The sun., 1908-05-20
TINE PocKEr MINERs.

Before the days tof steam dredges 70
hoist and wash the gold bearing gravel
from river bottoms, and OF mighty ny
draulic plants TO break down and siuice
tho gravel Of old river beds. In the days OF
old. the days Of gold, the days OF 40, In short.
the pocket miner was looked upon with
disesteem by the men OF pick and pan.
The miner who loosened pay dirt with
his pick, shovelled IL into his barrow ana
wheeled IL TO the side OF running water
there to pan II out. was the legitimate work
man; his wages were not always large.
but they were remarkably regular, con-
,siderinR the character OF his work. He did
not attempt to steal from nature any OF
her secrets; he made few test washings OF
the gravel ON his claim and il he Was satisfied
with the promised wage set up his camp
and went to work. Now and then nugget
would duly gleam out Of the melting mound
OF earth in his pan as he lifted it from
fresh dip In the water. bonus nature
threw In to reward faith and industry.
This. before the day Of heavy and ex-
pensive machinery, was the work OF thou-
sands OF individuals on the bars. hats. creeks.
gullies, gulches Of the western slope OF the
Sierra Neyadas-the romance period OF
American gold mining.
But not all OF those young adventurers
who swarmed to every dip In the foothills
where for ages casual or regular HOW OF
water had deposited flakes and granuies OF
gold worn away from some distant out
cropping ledge Of quartz were content with
the slow, regular wage returned by the pan
the rocker. the roughly built sluioe box.
Where those countless millions OF minute
particulars came from nature had hidden
stores Of bulky nuggets. thick layers OF
virgin gold-such weighty masses OF the
precious metal as all miners dream OF but
few search for. Pockets Of solid gold!
There were men who sought for such secret
stores-pocket miners.
They were the drones, the dreamers
the highly imaginative. An ounce day,
worth from sl7 to $50. made no appeal to
them; they would have fabulous treasure
OF the metal revealed by one lucky stroke
OF the pick The dreams OF few came true.
Some thought they had learned the signs
which led to pockets, knew the formation
whereof the strongboxes were built, and
wasted their stakes and their frequent
and sometimes their lives, in pursuit Of
pOChotB WHICH belQOn Opchcu W thcHh
1t was a saying among the pick and pan
men that most pockets were found by
accident and that no finder ever profited
in the end by his bonanza. 1t is probable
that the pockets recently found near
Williams Creek in Oregon were accidentally
discovered.
The text books tell nothing OF the signs
by which pocket lodges may be known;
they are examples OF natures architectural
whimsies. and as il half ashamed Of the
lighter mood in which she designed them
she leaves no clue by which her departure
from normal building may be traced.
An elderly gentleman. California pio-
neer. delighted many of his friends and
aroused contrary emotion in the minds Of
others by blossoming into verse later In
life than the customary bloom period for
flowers Of song. One Of his friends whose
early ounce day had grown into some tons
OF the metal transmitted into delectable
stocks and bonds. remarked upon the liter
ary event. Il knew Jack would do some
fool thing, for mined with him on the
North Fork in '52 and he was always look
ing for pocket"