Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 2016)
7B THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016 Eureka! New generation of gold miners heads for hills By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press PLYMOUTH, Vermont — Al Davis Jr. cracks a smile as he spots a speck of gold glit- tering in a plastic pan full of muck pulled from a Vermont brook, revealing a gold tooth made from some earlier inds. Davis, decked in waders and wearing a hat festooned with a tiny bottle illed with gold lakes, is part of a com- munity of prospectors who number around 3,000 in New England. Often equipped with little more than a shovel and a pan, they can be found knee-deep in streams and rivers on most summer weekends in places like Plymouth; Byron, Maine; and Bath, New Hampshire. “There is something magi- cal about it. You always keep coming out because you want to see if you can beat the one you got,” said Davis, who has been mining for nearly half a century. “Can I get one a little bigger?” But these days, the rivers Davis and other aging pros- pectors once had to themselves are getting more crowded, they say, as a younger generation of miners in the Northeast and Paciic Northwest gives pros- pecting a try. Old-timers are seeing new clubs on Facebook and people taking gold min- TIPS OF THE TRADE: HOW TO FIND GOLD A growing number of people are heading to the streams and rivers in search of gold. There is plenty to be had, experts say, but probably not enough for you to quit your day job. To find the specks of gold or even a nugget or two, you will need to the right equipment and keen sense of where to find it. A few tips from the experts: Where to go There are thousands of places across the country to go in search of gold. Along with Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire in the Northeast, North Carolina and Georgia are popular with miners in the Southeast, while California, Utah, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho are well known out West. AP Photo/Jim Cole Chris Hall gets ready to search for gold in the Wild Am- monoosuc River in Bath, N.H. ing classes. Some newbies are turning to mechanized mining means, raising environmental- ists’ hackles. Miners attribute the growth to people seeking more solace in the outdoors, to shows like “Gold Rush” and “Yukon Gold” that make mining seem adventurous and proitable, and to history buffs who want to trace the Appalachian gold belt, which stretches from South Carolina to Nova Sco- tia and sparked a gold rush in the 1800s. Then there was Tropical Storm Irene, which hit Ver- mont in 2011. It sparked a gold frenzy after reports surfaced that the storm had disgorged precious metal into streams. “It was a true gold rush,” said Nelson Illinski, panning recently within shouting dis- tance of Davis on the Buf- falo Brook in Camp Plymouth State Park with his wife, Ash- ley, and their 2-year-old son, Shane. Illinski, in many ways, rep- resents the younger generation of miners. A mix of rugged out- doorsman and Brooklyn-style hipster, the 39-year-old from Arlington, Vermont, runs a Facebook page about gold mining in the state and teaches a class that has attracted 300 people the past two summers. “It’s no longer like a hobby for most of us. It’s become an To find a good stream, it’s probably worth joining the Gold Prospectors Association of America or searching for a mining club on Facebook in your area. Every few years, the Gold Prospectors put out a book of all the land claims that members can prospect for gold. What to bring For the beginner, it is advisable to dress for obsession,” Illinski said. “It gives you a rush to know that people have been digging gold for 200 years and you found a piece they missed.” While miners have tra- ditionally panned for gold, though, more are turning to machinery. Tools include motorized suction dredges that vacuum up materials on the river bed and ilter-like sluice boxes that capture gold and discard the rest. wet conditions with many miners wearing hip boots during the summer and waders in the fall. You should also bring a pan the size of a dinner plate, a strainer called a classifier and sucker bottles to capture the gold. More serious miners might consider investing in a suction dredge and sluice box — where legal — that allows them to process much more material. How to strike gold The first step is finding the right spot in the river where the gold might collect, such as a crook in the bedrock, idle pools, log jams, inside corners of rivers or spaces between boulders. Then start digging, filling your pan with gravel. From there, continuously weed out the bigger rocks and pebbles. Then, place the pan underwater and saturate what remains, a process that allows the lighter material to float away. With the pan still underwater, slosh the muddy mix back and forth. After a few minutes, you should be left with black sand — hopefully speckled with flakes of gold. Concerned about environ- mental effects, California last year banned suction dredging. Oregon in January enacted a ive-year moratorium on dredging, and environmental- ists are pushing for something similar in Washington. Maine and Vermont have also put limits on dredging. Miners in the Northeast have mostly made peace with the current limits. But even those like Illinski, who traded his metal detector for a pan about a decade ago, fear all miners will eventually get caught in the kinds of battles playing out West. “We worry that the federal government is going to come and say you can no longer use the land for these lands for that kind of thing,” he