USA > California > Lassen County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 19
USA > California > Plumas County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 19
USA > California > Sierra County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 19
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73
284
Chambers, Robert Craig.
186
Chapman, Albert P.
265
Chapman, John C.
190
Cheney, Judge W. A
180
Church, Isaac S . .
274
Church, William S
183
Clark, Stephen J
187
Clinch, John
286
Clough, Judge G. G.
321
Compton, John D.
307
Connolly, Patrick
.269
Cooksey, James
.310
Corcoran, T
.309
Cox, Thomas
180
Crane, Hon. W. H. (see also
Lassen County)
196
Cunningham, Noble C
.302
Davis, Aaron
270
Davis, Charles H
273
Dean, Wilson S.
189
. De Haven, Capt. W. N.
184
Dolley, E. P
274
Ede, Walter
264
Edman, J. A.
254
Edwards, James E
323
Elwell, William .
245
Emmons, Theodore
.300
Evans, J. F
306
Fagg, J. D
269
Finlayson, Donald R
285
Firmstone, H. T.
.306
Fletcher, A. W
308
Flournoy, Robert S.
.301
Ford, James 300
Forgay, Nathaniel B
. 300
Forman, William
.311
Fralich, Matthias
304
Fritsch, John B
304
Fritsch, Martin .
307
275
Gear, Hiram L.
182
Gentry, J. C. 189
Goodwin, Judge John D.
.177
Graham, Will D. R.
.311
Gray, Rothens A.
323
Meyerwitz, Isadore
295, 333
Grazer, Henry .
245
Haggard, Thomas L.
190
Haines, G. P
271
Haley, Mrs. Julia
254
Hallsted, Alanson A.
. 253
Hallsted, Peter L
188
Myers, J. D
274
Hamlen, E. H.
275
Nevill, John
246
Newman, David D
268
Nicholson, James
270
Orton, Thomas
248
Parsons, E. I
256
Patch, Isaac C. 305
Patterson, David B.
268
Peck, Hon. Elisha T. 195
Peel, John J. L ..
190
Peter, W. T.
310
Phipps, John A.
245
Pierce, Elisha H.
186
Pratt, Dr. Willard
294
Pratt, W. M ..
246
Price, William S.
189
Prowattain, E
308
Rains, W. Smith
269
Rawden, William B.
.274
Rockwell, Col. Calvin W.
.284
Rodgers, Charles G.
.303
Rodoni, F.
246
Rowland, Francis M.
264
Ruppert, Charles.
286
Russell, Gen. H. P
186
Searls, Judge Niles
176
Seltier, Claude F.
264
Sexton, Judge W. T.
176
Shannon, Hon. T. B
196
Sharpe, George W.
185
Sheer, Roy R.
273
Sherwin, Hon. J. L. C
197
Simons, Charles O.
311
Smith, J. H.
309
Smith, Capt. O. B ..
256
Sperry, W. A.
265
Stamfli, N ..
310
Stark, Lewis
286
Stover, R ..
322
Strang, Jared
263
Taylor, E. W.
301
Taylor, J. Charles
311
Lemmon, William C.
272
Taylor, Judge .R. H.
168
Lewis, Hiram. . ..
269
Lewis, Judge J. E. N.
181
Lott, Judge Charles F.
176
Lovejoy, John K.
313
Lowry, John. .
.309
Maddux, Theophilus
272
Mahoney, D. J.
256
Freeman, Joel E
271
Manson, William.
284
Martin, Richard
262
Wagner, William.
254
Ward, Judge John S 374
Ward, William E 312
Ward, Judge William T. .178
Webber, Dr. D. G.
267
Welden, A. J
283
West, T. F.
269
Weston, Isaac. 268
Whiting, Fenton B.
184
Whitlock, Maj. James I
197
Willoughby Br
245
Wing, Emory 308
Winston, Hon. Joseph
197
Wood, Gen. Allen .
197
Woodward, George
246
Wright, Norman K.
252
Yeates, James Hughes
.187
Young, John C.
306
Young, R. W
304
Hartwell, John F. 283
Hedrick, Duskin 310
Hendel, Charles W.
190
Herring, George H.
309
Hersey, Thomas F.
284
Hill, Charles M., M. D
. 245
Hill, John W. 244
Hogan, Judge E. T
179
Hosselkus, Edwin D
302
Houghton, George E.
