THE OVEELAND EOUTE — OGDEN TO SAN FRAXCISCO. 



213 



and from the hills west of Auburn may be seen on a clear day the sum- 

 mit of Mount Diablo, on the other side of the Great Valley of Cali- 

 fornia, more than 80 miles away. 



About 2 miles west of Auburn, north of the railroad^ is the Ophir 

 mming district, where gold and silver veins occur in granite (granodi- 



orite) and 



greenstone 



(amphibohte) schist. Beyond Auburn the 



route continues for about 2 miles farther across amphibohte scliist, 

 which, as exposed in raihoad cuts, looks hke dark-colored slate and is 

 in places rusty. The railroad winds along the south side of Dutch 

 Ravine, keeping approximately to the general slope of the former 

 plateau surface. Here again are remnants of the Tertiary lava cover, 

 and at one place the railroad passes through a deep, narrow cut in the 

 andesitic tuffs and breccias. These beds rest on granite (granodio- 

 rite), which is the prevalent rock from this vicinity doAvn to Sacra- 

 mento Valley. 



Just beyond a tunnel on the westbound track is the station of New- 



castle, in the center of an orchard country. Pears, 

 peaches, and prunes are grown here, and also some 

 oranges and lemons. Fig trees and palms may be 

 seen near the station. Beyond Newcastle a rolluig 

 timbered lowland comes into view to the south. 

 Granite is exposed in the cuts along the road and as bowlder-hkc out- 

 crops in the fields. 



Newcastle. 



Elevation 970 feet. 

 Population 755.* 

 Omaha 1,662 miles. 



Penryn. 



Elevation 635 leet. 

 Population 240.* 

 Omaha 1.666 miles 



Penryn, hke all the other stations along this part of 

 the route, ships great quantities of fruit. Granite ^ 

 was formerly extensively quarried here for use in rail- 

 road construction and in pubhc buildings, A small 



maintamed 



inter 



me 



Loomis, 



Elevation 301 feet. 

 Omaha 1.668 miles 



)mis is another large granite quarry. The stone is 

 in color and texture between that quarried at Penryn 



and at RockUn. It is coarser and darker than the 

 ;khn granite but is finer and carries less biotite 

 the Penryn stone. Loomis is, however; priu- 



than ' 

 cipallj^ 



maybe seen near 



fiTiit-shipping point, and the fniit-packing 

 ihc station. It is said that finiits, especially 

 is section, and that inimious frosts are un- 



known. The soil in this locahty is decomposed granite, and 



■like £T 



soil-covered plain. 



^ The Penryn stone is a dark biotite 

 granite, rather uniform In color, but vary- 

 ing somewhat in texture in the different 

 quarry openings. Dark blotches where 



the biotite crj^atals have segregated are 



avoided as far as possible in the selection 

 of the stone. About a mile east of Pemy-n 

 a gabbro, or ''black granite," is quarried. 

 This stone is used chiefly for monuments, 

 as it takes a brilliant polish. 



