Bald Eagle Chapter of the GPAA
Monthly Newsletter
The Paystreak
February 2012
The Bald Eagle Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association (GPAA) was founded in 2001 to preserve and promote the great heritage of the North American Prospector. The club is dedicated to providing a platform for the exchange of information, presenting an organized voice for recreational and professional prospectors and helping it's members find more gold.
Today, the GPAA has become the worlds largest prospecting organization, but our goals haven't changed one bit. Through television, the internet and print media, the GPAA today provides more information and is a more effective organized voice that ever before. GPAA programs provide places to go, local support, free information service and much more.
December 28, 2011
Gold $ 1,710.30
Silver $ 33.05
Platinum $1,581.00
President
Bob (Ziggy) Seager
717-935-5384
caverzig@embarqmail.com
Vice President
George Dunkle
814-643-1078
geodunk@
msn.com
Secretary
Gail Fletcher
814-687-3990
goldlady@windstream.net
Treasurer
Brian Greene
Pine Grove Mills, PA
814-238-5322
bjgreene2002@yahoo.com
Store Manager
Tim George
Tyrone, PA
814-684-5846
maxfli111@aol.com
State Director
Joe (Butch) Doren
814-342-2661
jrd_nan@verizon.net
Outing Coordinator's
Lynn Rothrock
814-345-5104
brothrock171@comcast.net
Dates to remember: (dates are subject to change as we try to schedule outings and other club events)
February 4th, 2012 - Regular meeting
March 3rd, 2012 – Regular meeting
April 7th, 2012 – Regular meeting
Important Club News.....RAFFLES:
Raffle on gold coin will be drawn at the April meeting. Tickets are $5 each. See Brian.
“Come on Spring” Raffle 5 gallon bucket filled with everything you need to get out in the field. See Tim G. Tickets are $2.00 Drawing date TBA.
Let Lynn Rothrock know if you have any ideas for outings. We’ll get them organized and on the calendar.
Please visit our club web site, feel free to join the discussions on the message board, or try to get the chat room "chatting" again.
Club Store: See Tim G. for all your prospecting needs.... Pans, hats, T-shirts, vials. (You can reach Tim at 814-684-5846 or maxfli111@aol.com
If anyone has any suggestions for the newsletter, please let me know. I am always looking for tips on prospecting, metal detecting, camping as well as recipes and jokes. Likewise, if you have questions, maybe we can find a website, and show the questions and answers. goldlady@windstream.net
Outing Co-Coordinator: Lynn Rothrock 814-345-5104 or email
(brothrock171@comcast.net) Please Contact Lynn with suggestions for outings, as
well as questions.
Sorry, but we have confirmed that Contrary Creek is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. The owner has closed it, and only a very small group is allowed on the property for prospecting.
See Brian Greene for tickets on the raffles. Alaskan Jade stone, and drawing of Bald Eagle by our own Dan Shore. (If you can’t make the meetings, you can order tickets by mail.) Drawings on both of these at the December 4th meeting.
New members - (and old members too) have you ordered your name badges? Only $8 each. See Brian at the next meeting to order, and you could win a gold nugget. (You must be present at the December meeting, and have worn your name badge to at least one meeting to be entered into the drawing)
Are you a GPAA member? Show Gail your GPAA card when you sign in. Need to get some info into GPAA in Ca. Thanks in advance for your help.
Club Meetings....The Club's meeting place is the Halfmoon Township Building on Municipal Lane in Stormstown, PA and we meet on the 1st Saturday of each month at 11:30am The Bald Eagle Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association (GPAA) was founded in January 2001 to preserve and promote the great heritage of the North American Prospector. The club is dedicated to providing a platform for the exchange of information, presenting an organized voice for recreational and professional prospectors and helping it's members find more gold.
Directions to the Bald Eagle Chapter Cub Meeting.....
State College: Take 322 North out of State College until you get to Rt. 550 at the flashing light. Turn left and go 4 miles. Turn right onto Municipal Lane in Stormstown and continue down the street, the township building is on the left.
Port Matilda: These directions may seem confusing however it is really just a matter of staying on the main road up and over the mountain. From the traffic light on 220 turn RIGHT (South-East) onto High Rd [High St] and go 0.3 of a mile where you turn LEFT (North-East) onto E Oak St [Oak St], then immediately bear RIGHT (East) onto Beckwith Rd and go 0.2 of a mile. Turn RIGHT (South) onto SR-3017 [Port Mountain Rd] and go 0.9 of a mile. Bear LEFT (South) onto SR-3017 [Beckwith Rd] and go 0.8 of a mile. Road name changes to Beckwith Rd < 0.1 of a mile: Turn LEFT (North-East) onto SR-550 [RR-1] and go 1.7 miles and turn left onto Municipal Lane in Stormstown and continue down the street, the township building is on the left.
