Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-10-24

electric lights. Nine-inch streams were being
used with telling effect IN reducing the banks
to debris. The North Bloomfield and Milton
mines are now consolidated and under charge
Of II. Q. Perkins, Superintendent.
The committee did not go further, but
were informed as to the mines at Moors's
Flat, Snow Point and Relief Hill, further
up the ridge, also as TO the reservoirs of the
Eureka Lake and Bloomfield and Milton
Companies. These retain water for the dry
season, and are formed by building dams of
immepse sizs and hight. The united capsc-
ity of these reservoirs is g. SOC. .000, eco cubic
| inches of water, and their cost was about
IS, 900, COO. Over 500 miles in length of
bitches has been constructed. at cost of be-
tween S2, 900. 600 and So 600, 600.
Phe North Bloomfield and h1iiten Mining
Companies have been consolidated under the
name of the former, and reach from French
Corral to North Bloomfield, distance of
about twenty miles, and are under the man
agement of SUPERINTENDENT I'll. G. Perkins.
The Eureka Lake and Yuba Consolidated
Company ia in the same neighborhood, and of
which R. M. McMurray is Superintendent
The mines are running, and as yet the
Superintendent has not been found by the
Sheriff for the purpose of serving the ipjunc-
ton upon the mine The present improve
ments upon this ridge. constructed for the
working of the mines, incluiing water tun-
| nels and machinery is stated by Hamilton
Smith to be $1,000, 900. The cost of the
mining grounds is regarded as insignificant
compared with the cost of developing them.
MIR. Smith informed the committee that hy-
draulie mining was the sole industry upon this
ridge, and that the population is practically
| entirely dependent upon that class Of mining
! for its support and the stopping CT the min
| ing would be an absolute destruction Of their
resources of every sort; that this population
| is about 5000, of whom / 500 are directly
| employed in mining; that the average pro-
| duction of gold from the mines upon the ridge
| is about 81, 500, 600; that over one-half of
this is expended in the payment Of labor and
| the purchase of supplies. The miners, he
| said, as general thing, own their own homes,
! and have orchards, etc, and are prosperous
class; that they are paid from 81 80 to sS 80
Der day and in the little villages all over the
| mining district are to be seen free school
| houses and churches.
Mr.. Smith further stated that there was
| quite misunderstanding in the valley in
reference to the question of the employment
/ of Chinese and as to foreign capitalists. He
| said that formerly some Chinese were en-
| ployed, but that none were now, and bad
| not been for some months; aiso that one
hydraulic and one drift mine in this section
/ were owned outside Of the United States, and
that fiue-sixth of all the mines were owned
/ within the State of California.
The investigation here ended, and after re-
manning over night at North Bloomfield the
party came to Nevada City, where sort of
banquet dinner was given and the hand of
welcome extended by Judge Niles Searles.
This afternoon special train brought the
psrty to this place, where it viii remain until
2 O'Clock tomorrow morning, and then go to
! Colfax by train to meet the overland, and
reach Sacramento at A. NJ
| During the last day or two considerable
4 conversation has been held tending to the
proposition for some basis Of agreement which
shall be satisfactory to the farmers. by the
miners on the Yuba and its tributaries pre-
venting further debris going down the river
to the valley, and yet permit mining TO con-
tirue There is general expression among
the farmers representatives with the
party that they do not desire to
| interfere with mining any further than so
far as is necessary to protect themselves from
| further injury, and also a like expression on
| the part Of the miners of desire not to in
| lure the valley property By the further
dumping of debris into the rivers without
properly impounding it in the canyons. The
miners recognize the fact, they say, that they
have no right to destroy the valley lands, and
! that they are willing TO meet the farmers
more than hall way to prevent it.
A member CT the committee asked Judge
! Searles as to the legal side Of the question.
| The further question followed in regard to
| the debSis which has been deposited, and is
being deposited, upon the lands of the farm
ers-who should take cara Of that? The de-
bris which has been deposited upon agricult-
urai lands during the .past thirty years has
been SO deposited by great number of per-
sons. some of whom have now left the State
| and cannot be reached, others having made
money in the mines: that IL he found heavy
| deposit placed upo4 bis land by another per-
! son, to the injury of the property, who should
move it?
judge Searles replied, "The man who put
/ it there"
He was again asked, "Well, suppose you
did not know who put it there; who should
| remove it?'
| The reply was, The person who is to be
| benefited by its removal-who have invested
| in the valley lands liable to be injured. I
would say under such circumstances that JUS
| tice and equity require that they who are to
| be benefited take steps to impound the debris
| now in the streams, and that in reference to
! all that is to be hereafter turned into the
upper canyons, the miners should so control
| and impound it that no injury may result to
| the agricultural lands or the navigable
streams of the State, and that the most
| stringent measures should be adopted re-
quiring them TO do 500
| One of the representatives. of the farmers
! was asked by member OF the committee
how proposition from the miners upon the
| Yubs river and its tributaries to stop ell
| hydraulic mining Immediately until dam
could be constructed, IS proposed, above
Smartsville, and also to repair the brush
dam above Marysvills. to prevent the debris
| now below Smartsville from coming down
| this winter upon Marysville and the adjoin.
| ing farms, would be accepted by the people
| in the valley.
| The reply was thas he thought it would be
most gladly and promptly accepted. as it
would afford temporary relief, and give an
opportunity to test Che efficiency of a dam in
the upper part of the river, which has been
recommended by the engineers He said all
the farmers asked was that no more debris be
allowed to come down upon them, and if this
was done they would be only too glad to let
the miners continue with their mines. He
added that il the miners would hereafter give
| substantial and permanent relief from further
debris coming down from the mines, the
farmers would be willing to pledge them
selves to raise 10 question as to the past, and
! also to undertake to take care of all that is
now in the river below the proposed dam.
| Hamilton Smith has informed your corre-
spondent that he thinks the proposition thus
| laid down from the farmers side of the ques-
| tion would be decidedly satisfactory to the
miners that the latter in this section of the
State who discharge their tailings INTO the
Yuba would meet such proposition from
the farmers with prompt acceptance, and
carry out the agreement faithfully. He
| thought the coed feeling which had been ex-
hibited between the representatives of the
two sides during the present investigation
gave full promise that if a good committee
| from the miners and one from the farmers
could be brought together for consultation
and adjustment of the matter, they would be
able to arrive at conclusion satisfactory to
both sides, and which would prevent any
| further damage from mining debris on the
| Yuba.
! Superintendent O'BIien, of the Excelsior
mines, at Smartsville, agrees with Mr. Smith
as to the willingness of the miners to take
care Of all the debris to come from the mines,
by building the dam Immediately, and not to
work any mines from which the tailings can
not be successfully impounded
The miners, Mr.. Smith states, would of
course wish the agreement upon the subject
| to be in such shape that discoloration of the
water could not subsequently be regarded as
a nuisance and actionable, go long as all ma
terial was impounded which could do any
damage from further deposits, and they would
require also that they permit the injunction
/ I-,x L. - &C Il