RMPTH JULY 2014 NEWSLETTER

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Prospecting, Metal Detecting and Treasure Hunting in Northern Colorado

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BLM - Staking A Mining
Claim
Gener al Mi ni ng Law of 1872
The federal law governing locatable minerals is the Gen-
eral Mining Law of 1872 (May 10, 1872), which declared
all valuable mineral deposits in land belonging to the
United States to be free and open to exploration and
purchase.

This law provides citizens of the United States the op-
portunity to explore for, discover, and purchase certain
valuable mineral deposits on public domain minerals.

Feder al Land Pol i c y and Management Ac t of
1976 (FLPMA)
This Act did not amend the 1872 law, but did affect the
recordation and maintenance of claims. Persons holding
existing claims were required to record their claims with
BLM by October 1979, and all new claims were required
to be recorded with BLM. FLPMA’s purpose was to pro-
vide BLM with information on the locations and number
of unpatented mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites
to determine the na mes and addresses of current own-
ers, and to remove any cloud of title on abandoned
claims.

What i s a Mi ni ng Cl ai m?
A mining claim is a parcel of land for which the claimant
has asserted a right of possession and the right to de-
velop and extract a discovered, valuable, mineral de-
posit. This right does not include exclusive surface rights
(see Public Law 84-167).

Locatable minerals include both metallic minerals (gold,
silver, lead, etc.) and nonmetallic minerals (fluorspar,
asbestos, mica, etc.). It is nearly impossible to list all
locatable minerals because of the complex legal require-
ments for discovery.

(Continued on page 3)
v. 18, n. 7 July 2014 Going for the Gold
Rocky Mountain Prospectors &
Treasure Hunters Newsletter
The News
Visit RMPTH On The Internet At http://rmpth.com
Contents



"Of all those expensive and uncertain projects
which bring bankruptcy upon the greater part of
the people that engage in them, there is none
perhaps more perfectly ruinous than the search
after new silver and gold mines."

--Adam Smith
1 BLM – Staking A Mining Claim
2 About The News
4 Find Of The Month Program
5 RMPTH Diamond Hunt Cancelled
6 Salida, Colorado
7 Stagecoach Robbery In Colorado
10 Calendar of Events
11 Calendars
12 Silver Bar Treasure Hunt Prize
Awarded
13 The Stagecoach Robbery
16 Trading Post
18 2014 Schedule of Events
19 Contact List

Page 2 The News, July 2014
T
he News is the official newsletter of the Rocky
Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters
Club (RMPTH): our mailing address is 278
Sierra Vista Drive, Fort Collins, CO. 80524.

Opinions expressed in The News are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the
club or its members. Publication of information in
The News constitutes no guarantee of accuracy. Use
of any information found in this publication is at the
sole risk of the user. Neither RMPTH, nor its coordi-
nators, nor The News, nor its editors or contributors
assume any liability for damages resulting from use
of information in this publication.

Submi ssi ons

Articles, letters and short items of interest on pros-
pecting, detecting and treasure hunting topics are
welcome and encouraged. All items submitted for
publication are subject to editing. Submittals for pub-
lication may be made in writing or, preferably, in AS-
CII text format on IBM-compatible disk. If you have
questions about a submission, please contact the edi-
tor for information.

Copyr i ght

Unless otherwise noted, other nonprofit groups
may reprint or quote from any articles appearing in
The News without prior permission, provided that
proper author and publication credits are given and
that a copy of the publication in which the article ap-
pears is sent at no cost to RMPTH at the above mail-
ing address. Clubs wishing to exchange newsletters
with RMPTH are invited to send a copy of their news-
letter together with an exchange request.
About The New s
Adver t i si ng

Classified advertising for topic related items is free
for non-business ads. See the “Trading Post” section
for donation pricing of camera-ready display ads. Do-
nations for ad makeup from sketches, etc., are avail-
able on request.

About RMPTH

RMPTH is an independent nonprofit hobbyist social
club, open to anyone interested in prospecting, detect-
ing or treasure hunting. Its purpose is to provide an
educational and social forum of mutual benefit for
members. RMPTH holds a monthly meeting and con-
ducts various field outings, as well as offers special
presentations and seminars. Active participants have
voting privileges. The monthly newsletter, The News,
is readily available on the Internet. Annual dues are
$25 payable in June. Applicants joining in any month
other than June pay partial dues of $2 per month for
months remaining prior to following June plus $1. 


CLUB MEMBERS TAKE NOTE

Club Hats, Shirts, Jackets, & Patches are again available.
See Paul Mayhak at the club meetings to purchase your club items!

We will be running a 50/50 Drawing at each club meeting. At the end of each
meeting Tom will split the pot 50/50 and a lucky member will go home with more
money than they came with.!
The remaining 50% goes to the club treasury.
Page 3 The News, July 2014
can show proof of discovery either (1) by December 31,
1983, or (2) on the date of designation as wilderness by
Congress.

Mining claims can be located on those minerals reserved
under the Stock Raising Homestead Act of 1916 (SRHA).
The surface is fee, but the minerals are public domain.
There are specific regulations governing the claiming of
SRHA minerals - refer to the SRHA section.

Types of Cl ai ms

Tw o Types of Mi ni ng Cl ai ms:
Lode Claims - Deposits subject to lode claims include
classic veins or lodes having well-defined boundaries.
They also include other rock in-place bearing valuable
minerals and may be broad zones
of mineralized rock. Examples in-
clude quartz or other veins bearing
gold or other metallic minerals and
large volume, but low-grade dis-
seminated gold deposits. Descrip-
tions are by metes and bounds sur-
veys beginning at the discovery
point on the claim and including a
reference to natural objects or per-
manent monuments. Federal stat-
ute limits their size to a maximum
of 1500 feet in length, and a maxi-
mum width of 600 feet (300 feet on
either side of the vein).

