RMPTH June 2014 Newsletter

Whats That Diamond
Worth?

by Waymon Cox
April 25, 2014

G
reetings from the Arkansas Crater of Dia-
monds State Park! One of the most common
questions we hear from our visitors is, Are
diamonds found here worth anything? The answer
depends on your definition of the word.

As employees at a state park, we are not trained to
appraise the monetary value of diamonds or any other
rock or mineral. However, for those seeking answers
we offer information about Crater diamonds of known
value, including those that have been sold to collec-
tors or appraised by gemologists.

It was recently revealed in the news, for instance, that
14-year-old Oklahoman Tana Clymer sold the 3.85-
carat yellow diamond that she found here last Octo-
ber for $20,000. Like many Crater diamonds, Tanas
gem was sold as an uncut stone. Many collectors have
an eye for the beautiful facets and metallic shine of
our rough diamonds and will often pay more for a
nicely-shaped natural crystal than for a cut dia-
mond. However, a diamonds value is usually deter-
mined by what are known as the 4 Cs: Color, Carat
weight, Clarity, and Cut. Though most of our dia-
monds remain in their rough form, there have been a
few instances over the years in which our diamonds
have been cut, officially graded, and appraised. For
example, the 2.44-carat white Silver Moon Diamond,
discovered here in March 2011, was later cut into a
1.06-carat pear brilliant shape, graded as an F color
and VVS2 clarity, and appraised at more than
$21,000. The 2.09-carat white Dream Angel Dia-
mond, found here in November 2008, was cut into a
(Continued on page 3)
v. 18, n. 6 June 2014 Going for the Gold
Rocky Mountain Prospectors &
Treasure Hunters Newsletter
The News
Visit RMPTH On The Internet At http://rmpth.com
Contents

"There comes a time in every rightly constructed
boy's life when he has a raging desire to go
somewhere and dig for hidden treasure."
- Mark Twain
1 Whats That Diamond Worth?
2 About The News
4 Find Of The Month Winners
5 SS Central America Gold Again
6 Colorados Last Train Robbery
7 1849 Mormon $10 Gold Coin
Auctioned
7 Legally Pan For Gold In Colorado
8 2014-2015 Annual Dues Are
Payable at June Club Meeting
9 Zip Lock Baggies .... Who Knew?
10 Calendar of Events
11 Calendars
12 Diamond Hunt Outing
13 Used Couch Surprise
14 Spider Warning
15 Federal Mining Claim Information
16 Trading Post
17 Colorado Treasure Tales
18 2014 Schedule of Events
Page 2 The News, June 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.
1.04-carat cushion brilliant shape, graded as a D
color and VVS2 clarity, and appraised at around
$22,000. The Strawn-Wagner Diamond, a 3.03-carat
white gem found in 1990, was eventually cut into a
1.09-carat round brilliant shape, graded as a D
color and VVS1 clarity (the only perfect diamond
ever graded by the American Gemological Society),
mounted in a gold and platinum ring, and sold to the
State of Arkansas in 1998 for $36,000. These are just
a few notable examples of Crater diamonds that have
been given monetary value. However, most visitors
who find diamonds here never sell them or have them
appraised. Fortunately, the ideas of worth and
value reach far beyond the monetary aspect. We
have a tendency to assign value to a variety of sub-
jects, from the places we go (a worthwhile destination)
to the people we meet (a valuable employee). The
same goes for all diamonds and other rocks and min-
erals found at the Crater, regardless of their size or
what you do with them: if they are important to you,
then they have enormous value!

