Columbia gazette. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne County, Calif.) 1852-1855, 1854-11-11

of them can be turned into the canal with lit
tie or no expense. Another peculiar fact con.
nected with the location of this canal, is. tina,
1t runs the whole length on the north side o.
the dividing ridge between the two streams
where the sun in midsummer, never strikes il
from dawn till night, and the soil retains il.
moisture the whole year. Therefore the ab
sorption as well as the evaporation must be
but trifing. This may be thought by some q
matter Of little consequence put with those ia
miliar with works Of this kind, it is known t.
be an important consideration. One third Of
the water which is turned in at the head of the
Hydraulic race is lost before it reaches Sonora
because, being on the south side of the hill, il
is exposed to the sun.
COsr.
will not attempt to sum up the cost
of this work, as the Engineer employed has
run his experimental line, and made out his
estimate, and think very correct one. II
any errors exist in that calculation, they can
not be seen OF corrected, until the line is per.
manenily located and siaked out for work.
PHACrIc.BILITY AND UTILITY
OF the practicability of the whole of this enter
prise no one who has Travelled over the country,
and has the least knowledge Of operations Of
this kind, can doubt. OF the great advantage
which must accrue therefore to the public
enough has already been said. Bnt when
we fancy to ourselves that we see a stream Of
the size Of twenty cubic feet, running the
whole summer through the richest and driesi
mining district in Tuolnmne county. we can.
not close our eyes tie the busy scene that mus,
necessarily ensue and spread through every
rank and condition of society. The increase
of mining population in the summer season.
viii! increase the quantity of gold extracted,
which must necessarily pass through the hands
of business men. Competition in the sale of
water is what every miner desires, and what
his interest IN common with that Of the whole
community, loudly calls for. Monopo!ics are
contrary TO the republican spirit Of The age,
and Cannot exist in California. When not
tolerated by any one else, why should they be
by the industrious miner, who is daily engag-
ed in developing the resources OF the country
by hard labor
The failure of the Hydraulic Association
has been pointed to by many, with an air Of
derision. as though all operations of the kind
were bound to share the same fate That AS
soeiatlOn, however, was organized under very
fortunes from the beginning to the end the
greatest OF which was the failure OF ,rnter in
the driest season, owing to the fact that the
survey was made in the ,ointer season, when
thestream was at its height, ard sufficient al
lowance was not made for its fall in the sum.
mer. One of the greatest calamities that at
tended the successful completion of the work
was the sickness and untimely death OF
George ketchum, chicfcontractor, who agreed
to perform the whole work under a forfeiture
His sickness and death caused delay, excited
dIstrust, impaired confidence in the minds OF
creditors, and the consequence was that law
suits innumerable were brought, liens and
mortgages were foreclosed, and judgments
rendered. But misfortumes and oversiglts
like the above, certainly will not paralize the
energies Of an entire community such as is
found in the county of Tuolumne. The Co
lumbia & Stanislaus River Water Company
have all the lights of past experience to guide
them, and by judicious use of their finan-
cies, and skIful management of the whole
work, they cannot fail of success
The IuoIumae County Water Company
was beset by many embarrassments at the
commencement Of their enterprise, and was
much longer in the completion of their work
than was anticipated. Dnt success at last
crowned their efforts, and the town of Comm
bia, through the facilities afforded the miners
in that vicinity. has risen, from small aud
unimportant camp, to be one of the most pros
porous and furnishing places in all of the
mining districts of California and yet the
supply of water furnished by that canal is not
half sufficient 10 supply the demand in the
winter season.
The water to be conveyed by the proposed
new canal, which. from all appearances, will
be abundant, will attain all elevation sufficient
to throw it to the most southern extremity OF
the county, and be able also to supply many
smaller canals in the summer. which are now
dry, if the company see fit thus to dispose Of
their water.
/ w. E. MILLEN.