The record-union., 1897-04-03

Across the gulf Of years of bitter strife
the mountains and the valleys OF Call
fornia have clasped hands. The war Is
over. Peace reigns in the mountains
peace in the valleys. The thunder OF
the monitor in the mine again reVerpef-
ates in the valley, and the dWellers IN
the lowlands say ''it is WELL The gol-
den stores of both mountain and valley
are again to be gathered in unity and
peace, and the future of the State ap-
pears brighter than the glitter OF Its
mountain gold or the tinted hues of the
fruits of it's valleys.
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.
The strife between the valley and the
mountain has heardly yet passed into
history. It was waged with all the bit
terness of a personal feud. Slowly, but
surely the soil and the sand and the
gravel loosened by the miner was de-
posted in the streams, and slowly but
surely the beds of those streams We're
raised until the waters overfoWed the
lowlands, and the noble Sacramento
upon whose breast the giants OF the
ocean had fioated to safe harbor, scarce
ly showed enough depth in low water
to float a. scow Something had to be
done The Ieyees constructed by the
people of the valley We're swept away
as chaff before the whirlWlnd owing 10
the elevation of the beds of the streams
Traffic was mpeded-practically stop
ped. The silt continued to fill in the
channels, widening the bed OF the
streams, and consequently detractlns
from the velocity of the waters as they
forced their way to the ocean.
In 1873 injunctions were served ana
the mines were closed down. The
wealthiest portion of the State became
the home of poverty. But the damage
had been done. The floods swept the
lands of the valleys and many efforts
at the reclamation OF oVerno"eu laiiuS
were rendered futile.
PLANS PROPOSED.
Many were the plans proposed for the
relief of the valley folk, and many mill
ions Of dollars were expended IN vain.
Engineers were employed by the State,
and schemes were as thick as flies IN
pea-time. Among others was one 10 cut
a channel through the Montezume Hills,
and for years this was considered feas-
ibIe provided necessary funds could be
raised.
But within the past year the canal
theory has been abandoned. The Com
missioner of Public Works and his able
engineers have not only demonstrated
the futility Of the project but have
evolved g. plan for the deepening and
rectification of the river channel, and
incidentally the reclamation of over
flowed lands. so simple in its nature,
governed as it is by well known mathe-
matical rules, that when explained by
Engineer Price, as it will be in the
Record Union later, the most obsti-
nate skeptic must become an apostle Of
the new faith.
MONEY FOR THE WORK.
A fund of S500.000 had been made
available for the relief Of the miners,
and the hill folk showed their gratitude
during the last session of the Legisla-
ture by throwing their votes towards
securing an appropriation of S3O0,OO0
for the purchase and operation of q
dredger to be used in deepening the
channel of the river, thereby giving
greater volume velocity and securing
capacity to the water which must find
an outlet
THE APPROPRIATION GRANTED.
The appropriation asked for was
cheerfully granted by the Legislature,
and regardless of the fact that appro-
priation bills aggregating more than
S14 000,0 0C0 was in the hands of Gov
ernor Budd, the "dredger bill'' was one
of the first to receive his signature. Nor
is this all. The Governor is satisfied that
the dredger it is proposed to purchase
will do the work expected, and that re-
lief will follow. He, too, as well as
others concerned-and the entire popu-
lation of the State is interested in the
matter-understands that to the Cen
eral Government properly belongs the
reclamation of the river. The appro-
priation made by the State was really
intended as an earnest to the Federal
Government that the people of Cali
fornia believed in the possibility of
bringing the great river of the Golden
West back to the condition it was in be-
fore the silt from the mines came down
and destroyed it's navigability.
GOVERNOR BUDD INTERESTED.
The Governor will shortly leave the
State for a time, and has to the Com
missioner of Bubble Works, signified his
willingness to visit the National Capt.
to1 and personally urge an appropria-
ton of 100000 with which to finish
the gigantic work designed by the ser
wants of the State, and approved by
the people.
SLICKENS.
To say that the river, since 40, has
received continuous deposits of slick
ems from the mines, will, to the aver
age reader, convey but little intelli-
gence. Fortunately, through the me-
dunn of scundings taken in 1S41, 1873
and 1S94-5, it is possible to present the
matter clearly before the readers of
the "Record-Union."
RINGGOLD'S SOUNDINGS.
In 1871, Lieutenant Ringgold. under
4 n ~