Placer Claims - Placer claims are
defined as "...including all forms of
deposit, excepting veins of quartz,
or other rock in-place." In other
words every deposit, not located
with a lode claim, should be appro-
priated by a placer location. Placer
claims, where practicable, are located by legal subdivi-
sion (aliquot part and complete lots). The maximum size
is 20 acres per locator, and the maximum for an asso-
ciation placer is 160 acres for 8 or more locators. The
maximum size in Alaska is 40 acres. The maximum size
for a corporation is 20 acres per claim. Corporations
may not locate association placers unless they are in as-
sociation with other locators or corporations as co-
locators.

Tw o Ot her Types of Mi ner al Ent r i es:
Mill Sites - A mill site must be located on "non-mineral
land" and must be noncontiguous to the lode or placer
with which it is associated. Its purpose is to support a
lode or placer mining operation. A mill site must include
the erection of a mill or reduction works and/or may in-
clude other uses in support of a mining operation. De-
scriptions are by metes and bounds if on unsurveyed
land and by legal subdivision if on surveyed land
(Continued on page 8)
Wher e Can a Cl ai m be Loc at ed?
There are Federally administered land in 19 states
where you may locate a mining claim or site. These
states are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colo-
rado, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana,
Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon,
South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. In these
states, the BLM manages the surface of public land and
the Forest Service manages the surface of National For-
est System (NFS) land. The BLM is responsible for the
subsurface on both public and NFS land.

Only public domain minerals are locatable minerals
(those minerals that have never left federal ownership).
Reconveyed minerals are considered public domain min-
erals under the mining laws. Min-
ing claims cannot be staked on ac-
quired minerals; a prospecting per-
mit (43 CFR 3500) is required to
prospect for acquired minerals.
Mining claims can be located on
open public land administered by
another federal agency (most com-
monly on Forest Service land).

You may prospect and locate
claims and sites on public and NFS
land open to mineral entry. Claims
may not be located in areas closed
to mineral entry by a special act of
Congress, regulation, or public
land order. These areas are said to
be "withdrawn" from mineral entry.

Areas withdrawn from location of
mining claims include:
National Parks,
National Monuments,
Indian reservations,
most reclamation projects under the Bureau of Reclama-
tion, military reservations, scientific testing areas,
most wildlife protection areas managed by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service etc. Land withdrawn for power de-
velopment may be subject to mining entry and claim lo-
cation only under certain conditions.

Mining claims may not be located on land that has been:
designated by Congress as part of the National Wilder-
ness Preservation System, designated as a wild portion
of a Wild and Scenic River, or withdrawn by Congress
for study as a Wild and Scenic River.

There is usually a ¼-mile buffer zone withdrawn from
location of mining claims on either side of a river while
the river is being studied for inclusion in the Wild and
Scenic River System. Additions to the National Wilder-
ness Preservation System are withdrawn to mining claim
location at the time of designation by Congress. Mining
activities are permitted only on those mining claims that
(Continued from page 1)
Page 4 The News, July 2014
Pilots Motto:
Maintain thine airspeed
lest the ground come
up and smite thee.
TREASURE HUNTER’S
CODE OF ETHICS


I WILL respect private property and do no treasure
hunting without the owner's permission.

I WILL fill all excavations.

I WILL appreciate and protect our heritage of natural
resources, wildlife, and private property.

I WILL use thoughtfulness, consideration, and courtesy
at all times.

I WILL build fires in designated or safe places only.

I WILL leave gates as found.

I WILL remove and properly dispose of any trash that I
find.

I WILL NOT litter.

I WILL NOT destroy property, buildings, or what is left
of ghost towns and deserted structures.

I WILL NOT tamper with signs, structural facilities, or
equipment.
Gold Glossary

Ore - Any natural combination of minerals. Especially
one from which a metal or metals can be profitably
extracted. Commonly a mixture of one or more of
the following: quartz, gold, copper, silver, sulfur,
iron, and nickel.
Find of the Month
Winners
June, 2014

Most Valuable Coin:
Mike Mahaffey - 1944D Dime
Oldest Coin:
Ken Wesley - 1841 Seated
Dime
Largest Raw Gold:
No Entry
Most Raw Gold:
No Entry
Best Bottle:
Ray Hettinger - Antique Blue
Bottle
Best Jewelry:
Mike Mahaffey - Silver Ring
Most Unique Find (Excavated):
Tom Warne - U.P.R.R. Railroad
Switch Lock
Most Unique Find (Non-
Excavated):
SMAUG - Lighter
Rock, Gem, Mineral & Fossil:
Ray McGehee - Turtle Shell


Hey, where’s the Gold?
Page 5 The News, July 2014
Property Wanted
For Detector Hunt

RMPTH is looking for private property on which to hold
an organized club detector hunt. Obviously, it would be
most ideal if this property is known to have seen some
past historical activity. If you have such property or
know of someone who does, please contact Rick
Mattingly to plan a club field outing event.
Mineral Specimen Identification

As part of their community outreach, Metropolitan State
College of Denver, Dep. of Earth & Atmospheric
Science, Professional Services Division offers FREE
MINERAL SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION. Participants
will aid in the education of future Geoscientists!

Details and specimen submittal forms with instructions
can be downloaded
from:
SPECIAL OFFER FREE MINERAL SPECIMEN
http://college.earthscienceeducation.net/MINPET/
MINID.pdf
Refreshment Volunteers

July — David Longmore
August —Ray Hettinger
September — Heidi Short
October — Barb Schuldt
November — Sam Banulis
RMPTH Diamond Hunt Cancelled

Rick Mattingly
June 24, 2014, 10:21 AM

I
t is with much frustration that I must inform you that
the Diamond Hunt Outing, scheduled for this very week-
end (June 27-29), has been cancelled once again due to
governmental obstacles. Last year this outing was canceled
due a massive road closure in the area to supposedly assist
in cutting and removing beetle kill from the area.

