Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-01-10
ANTELOPE VALLEY.
Present Progress rtesian Water
Misstatements and Errors Cor
rected.

Mr.. d. w. G. Franklin returned yes.
terday from Lancaster. From this gem
tleman we learn that large number OF
plows are going on the mesa, and wheat
and barley are being planted at rapid
rate. Mr.. Franklin has tract Of land
there, and will proceed to erect build
ing at the station and occupy IT as a
store. He is much pleased with tho out
look at that locality.
In regard to the artesian well which i,
being sunk at the station. he brings the
most cheering results. The well, when
at depth Of l30 feet. struck flow that
ran over the top Of the tube. but down
it goes for bigger flow. There is no
rock in the way, and the work goes on
rapidly. The present we'll, made by the
8. P. Il. X. Company, struck flowing
vein of water at 100 feet, another at las
feet, but without cutting the pipe, went
down TO $50 feet, when o splendid flow
was secured that has remained strong
aud constant. Mr.. Wicks will sink to
the same depth without letting in the
water from the upper levels.
A city daily OH Saturday located the
Colony Sin the heart Of the Mojave
desert" Such is not the fact. That
paper also speaks Of the winds that
blew sand at Mojave Station on New
Years day, That may be true, but An.
telops Valley is 25 miles south Of Mojave
and is an ampitheater half surrounded
by spur OF our great range Of noun
tains. The Antelope mesa overlooks
tue desert, but is not on the desert.
Lancaster Station is on the desert where
passengers land for Antelope, which is
seven miles distant. A reporter Of the
HERALD has visited the tract, and per.
sonally inspected the same carefully.
He saw it in calm, and in storm, when
the winds played pranks with the sand at
Mojave, but there was no sand blowing
at Antelope. The corner OF the desert
over which the railroad passes has vast
amount Of vegetable growth, juniper,
heather, artemisia, and cactus, so there
is little chance to kick up dust in that
part of the country. At Lancaster,
plenty Of pure surface water is found ct
thirteen feet in depth, while at the juno
tion OF the mesa and the desert the wa.
ter is but four feet below the surface.
That can hardly be called "the dryest
spot in the State"
In regard to the grabbing of land by
Mr.. Wicks and others, the fact is, Mr.
W. grabbed no lana. He purchased
large lot Of land pf the s. P. r. K.
Company, at their regular price, but
k.< L.
furnished food and teams free, to many
persons to 20 and select public land to
the extent Of $1,000 acres by pre-.
emption or timber culture laws. The
public land has been taken by actual
settlers, as the records Of the Land Office
in this city clearly demonstrate.
Whenl men like Ben Dreyfus, who is
going to plant an olive grove on the
tract, and ex-senator George H. Smith,
George Hansen and fifty other solid gen.
tlemen, Of long experience and sound
sense, have taken land there to cultivate,
it shows the opinion Of cool-headed msn
of wealth, about this land, which is
published as sand.d drifting desert. So
far from taking up the Government land,
Mr.. Wicks has purchased his land; and,
in addition, has furnished seed, and per-
mitted settlers without means to 90 on
the land and have the use of it for
year in raising crops. Besides, he has
assisted them to lumber to make them
selves comfortable cabins. It is well
known that good crops have heen raised
there in the past, and IL is fair TO pre-
sumo that there will be in the future.
All the indications point to II as q very
desirable country for deciduous fruit
and timber culture. ALI the facts at.
tainable will be published in the HER.
AID, but all falseheods must seek other
channels Of communication.