The original plan located the distributing point on the divide at what is known as "Nigger" or "Reservoir Hill." No enterprise of the kind could have been inaugurated under more favorable auspices. Money was plenty, and parties on all sides satisfied of its profitable character, were ready and anxious to invest. Among those now here we may mention Messrs. Nugent, Cooper and Barss, all of whom invested liber

eventually abandoned. This canal, too, finally came into the hands of Kirk & Bishop, and through them, became the property of the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co., by whom it was enlarged to a capacity of 2,000 inches as far up as Johnson's North canyon, where it received a portion of the water of the Main Trunk. The point of junction by the construction of the new canalhas now been brought several miles further down. The great reservoir at Blakeley's is above the Iowa ally, and alike, lost every dollar subscribed. This, as canal, and discharges into it; there were several smaller reservoirs along the ridge in former years, but they are now abandoned and going to decay.

GOLD HILL CANAL COMPANY.

Articles of incorporation of the Gold Hill Canal company were filed with the county clerk, under date of October 1st, 1853. The capital stock was $10,000, and the original directors were W. B. Williams, Lorenzo Dexter and Joseph Lamb. The object was to furnish water to the miners about Gold Hill, and for mining and irrigation purposes, to the entire region. lying between Weber creek and the South Fork of the American river.

The ditch heads at Hangtown creek, in Placerville: it depended for water on Hangtown creek, water from

-the South Fork canal, or purchase from the latter. It

we understand, was not due to dishonesty on the part of the management, but to a want of appreciation of the magnitude of the work on hand. When subscriptions to between $200,000 and $300,000 had been received, the books were closed, the trustees believing the amount sufficient to complete the work. Their lack of judgment on this point resulted in the ruin of the original investors. One or two incidents will illustrate this point:

"A large and well-appointed hotel having been erected at "Reservoir Hill," the intended terminus of the Main Trunk, it was believed that here would be established a fashionable resort, and, being desirous of catering to the aesthetic enjoyment of the citizens of Placerville, as far as possible, the trustees solemnly discussed the question whether the last half-mile of the flume should not be built of "dressed lumber."

It was only after a prolonged consideration that a

negative conclusion was arrived at.

was once an immensely profitable property, the fortunate location enabling the owners to dispose of the same water to a dozen different miners in one gulch, "The use of battens not having occurred to the and then by carrying it around to the next mining ground, repeat the operation again and again. It has management, for the purpose of making the joints on the sides and bottom of the flume water-tight, it was been the means of establishing one of the most ex-determined to nail strips of canvass over the cracks. tensive fruit-growing interests in the county. Like the

But tack hammers were scarce, none could be ob

Weber and Iowa canals, it is now part of the property tained, except from a certain harness shop, and those

of the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co.

SOUTH FORK CANAL.

The placers along Hangtown creek, in the vicinity of Placerville, were among the richest in the world ever known, and the bed-rock of the gulches, running up to the gravel beds surrounding the basin, was fairly yellow with gold. Being so near the source of the creek, however, water, even in winter, was not overabundant; while summer mining was greatly hampered. Notwithstanding the difficulties, the enterprise of bringing a supply from the American river was not seriously undertaken for several years. On the 10th of July, 1852, articles of incorporation of the South Fork Canal company were filed with the county clerk. The capital stock was fixed at $500,000. B. F. Keene, Jas. M. Estell, J. M. Rhodes, Caleb Finch, Bruce Herrick, W. H. Smith, T. A. Springer, John Buchanan and B. R. Nickerson were the first trustees; B. F. Keene, first president; A. T. Taylor, first secretary; A. J. Binney, engineer.

were not for sale! So Mr. Springer, one of the trustees, rented a dozen, at fifty cents per day each; the hammers to be returned in good condition. It so happened, however, that when the work was completed, the hammers were thrown into the tool-house, and there remained until the owner's inquiries brought them to light, and a bill, amounting to over $900, had to be paid for the use of a few hammers!"

Satisfied that the character of the soil was such that ditching on any part of the line would be impracticable, a flume structure for the entire length was determined on. This flume, four feet wide by three feet and a half deep, with a grade of four feet per mile, was constructed in 1853, from Reservoir Hill to Long canyon, and in 1854 to the South Fork of the American river, near the foot of Randolph canyon, a total distance of twenty-five miles. But the cost went far beyond the estimates of the engineer. The construction of the reservoir, by Mr. Kirk, footed up to $75,ooo. The flume went several hundred thousand above

the cash on hand.

were not to be had.

