Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-11-29

iure of.ihe journey become, that at the
sight Of almost every old tumble-dovn
shaniy j inyoluniSrily seize my valise, pre-
paraiury TO that inevitable change which
| believe must certainly follow aud
may truly say that was seldom dissp-
pointed E /
Bearing our course Through country
the scenery Of which was one ever chang
ing panorama Of beauty, n sudden sweep
around the summit ofihe mountain brought |.
TO view a spectacle ofunrivaled grandeur.
Far in the distance below rushed the
sparkling waters Of the Stanislaus (pro-
uounced Stdn-iS-lOtc) which seemed but a
bright silvery thread, amere riyulei, from
our dizzy hight above, stealing softly
through the winding passes. But after
long aud swift decent, we found a river
over whose turbulent waters it required
the aid Of ferry TO safely pass. This We
did near that classic ground where occul-
red the sanguinary warfare with the
remnRnts Of Paleozoic age" so graphical
ly described by Bret Harte in his "RoR
upon the Stanislaus." The scenery at
the crossing Of this river and in the sub
sequent ascent on the other side is by far
the finest we have met with thus far on
our route. But we cannot tarry to in
dulge in a description of It's loveliness,
of which is much increased by the fact
that in this section for many years was
the home of Mark Twain and Bret tlarte,
whose memory is still cherished by the
inhabitants, as almost every one can give
you some pleasing "Reminiscences Of those
/, great humorists, . g
A laborious ascent of a few hours
|, brought us to the summit of the dividing
range between the Stanislaus, and Tuo-
: lumne rivers, when by quick drive we
reached the village Of Columbia, Moth
: ing worth note occurred here save the one
unaccountable, startling fact that we did
not here change coaches. Columbia is
= now a ragged, ilelcss town, but was once
: full of busy life, and in its more prosper
5 Gus days contained several thousand in
n habitants. 1t lies on the verge of the
e great placer mining district of California
: or, more properly speaking, what one,
5 was a mining district, as now but very lit
: tic except quartz mining is done in thi
4 section. The country, for miles in ever.
It direction, here presents that naked, bar
o rem condition 30 peculiarly the result 0
d the hydraulic system of mining. All tn
;, solvent particles Of the soil, together wit
r! those of loose movable nature, have no
d only been washed from their bed, but cal
l. ried away into the eapacious gulches an
S. ravines, miles distant, leaving the countr
Al in an inconceivable state of nakeduess-
l. sight sorrowful to behold. Rising o
4 every side can be seen the pale glintin
N peaks of jagged rocks, that rear thei
,f heads again after being for ages entomt
Y, ed, and now rest on the mountain slope
e. as one vast Mer de Glace, or like the bi
is lowed fields of ice in northern sea. A
e. the hypraulic method Of mining has don
st so much to change the surface of Califo
IN MIA, more detailed description Of tn
er same may not be without interest. Hig
e. up towards the summit of the Sierra N
ia vadas the engineer selects a favorab
n point where portion of the headwatc
i, of some river can be diverted from i
0. channel.i ltis then carried in a canal I
ne ditch, usually of the size of an ordinal
mill race, conveyed in this manner rpe
Or haps for few miles, winding arour
IL mountain SUBMITS and curving around ii
tn head of some gulch or canyon, then f
he miles it may be carried in wooden Aume
In supported by lofty trestle work high abo'
Ill the valley whose intervening space it b
ne comes necessary to leap. When tth
of transferred to the opposite side of Il
N valley, bitches, fumes and pipes are aga
ce used in frequent succession, until the W
A ter is at last conveyed into or near Il
on mining district where it is to be used.
m The difficulties encountered in the co
struction of these works are often We
he great, and their successful completion |
he quires the outlay of large sums of none
ar II is no uncommon thing TO carry the W
nd ter in the manner described fer neal
ite Que hundred miles before one drop of it
for used for the purpose ultimately intondc
eu Some special feats of engineering come
ey ed with these works deserve particuI
mention. In the construction of the wol
Of of the "Union Water Co" it became nj
ng essary TO carry the water along the ia
ras of perpendicular wall of rock seve
St miles in length and several hundred fl
so in height. This was done by Suspend
ay wooden fume miles in length and abe
re, midway down the rocky buttress, by ii
to rods secured to the verge of the clifabo
is In order to prepare the fastenings
,ur these bolts, workmcn were suspended
ese ropes from above who wrought in the p
- pcndicular face Of the rock the pecessi
ter anchorage of the supporting bolts. o.
in an impossible gorge | noticed that
,hu water was sometimes carried in iron pip
lis which in turn were supported by a s
md pension bridge Of construction similar
by larger structures Of the same kind.
1es crossing valley in the Tuolumne range
ess noticed where the water was carried
ion an iron pipe at least two miles in LEM
v and following the depressions of the y
ur- ley. This pipe was eighteen inc
in diameter, and at the lowest point co
nes have been but little less than fur humid
ain feet below the surface of the water in
!, canal above with which it connected.
old was much astouished at first to obse
ag- that the thickness of this pipe only slig
0ht ly exceeded one eighth OF an inch, knt