The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-29
The Boom at CouItervilIe.

EDITOR CALL: Coulterville is at an eleya.
ton of 1880 feet and is beautifully situated
| 1t was fiourishing camp in that eventful
| year, 1849, and is therefore entitled to rank
! as q '"49er"
The venerable George Coulter, proprietor
OF the Coulter House, was popular as
| ''mine host" here in 1850, and has returned
to repeat his own history of the past. The
town is named after him. The population
is about $50. There are three hotels-full
from cellar to garnet, and strangers are
| sleeping two in bed.
| Here, at least, the sound of the distress
| ing words "hard tines is absent, and one
is made to feel a new and pleasant sensa-
| rion. Every body in business is making
money, and the prospect ahead indicates
! the building upof one of the most flourish
ing mining camps yet seen in California.
! There is one church, one schoolhouse, and,
as may be expected under the circum-
| stances, many saloons. Of the latter the
| regular citizens are not proud, and would
gladly limit the nur1ber but mining and
saloons are inseparable. The Pacific Coast
Savings and Loan Association is soon to
open bank, and a telephone line, via
Sonora to San Francisco, is under way
The survey has been made for an electric
road from MERGED to Yosemite Valley via
Coulteryille.
The famed Horseshoe Bend VINEYARD is
only about four miles distant. There are
about 14O acres in fruit, including 800 orange
trees, and 1000 olive trees are being put in.
This vineyard carried off the first prize on
two varieties of grapes at the Midwinter
Fair. Nearly S100,0 has already been ex-
pended by the owners, 2. P. and C. L.
Mast, name well known in San Fran
cisco. One OF these gentlemen is 80 wears
Of crp and +ho OF ar b,1t
full of the fire of youth and business enter
prises.
Among the mines already bonded, leased,
opening and reopening NAV be mentioned
the following: Pine Blanco, Banderita,
twelve miles; Virginia, four miles; Louisi-
ana, twelve miles; and Marble Spring,
eighteen miles. The Red Cloud, distant
twelve miles, is now doing work with a
good showing for success. This is inside
information, and will be news to people
OF even this mining region, the prospects
thus far having been kept secret.
The MERGED Mining Company has pur-
chased an extensive property and has now
$4,000 worth of the most improved mining
machinery en- route, as beginning. This
company's work will be on the most extern
sive scale, with modern machinery and
methods. There will be, to start with, a
40stamp mill, to be increased later to so,
and ultimately to 200 stamps. One of the
items constituting this plant will be new
sawmlll, for the purpose of furnishing
lumber, mining timbers, etc. Plenty Of
capital Is backing this important venture.
If the MERGED Mining Company makes a
good showing, as it is expected to do, many
of the old abandoned mines will be re-
opened and many new ones will be worked.
The town is directly on the mother lode
and great future is confidently expected
About 200 men, all told are now en-
ployed here and in this vicinity There
will be demand for more, and ultimately
it is expected that 1000 or more men will
find employment with the MERGED Mining
Company alone, but just now there are
more men on the ground than work. There
are fully fifty idle men in the town and
more are coming; there being no imme-
date prospect of work for the idle ones.
nor hotel room for those arriving. There
fore, just now this is a good place for
the mine working man to keep away
from. There is, however. plenty Of room
in the hills for prospectors, and the smoke
of their camps is seen rising through the
pines in the early morning.
Alongside the stage road from Coulter
vile to MERGED, on a small stream, two
men with sluicebox were engaged in
surface mining, and securing enough of
the yellow metal to make a good living. -
The lesson to be learned from this is to
the effect that many of the countys un-
employed could find employment and a
living in this mining region, with the pros
pect that some good-paying discoveries
would be made and the finders enriched.
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