Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-14
The Extraordinary DrOught-Compa-
risOn with Past Years.

From the Marysville Express OF Ihe SIN -haISnI
From all parts of the State there comes serious
forebodiugs of evil growing out OF the continued,
and we may say, remarkable drought. 20 ftr no
rain worth mentioning has fallen in the valleys, Ind
but little snow has accumulated IN the MOUNTAINS
The roads are getting dusty sPrinElers are usea IN
many of the cities, and communication Is open
across the sierra Nevada al every point lraFeieu
during the summer months, while on the lnalh
Travelled horoughfares the stage aud other Hehlcles
make excellent time The valleys ana iooihliS'
that at this season of the year are usually clHa IN
verdure and floral cOors, look brown ana Parcueu
for the want OF rain. Even ut points near inc sc"
coast where the moisture from the ocean mas hlth-
erto been considered protection against drought,
tue complaints are as loud as elsewhere OF adfled
up soil and blasted prospects. In Inc extreme
southern counties cattle are dying Oy thouSahuS
for the want of sustenance, many OLD rahcherTS
having already lost more than nan thelF sloeh'
The grazing portion OF of the Sacramento NaHeg
is almost entirely destitute Of grass anu nerus Vi
stock compelled to travel as far as Possloie mo
the foot hills gathering from the shaded SIDES oi
the mountains scanty subsistence III NV pt!t
and Tehama counties there ARE many loGaIi'IeS
where large herds Of cattle travel from ID !" "
miles in order to procure water L" drink hlAS'h6
regular trips from their pasture grounds 10 THESE
watering places once or twice aweek' huh"tEu'
famish on the way and die on the waterIesS paul.
To the farmer engaged in Grain'raising, the pros
peet is ANYTHING bnt fattering The dry north
winds have extracted from the earth nearly III
signs of moisture, and unless rain, ana thal III
abundance, comes shortly, short crops must Dc tne
inevitable result. The wan; OF ram Is nearly II
not quite rs disastrous to the mining interest Is tue
agricultural Along the foothills OF The Terra
Nevada from shasta TO the san joaquin, there is Il
belt of country much of which is 50 situated that
water cannot be carried on 10 it from the rivers
and therefore the only time at whlch II can ue
worked is during the rainy season. thousands OF
miners prepare for working these dry rhfhes ati',
plains, building their cabins on the premises. ana
locating permanently for the winter. lhese MN
ers have been waiting anXiously for about four
months for the heavens TO shower down the accns'
toned water without which all their efforts are
futile
This state OF things is working great disadvan-
tage 10 California III hundreds Of farmers, ranch
men and miners are becoming uneasy abonl Inc
future and are directing their attention 10 the dis
covery of II country less liable to such fearful eN-
tremes of flood and drought But wewOuld warn
our countrymen against any precipitnte action OF
rash resolves growing out of the present STATE Oh
things. These extremes seem 10 be peculiar 70
the whole of the territory bordering On the Phclhe
coast and il will be impossible to find n couHtry
this side of the Rocky Mountains moi subject 10
the same evil Again, with all the disadvantages
OF unequal rains who would exchange the lnilu
aud saubrious climate of California for the frosty
ice bound regions ot the East, or for the troubled
States Overrun by hostile, devastating armies anu
guerrilla bands. The people Of California must
learn by experience to adapt themselves TO the pc.
culartics Of the country Prepare for Hoods ana
prepare for drOughts When the waters COME roll
ing down from the mountains in torreRts, ward II
Oft by artificial cmbankmcnts or ut least prevent
the flood from turning fertile ranches into deserts,
and prepare for drought by irrgatng bitches: In
many parts OF the Sacramento Valley very little
labor will diver: sufficient water from the rivers TO
irrsatc the adjoining lands. In other places ina
chinery eau be erected for clcvatiug water from
the sacramento river. ln Cousa county men are
now rrsorting TO this latter plan, and propose 10
irrigatc u wide extent of country by means OF
pumps worked by steam power.
We will close this article by giving some vniua-
bic statements as 10 the fall of rain during past
years in California, as appears from the obserra-
tons of Thomas NJ Logan NJ D., at sacramento.
The fall Of rain in inches is stated thus during 10
,,.nrs nrnirripr