Gold in Idaho -the good old days-things changed

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

My name is Lawrence S. Lagal and im from Idaho , my dads name is Roy J. Lagal. He writes books about all types of Gold Mineing and Metal Detecting. Im not him, but i was there my whole life , Im telling about the good old days not selling books, back before we had Metal-Detectors , how we paned, sluced , used rockers , high banked , hydrolicked , worked roots of trees and moss,chiped away at bedrock with crevice tools, now days if you can get there then someone has already been there , you gotta go where they couldnt get. If you use a Detector you gotta think harder , go deeper , basically you have to look at what was left behind , in tailings, old mines shaft muckings,and wright in plain site where they went to the easy surface Gold ( basically what they walked over) Im almost 60years old and i still do pretty good , not like the old days, but i get my share . I learned something (after all was said and done, more got said then ever done ) If your gona do it.just do it dont talk alot about it. and if you need to learn either listen to someone or by a book. Then get out and do something OK . Larry Lagal nobody special . Wateing to hear from my fellow Gold Miners , Especilly one on the Salmon River in Idaho.

 

[metalhead]

Great to hear from you. I think most of us on here or the regular Garrett forum know of your father. I have read some of his books over the years and owe him a debt of gratitude for sharing in his knowledge and experience. My wife and I are full time RVers and travel around the country prospecting and treasure hunting. I'm a disabled veteran and I can't move like I used to, but I still get out and do some swingin' to keep my blood flowin' and my mind active. Got my wife an Ace 250 when they came out and she runs circles around me with that thing. As far as prospectin' goes, nuggett shootin' is my favorite, but we do everything else besides dredgin'. We pan, use rocker box, sluice box, highbank(by the way, I also love my Rotapan). We spend alot of time in the National Forest and/or BLM lands. Sometimes we won't see another soul for weeks at a time. We belong to several different prospecting groups and I have a few of my own gold claims. We do visit with friends and family quite regularly on our travels as well.
I'm glad to see that you checked in. Keep in touch.Happy Hunting!

 

[John-Edmonton]

First of all, I want to welcome you to the Scorpion Site and thank you for posting here. I too have read some of your dad's books and in many of charles Garrett's books, there is a reference to Roy. It's nice to see you follow in your father's footsteps and continue the quest for that elusive gold. You are so right.....the easy stuff is pretty well gone. In most instances, you have to work harder or smarter to find it. Some people think that if you simply buy a metal detector, go to a gold bearing region to hunt, that the gold just beeps everywhere. That is simply not the case. You usually have to put in a lot of time, work hard and think smart to get that gold. And those that do put in the time and think smart often times do build up a nice collection of gold.

 

[fongu]

I've enjoyed his books and seems like he did some videos. The video was the same name as his book. I wish I were able to do some prospecting, but I enjoy the posts and videos of those that are looking for that golden metal. Welcome Larry.

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

Back in the old days , Everyone thought theyre equipment was the best ,dredges, sluceboxes , drywashers ,detectors , anything and everything was hand made, and the days of biger and biger dredges was born , equipment of all types were made .[attachment 179613 scan0009.jpg][attachment 179614 scan0008.jpg][attachment 179615 scan0011.jpg][attachment 179616 scan0007.jpg][attachment 179619 scan0010.jpg][attachment 179620 scan0015.jpg]

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

Im posting some pictures of my father back in the 60s , when he usto compete with treasure hunters , way before he started writeing books , and probably before you all new him , he won a lot of meets back then , this was before we new Charels Garrett , back in the good old days, well this is my last post so i dont embarrass my father anymore, than i allready have, by now Larry Lagal, nobody special just anoyher miner. [attachment 179975 scan0026.jpg][attachment 179976 scan0027.jpg]

 

[Dig'em All]

Please continue! I like seeing the old pics and learning. You can help keep the past a live by educating the new and educating is never embarrassing. I am new at prospecting and metal detecting but from what I have learned is that only about 20% of the worlds gold has been found. Dig'em All

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

Dear Digemall thank you for makeing me feel good about myself, here are som pictures of me and my father from the past mabe someone will rember who i am ,( the gold pan one), is from the first ( GOLD PANNING IS EASY ) book my dad wrote a long time ago, Im only posting them for you to thank you. Nobody special Larry Lagal.[attachment 179991 scan0003.jpg][attachment 179992 scan0012.jpg][attachment 179994 scan0013.jpg][attachment 179996 scan0023.jpg][attachment 179997 scan0024.jpg][attachment 179998 scan0025.jpg]

 

[metalhead]

Hey, cool old pics! Thanks a bunch Larry.

