Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1909-09-17
AmadOr County
Descriptive Article


AS square miles. 1t lies on the wes-
ern slope OF Sierra Novado mountains,
md embraces within it, territory all
he diversity of valley, foothill, and
high mountainous lands.
Climate. The climate of tho popu-
Gus portions of the county Is as genial
Ind healthful as can be found anywhere
California. AS climate Is one OF the
most valuable assets OF this favored
tate in attracting population, Amador
stands second to no county in this re-
rard. II should, and no doubt will in
line, when its climatic advantages are
more thoroughly understood and APP
nreciated. become q health resort not
',nlv for those in less favored states,
but for the residents OF other parts OF
california. The temperature alone the
central portion rarely falls below ~
Iiegrees above zero In winter, and as
rarely rises to 100 degrees in the sum-
nor. Snow seldom falls in the settled
1istricts. and never remains on the
Oround for more than few hours. or
course, in the high mountain regions
of eastern Amador the snowfall is very
heayy-which is characteristic OF the
entire Sierra Nevada range. The sum-
ner season is Away accompanied with
cool nights; permitting OF sound, re-
kreshing slumber. Fogs are rare, cy-
clones are unknown, thunderstorms are
Enfrequent.
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 q depth oil over
1000 feet below the surface, with every
Indication that tho pay-ore extends TO
: much greater depth. Since the dis
covery of gold, the county has contrib
uted fully 300, 100000 to the worlds
supply of the precious metal. Tho
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
i is called the 'mother lode, stretching
clear across the county in northeast
erly direction q distance OF twenty
miles. The mines aggregate between
400 and 500 stamps, and furnish en-
plovment for over 1000 miners. This
Industry is still in its infancy. Inc
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-
|lay 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 mlneralized country OF the
east belt, some ten or twelve miles from
the main lode.
Besides gold, we have copper, de
posts 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-
nous 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 $500 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 in the
various mining towns.
Grape culture and wlnemaking 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
current In some places. Unimproved
lands can be had from So to $40 per
acre. 1t does not require fortune to
buy a small ranch. There is room for
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 population of less than
i 1nnn Il, Il roo fnnIi he of HE l. nnnonn-