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ROY W. FERRENBACH : 1985 ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN DIARY AND JOURNAL OF THE COMPLEX AND INTENSE DAY-TO-DAY WORK OF EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN AN ALASKA GOLD MINE

Folio - over 12" - 15" tall. On offer is a diary and notebook of a gold miner and owner of AOS Mining and Engineering in the Fairbanks Mining District in Alaska. The journal contains in depth discussions of the exploration, development, and mining of the area by the AOS Mining and Engineering Company. Contained in this book are detailed accounts of the day-to-day life of Roy W. Ferrenbach, as him and a small team of mining engineers use steam-powered pumps, lifts, drills, and other tools to do mining exploration and development. Each day has a detailed account (almost by the hour) of the work done by Ferrenbach and his team, as well as more personal notes of his health, the weather, and his general mood. Along with the notes, there are also small diagrams drawn by Ferrenbach of equipment used (“Shaft Coller”, “Steam Point Jig”, “Hose Clamp”) along with observations of the equipment and directions for use. For example: “Steam Point Jig. To Use: Place on bottom of shaft - Plumb from collar center to center hole, drive 40 nail to fix position - Align (eyeball) to long axis of shaft - set point at one end - when thaw is completed set & steam other end-note if this is correct spaceing we will use two points at same time. Insuring Point is Vertical: This appears to be most important - I’ve procured a ‘Bull’s Eye’ level to be placed on head of steam point to check vertical alignment during setting.” Near the end of the book, the team is doing sampling of the soil that they have been extracting from the ground and they note what is found in the soil (gold) and at what quantities. The book is 150 pages in length, of which 132 have writing in them. The pages are also 37 lines in length, so there is a tremendous amount written in this book, everyday for almost three months. Some entries extend to many pages, but most cap at around a page and a half (or about 50-55 lines). The cover page contains information as written: “AOS Mining + Engineering. A Record of Exploration, Development, Mining and Related Activities. Fairbanks Mining District. Beginning: July 18 1985. Ending: 10 October 1985. Notes Belonging To: Roy W. Ferrenbach.” The first entry is as such: “July 18th. 1420 departed for Cora Gulch. #1 on track to look over shaft etc. began by W.B. 15000 around and located worksite, shaft full of water looked over part of cloin - departed about 1600 stopped at C (?) summit and cut some more pipe (2” by 1 1/4”) this brings total of pipe acquired to 150’ 2” & 70’ 1 1/4”. The book is in good condition. A sizeable chunk of the pages in the book have detached from the spine, but remain gathered together. Here are a sampling of entries: “24 July. 0910 up finally, feel like warmed over death, and definitely have a pretty good cold. Woke up at usual 0645, heard the rain sprinkling, so dared to close my eyes again, all of a sudden its past get up time. As one might expect, it is overcast, and pleasantly cool. The sun is trying its hardest to break through and it just may accomplish that in a couple of hours. It is now 0937, Ronald is headed to the Creek (Cleary) to work pans for breakfast. John is still in the tent sleeping. The mosquitos are not too active this morning - ok with me - Ronald is doing the breakfast of hash & bread with peanut butter. John is finally up - 1010 all done eating - inal cup of coffee before we get to work. 1125 - Holde dewatered, Rain is upon us, beginning to steam shot tabs 1410 Shot hole steaming completed - Ronald & John to track to make some quick lunch. Holes are all 4 1/2’ deep will trag 1 70% cty for test shot with some luck this will do the trick most get with it - Rain has stopped, we had to build a shelter near boiler to keep reasonably dry as an alternate load will see one of the 40% changes 4 1/2” made up this may do the job since Ronald’s discovery of (?) Steaming”; “27 Sept. Data: (1700) Ronald down shaft to bail & muck; (1715) Bailing completed 8 buckets + 60 = 68 buckets; (1735) Mucking completed 6 buckets; (1818) Me down shaft to steam shot holes; (1850) Up to fix pump; (1900) Down shaft to resume activities - steamed 8 holes around perimeter at bottom - decided to steam middle; (1942) began steaming point at 12-14”; (2115) Stop sight glass empty & 10 mins steam remaining.” (Background: The Fairbanks mining district is a gold-mining area in the U.S. state of Alaska. Placer mining began near Fairbanks in July 1902, after Felix Pedro (real name Felice Pedroni), an Italian immigrant and Tom Gilmore discovered gold in the hills north of the Tanana and Chena Rivers in 1901. The district was and is a major producer of gold from both placer and lode deposits: placers have produced over 8 million troy ounces (250 tonnes) of gold, lodes have yielded over 4 million ounces.). Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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