The San Francisco call., 1897-02-08

mining legislation, so much so that unlike
many of his colleagues, he remains over
here on Sundays instead OF going home to
rest or to San Francisco 10 mingle among
the dizzy throng of pleasure-seeKers. He
told CALL reporter to-day what the min
ers wanted; things which the agricultur-
lists were willing TO concede.
Among these" said the Senator. twill
be some amended election laws adopted
by the Miners Association. One is for
the purpose of practically abolishing dis
trict recorders. In the old days, miners
in sparsely settled districts elected dis
trict recorders whose duty it was to re-
cord mining locations and were independ-
ent OF the County Recorders. As the
counties were organized the Office of dis
trict mining recorder was done away with
in many instances. In some places, how
ever, they still exist 1t is the opinion
of mining people that those things should
be turned over to the County Recorder.
Ii they still continue to keep district re-
corders at long distances from the county
seat their records must be sent to the
County Recorders and this involves un-
necessary trouble and delay.
Two OF the most important bills before
the Legislature are those making avail
able the appropriation of $780, 900 to build
restraining dams TO hold back the detritus
and mining debris now lying in the can
yOns and the bill known as the dredger
bill. OF this appropriation s250, 900 has
been made from the United States treas
ury and $3.50 COO from the State, the money
now being in the S ate treasury, having
been appropriated by the State some time
ago. The bill makes no new appropria-
ton and simply presoribes the manner in
which the money may be used. l have
heard of no objection to the bill.
1.-THE other bill approprlates $500, 600 for
the purchase of the Bates dredger, etc.
1t is designed in the interest of the
farmers along the banks of streams which
are now subject to overflow by reason of
the filing up of river beds and breaks in
the levees.
"These restraining dams will hold the
debris in the canyons that is already there
by reason OF mining or other causes. 1t is
question whether hydraulic mining is
the cause of all this trouble. There has
been practically no hydraulic mining for
ten or twelve years, yet the debris accumu-
lates in the river in about the same ratio
as it did before. Dams are necessary, be-
cause the stuff that has been washed from
the hills comes down with every food, and
1t is, therefore, to the best interests of the
farmers to keep the debris out of the
American, Feather and Sacramento rivers
These dams are to be constructed of stone
and cement, and, according to the reports
OF the United States engineers, will last as
long as the mountains themselves. The
United States estimate of their cost, if
they are built far enough up in the noun
tains, is $490, 900. If it shall develop after
fair trial that the dams will catch and
hold all the accumulations without in iur-
ing the lands adjoining, hydraulic mining
can be allowed to go on without complaint
from the farmers along the rivers.
The engineers are ready to proceed
with the work as soon as the season will
permit, for the work must be done in the
summer.
The dredger will clean out the bars in
the rivers farther down, and will admit
greater food of Iater and swifter cur
rent to run in the channels and scour out
the river beds. This will be effective in
reventing overhows and damage along
the river
The Federal Government does not re-
claim lands nor provide against foods 1t
takes care that there shall be water at the
lowest stages in navigable rivers, and its
duty ends there.