Miners Comments July-December 2009

Another anniversary has passed and hundreds of carats came out of the mine during the first half of this year 2009.

And for the one to beat, here is Larry Coleman with his 73.10 found on 2/17/2009. Larry is from Alpena, Mi.

YES! We have room for motorhomer's.

Well I was up to the mine mid-August to work and celebrate. I fed the trout, helped on the flumes, and met some wonderful people, who make everybodys job so much easier. Only one exception...details follow.

^Who cares if it's raining. Making good use of the covered flumes while it is pouring down with rain.

^ We even got some proof of Pete working the flumes just like all of the others.

^ This is what you are looking for.

^Here is one of the tired bikers from this year's Rags to Riches rally.

Who says you can't have too much fun???

On 12/31/2009 we had some die hard miners who paid. Snow and cold did not bother them. By afternoon the snow was gone, but not the miners. This includes 7 yr. old Colleen McCarthy from Michigan, who stuck it out until the end of the day and eneded up with a grand total of 47 carats of sapphires.

^Randy Becker of Pa. found a 10.5 ct. on 12/9/2009 ^Rodney Ribble of Oh., got a 10.02 ct on 11/16/2009

^Rhonda Banker of Fl. found a big one on 11/3/2009 ^Jaryn Horne of Tn. found a big one on 10/25/2009

Rhonda e-mailed me on 12/26 and said her stone was

20.75 ct. and very pink. Good job Rhonda.

Both of the above big ones were over 10 carats we think....the scales were broken and an exact weight could not be determined. Sorry.

^Ray & Danielle Norton on 10/22 got a 14.32 carat. ^Jimmy Sparkman of Tn. got a 10.54 ct. on 10/17/2009

The Nortons are from S.C.

^Dianna George of Fl. found a 10.55 ct. on 10/14/2009 ^Charles Blakeway of Tn. got a 10.93 ct. on 10/13

^Charlotte Spencer-White of S.C. found an 11.22 ct.

on 10/12/2009

^Bruce Burch of Fl. got a 19.16 ct. on Oct. 10, 2009 ^Matt Collins, on 10/7, found a 13.39 ct. He's from Ga.

^Chuck Doolittle of Ct., got a 10.36 ct. on Oct. 6, 2009^Danielle Helgeson, from Mi., found a 10.83 ct. on 10/5

^Jessica Yonce, of N.C., got an 11.09 ct. on 10/3/09 ^Helen Rooney on 9/30 got a 10.59 ct. She's from S.C.

^Stephanie Furbee, of Oh., found a 10.00 ct. on 9/27 ^Theresa Furbee, also from Oh., got herself a 12.48 ct.

^Dorothy Hayslip, of N.J., found a 12.03 ct. on 9/22/2009 ^Barefoot, of Va., found a 10.16 ct. also on 9/22

^Larry Flotow from Mo., dug a 15.32 ct. on 9/16/2009 ^Deb Taylor got an 11.15 ct. on 9/15. She's from In.

^Destiny Parker on 9/13 found an 11.17 ct. She's from N.C.^Stan Taylor, of In., found a 12.00 ct. on 9/12/2009

^Tom Wells of Ma. on 9/10/09 got an 11.19 Ct. stone. ^Brian Crowther from Fl. on 9/9/09 found an 11.19 ct.

^ Virginia Wilhelm of Ar., found a 12.27 ct. on 9/8/09 ^Teresa Taylor on 9/7/09 dug a 17.59 ct. She's from Tn.

^ Paul Thompson of Oh., found a 10.62 ct. on 9/6/2009.^Rose Merrell got a 21.65 ct. on 8/31. She' from Az.

^Dora Berberette of Va. on 9/1/09 found a 28.10 ct. ^Elizabeth Schuh on 9/1 found a 13.31 ct. She's from Fl.

