The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-13
A Dead City in California.

Meadow Lake City, in California, which was
once called Summit City, boasted, in days
gone by, of a population of 5000 or 1000
souls. In its day of prosperity, (says the
Grass Valley UniOn,) it had fine stores, good
hotels, theatres, saloons in number, and an
exchange at which mining stocks were sold.
Meadow Lake City was a second Virginia
City, and attempted to revive the good days
ofWashoe, the flush times of Comstock lead
In 1865, we think it was, some persons found
gold-bearing rock in some lodges around Mea-
dow Lake, and these being assayed and the
assays being talked about, the city of Sum-
init or Meadow Lake was born. 1t sprung up
like Jonah's gourd, in night, and it has
withered. In the excitement which followed
the discovery Of quartz specimens near Mea-
dow Lake, five houses were erected, and bus
iness promised to be brisk. The lodges, how
ever. failed to yield of their treasures 'by mill
process" and people became disheartened.
The sanguine held on in hopes that chem
istry would get the gold out of the rock,
where mechanism had failed. The ores were
rebellious, it is said, and the ordinary ap-
plianees of stamps and quicksilver would not
save the gold of those rich lodges. Chemistry
would find way to get the richness out of
the rock. ''Old people saw signs and young
people dreamed dreams in efforts to save
that gold. The Burns's process was invent
ed, in dream, to save gold, and for a time
Meadow Lake City continued to hold its own
in the hope of the success of Burns's dream.
1t failed, and the doubters began to intimate
that the gold was not in the rock, and the as
sayers were wrong or had been imposed up
on. Mills, chemicals, and even dreams failed
to make mining there success. Science,
mechanics, and the black art had each failed
in its turn to turn the rock into gold. So the
city went down and is now diserted.
A few days ago friend of ours visited Mea-
dow Lake City. He went up ON snow shoes
and took look at the deserted and snow-coy-
cred place. The houses which were only one
story in height were covered to their roofs
with snow. The two story houses were sur
rounded with snow to the height of the sec
ond story. Not living being was seen by
our friend. He was monarch of that snowy
desOlation. Signs swung in the cold wind,
and just grazed in their swinging the surface
of the snow. Prominent among the signs
was that of brokers' office. just opposite the
old hall of the board brokers. The large ho-
tel there was yet furnished, and bed and bed
ing remained there Our friend, standing in
his snow shoes, gazed into the hotel while he
stood on the snow surface, level with the sec
ond story, and he saw clean linen on the de-
serted beds. He wanted to take rest in the
comfortable looking quarters, but there was
no food nor fuel in sight, and he had to go
down lower to ditch tenders cabin to get
fire and appease his hunger. Many of the
houses have, this winter, been broken down
by the weight OF snow on their roofs, but ma
ny more remain just as they were when their
owners left. The property deserted is safe, as
cold and snow have locked all against the
depredations of burglars. Meadow Lake is a
winter residenceno more.