The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-04
AN AMADOR MAN COMPLAINS.
Says the Holsinser Mine is IDjuriDg
His Land.
What Sacramentans Say Who Are
Familiar With Holsinger's
Diggings.

George Babcock, who lives in Anna
dor, was before the Supervisors of this
county yesterday with a complaint that
his land is being damaged by the water
and earth washed from a mine that is
being operated by S. J. Holsinger on an
adjoining tract of land
Babcock said he had applied to At
torney Devlin of the Anti Debris Asso-
citation, who had referred him TO the
Board of Supervisors. He claimed that
six or seven acres of his land had been
spoiled by the wash from Holsinger's
mine and that the latter is running Il
monitor night and day, tearing down
hillsides, gravel, loose dirt, rocks and
all sorts of debris" He (Babeock) de-
sired to plant some potatoes, but was
afraid they would be ruined.
Babcock said that in answer to his
complaint Holsinger had replied that
re mad received permission from Arson
Rider, the former owner of the ranch
to let the tailings run on the place. He
had seen Rider at Gait, and the latter
told him that Holsinger lied.
The board decided to refer Babcocks
complaint to the Anti-Dcbris Associa-
ton for Investigation.
HOLSINGER'S NINE.
The mine that Holsinger is operat
ing has been seen by several Sacra
mentans. 1t is, according to one famil-
lar with it, a small affair almost along
side the doorstep of his house. Last
winter he had only twenty inches Of
water, and his monitor consists of a
nozzle one and three-fourth inches in
diameter that one man carries about on
his shoulder.
He could hardly wash off the surface
of a spot twenty feet square in a day,
and all the little bushes had first to be
cut off or pulled out of the ground be-
fore the small stream from the "moni-
tor" could take hold. The stream that
ran from the mine was not big
enough to move a pebble as large as d
quails egg.
Unless Holsinger has lately struck a
rich pocket within six inches of the
surface and wonderfully enlarged his
works-which he had not done a few
weeks ago-it is difficult to understand
how he can be doing such terrible havoc
as Mr.. Babcock alleges. He has a
small dam, in keeping with the magni-
tude of his mine, and the Debris Com
missioners have given him permission
to wash off his shallow little placer
ground.
Another gentleman residing in this
city, who was formerly a near neigh Dor
of Mr.. Holsinger. had this to say to a
| Record Union reporter yesterday af-
ter hearing of Babcock's complaint:
THE land sold by Leonidas Foster
mot Rider) to Mr.. Babcock, through
which the water from Holsinger's mine
runs, is practically worthless without
water. None understood that better
than Foster, and in my presence the
latter told HOlsinger to send down
the sediment and the Water-the more
the merrier. In anticipation of the
coming Of the water which was to re
deem his land, Foster and his two sons
spent number of days building a
storage reservoirs for holding it.
Foster also stated that if he could
have plenty of water and sediment
sent down for two or three seasons it
would make him several acres of valua-
bic land where at that time there was
either adobe or sand. / am willing tc
go before the Debris or any other com
mission and swear to what / say
| only last winter to my certain
knowledge, the engineers of the United
States Debris Commission visited Hol-
singers mine and approved the dam
constructed by him, and to-day he
runs his little monitor with their per-
mission and that of the Debris Com
mission in his inside pocket The
charge that Holsinger is engaged in H.
licit mining is false on its face.
l further know, as 1 helped carry q
chain over the land, that Holsinger's
mine is not on the land formerly own
ed by Foster and that in no place does
it approach nearer than 100 yards OF
| the same