San Andreas independent., 1857-02-14
Trip to Upper Calaveritas.


On Saturday last, we made o. pleasure ex-
cursion, per Walker'sl line, to Upper Calaveritas
and the mining region between that and the
San Antonio. Leaving San Andreas about l
O'Clock, P. NJ we had plenty of time to scan
the country and the operations of the miners,
rs we went along. The weather was beauti-
full, birds were singing, and the large buds ex-
panding with fiial gratitude-all cherished by
the sympathetic influences of the warm sun
shine and genial rains. The manzenita tree
was in bloom the beautiful white bolls of the
flower hung in clusters like festoons of the IL
lac, pleasing with order, and mingled in har-
mony with the surrounding green. We do
think the manzenita Qittle applet, when in
bloom, the most beautiful of all the evergreen
shrubbery of the forest The tree seldom
inches IN circumference-has rich smooth au-
burn colored bark, the leaves are a deep green,
very abundant and Of the size of the apple;
the fruit also resembles little apple Sweet,
and is very useful in curing many diseases,
such as diarrhGa, chronic or otherwise. We
noticed that many Of the lower limbs of differ
ent manzenitas were bent down until they
touched the ground where the limb had inva-
riably taken root and formed new tree as in
the case of the banyan. From this fact we
judge the tree would bear transplanting, and
certainly could be raised from the seed. The
manzenita is the most common of all the ever
green shrubs i'll the mountains, and is more
beautiful and certainly preferable to most of the
e1otics now imported from foreign lands.
Az we trafeed along on the Old Gulch road
the scene of Joaquin's operations were revived,
by observing solitary house where once stood
Vague Camp, and where recently terminated
"bluddy ftc" POLITICALLY described in the his
tory of a recent Krisnus Spree. The VAGUE
Ditch was fail of water, and the miners all ap-
J., ared busy on this side of Yaque Gulch, taking
ont the gold On the other side of the gulch
several claims are now ready to be worked by
the hydraulic process the water being fur
nished by the Table Mountaie Ditch. Near
Willow Greek are several claims that are now
ground-sluicing preparatory to putting in hy-
draulic works. one or two Of which already pay
wages At Norman's ranch we saw crops grow
ing finely in field of fifty or seventy acres on
the right hand side of the road; on the left
was n new field of nearly equal extent being
fenced and cultivated apparently with neatness
and dispatch. Some Chilian miners were work
ing near the ranch in small gulch close by the
road, "poco POGO We understand some
III of hal tl,o pc,
are doing well. Soon after passing the ranch,
we left the Old Gulch road aud pitched down a
hill, at an esay grade, to the noted town of
Upper C,laveritas; most of the piles of dirt
that had been cartcd up (or DOWN to the ditch,
during the past summer were washed out-and
although all the cabins occupied, saw
but few miners at work all evidently waiting
for the anticipated water, that will soon be in
troduccd into Old Guch and French Guch by
the Table Mountain Ditch This improvement,
when completed, will be of more Importance
than any other introduced into this county the
past three years Every claim on French Gulch,
il rich. some Of which have prospected Jfue
ounces per day TO the hand employed. On Old
Gulch, the pay has been equally as good, but
rs heretofore in the rainy season, water was
introduced into the gulch it has been worked
over once or twice, so that the gold is not so
spet.cd nor abundant
The town of Upper Calaveritas is one of the
most lively in the county; the population ap-
pear to be over-abundant for the number of
houses in the place. Everybody appeared to
be busy miners buying goods and storekecpers
selling them. Sharps Hotel, where we stopped,
was crowded, with boarders, or miners from
surrounding camps, who had assembled to
spend their Saturday afternoon and Sunday re-
taxation in town. After passing the compli-
ments of the day with our friend Norris MUIR
ply and taking survey of his large stock of
goods, &c, sampling the eognac and cigars,
which were excellent, we crossed over to Mr..
Freezes Saloon, and there found the centre of
attraction, in liberal repetition of the same
treat nent. we discovered the brandy superior
and the cigars superb, met our friend Mr. d.
C. Wilson, of Old Gulch, and after hearty
greeting "seen him. and then played truant on
the party and started for Railroad Hill, leaving
our two companions, Messrs- Cronk and Rich
inond oblivious to the procedure. But as
they had enough to do in organizing their
Dancing School-in which they succeeded ad-
mraby-our absence was quite relief.
crossing the Calaveritas on a rather exten-
e'e ioot-log apparatus, which a man informed
"s cost three hundred dollars, we saw some
Ohihamen making new road. rs they were
"oou' 10 siulce out the old road which john
seemed TO think was very rich Passing up the
roaa hned with miners cabins and mining
eiaiuis' we soon reached the summit of the hill.
"nere the San Antonio Ditch comes around
with some seven sluice- heads of wafer few