Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-07

annually about 81, ,000 600 cubic yards of debris,
filing uD the rivers and devastating the plains
Hydraulic mining does by far the greater portion Of
its work by means Of water, and not by manual
labor. 1t does not increase business and furnish
employment, as do the quartz and gravel mines,
whose employees consist OF tens OF thousands OF indus
ricus and permanent residents OF the State. There
fore, Ar. President, if hydraulic mining were stopped
entirely and drift mining substituted, it would be
better for the laboring man, and, IN my Judgment,
enhance the prosperity of the mining regions as
well as that OF the State at large. Hydraulic min
ing must. in the common order Of things cease
some time or other, for State Engineer Hall
says-and many Senators consider him good
authority that the hydrauiic mines OF California
will all be worked out in 30 years from now
If hydraulic mining should cease, what then? The
gold product Of California for the past year
is put down at SlS,0000O0, Of which So 000000
Is accredited 10 hydraulic MINING II hydraulic
mining should STOP the additional impetus that
would be given to quartz and DRIFT mining would OF
itself go far to make up the loss in the treasure pro
duct caused b. the stoppage; and the water that IS
now consumed by hydraulIc mining cOuid be dsed
to irrigate the 100000 acres OF land IN the foot
hills which Would produce untold quantities OF
fruits rasins, wine, olive oil, dairy products etc,
and contribute immensely 10 the wealth OF the
State. If that. 100000 acres were divided into
farms OF 100 acres eacb-as il would be II had the
say about tit would afford G0000 homes that
could be made the most attractive and the happest
in the StaJe. Five persons to each home would
give permanent population OF 100000 souls.
Let the average cash value OF the pro-
ducts Of each acre be placed at only
s20-a very low estimate-and the aggregate
gross amount would be Sl20,000,000 every year
Suppose each farm had to have only two hired
men, NJ S25 per month each, 10000 laOorers would
he gwen steady employment and their yearly wages
wo Id amount to So ,0o0 0U0, leaving each farmer
81 400 per annum with which to pay Tor the water
used in rrgating, and for clothing and other family
necessaries, besides ensbng him to lay by snug
little for a rainy day. AT profit OF only - 90
per acre the aggregate annual profits would amount
f.,c ql1
G0,000 happy homes, and giving employment to
10000 laborers- and no damage would result there
from to the Iavigable streams and the farms on the
plains below School houses and churches would
be built and thriving towns and cities spring
up all through the foothills region, doubling
the population Of the State and adding hun
dreds OF millions OF property TO her taX-rol
regard these figures as very mOderate-far below
what would actually be the case-for firmly believe
Mr. President, tn the yield per acre woulu be much
greater than have estimated, ane more than make
up for losses in any other direction. But before
such tr1n5f0rmat ever be ttIeeted, } }draule
mining must cease ana the water he condemned
and diverted to the purpose have indicated AS
have already stated, Mir President, the hydraulic
corlolationS give direct employment to not more
than LOGO miners, whose wages aggregate about
$500. 600 per year. Placing the annual gross yield
OF those mines at SS, 100000, which | think
is an overestmate, and deductiDg wages
and other necessary expenditures, the pToAts
amount to cnly S3,GG0, 00O which is shipped abroad
as soon as realized and to obJ2in this profit, they
send down INTO the rivers aud valleys
enough debris every year to cover an area
IN this connections Mr. President, will refer to
other item which viii further 20 to show the really
small figure that hydraulic mining cuts among the
weath-prOiuciug, taXpaying interests OF the state
Governor Perkins, in mis- specia plea in behalf Of
the hydraulic miners, estmaJ the value OF the
hydraulic mining interest il California at SllO,gO3-
0G0 Now, Mr.. President, | think the Governor
must certainly have drawn upon his imagination
for his facts at least must be mistaken In day
before Yesterdays Bee 1 noticed a communication
from G. f. stone, citizen OF MUrJsvi.le, who says
that the total value Of all property n Huba county
as shown by the assessment Toii, Is Sjtt5, 152 s.
and the total tax SI0S 800 81 The mining property
including every brunch OF shat industry quartz,
drift placer and hydraulics valued at S255,533,
upon which tile tax Is 81 z54 50, the drainage taN
not include in the statement. From this it
will be seen that those who are engaged
in destroying the property Of the farmers pay le
than one-twentieth Uf the tax in the county.
Now Mr.. President, if the entire mining interest OF
Yuba cuuuJy-nydTauliC and all-is valued at less
than qGaIter OF million dollars, would like 10
know how Won can figure Out that the hydraulic
mining interest alone Of the State amounts to SIl0,
00n .000I Nhy Mr.. President, if every county in
the state Lad as much mIuiug Uba, Il e
total amount would be less thar SIS, 10000 50
much Tor general statement oi the case, Air i'resi-
dent. viii now refer to some special features OF
the subject under consideration. Mr.. President
the prolonged aud bitter contest waged between the
farmers and he hydraulic rCiners il familiar to
all ana no extended reference need be made to 1t at
tins time The farmers contended that the miners
had right to send down debris, filling up the
river beds. Oyertoppug the levees, and threatening
universal destruction TO the agricultural and
mercantile interests of that portion OF the state.
