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Found an old logbook that showed dredge production numbers from 1982
Was cleaning out a toolbox I got from a retired operator last month and found his old logbook tucked in the bottom. Turns out the average daily output back then was about 30% higher than what we're pulling now on the same stretch of river. He wrote down every single breakdown too, and it looks like they ran 6 days a week with way less downtime. I wonder if it was better maintenance or just different conditions. Anyone else ever compare old records with current numbers?
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sean_walker4528d ago
The old Sucker Creek claim I worked back in 2002 had logbooks from the 70s showing they pulled 8 to 10 ounces a day with a 4 inch dredge. We were lucky to hit 4 ounces in two days with the same setup. My gut says it was the conditions more than the maintenance cause they ran the same basic gear we used. The river just had more gold in it back then before everyone and their brother started dredging every spot. That 30% jump sounds about right for what I saw comparing old numbers to new.
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xena_kim28d ago
So are we supposed to believe the river back then was basically a gold filled fountain, or did they just hide the real numbers from us? I bet half those logbooks were exaggerated so the boss wouldn't yell at them for taking three hour lunches. Either way, it's funny how we all just nod and accept that the easy gold is gone, but nobody wants to admit maybe we're just lazier or the river got tired of us. Makes you wonder if the old timers were secretly farming gold down there.
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