Mariposa Democrat., 1858-01-28
Editorial Correspondence--Trip to visaIia.

On the 18th, in company with our fellow
passengers, in Heston'S stage, under the man
agement of the carful and deseryedly popular
driver "Billy Hice," we safely arrived in this
fourishing town. The rains of the few days
previous had made the roads somewhat heavy
for travelling, but had added greatly to the
growth Of vegetation, clothing the country
around with the green of spring-reminding
one more Of April than January. Nothing
of note occurred during the trip, except the
addition of several names to the subscription
list Of the DEMOCRAT, which paper seems to
be of no small consequence among the peo-
pie of this section. Millerton the county
seat of Fresno county, about sixty miles from
Visalia, is slowly improving, and McRae's ho-
tel, the principal one in the place, appears to
be doing good business. Quite number Of
Chinese are working in the San Joaquin river,
in the vicinity of Millerton, averaging about
two dollars per day. AT Dry Creek, about
fourteen miles south of Milerton, the stock
raiscrs were congregating, on the 18th, with
| ChttiC iOi TOuCuy W Dt itlu tntIt Uil uldt
day AT noon on the 10th, passed through
the Kings river Indian Reservation, which is
being greatly improved by substantial fence,
buildings, etc, under the management of Mr..
Campbell, who has charge Of the Reservation.
Mr.. Hill, who has ferry at this point, will
shortly erect bridge over slough, through
which the road passes, and is not fordable dur
ing high water, using the bridge in connection
with the ferry. After ride Of eighteen miles
from Kings river, on the morning Of the 10th,
over q very monotonous road, we entered a
fine timbered land, and four miles further
we were landed in the improving town of Vi
salia A person who now visits this place
for the first time, cannot realize the vast i'm
provement it has undergone in the past nine
months Substantial brick buildings greet the
eye at every turn. Although the place is not
large yet when we reflect that year ago only
half dozen buildings composed the entire
place, the growth is wondrous. News and the
circulating medium are said to be among
the scarce and wanting commodities, but stock
of all kinds-and Indians" feed on a thou
sand hills"
The great Tulare Canal project appears to
find little favor in the eyes Of the residents Of
this vicinity, owing probably to the tnrdy op-
erations of the contractors. The people are
fully impressed with the advantages TO be de-
rived from the construction Of the canal, but
possess too much Yankee enterprise to look
quietly on the slow motions that are being
made towards the work. II is said operations
will be commenced by breaking the ground
with their mammoth plows, this week
The f. G. VS. range in this "section," and
have lately attracted the attention of the unin-
itiated, who offered some indignities to their
working post, but all is now quiet and salts.
factory. hrrI
A party to survey a wagon-road, over
which to carry the U. s. mail, by the Butter
field contract, stopped at this place on the l7.h,
and left on the 18th, for St. Louis, across the
plains via Fort TejoD, Los Angeles and Fort
Yuma. 1t appears that this party think very
favorably Of reporting the route to pass
through visalia, on the way to San Francisco,
as being the most feasible and direct for a
central wagon road and should It be so loca-
ted, will add greatly to the importance Of this
county. A son Of the contractor, Mr.. Butter
field, is with the party. BY the roadometer Of
the party, the distance from this place to San
Francisco is two hundred and forty-five miles.
The farmers of this vicinity have not yet put
in their grain, and the season is said to be one
of the dryest yet experienced. The slight
showers that fell lately have scarcely moist
ened the ground but some farmers are about
to commence ploughing, nevertheless
The Masonic Hall and the new church will
be completed shortly. A building to be used
as court house, is completed. One grist-
mill is in operation, driven by water power.
The church was well attended last Sabbath,
by large congregation Of both sexes; and as
they passed by, each fair one escorted by her
lord or "lovyer," we felt our extreme loneli.
ness as a bachelor, and then and there resolved
! W oSteci oui eobuitioht ia'S c'Si obaih pci
mitted the opportunity.
Very favorable reports reach here from the
mines of Kern and White rivers, where quartz
operations are the most popular Report says
that a company on White river last week took
from their arastras nine pounds Of gold, the
result of three weeks run with two mules
There has been several very rich veins pros
pected recently, which will soon be worked.
In closing this correspondence, We cannot
refrain from offering our acknowledgements to
Messrs. Wells & Sweet, and to Mr.. H. Mitch
ell, Of whose kind hospitalities we were the
grateful recipient
A FAMILY OF BANDITS. extraordinary
trial lately occurred in the department of Alne
in France. Fourteen prisoners were accused
of five murders and fifty-nine robberies, with
violence or otherwise. This was, in fact, Q
band Of brigands, who managed to exist in a
peaceable neighborhood, simply by the feal
their names inspired, until their depredationi