AlaskaAV
GONE WEST
Mission, TX
http://supercub.org/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album110&id=Gold_nugget_jpg
Another example of how things are larger in Alaska.
Just north of Fairbanks, there are hundreds of acres of tailing piles as a result of gold dredging. It is now figured that only 20% of the gold was taken out and the rest, especially the larger nuggets were passed on with the rocks.
One day there was a kid, probably 12 or so years old, that was walking along the top of the tailing piles and throwing rocks. He picked up one "rock" about the size of a lemon or lime and was very heavy. He kept it and took it home. Guess what? Turned out to be a gold nugget.
There are many other areas in Alaska that were worked over with gold dredges. One area is near Chicken, another at Eagle, several sites around Nome and an area at Hogatza, commonly called Hog River which we served with light aircraft and DC-3s. Once a week after clean out, they would ship 60 pound mail bags by certified mail on our flights. They always changed the days of shipments and it was all hush of course but all of our ground crews knew what they were just from the size and weight.
It is quite an honor to be allowed to watch a dredge in operation and when I was assigned as relief Wien station manager at Nome, I was allowed to watch the operation. I often took a gold pan down to the beach at Nome and panned for gold and would always come back with colors. Wien ran a tourist program there which included panning for gold in a private tank and tourists were allowed to take home what ever gold they found in bottles furnished by Wien. If a person didn't pan any out, they received a vial of gold anyway. Our tour guide at the time was good old Blueberry John. Remember him Nome? There was lots of gold mining done in the Nome area. One of the most unusual "mines" was at a bar owned by Wyatt Earp. Yes, the famous gun fighter. He always had the floor covered with sawdust and once a week, he would clean the floor and remove all the gold dust that had fallen on the floor. At that time, gold dust was considered acceptable as payments.
I have mentioned before about panning for gold in Dahl Creek. Actually, I could take a pan down to the creek and make more money than what Wien paid me but aviation was so much fun....
There are so many areas, to many to name, that gold mining was done about 100 years ago and much of the equipment and facilities are still there. Even today, some new and large mining operations are starting up in new areas. Maybe some of those living in Alaska now might like to share what is going on now days. I know Pogo is coming on line and a new area near Iliamna is starting up.
Another example of how things are larger in Alaska.
Just north of Fairbanks, there are hundreds of acres of tailing piles as a result of gold dredging. It is now figured that only 20% of the gold was taken out and the rest, especially the larger nuggets were passed on with the rocks.
One day there was a kid, probably 12 or so years old, that was walking along the top of the tailing piles and throwing rocks. He picked up one "rock" about the size of a lemon or lime and was very heavy. He kept it and took it home. Guess what? Turned out to be a gold nugget.
There are many other areas in Alaska that were worked over with gold dredges. One area is near Chicken, another at Eagle, several sites around Nome and an area at Hogatza, commonly called Hog River which we served with light aircraft and DC-3s. Once a week after clean out, they would ship 60 pound mail bags by certified mail on our flights. They always changed the days of shipments and it was all hush of course but all of our ground crews knew what they were just from the size and weight.
It is quite an honor to be allowed to watch a dredge in operation and when I was assigned as relief Wien station manager at Nome, I was allowed to watch the operation. I often took a gold pan down to the beach at Nome and panned for gold and would always come back with colors. Wien ran a tourist program there which included panning for gold in a private tank and tourists were allowed to take home what ever gold they found in bottles furnished by Wien. If a person didn't pan any out, they received a vial of gold anyway. Our tour guide at the time was good old Blueberry John. Remember him Nome? There was lots of gold mining done in the Nome area. One of the most unusual "mines" was at a bar owned by Wyatt Earp. Yes, the famous gun fighter. He always had the floor covered with sawdust and once a week, he would clean the floor and remove all the gold dust that had fallen on the floor. At that time, gold dust was considered acceptable as payments.
I have mentioned before about panning for gold in Dahl Creek. Actually, I could take a pan down to the creek and make more money than what Wien paid me but aviation was so much fun....
There are so many areas, to many to name, that gold mining was done about 100 years ago and much of the equipment and facilities are still there. Even today, some new and large mining operations are starting up in new areas. Maybe some of those living in Alaska now might like to share what is going on now days. I know Pogo is coming on line and a new area near Iliamna is starting up.
