Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-11
Afternoon session.

Afternoon Session.
Mr., Evens continuing-About one-third
of the channel deposit Of the county is opened
and being worked on. l do not know the
assessed value of the mines. IWitnesi
enumerated the quartz mills of the county
and stated their capacity.l
Peyton Powell sworn. Direct examina
ton 10y j. X. ByrRe)-I have resided il
Placer county since 1852. 1 am at present
located at Michigan Bluff. 1 was engaged
in staging between the years 1865 and 1881
The distance between those two points Il
about thirty miles. During the time that
was owner Of that stage route | superintendeo
it In person. During that time l have con
stantly noticed that the natural wash OF that
section by the rain was very great. The
roads wash to q great extent during every
storm. The grade of the rayines and canyon;
and the adjoining sidehilis Is very great
The streams, which are very short,
only few miles, have an average fall
from their source to their mouth OF about
l. eco feet. The II ais and trails on the divide
between the Middle and North Forks will
equal in length ], 500 miles. During the sum-
mer season they cut up into dust 10 a dep5h
of from to Is inches, and this fine material
is carried off by the first heavy Iains. Large
herds of horses, cattle and sheep are driven
over and grazed upon this land during the
summer months, ald they aid TO a great ez.
tent in cutting up the surface of the soil. We
have very severe frost5 as far down as the
junction of the Middle and North Forks.
They freeze the soil when it is wet and raise
the surface to the hight of an inch or more.
A warm rain following heavy frost of this
kind, washes the portion of the soil elevated
into the nearest stream. This occurs through
out the section lying between the North and
Middle Forks. 1t Is all effected in this man.
ner, and the natural wash resulting from this
cause Is enormous. Witness described the
different water courses On the divide. The
natural washing on thst divide is three OF
four times as much as the material displaced
by hydraulic miners. There are some very
large land. slides on the divide. There are
some that show an area of fifty acres that
has slid from the mountain sides into the
river. Some Of recent date have an area of
eight or ten acres. The snow-slides also add
very materially to the amount of natural
wash. In the neighborhood of Michigan
Bluffs there has in the past been many slides
varying in area from one to fifty acres.
Cross. examination tby Attorney General
Hact)-From 1852 20 1865 | lived at Todd's
valley. 1 did not drive stage great deal
myself. have not seen clear water in the
Middle or North Forks of the american
since 1852. Witness described the stage
route and stations between Michigan Bluffs
and Auburn. Taere are about 800 miles of
trails in that section, which are through can
yons, gu!ches and over ridges, which are used
by footmen and pack animals. The trail
from Michigan Bluff to Deadwood and Last
Chance during the dry season cuts up, and
dust form to depth of from one to four
inches. The population Ia early deys was
a great many times larger than 1t is to day.
when the mines were discovered on Frazier
river there was general stampede among The
miners, and great many left that section for
the new gold mines. I commenced farming
in 1865. and ceased in 1881. I cultivated
about 200 acres. In 1861 or 1862 there was
an enormous landslide near Michigan Bluff
ANTHONY CLARK,
Sworn. Direct examination (by A. b.
Dibble)-I came to California in 1854, and
am resident of Forest Hill. town on the
divide between the North and Middle Forks
of the American river. That divide is from
Is to 100 miles long. have been engaged in
mining ever since came TO the State. The
average width of the Forest Hill divide is
about ten miles. This average hight of the
natural wash is very great, owing to
the steep grade of the ravines, canyons
and hillsides. That divide is a perfect
network Of ravines and gulche5 that carry
natural wash. There are {, 000 or 4. COO people
living on that divide ct present. Ia 1870 there
were three or four times as many. Tbs p.inci.
pal in fact. only industry on that divide is
miaing. Tie principal towns and camas
are Forest Hill, Todd;s Valley, Iowa Hill,
Canada Hill, Lost Chance, Damascus, Dead
wood, Winona Flat, Sunny South, Michigan
Bluff and Wisconsin Hill. The amount of
gold that has been taken out on that divide l
should judge to be about $1,000 0c0. There
ia undoubtedly 500 0G0 600 more remaining
in the gravel channels yet to be mined. The
first mining was in shallow surface claims.
The material washed was Of light alluvial
The material remaining in the
gravel channels is denser, aud composed Of
rock, gravel and sand. A large part Of the
material now being mined remains at the
dumps of the mines. The dGmps Of those
mines are about twenty-five miles a5ava
the junction of the North and Middle
Forks. only know Of two stamp-mi:ls
on the divide. Witness described the land
slides and natural wash of that regionl Tie
natural wash increases every year. 1t al
present is three or four tines greater than
the mining wash. The ROADS III the county
ara from 900 to 500 miles in length They
are cut up into dust during the summer from
six inches TO foot in depth, and the winter
rains wash it ont. There are $50 mines on
the Forest Hill divide. There are over 200
miles of bitches constructed to furnish water
for the use of those mines. The principal
mines on the divide are the Pend & Co !,
Emma, San Francisco, Big Spring, Darda-
nelles. Green Spring, Hope, Baltimore New
Jersey, Ono. Breeze & Wheeler, Baker aad
Hazard. They dumped into the Middle
Fork of the American river, it being the
most convenient channel
Cross-examination 10y George Cadwala-
der)-There is but one stage running between
the town of Auburn and this divide. Wells,
Fargo & Go. do not carry bullion from that
divide. They have Offices there, but only
carry letters aud packages. d. not know
what the population of Placer county is &C
cording to the last census. The country east
of Bakers ravine is generally covered with
snow during the winter season. don't know
the extent to which timber has been cut off
in the neighborhood of Dutch Flat or Alta.
There is heavy underground on some por-
tons Of the divide. Manzanita and chapar-
raj are the most common unde growths.
Court adjourned to $50 A. N. to-day.
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WHEN YOU AND WERE LOVERS.