Year: 1861

]


blcd upon the mountain here they enacted a
code Of laws for the better government OF the
district And an account Of priority had al
lowed the Eureka Company, the choice OF
/ claims. After their forty claims were staked
off all The visible quartz remaining was Ioca-
ted by the others. meeting was called
| which resulted in an agreement TO foIm
/ large Sont Stock Company, and work all
| their claims together Upon counting heads
/ it was discovered that there was just seventy
six members This was more than five years
previous to the election of James buchanan,
and as there had not then been any effort
made to squeleh out the patriotism of the
people, the number "7G' suggested the name
Of the Father Of Our Country and the name
and style of the Washington Quartz Mining
Company was adopted, and the meeting ad-
jourucd from the mountain to the fiat by the
creek side. when they proceeded to take up
over one mile Of the creek for mill purposes,
and the same extent of ground on each side
OF the creek for building and timber claim.
In a few days Il town plot was regularly sur
veyed, and christoncd with the name of the
Getty Of 7G," and lots were offered for sale at
from fifty to one hundred dollars each. Quite
a number were sold at both prices, and it
looked fair for while to become large and
prosperous city. Your humble correspond
ent, in the simplicity of his ignorance, became
the owner Of an eligible building lot, nicely
situated in commanding position upon
"Washington Avenue"-the Broadway of 7G.


Previous to the complete organization of
the company, five more members were ad-
mittcd, and the capital stock Of the company
placed at $Sl 600 The President was au
thorizcd to repair to Son Francisco and pro-
cure the requisite machinery After "A con-
sutaton with the Mill wright it was deter
mined to erect chute upon the mountain
side for the purpose of getting down the
rock, and a portion Of the men were set to
worl, upon it, another portion to dig out
race for conveying water to the proposed
mill site A third squad were set to running
wbip-saws; and still another TO open
wagon road to the Lexington House, about
thirty miles distant.


In the construction of the chute the logs
were hcwed TO the square of eighteen inches
and were hallowed out fourteen wide by
twelve deep some Of the trees madea single
stick Of that size, for eighty feet in length
These timbcrs, heavy as they were, were
drawn up the mountain side by force, and
laid upon bcnts ranging from seventy to forty
feet high, until it intcraccted the lode, a dis
tance of $3.50 feet from the initial point,
costing the Company at its completion about
sixty thousand dollars Then refusing TO do,
as the Mill-wright predicted it would, thick
sheet iron was brought up, and it was lined
in its entire length, only to prove a great
failure as before. In the meantime the Pres-
dent returned with battery of eighteen
heavy stamps.


The mill was fast drawing towards COM
pletion; the rock was being quarred out in
huge quantities and conti@ued to exhibit a
good proportion of gold, and the members
were all in high glee at the brilliant prospect
ahead and rejoicing i'll the wholesale man
ner in which the rock was to be reduced, and
the great amount of money to be pocletcl
ON dividend day, cast contcmptuous looks at
the humble manner in which their Eureka
brothers were starting their works, and on
account of their arastra system, sty led it the
Rawhde and Granite Company.


But human hopes seldom arrive at full
! i, e.;
and the following winter was crushed down
| by the deep snow. The mill was not COM
pleted to summing condition and the inclem-
ency oft the weather caused a suspension Of all
operations until the next Spring. Then, af-
ter spending $l23,00O, it was discovered that
on account of the sulphurets abounding in
the rock the gold would not amalgamate, and
could not. by the adopted process, be saved,
Then, discouraged in mind and broken in
pocket, the Company separated, to seek their
! fortunes in other pursuits and in other parts
of California. Only a few members remain
ing to look after the property.


The next year some Mexicans took a lease
upon it and did well, working with aras-
tas, driven by water power. Sorting again
in the spring of "a, they failed to realize a
profit; then "Aloth" was sent for who work
ed the ledge for the remainder o? the season
with very good success; making the rock ay-
erage one hundred dollars to the ton. The
next spring the MeXcans again took lease,
working with varied success from that time
to this. Now everything erected by the con-
pany has fallen to decay; the houses which
formed the city of '7G can only be mentioned
as things which were; the logs which were
bored to make an ornamental fountain in the
public square were never laid, and desola-
tion reigns supremely there And yet the
Washington company owns as good rock
within their lead as docs any other company
upon the mountains. This lead will be work
ed this season by a couple of the members of
the company, upon lease similar to that
which has been given the MeXicans for several
years past and as "Aloth" will not be far
away, he hopes to be able to give you a good
report of the doings, not only of the Wash
ington. but also of all the other leads, now
operated upon. The miners upon this creek
are making great complaints about the re-
duction in the price of gold dust and curse
jeff Davis exceedingly therefor. As near as
| can discover, the people upon this creek are
a unit in support of our Government, and
hear the same from all parts of the county