Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-06-16
CALAVERAS CHRONICLE.
Southern Portion of Calaveras County


Southern Portion of Calaveras County.
EDITOR CHRoNIcI My last letter con-
cluded at Copperopolis. Between the latter
place and Vallecito I travelled after night
alone, consequently saw nothing, but oc-
casonally fancied heard something, expect
ing, of course, to be met by "road agent"
all the time. which would have afforded ma
terial for "se,asatie,iar' article-"Terrible
cncounter-robber shot at-S5, 900 taken q
etc.. etc." All of which not being the case,
1 have nothing to speak of between the two
localities.
vALLECITo-ITs PROSPECTS.
Nature has done much for Vallecito in its
general formation for a town site. The site
upon which the town is built, is indeed. for
a mountain location, very nicely arranged,
water being easily obtained for domestic
uses, and the ground SO placed by nature
lily residences have (by many years of labor
and considerable expense to the owners,) ar
rived at state of perfection, being entirely
surrounded and overhung with fruit trees.
grapes, flowers, shrubbery and shade trees.
equal in quantity and quality to any old
Eastern village. There are four orchards
and vineyards in this pretty little valley"
that will compete with any others of the
same size in the State-owned and occupied
respectively by NJ. w. Hall, Henry Owens,
Allen Taylor and John Batten-the exact
number of acres of each l cannot give, but
presume the four will reach two hundred
acres. all of which will yield large crops, and
considering the scarcity of fruit and grapes
north of this neighborhood, it may be reas-
onably predicted that the owners will real
ize handsome profit. The wine made from
grapes raised in the mountains is far superb
or to the Los Angeles wine. have sampled
the wine from many vineyards between
Placerville and the Stanislaus river, and as
soon as introduced into the market below,
where wine drinkers and judges may have an
opportunity of examining for themselves. it
will readily command high prices and ready
sale. The large fiat in front of Vallecito
presents very uninviting and worthless ap-
pearance, but such is not the case. In early
days the "Vallecito Flat was very rich.
During the first five or six years it was being
worked. many lucky honabres went to the
States with their thousands of dollars OBJ
tanned from the fiat And although eight
years ago it was believed to be worked out,
it is not so, as will be demonstrated by the
"Vallecito Tunnel and Mining Company"
when their tunnel Is completed, which will
enable races to be cut in their tunnel. thereby
carrying off at a rapid rate everything run
into their main hume. The tunnel is owned
by Morris Cohen s. Co.. and from the con-
tinued perseverance of Mr.. Cohen, under
whose superintendent the entire work has
been entrusted since its commencement,
(three years,) by next Fall it will reach suf-
ticiently into the fiat to enable portion of
the owners of claims adjacent to commence
work. The present length of the tunnel is
$50 feet. feet high, and 81 feet wide, the
entire distance being through very hard rock,
and costing about $4,000. Mr. Cohen is
entitled to much credit for his patience and
perseverance in the management of this great
piece of work. Having contended with the
hardest of rock from its commencement, but
few persons would have so patiently perse-
vered. From this time forward but little or
no blasting will be required, the rock becom-
ing much softer and full of seams, and but
little father ahead washed boulders will be
the main formation. Messrs Cohen < Levy
are sole owners of the old "Calaveras Ditch"
which supplies large scope of country with
water.
DOUGLAS FLAT.
The town itself is not large. nor not at all
inviting to the stranger passing through, but
am told the miners are quietly taking out
very liberal quantities of gold. and in some
instances big pay is obtained. The mines
here are mostly deep diggings, the pay dirt
being drifted and raised by water power,
also the drainage of the mines through the
same power. Little old Douglas Flat has
sent forth many thousand dollars for the
benefit of the commercial world, and every
other man. while but comparatively few in
number have left with any great amount of
money. One day last week l received and
accepted an invitation to a tea party in Doug
las Flat, from Mr.. Fisher. Accompanied by
several ladies, and the very excellent and
bountiful supply of good things, in the way
of eatables. enjoyed myself hugely. During
the day was invited to indulge in the fruits
of large cherry tree, very much laden with
ripe cherries. Well, 1 got into that tree, and
after eating all wanted. began to think of
my situation and that of my friends in Vir-
ginia City. Nevada. But what reason did
have to trouble myself about sage-brush as
sociations, which would have been the case
with them, had been in Virginia City and
they in the cherry tree.
MURPHYs CAMP.
Upon entering the town of Murphys was
impressed with the thought that as it has been
for the past four or five years. still remains,
a perfect forest grove, scarcely house to be
seen. so large have the fruit trees become.
and SO numerous the orchards. The people
here are famous for large orchards, fine
school houses. and good supply of pretty
women. jim Sperry, tie prince of land
lords, still graces the bar of the long cstab-
lished and well known "Sperry's Hotel"
Although this hotel and its proprietors have
on many occasions received complimentary
notices, their house can still with propriety
be spoken of as the chief feature of the town,
and decidedly the best hotel outside of San
Francisco. The Big Tree Grove, which is
also owned by Sperry s. Perry, is in full
blast. accommodating fully as many visitors
this season as at any former. Among the
many novel sights at the Big Tree Grove, a
new, and to tie city people very pleasant
accession, has been added TO the wonders
that of four or five inches of snow, about the
last of May. Tom Matteson. with his usual
large stock of horses and carriages, DR.. Jones
with his large and well filled drug store, and
Senter. with his abundant supply of grocer
les and provisions, severally, looking as
young and gay as they did ten years ago.
each seemingly enjoying life to the utmost
capacity. But few old bachelors are to be
seen around Murphys nowadays, having
from time to time taken unto themselves
wife-a very sensible conclusion, in my
opinion. Buck Lewis. one of our ex-State
Senators, still remains single, although re-
Gently it was limited by Madame Rumor that
there had been little serious talk on the