Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-06
Letter from Amador County.

EDS. RECORD Z MON think it would be
of some interest to the readers of the Rec
oRD-UNIoN to get few items from Amador
county. Situated as we are in remote
part of the State, we are seldom represented
by a correspondent. Sometimes we see a
few lines from the pen of our old pioneer,
E. s. Hall. He is now nearly four score
years of age, with a deal of experience in
the journalistic line, while / am a Native
Son, born and raised in Amador county.
My parents immigrated to California in
80 from the Buckeye State therefore can
be classed among the pioneers of Amador
county, having resided in the county ever
since their arrival here that year. NV
mother is daughter of Henry Girard, one
of the first settlers of Miami county, Ohio.
He surveyed the site of Troy, when
Miami county was vast wilderness, and
died at the advanced age of 90 years.
This brings into remembrance the few
lines written by Mr.. Hall, regarding old
age, as apparently hereditary. Both nv
grandfathers lived to the advanced age OF
ninety odd years. OGe of them died from
sunstroke, and the other from the effects OF
severe burn. They had families of eleven
and twenty-five children respectively, none
of whom, so far as l know, died under the
age of 60 years, and most of them reaching
the ages of 10 and so years.
Dropping this subject, let me say that
Amador county has long been known fol-
its mineral wealth, and as being one of the
first in the State in the amount of gold
yielded annually. The industry of quartz
mining occupies long column in the an
mails of our county. Placer mining is al
most thing of the post. There are nc
large hydraulic mines in operation, and the
few small one in actual running order will
soon be worked out.
In Amador county we have some of the
richest gold-beariDg quartz i'll the world
New mines are being developed, giving
employment TO hundreds of workingmen
One singular feature in quartz mining is
that Chinese help is never employed
thereby causing the money to be circulated
among white laborers. But mining is a
very tickle industry, and goodly number
of our people depend eli agricultural pur-
suits.
A few years ago the foothills of this
county were thought to be unproductiye.
but experience has proved the fallacy OF
this belief. Hundreds of acres of land are
now being cleared and brought into cult
vaiion. Our little valleys are green with
growing grain of all kinds, and the hill
sides are well adapted to all kinds of semi
tropical fruits. Grapes, peaches, apples,
pears and plums can be raised in great
abundance.
Oleta has an altitude of about 1000 feet
and is situated with the surrounding coun-
try so as 10 present fine prospect of the
far-reaching valleys below. The dome OF
the Capitol of our State can be distinctly
seen from many of our hill-tops on a clear
day. We always have a good supply Of
pure drinking water, which is one of the
necessaries of health. 1t is singular, but
true, that our orchards and vineyards thrive
well on the hillsides without the least irri-
CATION
Oliver Ball, of Shenandoah valley, three
miles northeast from Plymouth, has Just
finished planting 1900 grape cuttings of
choice variety. ]. Davis has also planted
several thousand cuttings, and the
Uhlinger Bros. have under cultivation
about $4,000 vines of every variety. So
much for the northern part of Amador
county. and the southern part is equally
adapted to fruit-growing. Amador will,
beyond doubt, become one of the leading
grape producing counties of the State We
also already have in the milling line three
tiouring mills in running order and other
industries are being put forward.
The excellent climate of our county can
only be appreciated by those who give us
visit. At this date peach trees, almonds,
cherries, etc., are in full bloom, and have
been for several weeks.
The denizens of Plymouth have organ
lied an Anti-Chinese Association Oleta
has the greatest Chinese population of any
town in the county, and their influx is
keenly felt by our people: but l suppose
we must grin and stand it. Yours,
Oieta, March 3, 1886. G. S. EsTEY.