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

[attachment 180087 scan0014.jpg]This will really blow you away , back in the 60s my first Detector, so i could get in my first meet , and compete with the big boys.

 

[KevinH]

Larry, Great pics and info. Good to see you here.

 

[deerman]

great old pictures you have hope you keep at it and find the mother-load up your way,my parents live in Montana and i enjoy spending time with them when i can too,I got my first detector for Christmas when i was 9 years old(I'm 51 now) and remember my granddad hiding dimes for me to find on Christmas as day thanks to you for the memory's and your dad for the great books on his hobbies

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

[attachment 182471 scan0001.jpg][attachment 182472 scan0003.jpg][attachment 182473 scan0006.jpg][attachment 182474 scan0015.jpg][attachment 182475 scan0017.jpg]Here,s a blast from the past,Roy Lagal before he worked for Charles Garrett , even before there were all the new detctores back to the day,s of B.F.O,s thats probibly before all of you can rember, back then you had to really hunt hard for what you got, and most was luck.

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

[attachment 182476 scan0007.jpg][attachment 182477 scan0008.jpg][attachment 182478 scan0009.jpg][attachment 182479 scan0011.jpg][attachment 182480 scan0016.jpg][attachment 182481 scan0001.jpg]Way back when we had big treasure hunts, to get togeather and pass tricks we learned about our machines , cause no books were there, to help, here are some pictures in the 60,s before dad got togeather with Mr. Garrett to sell Detctores to the normal publick ,and start the 2nd gold rush witch sold a lot of dectores.After dad met Mr. Garrett ,my dad told me to become a salesman because ,there was more money in selling them then useing them otherwise everyone that had one would be rich , a big realizeation to a young treasure hunter at that time.

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

[attachment 182491 scan0002.jpg][attachment 182494 scan0004.jpg][attachment 182495 scan0005.jpg][attachment 182496 scan0007.jpg][attachment 182497 scan0008.jpg][attachment 182498 scan0009.jpg]The way it was , before mine,s better than your,s when we treasure hunted and competed , just for fun and knowledge ,not dealer against dealer , to sell the most , when you made a choice on the merrit of witcth machine was best for you and the way you hunt and what you hunt , not whitch machine advertises the most, and witch one gives the most exceseries ,and the best sales pitch.Here,s the way itwas back then

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

[attachment 182500 scan0006.jpg][attachment 182501 scan0003.jpg][attachment 182502 scan0010.jpg][attachment 182503 scan0011.jpg][attachment 182504 scan0012.jpg][attachment 182505 scan0013.jpg]The first 2 pictures are of Bill Mahan , and he was the owner of D-Tex Electronics , back then they were the best you could get at the price,and people didn,t know alot . they were B. F. O,s a lot of you dont koow what that means, they nade a moterboat sound and were hard to read ,

 

[tvanwho]

Hi Larry,

Nice pics !!! Some fancy homemade gear for sure!! Can you please post these pictures over on the AMDS Prospecting Forum hosted by Steve Herschback? I am sure he would be tickled pink to see them as well as all the other prospectors there . Was that your Dad that wrote that booklet about finding an ounce of gold a day?
Thanks,

Tom V.

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

[attachment 183074 newpics-08.jpg][attachment 183075 newpics-07.jpg][attachment 183076 newpics-21.jpg][attachment 183077 newpics-23.jpg]Dear Tom here are some pictures of black nuggett i allmost threw away Larry

 

[Lawrence S. Lagal]

[attachment 183078 scan0010.jpg][attachment 183079 scan0004.jpg]Dear Tom here is a picture of my dad,s Patened Gold Pan, Produced as a Garrett Product ,I won a lot of championships with my dad,s pan and here,s what it look,s like with Gold in it. By for now Larry

 

[tvanwho]

Thanks Larry. Glad I stumbled onto the Scorpion forum instead of my usual haunts on the Garrett forum looking for AT Pro test results.

-Tom