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Page: of 12
6 The Nevada County Nugget Wednesday, May 10, 1972 .
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"Society underwent a vast change in the county in 1852,
in many respects. The experience of thousands in every department of life in California was not lost that here, as elsewhere, no sudden accessions to fortune were common. While
a few had grown suddenly rich, the great mass had but slowly
advanced or remained in status quo, and the latter class was
far more abundant from the restless movement of the masses,
unsatisfied with results that in the other States would have been
deemed splendid, and by which a slow but certain fortune was
acquired. By frequent changes in pursuit of sudden fortunes,
hundreds had thrown away that for which they sought, because
they could not grasp it in a few months. Many of this kind went
home disgusted and disappointed, emitting a blue flame of oaths
all the way by the Isthmus, when only their own mistaken course
produced a result for which California certainly was not responsible, People now began todiscover that tobe sure of success,
a man must settle down upon the best prospect opening, improve it,
and use the gains of today asa capital for tomorrow's operations,
This change in the aims of the great mass of our population,
the abandonment of the idea of gaining sudden wealth, the pursuit
of slow and steady gains, largely contributed to the tranquillity
and general improvement of the county. Better buildings began
to be erected in the towns, merchants and others brought their
families to found a new home, an air of permanency took the
place of restless change; and to these causes, more than any
other, may be credited the tide of prosperity that has since
steadily set in upon us. The vote of Nevada County, at the September election, 1855, was 5363, being nearly double the vote
cast in May, 1851."
THE MODERN ERA
Electrical Development in Nevada County
The first electric power generated in Nevada County was
generated at a small water-driven plant installed at the Charomat
Mine, near Nevada City, by W. C. Clark, in 1887. In the evening
of the 5th of August of that year arc lights were seen for the
first time in Nevada City.
Fire bells rang, and the population of the mining town
assembled. Everybody wanted to see the wonderful new illumination, ;
The plant consisted of three Westinghouse direct-curre it
generators, with a capacity of 2000 candle-power at a 100-volt
pressure. The circuit, which included both Nevada City and Glenbrook Park, was of No. 6 wire, covered with a white weatherproof insulation and strung along on trees and on poles.
To celebrate this great event properly, series arc lights
were hung all around the course of the race-track, and Nevada
City enjoyed the novel sensation of watching horse-racing at
night.
The system was soon extended to Grass Valley, three miles
over the ridge, and on Saturday night, August 27, Grass Valley
had its first electric lights. Again curious crowds thronged
the streets and proudly eyed the dazzling arcs, as the people
of Nevada City had done three weeks earlier.
But the plant was not very successful, because of the great
loss of voltage in the line. By November it passed to the ownership of John Glasson, and he moved the generating machinery
to the Idaho Maryland Mine, where the water-pressure was
about 200 pounds to the square inch.
As business increased the new owner began to look about
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Published .
W.B. Lardner
for a higher head of water, in order to generate more electric
energy by the use of more machines. So in April, 1894, he
moved to a new location on Deer Creek, four and a half miles
westward from Grass Valley. There the plant was enlarged
by installing a 2000-volt, 133-cycle, single-phase alternatingcurrent alternator, built by the United Improved Electric Company.
The exciting current of this new machine was supplied by a
three-horse-power Westinghouse shunt -would generator.
The new transmission line consisted of two wires of No. 0
bare copper for supplying single-phase power, while the series
arcs were supplied by a circuit of No. 6 copper, covered with
a white weather-proof insulation. The arc lamps were manufactured by the Westinghouse Company, with the exception of
a few fifty-candle-power Bernstein lamps.
Water was taken out of Deer Creek about three-fourths
of a mile above the power house and conveyed through the
Excelsior Ditch to a wooden penstock about 300 feet above the
power house.» From the penstock a twelve-inch sheet-iron
riveted pipe carried the water down to the nozzles of two fourtfoot Pelton wheels. Cne generator was direct-connected to one
of these wheels; the other was belted to a counter-shaft driven