Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-16

CDulu nave De6H DelOfe ne laU the kHOWiSuSe
OF good and evil. And am going TO tell you
pretty soon why the white man has not pro
gressed since he drove the Digger out OF
THIS GARDEN OF EDEN
Why we have such n poor display here, in COM
parisOH with what we ought to have; and viii
try TO come TO some substance, because ! am
afraid that like any other old man telling OF the
memories of his youth, tire you. " The west
side of the Sacramento valley above iolo." So
wrote the doctor. This is a big territory. II il
is supposed that Red Bluff and Redding are in
the Sacramento valley, then We have distance
north from the Yolo line of about 100 miles.
Suppose you had been with me in 1880 at the
Tolo line, on the river. We would be in
wooded country, with tangled underground of
pea vine, poison oak, blackberry bushes. grape
vines, wild roses, etc, and we would make poor
headway going north unless we kept from
half to mile back from the river. But mile
back would throw us in the edge OF tule some
three miles wide. So we skirt along up be-
tween the timber and the tules. This little strip
is covered with clover that would make, per-
hapsr five tons of hay TO the acre. 1t is with
great difficulty that we get through. The land
is rich, and before forget it want to say that
13A bushels of wheat to the acre has since been
cut from measured forty acres OF this land.
a JOURNEY UP THE RIVER.
As we go north, we find that in about seven
miles the timber and the undergrowth gets
wider; the tules Iecede and we begin to find the
land looks like'if it had not overnowed for
years. Spots of wild oats begin to appear.
Then, as we go on, we see timber out to the
west. instead of tuies. The wild oats and the
high land widens out, until the overflow is con-
fined to very narrow trough. Then we come
to Sycamore slough, and we see by its course the
timber we saw on the west was on this stream.
1t is dry, except in winter and spring, and il
spreads out and makes the tule that came so
close into the river at the start. We have been
on Grand Island. This slough, this tule, form
ing the western boundary of it, and the river
the eastern. We find another little basin of
tule, and then reach Colusa. Here we strike a
road travelled by gold-hunters going to the
northern mines II is kept outside, or west, of
the tule. AS we go north from here we can not
see to the river, for the brush, nor well to the
west for the wild oats. l heard General Bid
well relate that he tried for forty miles TO get to
the river for water without success. Occasion
ally slough puts out of the river and runs
back to the trough above mentioned, but none
of them are so deep as Sycamore slough, and
have water only in food time The soil is all
the same,
ALL A RICH ALLUvIAL
Forty-ive miles north OF our starting pcint we
find the head of the trough" Above this the
land slopes from the hills to the river and in 81
miles we cross Stony creek, a stream about 500
feet wide, with banks ten or twelve feet high
The water does not run down to the river all the
year, but in winter the banks are full. We are
yet travelling over fine alluvial soil Some of
this the creek has made and some the river. At
60 miles-just at the most northern boundary of
Colusa couuty-the red land comes to the river
Then we have a succession Of river bottoms;
creeks come down to the river. and the rich
bottom lands extend on them to the hills, with
fertile valleys in the hills. We get an idea as
we travel over this red land between the creeks
that it is not worth much. The growth is not
luXuriant, although we find upon it plenty of
bunch grass, and after years proved 1t fine grain
and vineyard land. When we get to Red Bank
creek, just below the present town of Red Bluff
we find that the prairie ends. The low hills are
now covered with oak trees. I have always
thought that the Sacramento valley ought to
md 1bac 20 1larf hot .Tg,tra,
that we, in early days, called the American val
ley. l have not kept posted with the progress
OF the county above Red Bank creek, and hence
concerning that l will keep silent.
Up THROUGH THE PLANS.
Now if you had started with me in 1850 on the
YolO line TO the west CT the little area of tule
above mentioned, we would have had pretty
well Travelled road for about u miles. A little
point OF timber puts out from the foothills near
the lower line, and we think the valley much
narrower than it is; but we notice that the soil
is good. We find the endless garden of flowers
/ have before mentioned. As the road turns in
towards the river we keep straight on due
north. But there is not much variety. About
every five or six miles we cross a dry creek,
which the people have insisted on calling
sloughs. Wherever these overaOwed their
banks We find wild oats, and clover in between
fields of flowers. The land we see has all been
made By wash from the hills and each creek
runs on q ridge. We stop 20 philosophize, and
find that the creek runs on ridge, until it
builds its banks several feet above the surround
ing country, when il will break through, leave
its channel forever. and go to building up
another ridge. And thus the valley was built.
