The Next Bend in the River: Gold Mining in Maine

by C.J. Stevens

"The Next Bend in the River - Maine Mining Adventures" tells those who enjoy the outdoors how and where to find gold in Maine. There are instructions how to pan and sluice, tips on dredging and dowsing, and a list of the better streams and locations where gold can be traced. Also, we are told about the mining boom and bust in the late eighteen hundreds, along with the colorful hoaxes and their flamboyant creators.

177 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1997

Reviews

[Stephen Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Repetitive, not very believable, but entertaining.

[Ryan Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book interested me because I attempted gold panning last year in Maine and had very little success. My father and I are going to try again this year, and I was hoping this book would help me get over what the author describes as "winter's cabin fever". It did, but in ways I didn't suspect.

As a fan of history, I was pleasantly surprised to learn so much about Maine's rich (an ironic term here) mining history. However, if you picked up the book with the expressed interest of just how to find gold in Maine, you would be disappointed. This book is heavy on history and short on actual mining instructions, although the interviews the author conducted with many of Maine's old prospectors is a gem in itself.

The lack of advice in the book compared with the plethora of historical information confirms the old miner's law that he never gives away too many of his secrets...

[A.D. Morel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any reader will be disappointed if the expectation that upon reading this book, he/she is then going to get monetarily rich by spending time with feet in the stream. This is like fishing, you don't get rich fishing (well, most don't). But the stream itself is a lot of fun, refreshing and inspiring. Outdoors in the sun on a summer afternoon -- isn't that rich? And if a person love's history, not "likes" history, I'm saying LOVES history, then this is an especially rewarding read. A little short on specifics in some cases, but in all, well worth hauling up into the hammock with me. Then all I need is some gas in the car and I can go put my feet in a new stream. Riches! Thank you, C. J. Stevens, for sharing your passion in this colorful book.