| HOGG MINE - MARCH 22, 2008 Troup County, Lagrange, Georgia |
Rodney decided that it was time to do some digging at the Hogg Mine in order to bring up some fresh material for the digs that he
holds there on a regular basis. Attendance at the digs has been high as of late and with nice weather coming on it was time to stir
things up. He brought a 36,000 pound trackhoe with him to do the job. From the time that the machine arrived Rodney did not take
much in the way of breaks - I watched him eat a half a ham sandwich while standing in the bottom of the hole in the main pit. That
was lunch. He left the other half so he could get back to swinging the mattock. The rest of the time he devoted to digging, and as a
result the Hogg mine looks like a whole different place now.
Rodney started by opening up the tourmaline area. Digging in this area on recent trips has yielded some very nice specimens and
Rodney concentrated on two areas there that have been productive. The dirt has now been well turned in these areas and is full of
rock that promises to contain nice specimens. Individual crystals will also be found throughout this fresh soil.
Bring your shovel, your eye protection (mandatory) and a hammer. . .
holds there on a regular basis. Attendance at the digs has been high as of late and with nice weather coming on it was time to stir
things up. He brought a 36,000 pound trackhoe with him to do the job. From the time that the machine arrived Rodney did not take
much in the way of breaks - I watched him eat a half a ham sandwich while standing in the bottom of the hole in the main pit. That
was lunch. He left the other half so he could get back to swinging the mattock. The rest of the time he devoted to digging, and as a
result the Hogg mine looks like a whole different place now.
Rodney started by opening up the tourmaline area. Digging in this area on recent trips has yielded some very nice specimens and
Rodney concentrated on two areas there that have been productive. The dirt has now been well turned in these areas and is full of
rock that promises to contain nice specimens. Individual crystals will also be found throughout this fresh soil.
Bring your shovel, your eye protection (mandatory) and a hammer. . .
We were all happy that Joe came down to join us for a day of
digging. I like digging with Joe, but with his schedule it is
sometimes difficult for him to get away.
A number of people, Marcy and myself included, like to dig in the
tailing from the original mining operations. Many nice specimens
have been found in and around what we refer to as the "Old Pit".
To the left and below you can see that Rodney spent some time
cleaning out and expanding this area.
With so much fresh dirt it will be a bit of a dilemma selecting an
area to dig. How to narrow it down? And we have not even
made it to the main pit yet. . .
digging. I like digging with Joe, but with his schedule it is
sometimes difficult for him to get away.
A number of people, Marcy and myself included, like to dig in the
tailing from the original mining operations. Many nice specimens
have been found in and around what we refer to as the "Old Pit".
To the left and below you can see that Rodney spent some time
cleaning out and expanding this area.
With so much fresh dirt it will be a bit of a dilemma selecting an
area to dig. How to narrow it down? And we have not even
made it to the main pit yet. . .
Now Rodney concentrated his efforts on the main pit. The
pictures pretty much speak for themselves - but there is more to
the story. Two factors about Rodney's efforts work to our
advantage in digging in the main pit in the following weeks.
The first is that Rodney is after big crystals. Having the trackhoe
there is an expensive proposition. The hobbs meter is ticking off
time while the machine is running and Rodney is looking for
museum quality pieces to make the investment worth it. He will
not slow down for crystals that I consider prize finds. He calls
them speed bumps and they end up in the tailings, a fact that I
could not be happier about.
Second is that the hole has to be filled in for safety when Rodney
is through. If you look at the pictures and video you can see that
Rodney moved to the opposite end of the hole before filling it in.
The new material that he brought up did not end up getting buried
again.
pictures pretty much speak for themselves - but there is more to
the story. Two factors about Rodney's efforts work to our
advantage in digging in the main pit in the following weeks.
The first is that Rodney is after big crystals. Having the trackhoe
there is an expensive proposition. The hobbs meter is ticking off
time while the machine is running and Rodney is looking for
museum quality pieces to make the investment worth it. He will
not slow down for crystals that I consider prize finds. He calls
them speed bumps and they end up in the tailings, a fact that I
could not be happier about.
Second is that the hole has to be filled in for safety when Rodney
is through. If you look at the pictures and video you can see that
Rodney moved to the opposite end of the hole before filling it in.
The new material that he brought up did not end up getting buried
again.
By day's end a number of spectacular specimens had been found.
Rodney asked Marie to remove the large crystal from the rock.
A good deal of hammering and chiseling later a truly impressive
specimen emerged. We have not had time to clean everything
that we brought home yet, but as can be seen from the pictures
below, Marcy and I ended up with some spectacular pieces from
the day. And yes, that is the big crystal on my picnic table. I'm
going to have to clear off a large space on my fireplace mantel.
Judging from the beryl that I saw Rodney pass over, and the
negative crystal impressions in the rock after the machine had
taken out new layers, it is evident that the tailings in the new pit
hold some pleasant surprises for those willing to take a shovel to
them. There is also plenty of fresh rock for the breaking so bring
eye protection . . .
Robert
Rodney asked Marie to remove the large crystal from the rock.
A good deal of hammering and chiseling later a truly impressive
specimen emerged. We have not had time to clean everything
that we brought home yet, but as can be seen from the pictures
below, Marcy and I ended up with some spectacular pieces from
the day. And yes, that is the big crystal on my picnic table. I'm
going to have to clear off a large space on my fireplace mantel.
Judging from the beryl that I saw Rodney pass over, and the
negative crystal impressions in the rock after the machine had
taken out new layers, it is evident that the tailings in the new pit
hold some pleasant surprises for those willing to take a shovel to
them. There is also plenty of fresh rock for the breaking so bring
eye protection . . .
Robert