Altoona Area: Take I-99/US-220 north. Turn RIGHT (East) onto SR-350 [7 Stars Rd] and go 1.8 of a mile. Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-350 and go 0.8 : Bear LEFT (East) onto LR31071 and go 1.4 of a mile, Bear LEFT (East) onto SR-550 and go 1.8. Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-550 [RR-1] and go 5.6 miles. Turn left onto Municipal Lane in Stormstown and continue down the street, the township building is on the left.
From I-80: At exit 158, take SR-150 west. Road name changes to US-220 [SR-150] and go 15.9 miles. Take 322 east up over the mountain at the flashing yellow light turn right onto 550 and go 4 miles. Turn right onto Municipal Lane in Stormstown and continue down the street, the township building is on the left.
View Larger Map
Collinswoods Properties ---If you need maps, or have any information on these properties, please let me know.
Info for Mountain Creek: 38805 Smoke Ridge Rd, New London, NC
704-463-7749 Billy Tucker (best to call in evenings)
www.mtcreekgold.carolinaservice.com
Bulldigger.... Tom Menna owner of Bulldigger in Johnstown, PA attended the November, 2011 meeting of the Bald Eagle Chapter with a unique tool, the Bulldigger. Originally it was designed as a posthole digger, he had received a suggestion from prospectors about attaching the bulldigger to the end of a drege, and being able to dredge in the water, and remain high and dry. Our club members seemed very interested in this process.
This also has the possibilities for digging out metal detecting finds. It can be used verically as well as horizontally.
You can vist the site via the link to view the video, and for ordering. When ordering, tell them that you belong to a prospecting club, and receive a $10.00 discount. Will ship anywhere in the US for $15.00
IDEAS...Please bring any ideas about where to go or what to do to the meeting. If you don’t like to speak out, you can write it down and put it on the table up front. Make sure that Ziggy’s name is on it, and he can read it for you.
Please feel free to make suggestions for guest speakers.
(Likewise, if you have recipes, prospecting tips, or any other suggestions for the newsletter please let me know)
New Members... BADGES: This is mainly for the new members….. Does everyone know that we have an annual nugget drawing for members based on having and wearing your name badge to the meetings? For every meeting that you attend wearing your name badge, I will put a check mark in the attendance book. You must be present at the December meeting. When you attend the December meeting, you will receive a raffle ticket for the nugget drawing for each meeting that you attended wearing your name badge. (attend 12 meeting, receive 12 raffle tickets) (Note: Here the term member applies to member, spouse and dependent children) If you don't have a name badge, we can order one for you, the cost is only $8.00. Any questions, please see one of the club officers. If you have any articles of interest that you would like to see here, please let me know. Also, feel free to speak up if you know someone who would make a good speaker for one of the meetings; likewise, we want to hear about places to hold some group outings this year.
Ongoing raffles: to support the club- please see Brian for tickets
Alaskan Jade stone tickets are $2 each and drawing in December. Eagle Drawing tickets are $5 each and drawing is at the December meeting. You need to see this drawing to appreciate all the detail.
Club Credit....The club receives credit not only for new membership and renewals but also some of the GPAA outings that you attend. But you must specify that you are with the Bald Eagle Club. Tim G has more info on this if you have any questions.
Club Store: See Tim G. for all your prospecting needs…. Pans, hats, T-shirts, vials. (You can reach Tim at 814-684-5846 or maxfli111@aol.com
Outing Co-Coordinator: Lynn Rothrock 814-345-5104 or therocks@iqnetsys.net Contact Lynn with suggestions for outings, as well as any questions.
The Club Library is now available!!!! Check out the recent new acquisitions to the library. Just see George D. There is lots of information available to everyone. Books & videos to help answer of your prospecting questions:
Bags of Concentrate. … are available for sale at each
meeting $5.00 each (+tax) - see
Brian Greene
While at our clubs web site feel free to join the discussions on the message board,
and try to get the chat room “chatting” again
Let's Get the Club’s Chat room is up and running!!!
Log on to talk to your fellow prospectors.
Just log on to www.pa-gold.com and click on Chat room. You can usually catch someone between 7-9pm. Feel free to explore the site, and check out the message board.
Current gold news story: (thanks Bob S. for forwarding)
South Carolina mine sparks mini-gold rush to the Southeast
Sat, Oct 15 2011
By Harriet McLeod (from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/15/us-southcarolina-gold-idUSTRE79E1FU20111015 )
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - A Canadian mining company and a tiny South Carolina town are leading what could be a modern gold rush to the southeastern United States.
