Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-26

1Aoout tuFee years ago Charles CrOcker,
PRESIDENT OF the Southern Pacific Railroad,
conceived the idea of extending this ditch
clear across the most fertile portion OF the
Merced valley and thus giving to this sec
non the same advantages which have made
the Fresno lands so valuable. With them
was associated large landholder in Mer-
ced named Huffman, one of the men who
served the railroad faithfully when it was
irst built and who reaped his reward in
tne acquisition OF vast tract of fine land
al very low prices. These three men started
IN TO extend and widen the canal already
pullt-ln word, TO accomplish the feat Of
digging the longest iIrigating canal of its
size III the country.
WORK ON THE CANAL.
Work was begun on March Il. 1883, and
mas neen carried on continuously ever
since, the force sometimes reaching as high
as 500 men and never falling much below
800. The canal is designed to run across
the country from the Merced river Just
above Smelling to Plainsburg, ten miles be-
low the city OF Merced, on the Southern
Pacific Railroad The slope during this
whole distance IS a gradual one and the
canal Is carried well up on a slight eleva-
uon, SO that without artificial means the
water VIII low over the wide extent Of level
valley land which is to be irrigated. OF
SNbASS tliS lsAtii oil llit upper sue oil the
canal will be as dry as before, since it would
cost TOO much, with the modern appliances,
to force the water over the fields. Every
thing, however, below the canal Will re-
celve the water freely The entire length
OF the canal will he 30 miles, of which about
10 miles arc now completed
LABOR or EXCAVATION
The first ten miles from the river the
canal is sixty feet in width on the bottom.
and ten feet in hight After that the widtb
on the bottom is fifty feet and the hight
eight feet. In the portion which has been
built there is one tunnel triae over q mile
long. and another of l 900 feet is now be-
ing eXcavated. The general grade of the
| canal IS one foot to the mile, but at the
place where the second tunnel is being dug
Tor two miles the grade is ten feet to the
mile. This tunnel saves a wide detolr.
and secures the same amount OF fall with
far less work. Pace Off fifty feet. and Won
will be able tu appreciate the immense
amount OF excavation which is necessary
to construct canal Of this breadth at the
bottom. MIR. Drake, although he had been
/ used TO heavy cuts for railroad work. ad-
mlts that he was discouraged at the outset
| by the enormous amount of earth which
had to be removed. The top of the canal
varies from 10 Ia 100 feet, the sides sloping
down at such an angle as to prevent wash
or cave.
SMALL ARMY OF woRKMEN
Fortunately, the material with which the
men have had to work is generally loose
| gravel and earth which may be plowed I'D
| IN all seasons and removed by means of
! large scrapeTs. OCCASIONALLY however. n
! streak Of what is called cement gravel is
| encountered, which ressts the plow and
| must be blasted out with powder. The
plows used are three huge implements.
each weighing 600 pounds, and each drawn
| by from ten TO sixteen mules. They tear
| up the earth to depth of about three feet
and leave the ground in such condition
that the scrapers can be made available.
| While when the canal reaches a certain
| depth the ordinary dump cart is brought
| INTO requisiGon. Upon the works now
! there are working 125 white men and about
| 100 Chinese, while the force of mules in
active service ranges from so to 200 head
| according 10 the nature OF the work. The
| Chinese are found 10 be excellent hands.
| but they cannot be trusted To take care OF
the animals as when the hour for meals
arrives they will bolt for their food and
leave the mules to shift for themselves.
! The Chinese are paid 81 a day and board
| themselves, while the white men receive
! $50 month and board. The Chinese live
| in n camp by themselves al the end of tbe
| finished portion of the canal, where water
Is plentiful. They ran their own commits
sary department, and live chiefly on fresh
| pork and rice
COST OF THE ENTERPRISE.
| Upon the seventeen miles of canal now
| dug (the last mile IS unfinished the COR
pany have expended 100000, and it is
| roughly estimated that the entire cost Of
| the work will be double that sum. or saw
| rgrnI m
pany will put in head-gates for the lateral
| bitches, but will have nothing to do with
the digging of these bitches. They will
! charge so much for cubic inch of water.
the rate to be gauged by the prevailing rate
| throughout the irrigated districts. To the
| town of Merced the water will be carried
III plres, and every resident dreams of sit-
| unS III the near future under his own vine
ana llg Tree and living on the interest OF
| TIE money which he will get for the sur
| Plus outside land and choice corner Iote
| The Crockers own many thousand acres of
land, which will be greatly increased in
| value when water privileges can be sold with
II. hutfnlan's tract lies on both sides of
the road out of Merced for nearly siv
miles. All this land beyond Huffman'g
was rated ten years ago at no more than
- 90 per acre. Just before the canal was
started the price had advanced to s. ner
acre, while now the owners claim that It is
worth SO per acre. This, il must be re-
section of The Rock TT"1ntaiI, rooa>S Iihe 2
light gravellv soil VIII rn an ;o!iitL
fertility ItiscIaimeJ horro,-a l,.'ibeaIioil ' q
experts who have eve,,7;e i ~ ~ FteLlcI ii
produce good cranes heinz si,,iIo t la II ~ WI
soil of many VINEYARDS IN 7sro,, ,,,,i'l N - the
the town of NIarcad il ie ir,,oDsii,, ~ NeaieI Il
anv land for less than S15n an go - oUS
s,,,(,.,..,. 49,, o,''.' 80 ''-- '-'
i-'' 's 'NHlr CHANGES.
It. may be that these people have am in
ordinate idea of the value of their land and
ONer-eStfQItg the '' bOGul y which * -, 81,
- p''' II % Cei 'a4n 'nat lhelr Ia1Q