Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-07

Staten Island is between the forks of the
Mol umne river. / went to Union Island
in 1876. l was at Il at time in the employ
of General Williams. Naglee owned the
upper portion of Union Island. He
also owns the Psscadero ranch. Those
peat islands have been burned out to
a dep'h of five or six feet in their
center several times. never had anything
to do with the reclamation of Grand Island.
There was some litigation between Naglee
and Williams. but was not a witness in the
case. l call Staten Island peat island, be-
cause that is It's general formation. | am not
farmer. Have heard those engaged in cul.
tlyating the soil there say that they could
raise from five to seven tons of potatoes TO
the acre on peat lard | went to Union
Island as an engineer in October, 1876, and
remained there absut one year. l went to
Staten Island on the LIT of June, 1878. and
remained there until July of last year. was
IN the employ of j. B. Hsggin. The water
of the Mokelumne is very muddy. After the
floods recede. grain, potatoes, onions, melons,
and other produce, are raised very success
fully. Have seen a few melons grown ia
the gardens. l pumped some sand for
the levees prior to the food of 1880. Since
that time | have pumped no sand.
In the middle channels of the two branches
of the Mokelumne.we fad some sand. ] do
not know how far above Staten Island the
Costumes enters the Mokelunne. 1t is
about twenty-five and half miles around the
island | don't know whether there is any
hydraulic mining on the Costumes and Mo-
kelumne or rot While was on the island
the deposition Of slickens outside the levee
amounted to about one and half inches an
ually. Last year about 800 acres were cult
waited on the island There was very small
crop raised on the island in 1878. The larges
crop was raised in 1879. They raised tha
year fine crop, ahd the land produced we'll
| am not aware that they have had any
trouble from sediment on Grand Island
! Where the best orchards ara located on tina
island the land is of sedimentary formation
AS far as | know, there has been no deposi
on Union Island. The water during the las
high food stood on Staten Island to deptl
of from 10 to II feet. I don't know tn
depth of the filing in the bed of the Sacra
mento river. | sounded the depth of tn
peat at the lower end of Staten Island ant
found that it was more than 40 feet.
JAMES W MARSHALL
Sworn Direct examination (byJ. K Byrue)-
l came to California in June, 1915. from Ore
| gon. Since that time | have resided 10 thi
State. [ discovered gold on the 18Th of Jan
uary, 1S48, at Coloma, in Ell Dorado county oil
the South Fork of the American river. Their
were 10000 to 81, 600 people in Ell Dorad
county from 1880 1852. Thatwas the banne
county. She sent to the Legislature six Sen
ators and ten representatives.. The immi
grafton to California was caused by the golC
discovery. In 1915 there was perhaps fifty
people in the Sacramento Valley, exclusive
of Indians. These were mostly trappers
knew Captain Armatager, the Captain of thu
company of Hudson bay trappers stationed
in the Sacramento Valley. He was her
prior to 1880. When l came to Californi;
the inhabitants, the Indians and trappers
reported this entire valley. had been in 1880
completely submerged. The whole valley
with the exception of the Buttes was upde
water. The drift wood and debris remainip.
in the trees when 1 came here substantiateC
the truth of their statements.