Year: 1869

JUNCTION CITY


Next to Weaverville, Junction City is the most
populons and important place In the county,
position which from Its location it Is destined to
always hold. In the center of one Of the best
mining districts Of the county, the mines, too,
being of a permanent character that will remain
good for many years. junction City is bound to
be the central place to which the trade of large
number of miners and farmers must tend. From
Perkins bar, up the river, to McGlivray's ranch,
below, including the whole OF Oregon gulch and
part of Canon creek, is included in the precinct
which polls about one hundred and twenty votes.
Our stay in the place was not of long duration,
so we could not take notes for anything like q
general description of the different mining claims
near at hand, many of which are highly valued
and will last for years. The north side of the
river is best supplied with water facilities, but
many good claims can be found on the other
side. With good water facilities for working
the mines, the neighborhood of Junction City
would afford profitable employment to five times
the present population. As it is, ] believe those
who are there appear to be prospecting better
than in any other locality of the county.


NoRrHFoRK.


From Junction City to Northfork is six miles,
with good wagon road. As mining locality
Northfork has gone down of late years, though
the claims of Mr.. Holmes, on the mountain below
the town, and those of Fauebel & Co., on Inde-
pendence bar are among the best in the county.
Northfork in former times was famous for the
practical jokers who were wont to make their
headquarters there. At present it is remarkable
for nothing but Copperhead majorities. Whether
it was the Scotch name of my opponent which
had created such feeling, or what, could not
tell-but " God bless the Duke of Argyle" the
whole Republican community seemed afflicted
with some affection of the epidermis which in
voked the presence of a second McCullummore
to erect rubbing posts in at least a-half dozen
places. sort of political itch seemed to pervade
the party and when scratching once commenced
the Lord only knew when it would stop. The
contagion was so general that it even extended
to two or three Democrats. You can bet high
on one thing: if business ever calls me to Bag
dad carry crackers and cheese along in a hand
kerchief and roost on the fence OF Singers gar
den. And so will I" Rip"


EAST FORK.


From Northfork we took the trail up East fork,
once famous mining locality but now almost
wholly given up to the Chinese. At the mouth
of Rich guleh, Mr.. Engle has an arastra where
be crnshes the quartz from the ledge found two
years ago. The vein is about a-half mile distant
upon the mountain side and shows very rich
rock. In almost any OF the quartz which is piled
up ready for crushing, gold can be found, and in
many pieces it is visible to the eye. Some if
teen or twenty tons of rock were piled up in
front of The tunnel, waiting presume, for water
to run the mill below. The vein appeared to be
narrow where it was then being worked. have
since heard that the tunnel had been run under
the main ledge, and that it had been found over
head much thicker and equally good.


RATrLEsEAKE.


The trail from the East fork to the divide lead
ing to Rattlesnake points more directly heaven
ward than any route ever saw, except by way of
a balloon. The direct trail to Rattlesnake from
Northfork leads up on the ridge at the junction
of North and East forks, and is, think, without
exception, the best mountain trail in the county.
1t is little singular that while all the streams
putting into the North fork have been rich, the
main stream appears to be guiltess of paying.
For the twenty-six miles that the road to New
river follows its course no mining and but very
little prospecting appears to have been done.


The good book tells US that il FIVE righteous
men had been found in Sodom that place would
have been spared. And Rattlesnake precinct
since 1862 has been spared to the world by hav-
ing one Union man to avert the wrath of heaven
from the place. When heard, however, that
John Cords had left, looked to see the doom of
Sodom and Gomorrah fall upon the place, but,
like Webster, it I" still lives" The fact is, that
Dave Frequa has moved up there and Rattle
snake stills boasts Of its lone Republican. On
Rattlesnake there but seven eight men.
Grizzly fork, eight miles distant has four more,
the sum total OF the population of the precinct.


GENERAL REMARKS.


North fork and all the branches have men
toned head in the Salmon range of mountains.
The old trail from Trinity to Salmon river passes
by Rattlesnake, from which place it is sixteen
miles over to the Salmon. The peculiar bend of
the Trinity is such that person can travel for
some forty miles along the river and be none Of
the time more than fifteen miles away from the
county seat. So all the main tributaries of the
north side of Trinity head close together, al
though the distance from the mouth of Stewards
fork to the mouth of New river, must be, to fol-
low the tortaous winding of the stream, between
ninety and hundred miles. IAPREsoR.


b4 If you wish the very best CABINET PHoro-
On apus Won must call m RI ADrry N Rrrorsor