Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-21
DEBRIS.
rwsErY-EIaHrH DAY OF TIE sLICKENs
CASE IN COURT.
Testimony for the Defense-Interestiug
Evidence by Pioneer Farmers
and Miners.

| Evidence by Pioneer Farmers
and Miners.
The chickens case opened at $3.50 A. NJ. yes.
terday in Department Two of the Superior
Court.
| G. H. Colby resumed the stand. Cross
examination (by Mr.. Cadwalader)-I do not
know the amount of water used in the Polar
Star mine during the year 1880. l think
they used as large head as the Gold Run
mine, but did not work as many hours day.
The Polar Star uses about 200 men in the
working of the mine. The average number
of men used ON the hydraulic mines is about
100. The Cedar creek ran two mines last
year. There are about 800 men engaged in
numbering on the Gold Run divide, and a
considerable number are engaged in cut
ting wood. The principal occupation of
that portion of Placer county ia mining.
do not know the number of acres devoted
to agriculture neither do know the num-
Der of sheep in Placer county. Quite coz.
siderable proportion Of the acreage of that
county is devoted to hydraulic mining. I do
not know of any law among miners compell-
ing man to work bis claim by any particu-
lar process. They were allowed to mine in
their own way. One miner would never
claim the right to pile his rocks on his neigh
boris claim, to the latter's injury. Some
mines cannot be worked practically except
by the hydraulic process. In drift mines the
= L., L. 81 =.
cars. If the portion Of the old river channel
at Gold Run that underlies the railroad is
ever mined, it will be worked inte Bear river
There have been two surveys made for tun-
mel between the North Fork and Bear river.
Eli Wells sworn. Ito A. P. CatliD)-I re-
side in Brighton township, Sacramento coun-
ty, eight miles from Sacramento, on the
American river. l own ITO acres. The width
of frontage on the American river is about 20
feet. MIR. Day lives above ne and Mr..
Lowell next below then follows down on the
John Rooney, their places lying in the order
named. have lived there since 1850, and
owned this land since 1868. The flood of
1862, on the 10th of January, left deposit
on eight acres of my land about three feet
deep. That deposit plowed the next year
and every year since. put it in corn for two
years after 1862, and raised an excellent crop
-as fine as ever saw in the State After
that put it in alfalfa, and fromit have cut
three to four crops year. Last year l put
it in melons and raised a fine crop. I think
will average ten feet in hight.
The American river during the recent
rains raised three feet at my place. 1t
has fallen about two feet. The sand bar in the
river opposite my place was not moved nor
affected in the least by the recent rise of
water. / saw the old Sutter canal when it
was constructed The food of 1862 took
away two-thirds of that old canal. This
canal started at the American Fork House,
and came out at Brighton at the farm of MIR.
Rooney. 1t followed the river bank until it
came to the line between my place and Mr..
Lowell, then bore off to the left, making
circle Of nearly three miles. The first we'll
dug on my place was at a distance of half
mile from the river. At the depth of twelve
feet / struck cobble and pay.sand, aud found
water Overlying the cobbls was stratum OF
very hard gray sand. have dug three wells
since the fall Of 1868. One was quarter of
mile from the river, and found the same
formation and water at the same depth.
Last year dug well with the same result
as formerly. The water level in every case
was found at the same depth. The overflow
of the American river has not injured me to
the extent of five cents. | have had at times
slight deposit of sediment, but consider
it not in the least injurious to the soil. The
river has filed up 10 or IL feet in its channel,
but it has also increased fully one third. |
am overfowed only by back water, which
overhows the farms below me. New Years
day, 1858, wss the highest water have ever
sesn at my place.
C.oss-exan ination Ito Attorney General
Hart)-I could trace the line Of high water
along the fences and trees Witness described
the manner in which the water came over his
farm. The deposit on the eight acres was a
dark loan. It was not similar to the original
soil. The later deposit on my place was
slickens. Farming is my only occupation
have noticed the constant filling up of the
river each year since 1862 TO the present time.
l have noticed the bars in the river aIe
that, when the water falls, more sand is
brought down and other large bars are
formed in their place. When l first
saw the American river it was a clear stream,
with pebbly bottom and high bluff banks.
The river banks were thickly covered with
large oaks. I watched the food of 1862 every
hour from the time it commenced rising un-
til it began to recede. The whole bottom of
the river is sand. The banks on the opposite
side of the river are not over foot or two
above low water mark. The river at low wa.
IeT ID very hudilOW-pu OIL aNCEdRS nOG more
than foot and half deep. My place lies in
peculiar position and l am not affected at all
like my neighbors. My place lies opposite
large open expanse, and there is during floods
no current over my place.
Redirect Ito Mr.. Catlin)-After a high
food l noticed always that the top of the
bars and portion of the sand deposit in the
channel is swept down stream.
VIM. III. White, sworn. (ToJ. X. Byrne)-
| came to California in 1850. / have been
engaged .ince that time principally in mining.
In 1850 mined on Big Bar, in the Middle
Fork of the American river I worked at
Parker's Bar. on the North Fork, in 1853.
Parker's Bar is about half way between Pick
ering's Bar and Ford's Bar, about two miles
below the mouth Of Canyon creek 1 have
been up and down the North Fork great
many times. with the exception of 1856 and
1859, from 1858 to 1881. have crossed and
bsen up and down it more or less each year.
In 1858 the bottom of the river was composed
Of rock and coarse material. The average
width Of the channel from bank to bank, from
Rice's bridge to Canyon creek, should judge
was about so feet. There were numerous
holes in that portion of the river. Some of
them were IL or 10 feet deep and from 60 to
100 feet long. remember one particularly,
near Ford's Bar. which was about 25 feet
deep. 1 examined the river about
the first of October of this year.
The tailipgs from Rice's bridge to Pick
ering's Bar will average 40 feet in depth.
The tailings were all swept out in 1875 or
1876 The food of 1881 was about equal to
that Of 1875, but did not carry out these tail.
ing deposits. The present deposit of taiIings
has the appearance Of being as solid as the
original bed Of the river. The tailings at
Ford's Bar are about 30 feet deep. From
Pickering's Bar to Stephens bridge the river
is filled upon an average of So feet. That is
nearly four miles. The material composing
this filling is composed of cobblestone, rock
and sand. noticed in going down the river
that the coarsest material was near the dump.
The material gets finer IS you go down the
stream from the dump. remember the
house once owned by George Hanley at Ford's
Bar. It was built at least 60 feet above the