One of the coolest things about gold prospecting is the dream of stumbling across a fortune that has been overlooked by others for hundreds of years. It doesn’t happen often but now and then you will read an article or see a news cast about some lucky stiff who has found a huge gold nugget or some other long lost treasure and you only wish that you could have your own Eureka! moment.
Explorers are always searching for the lost treasures of sunken ships, pirate booty and of course gold mines. Tales of lost gold mines are as common and exciting as the tales of pirates roaming the high seas. In every state of the union there are seemingly endless stories of lost mines and Treasure Hunting Books that go with them.
One of the most famous and sought after mines in American history is the Lost Dutchman Mine. It is named after Jacob Waltz who was actually a German immigrant. Said to be located in the Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix, Arizona, it is reported that each year about 8,000 people still try to find it. Of course no one can be sure that it is even located in Arizona but one thing that cannot be disputed is the belief that it does exist.
Another great story involves a man named Walter Scott (Scotty). In the early 1900’s, Walter Scott, suffering from illness, decided to move to Death Valley, California in an effort to improve his health. There he convinced his friend, Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson to invest in his gold mine and to help him build Scotty’s Castle. Legend has it that somewhere nearby is a fortune in gold that was hidden by Scotty long ago. At least if you decide to search for this treasure, you won’t be completely disappointed. The tour of the castle is amazing and something to be remembered.
One of the most entertaining stories has to be about the Lost Pegleg Mine. Thomas L. Smith, brother of the famous frontiersman Jedediah Smith, was really nothing more than a horse thief and con man. There are different accounts as to how he acquired the nickname “Pegleg” including losing his leg as the result of a gunfight, an Indian arrow, or that he broke it when falling from his horse. But as luck would have it, one day on the way to Los Angeles to trade furs, he stumbled across an unusual sight. On his trek through the desert in an area that is now believed to be near the Salton Sea, he found some odd looking pebbles that appeared to have some value. He stuck them in his pocket and continued on.
After reaching Los Angeles and indulging in his favorite libation, he began thinking about the pebbles he had found. Curious, he took them to an assayer who informed Pegleg that these were gold nuggets which had been encrusted with a black varnish. Pegleg was ecstatic and soon would set out to rediscover his treasure. He would never find it again and so the legend continues.
These stories coupled with the continuing rise in the price of gold, compel many people to begin their journey in seeking fortune and fame.
Many start out with just a shovel, pick and a pan but as the gold fever escalates, so do the tools. For those who are partial to rivers and streams, there are sluice boxes and even dredgers. For the desert rats, there are drywashers and Metal Detectors. No matter what your choice in tools, it is quite an adventure.