Waybill to Lampson's Lost Gold (Part 1)

(Landscape near Crow Springs, Nevada. Is one of the small hills in the background the location of Lampson's lost gold?)

No Mirage or "Will O' The Wisp"

As you probably already know, many lost mine tales are simply that and nothing more. Usually these sorts of treasure legends contain just enough detail in them to trigger further interest, but upon closer examination (typically through good research) they invariably fold up like a cheap suit.

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However, the tale of lost gold and its associated waybill I am about to present to you is no mirage or "will 'o the wisp." The parties concerned were living, breathing people whose backgrounds can be researched and verified as can Charles Lampson's 8-pound "lump" of gold ore containing over $86,000 (about $4,300,000 at today's gold prices) in free-milling gold

An 8-Pound Mass of Gold in Quartz

Charles Lampson was a old-time prospector and hard-rock miner who was well-known in a number of Nevada mining camps, including Tonapah. In 1896 many would-be prospectors were trying their luck along the slopes of Monte Cristo Range west of Tonapah and Lampson was one of them.

Some months later Lampson turned up at Tonapah drawing excited crowds as he wielded his now famous 8-pound mass of gold in quartz. Most bystanders believed that Lampson had struck it rich in the Monte Cristos and he did little to dispel this assumption.

"Nuggets Strung Together by Golden Threads"

One of those bystanders was a young boy named Fred Gilbert whose father was a close friend of Charles Lampson. In later years Fred described Lampson's gold "lump:"

"It was composed primarily of gold in clear-to-milky quartz . The amount of gold far surpassed the rock and was in the form of nuggets strung together by golden threads. Have you ever seen head cheese? Well, that's what this looked like only it was filled with gold."

Lampson Lays Low

Every time Lampson attempted to head back west to locate the source of his rich "float," he was dogged by dozens of greedy people who alternately tried to sidle up to him in false friendship or who, instead, threatened him with violence. He decided to lay low for a while and let the insanity take its course and fizzle out, which it eventually did after some months had passed.

During this down time Lampson spent a great deal of time with the Gilbert family. The senior Gilbert and his two sons Fred and Logan became even closer to the old timer and a strong bond developed among them all.

One More Ace Up His Sleeve

At some point late in 1896 Charles Lampson departed the Gilberts and headed back west to try and relocate his rich float, and more importantly, its source. A few weeks later he returned to Tonapah discouraged and disconsolate. He had been unable to find any more of the immensely rich ore specimens, let alone their source.

Gold Pans

Lampson decided that he'd had enough of prospecting. He was already past his prime and feeling the need to take life easy for a change, especially while he had the means to do so. After all, his 8-pound gold specimen had made him financially free for the long term.

Before he departed Tonapah and the Gilberts however, Lampson had one more ace up his sleeve. He decided to play that card by telling Mr. Gilbert and the two boys where he had found his gold, and it was near the unlikely spot of Crow Springs, not the Monte Cristos.

I'll have the conclusion of Lampson's Lost Gold for you in a subsequent post. Until then stay safe and good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Colorado's Lost Jackson Diggings"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/04/colorados-lost-jackson-diggings.html

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Colorado's Lost Jackson Diggings

(Mountain view from Georgetown, Colorado. Photo courtesy sangres.com)

(Note: I've emphasized salient aspects of this treasure tale in bold type for your benefit. J.R.)

A Well-Known Prospector and Miner

Missouri-born prospector and miner George Jackson was well known in the goldfields of the Old West. Not only was he the cousin of that famous scout and trailblazer Kit Carson, but Jackson was the discoverer of the immensely rich gold placers at Clear Creek west of modern-day Denver.

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Jackson had honed his prospecting and mining skills in the California Motherlode's goldfields in the early to mid-1850s. After striking a substantial grubstake there, he turned his miner's eye to the mountains of Colorado where his acumen finally paid off at the junction of Chicago Creek and Clear Creek in 1859.

Over $5,500,000 in Placer Gold

However the subject of this post is not about Jackson's rich strike at Clear Creek, but about another extremely rich placer gold deposit he discovered and then subsequently lost. This discovery took place around 1868 somewhere near Walton Peak in the Middle Park region of the Rockies.

Gold Panning Kits

There Jackson and an unnamed a partner struck rich stream deposits and in a matter of weeks had accumulated and cached over $10,000 worth of placer gold nearby. Lest you think this haul of gold was "small potatoes," Jackson's gold recovery near Walton Peak would be worth over $5,500,000 at today's spot price per troy ounce of gold.

