Year: 1874

CALlfUnNIA hNLhos


Build railroads, as many as we may, re-
duce fares and freigbts as low as we W II,
still we never will be able to compete, in
point of economy, with the grand and noble
rivers which nature has wisely provided az
though for the very urpose Of carrying the
produce of the interior to the oceanside, and
depositing it in the lap of an ocean com
merce For time it was thought that
railways would do away with river naviga-
tion, and the rive:s of our country began to
be abandoned and neglected. But al:eady,
in spite of all the railroads, the people Of
the entire Middle and Northwestern States
are paying dearly for such neglect, and on
bended knees and in suppliant tones, are
praying Congress to give them some assist
ance in again opening up the channels OF the
great rivers of the Mississippi Basin. Since
The construction of raj roads through the
great Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys,
the rivers of California have suffered the
s .me neglect. The damage to our State in
consequence of this neglect is twofold Not
only is the navigation of these rivers OBJ
structed, but the filling from year TO year of
the main channels has caused them from the
least freshet to overflow their natural banks
and inundate thousands of acres of the very
best land in the State, rendering it, for
years past, worthless. Millions of dollars
worth of our best producing country have
been thus destroyed. In this emergency
Senator p A. Roach, with an interest in
the welfare of his adopted State that only n
true patriot can feel, foresight seldom
equaled and craftsmanship no. surpassed
on this coast, comes to the rescue, and iol
the comparatively small sum of $27O 900
proposes not only TO deepen the channels of
The Sacramento and San Joaquin River
sufficiently to reclaim the millions of dollars
worth of land on their borders that lie now
in an apparent worthless condition. but to
make them more valuable for navigation
than ever before. The Bishop Dredging
Company agreeing and binding themselves
by the act introduced by Senator Roach,
within two years to deepen these rivers to
twelve feet in low water, and widening
them to 100 feet. Ard in asking this ap-
preparation the Senator throws every CON
ceivable guard around the bill to prevent


The people from being swinded or paying
money without value secured. For after
providing that the company shall receive
their money by installments. so much OIL
the completion of every ten miles, it further
provides that the said company shall give
the State good and sufficient bo IDS, with
two or more sureies to be approved by the
Controller, to refund any moneys paid them
under the provisions of this Act, in case
they fail to complete the deepening of the
rivers, as herein required, on which any
sum or sums may have been paid under
Sections and 4 f this Act.


Now, in view Of the great wealth that
would be restored to the country from tie
land that would be thus reclaimed, the
thorough system of navigation that would
inevitably be renewed to the upper San
Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, and the
consequent reduction in the rates of trans.
porting the immense products of our coun-
try to the seaboard. it does seem as though
Senator Roach's bill is a very worthy one
and ought to meet with appreciation from
the whole people.