Some Reminiscences of Early Trinity [pp. 17-32]

Some Reminiscences of Early Trinity.
SOME REMINISCENCES OF EARLY TRINITY.
Situated entirely within the Coast Range
of mountains, and including within its
bounds all the territory drained by the
waters of Trinity River, and but very little
besides, is the county of Trinity. It is in
the second tier of counties lying south of
the Oregon line; a long, narrow county,
extending a length of about one hundred
miles from north to south, with a varying
breadth of from twenty-five to seventy miles.
Its name is taken from its principal river,
the discoverers of which, erroneously thinking the stream emptied into Trinidad Bay,
gave it the name it has borne from that day
to this. Territorially, Trinity County is isolated from the general lines of travel, coast
or inland, that lead from California to its
northern neighbors; and to get within its
jurisdiction from any quarter, the adventurous traveler must scale mountain ridges
thousands of feet in height.
Yet isolated as it is and has been, our
readers must not suppose that Trinity,
with her great stores of mineral wealth,
where each sparkling little stream literally
flowed over golden sands, remained long
undiscovered or neglected. No; the pioneers of California were young men, or at
least men in the prime and vigor of manhood,
ardent, ambitious, daring, energetic, and fond
of adventure. All or nearly all, the places
that grew into subsequent prominence as the
central points of rich mining sections, were
discovered within the first five years following the day when Marshall made known his
discoveries at Sutter's Mill. The very difficulties and dangers attendant upon a prospecting trip into unexplored regions were
but additional incentives to the prospector
of'49. No matter if his own claim was
paying an ounce a day; if he heard that
some one was making two ounces a day in
VOL. IX. —1.
some other and distant camp, very often
the bird in hand would be let loose for the
glorious uncertainty of the two in the bush;
and with blankets, tools, cooking utensils,
and grub, packed upon the back of the
.mild-eyed, patient burro, the start would be
made to find their more fortunate fellow
miner and share in the fruits of his discoveries. Accordingly it was not long after
Marshall's discovery was made known before
a prospecting party was organized to see if
the mountains west of the Sacramento Valley were as rich in the precious metal as the
Sierra Nevada was daily proving itself to be.
This party was headed by Major Pearson
B. Reading, a pioneer of, I think, i844,
who had obtained from the Mexican government a grant of land in the upper part of
the Sacramento Valley, in what is now known
as Shasta County. The Major had been
over to Trinity River several years before,
on an expedition taken partly for relaxation,
and partly to wage war against the furry inhabitants of the waters of upper Trinity.
He carried away with him a vivid recollection of the formation of the country, and
at once concluded when he heard of the
gold discoveries, that the region of his former trapping experience was likely to be as
rich as that of the foot-hills of the Sierras.
He did not, however, return to that part of
the county, but struck the river below where
the most of its main branches had emptied
into it; probably thirty or forty miles below
the scene of his former visit. The Major
lived on his grant, surrounded by his flocks
and herds, in true patriarchal style. There
were not many white people in the Territory
then, and his assistants were mainly native
Indians, who spoke nearly the same language as their Trinity brethren, and were on
as friendly terms with them; and it was
' 17
1887.]