Discretion Not Valor

Flush with success and much richer than they were before heading to Middle Park, Jackson and his "pard" worked even harder than they had before. "Gold fever" had taken full hold of them, nearly blinding both miners to the fact that nearby Ute Indian warriors were itching to take their scalps.

Metal Detectors

Finally deciding that discretion was the better part of valor in this situation, the two miners packed up their gear and departed the mountains leaving the bulk of their gold safely cached not far from their placer mine. Jackson and his partner finally reached Georgetown, Colorado where they showed off some of their gold finds to the locals.

Jackson Never Returns

Almost immediately the good people of Georgetown decided to put together a large party to head for the Walton Peak area and the rich placers that Jackson and company had found. However, the Utes had a different idea and attacked the Georgetown party, driving the would-be gold seekers back down to the safety of Georgetown.

After some time back in the safety of Georgetown the ardor of the locals cooled and no additional parties were formed to search for Jackson's gold. Jackson himself was never able to return to his rich placer mine.....he accidentally shot himself to death before he had the chance. As to the fate of Jackson's "pard," no one knows.

What IS Known

However, what IS known is this:

• George Jackson was a real person, Kit Carson's cousin as a matter of fact.


• Jackson was an experienced gold miner and prospector who was the discoverer of the rich Clear Creek placers.


• Jackson had a reputation as an honest man not given to exaggeration or hyperbole.


• Jackson did strike gold somewhere near Walton Peak in the Middle Park region of Colorado.


• Jackson and his partner showed some of their recovered gold to the citizens of Georgetown, Colorado.

• As far as its known, no one has ever found the exact location of Jackson's Lost Diggings.

This is one of those lost mine stories that has real substance to it. There is every possibility that somewhere near Walton Peak rich placer gold ground still exists, just waiting for the right prospector or treasure hunter to rediscover it.

Take note here that even if Jackson's diggings have been found over the intervening years, there is still $5,500,000 in gold in today's dollars buried somewhere nearby. Find Jackson's cache and you are set for the rest of your life.

Good hunting in Colorado!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Real Treasure Hunters Never Beg"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/04/real-treasure-hunters-never-beg.html

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Real Treasure Hunters Never Beg

(Note: Although I originally wrote this post for my gold-mining blog "Bedrock Dreams" I think its core message is just as appropriate for treasure hunting and treasure hunters. J.R.)

Liberation of Sorts

One of the fundamental aspects of treasure hunting that I truly love is the spirit of independence I feel when I am out in the field. There is an intrinsic freedom in working for yourself and no one else, a liberation of sorts knowing that it is you and you alone in the end who decides (to a great extent) what will take place that day in terms of planning, performing work, and most importantly, recovering a cache or trove.

Gold Concentrates
Gold Pans

Add to this the fact that invariably you find yourself far away from the insanity and ever-maddening crowds that surround most of us on a daily basis. This in itself is a breaking of the chains that bind us all, not to mention the benefits of experiencing wondrous natural beauty that typically forms the backdrop for our treasure hunting activities no matter where those take place.

The True Golden Treasure

I enjoy relying upon myself and my own efforts out in the field and not being beholden to anyone or anything else, and in applying my 30+ years’ worth of treasure hunting knowledge and experience to the task at hand. There is a satisfaction to the whole process that is difficult to describe….the true golden treasure is, to a great degree, found in getting there, in researching, locating, and finally, recovering a cache or trove.

You’ve heard me say time and time again that treasure hunting is very hard work, and it is. If it were easy and gold and silver, cash and jewels could be recovered with little or no effort, then those treasures would be nearly worthless. For it’s not treasure’s rarity that has made some troves precious over the course of history, it is the relentlessly hard work (and money) it takes to find them and get them out of the ground.

Real Treasure Hunters Never Beg

Most treasure hunters tend to be, above all else, free-wheeling spirits who refuse to knuckle under, who abhor the mind-numbing idiocies of bureaucracies and bureaucrats, and who take pride in their sense of mission and independence. Real treasure hunters never did and never will beg for handouts or expect the “State” to take care of them.

Treasure Hunting

Those that do are not real treasure hunters but frauds and impostors, much like most of our modern-day politicians. As a miner, treasure hunter, and student of human behavior one thing I do know is that those around us who whine and complain the most are the same people who blame everyone but themselves for their predicament and expect the rest of us to “bail” them out.

