The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-04-02
OASIS-PRODUCING DOGS.
An Enterprise That Would Make
Col. Sellers Gasp.

@ $50 eeerr
For years the water question has
been conundrum on the plains OF
Arizona and Southern California.
It is we'll known that some of the
land on the deserts is of the best
quality, and would produce the best
crops in the world il 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 a discovery, called upon him
and gathered the following facts: It
seems that the gentleman was
travelling in d dry part of South
America about Is months ago look
ing for new range for stock.
BE bad iourneyed about gu miles
from water. and was beginning to
get used up when ne discovered
one of those green spots on the
desert that mskes the Lonely trav-
eler's heart feel light. On nearer
approach he saw that there was q
town of email animals, similar to
the prairie dog OF this country.
They had mounds all around the
green spot, and seemed to be very
numerous. When he rode up
among them they all scampered
into their holes, but soen came out
again and became quite tame He
rode up to the spring or we'll and
found it to be an excellent quality
of water.
After quenching his thirst he be-
gan 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
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 1t was
much larger, and on top was large
basin. Noticing this fact, and know
ing that water was a great distance
of, be began an investigation, and
came to the conclusion that the little
dogs had bored the well. Acting
upon this decision he captured two oil
them, and started Tor his ranch. On
arriving there a pen was made in a
dry place and the little fellows put in
it. In a few days the work be.
gan.
They worked very rapidly and
soon had a hole fifty or Sky feel
deep. They seemed to be able to
penetrate the hardest kind of soil, as
as 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
fifth day they seemed to be ex-
hsusted, and he gave them some
water. This stopped work for sew
ersl days, but they soon got thirsty
and went to work as hard as ever.
On the morning of the eighteenth
day they both came up with rush,
followed by stream OF water. How
deep they bad gone it was impossible
to tell, as the hole was not
straight.
What kind of looking animals
are they 2" asked the reporter.
"VeEy similar to the common
prairie deg in size and colsr, only
they have a bony snout, 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 look at them"
What do you propose doing ?"
II think there ia large country
south OF here that can be utilized
with the assistance of my pet dogs. /
feel sure that every part Of Southern
California and Arizona can be Guilt
waited where the land is rich enough
to raise gain. These animals will
find water il it is within 1000 feet of
the surface. know it, because II
have tried them"
"HoW is it that nothing has been
said about this discovery p
"Oh, that's all right. have kept
it to myself, and should have done 40
now, but my friend here had given it |
away before l saw you, and II
thought would tell you the whole
story, and ask you to say nothing
about it, for several reasons. I don't
want it Known until I am sure that
it will work in this country. Ifitl
will work, intend to import a num-
Der to this country and Arizona"
If this animal will do what Can
tain Liftchild says it will, Southern |
California will bs a hourishinp |
country within a few years.-Los |
angeles (Cat. Times.