Romarco Minerals Inc. reopened the historic Haile Gold Mine near Kershaw, S.C., this year and expects to pour its first gold bar there in early 2014, Chief Executive Diane Garrett told Reuters this week.
Once environmental impact studies and permits are complete, Haile will be the only modern gold mine east of the Mississippi River, Garrett said, and the first since the Kennecott Minerals mine closed in Ridgeway, S.C., in 1999.
Based on the proven gold reserves found in samples, the Toronto company estimates it has 3.1 million ounces of gold at Haile. The mine will produce an average of 150,000 ounces of gold a year for five years, according to its website.
"It sits on one of the most significant trends of gold in the United States," Garrett said. "A lot of people had forgotten just how significant the gold production was in this area."
Romarco's success at finding the gold left at Haile has sparked renewed industry interest in the southeastern United States.
The gold is embedded in microscopic flecks in volcanic rock along what geologists call the Carolina Slate Belt, which winds from northern Georgia through the Carolinas and into Virginia.
Vancouver's Revolution Resources Corp. said in early October that it had begun drilling at several historic North Carolina gold mine sites along the Slate Belt.
Strongbow Exploration Inc., also of Vancouver, said this summer that it had bought mine properties in South Carolina and had begun drilling at North Carolina's historic Parker Gold Mine.
Erin Ventures Inc., another Canadian company, also is prospecting for gold in North Carolina, according to its website.
The "unprecedented climb into the stratosphere" for gold prices has spurred the eastern development, said Michael George, gold commodities specialist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Va.
"We may have three or four mines started up in the next 10 to 15 years" in the southeastern United States, he said on Friday.
Gold prices this week posted their biggest gain in six weeks, buoyed by optimism about European plans to contain the region's debt crisis. U.S. gold futures for December delivery were up $14.50 at $1,683 an ounce.
LONG TRADITION
Gold was first discovered in the United States in 1799 when a 12-year-old boy found a large nugget in a North Carolina creek. The story goes that his family used the nugget as a doorstop until a jeweler bought it for $3.50, said Kenneth Taylor, North Carolina's chief geologist.
"There are hundreds of old gold mines all over North Carolina," Taylor said. "When the gold rush in California came in (in the 1840s), the experienced miners were here in North Carolina, so they went west."
Gold was first found on the Haile property in South Carolina in 1827. Mining continued off and on into the 1990s.
Romarco owns about 10,000 acres that include the 4,200-acre mine site. The company has spent about $350 million on site preparation and hiring and, by the time it produces gold, will have spent about $650 million, said Garrett, the chief executive.
"Mining is a capital-intense industry," said Garrett, whose company also owns two gold exploration sites in North Carolina. "When you look out West, this mine is quite small. Out there you've got mines that go for 20 miles and go thousands of feet deep."
The microscopic gold at Haile will be extracted by crushing tons of rock into dust and using a cyanide solution to separate the gold.
The Army Corps of Engineers requires an environmental impact study from Romarco on how it will replace 160 acres of wetlands it plans to destroy.
Environmentalists also are concerned about an endangered freshwater mussel, the Carolina heelsplitter, found in creeks near the site.
Garrett said the company, which expects to be at Haile for at least 13 years and likely 20, would propose land restoration and creating wetlands to replace those destroyed.
The environmental impact study will take about a year and has set back groundbreaking and hiring, she said. The mine has 106 employees, she said, and Romarco expects to hire up to 800 mostly local workers.
Kershaw Mayor Wayne Rhodes said the company would have a huge impact on his economically depressed town of about 1,800 people, and he is concerned about the delay in hiring.
"People here are begging for jobs," Rhodes said.
(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Ian Simpson)
Outdoor/Prospecting Tips: from hookedongold.com
Gold is a bright metal that is bright but not shiny, nor does it reflect light like a mirror, as fool’s gold can. It has a warm glow that is unmistakable, and will stay glowing even when direct light is removed from it. (No, silly, it can’t glow in a pitch black darkened room. Just shadow it with your hand. Now do that with iron pyrite.
If you wear a ring that is made of gold, you have a very good example of how gold glows. Even when buffed to its highest shine, gold does not shine like a flat surface does, as its' surface has a "bubbly" appearance under magnification that can reflect light in many directions. If you find "glittery" gold, KEEP IT! It is gold's crystalline form, rare, and very valuable as a collectors item, and can sometimes be best identified under magnification. After this simple explanation, you will find a more detailed explanation with references from Lapis International 5th book on gold.
