Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-11-07
THE SALT LAKE2LANDs.
Interesting Testimony by Professor
Marcus Z. Jones.

haitus lie sOuts.
The further hearing Of the Ian,
contest case was continued at tn,
United States Land Office thi
morning, Professor Marcus E. Jone
being still under examination.
Adding to one particular portion o
the testimony which he gave dur
Ing yesterday morning. the witnes
said there were some mud fat
slipping down from the sand ridge
already meutisned which on theil
margins had the alkaline vegetation
before spoken Of, and which rapidly
became less and less until it entirely
disappeared for quite a distance be.
Tore one reached the edge Of the salt
pond. What he had already stated
In regard to the arabic quality Of
the mud flat before referred tc
would apply with still more force Il
these mud Hats. There was nc
other vegetation upon the tract OF
land In question, since il was
covered by salt bed several inches
deep, with a film Of water a few
inches deep above it.
Asked TO state the character OF
the water flowing from the artesian
well near the shanty, witness said
he tested the water both for tenn
peratur- ard sallnitr; and also
drank sonic OF IL. Tile amount OF
salt In the well was between one and
TWO per cent, and the water was
very unpleasant to the taste, hav-
ing that peculiar ''Fopy" flavor
which was the characteristic Of
water that was slightly salt. II
tasted Of other mineral ele-
ments, among them being sulphur,
as nearly as he. could recollrct.
This well, at the time, was flowing
about a gallon in half a day, more
or less; In other words there was
scarcely any water flowing frOE Il,
50 far rs he could remember.
Major Bird-What Is your opin-
Ion as to the water Rowing from this
artesian well being good for irriga-
ton? -.
witness-My Judgment is that il
would never be valuable for irriga-
ton; first, because there isn't hard
~ any Of it, and second, because
water Of about the came degree OF
saiinity was used by the managers
OF the Union Pacific Railroad at
Garfield to irrigate a great many
trees which they had set out to
D.autify the locality. Nearly all OF
these trees wete LOmbardy pop
lars, which can endure more
salt than most ether vegetation OF
the kindi yet nearly AL Of those
trees died-all except those, be-
ieve, which got some moisture fIOm
other sources.
Major Bird-Mr. Alfred Thomp-
son and his witnesses, Morgan q.
SprOut and Isiac ]. StarbrucS, on
July sth, lSal, IN the afIidavits and
application Of Nr. Thompson to ell
ter these lands under the Desert
LandAct,swore that those lands were
''unapprOpriated, unoccupied, and
unsettled at that time, because il has
been impossible 10 cultivate il sue
cessfully on account Of its dry and
and conditiou.' | viii now ask you
IL that portion Of the affidavit is
true?
Mr.. ThOmPsOnOTeeied 10 the ques-
ton for the reason thai 50 far as II
involved the definition Of appro-
priatiOn, occupancy and settlement
on said LANDS, the question called for
a conclusion Of law from the wit
ness which it was not competent for
him To- give.
Major Birt-That We deny, be-
cause the witness has stated that
the lands are occupied 10y improve
menis that lie has before deserted,
and 10y his having seen men at work
upon them
Witness, replying, said he did
not see how il could I've true, since
on the tn Of August, 1890, he Went
all over the land ia question aud saw
a house upon il which 10 his cer-
tain knowledge had been there
for a number of years undis-
turbed. Also, he saw two dams
built on this property, and these
must have teen in existence for
Of years previous; further,
he had seen salt piles on the land |
JnI- year which must have been !
there at the time the affidavit was
made; and also there were number
vi rUdds on the property leading In
directions which seemed 10
have been in use more or less con-
stantly for Il long time. He wOul
further that there was a film
Of water covering almost the entir,
surface Of both ponds.
Major Bird-Mr Thompson, the
or applicant should say,
aud his witnesses, also swOre that
there no salines npOn this land.
that true?
WItness-That Is not true, for the
reason tina: there has been a film Of
salt on that land, 20 my certain
knowledge, for eriod Of six yelrs,
and that film has seldom been less
than two or three inches in thick
ness-often very much more in the
place.
Maior Bird-HOw is IL Rs to the
land being thoroughly impregnatet |
with salt, independent Of the deposi;
m the surface that you have men,
toned? ...E
wItness-FrOm the observations |
which have been able 10 make, the |
soil Immediately underlying this |
salt contains about IS per cent Of
alt aud the salinity continues to a
depth Of at least 2jl feet, gradually |
as il goes down, until 1
at the depth named it is only about 1
TO . per cent Of salt This is caused |
10y the waters OF the Great Salt |
Lake. which rs far rs the |
geological history Of the lake goes,
shows that the lake has been salt for /
a period Of 5000 or 1000 years, vary |
ing in density during the time ac-
cording 10 the general law OF oscil-
latiOns which have already tried |
to explain. During that period OF
thousands Of years the bed Of the !
lake has been forming by the depO-
sition Of CLAWS and s1nds, and has
been built up TO its present position,
80 that at least from the surface u
the depth Of many feet-perhaps 100
or l5O-the natural saltiness Of the
water has impregnnted the bottom
Of the lake as II was de-
t,osited, making IL always as
ally a. yva- ri1e water NJ the lake Mt