Samuel
Gold Prospector • Black Hills
Name’s Samuel. I came chasing a shine I saw in a creek bed. Since then it’s been cold water, long days, and more mud than a man ought to carry—with a freedom that keeps me at it.
I’ve had luck and I’ve had letdowns. You learn to read the creek: black sand behind riffles, heavies on an inside bend, color sleeping in bedrock cracks. Gold will tell you where it lies if you listen.
Ask me about: reading black sand, setting a sluice, rocker vs. long tom, staking a claim, and when to walk away.
Daily Work
- Prospect bars, inside bends & bedrock cracks
- Shovel, classify, and feed the box
- Pan concentrates and bottle the color
Tools & Gear
- Pan, pick, shovel, rocker/sluice
- Classifier, riffle mats, snuffer bottle
- Bedroll, coffee pot, sourdough starter
Reading the Creek
- Black sand builds behind riffles
- Color rides low in slow tail-outs
- False bedrock hides under clay
Camp Life
- Share a fire, share a story
- Patch boots, dry socks, mind sparks
- Trade color for flour and tools
Hard Truths
- Most veins pinch out
- Grubstake & patience keep you going
- Floods move gold—and camps
Connections
- Swaps tales with freighters like Martin
- Ships supplies off the Far West with Tink
- Neighbors first, miners always
“Most days it’s rocks and sweat. Some days it’s a glimmer enough to make a man believe all over again.”