The record-union., 1892-07-13
IN THE HIGH SIERRAS.
Mistaken Ideas in Regard to the Min
ing Question.
Through the Hydraulic Section to the
Beautiful Sierra Valley - Cold
Nights and Mountain Trout.

LREooRD-UNIoN's Travelling Correspondent
SIERRA VALLEY, July 1l.-After leav-
ing Grass Valley, where appearances in
dicated solid prosperity, your corre-
| spondent found Nevada City brilliant in
the bunting and evergreens of her holi-
day decorations. Large enterprises are
Oh foot looking to the inauguration of a
fruit industry. They are waiting period
OF increased activity before placing the
i'proposition on the market.
| At North Bloomfield, Moore's Flat,
Eureka, Columbia, Cherokee and North
San Juan things are very quiet. The law
| abiding citizens are hopefully awaiting
favorable action on the Caminetti bill,
or some other measure that may render
1t possible to resume their only industry
without injury to other interests. There
is only very small minority who do not
! recognize the justice of the principles of
the common law bearing on the hy-
draulic question, and the only danger is
that the few radicals on either side who
are disposed to ignore the interests of
others in their clamor for prominence in
! advocating their own, may provoke
| a general misunderstanding, as we re-
member was the case in another vital
| issue that involved the whole nation.
Serious misunderstanding are quite
! common. Among these is an impression
| that the levee agitation progressing in Sac
ramento Is part and parcel Of the COlusa
antl-debrlS agitation. Again, because the
RECoRD-UNIoN is published in Sacra-
| mento, 1t is often assumed that it is rad
lcaIly and Internationally opposed to
mining. They often fail to realize that
| RECnR nj
| tant position as the representative of
! great and varied interests to take any
| narrow or selfish ground. AS the leading
! journal of the city most affected and of the
| valley interested, it does not fail to see
! that an industry representing d hundred
| millions OF capital, the only livelihood of
highly respected class of laW-abiding
citizens, and the general prosperity Of the
| State, is worthy the consideration and aid
| OF the General Government. To advocate
| the resumption Of hydraulic mining un-
der any conditions not likely to protect
| the valleys and streams would be unjust
to farmers and fail to accomplish any
| thing for the miners.
AT Camptonv1lle mining is very quiet
| but the excellence of their fruit, as shown
by the recent competition with other sec
tlons at the Marysville display, is giving
! quite an impetus to this industry. Care
| ful study needs to be directed to such pro-
ducts in this line as will bear cost and
suffer no injury by transportation. Citi-
Zens are too apt to direct their attention to
some particular fruit or some isolated
case, and say because that fruit spoiled
on the way or their neighbor failed to
find a market for his fruit, therefore there
is nothing in the business. With an ex-
cellent climate, cheap land and bitches
already built, but now useless for other
purposes, it stands them in hand to in
vestigate carefully as to what branch of
production will pay best in their locality.
The United States Culture Station at
Jackson, Amador County, should have
some information to impart on these
questions.
Forest City is presenting quite lively
appearance as compared with it's con-
dition ut my last visit, three years since.
All buildings seem to be occupied and
the town prosperous.
Three miles horseback ride over a
| rough trail brought me to the "Ruby."
where they are very quietly working
forty or fifty men in gravel claim.
whose tunnels run more than mile un-
der the mountain and branch off to follow
the channel in both directions. Superin-
tendent Mccormick was attending per-
sonally to washing the blue gravel. The
mine has all the outward appearance of
solid, Legitimate enterprise. They are
slowing away good stock of timbers for
next winters work.
1Wo lnlieS from OreSG City over very
steep grade takes one to Alleghany, whose
prospects are more encouraging than for
years past. Indications point strongly
toward the probability of the early erec-
ton of quartz mills. Some very encour-
aging prospecting has been done -Four
miles more takes US to the Bald Noun
tain Extension, where they have
erected very substantial plant and have
nearly two miles of tunnel, and are TAX
ing out enough to warrant a monthly
dividend OF six thousand dollars, after
providing for all expenses and reserve
fund. The proprietors of the Mountain
Messenger hold good blocks of this stock,
and are about the happiest newspaper
men we have met in long time.
At Downieviile things are moving on
IN ABOUT the same old way. With many
| times are brighter because the most of the
Bald Mountain stock is held there.
Sierra City is feeling the loss of the
trade from the Sierra Buttes and the
Young America.
AS several other mines in the vicinity
have been so prospected as to warrant
neaVy investment, il is to be hoped that
capital will be attracted and the present
| depression prove only temporary.
AS Sierra Buttes had been worked
| steadily for forty years, they thought it
was permanent. A country where mines
last that long is too good to be neglected
| for great while.
Intending to drive by moonlight over
the summit to Sierra Valley, it grew SO
cold that was glad to find shelter at
Basset's and avoid a chill. In the morn
ing many snowdrifts appeared on the
peaks close by, and we had mountain
| trout Tor breakfast A little further up
the hill at Clark's Station there was q
sngnt Iall OF rain accompanied by thun-
der. Mr.. Clark says that he was shut in
his cabin for three days during the heavy
winter of 1890, and nearly smothered
by the snow, which reached away above
the top of his chimney. He had no
chance to measure the snow that fell dur
ing those days until it had settled, but his
record showed an aggregate winters
snowfall of Rinetg-O7ie feet.
Alter passing the summit the first-class
saving timber becomes far more plenty,
ana soon the beautiful Sierra Valley, with
Its hundred thousand acres of level pro-
ductlve land, appears like new Canaan
TO the mountain traveller. In six miles
ride since entering the valley 1 passed
TWO creameries, operated by improved
machinery, and am stopping at a very at
tractlVe resort near Randolph. After
having investigated as carefully as time
will permit, will speak in my next of
the attractions of this section for visitors
and farmers. FRANK S. CHAPIN.
9perinl 5tpttrea.