The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1891-11-30
A DEAD CITY.
TIL l-.story Of California Mush-
room Town.
Once the Scene of Bustie and Business,
But Now a Dreary and Deserted
Spot-Its Rise and
Fall.

The city of Meadow Lake was once
known to everybody. To all, however,
it is now mere memory, this deserted
city up in the Businesses of Sierra coun-
ty, but recent visitor to its moss
grown streets has written to the Sierra
Vile Mirror description of the place
that will be of interest to many.
Meadow Lake was originally sink
hole about seventy-five feet deep and
was about fourteen feet in diameter.
A large dam was erected below it in
1851, the water was held back and thus
the lake was formed. While building
the dam the worlSnen discovered that
much of the rock contained deposits of
pure galena, and thinking they had
s.struclx it rich We're not slow in max
inc the discovery known. About the
same time Harry Hartly. while trap
ping, discovered what was afterward
known as the Excelsior mine In the
year 1865 the excitement commenced
| and every other man met was going to
Summit City, as it was then called
Snow was shoveled off the ground as
soon as practicable and the work OF
building was commenced. In few
months a city arose and every availa-
bic foot of ground was put into play
The streets were necessarily narrow
and many who could not waste their
precious time building substantial
dwelling houses lived in tents. SIX
hotels were built. besides several res
taurants, churches and theater fol
lowed A two-story stone store was
erected by Smith e. Perkins. The odd
fellows met in hall Of their own. A
furniture factory was established
At this time the population of the
town had reached about four thousand
| and was rapidly increasing. Quartz
mills were in operation and blasts were
going off in thirty or forty tunnels and
shafts all the time. making constant
roar Several small mining companies
were obliged to give up the fight as not
a cent had been taken out and thou
sands put in. Still no one was dis
eouragcd, and to all doubling cars was
sounded: 4'Excelsior wait till the Elk
celsior cleans up" and nothing more
was heard from morning till night but
| the booming of blasts and the cries OF;
'.Excels,orl Hurrah tor the Excelsiorl'
At this mine the stamps were crushing
ore all day. all night and every day in
the week, granting. grooming to work
out the precious metal
The road winds around the lake. the
ruins of houses become more frequent
until you emerge from the timber, and
the city lies before you. AS we ride
down the main street our horses step
! oy,1 Or1t xrninnc
are echoed back by the old wooden
buildings with harsh, metallic ring.
Near the center of the town stands
tall flagstaff, bent with storm and
winds Sign-poles were still standing
in front of many of the buildings,
open doors reveal the conJenJs or emptl-
ness Of them. On every hand lay ruins
of hundreds of frame buildings, with
here and there whole blocks of build
ings which have been destroyed by ire
A very large building, built on
granite rock. and seeming to be in
condition that will stand many more Sc
we're snowfals, attracts the eye. 1t
was known in the days of its erection as
Jelfreys' livery stable. Three stories
high, with the stable on the second
floor. containing twenty stalls, it is
larger than any building of the kind in
this valley at the present time. At the
back of each stall is a beautifully carved
and turned post, which still retains its
beauty and symmetry, as on the day 1t
was placed in position. Every detail
shows that no expense was spared.
A few yards from the building is
mass of quarried stone on which num-
Der of iron doors and shutters lie in
endless confusion. This is all that re-
mains of the stone store OF Smith &
Perkins. Houses without window
pane broken gave hint that the hunter
and small boy do not inhabit this local
ity. On a hill overlooking the town
stand three houses comparatively in
rood condition. The central one is
| HIGHLY ornamented-indeed it may be
called gaudy. This house was pur-
chased some twenty years ago for
TWENTY-FIVE dollars. However, it
proved poor investment. Under the
floor of an old shanty we discovered a
tank about half full of quicksilver, left
there by some miner who was in too
much of a hurry to leave town to take
it with him.
A careful count revealed the fact that
forty-three houses were standing. 1t is
pitiful sight, this city on which mil
lions of dollars were expended.
The Excelsior cleaned up, and the
news was carried to the waiting, anx-
ious crowd that the run was unsuccess-
ful and that the attempt would not be
repeated. In an almost unbelievably
short time the town was deserted; al
most a panic resulted Houses were
left with the contents exposed to the
storms OF an approaching winter; stores
with their shelves packed with mer-
chandise remained undisturbed until