The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-08-18
THE FORTY NILE DESERT,
Historic Ground In Nevada with Nor
Bones Than q Battlefield.

Historic Ground In Nevada With More
Bones Than q Battlefield.
From the Reno Gazette.
Twenty years ago the great American
Desert was the terror of the overland emf
grant. 1t was written up in sensation
way IN easten papers and in letters to
friends. It was impossible to 20 around
it, for it extended from the Colorado to the
Cascades. All the routes that led to the
land OF promise crossed it., and it was
soon covered with the bleach
ing bones of the stock and
dotted with human graves. Numerous dis
astrous attempts to cross further south
demonstrated that the most feasible road
was the one that lies close to where the
overland railroad now runs. It is nearly
forty miles from the lower end of the Hum
boldt Sink to the Truckee river at Wads-
worth, and the name Forty Mile Desert,
given to the stretch, has become known the
world over. There is no water on the whole
distance fit to drink, and it is very hard
days drive for cattle or a heavily
loaded team. A great many cattle
were lost unnecessarily in the first lush to
California, by people who got nervous and
did not know how to manage. They fire.
quently lay day or two at the Humboldt.
and started out to cross the desert in the
night, They then had to keep going all
the next day in the hot sun, and took the
worst of tho road when the animals were
in the poorest condition. Large bands of
cattle are frequently driven now, and losses
are very rare. They start out in the morn
ing and drive leisurely during the heat of
the day, stopping fora good rest at noon and
in the evening, when the night comes on.
they are pressed forward, and get in next
morning. The road lies through sandy
sagebrush plain, extending several miles
west of the lake, where it strikes an alkai
desert, in the center of which the railroad
has station that it appropriately calls
White Plains. This is the lowest point
east of the mountains. Eight miles further
is Mirage Station, which might serve as a
memorial to the unfortunates who have
been betrayed from his proper course
by the picture of running water.
waving trees and fields, that existed only in
the deceptive air. Near the middle OF the
journey is boiling hot spring at the foot
of the mountain, and large beds of salt lie
near, from which B. F. Leete and the
Bonanza mines put up and ship large guam
titles to market. The deposit has killed
all vegetation for a long distance around
leaving the fat old lake bed as bare as
floor. Between there and Wadsworth are
oSA4S ON>A AoAA11SAO4o' AAO UOuy O1 Lu0
country seems to be a light yellow
substance, probably diatomous, over
which lie high ridges of brown
hills. The level places are strewn
with heavy rocks Of all sizes, as black as
coal. There is no timber anywhere in
sight, and even the sage brush is of inferior
size. On either side are the monoton1ous
brown mountains, carved and grooyed BY
centuries of wear and frost into fringes of
stony lace. The railroads have made fire.
quent attempts to get water for it's engines,
but without success. They bored 1900
feet at Hot Springs, but got only brackish
mixture of liquid alkalld. They haul
water in tank cars for their section men
between Lovelocks and Wadsworth, and
the engines make the run with one tankful
"a distance Of sixty one miles. They
formerly carried an extra car behind the
engine, with two wooden tanks to draw
from, but now engines have been built with
tanks that hold 700 gallons. They
frequently run seventy-dve miles without
stopping, and Nick Cole made hundred
mile run once. It is a very pleasant COM
parison for the rich 49er who rides in the
palace car over the ground where he walked
along with sore and tired feet, urging his
oxen out Of the thirsty desert, nearly half
lifetime ago.