Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-06-27
Marysviile correspondence.
MAgYsvILLE, June 20.


d
Road Convention held at this place May 4th reIativ,
to the locating Of the road from Honey Lake Valley
by the way of Indian Valley to the American Valley
SO long time had elapsed since they examined the
: route without any definite action on their part that
began TO THINK that they had come to the conclusion
to say nothing about the American Val ley route ant
let the question die natural death. Butudge of M,
surprise This morning uPoa seeing report of the sale
Commissioners published in every paper in this city
Yes. report; and such a rspor-I defy any person,
ereR The Trainer of the document Itself. define the
! route BY which tlss propose to build the road
| whether by American Valley or not.
But let US take up portions OF their report by sec
tons. and what is TO be made of it. we find
them al Indian Valley, about Ia commence their Ia
bors, and from there their report runs rs follows:
AT an early hour the following morning n re-
connoisance was made Of the cannon leading from
lndian to American Valley. We found this caion
not only practicable but capable Of a good grade.
over which fine road can he constructed as can
be found elsewhere in the country
! Now permit me to say 10 you that the above Will
not be endorsed by al the Commissioners from this
county, and if any Of them viii give their assent to it
they have changed their entirely since they went
over the route, for viii say to you lrithoat fear Of
contradiction, that UPON their return they said il
would be next 10 impOssioF to 5HI3 q road from
american TO lsliGA VGie and il the Commissioners
/ from Pnmas have fcTsHqded Messrs. Swcezey and
Rice that they mgat possibly be mistaken regards
Z ieys they cannot get the other Commissioner from
this county to endorse that part of their reportnot
even to effect compromise as was done at the great
Road Convention here Of May alb they persuade
hun that 'as fine a road could be constructed can
be found in the country" stated in their report
/ Mr. GeU. +. Thomas was not at Rabbit Creek June
I 18th when the Commissioners met and presented
their report. and having heard him express has
relative to that route and knowing that he could
be influenced by ihe views of others after having
amined for himself is the why take the lib
/ saving n van That he will
part of their report.
After knowing what representations were made
here at the onyention of May 4h, was prepared 10
hear of almost anything that might be favorable 10
American Valley. bat must say that when read that
part which says that the 'cafon capable of Il
good grade. and Is fire road could be constructed
can be found elsewhere in the mountains" I
would pet have been more surprised had they said
that they had found - succession Of beautiful mea-
dows' hat over three-quariers Of the way
buggy might be drawn" for either of these state
mens would have been as near the truth as that part
OF their report
q have ius: learned that NJ sweezey was not ut
Rabbit Creek June 18th to endorse this part OF the
repet@
But let us proceed with the Commissioners in their
report;
ley, or where Light Canon commences, is about it
teen miles Of almos: peylest level. Lights
Canon is very wide and for distance Of five miles the
grade will not exceed in the steepest place m than
sixteen inches to the rod Ascending without any
difficulty the main ridge, Iraversed succession
OF beautiful meadows. eight miles IN length, and then
turning north westerly. assembled another canon of
four miles, through which good road might be
built but the cost would not justify the experiment.
Following this {Clark's) route ior eight miles more
descended pass Of about zoos feet 10 Honey
Lake Valley, where we cdnlufd."
Well, here in Hoaey Lake Valley. "campe9."
and after passing through many ceiOns Is We nave
we will Imagine ourselves very much fatigued, and
ready find fault with the cook for not 'nnrrying up
the cakes;' but said. here are, nurseries and
mules but where IS the road We started with. what
has become Of il? After bringing it across lndiIn
Valley AMI up = Lights Canon i've miles, ana
through Il succession of meadows eight niles We
left ii at the mouth OF canon ionr miles in lergh
because = ihe ces tg0aH no. Justify he experiment.,
and my impression is that it i'll be Of to 70
back to look for il, for think this the caGon has
swallowed it, and If the tru'h was known, came very
near swallowing The ComwissFonfrs too.
ION the following day all our company having re-
turned, we journeyed to the south east end Of the
Valley where low pass, tae aitiisla Of wh-h will
exceed l20 feet above the Lake, was discover a.