^Kristina Robbinson from Oh, on 8/25 found an 18.72 ct.^Betsy Feathers of Tn. got a 22.01 ct. on 8/22/09

^Kirk Sessions of Tn., got a 15.64 ct. on 8/22/09 ^Kim Guarco froun Ct., found a 13.66 ct on 8/20/2009

^Ashton Taynton got himself a 10.86 ct. on 8/17. He's from Fl.

^Jim Graham was here for 2 days, and both days found ^Ken Tsumura of Canada on 8/16 got a 12.00 carat.

two. 8/15 got a 15.86, and 8/16 an 11.25. He is from In.

^ Ashton Taynton got a 10.86 ct. on 8/17. He's from Fl. ^Jacob Stowe of Fl. found a 13.28 ct. on 8/18.

^And now for the rest of the story...no refunds...it seems that you can not please everyone, but Joe and his wife from N.Y. witnessed an unhappy miner, "not having fun". Well the miner wanted their money back, which was not given, and caused quite a disturbance until the management asked the miner to leave the premisis or the law officials would be called. They finally stormed off leaving their unfinished buckets behind. The buckets were dug up by the unhappy miners. Joe and his wife then after a period of departure mined out the orphaned bucket and found this 14.48 carat sapphire.

Needless to say Joe and his wife were very happy. They also found several other weighty stones that day, but none as big as the "Orphan Sapphire of 8/18/2009". Way to go Joe!!

^Kim Kuligowski of Pa., on 8/18 found herself an 11.04 ct.^Alex Stowe, of Fl. got a 10.03 ct. right at closing.

Congratulations to all of the muddy miners who made my trip up special..needless to say another anniversary with my wife.

Beware of those buy a bucket places, as you well know, we are the only native dig your own fee pay mine in Macon County, N.C., and we have hundreds of pictures of group and family fun going on right here at www.masonsrubyandsapphiremine.com. 6961 Upper Burningtown Road, Franklin, N.C. 28734.

^Dominique Poumirou found a 10.37 ct. on 8/13/2009 ^Mary Fincannon, of S.C., got a 17.01 ct. on 8/13/2009

^Dan Whitten got a 14.30 ct. on 8/12. He's from Va. ^Gretel Ortiz, of Pa., found a 14.08 ct on 8/10/2009

^Kristen Russo, from FL., got an 11.38 ct. on 8/11/2009 ^Dave Neblock got a 12.37 ct. on 8/9. He's from N.C.

^Laura Kader, of N.C., found a 14.17 ct. on 8/7/2009 ^Monica Griffin, from Ar., got a 13.12 ct. also on 8/7

^Jay Jones dug an 11.29 ct. on 8/7. Jay is from De. ^ Mike Cicchino, of S.C., found a 12.50 ct. on 8/6/2009

^Donna Benson, from Pa., Found a 16.04 ct. on 8/5/2009^Danny Terry got a 10.16 ct. on 8/3. He's from Tn.

^Susie Ellis, of Tn., on her ANNIVERSARY!!! found a ^Chip Ferguson dug a 10.78 ct. on 8/1. He is from N.C.

10.45 ct. sapphire on 8/2/2009. Congratulations.

^ Nicole Wolf, of Fl., got a nice 10.45 ct. on 8/1/2009 ^Eric Gillen, also of Fl., found a 10.65 ct. on 8/1/2009

^Todd Denning, from In., found a 12.40 ct. on 7/31/2009 ^Ed Joyner, of Fl., got a 14.33 carat on 7/30/2009

^Buck Organ got a 20.25 ct. on 7/30. He's from Fl. ^Kirby Wilson, of Fl., found a 10.28 ct. on 7/29/2009.

^Susan Lawson, of Oh., found a 10.00 ct. on 7/29/2009 ^David Sohns, of Fl., got a 16.76 ct. on 7/28/2009.