This year the cancellation is the result of mysteriously
locked gates in the area which blocks us from reaching our
destination. I spent several hours on the phone attempting
to locate the agency responsible for the locked gates. I fi-
nally ended up with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Divi-
sion which did claim responsibility for the gates in ques-
tion. However, the office personnel had no explanation for
the reason the gates were locked and were unsure of which
field employee to contact. I was left with the explanation
that the office would contact the proper employee and then
have them contact me directly with information. I have yet
to receive a response.

Being that we have only a few days remaining to resolve the
issue one way or another I see no alternative but to cancel
the outing this weekend as an official group event. Please
feel free to attempt the outing on your own by finding an-
other route in to the location, perhaps from the south?

Please alert any other RMPTH members that you know re-
garding this decision in the event that they do not receive
this message.

It is becoming almost impossible to plan an event on public
lands due to the entanglement of government agencies in-
volved and their unexplained acts of blocking access to
THEIR lands for one reason or another .... or none. I refer
you to a coincidental editorial at the bottom of this message
copied from the Fort Collins Coloradoan on June 22 which
hits the nail on the head of this issue.

So Sorry,


Rick Mattingly
Frustrated Newsletter Editor and Webmaster
Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club

(Continued on page 9)
Page 6 The News, July 2014
What was the last date that coins were silver?


This answer refers only to U.S. coins

Cents - NEVER made of silver. 1943 cents look silver but are
steel.

Nickels - always made of nickel and copper except during
WW2, when they had a small amount of silver

Dimes, Quarters - 90% silver, 10% nickel up till 1964. Copper-
nickel in 1965 and later.

Half dollars - 90% silver, 10% nickel up till 1964. 40% silver,
60% nickel from 1965-69. Copper-nickel in 1971 and later.

Dollars - 90% silver, 10% nickel up till 1935. Coinage sus-
pended till 1971. Copper-nickel from 1971 to 1999, manga-
nese-brass in 2000 and later.

Current products from the U. S. Mint including proof sets and
Silver American Eagles have silver. These aren't intended for
circulation and cost more than face value but could still, if you
were dumb enough, be used at face value for purchases. So
technically the U. S. still makes silver coins.


http://wiki.answers.com/Q/
What_was_the_last_date_that_coins_were_silver
Salida, Colorado

S
alida, Colorado, was an important agricultural,
supply, and railroad center for the surround-
ing mining districts. Several smelters were lo-
cated at Salida to service nearby mines.

Most mining activities had ceased by the 1970's and
Salidas economy suffered like many mining towns of
the era. However, by the early nineties, artists had
moved into town, renovated buildings into galleries,
and created a new local economy.
Today, Salida is an interesting town that blends 19th
century architecture with modern art and outdoor
recreation.

westernmin-
inghistory.com


Evolution of the Detectorist
Thanks to Paul Mayhak
Telma Gold Mine and Stock Certificate
Salida, Colorado
Page 7 The News, July 2014
Stagecoach Robbery In
Colorado

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Johnny Walker

T
he only public transportation before 1869 was
the stagecoach, and most areas were served by
the interconnecting stage lines. Naturally they
were an obvious and tempting target for outlaws, es-
pecially those who were just getting breaking into the
bandito business. In 1869, when the transcontinental
railroad was completed, the stagecoach was the only
form of public transpor-
tation available. The
stagecoach system re-
mained the best way to
travel most of the re-
mote areas in the Rocky
Mountain west into the
early 1900?s.

Since many of the local
mining companies
transported their pay-
rolls by stagecoach,
criminals had a pretty
good chance of riding
away with gold dust,
gold bars, and gold coins after robbing a stagecoach.
These valuables were usually
stored under the stagecoach
driver’s seat in a strong box. Holly-
wood writers to the contrary, irre-
gardless of the value of the strong
box, bandits would nearly always
take money, jewelry, watches, or
any other valuables from the pas-
sengers.

As a stagecoach traveled along a
trail or road far away from any town or stage station,
robbers, highwaymen, road agents, bandits could
come out of their carefully selected ambush spots and
hiding places, point their guns at the driver, order
him to stop, then they would demand that he throw
down the strong box. The bandits would then divide
up the loot (most stagecoach strongboxes weighed
between 100 and 150 pounds when filled) and then
ride away.

In 1879, the stagecoach line in Leadville Colorado
started having a lot of trouble with robberies. The
stage would sometimes carry gold shipments between
Leadville and Buena Vista, Colorado. Somehow, a
lone gunman seemed to always know when there
would be gold on the stage, even though this informa-
tion was a closely held secret and only known to the
local head of the stage line and the Sheriff’s deputies.
The stagecoach com-
pany decided to catch
the thief by planting
false information among
the staff and a few of the
sheriff’s deputies.

As had been expected
the masked road agent
came out of hiding to
ambush the stage. Sev-
eral of the guards that
had been hidden inside
the stagecoach jumped
out and shot the robber.
When they pulled off the
robber’s mask, they dis-
covered that it was the wife of one of the deputies! The
deputy was so shocked and embar-
rassed, he buried her beside the
trail where she was killed instead
of bringing her body back to town.
Her headstone can be seen from
the highway a few miles south of
Leadville: My Wife Jane Kirkham
died March 7, 1879 Aged 38 years,
3 months, 7 days

http://clearcreekprospecting.com/stagecoach-and-train
-robbery-in-colorado/


At least once per year, some group of scientists will become very
excited and announce that: * The universe is even bigger than they
thought! * There are even more subatomic particles than they thought!
* Whatever they announced last year about global warming is wrong.
Page 8 The News, July 2014
(described the same as placer claims). The maximum
size! is 5 acres.

Tunnel Sites - A tunnel site is a subsurface right-of-way
under Federal land open to mineral entry. It is used for
access to lode mining claims or to explore for blind or
undiscovered veins, lodes, or ledges not currently
claimed or known to exist on the surface. A tunnel site
can be up to 3,000 feet in length.

Who Can St ak e a Cl ai m?

