The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-09-12
WHICH rs nEsT.

During the past two weeks there has
been considerable excitement in Lane
and Douglas counties over the reported
discovery of rich placer mines in the
Calapooia mountains, near Bohemia.
The excitement ran 50 high in some
parts Of Che counties mentioned that,
We are told, farmers left their threshers
and other agricultural machinery in the
fields and their grain still standing, and
started for the new FL Dorado. Now
we hear the same old story-the mines
are not extensive enough to pay. Those
farmers who left everything and went
into the mountains with pick and show
81 now find out that their tramp was
for nothing, and very probably the rains
this week have spoiled a great deal Of
their grain. A very valuable lessoa
can be learned from this However
insignificant the returns from agricul
tural labor may seem to those who til
the ground, yet they compare favorably
with the result of mining enterprises
both as to individual gain and nationa
prosperity. Eminent statisticians in
form US that taking the history and re
suits of gold mining within the las
Fifty years, the average laborer has re
ceived less than S1.ls for each day.
labor expended in seeking gold. True
large fortunes have been secured il
these uncertain enterprises, yet the gen
eral outcome has been lily paid labor
hardship, poverty and disappointment
Agriculture offers no gilded prizes. sh
affords no fields for speculation an,
gambling, but to the industrious, perse
vering and intelligent she guarantee
health, happiness and prosperity. Seed
time is followed by harvest with a Ger
tainty which does not attach to delvini
among the rocks for Natures hiddel
treasures Agricultural gains are Sc
cured in harmony with nature and with
out detriment to other industries.
Notwithstanding the enormous total
of gold that have been secured in Cal
fornia since 1919, yet it is a well-knowl
fact that at present the annual wealtl
produced by her grain fields far exceed
the yield of her mines. Nor is this al
that may be said in favor of agIicultur
in the comparison Much of her boast
ed mineral wealth has been obtained o
Devastating and running her arabic va
lsyA- The damage occasioned to tn
face Of the country by gold mining
beyond the calculations of those VIII
should be deeply interested in the sui
jeet, and involve important cOnse
qnences serious alike to State and Ma
ton. The surface of thousands an
thousands of acres have been torn u
through the operation of placer and by
draulic mining, and the consequence
that arabic land in that State is evel
higher in price than in some of the fer
tile Valleys In the Eastern States. !
report from the Agricultural Bureau a
Washington computes the annual dam
age to agricultural lands resulting from
placer and hydraulic mining to be So,
00O, 900. On this basis it is eviden
that the gold of California is princi
Pally produced at the expense of he
agricultural interests, and there is littl
doubt that the future material pros
Perity of that State would be promote,
by the entire abandonment of her min
ing enterprises and full development
of her agricultural resources. Away
bear in mind that the products of min
ing are ephemeral, while those of intel
ligent agriculture are permanent. Coll
can be extracted but once from tn,
same place, but. wheat may grow for
ever on the same ground, provided i
Be properly cultivated. Which inter
est viii result in the greatest benefit t,
State
THE CALIFORNIA ELECTION.