When we get to Stony creek, which is here 60
miles from our starting point, we look back and
conclude that the valley has been about fifteen
miles wide on the average from the river to the
foothills. Then continuing TO Red Bank, we
have the same red-rolling prairie we mentioned
before, with the same crossings of creeks with
fine alluvial bottoms.
The foothills for about thirty miles are tim
bered then sets in a succession Of 81 oat hills"
as we used 10 call them, as they were covered
with oats. These hills are fine soil. The valleys
in the foothills are also unparalleled in fertility
Stony creek, which, as we have seen, is the first
creek TO run into the river on the west side,
heads twenty miles north of the YolO line runs
northerly and breaks through the low range of
hills into the Sacramento valley sixty seven
miles north of the Yolo line, and runs thence
southeasterly to the river. Upon Stony creek
and its tributaries are numerous fertile valleys
THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
Settlements were made first along the river.
ami were for hotel purposes entirely. Then
stock men took pO. ssion, and each man
claimed o large range. These ranges were lin
tied only by the facility for water. There was
but one watering p acc in the plains south of
Stony creek. That was Il willsw pond from
which the present town of Willows took its
name Land was counted as nothing, but the
possession of this pond was counted as worth a
great deal of money. II was valued we think
as high as $50 600. This commanded most OF the
range on the plains for ten miles above and
below. The cattle man was king. The came
in some men with sheep along the foothills, and
there was war between them and the cattle
lords The cattle men said that sheep spoiled
the ra! ge-that cattle would not eat grass over
which sheep had run. But the cattle men and
the sheep men settled their differences and
each began to buy some land. Most of this
area came into market at private entry as early
as 1856. Along the river were Spanish grants
Each man entered what land he was obliged 70
have to protect his range. In this way large
areas were entered.
PROGRESS OF AGRICULTURE.
Along the river grain-raising began as carly
as 1852. and in the course of ten years consider
able area of the river laud under cultivation.
Spasmodie efforts were made at farming on the
plains. This was encroaching on the domain
of the stockmen, and there was not much sue
cess attending any of the efforts until about
1870 Then the big areas entered for stock pur-
poses began to be sown to wheat, aud other
was never settled up by farming settlers The
land in this way fell into the hands Of large
holders AS a cGttle-gTowing county, Colusa
which embraces most OF the area under discus
sion, was the richest county in the United
States when she changed to wheat she was
again the richest. And let me say here that,
whatever she changes to, she viii always be
the richest. In 1880 the sacramento valley
north of Yolo did not sell less than 100000
bushels OF wheat. The rich land is held in
great bodies. The stockmen found il easy to
make money letting their herds roam over the
ranges, and they would not change even to
wheat until forced TO Go sn. These same men
now make money easy raising wheat, and this
accounts for the deaTth of oranges and other
citrus fruit at this fair from that district As
the Digger found il easy to make q living there,
Sc did the white man. If left to themselves,
these big landowners would never progress
They live too easy. Why does one Of them want
to wait five or six years for oranges TO grow
when he has plenty Of land aud can make
wheat every year?
WAITING FOR THE cONoUERoR.
As land advances in price. you hear him
growl and say that land amt worth 1t, and that
people are getting crazy about land, and his
taxes are too high. Some have planted trees
and have been astonished at the result. There
are small bearing orchards and vineyards all
over this area, and larger ones are being
planted. ConQuering hOrdes always come from
the north-from cold barren, bleak countries,
where man mus work to i've. Here is Il coun-
Try waiting for the conquerers to come. These
large landowners are dying of. or are willing
for some one else 10 do something. and viii sell
Land is cheap here in comparison to other
places Facilities for marketing are Gnparal-
leled. From Colusa down On this river have
told you about. O little steamer will tow barge
with load of a thousand tons, and it cost bat
81 90 q ton TO put produce on shipbOard. Above
Colusa the barge carries about 800 tons. A rail-
road runs up through tae middle of the pains,
and its charges are regulated by the river and
hence can ney yer be exorbitant. This district Is
absolutely careless about Railroad Commission
ers and laws regulating charges. Another road
runs from the town of Colusa on the river, across
the other road right in the foothills 50 this dis
trict is right in the market.
IRRIGATION.
Wheat is raised-fruit is grown without irriga-