United States citizens who have reached the age of dis-
cretion, under the law of the state of residence; or legal
immigrants who have declared their intention to become
a citizen; or a corporation organized under the laws of
any state may locate a mining claim. The government
considers a corporation the same as a U.S. citizen.

An agent may locate a mining claim on behalf of a claim-
ant.

A claimant may hold any number of claims or sites.


Rec or di ng a Mi ni ng Cl ai m

To record your mining claim, file with the BLM State
Office:

A copy of the Notice of Location or Location Certificate
(which was or will be filed with the respective County
Recorder), a map or narrative showing the location of
the claim, and a filing fee of $170 per claim to the appro-
priate BLM office.

If the Location Notice or Location Certificate is not re-
ceived or postmarked within the 90-day filing period, the
Notice or Certificate will not be accepted and will be re-
turned to you without further action.

BLM does not require the claim information to be on any
specific form, nor does BLM produce or distribute a
form for such purpose. Local printing companies or sta-
tionery stores are typical sources for forms.

The f or m submi t t ed t o BLM must i nc l ude:

Date of location
Name and address of the owner(s)
(Continued from page 3)
Before You Buy That Metal Detector Handbook Check:

http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/before-you-buy-hb/before-you-buy-handbook.pdf
Name of the claim/site
Type of claim/site
The acreage claimed
A description of the parcel on the ground (township,
range, section, quarter section, and/or a metes and
bounds description)
A location map is required, if the legal description given
can not be plotted onto a Master Title Plat.

Rec or dat i on f ees f or new c l ai ms:

Location Fee = $30.00/claim
Maintenance Fee = $125.00/claim
Service Charge = $15.00/claim
All monies are due at the time of filing. (A claim will not
be accepted unless the payment of the maintenance and
locations fees is submitted; the service charge portion is
a curable defect.)

The initial $125 maintenance fee is due for the assess-
ment year in which the claim is located (not recorded).
This fee is not prorated.

Upon meeting the filing requirements, each claim is as-
signed a serial number. After adjudication of the filing
has been completed, the claimant will receive notification
from BLM acknowledging the claim and its assigned se-
rial number.

If a claimant requests a copy of the date stamped certifi-
cates of location, cost recovery fees apply (.13 per page).


For more information or to find the requirements for
your state, please visit the Bureau of Land Management
website:

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html


Page 9 The News, July 2014

6/23/14

To: RMPTH Board

From: [email protected] on behalf of Richard
Mattingly ([email protected])
Sent: Mon 6/23/14 11:36 AM
To: RMPTH Board

Well, it would seem that we can't catch a break from the
government agents. Last Saturday Dave Longmore and
friends drove the route to the Diamond Hunt site scheduled
for this weekend.

About a mile or so from the location they ran into a locked
gate! They happened to find a Forest Service employee in
the area along the road and asked about the locked gate.
This guy stated that he wasn't sure what agency was respon-
sible for that gate or why it would be locked.

I have spent this entire morning trying to track down the
government jackasses responsible. I finally tracked it down
to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. I spoke with a lady
there who located the gate on their mapping but she didn't
know who locked it or why. I am now waiting for a call from
whoever they determine to be responsible. I can only imag-
ine the ridiculous excuse I'm going to hear ..... they saw a
tire track in the road, they saw a yellow bellied sap sucker
in the area, and so forth.

It is getting to the point where you cannot plan an event any-
where in the forest on public lands because roads are being
bull-dozed shut or locked gates mysteriously appear.

Coincidentally, in Sunday's Coloradoan I see an editorial by
Jack Brinkhoff on this exact issue. Jack's family lived for
years in the Manhattan area and were constantly at odds
with the "government servants of the people" who harassed
them to no end. I have copied Jack's comments below.

I will have to make a decision on this event by tomorrow to
get email notices out to the members in time. I'll hold my
breath until I get that mystic call from the "government ser-
vant of the people" responsible for this pain in the butt.


Rick Mattingly

===========================

"JACK BRINKHOFF
SOAPBOX: FOREST SERVICE

Forest Service should be land stewards, not dictators

“Caring for the Land and Serving People:” That is in the title
on the home page of the U.S. For­est Service. In a June 17
Soap­box submitted by the district rang­er, Kevin Atchley,
he feels com­pelled to justify the U.S. Forest Ser­vice’s ac-
tions of land grab, and clos­ing down more recreation areas.
In the most recent project called Elk­horn Project, the scope
(Continued from page 5)
(Continued on page 15)
Page 10 The News, July 2014
Calendar of Events
MAP TO THE MEETI NG PLACE
Pul l i am Communi t y Bui l di ng
545 Cl evel and Avenue, Lovel and, Col or ado
Directions:
The Pulliam Community Building is situated on the west side of Cleveland Avenue in Loveland,
Colorado. Park at the rear of the building (west side). Entry to the meeting room is from
the doorway on the south side of the building (not the main entrance on Cleveland Avenue!).
J ul y Meet i ng
Wednesday, July 2nd. We will meet at the Pulliam
Building in downtown Loveland at 6:00PM. Refer to
the adjoining map for directions.

Meeting Agenda
6:00 - 7:00 Social Hour & Finds Program
7:00 - 7:30 Business, Announcements & Find of
the Month Program
7:30 - 7:45 Break
7:45 - 8:15 Gold Panning & Sluicing Video
8:15 - 9:00 "Open Forum Q&A” By attending
members. Bring your questions and answers regard-
ing anything club related!
Visit RMPTH On The Internet At
http://rmpth.com
RMPTH DUES
RMPTH is an unincorpo-
rated Social Club with
no income generated. All
expenses are covered by
$25 annual dues. Mem-
bers are requested to
consider minor donations
at each monthly meeting
to cover refreshments.

