Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-05

during the food of 1919 and 1850. Witness
described the extent of the waters during that
food. The only place within the city tf at
was not covered with the foot, was what was
csTei the Indian mound, which was situated
in the neiehborhood of where the present
plaza is located. This food was very extern
sive and covered all the laad where | had oc-
casion to 90 or coull see. Suffers Fort was
out of the water and | spent portion OF
nv time at that place. At the time of the
food was potato and onion merchant.
Ouestion-Judge Sesrls, state what Offices
you have held in Nevada county?
Answer-The first Office / held was that of
Alderman Of Nevada City. Next, District
Attorney of Nevada county. l was District
Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District,
which embraced the counties of Nevada,
Sierra aid Plumas, from 1855 to 1862. l also
served Nevada county in the capacity of
State Senator; and the last official position
held was that of Drainage Commissioners.
The great bulk of litigation brought before
me while was District Judge was what is
termed mining litigation. The habit OF
the miners of Piumas, Placer, Nevada. Yuba
and Ell Dorado counties, where have lived, Is
to wash the earth in order to separate the goid
and then dump the water and debris INTO tne
most convenient canyon or ravine. Inls mas
been the universal practice in those counties.
except where the miners have impounded
their own debris in order to wash 1t
a second time. After impounded tailings
were washed they were then allowed
TO escape through the most convenient and
available natural channels. have been
through the mining counties from Amador to
Siskiyou. This custom Of discharging from
the mines the debris into the most convenient
canyons or ravines has been the universal
custom among all the miners of California, as
far as my observation goes, from 1S49 up to
the present time. This mode of mining is
the only way in which the mines could be
worked proftably. Gold mining can not be
prosecuted except with the use of water. l
am familiar WITH all the streams in Nevada
and some adjoining counties, and all, or
nearly all, of the canals in those counties.
Witness described the Eureka Lake, South
Yubs, Rock Greek, Bloomfield, Milton and
other canals, giving their locations, source OF
supply, and the mines they furnish with
water He also described the large reservoirs
that held back large amounts of the winters
water for use in summer mining. The canal
companies I have mentioned all have large
reservoirs at saeir sources and some Of them
have great many. Some of those are nat
ural lakes damned at their outlet, three or four
miles in length and varying in depth from
nothing to 100 feet. The North Bloomfield
reservoir, with which l am very familiar, hav-
ing boated upon and fished in it for cat many
times, is about four miles in length and has
an average depth of from fifty to sixty feet.
The water from these reservoirs Is not dis
charged until the waters in the creeks,
vines and natural channels fail. The amount
of water discharged from the Excelsior.
South Yuba, North Bloomfield and Milton
mines is at least double the quantity of
water flowing in the Yuba during the dry
season. During the dry season those mines
discharge of this stored water at least u, COO
miners inches. This amount of water would
make stream 100 feet wide and three feet
deep. This volume of water confined in
canal would float most any of our up-riVer
steamers. During the winter of 1850 and
1851, within an area Of three miles of Ne
vada City, there was an estimated population
of 20. 600. At least 10 600 of this population
were engaged in mining. There is not 100
men engaged in hydraulic mining within this
same area at the present time. There were
several thousand men mining in Sierra
county in 1850. The population of Placer
county at that date was quite large. There
were also many hundreds engaged in miu-
ing in Yuba and Plumas counties. Nearly
all the early mining was in light soil and
shallow surface diggiugs. This specimen
Gould No. y is like the material of the
mines on the blue lead in Nevada county
The material in those deep channels is
harder, coarser, denser than tAe surface.
The population of Nevada county is about
%, 600, approximately. They are dependent
almost entirely on mining for livelihood.
Cross-examination (by George Cadwala
der)-I have been either Judge or lawyer
ever since 1850. There are only two hydrau.
lie mines Ia the immediate neighborhood Of
y,,;naa ora Of
Blue Tent. The population of Nevada town
ship is about 5000. That of Grass Valley
township 1000 The Hirschman and Man
zanita mines run only three or four months
year. Meadow Lake township, in which
is situated the town of Truckee contains a
population of perhaps l, 500. There has been
some hydraulic mining done in the Truckee
river. The township of Rough and Ready
contains about l 900 inhabitants. The great
industry of the town of Truckee is lumber
ing. The Bloomfield, Eureka Lake and Mil
ton companies work on an average ten months
in the year. The average mining season Ct
the mines on the Nevada ridge is about nine
months in the year. The elevation of Nevada
City is about 2. 800 feet The witness was
examined at great length in regard TO certain
cases which were brought before him while
he was Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial Dis
trict. The cross examination by Mr.. Cad
Watader was very ohJsctionabte TO the coun-
sci for the defense. and a greater portion of
the afternoon session was taken up IL making
and arguing objections The reservoirs
supplying the canals for those mines are
mostly situated near the sum nit. The
Bowman reservoir Occupies the whole of val
ley. 1t was damned up in narrow gorge,
and the whole valley, several miles in length
and mile wide, was thus foodel [ consider
that the storing of water in the winter, and
sending it down during tn dry 'easor, greatly
assists Ia the navigation q the rivers of Cali
ftrnla.
Court adj .urned until 9:3) a. NJ. to-day.
Judge Niles Searls still on the stand