Columbia gazette. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne County, Calif.) 1852-1855, 1854-10-28
TO THE PUBLIC:

"A Iuil aud complete supply OF water
has ever been desideratum in the min
ing regions. Various efforts have been
made in Tuolumne county, to furnish a
never failing amount to the miners, but
up to the present period these endeav-
ours have met with but partial success,
the evil only in part having been rem
edied. A company has been in exis
tence during the past two years, estab-
lished for the commendable purpose of
throwing water into the dry diggings,
but their benefits only accrue to us for a
limited period, say, during the winter
and spring months. That portion of the
year intervening. it is well known, is the
best season to operate in deep mining,
and it is now reduced to practical GER
tainty, that the greater depth attained,
the heavier is the yield of gold. Thus,
then, until full supply Of water is in
troduced into the mining regions,-so
that there may not be an interregnum
in mining operations,-the vast mineral
resources known to exist in our hills and
our gulches, will continue to be hidden
from the industrious miner.
To overcome this difficulty, and to
introduce, throughout the entire year,
full supply of water into the mining
localities of Columbia, Sonora, James
town, and Tuolumne county, acknowl-
edged to be one of the richest mining
regions in California, a new Company
has been formed and Incorporated un-
der the name of the columbia and
Stanislaus River water Company
They propose to convey the waters of
the Middle or Main Fork of the Stanis-
laus River, into the fats and gulches of
the County, by means of canal. The
paramount consideration is, does this
Fork contain an uninterrupted supply
during the entire year? We answer
that by explorations had the past three
seasons, that at the dry est periods of those
seasons the river had a constant stream
Of over 60 cubic feet of water, or be-
tween 700 or 800 toms. 1t is a gene
rally conceded fact, that the present has
been the dryest season since the discov-
cry of gold, and that less water has been
found in the rivers. In August of this
year, over 60 cubic feet of water was
running, and in September nearly one
third more. OF this amount we pro-
pose to take out force of 20 cubic feet,
day and night, equal to about 500 tom
supply. This head of water will be in
exhaustible, and owing to the large and
constant supply, can be sold at figure
SO low, that those having the poorest
claims, can afford to purchase.
The question Of full supply at all
seasons of the year, having been sat
isfactoriiy settled, by numerous ex-
plorations under the supervision of
competent and scientific men, the next
point arising, is, the mode proposed to
bring the water in. The distance from
the towns of Columbia and Sonora to
the point on the river from whence the
water is turned into the race, has been
ascertained by actual survey to be near
ly As miles. The upper portion, or first
20 miles, runs through broken country,
covered by heavy growth of timber,
and affords ample facilities for procuring
all the lumber required, at compare
lively low cost. Twelve miles of these
90 must be fumed; and from thence, a
distance Of s miles, to the South Fork
of the River, good ditching ground can
be found. From the South Fork to
Sonora and Columbia, the soil is most
admirably adapted for trenching.
The cost of the construction of the
work, is the next item Of Importance.
We have made close calculations, but
allowed ample margin for an excess of
expenditure. The cost we have set
down at $4,000 to complete the works
which are now brought to the notice of
the public. This sum is believed to be
ample and should not be compared with
the cost of a like work commenced some
years since under the disadvantages then
existing, and attended with many serious
and unfortunate errors, miscalculations,
and oversights, all Of which occasioned
a vast outlay. The abundant supply of
material for the construction of line of
water works, at the present time, will
enable us to avoid these misfortunes.
We propose making the ditch sufic-
iently large to pass head of 500 toms
per day. If we place the evaporation
and absorption at so toms per day, and
it cannot be more, it would permit us to
supply each day $50 toms with clear
water, or 'first heads.'' At the present
time, FIRST head stream commands Sc
per day. The resale of water passing
out of these first toms taken up and dis
posed Of at lesser price, will pay all
the expense of the company, and will
thus secure to the stockholders the gross
proceeds of $50 toms of water. IF we
continue our calculations, and estimate
the cost of tom stream at one-half the
present price, or SO per tom, the $50
toms would yield a revenue of 1880
per day, 8, 100 per week, or $42l 200
per year, a sum exceeding the entire
cost of construction
The whole line of the work can be
completed in one year from this date.
The route will be divided and subdivided
into sections. and portions of sections,
and the different classes of labor, as
Blasting, Fluming, &c., marked off to
be operated upon senarataly. and The