The record-union., 1895-04-11
WHAT THE REVIVAL OF HY-
DRAULIC MINING MEANS.

WHAT 1HE KENlN AL OE d4.
DRAULIC MINING MEANS.
Whoever will thoughtfully compare the
condition of. Sacramento with reference
to-growth and prosperity with the condi-
ton existing before the cessation of hy-
draulio mining, will be convinced that
the revival of that species of mining
means the ultimate destruction of all
prosperity in this city. The injury done
to the rivers and the cities of the plains
reached it's maximum about the years
from 1873 to 1881. At that time the real
estate of Sacramento had no prospective
value whatever. By reason of it's geo.
graphical location as a distributing and
shipping center of the northern portion
of the State, a commercial business had
localized here. Stores were built, not with
reference to future use, but only with
reference to the prosecution of pressnt
and temporary business. Residences
were constructed, with very few excep-
tions, simply to make the families of
citizens comfortable while they enjoyed
the trade which conferred here. Other
cities had streets of new buildings
of modern structure, large banking in
stitutions, splendid hotels, costly private
residences, attractive and beautiful
grounds, and the streets cleanly and well
constructed. But Sacramento remained
simply one-storied town or camp living
upon the trade which conferred here.
Hydraulic mining once successfully
enjoined. the future of Sacramento be-
came apparent. Such buildings as were
constructed and occupied by the Cali
fornia Bank would never have been built
If hydraulic mining had been permitted
to continue to deposit 3S,0O0.0O0 cubic
yards of earth per snnum in the channels
of the streams. In fact, if that process
had been continued, the Sacramento
River would have been wandering over
the entire plain between Davisville and
Sacramento, a slow, sluggish stream,
composed chiefly of sand-bars, its bed
higher than the grade of or K street.
What the Sacramento and San Joaquin
Rivers are to become is fully illustrated
in the condition of the Platte River in
Nebraska. The Platte, by reason of ero-
sion, is a silt-bearing stream. For about
400 hundred miles of its lower course the
gradient is so far reduced that the erosion
of its vast cachement area has filled up
the bed of the stream. The Platte is dis
tinctiyely q river without banks. 1t
wanders to and fro over wide space of
about two miles at low water. It carries
plenty of water for the purpose of navi-
CATION if the stream was confined within
the ordinary limits of the river banks,
but the entire bed of the river has long
since been filled up; hence its channel is
constantly changing.
The Bear River Valley from Wheatland
to the mouth of the river is an illustration
of this. AT the hight of hydraulic min
ing operation Bear River was a stream in
most places nearly two miles wide, with
depth of six To ten inches. The prim-
tive channel had been filed up, and the
matter carried in suspension immedi-
ately filled up all the channels cut by
the erosive power of the water.
In the old days of hydraulic mining
men said but little but they thought
much. A stranger visiting Sacramento
and being made acquainted with the
facts OF the situation. saw the prospect of
constantly increasing taxation to defend
the city against the perpetual encroach-
ment of mining debris. The revival of
hydraulic mining will revive with it
the old condition of distrust. Growth
will be arrested, and gradual process
of decay will set up, This is simply an
undeniable truth.
Let any property-owner of Sacramento
or Marysville, or any owner of lands
subject to the overflow of the Yuba,
Feather, Sacramento. San Joaquin or
Mokelumne Rivers, ask themselves the
question, Do we wish hydraulic mining,
with all it's menace of destruction, re-
yived? Let it go forth to-day that hy
draulic mining is to send into the streams
ten million cubic yards per annum, and
Htagnation will succeed to the present