Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-12-21
ANTELOPE VALLEY.

Where It Is and What it Is-A Rich
Fringe for the Desert The New
ce.c.y plans and Proepects-
Tho subterranean Lake.
At the north Of Los Angeles about
forty miles. this foot Of the Sierra Ne
vada divides, and silver, or detached
portion Of the mountains, reach off to
the east Of Elizabeth Lake to Moiave
Station, on the Southern Pacific Rail-
road. This detached chain OF the foot
of the Sierra Nevada forms vast
amphitheater opposite Lancaster Sta
ton, over twenty miles IN length and
from five to fifteen miles in breadth,
sloping from the mountain side eastward
towards the rising sun, until the mesas
die away into tue coar-e qualities If the
great Mojave desert
In this great ampLi,heater the beanti-
full Antelope Valley is placed, known to
every scout and pioneer who ever took
dispatches to Fort Tejon and Tehachepi
over the old roads north from the Sole
dad canon In olden times. The ante
lope are nearly all gone. leaving beau
tiful unoccupied plain that is now being
brought into notice rs Antelope Colony.
the seat Of new settlement that is
springing up on the west border Of the
great Mojave desert. This settlement
is directly west of Lancaster, on the
| Southern Pacific Railroad, about eight
miles, and overlooks the most romantic
portion Of that peculiar region
Mr.. Paul +. Brown, after series of
prq2scting in and around this great
wiert tract of territory, and observing
its possibilities, enlisted the acute judg-
ment and sound financial ability OF nj.
L. Wicks, Esq, Of this city, to bring ont
to the public the peculiar merit and re-
sources of this beautiful mesa. After an
examination OF the land Mr.. Wicks Sc
cured about $4,000 acres Of the same,
which, combined with about 100, 900
acres Of public land and State school
land, form vast area of settlement at
least 20 miles in length, extending from
the mountains down 20 the desert Of Mo-
lave. Heretofore this vast area of rich
pasture, smooth as graded street, has
been overrun by the bands of cattle Of
Gen. Beale, and by nomadic shepherds
who appeared to be passing from Cali
fornia to Nevada, but fingered long ON
the Antelope plains.
The old highways from Soledad Pass
to Tehachepi and TETON pass over this
tract and disappear over depression of
| the mountain chain. The view from
the heights of this mesa is peculiarly
striking and instructive. At your feet
the great desert looks like garden Of
green trees, when in fact it ia scattered
over with undying yucca palm, or tree
cactus, that grows in every conceivable
form and Stimulates the appearance of
| orchards and gardens. On the right
the Sierra Madres glisten with snow,
while to the east the bare. bald SUBMITS
of broken ridges Of mountains near the
Mojave river and at the left the lower
spurs Of the Sierra Nevadas. bound the
horizon. The great basin of the desert
presents all the evidences of having been
q great inland sea. In fact it is yet a
| great subterranean lake of vast extent.
On the east side Of Antelope valley,
where it meets the desert, this greatlake.
or sea, is but four feet below the surface
of the soil and lies 1000 feet above the
city Of Los Angeles, only shut of from
deluging our lovely plain by the dam
formed by the Sierra Madres. The Los
Angeles river is but leak from this
great lake, 1000 feet deep, and all the
water needed can be obtained by tun-
neling into the mountains till the waters
/ of the lake are reached. This is being
done timidly, but by and by it will be
done in earnest and form one Of the
grandest water powers in the world.
When these inland. seas or lakes sub
sided into the earth or partially dried
up, till the sands appeared. there was 20
much soda, salt. and other minerals
left on the bottom, that it required
ages to fit it for vegetable growth; and
even yet. only the rank and almost air
plant growth will live in the desert
sands.
| The Mojave desert dried up ages
ago, aud vegetation is slowly getting a
foothold, as the rain and frost fit il for
plant growth. The Colorado desert is
| a more recent formation, and with less
rain and no frost, and more saline mat
ter, has not yet been able to make
much vegetable growth. but still vegeta-
tion is approaching from the north and
south and will some time conquer that
with cactus and artemisia.
/ Mr.. Wicks conceived the idea Of
colonixing this fine land, and to carryitout
advertised it in the HERALD. As conse-
quence nearly hundred persons have
filed claims on the government land, q
dozen homes have been erected, and the
settlers have begun to plow the virgin
soil. At the station Mr.. Wicks has
planned hotel 40x42 feet. two stories
in height, sent the lumber to the place,
and engaged that genial old soldier Of
the Mexican war. and builder, Mr.. D..
X. Williams, to build the same. At
present the only hotel at Lancaster is a
large tent In which Mr.. Peter Richards,
for many years in business at Anaheim,
furnishes square meals of excellent
quality, and longs for hotel so he can
fold his tent and get out Of the driving
desert sauds. Mr.. Brown has captured
the locomotive house. and has most aris-
tocratic quarters with hot kissing loco
motive for bedroom fellow. Mr.. Wicks
is almost omnipresent, and is busy day
and night overcoming obstacles that al.
ways attend the establishment of colo
nies before there are the usual facilities
for the transaetion of the same. He
has also planned the making of an arte-
sian well near the new hotel and has en-
gagged man to perform the work. The
s. P. r. R. Company have large flow
ing artisan well at this station and It is
pretty certain that plenty of other wells
can be made so that large part of this
L Grain. do.a.x oas, ha .ooI ai..od ar,d addal