New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

A photograph is said to be worth a thousand words but a prized mineral specimen is another matter entirely: any old prospector worth his "salt" can talk for hours about the circumstances surrounding the discovery of his favorite chunk of "highgrade." These speakers have known some really talented geezers, some of whom you'll meet, who could ramble on for days (present company excluded, of course). We'll spare your ears, however, and relate but a few brief, and it is hoped, humorous anecdotes regarding the rigors of the quest and regale you with tales of individual collectors and their hard-won treasures—treasures that in some cases have suffered long-term identity crises, been misused for public rituals, or even survived a rough trip down the mountain only to serve ignominiously as the family doorstop. If nothing else, this presentation will serve to prove that truth is stranger than publicity. Names and dates have occasionally been changed to protect the guilty!