Color is also a good indicator of gold. However, there are many variations on the color gold can be identified with. Most of it is not in its' pure form and is combined with copper more than all other metals. Iron, silver, sulphur, tellurium, lead, and several lesser minerals in varying amounts can be found with gold. In its' purest form, it is a warm buttery yellow color. Copper turns it orangish to burgundy brownish, silver turns it pale yellowish-green, iron-purple to blue, tellurium-silverish grey, lead-blackish. Many of these minerals can be combined with the gold together, producing any variation of the above colors. And this is only the simplest forms it can be found in! Can you say "calaverite"?
Then there is malleability. This one is easier. Gold is a soft metal, easily flattened & formed into shapes & figures. It has rounded, soft edges. If your sample has square edges & is brittle, it’s probably not gold. I say probably because gold can be put into the pores of iron pyrite under hot water solution conditions. The super heated water, with the gold particles dissolved in it, can place the gold into the pyrite pores where it solidifies. And you thought we were only talking about magma! Now, you ask why we CARE about iron pyrite.
ll, iron pyrite is known as "fools gold". It is heavy with iron, (not as heavy as the real thing, though) shiny and metallic in appearance, as well as silverish to yellowish in color. And, it is abundant. You want it to be gold SO much, you can convince yourself that it is. And while it may carry gold with it, it isn't what the placer miner is looking for. We leave that for the hard rockers who are into milling the very nasty sulphides out of it.
So, are we confused enough yet? Alrighty then! Let's press on!
Last, but certainly NOT least, is weight. Gold is HEAVY. It is VERY HEAVY. Pick any rock of equal size to the piece you are curious about and the gold will be much heavier. Gold has a specific gravity of 19.1 to 19.3. ( I can find it published in either number in half of the gold books I own). Specific gravity is the water weight relationship of everything to water. Specific gravity is why placer mining and water separation works so well. The gold is 19 times heavier than water. The only thing that would be heavier is platinum. Oh, keep that, too, if you find it. By comparison, iron's specific gravity is around 11, and lead 13.
What is gold? In its purest form, it is a soft, noble, malleable metal, yellow in color with resistance to corrosion or oxidation and does not rust or tarnish under normal conditions. Its' English name probably comes from the Old English word meaning yellow, and its chemical symbol AU from the Latin term for gold, Aurum. In its uncombined form it has one stable isotope with an atomic mass of 197 in its nucleus and 118 neutrons and 79 protons.
Gold forms alloys with numerous other metals, most commonly the ones nearest to it on the periodic table. It combines most readily with copper. Viktor Goldschmidt classified gold as a "chalcophile" meaning that gold has an affinity for sulfur. However, there are no known combinations of gold and sulfur. There ARE several combinations of gold with elements that are related to sulfur, namely tellurium and selenium.
Another alloy of gold is electrum, a combination of gold and silver usually 25%, but the silver content can be as much as 50%, and used extensively in the ancient world for coinage, although not necessarily from a natural state ref. extra Lapis English No 5 "GOLD The Noble Mineral" by Lapis International, LLC;
This book from Lapis International is a terrific scientific look at gold, put into layman's terms. Hooked On Gold highly recommends it.
How to pan for gold |
Metal Detecting tips: article, from Dave Wright
Now that hunting season is just around the corner, our "hunters" will be walking
over ground not normally traveled. Might just come across something that just
doesn't look like it belongs. Flowers, trees planted in a row, a flatten out
area about the size of a house, maybe even notice an area that would have been
an entrance, some hedges, etc.
They have probably just found an old home site. I think everyone of us knows of
an abandoned site, regardless if a building is still there or not. I've never
read any books on this subject. I'm just giving you some info I've learned over
the last 40 years of metal detecting. Take a minute or two and checkout the
location. You'll soon learn if it was a home or the site of an outbuilding.
Homes usually had the shrubs, flowers, trees planted in a row, etc. Outbuildings
didn't. Now that you've determined it is a home site, you might want to detect
that area in the future. Take six or several minutes to determine where the
nearest body of water is. Most likely a spring run, but sometimes a creek or
river. Every home had to have water.
This plays an important part. That old abandoned site was probably there before
roads were put in. Which means that the home using water every day had its front
door facing the source of water. Makes very good sense to do that. No roads
going by the site, just a path for horses or buggies to come up on. That pathway
didn't matter as far as location. Pathway to the water was used more than the
pathway on/off the home site. More times the people living there went for water
than to town.
When you go back to detect that location, pay great attention to the area from
the house location to the nearest source of water. For lack of better words, I
call this area the utility area. Because the front door was facing that way,
this is where most of the activity went on. Dad split the wood there, company
came to that spot because the front door was there, families got into the
buckboard or tacked up the horse there, etc, etc. I think you see what I mean.
