Amador ledger., 1908-09-11
lmadOr County
Descriptive Article

ern slope of Sierra Nevada mountains,
Ind embraces within its territory all
he diversity of valley, foothill, and
Iigh mountainous lands.
Climate The climate of the popu-
bus portions Of the county is as genial
Ind healthful as can be found anywhere
|h California. As climate is one Of the
host valuable assets of this favored
tate in attracting population, Amador
hands second to no county in this re-
lard. II should, and no doubt will in
lime, when its climatic advantages are
bore thoroughly understood and APP
kreciated, become a health resort not
Inly for those in less favored states,
Nut for the residents of other parts Of
falifornia The temperature alone the
0entral portion rarely falls below 30
Neprees above zero In winter, and as
Rarely rises to 100 degrees in the sum-
her. Snow seldom falls in the settled
districts, and never remains on the
|round for more than few hours. or
Hourse, in tho high mountain regions
III eastern Amador the snowfall is very
Ieavy-which is Characteristic of the
Entire Sierra Nevada range. The sum
her season is alway accompanied with
ool nights; permitting of sound, re-
|teshing slumber. Fogs are rare, cy-
bones are unknown, thunderstorms are
Ihfrequent.
| Gold Mining. The county, although
Itch in other sources of wealth, COM
Iaratively untouched, is noted prin-
Ripally for her quartz mines. The
Ieepest gold mines in America are To-
Eated here The Kennedy mine is now
Ihking gold in liberal quantities from
Euartz extracted from depth of over
IOO0 feet below the surface, with every
Ihdication that the pay-ore extends to
much greater depth. Since the dis
Iovery of gold, the county has contrib
Ated fully $780, 100000 to the worlds
Iupply of the precious metal. The
hines are still yielding at the rate OF
Ibout two million dollars annually.
Eearly all of this wealth is produced by
light or ten mines operating on what
i called the mother lode" stretching
Hear across the county in northeast
lrlv direction distance of twenty
hiles. The mines aggregate between
loo and 500 stamps, and furnish en-
kloyment for over 1000 miners. This
Industry is still in its infancy. The
Inexplored territory, even along the
hahn gold belt, is far in excess of the
tround that has actually been worked
r prospected. The county offers to-
/ ay one of the most inviting fields to
lie found anywhere in the world for the
Investment of capital in the fascinating
BUSINESS of gold mining, not alone along
he mother lode, but also in the almost
Untouched mlnerallzed country OF the
last belt, some ten or twelve miles from
Dhe main lode.
Besides gold, we have copper, de-
bosits of pottery, coal, imarbe, slate
limestone, granite, and soapstone or
Ialc-all undeveloped.
Agricultural Capabilities. The agri-
cultural possibilities equal, if not excel,
1he mineral riches. The valley lands
Eill. produce anything that can be
brown in the most favored sections.
n the foothill lands all kinds of decid-
Lous fruits thrive: also all kinds of
tepetable are raised where irrigation
: practicable along the numerous water
tourses. Further up in the mountains,
I an altitude of 2O0O to $500 feet, the
/ oil is admirably adapted for apples
Ind potatoes. A ready market for
|nany times the quantity now raised OF
these commodities can be found lin the
tarious mining towns.
Grape culture and wlnemaklng are
becoming important industries, both
| he grapes and wine commanding a
better price than lthe product of the
|owland.
Land is cheap compared with other
california lands. Improved farms may
be secured for one-fourth the price
turrent in some places Unimproved
lands can be had from So to $40 per
lcre. 1t does not require a fortune to
buy small ranch There is room for
| large addition to our agricultural pop
blation. Vast tracts now devoted to
fattle ranges might be made the homes
II hundreds of prosperous farmers.
Amador has populasion of less than
I2O0O. Three fourths of this is concen-
rated in strip of three miles above
Ind below the mineral belt.
Jackson, the county seat, has about