What I’ve Learned from the "Greats"

The famous treasure hunters, the unique individuals I call "greats" (Mel Fisher, Tommy Thompson, etc.) who paved the way for the rest of us and who found rich troves here in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world were not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. They were all too human in most instances. But one thing I’ve learned from the "greats" through research and studying their lives and work is that they never made excuses for their failures.

They just sucked it up, grabbed their gear, and went right back to work….no matter the obstacles thrust before them, regardless of the hardships. They hung tough and refused to roll over and play dead. The "greats" NEVER gave up.

Nor should you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: Jesse Outside of Missouri)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/04/jesse-james-and-knights-of-golden_21.html

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Treasure Hunting Tools: Magnetometers (Conclusion)

(A portable ground-search magnetometer. Photo courtesy Gem Systems.)

Here is the conclusion of my two-part series of posts on magnetometers ("mags"):

Continuous Straight-Line Motion

Most, if not all, "mags" require continuous motion in order to work properly and take readings of metallic anomalies underground or underwater. This means that the "mag" must be hand-carried, towed behind a vehicle or boat, or flown over a given search area (Note: This latter method is used primarily in the realm of geophysics. J.R.).

Gold Prospecting Books

The best way to accomplish a "mag" search is by following straight lines. This systematic, straight-line approach can include overlaps, criss-crossing, and the like and should be continued as long as no abrupt or large changes in magnetic fields are experienced.

Distortions in Magnetic Fields

"Mags" employ various types of displays or read outs to indicate the presence of metallic anomalies during a search. Obviously, the larger or more condensed a metallic anomaly (i.e., target) is, the greater the distortion of the existing magnetic field in and around that target.

So, a car buried underground will not only create a larger distortion in the metallic field, but that particular distortion can be detected farther out (as much as 200 feet out and away from the center of the target in this example). Conversely, a small metal box containing a treasure cache will create a very small magnetic distortion that may initially be detected only a few feet out and away from its actual resting place. Regardless of whether the object is buried underground or resting underneath shallow water, "X marks the spot" where the magnetic field distortion is the greatest.

Treasure Recoveries Using "Mags"

Some of the most famous treasure recoveries of modern times were located either directly or peripherally using "mags" of one sort or another. One of the most famous was the finding of the spectacularly rich Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha off the Florida Keys by the late Mel Fisher's Treasure Salvors Inc.

Many factors contributed to Mel's success in finally locating the Atocha's treasure including exceptional research, full-scale commitment of time and resources, and tons of persistence and patience in the face of failure, heartache, and uncertainty. But the key technology used to find the location of the Atocha was the magnetometer in the form of underwater "mags" towed behind search boats in relentless straight-line plots.

A Potent Combination

More recently (although not public knowledge at this point in time) a hand-carried "mag" not unlike the one pictured at the beginning of this post was used to locate a buried cache of silver and gold U.S. type coins at a undisclosed recovery site in a central state. This cache was buried along with many items made of ferrous metal (iron and cast iron).

Based on what I know and have been able to learn, this may have been a Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) treasure trove or a cache composed of accumulated loot from a series of robberies in the area. Whatever the case, it was located with the aid of a "mag"....that much I do know.

Metal Detectors

In my opinion a highly potent above ground treasure hunting technology combination would be ground-penetrating radar used in conjunction with a towed or portable "mag." This would be especially true in the more accessible terrain types where good research has established a high likelihood of the existence of a significant treasure trove.

Obviously, the main problem with this sort of approach would be the expense involved (Note: A used, portable magnetometer like the one pictured at the beginning of this post costs anywhere from $3,000-$25,000+. J.R).

That's it for this round. I hope you and yours are well and happy.

Good hunting!

If you liked this post you may want to read: "Jesse James and the Knights of the Golden Circle: Jesse Outside of Missouri (Part 1)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/04/confederate-partisan-rangers-fletch.html

(c) J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Waybill to Lost Gold in California's Superstition Mountain (Conclusion)

(An off roader at the base of Superstition Mountain.)

Here’s my third and final post on Hank Brandt’s lost gold in California’s Superstition Mountain. I continue with Brandt’s directions (in quoted italics) to his mine:

“Purple Talc, Stunted Mesquites, and Gold”

“After you’ve located the ship canyon, follow it down to its mouth on the eastern front of Superstition Mountain. Then turn north and follow a wall of purplish talc located between some small hills.”

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“After passing this talc layer you’ll come to another canyon that’s similar to the ship canyon. You’ll know this is the right canyon because it’s filled with low, stunted or stubbly looking mesquite bushes.”

