Weekly Trinity Journal

Rover's Trip Through the County:

Some, when disappointed in their aspirations and ambition, seek consolation in the "flowing bowl," while others again, preferring the ills they know not of to those which they already bear, plunge madly into the jaws of matrimony, regardless of the almost certain consequences which such a step will entail. But having retired once more to the sweet shades of private life, and pitched my camp at the "head of navigation," I have concluded to quit meditating on the ingratitude of republics, as evinced at the late election, and while the hearts of the Nasbian Democracy rejoice over the humiliation of the nigger and Chinamen, and the consequent supremacy of the noble Caucasian race, I shall endeavor to soothe the harrowed feelings of my coadjutors and myself by jotting down a little of the mining and other scraps of information which came under my notice in those parts of the county that we visited.

INDIAN CREEK,

Where we made our first stopping place, is noted alike for its rousing Republican majorities and the extra quality of its gold. A large scope of country is included in the Indian Creek precinct, beside Indian creek proper. Brown's creek, Reading's creek and Spring gulch belong in the precinct, which, all told, does not number fifty voters, although there are more than that number of men there, besides many Chinese.

Clement's ranch, which is the first place that attracts attention, as we pass up the wagon road, is one of the best hay ranches in this section, with the additional advantage of being close to market. It is located in a basin that has every appearance of having been at some time the bed of a large lake, from which the waters have cut their way out through the gorge of Reading's creek. The soil on the surrounding low hills is shallow and the bed-rock, instead of being slate or granite, is either cement or sandstone. Many curious petrifactions have been found in the sandstone formation—the petrified snake, which was shown some years ago in Weaverville, was dug up opposite the ranch, while "quahogs" and other evidences that the basin was once filled with a body of salt water can still be found.

There have been some good mines here, the gold being of a coarse order and fine quality Pan-wocket gulch has been a very good stream, and there are yet some good claims on the hills along its course, which a ditch out of Reading's creek would develop. Abial Smith has purchased the water-right of Sear's gulch, and will work this winter on the divide between Pan-wocket and Clement's, where he has already worked enough to prove that it will pay. A better show for hill diggings than Smith's claim presents can not well be found.

Twambley's ranch lies along Reading's creek above the gulch, and would be a good place for a dairy ranch, having a good stock range, while the bottom land along the creek would be good for either vegetables or hay. There is but little mining-ground along the creek above this point.

The O'Connel brothers (Charles and Daniel) have a claim in the creek, above the ranch house. I did not learn how it was paying, but as they are building a large block-house, it looks as though they are well enough pleased with the prospects before them to prepare for a permanent stay.

I stayed over night with my old friend Sears, before going to "the creek." George's place is pretty well up in the air; nevertheless he manages to have the earliest and finest garden of anybody. On the creek all hands seemed to be busy. On the right hand bank Sigried & Warfield, and Jonathan Smith & Co. were cleaning bed-rock. Their claims are supplied with water from Stratton's ditch and have paid very well.

Coombs & Silcox are re-opening their claim in the creek, employing five or six hands. On the hill above town, and above any of the ditches. Thomas Cochran has struck good drifting dirt, which is dumped through a slide below the ditch before it can be washed. With the exception of the claims I have mentioned, the creek is being worked by Portuguese miners.

On Spring gulch, Tim Hennessey and Martin Keefe, with the "wild Irishman" who, in former years, listened to the sweet music wafted by gentle zephyrs across the lakes of Killarney, have a good claim in the bank. The past had been a bad season for water in all the dry diggings, but these boys have done very well though their claim is a heavy one to work.

The miners and farmers of this section are supplied with goods by Mr. Corbus who has been established on the creek for four years.

Brown's creek lays over the mountains four miles distant. It is not of much account as a mining stream although there are many Chinese working above Wallace's ranch, and several Americans near the forks six miles up.

The valley where Wallace's ranch is located is evidently part of the same basin that extends across Reading's creek and has bed-rock of the same formation. Along the creek the soil deepens, becomes more fertile, and is under cultivation.

From Wallace's it is four miles to Captain Middleton's place, where the trail leaves the creek and strikes across the mountains to the upper Hayfork country. Another trail keeps up Brown's creek, winds around the Sun-choo-loo-loo, and leads to the Arbuckle and Cottonwood mines in Shasta and Tehama counties.

We stopped long enough at Middleton's to enjoy a good smoke of home-raised tobacco, of which the old gentleman had a good supply on hand and started over the mountain. I think we were then in the best stock range the county affords. The hillsides were covered with bunch-grass, living springs trickled along through green, marshy flats and bands of horses and mules showed, in their sleek coats the excellence of the range.