Year: 1866

obtained, as well as a small margin thereon
to be laid by for a wet day. Evidently those
settling in this town and county made some
such ejaculation. 1t is further evident that
they calculated on the placer diggings, then
rich, to last eternally. 1t is further evident
that in making such calculations they placed
themselves in precisely the same fix as did
the man who reckoned without his host
There is proof enough on that point. 1t
presents itself in the shape of unoccupied
brick buildings, and dilapidated awnings, in
town; and in the country, in fallen fences,
abandoned ranches. and in buildings going
or gone to ruin These are all before US, and
if more is needed, we have but to look along
our roadsi6es, and view the closed and falling,
buildings that were once occupied as hotels
and doing a fourishing business. All this
exists right under our noses, and none seem
to think it strange, or care to try to find the
cause thereof or remedy.


This sort of abandonment and destruction
has been slowly going on until there are none
left but those who cannot go, who have In
vested so much here that to leave it appalis
them, and hence they remain, gaping into
infinite space, and wondering why it is so
dull, or if something won't turn up. Once
in a while some scheme is introduced by an
outsider. by which we are all to be enriched,
and then little commotion is visible for a
brief moment, to be quieted by their arriving
at the knowledge that this grand scheme is
not going to be carried out entirely by Prov
idence.


The scheme for surveying and locating the
route for railroad from Marysvillo to Port
land woke US up some. and many of our
citizens donated enough to secure survey
through our town. We did not have to do
the work, and could afford to look on and see
the busy engineers and their employees lay
ing the route by which our lost prosperity
was to return. Quite good time was had
over that it must have lasted, off and on,
for about three months and during that
time we all dreamed of tenants for our
houses, farms, &C., and twenties flying about
as thick as black5erries in their season.
That was one oasis in the dreary desert of
monotonous dullness and decay.


We had another one, too, quite sumner;
but it was long years ago; still 1t is worth
remembering, that history may not lose it
There came among us man who believed
that the Sacramento river was as easy OF
navigation between Shasta and Red Bluff as
between the latter place and Colusa. He had
articles written about it and had them pub
lished in the COURIER, and actually excited
our community to such an extent that COM
pany of competent men were organized to
make an exploration of the stream. Strange
to say they actually done so, and reported
that the navigation to Middle Greek, two
miles from Shasta, was practicable, and that
a very little outlay would secure a channel
for boats better than that between Marysvlle
and Red Bluff Now all was joy. Glory
enough Shasta will soon be the head OF
navigation; but alas ! man among us,
more shrewd than his fellows, bethought him
that if the boats landed two and half miles
from town, Shasta would be ruined. and
fourishing town would be built at the land
ing; hence the scheme died.


The next God-send to our torpid communi-
ty was in the discovery of rich mines on the
Humboldt. There was few left among us
who could move, and they went to the new
Ell Dorado. They struck it, reduced it to
feet, and let the stay at homes in, to the bot
toms of their pockets. They are in yet but
no longer do the sweet dreams of dividends,
equal to the Gould & Curry, visit them as
they quietly snore upon their couches. Not
dir.


And yet another sensation came among us,
Copper had been struck at Pittsburgh Hur-
rah ! hooray. A good thing right at our
doors; only twenty five miles away; and
copper, too None of your trashy gold dig
gings, that are ever SO spotted nobody wants
them. And they went it, and we went it,
aud have got some of them feet yet. Every
body's last dollar found a resting place there,
and we all fell back on the old system of
waiting, and since have held our own. Moth.
ing disturbs us now. Talk quartz lodges
ever so much; talk of anything you please,
the even beat of our pulse is not disturbed.
We are all just going to wait till somebody
brings us a nice thing, tied up with silk cords,
and fastened with bow knots, SO that the
effort to unite may not weary US.


The people Of Shasta are n happy people.
They toll not, neither do they worry much,
satisfied that it is all right, and if it is not,
why it is too much work to fix it so 1t her
rip


BU.KER HILL-This claim is giving out,
we guess. From Monday morning until
Wednesday evening the company only took
out 1886 7j, though they try to keep up the
credit of the claim by saying they didn't
clean the boxes very close. There are four
mon vrorkinr i'm the claim