The San Francisco call., 1896-04-28
THEIR OWN WAY
OR NOT At ALL,
Mining Men Object to a
Congressional Appro-
priation.
QUARTER OF A MILLION
10 be Devoted Solely to the
Benefit of Private In.
dividualS.
HYDRAULIC MINERS PROTEST.
They Claim the De Guerre Point Dam
Can Be of No Benefit to the
State at Large.

Senate and amended and reamended last
Saturday has thrown the executives of the
California Miners Association into a steap,
heat OF excitement.
President J H Neff of the associa+ion
Julian Sountag its secretary, and John NJ
Wright, Its attorney, have been in con-
stant communication since Saturday with
the representatives of California at Wash
lngton, appealing to them in the interests
OF the miners of this State to have such
additional amendments to the bill to be
made that the appropriation will not be
made for the benefit of private individuals
as against the good and benefit of the
hydraulic miners.
As set forth in the appended kilograms
and interviews it will be seen that the
executives OF the Miners Association be-
lieve that the building of dam at De
Guerre Point would simply cause an i'm
mense natural reservoir to be formed there
which could be used for irrigation pur-
poses by private individuals while it
would be of no benefit to the mining dis
Jricts.
Following is the first and main tele-
gram:
SAN FRANCISCO. April 25, 1895.
Hon. Ifrey L. Ford, Hotel NOTmandie Wash
fngtoR, ID: C. Please furnish verbatim copies
o. this telegram to Senators White ana Perkins
Immediately.
After thorough examination and discussion
OF the California Debris Commission reports 10
cate, the miners of the California Miners
Association are firmly convinced that the pas
sage OF the so-called hydraulic appropriation
clause. as now worded, being the clause adopt
ca IN committee on April D. will work a grave
INJURY to the hydraulic miners of California
ana they would prefer that no appropriation
at all should be made al this session if no
Change can be had
The appropriation as worded looks solely to
the construction OF a dam al De Guerre Point
ana would result principally in benefting the
owners OF that certain individual water right
taken up at that place and intended to be
especially protected by the act of the CalIfor-
MA Legislature entitled, Gan act to amend Sec
tion 14l6 of the Civil Code of this State, re-
Ieting to water rights" approved March 23,
The last report of the Debris Commission is
against the building of a dam at De Guerre
Point at present. See page 4O64 Report OF the
Chief OF Engineers, United States Army, 1895.
The miners, believing that the works to be
constructed should conform to the present
views OF the commission, as well as TO the re-
suits OF their future investigations, desire par
ucularly that the appropriation clause shall
read as follows: For protecting the navigable
waters OF the United States in the State of Cal
ifOrnia $3.50, 900, TO be expended in the con-
struction OF works for the restraining or i'm
pounding of mining debris, under the direc-
ton OF the Secretary OF War in accordance
with such recommendations and plans OF
the California Debris Commission as
the purposes defined by section 4 OF Gan act
to create the California Debris Commission
and regulate hydraulic mining in the State of
California" approved harch l, 1898; pro-
vided, that the Treasurer of the United States
be and he is hereby authorized to receive from
the State of California, through the Debris
Commission of said State, or other officer
thereunto duly authorized, any and all sums
of money that have been or may hereafter be
appropriated by said State for the purposes
herein set forth And said sums, when SO re-
ceived, are hereby appropriated for the pur-
poses above named, TO be expended in the
manner above provided.
The use of the word ''navigable in lieu of
the words Sacramento and Feather is con-
sidered extremely desirable 10 prevent possible
conflict rs regards the California appropria-
tion, with subdivision SO of section % OF
article ", California constitution.
]. H. NEFF. President.
Attest: JULIAN soNNTAG, Secretary.
I lin spea king of the De GuerTe Point dam
yesterday, Secretary Sonntag said:
Hydraulic miners are not in favor of dam
nt De Guerre Point, as its erection would sim
ply be resultant of benefit to owners of certain
Individual water-rights.
Mr.. Sonntag refused to give the names
of the private individuals TO be benefited.
1t is well understood, however, in the as
sociation that they are represented at
Washington by Assem- blyman r. /.
Thomas, who has been there since last
January at their expense, and who insti-
gated the selection of De Guerre Point as
the place at which to invest the quarter OF
a million dollar appropriation fer dam.
Speaking further On the subject, Mr..
Sonntag stated:
The dam at De Guerre Point would give these
private interests reservoir to be used for irri-
cation purposes under protection OF the
United States Government.
AS it now stands the bill does not permit
hyf IA n @ hri hon Of
the dam. The claim that this would be bene-
fit to the miners of Nevada County is not the
truth a fact which is allowed and well under
stood by every hydraulic miner in the State.
The miners want the erection of dams
through Government appropriation left to the
United States Debris Commissioners. Let them
select the locations in canyons where they
deem them of most benefit 10 both the miners
and people of the valleys.
We are strong in our belief in the Impair
tiality OF the United States engineers, who we
feel, are the properly entitled persons to decide
upon a case OF this Importance.
Some six years ago the United States Debris
Commissioners commenced the erection OF q
barrier at De Guerre Point, Dut successive
commissions have rapidly grown less enthusi-
astic. 1t is plain to them that the excessive
width OF 5450 feet at De Guerre Point Will In
volye tremendous expense for work that must
other dams erected in the interior OF the State.
Inc California delegation at Washington dlo
excellent work last Saturday when they elm
mated the executive document, No. 16, H. R.,
Fitty-thlrd Congress, second session, regu-
lating hydraulic mining
If they will further eliminate document 267
and document SO, as referred to in section %
of the Camfnetti act, 1t will be satisfactory
bill. II order TO secure the quarter of a million
dollar appropriation for California on salts
factory basis, think the mention of the Amer
ican and Feather rivers should be dropped
and the words navigable streams inserted in
lieu thereof.
1t is the purpose of the executive officers of
the California Mining Association to endeavor
TO secure Dill that will once for all benefit
one of the greatest industries in the State
We feel grateful TO Senators White and Per-
kins and the entire Congressional delegation
that they have done what they nave for us
but we feel sure also that they will do more as
soon as they understand exactly what we
want.
Attorney Wright read the following por-
ton OF the Caminetti law which is salts
factory to the hydraulic miners:
That said commission, in order that such