Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-06
Old Bradley and Ririman Co


Natoma Canal lin Ell Dorado ....... 100000
Weber Creek Ditch ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 5000
Parker d ten. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1900
Gold Hill Ditch ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 5000
There are great many other ditctes in the
county that cost from s.. 200 to $4,000 each.
There are more than 1000 miles of bitches in
the county, The reservoirs of the Ell Dorado
Deep Gravel and Mining Company are very
extensive and hold back l GOO, 100000 cubic
yards of water to supply the mines of the
| county during the dry season. Their largest
reservoir is Silver lake, which has been con-
yerted into reservoir six miles long, three
miles wide, and with depth of from nothing
to 100 feet. Echo lake is on the summit OF
the Sierras, and formerly its waters ran into
the State OF Nevada. 1t is three quarters of
mile wide, three miles long, and has
depth. 10 places, of 80 feet. The waters from
this lake never reached the Sacramento valley
until so directed by the company who now own
it. The California Mining Company have sim.
liar reservoirs on the Georgetown divide.
Leon Lake, their largest reservoir, Is very ex
tensive. Their storage of water is not quite
so large as that of the Ell Dorado Mining and
Deep Gravel G, mpany, but nearly SO. There
has been from thirty to fifty millions of dol
lars taken out of the mines in Ell Dorado
county, perhaps more. / do not think one
fourth of the gold has been taken out. l
know every gravel channel that exists in Ell
Dorado county. / have visited every mining
section in that county. l have built several
quartz mills, and am owner in 50-stamp
mill that is running at present The Lyon,
Cumfs, Cedar Hill. Texas Hill. Linden and
Benfelt mines, are all in the old blue lead of
the old river channel. This is the same
channel that has been traced as far as North
San Juan. The gravel from those mines pays
| from SO to $50 carload. A carload
of gravel weighs about one thousand pounds.
| There are about 500 or 600 mines of various
kinds in active operation in Ell Dorado
county. When l went to Live Oak Bar
| in August, 1850, there were perhaps $50
miners working on that bar, and they all
dumped their tailings into the South Fork
of the old nil ing camps Of Ell Dorado county.
In early days many oI them were very i'm
portant towns, and to-day are entirely de-
serted. Each of them contained gambling
houses, and some of them a great many
Volcanoville at one time contained more
population than did San Francisco. Hang
town had populat OIL of 10000 The
| first circulating library established in this
State was the Franklin Institute Library,
at Cold Springs in 1850 This was an i'm
portant town, and had three main streets
The mines in and around Folsom, Wallis
Diggings and Prairie City are all surface
mines. Mormon Island, in early days, was
very important town. 1t was the principal
place for the selling of gold dust. Adams &
| Co. had an express Office at that point. There
were large quantities Of land. hundreds of
acres washed into the river from the mines
at Mormon Island and Alder Creek. Sacra.
mento was a mining-supply town. When
California was admitted as a State into the
ITpinp ha taopnlofinp IF FL Ilorodn ~
was about 10000. The population of this
State at that time was mostly in Nevada,
Placer. Ell Dorado, Amador and Calaveras
counties. The only industry then was min
ing. Since that time agriculture, horticulture
and manufacturing have become great indus.
tries. There was no grain-growing or general
farming until 1853. 1854 and 1856.
Cross.examination iby Attorney. General
Hart)El have no personal knowledge Of the
time when agriculture was first commenced
in Santa Clara, Sonoma, Los Angeles. San
Diego, Monterey or Santa Cruz counties.
All l know about them is what L have de-
rived from information. and | think my in
formation is reliable. In early days this was
not considered an agricultural State. ALI
came here to mine, or embark in business
pursuits. No one came here for the purpose
of taking up and farming lands. l have yet
to meet the first man that came to California
in 1913, 1919, 1850, 1851, 1852 or 1858 who
did not say he
CAME HERE TO MINE
Or embark in business enterprises. None
came in those days intending to till the soil.
There were large Spanish grants throughout
the Sacramento Valley which were devoted
to stock raising. The Park Mining Company
is running mine on Tennessee Hill. In 1851
l should judge there were 20. 600 men working
and dumping into the branches of the Ameri-
can river. This made the rivers at that
early date very muddy. The mining camps
began to decline in 1856 or 1857 Witness
described all the former mining towns of Ell
Dorado county, and compared their porula-
ton in 1851 with that of the present time.
The following mines employ men as follows
Church Union, rs; Lyon mine, 10; Gross
Money. 10; Arctic 10; Polar, 5; Crystal,
10; Ell Dorado Deep Gravel, 80; Lyon,
60; Cedar Spring, 25; Cumfa, 25; Ben
felt, IL Mason, 8; others south of
S )uth Fork, $50; Chaparrai, 20: Rosecrans,
%; Taylor, 25; California Water Com
plny, 80; Ccloma, % Union Town, 10;
Georgia slide, 30; Greenwood. 40; Spanish
dry diggipgs, 10; others, 300; total, 1,135.
Besides these there are great many farmers
who mine during the winter season. The
placer mining in Ell Dorado is very slight
now. 1t is principally hydraulic, quartz and
seam mining. Witness described his visit
during the past few days to Weber creek
and the dump of the Excelsior mine. He
stated that he was unable to find any of the
material from that mine at distance of two
and half miles from the dump. The Ex-
celsior mine is at Coon Hollow. Tie surface
mines, which were shallow soil, all came
down in solution. More than 80 per
cent. of the early surface washing came
down the streams. took sample of water
in Weber creek. near O'Keefe's bridge, and
found that the water carried sand in suspen.
sion. I also took sample in the same
stream at point above all mining, and found
sand carried in suspension there. The sand
found in the second test undoubtedly came
from natural wash The big slide that /
mentioned at Dicks was fully five miles
long. 1t has all been washed down the river
Court adjourned until $50 A. NJ. to day
George G. Blanchard still on the stand.