“There’s gold in those hills” has sent many a prospector to the mountains of Arizona. Including the three Elams.
Dad explained to this nine-year-old that I was staying in a Wickenberg ‘tourist court’ most of the summer because “Dickie” was the third member of the Triple E Mining Company.
“Winnie” was the second member. And “Red” was the developer with some knowledge of mining from his years near Kentucky coal mines.
Mom got a golden nugget that Dad brought from the mine. I remember watching the man with a blow torch ‘assay’ the thimble-size nugget. Seem to remember something like 26 ‘karats’ which didn’t look edible to this youngster.
End of story, told as the Triple E’s drove back to Texas, was water needed to mine got out of hand and flooded the mine. Dad surrendered his option on the gold mine and I went out of the gold-mining business.
Moral of this Been There yarn: there’s gold somewhere outside Wickenberg, but it’s under water. But there was that summer when I could have been the richest kid in Hamlin Elementary.
