72 
CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
hundred pounds freight and started off to visit the miners. I 
well remember that as I was going down the side of the canon 
I saw a hole in a rock, which I thought such an excellent 
“pocket” that I resolved to pay it a secret visit, not doubting 
that it contained a rich deposit. I afterward learned that the 
“pockets” in California had not all been filled, and the one 
above mentioned was never picked to my knowledge. I found 
a great many in eager pursuit, some digging up the dirt, carry¬ 
ing it in buckets, or tin pans, and throwing it into the rocker, 
while their companions would rock the machine and pour in 
water, which would wash out the dirt, the gold beiag retained 
by riffles, or cleats, in the bottom. The first machine I saw in 
operation was being rocked by Mr. Devoe, and fed by Gen. 
Winchester and his brother—all of New York. The two last 
named were in the water knee deep, getting dirt from the bot¬ 
tom of a hole. I loaned them a late New York paper, and we 
were soon acquainted. They were about to take the gold from 
their machine and wished me to stay. This was just what I 
wished to do, and, after a five minutes’ detention, they raised 
the screen, exhibiting the bottom of the rocker, which was cov¬ 
ered with gold. I started for the tent, and it seemed that every 
rock had a yellow tinge, and even our camp kettle, that I had 
thought in the morning the most filthy one I had ever seen, 
now appeared to be gilded—and I thought with more than one 
coat. During the night, yellow was the prevailing color in my 
dreams. In the morning, hiring out two of the men tempora¬ 
rily at ten dollars per day, I hired a machine at two dollars per 
day, took the other man, went a short distance above Gen. 
Winchester’s “lead” and soon found myself in a “lead” which 
I thought much better than his. 
“Bent” rocked and I put in the dirt. We resolved to run 
through twenty buckets before raising the screen, and soon the 
perspiration began to flow. He had a strong arm and I exerted 
every nerve to keep the machine supplied. The dirt would 
pass through the screen almost instantly, leaving the pebbles 
which he would scan very minutely, but finding no large pieces 
of gold consoled himself with the thought, “the smaller the 
more of them.” But now, after an hour’s incessant labor, we 
were about to finish our first task, and had in the machine as 
