Volume 036-1 - January 1982 (8 pages)

THE CODLING MOTH In 1881 a large percentage of the Nevada County apple and pear crop had been destroyed by the codling moth. Early in 1882 orchardists were instructed to scrape off the bark of each tree, wash off the larvae and put eight inch bands of sacking around the trunks, two inches from the ground. Trees were to be examined, bands removed and worms destroyed once a week. Eucalyptus leaves twined about the trees were said to be a sure prevention. Orchardists, who failed to scrape trees before the fruit set, were advised to spray with a mixture of whale oil or soft soap and sulphur. Scale insects were taking a toll in Placer County, but had not as yet invaded this county. It was hoped the Nevada County Narrow Gauge would not accept trees, plants or vines for shipment into Nevada County unless they were disinfected. An agreement was reached with the Central Pacific Railroad that after February 26 all citrus fruits and trees were to be inspected prior to shipping. Later in the year the Horticultural Commissioner reported finding codling moths in the orchards. WEATHER The Transcript editor observed on January 7 that there was scarcely any snow in the mountains and Nevada City had a total of 20.68 inches of precipitation for the season. In 1881 that city had 24.76 with deep snow in the mountains. By February 19 there was snow down to Marysville and 12 inches at Smartsville. In mid-March the Central Pacific near Shady Run (present Midas) was blockaded by snow that had been falling for two days. The westbound train was trapped and three snow plows were off the track. Trains were being held at Alta and Colfax. The line was opened briefly on the 18th, then finally cleared on the 25th. The storm deposited 35 feet of snow at Summit Valiey. Mr. Prescott, the mail contractor, came down from Washington prior to March 22 on snowshoes, making the 17mile trip in a day and ahalf. On Aprilia large force from Reno was shoveling out plows and trains on the Central Pacific line. Mary Condon was hired to begin teaching at Omega in early April. The snow was so deep that she had to use snowshoes to get to her school from her home at Moore’s Flat. On April 23 the Union editor said, “What with sun spots and the big comet the weather is out of joint.” Wells Comet could be seen with the naked eye in May “between 2 and 3 in the morning on a line drawn between Vega and the Pole star.” By July the comet was pronounced “neither a total failure nor a brilliant success.” In October a new comet was visible. On June 2 the thermometer at Smartsville registered 104 degrees, but as a whole it was an unusually cold month. THE NEVADA COUNTY NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD In March and September the NCNG paid $3 a share in its second and third dividends. Business was booming because miners in the hills were boycotting Marysville merchants and teamsters. Supplies were coming to Nevada City by train then were carried on to the San Juan Ridge, Downieville and Sierra City in freight wagons. The freighting warehouses were bulging because it was difficult to get enought teamsters with equipment heavy enough to haul the loads. ; Free NCNG trains were usually provided to haul people to political meetings, but in September that policy was abandoned. Too many youths and children were riding them. At mid-year plans were announced for a railroad bridge to be built over the Greenhorn, a new platform and freight shed for Nevada City and a new spur that was to be added for a Grass Valley lumber business. At Colfax three quarters of a mile of steel rail was to be installed from the engine house toward the Bear River and 10,000 new ties were to be laid. QUARTZ MINES An entire 30-man shift, including the foreman, struck at the New York Hill Mine in Grass Valley in early January because a new superintendent had belittled the amount of work done by the shift. The strikers were quickly replaced. The papers were full of mining accidents in which men lost fingers, were blinded or maimed in some other way. On August 4 a boiler at the Idaho Mine exploded and shot through the end of the building, landing 40 feet away. No one was hurt, but the underground shift had to climb out by ladder. On August 26 there was a cavein at the 1100 foot level of the Idaho. Four men, Thomas Williams, Frank Johns, Richard Johns and Richard Carter were at the bottom of the lower incline when a large mass of rock thundered down upon them. Williams was killed instantly and the others injured. The March 10 Transcript contained an amusing article about “underground ghosts that gold-diggers see and hear.” Raps on timbers, shrieks of women, groans of men and the cries of children were heard in Eagle Mine on the edge of Pine Grove Cemetery. One miner saw a woman in the drift and when he spoke, the earth opened and swallowed her. The noises turned out to be a bell wirein the shaft that was rubbing against a spike, but the woman’s presence remained a mystery. Dinner buckets in Wyoming Mine were spirited away and hidden in a deserted part of the