Daily national Democrat., 1859-11-24
One of the Great bitches of the North.
MARYsvlLLE, Nov. 2sd. 1859.

MARYsvILLE, Nov 23d, 1859.
EDrroR DEMocRAT:-I believe there has
never uppearedin any journal description OF
one of the most extensive operations in the
State-the Sierra Nevada Mining d Water
Co.'S ditch-or a notice of the mining coun-
try it will accommodate and supply with
water. The water that supplies this ditch
is taken from the Middle Yuba, eighteen
miles above Forest City, via the road, or
twenty seven VIA the ditch. The ditch was
located by O'Conner, Cook and Others, in
the summer OF 1884, and operations were
commenced in the summer of 1855, and i'll
the same year it was sold to an English
Company, who in the summer or fall of SO
contracted for the completion of the first ten
miles, at a cost of about $4,000. In May,
81, fourteen miles more. terminating at For
est City, were let for the sum Of $4,000,
which was completed in September, '5s.-
The first seven miles of the ditch or flume is
eight feet wide, four feet deep, and has a
grade of four and half feet per mile. The
capacity of the ditch as far as Forest City is
seventy or eighty cubic feet per second, or
four or FIVE thousand inches, miners meas
ure."
During the past summer, branch ditch
was made twenty two miles long, termina-
ting on the ridge about threeamiles above
Camptonville, at a cost of $4,000, with
capacity of about one thousousand inches,
miners measure"
To secure supply of water for their ditch
es the Company have built reservoir, COW
ering an area of about four hundred acres,
and capable of holding four millions, FIVE
hundred thousand cubic feet of water, and
o. fully supplying their bitches during four
months of the dry season. This reservoir is
formed by OF e dam ninety seven and a half
feet high, and several smaller dams, at an
expense of S7O,OO0 The main dam is formed
of stone. earth and wood 1t contains s0,-
900 cubic yards of stone and earth filling,
1000 feet of round timber, l25,000 feet of
planking, and is really mammoth work.
The districts this ditch will first supply
with water are American Hill, Minnesota
Ridge. Lafayette Hill, Allegheny, Smiths
Flat, and Forest City. The places named
will use a considerable quantity of water for
the next four years. and during that time it
is believed other grand deposits on the ridge
wifi be successfully prospected. Below For.
est City, on Ropes Ridge, there is large
range which is believed to be good, though
not yet prospected thoroughly, and on the
flats of Oregon Creek, below Forest City,
there are hundreds of acres of auriferous de.
posits that have never been prospected. On
the Camptonville ridge there is a gravel
range extending from the head of Indian
Creek to or below the Slavell House, a dis
tance of about seven miles. that is known to
be rich, but never has been worked for want
of water; the English Company's ditch will
give them an ample supply, Indian Hill,
Depot, Young's, Galena, Railroad and Camp
tonville Hills, that have had no summer wa
ter, will hereafter be we'll supplied
If the Company would carry water over
the depression in the ridge at Depot Hill at
an elevation Of about one hundred and fifty
feet, they could supply what is called Slate
Range district, which has no supply of water
and is known to be very rich, and the dig
gings to be very extensive
There is an immense region of country be-
ow Forest CITY, between the Middle and
North Yuba, that has every appearance of
being good mining ground, and is known to
be gold-bearing that has been almost beyond
the reach of prospecting and entirely beyond
the reach of working. which will now be
supplied by this ditch.
believe this district will give profitable
to thousands of miners and de-
mand every inch of water the Company can
furnish for the next twenty years.
Yours truly, X.