Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-02-27
Sale OF Mineral Lands.
heSass6t the Naeg1 lanaeas advoe3tsa by
8 be of ~ moi in enti jGf fnals4i she
STE. In 4ppor Il u u i3s ia ihis
g srly, if - all, she ID mlang s0us sfeshsys

s se. In4pporlf II &s " lbs "a shlt
uarly, if I'D all, the id mmng sous feshsye
esssed tossisurep mining asShedsadAg oesu-
patton, but that their inhabitants nov mainly
subsist by mechanical, agricultural and~hsrsf-
cultural employments.- For these reasons it is
urged that the goqd of those counties requires a
chsEs "a tMhsT,snpre4fiIrs4tptae ri II laads, aat{ ths,
their territory be thrown opeaSto occupation and
ownership under the presumption and homestead
laws This is question we'll worth of cpusid-
Grafton, and, so far as Trinity county is con
cerned we think fairly debssabie one what
may be the, condition of things in the distant
future 9we are e'not prepared to argness Neither
do we propose for one moment 10 contend that
with Us all other interests will ever remain sub
seryient to thatoof' mining; hut for many years
to COME our mines viii be the source Of all AMI
nation in business and afford the only. market
for our Agricultural productions q, The truth is,
our county is almost, 50 to speak, a ts,vs incegs
nitd to'the State at large, End our vast mineral
resources unknoWn,'o The flow of capital and
stir Of speculation visiting in tnrn nearly every
other portion of the State, has never tested our
resources, but we have been compelled to rely
upon ourselves at q time and under circum-
stances the most unfavorable to bone enterprise.
We have not exhausted our deposits of precious
metals, and the decrease of population and tax
able property is not to be ascribed to- that cause
The high prices prevailing for the last six years
have operated materially to our disadvantage
Diminish the cost of living in the mines twenty
fveper cent. and that business would be just so
much more able-affectng the matters Of
population and property in proportion, Cheap
laboreand cheap capital, will demonstrate that
Trinity county is capable of exhibiting a re-
newed prosperity that will no doubt be matter
of surprise to our agricultural neighbors, who
era aboptto dawn on this coast, population viii
come and capital accumulate. A steady, rapid
development of the State at large will
be felt from one end to the other Cap.
ital and labor, like waters flowing to their
level, ever seek their best investment, and
though we lift not finger to bring it about,
will eventually be employed in extracting the
wealth hidden in our hills and gravel ranges.
The shallow surface diggings may have been
mainly exhausted and the "honest miner" who
worked them with pick and pan, with his rocker
and toms, has passed away, but the Chinaman,
the mining superintendent the mill owner and
his lahorers will enter upon the scene, and the
result can be, logically deduced from our past
experience What we need in Trinity county is
encourngementG't mining, for it is the only
source from which immediate beneficial results
cap be derived. Without doubt another genera
tion will occupy themselves principally in other
branches, and the production of wine, fruit,
silk, and sockraisng within our limits constitute
no inconsiderable addition to- the general
wealth; but this will be the case only when it
;an be truthfully said that the mines are worked
aut-, We believe the sale of the mineral lands in
our county would be productiveIof benefit just
so far as it might stimulate the development of
the mines, and no further. We have no accessi-
BILE market for our produce, and would not be
able'to compete with other sections if we had.
Railroads and canals contribute much towards
building up the valleys and plains, but the
mountains shut off as they are by the difficult
ties attending Transportation, offer inferior in
dncepents to settlers desirous of cutiyatiug the
the soil. If the best interests of Nevada county
demand an exemption from the operation of the
general land laws Trinity is in the same same cate
CORY r.q.,... af,.8 hi ,.e,fst .g, 4