COMMERCE. 341 



pared with the number that there should be ; and even those 

 which we have, are mostly private property, and are made the 

 means of levying severe taxes upon all travellers and merchan- 

 dise passing over them. The counties have no fine roads, no 

 large or durable bridges. There are great ditches — with a 

 total length of six thousand miles — and wonderful flumes, but 

 they are made as cheaply as possible for use, during a few 

 years — not more than five or ten — and in too many cases, 

 cheapness has not been found to agree with durability. Im- 

 mense labors of many kinds have been undertaken, but simply 

 with a view to present profit, and without conferring any per- 

 manent benefit, or beautifying the country. There is scarcely 

 an elegant county building in the state. The mining towns 

 contain many fire-proof brick buildings and elegant residences, 

 and yet any mining town set down in Xew York or Ohio, 

 would be considered a very shabby village. Wherever we 

 turn, in the mining districts, we see no investment of capital 

 at all commensurate to the wants of the state. 



The whole policy of the federal and state governments, in 

 regard to the mineral districts of California, has been not to 

 enrich the state, but to benefit individuals who did not and do 

 not intend to be permanent residents, whose interests are ad- 

 verse to those of the state, and to whom no inducements are 

 ofi'ered to become permanent residents. Rather the induce- 

 ments are on the other side, and obstructions are thrown in 

 the way of establishing homes. The improvements which 

 should have been made in previous years are wanted, but the 

 capital is not so abundant now. The main body of wealth 

 has been transferred to the agricultural counties and commer- 

 cial towns. The mining districts, instead of growing richer, 

 from their immense treasures, are growing poorer every year, 

 all of them comparatively — many of them absolutely. 



Miners come to capitalists residing out of the mineral dis- 

 tricts, and invite them to invest money in gold-mining enter- 

 prises. The investments would furnish employment to labor- 

 ers, increase the production of gold, and benefit the state in 



