Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-30

from the Western prairies, but there is very
little of it that cannot be made more
productive, acre for acre, than any.land IN
the States of Illinois or Iowa, and can be
converted into pleasant profitable and
beautiful homes by an industrious aSrl-
culturist.
In the vicinity of Placerville and George
town mining is still an important industry,
and annually hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars are taken from quartz. drift, gravel
and seam mines. Placer mining. and min
ing by the hydraulic process are industries
of the past, and the waters of the principal
creeks, canyons and rayines, once running
with polluted waters, are again returning
to their crystalline purity, and 4 few years
hence all the evil resulting from tI-at class
of mining will be obliterated. The mines
now in operation are very desirable, but
without agriculture they create but little
permanent wealth. With all these ele-
ments combined Ell Dorado county to-day
takes q first rank among those classed as
prosperous. The miner exchanges his gold
for the products Of the farmer and manu-
facturer, thus making an excellent home
market to Il great extent, while at the same
time the money is retained at home and
reinvcstcd in permanent Improvements or
other taxable property.
ADVANTAGES.
Undoubtedly this is one of the most in
viting fields for the industrious, frugal en-
igrant, with moderate means to be found on
the Pacific coast. Land is yet cheap,
though annually increasing in price and
there is much that may yet be secured by
presumption and homestead; the climate
is healthy, and home in this county is as
desirable as in the most favored land on
earth. Partly improved lands, III localities
easy Of access and near public school, can
be procured for from Sc to $l2 per acre, and
unimproved lands range from 81 25 to s.
per acre.
RAILROADS.
The Sacramento and Placerville Railroad
now runs TO Shingie 1rings-a point ten
miles west of Placerville, and will be con-
tinued to Placerville and the numbering
belt of timber in the ne;T future. A narrow
gauge road will soon be- built from Rock
lin over the Georgetown divide into the
sugar-pine belt, which will open up
an excellent fruit and grain belt, making
shipping facilities cheal, and much more
complete than at present. The public
school system of this county is unsur-
passed. During the mining days, when
the population was dense and money
plenty, elegant school-ltouses were built in
every district in the county, and in that
respect Ell Dorado will compare tayorably
with any county in the State. Placerville
and Georgetown both hive graded schools,
under the supervision Of an able corps of
experienced educators. In Placerville is
one of the best academies in the State, in
which will be found scholars from nearly
every portion of the coast.
PRODUCTS.
Among the products Of this county are
lime, marble, copper and iron. The lime
quarries are the most valuable in the State,
and have been successfully and protitably
worked since 1858. They are located in
what is known as Cave Valley, on the
Georgetown divide. and are of unlimited
extent. The building of the narrow gauge
road spoken of would make these quarries
worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The marble quarries are at Indian Diggings,
in the northeastern portion of the county.
Marble from these work into beautiful
monuments and finish with polish and
beauty equal to the finest Italian. They,
however, are too distant from rail COM
munication at present to be worked with
much profit The slate quarries near
PIaccrvile are the finest in the State, and
some day will be worked at great profit.
The County Assessor furnishes the fol-
lowing statistics for the year ending March
1, 1854: Beehives, $50 brandy produced,
., 175 gallons cattle owned in the county,
10S00; goats, 1862; sheep, 10000; hogs
$3.50; horses, 5000; poultry, 1000 dozen;
wheat, 900 tons; barley, $500; oats, 200;
wine produced last year, 1,000,0 600 gallons:
grapes sold outside the county last year,
100000 pounds. Total valuation of prop