mine. Long ago in an unidentified mine a man had been blinded by an accident. For several days in March of 1882, when a miner approached that spot his candle was extinguished. OBITUARIES There were the usual variety of births, deaths and marriages recorded in the vital statistics in 1882, but the following obituaries were given the most publicity: Eli Halphen, 83, died March 14 and was buried in the Jewish Cemetery. He had been a captain in the French army and mayor of Metz before coming to the US in 1852. Halphen had owned extensive property in Oakland, but there had been some sort of trouble. He came first to Brown’s Valley, then to Union Hill where he had a store. His former wealth was gone at the time of his death. Charles Woodson Smith, a native of new York who arrived in California in August of 1849, died in April. He had first gone to Rose’s Bar on the Yuba River. He ran a hotel on Main Street in Grass Valley prior to 1852 when he purchased the Globe Ranch and hotel, a stage stop on Auburn Road. In 1855 he bought the Exchange Hotel, purchased in 1879 by D.P. Holbrooke. Coroner Frank Huss purchased Greenwood Cemetery on Rough and Ready Road in April. In May a suit was commenced by Huss against W.C. Pope to obtain possession. The property had been sold for taxes and was in poor condition. Pope refused to give it up and sent his son to the graveyard to keep Huss off the premises. George S. Powers, resident manager of Blue Tent Mining Company, died June 24 as the result of an accident. He and another man fell and were washed down a flume. The one man got out, but Powers’ body was found later above Edward’s Bridge. He was the Commander of Nevada Commandery, Knights Templar, at the time of his death. During the first week in July Sam, chief of the Indians, died at the Campoodie near Nevada City. He was buried, according to his wishes, American style, but sans coffin and with all his possessions with him. The oldest white inhabitants recalled that he already was in Nevada County when they arrived. Another pioneer and a former slave, Jourdan QOusley, 69, died on July 4, He was a native of Kentucky and had come to California years before with his master, Col. Ousley. The funeral was from the family home on lower Mill Street in Boston Ravine. Ousley was noted for his skill with horses. The Union of October 5 reported the death in Plumas County of Mrs. Hartley‘, “who for many years lived at Meadow Lake, staying with her husband, Henry H. Hartley, through deep snows.”’ She had “quite a reputation as a violinist,”” her obituary noted.

THE CODLING MOTH In 1881 a large percentage of the Nevada County apple and pear crop had been destroyed by the codling moth. Early in 1882 orchardists were instructed to scrape off the bark of each tree, wash off the larvae and put eight inch bands of sacking around the trunks, two inches from the ground. Trees were to be examined, bands removed and worms destroyed once a week. Eucalyptus leaves twined about the trees were said to be a sure prevention. Orchardists, who failed to scrape trees before the fruit set, were advised to spray with a mixture of whale oil or soft soap and sulphur. Scale insects were taking a toll in Placer County, but had not as yet invaded this county. It was hoped the Nevada County Narrow Gauge would not accept trees, plants or vines for shipment into Nevada County unless they were disinfected. An agreement was reached with the Central Pacific Railroad that after February 26 all citrus fruits and trees were to be inspected prior to shipping. Later in the year the Horticultural Commissioner reported finding codling moths in the orchards. WEATHER The Transcript editor observed on January 7 that there was scarcely any snow in the mountains and Nevada City had a total of 20.68 inches of precipitation for the season. In 1881 that city had 24.76 with deep snow in the mountains. By February 19 there was snow down to Marysville and 12 inches at Smartsville. In mid-March the Central Pacific near Shady Run (present Midas) was blockaded by snow that had been falling for two days. The westbound train was trapped and three snow plows were off the track. Trains were being held at Alta and Colfax. The line was opened briefly on the 18th, then finally cleared on the 25th. The storm deposited 35 feet of snow at Summit Valiey. Mr. Prescott, the mail contractor, came down from Washington prior to March 22 on snowshoes, making the 17mile trip in a day and ahalf. On Aprilia large force from Reno was shoveling out plows and trains on the Central Pacific line. Mary Condon was hired to begin teaching at Omega in early April. The snow was so deep that she had to use snowshoes to get to her school from her home at Moore’s Flat. On April 23 the Union editor said, “What with sun spots and the big comet the weather is out of joint.” Wells Comet could be seen with the naked eye in May “between 2 and 3 in the morning on a line drawn between Vega and the Pole star.” By July the comet was pronounced “neither a total failure nor a brilliant success.” In October a new comet was visible. On June 2 the