Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-19

moved from its original position to the high
red land. and afterwards, to protect it, it had
to be put on mound. The foods in the
early days only covered the bottom lands
the red lands in those days were never over
flowed. l have seen it in those DAYS on
Larue's place from eighteen inches to three
feet deep. There were great many settlers
on the Norris grant. They were elected by
the owners of the grant. Thirty-shree of us
We're elected. We fought them for two years,
and saved our rents by il.
Redirect ito Mr.. Hart)-In 1862 there was
one foot of water in my brothers house. Last
winter the water was five or six feet higher.
A part of the house burned and q part has
been put up eight feet higher since then. The
water that runs in the river carries more sed-
iment than that running back over the land.
B. R. CROKER SWORN.
ITO MIR. Cadwalader)-I have been hauling
sand from Sacramento river from 1872 to
1881, to fill up the slough near the railroad
shops. This sand came from the bar csm-
mencing at the new mouth of the American
river down to the old mouth. This table shows
the amount. 30S 600 cubic yards of sand, that l
thus moved. This bar extends out into the
Sacramento river 800 feet, and runs up TO
what is called Bannon's slough, or the new
mouth of the American river. My teams
WriC uu6 bH6 Ouly OuSS udu.ltlS lTUul tuttb Dd'
in those years, and sos, 900 yards is only what
| hauled. I think more than as much more
was hauled away by other teams. This bar
is composed of sand. The sand that came
down the last few years has been coarser each
year, and has increased in quantity.
Cross-examined (by Mr.. Catlin)-We gen.
orally took the bar down as close as the water
would admit. I never hauled any slickens
from the old bed of the American. Slickens
could not be got at, because it would mire the
teams, until late in the season. The fill
ing in of the Capitol grounds was principally
with earth taken from the hanks and the bed
of the American river. Some of it was sand
and some sediment, but I don't know as they
hauled any slickens. They took the best ma
terial they could find for filling in the Capitol
grounds, and slckens was never considered
good.
Redirect Ito Mr.. Cadwalader)-Th sand
1 hauled was that taken from the bar formed
in the Sacramento river by the sands coming
down the American.
TO Mr.. Catlin)-I don't think this entire
bar was formed by the American, but nearly
all of it.
Sidney Smith, sworn: l live in Sacra.
mento. Have lived here since January, 1854.
Since January of that year l have lived at
Smiths Gardens. They are on the American
river, three and half miles from the mouth
of the American river. Smiths Gardens
were originally right on the rivers bank, and
were composed of black soil, and were very
productive. Fruit, vegetables, etc., grew in
great quantities. In 1854 the products
amounted to about $25, 900 off of 80 acres.
This was the net proceeds. In 1856. from the
same number of acres. l took S33, COO; in
1856. $50, 600. The river at this time never
overfi5wed its banks and the old levee at this
place until in 1862.
THE SOIL WAS BLACK LOAN
call riley when I.frst went there. I went
there in the winter. 1t was not muddy like
it is now. It was comparatively clear in
comparison to its present state. We had no
trouble until 1862. Then the place was COW
cred up with sand and sediment from one to
six feet in depth, All the fruit we laised
there were peaches. A great deal of that land
is now in the river. Nothing can be raised
there now, and no one can, or does, live there
at present. The water runs over this land to
great depth at high water. We had to go
house. The land is destroyed by sand. All
the sand that came in in 1862 still remains,
and last year three or four feet more was de-
posted on it in places. In digging wells we
find the sand from two to three feet deep.
The channel of the American river opposite
Smiths Gardens has been constantly filling
in, and forming bars.
Cross-exanined (To Mr.. Catlin)-My
brother owned the gardens. staid ia the
store we ran in town most of the time. We
raised principally fruit and vegetables, hot
house plants, flowers, etc. We retailed these
products, and the amounts l mentioned were
the net proceeds of the sales of the products
of those gardens. The channel of the Ameri-
can river was straight when I went there in
1854. After the big food the river channel
changed and encroached on our gardens, and
large portion of it has been taken away by
being undermined and washed away by the
current.
SMITHS GARDENS
Are over half mile east of Thirty.frst
street. The gardens were nearly square. We
were inside of the old levee. The new levee
was built directly south of the gardens. The
river banks were originally higher than the
south line of our gardens; [ should think
about three feet higher. We cultivated some
of the land since it has been covered with
sediment. Originally there was not much
sand in the deposit. We raised all kinds
of vegetables. We quit raising flowers in
1868. Slickens is composed of fine sediment
and sand. When the Sacramento is high it
does not produce current running up the
American.
At5P NJ the Court adjourned until $50
A. NJ. to-day.