The Placer herald., 1868-09-12
[From the Grass Valley Union.
PLACER COUNTY.

| FLACEh CVUNl1.
Last Saturday we took a seat in friend $
buggy, behind spanking span of ponies,
and journed down into the land of Placer
county. We saw the village Of Auburn; n
quiet place which is beautiful for its gardens,
orchards, and rose covered cottages, as is
renal kable for handsome girls, and hospita'
bic men. OF course we inquirerd about
the quartz Of Auburn and its vicinity, and
we learned much on this interesting subject.
THE GREEN EMlcsANr LEDGE,
situated about four miles north of the town,
and nea, by the OLD stage road to Grass
Valley, has been wonderfully rich. The for
mer owners were accustomed to 60 into
their little snake holes of tunnel and to
pick as much gold ou. as might be needed
for present purposes. The pocket was rich
beyond any thing ever read of about gold
mining and had such spot been found
near Graes Valley, great excitement would
have resulted. Auburn kept cool however,
while the owners Of the Green Enigrant
went down into the pocket Of their mine,
took ou, gold, and gave it a chance, as the
phrase goes, among the boys. AS is usual
IN cases where owners are not practical mi
ners, the Green Enigrant was sold, at 20
very large figure and Caleb I. Fay, of San
Francisco, became one OF The principle own
ers Of the mine. The immensely rich pocket,
which gave celebrity to the mine, is worked
out and the rock now taken out is probably
of an average character, showing some gold,
aud being moderately rich in sulphures.
The company are about moving to the Green
Emigrapt splendid ten stamp mill, which
was first put up at an expense of $4,000
by Sacramento company OF amateurs, on
what proved to be no ledge, (rhe Golden
Rule caim) somewhere below Auburn.
Those posted say the Green Emigrant will
turn out rich.
LEDaEs IN GENERAL.
1t is singular fact that many rich strikes
have been made in the Auburn mining dis
trict, a quartz miner often realizing in an
hour enough money to put bmself in po'
siton to prospect his ledge thoroughly.
Wonderful as are these narratives which are
told about the richness of edges the country
is not prospected at all, indeed the surface is
scarcely SKINNED. 1t would seem that
the chances of "a competency being made in
weeks work, with the other chance of get
ting hold Of sure and regular paying gold
mine, would offer such inducements to pros
pectors as could not be resisted but is not
the case. Life is ease in our neig ghboring
county, and the fruits of the earth are SO
plentiful there, that gold is not so much of a
temptation, especially when it has to be ac'
quired by hard lcks. Another fact which
binders prospecting, is the want Of capital.
This does not mean that the people there
are poor, but that their capital is in orchards,
vineyards and Ranches, which have grown
up by industry without the medium of mon
ey. They have not that sort Of surplus wealth
which seeks ventures where great gains are
made, or great losses are incurred In an
other year, however, when the wealthy ones
of San Francisco shall discover that to make
their city great, the country arr und it must
be made great, and all resources must be
developed, and that reasonable returns will
be made to them for the money employed
in mining, great prosperity will come upon
the district of which we are speaking. Oar
trip extended to the Middle Fork Of the
AMERICAN RIVER,
to the place once famous as Murderer's Bar
This is quiet place now, and offers no in
ducemenls TO the wild strfes which has
christened it with blood in the early days
The miners have all left it save one company
who are sinking shaft at the upper part Of
the bar, lis order to find crevice which
tradition saws exists and is very rich. This
company have great hopes of realizing for
tune for their labor, and most certainly they
deserve it. On the bar Of the "Amercan
Falls Mining Company" few Cinnamon
are skimmDg the surface and making Just
enough to keep their ri Q sack full. Ibis
ground has been an expensive concern to
owners, something like 100000 having
been spent, first and last, in trying to work
it. Bed rock, on this ground, was worked
for two days, and something over $4,000
taken out, when the waters arose and drove
out the miners. Since then several attempts
have been made to find the lead again, but
for want of pumping apparatus sufficient, in
some instances, and on account OF squabblng
among owners in other instances, the bed
rock Of the American Falls Company is
yet uuscraped. and has on it the gold which
lras accumulated in past ages. This bar is
the largest on the American river, and when
it fails into the hands Of men who have mon
ey enough to put up a large steam engine,
will make a fortune for its owners. At
American falls is what is known as
MURDERER's BAR BRIDGE.
This structure was put up, at great ex'
pense, when times were lively on the rivers
and bars, and when intercourse between
Placer and Ell Dorado counties was brisk.
The bridge is now unused, save by an occa-
sona fruit wagon, and on account OF rotten
ness Of floor tmbers is not safe for horses or
ligh! wagons. All that is wood about the
structure is dropping peace meal into the
rapids below, and 10 few years there will
be nothing left Of the costly bridge but the