National Republican., 1882-12-30
AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.
"The Glorious Climate OF California" ns
Seen by Surveying Party.
Special Lsar


CAMP MANHATTAN NINE, NArA COUNTY,
CAL, Dec. 19.-Napa! That name sounds
beautifully to a strange ear, and its clear
streams and fertile valleys well deserve the
title.
Three sharp ranges trend longitudinaly
through the county, gradually lowering their
crcsts until they culininate in the lofty ST.
Helena mountain to The south, Between them
lie the valleys of Napa and Berryessa.
The county possesses much interest for the
gcologist, and the study is complete from the
Azoic to a more recent age. Here the evil
dence of volcanic origin is clear and distinct,
and in the. ridges and slopes one can almost
see the seething waves of lava, straining and
subsding, tier against tier.
The soda springs of the county are quite
noted and in summer it is quite fashionable
to visit Calistoga, where the Hot springs
make many hypochondriacimagin himself
reuvcmted.
While your eastern papers have been full of
the intense cold we, away up here at the val
ley head, have been at times uncomfortable
with the intense heat. Bad weather has now
set in, and it is impossible to tell the end.
From far to the south up comes the fog, en-
veloping everything with its damp embrace
and covering the summit of lofty st. Helena,
some thirty miles away. This peak is the
weather prophet of the people. If you ask
them, is it going to rain 2? they will roll the
tobacco quid in u convenient spUt, and, witha
knowing squint, look toward The mountain.
If it is clear OF clouds then look out for clear
weather; but if a speck is seen as small as an
egg lowering over the prophets head, then
surely is u storm to set in.
Fog, like everything in California, is pc
culiarly original and immense. Sometimes
we employ ourselves in shoveling it oil the
hills, so as to get clear view, or at least suf-
fcient distance to carry on the survey,
| remember once in the early part of the
season, the strange view presented from the
summit of s. Yollo Bollo peak, in the northern
part of the state. The point is about eight or
nine thousand feet in height. We assembled
in the early morning, expecting to wait until
the atmosphere was clear enough for triangu-
lation work. A mist envelopcd the Sacra-
mCntO valley far below, and only the extreme
high points of Shasta, Lassen, Burney, and
the Salmon river range, were visible above 1t.
1t looked like some great inland sea, with
rocky isetS scattered here and there devoid
OF animal or vegetable life. This atmospheric
state continued some time and enabled us to
get the desired angles. Then the mist slowly
encircled us. We descended, and not soon
will the novel sight and sombre feeling be
erased from my memoir.
The special belt of mineral land, which we
are at present surveying. is known as KnhX-
vile, and contains principally the RedingtOn,
Manhattan, Reed and Lake claims. To the
southwest, some fifteen miles, are the oat
Hill and Great Western mines, and, in fact,
the Quicksilver belt, with outcroppings now
and then, extends beyond St. Helena on the
south and Clear lake on the north.
The Oat Hill and Great Western are in op-
Grafton, but of all in our vicinity the Reding-
ton is the only claim at present worked.
The price of quicksilver has lowered greatly,
as there is glut in the market, and it hardly
pays to work up such hard ore as the Man
haitian, Reed and other claims, The Reding-
ton ore, being chiefly serpentine, is more
easily worked, and it is found more economi-
cal to keep things going than TO shut down
and then reopen when an advanced price of
the mineral will justify It,
In this latter event the now abandoned
claims would be reopened and all would be
hustle and excitement. Then tho noise of the
pick and shovel would resound where now is
heard only the barking of the fox or bowling
of the coyote. NJ. B. K.