Amador ledger., 1900-02-23
JACKSON 70 PLYMOUTH.
An Observer Tells Of the Trip
He Made.
many Marks OF MINING ACTIVITY NOTICED
Each of the Towns Has Signs Of Past
Greatness With Bright Prospects
of Future Importance.

a trip along parts af the Mother
Lode of Amador county, allows an
observer to catch, here aud there, a
glimpse of scenes of former, or present
activity, that may be of interest to
the readers of the LEDGER.
a pleasant morning drive brought
US to tho beautiful town Of Sutter
Creek, nesting iu. the valley, and
along the creek, creeping up over the
edges of the ridge here and there. An
air of hustle and stir pervades this
town, that is apparent 10 even the fly
ing visitor. The everlasting whil, and
pounding of the great quartz mill of
the Wildman-M -MahOny, apprises one of
the fact that this is mining town.
At the top Of the grade we pass the
Lincoln mine, where every ything indi-
Gates business activity. This mine has
an ideal location; the old dumps have
been leveled, making an excellent site
for the present and future operations
of this company, and an air Of fresh
ness and sta bility impresses one at once
with Il notion that their hopes are not
built on sand, but on rock, and pre-
sumably good rock.
Farther along we pass the new out
fit of the Mutual, where well built,
painted hoist, gives evidence THAT
those who are promoting this enter
prise have faith in the Mutual.
We soon wind along Stirring Bean
Alley" into the town of Anador, past
the refuse of the Old Spring Hill mine,
where there is abundant evidence OF
the tenacity of faith, as shown in the
huge piles of debris quarried out of the
depths OF earth. We pass on through
the business part OF the town as it has
settled itself in the gulches and along
the banks of the Ranchelia, past the
blackened ruins left by the fire fend,
and on out of town. AS we pass out,
we stop moment TO observe an old
arrastre run by water, grinding away
in its primitive fashion, 10 get IA share
of the gold that is hidden in the rocks
and sands.
We climb up the steep and rocky
road, over the ridges and soon find
ourselves entering the hamlet of Dry
Jown, which seems TO be alternating
along the banks of Dry creek. The one
evidence OF business activity one gets
through the sense of smell, DIS he
breathes the fumes from the Barney &
VOORHEES, COLONIZATION Works. To the
RIG hit up Snake gulch are the visible
signs of past activity and experience,
where weary tOilers have dug, it is said
successfully, for the hidden treasures.
1t was said that much of the real es-
tate of the town, was more valuable as
prospective placer ground than as town
lots.
AS we leave the town going towards
Plymouth, we bear to the left, avoiding
Murderer gulch, with its forbidding
name, and climb the ridge again, and
after passing the Central House, soon
reach the town of Plymouth where
again we meet the evidences OF past
greatness, poorly concealed under the
air of peaceful quiet, broken only by
the rattle of the machinery used in
grinding up the old Pacific dumps.
The town builds its hopes for the i'm
mediate future on the possibilities of
the Alpine mine and the hopes Of the
Rising Star. 1t is to be hoped that
each is star of good promise, and
that Plymouth may rise like the
Phoenix from the ashes of its past
greatness, to the full zenith of pros
perity.
On the return trip, we diverge from
the beaten path, and soon wish we
hadn't, in order to pass through the
town of New Chicago.
New Chicago may loom up one of
these days into town of considerable
Importance, when the new develop
ments, now going on in the Cover and
Fremont mines realize the expecta-
tions of their owners. There seems to
be promise of good things here, that
may astonish some of the people who
are asleep in this county, one of these
days.
We go on. over the hill and down
toward the Rancheria leaving Quartz
mountain on the left, with its record of
hopes blasted, and anticipations un-
realized, and after struggling over a
piece of as bad road as ever was toer-
ated in Il civilized community, we
emerge again in the town of Sutter.
AS the shade of evening begins to fade,
we start on the ''home stretch, and
note with pleasure the twinkling lights
of Jackson as we round the point and
whirl down the Kennedy grade.