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


The Senate reassembled at . P. NJ.
Mr.. Gun called Tor the hird reading OF S. B. y.
1lr. JOHNSON objected, on the ground that accora-
ing TO the compromise resolution adopted, the bill
could not come up until Monday. He quoted from
the remarks of Mr. Satterwhte to subsJantiate his
position.
Sears makinghe point Of order that the bill should
be taken up Immediately. in accordance with the
terms Of the resolution referred to.
The PRESIDENT decided the point well taken.
Mr.. JOHNSON appealed from The ruling OF the
Chair.
Tie decision of the Chair was sustained by vote
Of % TO 6.
MIR. HUI addressed the Senate as follows As the
author of the bin, Mr.. President, presume that it
will be expected of me to give some reason why I
introduceu the bib, aud why ] am III favor OF It's
passage and. Mr.. PTesideut claim the Indulgence
of b Senate for uuU short time, WlIiie | give
briefly some OF the general reasons and few specific
ones why am in favor OF repeating an Act entitled
an Act 10 promote drainage approved april g 1850
In doing this shall have something to say in refer
ence to mining in its various branches, and ! will
say that have had some experience in mining.
am one OF the gentlemen who has had some expert
eBce III this business. Until five years ago an the
time that have lived on this coast vas spent in
mlnes and ior = number Of years was engaged in
the actual occupation Of mining. To BEGIN with, MT
President, viii say and presume 1t is correct Jnat
the Yuba and the Bear, the nlin tributaries of the
Feather river, which have been most affected by
mining debris were formerly clear streams with
channels fifteen or twenty feet deep, and cUuTSiug
their way through beautiful groves and green
meadows, extending from one TO three miles back to
the redland The CT stal waters were filed wi5h
trout and salmon, which made their annual
peregrinati0us TO the spawning grounds away up in
the recesscs Of the mountains The soil was rich,
aud farms with fruitful orchards and beautiful gar-
dens eyid noes Of thrifty ana happy homes spraug
into existent as II by mggc along the banks OF The
streams. Sometimes IN winter the water ram over
the bottom land but fertiizad and benefited, rather
than damaged the soil. About 1850 the mining
lgHgia haqr3T; tg from the
first the damage WIS slight Levees We're constructed.
and had to be raised year after year. AS time ad-
vanced, the aFgly floods Of winter would every now
and then break tarough the Grtlllc1 hafTleIs and
deposit layer OF sand, Of greater or less extent,
upon the laclut lands These eucroac0mgutS III
creased until NOT . single farm remained upon the
once fertile and productive banks of the y uba.
Men thls were once comparatively wealthy or at
least in comfortable circumstances, witnessed the
sand swallow up t.eil homes until they were com
PEELED to gather together their hous hold gods and
wander forth destitute to begin life anew Twelve
million dollars IS said 10 be a moderate estimate OF
the amage Inflicted, exclusive OF the great injury
70 the navigable streams. This damage was wrought
by mining, and e greater portion OF it by what IS
known as hydraulic mining Mr.. President, the
mining interest Of the Stste is a great interest /
recognize the great importance of that branch Of
industry, and tue benefit u has been to the State
and nation. But, Mr.. President, to hear some Of
the Senators upon this floor talk you would almost
be led TO believe that there is no other kind
Of mining except hydraulic mining Let US see
about this. / propose to show that hydraulic
mining is not the only kind OF mining car
ried on in California and that, even if it were
prohibited and stopped entirely it would work no
injury to the general prosperity Of the State In
gravel or drift mining the miners tunnel III on the
bedrock, running the pay dirt out 70 the mouth OF
the tunnel to be washed, leaving the hill intact.
Most OF the gold is on the bedrock which is some
times 800 feet below the surface Of the ground. Ii
the dit taken out per ton, this drifting pro
cess, as general thing, be protitahly pursued
A this 4 trrqvel Weld
100000 ior the MINER and the tailings viii do
harm to the streams, OF this million dollars
S600,000 is paid for wages, and 100000 for
other expenses. leaving net profit OF 500 COO
il so feet or 800 feet in depth is washed down into
suces by water which Is brought from the heads OF
the various rivers for that purpose. BY this process
gross Weld Of -, 100000 distributed about like
this Paid ior water, 5000, 900; paid for laboTers
100000; other expenses, So, 900, leaving net
profit of S250, 800 and sending down TO the rivers
and plains ten million tons Of debris, instead of
hundred thousand tons, as would result from tun-
ne ing and drifting. Il requires q large capital to
inaugurate and carry on hydraulic mining success
fully; consequently there are but few hydraulic
companies, and they are large ones, controlling
large amount OF CAPITAL. Upon the Bear, Yuha and
Feather rivers there are less then twenty of them
nineteen it is stated-whose proprietors are non
residents most OF the stock being owned in London
and other foreign business centeTs. have not list
Of the names and residences OF the stockholders
but | understand that some of the gentlemen
who intend to participate in this debate have
Some OF these companies, which realize a yearly
profit Of 100000 toSl COO 600. only employ twenty
five 70 fifty men. In Nevada couutv which has q
population OF II 900, and where nearly half Of the
entire hydraulic mining Of the state is done only
400 men are employed in connection with that
branch OF mining; and am eredibly informed that
there not more than 900 miners employed in
connection with the score of big hydraulic mines
that doing all the damage II viii thus be seen
Mr. President, That hydraulic mining differs very