Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-03
PLACER COUNTY.
THE WEALTH AND SOCIAL CONDITION OF
ITS POPULATION.
Pistols and P,anos-sch Scholastic New
Race-The Domestic Female Head
Indians and Chinese.
NUMBER EIGHT.

NUMBER EIGHT
The reader who may feel satisfied with the
exhibit now made will naturally desire to
know something of the people. Whatever
they are in character, they must aid in CIV
ing tone to the future civilization Of Placer
county, and even the new corners, though
they come in thousands, will take on much of
their spirit. The county of Placer contains
population of about $1,000. Seven thou
sand of these live in and west of Auburn
four thousand east of Auburn and between
Bear river and the North Fork, and about
four thousand on the divide" between the
north and middle forks. On the divide, "
among the mines, are found representatives of
every nation except the Turks, and as rule
the population of the entire county is cosmo-
politan in its character. Avery good idea Of
the general character, as 20 nativity, ETC.,
will be obtained from an analysis of the
Great Register which was prepared by Dis
trict Attorney w. b. Lardner, of Auburn
for the special use of the RECORD UNION.
August 5, 1879. The registered vote Of the
county was 8, 1872, which included all that
were eligible to registration, except about 300.
Among the registered voters are 1,003 foreign
ers who have been naturaliZsd in the United
States and State Courts There are 113 who
are citizens by virtue of their fathers natu-
raliZation, and WHO were born of American
parents temporarily abroad. Among the
voters are 154 native Californians, young
Americans from the age of q to %. Two
thousand and three are native born. OF these
i. 592 were born in the Northern States and
All in the Southern. The best represented
Northern States are New York, Maine and
Ohio; the best represented Southern States
are Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia
About ~fifty-fve came from the District of
Columbia and the Territories, or became citi
zens by treaty with Mexico or honorable
discharge from the army. At the last cleo
ton ffty-seven young men voted, who had
Just reached the age of q. The average age
of the 3, 1872 voters is ALL. At the general
election in 1879, $500 votes were cast in
1873, 2552: in lS12. 2,25O; in 1871, S,O2S; ;
in 1855, 1854. The latter vote indicates an
enforcement Of the rule that required elect
ors to
VOTE EARLY AND OFTEN,
And in the anti-registration days the foot
hill electors never suffered a friend to fall be-
hind if horse flesh could be found to carry
them to sufficient number of voting places.
In those times an election day was gala &C.
casion for honest miners. The apparent i'll
civism indicated by the small number Of
votes arises to some extent cut of the fact
that Californians are alwayson the wing, and
consequently often absent from home on cleo
ton days. There are several facts that go far
to show that the people are not indifferent to
public affairs. The county does not owe a
single dollar the rate of taxation is
only 81 so on the hundred, and these
has never been an instance of official defalca-
ton. Besides, the roads and public build
ings are in good order. In former years can
didates for Office first secured the influence of
the saloons, but now that art is not much re-
lied upon. That the reader may understand
the present strength of the several parties. we
give the votes cast for Governor in 1879 ::
Republican, 1,213; Workingmen, $685. Dem
ocrat and n C. p, 759. Party ties are not
very strong in the foothil counties, and no
party can call out its full strength except by
the nomination of good men. As rule the
eastern half of the county dominates In poll.
tics-the miners were always devoted to
politics. Taken generally, the miners and
merchants are Republican the farmers.
Democrats, and the laboring classes, Work
ingmen' The financial condition of the pee
pie is very poor as will be seen by the
assessed values on the tax roll, which reaches
the sum Of 50, 642, 932. At the same time it
must be said that an equal amount escapes
assessment altogether, and that which is as
sessed is certainly rated less than it ought to
be by at least SI0,000,000 1t seems certain
that
THE ACTUAL VALUATION
For purposes of taxation ought to be fixed at
$40. 600, 600. In the year 1872 the assessed
values were IS, LAG, 1856, and it is evident from
comparison between the two assessments
shere given that the Assessors do about as
they please, without much reference to fact.
And the reader will probably agree
with this statement when we. say that
the land is rated at an aver
age of less than 81 per acre. Much of the
mineral land is worth at least 5000 per
acre, and large portion of the farming land
is valued by its owners at from 800 to S115
per acre, and no land, except Government
and railroad land. can be obtained for less
than S. per acre. OF course nearly 81, 600, eco
of the estimate belongs to railroad companies
A very careful investigation made shows the
fact that the people of Placer are nearly out
of debt. Many mortgages are on record
but they are decreasing very rapidly. The
improvements of the county are very con-
siderable. In one district the real estate,
other than city or town lots is valued at
S607, $50, and the improvements at SS07, 100,
and in all the towns valuable and pretty
houses are being erected in great numbers.
Generally the people live very comfortably.
A few facts from the Assessors
lists will give the reader view of the social
as well rs the financial condition. The sew
ing machines are valued at $40, S3S musical
instruments at $4,000; firearms at So, 947 !;
- A <hor he
at SCI, $50. From this statement the reader
will see that
THE PIANOS HAVE BEATEN THE PISTOLS
That the domestic sewing horse is following
close on the heels of the racer; that the
women of Placer county receive reasonable
share of the fruits of prosperity. The As
SCISSORS have not numbered nor valued the
washboards, churns, smoothing irons, ETC.
Nevertheless, testimony is to be borne to the
general industry of the women; in fact,
they excel the men in this accomplishment
The stock mania has recently subsidized. In
former years nearly the entire population
suffered from this species of commercial in
sanity, and we have no doubt that they have
in the past donated to the stock kings at
least 100000. In this respect they are
on a par with all other Californians. But a
new era has arrived and the money that was
formerly spent in this foolish manner is being
invested in business of a legitimate character.
The people have at last come to the conelu-
sion that good living and slowly accumu-
lated wealth pays the best. The miners
formerly went to the "Bay" when they ac-
cumulated few thousand dollars, and nearly
all of them soon spent their money and were
compelled to return to the mines. Now they
invest their money in United States bonds,
and they do this because they feel that the
investment is safe and that they are wholly
unfit for any business except mining. The
regular miner has no commercial blood in his
veins.
There are three newspapers in the county,
the Placer Herald and -4ryus, both published
at Auburn, and the Dutch Flat Forum, and
they are all ably conducted The Placer
Herald is the third oldest paper in the State,
and has the first printing press that was ever
brought to the Pacific coast. 1t is now in
order to inspect more particularly the do
mestic or
SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE.
Husbands, generally speaking, are much
older than the wives, as might be expected
among a race of miners whose opportunity
did not come until late. The girls of the new
race do not, as a rule, marry until they are
20. Very many of the foothill wives were
once school teachers, and they are therefore
more thoroughly " educated " than the hus-
bands And there are in the foothills, as else
where in California, thousands of women who
received, and successfully used, in the East,
the highest possible educational advantages.