New subscribers to the stock a line was run from Cedar Rock to Sportsman's Hall. The golden opportunity had fled The final location of the Main Trunk canal was made for ever. A long series of lawsuits with the con- about 1872. In 1868 work was commenced on the tractors followed; receiver after receiver was appointed, Sportsman's Hall end of the line; 1870-'71 three or and for fifteen years, the South Fork canal was a foot-four miles of ditch near the Hall was completed; the ball for courts and lawyers, now in the hands of one and then of another, yielding annual fortunes in its revenue from water sold, only to be swallowed by the illimitable maw of the law.

dam, bulkhead and a short section of ditch at Cedar Rock were constructed, and water turned in at the head. The construction of the dam at Silver Lake was commenced in 1871, and the flume grade at Echo lake in 1872.

Finally, in 1869, the property came into the hands of B. F. Hunt, T. and G. Alderson, C. Broad, J. In this preliminary work more than $20,000 was exCooke and George Williams. By this time, however, pended. The system was perfected to what we see it the original demand for "sluice-heads" had passed now, covering a water-shed of more than 350 square away; hydraulic mining had been inaugurated, with an miles; embracing claims on the South Fork of the increased pressure and water demand, not contem | American river, Silver, Alpine, Wolf, Alder, Mill, plated at the inception of the enterprise. Another Plum and Echo creeks, aggregating 66,000 inches of and grander project, inaugurated by Messrs. Kirk & water; with reservoir claims on Silver lake, Willow Bishop, was on foot, and the South Fork canal, with valley, Twin lakes, And ain lake, Echo lake, Medthe Coon Hollow mines, passed into the possession of ley lake and Glazier lake. Nothing in the State the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co. in September, 1873. compares with it. But Messrs. Kirk & Bishop lacked Whether it will be renewed and maintained is a ques- the money necessary to carry it to completion. It tion for the owners and the future water demand to was only after many years of anxious efforts, that men decide. of means were found ready to undertake a work so grand in its conception, so promising in its results, but so costly in construction.

September 4th, 1873, the El Dorado Water and Deep Gravel Mining company filed its articles of incorporation with the county clerk. Its objects were "to purchase, or otherwise acquire, water privileges, and to purchase, construct and maintain canals, reser

Placerville had one citizen who recognized, at an early day, the great value that was to attach to the vast stores of water in the mountain streams and lakes ; who anticipated, by almost a generation, the demand which was yet to come, for mining and agricultural purposes, and who saw that the slender flumes of the South Fork canal must be supplemented by a watercourse more permanent in character, occupying a voirs and water ditches, for agricultural, milling and higher level, and of greatly increased capacity. That man was Mr. John Kirk. He commenced with the elaboration of the system which finally culminated in the property of the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co. as early as 1856, and from the deposition made by Mr. Kirk in the case of Osgood vs. the E. D. W. & D. G. M. Co., we are enabled to follow his operations up to the time when capital came to his rescue and carried the work through; but fully twenty years elaj sed between the first start and the perfection of the enterprise.

In 1856 he posted his first notice claiming the water of the South Fork of the American river; surveyed and claimed Silver and Clear lakes and Silver creek. In 1858 he surveyed a line from Coon Hollow to Alder creek, a distance of sixty miles, and located a reservoir near the Elk Horn mill; the above line probably ran around the spurs in the region of Iowa and Long canyons, which accounted for its great length. In 1860, he located the head of the canal and dam at Cedar Rock, and located reservoirs at Medley, Tom Andrain's and Echo lakes. In 1866, Mr. F. A. Bishop, who had already made some surveys for Mr. Kirk, became interested in the enterprise. That year

mining purposes, in any county or counties in the State of California; to supply pure, fresh water to the public, and to any city, county and town in the State of California; to purchase and work any mine or mines, placer or placers, and carry on the business of mining for precious metals in the county of El Dorado, and any other county in said State; and to do and transact all such business as may be lawfully carried on by a corporation, organized for such purposes as are above enumerated, in the State of California.” Principal place of business, San Francisco; term of existence, fifty years; number of directors, five; capital stock, $500,000; of which $375,000 was subscribed. The first directors were John O. Earl, J. D. Fry, Thomas Price, L. A, Garnett and Henry D. Bacon. Officers-L. A. Garnett, president; Thomas Price, managing director; F. A. Bishop, superintendent and chief engineer; Hugh Elias, secretary.

By a series of purchases and transfers, the company soon became possessed of the South Fork, Iowa, Weber and Gold Hill canals, with their branches and extensions; the water rights held by Kirk and Bishop; a large area of surface gravel, embracing over 600

acres and including the famous Coon Hollow mines, W. & D. G. M. Co. has been actively engaged in the now known as the Excelsior and Weber, together with development of its hydraulic mines, considering it

an important part of the business that the water is not allowed to run to waste. The most important of the company's mines, and the one upon which the heaviest

other valuable property in and about Placerville. The water-right of Blair, Brown & Blair, at the mouth of Weber creek, covering 30,000 inches, was also se cured. This is designed to carry water out to the Sac-expenditures have been made, is the Excelsior, situramento plains.

ated directly south of Placerville, on the terminus of the great gravel deposit. Among other mines, operated in whole or in part by this company, are the Weber mine, Spanish Hill, Texas Hill, Stoney Ravine, Nigger Flat and Reservoir Hill.

county, inspecting its resources, and particularly its water supply, having as an object the future water supply of the metropolis of the Pacific.

