Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-16
A GREAT WORK.
4 Proposition to Utilize the American
River Water Power.
ITS HISTORY AND DETAILS
Six Hundred Horse Power by Water
Fall-What it Promises for Sac
ramento's Business.

buSEn6SS.
There is now in promise and with every
prospect of realization, scheme to utilize
the magnificent water power of the Ameri-
can river at Folsom. The plans carried
| out will insure very extensive manufact-
uring industries at Folsom great economy
in the conduct of the branch prison; con-
stant employment for any number of con-
yicts, at the least possible cost to the State !;
| irrigation of large tracts of land electric
light power for Sacramento and other light
companies; power for small motors; in
creased population; general business benefit
and other blessings incident to the utiliza-
ton of great natural force.
AS is WELL KNOWN,
The subject of utilizing the splendid
waterfall of the American river has been
subject of thought and planning for
| twenty-five years in this county, and one
| upon which the REooRD-UNIoN has often
dwelt. As it seems to be now very near to
| realization, the whole question is stated,
| and so fully that there need be no misap-
prehension concerning the facts and the
propositions.
On Saturday Governor Waterman went
| to Folsom to examine into the matter.
Secretary of State Hendricks and Joseph
Steffens accompanied him. A RECORD
UNION representative was also on the
ground, and made close inquiry into the
whole scheme. Before stating how it i'm
pressed the Governor and others, it will be
necessary to outline the history of the
water power matter and sketch the propo-
sition made and the benefits to flow
from it.
BRIEF REVIEW OF HISTORY.
The first Act passed by the Legislature
concerning branch prison at Folsom was
in 1858. 1t authorized the Board of Prison
Directors to select site for Branch State
Prison. Nothing further was done in the
premises until 1868, when supplemental
Act was passed by the Legislature directing
the Board of Directors to select site for a
Branch Prison before the 1st of July, 1868,
and limiting the selection to two sites, i. G.,
ASNNhAAAA ohN LOAoOihs altCl
the advantages offered by each, the Board
selected Folsom, as it had the same facili-
ties for quarrying stone, and an additional
facility of the splendid water-power fur
| nished by the American river.
Accordingly, on the 30th of June 1868,
| the Board of Directors obtained from the
Natoma Water and Mining Company
deed for $50 acres of land supposed to cover
all the quarries necessary for prison pur-
poses. and also the exclusive right to the
first tiye-foot fall perpendicular of the canal
THEN IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION
By the Natoma Company. The consider
ton in this deed was that the State should
pay the cum of $4,000, payable in convict
| labor, to be used on said canal and the dam
| necessary for the same at the rate of fifty
| cents per diem for each convict employed
| at said labor, TO be furnished after the CON-
| pletion of the Prison and at the convent
ence of the Board of Directors. In 1874
the Legislature passed another Act author
izing the construction of the prison and
appropriated $4,000 for that purpose.
About that time it was discovered that the
$50 acres decided by the Natoma Company
did not cover all the land desired by the
State. The Board of Directors secured an
other absolute deed from the Natoma Com.
pany for 133 acres of land, the considera-
ton being $15, 900, payable in convict labor
at fifty cents per diem for each convict. In
the fall OF 1874 the work begun. The fol-
lowing year the contractor, Mills, failed,
| and the work ceased, as it became apparent
that the appropriation was insufficient to
carry out the plans adopted by the Board.
The Legislature of 1856 failed to take
action in the matter and the work remained
idle for two years longer. The Legislature
of 1878 appropriated a further sum
To COMPLETE THE PRISON,
And the Board of Directors was directed to
proceed with its completion, provided the
Board could make contract in advance
for the labor OF $50 convicts daily for Pc
riod of five years at per diem of 80 cents
for each convict, said labor to be furnished
by the State and accepted and paid for by
the contractor upon the completion of the
prison. The Board of Directors, under that
Act, entered into contract with II. G. Liy
ermore, then President and principal
owner OF the Natoma Water and Mining
Company, whereby Livermore agreed to
take the labor in accordance with the pro-
vision OF the statutes. When that contract
was made and approved by the Attorney
General, the Board proceeded to complete
the prison in accordance with the enact
ment of the Legislature. The central idea
that obtained with the Legislature and the
various Boards of Directors, pending all
these enactments and running through
period of twenty years, i. C., from 1858 to
1873, was to utilize the water power of the
American river. That gave the present
site preference over all other offers.
TO RESUME:
The prison was completed and ready for
occupancy in July, 1880, twenty-five years
after the project was first begun. Although
the prison was occupied in 1880, it was
some time before the State was in a posi-
ton to furnish any labor under either of
the contracts with the Natoma Company.
The clearing away OF the forest in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the prison, the con-
struction of sewers. building of roads, etc.,
occupied all the available labor until 1882,
when the Natema Company began work on
the dam and canal, the State furnishing
about eighty convicts daily. After per-
forming some IL 600 days work dispute
arose between the Board of Directors and
the Natoma Company about the amount of
labor due from the State as consideration
for the two grants of land and the water
power of the canal. The Directors held
that $4,000 or 9e,ee0 days labor was the
tnll consideration, while the Natouna Com
PanY claimed that thers. uere tuo -ras,a.a4a