BLACK BILLIE
Next
Meeting June 23, 2009
UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS
(Mark
your calendars ! ! !)
June 14, 2009 - Group Outing - Tammy Claim
Jun 23, 2009 - Board/General Meeting
Jul 4 Weekend - Group Outing to the 7&7
Jul
28, 2009 - Board/General Meeting
Aug 25, 2009 - Board/General Meeting
Sept 22, 2009 - Board/General Meeting
Oct
27, 2009 - Board/General Meeting
Nov 24, 2009 - Board/General Meeting
1 Year Gold – NYSE
6/02/2009 – 8:45 a.m.
PST $ 982.50
One Year High 993.20
One Year Low 709.50
1 Year Silver – NYSE
6/02/2009 – 8:45 a.m.
PST $ 15.81
One Year High 19.09
One Year Low 8.92
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
The
weather is getting warmer and we are getting out more. We need to remember to
keep our bodies hydrated. Dehydration is
a problem for 75% of Americans. Many
times what we feel as a hunger pang is actually thirst. Dehydration is the chief contributor to
daytime fatigue. To keep mental faculties
sharp—memory, computation, mental focus—stay hydrated. Water accounts for 85% of the brain, 78% of
the blood, and 75% of the muscles. Drink
plenty of water throughout the day. Keep
a bottle handy wherever you are, especially when you’re out on a claim. Those plastic bottles of water freeze well
and can be used for ice in you ice chest and are great to drink when they thaw
out.
Enjoy
the weather and the claims and be safe out there.
Mike
Wiegand
WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS
Dana Allen - Reno,
NV
Matthew Anderson - Sparks,
NV
Kevin Bast - Sparks,
NV
Annette Briscoe - Sparks, NV
Andrew Butts - Truckee, CA
Stephen Devitt - Reno,
NV
Matt Dewitt - Reno,
NV
Kevin Kleinsasser - Caliente,
NV
Vernon Murray - Darrington,
WA
Cheryl & Wayne Ochsner - Elverta, CA
Tony Pinocchio - Reno,
NV
Richard Tell - Reno,
NV
David Turner - Sparks,
NV
Ellis & Monica Wiegand - Santa Rosa, CA
Jamie & Tina White - Sun
Valley, NV
JUNE 14TH OUTING
Group
Outing to the Tammy Claim
Meet at the gas station in Nixon at 8 a.m. and
caravan to the claim. Exit I-80 east at Wadswoth, then
continue on the Pyramid Highway for 25 – 30 miles. There is a lonely gas station there also
known as “Nixon”, that's the town of Nixon, the gas station. A four wheel drive isn’t
necessary. From there members will caravan to the Tammy. Bring your own lunch,
water and shade. The Club will bring the drywasher and Vac-Pac. There
are no restrooms at the claim. Bring a
port-a-potty. Bring a lunch and water. This is a “dry” claim. You can also contact
Larry Smith, Outings Chairman, at 775-722-1540 for details.
JULY 4TH WEEKEND OUTING
Group
Outing to the 7&7 Claim
July
3, 4, 5
There will either be a Potluck Dinner or
a collection for steaks for Saturday. Final details will be made at the June
meeting. There are no restrooms at the
claim. Bring a port-a-potty. The claim is on Nelson Creek. For more information, see this month’s
Minutes of the General Meeting under Outings. You can also contact Larry Smith, Outings
Chairman, at 775-722-1540 for details.
MORE FROM JENNIFER:
Following, for our newest members, is an article that appeared in The Gold Pan in March 2008.
$$$$$
THAT
PESKY BLACK SAND
by Jennifer Nelson
You’ve
got your gold pan. You’ve concentrated
to the heaviest particles, the black sand and the gold. Now what?
The first rule is not to worry about the fine gold you can’t easily pick
out with your finger or a sniffer bottle.
Save those concentrations to clean up on a rainy day -- or here in the
Sierras, a snowy one.
The
general rule when out prospecting is “The more dirt you move, the more gold you
get;” kind of like “Make hay when the sun shines.” If you’re out in the field, move dirt and
worry about clean-up later when you can’t get to the gold area.
People
sometimes think if there’s black sand there must be gold -- not necessarily the
case. You can find black sand with no
gold, but when you do find gold, most of the time it is with black sand. Confusing and frustrating, but if it were
easy, it wouldn’t be as much fun. Okay,
maybe it would be, but everybody would be out there and that would take the
thrill, not to mention the value, away.
Fine
gold, also known as flour gold, is mixed in with your black sand. Your first step is to dry the material. You can use the sun or the oven but don’t use
a plastic pan in your excitement, or you can just let it all sit in a tray or
tub in the garage until all the water has evaporated.
