The San Francisco call., 1897-12-19
GOLDEN WEALTH
OF TUOLUMNE
It's Vast Mining Resources and
IneXhaustible Timber
Supply.
Over S5,OOO,OOO Taken From One OF
Its Mines-Many Big Syndicates
Interesting Themselves.

Time party Oh 9nlldQelpnla miners
came to Woods Creek, which was
named after the leader of the party,
the Rev. James Woods. The names of
the other members of the party of
whom there is any record extant were
James Savage, J. H Rider and
Charles Basset. From that time to
the present "OId Tuolumne," as the
pioneers still love to call it, has pro-
gressed and kept pace with the other
sections of the State, and to-day she
occupies the proud position of being
the leading mining county along the
mother lode, her production of gold
for the year being approximately
81, 900, 000
The advent of the Sierra Pacific
Railway has already resulted in much
good to the county, and next year
TuOlumne will undoubtedly expert
ence not only a greatly increased min
ing activity, but many new enter
prises viii be inaugurated which her
resources render possible. Sonora, the
county seat, is one of the prettiest and
most thrifty towns in the State with
a population of some 5000 souls, and is
adding to the number daily.
Among the projected improvements
for the year 1898 are a new court house
to cost some $11, 900 and an elaborate
and complete sewer system, both of
which have long been needed, in fact
are imperatively demanded. The pub
lie school, of which Miss Agnes Fahey
is principal, is desirably situated on
the top Of one of the many hills with
which Sonora is surrounded and
whence a magnificent view of the town
is obtained. 1t consists of three large
commodious buildings, which are ad-
ably adapted for scholastic purposes,
being fitted up with modern improve
ments and appliances The religious
and social life of Sonora are reflected
in the many handsome church edif1ces
within her limits and some dozen of
the leading fraternal and benevolent
orders of the world of which the
Masonic. Odd Fellows and Knights of
Pythias have handsome buildings of
their own.
The mines in the immediate neigh
horhood include the famous Golden
Gate and the Bonanza, both of which
are proving immensely rich and en-
ploy a large number of men.
jamestown, the leading mother lode
town, has within the past two years
awakened to a new era of progress and
business activity which is strongly
evidenced in the many new, handsome
concrete and brick buildings that have
been erected during the present year.
The completion of the railroad, which
has made jamestown its terminus, has
resulted in a large addition to the
town being made, which is situated on
some 120 acres of rolling land known as
the Pereira tract, upon which has al
:. Ev,n civ yfxy-r-
hotel, to be known as the Hotel Nevills,
ard it is one of the handsomest and
most imposing edifices in the county.
bank is to be shortly opened up, be-
sides warehouses, machine shops and
many other business structures, such
as the exigencies of the county have
rendered imperative.
In the immediate neighborhood of the
town are some of the most famous of
California's gold producers, notably
the Rawhide, with its immense forty
stamp mill and chlorination works,
and the Alabama, Trio, Alameda, Ia
rantula and Rappahannock mines.
Quartz Mountain, named after the i'm
mense mountain of quartz almost
within her limits, is a thriving little
settlement of some 800 people, whose
future as mining town of some COM
mercial Importance is assured. Situated
as it is directly on the mother lode it
has within a radius of half a mile
such famous properties as the Dutch,
app, Miller & Holmes and Santa Isabel
mines.
But a mile distant is Stent, one of
the healthiest and most prettily To-
Gated towns in the county, which, like
it's neighbors, is feeling the good effects
place during the past two years. Stent
has a population of some 1000 people,
and an air of thrift about it which
speaks we'll for the community in gen.
eral. Among her more pretentious
public buildings may be mentioned her
large and handsome opera hall, which
is the best building of it's kind in the
county, not excepting Sonora. South
of the town, on Poverty Hill, famous
in the old '49 days for its rich placers,
are the famous Jumper and Golden
Rule mines, both of which have no
small share in giving to Stent the
large measure of commercial business
1t enjoys.
Along the eastern belt is situated
Soulsbyville, named after the famous
Soulsby mine, which alone is credited
with having produced over So 900 0OO
This town is a typical English settle
ment, and might readily be mistaken
for a transplanted section of that
country, her people being mostly Cor
nishmen, who are rated among the best
mining men in the world. In addition
to the Soulsby mine are the Black Oak,
Junction, Draper and Gold Bug mines.
all of which, excepting the last, a new
though rich property, have produced in
the early days their quotas of the prec-
ious metal in generous quantities.
Two miles away is Summersvilie.
surrounded by many of Tuolunne's
best-known mines, such as the Lady
Washington, New Albany, Grizzly,
Buchanan. Dead Horse, Keltz, Rhode
Island, Philadelphia, Carlotta and Co.
lumbus, all of which have yielded
largely of the precious metal.
Last but not least comes Columbia
at one time the second largest town
in the State, but which is to-day but
a shadow of her former self This will
not continue much longer, however.
for many new and old mines in her
neighborhood are being opened up and
extensively deVeloped which cannot