Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-17

1uinh budt tiOut S1U,OO UUU HdVe DSeu taken
out of Iowa Hill township. Have made in
quiries officially from the miners. The water
allowing from Gold Run mine is of blush cast
and comparatively clear. The river bed up to
Fiekering's bar is used for wagon road
Have known :, 600 pounds to be hauled on q
wagon up that river bed Have noticed nat
ural washings into the river Much of it
comes from wagon roads and from the loose
earth cut up by sheep and cattle. Sheep
paths are often cut out and made deep
cuts down the mountain side. There were
some heavy iand-slides in 1862. Logging
wagons also cut out the hill sides. Recentlv
water from Indian canyon and the North
Fork ran muddier than before the mines uare
shut down. Think the North Fork was higher
in 1875 than in 1881.
Afternoon Session.
VIM. Van Vactor resumed the stand. and in
response to questions by Mr. Byrne, testified
as follows There is in the North Fork of the
American river, at the mouth of Jameson.
or Hobson's ravine, a body of tailines in the
nature of an obstruction, or dam, which
tends to hold back and restrain the material
coming from the Gold Run, That dsposit
has filed up about thirty feet during the last
three years.
Cross-examination (by Mr.. Hart)-The
material at that point up is about forty
FIVE feet deep and it increases as it goes up,
as far as Warmers bridge. 1t does not form
an actual dam. The deposit in the river bed
is not uniform, but is deeper in some places
than in others. Above Warmers bridge there
is no deposit of tailings The tailings at the
mouth of Hobson ravine are from the Union
aud Independence cllims. The material at
Iowa Hill, in the bottom, is heavier than that
at Gold Run. [ do not think there is any
clay in it. 1t is composed of blue cement
and gravel. At Iowa Hill they worked clear
to the bedrock, but up to 1870 they worked
more of the top gravel. The work has been con-
tinuous since 1870, but on smaller scale than
before that time. The material there on the
bottom is somewhat similar to that at Gold
Run, but the entire depth from the bedrock to
the surface is not so great as at Gold Run
There is only about twelve teeth depth of blue
cement at Iowa Hill. That is found in the
Iowa Hill mines proper. in the Morning Star
and in the mines at Gold Run. Since 1876
would not say that there was half million
cubic yards Of gravel washed down into
jameson ravine. Theamines there are prin.
cipally worked by Cinnamon. They have
probably worked two acres from six to twelve
feet deep. Indian canyon tails into the North
Fork. Since 1876 the Orion has washed off
into that canyon about fifteen acres. The
deepest they reached think is about 100 feet
l do not think the river at the mouth of
Jameson ravine filed three feet between the
winter of 1875 and the winter of 1876 It has
been filling all the while since that time. At
Roach,s Hill there has been at least ten acres
washed off from 10 to ITO feet deep. At one
foot deep an acre would make LOGO odd
cubic yards. At Rice's bridge the deposit in
the river is rather fine, and gets coarser as
you go up to Hobson's ravine. At that
point l have seen rocks two and three feet
thick. think the food of 1868 was
greater at that point than in 1862 That
food cleared out all the tailiugs in the river
at that point at that time. In 1875 there
was another heavy food. After one of these
floods the lighter material is all cleaned out
of the bed of the river at that point. make
my estimates of the amount of deposit from
my recollection of how the bed of the river
was before it filed up. / have no doubt that
there is more or less sand comes down the
river. OF course if the fine material has a
chance to get away with the water it will 90.
Much of that which remains there is of the
heavy material. In the earlier washings
they picked out the rocks and threw them
out to one side Those rocks will never pet
out OF there. The heaviest rocks are near the
dumps, and they get smaller as you come down
the river. A very little of the top material
will color the water more than quite guam
tity OF sand. That heavy sand up there holds
very close to the bottom of the river, while
the reddish material coming from the bills
all goes off in the water. The material taken
from the Gold Run mine during the last five
years has been very heavy in comparison 10
the surface material. [ have not been
there in the past four years. NV impression
is that at Iowa Hill there is $50 acres re-
v,Trrr Al1G L
The water coming from the Gold Run mine
has dirty. blush color. 1 think it contains
iron. 1t makes the rocks look red after pass
ing over them. There is not great deal of
material In this water. / suppose it is this
blue cement that colors the water. It must
be pulverized to give it the color. Tt is com
paratively clear just above Hobson's Ravine.
Redirect examination (by Mr.. Byrne)-The
tailings that have gone into Indian Canyon
for the past four years have remained in the
canyon. Tney are now fifty or sixty feet
deep. The bars on the North Fork have
been entirely covered up. High Bar has
been covered up since 1875 In the last five
years but very small portion of the material
has come down the river, on account of the
ill in the river. 1t masses up together and
stays there.
JOHN WARNER
Being called and sworn on behalf of the de-
PENDANT, and examined by Mr.. Byrne, test.
lied as follows: Live at Ford's Bar, on the
North Fork of the American river. Mined
on that river, from Ford's Bar. up,
in 1855, and since. Am familiar
with the river there. Have lived at Ford's
Bar since; keep a toll-gste there. Ford's
Bar, as it was known in 1856, has been covered
up. nave mined at the present Ford's Bar
The original Fords Bar was some % feet |
above the original bed of the river. l noticed |
deposits in the river some four or FIVE years ago.
The material that first came down was |
washed out in 1875. TIE heavier material |
which has since come down has settled in the |
river very solid, and do not believe it viii |
ever come down. The water will not bring
It down. To move it you will have to take
picks and dig it up. These tailings at Warn
er's bridge are 80 feet deep. Loaded teams
can pass over these tailings and do not make
much impression upon them. Prior to 1875
he water passing his point was of q reddish
color. During the last four or FIVE years |
rave not seen any of that color in the water.
During that time it has been of color be.
,ween lead and blue. There is not a great
Zeal of material in the water. | can dip up
. bucket Of water and there is not much sand
n it. The food Of 1880 and 1881 did not
ave any perceptiole effect in carrying away
he taiiipgs from this point in the river. Tbs
Iood OF 1906 carried out majority of the
aiings.
Cross-examination Cby Mr.. Hart)-I have
property at Ford's Bar. l own part of
lords Bar. 1t has not been of any benefit
o me on account Of the tailings. l cannot
FORK it. do not suppose that I ever will.
have been living on the river and waiting
Or an opportunity to work those tailings. /
ave been waiting for an opportunity for
wenty years. | think l have a better right
D bring suit against the Gold Run Mining
company than the farmers have down here.
am not paid anything for coming here. {
lave kept teil-bridge at Ford's Bar since
SCI. until it went off last year. Have built
lree bridges up there. l suppose that it is
le blue dirt that comes from the Gold Run
line that causes. the water TO be blue.
Ieayy bowlders came down into the river in
SS0-siid down from the mountains.
Redirect examination-Th action of the +
alter has thrown the tailings on to one side :
the bends Of the river. The tailings are S
bout fifty feet deep all along there. The
BOD of 1862 swept out all of the light mate {