The record-union., 1899-08-07

a city needing SO much water daily as
does this.
The very fact that we have heard
so much" of 1t instead Of being an OBJ
lection is an argument in favor Of in
vestigation. The Committeeman thinks
that at the lowest we will need a ca
pacity of 100000 gallons each TWEEN
ty-four hours. Conceded. We have
cited him to one driven we'll that pro-
duced nearly million gallons daily
without appreciate lowering = what,
then would a. sufficient number of
wells producer How many such wells
would it take?
This use of east side water has been
going on for forty years and more,
and during the dryest of dry seasons.
There are on the east side between this
city and Florin probably 100 deep
driven wells which have never failed
in the dryest season. and have had
no appreciate effect upon the moisture
in the surface, except to augment it by
irrigation
No, we do not know of a system Of
wells sufficiently near together from
which to pump an ample supply for
this city, but we have moral and
physical reason for believing that were
such a system put in there would be
an ample supply. AS the cost of sink
ing such system is not great, the
people ask that it be driven and tested.
The pumping machinery will not be
worth less for the city's use after than
before the test, and as the city is
70 aho1 f1A
idea is thrown out that it might just
as we'll be first employed in making
the test. Thus the cost of demonstra-
ton will be the sinking of the wells
and the setting up and possible re-
moval OF the pumps and boilers.
Mr.. Stillman must not take his crit
les to be fools, as is implied by his
suggestion that we must admit that the
wells must be "restocked" with water
when in use. We apprehend that the
restocking will be taken care of by
nature, much as is done with the
American and Sacramento Rivers.
The committeeman puts UP the plea
that his committee has no means
available to place and operate a test
plant; therefore, it must proceed upon
horse sense" to reach conclusions. If
this is the milk in the cocoanut, then
we have reached the bottom of the
debate, namely, because the Trustees
will not supply the means to make a
proper investigations; then we must
abandon inquiry, practically, concern
ing known supply, and trust to the
theorizing of doubters and DIRECTORS.
According to that logic. the Trustees
can control the whole business and
force adoption of any plan they choose
by refusing to permit investigation to
be made in any direction they dislike.
The correspondent says that the geo
logical formation of the valley in this
vicinity is sedimentary to a depth of
1000 feet, with sand, gravel, old river
beds and the deposits of ages from
the washing of the Sierra tanks down
into the basin. Taking the sea level
represented in this valley and exam
ination of a certain we'll, and he finds
the water level in wells up the Ameri-
can to be about thirty feet below the
surface, from which he deduces that
the water level of wells on the east
side is the sea level.
Hence, it is argued, underground
against the law of gravitation. But so
far as all that is concerned the answer
is that the water is there, is there in
large quantity; that it has not failed /;
that it supplies the people of a large
area for domestic and irrigation uses;
that whatever may be the theories as
to sources and the laws of gravitation,
it is sufficient to know that the water
is there, and that it's quantity should
be ascertained by working test and
that whatever the cost of that test it
is sound economy to make it.
We are gratified that Mr. Stillman
so far yields to the law of evidence
as to admit that mountain trout 90
not percolate through river gravel any
more than that water will flow against
its head But it must not be assumed
that Mr. Stillman or any one else has
discovered the head of the east side
supply. There are those who have had
the benefit of wide observation who
fancy that there is much reason for
the belief that the head of the east
side source is some thousands of feet
altitude in the upper Sierras, and that
the uncontaminated mountain tops,
which gather and retain the SHOWS,
and receive the annual rainfall, wheth-
er it reaches the valley or not, feed the
living waters beneath the valley. Ger
tain it is that more than one stream
of water in the mountains does mys
teriously disappear and sink into the
mountain side and still flow on for
ever.
Mr.. Stillman disclaims enmity to the
east side source both for himself and
the other members of the committee.
and insists that all they want is fair
and impartial consideration of all local
conditions relating to the different
water proposition, but they want no
fish stories thrown at them. e
Fair and impartial examination is
what the Record Union" rejecting
the desire of the people. has asked and
demands. When fish story estab-
fishes a fact, and suggests a reason
for it, it is as good as any other, and
it i'll BELTS a juror to denominate such
testimony as absurd. This we do know
that the Office of an investigator is
neither to oppose nor to advocate, but
to ascertain the facts, and when the
testimony is in form his judgment In
the case of some of the committee the
reverse has been the process. 1t is so
in the case of Mr.. Stillman. He has
a theory With him it is convincing
and he plants his back against it, and
says to all the world "trot out" your
proofs that I am wrong.
1t is worthy of note in this connec-