Now why do they not in their report say that
Honey Lake Vale. is some forty miles in length: and
that the mmig rant road comes into this valley eight
miles from the extreme west end It Ropp's
/ anch? aud thai il is thirty miles from where the i'm
migrant road strike, the valley the south east end
where they propose starting ont Of the valley with
the road Uor yon viii recollect the first read
was swallowed up by that can0n-)
They say the altitude does not exceed 1900 feet
they do not say how far they have to travel to obtain
this height whetherit is one or six miles If oHe
mile it would be a very hard mater TO make a road
over il, but if six miles it would make Z very good
grade providing it was a grIiaat ascent.
Ascending this without firing our animals par |
tcle, and three quarters Of which bugg, might
he drown, We came to succession of The most beau
tiul meadows it is possible fog the yeyeio rest on"
If Ibis altitude ccud be obtainei without tIring
the al ina a particle ard over three quarters OF
which a buggy might be drawn, ! would like to |
know what is there to preTcnl them from drawing
the buggy over TIE other quarer? that is, j they
tralt to drGie ito-e! only ask for Information.
In many places the loret is great, that il vas
with difficulty cp1l ascertain which way the wa
ter AT this sum NIT oar parry separated, in or
der TO make the exploration More thorough, SOME
taking across the dows to Bec5worth's. and the
others passing westerly to Indian Valley.
AT a distance from six to eight miles from the
summit, where the parties separated, the luxuTiani
meadows meet, and passing down toward iigai's
Canon and indian Valley, affords chance fcr build
ing road that cannO, he surpassed and we question
If cquaed by any in the mountains
As regards the 'levei being great have Moth
ing say, only that do not belye it is as great" rs
that caion which swallows no the road with which
they started from American Valley.
Why do they not stale in their report whether the
six or eight miles from the summit were over hills or
through meadows or eaions; of course we are bound
to believe it be the best route in the mountains be-
cause they teus So inst as they have about the good
grade throa ii the canon from Indian TO American
Valley.
From Trdian Waller 10 the pass to Honey Lake
Valley the distance is iweny four miles. and parties
stand ready at this moment 20 take coatrac 70 fin
ish This part Of the road for twelve Thousand dollars
Now, if This road is good as they would have us
believe in ti-or report. by viii 1t cost SisOOl to
make it from lntian Valley 10 the slmmta distance
of - miles At that rae would cost $500 per mile,
and that through =. succession OF the most beautiful
meatvs it Is possible for the eye to rest on7 Either
the ruule proposed to ludian Valley IS much worse
than appears in their report, or else some person
wishes to realize LILLE fortune ont Of contract. q
will say here. that none of the Commissioners from
Ynka was over this art of The rouie,) and we kR9t0
none Of them fplnmas Cenmissioners) are governed
by selfish motives, Oh no. They would not make any
money out OF this road. they possess too much SYM
pahy for the immigrant to profit by their nisirtunes,
and they have TOO much regard fo- the community at
large to impose upon their creduly, but stl some
of them. their frieRds. would b. willing to build
this road through these succession of most beautiful
valleys for five hundred dollars per mile. We know
full Vel that il is nothing but that innate feeling Of
philanthropy that induces these men to spend their
time and money to enable the way-worn Immigrants
to reach me American Valley-aad for what purpose?
Would those citizens of American ysey render them
further assistance to enable them to pursue their way
TO the aclaniento Valley? No; they would say TO
them We have assisted you thus far, and now lie.
those beyond do rs much for you. II will be here
that The immigrant learns for the first time that he
viii loose large per coinage OF his stock by poison,
if he proceeds farther. What is he 10 do? Can be 90
backf Mo- he makes up his mind to dispose of his
stock which he does at reduced prices. Thus it is
that citizens OF this Valley expect to get their
turns for the investments made TO build this treach-
erots road. made but to deceive the people below,
and Il, thunder the immigrant of his stock.
/ As IN evidence of how tar they would 90 to effect
/ their object. the following will prove. When VIM.
A. fannie ana myself HeFt tAdil4tDiis tte uiAecht
from Honey Lake Valley that we might select
the best the Valley, there appeared
an article in the sOld AIoIntaneer.- d paper pub
lishe at 2 uincy in the American Valley. which was
not calculated 10 reflect much credit US The
author Of the article l SATISFIED was acquainted
with us 4, most only during orr stay u American
Valley, and with that short acqaainlanceship, he
would regardless Of feelings publish aythins in
order TO ores.all tho opinions of Of the dele
I gates who were to meet here the 9Th of May.
/ But let u compute the distance from Honey Lake
Valley 10 American Valley:
i Prom QGinry to canon --..--.-.-. Is miles.
Length Of canon ---..--.-------- 10 :