Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-04-23
Let Emigrants Westward Look Out.

The Cincinnlu Enquirer says: An aw-
full trap is being set for credulous emil
grants. Thuus tnds of these emigrants are
settling west of the rain belt, and they
don't know it, They me going out too far
on the Atchson, T, peka and Santa Fe, the
Kansas Pacific. the Union Pacific, and the
Northern Prciiie railroads.
" Where is the drought line?' asks the
reader.
&" Draw line from Austin. Texas, to
Bi>mark, Mimi, on the Northern Pacifr,
and all west OF that line is the drought
country. Five years out of eight crops
Will entirely fail west of this line. Last
year was IN exception TO the rule. AMI
this is why so many emigrants are ven ur-
ng too far west this year. The land
sharks are deceivng them, and are push
ing vast army OF emlgrants into fam
inc region"
"What makes this region west of the
hundredth parallel Il desert region"
" Because it rains just rs much water
us there is water evaporatei each year. Ii
ii rained more water than is evaporaled it
would run down inio the ocean, and the
land would soon be covered with water
Rims run 10 the ocean in rivers, and the
air evaporates The Water of the ocean and
Ctlrlcs it inland. Clouds form ranftIlS,
and back goes the water on to the earth,
then into The ocean again. Now, before
the air from the gulf OF orean reaches
Bl>mark, or the middle of Nebraska or
Kansas, this wet air which started from
the oceitlI, bcc"mes dry. There is no va.
ina h., 4, an f.,lt .
it in rain, and it has run back 10 he sea
" But why is San Antonio subject 10
drought hen it is 50 close 10 the gulf"
" Because The air Of San Antonio, on
the ,taked plains in Texts and in Arizona
COMES up through Mexico. 1t is dry he.
fore it stuts 1t does not come from the
gulf. Mexico is hot. A perpetual current
Of ho, dry air blows over Mexico ant
fans Aroma, New Mexico. Utah. and Col
orado with atmosphere rs day rs winc
from the Desert Of thara. This dly air
current, blowing up from Mexico an,
Arizona, strikes the high mountains il
Colorado. llete is the centre of The
continent. within seventy-tive miles OF
Pixies Peak, are the source of the
Red, Colorado, Rio Grande, Arkansas
and Missouri Rivers This is the backbon,
of North America The high, cold peak,
condense any moisture that there may bt
in The air coming up from the south, and
makes it into snow. Then this cold, dry
air passes on up the centre of the cont
nent, making II perpetual desert. 1t pre-
vents any damp air from coming east Of
the one hundredth parallel. When We
reach the Northern Pacific and Manitoba
another current of wind, Il damp current,
blows from the Pacific Ocean. There i,
no desert there. where the Pacific wind
heads off the wind from Mexico
Now, | say. thousands of innocent
emigrants have taken up farms during the
last year west of the rain parallel. OF
course, they will be ruined, and you will
see them coming back broken hearted and
discouraged"
"Wlll it always be desert west Of the
one hundredth parallel?'
" Yes, until the Almighty changes the
course Of the winds. takes down the mount
ain peaks, and stops the clouds from rain
ing all their water out in the east before
they get to the desert"