The Shasta courier., 1870-12-10
ThE EDiIOKsAL ..NOrIsr'' OF THE
ALTA EXPOSES HIS IGNORANCE.

of this State. In the hurry Of business at
the close Of the last session of Congress,
Hon. James A. Jvheson, of the Third
Congressional District, contrived to push
through bill Great ng an additional Land
District, with an Office at Shasta new
District being made by boldly slashing
line east and west through the center OF
Tebama county. This sends the people Of
Lassen, Plumas and part of Sierra and
Butte counties, away arp to Shasta to attend
to land business and many parts Of Sis
kiyou county, practically inaccessible from.
Shasta, will have to reach that town by ,the
way Of Marysville, where the Office Of the
District, as now constituted, is situated.
As the bill was popped through by john
son, without consultation with his col
leagues, no appropriation was made for the
expenses of the new District, and, alto.
gethcr, things are considerably in a mess
on account of this bit Of sharp practice:
Alta, California. @@ H..
- The above paragraph contains four dis.
tinct and tsfagrant mistatements, and shows
an it's faee'tiiat its author is either lament
abby ignerant of the lines of travel and
geography of the country aboutswhichi he
presumes to write, and Of the facts con-
nected with the establishment of the Shas-
ia District, or has been induced TO tell
several notorious and whoppins big lies,
by some fasifyiDg aud meddlesome party
or parties. hostile to the new District.
In order to show the recklessuess and
total untruthfulness of the Atlas afirma-
tions We will briefly expose them in detail: /:
First-The creation of this District was
not the result of hasty legislation, nor was
the bill pushed through in the hurry of
business at the close of the last session of
Congress. On the contrary it was intro
dued into the House by Hon. j. A. John
son and lay in the hands of the Committee
on Public Lands during the whole of the
Session of Congress preceding 10 the Ses-
sion at which the bill passed and became
law, as the records of the House will
show.
Second-Only part of Lassen, Tehama and
very small portion of. Butte and Plumas
counties are included in the boundaries Of
the new District, and no portion of Sierra,
whatever, comes within its limits.
Third-Nine tenths of the population
of Siskiyou county will be especially ac-
commodated by, and are highly pleased
with the establishment of the District and
the location of she Office at Shasta. The
fact is the location of the Office at tkis point
is just what the people Of Siskiyou and
Trinity counties greatly desire and Ilearti
Fly approve, as Shasta is situated on the
main travelled routes and great mountain
turnpikes by which the trade and travel of
those two counties find an outlet into the
Sacramento Valley, and the whole lower
country. s.
1t is true that during severa, months Of
| the year the inhabitants of those sparsely
settled portions of Siskiyou and Lassen
counties known as Surprise, Goose Lake
and Big Valleys, are cut off from commu-
nication with Shasta by winter foods and
SLOWS, but they are also cut of from COM
munication with all other outside points at
the same time.
Goose Lake and Big Valleys are drain
ed by the main fork of the upper Sacra-
mento, known as Pit River, and the natu-
raj route of travel for the settlers of these
two localities is down this river via. Fort
Crook and Millville, to Shasta. They can
get to Shasta at any season Of the year at
which they can get to any other outside
point, and they can come here op Datural
and almost direct line of travel, and save
the additional trouble and expense Of
travelling over hundred miles further to
reach the Marysville Office.
Fourth-Mr johnson did not "pop the
bill through without consultation with his
colleagues" When the petition for the
establishment of the District, (sigued by
many of the best and leading men of Trim
ity, Siskiyou, Shasta and Tehama counties, J
was forwarded to Mr. johnson, he drew up
the bill in accordance with the prayer of
the petitioners, exhibited it to Senator Cole
and Congressman Sargent, and finding that
il met their approval, introduced it into
the House, and it was appropriately refer
ed to the Committee on Public Lands
The bill was duly considered by this Com
mittee, which, By a unanimous votes de-.
cided to report favorably upon the meas
ure and recommend its passage by the
House; bnt, owing to, the press of busi-
ness before said Committee, the bill was
not reached and reported during that ses-
sion. At the next Session of Congress.
however, the bill was finally reported to
the House by the Chairman of the Com
mittee, and on conclusion of short speeches
in its favor by johnson and Sargent, pass
ed by unanimous vote. On reaching the
Canafa ~ xraS takan nm op nottou af Son