Most recent significant precipitation: April 6, 2014

Diamond finds for the week of April 6, 2014 (100
points = one carat):

April 6 Keith Goodwin, Tulsa, OK, 3 pt. yellow; Al
Fling, Leadville, CO, 69 pt. brown

April 7 Perry Stone, Allegan, MI, 42 pt. white; Adam
Hardin, Norton, OH, 2 pt. white, 4 pt. brown, 4 pt.
white

April 8 Thomas Jerele Jr., Millstadt, IL, 16 pt.
brown; Mike Ellison, Kings Mountain, NC, 3 pt. white;
Perry Stone, Allegan, MI, 2 pt. white, 5 pt. yellow

April 9 Nora Ross, North Pole, AK, 3 pt. white;
Bobby Jones, Plain Dealing, LA, 17 pt. brown

April 10 Vance Turner, Millstadt, IL, 2 pt. white;
Adam Hardin, Norton, OH, 2 pt. white

April 11 The Casey Family, Chambersburg, PA, 2 pt.
white, 9 pt. brown

April 12 Raymond Tucker, Meridian, MS, 3 pt. yel-
low; Sandra Kwiathowski, Tomball, TX, 5 pt. white

Crater of Diamonds Website
209 State Park Road
Murfreesboro, AR 71958
Email: craterofdiamonds@arkansas.com
Phone: (870) 285-3113 (870) 285-3113 FREE
(Continued from page 1)

Recent find sold for $20k uncut
Another recent find after being cut. Appraisal as yet unlisted.
When you are over sixty who
gives a Crap?

I got caught taking a pee in the
local swimming pool today.
The lifeguard shouted at me so
loud, I nearly fell in.
TREASURE HUNTERS
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

Mother Lode - Every miner hopes of finding
their own "mother lode" or source of the gold
that's laden in the rivers. A mother lode is
where the gold is trapped inside veins of quartz
on mountain sides. The erosion of land causes
the gold to break away from this source and
eventually wash down into the river. The larger
the pieces of gold being found in the river, the
closer one is to the mother lode. Mother lode
also refers to the vast area in Central California
where gold was found. It was called the mother
lode, because the whole area was a source, not
just a small target area
Find of the Month
Winners
May, 2014

Most Valuable Coin:
Mike Noll - 1914D Wheat Cent
Oldest Coin:
Joe Johnston - 1880 Indian-
head Cent
Largest Raw Gold:
Bud Yoder - Gold Ore
Specimen
Most Raw Gold:
No Entry
Best Bottle:
Mike Noll - Blacks Bullion
Bottle
Best Jewelry:
Dale Bordewyk - 10k Gold &
CZ Ring On 14 Necklace
Most Unique Find (Excavated):
Barb Schuldt - Antique
Suspender Clip
Most Unique Find (Non-
Excavated):
Tom Warne - Military Crossed
Sabers Cavalry Pin
Rock, Gem, Mineral & Fossil:
Tom Warne - Gold Ore
Specimen

Nice weather brings nice finds!
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

June Fred Sugden
July David Longmore
August Ray Hettinger
September Heidi Short
October Barb Schuldt
November Sam Banulis
SS Central America
Gold Again

Famous shi pw r ec k st i l l del i ver i ng
Cal i f or ni a Gol d Rush Gol d

A
new recovery company is continuing the re-
covery operation of the SS Central America
shipwreck from 1857 off the coast of South
Carolina. Hard to imagine but the wreck is still pro-
ducing gold coins, raw nuggets and bullion bars after
the original recovery operation was completed in
1987.

In an even more bizarre turn of events the original
recovery company, Columbus-America Discovery
Group, is suing claiming they have exclusive rights to
the wreck. This claim is being made even though com-
pany owner Tommy Thompson is a wanted fugitive
for not paying investors from the 1987 recovery op-
eration. Thompson's whereabouts are supposedly un-
known. The majority of the original gold recovered
was sold for over 50 million dollars, money which
Thompson reportedly absconded with.

Thompson must really have big brass ones (or maybe
gold ones) to sue from his hiding place .... Amazing!

COLORADO'S LAST
TRAIN ROBBERY

by Canton O'Donnell

H
aving fun with my father T. J. O'Donnell, after he, I
and my brother, Ottomar, were in a train hold-up at
Sawmill curve on the West side of Marshall Pass
(elevation 10,856 ft. 240 miles from Denver) on Sunday
morning, July 13th 1902.

When I must have been 14 years old, we left Denver one
Saturday night, Dad, my brother and I, on NO. 315 of the
Denver & Rio Grande and in the morning changed to the
narrow gauge at Salida. I think we probably had breakfast
in the narrow gauge Pullman. At that time, I think the upper
berths were still in it, although it was used as a parlor car.
In any event, in those early days, the porter served break-
fast to the parlor car or Pullman passengers.

