The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1886-03-06

u,..erscal Proofs and Facts show An
Affirmative Answer.
lscientIic American.

Affirmative Answer.
IscIentInc Americana
This NAV not concern US individ-
v.nv for any changes would be very
,,rsdnaI. but no question can be OF
.sors viIal interest than the average
,,srm.neDcy of our water supply. Ii
ibsre be evidences that atmospheric
nre,.initstion is steadily decreasing
thnonvhout the historical world, we
cannot tail to recognize their import
ancs. i.
We shall, for the present at least, set
aside geological proofs and confine
ourselves entirely 10 recorded history,
taking as our basis the Oldest consecu-
tive record, the Hebrew books.
The earliest traces of human history
carry US 10 Asia, in its central and
soutnwestcrn parts, and the most re-
mote national movement: of which we
have any clear and continuous account
is tie migration of the Israelites from
Egypt. After many years of devious
wanierings, the Jewish tribes made
their appearance in the plains OF Moab,
ON the east side of tn. Dead Sea, not
far from b. c. l4a0, that IS To say,
snmewhat over $500 years ago. An
expedition was sent up by Muses.. aud
made conquest OF all the rIch aSricui-
tura! region to the north. The land
wa. thcu swarming with inhabitants
whe we're wealthy from commerce and
frun the cultivation Of tle soil. Their
waited towns were numerous aud
strong. We need no evidence from
the Bible 10 show US this. for there the
towns stand now, perhaps 1000 years
old, with many of their houses as per-
feet Is in the days of o.. King of
Bashan. There they stand, waste,
without inhabitant.n
There must he some reason for this,
independent of social considerations.
Men live there now, IT is true, only by
the might OF the strong hand, but they
did SO 5000 years ago; it is not the
lack OF protection by established law
that has caused the desolation. The
simple fact Is that the land cannot
furnish food for 30 dense population.
Its characteristic richness aud fertility
have passed away, aud for this there
eau be but one cause, and that is the
dimlnution of the annual rainfall.
II Is we'll known that in the days Of
Chaldean glory the most fruitful land
OF antiquity was Mesopotamia. What
Is II newt "'rhe land of great canals is
desolaie and barren, without settle
ment, adried-up wilderness,
covered with the plants peculiar to a
saline soil, and all this where once was
the garden of the world These are
the words Of an eye witness.
A little further, aud we reach Persia.
Inc India Geological Survey says of
II; From the account given by ancient
writers, 1t appears highly probable
mat the population was much greater
and the cultivated land far more exten.
slVe 1000 years ago than at present,
ana this may have been due to the
country being more fertile, in conse-
quence of the rainfall being greater
Captain Burton, writing of his trav-
els In Midian, says; "This once veal
my and commercial land has become
uesolation among the nations; the
area OF some 5000 square miles, which,
mirty-one centuries ago, could send
into the field 10000 swordsmen, is
Soandoned to few hundreds-half
peasants. half nomads."
Additional proofs of this slowly
progressive desiccation could be
brought forward. but we prefer to turn
our attention to the Western cont.
neut.
For cur present purpose, we will 60
only to the southwestern portion Of
Uur NJ territory, to the region west OF the
NO Grands, del Norte, to Arizona and
New Mexico alone.
IT'S fearful and q desolate region