315
Howk, Corel ..
266
Hughes, B. B.
286
Hughes, Marshall.
272
Hughes, Thomas.
252
Humphrey, George W
.266
Hundley, Judge P. O.
.181
Ingersoll, William S ..
189
Irwin, Hon. Richard .
195
Jacks, Richard .. .
253
Johnson, William F
285
Jones, Judge Israel (see also
Lassen County) .. 179
Jones, William E. (Paul) .. 263
Keddie Arthur W ...
.322
Kelley, Hon. Ripley C.
.196
Kellogg, Henry W
251
Kellogg, Hon. William W .
183
Keyes, David B
266
Kinney, Hon. Asa
196
King, Mrs. R.
244
Kirby, Alexander
252
Knoll, Matthias
306
Knuthsen, Jacob
272
Largent, John C.
306
Larison James H
284
Lassen, Peter ..
332
Laufman, Cyrus
299
Lemmon, B. F
273
Taylor, Jobe T.
299
Thomas, Charles C.
293
Thompson, Richard (Span-
ish Ranch).
.251
Thompson, Richard (Indian
Valley)
305
Treleaven, Thomas.
308
Van Clief, Judge Peter
168
Variel, R. H. F
183
McBeth, John .
305
McCorkle, Judge J. W
175
Gansner, Florin
285
Mccullough, George B.
249
McGee, Hon. John B
195
McGill, Robert L.
.305
McLear, George S.
243
McShane, Joshua B.
248
Meylert, Gurdon W
.506
Miller, James .
271
Miller, William H
323
Miner, T. J
202
Moore, Judge A. P.
179
Harbison, John
183
Hardgrave, John
.302
Hardin, M.
. 270
Gallagher, E. J ..
.
FROM A PAINTING MADE IN 1851, IN POSSESSION OF MR. F. B. WHITING, QUINCY,
RICH BAR, MIDDLE FORK OF FEATHER RIVER.
F
HISTORY
OF
PLUMAS COUNTY.
IN preparing the history of Plumas County, the writer has, in a great measure, relied upon information and data furnished by Mr. Fenton B. Whiting, now and for years past the popular clerk of Plumas county. Imbued with a strong desire to preserve for posterity the annals of the county which has been his home for thirty years, and where the most stirring scenes of his life have been enacted, Mr. Whiting has for a number of years been engaged upon the work of collecting the data which he has so kindly placed, together with his enthusiastic assistance, at our disposal. This has been combined with information obtained from many and varied sources, making a his- tory both complete and accurate. In this way Mr. Whiting's identity has been to a large degree lost, but here and there his friends will readily recognize his handiwork. Our thanks are also due to the gentlemen who have contributed from their own experiences to aid Mr. Whiting in his labors, as well as to those who have made their contributions to us direct. They will all feel a proprietary interest in the following pages.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
Plumas is a county of mountains, whose lofty chains hold in their firm embrace many green and fertile valleys, as lovely as any that fall beneath the eye of Apollo in his daily round. Lofty peaks and sloping hills, rich with their robes of green, greet the eye; while winding through and" around them are hundreds of clear mountain brooks, singing and babbling in their joy, as they hasten onward to unite their waters with the great streams that carry them onward to the valley, and thence to the bosom of the mighty ocean. Three great divisions of the Feather river-the middle fork, the north and east branches of the north fork-have their sources in the county, and from their multitude of tributaries receive the water that falls as rain or snow on the lofty hills or imprisoned valleys, having their ramifications in every nook and corner of the vast expanse of mountains. High up among the peaks are lakes of clear, pellucid water, lovely mountain tarns, sweetly reposing in their secure abode far above the busy scenes of life below. Children of the glaciers, they carry the thoughts back to those distant ages when those immense fields of ice ground and furrowed their way over the mighty hills, plowing in their onward march the deep cañons and ravines that form our water-courses, filling the valleys with that alluvial deposit which
134
now yields such rich rewards to the labor of the husbandman, uncovering those vast storehouses of gold that have replenished the world's wealth for a third of a century; and finally, as they disap- peared, leaving these little lakes in their rocky prison, fashioned by their icy hands, far. up among the loftiest peaks of the Sierra.
