The Empire County argus., 1855-02-17
eoloma: Saturday. Feb. II, 1865.
Canals.


Importance Of the mining interest. Leading jour
nails commend canals to the attention of capital
lists and business men, as an investment, and to
opcn up and promote the regular production Of
gold 14 9aa " ,.3 e-.F
d, The profits of merchants and trade generally:
are now, and will be for many years, in this State
wholly dependant upon the mining interest 1t is
both reasonable and right to expect aid from gen
tlemcn who have acquired fortunes u this State, in
furnishing facilities for extracting the wealth Of
bur hills I'VE have strong arms and stout hearts,
who will embark with the capitalist, to- furnish
water to the many now idle and the many more
who with it might be proftably employed. Eith-
erto, canals have been undertaken without the
requisite practical information. Gentlemen in KID
gloves, and with more money than brains have too
frequently placed themselves in the direction OF
canal enterprises With their worse than useless
aid, many projects have failed in being remunera-
tive. Sensible men have become dshcartened and
Disguised If men will now engage in the con
structon of canals and employ practical operators
in the direction of the work. they will be sure to
succeed, and realize profitable returns for the in
yestment of capital. The field for enterprise is
extensive millions of acres of aurferous earth are
waiting for water, and can mover be wrought with
out its artificial introduction. 1t is only necessary
to ride over the country, to become convinced Of
this oI, eLr g. ro1 egq1 hol ,.I.
In addition to the surface diggngs we have thou
sands of hills constituting the deep diggings now
known beyond peradventure to be rich, and thou
sands more, sure to yield remunerative returns for
labor Then. we have numberless leads of quartz
their extent measured in miles, and their future
value, in millions Of dollars. The great bulk Of
these diggngs is absolutely dependant on artificial
means for water. 3l
Those localities having natural supply Of wa
ter. have Seen wrought by the miners ever since
the discovery of gold; and in hundreds of instan-
ces, the earth has been washed over and over,
score of times until the gold has been thorough
ly extracted as now to afford employment only to
Cinnamon. Where water could be easily intro
duced artifch.ly, it has been done and yet three
f6urths of the auriferous region of California, is
destitute of drop of water for mining purposes
the year round. a foad equal to Noah's would
not furnish water unless distributed in canals
where it is wanted. r.' i.
Many canals now constructed, are dependant
upon small streams to be annually supplied with
rains. What the miner needs, is permanent and
never-ailing supply Every department of busi-
ness requires this and all branches suffer- at every
interruption. The commerce and trade of the Pa
cifc coast are more nearly connected with canals
in the mining districts than with Pacific railroads;
indeed, from the healthy action of the mining in
terest railroads must spring. Canals are the arte
ries of the mining region, and the mining region
the great heart of commerce, trade, and internal
improvements. II requires no argument to impress
these truths on the minds of Californians, gen
orally Our want of water will soon open the
eyes of brokers and bankers, and suspension Of
the quick and violent stream of gold will bring
them to realize their dependency
If business men desire regularity in trade let
them aid in furnishing regular facilities to the
miner. The commercial man should foster the
mining interest, as the certain fountain of his re-
sources; and the capitalist who desires perma
ncnt investment and return of five per cent. pei
month for his money for a few years, and then will
be satisfied with two or three per cent for hun
dred years to come, should invest his money il
canals.
We assert positively that canals will furnish thu
most profitable investment for capital in the lone
run. of any branch of business in California Be
cause collective lot of fools have hitherto mad
magnificent failures in canal enterprises, is in M
way disparaging, or any argument against thel
ultimate success and value. We have now man,
practical men. who have learned in the school 0
experience, how to construct canals and scores o
them can carry stream of water over the wors
place in California. We have the water, too, il
natural channels. All that is wanted, is to tax
up the head waters of all our rivers into canals
and conduct them along the dividing ridges LIE
then the miners employ it to extract millions o
gold; and gradually the earth yields up it
treasure, they will the water to rrigate the
hllsdes. in time portion of it flowing into thu
great valley of the Sacramento, at Thousand
points Then California will blossom like the rose
Then we shall have thousands of farmers, with cat
tle literally, "on thousand hills"
To the gold, the present and next generation
may look, without fear of disappointment, for sur
streams of wealth; but the perfection of beauty
Intellectual and moral greatness, will gradual,
succeed the gold digging age and California. beoom
the garden Of the world, and her cities the wonde
of the earth. 1t is the manifest destiny of Sal
Francisco to regulate the exchanges, commerce anc
trade of the Pacific; and in fifty years, if her peo