The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-01-12
Jouxsox's Rancho, CALIfoKs0Al

mother earth for gold. Where left of can
not tell, for never saw one Of my letters after
sending it, and kept no record Of the time or
place. will, however, commence at Yankee
Jim's and retrace a trip over the mountains Of
the north, middle and south forks of the Ameri
can river. You must excuse me if give the trip
in detail, for it is the little things that make up
the picture. The man that travels through the
country and sees nothing but the highest noun
tain, the largest tree or the hottest spring. fails
in conveying to the mind of the reader a true
picture of the country. If, then, describe mi
nor points, it will be to convey an idea OF what
California is.
At three o'clock, Of one of the finest mornings
imaginable, in company with friend, started
for tramp of ten miles over the mountains,
from Yankee Jim's to Georgetown. The first
half hour was spent in climbing out of Devils
Canon in which Yankee Jim is situated. 1t is
true we had wagon road, but it ran to all points
Of the compass, before reaching the top of the
mountain which vas necessary in order to escape
the many rsvines putting up, each one of which
had to be headed, sometimes making circuit of
half mile to get where you could throw stone
from the starting point These mountain roads
are very crooked, yet they are splendid roads
and generally of easy grade, one over which a
team of six mules "a common team here) will
draw five tons, on a wagon that will weigh thirty
hundred. On arriving at the top OF this hW, in
looking to the north at distance Of some fifty
miles, we could see the snow capped peaks of the
Sierra Nevada, rising up into the heavens, glist-
ming in the morning light. We again descended
into deep canon densely timbered, and Of the
finest quality, the first of any note that had
seen in the country. The timber was not over
grown, but of beautiful form, mostly of red pine,
with here and there a sugar or white pine and
occasionally an oak. Nothing of any interest,
only the ever varying scenery, met the eye until
we came to the top Of the mountain overlooking
| the middle fork of the American river. We had
| left the wagon road on descending the first hill,
aud had followed a trail merely, and here we
could see it winding here and there down, down,
down, to the crossing of the little silver thread
at the foot Of the mountain We commenced
the descent. and at about ne-cighth of the dis
tace, came to a beautiful spring Of water From
this point we had splendid view of the river
and bordering mountains. The rvercomes down
from the northeast. and looks like n thread Of
silver a. it turns and twists here and there in its
descent. The mountains rise abruptly on either
side to height of 1000 feet. They are Of all
shapes and forms. Some rise in gradual slopes.
CIV with imb IN, al, ,
dicular form, with here and there a stunted bush
or shrub, all giving an idea Of immensely not to
be experienced only in mountainous country.
We again set FORTH and in three. fourths of an
hour found ourselves at the base of the mour-
tain, also found the little thread-lke appearance
roaring, tumbling river spanned by bridge
OF some loo feet in length. We paid fifty cents
each, for the privilege of crossing and com
menced to climb, for it is nothing else, the angle
being from forty five to sixty degrees. The face
of the mountain is almost perpendicular, and
from the centre of the bridge to the top of the
mountain, on the east side, is one and quarter
miles straight line, (that is all air line) this
is assembled by zig gag path. If any one thinks
it an easy task to climb mountain, let them
cross the middle fork of the American river at
Ford's Bar for the contrary. The point al which
we arrived on reaching the summit, is called Bot
tie Hill, as was informed from the following
circumstance
In an early day, four miners arrived at that
point one evening in their travels tired and al
most discouraged. They had been prospecting
here and there without success. One of them,
during their stay, found bottle. All, says he,
the contents of this bottle has ruined some poor
fellow, most likely, let me make use of the bottle
to gain us fortune. l will throw this bottle,
and wherever it strikes down the mountain,
will dig for gold He did so. They set to work
and in four months left the place with little
over thirty thousand dollars. Hence the name.
Our trail lay over the smaller range of noun
tains between the middle and south fork After
travelling up and down these hills for some two
hours, we came to Mameuke Hill, upon the cas-
tern slope of which, Georgetown is situated
This hill has been very rich, and will be remem-
bered by the Messrs. Ripley, Deashmutt, Keller
and Evans of your place, as the point from which
they took their gold. The diggings are now al
most entirely abandoned. The mountain is as it |
were a shell, being dug tn ough in every direc.
ton. Georgetown is a thriving place of some
three hundred inhabitants. 1t is at an elevation
Of two thousand five hundred feet from the sea,
and being situated on the high land is quite heal.
thy, as are the majority of the towns in the
mountains. The country here is rough, very
rough. There is not an acre of level land for |
miles. 1t is mountain after mountain. The |
snow peaks of the Sierra Nevada are in sight the |
most of the year. There is an extensive bust |
ness done in numbering here The timber is of |
the finest kind, white and red pine. There is no |
hard wood after leaving the foot hills, of any con-
sequence, until you get some fifty or one hund
red miles further up the mountains. There is
little done at farming in this region, owing to the
late frost in spring and the cool nights. 1t is
cool enough at all times through the summer to
use blankets at night, at least while l was there
in July. After spending day at Georgetown
with a cousin found there, we procured team,
4 fiery pair of blacks, mot nigsers mayhap, the
same ones that Bayard Tai lor backed down the
steep bank through the mud at the bottom and
as they seemed to know how to go over the
mountains. Our destination was the Coral Cave
in Eldorado county, distant TWENTY-FIVE miles,
We started in the early morning, and a more
beautiful drive hardly ever had. Our road lay
over the mountains between the middle and
south fork OF the American river, and a most
picturesque country assure you. At times the
road in turning some bold point of the mountain
would almost seem hung in air. There was
hardly room for the team to pass, above for
perhaps hundreds Of feet, in almost perpedicu-
lar wall arose the mour tain, while below could
be seen the tallest pine, diminishing as it were,
to the size of n walking stick. The hill sides
were covered with dense growth of underbrush,
this with the tall trees waving in the wind, with
here and there bald peak running up, formed
beautiful sisht-,hen again we would cross