In order 70 legally test the matter, j. Il. Keys,
Sutter county farmer, commenced suit IN tae Dis
Uigt Court al Nuha county against certain hydrauhc
companies and individuals. TO procure iniu ction
compelling the miners TO take care OF their own
taiiings, and not senu them down to his farm Tor
him 70 take care Of. The Court decided in favor of
the farmer, granting hm an injunction restraining
the miners from running their tailings into the
rivers Thus for the first time IN the history OF the
state the farmers were given an assurance that
there was o legal remedy for the wrongs they sui
fered at the hands Of a few foreign interpretations
The companies appealed to the supreme Court
whore the Judgment Of the Court below was
reversed on a Jechucality, without touching tire
merits Of the case at all 1t was, and is still, the
cpinon Of the best legal talent in the State,
that the farmers could not iail 20 be successful in
suit properly commenced against their spoilers
But the matter was compromised, or rather the par
ties agreed upon truce last winter, joining their
forces 10 secure the passage Of what is known as the
notorious Debris bill one of the most outrageous
laws ever enacted in civilized state, aud which had
for its chief advocates ard supporters few owners
of swamp lands and the foreign hydraulic mining
corporations to which EaYe already ailuded. When
the edebrs bill was under consideration last winter
the Sacramento Bee saId " This debrisl bill was
prepared by W. IL. Parks, whose object Is to make
other people pay for leyeeng in his 80 coo Of
land in Sutter county which nc cannot himself pro-
tect from overflow. It was introduced by Brown of
Yuba, hydraulic miner, who canno, take care Of
his own detFitus, and WOuid have other people pay
to take care Of it for him II is supper ed 10y few
swamp land men who, like Parks, have failed in
their systems Of reclamation, and by perhaps all the
owners of hydraulic mines, who do not number over
score ~ California. That Is what the bee s3Ia
about it. Thai worthy jOHrua isncW con the fence,
1t least SO f3r rs debris legislation is concerned.
Now. Sir President, let us see what the opigioa Of
the RECORD UNION was upon this subject enter
tain great respect for tine opinions that Journal
On the 25d Of February, lS30, tnat paper edit0rgy
said There can be no DOUBT that ii is iHcumBmt
upon them (the hydraulic mifers) alone 6lke care
OF The debris. Ihey eau get up no pIete1se of
right TO iGct injury upon the property Of others.
The rights Of property never included The right 10
do q wrong. The fundamental maxim Of the law is
that every man must so use his own u0t 5o injUe
what is another's. This maxim is violated By the
hydraulic miners. Mining and swamp land
men support the debris scheme, and 40 others are
active supporters Of II but few though thev are,
the supporters are powerful and men OF influence
That was good sound doctrine theU, Dir. President.
Il ls good sound doctrine now, buL, Is the REC
UNION truly stated the supporters Of The debris
scheme were " p WeTful and men Of influence
That paper is now strong advocate and an able sup
porter Of the iniquitous debris scheme being in
favor OF keeping it upon the statute books for an
indefinite number OF years. 1t isn't on the tgnce.
Even the Senator from Yuba, who, for Teasons /
that are apparent rs he stated dsV before yester-
dsbns Act, was bitterly opposed to it during its in.
cipient stages last winter. He even went so far as
TO Introduce bin making it misdsmeanor for by.
draulic miners 70 wash down debris into any Of the
rivers or their tributaries The session of 1880 had
nearly half expired when Senator DAVIS introduced
that bill which reads follows:
g An Act to preserve the water channels Of this
state and to prevent the filing up Of streams rivers
and bays Of this state with taiings and debris from
hydraulic mines.
' section J. Every person, as well as every person
who III behalf Of any other person, or as the mana
ger, agent or employe OF any person or corpora
ton, who runs or deposits, who procures or suf-
fers to be deposited into the bed or channel
OF any river in this State, or any branch thereof
any OF the tailiugs debris from any mine in this
STATE, worked BY what is called the hy draulc pro-
cess, is hereby decl1'ed guilty Of msdemeanor;
provided nothing tais Act shall be construed 20
prohibit the Owne sueA mines from acquiring
various guicles or "a cent 70 such rivers OF their
branches, and thereon depostiHg their tsiugs and
debris; provided, further al 5y means Of dates or
other obstruetions they copne such taings and de-
bris therein and do rot allow suffer them to run
or eventually flow into any Of The aforesaid river
channels or their branches
See. 9. In addition to the remedy given by the /
preceding section violation Of this act may be pre-
vented ny injunction the Instance Of the State or
any county therein, or at the instance OF any tax
payer Of the State.