Page 11 The News, July 2014
July 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2
RMPTH Finds Program
& Social 6:00P
RMPTH Meeting 7:00P
3 4
Independence Day
5
6 7 8 9 10
RMPTH Board Meeting
6:00P
11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Eldora Ski Resort
Detector Outing
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Clear Creek Gold
Outing
27 28 29 30 31
August 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2
3 4 5 6
RMPTH Finds Program
& Social 6:00P
RMPTH Meeting 7:00P
7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14
RMPTH Board Meeting
6:00P
15 16
Off-Road Detector
Outing
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Vic’s Gold Panning
Outing
31
Page 12 The News, July 2014
RMPTH Field Outing Statement

NOTE: The Coordinators and participants stay in touch
and continue to review and plan upcoming presentations
and outings for the year on a monthly basis. Our editor
Rick Mattingly needs timely event information for each
issue of The News. Please get information about any par-
ticular event to him by the 15
th
of the month to meet the
printing deadline for the next issue.

Planned trips, outings, activities, and meeting programs
are in the newsletter and on line at the clubs website.
Planning is a work in progress and additional outings and
activities are added and sometimes deleted on an ongo-
ing basis. Events planned in the upcoming month are
emphasized to the attendees at the monthly meetings.
Contact the Presentations Coordinators or Editor if you
have any suggestions or ideas throughout the year for
fieldtrips, outings, and programs.

The best made plans may change at the last minute due
to the illness of the Trail Boss, weather, land access, ve-
hicles breaking down, wrong meeting sites, etc. Please
be understanding of extenuating circumstances and con-
tact the coordinator or Trail Boss of a specific event if
there is any question of an event being cancelled or
changed at the last minute.
Victor, Colorado Train Robbery

During the summer of 1897, four
men hijacked five iron chests of gold
bullion from a moving train 10 miles
south of Victor, Co. The train was on
its regular run from the Victor stamp
mill to Denver, Co. The four train
robbers were killed shortly thereafter
in a running gunfight with pursuing
lawmen, but none of the gold was re-
covered. Posse members made a
rough search of the area at the time,
but there was no sign of the stolen
gold. For years afterward, prospec-
tors and treasure hunters searched
for the hidden loot, but it has never
been reported found.

Thanks to Gold Prospectors of
Colorado
Paul Mayhak (right) presents Tom Warne with 3 Ounce
Silver Bar Prize from the latest Treasure Hunt. Tom put all
the clues together and uncovered the hidden target to win
this beauty! Way to go Tom, and thanks to Paul for
coordinating this hunt.
Watch What You Say

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't
run, my wife kept hinting to me that I
should get it fixed. But, somehow I always
had something else to take care of - the
truck, the car, fishing - always something
more important to me.

Finally, she thought of a clever way to make
her point. When I arrived home one day, I
found her seated in the tall grass, busily
snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing
scissors. I watched silently for a short time
and then went into the house.

I was gone only a few minutes. When I came
out again I handed her a toothbrush. "When
you finish cutting the grass," I said, "you
might as well sweep the sidewalk."

The doctors say I will walk again, but I will
always have a limp.
Page 13 The News, July 2014
The Stagecoach
Robbery
By K. Wills

A
s I have explained many times to many treasure
hunters, doing research in your local library can
be an excellent treasure hunting tool. Also, most
of the time, you will become side-tracked on to another
possible treasure or site every time you go to the library
for research.

In 1983 or was it 1984, I found myself looking to track
down a ghost town in Wood County in the town of
Winnsboro Library on a cold Winter morning. What bet-
ter to do when it is too cold to hunt outside, but to do
some research on other places to hunt in the future.

After some three hours of unsuccessful book searching, I
tried the micro-film of the county's newspapers. I found
that in the 1930s and 40's the local Historical Society
were doing many articles in the newspapers on old sites
around the county, this built my hopes up in finding the
ghost town I was looking for.

It wasn't long until I ran across an article about an old
late 1800's stagecoach robbery within the county. More
searching in the 1957 newspaper, I found another article
about the same stagecoach robbery, but this time it was
focus around the discovery of one of the three bags of
newly minted Silver Dollars found. Believe it or not, they
were found by a road construction crew that year when
they were widening highway 11. The article told of 1500
newly minted 1882CC Morgan Silver Dollars on its way
to a bank in one of the nearby counties. Three bags of
500 each of the Silver Dollars were being carried in the
coach's strong box.

Some ten miles back, the coach drive spotted the mask
robbers pursuing him. He knew he couldn't out run
them for long, so he tried to get ahead of them enough to
hide the three bags of Silver Dollars along the trail. How-
ever, in his attempt, the driver was fatally wounded. He
did get ahead of them enough and he decided to still
hide the three bags. He open the strong box (it didn't say
how, for the company usually held the only key to their
stage line strong boxes), and made his way to hide the
three bags before the robbers caught up to him and fin-
ished him off. continued on the next post, The newspa-
per article did say that the robbers got so frustrated
looking for where the driver may have hidden the money,
that they argued and fought each other to where one was
killed and another seriously wounded. The article indi-
cated there were three robbers in all. The article also
told of the construction crew filling their hats with bright
shiny Silver Dollars.

Some researching of the old records in the abstract of-
fice and I was able to locate the exact stretch of road they
were working on in the 1950's where they broke open
and spread a bag for these Silver Dollars. Even with this
much information, it was still some three miles of road.
So I went to one of the oldest looking houses along that
stretch of road and ask if they knew who was the oldest
living person that had live their most of their life. They
directed me to an 88 year old man about a mile away. I
went to his home, only to find out he was in the hospital
and had been for 2 weeks. However his wife did call me
when he was able to come home so we could talk about
this small piece of history.

His name was Ed and one of the nicess fellows you'll
ever meet. It was hard for him to stay on the question I
was asking, so he called his son-in-law and had him take
me to a spot some 2 miles out of town and 100 years off
the highway. At this point, Ed's son-in-law showed me an
old red rock headstone, telling me that it was the actual
headstone of the coach drive from the 1880's. His father-
in-law (Ed) had found it many years ago when he was a
kid squirrel hunting with his father and grandfather.
They told him of the story about the coach. Wow, what a
moment, it really got you thinking. Boy if the drive could
only talk to me now and tell me where the Silver Dollars
are hidden, my search would be over.