^Laura Cutcher got a 14.07 ct. on 7/27. She's from Fl. ^Lacey Holder, of N.C., got a 10.16 ct. on 7/26/2009

^Dale Cantrell, of Mi., found a 26.48 ct. on 7/26/2009 ^Robert Sprenger, of N.C., found a 11.08 ct. on 7/25

^John Bardin found a 15.50 ct. on 7/24. He's from N.C.^Larry Nutt from Fl., found an 11.69 ct. on 7/24/2009

^Edith Fogarty, from Ms., got a 12.04 ct. on 7/24/2009^Dave Grazaitiz, of Il., found a 10.46 ct. also on 7/24

^Steve Huttstetler, dug up a 14.63 ct. on 7/24/2009 ^Kyle Campbell, of Fl., found a 10.26 ct. the same day 7/24

^David Ledford, of S.C., got a 10.41 ct. on 7/24/2009 ^Dan Harris, from Tx., got a 20.74 ct. on 7/24/2009

7/24/2009 seemed to be lucky shovel day at Mason's with a record eight (8) 10.+ carat sapphires found.

^Pete Werner, of Fl., found a 24.80 ct. on 7/23/2009 ^Scott Marsel got a 26.77 ct on 7/23. He's from Fl.

^Jason Novak on 7/23 dug up a 12.57 ct. He's from Il. ^Kevin Humphrey, of In., found two 16.25 & 10.00 ct.

^ Troy Sims, of Ga., found a 12.10 ct. on 7/23/2009 ^ Dick Nader got a 19.89 Ct. also on 7/23. He is from Oh.

^Steve Bruskotter got a 11.08 ct. on 7/21. He's from Oh.^Clark Wheeler, of Fl, dug a 21.4 ct. on 7/21/2009.

^Alyson Russo, from Il., got a 10.76 ct. on 7/20/2009. ^Emily Bader found a 10.01 ct. on 7/20. She is from Mo.

^Here is Dee Crisman with a 38.22 ct. sapphire. She ^Angie Mincey, from La., found a 10.86 ct. on 7/19/2009.

got ahold of this on 7/20/2009. She is from Ga.

^ Robert Greer dug a 14.05 ct. on 7/18. He's from Tn. ^Jason Greer, not to be outdone, found an 18.11 ct.

Scott Zimmerman, of S.C., got a 15.28 ct. on 7/18/2009.^Bobby Wright, also from S.C., got a 12.50 ct. on 7/17.

^Dana Perine, from Ky., got a 10.86 ct. on 7/14/2009. ^Trish Alland found a 10.00 ct. on 7/10. She's from Fl.

^Melissa Rehs dug an 18.86 ct. on 7/10. She's from Fl. ^Beverly Hook, of Fl., got a 21.84 ct. on 7/9/2009.

^Ashley Kalchik found an 11.37 ct. sapphire on 7/9/2009.

She is from Mi.

^Alex Woodward, of Fl., got a 10.00 ct. on 7/8/2009. ^Chris Lassiter, from S.C., found a 12.53 ct. on 7/8/2009.

Sorry about the photography guys.

^ Bobby Wright, of S.C., found a 10.35 ct. on 7/8/2009. ^ Laine Conway, from Mi., found a 10.91 ct. on 7/7.

^ Kaitlin Cole, from In., got a 10.75 ct. on 7/7/2009. ^Eddie Raulerson got a 16.03 ct. on 7/6. He's from Fl.

^ John Wisneiwski got a 15.48 ct. on 7/4. He's from In. ^Teresa Taylor found a 10.26 ct. on 7/3. She's from Tn.

^Janet Brannan dug a 21.91 ct. on 7/3. She's from Ga.^Nikki DePace, of Oh., found a 12.03 ct. also on 7/3.

^Amber Habron, of Va., found a 13.31 ct. on 7/3/2009. ^Sarah Goetz got a 10 ct. on 7/3. She is from N.C.

^Bayne Sox, on 7/3/2009 found a 13.09 ct. He's from Fl.