Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-01-04
NOTES ON TRINITY COUNTY.

that region. The gold product ofTrinity
will amount this year to about g, ,000, 900.
the most of it taken from the placer min
os. This is the largest production made
for the past 20 years, though it is proba.
bic enough that it will be surpassed the
coming year, should water be abundant.
As Trinity polls only about 500 votes,
this gives 50 500 per year to each voter;
better showing measured by this rule
that can be made by any other county
in the State. To date the rain fall amounts
this season to about Z inches, more than
has been had in the central or any Of the
other mining countries further south, but
not enough to start hydraulic washing,
by which method NEST Of the gold dust
is now taken out hero. There is great
extent of good hydraulic gravel ground
in Trinity, not tenth part of which has
yet been utilized for want of capital. No
such opportunities for investing money
in this line of business exist elsewhere in
in California. Buckeye mountain,
high ridge lying between Stewards fork
ard Rush creek, few miles east Of
Weaver basin, is supposed to be compos-
ed wholly fpay gravel. The top of this
ridge is 1,500 feet above the adjacent
streams. 1t has an average width of
four or five miles, and prospecting shafts
sunk to depth of over 100 feet, indicate
that the entire mountain would pay to be
washed by the hydraulic process. A
company have built ditch for bringing
water upon this mountain, but for lack
of sufficient means to properly open up
their ground, they have not yet been able
to make such q production, as with
small additional expenditure Of money
could surely he reached. They have pay
gravel enough to last hundred years,
and one Of the finest water rights in the
State. To investors who want something
certain, and to last a life time, this ought
to prove an acceptable property.
Browns mountain, another high ridge,
separated from Buckeye by Rush creek,
eoptans, to all appearance, an equal
amount Of auriferous material. Oregon
mountain, west Of Weavewile, affords
also an endless quantity Of rich hydraulic
land. An OF these places have been
worked steadily for more than quarter
of a century, and yielded enormous guam
titles Of gold dust. AS yet they have
oFly been scratched on the surface Their |
real wealth remains to be gathered But
it now requires money to open, outfit and
work them. It also requires men to take
hold of them having little moro enter
prise, energy and business tact, than is
possessed by the old stock Of miners,
who are content to work away at them
after thei ancient and easy going fash
ion.
Along Tinitv river, for distance Of
nearly R9'm lies, there are still good
pIacer diggings. These consist Of the
higher bars along that stream which are
both rich aud extensive, but rs vet have
been butlittle worked for want Of water
The low bars, from which the d rt could
be easily taken to the river to be washed,
or upon which ditches could be readily
brought, were wnshcd OF first, enriched
the early crop Of miners, many Of whom
having made their piles left the country,
nct stopping to build bitches or make
other sostlv and permanent improve
ments. AS genera thing, it was the
lucky ones who LETT and the less fortunate
who slaved behind. These latter, hav-
ing but little money md many of them
having since lost their grip, mining af-
fairs in Trinity bear largely still the i'm
press Of primitive times.
During the past few years, however
good many small bitches have been con-
structed bringing water upon those high
er bars from the mountain gulches sa
jacent and in some instances from the
forks of the Trinity or the main river it.
self; these bitches being built sometimes
by old residents, but oitenor by new
comers attracted to the county by the
many Inducements offered here for the
ion Of mining enterprises. On
those bars the dirt is rich, and washes
readily, and there is always plenty of
fall; the geld being generally coarse and
easily saved. The cost Of bringing in
water and rigging up works is small
here compared with that required in the
more southerIy counties, the reverse be-
ing true as regards profits realized.
On the lower Trinit this class Of min
es are, without exception, yielding we'll,
their annual net earnn ngs being at the
rate OF about 5000 and often as much |
as s. 900 or $4,000 on every $4,000 IN
vested the favorable feature about the
business being that these earnings are
sure and lasting, as the material is plen-
titu and water always in good supply. |
At McGill.vray's Ranch, Dixon's Bar, |
Cox's Bar and Taylor's Flat, very pro
stable operations have been carried on
Ln past year, and extensive preparations
made for the coming season. AT the lat
Ter place Archie McDonald~a we'll known
California and Nevada miner, has inau-
gurated large and promising enterprise,
and which, il it do not pay like some OF |
the Coinstock bOnanzas, can be always /
c0unted on for fair return. He has /
got his property in fine shape, and, like |
many others here, only waits for little
more literal rainfall to commence active
operations on large scale. The miners
have everywhere improved the last dry
season to get their claims IN good coudl-
ton for winter work, which they have
generally succeeded ia doing. Some new
ditches have been dug, and the old ones
cleaned out. The fumes have been re-
blocked, and some additional ones laid