Year: 1866

ident and pioneer of Butte county, has purchased
the BeckviiA Ranch, in PiamAs county, and viii
soon remove to that picturesque and beautiful
mountain location. He has long resided on q fa-
NOUS and valuable ranch in the Southern portion
Of the county, adjoining CfAriey's Ranch. aad biz
moving, we suppose arises simply from an uncon
trollable desire to ''change his base Il may be
that he has been driven from his farm by the shri
whistle of the locomotive as it flies the plains
to the north of him. He LEFT Missouri about the
time tha: railroads were cossing its eastern bound
AIRY. and not being willing that they shall CROWD
him into the Pacific ocean, has doubled on them
and taken the back track. 1t is quite probable
however that be VIII have to move again soon, for
his recent purchase is exactly on the only really
practicable route for railroad, for winter use.
through the Nevada mountains. Beckwith's VAL
ley, where the head waters OF the Middle Fork Of
Feather river take their rise and at the northeast
ern end of which is situated Beckwith's Pass, can
be approached by two routes that are below the
SNOW line. and entirely practicable for wagon read
or railroad purposes: By the way of the Middle
Fork, and through Mohawk Valley to Beckwith s
Pass; and by the way of the North Fork to Indian
Valley, and thence through Genesee Valley, to
Grizzly and Beckwith's Valley. These valleys are
connected with each other, and afford facilities for
railroad purposes through the mountains not to be
found elsewhere. The route up the Middle Fork to
Mohawk Valley, below the snow line is Practical e
also. is that up the North Fork to Indian Vale
and from thence it Is easy to construct railroad
to and thronga Beckwith's Pass into Nevada as il
is in the Sacramento Valley. And one of these
routes will ultimately be adopted for the great ma
fionai highway. They are q succession Of valleys
free from snow and though which a railrord can
be easily and cheaply built, and over which cars
pass every day in the year. One of these routes
ought to have been adopted instead of that by the
way of Dutch Flat, and then the means so gener.
ousy and lavishly furnished by the National and
State Governments, and by the City of San Fran
cisco, would have long since built railroad to
Virginia City. But the matter was suffered to be
controlled by those more interested in ranches and
localities than in the great work ITSELF and they
have practised the most gigantic swindle that was
ever perpetrated upon generous people. and that
ever dissraced and rendered futile their lavish e
forts to secure much needed internal improvements.
The railroad swindes of Schuyler, and other de-





foreseen and provided against; but it has remained
for California to develop that greater monstrosity
that collects all the energies of great nation and
exhausts them in useless efforts against impenetra-
bic mountains, for selfish purposes, when natural
routes and valleys lie invitingly open to them. 1t
is a swinde that has attacked and retarded. if it
has not rendered futile nearly every attempt of the
people of the Pacific coast, to bring around them
the improvements that benefit and advance the in
terests of the eastern States. 1t enters into
proposition for the advancement of the public in
terest. There are swindlers to direct them to their
selfish purposes, dogs in the manger to prevent
them entirely. Postal routes must be establish ed
at out Of the way places, and maintained by heavy
subsidies of the government. for the benefit of Ger
tain ranches. Fonrcorner places and ranches are
thus sought to be turned into commercial! empor-
ums by legislation aud gigantic swindles. 1t is
some consolation, however, TO remember that the
state that his given birth to these liars, and swim
dlers, and public robbers-these obtainers of Gov
ernmeut lands and bonds, and subsidies by false
pretences and msrepresentations-has aforetmes
at least. contained population that could arise in
the strength of right and justice if not in law and
taking public swindlers by their hroats say the
selfish and unprincipled operators, stand thou in
the piIlory of public scorn and contempt until the
evil thy Misrepresentation has effected can be Grad
icated by the slower march OF light and truth
That truth and good sense and honesty will ulti-
mately be permitted to determine postal and rail
road routes where they be servcable for public
business instead of private interests we shall not
permit ourselves to doubt. When such shall be
the case, friend Aleck will find his solitary re-
pose again disturbed by the iron horse, and be CON-
PEELED to locate Dutch Flat or Chico for the quiet of
the wilderness he now seeks. We more than half
suspect that friend that the proposition sub
mitted to the people of Plumas county for wagon
roads would carry, and has planted himself right
in the doorway OF communication with the eastern
world to reap the benefits afforded by the increasing
travel and prosperity Of that rich and fourishng
county.