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GeneralPublic Note to Rock Currier

6th Apr 2012 22:53 UTCDon Saathoff Expert

Hello Rock,

Having worked in the photofinishing industry for 45 years (until digital obsoleted me) I know what is involved in your project to digitize your lifetime of slides. I just want everyone to realize what a daunting task this must have been and hope everyone appreciates your efforts. The last slides of the Tourmaline Queen bash are historical.....I find myself looking through New Photos only for your historical slides (and any New Mexico species that happen to show up).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HISTORY!!!!

Don

7th Apr 2012 02:16 UTCJames McGuire

I just spent the last 45 minutes looking through his latest uploads. Fascinating!

7th Apr 2012 02:28 UTCScott L. Ritchie Expert

Rock,

First of all, it's Ed Swoboda, not Swaboda.

Second, the pics are good, but the Tourmaline Queen mine has been private land since 1955, was owned by Swoboda since 1968, and has never been abandoned since it's discovery in 1903. The mine itself has only been subject to intermittent periods of inactivity, which does not constitute abandonment.

Without prejudice - If you're going to document 'illicit activities', you should at least get the facts straight in the captions. ;-)

Scott

7th Apr 2012 02:39 UTCJim Bean 🌟

I also appreciate the effort, Rock. In addition to the interesting historical photos I also enjoy your collecting stories posted throughout the message boards.

7th Apr 2012 08:37 UTCRock Currier Expert

Scott,

I don't know about the dates on any of the documents, but shortly after we finished digging out the adit to the Queen, Ed and Pala Properties started working the mine, moving from mining the Stewart to the Queen. At that time I talked to Ed and ask why he didn't say something to us. He said that negotiations for the purchase of the property were delicate and that he thought it best not to rock the boat and din't think that us picking around with hammers and chisels would do any harm. The asking price for the two mines was very high, or at least it seamed so at the time. Ed offered a low price for them and eventually the price was accepted. At least that was the conventional wisdom of the day. But I am sure there are those here that appreciate your politically correct and legal view point. Some years later I was partners with Ed Swoboda and a Brazilian, Osorio Neto in a couple of quartz mining ventures in Brazil. Are you aware of the fabulous "purple" caps that came from the mine via the back door during the time it was being worked by Pala Properties and the recent "title clearance" operation that went on at Tucson this year?

7th Apr 2012 15:42 UTCD Mike Reinke

Rock,

Does it sometimes feel like a rock pick isn't a geological tool, but a verbal one?!

7th Apr 2012 21:15 UTCRock Currier Expert

D Mike,

Yes, isn't that the truth! But it has always been thus, not only with the trivial field of mineral specimens, but in the far larger realm of mineral wealth, like salt, gold, and silver, oil and who controls it and to what end the wealth extracted from them is put.

8th Apr 2012 02:50 UTCScott L. Ritchie Expert

Hi Rock,

Like I said, I'm not making a judgement call here, so to me it's simply a matter of being factually correct.

I was pretty good friends with Al Ordway, so I can relate to the human element of the story, and appreciate the irreverence of these old-time pictures, including the unwritten gentleman's rules in the field. I've spent the last 15 years operating in Pala at the King and the Queen, and thus I'm quite aware of the history and peoples involved over the years, probably enough to make you feel slightly uncomfortable. ;-)

But seriously, like most people, I like a little 'salt' with my meat and potatoes - so please don't take my critique in the wrong way. If you'd like, I'll gladly edit your captions using my politically correct paintbrush! :)-D

Scott

13th Apr 2012 11:01 UTCScott L. Ritchie Expert

Rock,

You still haven't edited the photo captions to correct the spelling errors. Do you want me to handle it for you?

Scott

13th Apr 2012 11:47 UTCRock Currier Expert

Scott,

By all means, I would be grateful for any spelling errors you could correct. Have you given up on your Best Minerals article?

13th Apr 2012 12:50 UTCScott L. Ritchie Expert

Rock,

Thanks, will do. Nothing on the best minerals article yet other than my personal notes, but I was hoping that a few more pictures would get uploaded before I post the first draft. I'd like to imagine that I'll have that much up before the end of the year.

I still haven't figured out how the 'best minerals' project is going to be implemented into the database, at least in a more user friendly way, but Jolyon assures me he has some good ideas in the works, so I'm certainly on board for what I can offer.

I see potential, although I think we need greater input from more of the locality experts, which is what I actually volunteered to do here on mindat, not to focus on individual species - but I'm with you in the thought that a planet-wide comparative analysis will make a great educational tool, however daunting the task.

Scott

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