Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-01-22
MINERS AND FARMERS.

lbub lnuusIIIes Ol inc olabe, ana IL Is 10
adjust the matter in controversy with due
regard to the equities of both classes of
workers that is now held to be matter
Of which the Legislature should take cog
nisance. For a quarter Of a century the
great source of the States prosperity
has been in the yield of the mines. 1t
has been the mining interest which has
redeemed the State from the dominion Of
the savage, which has dotted her mount
ain sides with smiling villages and turn
ed her valleys into vast grain fields
which has bnilt up her great commercial
cities by the ca, and on the banks Of her
navigable streams, and opened up a mar
ket for the products Of manufacturing in
dustry. So long as mining was regarded
as the leading if not the almost sole in
dustry of the Pacific Slope, the aim of
legislation was TO foster and throw safe
guards around it. Now that mining is
in its decadence, requiring the aid of
machinery and invention to make it re-
while agriculture, which had
its birth in the rich reward it met in the
markets Of the mines, has grown to be
the chief industry, some Of the short
sighted creatures who have crept into
legislative positions would sacrifice the
mining interest because portion of the
farming land is threatened with destruc-
ton.
i is seriously proposed that mining
companies shall be compelled to con
struct immense reservoirs as receptacles
for the lailings from their sluices after
the gold has been extracted. There may
be localities where this can be done, but
if so, these are just the localities which
can do no possible harm urder existing
crcum, aces. In elevated claims where
it would be practicable TO reservoir the
the tailings, the heavy debris stops at the
dump, and only the lighter kind passes
away into the rivers. And such is not
the kind which fills up streams and now
it is claimed, threatens to obstruct navi-
cation. The character Of mining which
fills up the beds Of mountain rivers has,
in many parts Of the mines ceased to be
source Of danger. 1t came from the bars
and benches along the rivers themselves,
where the heavy deposits were dumped
directly into the beds Of the S reams and
filed their channels until mining along
the low bars was stopped for the lack Of
dump and drainage. The deposits made
from mountain mining is much lighter in
character, and what is moved to the riv-
ers is carried along by the greater vol
ume Of water there. The greaterpart of
the mischief complained Of is already
done, the deposits made years ago and
worked farther down by each recurring
fleshet. 1t is not the debris from hill
mining which works injuIy-ior that is
light in character and similar to the car
ryings Of the stream. before the years Of
mining.
TO compel miners to reservoir their
tailings would put an etfectual stop TO
hydIaulic mining except in isolated cas-
es. One great prerequisite to successful
mining is good dumping ground, where
the debris is constantly carried away
fom the end of II hume. How many of
the claims in Weaver Basin could be
worked with profit il mine owners were
compelled to reservoir the tailiugs rs con
tempiated by the visionaries who have
propo ed that remedy And what APP
plies to Weaver Basin applies to great
er Or less extent to every mining camp
of importance in the county. While
Trinity county would be sbajcct1 the
provisions of any law which might be
enacted bearing upon the subject, it can
not be claimed that the hydraulic mining
done in this county is doing any dam
age whatever The Trinity and Kam-
ath rivers are different in their character
istics from those which enter the Sacra-
mento and San joaquin Valleys. Their
course lies through mountain canyons to
within comparatively short distance of
the ocean, and whatever enters these can
yOns is swept TO the sea by the angry
waters. But under that clause of our
State Constitution requiring all laws of
general nature to be Uniform in their OPP
Grafton, any legislation deemed necessary
to protect farming interests in other sec
tions would apply to this region also,
and perhaps work great injustice to par
ties against whom no complaint is or can
be made.
We doubt if any law which conflicts
with existing rights Of miners could stand
the test OF an appeal to the court of last
resort. The business Of mining has been
the paramount one for quarter OF cen
tury, and those who settled along the line
ot the rivers did so with their eyes open
to possible contingencies. In every coun-
ty in which mining is carried on thousands
OF acres of land have been sold by govern
ment to purchasers, rs mining land, and
no law, State or Federal should have the
power to deprive these purchasers of the
+ ght to work it as such, in the most prof
liable manner, Wanton and malicious
injury to the property OF another is, of
cou Sc proper subject for legislative pro-
hlbition, but we question the wisdom of
a policy which would permit two, twenty
or thousand men TO settle on river low.
lands, acquire rights which are but sec
ondary at test, and then dictate terms by
pure force Of superior political power, to
all living above them. The principle is
the eame in all cases, and if large body
of men haye the right to do this, lesser
have an equal right.
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