The Placer herald., 1856-12-20

|
appropriate one thousand dollars for tina
purpose. 1t is believed that the north-wes
corner of Sacramento county, is less thar
ten miles below the junction of Sacramento
and Feather rivers. If such should be the
case, the law in regard to that corner OF
Placer county, will require to be changed
The eastern line of the State is the eastern
line of this county. Where that is nobody
appears to know. Some of the inhabitants
east of the second summit of the Sierra Ne
vada Mountains claim to be in the State Of
California. The majority are Mormons, and
claim to be in Utah Territory; consequently
there often arises disputes in regard to the
laws of the land, and the rights of property
While | was over the mountains, in the upper
end of Carson Valley, Sheriff elect by the
Mormons placed a notice on a house, adver-
tsing it and the adjoining land for sale
The owners of the property placed a notice
along side the Shertl's notice, warning all
persons against selling, buying, or attempting
to take possession of the property-tha they
would risk their lives in the defense Of the
same.
The starting point from which the line
between this county and Sacramento begins,
according to the Statute, is "at point due
North of the American River" 1t should
be at point ten miles due north of the
mouth of the American River.
There is one Electro Magnetic Telegraph
terminating at this place. 1t frequently no.
titles us of the arrival of the mail steamer be-
fore she reaches the dock in San Francisco
The financial affairs of the Telegraph Com
pany, | am unacquanted with.
There are no Railroads in Placer county.
There are several toll roads, whose united
length is twenty-siy miles Value, $S4, 900
Several of these roads are constructed for
miles through the solid rock.
The following is my report Of a survey of
road from the Forks House to Washoe
Valley, as published after the return of the
party in August last!
THE Forks House we made our starting
point. 1t is situated at the Junction Of
the Michigan Bluff, Yankee Jim's and Iowa
Hill roads To this point teamsters haul
full loads. Fom the Forks House to the
Secret Spring House, "a distance of eight
mileS) all that is required to make a good
wagon road is to remove the loose stone.
From the Secret Spring House to Robinson's
Flat, (seven mles) the road leaves Canada
Hill one-haf mile to the south After eav-
inc Secret Spring House, the road ascends
a hill known as Secret Hill, but with too
much grade; and can be improved and made
an excellent wagon road. The remainder
Of the road to ltobinsons' Flat requires but
little improvement.
From Robnson's Flat to the west sum
init of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the dis
tance is seventeen miles, (rdge road) passing
over no Canons and is generally good, with
the exception Of three places where the road
is constructed on the highest part of the
ridge; it should be graded around. For the
entire last six miles before arriving at the
summit, there is good grass and water.
One mile west of the summit road passes
through a small valley, known as American
Valley, having fine stream of water flow
ING through it, and covered with grass: this
stream is the headwaters Of the North Fork
of the Middle Fork Of the American River
The ascent to the summit is graaual-the
surface smooth, and will require but little
side hill cutting A good road can be made
at All angle Of two degrees From the west
summit there is fine view of Lake Bigler,
distance, air line, seven miles) From the
summit the road decends into the upper or
n. w. end ofSquaw Valley-dstance three
miles. This portion of the road can be
much improved, and made good one, by eX-
teading it so as to strike the lower end Of
Squaw Valley. Squaw Valley is the most
beautiful valley the eye ever beheld. 1t is
covered with uXuriant grass and ;he soil is
of the most productive nature. The valley
is completely surrounded by mountains,
with the exception of the east end, at which
that flows through the entire length of the
valley, empties into Truckee River. There
is contained in the valley about five hun
dred acres Of tillible land. From the upper
end Of Squaw Valley, there is n nearly level
road of two miles, to the crossing Of Truck
ee River. The ford is good, At the time
Of our crossing, the river was two feet deep
and thirty wde-tho current rapid, and the
bed Of the river solid and at this point the
river runs in northerly rection.-From
the crossing at Truckee, the road extends
along the east bank of the river five miles
to the headwaers of the river, O4ake Biger.)
This five miles Of road requires but a small
amount Of labor to make it good road
with only sixty feet grade to the mile.
Truckee River at its head is four feet deep
and ninety wide, and is running in north
western direction. Bgler Lake is noble
sheet of water, forty-iive miles in length, and
at this point fifteen miles wide All along
the western shore of the Lake the water does
not exceed five feet in depth to the distance
Of twenty rods from the shore. 1t then
evidently becomes very deep, as there is a
well defined line Of deep blue extending par
alel with the shore. The bottom of the
lake, so far as explored it, is composed of
soft granite rock covered over with fine
PARTICLES of granite or sand aud round wash
ed grave, resembling the gravel in the hill
dooings in manY places in placer conntY.