A lot of activity went on there. Detect that area hard. Most of your recoveries
will come from there. I hope this will help you find your share of the $7.7
Billion Dollars the mint says is in the ground.
Modern homes have the curb off the road or street to guide us. Everyone knows
that next to sidewalks yields lots of recoveries. Most home fronts face the
roadway with a common sidewalk to get into the house. Keep this tidbit in mind
for "of the path" searching. Watch your recoveries go up in count. Please let
me know how yours is doing. Best of luck to you. Dave Wright
Camping Recipes: Here is a recipe from George D. I bought all the ingredients, & plan on trying this soon.
Party Chicken:
1 jar Hormel dried beef
Bacon
Boneless skinless chicken breast(butterfly the chicken)
Cream of mushroom or cream of chicken
Sour cream
In a 9x13 baking dish lay the dried beef on the bottom, top with bacon strips, then the chicken. Mix equal amounts of the soup, & sour cream, pour over the top. Cover with foil, set in the fridge overnight. Bake the next day in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
Camping Tips from: CDC May 23, 2011
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness (or disease transmitted to humans by ticks, mosquitoes, or fleas) in the United States, with nearly 30,000 confirmed cases reported in 2009.
In recognition of Lyme Disease Awareness month, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reminds Americans to learn about this common tickborne disease & take steps to protect themselves if they live in or visit areas with Lyme disease activity.
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vectorborne illness (or disease transmitted to humans by ticks, mosquitoes, or fleas) in the United States, with nearly 30,000 confirmed cases reported in 2009. Between 1992 and 2009, the reported annual number of Lyme disease cases more than tripled, with children most at risk for the disease. Children are more at risk because they spend more time playing outdoors & in high grass or leaves, where the ticks that spread Lyme disease are found.
Lyme disease is transmitted to people through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. These ticks are most active during May through July, so it's especially important that people living in affected regions take steps now to prevent Lyme disease when they go outside. About 95 percent of reported cases in 2009 were from just 12 states. In descending order of reported cases, they are: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maine, and Virginia.
To prevent Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases, CDC recommends that people:
•Avoid areas with high grass and leaf litter and walk in the center of trails when hiking.
•Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours. Parents should apply repellent to children; the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends products with up to 30 percent DEET for kids.
•Use products that contain permethrin to treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks, and tents or look for clothing pre-treated with permethrin.
•Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find crawling ticks before they bite you.
•Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon returning from tick-infested areas. Parents should help children check thoroughly for ticks. Remove any ticks right away.
Typical symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, & a large, expanding skin rash that may have a bull's-eye appearance. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, & the nervous system. Anyone who develops a fever or a rash after being bitten by a tick or spending time in tick-infested areas should seek prompt medical care. Most patients with Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks' of antibiotics, especially if treated early.
Memberships: Show your support...Don't forget to get your membership to the GPAA, WWATS, or DEF from the club. Do it through our chapter. We benefit. Do it directly with them but tell them you are doing it through the club and we benefit. It doesn't cost you any more and we benefit. Want to know more about memberships ask a club officer.
Club Credit....The club receives credit not only for new membership and renewals but also some of the GPAA outings that you attend. But you must specify that you are with the Bald Eagle Club. Tim G has more info on this if you have any questions.
License Plates....Club license plates are now available for just $5.00.
Other PA Clubs and contact information Ohio Buckeye Chapter of the GPAA
Finally Just For Laughs..... Only Three Doors An airline captain was breaking in a new blonde stewardess. The route they were flying had a layover in another city. Upon their arrival, the captain shoed the stewardess the best place for airline personnel to eat, shop & stay overnight. The next morning, as the pilot was preparing the crew for the day’s route. He noticed the new stewardess was missing. He knew which room she was in at the hotel & called her up wondering what happened. She answered the phone, crying, and said she couldn’t get out of her room. “You can’t get out of your room?” The captain asked, “Why not?” The stewardess replied: “There are only three doors in here,: she sobbed, “one is the bathroom, one is the closet, & one has a sign on it that says “Do Not Disturb!”
Factory Workers Concerned about this, a local woman called on the manager and asked him, "Why is it you limit your employees to married men? Is it because you think women are weak, dumb, cantankerous..or….. what?" "Not at all, Ma'am," the manager replied. "It is because our employees are used to obeying orders, are accustomed to being shoved around, know how to keep their mouths shut and don't pout when I yell at them." Quotable Quotes: By the time you're eighty years old you've learned everything. Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes. — Jim Carrey |