Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-06


was of an entirely different character from
that below Canyon creek. Above Canyon
creek the river is from 70 to 100 feet wide.
We rode from Canyon creek down in the
channel to point short distance below
Prices bridge. The river varies in width
from 100 to 800 feet. The banks have slope
of from thirty to forty degrees, and the hills
rise to hight of 1000 feet. The character
of the deposit is similar to the material dis.
charged from the mine, with the exception of
the pipe. clay, which is not found. The cob
bles and sand are similar to those at the
mouth Of Canyon creek. The bed of the
river for this nine miles has an even grade.
There were some ripples, but no falls.
Afternoon Session.
Mr.. Huntley resuming-I here have some
samples of the material taken by me from
the Gold Run mins. This is sample of the
sand that referred to as lying lenticular in
the bank marked Huntley No. II This is a
specimen of pipe-clay Huntley No. q. This
is sample Of the average bank Huntley No.
81. Exposure of the bank to the air generally
changes its color. did not notice the preg.
encs of alkal in any of the bank material.
The usual cement ia the mines is silica, lime,
and sesqui-oxide of iron. made no estimate
as to the cubic yards of debris in the North
Fork. In some portions of the river | esti-
mated this filing to be from five to twenty
feet in depth. My estimates were made from
the nights of the water-maiks on the sides
of the stream. The bank slopes vary from
thirty to forty degrees in the neighborhood
of Canyon creek. There was neither slickens
nor mica in that portion of the river. Near
Rlce's bridge, IN narrow gorge where there
was no deposit worth mentioning. the hight
of the water.marks were from thirty to forty
feet. The velocity was perhaps about two
and one-half miles an hour. The next section
below Rice's bridge was about the same as
the section above. Some chickens were seen
in this section.
SHIRT TAIL CANYON"
And Indian creek empty into the river in
this section. Their mouths were about the
same as that of Canyon creek, and contained
very little deposit. The width of the river
varied from 100 to 800 feet. Lyons bridge is
fifty one feet above low-water mark. The
water-marks at this point indicate that foods
have come up to within ten or fifteen feet Of
the bridge. just below the bridge the river
bed was not so wide as above. We found
some bars near the bends. Below Lyons
bridge we found the river and deposits very
similar to that above, and the deposits of the
same general character. Between the dam Ct
the North Fork and Gwynn's bridge we found
several bars on the concave side of the bends.
In the next section we found more deposits.
Some Of the bars Of sand and cobble were
from ten TO fifteen feet in depth. We also
noticed traces of former bank mining In
those old diggipgs and high bars the pits are
covered with cobbles. I he finer material had
been washed into the river. From Rattle
snake Bar to Doten's Bar, two and one-half
miles. there is sand, gravel, and some slick
ems. The material in this portion of the chan
mel is about the same size as in the section
above. From Doten's Bar, for some distance,
the river bed is comparatively clear. In that
part of the river we saw no mines in opera
tion. We saw some signs Of mining since the
high water of last winter in two places near
Folsom. l did not see the mines, but aaw
where they dumped into the river. The
dumps of one of these mines, situated near
the bridge, covered about half an acre. The
other mine dumped into the river on the op-
posite side, and was Eot so extensive. We
travelled this distance from Canyon creek to
Folsom on horseback, as near the river las
possible. On three or four occasions we went
down to the river.
BEALs' BAR
Is about 100 feet and Carrolton 20 feet above
the river. At Folsom We found the river by
measurement to be 175 feet wide, and aver.
ageo from three to thirteen feet in Depth
We also estimated its velocity and
the quantity of water The flow at
the bridge at that time was zoo
cubic feet per second. The banks rear Fol-
som are about 80 feet high at the bridge. The
cobbiestones on the bar are not similar to
those found above they are larger and of
different color In the neighborhood of Fol
som there are large deposits of cobbles, cover
ing many acres. The old mining pits at or
near Folsom plainly indicate that the mines
were not worked by hydraulic precess. They
evidently were mined with small heads of
water, and the cobbles, instead of being
sluiced cut By water, had been removed from
the pits by wheelbarrows. l came down on
the left bank of the river, and did not visit
Mississippi Bar. Below Folsom we begin to
find large deposits of sand, containing layers
OF slickers. The sand decreases in the sedi.
mental filings below Folsom, and the per-
centage of slickens deposit greatly increases.
The river below Folsom widens considerable.
On the river sides there are large deposits of
sand and slickens. There are in this section
some small dumps from small sluices that
run out into the watsr. The dumps are
quite small. From Buffalo creek down, the
river widens; in some places it is 1000 feet
wide. In the upper portion of this sectien
are bOule OATS OF Sauu anu SllckeBS. ne
water does not run in the center of the chan
mel, but on the side, and is cutting away the
banks. The river would erode It's banks be-
cause the current is directed against them.
The grade CT the river from Folsom is quite
light, and large amounts of sedimentary mat
ter are deposited during low stages of water.
From Routier's to Brighton / noticed gray
sand 20 inches deep in an
ALFALFA FIELD.
At Rooney's the bank is perhsps 15 feet high
and drops off to 6 or z feet at Smiths gardens.
From the Central Pacific Railroad bridge to
the mouth of the American, the water on an
average is 250 feet wide, and the bed is per-
haps 1000 feet. There are many quite large |
bars of sand in this portion of the river. |
This sand carries large quantities OF mica.
The cobbles disappear q short distance below
Ford's Bar. The filings in the channel from
that point to the Sacramento river ia sand
and slickens The debris deposited iuto the
North Fork by. Canyon creek, is carried fur
ther down by the high water of each succeed
ing year. The pipe.clay or slickens soon
reaches the Sacramento river. The sand,
gravel and cobble being heavier, it takes them
longer to come down. The cobble would per-
haps the first season, come down a mile or
two, and continue to come down that much !
each winter. The sand being lighter would
perhaps, the first season, reach Folsom. The
gravel the first year would be carried to a
point between that of the sand and cobble
The sand and slickens | 6Dd in the lower
portions of the American river are similar in
nature to those deposited into Canyon creek
hy the Gold Run mine. The bank in the
Gold Run mine is neither hard nor soft.
think it is loosened up by powder and then is
easily washed into the tunnel.
Cross-examinationt tby w. G. Belcher) This
was the first trip | ever took up the North
Fork. / was asked by Mr.. Allardt to accom-
pany him, and was told that nay expenses
would be paid by the parties bringing this
suit. Mr.. Allardt did not say who would pay
me for my services, but understood it was
the
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SACRAMENTO
COUNTY.
I visited the mine and took three specimens
from the pit, as heretofore stated. Go not
saw that this is a sample of all that is in that
pit, The Gobbles and material in this box ]
think is a fair sample of the general character
Of the bank. l took these samples with a
pik from the bank. The banks are softer
now than they were when first cayed. Hard
and soft are comparative terms. | could not
say that the banks were hard; neither could
say they were soft. On the eastern side Of
the pit saw some rocks that would weigh
several hundred pounds. judge that powder
had been used in this mine. Some ground
will shake up quite fine when powder is used
Last spring, near Piety Hill, in Shasta
corpfv in ora of Mr. Havwarf,a rninaq 7