The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-26
FARMER CARROLL AGAIN.
He Repeats His Warnings Concerning
the Rivers.
Danger to Navigation - Frightened
Farmers Gone to Appeal to En-
gineer Heuer for Help.

EDS. RECORD UNION: With your per-
mission 1 will try and keep informed
the numerous readers Of your widely cir
culated paper Of the conditions OF our lev
ees and river channels, and keep those
matters before the public-at least that
portion Of them that have an interest in
the subject, as well as ourselves. We
know that Sacramento has, and why
should not she? All OF this territory from
/ Nicolaus south to the city has contributed
/ its share to.the growth and prosperity Of
1 your city. We claim it as our city, for
/ all OF us, on account Of our geographical
/ position, and our trade laws and friendly
/ ties are linked to a common destiny
/ The Feather River, between the two
! large warehouses here, acts like it would
break through, as the bank there has
started to cave. Even at its low stage it
is very close to the levee, and people are
/ beginning to take alarm, as another storm
! is in sight. All should work to avert a
/ calamity, for surely it would amount to
/ that, as the town would go under water
/ as well as the country.
/ There is but one opinion expressed,
I and that is that the river here must be
/ made straight. and ii the Government
! don't do (which We doubt, for it has
/ done very little in this whole matter of
river improvement-the land holders
! themselves will do it in the end, and that
before long. If we wait on the Govern
ment the land and the people might be
gone.
Districts No. and No. 6, below town,
can join forces, assert eminent domain
powers, condemn land ana pay for it,.and
| then go to work and they viii soon have
! a new river that viii take care OF itself,
| instead Of sitting up at night as they do
| now for then the water vii! not be high
| any more.
Since my last letter to the RECORD
! UNION l had conversation with Captain
/ RideOut of the MarysVille steamer, and
when asked about the current below the
Jacobs break, he said there was none.
! 1t is as 1 predicted in a letter to your
paper early in the fall. Then it was ex-
pected that move would be made and
have it closed before winter set in, but
nothing came of it.
! Anyone claiming to know anything
about rivers must in reason conclude
that the river viii ill up below that
point, and then how about navigation
after the first Of August? l think there
won't be much. Now, in view Of the
investigations Of commissions and sur
| veyors' reports, how little has been done,
poor as il was. For instance, the Paine
I break. There the river should be put
straight, but instead Of that it was made
more crooked. Had it been made straight
the water would get away faster and
would not be SO high in front Of the citv.
That whole work, including the levee,
! should not have cost over $4,000, but we
are told it cost $4,000.
Now, in view of these visible facts, will
it not be advisable for the people them
selves to take the same view that those Of
Nicolaus do, and organize and do those
things that are necessary. and not be like
the farmer we read about in our school
books, who depended on other people to
come and harvest his grain. They prom
ised to do so, but forgot to come. and at
last he had 10 go to work himself and
then it was accomplished.
1t does appear TO me that the two
schemes could be set on foot at the same
time-that is, river improvement and land
reclamation. ii you provide good levees
for the river banks You cOntine a good
/ volume of water that viii move the sand
from the bed of the stream. 1t protects
| the lands behind from overflow of the
river rectifies and straightens the river
and provides easements for the water at
/ the proper point or points, but holds
sufficient amount in for the purpose Of
! securing. Then, with a system of canals
TO catch the back-water that flows from
the high lands and having feasible out
lets. a vast body of tne land might be
! reclaimed.
suffer County has about 100000 acres.
Just think OF it! See what might be
done on this broad fieldi Beet sugar fac
tories, corn fields and garden truck OF
all kinds; and all of this territory's
trade would properly belong to Sacra-
mento.
Let any of the doubling ones come to
Nicolaus and cross the river to the fine
farm OF Mr.. Rideout, which used to be
called the 'Brannan Ranch" but now
should be called the Garden Ranch, :"
for garden it is.
This land for eight months Of the
year would be under water. Mr.. Ride
out paid So per acre, but it may have cost
So to reclaim it. There is not an acre OF
it but should sell for 500. Go and see
the line fields OF alfalfa. big bands OF cat
tie, the force OF men employed where
once was nothing but a desolate waste.
The secret Of 1t is, there was an enterpriS-
ing and longheaded man at the head OF
II. Mr.. Rideout is a success in all kinds
of business. He has the good will of all
his Immediate acquaintance; in other
words, of all who may be about him.
Such men are truly and really benefact-
ofs. p. CARROLL,
Nicolaus, Dec. Esd.
p. S.-Since the above was written q
committee has started to see Major Heuer
and see. if assistance can be had. The
storm has already come, and promises
high water. There is no telling what
may happen. c.