It was a beautiful,
sunny day, and as
we got up on the
pass, my brother
and I sat up on the
back platform, it
was an open plat-
form, no vestibule,
no observation car
railing or anything
of that sort and
chatted with tour-
ists who were mar-
veling at the beau-
ties of the trip. Suddenly, the train stopped at and unex-
pected place, and I was sitting on a lower step of that open
back platform and in a moment or two heard a shot. I
looked out and could see the engine and several men there
with masks and carrying rifles. Just at that moment, one of
the bandits clubbed his rifle, struck the engineer, who had
descended to the right-of-way, over the head, and as people
looked out over the sides of the cars, they fired a warning
shot or two, to keep us inside of the cars.

After this clubbing, the engineer was out of commission and
he died some days later. The fireman, under the robber's
direction, uncoupled the express car from the train and
proceeded perhaps 25 or 30 yards down the track, where
the robbers blew up the express company safe, partially
demolishing the express car.

After that, the robbers sent the brakemen through the train
to herd us all out on the track, and they stood on each side
of the train so no one could get out. My father took what
money he had except a $5.00 bill and some change and his
gold watch and chain, and we shoved it under the Pullman
seat. He took from either my brother or me a dollar Inger-
soll watch with a steel chain, as I remember it, and wore
that in lieu of his regular watch. For the same reason, he
kept $5.00 and a little change in his pocket.

We went out on the curve and all lined up and a man
walked behind the brakeman who carried a sample sack
and we all made contributions as the collection party went
along. I remember distinctly that my brother had a dime
and I had two dimes and the robber's remark was that every
little bit helped.

Some woman was worrying about her pocketbook. My fa-
ther scraped a hole with his toe in the right-of-way, and we
dropped her pocketbook in that hole, kicked some dust
over it and stood on it while the robbers went by. We were
later able to restore her pocketbook to her.

The robbers disappeared in the brush, the train was con-
nected to go again, tore off the broken part of the express
car, left it there, and proceeded to Sargents, where a posse
was organized. The engine tuned around on a Y and picked
up the parlor car for use by the posse.

I went back with my father and the posse to the scene of the
crime, and we scurried around the brush, I proudly carried
my .22 rifle which, after the robbers had gone, I removed
from my suitcase, my father
not permitting its removal
until after the danger of re-
taliation on the part of the
robbers was past.

As I said before, this was a
Sunday morning, and we
always believed that the ban-
dits held up the train on the
theory that the express car
would have a lot of cash,
probably the payroll for our
mine at Lake City, the Hid-
den Treasure. They were
fooled, because the banks did not ship money on Saturday
nights, and their net gain was negligible. They killed the
engineer, and for a long time I had a copy of a bulletin that
was posted all over the country after this robbery, with a
reward offered, but the robbers were never found.

Incidentally, we stopped shipping currency after that rob-
bery. We made an arrangement with the Merchants & Min-
ers Bank in Lake City, a Thatcher bank, to cash our checks
drawn on a Denver bank - probably the Denver National -
almost certainly so, because Dennis Sullivan had an interest
in the mine, and the local bank cashed the checks at our
expense.

(Canton O'Donnell was a well know lawyer in Denver at the
time of the robbery and this article was written by Spencer
and ran in "The Denver Republican", published 1882-1913.)

Buffalo Commons
http://buffalocommons.org/site/en/stories/144-colorado-s-
last-train-robbery-by-canton-o-donnell

1849 Mormon $10 Gold
Coin Auctioned

Fet c hes $705K At Auc t i on

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)

A
$10 Mormon gold coin fetched $705,000, and
a $20 Mormon gold coin sold for $558,000 at
auction this week.

They were the rarest of a seven-piece collection of
Mormon coins made in 1849 that brought in nearly
$2 million at an auction staged by Dallas-based Heri-
tage Auctions.

The territorial coins, put up for sale by a collector,
went to an undisclosed buyer. Bidding ended Thurs-
day night.

