Year: 1870

We have had conversation with J G..
Mather of this place, who is United States
Deputy Surveyor, and who has Just returned
from an extensive surveying tour in Gala
yeras, Amador and FL Dorado counties He
had splendid opportunity for observing the
country, and being an old Californian Qf the
palmy days of the mining business, he is fully
enabled to make the contrast between the
then and now of the foot hills to contrast
1890 of the mines with their condition in
1870. Taylor's Bar, once fourishing town
where miners dug cut the yellow dust and
made the river turpid, has not single in


habitant, and not house, but only few re-
mains of cabins to mark the spot of the
towns location. Going North from hat place
Campo Seco is found, and with but few peo
pie left. Fine irepl oof buildings are deserted,
and could be bought for the price of the
hinges on the iron doors The town is al
most the altitude of Grass Valley, and the
chills and fevers are, no doubt, the result of
miasmatlc influences which come of the
streams being filled with talings. At
Camanche the same state of things exist, the
inhabitants shaking with ague and no imme-
diate prospects of better times as long as
they emain there At Lancha Plana there
is some river mining but not very extensive.
lone and Jackson Valleys arc well settled
places, the lands being fine, and the summer
pasturage most excellent The hourishing
people in all the country traversef are those
who use the lands for summer pasturage of
sheep or horned cattle, while miners. farmers,
orchardists and vine growers are not in
way which may be called fourishing The
people of lone and jackson valleys are
troubled with chills and fevers Dry Town
in Amador county, is dry tow indeed. 1t
'lplayed out" Mud Springs, famous in the
past, where men were busy and where gold
was literally thrown away, is now nothing.
Brick and stone buildings are deserted, and
iron doors swing open disclosing floors caved
into cellars filled with water The few in
habitants are shaking with chills and fevers.
Placervile is the only town not decaved or
decaying. In all the country surveyed fifteen
quartz mills were counted, only two of which
were running. These were the Hayward
mill and the Bacon. Some of the owners of
holds on quartz cropping, miscalled mines,
are ION East to sell out their possessions
The rivers and streams are running almost
clear now, being only slightly tinged by the
work done by few Chinese companies
Salmon on sturgeon are making their regular
runs up the rivers and streams as in the
days before the great gold mining. There
are orchards and vineyards in the country
surveyed Some of these have been deserted
and the vines are growing wild and the trees
are DYING out. Those cultivated are not
profitable because of the market near at hand.
In the region of which we speak when a
fruit raiser hauls his produce to the railroad
and then ships it to market his returns leave
him no profit. They think, and rightly too,
that their location is against them in the
fruit-growing business. while their soil is not
of the kind which will make them successful
grain-raisers. We have not told half the
story related to us by Mr.. Mather, and have
not the space to day to to do so. Suffice it
for the present to say that an early desols-
ton is threatened to all the region spoken of.
Grass Valley Union.