Year: 1875

u
that they found prospects TO repay them
for their adventure, but they did not.


But at David Gray's place the country
changes its features, the valley widens
out, and large fats are found that would


well repay the labor Of the miner, if they
could be worked with all the modern i'm
provements which experience has devils
ed. There is, however, a lack of water
for that part of the country, which can
only be met by the introduction Of capi-
tai to bring on the creeks which come in
to the river at Cedar Flat. These are the
only water privileges Of any great capac-
ity which come in on that side Of Trinity,
and the country between Cedar Flat and
Martinvlle is such that bitches would
have to be taken out very high above the
river in order to avoid the almost per-
pendicuar banks of the canyon. The
residents Of Martinvile are satisfied Of the
richness of the mines and of their extent,
but to bring on the water from the place
we have mentioned, requires all outlay of
capital beyond their control.


The only advantage possessed by the |
flats Of Lower Trinity is their height
above the river. On the north bank
Hailstone & Bussel have run tunnel ir-
to the third bench, five or six hundred
yards from the river at the nearest point,
and at least 200 feet above its bed. Here
they found good sluicing prospects thro'
the whole face Of the drift Hawkins
Gulch affords good head Of water here
for most Of the year, but only for one or
two claims. Mr.. Halstone info, med me
that in the judgment Of men who knew
the country, ditch from New river
could be brought through the divide, at
the point where the trail by BelI's Fiat
enters New River valley, which would
not require more than eight or ten miles
Of digging to bring New river into the
gulcnes leading down the mountain, when
it could be taken up and carried along
the bars OF the river. The great want of
the Martinvlle section is wagon roads
and saw mills. All communication now
is by pack trails, and the lumber used in
the mines and for other purposes is sawn


by hand. Ten miles OF wagon road will
place them in communication with Hoopa
valley, to which place we understand a
road from humboldt Bay is nearly com
pletcd.


At one time the Lower Trinity section
contained "A large population. Asa fruit,
grain and vegetable region, it is not ex
eelled in the county, and the close prox-
unity of Hoopa Valley Reservation offers
an excellent market for all kinds of farm
produce. Indian troubles from '61 to '65
unsettled the value of property and drove


many Of the inhabitants Of the frontier
region away, never to return. At the
present time Martinville has only "A vot-
ers, and to find these we have to scour the
river from Sandy Bar to the Humboldt
line, distance Of perhaps 20 miles. The
South Fork of the Trinity river comes
into the main stream few miles below
Martinville and the territory Of what is
now Humboldt, but was formerly Klam-
ath county, begins. The character of the
country continues very much the same,
from what | was led to understand, farm
ing and mining being the chief occupa-
tions Of the people, the latter interest be-
ing somewhat more advanced than in our
own part Of Trinity, the gravel
claims at Willow creek, fifteen miles be-
low, being worked in scientific manner
and yielding large returns. What the
great need of the Martinvile section is is
capital to convey the waters of New river
and Cedar Flat creek to point where
they can be made of use.


The people Of Lower Trinity are not
insensible to the necessity of education
for their children, and though the families
are few and widely scattered they started
a school there this last Summer. An old
miners cabin was fitted up to answer as
a school house, and the school was in its |
last week at the time of our visit there, |
Mr.. j. e. Purdy officiating as teacher. |
There are seventeen scholars, all of half |
Indian blood, and they have shown, Mr..
Purdy tells me, remarkable aptness for .
study. Some Of the older ones had been
taught by their fathers to read and write,
and the desire to acquire edu cation is very |
earnest. The status which this class of |
children is to occupy in future years is I
one which will soon be for us to detelm-
inc. Under our present constitution and .
laws they are classed as Indian so longas |
they have one-fourth or more Indian |
blood, will have no vote, no voice in the |
government, and be exempt from taxa
tion. The constitutional amendment Gre
ated no new citizens, but simply defined |
the rights of those who were already
such. We hope and believe that this
question, which will soon be presented,
will be met by the Lawmakers of Cali
fornia in liberal and Christian spirit,
and the rights and privileges of citizen
ship extended to all who, by their mode
Of life prove themselves to be worthy Of
them.


New River has fallen of in population
since our last visit there. There are some
fifteen whites on the river and its tributa-
rieS, scattered in groups of two and three
from Bells Flat to Emigrant Gulch, a