Plumas county lies wholly on the western slope of the mountains. The summit that divides the waters that find their way into the Sacramento valley from those that flow into the great Nevada basin forms its eastern boundary line. It lies between Shasta and Lassen counties on the north, Lassen on the east, Sierra and Yuba on the south, and Butte and Tehama on the west; and its different sections are intimately connected with each of them, save Tehama and Shasta. Its greatest length is from the north-west to the south-east, or, more definitely speaking, from Lassen peak to Beckwourth pass, a distance of eighty-five miles; transversely, from south-west to north- east, it is but forty-five miles. The whole embraces an area of over two thousand square miles, or twelve hundred and eighty thousand acres. Of this, some two hundred thousand acres are agricul- tural land, distributed among a number of valleys, large and small, the chief ones being American, Indian, Big Meadows, Buck's, Meadow, Mohawk, Genesee, Sierra, Beckwourth, Long, Red Clover, Round, Last Chance, and Onion. The major portion, however, is composed of mountains covered with a noble growth of coniferous trees, such as sugar pine, yellow pine, spruce, balsam fir, and cedar; while mountain oak, manzanita, laurel, buckeye, alder, and chaparral grow in great profu- sion. These forests have supplied timber for flumes, mines, and improvements since the first white man penetrated into this region, and thousands of feet of lumber are still cut annually, though the forests seem as dense as ever, save here and there where the saws have been most busily at work.
In his "Geological Survey of California," Vol. I., Professor J. D. Whitney, state geologist, thus describes Plumas county and its main topographical and geological features :
"Pilot Peak, which is near the southern line of the county, is an isolated, volcanic knob of hard, ash-gray, crystalline, basaltic rock, which is most beautifully columnar on its northern slope. The view from the summit is peculiarly fine, Lassen's Peak being visible in the north-w. st, and the Coast Ranges in the south-west. Fifteen or twenty miles to the north-west, mountains are seen which are of about the same hight as Pilot Peak, and very deeply wooded on all sides; indeed, the whole region to the east and north-east is furrowed by tremendous canons, many of them being over two thousand feet deep. In the south-east the Downieville buttes were seen, with a very rugged outline. The most elevated points in the range lie east of the line connecting Pilot Peak and the Downie- ville buttes; the highest of these is perhaps five hundred feet higher than Pilot Peak itself; Table Mountain lies to the west, and is nearly as high. The whole region to the south of the summit is very rough, and its sky outline very serrated. On the peak the magnetic needle is very irregular, and was observed to be directed towards nearly every point within the space of a few square rods. The elevation of Pilot Peak above the sea is 7,605 feet, and of this the upper portion is exclusively vol- canic ; the lava forming a mass about 650 feet thick, as estimated from observations taken at Onion valley, 1,216 feet below the summit of the peak.
"The auriferous slates are very finely exposed on the north side of the mountain, having a north and south strike, and a dip to the east of about eighty degrees; they are cut squarely off at the top, and covered with lava. The strike of the slates, however, is not uniform in this region. One mile north-east of Onion valley large masses were observed with a trend of N. 35 degrees W., and a south-westerly dip; and again, upon descending into the canon of the Middle Yuba (Feather ?), they were seen running N. 15 degrees W., and from that to N. 35 degrees W., and standing nearly vertical. Great masses of serpentine occur along the trail between Pilot Peak and Onion valley ; and between this and Nelson's Point a variety of magnesian rocks were noticed.
135
"The canon of the Middle Yuba (Feather?) is exceedingly deep, the difference of level between the river at Nelson's Point and the summit of Pilot Peak being fully 3,650 feet. From the bottom of the canon to the top of the slates the vertical hight is not less than 3,000 feet, all of which has been removed by the agency of water since the time of the eruption of the overlying vol- canic materials. Nowhere in the Sierra do we find more stupendous examples of denudation than occur in the region north and north-east of Pilot Peak, in the canons of Middle Yuba (Feather?) and its branches. At Nelson's Point the slates stand nearly vertical, and crop out in grand masses along the sides of the cañon. But on the steep slopes on both sides the surface strata often curve, as if bent by sliding down the hill, so as to give the impression of a dip to the east, when in fact they stand perfectly vertical below. The elevation of Nelson's Point above the sea is 3,858 feet.
