The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-06
ON A MkCADAM
OF GOLDEN ORE
The Highway That Road.
master John john
son Built.
Rich Rock Over Which Bloom
field Changers Haul
Their Crops.
A Feat of Viaculture SaVorlng of
the Barbara Days Ling
Passed Away.

PETALUMA, CAL. Aug. 5.-Out IN
the western part of Sonoma County there
is p, bic thoroughfare literally paved
with gold. The rich rock which holds the
yellow metal is there spread out on the
highway and the farmers of Bloom field
crush it with their wagon wheels as they
haul their crops 10 market. Such piece
of civil engineering or viacu!ture might
be found among the mines OF Ophir where
Solomon got the auric cargoes for the
golden emb Establishments of the Temple, or
in the eminent domain of some Eastern
prince in the barbaric days gone glimmer-
ing, Or in the sparkling river bed OF Fac
tolus. The wintry trails of the klondyke
may blaze in the ear Arctic midnight
with cobble nuggets, but Sonoma County
by way is hardly the place where one
would expect to find the good red gold
thrown away and tramp pied in the dust.
But it may be found there, nevertheless.
and Roadmas,er John Johnson is the
man who has prod igally cast up a high
way that approaches in character the
sparkling pavements in the streets OF New
jerusalem. Mr.. Johnson, who has thus
become the most elaborate road builder in
few years ago he started in to work on the
four miles of 50 ndy t orough:are between
that place and Valley Ford. He received
permissio 10 lake rock from hillside
ledge on the farm of Mrs. Martha Jones,
a widow, rear town, and during that sum-
mer his teams were kept busy at work
hauling dirt and gravel.
AS Johnson had done little mining in
his more youthful years he soon noticed
hat he W nj "a
ledge mad an auriferous appearance, and
after q close and quiet examination came
to the conclusion that there was some.
thing in that rock more practically fitted
for q mint than for road. He took
samples to San Francisco, and the assays
showed that he was scattering wealth 10
the winds with an extravagant hand. The
rock vas worth from "a 10 $40 per ton in
gold.
Johnson did not publish his Klondyke
to the world, but quietly notified Widow
Jones Of the possibe fortune hidden away
in that hill for both of Them, and
tried TO enter into some agreement by
which he could successfully develop the
mine. They could not make a deal and
Johnson was unable to follow up his dis
covery. He swore that if the widow would
not accept OF the riches lying in the rocks
at her doorway she might have the ques-
tionable satisfaction of seeing it spread
out on the pubic road that ran by her
gate, and all the world could partake OF
her gen erosity. So all that summer giim
Roadmas Johnson's team hauled the
So and $40 aurferous substance out and
raised rhoroug fare four miles in length,
solid as granite, where deep sand had ono
lain.
Now, with a sort of savage pride and
unique joy, he points out to the stranger
at Bloom field something new III modern
tlmes-a road OF gold. And the stranger
smiles, considering the statement one OF
the "stock-yarns" OF the village invented
for the entertainment OF visitors. But
the road Of gold is there and some day the
kindred ore will be blasted out OF that hill
side ledge or mining purposes.
Mr.. Johnson has continued his prospect
ing ever since, and has found rock upon
the farm of W. P. He'll, northeast OF
B. field. that assays $40 SO. and on the
ranch of Paul Dado. in Marin County, east
OF Tomaies, he has mr. covered big ledge
that ASSAYS $40 So. The assays were made
al the office of the Selby Refining Com
pany and are genuine.
Mr.. Johnson, with Val Stillwell, q mer-
chant of Bloomfield. is forming a COM
pany for the purpose of putting stamp
mill on the Sonoma County Klondyke and
extracting some OF its metal.