The Shasta courier., 1859-05-14
NUMBER 10.
Letter from Mendocino County

An Oiif, may 3, 1853.
EDS. CoURIER:-Finding that my finances
were getting into rater dilapidated state-rs-
Semoling somewhat the condition of MANY min
ing Vilages-and fearing that they would be-
come still more so unless something was snoed
lily done to replenish them concluded after
considerable hesitation and reflection, to upuI
up stakes" from Shasta, and try and find some
more favored locality. l accordingly disnoseS
oil my property to as good advantage as possible
selling some, giving away some, and taking
some with me-paid up as many of NV debts as
could conveniently and leaving the balanee
until some more auspicious time, took the staqe
ior the Bulls on Wednesday, the goth of ApriI
arrived there about noon, and remained in
the town one day The Buffers are ahout as
numerous as the Shastonians, and generally an
pear TO be tolerably busy. | should Judge,
however, that there is not one-haH as much
merchandise for sale in that town as there is in
yours They hope to rival you by building; but
my auViee, Juaging from experience, would be
TO invest more capital in goods and less in
houses.
On Thursday afternoon | took the steamer
Gem Tor Sacramento city The river was in fine
navlgable condition-the boat a good one for
the upper trade, and the trip down altogether q
pleasant one-much more so than riding in the
stage would have been. Arrived in Sacramento
about q o'clock next morning-iust in good
time for an early Notwithstanding the trip
down IN about seventeen hours. Started out to
go to the front part of the boat to see the crowd
then and there assembled, leaving nv Garrett
bag meanwhile, on pile of trunks few feet
behind me- Game back in few minutes TO get
it and go ashore-but loq the bag was non est,
and so still continues
During the day | had short conversation
with MIR. Goddard, of Sacramento, State Locat-
ing Agent, Surveyor, &c. Among other things
he gave it as his opinion that where school sec
tions l6 and SO have been reserved from sale for
any reason whatever, as for instance being situ-
ated on mineral lands Mexican grants the
townships in which they are located have a right
to select other lands in lieu of them even if they
have to go out of their county so to do 1t may
be well for your Supervisors to examine into this
matter.
Owing to competition, the fare from SacFa-
mento TO San francisco has been somewhat re-
duced of late, sometimes being as low as fifty
cents for cabin passage and twenty cents on
deck. The day went down it was cabin So
and deck 81. Got into San Francisco Friday
evening, took look at the city the next day,
and at length came to the conclusion that it must
have grown a right smart chance" during the
last few years.
AT o'clock in the afternoon took the steam-
er for Petaluma, and arrived at the present land
ing, three miles below ths city, at half past six
in the evening. Here we were met by several
! fine coaches, omnibuses 6c-the drivers of
which very kindly offered to take US to the diff
| ferent hotels with which they are connected free
of charge. Others, however, not to be outdone
in generosity, very literally offered to take us to
any place in the city where we wished to 90
| wit ha hoch hrou
about by competition among the various hotels.
| took the coach belonging to the Washington
House" remained there during the night, and
4 the next morning started up the country for my
present location.
Have you ever Travelled over any Of the inte-
rior of the country adjoining the bay upon which
San Francisco is built? If not, you lave thus
far missed the sight of the tairest portion of Gods
creation The road leading from Petaluma ria
Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Gloverdale, &C., to
Mendocino county, passes through as pleasant
and fertile country as man should wish to look
upon Unfortunately, however, for those who
desire to obtain permanent homes in California,
| this fact has already been appreciated by quite
a number of persons, and land now commands q
| tolerably high figure in the region which have
just dsscrihed-from $50 to $50 per acre being
the prices usually asked for the tillable portions
of it.
becomes more broken and mountainous than it
is below. In the valley of Russian River, how
ever, which runs up some sixty or seventy miles
into the interior of the county, q large quantity
of excellent land is found. One peculiarity of
the soil or climate here is, that corn and garden
vegetables can be produced here in abundance
without irrigation. To the northwest of Rus
sian River valley and interspersed among the
mountains several other vallies, containing
large amounts of very fertile soil, such as Round
Valley, Long Valley, &c. Upon the coast there
is not much tilabe land, but an almost mex
hapstible supply Of timber, which will furnish
employment for those who wish to labor, per-
haps long after our gold mines here have been
deserted.
Ukiah City, one of the places selected from
which the county seat is to be chosen and prob
ably the site which will be selected, where my
present letter is dated, is situated in the upper
portion of Russian River valley, and about IL
miles to the northwest of the geographical CEN
tire of the county, but at present not far from the
centre of population. 1t has two stores, several
shops, dwellings, &c, and one hotel, 20 by 40,
TWO stores In height, containing bar room,
oliiiard saloon, &c. in the first story, and one
room which Is used for the various purposes of
kitchen, dining room, sleeping apartment pan
try, &C., in the second. There have been from
twenty to thirty persons stopping at the hotel
ior the past week.
Eapeila, the other town selected to be voted
ior as county seat, is situated about six miles
higher up on Russian River. 1t is not as large
town as Ukiah, but nearer the centre of the
county.
Tomorrow the election for county officers and
county seat is to be held. Candidates for all the
Offices are numerous, and the excitement running
pretty high Next week, should have leisure,
1 Will communicate to yo. the result, some OBJ
servations in regard to the best route to be taken
IN coming here, and other matters which will
doubtless interest your readers.
Yours, &C., LucIEN EyERrs.
SARsAPARILLA.-Dr. Booker, of Bonn, on the
Rhine, so we'll known for his experiments on the