New-York tribune., 1885-08-16
NEwYoRK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY PAGES

ten feet to the mile This tunnel wide detour ana
secures the same amount Of fall with far less WORK
immense amount OF excavation which Is necessary 70
construct canal OF this breadth at the bottom Mr..
railroad work admits that he was discouraged at the
BY tue amount OF earth which ha 10 10
removed The top OF the canal varies from seventy 10
one hundI cd feet, the sides sopng down at such an
angle as TO prevent wash or cave.
A SMALL ARMY OF woRKMEN
Fortunately. the material with which the men have
had to work Is generally loose gravel and earth which
may be ploughed up In all seasons and removed by
means OF large scrapers. Occasionally. however, a
streak OF what is called cement gravel encountered
which ressts the plough and must be blasted out Win
powder The ploughs used are three huge impements'
each weighing 600 rounds and each drawn by from zen
to sixteen mules They tear the earth to depth Oh
about three feet and leave the ground in such condition
that the scrarers can be made available while when the
canal reaches certain der tn the ordinary dump crt -
prougnL nto reqnlsion upon me % WofEs nos no~ while
the force of mules In active service ranges from 81 20
Chinese arc found to be excellent hands but they cannot
be trusted 10 take OF the animals as when te nouI
the mules to SHIFT for themselves The Chinese paid
81 a day and board themselves while tue wDl,e men
receive $50 month aud board The Chinese live In
camp by themselves tho end OF the finished portion OF
the canal whore water Is plentiful They run their own
commssary department and live chiefly on fresh pork
aud rice.
COST OF THE ENTERPRISE.
Upon the seventeen miles OF canal now dug (the last
mile Is unhnished) the company have expended
S7O0000 and Is roughly estimated that the entire cost
OF the work will be double that or say In round
numbers million and half dollars. The company Will
put In head gates for the lateral bitches but VIII have
nothing to do with the digging OF these dtches They
VIII charge much for ,ubc Inch Of water the rate 10
be gauged by the prevailing rate throughout the rr
gated districts To the town OF Merced the water VIII Do
carried in pipes and every resident dreams OF sitting In
he near future under his vine and zig tree and
tt.~iu .l.t.~ - ha
the surplus outside land and choice corner lots The
Crockers many thousand OF land which VIII DO
greatly increased In value when water prylleses can
be sold with IT, uimans tract lies both sides OF tho
road ont Of Merced for nearly six miles. All this aud
beyond uamans was rated ten years ago at not more
the price had advanced to = sr acre while pHT T%, 'de
must be % reme@6ercd s is "o for land md Which looks like
section Of the Rocky Mountain countryrllght g,ayeiy
ever. by French experts who have examined it that II
w good Ssps sT s 10 Of M esced
Is impossible to buy land for less than Sloo an acre.
sANGUiNE OF GREAT CHANGES.
II may be that these people have an nornate idea OF
the value OF their land and Over-esmate the boom
which In the future bat 1t Is certain that heir
land IL fully equal 10 that OF Fresno Tuare Counties
in both Of which colonies have been established and
vineyards and orchards cultivated by OF irrigation
Given the aud this powerful sun and the land
respond In Biblical to the labor OF tho
orchais II sala to be the plan OF the projectors OF
this canal up their large tracts into forty
homeseals giving each waterright rs has been done
in RIversi 10 and Fresno Planted to grapes other
fruit this amount OF land will yield revenue
sufficient TO support large family. The Influence OF
what has already been done In the way OF founding
colonies s shown also movement just started In
Modesto. the county seat Of stanslaus. the Deghbor
county OF Meced for the gng Of irrgang canal
which Is tap the Tuolunne River and which II csti
mated 10 cost $20OOOO so the traveller who passes
through this valley years hence may these Wide
stretching grain fields transformed into luxuriant
orchards and vineyards Then the story OF the digging
OF the gieat ditch will be matter OF ancient history
like the building OF tho first overland road across the
the second through the Moaye and Colorado