Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-03-03
EhdfGRANT ROAD MEETING IN

|
on the subject of building wagon road
from Lassen's Meadows, on the Hum
boldt, through Mobiles to the Sacramen-
to. The following preamble aud reso
lutions adopted by the meeting, we find
in the Shasta Courier:
Whereas, The project of building a
good wagon road from Missouri to Cali
fornia has become subject of Legisla-
tive action. which action will of course
be confined to those States more imme-
diately concerned; and Whereas, Cali
tornla is now more directly interested
than any of her sister States, because of
he isolated condition and her great want
OF a ruore rapid communication with the
eastern side of the continent; & Whereas
the construction of such n wagon road
would tend to 4 more intimate connec-
ton Of the eastern and western extremi-
ties of this Republic, and thus secure an
additional check upon the rapidly in
creasing and traitorous sentiment of dis
union; and Whereas, The selection OF
the most feasible route for such road
acros. the Sierras is now subject of
inquiry ON the part of the California leg
sIature; Therefore, We, as citizens OF
Northern California, deem it incumbent
upon us to present such facts in relation
to the route leading from the Sacramen-
to Valley through Mobiles Pass, to the
Humboldt River, as may assist our legis
lators in taking such definite action in
regard to the matter as may lead to the
early com pletion of the projected work.
While the Truckee and Carson routes
have been greatly improved in the past
year or two, yet the great impeachment
to emigrants, and especially to those in
tercsted in stock, still remains-we mean
the absence of pure water and nutritious
grass for distance of at lie asst one hun
dred and TWEEN v-fvc miles. From a
point on the Humboldt called Lassen's
meadows or the big bend, the emigrant
Will find, as he descends the river, that
its waters rapidly become unfit for Sc,
and the grass so impregnated with AL
kali as 10 endanger the lives Of stock
This is the case the entire distance to
the sink, where is to be encountered a
formidable desert, between forty and
fifty miles in width, with; ut any water
except that flowing from the Boiling
Springs, the use of which, TO our kno wi
cdge, has frequently resulted in death to
| bof h wan oDd ctocl-
Now most of these obstacles may be
avoided by leaving the Humboldt at the
big Bend mentioned above, and travel
ling little south Of west through No
bles' Pass to the Sacramento River.
Two thirds of the travelling distance
necessary to reach the Sacramento Riv-
er, by either the Truckee or Carson
routes. will place you on the banks OF
the Sacramento river, near the head of
the valley, by the Northern or Mobiles
route, while the same distance of travel
will leave the traveller east of the sum
NIT of the Sierras OF ether the Carson
or Truckec route
The highest ground which this road
passes over is estimated to be not more
than $50 feet above the level of Salt
Lake. The natural grade east or west
from the summit Of the mountain, is so
perfect that with small amount of la
Dor stage coach could safely descend
without locking wheel
The feed on every portion Of this
route is sufficient TO accommodate a large
amount Of emigration, with the excep-
of two street ches-and for these fed NAV
be secured at conyenient distances.
There is no stretch of more than is
miles without plenty of pure water.
Wheat, oats, barley and hay, together
with great variety of vegetables may
be prodncnd in abundance at intervals of
from 10, Is and twenty miles. Besides
there are two or three large valleys on
the route where Indian corn might be
cultivated with the greatest success,
Sugar Pine and Redwood of an almost
incredible size, grow in abundance for
more than one half the entire defiance.
That portion of this route, extending
from the Humboldt westward distance
of about seventy five miles, may, with
the expenditure Of few thousand dol
lars, be abundanlly supplied with pure
water from numerous springs which
make their appearance at the base of
broken range of mountains running in a
westerly direction and parallel with the
road. AT pre- sent their waters are lost
in the loose sandy soil after flowing but
a short distance For this reason it will
be necessary to conduct the water of
efficient number of the springs through
pipes to large reservoirs placed at prop
er places.
With these facts before us, we do not
hesitate to express our belief that the
judiclous expenditure of from five to
eight to eight thousand dollars would
build wagon road from the Sacramento
Valley through Mobiles Pass to the
Humboldt river, equally as good as the
Stage roaf from Sacramento to Shasta.
and construct reservoirs at proper sta
tions of sufficient capacity to accommo-
modatc one hundred head of stock at a
time
Therefore, be it
Resoired, LIST, That the route through
Mobiles Pass presents advantages for