"The basin called the American valley, in which the town of Quincy is situated, is about eleven miles long, and from two to three wide; it has an elevation of 3,500 feet above the sea. In the range of mountains which was crossed in going from Quincy to Elizabethtown, and which is about eight mil. s wide, slates and sandstones were observed, sometimes but little meta- morphosed. They had the usual north-west strike, but dipped towards the south-west. These slates are capped at the summit of the range by hard lava, which occupies only a narrow belt, the flanks of the mountain on the north side being of metamorphic rocks, similar to those seen on the south. Some granitic masses occur in this region. A bold and elevated ridge of this rock was seen a few miles west of Quincy, and again about two miles before reaching Elizabethtown, where it occupies a belt about a mile in width. The slates, however, are the predominating formation. This part of the county is principally occupied by the metamorphic rocks, over an area of about thirty miles in diameter ; but this is almost entirely surrounded by volcanic materials, the great lava streams which have come down from Lassen's Peak on the north, and Pilot Peak on the south, uniting with the volcanic crest of the Sierra, so as to cover the slates around three-quarters of the circumference of the circle.
"From Indian valley the route followed led up to Genesee valley, following Genesee creek, a branch of Spanish creek. This stream runs nearly west, through a canon which a few miles higher up opens out into a valley about four miles long and three-fourths of a mile broad ; the upper part of this is occupied by granitic rocks, the lower by slates. In the canon, about a mile and a half from its mouth, Messrs. Brewer and King discovered a locality of fossils, where a considerable number of specimens of various genera and species were obtained. They were found principally on the spurs of rock coming down from the north, and in the canons between them. The rock is a metamorphic sandstone, rather fine-grained, and portions of it are of a deep red color, resembling in appearance much of the Old Red or Devonian sandstone in England or on the continent. In places it is so much changed that the fossils have become nearly or even quite obliterated ; but a number of species were obtained in a sufficiently good state of preservation to be determined. The specimens obtained here were referred to Mr. Meek for examination, and were considered by him to be almost certainly of Jurassic age. The strata in which the fossils were found vary from east and west to north-east and south-west, and they dip to the south at all angles between thirty degrees and eighty degrees. This locality is about four miles below Gifford's ranch, and near a small grassy flat into which the cañon opens, and is called Mormon Station.
" Above this the valley contracts again into a narrow cañon; but two miles farther up it opens into another and larger basin, called Genesee valley. Along the ravine the rocks are highly meta- morphosed, and their stratification is much disturbed. It is in this valley that Gifford's ranch is situated, and near it is the junction of the granitic and metamorphic rocks. Near the line of
136
contact of the two formations is a belt of limestone which is highly crystalline, but contains a few obscure fossils, apparently the fragments of stems of crinoids, and which are probably of Carbonif- erous age, although this question could not be definitely settled.
" At one locality, between the main belt of limestone and the granite, where there is a curve in the strata, there is a limited patch of calcareous slate containing quite a number of fossils, some of them in very good preservation. These fossils belong to the Triassic series, and prove clearly the existence at this point of the same formation which is so well developed in the Humboldt mining region in Nevada, and also at Washoe, and which, as we have abundant evidence to prove, extends over a vast area on the Pacific coast.
"We have strong reasons to believe that a large portion of the auriferous slates belong to the same formation with those of Genesee valley, which are themselves worked for gold, there being placers all along the range on the south side of the creek quite up to the locality in question.
"From Genesee valley our party returned to Indian valley, and thence made their way in a westerly direction to Big Meadows, in order to explore the vicinity of Lassen's Peak and seek out a route to its summit. Indian valley is from ten to twelve miles long, and is a fertile and pleasant spot, although its elevation is considerable. It is quite surrounded by high mountains, those on the east having an elevation of about 6,000 feet. 'In passing down the valley the slates which are seen on the east side were observed to contain more jaspar than is usual in the Sierra.
" Between Indian valley and the Big Meadows, the edge of the great volcanic region is struck ; from here the mass of lava extends almost uninterruptedly to the Oregon line, and far beyond. The Big Meadows are on the north fork of the Feather river, and form a delightful valley of about fifteen miles long and from two to three wide; it is quite surrounded by volcanic tables and ridges, those on the east side having an elevation of about five hundred feet above the valley, which is itself 4,564 feet above the sea. This elevation was taken at the lower end of the valley, near Bidwell's store, where the Chico road crosses.
