McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-01-22

lhlloo. -OFcT tniS urea tuc Wdtct Is
found at various depths, ranging from
$50 to 700 feet; and, of course, the cost
of the well is In proportion to the
depth. A 500-foot well costs usually
$1,000. There is graduation in depth
and in quantity of water as the wells
approach or recede from The lake. On
the eastern limits of the belt, where
the belt is highest, the wells. contrary
to what was originally expected, are
shallower than on the low land near
the lake, and the obvious explanation
is that the water-bearing strata dip to-
ward the lake, with a sleeper pitch
than the surface of the land, of which
the incline is about eight feet to the
mile. On the other hand, the flow of
the wells near the lake is much more
cOpious than that OF those on the high
land, even when the latter are sunk to
the same depth. This, again, may be
explained on the hypothesis that in the
wells which tap the water strata at
their lowest level the hydrostatic pres
sure would be greatest, and the stream
expelled with more violence. This
corresponds with the observed facts in
the Santa Clara valley, where the most
productive wells are at Alviso, near
the shores of the bay.
All of these one hundred wells on
the margin of Tulare lake, which are
now gushing in streams of greater or
less volume, obtain their water from
sand or gravel strata underlying strata
of blue clay. The clay is impervious
to water, and confines it to the gravel,
however deep the latter may 90 down.
Doubtless the blue clay is superim-
posed upon the gravel all the way back
to the mountains, from whose clefts
and assures the supply is derived, and
these gravel channels carry just as
much water twenty-five miles east of
the lake as anywhere else ; but there is
not pressure enough to cause the wat
er to rise to the surface, except at the
lowest edge of the gravel-beds, which
is near the lake.
To one who has never before seen a
flowing well there is something eerie
in the way the water comes boiling out
of the depths of the earth. Thrust
your hand into the flow on a cold day
and it is found to possess an unex-
pected warmth. This, as well, as the
Slight smell of sulphur which is no.
ticeable in most of the wells, strength
ems the fancy that there is something
Satanic about the spouting marvel. In
one of the fertile valleys of Lake
county, few months ago, man.
moth artesian we'll poured forth
such torrent of sand and
gravel that it was feared it
would in time overwhelm the adjacent
farming lands with the detritis, like
glacier OF lava stream, but while the
excited farmers were considering how
the monster might be choked, the SUBJ
terranean genii suddenly ceased their
Satanic prank and the people breathed
easier, as if dreadful dragon that
threatened to waste the land had been
slain. There are no such wells as this
in Tulare county, but a great gusher
has been struck on Posey creek, south
east of the lake, and of this we shall
have more to say in future letter.
On the splendid ranch of Page &
Morton, near the town of Tulare, there
are four artesian wells, one of which
is sun ounded by reservoir, showing
the proper manner of utilizing water
from these sources. If the stream is
allowed to wander over the land just
as it comes from the well it will make
puddles and sink-holes without doing
much good. To remedy this Mr.. Nor
ton has built reservoir around the
we'll to confne its waters. Twice
every twenty-four hours the industri-
Gus little demon who is rushing up
this sparkling column of water fills the
reservoir, and the gate then being
opened the water will flood two acres
of lard. Thus utilized an ordinary
artesian well will irrigate a great deal
of ground, and the farmer who has a
quarter section and well is independ-
ent for life. The ranch of Page &
Morton is a model of large farming,
which is at the same time diversified
farming. Four thousand acres of rich
land are covered with canals, dikes,
and checks for irrigation, and almost
every kind of crop is raised. There is
already an orchard and vineyard of
$40 acres, which next year will be in
creased to over LOCO acres. The
stock on this ranch consists of 1000
sheep, 1000 hogs, 240 cattle, 50horses,
200 hives of bees, and so cats. The
last are by no means an incumbrance,
for they are kept expressly to subdue
the gophers, which, it is said, they do
quite successfully. Some large
ranches now buy hundreds of cats at
25 cents head for this purpose. A
few years ago this rich land around
Tulare was worth 50 80 to So an acre.
1t now commands $40 to $50. and is
hard to get at those prices. Water for
irrigation is supplied by the canal
companies at the rate of 81 an acre for
wheat and 81 so for alfalfa.