, 1862-12-06

ing Valleys, Orlugmg torrents, ana, Oy the SOunQ
of pick and drill, even arousing Nature from her
lethargy of sleep-deep down in the very bowels
of the mountains-througou the length and
breadth of California.
Leaving Rogue river, we pass at once from an
agricultural to a wild, mountainous region, which
| constitutes the mining section of northern Cali
fornia, of which Yreka may be considered the
centre. 1t is place of much trade, built mostly
of brick, and presents bustling, business appear
ance. 1t supports two newspapers, three or four
hotels has large Post-office and at present,
is the northern terminus of the State telegraph
line. 4 cemetery, well-arranged in its plan,
forms the northern entrance to the city, tie
number of graves it contains shows that here as
elsewhere nexorable death has done its work.
A days journey, and we come to Shasta, mining
town of one thousand people, possessing few at
| fractions outside of business locality. The
road, approaching Yreka, winds Near the north
ern base of Mount Shasta, a frownng snow peak,
/ $4,000 feet above the level of the sea. Though
grand and majestic, it does not compare favor
ably in either respect with Mt. Hood-the Faith
er Of all snow peaks on the Pacific. From Shas-
ia ride of day brings US to Red Bluff-to
| which point steamers of light draught are still
running from Sacramento but with so many de-
lays and uncertainties that the traveller prefers to
continue the journey by the stage. At this point,
however, we finally emerge from the mountains
of California and enter upon the broad swelling
prairie which constitutes the northern portion of
the Sacramento valley-where, though the coun-
try is mostly waste dotted here and there with
clumps Of oak, or openings Of the same growth
yet where many large and inviting farming sec
tions are had. At Tehama we cross the Sacra-
mento, by buoy-ferry, and, in few miles, enter
upon of the most choice agricultural districts
the eye ever rested upon-where grain fields are
] t,-cl tlo ~
Tut by the league. By days drive we passed
through the extensive and rich fields of Major
Bidwell where IL 900 acres of grain was being
thrashed-where his own mill stood ready 10 con-
vert into flour the produce of his own fields;
where his own mammouth store furnished hun
dreds of his employees with all the wants Of life;
where his own energy was opening, with his own
means, Wagon Road from the Sacramento
river to the Humbolt mines; and where his own
purse has already paid out $4,000, and backed
by willingness to pay as much more, in order to
open up a new market for the exhuberant pro-
ducts of so rich a soil as he himself possesses
The centre of his large estate is the beautiful vii
lage OF "Chco,' where, in rural wealth as well as
in rural simplicity, live an educated and content
ed peasantry, all more or less supported by the
means of this bachelor millionaire-whose resi-
dence on the banks of the Sacramento, is one of
those architectural gems hid away amid shrubs,
trees, orchards and groves, if to avoid the gaze
of him whose residence is of crowded cities and
who is almost unworthy TO breathe the sweet
perfume of a region where such bowers grow
May Msjor B;dwell long live-though bachelor
he be-to dispense his bounties to people who
respect him for the liberal and generous manner
in which he shares his wealth with those not sim
ilary blessed
Brom Tehama the ride of half day brings US
to Orove, a city well named, for situated as it
is on the Feather river, it in the heart Of a rich
mining country, where the miners have worked
like so many beavers, and where the water Of
the Feather river is made to run in pipes aud
reservoirs into lakes for hundreds Of feet above
the level of the river, at the site of the town.
This river is crossed by a ferry. A steamer is
said to have once landed here from Sacramento,
but such occurrences | regard as rare. The river
is rapid boils and surges of a rocky and rugged
bed, and joins the Sacramento at Marysville-to
which point nights tide brings us-continuing
to pass through a rich agricultural region under
high state of cultivation. MarysvIlle is a large,
prosperous city-houses, mostly of brick, at the
junction of the Yuba and Feather rivers. Thence
on to Sacramento, ia journey Of eight hours sta
ging.) the road is over a level, agricultural dis
trict, throughout which the piles of drift timber
and the absence of fences in many places, and
the presence of boats and bateaux, all told that
the water had been here supreme not many
months past barns with their roofs a mile dis
tant houses without any out-houses end dwell
ngs with watermark up to the second story
and in many localities no dwellings at all,
where commodious and comfortable tenements
had been-all told of the presence and The pow
er of the waters of the Sacramento, when charged
with funess on its way to the ocean. 1t seems
to me that a system of high levees is the only
thing to reclaim hundreds of acres of fine swamp
land along the Sacramento, and to prevent the
repetition of these disastrous results, which make
the people poor and retard the growth of the
State. SACRAMENTO is already surrounded by
high levee WHICH may protect it another season
but the levee should begin at Marysville and ex-
tend to Sacramento. It will, of course, be ex-
pensve, but it will repay the labor in the end.
Between MarysVille and Sacramento we passed
the large and magnificent claim called "Suters
Ranch" though not under high state Of cultiva'
tion The old pioneer is now poor, but his friends
are sufficiently jealous in his behalf to see that his
wants 90 not unsuppled. One cannot pass ever
this region and at The same tine observe how
rapidly the Sacramento river is being obstructed
| by the immense deposits of sand and sediment
which its current is daily bringing down, thus
forming bars and deltas destined not only to in
tercept, but probably to suspend at no distant
day navigation to its upper waters,-without feel
ing the pressing importance of a railroad connec-
ton between Sacramento and the more northern
regions of California. Already are parties out
viewing and prospecting road through Mobiles
pass, where it is proposed by some to carry the
Pacific Railroad line.
That California will be covered with a net work
of Railway is only question Of time, and that
time determined by the low rates of interest that
will cause capitalists to become interested in these
great works of Internal Improvement Local
trade and travel must always be great, and must
always increase so long as gold shall be mined,
and that period seems 70 be limtabe.
From Sacramento took passage on the fine
steamer "Anteiope," for San Francisco, which in
six hours and at a cost of S. brought US to the
end of one section of our journey. There are no
opposition steamers on now and hence the mo-
nopolists command the river. The signs of the
devastation of the food mark the entire distance
from Sacramento to the Bay of San Francisco
But here and there we found the inhabitants rails
ing their dwellings a story, and by leyees and
other Improvements trying to reclaim their fields,
as well as to defy the freshets Of coming years.
No one can pass over this exceedingly interesting
region, from Portland to Sacramento, without
feeling a thrill cf pride and of pleasure to see
what American energy and American capital have
accomplished during the past fourteen years of
its successful occupancy and to picture in mag
inatiOn what the next fourteen years may produce,
would almost render oneself liable to such an un-
lust or tcism that would forbear to enter upon
a theme so pregnant with interest suffice il to
say let those who have not made the trip, make
il at least once and see for themselves pleasant
homes and weli-ued fields, grand mountains,
useful rivers. forests of orchards and oceans of
| grains miles of sluice boxes and tons of gold