The Gold That Never Satisfied: Lessons From a California Mine

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”
(Matthew 6:19–20, ESV)

In 1986 through 1995 I worked a…

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I worked at a gold mine in central California—Sonora Mining Company, Jamestown. For seven years, my world revolved around the tailings facility, dealing with the remains after most of the gold had been removed. I managed the incoming and recycled water, walked the same rounds day after day, and watched the mill from the outside.

Even from a distance, there were clues—small signs you would miss if you didn’t know what to look for.

I noticed 55-gallon drums scattered across the mill floor, each with a small pebble wedged under the uphill rim. It seemed odd until you understood gold. That slight tilt allowed heavy particles to settle along the lower edge when the floor was washed. The mill itself had become a giant sluice, quietly capturing what others overlooked.

Found Gold and the First Stirring of Desire

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.”
(Ecclesiastes 5:10, ESV)

One week, mechanics replaced all the ¼-inch steel water tubing feeding the three mills. The old tubes were thrown into a pile near the incoming water filtration system—part of my routine rounds. At first, I barely noticed them. A friend suggested I take a closer look.

One evening, I pushed a welding rod into the ends of the tubes and scraped out the hardened buildup. I collected about ten ounces of material and placed it in a zip-lock bag. My friend processed it and recovered over an ounce of gold.

Gold was about $300 an ounce back then.

I worked through roughly 80 feet of tubing and recovered around ten ounces—about $3,000 worth. It felt harmless. Discard gold. Found money. No loss to anyone.

That’s when the gold bug took hold.

Christmas Night, 1992 — When Desire Exploded

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:21, ESV)

On Christmas night, 1992, my walkie-talkie crackled:
“Come to the basement of the mill building—quickly.”

I drove as fast as I could. When I arrived, my entire crew stood around a bin where oversized material collected—normally used for road fill. That night, each man had nearly a pound of gold sitting in front of him. Large, jagged chunks.

My control room operator handed me a hose and said, “Get yourself some.”

Within twenty minutes, I had a pound of gold in front of me.

Some pieces recovered that night weighed as much as 75 pounds. The mine likely recovered over a ton of gold in a 24-hour period from the crystalline section near the old Harvard Mine—an area abandoned decades earlier, just feet short of immense wealth.

What we personally recovered was around ten pounds. It awakened something powerful in us—and not something good.

High-Grading and the Slow Shaping of a Heart

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare…”
(1 Timothy 6:9, ESV)

Not long after, I transferred into the mill and trained for every position—Mill Operator, Control Room Operator, and eventually Flotation Operator. I stayed there.

Part of my role was overseeing the Gold-Room Mini-mill—a 30-inch grinder used to crush dense, gold-heavy material before it went onto the shaker table. I watched carefully, learned the process, and eventually figured out how to high-grade from it.

Night after night, I collected up to 15 ounces of material, yielding a couple of ounces of gold. I sealed it in zip-lock bags, taped it to my chest, and walked out at the end of my shift. We called them “burrito bags.”

This continued for about two years.

Closure, Contracts, and Being Caught

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.”
(Proverbs 11:3, ESV)

When the mine was scheduled to close, equipment was sold to an Irish mining company. A contract was drawn up allowing our crew to collect and process remaining materials from drop boxes and collection points around the mill. The profits were split evenly between the Irish owners and us.

I collected around 200 five-gallon buckets of material. The gold added up quickly.

One morning around 6:30am, the General Manager arrived unexpectedly, searched my pickup, found the buckets, and fired me on the spot. No job. No unemployment. The Irish brothers were overseas.

I spent several days anxious, drinking beer, eating pizza, and worrying.

When the brothers returned, I received a call: “Come back to work.”
No discussion. No apology. Just back to business.

The Real Cost of Easy Treasure

“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.”
(Proverbs 16:8, ESV)

We continued processing material until the end. I estimate we recovered well over $250,000 worth of gold—perhaps more.

But no matter how much we had, it was never enough.

We spent it recklessly—drugs, parties, strip clubs, useless excess. Even the half-ounce nugget I was gifted—found in material once used to fill potholes—couldn’t satisfy.

Eventually, I named what I had witnessed and lived:

The Treasure of Sierra Madre Syndrome

No matter how much you get, it is never enough.

The old proverb proved painfully true:

“A fool and his money are soon parted.”

And I was that fool.

PONDER

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have.”
(Hebrews 13:5, ESV)

Where do you sense the pull of “more” in your own life? It may not be gold, but approval, comfort, control, or security. Greed often grows quietly—through small justifications and unnoticed compromises.

ACTION

“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness.”
(Luke 12:15, ESV)

Identify one area where desire has begun to crowd out contentment. Write it down. Bring it into the light by sharing it with someone you trust.

PRAYER

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
(Psalm 73:25, ESV)

Lord, You are my portion and my inheritance. Teach my heart the joy of enough. Where I have chased lesser treasures, forgive me. Free me from restless wanting, and anchor my life in You. Amen.

CHALLENGE

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
(Acts 20:35, ESV)

This week, practice intentional generosity—quietly and without recognition. Let it be an act of worship, reminding your heart where true treasure is found.