Volume 006-5 - November 1952 (2 pages)

When gold was discovered in California, men left whatever occupations thev were following to be among the first miners along the many rivers and creeks in northern California. Whaling vessels were left abandoned in the San Francisco harbor, as captains and crew joined the mad rush. Many members of the crew were from the Hawaiian Islands, and were known as Kanakans. There is no proof they were the first gold seekers up the Middle Yuba and along the creek which bears their name, but legend claims this to be true. They must have been agreeably surprised at the amount of gold taken from the creek’s bed, for Kanaka Creek had cut across an ancient buried river channel and had carried the gold deposited there with it. This was the first source of gold found in California and the method to obtain it known as placer mining.) In the story of “The City of Six” a ride up Kanaka Creek is described in 1853. “It had been most prolific in its gold dust output in 1849, but showed a sad change from the days when the banks were lined with log cabins and the pioneers with the “washer and tom” made music in its bed. There was as much activity in 1853, as many workers, but of another race. The Chinamen were gleaning the old workings, and the the creek had degenerated into ‘China Diggings’.” The story of the buried river channel and its tributaries could be a chapter in itself in our story of Alleghany, for without this channel there would never have been an Aleghany. Sierra County has a number of ancient river channels which were formed 300 to 500 million years ago. The earth’s surface bubbled such as boiling molasses would do, and then cooled forming an outside crust. It began to crack at intervals. Up through these cracks came steam, moulten rocks, quartz, gold, and other minerals which were deposited in the cracks. During the ice age, ice spread out to fill every depression. When it began to melt and flow away, it took the top of the veins with it. Then came the volcanic period, presumably from Lake Tahoe in the Alleghany district, which lasted 10,000,000 years. The rivers were filled with ash, and then covered with lava and mud flows. The water began to overflow all of this and though the rivers drained east and west before, they now flow north and south. Geologists can easily recognize a river bed made by glacier action. It is V shaped, while the present rivers are U shaped. The buried river channel coming through Alleghany was first found at the City of Six above Downieville. It is known as the Monte Cristo Channel, and was traced to Goodyear Bar, where it suddenly disappeared. It is thought to have eroded into the present river bed. Goodyear Bar was extremely rich. The early placer miners were known to have taken out $600 to $800 a day. The channel was again located going through Forest and Alleghany, across Kanaka Creek to Chipp’s Flat, Minnesota, Moores, Woolsey’s and Orleans Flat to North Bloomfield, and draining on down the North an Juan Ridge. In the book, “The City of Six,” it is stated that in 1852 in a stretch of fifteen miles from the City of Six on the north to Orleans Flat on the south, the channel of the old dead river had been traced and opened where the canyons, creeks and river had cut through and below its old bed. ‘At Forest City, Cumberland, Chipp’s Flat, Minnesota and Moores Flat, busy and prosperous camps had sprung up. dozens of companies were delving in the old river bed and the returns were enormous.” There is another river channel] running parallel to the Monte to. known as the Kirkpatrick Channel. It ane to the right, following Kanaka reek, Placer miners working on Kanaka Creek must have been surprised to find gold in the hills. Dirt was carried to the creek’s bed and panned out. Ground sluicing came into vogue. and then hydraulic mining. One can still see the workings of these old hydraulic mines at Chipp’s Flat, Minnesota, and at Emith’s Flat below Alleghany. where the banks are 50 ft. high. The Transcript of March 3. 1861, mentions a nugget worth $10,000 found at Chipp’s Flat. and said it seems the $10,000 lumps are not unusual in Sierra County. Captain Ferguson in his geolopical survey estimated that between two and four million dollars had been extracted from the Alleghany district by the hydraulic method. The Plumbago outcroppings were worked at a very early date by hydraulicing, and later became a drift mine, as did the Ruby and the Rainbow. $28,000,000 is estimated as the amount taken from drift mines. The first quartz ledge found in the vicinity was in the Rainbow Mine in 1858. In 1881, $60,000 was taken out in a single day, and a slab of quartz containing $20,000 was exhibited in San Francisco. Rich strikes were being made in the Renton and Oriental Mines as early as Edmond Kinyon, the late editor of the Union, once said, “Alleghany is the camp which changed from gravel into a veritable treasure chest of quartz.” In 