Amador ledger., 1909-02-05
.AmadOr County,
Descriptive Article

Amador county comprises an area Of
54S square miles. 1t lies on the wes-
tern slope Of Sierra Nevade mountains,
and EN- moraces within its erritory all
the diversity OF valley ,oothill, and
high mountainous lands.
Climate.-The climate OF the popu-
lous portions OF the county is as genial
and healthful 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 It should, and no doubt will in
time, when its climatic advantages are
more thoroughly understood and ap..
preciated, become 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 30
degrees above zero In winter, and as
rarely rises to 100 degrees in the sum-
mer. Snow seldom falls in the settled
districts, and never remains on the
ground for more than few hours. OF
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 accompanied with
cool nights; permitting of sound, re-
freshing slum ber. 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 prin-
cipally for her quartz mines. The
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
5000 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 $780, 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 a north east
erly 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-
day 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 or
talc-all undeveloped.
Agricultural Capabilities The agri-
cultural possibilities equal. if not excel,
the mineral riches. The valley lands
will produce anything that can be
grown in the most favored sections.
In the foothill lands all kinds of decid-
uous fruits thrive: also all kinds of
vegetable are raised where irrigation
is practicable along the numerous water
courses Further up in the mountains,
at an altitude of 1000 to 2500 feet, the
soil is admirably adapted for apples
and potatoes. A ready market for
many times the quantity now raised of
these commodities can be found lin the
various mining towns.
Grape culture and winemaklng are
becoming important industries, both
the grapes and wine commanding a
better price than the product of the
lowland.
Land is cheap compared with other
California lands. Improved farms may
be secured for one-fourth the price
IN some places. Unimproved
lands can be had from S. to $40 per
acre. 1t does not require fortune to
buy small ranch. There is room for
a large addition to our agricultural pop
ulation. Vast tracts now devoted to
cattle ranges might be made the homes
Of hundreds of prosperous farmers.
Amador has a populasion of less than