Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-04


be greatly injured.
We recognize the fact that injury has been in.
fiicted upon the farmers OF Suffer and Yuba com.
ties, but We claim that it is mel her right expe
dent to destroy these prosperous mining communi
ties because OF this injury. 10 this point, which
seems utterly misunderstood, We ask attention.
EQUITIES OF THE MINERS.
It is assumed that so-called hydraulic mining diff
fers from othes methods of gold mining, whereas II
is absolutely identical in principle with the processes
involved in either placer, drift quartz mining
The theory of the extraction of the gold is the
a stream of water washes away upon lower groun il
the earthly material in which the gold is inbedded
the gold by reason OF its gravity remaining behind
In early days OF placer mining, when there were
literally hundreds Of thousands OF miners wa hing
the soil III every guch, ravine and river of the
Sierra, the aggre2at quantity of material washed
INTO the rivers must have exceeded that amount
which by improved, but similar appliances, is now
being placed in them.
covered with mining debris by the great flood oil
1872, most of which was unquestonably the result
OF placer mining.
The miners have gone on since 1913, following the
plan OF work, but gradually, by the outlay OF
great sums Of money, improving their earlier
methods
For nearly thirty years their right to thus mine
remained unquestioned- Lately, however, the very
men who came to California, TO work 10 the mines
who did so work in them, and contribute to cover
up valley lands who afterwards settled, as farmers
upon the land below the mines; have discovered
that it is only the farmer Who has rights and that
the miner, to whom is so largely due the greatness
OF our State, has been all along an nterloper and
destroyer.
When the orchards and rich bottom lands near
Marysvllle and Wheatland were covered with debris
in 1862, then the farming community should have
asserted It's pre- eminent rights and have thus pre-.
vented the expenditure OF the vast sums since used
in developing the gravel mines. The truth is that
when these expenditures were made, even tn valley
farmers considered hydraulic mining as legitimate
an Industry as agriculture.
II is erroneou-ly stated that the Suffer and Yuba
county farmers only wish to closa the hydraulic
mines. In the suit Of Keyes We Little York Com
pany ct Get several drift mines We're epioined by
the lower Court from further working. The language
of the iniuuctons granted, restraining the miners
" from suffering to flow muddy water" il sustained
by the highest juu cial authority, absolute
destruction to all gold mining, for gold can only be
gotten by muddymg water
In fact carrying this legal principle to its logical
conclusion, the agricultufst would not be allowed
to cultivate the slopes of the mountains.
The on way by which the pristine purity of the
water OF the State be brought back is by driv-
ing out the present population and rest 1ring the
land to the nomadic ludian, for when civilized man
touches the soil the rivers inevitably become muddy,
as has been notably the case in the Ohio and other
valleys OF our Eastern st ties.
THE NECESSITY TO THE UNITED STATES OF THE
CONTINUED PRODUCTION OF GOLD.
The gravel channels OF GatlfOrnia have le ded In
the past near one Thousand millions OF dollars in
gold which has been mighty force in bringing
about the existing prosperity of the civilized world
A still greater quantity remains in our uaworked
but developed channels, ready for extraction
IL is well recognized fact that only in California
does there remain large quantity of gold, the ex-
isteuee of which is definitely known.
The gold product OF Australia and ether parts OF
the world has been steadily decreasing for many
years past, while only in California has the yield
been sust lined. In this State the minimum product
OF o00 reached in 1877, since when IL has
been steadily increasing, until for this year 1SS
if the mines are closed by the Courts, it will
reach about $40 90. OF tins, has before been
stated, much the larger portion comes from the
grave mines.
Can Califoruia-can the United States--suffer this
great treasure to be forever locked in our mount
ains7
Is it julcious to now insist upon such action by
the Courts, If il can be had, will forever close
these great treasures against the State and the
world
EXAGGERATED STATEMENT OF INJURIES DONE.
The State Engineer, in January, 1880, after de-
tailed and careful examination, reported that
acres Of land had been deprecated in value by the
flow Of mini0g debris. with resulting damage
amounting to 50, 597 1856 This has teen not very
largely increased during the past year. These an-
thentic figures are raised by our opponents to
100, 900 acres, and to untold millions OF loss
TIE depreciation in values at Narysville Is well
known 10 be chiefly due to the construction of rail-
roads, snd the exhaustion of the great placer mines
on the Yuba and Feather rivers which obtained
their supplies from that city.
Should the mines all be closed. as many of the
valley people now seem to DESIRE the still further
decay OF lMarysyille is assured aud we may add
that the now prosperous city Of Sacramento will
suffer loss from which it will be difficult for her to
recover. That this decay Of Marssvilie is not due
increas cost of riy transportation, is clearly
shown by the fact that freights to and from that
lace and San Francisco now, at the present low
-.,fo Sfa 1agyn hun hata haat,
before.
That the Feather and Sacramento rivers have been
Injured is conceded by all, but have the official
statement OF Captain Eads-as competent an atl-
thority on such matters can b. found IN the
world that il the flow OF heavy sand is kept from
entering those streams, they readily, by proper
treatment, be brought into excellent condition.
For two or three years past the prophecy of the
approaching ruin of San Francisco barbor has been
allowed to slumber. There seems of late, however,
some disposition to revive this charge, and to those
DESTROYS of knowing the truth, would refer to
the testimony of Professor Davidson, Chief of the
United States Coast Survey, and to that OF General
Alexander and other able scientific gentlemen taken
by Legislative Committee in 1875 in order to
elncidate this question. II was then clearly shown
that the water on San Francisco bar deep, ii
deeper than IN 1S4S, and the sity OF this charge
was fully exposed.
II seems TO be taken for granted that we have to
deal in California rivers with engineering prob
lens more difficult OF solution than have before
been encountered. This is not Che case, for both
in France and Italy many Of the rivers carry larger
quantities Of earthly material in proportion to the
water than does the Sacramento In these eouo-
tries no great difficulty has been experienced 10 pro
tec;iug the lower lands and rivers.
DESIRE OF THE MINERS TO AID THE INJURED
FARMERS.
From the examinations and reports OF our en-
gineeFs we became satisfied, several years since
that il praciic lbe, at comparatively moderate
expense to safely store for many wears to come al
the injurious aow OF mining Debris in the Yuba
Bear aud American rivers, by forming reservoirs b,
the construction Of brush and stone dams ia thl
bottoms and canyons Of those streams.
The State Legislature, in 1878, authorized the in