The record-union., 1891-05-10
THE CITY'S SEWAGE.
Landowners Below the City Say
lhey Have Had Enough of It.
Reclamation Meeting In Levee District
NO. 1.-The Farmers There Pre-
pairing for Operations.

~ AACSbiuS VI In6 laDu-OWn0rS OF LeNee
District No. l, embracing about $500
acres Of land lying between this city and
treeport, was held yesterday at Oak
Hall for the purpose of adopting prelimi-
nary measures relative to the organization
OF those lands into a swamp land recla-
nation district under the general laws of
The State. The meeting was largely
attended, there being about fifty land
owners present.
James O'Neill, Chairman of the Exec
utlye Committee, which was appointed at
a previous meeting of the landowners,
called the meeting to order and stated
the object OF the meeting. In the course
of his remarks he stated that the Execu-
tive Committee had used every available
| effort to expedite the work found neces-
sary and essential for the organization.
They had retained Judge Armstrong as at
torney and j. G.. Boyd had been engaged
as engineer to carry out the purpose an
nounced and to effect the organization.
The work had been proceeded with as tar
as was practicable, and it became neces-
sary to obtain from the landowners q
direct expression as to their wishes on
some propositions in controversy. Some
OF the landowners, Mr.. ONeill had un-
derstood, were in favor of
PLAN FOR RECLAMATION,
Without any provision being made for
pumping plant to drain the low lands
and to carry off the sipage water; and
some were in favor of a plan that would
embody both the repair and reconstruc-
tlOn OF the leVee system from Sacramento
City to Freeport, and the construction
and maintenance Of a pumping plant.
1t was deemed advisable by the commit
tee to call a meeting Of the landowners
to endeavor to have them sign an agree
ment, in effect, that they would sign q
petition to the Board Of Supervisors.
praying for the formation of a reclama-
ton district in compliance with the State
law, and to bear the expenses incurred in
such formation mutually, and on a per-
acre basis.
Mr.. O'Neill said the petition must be
signed by landowners representing a
majority Of acres in the district, and the
agreement was drawn up for the purpose
of ascertaining if such majority would
sign the petition to the Supervisors.
PUMPING A SECONDARY MATTER.
Messrs. Hamilton, MerkIey, Edwards
Lincoln, Cavanaugh and Crouch (the lat
ter representing L. 3. Crocker), Munger.
Curtis, Peters, Baumgartel, and others
expressed their views, and on motion of
B. w. Cayanaugh a vote was taken on
on plan to contemplate only the re-
building Of the river leyee, leaving out
for the present any consideration for the
pumping plant,
The motion was carried by a large ma
jOrity, and was declared the sense of the
meeting.
1t was also understood that the pump
ing plant was proper matter for second
ary consideration, and should be enter
tanned only after the levee was completed,
and that the expense of the plant be
borne by the landowners directly bene-
flied.
ENGINEER BoYD's REPORT.
Engineer Boyd was called upon to ex-
plain the necessities of incurring the ex-
penses noted by the Chairman, and stated
that 1t was necessary, as a preliminary
| step, to define, by legal subdivisions or
other boundaries, each and every parcel
of land included within the boundaries of
the district; to survey and locate the
east boundary of the district by meander-
| ing the high-water line of 1878. and to
| calculate the fractional tracts of land
| lying west of that meander line and in
cluded within the district. AS there are
about $50 individual landowners in the
| district, and as many of them have never
! had their land surveyed and the descrip-
| tions and acreage recorded, the work was
in consequence delayed to some extent,
| but was pushed forward to completion as
| fast as circumstances would admit
When asked to give an estimate of the
cost of the proposed work, Mr.. Boyd
stated that the question could not be in
| tellgently answered until the field sur
| veys were completed.
THE SACRAMENTO SEWAGE
The landowners were unanimous in
the sentiment that the city should be
compelled to cease maintaining, operat-
| ing or using the drainage canal; that
millions of gallons of stagnant sewage
| water was daily discharged into the
! Pocket" causing to this day the flood
| ing of over 1000 acres of valuable and
| fertile bottom land, which, but for the
| canal, they claim would be to-day, as in
years past, some of the finest produc-
! ing land in the county.
1t was represented that upward of seven
million gallons are daily sent down from
| the Burns Slough Canal and the general
| sewerage system of the city upon these
| lands.
PREPARING FOR ACTION.
| The landowners present were then in
| vited to sign the agreement prepared, and
| from those present about $500 acres were
represented in the signatures obtained,
and over 1000 acres additional We're
assured from landowners unavoidably
absent, and which will be obtained by
| direct canvass by the committee.
1t was expected that Colonel James
| McNasser-who was unavoidabiy absent
owing to illness in his family-would
| sign the agreement, thus insuring the
requisite majority of acres.
The utmost harmony prevailed at the
meeting, and all were well pleased at the
prospect ofhaving for the coming seasons
| a leyee of such size and Dimensions as to
| preclude the possibility of floods.
| The meeting adjourned to meet at the
call of the Chairman.