The Shasta courier., 1854-02-04
The sba... t....y Dry Digsis. g.


| We invite special attention to the very sensi-
BILE communication below Onr miners cannot
afford to wait any longer for assistance from the
| heavens. The present stagnationiu iu every branch
of business imperatively demands that the most
extensive scope of paying dry diggings to be
found in California, must not longer be permitted
| to remain unproductive. The waters of Clear
Creek must be made the chief instrument in the
accomplishment of this desirable object. We
are glad that SO intelligent correspondent as
Z. Citizen" has taken hold of this matter. We
commend his remarks to the earnest attention
of all persons interested III the business pros
perty of the county:
EDIToRs OF THE CoURIER.-Permit me, thro
your columns to bring before the public OF Shas-
la county and California at large. subject of vi
tai Importance to this county, and incalculable
benefit to large portion OF our whole mining
| community.
Ii is well known to residents of this portion
| of our State that one of the most extensive mi
ming regions" Dry Diggings'-known in CALI
fornia and with the same extent OF territory
probably the richest, is situated in Shasta
county.
| This vast aurferous region, to which I allude,
extends from Muletown, OH Clear Creek.-em-
bracing in its course, Horsetown, Briggsvile,
| Texas Springs. Middletown, and Lower Springs
| to the Sacramento river. twelve miles III lengths
aud from the high mountains to the lower foot
hills, is probably four miles in breadth
From all reasonable evidence, this whole
| tract Of country would amply repay the miner
for his labor, provided water in sufficient qual
tity could be ariifciully obtained.
During a very wet season-even like 49 and
last winter-only the gulches and lower grounds
can be worked. 1t is impossible to get the wa
ter from the small streams, OF Olney creek Flat
creek, Tadpole and Middle creeks, high enough
TO work the richest diggings-as the side hills
and SUBMITS of the knobs, as general rule i'll
this vicinity, have contained the heaviest depo-
sits OF gold.
When dry season. like the present, occurs,
with no rain, no waler-lhe mining ground, as
an old miscr, avariciously clings to the precious
metal, and boards it up with its hungry bowels
for future time, and, perhaps. for other men,
fFor example. look at the present See the
state of affairs all over our country miners do
ing nothing, they have water-no money IN
circulation, the earth retains it-hotels empty,
there being no observation-disclosures without goods,
no money to buy then-and in fine, all kinds of
business crushed, stagnated and we'll nigh ruin
ed.
What can be done to extricate ourselves from
this alarming PROSTATE condltion9 Is there any
salvation in store for Shasta couniyl Can not a
bold, united effort be made by our citizens to
release the county from the thraldom of drought
end stagnation Of business with all their attend
ant depressing evils, and make Shasta county,
instead of one of the least, one of the most popu-
lous counties in California!
The answer, to the above questions, is, that
the disease, though dangerous, is not fatal
There is yet hope The symptoms, to be sure
are serious-they may yet become aggravated
but there does exist renedy-a certain spec-
fc-which, if administered. cannot fail to cure.
The remedy alluded to, is. by some means or
other, to bring IN the srater Of Clear Greek in ditch
and yaume, through this whole mining region
during the coming spring and summer. The
subject must be agitated-the people must be
aroused from their lethargy. The work must be
commenced and compleled--the county must be
saved.
How, in what manner, and by whom this
great and important undertaking should be an
compished, shall endeavor to discuss next
week. s2 CITIZEN.
Af,dJ1etorn Feb OI 1S54