The record-union., 1897-12-27
THE PLACERvILLE OF TO-DAY.
THE OLD MINING TOWN IN IT'S
MODERN GARB.
Observation Of q Newspaper Man
Who Visited FL Dorado's
County Seat.

e. K. Downer Of Sierra County, one
of the veteran newspaper men of the
State, last week paid a visit to Plac-
erville, the pretty county seat of FL
Dorado, and thus briefly gives his i'm
pressions of the place:
Eds. Record Union: El Dorado's 8
fair capital is ablaze with holiday ex-
citement, and the stores are overcrowd-
ed with beautiful Christmas remem-
brances. Our main street is being
neatly paved SO that hereafter mud
will not continue to be the predominant
element-a much needed improvement
for years. Our town is steadily be-
coming more prosperous, and most
every day the encouraging news comes
OF more rich strikes in our placer, drift
mines and quartz lodges, and large in
yestments of capital are being made by
most sanguine mining operators.
Placerville appears the prettiest at
night. resplendent with electricity; and,
as read of in the Bible, a city among
the hills, where the usually deep i'm
pressive silence is unbroken except by
the shrill whistle and Changing bell of
the morning and monday trains from
the State Capital. The main secret of
success seems to be that the people
here pull together, shoulder to shoul
der, for the steady growth and perna
nent advancement of our town and
county.
The hotels of Placerville are excel
lently conducted and well patronized
We have three weekly papers, and one
daily, that widely advertise our appar-
emily inexhaustihle mineral and agri-
cultural resources. and Brother Car
penter, of the veteran Democrat" is
getting out a beautiful souvenir edi-
tion, commemorative Of the
Days of old,
The days of gold,
And the days of '49.
The Salvation Army has fairly cap
tured our town. and about as large a
comparative following as there is evil
IDENTIFY in Sacramento. The roller
skating craze has been resuscitated. and
the rink is nightly crowded at
the Grand Opera house This, with the
Saturday night dances at Confidence
Hall, and the enhancing melodious
music of the Placerville Orchestra are
an endless source of continual delight
for the society bellies and their beaus
1t is rumored that your efficient many
y
fame intends to occasionally visit our
town and teach us all the latest dances
after the Christmas and New Years
festivities.
Ell Dorado's pride and joy is the SUBJ
stantially built and most efficiently
managed depot under the direction of
Superintendent Wright of the railroad
between Sacramento and Placerville.
But for this effective means of trans
portation we should be out of the
range Of distant markets for our fruits
and other industrial products.
The gardens and orchards on our
hills and lowlands are most prettily ar
ranged, and the residences Of the pros
porous owners Of most beautiful archi-
lecture in harmony with the rural sur
roundings-from the highest of which
is a lovely panorama Of the far-away
snow-covered Sierra Nevada Noun
tains-south of Lake Tahoe-while in
the valley below on clear starlight even
ings are easily discernible the flashing
CLEANS of the electric circlet around the
dome Of the State Capitol E. K. D.
Placerville, December oath.