said. “That scares me more than anything — that all of sudden the land we pay taxes on, that belongs to us, will be taken away.” Oregon Coast Real Estate WWW.OREGONCOASTREALESTATE.COM 40937 Old Highway 30, Svensen V/L Highway 30, Fern Hill 4991 Commercial Street, Astoria UNBELIEVABLE!!! • One of a kind • Breathtaking views • Location, Location, Location $275,000 NEW LISTING COUNTRY!!! • Vintage • Affordable • 2 bedroom, 1 bath $172,500 NEW LISTING • Classic Astoria Craftsman Home • Amazing Columbia River views • 4 bed, 1 bath, 2,630 sq.ft. plus basement • Additional 50’ x 100’ lot included! $275,000 PAULA SIMANTEL 503-298-0019 ELAINE RUSINOVICH 503-741-0452 LRG Larcin Realty Group, Inc 503-738-5797 3930 Abbey Lane # 209, Astoria PAULA SIMANTEL 503-298-0019 ELAINE RUSINOVICH 503-741-0452 LRG Larcin Realty Group, Inc 503-738-5797 43708 Gerttula Lane, Astoria PRICE REDUCED $235,000 LINDA STEPHENS 503-338-0552 LINDA STEPHENS 503-338-0552 503-325-6848 2816 Irving Avenue, Astoria • Craftsman style 4 bedroom home with covered front porch. • Many updates with this home & many original details. • River view from one bedroom, full bath on main fl oor • Wood fl oors, great kitchen, formal living and dining rooms LINDA STEPHENS 503-338-0552 LINDA STEPHENS 503-338-0552 503-325-6848 30 Auburn Avenue, Astoria VICKY RUTHERFORD 503-338-2116 777 6th Street, Astoria AREA Properties 42002 Wickiup Terrace, Astoria $329,900 AREA Properties MARY WIKSTROM 503-791-9381 503-325-6848 91926 Stevens Road, Astoria • Great Country Property! • Immaculate 4 bedroom, 3 bath home built in 2014 on 2.89 acres • Warm open kitchen with stainless appliances, double oven & large pantry • Home offi ce/den or hobby room, master suite on main fl oor $423,500 $265,000 LAURIE DUEY 503-791-6518 AREA Properties JEANIE PETERSEN 503-338-8554 503-325-6848 75 SW Juniper, Warrenton 84375 Nordmark Drive, Seaside OPPORTUNITY!!! • Necanicum River • Income Generating • Agricultural options • This private estate is well hidden from the world and has been updated throughout. • Private lake frontage for bass fi shing with a nature conservancy on the opposite side of the property. • 5 bedroom, 5 bathrooms, hot tub, sauna, several decks, fi re pit and a covered outdoor kitchen for summer BBQ’s. • Two bedroom apartment in lower level with fi replace and access to patio with fi re pit. $140,000 $1,059,000 VICKY RUTHERFORD 503-338-2116 • Classic vintage charm with Columbia River view! • Remodeled throughout, 4 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2,136 sq.ft. • Formal dining room, living room with French doors to front porch • Custom made cabinets, granite, hard- wood and more! • Great county property, just minutes from forest, parks & river. • Single level, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, 1,464 sq. ft • Gas fi replace, skylights, beautiful wood fl ooring, oversized covered deck • Master bedroom features full bath with skylight, deck & custom sauna $149,500 Windermere/Pacifi c Land Co. Windermere/Pacifi c Land Co. 503-325-6848 • Nearly three acres of residential acreage available to build your dream home. • Level, road access, outbuilding in poor condition. • No water or sewer connected yet to the property, but is at highway. • Call for more details! DEBRA BOWE 503-440-7474 $849,000 DEBRA BOWE 503-440-7474 $298,000 503-325-6848 35019 Hwy 101 Business, Astoria • One of Astoria’s fi nest, classic River view homes. • Nearly 4,000 sq. ft. has only been owned by 2 families since its construction in 1949. • Exquisite wood fi nishes, historic elements of Astoria’s history in its architectural detail. • A truly majestic home! • South slope home with upgrades throughout. • Glorious views of Young’s Bay and mountains. • Deluxe master bedroom on the main fl oor. • Full basement w/ fi nished rooms not included in square footage. $375,000 AREA Properties Windermere/Pacifi c Land Co. $389,000 • Two houses on 39.58 acres with creek frontage • House built in 1930 has 2,044 sq. ft. and was moved from Saddle Mtn. to this property. • Ranch style house built in 1959 has 1,410 sq.ft. • Both homes are fi xer uppers. VICKY RUTHERFORD 503-338-2116 DEBRA BOWE 503-440-7474 1608 Irving Avenue, Astoria AREA Properties 503-325-6848 89635-89633 Green Mountain Road, Astoria $65,000 • Beautifully renovated 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath mid-century home • Large private lot & mature land- scaping • Polished wood fl oors, large well lighted rooms, formal living & dining rooms with built-ins • Covered decks, private patios and bonus areas outside for entertaining. $229,500 AREA Properties • Outstanding Columbia River and City views • .23 acre building site on top of the hill in Central Astoria • Located in a neighborhood of classic mid-century and craftsman homes • Perfect location to build your dream house $385,000 AREA Properties 503-325-6848 2626 Grand Avenue, Astoria 840 Lexington Avenue, Astoria • Great 3 bedroom, 3 bath country home. • Indoor Resistance Pool, wood stoves, decks, patio • Views of the valley, outbuildings, landscaped and fully fenced yards. • This is so much home and more! • Cannery Loft Condo on Astoria’s river front • Studio unit w/open fl oor plan, approx. 1,035 sq. ft. • Freshly painted interior, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops • Columbia river views, gas fi replace AREA Properties JESSE TAYLOR 503-440-7564 AREA Properties 503-325-6848 PAULA SIMANTEL 503-298-0019 ELAINE RUSINOVICH 503-741-0452 LRG Larcin Realty Group, Inc 503-738-5797 ADVERTISE YOUR LISTINGS HERE! Call HOLLY LARKINS 503-325-3211 hlarkins@dailyastorian.com