“Nearby you’ll see a high wash bank with a big rock sticking out of it. Make a sharp turn near the corner of this rock and you’ll see a big ocotillo stalk wedged in the rocks there. My gold mine is not far above this spot in a hidden gully.”

Harold Weight's Search

Has anyone ever tried using Brandt’s waybill to locate his lost mine? Yes, as a matter of fact.

In 1956 treasure hunter and writer Harold Weight decided to follow Hank Brandt’s directions to the gold in Superstition Mountain. Weight didn’t find the gold mine, but he did locate and verify some key directional points laid out in Brandt’s directions, including the following:

• Brandt’s “jade,” which in actuality wasn’t really jade but a greenish rock that had the look and feel of jade. Weight said he found the “jade” scattered about in a localized area below Highway 80.

• Weight found not one, but several “dark openings” leading into Superstition Mountain, any of which could be construed as the “right opening.”

• Although he didn’t find the “petrified palm trees” described by Hank Brandt, Weight did come across areas containing pieces of petrified wood.

• Weight also discovered a reddish colored canyon which fit many of Brandt’s descriptors of the “ship” canyon.

After all of this however, the trail went cold for Weight and he gave up the hunt without ever finding the talc layer, the mesquites, the big rock, or the ocotillo stalk. Thus, the true location of Hank Brandt’s lost gold mine remains a mystery.

Metal Detectors

Today, a good part of the lower reaches of Superstition Mountain are packed with multitudes of off-road enthusiasts, especially on weekends in the cooler months. To add insult to injury, a Naval weapons range may still be located to the south of the mountain. So, if you’re a treasure hunter anticipating a quiet search far away from the maddening crowds , well…..Superstition Mountain may end up disappointing you.

Is there a gold mine there? I’ve been through this region many times in the past to work mining claims farther east and the geology of Superstition Mountain doesn’t strike my experienced miner’s eye as a good example of gold-bearing terrain. However, it should be noted that numerous gold districts lie within a 1-1.5 hour drive of Superstition Mountain.

Gold Pans

There’s no doubt that Hank Brandt was a real person who on multiple occasions had in his possession real gold in an unrefined state and lots of it. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to find where all that gold came from.

Be safe and good hunting to you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: “Waybill to Lost Gold in California’s Superstition Mountain (Part 2)”

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/04/waybill-to-lost-gold-in-californias.html

© J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Waybill to Lost Gold in California’s Superstition Mountain (Part 2)

(This map is a bit funky looking, but it does show the general layout of the area around Superstition Mountain.)

Shortly before his death Hank Brandt gave a close friend detailed directions on how to locate his rich gold mine in southeastern California’s Superstition Mountain. The following (in italicized quotes) are the first parts of Brandt’s very specific directions to the gold:

“You’ll Find 2 Dry Lakes”

“Three miles east of Coyote Wells on Highway 80 (Note: Now Interstate 80, I believe. J.R.) turn north and cross the washes to a place where you can find pieces of jade. From there head for a certain dark-appearing cut in Superstition Mountain. Your course should take you northeastward across the old Butterfield Stage Route.”

Treasure Hunting

“You’ll know you’re on the right course when you come to a spot with several petrified palm trees (Note: Perhaps petrified wood? J.R.) and old whalebones (Fossils?). Keep on course and you’ll find 2 dry lakes. The larger one to the south has a couple of big ironwoods on its north edge. This larger dry lake is called Dos Mesquites Lake.”

A Petrified “Ship”

“Cross this lake near the ironwoods in way that your course is parallel to an imaginary line into Superstition Mountain. When you’ve found the correct entrance to the mountain, follow the canyon up until it reaches a small mesa and then keep an eye out for another canyon leading down the eastern front of the mountain.”

"You’ll be able to recognize this second canyon because its walls are made of reddish-brown sandstone. In this canyon you’ll find a petrified ship and you’ll be able to see the deep notch made by the bow of the ship. Sandstone has formed around the ancient ship but all you can see of it now is the curving line of the ship’s beam and some petrified pieces that look like wood planking."

(Note: This cannot be a real ship, of course. I suspect what Brandt is referring to here is some sort of geological formation that reminded him of a ship or where a ship had come to rest. The wood planking is probably petrified wood. J.R.)

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I’ll have more directions from Hank Brandt and additional information on his lost gold mine in Superstition Mountain in a subsequent post. Until then keep smiling and good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Waybill to Lost Gold in California's Superstition Mountain (Part 1)"

http://treasuretrovegold.blogspot.com/2010/03/waybill-to-lost-gold-in-californias.html

© J.R. 2010

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com