The funny thing about all this, was that I seriously never
thought I would have a chance to find the hidden loot,
but the more I read and talked with Ed, the more excited
I got and amazed at how everything was falling into
place.

After seeing the headstone of the coach driver, I immedi-
ately ask Ed's son-in-law if he knew who the owner of the
property was that we were standing on. His answer was
what I had hope for; it was a relative's land. He drove me
to their front door and I was able to gain permission to
metal detect the property without having to make any
agreements to share what I find. As a matter of fact, the
relatives told me I could keep anything I find, for they
didn't believe in the story in the first place.

Well you can guess where I was hunting for the next two
weeks, but I never found a single Silver Dollar.

There was just too many questions unanswered and too
many acres to cover to find the loot. So I went back to
my research notes, re-read them and looked for anything
I might of missed the first time. Any possible clue to nar-
row down the field of search would help. It was then that
I did find a single sentence about an "well" that belong to
an old way-station on the trail, abandoned some years
back before the robbery. In the mentioning of the site
was the spot of where the driver and one of the hold-up
man's bodies were discovered. However, who knows how
far away they might of buried the driver from where he
was found. It was fairly known that in such events, the
(Continued on page 14)
Page 14 The News, July 2014
bodies of those killed would be buried where or very
close to where they were found. Taking this into account
and the general direction of the stagecoach trail from
where it came to where it should of been going, I judged
it to be some 300 to 500 yards that possibly could be the
area the driver hide the three bags of loot. To take it
even another step further, in the 1950's they found the
first of the Silver Dollars while widening the highway.
Thus it was reasonable to think that in that early of days
there would be few metal detectors to search the area
that the loot was found, so shouldn't there be some Sil-
ver Dollars left on the shoulder of the highway?

Well, it was a long shot, but it seemed to be the easier of
the two possible places to start, the shoulder of the high-
way. So three days the first week I got to hunt the shoul-
der only to find much road trash. However, on the fol-
lowing week (fifth day of hunting the shoulders) my luck
turned for the best …. a beautiful 1882 CC Silver Dollar
from about 8 inches deep. Folks I got to tell you I must
of sat on the side of the highway for an hour, just han-
dling and looking that Silver Dollar over. It must of been
from the mint, for every edge was sharp and well de-
fined. I just couldn't believe it, I'm actually holding his-
tory in my hands, Wow!

I took the Silver Dollar and headed back to my truck,
leaving the hole I found the coin in well marked. I
wrapped the Silver Dollar in tissue paper and hid it in
my truck, then moved my truck much closer to where I
hade found the coin just off the highway shoulder.

Not wasting any time, I went right back to hunting the
area. It wasn't until two days later I found my second
1882 CC Silver Dollar not a foot from the black top of
the highway. Imagine how many of the dollars are under
the paved road, it makes me sick to think about it. Even
today I drive over that very spot once or twice a year,
each time think of the Silver Dollars under me.

After many weeks of searching the highway's shoulders, I
moved straight into a relative’s property just over their
fence and in line with where I had found the two Silver
Dollars. Some three or four weeks went by, no luck at
all. I was beginning to think that hunting the highway
shoulder would be my best chance to find another coin
or two. Until I found what looked to be a hand dug "well"
some 10 foot in diameter. Not far from the "well" I dis-
covered what seem to be hundreds of homemade bricks
just under the folded over grass. Could this be the old
stage stop mentioned in that one sentence I found in the
research?

Looking back from the possible stage stop towards the
direction of where the stage was coming from (since the
driver's body was found at this spot, if the article is true)
I started 50 foot sweeps of the area in that direction. On
the second day at that spot (51 days of searching thus
far) I continued my wide sweeps, staying within a close
(Continued from page 13) pattern so not to miss any estimated size of a bag of sil-
ver. A sudden loud yet deep target rang out on my detec-
tor. My first thought, it's another plow point, for I have
dug several on this property so far. It did show some
size to the target according to my detector. I looked up at
the sky and said "please Lord, let it be", then back my
shovel up to give it plenty of room so not to scratch and
coins I might find. After about 10 inches deep, I felt
something as I brought it out of the hole. There in the
sunlight of the mid afternoon, several bright shiny Silver
Dollars fell off my shovel blade as I clear the hole. "Dear
God" I said, I've been blessed. The more I dug (very care-
fully) the more shining Silver Dollars I saw. Something I
still dream about to this day!

I must of dug a three foot diameter hole down to two foot
deep. Total count, 150 Silver Dollars exactly all dated
1882 CC, not another signal in the hole. I ran to my
truck and grab a box of Kleenex tissue and ran back to
where I had left my detector, shovel and the Silver Dol-
lars stacked on the ground. I spent nearly an hour wrap-
ping each dollar with tissue and placing it in the tissue
box and when it was full, into my pouch.

My wife and I had the best time brushing away the dirt
and looking over each of the Silver Dollars as we put
them up for a trip to our safety deposit box in the morn-
ing at the bank.

I can't explain why there were only 150 Silver Dollars in
that bag? Of course the bag had been eaten away over
the years being buried. Maybe the research wasn't all
that accurate? I have gone back many times over many
years and have found nothing else. Was there really that
much money lost? Did the remaining robber find one of
the bags buried by the coach driver? Was the story off by
the time it was printed in the newspaper by the historical
society? Were there six bags of coins instead of three
bags reported in the article? Who knows, we may never
know. It does go to show you that many gaps are filled in
when history is reported years later.

Ten years ago, I sold the silver dollars I had found there
for a down payment on the very house I live in today. I
sold them each for $100.00 a piece. However, I kept just
one of the 1882 CC Silver Dollars so to remind me of a
dream come true.

Your dream is out there, will you ever make it come
true?


