State Agricultural Society. 381 



until the discover}* of the Washington ledge, in tho Julian District, on 

 the twenty-second of February, eighteen hundred and seventy, that this 

 could be considered a successful mining region, but since that time it 

 has been looked upon as one of the richest gold-producing sections of 



the .State. Soon after the discovery of gold there the owners of tho 

 Cuyamaca Rancho attempted to float their grant over the mining dis- 

 trict, and for four years contested the claim, until the case was finally 

 disposed of by the Lmd Department, and decided in favor of tho 

 miners, in Jul}' last. This question of title has been the means of keep- 

 ing out all foreign capital. The tirst discoverers were inexperienced, and 

 yet, so rich were the mines that they have continued to be developed. 

 The history of the mining section is peculiar, from the fact that tho 

 development has been done entirely from tho products of the mines 

 themselves, a*nd bullion to a very large amount taken out. With tho 

 settlement of the Cuyamaca case the introduction of capital com- 

 menced, and with the experience gained by those now there, we may 

 surely look for a largely increased production of the precious metals 

 from this locality. At this time there arc more than twenty well 

 defined gold mines, of which eleven have proved to be of great value, 

 ami there are not less than seventy-five stamps running in the Julian 

 and Banner Districts. This industry gives employment to hundreds of 

 laborers, and others, and is building up a substantial and permanent 

 business, and giving a healthy activity to the agricultural resources of 

 that section. 



COUNTY SCHOOL STATISTICS. 



In eighteen hundred and sixty eight, not a school house had been 

 built in the county. Now the schools are systemized, and though tho 

 percentage of scholars enrolled is small, yet when we consider the 

 sparseness of the population, and the large area covered by nearly all 

 the districts, the proportion is not remarkably small. The following 

 statement is compiled from the report of the County Superintendent 

 made July thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four: Number of 

 school districts, twenty-one; children between five and seventeen, one 

 thousand seven hundred and twenty-eight; children under five, six hun- 

 dred and fifty-five; number attending public schools during the year, 

 eight hundred and thirty-one; average number belonging, five hundred 

 and thirty-six; average daily attendance, four hundred and eighty-one; 

 number attending private, schools who have not been in the public 

 schools, ninety-five; number between five and seventeen not attending 

 any school, eight hundred and two. 



THE CITY OP SAN DIEGO 



Is the oldest settlement in California, having been located by Spanish 

 missionaries in May, seventeen hundred and sixty-nine, at the time of 

 founding the Mission of San Diego. The title to the city, which con- 

 tains about eleven leagues, or forty-seven thousand three hundred and 

 twenty-three acres of land, is derived from a grant by the Mexican 

 Government to the City of San Diego, which grant has been confirmed 

 by the Land Department at Washington, and the boundaries settled and 

 defined. It was nearly a hundred years from its first settlement before 

 anything was done towards making it a commercial point. The orig- 

 inal settlement was inland, and to the northwest of the bay, comprising 



