Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-08
r QUESTION.

Ia mas w HCh's
discussed for years without resulting
in any practical suggestion Tor the
abatement tf the evil. The leading
journals of our neighboring Stale arc
advising the Legislature to establish a
commission composed OF practical and
scientific men to see If means can not
he devised for the solution ofthe prob
lem. Speaking to the main question,
the Call has the following: during
the twenty-nine years California has
been known as a mining country, an
immense quantity of earth has been
loosened in the mining range and
turned into channels which follow a
more or less straight course until they
emerge into the rivers wlSch flow to
the sea. Tho earth which Is set Tree
by the deep hydraulic mining in Ne
vada, Sierra and other counties in the
north has to 90 somewhere. The
miners flume takes it to a creek or
river, where in the winter the water
runs in large volumes and great force,
and this loose earth is taken up aud
carried somewhere. Some finds Il
lodging place on the low lands in the
valleys: some remains in river chan
nels, filling up their beds, and decreas.
ing their carrying capacity; some par
TALLY dissolves in the water, making it
what is called muddy and sepa.
rates from the water when the water is
at comparative rest. In this latter
form doubtless much debris reaches
the bay. Some passes out into the sea
in the form of muddy or discolored
water, and some settles in the hooks
and n OF the bay, where the ebb
and flow of the tides is comparatively
light.
A certain material injury is inflicted
upon portions of tho state, and per.
haps upon San Francisco, by these nat
ural results, for which no u can be
held responsible. The miner who dis.
covers a gravel bank in which gold is
mixed in proportions that "pay," does
not recognize any law or equity which
prevents him from %pursuinga profitable
occupation. He does not run his tail
ings on any mans ground. He sim
ply deposits them in the bed of some
creek or river near by, and when the
rain comes the water that flows natur.
ally through that creek or river takes
this loosened earth just as far as its
force can carry it. Then the water de-
posts its burden and runs IN co,npar-
atively clear, while The burden re-
mains, perhaps on a wheat field, per.
a farm house, or other places where it
happened to rest. Clearly, the miner
is a dilemma. He only removed the
earth as far and III the mannerthat was
necessary 10 accomplish his purpose
of extracting the gold. He has not
acted maliciously, or with intent to
do damage. His industry is one by
which the State prospers and the ma
ton grows rich. The gold he takes
out is eagerly sought by the very men
whose land has been covered by the
tailings from the mine. 1t is not easy
to see, therefore, how we are to prevent
the miner from prosecuting his work,
if it were desirable to prevent him.
He has rights. He may have pur-
chased his gravel bank under State
laws which permit of its being worked.
If that privilege is taken from him, the
gravel bank becomes worthless, and
the miner is loser to the extent Of his
outlay. On the other hand, land.
owners along the base of the foothills,
and jewellers in the cities Lelow, have
some rights which must be protected.
The great inland bays should not he
twenty five years have served as a
means for travel and transportation.
1t remains for science to devise some
method by which mining may be con
tinued and the debris deposited where
it will not endanger the existence and
prosperity of towns and cities. Science
is doubtless equal 10 the task. A board
of skilled engineers, authorized TO
ascertain the exact facts of the cast and
provide a remedy, will, without doubt,
discover some plan by which the inter
ests nov in conflict may be harmon
ized."
HORRIBLE charges of cruelty 10 pris-