Collection: Directories and Documents > Nevada County News & Advertisments

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Title: 1865 Collection Type: Directories and Documents Collection Name: Nevada County News & Advertisments # of Pages: 627 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-14 06:12:34 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 04:07:44 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 04:07:44

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 627  

NEVADA GAZETTE DECEMBER 14, 1865 593 Company’s bed-rock tunnel, at Morristown, which with the cut and bed of the diggings, was filled with water. While engaged in the operation, they were broken in upon by the water in full force, which swept them, mixed up with mud, bowlders [sic] and gravel, through the rocky and rough tunnel, a distance of twelve hundred feet, dumping them into a ravine, a drop of fifteen feet, from which place they were carried down the gulch a distance of some seventy feet. Almost miraculous to relate, neither of the men had a bone broken, though they were both totally disabled, yet able to speak, and it is thought they will recover. Of all the strange accidents, so common in a mining section like ours, which during several years it has been our painful duty to record, we do not remember of having heard of anything which approaches this in its marvelous result. Salaries of County Officers. A delegation, consisting of the principal county officers elect of this county, and a number of political managers, left this city Tuesday morning, ostensibly for the purpose, as we understand, of aiding by their united influence A. A. Sargent in his efforts to secure the seat in the United States Senate, now held by McDougall; but in reality their mission is to procure the passage of a law repealing “an act fixing the salaries of the county officers of Nevada county,” approved April 4th, 1864. Singular as it may appear to those not conversant with the facts, the gentlemen composing this delegation of lobby members are the very men who were loudest in the denunciation of the law allowing such exorbitant fees—’ enriching a few officials by robbing the people.” At that time their friends were not in office, and there was no opportunity for them to share in the plunder, they determined for once to be honest, and used their influence to secure the passage of a law which justice and the best interest of the county had long demanded, and which all our citizens, not personally interested, heartily approved. It was shown by affidavits that the fees allowed county officers in this county were sufficient to enrich the fortunate official in a single term of two years. These representations, made by the very parties now seeking to restore the old law, procured the passage of an act making them salaried offices. Great pains was [sic] taken in framing the law so as to secure ample pay for all services rendered. Our own Board of Supervisors, after carefully investigating the subject, named the amount which in their judgment would be a fair compensation, and we are assured that their suggestions in regard to compensation were adopted by the Legislature. The salaries of the different officers, as fixed by the law, is as follows: County Judge, three thousand dollars per annum. District Attorney, two thousand dollars per annum. County Clerk, two thousand five hundred, and Deputy Clerk eighteen hundred dollars per annum. Sheriff, three thousand, Under Sheriff eighteen hundred, and Jailor twelve hundred dollars per annum. County Treasurer, two thousand dollars per annum. Recorder, twenty-five hundred, Deputy Recorder fifteen hundred dollars per annum. School Superintendent, six hundred dollars per annum. County Assessor, two thousand dollars per annum, with two Deputies at six dollars a day, while at work. The Collector has a salary of two thousand dollars a year, and fees the same as at present for collecting licenses, poll taxes, and foreign miners’ licenses. These salaries, we contend, are ample and just. The Sheriff has three thousand dollars a year, and can save fifty dollars a month in the hire of Under Sheriff, and twenty-five in Jailor, which will bring up his salary to about four thousand dollars a year. The Clerk can save fifty dollars a month in hiring a Deputy, the Recorder twenty-five, and the Assessor will need but one Deputy, but of course will draw pay for two. It must be remembered that all these officers are furnished rooms in the Court House, stationery, lights, etc. The pay, we think, is ample, and the time has gone by when the people should be taxed for the purpose of enriching one set of officials after another.