AND PACIFIC COAST GUIDE.

 

wagons coupled together—as illustrated on
page 67—employing from 300 to 400 mules,
each team hauling from 30,000 to 40,000
lbs. In winter, when their mules are not
in use, they are kept at this station, and
the hay is harvested by the company and
used for their own stock.

Continuing on up the valley 9.31 miles,
we come to

Box Sprrnes—but trains do not stop
only on signal, and nine miles further
stop at

MrneraL—This is a regular eating sta-
tion, and in fact is the only one on the road.
The meals cost $1.00, and are of the sub-
stantial order, that makes bone and sinew.

To the east is located the Mineral Hill
Mine, once the most productive in the
State, but it proved to be a “ pocket’ and
the origina] owners, after taking out sev-
eral millions of dollars, sold their mine to
an English company—who, until within
the last year, have allowed it to remain

 

157

 

 

AMERICAN RIVER CANYON.

Near Shady Run, Sierra Nevada Mountain:.

idle. It is now being worked with good
prospects.

From Mineral, it is 5.5 miles to

DrEP WELLS—so named for a deep well
that was dug near by, to procure water for
the freight teams that were in the habit of
traveling this road. The enterprising “Pil-
grim” who dug the well was wont to charge
$1.00 for sufficient water to water an 18
mule team, or “ four skins full for a quar-
ter.”

From Deep Wells the route is over a
sage-brush country, rough and bluffy, for
seven miles, to

ALPHA—a small station, near where
kilns of charcoal are burned for use at the
smelting furnaces. To the west of this
station is a broad valley, over which range
large herds of cattle. Willow Creek, a
small stream, is crossed, and ten miles from
Alpha is

Prinz Srarron—another place where
charcoal burning is the principal busi-

ha pai cath