The Shasta courier., 1866-02-24
For the Courier.


and was glad to find it fourishing.
On Saturday, after travelling many right
roads and as many wrong ones, | found
| myself all wrong as to the right road. and
with the alternative of retracing my steps for
several miles, or taking a trail over the noun
tains to Silverthorn's Ferry, on Pit river. /
concluded to take the trail, first being assur
| ed, however, that there were no wrong trails
on the route. l succeeded in making the
rifle, and in firing myself and horse hugely.
Crossing the ferry, l soon entered upon the
| long line of buildings which constitute Cop
per City. habitants-nary-fo the first
MILE After that | reached the business por
ton of the town, and found very few who
still live to be glad of the advent Of stran-
ger, and welcome him. Icspitable all, l
could not be otherwise than comfortable, and
all were merry in answering any comment
might make on the sparseness of the popula-
ton as compared with the number of build
ings. | should say there were about twenty
houses to each inhabitant. Truly a sorry
picture. Early on Sunday morning I was
asty; found John S. IIale-we all know
John-tbe Superintendent of the Williams
& Kellinger mine, and with him toddled off
to view the wonders of hole in the ground.
On general principles, a hole in the ground
is no great curiosity, and hardly worth
mans while to travel great distance to see;
but this one, made and being continued un
der Johns rule, is no ordinary affair. Com
mencing at the base of lofty mountain,
on the top of which the Kellinger lode crops
out, is the opening, and it is now in on
level, that barely admits of drainage, eight
hundred aud fifteen feet. The roof and
sides of the tunnel are self sustaining, EXCEPT
in a very few places, where the rock is soft.
In such places substantial timbers are used
to make it safe.
Along one side of the tunnel is pipe
about six inches square. for the purpose of
carrying out the smoke caused by the blasts
As it is rather "agin natur" that smoke
should escape voluntarily on a down grade,
it is arranged to draw it down by means of
stove at the outer mouth of the pipe. A fire
built in the stove not only forces its own
smoke through the chimney, but draws that
from the far end of the tunnel and sends it
sky high. A very cheap and efectual mode
Of ventilation that was new to me. and very
satisfactory evidence that up to that time. at
least, hadn't known everything. The dis
tance in seemed almost endless, but at last we
saw the Pickering lights of the drifters. |
felt better then, for up to that moment felt
as though travelling to some bourne | knew
not of. We soon arrived to where couple of
stalwart fellows were driving the drill into
the solid rock that stopped our progress
Though the barrier was all potent for US,
these men banged away at it as though it
was no great affair to overcome.
The last ten feet run shows u marked
change in the rock. 1t works easier, and is
strongly impregnated with mineral of many
kinds, pyrites of iron predominating, and
reflects the light from the candles. giving the
tunnel brilliancy of look as beautiful and
grand as though jeweled and fitted up by art
at great expense.
| The company are also running tunnel
several hundred feet higher. and in that have
struck rock that assays so per tun. In the
! lower and much the larger tunnel they are
working through the same geological forma
ton of rock that Immediately preceded the
discovery of the rich rock above. This fact
is what induces Mr.. Hale and all interested
to believe that the g good thing" is near and
the day not far distant when Copper City
and the Pittsburg district can be put down as
a proved success, and when the now vacant
houses shall be inhabited and good times
once more be luxuriated in.
The Williams & Kellinger is the only COM
pauy working in the district at present. All
others weakened at the immcnsity of the
undertaking. The Bully Hill suspended after
getting in some eight hundred feet. Others
stopped after short runs. until now the fate
of the district rests on the Kellinger. The
work will 90 on by this company. A major
ity of the stock is in the hands of men who
have means, and who know Just what it
costs to open silver mine, and are prepared
to incur the expense.
In my humble opinion, when one hundred
feet more is made in the lower tunnel
enough will have been done to satisfy the
most skeptical that the lode and great wealth
have been attained. As sure as you are liv
ing, Mr.. Editor there is good time coming
for Copper City, and that right speedily.
After visiting the tunnel, and bidding
farewell to the kind souls who hang their fate
upon its success, | took my way to Mllvile
Recrossing Pit river. undertook to navigate
once more the wilderness of roads that cross
each other in all imaginable ways, and fork,
| too, in such misunderstandable style as TO
tax beyond endurance the feeble memory
with which | am endowed for remembering
directions. At last fell upon an institution
that | shall ever hold in grateful remem
brance,-'' To Red Bluff-Magee's Ferry
with finger pointing the track to follow.
concluded to sink all other directions and
follow this one 1t was the only smart thing
did on the trip, for whenever / fell upon a
forks. or nest of cross roads, had but to
throw nv eyes in a line with the horizon and
read "To Red Buff-Mager's Ferry
These kind injunctions, so well posted post
ed me on my route, until | reached habita-
tons in the vicinity of the town | was seek
ing. | commend Col. Magee's strategy, and
pronounce, right here, that in my opinion
never would have got out of that neck of
woods had it not been for it. And here let
me say, further, that it should be made the
duty of the Road Overseer in every township
to put up guide boards, Indicating to what
point any diverging road may lead to. 1t
might be done with but little trouble, and
without much if any expense, by simply
erecting a stake with a shingle nailed to it,
properly pointed, and the directions written
upon it either with red chalk or with COM
mon marking brush. If the Board of Super
visors can have this done, it may consider
| itself petitioned to do it by every stranger
/ that has travelled or may travel through the
country off the main travelled highways
1 Arrived at Milville, l could but remark
I