Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-29
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

Bluff. little more than go miles, and
ocean vessels used to go as high as Marys-
Vile; but the miners washed much soil
from the placer diggings into the stream
that the channel has become blocked by
shoals.
Nearly every spring for years the river
has overlooked its banks and has caused
an annual loss of millions of dollars
Twenty millions have been spent In build
ing levees and other improvements, but
they have been ineffective, both in protect
ing the valley from overflow and improy-
Ing the navigation of the river.
New Plan Adopted.
Two years ago an organization was
formed called the River Improvement and
Drainage Associat ton; engineers of national
reputation were employed. and upon their
recommendation a plan has been adopted
which. 1t is believed. will be permanently
effective in combining the stream to it's
channel; in protecting the lands through
which it flows and furnishing a navigable
highway into the interior Of the state. This
will be done:
l. By constructing levees and dykes suff1-
cient to control the stream at its highest
flood.
2. To provide reservoirs and basins to col
lect the flood drainage from the mountains
and retain it until it can be released with
out damage.
3. To correct the alignment of the river
by cut-offs and canals wherever necessary.
(. To provide escape-ways over the levees
for surplus flood waters, by means of
pumps wherever gravity drainage Is not
practicable.
5. To concentrate the flow within chan
mel so that it will scour itself and carry
away all sediment that may be brought
down from the mountains.
The estimates of the engineers place the
cost at S23 766, 600. and the commission
would divide this financial burden between
the federal government, the state govern
u -. % fl,nn int
The federal government, according to their
notion, should make the Sacramento river
navigable; the state should protect the
property of it's people, and the LANDOWNERS
whose property will be increased In value
not less than $50 an acre should De re-
ouired to contribute portion OF that pront
to the fund This scheme VIII reclaim
more than twice as much lana as is no"
being reclaimed by the draining OF the
Zuyder Zee in Holland. and at less than
one-fourth the cost Hence the scheme Is
thought to be worth considering
Sacramento, Pride of the State.
Sacramento is a fine city, and the pride OF
California. The population is estimated at
as 900. The prosperity of the people Is indi-
Gated by the fine residences. the solid bust
ness blocks, the show windows of the retail
shops. the deposits in the banks and other
evidences. More than 100000 acres of rich
land is under cultivation within the county,
with an abundant rainfall, good market
and the best of transportation facintles.
The state house is an imposing structure
of granite, surrounded by a park~ef thirty
four acres which, l am told, contains
greater variety of trees than any other
park in the world. An interesting feature
is collection of trees tranSplanted from
the famous battlefields of the civil war.
When the legislature is not In session the
most interesting feature Of the capitol Is
the state library, under the management OF
7 T
man; Assistant Librarian w. r. Watson,
who comes from the Carnegie Institute at
Pittsburg, and the cataloguer, Miss Mary
l.. Sutliffe, who studied her profession with
Prof. Dewey in the state library at Albany.
There are now 135, 600 books on the shelves.
The law department is considered one of
the best in the country; there is an almost
complete collection of all the newspapers
ever printed in California, which is now
being indexed, and novelty which should
be studied carefully by the librarians of
Congress, called 'the legislative reference
department" originated by Frank A. Hutch
ms of Madison, Wis, former secretary of
the Wisconsin free library commission.
California is the second state to adopt the
system, the purpose of which is to enable
members of the legislature and state and
municipal officers to instantly obtain all
published references to any particular sub
ject that may be interesting to them for the
moment. Mr.. Ernest Bruncken. formerly Of
Milwaukee. who has charge of this depart
lie affairs from all parts OF the world--from
public documents, historical, geographical
and economical works; from pamphlets,
magazines and newspapers-an of which are
indexed and crosSindexed so that Mr.
Bruncken can turn the faucet OF knowledge
on any conceivable subject at an instant's
notice.
A department for the blind, recently es-
tablished. has already proven to be a great
benevolence, and the blind people through
out the state are expressing their graft
tude In touching manner. All books for
the blind are made with embossed charac-
tiers on cardboard, so as to be read with
the finger tips; and they are not only bulky.
but expensive. For instance, the novel
John Halifax, Gentleman" as printed for
the blind. consists of eight volumes each
12xS inches In size and four inches thick,
costing So a volume. These books are sent
out to blind people In different parts OF the
take advantage of this new department
was an old lady. ninety years Of age and
within a few weeks she was able to read
the New Testament with her finger tips.
Miss. Laura Steffens. sister of Lincoln
Steffins of McClure's Magazine. has charge
OF the blind department. She Is a native
OF Sacramento. graduate OF Stanford
University. and is one of the few women
doctor of philosophy from a German uni
versity.
The Travelling Library.
She also has charge of the travelling de-
partment of the library. which is an In
terestng feature.
The system has been In operation for
about year. there being a total of lat
travelling libraries-at least one in every
county of the state. Under the rules
neat bookcase and a pine box, containing
fifty books, will be sent from the Sacra-
mento library TO any part of the state upon
the application of five more citizens who
a for ia
keeping and return of the books, which may
be exchanged every three months.
The authorities tell me that the country
people who receive the travelling libraries
are much more careful In handling the
books than the city patrons of the state
library, and although the books Invariably