Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-01

niteen or twenty years ago, a large town
sprung up in almost day, because of the
mining excitement, and the town withered
as quickly because of failure to work the
refractory ores.
THE GRAVEL SECTION.
The great gold gravel region of the county
is in the townships of Bridgeport. Bloom
field, Eureka, Little York and Washing
ton. These are of immense extent and
incalculable richness. These beds were
worked by the hydraulic process for the
most part, and enormous values ofgold were
annually washed out of them There are
some gravel mines in Nevada. Grass Valley
and Rough and Ready townships, but they
are not misunderstanding at Mooney
Flat, in Rough and Ready, where is the
extension of the famous gravel leads Of
Timbuctoc, Smartsyille and Sucker Flat
All these gravel mines are now under the
ban of the law, so far as working them by
the hydraulic process is concerned. The
hydraulicking carries too much debris into
the rivers and to the valley lands to be al
lowed to continue. Some of these rich
gravel deposits can probably be worked by
drifting, to which method there can be no
objection.
In the western part of Nevada county
there are extensive deposits of copper; at
Spenceville, for instance, successful copper
mining is carried on. In the western part
of the county are found iron and lime
stone in great abundance. The
PRINCIPAL WATER COURSES
OF the county are Bear river on the south
boundary, the south Yuba running through
near the middle line of the county, the
middle Iuba at the northern boundary
and Deer creek in the middle portion. All
these streams have their sources at or near
the summit of the Sierra and run to the
west. From them some 226 bitches or
canals taktsthe water and distribute it over
all the lover part of the county, thus max
ing cheap power for driving machinery
and an abundant irrigation. The water
supply for these bitches is assisted BY
numerous lakes and reservoirs near the
summit.
THE UPPER PART
OF the county is covered with snow more
than hall of the year, and is therefore not
well adapted to cultivation it is well tim
bered, However, and the manufacture of
lumber is one of the most important in
dustries of that part of the county. The
grazing land in this mountainous region is
excellent, and affords pasture, during the
summer months, to thousands of cattle
which are yearly taken up from the great
valleys below.
THE CLIMATE.
F. The altitude of Nevada county, varying
as it does from a few feet to 5000 feet above
the level of the sea, must necessarily give
rise to great variety of climate Such is
the case. While in the western portion of
the county frost is of very rare occurrence
at the top of the Sierras- at Meadow Lake
for instance-scarcely a night passes with
out al least white frost. 1t SHOWS but
rarely below Rough-and- Ready, and at an
altitude of $500 feet the fall of snow is
light, or lies but few days on the ground :;
but on the summit snow is often seen from
tifteea to twenty feet deep. The winters
are not as cold by far as in the same lati-
tude on the eastern side of the continent
The rainfall, however, is much heavier
than in the valley regions of the State. At
Nevada City, the county seat, altitude $500
feet, the average rainfall is 80 inches The
climate of the greater part of Nevada coun-
ty is pleasant and equable. The summer
DAYS, with but very few exceptions, are
warm and sunshiny, especially during June
and July, while the nights are delightfully."-
cool and refreshing. The winters are not
severe, except at the highest attitudes.
FRUIT CROPS.
In the production of fruits, of the very
best kind that belong to the temperate
zone, a portion of Nevada county cannot
be excelled. The fruit region is in all Grass
Valley, Rough and Ready townships, and
in western portions of Nevada, Bridgeport
and Little York townships. These fruit
crops are a certainty every year, and the
excellence of the production insures the
highest prices in the market. In the higher
attitudes the apple can be produced in I'M
nd IF
cellence in all respects. The fruit capaci-
ties of Nevada county ought to give it, and
can give it, a population more than three
times that of the present. In the less alti-
tudes, and in the western part of the county,
farming is extensively carried on, and
there is not a grain or grass known to the
temperate ATTITUDES but can be profitably
grown.
The vine fionrishes in the lower attitudes,
and good wines have been made from
grapes grown at the altitude of $500 feet.
There are but four or five wine cellars in
the county. and the grape industry, though
promising in results, has not been demon
strated to be great success.
HOME ADVANTAGES.
The county is well supplied with schools
and churches. Every neighborhood has
its school-house, and in the smaller places
these houses are used for public worship.
In the larger towns the school-houses and
churches are separate. The county has
three daily, one tri-weekly, one semi
weekly, two weekly newspapers and one
monthly newspaper.
RAILROAD LINES.
The center of the county is reached by
the Nevada County NarrowGauge Rail
road This road runs from Colfax, on the
Central Pacific, to Grass Valley and Ne
vada City, distance of about twenty-four
miles, From the two towns named five
wagon roads run TO all parts of the county.
Some of these roads are splendid results of
engineering skill in the matter of passing,
by easy grades, over sharp and high ridges.
The scenery on these roads is unsurpassed
on the coast.
TAXABLE WEALTH IN 1885.