Volume 047-1 - January 1993 (10 pages)

produced and shipped $1,146,531 in bullion in 1874*' was short of money. On Tuesday, August 11, the directors met to receive the report? of costs from Engineer Bates: For the Roadway ...... $194,747.00 For the Superstructure..... 146,785.56 For the Equipment ....... 51,100.00 For the Buildings ....... 18,500.00 $411,132.56 Considering the cost of the road, it was decided unwise to proceed with construction until $300,000 was subscribed. $74,000 was needed, and a committee of two was named to solicit this last amount by the first Tuesday in September. The committee further agreed that should this amount not be met, a meeting of the stockholders would be held to submit to them the question of disincorporating the company. George Fletcher and Andrew Parker were appointed to canvass the town and the communities on the ridge commencing at North San Juan to raise this money. Subscriptions did not go well. By August 26, only $8,100 had been solicited. Unrestrainedly the Transcript wrote, (it is) ‘‘now doubtful whether the road will be built?’ Unless the required amount was subscribed it was “goodbye Railroad forever . . . we say in the name of Heaven . . . subscribe unless you want the town to go to the devil!’®” The Union added its story of discouragement. The company will surely disincorporate, it said, unless more money be raised. Property will decrease in value at least twenty-five percent when there is no prospect of the road being built. With this encouragement in discouragement from its rival paper the Transcript threw caution to the winds and on Tuesday, September 1, came out with a railroad issue. The middle spread of the paper which carried the news and local interest stories was given over to seventeen separate articles concerning the railroad. With such headlines as What Shall Be Done, The Railroad Debt, Lively (interest, it was), The Verdict, Where Will The Money Go To, Can Any More Money Be Raised, Promises, Gloomy Days and others, suggestions were made, and sad results of failure were listed and the conclusion drawn that the work should progress as far as the money would go, and above all else, ‘‘Don’t give up the ship?’ It is difficult to know if the Directors read or heeded this outburst. But a jubilant typesetter was able to print with large letters the following day, “‘THE RAILROAD WILL BE BUILT?’ The directors had extended the time for subscription thirty days, and had authorized the President to advertise for bids for construction of the road. The payment would be one half in cash, and one half in eight percent bonds of the company. Another ten percent assessment was levied. ‘“‘Times will be lively and everything prosperous. Hurrah for the Railroad’’, caroled the editor. Bates returned to the community to complete the survey for the railroad. Changes were made, pmmonne bringing the line into Grass Valley, and, as the grade at Town Talk on the rise between the Twin Cities had proved too great, a longer but more practical line was proposed here. At last, the engineers’ report was complete and a construction bid notice to railroad contractors appeared in the papers. Sealed proposals were to be presented by the twenty-first of November. For the work, the company guaranteed one half of the cost would be paid in gold coin, and the other half in company bonds secured by mortgage on all property of the company. The opening of the bids was postponed until November 24. At that time only one bid, that of M.G. Beatty of Grass Valley, had been received. After some discussion it was decided to accept it conditionally. Some consultation with Beatty was necessary before a final decision could be made. Not until Friday, December 4, were the difficulties removed and the following resolution made: that the bid of M.F. Beatty to build and equip the road be accepted. The contract price was $500,000. Money was still needed to complete the cash payment necessary for the construction contract. Several large sums were received from old Nevada County friends now living elsewhere. A grand total of $255,400 was subscribed, the directors met, signed the contract and gave the bonds. The Transcript sang a happy refrain, “goodbye toll road, goodbye stage riding’’, and ended with the usual chorus of ‘‘Hurrah for the Railroad?’ In December Dibble and Byrne, attorneys for the company, sent the proper certificates and maps of the line of the road to Senator Sargent in order to secure the right of way over the public land. Sargent took prompt action and soon word was received that the survey and documents had been approved by the Secretary of the Interior and were filed. The final survey and subsequent construction were delayed by bad weather. Rain fell for many days. Floods in the valley destroyed property and took many lives. On Friday, February 12, 1875, after more than a year of planning and striving, a construction camp was set up near Colfax. Ground was officially broken. The railroad that for twenty-three years had been a dream was now to be a reality, The first regular train from Colfax reached Grass Valley on April 17, 1876, and Nevada City on May 22. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad continued to play an important part in the area for sixty-six years. When mining declined and highways and automobiles increased, the railroad lost business. Then the loyal community did all it could to keep it rolling. The railroad was refinanced and the officers served without pay. This was 1926, and through the thirties the little trains chugged on. Bu the turn of the forties, with the war and the closing of the mines, the death knoll of the railroad and the old days was heard. Equipment was sold, rails went into scrap, and the forest began to close in. