The National tribune., 1889-09-19
his reception rendered him by his friends upon
his return from abroad.
VETERANS IN THE CITY.

his reception rendered him by his fr1enu5 upon
his return from abroad.
VETERANS IN THE CITY.
William A. Barry, Knap's Battery (E), Pa. L.
A., of Alexander, Pa. Comrade Barry served
through the war in one of the best batteries
sent from Pennsylvania. He was detailed for
two years at the headquarters of Gen. Reyn-
olds, who was killed at Gettysburg. Since the
war Comrade Barry has been prominent in
GAR matters, having served three terms rs
Commander of Post No. 34S, of Alexander, Pa
The comrade has been attending the Reunions
and Pennsylvania Day at Gettysburg, and
took Washington city in on his way home. Ho
has many friends in the city and says 10 has
had pleasant time.
f. i. Stevens 9TH Mo. Cav, and 44th No.,
Austin New.
What is going TO become of your Slater"
asked him. " Your population has dwindied
from 81, 600 to about 30 600. Is this thing GO
ing on until there will not be enough lett in
tho State TO hold tho Offices, and you will have
to import men from the outside TO be Senators
and Representatives,"
No, il will never come to that, he answer
ed. 1.-The Offices pay well that there viii
never DO any trouble about filling them. But
/ do not see much nope for any increase of
population. About all the land that Is worth
anything is taken up"
That seems strange when ii is remembered
that you have 10000 square miles in the State,
about three times as much as there IS in the
State of Ohio"
Z" But you don't remember tho awful stretches
of desert that we have. Tho Death Valley, for
example, runs throughout the greater part OF
tho State. 1t is 90 miles broad, and has not
spring of water or living thing in it. 1t was
probably the bed of an inland sea once. which
dried up. 1t has been proposed to cut canal
to the Pacific Ocean, which would fill 1t up,
and il is thought that this would produce
general rainfall which would make the sur
rounding country fertile. 1t is far below the
level Of the ocean. There are other valleys
which are the same and of the same character.
and great stretches where there is no water for
40 or 50mlcs. They have nothing but shift
ing sand. One called Ralstons Valley, rs
where q man named Ralston, brother of tho
great San Francisco banker, wandered around
until he died from fatigue and thirst. 1t IS
very difficult to cross any of them safely. The
sands blow about so that your trail is soon hid
den, while before you you constant mir
ages, which make you believe you are coming
TO lakes and mountains which do not exist.
whole train of INN grants was lost in one OF
those stretches in California days and tho
bones of the people and the irons of their
wagons are lying there yet. Tho only sale
way to venture into the desert is to drive
stakes from time to time 10 mark your way back.
/ believe that If they would cut canal, aud
flood some of the valleys from the ocean, it
would make the whole State fertile. for the
soil, when you can get water, il very good.
OF conTsa much of it is very liable TO frosts on
account Of being SO high. Tho average eleva-
ton is about 900 feet above the level OF the
sea, or much higher than the tops of the
Allegheny Mountains This is the trouble in
planting trees. Last year got some nice trees
from nurseryman, paying high prizes for
them. ! set them ust carefully, and Tor awhile
they did very well but on the night of July
II il froze hard enough to mako layer of ice
across the water in the wash basins aud my
trees went up But whore we can raise any
thing il is very good and our hay ~ iine.
Such rusty stuff rs I about Washington
would not be looked Mt by our people. When
the mines were going we got good prices for
ali that could raise. but n"w that the mines
are shut down, IT is pretty dull times. Taxes
arc very high--abUut $3.50 on the 500 and
money hard 10 get. IL used to be that we did
not look Mt anything less than two bits-25
cents but now we take an interest in dime.
A nickel is rs yet curiosity, and We never
see cents except when someone who has been
! East brings them out / do not sec any chance
/ for An Improvement IN times until the price OF
! silver goes up Everybody who has not stake
in The State IN the shape Of real estate, mines
| etc. is leaving. aud none are coming in"
There has been fear cxprest that the Nor
mons would mmigrute To your State, take pos
session Of IL, aud have things their own way"
- No fear about that MOrmoBism IS dying
out. The Latter Day Saints not up To such
! tricks as that now"
j. 81. Chidester, ID Va and 9Th Va. Cav.
/ Brucctoh, w. Va. ComTade Cbidester lost an
| arm ia battle. lie has been in the drygoods
business until recently, when he sold out to
/ advantage.
PREPARING FOR THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
| Pennsylvania avenue from First street
/ northwest &c Seventeenth has been ia a muck
/ for the past mouth. tho entire street being re-
surfaced preparatory TO the big CouclaYe Of
| Knights Tsmplar which will take pace here
| early in October There are several gangs Of
men at work between tho Capitol aud the
/ Treasury Department. the work between Eff.
/ tecnth and Seventeenth streets having been
/ npieied. The strcet-caF company have been
/ ordered TO use Belgian blocks for paving the
/ ear tracks, and lhis will make the Avenue the
| best place for parade IN the United States.
NEW AFPoIsTERs.
The following appointments hayo been made
during the week:
Richard G. Kerr. Of Mississippi 10 be Regis.
/ ter Of the Land Office at Jackson Miss.
/ Joseph w. HcCIurg. oil Missouri. to be Regis
| ter Of the Land Office at Springfield ho.
Scott SHETLAND. Of Wn r.. 10 be Receiver Of
| Public Moneys 1T Vancouver. Wn. r.
| Waiter l.. stobles Of Wn r., 10 he Agent for
tho Indians Of the Yakima Agency Ia VA. T.
Warren -. Robbins. Of Idaho to be Agent
Of the Indians Of tho Nez Perccs Agency
| Idaho.
George c. Mckee. Of Jackson. Miss. to be
Receiver Of Pnbiie Moneys mt Jackson Miss
Horace II. Williams of Missouri. to be Re
ceiyer OF Public Moneys at Springfield. 80.
Benjamin II. Miller, Of Maryland, To be an
Indian Inspector.