The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-19
A ''GAZOOKA."
Pockwitz Makes a Paralyzing Find
in the High Sierras.


in the High Sierras.
San Francisco Call: Doc" Leo Pock-
WITT. representing an important insurance
company of foreign origin in this city, is
the pratcal joker of the Olympic club.
Accompanied by Tommy Stanton, another
congenial spirit the doc" recently paid
a visit TO Lake Tahoe in search of amuse-
ment and adventure. They pitched their
tent within about Il miles of the lake.
One day while the doc" was in search of
the elusive deer, and while greatly ia
tiSued, be stopped to take drink out OF a
sparkling mountain stream. While bend
ing over to quench his thirst he saw some
thing giistening in the water which
aroused mis- cupidity. His sordid desire
caused him to fill his pockets, his creel
and his hat with the gliStening stuff.
Rushing back to camp, Peckwitz told
Stanton that he had struck something far
richer and more desirable, being within
reach of civilization, than any of the
claims developed in the frigid north-at
Circle City. on the Yukon or in the Vicin-
ity of Dawson
1T is . gazooka.' he said land we are
destined 10 rival the bonanza and railroad
kings of California Siapping his COM
panion on the back with LaVigne back
handed stroke, he calculated: old boy
we have captured the shooting match. No
more OF insurance; no more of poverty
no more o. cheap restaurants. We can
play the races and sock from 5000 to $500
on a horse even if our judgment may be
at fault when they swing into the home
stretch, and come with laundering burst
of speed under the wire.
This is a gazooka. We can't lose
Stanton Immediately entered into the
enthusiasm Of his companion, and pro-
ceeding to Tahoe they purchased tools
and the necessary supplies to develop the
discovery made by PockwitZ. They re-
turned 10 the stream from which the doc
had Quenched his raging thirst and in
he h9d no shining
particles IMPLYING a golden and roseate
future. They worked assiduously for a
number of days and glistening wealth re-
WaTded their aTdrOuS labors.
Time went on and, owing to the accumu-
lation of their gains, IL became comDul-
sorry for them to ship their wealth to the
commercial marts OF the world.
While they were at work they met an
old Drospector. who encouraged them in
their toll BOYS said he, "by gosh,
you've struck it rich. l have been in these
ere mountains fer nigh 10 years an I
never seen anything like the amount o
gold that you have taken out am going
up the crick q leetle ways farther on
TO take UP a claim. too. It's almighty sur
can come into these ere regions and sur
prise the old settlers an deprive them of
an opportunity of maxim d Twin when
silver is so tarnal cheap"
This encouraged the gold-seekers, and
they labored industriOusly on in acquiring
wealth that would permit their enjoying
a IenQerlOln STEAK WITHOUT q bone IN II. OF
playing the races without q crooked
Jockey in them. or visiting the theatres
with lady companions who were cOmpan-
ionable and seeing Lange, the great center
fielder of All America, swat the ball
corl-er.
The rich deposits from the creek were
shiDDed to this city. SO great was the
greed of Pockwitz and Stanton that before
leaving the claim they filed their pockets
and shoes with the fruits of their labors.
Reaching Tahoe PockwitZ and Stanton
in their greed for wealth and their aVarice
for accumulation, cut out their pockets
containing the deposits and shipped them
to this city. Pockwitz ordered by tele-
graph 1S00 yards Of barbwire fence from
a wholesale house here. the wire to be
used to inclose that portion Of the creek
in which Pockwitz made his remarkable
discovery in order to keep out all tres
passers on the preserve.
After this was done Pockwitzz came to
this city on a special train and in post
haste.
He Immediately went to the Selby smelt-
ing works, where he had sent at least 500
tons of the glittering sediment taken,
after many hours of toll, from the creek
in the high Sierras.
"Helll'' said the assayer. This stuff
don't shine after it's taken out of the
water. it's nothing but mica.
And now they are telling this story in
CLUB circles on Doc Leo PockWitz. 1t
recalls the old story often told and al
ways new. Of the farmer and the gold
brick.