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AND PACIFIC COAST GUIDE.

191

 

what is said to be “ the root of all evil "—
GoLp—and a huge root it is; they all point
to it; we are hunting it; have hunted it for
forty years; struck the trail several times,
but it soon got cold; and it has been diffi-
cult for some time to find a “color.”

Auburn—tThe county seat of Placer
county—is 7.71 miles west of Clipper Gap,
and contains about 1,000 inhabitants. Gar-
dens, vineyards, and orchards abound, and
everything betokens quiet, home-comforts
and ease. It has excellent schools and
fine churches, and is one of the neatest
looking towns in the county. The public
buildings, court-house etc., are good, and
the grounds well kept. The greater portion
of the dwellings stand alittle distance from
the road. The American, Orleans, and
Railroad House, are the principal hotels.
The Placer Herald and the Argus, both
weekly newspapers, are published here.

Stages run daily from Auburn to Pilot
Hill, eleven miles; Greenwood, 14 miles;
Georgetown, 20 miles; Coloma, 22 miles;
Forest Hill, 23 miles; Michigan Blufis, 30
miles; Placerville, 30 miles.

We are now in the foot-hills:

ALABASTER CAVE is situated eight miles
southeast of Auburn, on Kidd’s Ravine,
about a mile above its junction with the
North Fork oi the American River. When
the cave was first discovered, Aug. 19, 1860,
it was a beautiful place, consisting of one
room, 100x80 feet. Atthe north end was a
most magnificent pulpit, in the Episcopal
Church style, completed with the most
beautiful drapery of alabaster sterites, of
all colors, varying from white to pink-red,
overhanging and surrounding the beholder.
Immediately under the pulpit was a beau-
tiful little lake of water. Beyond this
chamber was another, 200x100 feet, with
most beautiful alabaster overhangings, in
every possible shape of drapery. Vandal
hands, have, in late years, destroyed much
of its original beauty,

After leaving Auburn, we pass through
Bloomer Out, (see illustration, page 195),
then near the next station we pass over the
New Castle Gap Bridge, which, before it
was filled up with earth, was 528 feet lon
and 60 feet high. All trestle bridges an
trestle works on both the Union and
Central Pacific roads, have all been filled
in with rock, earth or iron, within the last
five years.

New Castle—is a small place of
about 200 inhabitants, 4.89 miles from Au-
burn. We pass on through little valleys

and — low hills, with evidences of
past and a little present mining.

Off to the right are the old-+ime minin
camps of Ophir, Virginia City, Gold Hill,
and several others, where yet considerable
placer mining is indulged in by the old
settlers who are good for nothing else.

There are several stone quarries neur the
station, where a very good article of granite
is procured.

Just after leaving Newcastle, we catch
the first glimpse of the beautiful valley of
the Sacramento, from the windows on the
right-hand side of the cars.
been several points above, where the val-
ley could be sen for a moment, but very
indistinclly. Passing on by several valu-
able stone quarries, for 6.06 miles, we
come to

Pino—We are rapidly descending, but
among the low hills, covered with chap-
arral, manzanita and grease-wood, the
road winds onward for 3.04 miles further,
passing several valuable quarries, to the
right and left, when we arrive at

Rocklin—Here the company have a
machine shop and round-house of 28.stalls,
built in the most substantial manner, of
Saeed obtained near by. The ce.ebrated

cklin Granite Quarries are close to the
station, on the left-hand side of the road.
The granite obtained here is of excellent
quality, and does not stain on exposure to
the weather. The stone for the State Cap-
itol and formany of the best buildings in
San Francisco was quarried here.

Leaving Rocklin and the foot-hills—the
country now opening out into the plains,
or the valley bordering the American River
—we have no more hills to encounter; yet
the country is somewhat uneven, and after
winding around, ona regular grade, for
3.91 miles further, we reach the

Juanction—Roseville Junction—This
place is 18.24 miles from Sacramento.
Here are several stores, a hotel, and one of
the best places on the coast to establish a
flouring mill. Using the wheat t' at is
raised near, and finding a ready market in
the mines to the east, would have a decided
advantage in point of location and freights
over any other mill on the coast. At this
junction branches off the Oregon division
of the Central Pacific, for Marysville and
the North Oregon. The road is completed
to Redding, 169 miles north. Passengers
can change cars here if they choose, or go
on to Sacramento, as the trains for the Ore-
gon division are made up at that city, and

 

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