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad then passed into history. NOTES ' Department of Natural Resources, State of California, Division of Mines, Geology Guidebook, Bull. 141, the Mother Lode Country, History of Placer Mining for Gold in California, by Charles V. Averill. 2 100 Years of Nevada County, Ken Wray, ed., (Nevada City Nugget Publisher, 1951), p. 134. ? W.B. Lardner and M.J. Brock, History of Placer and Nevada Counties, (Los Angeles, California, Historic Record Company, 1924), p. 321. “Harry Laurenz Wells, History of Nevada County, (Oakland, California, Thompson and West, 1880), p. 124. 5 Wells, op. cit. p. 129, (see also, Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California, Chicaco; The Lewis Publishing Company); p. 175, * Wells, op. cit., p. 129. 7 Otheto Weston, Mother Lode Album, (Stanford, California, University Press, 1948). pp. 160-171. "Wells, op. cit., p. 170 * Nevada City Daily Transcript, Jan. 23, 1874. '° According to a story told by Gilbert H. Kneiss, in Bonanza Raitroads, (3rd ed. Stanford: University Press, 1946), p. 138, this interest was rather embarrasing to O.P. Stidger, since while campaigning for the Legislature he had announced that he would oppose one railroad as a monopoly, but would favor two or three. To which the Transcript had observed that in the days of Noah he would have resisted the building of the Ark unless there was an opposition boat. "! Transcript, Jan. 23, 1874. '? Grass Valley Daily Union, Jan. 21, 1874. Charles Mitchell was propietor at this time. The first paper was issued Oct. 28, 1864. 'S Letter received by Transcript dated Jan. 23, 1874, initialed A.D., from Transcript of Jan. 24. '* According to the Union of Tues. Jan 27, Judge Stidger also was present at this meeting, and offered a resolution that a committee of sixteen be chosen to represent the group. This was changed to the committee of twenty. This throws new light on the implication made by Kneiss in Bonanza Railroads, p. 139, when he states, ‘‘With Stidger back home in North San Juan”, the paper called a public railroad meeting. 13 Grass Valley Union, Jan. 28. This was a stab at the Transcript which in its ‘‘enthusiastic’’ manner often was ‘‘flying off the handle?’ ‘* As quoted in the Daily Transcript, Jan. 27. " Transcript, Feb. 6, 1874, '* Transcript, Feb. 6, 1874. '° Transcript, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 1874. » Transcript, Feb. 26, 1874. ' Transcript, March 12, 1874, 2 The fact that this same picture was used to head an advertisement in the Transcript for Goldsmith’s Variety Store for the period June 28-July 4, 1874, need not detract from the glory given this moment. 2? Wells, op. cift., B.J. Watson had become associated with N.P. Brown as editor and half owner early in March 1874, after Stidger had returned to his home in San Juan. Watson had 5

produced and shipped $1,146,531 in bullion in 1874*' was short of money. On Tuesday, August 11, the directors met to receive the report? of costs from Engineer Bates: For the Roadway ............ $194,747.00 For the Superstructure......... 146,785.56 For the Equipment ............. 51,100.00 For the Buildings .............. 18,500.00 $411,132.56 Considering the cost of the road, it was decided unwise to proceed with construction until $300,000 was subscribed. $74,000 was needed, and a committee of two was named to solicit this last amount by the first Tuesday in September. The committee further agreed that should this amount not be met, a meeting of the stockholders would be held to submit to them the question of disincorporating the company. George Fletcher and Andrew Parker were appointed to canvass the town and the communities on the ridge commencing at North San Juan to raise this money. Subscriptions did not go well. By August 26, only $8,100 had been solicited. Unrestrainedly the Transcript wrote, (it is) ‘‘now doubtful whether the road will be built?’ Unless the required amount was subscribed it was “goodbye Railroad forever . . . we say in the name of Heaven . . . subscribe unless you want the town to go to the devil!’®” The Union added its story of discouragement. The company will surely disincorporate, it said, unless more money be raised. Property will decrease in value at least twenty-five percent when there is no prospect of the road being built. With this encouragement in discouragement from its rival paper the Transcript threw caution to the winds and on Tuesday, September 1, came out with a railroad issue. The middle spread of the paper which carried the news and local interest stories was given over to seventeen separate articles concerning the railroad. With such headlines as What Shall Be Done, The Railroad Debt, Lively (interest, it was), The Verdict, Where Will The Money Go To, Can Any More Money Be Raised, Promises, Gloomy Days and others, suggestions were made, and sad results of failure were listed and the conclusion drawn that the work should progress as far as the money would go, and above all else, ‘‘Don’t give up the ship?’ It is difficult to know if the Directors read or heeded this outburst. But a jubilant typesetter was able to print with large letters the following day, “‘THE RAILROAD WILL BE BUILT?’ The directors had extended the time for subscription thirty days, and had authorized the President to advertise for bids for construction of the road. The payment would be one half in cash, and one half in eight percent bonds of the company. Another ten percent assessment was levied. ‘“‘Times will be lively and everything prosperous. Hurrah for the Railroad’’, caroled the editor. Bates returned to the community to complete the survey for the railroad. Changes were made, pmmonne bringing the line into Grass Valley, and, as the grade at Town Talk on the rise between the Twin Cities had proved too great, a longer but more practical line was proposed here. At last, the engineers’ report was complete and a construction bid notice to railroad contractors appeared in the papers. Sealed proposals were to be presented by the twenty-first of November. For the work, the company guaranteed one half of the cost would be paid in gold coin, and the other half in company bonds secured by mortgage on all property of the company. The opening of the bids was postponed until November 24. At that time only one bid, that of M.G. Beatty of Grass Valley, had been received. After some discussion it was decided to accept it conditionally. Some consultation with Beatty was necessary before a final decision could be made. Not until Friday, December 4, were the difficulties removed and the following resolution made: that the bid of M.F. Beatty to build and equip the road be accepted. The contract price was $500,000. Money was still needed to complete the cash payment necessary for the construction contract. Several large sums were received from old Nevada County friends now living elsewhere. A grand total of $255,400 was subscribed, the directors met, signed the contract and gave the bonds. The Transcript sang a happy refrain, “goodbye toll road, goodbye stage riding’’, and ended with the usual chorus of ‘‘Hurrah for the Railroad?’ In December Dibble and Byrne, attorneys for the company, sent the proper certificates and maps of the line of the road to Senator Sargent in order to secure the right of way over the public

land. Sargent took prompt action and soon word was received that the survey and documents had been approved by the Secretary of the Interior and were filed. The final survey and subsequent construction were delayed by bad weather. Rain fell for many days. Floods in the valley destroyed property and took many lives. On Friday, February 12, 1875, after more than a year of planning and striving, a construction camp was set up near Colfax. Ground was officially broken. The railroad that for twenty-three years had been a dream was now to be a reality, The first regular train from Colfax reached Grass Valley on April 17, 1876, and Nevada City on May 22. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad continued to play an important part in the area for sixty-six years. When mining declined and highways and automobiles increased, the railroad lost business. Then the loyal community did all it could to keep it rolling. The railroad was refinanced and the officers served without pay. This was 1926, and through the thirties the little trains chugged on. Bu the turn of the forties, with the war and the closing of the mines, the death knoll of the railroad and the old days was heard. Equipment was sold, rails went into scrap, and the forest began to close in. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad then passed into history. NOTES ' Department of Natural Resources, State of California, Division of Mines, Geology Guidebook, Bull. 141, the Mother Lode Country, History of Placer Mining for Gold in California, by Charles V. Averill. 2 100 Years of Nevada County, Ken Wray, ed., (Nevada City Nugget Publisher, 1951), p. 134. ? W.B. Lardner and M.J. Brock, History of Placer and Nevada Counties, (Los Angeles, California, Historic Record Company, 1924), p. 321. “Harry Laurenz Wells, History of Nevada County, (Oakland, California, Thompson and West, 1880), p. 124. 5 Wells, op. cit. p. 129, (see also, Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California, Chicaco; The Lewis Publishing Company); p. 175, * Wells, op. cit., p. 129. 7 Otheto Weston, Mother Lode Album, (Stanford, California, University Press, 1948). pp. 160-171. "Wells, op. cit., p. 170 * Nevada City Daily Transcript, Jan. 23, 1874. '° According to a story told by Gilbert H. Kneiss, in Bonanza Raitroads, (3rd ed. Stanford: University Press, 1946), p. 138, this interest was rather embarrasing to O.P. Stidger, since while campaigning for the Legislature he had announced that he would oppose one railroad as a monopoly, but would favor two or three. To which the Transcript had observed that in the days of Noah he would have resisted the building of the Ark unless there was an opposition boat. "! Transcript, Jan. 23, 1874. '? Grass Valley Daily Union, Jan. 21, 1874. Charles Mitchell was propietor at this time. The first paper was issued Oct. 28, 1864. 'S Letter received by Transcript dated Jan. 23, 1874, initialed A.D., from Transcript of Jan. 24. '* According to the Union of Tues. Jan 27, Judge Stidger also was present at this meeting, and offered a resolution that a committee of sixteen be chosen to represent the group. This was changed to the committee of twenty. This throws new light on the implication made by Kneiss in Bonanza Railroads, p. 139, when he states, ‘‘With Stidger back home in North San Juan”, the paper called a public railroad meeting. 13 Grass Valley Union, Jan. 28. This was a stab at the Transcript which in its ‘‘enthusiastic’’ manner often was ‘‘flying off the handle?’ ‘* As quoted in the Daily Transcript, Jan. 27. " Transcript, Feb. 6, 1874, '* Transcript, Feb. 6, 1874. '° Transcript, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 1874. » Transcript, Feb. 26, 1874. ' Transcript, March 12, 1874, 2 The fact that this same picture was used to head an advertisement in the Transcript for Goldsmith’s Variety Store for the period June 28-July 4, 1874, need not detract from the glory given this moment. 2? Wells, op. cift., B.J. Watson had become associated with N.P. Brown as editor and half owner early in March 1874, after Stidger had returned to his home in San Juan. Watson had 5