Tyson Emery, a coin expert at All About Coins in Salt
Lake City, said coins and currency were scare when
Mormon pioneers arrived in Utah in 1847, and the
settlers began making their own coins primarily to
buy goods from the East.

"The gold that they used to make these Mormon gold
coins came from the original California gold strike,
probably right from the American River at Sutter's
Mill," he told the Deseret News (http://bit.ly/1h1t3cv ).
Only 46 of the $10 gold coins were made, and just a
few are still around. Emery had predicted the $10
piece would sell for at least $500,000.

The equipment used to make the coins was crude,
and not a lot of coins were made as a result. While
rare, Mormon coins are put up for sale from time to
time, Emery said.

Mormon currency came in denominations including
$2, $5, $10 and $20. Simple and rugged designs
showed clasped hands, with uneven lettering and
numbers.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints His-
tory Museum has a replica display featuring coins,
dies and other equipment. The prices for the other
coins that were sold at auction this week ranged from
$64,625 to $235,000.

Information from: Deseret News,
http://www.deseretnews.com

Legally Pan For Gold In
Colorado

By Aminah Paden, eHow Contributor

G
old panning locations in Colorado are easily
identifiable. They are well documented and
information about these locations are avail-
able to prospectors. The federal government keeps
track of gold claims and mining locations through a
variety of agencies. Gold mining clubs are a valuable
resource for information on the topic. Individual
prospectors also are often more than willing to share
information and resources. With a little bit of re-
search, a prospector can find a wealth of gold panning
locations in Colorado.

Contact the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado.
The bureau manages 8.4 million acres of public land
and maintains data on mining claims, including aban-
doned mines. Information on all mining claims may
be found on the GeoCommunicator.gov website or the
BLM LR2000 system that maintains data on bureau
land and mineral use authorizations.

Join a local mining club. Local mining clubs help new
miners learn about gold panning. A club will have al-
ready identified the best places to mine for gold in
Colorado. Clubs may own mining claims for members
to use.

Contact the U.S. Geological Survey. The survey main-
tains maps and reports on gold mining locations in
Colorado and other states. Maps are available for pur-
chase.

Tips & Warnings

Recreational gold pan-
ning is allowed on Bureau
of Land Management prop-
erty without special per-
mits.
Obtain permission to pan
for gold from private land
and claim owners.

Read more:
http://www.ehow.com/how_8288680_identify-legally-pan-
gold-colorado.html#ixzz2zTDR2G7X

2014-2015 Club Dues
are payable at the June
4th Club Meeting.

Annual Dues are still a
bargain at $25 for single
or family!

New membership cards
will be issued beginning
at the July Club
Meeting.

Remember, displaying a
current Membership Card
will be a requirement for
participating in some Club
Events!
Before You Buy That Metal Detector Handbook Check:

http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/before-you-buy-hb/before-you-buy-handbook.pdf
Amazing Sunken
Vehicle Facts
Your Tr easur e Map t o 100-Pl us Car s and Tr uc k s
Rust i ng i n Houst on' s Si ms and Br ays Bayous

Ed: Maybe it's just me but the following article leaves me
speechless. How many vehicles can be hidden in one city's
streams, ponds, and bayous? Truly amazing. Maybe they
should be on the lookout for Jimmy Hoffa's remains?

A
spokesman says the Houston Police Department has
long been aware of most of the 127 vehicles Texas
Equusearch found submerged in Houston bayous
back in 2011, when the nonprofit search-and-rescue organi-
zation used a sonar-equipped boat to hunt for the rented
car of an elderly woman who had gone missing. But until
Equusearch went public with the data this week, it appears
no one from law enforcement had bothered to bring the
rusting cars and trucks to the attention of environmental
organizations, families of missing persons, wrecker drivers,
classic-car collectors and restorers, bayou boaters, noo-
dlers, or other groups that might have wanted to know.

