Daily Republican., 1882-09-08
AnImaIs that rir for w.,.,.

! hbaN u II hOE WAN0Ra
The Times, of Los Angeles, Callfor.
mia, says For years the water question
has been a conondrum on the plains OF
Arizona and Lower California. II ia
well known that some OF the land In
the desert Is Of the best quality, and
would produce the best crops in the
world II rain would fall or water were
plentiful enough for irrigation. This
problem has been solved by a South
American gentleman who has travelled
over most Of the world. He has been
in this city for the past few days, and A
Times reporter, learning through A
third party that he had made discoy.
cry, called upon him and gathered the
following facts.
II seems that the gentleman was
travelling in dry part of South Am9r.
lea about eighteen months ago, all
alone looking for new range OF stock,
He had iourneyed about thirty miles
from wafer and was beginning to get
used up when he discovered one of
those green spots ON the desert that
makes the lonely travellers heart feel
light. On nearer approach he saw
that there was town Of small animals
similar to the prairie dog OF this coun.
try, They had mounds all around the
green spot, aud seemed to be very
numerous. When he rode up among
them they all scampered into their
holes, but soon came out again and be-
came quite tame. He rode up TO the
spring or well, and fouzd 1t to be an
excellent quality of water. After
quenching his thirst he began to look
around and investigate the new camp.
The strangest thing that his attention
was called to was the similarity of the
hole from which the water flowed TO
the holes made by the dogs. The spring
flowed from the entrance of a mound
just the same as that in which the dogs
lived, but it was Inuch larger and on
top was q large basin. Noticing this
fact, and knowing that water was a
great distance Oft, he began an investi-
cation, and came to the conclusion til at
the little dogs had bored the we'll.
Acting upon this decision he captGred
two of them, and started for his ranch.
On arriving there pen was made in q
dry place, and the little fellows put in
it. In few days the work began
They worked very rapidly, and soon
had hole fifty or sixty feet deep They
seemed to be able to penetrate the hard
est kind of soil, and they kept right on,
| stopping for nothing.
One would work in the bottom Of the
hole while the other brought the dirt
TO the top. On the 1fth day they seem
ed to be exhausted, and he gave them
some water. This stopped work for
several days, but they soon got thirsty
and went to work as hard as ever. On
the n orning of the eighteenth day they
both came up with rush, followed by
IL stream of water. How deep they had
gone 1t was impossible to tell, as the
hole was not straight.
"What kind of looking animals are
they ?" asked the reporter.
Every similar to the common prairie
dog In size and color, only they have q
bony sHout and the claws are much
longer and larger. They soon become
tame and make nice pets. But | will
have several Of them down here in
few days and you can take a look at
them"
What do you propose doing?"
81 think there is a large country
south of here that can be utilized with
the assistance of my pet dogs. l feel
Snr" hlr every part OF Southern Cali.
Drnia and Arizona can be cultivated
wa rs th" land is ricl enough to raise
grain. These animals will tiud water
if it is within 1900 feeet of the surface.
l know it because have tried them.