The
next step is to take a magnet, but not too strong a magnet, because you don’t
want your fine gold to clump up with your magnetic black sand. Keene makes a plunger type magnet, or you can
get a Jobe for a little less. You use
your magnet in your dry material to remove the magnetic black sand which is
called magnetite. Doing this leaves the
non-magnetic black sand which is called hematite. While it is a pain to be left with the hematite,
at least you’ve greatly reduced the total amount of black sand you’re dealing
with.
Now
to get the gold! In the old days, they
used mercury, which is not recommended now because it is hard to get and it’s
dangerous. These days, prospectors use
various methods like mechanical panners, also known as spiral wheels, or blue
bowls or corrugated pipe. These systems
offer ways to separate the black sand from the fine gold without hours and
hours of panning.
You’ve
panned, you’ve concentrated, you’ve recovered your fine gold. Congratulations! Now what do you do with it? More on that next time.
This article is approximately as it appeared
in ‘Ol Virginny Ink magazine, Vol.
IV, Edition 1, published in Virginia City, NV.
Thanks to the Editor, Sharon McCrary, for allowing us to use this
article.
The Club wishes to thank you
for all your contributions to the raffle table. It helps to pay for the meeting
hall. Please remember to contribute. It does not really matter what
it is. Clean out your garage. If you don't have a use for it, someone
else does. Don't throw it away; put it on the table. ONE MANS GARBAGE IS ANOTHER'S MANS GOLD!
Thank you.
Mike Maxwell, Member at Large
MINUTES OF THE BOARD
MEETING
May 26, 2009
President
Mike Wiegand called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m.
Board Members
Present: Bill Vogt, Nadine Miller, Mike Wiegand, Claire
Wiegand, Jennifer Nelson, Jim Richards, Grant Garrison, Leland Wong, Lee
Nielson, Gary Nielson
Absent: Mike Maxwell
Corrections to
Minutes: None
Treasurer’s
Report: Nadine Miller
The
Treasurer’s Report was read and approved.
Motion
to Accept: Jennifer, 2nd Lee
Nielson
Claims Report: Grant
Garrison.
The
tree was removed from the road to the Ken Bennett. We still haven’t been able
to get to the 7&7, no map available yet. Procedures for maintaining and
keeping claims will be made available to all board members. The Shiloh and the
Lucky Linda haven’t been checked, also the Tammy and the Nadine. The Nadine is
well marked, the Tammy posts may be down due to burros and cattle. Grant is
looking for a claim in northern Washoe County, preferably something with water.
Old Business: The
panning class at the Adaven was a success. Approximately 14 members attended.
We apologize to those who didn’t get the information in time to attend.
New Business:
The
Club website seriously needs updated. Member Sid Parrish has started the update
process and will continue to work on it. Thank you Sid! Receiving your
newsletters via email will definitely help get you Club information ASAP,
approximately 5 or 6 days before a mailed newsletter. Please contact our
Newsletter Editor, Lee Nielson, to receive your newsletters via email.
The
Set-Up Committee needs another key to the Lodge. We will try to get them one before
the next meeting.
Claire
has the flags and hats that were ordered available. They are ready to be picked
up or sent. Please contact Claire if you have ordered either.
The
Board asks that NO conversations be held during the meetings – it’s hard enough
to hear without other private conversations going on. It’s difficult to hear the proceedings and
very distracting. Thank you!
Motion to Adjourn: 7:10
p.m. by Lee Nielson, 2nd Nadine Miller
Minutes
prepared by Jennifer Nelson
MINUTES
OF THE GENERAL MEETING
May 26, 2009
Vice-President
Grant Garrison called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.
Corrections
to Minutes: None
Treasurer’s Report: Nadine
Miller.
The
Treasurer’s Report was read and approved. Motion to Accept: Al Gottsch, 2nd Raymond Garr
Claims Report: Grant
Garrison.
We
made it to the Ken Bennett! Initially to cut the HUGE tree but some members had
already cut and cleared the road, with a 14” saw! Thank you! No gold was found
– bear poop was – be cautious! Dave
found a little color at the Who-Do, Nina didn’t find anything at the Shiloh.
Grant will check the Shiloh and the Lucky Linda on his next trip out. Grant is
also looking for a NV claim, he wonders How far is too far? The members agreed
“It all depends on the gold!”. Grant is checking into N. Washoe County &
Humboldt County and would like to find something with water. Mike and crew
found a couple pickers at the Adaven and some fines.
Please
remember to pull & keep trash and turn it in so the Club can show how much
trash we actually pull out of the rivers.
Guest Speaker: Our scheduled speaker, Webb Varnum wasn’t
feeling well and will speak again at a future meeting.
