CHAPTER XXIX.

Interior and valley counties-Resources, climate, and populationSiskiyou-Trinity-Shasta-Tehama-Butte-Colusa-YubaSutter-Yolo-Lake-Napa-Solano-Sacramento-Contra Costa-Alameda-San Joaquin-Stanislaus-Santa Clara-MercedFresno-Tulare-Kern-San Bernardino.

LEAVING the coast range of counties, and going interiorward, adjoining the southern Oregon State line, is found a range of counties embracing, in the northern portion, a high mountainous region, and, extending southward, occupy a large section of the foot-hills of the Sierras, and still further south embrace the great valleys and agricultural districts of the State. A great variety of climate and resources is found in this chain of counties, stretching from Oregon to Mexico, a distance of seven hundred miles. In the section of these counties in the Sierras snow falls to a great depth, and winter wears a stern frown for three months of the year, while through the central and southern portions snow is never seen, and toward the Mexican line it is tropical, and great heat and drought prevail throughout the long, dry summers. To distinguish these counties from the others in the State, they are known as the

INTERIOR AND VALLEY COUNTIES,

The first of which, beginning at the Oregon State line, and facing southward, is

SISKIYOU-Bounded north by the southern State line of Oregon, east by the State of Nevada, south by Lassen, Shasta, and Trinity counties, and west by the coun

ties of Klamath and Del Norte. This is one of the largest counties in the State, having an area of 8,740 square miles-equal in extent to the combined area of the Kingdom of Wurtemberg, the Duchy of Anhalt, and the Principality of Lichtenstein, and within a fraction of the size of the territory of the States of Rhode Island and Massachusetts combined.

The population of Siskiyou county is 6,848; of whom 4,321 are native American and 2,527 are of foreign birth. The face of the country is a succession of mountains, valleys, forests, lakes, and rivers. There are many large and rich valleys, yielding most abundantly of wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, fruits, and berries; and several large lakes and rivers supply the county with water, and large areas of pasture range making it a superior location for stock-raising. The mountains are high, and, in winter, covered with great depth of snow. The famous Mount Shasta, 14,440 feet above the sea-level, is in this county.

Mines of gold, in placer and quartz, are worked with profit, and mines of great richness are in course of development. The resources of the county are varied, and consist of agriculture, fruit-growing, lumber, grazing, and mining.

The climate is colder in winter than in any other section of the State, but never so cold that horses, sheep, and cattle cannot pasture in the valleys throughout the whole year. Summer is delightful in this region, and in some sections it is quite warm; but altogether the climate is mild and beautiful. A line of railroad, intended to run from the Sacramento valley to Oregon, will pass through this county, and will greatly develop its varied resources. There are no cities or towns of

any importance in Siskiyou. Yreka is the county

seat.

Turning southward from Siskiyou, a description of all the counties embraced between the coast tier and the range along the Sierras, embracing mountain, valley, and "bay counties," and representing the great agricultural centre of the State, will be here given.

TRINITY. Bounded upon the north by Klamath and Siskiyou, east by Shasta and Tehama, south by Mendocino, and west by Humboldt, is Trinity county, with an area of 1,800 square miles, and a population of 3,213, consisting of 1,397 native Americans and 1,816 foreigners. This county is known as a "mountain county;" its surface is rugged in the extreme. The mountains are clad in forests of oak, fir, and pine, and there are many beautiful and fertile valleys, and the county is well watered. Snow falls to considerable depth in winter, but cattle graze at large throughout the year. Placer and quartz mining are carried on to a considerable extent. The resources of the county are mining, grazing, farming, fruit-growing, and lumbering. Rain falls to a very great extent in winter; summer is mild, but warm. Wheat, barley, oats, corn, potatoes, and fruit grow well, and the grape, lemon, fig, and mulberry all grow in this section, but not so well as farther south.

There are but few towns of any importance in the county. Weaverville is the county-seat. The mines in this section, so far as worked, are river, surface, and bank. The greatest quantity of water used for mining purposes in any county in the State is used in Trinity. The principal mining in the county is done by Chinese