1807, H. L. Johnson discovered a vein, developed it for $1,200 and made half a million dollars. It was known as the Tightner. During the two years that he developed it, a single chunk of ore weighing 163 pounds brought $27,000 from the mint. He sold the mine for $500,000 because he was afraid of the faults in the vein. The purchasers sold it because they got into poor ground. The Newmont people bought it and after operating it at considerable profit sold it to the Sixteen to One because they believed the values would not persist .in depth. Good mining and good business management has made the 16 to 1 the premier mine of Sierra County. It was discovered in 1896 by Thomas W. Bradbury, and received its name at the tinie Bryan was advocating 16 parts of silver to 1 of gold. The original Sixteen to One Mine today is consolidated with the Tightner and the Twenty-One, and is situated on the Alleghany fault. When the vein was being formed, the quartz rock was crushed and the freed gold was deposited in the fractures thus formed. It is known as the richest pocket belt in the world, which makes mining in Alleghany exciting. One must always have enough capital to carry on through the borasca perieds until another pocket or jewelry shop is reached. When the 16 to 1 closed during World War IJ, Mr. H. U. Maxfield, the president, estimated that during the previous twenty years, the 16 to 1 had paid out $3,200,000 in wages, $1,500,000 to merchants, and $1,100,000 for electric power, as well as paying dividends to the stockholders. It has been a great addition to Alleghany. One cold day at the 16 to 1 a teamster began to feel numb while waiting for his load, so he walked into the tunnel, found a pick and began swinging it at the first place that was handy, just to start up his circulation. He said the slab he hit was so heavy he could hardly pry it out. It contained $28,000. Alleghany has numerous mining stories. Alleghany miners going to the city will absent-mindedly direct the elevator to stop at a given level. One miner in a restaurant was served a berry pie for dessert. He eyed it curiously, and then called the waitress, saying, “You might as well take this pie back because the hang wall and the foot wall are so close together it’s not worth mucking out.” Cumberland, Forest City, Chipp’s Flat and Minnesota were settled about the same time in the year 1852. Cumberland, which is now a part of Alleghany, may have been settled by a group from Pennsylvania and named for the Cumberland Gap. It was quite a large town, and was thriving into the 1860s. During the Civil War, the towns liked to compete with each other in raising the largest flag of 34 stars on the highest pole to show their loyalty to the Union. The following article appeared in the Daily Transcript, June 1, 1861: “We learn that the citizens of Cumberland, Sierra County, are having a good time in that place today, on the occasion of the raising of a handsome flag which cost $250 and is 20 x 40 feet in size. The staff which this beautiful flag is to adorn is 145 feet high and from its location can be seen a great distance. Several speakers are to address the audjence during the day and in the evening a ball at Haskell’s Hotel will close the festivities. Hurrah for the Cumberland boys; the stars and stripes never waved over a more gentlemanly and clever lot.” Alleghany was settled a year later in 1853, when a tunnel was commenced between Forest City and Alleghany. The Palce Names Book of the University of California states it was taken from the Delaware Indian name for river. The tunnel proved exceedingly handy to people during the stormy peAlthough Alleghany is spelt differently from the Alleghany River in Pennsylvania, it is pronounced the same with the stress on the “ghany.” In the fifties and sixties it was known as Alleghanytown. Robert W. Service would have thrilled at the rhythmical sound of that name. What poetry he could have mustered together! “You ask me where I’m headed for? “T’ll tell you where I’m bound. Up the Yuba’s, Kanaka Creek to Alleghanytown.” This item was taken from the Transcript of Nov. 20, 1860, and still has the flavor of the Alleghany a few years back: “A communication has been forwarded to us, dated Nov. 10th, stating an affray took place between one Pat Gray and John Pomeroy at Alleghanytown, originating over a game of cards. Gray fired at Pomeroy, who returned the fire. The first shot taking off Gray's thumb, the second taking effect in the arm, and the third passing through the body. He was living at last accounts. Pomeroy was arrested and tried,but discharged on the ground that he acted in self defense.” Winter travel has always been a problem into Alleghany. This item appeared in the Transcript, January 29, 1861: “Intense cold was encountered by stage passengers on the ridge below Forest City. Ice formed on the bridle bits of the horses, and the cutting wind reminded one of the prairie breezes of Iowa and Wiscousin. The Stage Com-

