June 23, 2005

Wild West comes alive in New Almaden

New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum program focuses on mining artifacts

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Some people wish for a simpler time and place. Others are living their dreams collecting artifacts and history of the Wild West. Such was the group that gathered at the Quicksilver Mining Museum last weekend.

Living their dreams about the Wild West, from left, Don Powell, Terry Berody, Park Interpreter John Slenter and Jim Swallow. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

Arranged by New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum Interpreter John Slenter, a group of collectors presented artifacts and a wealth of information about the 1800s mining era.

“Fire in the hole,” cried Slenter, a man of few words about the Tools of the Miner event that had a steady throng of visitors passing through eager to learn about mining practices of the past.

Jim Swallow of Rattlesnake Creek Mining Company presented his collection of mine-blasting paraphernalia. Via horse trading and bartering, he has amassed artifacts of another time and place. He loves the Founder’s Day cowboy reenactment in his new hometown of Placerville, having relocating from Sunnyvale. They use blanks in the guns but still a $5 million dollar liability policy must be acquired to relive the days of the Wild West. Swallow is full of tales of the great deals he has made. For instance he bought a stamp mill for $20, refurbished the item and now it’s worth is $500.

Don Powell of San Jose specialty is carbide lamps. He has a wooden canary cage, which was used to warn the hard rock miner if the air had enough oxygen. Many a bird lost its life until the safety lamp was patented in the 1800s.

New Almaden Quicksilver Museum was packed with interested visitors for the Tools of the Miner event. Far left: Kitty Monahan.

And he’ll tell you all about it. A man named Davey was commissioned by the queen to find out why men were dying while mining. Updated though the years with 100s of different types, a version of the lamp provides safe haven in mines and manholes today.

“I’ll only go where I see the glow,” said Powell about the use of the life-saving lamp in a miner’s day.

Terry Berody of Mokelumne Hill takes mining collecting very seriously. He squeezes through small access holes in the mines to find his collectables. For his efforts, the mustached modern-day miner has found gold nuggets and 105-year-old artifacts. He has traveled 500 feet below the earth’s surface and has had his share of close calls.

He’s felt 10-foot timber fall on his shoulders and considers himself lucky to have survived with only bruised shoulders.

“I’ve taken out seven-ore carts of artifacts through the years,” said Berody about squeezing through small areas to find the goods.

Hanging lamps the miners used and gold nuggets collected by Terry Berody. Photos by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

Randy Marcotte of Castro Valley is a walking textbook of the mining era. He collects candleholders and considers that his niche, but says in collecting “one thing leads to another.” He has one of only four in existence Grant lamps, famous because of the president’s photograph holding one of them. His interest in mining collectables began innocently enough. Promising his wife a shopping trip after fishing in 1980, he discovered his a passion for mining artifacts. Now he shops more for collectables than his wife but he always tries to bring something special home for her.

Park Interpreter Slenter is also one of a group of collectors who attend three to four mining shows a year. They buy, learn and trade stories of the mining days and the Wild West. Besides being collectors they are eager to share a wealth of information about the past. And more importantly, they are living their dreams.

The New Almaden Quicksilver Museum hosts events throughout the year. They are located at 21350 Almaden Rd. Hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call (408) 323-1107 for more information.