Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-11-30
OROVILLE, THE GOLDEN.
(. LOVELY LAND WHERE THE PEOPLE
ALL CHEW GUM.
Mining in the Feather River Under Elec
tric Lights-"see Thermalito and
Bust"-Beautifu Sights.
from an Occasional Correspondent of the sun
DAY UNION.

OrOVllle. 1ne very Hdne mas Soluel
twang. 1t suggests street cobbled witt
yellow oranges, and the chinks filed il
with yellower gold dust.
An odd little train totes the public over
the hills and dales that separate the little
city from the whirr of the "busy world,
and this train, seen in one of its happies
moods, deserves personal mention. Il
does not have to connect with any other
train, and after it starts it jogs along in
the mildest speed imaginable. The pas
sengers try in vain to sleep after the night
closes in, but the track, like a corduroy
rold, vetoes that. When the cares of the
day are fading from ones brain, and the
cluck of the car wheels, humping over the
warped rails, begins to sound further and
further away, the engine seems to have
run against brick wall, for you are
bounced from your seat almost to the roof,
your backbone is telescoped, and your
dream knocked into the shadowy past.
At numerous stations We stop and help
unload live stock and hardware. This is
not compulsory with passengers, but as it
facilitates matters and brings the hungry
traveller nearer his cold and stiffening sup
per, the passengers turned out to man
and worked right nobly. At station
named Finecut, the engineer and con-
ductor swung off and indulged in a social
game of casino, and during this cheerful
interval the whole train sank into dream
less slumber, scattered around in all i'm
aginable postures-h nging over the backs
of the seats, curled up like spaniels,
mouths open and the lamps lighting their
interiors like the Mammoth Caye, snores
in all keys haunting the air. They say
all things come to those who wait, and
sure enough, after waiting once more for a
lengthy period for the conductor to fill his
headlight with castor oil and repair a
main spring or king-bolt of the engine,
broken when we came in contact with the
brick wall, we pull wearily into port.
If you can 60 to Oroville and not wish
you had six bits to invest in an orange
grove, then you are heartless ana cold
blooded At the present writing the fruit
is at its greenest; only here and there is a
tree where the warm suns have coaxed to
their cheeks a bilious blush. There is a
warm wave that caresses that belt of coun-
try. and in this the olive orchards and
tropical plants revel naturally. Whole
hillsides have been cleared of brush and
unsightly rock piles and now are flourish
ing with checkered rows of beautiful
Young trees The soil is as red as battle
field streaming with gore, and looks about
as fertile as a baseball ground, but by
some unaccountable means it is adapted to
these fruits.
The Feather river meanders along at
the side of the little town, and the view
from the bridge that spans it is quite pic
turesaue. The waters are blue, and the
banks that overhang IL are clothed with
green willows and vineyards IN their au-
tumu dress Looking towards the setting
sun, over the swiriing eddies and the
patient Izaak Walton sitting on piece OF
scantling in a quick sand, the new hotel OF
Thermalito, on bluff over the waters
edge, stands out like silhoutte against
+he glorious red and yellow glow that
: fingers when the sun has disappeared.
Boating on the river is an excellent
pastime when you can find some indi-
vidual who is willing to sully hi. manly
brow with sweat and blister his palms with
contact with the heavy oar. 1t take:
muscle to glide up the swift current, but
homeward bound the boat glides along in
a delightfully."- careless way. The banks
grow closer together and the dark rocks
frown over the waters edge. The inch o.
water in the bottom of the beat is forgot.
ten in the insane rawlings over the crescent
moon that dips behind the hill and throws
the needles of the pines into relief.
In Oroville everybody chews gum. Not
everybody, for on a delicious Sabbath
morning, obeying the summons of the bell
l sauntered into the village kirk l waited
in breathless impatience while the minis
ter lined of the first hymn, and as my
quavering voice swelled the good old tune
/ kept my eve studiously fixed on him tC
see if he stuck his gum on the lapel Of his
coat or on the lid of the pulpit. The good
man did neither.
l entered hotel to ask the good-look.
ing clerk about a cigar box of dunnage
that had failed to materialize, and between
chews he made me acquainted with the
following facts: 'Yes (chew, chew, chew
sen ditupin chew, chew, chew mornin
notat all (chew, chew 'tirely wei (chew
come" At this the cud is shifted to The
other side OF his mouth and the chew goe
on right merriIy The first thirty-fv,
cents | can spare | want to start gun
emporium in Oroyille. / was accosted by
a reporter, and we stood eyeing each Other
like two game chickens, until he caugh
his breath and walloped his pill of chuddl
into vacant corner among his pearll
teeth. Yea, verify, pernicious habits, lik,
curses, come to stay, and each word hereiI
indited is punctuated with mighty move
ment of the lower jaw.
The Golden Gate mine, three mile;
from Orovilie, is place TO put in pleas
ant afternoon enjoying the natural beautle
and fine engineering skill that is there Il
be seen. The Feather river is bodily
taken out of its channel and tlumed for
distance of about 1000 feet. A huge
strong dam stems the current, and tn,
drilling and digging and blasting goes OF
where the water has lately been running
There is sub-hume that receives thu
water from the pumps that are kept busy
draining the sipage, and a walk the length
of this shows up the whole process. 1t ha
to be seen TO be appreciated. The chan
mel of the river in places was cut pas
walls of purplish black rock, and the i'm
print of It's muddy fingers are high up OF
their sides Cumps of bushes, that ar,
like flush of crimson with bright berries
punches of delicate ferns and knots o
scarlet wild pinks cling in the ereyices o
the forbidding, frowning wall, and in ;
little cave, where the muddy waters haC
worn and ground away the granite, was Z
dead soldier. 1t is worth your while t.
tramp down the length Of this hume t
see the water flow from the end OF th'
big one. Going under it to reach tn,
other side | inyoluntarily thought of rails
ing ms umbrella to protect my head from
dampness, should the bottom timbers drol
out and the whole river descend on nay
head. The water comes bounding along
and drops distance of about four feel
into a frothy basin, where it seems t.
leap and dance at being freed fIom the
narrow confines of the hume. The spray
dashes and the roar is deafening.
Just at the lower limits Of the Colder
Gate mine the Golden Feather commences
Here quite colony of board shanties ha'
sprung up for the accommodation of the
miners These cabins have the delightful
piney smell so suggestive of boom mining
towns, and in the evening the light shine:
through the chinks in the walls with 6
CHEEKY CLEAN. There are numbers o
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