No matter, now: Above, courtesy of Texas Equusearch and
the Houston Chronicle, is an interactive map identifying the
coordinates and descriptions of the vehicles including at
least one full big rig that have been gently rusting at or
near the bottom of Brays and Sims Bayous for at least 2
and a half years. The Chronicle data appears to exclude the
half-dozen or so transportation options Equusearch search-
ers found beneath the waters of the relatively un-trafficked
Buffalo Bayou. But you can spot some of them in the upper
portion of this screen capture published with Joel
Eisenbaums original report for KPRC of a similar map:

The biggest wet-car graveyard appears to be focused on the
stretch of Brays Bayou around the Forest Park Cemetery on
Lawndale St., where, according to Eisenbaum, 23 cars are
resting in peace. But if youre looking to find definitive data
on the citys greatest concentration of submerged vehicles,
youd want to note that the mapped spots are only those
Equusearch came across in its search, which was limited to
areas they believed the woman they were searching for
might have traveled. The body of that woman, Lillian High,
was eventually found inside a black Dodge Avenger in a re-
tention pond off Old Galveston Rd. near the Beltway, after a
4-month search.

http://swamplot.com/your-treasure-map-to-100-plus-cars-
and-trucks-rusting-in-sims-and-brays-bayous/2014-05-14/

Zip Lock Baggies ....
Who Knew?

W
e went with friends to a restaurant on Sun-
day for lunch and sat in the patio section
beside the store. We happened to notice zip
lock baggies pinned to a post and a wall. The bags
were half filled with .... water, each contained 4 pen-
nies, and they were zipped shut. Naturally we were
curious! The owner told us that these baggies kept the
flies away! So naturally we were even more curious!
We actually watched some flies come in the open win-
dow, stand around on the window sill, and then fly
out again. And there were no flies in the eating area!
This morning I checked this out on Google.

Below are comments on this fly control idea. I'm now
a believer!

Zip-lock water bags: #1 Says: I tried the zip lock bag
and pennies this weekend. I have a horse trailer. The
flies were bad while I was camping. I put the baggies
with pennies above the door of the LQ. NOT ONE FLY
came in the trailer. The horse trailer part had many.
Not sure why it works but it does!

#2 Says: Fill a zip lock bag with water and 5 or 6
pennies and hang it in the problem area. In my case it
was a particular window in my home. It had a slight
passage way for insects. Every since I have done that,
it has kept flies and wasps away. Some say that wasps
and flies mistake the bag for some other insect nest
and are threatened.

#3 Says: I swear by the plastic bag of water trick. I
have them on porch and basement. We saw these in
Northeast Mo. at an Amish grocery store& have used
them since. They say it works because a fly sees a re-
flection& won't come around.

#4 Says: Regarding the science behind zip log bags of
water? My research found that the millions of mole-
cules of water presents its own prism effect and given
that flies have a lot of eyes, to them it's like a zillion
disco balls reflecting light, colors and movement in a
dizzying manner. When you figure that flies are prey
for many other bugs, animals, birds, etc., they simply
won't take the risk of being around that much per-
ceived action. I moved to a rural area and thought
these "hillbillies" were just yanking my city boy chain
but I tried it and it worked immediately! We went
from hundreds of flies to seeing the occasional one,
but he didn't hang around long.

Zip Lock Fly-Be-Gone
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 une Meet i ng
Wednesday, June 4. 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 - 9:00 "Metal Detecting By Paul Mayhak
and Rick Mattingly. Learn tips and tricks for metal
detecting. Also, short video on panning and sluicing
for gold . and diamonds!
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.

June 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4
RMPTH Finds Program
& Social 6:00P
RMPTH Meeting 7:00P
5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12
RMPTH Board Meet-
ing 6:00P
13 14
15
Fathers Day
16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27
Diamond Hunt
Outing
28
Diamond Hunt
Outing
29
Diamond Hunt
Outing
30
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 Meet-
ing 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
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.
Diamond Hunt Outing

T
he weekend of June 27-29, Friday through
Sunday, we will hold a Diamond Hunt in
northern Colorado. The hunt location is near a
proven diamond mining area and is the site of numer-
ous found diamonds during past hunts by a few club
members.

