The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-04-06
AN INTERESTING LECTURE.
The Oasis In the Great American
Desert.

A large number of Bath citizens gathered
in the Universalist Church Wednesday eve
ming to enjoy lecture ON the "Oasis in the
Great american Desert by Mr.. James p.
Baxter Oh this city. The address was made
up Oh personal experiences aud observations
whiie travelling through Colorado and the
western country, embodying much that was
new ana unique.
olnce the time when England was excited
Dy the report that Christopher Columbus
had discovered the shores of Asia in the
"est' the dream of such line of communal
catioh mas remained dream with the peo-
pie and when it was discovered that the
land hrs st discovered was but the shores of
another continent, bold pioneers began push
ing out into the wilderness to find that long
sought road. In passing to the westward
the great plains were found which have
been designated the Great American Desert,
and many emigrants, unable to press on
farther, stopped where they were and made
themselves homes.
New England thrift, even here, makes
i2self felt, AID one can easily recognize the
Yankee planter by the surrounding of his
humble shanty. There are none of those
marks of shiftlessness which too often char
acterize the foreign settler. s
In this region there are no forests, though
clumps of cottonwood are found, but sys-
TEN of tree culture has been introduced
which bids fair to remedy this natural de-
feet. Seeds of the evergreen are gathered in
Canada and the north and when the tender
shoots have obtained years growth, they
are set out in rows, far enough apart to
allow of cultivator being run between
them. They are then set out where needed
and allowed to mature. Kansas already has
more than 10000 acres of these trees and
as arbor culture is general throughout this
region the next generation will be able to
see forests where now are empty plains.
One of the most beautifully situated places
in this region is the city of Denver. In $50
the site was barren stretch, only frequented
by oayats- and -Indians- Dut ep,isrens,
whose means failed him here, staked out a
claim, others followed, and now we have
there one of the most prosperous cities of
the west The characteristic of the people
is energy. They believe in themselves and
where they do that their towns are sure to
prosper.
during MS travels In the west Mr.. Baxter
visited the Montezuman Valley, which has
been made fertile and prosperous by the
waters of the Dolores river, brought
through the mountains to the settlement by
tunnel in the rock more then a mile in
length. Here was visited the homes of the
cave jewellers and the stone houses on the
plain, the buttressed caves and the strong
holds on the cliffs were all described.
While there Mr.. Baxter gathered many
relics of interest; and specimens of pottery,
with the skull of a representatives. that
extinct race were shown after the lecture.
They show the handiwork of a skillful peo-
pie and bear ample evidence that they could
never have been made by the Indians.
The address occupied exactly one hour,
and was listened to with marked attention.
At the close vote of thanks was rendered
Mr.. Baxter for his Kindness.