" All the pebbles seen about here were of volcanic rock; but the metamorphic slates are reported to occur at Mountain Meadows, which is a basin similar to the Big Meadows, and about fifteen miles farther to the north-east. The soil of this .valley is rather sandy, especially towards its upper end, and the elevation is too great for any other agricultural occupation than that of pastur- ing cattle. The views of Lassen's Peak, rising above the upper end of the Big Meadows, are particularly grand. The mountain does not show a distinct conical shape when seen from this direction, as it does from others, but its slopes are very steep, especially the eastern one."
A description of Lassen's Peak will be found in the first part of the Lassen county history, as will also an account of the exploration of Noble's pass by Lieutenant E. G. Beckwith.
ALTITUDES.
The following table of altitudes has been complied by Authur W. Keddie, civil engineer, and compiler of the splendid map of Plumas county that hangs in the office of the county clerk. Two authorities are given, Lieutenant Tillman and J. E. Mills, between whose estimates of some points there is a slight variation.
بـ
-
Ention. 13ything 0
RESIDENCE OF FENTON B. WHITING. QUINCY, CAL.
-
137
TILLMAN.
MILLS.
Feet.
Feet.
Quincy (Plumas House)
3,381
.3,416
Claremont Hill.
6,998
6,951
Mt. Hough.
7,391
7,431
Old toll-house between Quincy and Taylorville
5,509
Spanish Peak.
6,920
Monte Christo tunnel.
6,288
Spanish Ranch.
3,636
3,631
Meadow Valley
3,757
3,757
Robinson's toll-gate
4,518
Buck's Ranch.
5,112
Buckeye
4,938
Kingsbury's (Hallsted's)
2,678
Cariboo bridge, north fork of Feather River
2,843
Deadwood Pass, head of Rich Gulch
4,628
Miller's, Butt Valley
4,055
Lott's mine
6,309
Butt Creek bridge, Chico road
4,692
Longville, Humbug Valley
4,309
Prattville, Big Meadows
4,394
Geysers ...
5,864
Solfatara, Mud Lake.
5,908
Hot Springs, Hot Spring Valley
6,080
Willow Lake.
5,382
Mt. Harkness, above Warner Valley
8,875
Cinder Cone, top of crater.
6,741
Cinder Cone, bottom of crater
6,596
Warner Creek bridge 4,826
Stover's ranch, west arm of Big Meadows 4,464
Big Spring, east arm of Big Meadows
4,285
Dutch Hill 4,692
Grizzly Hill, above Savercool mine 5,709
Greenville. 3,544
Forgay's ranch, Indian Valley
3,481 (?)
Ford's ranch, Indian Valley
3,518
Taylorville
3,521
Hosselkus ranch
3,635
Kettle Rock
7,843
Moonlight Valley, above Ford's
5,434
Crescent.
3,406 (?)
Arlington bridge
3,375 (?)
Shoo Fly bridge.
3,071
Spanish Creek, six miles from Quincy . 3,136
Summit of La Porte road, above Thompson's
4,458
*
12
138
TILLMAN.
MILLS.
Feet.
Feet.
Bridge at Nelson Point
3,859
Parker's ranch, Little Long Valley ..
4,136
Elwell's marble ledge, Little Long Valley
4,625
Sulphur Springs, Mohawk Valley
4,466
Delaney's ranch
4,840
Beckwourth
4,887
Old Bobo ranch, Sierra Valley
4,910
Summit, Sierra Valley
4,975 (?)
Mape's ranch, Sierra Valley.
5,039
Crow's ranch, Red Clover Valley
5,464
Bagley's ranch, Red Clover Valley
5,387
Omjumi Peak. 8,293
Frenchman's Cove, Last Chance Valley 5,565
Mt. Ingalls, between Red Clover and Grizzly Valleys 8,471
Mt. Wellington, or Smith's Peak ..
7,665
Junction of Last Chance and Squaw Queen Creeks. 5,268
The altitude of Eureka Peak is given at 7,520, and Eureka Mill 6,200; also the following points on the boundary line of Plumas county, taken by Mr. Tillman :
Feet.
Walker's plains, Butte line.
5,000 (?)
Head of Chipp's Creek, Butte line
5,953
Summit of Humbug road, Butte line
6,706
Butt Mountain, Tehama line
7,831
Deer Creek Meadows, Tehama line
4,518
Lassen Peak, Tehama line
10,437
Mt. Dyer, Lassen line.