For those who wish to remain on site for the week-
end, we will be dry camping on National Forest land
at the hunt site. No supplies or fuel are available in
the immediate area, so be forewarned and plan on
being self-sufficient.

Diamonds have been uncovered in the surrounding
area using gold pans and gold sluices. No fuel-
motorized equipment please. Additionally, diamonds
have been uncovered using black light units at night,
as some diamonds do fluoresce.

This is a very nice area and great for the whole family.
Saturday evening we will be holding a group potluck
dinner so bring a food item to share around the
campfire.

Bring your Two Way Radios for this outing to stay in
touch. We will be using Channel 10.

Maps and further information regarding the top se-
cret location will be available at the June 5th club
meeting. If you are a dues-paid member but cannot
make the June meeting please contact Rick
Mattingly at rickmatt@q.com or (970) 613-8968 for
more info.

Raw Diamonds
The largest U.S. diamond was
the 40.42 carat Uncle Sam,
found at Crater of Diamonds
around 1918. Second largest is
the 34.46-carat Punch Jones,
names for the West Virginia boy
who spotted it while playing
horseshoes in 1928. A more re-
cent find is the 14-carat Lewis
and Clark, picked up by Mrs.
Darlene Dennis while walking
on a gravel road near Craig,
Montana. It is currently owned
by Alexander Acevedo, a New
York antiques dealer.
Used Couch Surprise

NY r oommat es buy $20 used c ouc h, f i nd $40K
i n c ash st uf f ed i nsi de

By: The Associated Press
Posted: 8:05 PM, May 15, 2014

NEW PALTZ, N.Y.

F
or all the screaming and carrying on, their
neighbors thought they'd won the lottery. But it
was a lumpy old sofa stuffed with $40,000 in
cash that had three young roommates raising a
ruckus.

And here's the other side of the ticket: They returned
the money to the 91-year-old widow whose couch had
been given away.

"We just pulled out envelopes and envelopes," said
Cally Guasti, a social worker with Family of Wood-
stock who shares an apartment with two friends in
New Paltz, 75 miles north of New York City. "My
mouth was literally hanging open -- everybody's was --
it was an unfathomable amount."

Guasti told The Associated Press on Thursday that
she and her friends had bought the beat-up couch
and a chair for $55 at a Salvation Army thrift shop in
March. They noticed the arm cushions were weirdly
lumpy. Then, one night in April, one of them, State
University of New York at New Paltz student Reese
Werkhoven, opened a zipper on one arm and found
an envelope.

It contained $4,000 in bubble-wrapped bills.

Guasti, Werkhoven and roommate Lara Russo opened
the other arm zipper and started mining the treasure
stashed inside. They counted it up: $40,800.

"Honestly, I was a little overwhelmed," Russo said. "I
wanted to put it back in the couch and like re-find it
in the morning when I can process it better."

Gausti said they spread the money on the bed and
started counting.

"And we were screaming," she said "In the morning,
our neighbors were like, 'We thought you won the lot-
tery.'"

Mixed in with the cash was a deposit slip with a
woman's name on it. Werkhoven called her the next
Whoops . Daydreaming again!
morning.

"She said, 'I have a lot of money in that couch and I
really need it,'" Guasti said.

They drove to the home of the woman, who turned
out to be the elderly woman. She cried in gratitude
when they gave her the cash she had hidden away.

The woman's family had donated the couch to the Sal-
vation Army while she was having health problems.

"It's not our money, said Werkhoven, of New York
City. "We didn't have any right to it."

Guasti said the cash simply wasn't theirs. "I think if
any of us had used it, it would have felt really wrong."

Treasure is anywhere and everywhere!

Spider Warning

F
rom a friend:

About 4 years ago I had a Doctor appointment.
That morning they called and postponed it because
our Dr. was in surgery. Two days later they called
back and cancelled my appointment because our Doc-
tor had died on the operating table. We thought that
he was the one doing the operating He had been bitten
by a Brown Recluse. He had tried treating himself in-
stead of getting help. He was fairly young (late 40s)
and the best Doctor we had ever had.

Br ow n Rec l use Spi der

At this time of year, this is worth seeing.

