SOCIETY. 17 



| 22. Decline of Mining Counties. The population 

 reported in 1860 was 379,944, showing a gain, in ten years, 

 of 176,669, or 46 per cent. 



The general gain of the State is very unevenly distributed, 

 and there are some serious losses, especially in the mining 

 counties, of which the following may be taken as samples : 



COUNTIES. 1860. - 1870. 



Calaveras 16,209 8,896 



El Dorado 20,562 10,326 



Mariposa 6,243 4,572 



Sierra 11,387 5,337 



Trinity 5,125 3,173 



Mokelumne 16,226 8,171 



Total 82,842 40,475 



Here is a loss of 42,366 inhabitants in six counties, or more 

 than half the total population which those counties had ten 

 years ago. The loss in productive power is still greater, for 

 there is a much larger proportion of women and children now 

 than in 1860. Placer shows a loss of about 15 per cent.; 

 Siskiyou of 10 ; and Yuba (which formerly had rich ' placers) 

 of 20. Del Norte, Klamath, Plumas, and Shasta, other 

 mining counties, show no change worthy of note. Amador 

 and Nevada, which have the most profitable quartz mines of 

 California, have gained, the former 10, and the latter 16 per 

 cent. 



The largest relative gain has been in some of the smaller 

 agricultural counties, such as Colusa and Humboldt, which 

 have each added 200 per cent, to their population in the 

 decennium. Stanislaus, San Luis Obispo, and San Francisco 

 gained 180 per cent. ; Sutter, 170 ; Merced and Alameda,, 

 150 ; Solano, 125 ; San Joaquin and Santa Clara, 120 ; Santa 

 Barbara, San Mateo, Monterey, Yolo, and Marin, 100 ; Men- 

 . docino, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma, 75 ; Contra Costa, 60 ; 

 Fresno, 50 ; Los Angeles, 35 ; Napa, 28 ; Sacramento, 12 ; 

 Butte, (which is now mainly agricultural) 9 ; and San Diego, 

 2 



