Amador ledger., 1910-06-03

had enveloped the EARTH and we were
now travelling along at slow pace with
grotesque shadowy shapes arising be-
fore us. 1t was 10l5 at night before
the stage held before the door of the
hotel that was to shelter us the balance
of the night. When awoke, the glitter
ing shapes of golden sunlight stole their
way through the window in nv room.
Immediately arose, and making my
way down the winding stairway, |
stepped out uron the street and took a
look at the once famous mining camp,
once the Golconda of wealth galore. 1t
was typical mining camp in every par
ticular. No stately houses reared their
heads aloft in grandeur of magnificence,
but modest in their pretentions. fitful in
their construction, they stood as the
prototype of bygone days in the shadowy
past.
The Forest hill divide as it is
known lies between the middle fork and
the north fork of the American river 1t
is high above those streams many
thousand feet. 1t is 40 miles long and
from | to 10 miles in width. Ii can
boast of more rich mines than any other
place of the extent in the state of Cali
tornia. The blue gravel range in Dead
river as it is many times called that
runs from the lower confines of Mexico
to the Arctic regions crosses the upper
part of the divide. The American river
has cut its way through the ancient
bed of blue gravel and has fed the
country for miles below with rich de.
poSits of gold. A mite and half west
Of north from the heart of the town of
Forest Hill is the famous May Flower
mine that worked for upward of 40
years giving employment to a great
many men and making its owners multi
muillonairs. Among the other mines
of note is the Todd Valley mine, the
Dardinella and Forest hill, Whiskey or
Turkey hill mine. The Hidden Trea-
sure. Damascus, Golden river or Red
Point that had worked miles of the
channel with good results. The Hidden
Treasure has been working since 1876.
This mine now takes its cars in and out
the mine by electricity. II is a note
been done upon the rims. 1t is not
generally known too that a great deal of
unprospected land in its actual virgin
state awaits the capital to develop
them. They are deep propositions and
one too that is certain to turn out in the
future-more gold than khas been taken
out in the past. This is not visionary,
but is practical for the divide properly
has been worked along the ruins with
the results of untold millions in the
past Now, it is deep mining. 1t
means Development by means of capital
No place in my estimation is a place
more certain to bring dividend results to
the men that put their money IN for the
development of these mines. The
Blue Gravel range, like the great mother
lode of quartz stands as the primitive
gold producers of the state of Cali
fornia. The little off shoots from this
famous range has poured its millions
gathered up as pennies, SO to speak in
the various rivers, gulches, flats and
hills of gold production, In my next
letter ! will tell of the agricultural re-
gion between Auburn and Sacramento,
built up not so much by its actual in
trinsic resources, as by the great
continental railroad formerly known as
the Central Pacific, but now merged
into the Southern Pacific. and known
by that name. giving them an unhmiled
market for their fruits that they prin j.
pally depended on, and has brous II
many a man an ample competence b,
his labor. CHAS. S. BELL