Keith Wills

The Treasure Spot Forum
http://www.ballistic.com/~dsmith/tsforum/dcboard.cgi


Page 15 The News, July 2014
Gold Glossary

Pack train - Pack trains were
used to transport the bare ne-
cessities to miners and loggers
in the 19th century. They usu-
ally consisted of 5 or more
horses or mules and a few men.
Symbol: AU
Atomic Number: 79
Atomic Weight: 196.967
Melting Point: 1063° (1945° F)
Specific Gravity: 19.2
MOH’s Scale of Hardness:
2.5 - 3

Karat

24K =100% Pure Gold
18K =75% Pure Gold
14K =58% Pure Gold
10K =42% Pure Gold

Troy Weights

1 grain =0.0648 grams
24 grains =1 penny
weight (DWT) =1.552 grams
20 DWT =1 ounce =
480 grains =31.10 grams
Gol d Fac t s
YOUR
ADVERTISEMENT
COULD BE HERE!
Call Rick Mattingly
at 970-613-8968
or [email protected]
called out for the closure of 25 miles of “unau­thorized” routes, meaning any-
thing from a permanent closure or just gated so they could still utilize the
road but prohibit the general public.

In his Soapbox, Atchley states that the Forest Service did not con­struct
these roads, which is a valid point. However, at the time these roads were
constructed for the pur­pose of logging, they seemed to get by just fine for the
past 50 years with no one maintaining them.

I have been witness to the closure of mile after mile of road, and whole areas
being closed off permanently. If one travels down the Boy Scout road, about 4
miles from the asphalt off the Red Feather Lakes Road, you will notice a sign
hanging on a locked gate that reads “road tempo­rarily closed.” This gate was
locked and the sign hung eight years ago. When asked about what temporary
meant to the Forest Service, I was asked to show Atchley where the road was
located on the map.

Upon providing one of their “new” maps, it was discovered that the road that
was temporarily closed no longer existed on the new map. Hmmm.

I would have loved to participate in the objection period that allows folks to
express their concerns for the decisions of one individual for the fate of all
the folks wanting to recreate, hunt or just be able to ac­cess the woods via
other means than horseback or hiking, but I was told that I missed that by
about a month. I was informed that no letters of comment were submitted;
however, the decision notice and finding of no significant impact that was
released claims that there were 13 letters submitted.

If one clicks on the link that would show these letters, it states there are no
comments.
Part of the scope of work being proposed on the Elkhorn Project al­lows the
Forest Service to construct a new road that will allow them to sell more
Christmas trees. What a shame that we can justify closing roads to the gen-
eral public while al­lowing them to carve out new roads for that purpose.

In his letter he states that we have 830 miles of “unauthorized” roads to en-
joy. I only wish this was the case. A good portion of these “unauthorized”
roads sit behind locked gates. One road in particular, Seven Mile, usually
opens in early June; however, they have decided that because the stream
came out of its banks and ran down the road in an area, they may not open it
at all this year.

I had the chance to get in and see for myself the devastating impact the creek
had on the road, and dis­covered all that had happened was the washing
away of fines, and leav­ing larger rocks exposed for the road bed. This road
has been rough and a 4-wheel drive road for the past 20-plus years; I believe
that is why folks go into those areas.

I appreciate that the past couple of years have taken a toll on certain areas,
and I support closing side roads where people have gone off trail, but the
land grabs and closing of areas and removing the roads from the maps has
got to stop. Please be stewards of our lands, and not dictators.

Jack Brinkhoff of Wellington grew up recreating and hunting in the areas
mentioned above. He and others have started a Facebook page: Citizens for
Outdoor Recreation and Trails.

Fort Collins Coloradoan 06/22/14"


(Continued from page 9)

Page 16 The News, July 2014
All mistakes and
misspellings were
intentionally made so
that you could have the
pleasure of finding them.
Trading Post

About Tr adi ng Post

The News runs classified ads in Trading Post
for three consecutive issues. Trading Post ads
for topic related items up to 10 lines (or 70
words) long are free. To place an ad in Trading
Post contact Rick Mattingly at (970) 613-8968
evenings
or e-mail at: [email protected]


Commer c i al Adver t i si ng
Spec i f i c at i ons
(Mont hl y Donat i on Rat e)

Full Page (8 1/2" X 7") $30
Half Page (3 1/4" X 7") $20
One Third Page (3" X 4") $15
Business Card (2 3/4" X 1 1/2") $ 5

Ads must be received by the 15th of the
preceding month. Contact Rick Mattingly for in-
formation on this service at
(970) 613-6968 evenings or e-mail at:
[email protected].
Col or ado School of Mi nes
Geol ogy Museum
Gol den, Col or ado

Contact us: 303-273-3815 or
[email protected]

Identification of specimens is performed
between 10 a.m. and noon, Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
FOR SALE: Whites MXT. Lightly used. Price includes fab-
ric carrying case. Asking $400.00. Call 303 747 2305 or
e-mail [email protected]

WANTED: By NRA Card Holding Law Abiding Private
Citizen. Colt S&W Ruger Taurus .357 Wheel Gun/
Revolver for Home/Personal Defense. If you have a
Collector’s Item, Please keep it. I’m looking for a gun
to shoot/Not display. LMK what ya got. Thanks.
970.222.2323

FOR SALE: Jewelers propane/oxygen torch, many cabo-
chons, beads and tools. Contact Ann at
(970) 6667-3705.

FOR SALE: A "MUST HAVE" T-Shirt for every Prospector
and Treasure Hunter. Quality 100% cotton tees. See and
order from:
http://BestBlackandGold.com.

FOR SALE: Minelab SD2200 Gold Nugget Metal Detector:
10-1/2" Mono Super Coil, 10-1/2" SD Series Super Coil, two
batteries w/wall & car charger, headphones, backpack,
waist battery pack, signal enhancer, extra lower stem, in-
struction booklet & video, carry case. Ready to go for the
gold. New Price: $1625. Contact Paul at (970) 482-7846.

