Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-01
EFFECT OF JUDGE sAwYsk's DECISION.
The Grass Valley Union, under the
LI;.n a.Innnr,nt;cahle Adyica u saws

The Grass Valley y, UHi Ss-; undk THE the
The valley press has been quite liberal
with its advice to the mountain people
since the Sawyer decision, telling them to
raise grapes, orchards and potatoes. and to
use the water Of the mining bitches for
irrigation which has heretofore been util-
lied for gold washing. These valley &C.
visers form their Judgment upon what they
see Immediately around them, and assume
that the communities thst for generation
have followed the occupation of mining,
something radically and totally different
from agriculture, could with little effort be
adapted to the latter pursuit. The error
of this is apparent, as it can be no more
easily done than for professional man and
8 mechanic to suddenly exchange their
vocations with each other after following
them lifetime. Were it possible to per-
suade the people of the sections that are to
be injured by the stoppsge of hydraulic
mining that they would profit in grape and
fruit culture, they would be met with the
uncertainties of untimely frosts that would
be constant danger in these mountain
attitudes and render the business az all
times precarious. But suppose the miners
were net willing to take the chances on
frost, but would try the growth of clover
and grain by means of irrigation. This
could only be done by paying such prices
for water as would compensate the canal
companies for keeping up their works. To
ascertain how much there was practical in
this direction the question was asked of an
officer OF the Eureka Lake Water and Min
ing Company the other day whether it was
possible for the company to earn anything
in selling water for irrigation if no further
sale OF it could be made for mining pur-
poses His reply was that 1t costs US
$50, 900 year to maintain our bitches,
which meant service for attendants, re-
pairs of fumes, construction, keeping them
from snow and other distractions. Ii it
were possible to sell every drop OF our
water for irrigating purposes We could not
get one. fourth of this amount. \ on see,
therefore, that it is idle to endeavor ID en-
terrain a proposition OF the kind. Ii we
cannot sell our water for mining purposes
we cannot afford TO maintain the canals
and reservoirs. From this any one can
see that the prospect of the mining dis.
tricts becoming agricultural and horticult.
ural, and of the waters of the great sys,
TEN of mining canals being used to pro.
mote that end, is not plausible or probable.
The Seattle Herald comments thus Il
| is we'll known that hydraulic mining, SO
generally adopted through California and
| Nevada, utterly ruined the country fol
any other purposes, and nothing could
! Justify its adoption except that accursed
hunger for gold which sticks at nothing
to crafty its greed. Now the people Of
| California are determined that this kind Of
| thing shall cease and determine. They
recognize the fact that the tide of immigra
ton is setting in strongly to this part Of
the slope, and leaving the Golden State
and its denuded tracts of land, metsphoric
ally speaking, in the cold. There is NJ
doubt that the decision OF the Circuit
| Court in the matter will do much to benefit
that State, but the work of destruction
which has already been done cannot be un
done, and it will probably be years before
the uudenisble advantages of climate ant
soil which California possesses will receive
the recognition which they merit at tht
hands OF immigrants. II is not, however
yet too late to mend, and the prevention @
the continuance of the wastetul system il
unquestionably step in the right dirsc
ton.
Wheatland Graphic : The discontiruanc
of mining by the hydraulic process is on,
of the best things that has ever happened
for the working miners. Heretofore fou
or five men only were required to work
hydraulic mine. We see by ore of oul
exchanges that the North Bloomfield min,
is to be worked by the drifting process
| By doing this from four to five times a
many men Will be employed as would b.
by the old way of hydraulic mining.
all the mines are run by the drifting pro
cess, instead OF depopulsting the mimi!
country, it will be the means of buidin,
it up, as so many more men will be needed
to DO the work. Therefore it Will be
coed thing for the working miners, am
the towns, too.