The record-union., 1891-02-12
STRIP IT OF IT'S RAGS"
Mr.. Shields Again on the Importance
Of the American River.
Sacramento's Relation to the River.
That of Cold Loyer-what
Might Be.

EDS. REcoRD-UNIoN In recent COM
munlcation to your valuable journal I
said, speaking of the American River !:
Constituting, as it does to-day, the city IS
strongest bulwark for permanence and
prosperity, it should be stripped of its
rags and assume the purple and gold
that, for hard service, it laid aside in the
morning of our existence as city and
State" In the same comm unication !:
No one else, dear river, has said so
much for thee"
did not then give more than half the
Importance that this river represents to
this city. Though its navigation were
assured, though irrigation of plain lands
were accomplished, though water power
were created and controlled as then set
forth, beyond and added to all are bene-
hts which, though may have shadowed,
none have viewed and published, even in
synoptical, abstract form. Sacramento is
in relation with the American River, but it
is now the relation of a cold lover who sits
on one side Of the room and tries to smile
all the way across it at the matron who
sits stately at the other side.
Our relation is about the same as to
the foothill towns-to visit which requires
railroad ticket or a stage line.
In fact, when | talked with man a day
or two ago about the lands in northern
Sacramento bordering the river and
north ofthe north levee-he kindly offered
10 take me on the excursion some day in
his buggy. a good while ago, when I
thought we might find sand in the said
river that could be made into glass bottles
and jars for canning fruit-seeing my
lameness my brother committeeman
offered to take me there in his buggy
which he never did, and which the farmer
may fail to do, though l think not. When
l go ! hope | shall not only see the land
beyond the north levee, but the sand for.
jars also-which will be killing ever so
many birds with one stone.
PLENTY OF LAND.
But some one may ask, Is there anv
land north of the north levee? l answer
yes; there is between 800 and l 900 acres
there, and 400 or 500 of it is above flood
mark, unless at the very rare times when
the American has been drinking too
much. Some one else may ask whether
the land is good for anything! The said
land rents at from So to SI2 dollars per
acre, and much of our vegetables are
brought from there for our consumption
But the low lands, are they valuable or
worthless? They are rich, and are not
under water till the river has reached the
twenty-foot-high water mark. If a sign
were put on a leYee, to be built >"Don't
tread on me-" the said water would never
trespass upon the said low lands, especi-
ally if the words ''asphaltum facing''
were written on the claims in legible
fac-simile characters. The American is
not a trespasser when sober and has
glasses on, as contemplated.
But is the land valuable for ought else
than gardening or farming? Yes; as val
liable as you choose to make it.
In the first place it will give one and
one-half miles of river frontage to this
city between the Pioneer Mills and the
Twelfth-street bridge, and more II you
make it (the bridge) draw.
This may seem of no importance to us
if we view river fronts as affording
only facilities to commerce, for we have
room on the Sacramento River still for
large number of steamboats, and other
vessels.
Getting beyond this branch of the bust
ness tcommerce), however, we have al