The Trinity times., 1855-02-24
Water Companies.

We make the following extracts from an
excellent article in a recent number Of the
Alta CaLfornia
1t is now evident that the only way for the
miners, and, indeed, for the whole State, to
be saved from the effects of long continued
drouths is to take the water from the beds of
the rivers and carry it in canals over the
gold bearing country. Such canals have
been constructed in many parts OF the coun-
try, and those canals have saved the country
from absolute ruin. BY the aid Of them,
many are kept at work who would otherwise
be idle large part of the year; and itwould
be possible to keep every miner in the State
actively and protitsby employed all the year
round, if the water that now runs to waste
through the heart of the mining region could
be made to leave its natural channel and
course its way over the auriferous flats and
along the ridges of the gold d-bearing hills
If this were already done we should then
know nothing of hard times. There would
be always and constantly a stream of gold
tending toward this city, and business would
be always good. But to get the water
to those points where it is needed requires a
large outlay of capital. and in many instances
T ore than it is possible for the miners in the
vicinity to command. Now, there are re-
Qions of country over which, if water could
be brought from the ad Joining rivers, at least
5000 men could be supplied with abundance
of water, where now there is hardly man
employed. The expense of the ditch might
be quarter, might be half million. Now
it would be a moderate estimate to say that
5000 men would take a quarter Of million
of dollars every month. This amount would
materially affect business, and it wonld not
only benefit the miners who took it out, but
in like manner the whole people of the State.
Ii has been remarked frequently that stock
in mining water companies did not pay We
suppose such to be the fact in most cases.-
But, we ask, what would have been the con-
dition of the country if the water companies
had never existed7 What amount of busi-
ness would have been dove for the past six
months, had the mining been confined TO the
banks of rivers, and the creeks and guches7
Very little indeed And now we put the
question, and ask is il not well worthy the at
tenton Of capitalists to consider whether it is
not well for them, and for all men doing a
large business TO invest in ditching and canal
operations, even though the investment, per
Sc, might be bad onef
The Evening Josysal, in speaking on the
same subject, says:
There is water enough in the country, for
instance to supply permanently, ten times the
present number of miners. no matter what
the nature of the season might be. 1t is just
as much the business and interest Of mer-
chants to see that those who extract the gold
from the soil have means TO work with, as il
is of an employer to have his employ ees sup
piled with plenty Of proper tools. A NETS
work of bitches should cover the whole MN
ing region.
1t never should be forgotten that our city
owes its very existence TO the mines, and if
these mines suddenly gave out, ten years
would find San Francisco as complete a ruin
as Thehes Memphis or Palmyra. 1t is the
absolute duty then Of our merchants to see
that the mining interests are not prostrated.
If they do not they will suffer for their folly,
and suffer far more than auy one else. The
movement should have been made long ago;
but it is not vet too late Capitalists may de-
pend that shares in ditch company or even
in quartz mine, will finally be better prop
erty than half dozen blocks of brick build
ings, the rent of which nobody can make
money enough to pay.