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

Mr.. Marshall Continued-The food Of 1915
and 1916 covered all the present cite of the
city of Sacramento, and came within two
feet Of the floor of Suffers Fort. I was in
Coloma during the food of 1S49 and 1850.
The largest food | ever saw at Coloma was
in 1861 and 1862 That overiowed the lower
portion, or Chinatown. I saw evidences of
drift wood, however, that proved that the
food in some former year had been at least
two feet and half higher than the food of
1861 and 1862. just below the bridge at
Coloma, the river is at least GOO yards wide.
L saw logs four feet In diameter that had been
lodged % feet above the river bed at Chile
Bar, and considerable higher than any floods
have reached within the knowledge of the
Oldest inhabitants. Chile Bar is about three
and one-haf miles due north of Placerville.
The river carried some sand prior to the time
mining commenced. The water at Coioma
during high water will carry down twenty
times as much sediment now as it did prior
to 1S49. There were several sand bars ia the
Feather and Sacramento rivers, and one near
the mouth Of the American river in 1915.
The last food which [ actually witnessed in
the valley eff the Sacramento was that of 1916
Characterization tby Attorney General
Hart)-At the time | discovered gold at
Coloma [ was experimenting the construc-
ton of mill for Suffer and Marshall At
that time Mr. Suffer was engaged in raising
stock at the Hook farm, on Feather river.
He also had farm near the fort, where he
cultivated nearly section. Hiram Grimes
and John Sinclair had large herds of stock
on what is now the Norris grant They Gull
tivated about eighty acres. Mr. Leidesdorff
also had about FIVE leagues of land in the
neighborhood of Folsom. Weyman and Nc
Comb were in the business of stoclx.raising,
and occupied some of the land of Captain
Suffer Allen Montgomery and family re-
sided on the American river, about four miles
from the fort. Sheldon and baylor, on the
Costumes, had four leagues of land. about
], 400 head of cattle, and cultivated about 40
acres. Jordan had a ranch on Cache creek
Wolfskill, on Putah creek, cultivated about
forty acres. Corduway, on the Yuba, had
about forty acres under cultivation. These
settlements l speak Of as they existed in 1916
and 1916 and 1S47. | was one of the party
that fought under the Bear flag. Los An
geies contained a population Of about LOCO.
Most of ths Americans made their headquar-
tsrs in the Deighborhood Of San Jose Nico-
lauS Algeria was settled here when came in
1915.
Question-Don't you know that Nicolaus
Algeria was q great stock owner, and had a
great many horses ?
Answer--l dou't know as to that. He
ought to have had some. left some with
him that was never able to get again,
thought when L first came to California
that the country contained mineral, ard that
led to my discovery of gold. Suffer com.
menced digging race to a mill site near
Brighton in 1917. a great many soldiers
were discharged here at that time; and many
Of them went to work for Suffer. At tie
time came here l saw . great many who
the food of 1880 | saw t,lentv of
drift wood, pine, fir, oak and other timber.
lodged in trees, which evidenced that the wa.
ter IN 1880, or some year previous TO 1915
had reached an immense Il lod hight. The
tort at Sacramento was about two and half
miles back from the Sacramento river. The
American river at that time was a clear
stream. Near its mouth it had sandy bot
.om. There were some low cottonwood trees
"a the north side of the river. I think there
was twice as much water in the mountains ia |
1861 and 1862 as there was 10 1850 and 1851. |
am satisfied, from evidences remaining along |
he banks OF the South Fork, that foods pre-
,ious to 1913 were two and half or t5ree |
Get higher than it has been since that time. !
wss IN Sacramento shortly after the food Of |
$40 ana 1850, aud saw the evidences of the |
ligh water in the shape Of drift wood, etc.
Redirect Ito Mr.. byrne)-Hock farm was /
N the Feather river, and owned by Captain /
suffer. vent from Suffers Fort to Hook
ARA once IN a boat.
E. a. SMITH
sworn. Direct examination 10y A. P. Cat
in)-l am a civil engineer, and reside In
olacerville. Have been engaged in that bust
iess since 1857 Have bsen a resident Of I'll
Dorado county for the last seven years. l
AVE been engaged a greater portion Of thu
ime in surveying mines and canals in that
ection. [ am well acquainted with the
geography of that county. and have travelled
yer portions of it very frequently. [ made
nap Of the entire county last year. The drain
pe Of the county is about ! ,000 square miles
70 miles of it drains into the South Fork Of
he American river. l think that fully one
alf Of that area is, or has been, drift, gravel
r hydraulic mining. The average rainfall Of
be entire county is about 40 inches. TIE
ainfall in PlscerVile for the..;ollowing years
,as as follows: 1856 So IS; 1867, "a 60;
S77-S, 81 %; 1883, 3s1 1879 so 50 60
$50 81, As OF. The rainfall at George.
,wn was as follows: 1928, 1852;
s734 4, Go "a; 1915, AZ a; 1856, S057;
S76-7, Al %; 1878. 81 81. Phe amount
ually is from 10000, 600 GOO to 100 600. ,
DO, 900 cubic feet. The construction of ,
dads and trails and the grazing of many
iousand head of stock on the side-hills Of
lat county during the summer months.
osens up the surface of the soil, and is the
luse of very large natural wash. The 7
akiug Of the grades and wsgon-roads over {
lie Sierras has caused great many land !
ides into the river. Some portions of |
glesby's grsde-once wide and Travelled i
now almost entirely DESTROYED. /
mere is portion of it ten miles in length /