The hydraulic press., 1859-09-17
Che Avaraulie 2ress,
B. p. AVERY. EDITOR.

~~~~No~-o-c~o~~.oOo-~~
B. p. AVERY. EDITOR.
The following correspondence was rather
long coming to hand and is rather long now
it has come, but contains some facts of in
terest and is therefore published
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE
On TEE RIVER, Sept.3 3, 1859.
After spending three delightful days at
Marysyille-the city of broad streets, of
cleanliness and order, Of enterprise, hospi-
| tality and great promise--arnongst friends
whom I seem to have known and loved for
years. although week has not passed since
we first met; after photographing upon my
memory through my eyes, the details and
general affect of the beautiful spectacle pre-.
sehted By the Northern District Fair; after
listening to sCaxton's" g elegant apostrophe
to agriculture, wherein he made the plow
mightier than the pen; and to the shrewd
utilitarian suggestions of uncomplimentary
unaffected Greeley, who preferred the school
house to the unthinking plow after enjoying
the dashing and effective performance of the
operas of -" The Child of the Regiment" the
Barber of Seville and tire Bohemian
after all this, here I am sailing down the
Sacramento, whose tide is not near so full
and flowing as its name.
Steanaing down Feather river and the up
per Sacramento is no longer al experience
to be coveted. The Yuba is not navigable
by reason Of the immense accumuations of
mountain earth sent down by the miners,
and from the dimnution of its volume oc-
casioned by the subtractions of q hundred
bitches. Feather river will soon be in the
same condition. The once charming Ell Rio
de las Plumas, over whose broad, placid
surface, glittering like a mirror between
graceful banks of willow, sentimental youths
were wont to grow poetic-this stream of
beauty has become a current of muddy i'm
purity, chccolate-celored, narrow and shall
sand are formed and forming, against which
the waves that roll and roar after our boat
break in filthy melancholy ripples. In some
places the channel is so narrow that a yes-
sci can barely pass. In others it is so near
the bank that boat runs its nose into the
earth while forcing a passage. Frequently
tol,, ~, /,
sandy monsters, invisible under the slab
foo j, and once she was detained half an
hour by sech aa incident when within sight
of Fremont. This last named place is the
miserable reminiscence Of town that once
stood on the right bank of the Sacramento
ct the mouth of Feather river. Here the
water becomes tclerably clear, and one sails
along without fear of shoals and quicksands.
The banks are verdurous, curving and grace
full as ever. Rounded ranks of alder, will
low, cottonwood ard the all cnveloping wild
grape bend to kiss their own shadows as of
yore; but one misses and signs for the no.
BILE sycamores and oaks that once scared
before the axe and been consumed by the
god Fire. The traveller sees but few i'm
pgoyements to compensate for this loss no
long lines of excellent fence, nor even well
enclosed gardens and houses. The few set
tiers on Feather river mostly tenant dilapi-
Dated unpainted shanties, around which no
nod cfr oh +1o;,
no flowers bloom, and no shade trees are
planted. The cultivated ground does not
amount to many acres, and it would be a
matter Of wonder how the settlers make a
living did we not know the extreme fertility
of the soil, which only needs to be tickled
with hoe, as Jerold said, to laugh with an
ible at doorways occasionally, without hoops
or cleanliness, and looking languid and agu-
ish. Nothing appeared well but the herds
of fat cattle, drinking and feeding happily.
If what saw on the banks of Feather riv-
er were a fair criterion, which it cannot be,
of the farming population of the great vail
| thrifty, indolent, unintelligible people, quite
unworthy of their Yankee origin. could
not but think with pride of our energetic
| mountaineers, who, in spite of SO many OBJ
stacles which are unknown elsewhere, have
| founded well ordered communities and built
| up beautiful homes. After reaching the Sa-
cramento there are evidences of more indus
try, prosperity and contentment and one
begins to speculate with some enthusiasm
upon the magnificent destiny reserved for
such lovely country.
| No one can steam down Feather river
without perceiying the urgent necessity for
the speedy construction of the Marysville
and San Francisco railroad. In short time
| the stream will cease to be nayipable The