Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-11
EFFECTS OF MINING UPON THE sAcRA.
MENTo RIVER.

EDS. RECORD UNION: For the past twelve
years / have been resident of this county,
located upon Sherman Island, and as a sort
of prelude to this brief paper, would like to
answer question that has often been put to
me, why 1 located myself here. Previous to
my coming here had resided in Oakland,
and engaged in the business of ssed-rsising.
my business growing, with q fair prospect of
becoming one of the leading men in that bust
ness. found that could not carry on my
business as its requirements needed, on ac-
count OF the space l had, and at the sugges-
ton OF several persons, came up here and
found that could get the amount
OF land that my growing business required.
Hence bought 100 acres Of land, with the
privilege of adding to it as the REQUIREMENTS
Of the business needed. A better location
did not want, as | could furnish orders TO
better advantage, having good facilities to
market either in the State or at the East, for
it was to the East that looked for the great.
est sales, having been solicited by large
houses there to furnish them, they knowing
full well that seeds grown in this State by q
competent person would give good satisfac-
ton. In 1869 l commenced with a fine pros
pect before me, laying the foundation
for q large business, and giving en-
ployment to quite number of men.
putting in a growing crop of seeds, and get
ting in large root crop for the coming year.
Everything went well. had good crop,
all growing in fine order and giving promise
of large yield, that would enable me to
carry through my enterprise satisfactorily.
| liked the change | had made. But, alas,
nv hopes were cut short by the food of 1871
DESTROYING all the crop thatwas in the ground,
so that ell my labor in that quarter upset all
nv future prospects. | wrote to parties in
the East that had given me encouragement
that could not do as / wished to- But that
did not discourage me. After had got my
land dry / started again, but found 1t to be
uphill work / found that something would
have to be done in the way of building levees
to keep out the water, to insure crops. An
assessment of nearly Sl5 was levied on the
acre, and work was begun and q large levee
built at a cost of nearly 100000.
Thinking now that everything was safe, l
began to inclose my land from stray stock.
set out q large orchard, and every thing " as
going on bright for three or four years, when
again we were put under water, worse than
before That flood swept off my fences, de-
stroyed my orchard, and my seed and small
fruit gardens. In the mean time had given
up my prospects for growing seeds. and
wanted all my fruit lands for large nursery.
That was getting along well, when another
food overlook US, and tens of thousands of
promising trees, one, two and three years old,
were destroyed, and for the past four
years, or seasons, we have been I'm.
der, with a poor prospect before US.
When | came upon this island q very small
levee answered all of the requirements but
as time rolled on a change was being seen,
and we found that large amount of money
and labor had to be expended if we wanted
to save our crops. Each winter when the
rains set in we found that the banks
weuld not hold the water out as it 1sed to-
Instead of the clear water that had flowed
by my house, we found it thick and muddy,
and that the bed of the river was filling up,
thus giving us more surplus water. and still
requiring US to make our levees higher and
broader to sustain the pressure that was be-
ing brought upon them. What was the
cause of it? Why, hydraulic mining. 1t is
now that we are beginning to feel the wrongs
that have fallen on US by this mining bust
ness, and when is it to cease? From en-
gineers-I have met l learn that the bed of
the river from Three-mile slough to Collins
vile, in the past twelve years has filled up
more than fifteen feet Think of it what
will it be in the next ten years if that BUSH
ness is carried on? Every island in the Sac
ramento river viii be wiped out of existence,
for agriculture every year shows it more and
more, and it is high time that it should be
stopped. The people of Sherman Island have
spent in the past twelve years $500, coo to re-
claim and put it in good shape, and look at it
to-day. As things have been going on farming
people are getting discouraged; their funds
will not or cannot hold out, nothing IS coming
in but all going out, and very dull prospect
in the future. ID. j.. PERKINS.
Emmaton June 9, 1881