Your True Tales
April 2004 – Page 22

The Miner's Ghost
by Andrew

In the years of 1994-1997 I was a miner, working at an Imperial County goldmine (Picacho Mine). It sets about 20 miles north of Yuma, Arizona. It is in the Chocolate Mountain Range of California. It has been in operation off and on since the Spanish conquistadors first discovered the New World. Well, I was never a real believer in the paranormal, a real skeptic of that kind of stuff. I was a heavy equipment operator on the graveyard shift (C shift). It was a 12-hour shift, from 4:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. We usually did our 12-hour shift, get relieved, got in the van and fall asleep on the way home from the mine site.

On this day, I really couldn't fall asleep right away. Everybody else was asleep accept the driver and me. On the way out of the mine site, we have to drive next to the graveyard of the old gold miners who have died about 100 years ago. On the way past the little grave site, I saw an image of what looked to be of a old-time miner standing there holding a lamp in his right hand. He watched us as we drove past, as if to say, "Get off my claim or stop taking my gold." He vanished after we passed the grave site. I didn't say anything to the driver or the rest of the guys in the van. I was a new employee and I did want them to think I was a nut case.

Over the next 3-1/2 years working there, I was moved from the heavy equipment to working in the processing plant (gold processing plant), still working the graveyard shift. Working at the plant, I was partnered with another miner, Lou. The first night I started working with Lou, we got on the subject of ghosts. I told him about my experience of what I saw that one morning as we drove home. He told me he has seen the same man. Over the remainder of the time I worked there, Lou and I have experienced paranormal things at that mine site.

One night, as we were walking the ore heap, we both experienced paranormal experience. It was about 1:00 a.m. Lou and I were working on the ore heap checking on the piping when we both felt someone tap us on our shoulders. We were about 15 feet apart walking in same direction so it couldn't have been me or him. And not only that, we were the only ones on the mine site that night because it was a holiday. I had the biggest goose bumps on my arm. I looked over at Lou and said, "Did you see anything?" He said no, but that he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. We got off the heap as fast as we could. On the way to the truck, we could hear some whistling in the distance.

I have had many more experiences while working at that mine. I think there are unrested souls there that haven't collected all their claims and feel that we are stealing their gold. I really enjoyed working out there. It was peaceful and calm, and away from the city and all the noise and problems that come with it. I still go out there when I have a chance. But I don't dare go out there by myself at night.

< Previous story | Next story >

< main menu