Show these picture to your spouse, your kids, grand
kids, and friends. It could save their lives. Remember
what this Spider looks like and be careful while clean-
ing, as told below.

It's summertime and cleanup is going on. Be careful
where you put your hands. They like dark spaces and
woodpiles. Also cool areas in the attic.

The Brown Recluse Spider is the most dangerous spi-
der that we have here in the USA. A person can die
from its bite. We all should know what the spider
looks like. Send this around to people you love, be-
cause it is almost summer time. People will be digging
around, doing yard work, spring cleaning, and some-
times in their attics.

Please be careful.

Spider bites are dangerous and can have permanent
and highly negative consequences. They like the dark-
ness and tend to live in storage sheds or attics or
other areas that might not be frequented by people or
light. If you have a need to be in your attic, go up
there and turn on a light and leave it on for about 30
minutes before you go in to do your work.

Thanks to Ginger Borgeson for sharing

The dangerous Brown Recluse Spider
" A l i ber al par adi se woul d
be a pl ac e w her e ever ybody
has guar ant eed empl oy-
ment , f r ee c ompr ehensi ve
heal t hc ar e, f r ee educ at i on,
f r ee f ood, f r ee housi ng, f r ee
cl ot hi ng, f r ee ut i l i t i es, and
onl y l aw enf or c ement has
guns. And bel i eve i t or not ,
such a pl ac e does, i ndeed,
ex i st :

I t ' s c al l ed pr i son."

Sher i f f Joe Ar pai o
Mar i c opa Count y Ar i zona
Sher i f f ' s Of f i c e
Gold Glossary

Open Pit Mine - In search of rich
veins of quartz, open pit mines are
common today. Because of the dan-
ger associated with drifts, open pit
mines are dug from the ground down
and are never tunneled. They can be
best described as, "A big hole."
Symbol: AU
Atomic Number: 79
Atomic Weight: 196.967
Melting Point: 1063 (1945 F)
Specific Gravity: 19.2
MOHs 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 rickmatt@q.com
Federal Mining Claim
Information

How t o Fi nd Feder al Lands That Ar e
Open t o Gol d Mi ni ng Cl ai ms

T
he federal government owns thousands of acres of property where
members of the public can prospect for gold. Individuals who find
an area with significant amounts of gold will want to file a claim for
the area, which gives you a right to remove the gold from the property
and provides certain protections from other people mining the property.
The first step in filing a federal mining claim is to determine which pieces
of
property are available and still eligible for claims. The process will in-
volve searching specific maps and contacting both county and federal gov-
ernment officials.

Pick a state to begin your search for federal lands that can be claimed.
The U.S. Department of Interior lists the following states as being the
most likely areas to find valuable minerals on federal land: Alaska, Ari-
zona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North
Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Order a Surface Management Edition map from the appropriate regional
office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Once you've selected a
state to begin your search, you can determine which regional office of the
Bureau of Land Management to contact by visiting the bureau's website.
The Surface Management Edition maps show which areas of a state are
owned by the federal government, and thus potentially available for a
mineral claim.

Narrow your search to a specific plot of ground on federal property. Gen-
erally a federal mining claim must be made on a piece of property 20
acres or less. Once you've identified a piece of property that you believe
has mining potential, very clearly mark its location on your Surface Man-
agement Edition map. If you have access to GPS technology, also mark
its GPS coordinates.

Contact a property ownership officer in the county courthouse in which
the property is located. Often property ownership information can be
found in county offices with names such as Register of Deeds, County
Assessor, County Appraiser or County Clerk. Show the appropriate
county officer the map location or GPS coordinates of the plot you are
researching. Ask for a legal description of the property. The legal descrip-
tion lists the township number, range number, section number and sec-
tion quadrant.

Use the legal description to request a claim report for the plot of ground
you are researching. The regional office of the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment will have the claim report. The claim report will list any mining
claims that have been filed on the property, and list whether they are ac-
tive and in good standing. If the plot of property does not have any active
claims, it then can be considered a piece of federal ground open to a min-
ing claim.

ehow.com

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: rickmatt@q.com

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:
rickmatt@q.com.
FOR SALE: Whites MXT. Lightly used. Price includes fab-
ric carrying case. Asking $400.00. Call 303 747 2305 or
e-mail edmaiedwards@aol.com

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
Collectors Item, Please keep it. Im 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
estick@live.com.

