Butte record., 1857-01-10
For the Butte Record
Corroxwoop, Jan 5, 1857.

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CorroNwooD, Jan 5, 1857.
Mr. EDIToR Allow me through the col
umns of your highly esteemed journal, to
enquire why it is that the Yankee, who is
characterized for sagacity, notorious for per-
severance, and whose manifest destiny is to
gain the almighty dollar and spread civiliza-
tion all over the universe, does not take a
deeper interest in the mineral department Of
our young and yet fourishing State, by sup
plying the different mining localities with
water, that are as dry as the throat of Bac-
chus nine months in the year, 1t is a con-
ceded fact that as soon as the mines give out,
California is gone in, as it is the piston by
which the business machinery of the State
is worked, and as soon as it is stopped, the
merchant will be seen at his writing desk.
counting his credits, & with face as long as
the moral iaw." the speculator with his
hands in his pockets turning his bottom dol
lar; and emigration entirely stopped. as it
will be no longer enticed here with the pros
poets of obtaining pile of the glittering
orc, and hence, no alternative left but uni
versal bankruptcy.
The only resource left, in my opinion, to
guard against such a calamity. is for capi-
talists and spectators, instead of building
bulkheads around the city of San Francisco
and atmospheric railroads across the Sierra
Nevada, to go up into the mountains and lay
out courses for water bitches, in such places
as Rabbit Greek, Pine Grove, St. Louis, Ure-
ko, &c, where hundreds of thousands of dol
lars are laying concealed for want of the
proper element to have them extricated ,and
the miners of those localities laying up in
their cabins halloaing water water water ,
nine long months in the year.
1t is we'll known that If permanent water
was introduced into the places 1 have men
toned, and many others besides, large fats
that are not more than prospected, would be
washed to the bed-roek, the side hills would
then be washed into the fats, and the whole
again re-washed by the rising generation,
giving steady employment to hundreds of
miners for centuries to come, bringing into
circulation thousands of dollars that are now
buried in the ground. Business of every
kind would then be on a more solid founda-
ton, the miners happy, and the spectators
rich
If capitalists would only mix little more
among us, and enter more extensively into
such operations as | have mentioned, giving
out contracts to such men as J E. Meacham,
who by the knowledge he has obtained in
such operations, can carry them on cheaper
and better than any other contractor in the
State; as by proper management of his
plans. always paying liberal wages, having
good mechanics, and by means of fumes ,tun-
nels, excavations, &C., he brings water over
places that few years ago would have seem
ed almost impractcable. He has at present
under completion a ditch some sixteen mile:
long into Thompson's Flat, and will have il
finished with a small handful of men, in the
short space of two months, and that too il
the most inclement season of the year. But
why think much of this, when we take into
consideration that he has for foreman such q
man as W. Craige' the live Yankee who
makes a regular gouging machine Of every
Pat he employs, and does it in such a gentle
manly manner that all hands seem satisfied
The benefits that Thompson's Flat will re
ce've from the new ditch, seem magical al
ready. A great many building lots are be
ing fenced in. quite number of buildings il
process Of erection, and this Flat that con
sisted of one store and a blacksmith shop
will in few months be increased to a large
town, with the inhabitants singing out for a
mayor and city council.
Such is the effect of permanent water, and
places where now exist small hamlets, large
cities would spring up, and the miner woulC
pray in his very heart for the prosperity o
such benefactor, every time he would lool
upon the sparkling wafer flowing past thc
| old cabin door SMITHY.