The mountain Democrat., 1864-01-23
Prom the Alta California.
The PIacervIlle Route 90 Nevada
Territory.
PLAcERvrLLEt January 8, 1864.

travel between California and Nevada Ter
ritory, via the PlacervilIe route. In ordel
to arrive at . correct estimate, il has beer
necessary to employ reliable and trust
worthy men to collect and keep q record
Of all the travel and freight passing 1
given point The place selected wal
Swans" toll house, located on the mair
summit Of the Sierra Nevada mountain
and generally known as the johnson Pass
-, s.3Nes .>se.l,-e-,rs,S, o.I~ an,
route. cross over through this pass.
have been undecided in reference to the
publication Of these STATISTICS, wholly be
cause it rolls up in the aggregate to such
enormous figures rs to engender unbelie
in the minds Of those not conversant with
this trade. But the recent publication o.
the annual statistics, by the Sacramento
Union, and the method adopted to mis-
lead the public, in reference to the route
through which this vast business is done
removes any scruples may entertain.
During the winter Of 1852 and l 963
the route known rs the Dutch Flat, OF
HennesS Pass, was so completely blocked
by snow that for \ considerable time nc
travel went that way. Although the great.
est exertiOns were made to keep it open,
| saw those who had come from Marys.
vile to this city, in order to cross the
mountains; in fact, it was = daily occur.
renee during this period.
The following is a correct account Of
the tra7el over the Placerville route du-
ring the months Of January, February,
March and April, the same season: Foot.
men, 6,067; horsemen, S33 stage pasSen-
gers, 1854; pack animals, 1885; two
horse teams, 62l; four horse teams, / =, l99;
six horse teams, 654 loose stock, inclu.
ding cattle, hogs and sheep, 1859.
The foregoing includes all the travel to
and from Nevada Territory. The amount
Of freight which passed the same point
for three months, commencing May 10th,
was the enormous quantity Of two hun
dred and thirty three tons daily; and the
gentleman who took down these items
wrote your correspondent that the rush
to the Reese River mineS was so large that
it was impossible to even approximate to
a correct account Of the travel, and had
given it up.
The Union, under the head Of Rail
roads," goes into lengthy description Of
the progress Of the Dutch Flat road, and
IN setting forth the immense trade done
with Nevada at present. leaves the fa'@e
impression on the mind Of the reader who
is not posted otherwise, that this great
traffic passes by and over this most excel
lent Of routes. quote from the article
referred to, and including the "dig" given
San Francisco:
The average price paid for freight du.
ring the year has been about five cents
per pound, or one hundred dollars per ton,
from Sacramento to Virginia City or Gold
Hill and from ten to twelve cents per
pound to Reese River. The most reliable
estimates based upon accounts accurate.
ly kept at the toll-gates on the mountain
wagon rOadS-tix the aggregate amount
paid for freight, during the year, at twe!yc
mIllion> Of ofdoliars-cmplOying three thou
sand four aud six mule teams. This i'm
mcn>e and rapidly increasing carrying
trade between the valley Of the Sacramen.
to and the Territory OF Nevada, and the
interest that the Railroad Company feel in
the proSI cctive earnin.S Of their road, Is
a reliable guarautee that they will COM
prte the road To Wa>hoe ms quickly as
they can command the means to do t.
In view OF these facts, and the great pub
lIc interest involved III its speedy cnnStruc.
ton, it is much to be regretted that the
expected co cooperation OF the city of San
Francisco should not have been extended
To hasten the completion OF the road.
But up to this time, strange as il may ap.
pear. not dollar has been subscribed for
the Pacific Railroad by that wealthy and
prosperous city, whose local interest is to
derive more benefit from the success of
the enterprise than any other locality west
Of the Rocky Mountains. In the page Of
history devoted to this great work, San
Francisco will not occupy an enviable po-
sition."
They should have stated plain fact,
that "the most reliable estimate" were
obtained from accounts accurately kept"
at G. W. Swans dollhouse, and at Straw.
berry Valley, Placcrville route, and that
no other estimates had ever been taken,
from the well established fact, that seven.
eighths Of the whole business is done over
this route. 1t surely could not injure the
prospective" OF the Unions pet railroad
if the matter had been made plain, but
might have added q trihe to the local
pride OF the three hundred subscribers to
that paper in Placerville.
THE DUTCH FLAT WAGON ROAD
It also treated with an elaborate notice
This is we'll understood to be the father Of
the railroad, ,.L;Iet Ih. .i.-.-. ---.--;...-
ton fails to show, in the most remote
manner, that there has been q rod Of
mountain road made to date on this great
National highway" via Placerville. El
Dorado county is classed next TO San
Francisco as to the amount of money paid
into the State treasury annually, which is
owing to our property in mountain roads
leading to Washoe.
In reference to the great and increasing
business of staging to accommodate this
travel, the Union remarks, under the
head Of
STAGE ROUTES,
"The California Stage Company furn'
ishes the largest proportion of the accom-
modation for stage travel between this city
and other parts Of California and adjacent
States and Territories. The following are
its lines of travel:
"SAcRAMENTo TO VIRGINIA CITY, Ne
vADA TERRITORY (via Nevada City and the
Henness Pass .)-Distance 100 miles s.
leaves daily at Ct A. NJ; to Lincoln by
railroad, thence by coaches. Passengers
stay over night at Nevada and Maple
Ranch. Time to Virginia City in winter
three days. In summer, 80 hours"
And at the bottom of long list, comes
the following unpreiudiced statistics