Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-09
ENJOINED HYDRAULIC MINES.
A Chinese Scheme to Defeat and Defy
the Valley and Courts

the Valley and Courts.
A letter from Henry Degroot, dated at
Omega, Nevada county, was published last
evening in the San Francisco Bulletin. in
which he says:
1t has been Just cause for wonder that SO
many of the hydraulic mines enjoined I'M
der the Sawyer decision have stilI been
kept in operation. In accounting for this
fact some have attributed it to a relaxation
of vigilance on the part of the Anti Debris
Association, while in the opinion of Others
it has been due to negligence on the part OF
the officers sent to serve process and en-
force the orders of the Courts. In coming
to this place | passed through a series OF
hydraulic camps, including some of the
most important in the State, and can say,
from ocular observation, that, while most
of the larger companies have ceased work,
good many of the smaller mines are being
run as usual, their operations having, in
fact, except in a few cases, never been sus-
pended. Not only So but the suspension
of the larger mines leaving for the smaller
an abundance of water, these latter have
been able to run to their full capacity, as
they will also be able to greatly prolong
the working season, some of them running
perhaps without interruption the year
through.
And now for the explanation, which is
this: The owners of these hydraulic
mines having been prevented running
them by such legal procedure, have adopted
the plan of leasing or selling them to the
Chinese, who, as experience shows have
been able to operate them in defiance of the
mandates of the Courts. The methods of
these people are as follows Companies
are formed consisting OF capitalists or of
wOrkingmen having money, or q mixture
of both, for the purpose OF leasing or buy
ing hydraulic mine. Having secured a
property of this kind, gang of men is set
to work on it under a foreman. In due
time the Anti-Debris Association, having
been notified of such illegal proceeding,
sends up a Deputy Sheriff or a United
States Marshal to arrest the offending par
ties. Arriving at the mine he inquiries for
the head man, for he cannot arrest the
entire gang, and is answered in the first in
stance by the usual No sabe." If the Off
Ger hangs around showing disposition to
make himself troublesome some one
of the party is pointed out as the Boss"
This person is taken into custody, con-
veyed to the county seat and lodged in
Jail, and there boarded at the public eX-
pense. Meanwhile work at the mine goes
on as before, the company taking care to
have another Boss ready for arrest in
case it is attempted, for it makes little diff
ference to them how often this process is
repeated. They get these properties on
easy terms, and so long as,they can manage
to work them make large money. To allow
the incarcerated Boss " his usual wage.
four bits per day. does not trouble them,
nor would they much care if an entire set
of hands was so taken off to Jail, as they
have always plenty to replace them. After
one or two experiments of this kind the
Marshal, it may well be supposed, is in
clined to let the heather severe alone. To
lodge John " in Jail is to him no punish
ment; to fine him is equally futile. Being
powerless to stop him it would look as if
the antidebris people had concluded to
make no more efforts to that end hence
the spectacle of so many of these mines
being run with impunity, none of these
Chinese companies having for some time
past been interfered with Out of this
system of disposing of this class Of mines
there is likely to be developed a
new and dangerous feature in
this anti-debris business. Comprehend
ing the state of affairs, and knowing
himself to be master of the situation. the
willy Monaghan has determined TO make
the most of it. Knowing that the owners
of these mines, unable to do anything with
them, are willing to dispose of them at
very low prices, and having discovered that
he and his countrymen can run them in
defiance OF the law, he is making extern
siye preparations to capture them. Already
some ten or twelve properties of this kind
have been leased or bought by the Chinese
IN this section of the State, and they stand
ready to secure more of them whenever this
can be done on eligible terms. The owners
of large and valuable mines have not as
yet been willing TO sell to these people.
being still in hopes of getting such relief as
Will enable them to utilize the mines, at
least in part. Should they finally be disap-
pointed in this, they will, Of course, be glad
to dispose Of them for what they can get.
They are unwilling for the present, to
lease to the Chinese because of the rapid
deterioration their costly plant would
undergo in the hands of that race.
That we are here likely to be confronted
by new evil it is useless to deny. 1t is
real and imminent. The Chinese are not
only willing to buy these properties, but
they are extremely anxious to get hold Of
them, being all the while on the lookout
for good bargains. One Of their agents of
fered not long since, to buy the largest
hydraulic mine in Placer county now
closed by injunction. When reminded by
the owner of the risk he would run if he
attempted to operate it, his answer was
that the company he represented had 800
men that they could etford to have arrest
ed once thy were in possession of the
mine. Some persons have an idea that the
officers are bribed by these companies to let
them alone. But this is probably mis-
take, as such methods could not avail for
any length of time. The managers Of these
transactions are too shrewd to have re-
course to such awkward and temporary ex-
pedients. They, in fact, make no conceal
ment of their plans and purposes, which
are as above described They mean to rely
upon the low prices at which they secure
these properties for their profits, and on
and low wages to defeat the law.