on, TtiE m^oRld Has chaJ^^ged. 119 



to the plains below to cut out these deep gulleys or gorges, 

 and in the washing down of the veins and pockets the loos- 

 ened particles of gold are carried down to the creek beds and 

 deposited in the lowest bottoms, though sometimes pockets are 

 only partially interfered with and left on the sides of the 

 slopes, and have often been discovered by the miners far 

 above the present water beds. One of our most expert miners 

 was Jim Kennedy, from Lumpkin County, Ga. He was con- 

 sidered authority on the subject of gold mines, and he had 

 often pointed out a spot to be seen from our camp, where he 

 believed was a rich pocket, yet his faith was not strong 

 enough to make the test, which would require a considerable 

 amount of labor. 



One day a raw Dutchman made the descent into Shirt-tail 

 Canyon and wanted a gold mine. We sent him to Kennedy, 

 who directed him to this spot and gave him directions how to 

 work it. The Dutchman went at it faithfully and confidently, 

 worked day after day, and would bring down his pans of dirt 

 to the water to wash for the gold sign. One evening he came 

 down as usual with his pan of dirt, and on washing it out dis- 

 covered he had made a rich find of gold. Kennedy tried to 

 buy him out or an interest, but he wouldn't sell worth a cent, 

 not even a partnership, and after a few months exhausted the 

 pocket, and went home with more than $20,000. I heard of 

 another Dutch cook who knew nothing whatever about min- 

 ing, who went out one Sunday morning with a pick and found 

 the biggest piece of gold ever found in the State, sold it to a 

 man for $40, and which proved to be worth over $7,000. I 

 saw the lump or nugget on a gambling table in Sacramento 

 City, about a year after the find. 