When gold was discovered in California, men left whatever occupations thev were following to be among the first miners along the many rivers and creeks in northern California. Whaling vessels were left abandoned in the San Francisco harbor, as captains and crew joined the mad rush. Many members of the crew were from the Hawaiian Islands, and were known as Kanakans. There is no proof they were the first gold seekers up the Middle Yuba and along the creek which bears their name, but legend claims this to be true. They must have been agreeably surprised at the amount of gold taken from the creek’s bed, for Kanaka Creek had cut across an ancient buried river channel and had carried the gold deposited there with it. This was the first source of gold found in California and the method to obtain it known as placer mining.) In the story of “The City of Six” a ride up Kanaka Creek is described in 1853. “It had been most prolific in its gold dust output in 1849, but showed a sad change from the days when the banks were lined with log cabins and the pioneers with the “washer and tom” made music in its bed. There was as much activity in 1853, as many workers, but of another race. The Chinamen were gleaning the old workings, and the the creek had degenerated into ‘China Diggings’.” The story of the buried river channel and its tributaries could be a chapter in itself in our story of Alleghany, for without this channel there would never have been an Aleghany. Sierra County has a number of ancient river channels which were formed 300 to 500 million years ago. The earth’s surface bubbled such as boiling molasses would do, and then cooled forming an outside crust. It began to crack at intervals. Up through these cracks came steam, moulten rocks, quartz, gold, and other minerals which were deposited in the cracks. During the ice age, ice spread out to fill every depression. When it began to melt and flow away, it took the top of the veins with it. Then came the volcanic period, presumably from Lake Tahoe in the Alleghany district, which lasted 10,000,000 years. The rivers were filled with ash, and then covered with lava and mud flows. The water began to overflow all of this and though the rivers drained east and west before, they now flow north and south. Geologists can easily recognize a river bed made by glacier action. It is V shaped, while the present rivers are U shaped. The buried river channel coming through Alleghany was first found at the City of Six above Downieville. It is known as the Monte Cristo Channel, and was traced to Goodyear Bar, where it suddenly disappeared. It is thought to have eroded into the present river bed. Goodyear Bar was extremely rich. The early placer miners were known to have taken out $600 to $800 a day. The channel was again located going through Forest and Alleghany, across Kanaka Creek to Chipp’s Flat, Minnesota, Moores, Woolsey’s and Orleans Flat to North Bloomfield, and draining on down the North an Juan Ridge. In the book, “The City of Six,” it is stated that in 1852 in a stretch of fifteen miles from the City of Six on the north to Orleans Flat on the south, the channel of the old dead river had been traced and opened where the canyons, creeks and river had cut through and below its old bed. ‘At Forest City, Cumberland, Chipp’s Flat, Minnesota and Moores Flat, busy and prosperous camps had sprung up. dozens of companies were delving in the old river bed and the returns were enormous.” There is another river channel] running parallel to the Monte to. known as the Kirkpatrick Channel. It ane to the right, following Kanaka reek, Placer miners working on Kanaka Creek must have been surprised to find gold in the hills. Dirt was carried to the creek’s bed and panned out. Ground sluicing came into vogue. and then hydraulic mining. One can still see the workings of these old hydraulic mines at Chipp’s Flat, Minnesota, and at Emith’s Flat below Alleghany. where the banks are 50 ft. high. The Transcript of March 3. 1861, mentions a nugget worth $10,000 found at Chipp’s Flat. and said it seems the $10,000 lumps are not unusual in Sierra County. Captain Ferguson in his geolopical survey estimated that between two and four million dollars had been extracted from the Alleghany district by the hydraulic method. The Plumbago outcroppings were worked at a very early date by hydraulicing, and later became a drift mine, as did the Ruby and the Rainbow. $28,000,000 is estimated as the amount taken from drift mines. The first quartz ledge found in the vicinity was in the Rainbow Mine in 1858. In 1881, $60,000 was taken out in a

