The weekly Placer herald., 1853-10-08
The TUaare Valley.

Size and Quality Of the Tulare Valley-
Indians White Thieues-L,eut. VII
hamson-Captain Beat- Walker's Pass
&c., Sc.
We have been kindly permitted to pub
ish the following interesting letter from
Lieut.. Stoneman, 1st Dragons, u s. A.
now stationed at Fort Miller. 1t will be
found to contain much valuable informa-
ton and gives thorough description of
the Tulare Valley, through which it was
expected the Pacific Railroad would have
to pass. Lieut.. Williamson, who has
been engaged in making thorough re-
Iconnisance Of all that portion of the ST.
ezra Nevada from the head of Bear River
10 the Coast Range, is of opinion that
Walkers Pass is altogether unfit for the
Iconstrurtion Of raj road. The portion
Of country described by Lieut.. Stoneman
is very little known, and his account of it
will be found valuable as well az inter-
estng. 5. +. Sun.
DEPOT CAMP, CAL, (on Pose Creek .
August 23d, 1854.
SIR: Since our arrival, and on the way
here, have had something of an oppor-
tnnity of ohtaining considerable infornla-
ton, which is both new and interesting to
me; and hoping it may prove so to others,
viii give it for what it IS worth find
that the character of the great Tu.are
Valley is very different from what most
people general Y supposedly and although
had seen both ends of it several years
ago, had formed wrong opinion of its
value and advantages. At the southern
extremity, saw a very pretty arabic spot,
and had formed the idea that it was much h
larger in extent than is really the case,
and that there are other and similar loca-
tions. But to be more particular, will
begin at the northern extremity and CO ne
south, describing it as go, on the caste rn
side. The valley by way of the wagon
road from the San Joaquin river to the
Teion Pass, is about 1877 miles in length,
say in straight line so miles, and on an
average so miles in width; or in area
about 1910 square miles. From the San
Joaquin to Kings River it is dry, arid
plain. On Kings River there is a narrow
bottom averaging about half mile in
width, by 25 long---12 10 square miles.
From Kings River to the first of four
creeks is a dry plain. Here is one Of the
most fertile and beautiful spots in Caifor-
MIA. In extent it is about 25 miles by TO-,
and about one-half of it is at present sus
ceptibIe Of cultivation, the other half will
require a great expenditure of labor in
draining, to make portion of it inbablt-
able---say 200 square miles in all. From
the four creeks to lula River is dry,
arid plain, little or no arabic land on it;
Tula to Kern, a barren plain. On Kern
River there may possibly be 90 square
miles of inhabtable land. From Kern
River to TETON Pass, barren sand plain.
At this point there may possibly be $50
miles of tolerably good land, though in
some portions it is very handsome and the
soil Of most excellent quality. Through
the whole length of this valley runs a
lula marsh, which expands in some
places into lakes. These lakes are, du-
ring most Of the time, connected by a
sluggish stream of water, and bordered by
marshes of Tula, but during very dry sea-
sons these canals or channels are dry, and
the lakes are nearly or quite so. A Mr..
Anderson tells me he crossed the valley
(from east to west,) about the middle, in
1914; and found the whole valley dry,
with no water from mountain to noun
tain. The average distance from the ST.
ezra Nevada on the east to this marsh, is
about twice as great as the distance from
the marsh to the Coast Range Of noun
tains on the west AS there are no streams
making down from the Coast Range into
this marsh, except in very wet weather,
the whole Of tha! portion west Of Tuls