Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-11-13

The 1rst witness lDlt morning
was Mr. Abraham +. Doremus, &. T.,
of this city. He said he had prsc-
ticed in his profession a little over
twenty years, and was at the present
time city engineer Of Salt Lake. He
was well acquainted with the char
acter OF the land situate between this
city and the Great Salt Lake
Major Bird-Please describe the
general character OF those lands,
taking the point Of the Great Salt
Lake at about where the Jeremy &
Co.'S salt land borderSupOn thesame,
and in that relation state whether
artificial irrigation Is necessary to
their cultivation, and whether or not
within that body Of lands there are
certain slOughs, alkaline flats and
salt lands.
Mr.. Thompson objected to the
question as incompetent, immaterial
and irrelevant
Witness replied that the lands in
tervening the points mentioned
were among the lowest in the val
ley, the highest points not exceed
ing twenty-five feet above the pres
ent lake surface. The surface was
generally flat, except where cut 10y
innumerable waters, the beds OF
which were from one TO six feet be-
low the general surface Of the
ground, and into which the storm
waters Of the entire west portion OF
the valley drain and carry with
them the storm waters, salt and
other minerals from the higher
land. These depressions were gen.
orally known as alkali fiats
and were entirely destitute OF vege-
tation. During the wet season they
were covered with several inches Of
water and in the dry season by
mineral incrustatiOn. The lands
were generally saline in character,
becoming intensely so near the
lake. The higher portions OF the
land were capable Of producing
when supplied with artificial means
of irrigation. The lower portions
were practically unfit for agricultuI
al purposes, whether irrigated or
not.
To another question Mr.. Doremus
said that he believed the first time
he passed over these lands and paid
any attention to their character was
in the fall Of 1875 or the spring Of
1876. At the time of this trip he
was in search Of government cor
pers, with view Of connec-
ton with the Union Pacific
then known as the Utah and Ne
vada line), with the government
surveys. In searching for those
corners-which were mostly de-
stroyed at that time-he had occa-
sion to pass over the land in dispute
such portions Of Il; at least, as the
water would allow him to walk
across. At that period witness re
garded the lower portions OF the
tract as portions Of the Great Salt
Lake, there being then, he thought,
not less than three feet Of water
upon them, and it was evidently
connected with the main
body of the lake, 1t was
lake water. There vas no sail
on that tract of land at the time,
hut farther east OF ii there were
sone ponds that had less water in
them. upon which salt had been de
posited. He had visited this land al
least some six or seven TIMES since
1875 or 1876. He believed that in the
wear 1855, when he made an ex'
ANIMATION OF these lands for the
Union Pacific Railway Company,
with a view Of constructing track
for the transportation of the sal
manufactured thereon, he found
Jeremy & Co. in possession. IL was
the salt which that firm had manu-
factureJ, and were then gathering
which the railway company ex'
nectrd 10 transport, in case the
Track was built. During each Of
bis subsequent visits Jeremy q
90. were still in possession. In.
variably a deposit OF salt had
remained from the recediDg
wafers. The sand bar ut the north
and south of the south inlet wa'
simply an elevation or dyke consist
ING. as indicated by the surface ap.
neerauce, of shifting sand, deposited
there by the action OF the water and
the wind. The land between the
lake and the sand bar was barren
lake bottom from which the waters
of the lake had recently receded.
There was no intervening land be-
tween the salt ponds anu the sand
bars.
Major Bird-Now, In your judg,
meut. would 1t be possible to reclaim
nv artificial irrigation these higher
lands. marked upon the exhibit a.
sssand bar?''
Mr.. Thompson objected to ths
putting Of this question