons. The undersize frothe screen passed over each apron in turn. Nearly all the go

 was caught on the first apron. The slope of the aprons wasinches to the foot.

The device was rocked by an eccentric arm at the rate of for6-inch strokes per minute. The capacity of the machine witwo men working was 1 cubic yard per hour. Where gravel wfree of clay the capacity was said to be as great as 3 cubic yarper hour. The cost of the rocker and the engine for driving

 was $160. At $4 per 8-hour shift and 1 cubic yard per hour thlabor cost of washing the gravel would be $1 per cubic yard

 A number of small machines patterned more or less after thpower rocker are on the market. They usually are built iron or steel and driven by small gasoline engines. Althoug

of various designs they generally consist of a trommel orshaking screen to remove coarse material, a short shakinsluice to save the gold, and a pump to circulate the wateSome of them contain a settling tank from which the solids aremoved by a rake or drag. These machines have an advertisecapacity of 1/2 to 2 1/2 cubic yards per hour and cost $225 $700. No operating data are available.

Plans page 2 of 2

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 9/10

December 23rd, 2009 Published by: 1alp

7/27/2019 Gold Prospecting Basics

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/gold-prospecting-basics 10/10

More Resources:

Master Prospector and Treasure Hunter Stan Grist has written many

excellent books to further your success in the field including:

Check out his complete works here.

Prospectors often pull the color out of the pan and discard the remaining

black sands. They are throwing away money. Learn how to cash in on your black 

sands.

Money From Black Sand

More historical books are available in digital PDF format at:

http://goldnuggetprospecting.com