Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-23
Arternnnn session.


went direct to the mines l returned to Sac
ramento on the % day of January, 1850. On
that night Sacramento City was flooded. l
could go all ever the city during that food in
a boat. When woke up in the morning L
found about two feet of water in my room.
1 bought boat and went to boating in the
city. We got an ounce apiece for taking
messengers from the city to Suffers Fort.
/ had a partner with me in the boat
business. We boated for several days.
There was deep slough between Front and
Second streets, remained in the city until
the iirst Of April. There was quite rise OF
water in March. During the second rise of
water there was not sufficient water on X
street to float boat. The water that flooded
the city in 1850 came from the American
river. The roads leading to Sacramento were
very bad. I engaged for short time in the
keeping of a restaurant. Afterwards hired
cut as a teamster. Tue roads leading to the
CITY were in very bad condition until in
April. We ran our boat out to Suffers Fort.
Cross.examination (by Mr.. Cadwalader)-
can't tell you when the rain commenced in
1S49. A great deal of rain fell in November
and December, and considerable portion of
January. K street, in 1S49, was in its natu-
raj condition. 1t was crossed by numerous
sloughs. All of the city was covered by the
waters of the food except a small portion OF
the public square. The banks of the river
were mostly out of the water. There were
very few houses below l. street at that time.
A great deal of the transportation during
1850 was dons by pack animals. The rains
during that winter were very heavy. l do
not know the day of the month in March of
1850 when the city was flooded. l kept
restaurant on K street, between Front and
Second, during January and February, 1850.
All the buildings in the city were made of
canvas. The City Hotel, l think, was the
only wooden structure in the city. There
were very few trees within the city limits.
w. A. Skidmore cross-examined (by Mr..
Hart)-Thers is difference in the amount
of water used in drift mining and hydraulic
mining. The material from a drift mine is
not 50 larga az that from hydraulic mine.
This depends, however, on the amount and
character Of the material TO be driftej A
cubic yard of stone weighs generally about
two tonF The duty Of stamp at the Pacific
mill is about one and half tons. never have
estimated the amount of material washed out
of the Gold Run mine. The Bald Mountain
drift mine IL Sierra county extracts great
amount of material. ! know of about 100
drift mines in the State. The mines of the
Da1danelles Company are equally as well
pany The North Bloomfield, l consider, is
better fitted out for working than the Gold
Run mine. / consider the Gold Run mine
first-class mine in every respect. Granite has
q greater specific gravity than slate rock. A
cubic foot OF that sand would weigh eighty or
ninety pounds. Witness described the man
ner 10 which he arrived at the specific gravity
of minerals.
& a.. ta fN.Nld Pm ,;,o
are about 200 feet. The rim rock is the sides
of the chanusl Of the ancient river beds.
The rim rock in the Gold Run mine is a slate
formation. It is exposed to a hight of more
tlan 200 fee. Tae COLI. 4 IL lowsr st um
10 the Indiana Hill pit is blue it is very hard
and compact This specimen-Gould No. L
Is good sampls of the material composing
the lower stratum or blue gravel Of the Indiana
Hill pit. The light material OF the mine will
float further aud wash easier than the lower
material.
Mr.. Di5ble-We propose to show by the
witness that the material coming from the
lower bench of the Gold Run mine, that has
been washed in thu last five years, and that
which will hereafter be washed, cannot, over
two per cent of il, be transported below
Rice's bridge.
Objected to by Mr.. Hart.
The Court sustained the objection.
Counsel for defense excerpts.
Witness resumiug-The North Bloomfield
niue has the largest tunnel of any mine that
1 know of, being 200 feet in length, besides
many branches They have enormous reser-
voirs and extensive bitches.
Hartford Anderson sworn-I reside in the
town of Folsom. | sattled about mile be-
low that place in the fall of 1850. l first be-
came acquainted with the American river at
Negro Bar, in December, lS49. have been
engaged in mining the greater part of the
time since 1S49 [ notice that the winter
flo ds each year level down the failing dumps
] #. the river. There were ten or twelve sluices
on Texas Hill at one time. There were
great many more mining, opposite on Missis.
sippi Bar. l have seen tailing-dumps extend
almost across the river. Have seen failing
dumps of gravel, small rock and saDd, from
twelve to fifteen feet high. The winter foods
would level down aud flatten them out. The
sand generally floats farther down the river.
Tailings, where they have been de-
posted by water, are very solid. Irecollec. the
condition of the American river in 1850 very
well. The filling cf the river opposite Folsom
is much deeper than below. Opposite Negro
Bar think the filing is from twenty-five to
thirty feet in depth. From that point to
Sailors Bar it will average from fifteen to
twenty feet. Opposite Pennsylvania Bar 1
should think the filling to be at least twenty
feet IN depth. nreL seItleQ on 16XaS f1lll.
That hill is about mile in length, and gen.
orally level on top. The first mining on that
hill was only four or FIVE feet in depth. wit
ness described the formation of Texas Hill,
and explained the manner in which it had
been worked / am well acquainted with
the country around Prairie City. From 1855
to 1858 it was lively mining camp. II was
all surface mining m ,stly red soil. l think
that there is about l. 600 acres mined out at
that place. Some of the mines in that local
ity have depth of ten feet. The Prairie
City mines tailed into Alder creek. Willow
Spring Hill is shout two miles from the river.
Prairie City is about two and a half miles
from the river. The first-class of white men
quit Mississippi Bar in 1858. About 1000
Chinsnen came in the next year. After
the Nor,h Fork canal came in white
men took possession of the bar sgain.
The rough material in the mines at Prairie
City Is not sluiced into the creeks. Willow
Springs Hill il east of Prairie City, AID over
200 feet above :hs railroad. There are some
extensive mines on Willow Springs Hill.
Witness described at considerable length the
mines in the vicinity Of Folsom.
John McBsth. sworn Ito Me- Dibblel-I
reside in Butte county. Have been in Cali
fornia since 1858, and have been engaged
principally IN mining during That time. 1
IS he Snrfun VaIlov