The Placer herald., 1861-06-29
FOREST HILL CORREsPONDENCE.
FOREST HILL. June oath. 1861.

FORE HILL CORRESPONDENCE.
FOREST HILL, June Oath, 1861.
Mr.. Editor:-B Being sojourner in Forest
Hill for the last few days, the thought struck
me it would not be amiss to write the Her.
aid few lines
AS you and your readers are conversant
with its location, mineral and mercantile
prospects, will only attempt to describe its
social and military aspects. There is not Il
mining camp in the State that has made
such rapid strides towards permanency, ele-
gance and comfort as Forest Hill has done
within the last three years. In 1856 where
stood the thickest of the forest, with no
marks of the broad axe, or other Indications
Of progress and civilization save solitary
house Che old Forest House) stands to-day
the most beautiful village in the noun
tains of California. Since 1858 its progress
has been rapid and steady. There is one
stone and several brick structures, filled to
repletion with all the necessities Of trade
and commerce, which would do credit to
places of greater pretensions. Nice family
dwellings, and cottages are sprlnglng up on
every side, that evince both taste and re-
tinement on the part of their occupants.
The people are sociable and intelligent and
take no little pride in the neat appearance of
their town. Like many other places it is
cursed with superabundance of groceries,
where the honest, though foolish man Of toll
deposits on Saturday night or Sundays his
hard weeks earnings, and who oflentmes
gels broken nose or black eye as re
compense for his prodigaty. The Hurdy
Gurdys, too, have become prominent i'm
situton of the town-there being generally
two or three sets from -four to six in each
set on hand, hwihstanding there is a
town Council that publishes ordinances bv
the score. Yet with tn Sc incentives to riot
and disorder venture to say it is the most
pesceable, law aiding village in the State
In order not to be behind hand on the
score Of military ardor and as a forciJle ex
preston of their allegiance to Abe Lincoln.
as well as display of their fidelity to the
Chicago Platform Ohe Republicans Consti
tulion) few of the denizers of the town,
composed principally of Black Republicans,
with a few soft democrats, formed themselves
into military company. They drill three
or four times q week under the supervision
Of that rigid disripinarian and doughty
warrior, Captain Fitch. am Informed by
an eye witness that their military evo!atons
when drilling, together together with the
martial (ars0 bearing Of the high mucky
muck, the aforesaid Captain, are perfectly
ludicrous After drill the other night they
sailed forth into the street. beaded lv fife
and drum, fell into line, and marched up the
street. AS most OF the people were gone to
bed, and many of the places of business
shut up they did not attract much atten-
ton. | thought it was singular hour of
the night for paradng but considering the
hue of their politics and the darkness Of the
night there was nothing Surprising in it.
They had on their every day toggerv, and
judging from their seedy appearance they
were itching for scratch at the Enemy"
They 60 under the name of tn Mountain
Volunteers, and if old Abe will ever have
occasion to call on California for requisi
ton of troops and if our Governor will be
good enough to comply with request, for the
suhjugation of our sister sovereign States,
and the establishment of a Military despotsm
therein, the Mountain Volunteers will no
doubt, be his plant tools Gf their courage
don't exc out etc, etc) in concentrating
that unholy and damnable purpose.
AMERICUS.