The Sierra citizen., 1854-11-18
DovnieviIe Sierra County California, Saturday 1854
County Assessors Report.

County Assessors Report.
ASSESSORS OFFICE, SIERRA County, !
Downieville, Nov. 18th, 1854. {
To the Surueyor General.
Dear Sir:-In conformity with the tent
section of can Act concerning the offic
of Surveyor General passed April 18th
1850. l beg leave most respectfully t.
make tne following
1st. There is no navigable stream
within this county.
I'd. There is probably no county in tht
State, that exhibits more tardiness in tht
improvement or construction of roads anG
highways than this; principally on account
of the mountainous character of the
country. During the past year many ad
ditions and improvements have been made
and new roads or rather trails have beer
opened.
A project is now in contemplation fol
the construction of a road along, and fol
lowing the river bank from the county
seat to Indian Valley; thence ascending
the hill and connecting with the Yuba
county road at Fosters Bar. 1t is to be
hoped that the design may be carried to
its completion, and thus afford practica-
bic wagon road at all seasons of the year
The estimated expense of the work is
about thirty thousand dollars. There is
no expedient that could be introduced bet
ter calculated to develope the resources OF
of the county.
Sd. | am not aware of any land Or lands
belonging to the State in this county.
4th. About twenty-five hundred acres
of land are at present under successful cult
vation, principally situated upon the flats
apd in the small valleys-the mountainous
character Of the county forbidding exten-
sive culture.
9TH. Sierra Valley is situated on the
head waters Of the Middle Fork of Feath-
er river, being about forty miles in length,
by eight in breadth, all of which is we'll
calculated for grazing, and some portion
for agricultural purposes.
9th. No. of Horses and Mules. :. 500
do do Cattle, ,............ 400
do do Swine, .l2OO
do do Sheep. -. 200
7th. Vegetables are cultivated to con-
siderable extent, though not sufficient for
domestic consumption. Wheat, barley
and maize are among the productions of
the county; the extent of which no accu-
rate estimate can be formed; probably
about eight hundred acres.
9Th. No disease has made its appear
ance in the productions of the county
Early irosts frequently injure some par
ticular produce before it fully natures.
The geological and neurological de-
scription of Sierra county, offers unlimited
fields for speculation and research. Broken,
rugged and uninviting as it may appear
to the casual observer, its mountains and
valleys present more objects OF curiosity
and interest than the same area in any
other part of the known world; indepen-
dent of the valuable metals to be obtained
by apparently slight efforts.
In reference to the geological survey of
this county, great facility of obtaining in
formation is offered by the progress of
mining operations. The most hidden re-
cesses of nature are invaded by the perse-
yering miner in search of gold. The bases
of hills are perforated for hundreds of feet,
and rivers are changed from their natural
course, to discover the hidden treasure.
The primary formation of unstratifed
rock may be seen at different points, de
nuded by mining operations. 1t is ex-
ceedingly hard, requiring the most severe
labor to pentrate.
The primary, secondary and tertiary
formations are, here, of infinite interest;
but the two last only are pertinent to this
report.
The secondary formation is composed
of granite, slate, lime and quartz.
The tertiary contains the principal OBJ
jects Of interest; gold, silver, platina, gale
na, iron, magnesia and sulphur.
Gold is found in veins, alluvial deposits,
and in infinite small particles distributed
through quartz rock.
S,lrer is found native with gold, and in
the form of sulphurets.
Platina is found in fine scales, with gold,
iron and lead.
Galena is found in veins, and in detached