Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-04-20
Changes n tho AmorIcan pc.orl.

Nh''i 'i5'o 80 N"V hAhlliNNi ittills
The Inland Empire has the follow.
Ing statement concerning tho process
Of change going on all over the great
inland desert between California and
Missouri:
For somc time past there has bccn
o question before tho people of this
basin and OF tho plains east Of tho
Rocky Mountains that has asyot failed
to be satisfactorily answered. 1t isi
why arc the streams CARRYING moro
water than in former yoarsY Tho
great plains are fast losing their arid
nature, and through them are running
streams in places whero twenty wears
ago there was not drop Of water
and where 10 that time there werc
small streams, they arc now very
much enlarged Ia many cases this
change has been Of great value, rs it
has given to tho traveller a supply of
water that had previously been denied.
When tho drst emigmnts crossed tho
Plains to California, tho great obiec-
tion urged 10 the trip was the scarcity
Of water on the greater part of the
route. Within few years this has
been all changed, and in the beds Of
Old streams that were dry when first
found, there is now water for all pur.
poses required
The Laramie Plains arc not now
destitute Of water. whereas some years
ago there was none and the traveller
had TO carry water on passing over
visss'. I'i,sIr v.uI. 90 |.IIu-uuuuS lI5slt,
Tor the last ten years, there has been
continued increase Of water through
out the whole desert country between
the Missouri and the Sierra Nevada.
The Arkansas was dry in 1862, from
the Pawnee Fork to the Cimuron eros.
sing, aud previous TO that time tic
Pecos was dried up, so that at many
places the people were obliged to dlg
for water. Aud the Moro Talicy aud
Plains were at that time almost dcsti.
tnle Of vegetation Now The vcgeia-
ton Is luxuiious, and it is one OF the
very best wheot growing sections.
Denver was built on the banks Of
an extinct creek, which il WIS siiD.
posed would remain dry, but, after
the settlement, to the asionishment of
the people, IL became quite II stream,
and is now crossed by bridges The
Hucrlano, the Boya Pccos. and others
that were dry during the summer
months, ten years ago, are now con.
stantly running in fair streams. We
are satisfied that along the whole lino
Of the Union Pacific Railroad there is
much more moisture in the earth than
there was only few years since
Again, Salt Lake is seven feet higher
than II was ten years ago, aud it is
constantly rising, and il has been
urged by those who havo paid Gtten-
tion To the subject. that the rise Of
water there would produce solution
on the Mormon question before Con.
gress would net upon it, When tho
Salt Lake shall rise few feet higher
we shall look for its overthrow TO
reach the Shell Greek range, as evil
IDENTIFY at one time as water did cover
what is now only arid valley, not
direct in its course, but cut % with
ranges, still The continued valley can
be traced. This great increase of
water will work a great revolution in
the opinion Of the people as to the ca
pacity Of the great plains for agricul-
tural purposes.
The only reason why the great
plains cannot be made into good fruit
farms is the lack of water aud timber,
49, j.. - - o.. 49, t-. -. s.,.s
The increase of water Of which We
have spoken will do away with ono
objection, and the discovery OF coal
over distance east of Salt Lake for
over six hundred miles will obviutc
the other. The man travels ovcrthat
the Union Pacific Railroad twenty i've
years from this time will find that the
sage brush has given way to crops of
all kinds growing ia the greatest lux
uriance, and that the sturdy farmers
with happy homes have taken the
places OF tho wandering rcd men Ia
our own State this increase Of moist
ure has been noticed, and the old set.
tiers do not hesitate 10 say that in
many places the streams have incroas.
ed more than one fourth in size dur
ing the Inst five years, and in some
places where there was no water then
there arc now small but constantly
running streams.