Litchfield enquirer., 1871-06-22

stay all your life," they say; and it seems tc be true The town confains- an astonish. ing number of bachelors and widowers men who came here. many of them, so long ago as 1949; most of them before 1853, and who live on, with but little purpose, appaf' ently, in their lives except to sun them selves and to enjoy the climata. 6 The gold has gone. In the frenzy of the earlier days, when millions were taken out every week; when the jail was as fulla the mines when on Sunday the miners formed a queue half a mile long. waiting for thelr letters al the postofice; when every other house in tht place was bar room or gambling den when Wells Fargo's strong box went dowr to Frisco" daily with the ransom of al emperor-in the frenzy of those excihnf days these elderly men lost their energies They came to make their fortunes. Those who had succeeded went away te enjoy tlis prize; those who failed live on here, con tented, thinking of the happy old days with enough to eat; for living is cheap here and no cold winters to dread, nor prosper ous people to make them unhappy!
 DEPRECIATION OF REAL ESTATE.
 The wofal depreciation of real estate shows both what Sonora once was, anG what it now is. One citizen showed. me his store. -shuttered, with iron doors and iron roof, solidly built of brick ani stone. ''It cost six thousand dollars te build, in the early days" said he; land, Il had to sell it now, lot and ah would not bring three hundred dollars A farm ol ''ranch" of three hundred acres, with s vineyard of some acres in bearing, is val ued at $1 500. A well-placed and we'll made farm of 160 acres, with twenty acres of vines in good order, in sight of the town, could be bought for $1 800.
 GOLD AS CURSE
 The gold has been the curse of the town, and it remains it's curse still Whoever came, came to get gold, and whoever got 1t, took what he got and fled. It was the single industry of the region. and it dis. abled men from following any other. It is known existence. of gold in the soil seems to paralyze mems energies, and turn their thoughts from the active pursuits of other occupations than gold seeking.
 Almost everybody met in the little town ness was followed by the head of colored
 
 was told he was working quartz-lead. and having a very hard time. If he had only a little capital, he would get through"-bnt up all his gains. What would so-and-so make, if their claim turned out fairly? l asked; and was answered that it would take work out their claim; to take out all the Sr,f fha hot hok time they would make probably days wa ges-no more. Even the steward of the hotel where we stayed brought me out and into the working of which suspect the poor fellow puts all he can save from his wages. "Does everybody in this town own 8 quartz claim?'' asked acitizen. and he laughingly replied: ooh no, don't, for instance;" adding after pause ''that is to say, I do, but it is not worth anything"
 Before we came to the town a merchant, unable to get the price he wished for his store, pulled it down, and we saw, right in the main street of Sonora, the singular spectacle of placer. mining for gold. The soil of his lot was taken out to the depth of fifteen 10 eighteen feet, and thrown into 8 sluice, where it was washed, and the gold
 
 taken out in few weeks over four thou sand dollars worth, and was still busy.
 The whole operation was conducted by four or five men very inexpensively, and I believe his clerks and bookkeeper were among the diggers.
 The approach of circus and menagerie excited the boys of the town while we were there, and we saw little urchins going out f< fbo Eo11o hovonI %nwo hn;~ mothers tin kitchen pans. They were go- fee to the circus. ssWhat is the use of worrying" said a stalwart fellow to me; ga man can always make four bits day with his pan, and living IS cheap.n
 Thus the gold is still curse, clog; if it were all gone, men, women and boys would cease to think of it, and the four bits and the circus money would be earned by some industry useful to the general public. But now they live on in careless ease, enjoying their delicious climate; eating in the season the finest fruit of California; careless of the future, for their is no winter, and man can live comfortably in the hills for ten dollars month; and recounting to each other the past and faded glories of Sonora, and their hopes that by success of quartz. &sAAAauS anu sAO s2SSCAVRA&04V OG 0SEAC04 ture, its prosperity may be revived.
 oUARTz-MNNa.
 Nor is it improbable that this may come about. The soil of the hills is fertile and easily worked, and there is no doubt tha, quartz. mining, when pursued with skill and with sufficient capital, will pay regular and sufficient dividends. Near Sonora, on top of mountain twelve miles away, lies the Confidence mine, at present one of the most successful in the state. It's singular story shows both how miners fail and how they succeed. It was opened and worked at a loss for several years to the depth o nearly two hundred feet by two successive companies. Under their management the quartz did not pay, and it was finally abandoned. The mine caved in, the ma chinery was removed and all was dead when it fell into the hands of Ben Holiday one of the great road-makers of this state He had no desire to mine, but Mir. Gilson the present superintendent very able man, should think--Who had worked out mine of his own in the, neighborhood examined this quartz, studied the chararac ter of the vein. and finally proposed to Mr. Holiday to reopen it, as in his iudgemen It would prove profitable. He asked fol $5. 600 to prospect" the lead-to invesi gate 1t. that is to say. When he had spen, $2,5O0 he was convinced that with proper economy it would pay to work. Men were engaged, and mass of ore was taken out