The San Francisco call., 1906-06-29
GOLD DRRDGER OPERATIONS.

The arrest at Oroville OF James II. Leggett, one
Of: the several dredging kings" who are operating
In the Sacramento Valley, once more calls atten-
ton to the activities of those who are turning fer
tile lands into barren rock piles ,for'the gold that
can be winnowed from the soil. One of the ma
chimes that Leggett is operating in the town Of
Ozove. it IS alleged, had encroached upon the
streets; that Is the very streets OF the town were
being turned over in the relentless hunt for gold.
was arrested on the technical charge of obstruct-
ing the highway. But there is more behind the ar
rest than is implied in the mere msdemeanor
charge Gold dredging has become issue in
many parts OF the Sacramento Valley
The valley over, there are many thousands of
acres OF land that contain more or less gold in fact
few acres are without il. But it is found in such
minute quantities that it could not be extracted at
profit by ordinary placer methods. The invention
c the gold dredger however, has not only made the
exploitation OF such land possible but enormously
profitable
The gold dredger is a marvellous invention, made
tc operate over dry land and requiring surpris-
inglv small amount of water for its work The
machine takes up every square inch OF soil and
gravel down TO bedrock and separates from it prac-
ticallv every eck OF gold The gains of its opera
irons have been kept more or less secret but it is
generally understood that if il averages ten cents
in gold to the square yard of material handled
Il yields enormous profits. The fact that those
operating the dredgers have accumulated large
fortunes in comparatively lew years-have become
"dredger kings lends color to the stories OF the
machines great gains. The possibilities of the in
dustry become apparent when it is known
that there are few square yards of earth or gravel
In the broad acres OF the Sacramento that do not
contain ten cents in gold dust
Although comparatively few men are employed
On each dredger, nevertheless large numbers are
indi- +l,a
dredgers too have added enormously to the States
annual output OF gold. And this is all that can be
put tc the credit side of their account. On the
other side is an economic question which outweighs
all that has ever been said in their favor, or ever
can be
AS has been stated the machines go clear to bed
rock, turning every ounce of soil and gravel in
;leir way. When they have passed the soil and
gravel have been carried to the bottom and the
oobble stones have been piled on top. The visitor
to Oroville, to Fair Oaks, to Dredge to
Folsom, in fact to any OF the points where
the machines have been being ope-
rated, sees great piles OF gray cObbles, COW
ering acres OF ground, unsightly and barren,
and unsightly and barren they must remain for all
time These hideous piles were once fertile lands,
worth anywhere from S. an acre for pasture up to
S5do an acre for vineyards and orchards Not in
time will they again produce much as a spear
OF grass. For the gold that could be culled from
the soil the value OF the land for agricultural pur-
poses has been sacrificed.
One OF these dredgers, 1t is said, passes over one
acre of land on the average month. Ten average
acres. such are being sacrificed, could be made
to support family. Thus for every ten dredgers
in operation tract of ten acres, capable of sup
porting family, not for this generation alone but
for all time is sacrificed each month. In other
words, ten OF these dredgers each month lessen by
one the number of families that now and through
all time to come can be supported from the soil of
California.
50 long as the "dredger kings" are prepared to
paw $1,000 an acre for land which is worth for ag-
Tieultural purposes only from S5 to $500 they are
going to have little difficulty in securing all the
land that they want for their purposes-there is
little sentiment in such matters or thought of pos
terity-uness the State steps in to prevent. AS a
matter Of fact, attempt made at the last
session OF the Legislature to regulate the operation
OF the dredgers, but some of the "dredger kings
knew a thing or two and the bill died death not
entirely creditabe to the killers 1t does not re-
quire very profound understanding of the prnci-
pies involved to see that no State can afford to
thus sacrifice its pasture and tillabe land no mat
ter how enormous the immediate return in gold
may be Behind the arrest of Mr. Leggett can be
the opposition OF the thoughtful people of the
Sacramento Valley to an industry fraught with per
10anent injury to the State. The permanent last
ing prosperity of California rests not on the few
AeCks OF gold that can be got from her SOIL but on
the fertility of the soil itself. That should be con
served regardless of the recovery or the non
recovery OF the gold
CHANCE FOR A NEW INDUSTRY.