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.
Col or ado School of Mi nes
Geol ogy Museum
Gol den, Col or ado

Contact us: 303-273-3815 or
geomuseum@mines.edu

Identification of specimens is performed
between 10 a.m. and noon, Tuesdays and
Thursdays.

Colorado Treasure
Tales
Li nc ol n Count y

I
n 1847, $100,000 was stolen by bandits in Sacra-
mento, California during the California Goldrush.
It is said that the gold was hidden in a gulch sev-
eral miles east of Clifford in Lincoln County. The spot
was supposedly marked by three stones, each bearing
the date 1847. This story was further supported when
a flat stone bearing the inscription "D. Grover and
Joseph Fox Lawe, Aug. 8, 1847" was discovered near
Clifford many years ago.

WEEKEND & SMALL-SCALE
MINERS CODE OF ETHICS

I WILL respect other prospectors claims and not work
those claims without the owners 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
Ram' s Hor n

This "ram's horn" is the world's largest known
specimen of wire gold. It was mined at the
Ground Hog Mine in Eagle County in 1887. It
weighs 8 troy ounces and measures 5" in
length and an inch in diameter at the base.
Three older ladies were discussing the tra-
vails of getting older. One said, "Sometimes I
catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my
hand in front of the refrigerator and can't re-
member whether I need to put it away, or
start making a sandwich."

The second lady chimed in, "Yes, some times
I find myself on the landing of the stairs and
can't remember whether I was on my way up
or on my way down."

The third one responded, " Well, I'm glad I
don't have that problem; knock on wood," as
she rapped her knuckles on the table, then
told them "That must be the door, I'll get it!"
Month Meeting Program Trip/Activity
J anuary
Battery Facts
By Batteries Plus
No Trip/Activity Scheduled
February
Found Explosives Safety
By Rick Mattingly
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
Lets 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 SutherlandWSGS
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
Vics 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
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
Lets Go For The Gold !
Rocky Mountain
Prospectors & Treasure Hunters
Contact List
RMPTH Coordinators Home E-Mail
President Bud Yoder bydu812@yahoo.com
Interim Vice President Shane Manenti 1-970-590-9183 menentiwe2@msn.com
Treasurer Dick & Sharon French 1-970-482-2110 dickyf99@centurylink.net
Secretary Heidi Short 1-970-532-1167 heishort@gmail.com

The News Staff
Editor-in-Chief Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 rickmatt@q.com

Internet Web Site
Web Master Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 rickmatt@q.com

Volunteers/Coordinators
Finds Program
Paul Mayhak
Betsy Emond
J oe J ohnston
1-970-482-7846
1-970-218-0290
1-303-696-6950
pjmcolo@q.com
bemond@fcgov.com
cjoej1@peoplepc.com
Presentations Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 rickmatt@q.com
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 cjoej1@peoplepc.com
Club Photo Librarian Heidi Short 1-970-532-1167 heishort@gmail.com
Panning Demos
Bryan Morgan
Darrell Koleber
1-970-416-0608
1-970-669-2599
brymorg@frii.com
gutshot1016@yahoo.com
Meeting Setup Shane Menenti 1-970-590-9183 menentiwe2@msn.com
Door Prize
Paul Mayhak
J ohnny Berndsen
1-970-482-7846
1-970-667-1006
pjmcolo@q.com

50/50 Drawing Woody Hogdon 1-970-667-5010 ftcolwoody@juno.com
Coin Raffle Shane Manenti 1-970-590-9183 menentiwe2@msn.com
General Information Contact: Rick Mattingly at 1-970-613-8968
Visit RMPTH on the Internet at: http://rmpth.com
JUNE, 2014 ISSUE
The News
Rocky Mountain Prospectors &
Treasure Hunters Club
278 Sierra Vista Drive
Fort Collins, CO. 80524

RMPTH June 2014 Newsletter

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