Preparations were at once made for the construction of the Main Trunk canal, from Cedar Rock to a junction with the Iowa canal, and through that to the South Fork canal at Smith's Flat, a distance of nearly forty miles, and work was commenced in May, 1874, About the middle of July, 1876, Mayor Bryant, of but notwithstanding it was pushed on as fast as possi- San Francisco, accompanied by Auditor Maynard and ble, unforeseen delays kept the work in check, so that District Attorney Murphy and Major Mendell, of the when, in the spring of 1876, Thomas Price, managing U. S. A., with a staff of reporters of the leading San director, insisted that the completion of the canal Francisco papers, were traveling all over El Dorado should be celebrated on the Centennial Anniversary of the Republic, about a mile of flume remained to be constructed; but with herculean force it was accomplished. The night of July 1st, 1876, saw flume and "The Georgetown divide," comprising the entire ditch both completed, ready for carrying a stream of region between the Middle and South Forks of the water through. The dam at Silver Lake, which had American river, along the foot-hill region, is one of the been commenced already by Mr. Kirk, was completed richest in soil, timber, water and mineral resources. the same year. The timber used for its construction is There is a large area equal to the best portion of the principally tamarack, the most durable wood growing plains for the production of wheat and barley, its in this region. The "Old Amador road" crosses fruit-yield is unsurpassed in quantity per acre or qualover this dam. The magnificent reservoir thus formed ity anywhere. The mountain section is covered with allows a storage of water twenty feet in depth, ex- the best timber in the State, and an inexhaustible suptending two miles and a quarter in length by seven-ply of purest mountain water for irrigating and mineighths of a mile in width, with a capacity of 1,097,. ing purposes is controled and can be furnished by the 712,000 cubic feet or 8,200,000,000 gallons. The

cost of the reservoir was a trifle over $8,000; the

CALIFORNIA WATER COMPANY.

Main Trunk canal was finished at an expense of As elsewhere, through the mining counties, ditches $500,000. were originally constructed with a view to mining opEcho Lake is situated on the east side of the sum-erations only. The Pilot Creek ditch was constructed mit of the Sierra Nevada. To use the water of this lake the mountain summit had to be tunnelled through, for which work active operations were commenced in 1874, digging at the south end of the tunnel; and resumed on July 1st, 1875, under the superintendence of Judge Reed, was pushed vigorously from both ends. Both parties met on November 5th, in the center of the 1,058 foot tunnel, and on the 3d of August, 1876, the water from Echo Lake found its way through the tunnel to the South Fork of the American river. The present capacity of Echo Lake as a water reservoir is over 200,000,000 cubic feet, or 1,750,000,000 gallons of water. It is proposed, however, to raise the dam to the height of 75 feet. The expenses for this work amounted to over $21,000.

Water is sold by the company for from 121⁄2 to 20 cents per inch, according to quantity or purpose, and is delivered under a six inch pressure.

in 1852 to 1853 by Dr. W. H. Stone and others,
bringing the water of that stream into the rich mining
district of which Georgetown is the center. The first
sales were at the rate of one dollar per inch. But
the extravagance of the times affected the manage-
ment of this property as it did everything else, and
the high price of water was offset by the cost of main-
tenance. We have been unsucessful in procuring the
necessary data of the early history of this important
enterprise; the records of the county are extremely
Numerous water companies
meagre in this regard.
were organized, only to be quietly disincorporated.
Still, the original company held its ground, gradually
extending its area of usefulness until 1872, when a
number of San Francisco capitalists purchased the
property under the mentioned name.

The California Water company was organized under the State law, with a capital stock of $10,000,000, di

Like nearly all mountain water companies the E. D. vided into 100,000 shares, the greater part of which is

held by J. P. Pierce, John Center, E. Judson, D. O. The Main ditch continues west from Georgetown Mills and John O. Earl. The principal place of busi- to Greenwood, crossing Greenwood canyon by means ness is in San Francisco-315 California street. The of a pipe 5,500 feet long, 52 inches diameter, with a officers of the company are: J. P. Pierce, president; capacity of about 800 inches. Thence a branch runs George Thurston, secretary; E. R. Pease, superinten- to Centerville and Wild Goose Flat. A new ditch is dent; Hon. Thomas Findley, managing director. in contemplation from Greenwood creek, over the divide at Pilot Hill, to Negro Hill, at the junction of the North and South forks of the American river, a distance of forty miles. Another 15 inch pipe, 3500 feet in length, crosses Greenwood canyon at Frazer Flat.