Golden Nuggets

The 1999 version of a gold prospector is a bit different from the breed that came to California by sail or covered wagon in 1849.

“I use my Saturn and drive to about 100 yards from our best [mining] claim,” says Mike Smith, a Burbank resident and member of the Prospectors Club of Southern California.

At the Autry Museum of Western Heritage on Sunday, Smith and other members of his club will demonstrate their gold-prospecting equipment and techniques in the Trails West outdoor gallery.

Visitors will be able to experience, right in Griffith Park, how club members hunt for gold near Frazier Park, the San Gabriel River or farther north near Randsburg, Calif.

Joining Smith for the demonstration will be fellow club members Ed Gulley, Phil Mackin and Jim Klein (author of “Where To Find Gold In Southern California”).

The equipment on display will look similar to the 49ers’ wood and iron gear, but equipment of the “99ers” is made of plastic, aluminum and steel; some even has motorized features that use batteries or gasoline. (A dredge requires a license from the state State Fish and Game Commission to control environmental damage. Also, club members focus their gold prospecting on sites where they have mining rights from property owners.)

Panning, sluicing, dry-washing and dredging will all be demonstrated at the Autry Museum. “For $2.50 you can get into gold prospecting,” says Smith, referring to the plastic gold pans now available. “You can even use a frying pan from home.”

Visitors will get to try their hand at panning. Smith says that beginners, especially kids, are quite fastidious when maneuvering a big dish of mud and water, hoping to find gold flecks in it.

“They are really focused on what they’re doing,” Smith said, “and don’t want to spill for fear they’ll lose some gold-bearing mud. They don’t get wet.”

Smith is accustomed to welcoming newcomers to gold prospecting and providing them with a level-headed estimate of its potential.

“I once worked at a miner’s supply store in the Valley and people would come in wide-eyed and ask, ‘Where do I find gold?’ Then their second question was, ‘Where do I sell my gold?’ ”

Smith said his usual reply is: “That’ll be the least of your worries.”

BE THERE

“Prospecting Today”, demonstration of modern gold prospectors techniques, 2 p.m. Sunday, Trails West outdoor gallery, Autry Museum of Western Heritage, 4700 Western Heritage Way (Griffith Park near I-5 and California 134), museum members $4, nonmembers $5, information (323) 667-2000, Ext. 234 or 317. The Prospectors Club of Southern California also welcomes visitors at its prospecting sites and its regular monthly meetings. Call (818) 845-6377 for details.