Old Business: None
New Business:
Webb
Varnum. Reno Gem & Mineral Society is offering a Mineral Identification
Class. The class would be held at the Reno Gem & Mineral Club building and
would be in August or September. The class would be 2 consecutive weeks, Wed.,
or Thurs., evenings. The cost would be approximately $3.00 per class and the
cost of a book and stone. Specific gravity will be taught as will general
mineral ID. If interested please let Webb or any board member know at the next
meeting.
Outings: Larry
Smith.
Particulars
on the June 14th one day trip to the Nevada claim, the Tammy. Members will meet Sunday the 14th
at 8 a.m. at Nixon. (Nixon is just a gas station, Wadsworth is on the Pyramid
Highway 25 – 30 miles there is a lonely gas station also known as “Nixon”). A
four wheel drive isn’t necessary. From there members will caravan to the Tammy.
Bring your own lunch, water and shade. The Club will bring the drywasher and
Vac-Pac.
The
July 4th outing is 3 days, Fri. the 3rd thru Sunday the 5th
at the new claim the 7&7. Maps will be made available ASAP. On Sat.
the 4th there will be a group dinner, pot luck. There is some
camping on the claim and also nearby camping. Please contact Outings Chairman Larry Smith
for more details. Larry’s number is 775-722-1540.
Guests: There
were no guests.
New Members: Jamie White, Nina Couch, Darrel MacFarland,
John Clayton, Dana Allen, Kevin Kleinsasser, Vern Murray – and Vern got the
gold! Welcome to All!
Attendance: New
member Darrel MacFarland won the silver round! Congrats!
Membership: Tom Gass was drawn, present and less
than 50 miles away and won 3 silver rounds! Yeah Tom! The drawing for June will
be for 1 silver round.
Motion to Adjourn: 8:45
p.m. by Al Gottsch, 2nd Dave Weingarten.
Jim
Richards announced that the NV Bureau of Mines has moved up to DRI (off of Parr
near TMCC), the Bureau is a great place for mining publications and maps.
Minutes prepared by Jennifer Nelson.
Comstock
Gold Prospectors
PO Box 20781
Reno NV
89515-0781
Web site: http://www.cgpgold.org
General
Meeting
4th
Tuesday of each month
7:30 PM at the
Masonic Wadsworth
Lodge #25
2425 Pyramid Way,
Sparks, NV
(Corner of Pyramid
& York Way)
Board
Meeting
4th
Tuesday of each month
6:30 PM – prior to
the General Meeting
Masonic Wadsworth
Lodge #25
2425 Pyramid Way,
Sparks, NV
(Corner of Pyramid
& York Way)
ALL MEMBERS WELCOME
Club Officers – 2009
President: Mike Wiegand - 775/835.6780
Email: bethemiracle777@sbcglobal.net
Past President: Leland Wong
Email: Llw1345@cs.com 775/882.5704
Vice-President: Grant Garrison
Email: woodygmg@aol.com -- 775/359-9238
Secretary: Jennifer
Nelson
renoprospectors@sbcglobal.net
– 775/329-7553
Treasurer: Nadine
Miller
Email: nmiller@cccomm.net
-- 775/867.3550
Membership/Historian:
Bill Vogt
Email: Wvogt@sbcglobal.net -- 775/747-3145
Editor: Lee Nielson
Email: leenielson1@aol.com -- 775/884.2656
Board Members at
Large
Mike Maxwell
Email: mdmbfb@aol.com 775/348.1620
Gary Nielson
Email: cgnielson@aol.com 775/884.2656
Jim Richards
Email: rsmokinguns@yahoo.com 775/225-2494
Claire Wiegand
775/835.6780
Email: bethemiracle777@sbcglobal.net
Remember, if you have been elected to a
Board position, your attendance is required at all Board meetings.
If you can not attend, be sure one of the Board members has your proxy
to allow for completion of necessary business.
Notice to All :
The Board welcomes new ideas about outings, claims, speakers, programs,
activities, social events, fund raising, public awareness, training programs, prospecting successes, anecdotes,
hints, tall tales, lies, and gossip.
CLASSIFIED SECTION
Wanted -- 8 x 10
enclosed trailer. Contact Al at 775-770-0826.
To place or renew a business ad, send a check to Comstock Gold
Prospectors, c/o Editor, 4242 Spring Drive, Carson City, NV 89701. Include your ad layout, and your phone number
or email address. Personal ads
are free to members for a maximum of 3 editions of the newsletter.
Full Page
Ad: $50.00 per month
Half Page
Ad: $25.00 per month
Quarter Page
Ad: $12.50 per month
The
Club drywasher may be rented by Club members for $5/day, $15/week. A VacPak is
also available. The drywasher is kept at
Reno Prospector’s Supply (775/329-7553), 315 Claremont St., Reno.
To receive your copy of The Gold Pan by email, just send me an email at leenielson1@aol.com to give me the OK!
Lee J
