When mine shafts became too deep, a whim was used to recover ore in buckets. Joshua Hendy developed the Davis Horse-Power Hoisting Whim exhibited here. The whim was a large drum made from wood in the early years, and later metal, with a cable running over pulleys and down the shaft, with a bucket at the end. A horse or mule was tethered to a long pole attached to the whim and walked in circles, making the drum revolve; as this happened, the ore bucket was raised to the surface. Patented in 1888, this whim was built entirely of iron and steel and mounted on a heavy base plate so that it was not affected by cold or heat. Both hoisting and lowering were regulated by one lever, and the operation was so simple that it could be handled by any inexperienced person. This whim is from the Eagle Mine in Copperopolis.