The last column dealt with the California Gold Rush, but there has been many gold rushes throughout the years and likely will continue to be. If you cast your eye on the map towards the north – go past the great lakes and the cities of Kirkland Lake and Timmins are to found. The railway age opened the towns for silver and gold were found and new towns quickly developed. In the book Fortunes in the Ground by Michael Barnes published by The Boston Mills Press, Erin Ontario 1986. The railway opened the area – first to build it and then when it was operational, people started to prospect the land. In the north – the method to bring the mineral out of the ground was to dig down into the earth by following the vein. Naturally, although the site is mineral rich it took a work to separate the mineral from the non mineral rock leaving large tailings. When the silver and gold were found the mines were some of the riches in the world and they would lead to new railways, a boom in people coming to mine, prospect, lose money on the stock market and some would receive great dividends, particularly when you consider the gold price at the time.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, although we think all the world has been mapped and where gold mines should be located, just the thought of one sends gold prices upwards. As companies increase in size they look for institutional sized deposits, when in reality there are still many smaller finds to be found. There are many stories about prospectors who had they only drilled to the left rather than the right, things would be different. In the world of mining, stories are still to be found which means look at the services – the hydro or something to invest in and then you can continue to listen to the stories.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.