The Placer herald., 1871-05-06

Oregon Railroad, the distance from Lincoln
to Sheridan (the next station) is miles
from the latter place to Wheatland miles,
and from Wheatland to Marysville 13 miles.
We may have occasion in future letter to
speak particularly of Wheatland aud the
rich surrounding region We may give you
the early history of Marysvie bye and bye
and its present grand aspect, for we reccllect
very well its present site, which was that of
Corduas Rancho" before any idea was en-
tertained of founding city or village there.
Meantime let us say that sometime ago, a
little book called the ''Railroad Gazetteer"
and published monthly by H. S. Crocker &
Co. of Sacramento was put into our hands
and our attention directed to brief descrip-
tions of the principal cities and towns on the
Pacific Coast by Morton Angel. Speaking
of Marysville, Mr.. Angel says, cit is well
situated for trade at the head of steamboat
navigation on the Feather river, &c" Tho
the gentleman speaks very highly of the
beautiful place, we just desire TO tell him
that Marysville is situated on the right bank
of Yuba river and not on the FEATHER
Further on, Mr.. Angel says, its site was se-
lected by American settlers and was known
as Nyes Ranch anterior to the discovery of
gold, &c. 1t was not known as "Nye's
ranch anterior to the discovery of gold, but
Corduas Ranch. Cordua was gentleman
whom we remember very well, and Nyes
ranch was miles above and on the opposite
side of the river Yuba. Mr.. Angel goes on
and says further, speaking of Marysville,
''its name was given in honor of Mrs Mary
Coviland, nee Me-, &C." Mrs. Covilland
was not "nee Nye" Her maiden name
was Mary Murphy, and we remember, as
though it were but yesterday, the very
Christmas day of 1913 when she was mar
ried to Charles Coviland "a sister of Ha,y
acaS tie ,cife Of Nike Nye. Both those la
dies are now slumberipg in the grave and
also poor Charlie" but let US say here that
ladies of more amiable dispositions, generous
hearts, noble impulses, magnanmous souls
or more esteemed never trod on the soil of
California. We will describe in future let
ters, the complete history, perhaps, of the
founding of Marysville. The "Railroad Ga
letter in our possession purports to be pub
lished monthly; we hope, therefore that Mr..
Reno will correct, in his next issue, the er-
rors we have taken the liberty of pointing
out with reference to the beautiful city of
Marysville.
In our next we will tell you the laughable
circumstance which was the cause of our
present visit from Placer county to Yuba
and Butte. We were very cleverly fooled
by letter written to us ON the 1st Of April
(all-fool's day. by facetious friend. How
ever, we do not regret our coming; we re-
serve descriptions Of what we beheld till fu-
ture letters-the splendid farms-the or
chards and vineyards happy homes
the cottages embowered in shrubbery-thc
beautiful mansions, the fragrant groves, the
verdant hills, the meadows with their lowing
cattle, the streams, now, alas! not transu-
cent as we beheld them in days lang syne, the
summit peaks of the mighty Sierra Nevadas
mantled with snow and looking like burn
ished silver, the hamlets and villages and
towns, the schools with The merry, happy
children at recess gamboling in wild but in
nocent delight, and many other scenes that
made us ponder and exclaim sadly,
''We would we were boy again"
From Paulinvile in Yuba county, and in
the vicinity of which, years agone, we were
want to chant many merry refrain, we
wended our way to look at Forbestown and
the intervening region which we had not be-
held for 13 long years. On we went Cover
the hills and far away" cheered by the bright
beams of a beautiful morning and nvigorat-
ed by breeze through forests that would
inspire the most despondcnt invalid with ami
nation and vigor The country was sparse
ly settled, though at one period we remem-
Der well, each ravine and gulch and creek
was alive with jolly miners singing merrily
and almost causing birds upon the branches
of the oaks to cease their song and listen!
There were so many divergent roads that
as we journeyed we were doubtful of our
being on ther right one for Fogbestown. How
ever, about noon of yesterday, and just
when emerging from romantic woods we
sighted Clayton's Rancho, so called, and in
less than five minutes were III the store of
Mr. Edward Shattuck, from whom and his
gentlemanly assistant, Mr. George Mitchell,
we received most cordial greeting
Mr., Shattuck is native of Massachusetts,
came to California at an early day, engaged
in mining at first, but soon, with bis knowl-
edge previously of Mercantile business, en-
gagged in pursuits congcnial to his nature.
He is here in the very heart of one of the
richest mining districts of the State, perhaps,
certainly Of Yuba or Butte counties, has a
large aud wel-Glled store few yards from
beautiful private residence, where he de-
lights to do everything like dutiful, aiiec-
tiopate son to conduce to the comfort of the
declining years of fond mother Can you
imagine more beautiful nor holier sight
than that Of son in the Summer of bis davs
clinging to the aged mother who in the
Springtide of her years nursed and tended
and watched and fostered him and prayed
for him in his infancy-his boyhood. and ex-
ulting in his manhood and esteemed for in
flexible integrity and honor. We opine not.
Mr.. Shattuck is young gentleman Of only
2S years of age, of fine attanments, gener-
GUS susceptibilities, with an open heart,
pleasing smile always rradiating hia features
and withal magnanimous soul. This much