single day, and a slab of quartz containing $20,000 was exhibited in San Francisco. Rich strikes were being made in the Renton and Oriental Mines as early as Edmond Kinyon, the late editor of the Union, once said, “Alleghany is the camp which changed from gravel into a veritable treasure chest of quartz.” In 1807, H. L. Johnson discovered a vein, developed it for $1,200 and made half a million dollars. It was known as the Tightner. During the two years that he developed it, a single chunk of ore weighing 163 pounds brought $27,000 from the mint. He sold the mine for $500,000 because he was afraid of the faults in the vein. The purchasers sold it because they got into poor ground. The Newmont people bought it and after operating it at considerable profit sold it to the Sixteen to One because they believed the values would not persist .in depth. Good mining and good business management has made the 16 to 1 the premier mine of Sierra County. It was discovered in 1896 by Thomas W. Bradbury, and received its name at the tinie Bryan was advocating 16 parts of silver to 1 of gold. The original Sixteen to One Mine today is consolidated with the Tightner and the Twenty-One, and is situated on the Alleghany fault. When the vein was being formed, the quartz rock was crushed and the freed gold was deposited in the fractures thus formed. It is known as the richest pocket belt in the world, which makes mining in Alleghany exciting. One must always have enough capital to carry on through the borasca perieds until another pocket or jewelry shop is reached. When the 16 to 1 closed during World War IJ, Mr. H. U. Maxfield, the president, estimated that during the previous twenty years, the 16 to 1 had paid out $3,200,000 in wages, $1,500,000 to merchants, and $1,100,000 for electric power, as well as paying dividends to the stockholders. It has been a great addition to Alleghany. One cold day at the 16 to 1 a teamster began to feel numb while waiting for his load, so he walked into the tunnel, found a pick and began swinging it at the first place that was handy, just to start up his circulation. He said the slab he hit was so heavy he could hardly pry it out. It contained $28,000. Alleghany has numerous mining stories. Alleghany miners going to the city will absent-mindedly direct the elevator to stop at a given level. One miner in a restaurant was served a berry pie for dessert. He eyed it curiously, and then called the waitress, saying, “You might as well take this pie back because the hang wall and the foot wall are so close together it’s not worth mucking out.” Cumberland, Forest City, Chipp’s Flat and Minnesota were settled about the same time in the year 1852. Cumberland, which is now a part of Alleghany, may have been settled by a group from Pennsylvania and named for the Cumberland Gap. It was quite a large town, and was thriving into the 1860s. During the Civil War, the towns liked to compete with each other in raising the largest flag of 34 stars on the highest pole to show their loyalty to the Union. The following article appeared in the Daily Transcript, June 1, 1861: “We learn that the citizens of Cumberland, Sierra County, are having a good time in that place today, on the occasion of the raising of a handsome flag which cost $250 and is 20 x 40 feet in size. The staff which this beautiful flag is to adorn is 145 feet high and from its location can be seen a great distance. Several speakers are to address the audjence during the day and in the evening a ball at Haskell’s Hotel will close the festivities. Hurrah for the Cumberland boys; the stars and stripes never waved over a more gentlemanly and clever lot.” Alleghany was settled a year later in 1853, when a tunnel was commenced between Forest City and Alleghany. The Palce Names Book of the University of California states it was taken from the Delaware Indian name for river. The tunnel proved exceedingly handy to people during the stormy peAlthough Alleghany is spelt differently from the Alleghany River in Pennsylvania, it is pronounced the same with the stress on the “ghany.” In the fifties and sixties it was known as Alleghanytown. Robert W. Service would have thrilled at the rhythmical sound of that name. What poetry he could have mustered together! “You ask me where I’m headed for? “T’ll tell you where I’m bound. Up the Yuba’s, Kanaka Creek to Alleghanytown.” This item was taken from the Transcript of Nov. 20, 1860, and still has the flavor of the Alleghany a few years back: “A communication has been forwarded to us, dated Nov. 10th, stating an affray took place between one Pat Gray and John Pomeroy at Alleghanytown, originating over a game of cards. Gray fired at Pomeroy, who returned the fire. The first shot taking off Gray's thumb, the second taking effect in the arm, and the third passing through the body. He was living at last accounts. Pomeroy was arrested and tried,but discharged on the ground that he acted in self defense.” Winter travel has always been a problem into Alleghany. This item appeared in the Transcript, January 29, 1861: “Intense cold was encountered by stage passengers on the ridge below Forest City. Ice formed on the bridle bits of the horses, and the cutting wind reminded one of the prairie breezes of Iowa and Wiscousin. The Stage Com-