thermometer at Smartsville registered 104 degrees, but as a whole it was an unusually cold month. THE NEVADA COUNTY NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD In March and September the NCNG paid $3 a share in its second and third dividends. Business was booming because miners in the hills were boycotting Marysville merchants and teamsters. Supplies were coming to Nevada City by train then were carried on to the San Juan Ridge, Downieville and Sierra City in freight wagons. The freighting warehouses were bulging because it was difficult to get enought teamsters with equipment heavy enough to haul the loads. ; Free NCNG trains were usually provided to haul people to political meetings, but in September that policy was abandoned. Too many youths and children were riding them. At mid-year plans were announced for a railroad bridge to be built over the Greenhorn, a new platform and freight shed for Nevada City and a new spur that was to be added for a Grass Valley lumber business. At Colfax three quarters of a mile of steel rail was to be installed from the engine house toward the Bear River and 10,000 new ties were to be laid. QUARTZ MINES An entire 30-man shift, including the foreman, struck at the New York Hill Mine in Grass Valley in early January because a new superintendent

had belittled the amount of work done by the shift. The strikers were quickly replaced. The papers were full of mining accidents in which men lost fingers, were blinded or maimed in some other way. On August 4 a boiler at the Idaho Mine exploded and shot through the end of the building, landing 40 feet away. No one was hurt, but the underground shift had to climb out by ladder. On August 26 there was a cavein at the 1100 foot level of the Idaho. Four men, Thomas Williams, Frank Johns, Richard Johns and Richard Carter were at the bottom of the lower incline when a large mass of rock thundered down upon them. Williams was killed instantly and the others injured. The March 10 Transcript contained an amusing article about “underground ghosts that gold-diggers see and hear.” Raps on timbers, shrieks of women, groans of men and the cries of children were heard in Eagle Mine on the edge of Pine Grove Cemetery. One miner saw a woman in the drift and when he spoke, the earth opened and swallowed her. The noises turned out to be a bell wirein the shaft that was rubbing against a spike, but the woman’s presence remained a mystery. Dinner buckets in Wyoming Mine were spirited away and hidden in a deserted part of the mine. Long ago in an unidentified mine a man had been blinded by an accident. For several days in March of 1882, when a miner approached that spot his candle was extinguished. OBITUARIES There were the usual variety of births, deaths and marriages recorded in the vital statistics in 1882, but the following obituaries were given the most publicity: Eli Halphen, 83, died March 14 and was buried in the Jewish Cemetery. He had been a captain in the French army and mayor of Metz before coming to the US in 1852. Halphen had owned extensive property in Oakland, but there had been some sort of trouble. He came first to Brown’s Valley, then to Union Hill where he had a store. His former wealth was gone at the time of his death. Charles Woodson Smith, a native of new York who arrived in California in August of 1849, died in April. He had first gone to Rose’s Bar on the Yuba River. He ran a hotel on Main Street in Grass Valley prior to 1852 when he purchased the Globe Ranch and hotel, a stage stop on Auburn Road. In 1855 he bought the Exchange Hotel, purchased in 1879 by D.P. Holbrooke. Coroner Frank Huss purchased Greenwood Cemetery on Rough and Ready Road in April. In May a suit was commenced by Huss against W.C. Pope to obtain possession. The property had been sold for taxes and was in poor condition. Pope refused to give it up and sent his son to the graveyard to keep Huss off the premises. George S. Powers, resident manager of Blue Tent Mining Company, died June 24 as the result of an accident. He and another man fell and were washed down a flume. The one man got out, but Powers’ body was found later above Edward’s Bridge. He was the Commander of Nevada Commandery, Knights Templar, at the time of his death. During the first week in July Sam, chief of the Indians, died at the Campoodie near Nevada City. He was buried, according to his wishes, American style, but sans coffin and with all his possessions with him. The oldest white inhabitants recalled that he already was in Nevada County when they arrived. Another pioneer and a former slave, Jourdan QOusley, 69, died on July 4, He was a native of Kentucky and had come to California years before with his master, Col. Ousley. The funeral was from the family home on lower Mill Street in Boston Ravine. Ousley was noted for his skill with horses. The Union of October 5 reported the death in Plumas County of Mrs. Hartley‘, “who for many years lived at Meadow Lake, staying with her husband, Henry H. Hartley, through deep snows.”’ She had “quite a reputation as a violinist,”” her obituary noted.