Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-17

river where the turbid flow of heavily sur
charged slickens water meets the water of
the Sacramento, which is clear, deep and
pure above that point. The two classes.
for a distance below the junction
flow side by side together, each preserving
It's characteristics and color, until finally
the edges begin to unite like rolling and
lntermingling clouds in storm, and at
last slickens wins, and it comes on its
course TO form bars and furnish slickens
beverage for the deniZens of Sacramento.
The Feather river, as seen where it emp
ties into the Sacramento, is an uninter-
rupted bed of slickens and ruin The river
Is filled TO about the top of its banks; but
very little water flows out of it, and that
little appears to be three-fourths sand and
pipe clay. The raised bed of the Feather
the top of which is just even with the sur
face Of the water IN the Sacramento, projects
nearly half way across the latter and then
shoals off to the bottom. The steamer had
to pass close to the opposite side of the Sac
ramento river, and even then found but
exceedingly shallow water. Soundings
were made from Fremont bar past the Juno
ton of the rivers, and less than 50 inches
was recorded. But having passed by the
upper side of the mouth of the
Feather, the steamer at once sailed into
pure, clear and beautiful water, and within
one hundred yards from the turbid mixture
Just passed, the lead showed a depth of
thirty feet. Here was seen at glance the
conclusion of the whole matter. Tie ex-
tenslve pursuit of agriculture in the upper
Sacramento valley, and even the classes
OF mining carried on in Shasta
and other counties at the north.
dld not produce any injury or even color
the water. There was bat one other fact
to state, and that was hydraulic mining had
caused the ruin and desolation which had
been witnessed below. and which was but
faint suggestion of the far greater destruc-
| ton which marks its course throughout the
de5ris-cursed tributaries.
The expressions. il may be said of al
most the entire party, We're perhaps more
emphatic than ever before of the necessity
OF the prompt stoppaSe of the evil. This,
so FAR IS expressions were heard from
the congressman present, was clearly
| their views. Senator Stanford remarked
that there was but one thing to do, and that
was 10 stop hydraulic mining, the
| cause of the destruction. He said
the hydraulic miners must observe
the great principle of law which even OBJ
| talns between miners themselves, to so use
their own property that it should not in
Jure that of another. He said that until
they could do this, hydraulic mining must
be positively prohibited. 1t is believed that
all, al least, except Mr. Henley, shared this
view. Mr.. Henley, so far as known, did
not give any views upon the subject:
MIR. Stanford said it was always hard to
throw any class OF laborers out of employ
| ment but that at best estimates probably
not more than perhaps three thousand
would be thus thrown out of employment,
| and other avenues of industry would soon
| take the place of mining with them.
Having spent few moments in viewing
the scene about the junction of the two
rivers, the steamer returned to Sacramento,
arriving here at about 1 P. NJ Before
reaching the city, however an excellent
collation. was served upon the boat. w. f.
Peterson attending to the duties of
| caterer
The importance of the Sacramento river
as highway for transportation of the great
volume Of products grown throughout the
valley, and for general purposes of COM
merce, was noticed during the voyage up
the river, when, within the space of
two hours, eight steamers engaged
in transporting grain, or as trad
ing boats, and six barges loaded with
wheat, were passed. The river Captains
estimated that the wheat seen upon the
barges would have loaded ten trains of
twenty-three cars each, as there were about
2,300 tons on the barges.