The Placer herald., 1862-01-25
THE PLACER HERALD
AUBURN, JANUARY Is, 1862.
The Great Flood

4uC C1OOUi
The greatest calamity that has ever befallen our
State, is now upon it. The Americans have been
twelve years in the country without having be-
fore witnessed anything approaching it in It's
terrors. True we have heard traditionary ru-
mors of inuudations visiting the land years ago,
before VIC came to this region, but these rumors
were so vague and unspecifc not to amount to
Information upon which people could act.
Aside from this we have had warning. and
without some specific facts, upon which to rely,
the most reasonable thinker among us, could not
have forseen, this disaster.
1t is now apparent that these vague warnings
were based upon facts.
If we will look into the former history of the
country. we shall find in the location of the
Mexican villages in the sites chosen for their
missions by the intelligent and careful priest
hood. and in the hobits. pursuits &c, of the in
habtants evidences in support OF the tradition
ary tales. These towns were all built upon high
ground as also are tn missions. This fact has
heretofore been rather subject of speculation
by Americans, considering how beautiful and
prolific were the valleys
The principal occupation of the inhabitants,
WAS that of grazing. leaving the valleys vast un-
cultivated plains upon which their herds roamed,
without fence or other obstacles to limit their
wanderings.
Experience had taught them. that these rich
plains, could not he relied upon for the cutiva-
tion of the grains, and hence they ceeded
to the settlers in extended tracts, as pasture
lands when the floods should have subsidized. NO
fences marked the boundaries of these great
farms. the cattle fed in common. and each year
the herds were collected and the owners respec-
lively claimed their cattle. separated and brand
ed them Hence we have the "rodeo.' These
people had seventy years experience in the land
before the Americans came to occupy it and
these We're their customs. 1t is probable they
were wise enough to learn something from the
warnings of the abort ginll tribes OF whom we
have had but little. Living eight or ten years in
the country we have assumed to know more Of the
country. than the Mexican or Indian. We have
built cities and villages in the valleys. divided
valley and plain into smaller tracts, CAREFUL y
fencing Our boundaries and subdviding our
farms. and cultivating the cereals. as we did in
the land of ancestry. No one of course
could forsee that this would be the year Of flood
very few, reflected that it was an incident posi-
ble. When the great Napoleon was projecting
his expedition into Russia. in 1872, he caused
the almanacs and all other sources OF statistics
rejecting to the rains, SHOWS &c, OF that country
for the previous forty years to be carefully stud
led
One would suppose that human foresight had
accomplished all that was necessary or possible;
yet we know that the terrible SHOWS were six
weeks earlier that year than any of these sources
of information gave any account Of
Many Of MS have had the sources of informt-
tion with reference TO California. to study. the
great Emperor did that of Russia. and therefore
it was much easier to be mistaken. Our valley
cities have been seriously injured villages have
been swept away, the great valley farming re-
gion to great extent inundated houses and fem
ces swept off in the food, and the cattle in great
numbers drowned, to say nothing of the loss of
human life Human eneIgy-and particularly
that of the pioneers of this State, can, effect
great deal but whether it would be wise, to enter
into a regular warfare with the elements, is Il
proposition that may well stagger the braves t
heart among US. How often is this to happen?-
once in ten twenty or fifty years? May it not oc-
cur next year or the year after? are questions the
careful man, will ponder over before he goes
back to rebuild his home.
We now know that it is an incident of the
country, against which we cannot guard. and
whether it is not best to change somewhat to The
habits of our predecessors, in customs and
in our uses of the country, may well suggest it.
self. The present effect is to unsettle confidence
in the country, as permanent home, to establish
direct communications between the mountains
and San Francisco.
For the last three or four years. trade has
been tending in this way, but this disaster to the
valleys, will hasten il to more complete con
nection, and thus ignore the valley cities as
commercial points
Whilst upon the subject of horrors. we may as
well refer to another danger, to which the country
is incident. viz: that of earthquakes We have
had earthquakes on several occasions some
localities quite severe but old men speak of
shocks having visited the country so violent as
to topple every brick house in San Francisco, to
the ground. Although this fact is known we take
Il,
be disaster more terrible to some of our cities
than this food has been to the country. But
sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" let
us borrow nothing from earthquakes, whilst con-
tending with the floods.
The mountain counties have suffered in loss of
life and in property, but little less than the val
leys The destruction of bridges fumes, aqua
ducts. dams. the filling up of drain-dtches and
destruction to mining machinery is, of course un-
preccdented, and will sum up, among the millions
in loss
These are great misfortunes but which may be
overcome in the future operations of the coun
try.
Many Of the present occupants of the mine
will sink into bankruptcy under the present dsas
ter. but others will take their places and tn
mines will still be worked. In this aspect w
are in all human probability better off than th
valleys
The food is not peculiar to this State.-ou
inteiig gence from Oregon represent similar disas
tbIS tHcIc. anu IL is pIoOtDlc tHdt w washington
territory, and the entire Pacific Coast from /;
great distance up and down this continent ha
been visited in like manner.
A LOCAL ITEM.-lt is generally understood tha
Uncle Sam furnishes the best of pork and bean
TO his gallant soldiers and that the other ration
are fully ample; Notwithstanding, it is claimet
by some ''outside barbarians' that, 'a soldier il
fond of chicken 1t is question of taste whcl