7,369
Summit Taylorville and Susanville road, Lassen line.
6,428
Thompson Peak, Lassen line
7,752
Pass south of Milford, Lassen line.
5,999
McKissick Peak, Lassen line
7,083
Adams Peak, Lassen line.
8,432
Beckwourth Pass, Lassen line 5,192
Summit Peak, Sierra line 8,302
Sierra Valley, Sierra line
4,800
POPULATION.
The first census taken in Plumas county was enumerated by F. B. Whiting in 1860, at which time the population had fallen off considerably from the amount at the time of the organization of the county. Mr. Whiting's report shows a total of 4,554, distributed as follows:
White.
Chinese.
Indian.
Colored.
American valley.
207
31
..
Filmore township.
461
144
. .
. .
Honey Lake valley
476
. .
. .
139
Indian valley.
White. 362
12
Indian. 105
. .
Mineral township . .
398
78
1
3
Mount Pleasant.
96
64
·
. .
Plumas township
214
17
..
1
Quincy .
191
. .
. .
Quartz township
151
-
Rich Bar township
320
.
. .
Seneca township
427
53
. .
. .
Sierra valley.
478
. .
.
1
Washington township
261
2
. .
-
Total
4,042
399
108
5
In 1864 the county of Lassen was cut off, taking territory that contained in 1860 a population of 476, which loss was recovered in the next six years by the increase of the part remaining. In 1870 G. W. Meylert was the enumerator, and returned a total population of 4,489, distributed among the townships as follows :
Goodwin
223
Foreign. 416
White. 391
Chinese. 248
639
Indian
611
269
817
57
880
Mineral t.
129
271
225
174
400
Plumas
383
257
505
135
640
Quartz
569
241
785
25
810
Rich' Bar
69
131
144
56
200
Seneca
262
138
327
73
400
Washington
168
352
377
143
520
Total.
2,414
1,875
3,571
911
4,489
During the next decade, the population increased nearly one-half-a steady, permanent growth, founded on the prosperity and resources of the county. The census for 1880 shows the population of the county to be 6,262, as follows :
White Males.
White Females.
Chinese.
Indians.
Total.
Beckwourth
296
176,
7
1
480
Goodwin.
329
147
160
. .
636
Indian
884
437
108
251
1,680
Mineral
352
89
240
47
729
Plumas
504
298
164
91
1,057
Quartz
687
223
100
. .
1,010
Seneca
207
10
86
137
535
Total
3,259
1,476
864±
527§
6,127|
.
* Also 5 Indians and 1 Negro.
t Also 1 Negro.
# 849 males and 15 females,
§ 277 males and 250 females.
|| 1 colored person.
..
Chinese.
Colored.
Total.
Native.
140
METEOROLOGICAL.
Plumas county lies entirely within the section drained by the Feather river, one of the prin- cipal confluents of the Sacramento. Scarcely a drop of water or a flake of snow falls within the county that does not find its way into one of the many tributaries of the Feather, and thence to the sea. The watershed between the Nevada and Sacramento basins forms the dividing line between Plumas and Lassen, while the dividing ridge between the Feather and Yuba rivers forms the Sierra county line. On the north-west, the dividing ridge between the waters of the Feather and of Butte and Deer creeks forms the county line, so that Plumas county lies solely within the dominion of Feather river.
Moisture falls in these high mountain regions chiefly in the form of snow, especially on the mountains, though in the early and latter parts of the rainy season the valleys are refreshed with copious showers of rain while the mountain tops are white with snow. Thus it often happens that while the roads in the valley are almost impassable on account of mud, the mountain roads are equally blockaded by the drifts of snow. The heaviest fall of snow occurs on the ridge lying west of the American and Indian valleys, and also between Nelson Point and La Porte. Across this ridge communication is frequently maintained only by messengers on snow-shoes, and mails and express are often transported in that way. [See article on Express and Stages.] The stoppage by snow of the routes of travel has often caused great privation, and even death, especially in the early years. [See Early History and Migration of 1852.] Great suffering has been endured by those caught on the mountains in the winter storms, and many have perished amid the bleak forests, far from help or friends, and others almost within reach of shelter. One of the saddest of these incidents happened but a year ago.
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