Amador ledger., 1908-09-04
Ama1Or County
Descriptive Article

tern slope OF Sierra Nevada mountains,
and embraces within its territory all
the diversity of valley, foothill, and
high mountainous lands.
Climate. The climate Of the popu-
lous portions of the county is as genial
and healthrul as can be found anywhere
in California. AS climate is one of the
most valuable assets OF this favored
state in attracting population, Amador
stands second to no county in this re-
Gard. Il should. and no doubt will in
time, when its climatic advantages are
more thoroughly understood and ap-
preciated, become a health resort not
only for those in less favored states,
but for the residents of other parts OF
California. The temperature alone the
central portion rarely falls below ~
degrees above zero in winter, and as
rarely rises to 100 degrees in the sum-
mer. Snow seldom falls in the settled
districts, aud never remains on the
oround for more than a few hours. Ot
course, in the high mountain regions
of eastern Amador the snowfall is very
heavy-which is characteristic OF the
entire Sierra Nevada range. The sum-
mer season is alway accom- panied with
cool nights; permitting of sound, re-
freshing slumber. Fogs are rare, cy-
clones are unknown, thunderstorms are
infrequent.
Gold Mining.-The county, although
rich in other sources OF wealth, com
paratively untouched, is noted prln-
cipally for her quartz mines. Inc
deepest gold mines in America are To-
Gated here. The Kennedy mine is now
taking gold in liberal quantities from
quartz extracted from depth OF over
1000 feet below the surface, with every
indication that the pay-ore extends to
much greater depth. Since the dis
covery of gold, the county has contrib
uted fully 800, 100000 to the worlds
supply of the precious metal. The
mines are still yielding at the rate OF
about two million dollars annually.
Nearly all of this wealth is produced by
eight or ten mines operating on what
is called the mother lode, " stretching
clear across the county in northeast
erlv direction a distance OF twenty
miles. The mines aggregate between
400 and 500 stamps, and furnish en-
ployment for over 1000 miners. This
industry is still in its infancy. The
unexplored territory, even along the
main gold belt, is far in excess OF the
Ground that has actually been worked
or prospected. The county offers to-
dav one of the most inviting fields to
be found anywhere in the world for the
investment of capital in the fascinating
business of gold mining, not alone along
the mother lode. but also in the almost
untouched mlnerallzed country OF the
east belt some ten or twelve miles from
the main lode.
Besides gold, we have copper, de-
posits of pottery, coal, imarbe, slate,
limestone, granite, and soapstone OF
talc-al undevelOped.
Agricultural Capabilities The agri'
cultural possibilities equal, if not excel,
the mineral riches The valley land;
will produce anything that can be
crown in the most favored sections
IN the foothill lands all kinds of decid
nous fruits thrive: also all kinds o.
vegetable are raised where irrigation
i practicable along the numerous water
courses. Further up in the mountains
at an altitude of 2000 to 25OO feet, the
soil is admirably adapted for apples
and potatoes. A ready market fol
many times the quantity now raised o
these commodities can be found lin the
various mining towns.
Grape culture and winemaklng are
becoming important industries, botf
the grapes and wine commanding
better price than lthe product of the
!Owland.
Land is cheap compared with Other
California Lands. Improved farms may
be secured io.s one-fourth the price
current in some places UnimproveC
lands can be had from So to $40 pei
acre. 1t does not require Il fortune tC
bay Il small ranch. There is room fOl
large addition to our agricultural pop
ulation. Vast tracts now devoted tt
cattle ranges might be made the homes
of hundreds of prosperous farmers.
Amador has Il populasion of less thar
10000. Three fourths of this is concen
trated in strip Of three miles above
aud below the mineral belt
Jackson, the county seat, has about