The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-14
The PGaeervIlI. Route.

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In our issue Of the 3Oth Of last month
We copied . short article from the Visalia
Delta, respecting the Big Tree route, and
briefly remarked that it was an excellent
summer route, but impossible in the win
ter, as the report Of Col. Conner, the
agent Of the Stocktonians, clearly proved
We certainly had no disposition to mis-
represent it, nor to deter travellers from
venturing upon it. We have said time
and again that there's enough trans.mon.
tame trade and travel for several roads, but
that they would naturally seek the short
est, speedicst aud best road, and these
advantages the Placcrvile route possessed
over its rivals. That this is so, has been
fully demonstrated. While other routes
have been closed and travel withdrawn
from them, ours has been open and con.
stantly used. Even the late storm, the
sevcrcst experienced in California for
years, did not interrupt communication
with the Eastern slope an hour. The
Stockton Independent is greatly dispIcased
at our illusions to the Big Tree route, in.
Inmates that we have done it injustice,
and unwarrantable attacks the Fl Dorado
people and attributes to them conduct Of
which they are innocent The Indepen.
dent says:
I've have repeatedly said that the Big Tree
route Is susceptible II beng made good win.
ter as well as sWmmsr vo4d for travel aud fnr
freight. 10 saying ~ We never proposed for il
anything like monopoly Of the tra0S. montana
trade; nor did We ever flr moment encourage
that narrOw-hraried policy which seeks arlE.
advancement through the injury Of ruin NJ y
more prosperous or enterprsing DeiRhbOr.
This latter. we must be permitted t. say, has
in "ur opinion been the governing idea with
MANY others. am0ngSt whom we must include
she MorNTAN DEMoCRAr which paper has sui.
Tered very few opportunities to pass without
dealing "A blnK- agAinAt- reputation at our
route. We have cause to believe that many II
the citizens OF the cOmntcs Uf Fl Dorado and
Sacramento have pursued the same course in
meaner detail. Agents ofthe Placerville route
have III past years exertpd Nil their vigilance in
turning travel from the big Tree route; they
have torn down and destroyed our posters
and 10 multitude Of interruptions WAYS have
Kept emigraniS from knowledge that there
WAS any eligible thnrOughfare far travel over
the mountains south Of their route"
This is sweeping assertion and ground.
less as sweeping. The DEMOCRAT has
never spoken other than truthfully of the
Big Tree route. 1t has never misrepre.
sentcd it. We>2pied the reports Of its
own friends. for thu benefit Of the travel
ing public, and il Ney misreprescnted
and injured it, it is not our fault nor should
we be censured for tn, If statements. i. But
the Independent itself limits the correct
ness Of our remarks. We said that in
the winter it was showed up. The Lnie.
pendent says:
"If the PlAcerville rouie were neglected and
: unTrGVelcd Ne ours is, Immediately after one II
the deep SHOWS, it t0.', would be impossible"
We said il was showed up in the win.
ter; the LGdepenOent says it is " impasSa.
ble." VS. never said nor intimatcd that
it could not be made good winter road
Possibly it can, aud we recommend our
Stockton friends to try the experiment
IL they succeed We shall rejoice at their
success.
The independent is mistaken with re.
sLect to "agents Of the Placcr,ile route
having exerted all their vigilance in turn.
ing travel from the Big Tree route" Pla.
cerville has had no agents employed in
Carson Valley or elsewhere to influence
emigrants or others. Her route speaks
for itself and depends not upon advent.
tious aid to help it along. The very fact
that the Government selected it for the
overland mail service is sufficient to make
il a favoritc route. For years the friends
Of the Big Tree route have dwclt upon its
advantages, but they have failed to pre-
vail upon transfers to travel over it in the
winter. Why? Because it is "impaSsa.
ble." One Of its earliest and warInest
friends, (B. +. Liprincott, ESQ.,, who was
deeply interested in It's success and who
had spent time and means in improving
it, admitted to US, reluctantly, however,
that it Was useless to attempt to make it
a winter road. The thing was next to
impossible.
We assure the Independent that if any
OF their "Posters were torn down and de-
stroyed," no "agent Of Placcrville" Was
guilty Of the meanncss. Placerville has
had no aCents-she did not need them