Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-18
ANOTHER JOURNAL HEARD FROM.

The ArgonHt is mot convinced" that
the farmers are wholly right and the by
draulic miners entirely wrong. It hopes
for the development of some scientific
means of continuing hydraulic mining and
at the same time preventing injury to the
rivers and valley lands as a result The
Afgoaam INDUCES in an unbecoming crit
cism Of interior journals, rather loftily in
timating that country journalism in dis
cussing the hydraulic mining evil is con-
corning itself with something it knows
very little about. This cavalier treatment
i'll becomes a Journal that claims SO much
for its own opinions. The country" press
will not be at all disturbed by the sheer
of the -irgonagt 1t may occur to that as
tute journal that the "bucolic" press has
sufficient wit to know when the material
interests of its immediate constituency suf-
fer damage, and enough of the ordinary
Intelligence that prompts to self-defense.
The question with the country press is not
one of possible methods of mining so much
as it is one Of salvation of lowlands and
navigable streams from present methods.
If the Argoaom had studied the question
with half the diligence of the Country
press, it would know that precisely what
it hopes and timidly suggests is one of the
chief provisos Of the judgments of the
Courts that have passed upon the legiti-
macy of turning mining detritus into the
streams. They have not forbidden by
draulic mining, nut have inhibited the
deposition of the mining deposits in the
rivers and their tributaries, because to so
deposit is at common law to commit nui-
sance. No injunction of Court Restraints
the hydraulic miner from caring for and
storing in a safe manner the debris and
detritus of his mine. That the Argonau
should be unaware of this is surprising
but that it is, IS logically deducible from
its treatment of the subject. That the
miners after all these years of warning have
been unable to store their "slickens," is the
very reason for the demand that there shall
be no further temporizing, but absolute
prohibition of the acts of deposit
ing the mining refuse in the rivers.
That Journal expresses the doubt whether
after all the more serious injury to the
lands, streams and harbors has not come
from the early placer diggings. This ex-
preston comes late in the day; after four
or FIVE distinct and exhaustive trials before
Courts, of all the issues of fact, in
which were invoked all available engineer
ing and scientific knowledge and in which
the broadcast and most searching investiga-
lions were made into the questions of fact.
In every case there was finding that the
damage to the lands, rivers and harbors
IS the direct result of hydraulic mining.
The 1rgoRd't says, "There is no interest
in our State that is not concerned in a
sensible and practicable solution of this
problem of hydraulic mining" In saving
which it but echoes truth the interior press
hasfor years voiced. But does it ever sug-
gest itself to the A'yopaut that concerned
interests, which for a decade of wears take
no concern of that which assails them. need
prodding? That is precisely the case in
this mining matter. The State has left
this whole question to the local commu-
mites most deeply interested, and not
until very recently has any noteworthy
attention been given 10 it outside of those
bounds. Indeed, the State at large has
been content to take the Geld, not to say
meanly selfish view, that the hydraulic
mining evil concerns only given localities,
and that these are very properly eharg
able with the entire expense and burden
Of its settlement, and that other sections
have no interest in it, and are not to con-
tribute in any respect to its adjustment /
There is in the 4rgOaeuts good lord, good