FOR SALE: 5HP pump motor, Gold King 3" Hi-banker with
dredge attachment w/adjustable stand, Gold Grabber Hi-
banker, 125 feet hose, Rock net and steel cable, misc. fit-
tings and valves & large metal bucket. Prefer to sell all to-
gether for $1,350 but negotiable. Call Eric Stickland at
(303) 833-6848 or
[email protected].

WANTED: Used lapidary equipment. Call Kathie 970-221-
1623

WANTED: Federal or state duck stamps; mint or used. Con-
tact John Hart at (307) 778-3993.

NOTE:
Purchase arrangements are between the buyer and
seller only and involves no financial benefit to RMPTH.
Page 17 The News, July 2014

WEEKEND & SMALL-SCALE
MINER’S CODE OF ETHICS

I WILL respect other prospector’s claims and not work
those claims without the owner’s permission

I WILL have on-site all necessary permits and licenses

I WILL build fires in designated or safe places only, and
in accordance with current State and Federal guidelines

I WILL be careful with fuels and motor oils and be cog-
nizant of their potential destructive effect on the envi-
ronment

I WILL remove and properly dispose of all trash and
debris that I find - I will not litter

I WILL be thoughtful, considerate and courteous to
those around me at all time

I WILL appreciate and protect our heritage of natural
resources, wildlife, fisheries and private property, and
respect all laws or ordinances governing prospecting
and mining

I WILL NOT remove stream bank material, destroy
natural vegetation or woody debris dams, nor discharge
excess silt into the waterways

I WILL NOT refuel motorized equipment in the stream

I WILL NOT allow oil from motorized
equipment to drip onto the ground or into the water

I WILL NOT prospect in areas closed to prospecting
and mining
Offer Your Assistance To Any
Of Our Program Coordinators
A strikingly common-sense newspaper editorial
The Living Will

While I was watching the final four
games a couple of weekends ago, my
wife and I got into a conversation about
life and death, and the need for living
wills.

During the course of the conversation I
told her that I never wanted to exist in a
vegetative state, dependant on some ma-
chine and taking fluids from a bottle.

She got up, unplugged the TV and threw
out all of my beer.

Man -- sometimes it's tough being mar-
ried to a smartass.
Page 18 The News, July 2014
Month Meeting Program Trip/Activity
J anuary
Battery Facts
By Batteries Plus
No Trip/Activity Scheduled
February
Found Explosives Safety
By Rick Mattingly
No Trip/Activity Scheduled
March
Gold Wheel Recovery
By Darrel Koleber
Colorado School of Mines Museum Tour
Internet Research Clinic - Rick Mattingly
April
Crack, Crevasse Prospecting
By Bryon Morgan
Prospecting & Detecting Clinic at Lions Park -
Advertised and Open to the Public
Phoenix Mine Tour Idaho Springs
May
Geophysics and Excavation of Alonzo
Allen Cabin Site Near Allenspark
By Heidi Short
Clear Creek Gold Outing
‘Let’s Go Gold Panning On The Arkansas’ Event – GPOC
J une
Metal Detecting
By Rick Mattingly & Paul Mayhak
Clear Creek Gold Outing
Diamond Hunt Outing
State Annual Gold Panning Championships
J uly
Wyoming Prospecting
By Wayne Sutherland—WSGS
Eldora Ski Resort Detector Outing - Robert Crain
Clear Creek Gold Outing - Darrel Koleber
August
The Great Diamond Hoax
By Rick Mattingly
Off-Road Detector Outing
Vic’s Gold Panning Outing
September
Bottle Hunting
By Rick Mattingly
Annual Coin & Prize Hunt
Fort Laramie Wyoming Tour
Denver Colorado Gem & Mineral Show
October
Emergency Planning
By Light House Ready
Grassland Detector Outing
November
Annual “Show & Tell” &
Silent Auction
No Trip/Activity Scheduled
December
Annual Find of the Year Awards &
Christmas Party
Flatirons Mineral Club & Model Train Show
Good Hunting in 2014!
Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club
2014 Schedule of Events
Page 19 The News, July 2014
Let’s Go For The Gold !
Rocky Mountain
Prospectors & Treasure Hunters
Contact List
RMPTH Coordinators Home E-Mail
President Bud Yoder ———————– [email protected]
Interim Vice President Shane Manenti 1-970-590-9183 [email protected]
Treasurer Dick & Sharon French 1-970-482-2110 [email protected]
Secretary Heidi Short 1-970-532-1167 [email protected]

The News Staff
Editor-in-Chief Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 [email protected]

Internet Web Site
Web Master Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 [email protected]

Volunteers/Coordinators
Finds Program
Paul Mayhak
Betsy Emond
J oe J ohnston
1-970-482-7846
1-970-218-0290
1-303-696-6950
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Presentations Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 [email protected]
Club Historian Barbara Schuldt 1-970-407-1336 ———————–
Club Meeting Greeter Barbara Schuldt 1-970-407-1336 ———————–
Club Librarian J oe J ohnston 1-303-696-6950 [email protected]
Club Photo Librarian Heidi Short 1-970-532-1167 [email protected]
Panning Demos
Bryan Morgan
Darrell Koleber
1-970-416-0608
1-970-669-2599
[email protected]
[email protected]
Meeting Setup Shane Menenti 1-970-590-9183 [email protected]
Door Prize
Paul Mayhak
J ohnny Berndsen
1-970-482-7846
1-970-667-1006
[email protected]
———————–
50/50 Drawing Woody Hogdon 1-970-667-5010 [email protected]
Coin Raffle Shane Manenti 1-970-590-9183 [email protected]
General Information Contact: Rick Mattingly at 1-970-613-8968
Visit RMPTH on the Internet at: http://rmpth.com
JULY, 2014 ISSUE
The News
Rocky Mountain Prospectors &
Treasure Hunters Club
278 Sierra Vista Drive
Fort Collins, CO. 80524

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