Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-01

from the camp.
Many gray-haired New Workers can re-
cou the glories of Nnlerton I'm California
which once gave promise of becoming a
CITY Of 100000 people Moses Grinnell ana
W II AspinWau are said TO have invest
ed $4,000 each i'm Mllerton. Even so as
tlte "a man as ID. O. Mills, then OF sac
ramento. had great faith in Minerton ana
invested many thousand dollars there
The TOWN was the country seat OF the
then immense county of Fresno In 100
gold was found in the foothills near the
sam JOAQUIN river and the town that
sprang uD took the name from Geherdl
Miller. who had commanded a military
post there. In few months the popu-
lation Of MulertOn was 1900. Inc Ne"
Workers believed that the water power III
the san Joaquin river would make II
the great manufacturing town OF the "a
cidc coast, and that the mines would auu
10 the prosperity of the town. More
than 5000 900 Of New York money was
spent i'm Millerton in 1857 and 1893. Flour
and other mills were built, streets were
laid out. UlaZas were staked off, water
power was developed, expensive notes,
and schoolhOuses were erected, ana 5OV
teams were busy for weeks IN hauIlhs
lumber and other building material TO the
now CITY Of the interior Of California.
Two churches were built at cost OF SSOO
each. and the stores are said TO nave
been worthy of cities of 2OeV populailoh'
Two newspapers were Issued there i'll 1872
and the town was booming on the money
the New York capitalists spent there.
NSuddenly the ledge of gold ore pinched
ONT and after several small fortunes had
been spent i'm trying TO find it again the
mines were abandoned The mining
uopulaton FASTENED at once 10 new nelus'
lut the business and professional men
STAYED for awhile longer. The mus
were never started. the capitalists would
make no more investments, ana Mller'oh
died. The wooden buildings were torn
down and carried away i'm the course oil
fine next twenty years. and the stone ana
br,cl- buildings crumbled into ruins The
shell Of the courthouse, which cost Wv
co1 i'm 1875 still remains. and so do the
walls Of the hotel A huge iron safe
,rbicb was transported around the Horn
rroro New York. and then hauled from
c,r Fraucisco across the State of cali
forpf9 To- Nulcrton, has by this time
rusted away i'm mud hole where II was
left thirty years ago. The site OF lne
COSTLY fountain I'm the public park is
marked By few pieces oil cHiSei'eu
granite.
Excelsior City was one or the moost
talked-of towns i'm California from 1850 TO
1kH4 Many a Gam Oh man i'f't ii''' $50
there. Excelsior is perfect specimen
If q decaved town. II is away up IN
Sierra county i'm Northern California
v-bep the prospectors found rich ore
tbera I'm 1865 the town began TO boom. a
co,roration bought tract Of land al
rvcelsior for commercial purposes, lalu
ONT streets. sold lots. and started puiloins'
More than POO buildings, each worm 81
no were erected in six months ana lileIe
were several structures mat cost apou'
sf- o.o eoch. In a short time a suDstan-
tial little city arose and every aNaliaDle
foot of ground was used stores Were
erected and a brisk trade was establish
"a Six hotels were built besides sew
oral restaurants and churches, ana
theatre followed.
A two-story stone block was erected by
croitb G. Perkins Corner lots sold lot
g. Goa each. two banks were estapllsHou'
q newspaper was started ana MasoHi0
and odd Fellows lodges were instituted
A forniture factory was even established
The citv WAS Incorporated in 1871. Inc
hotels were crowded and the excitement
Increased Nothing was talked Of but
lodges stocks. and town lots. for
LOT COxSO ON any Of the principal ste0'9,
from 81 800 to 5000 was paid. a smaii
etore on G street rented for 500 a mohtl'
A stocl hoard was organized with dairy
eoles of Excelsior and other local mining
stocks.
At this time the populauo&bt the town ',i
boa reached about 5000 and was rapluiy
I~creasing. Quartz mills with seventy
t,yo stamps were in operation, ana Dlasts
,,,cre Going off in thirty or forty Turner's
a,d shafts all the time. But srahso
1t reoms TO one who looks at the mat
a." 90. ,o,,,qdovs. not cent had been taken
w. - the mines. while thousands hau
-, rut A.. Still. no one was oiscouraseu'
- the stamps continued crushing "'''
1,i''oii,, me chief mine, the Excelsior was
,"n,,ld mn and the news was caiileu ~
- .,,oiting anxious crowd that the run
VIC "',ne,,.cessful. BY no known process
Va va, tbe cold be extracted from the ore
cVuIu .. manic resulted. Houses were
IN the contents exposed 10 the
lsit ~ am approaching winter; stores
81 49, III, ehelves packed with merchdn-
WIN VIZ, an,ained undisturbed untll they
NV rohbed and burned. IT is curious
W., a. Gee what remains OF thls oi no
ars,..teh,re CITY, where more IMAM $50,
~ - oS'nended on mines ana puiiuihss
,@ss of ouarried stone on WHICH d
,,,,,tar ~ iron doors and shutters pe III
nonF,eion is all that remains OF .ne Seo D,,o
Storo az smith q Perkins. very i"i ,,o
,hree-story building built on s'siis '
- 90 sf,u standing On nill over
iootine tho town are three good resi-
dences the central one s.y ~ "a Nos
mented. This house cost ShvoV 90. on
purchased twenty years ago 10, 90
every hand are ruins Oh ifaine DS''N's"'