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

simply 4 lest OF density.
Mr.. What would be
the effect OF draining the water of
these lands?
Wiruess-It would simply dry the
land, aud would not improve it from
an agricultural point OF view in any
way whatever. He Eas familiar
with the Salt aud alkaline waters
between the Jorian and Salt Lake.
They contained less salt but more
soda than the lands in question.
When the court met this morning,
Mr.. William z. Shelton, civil and
hydraulic engineer, OF this cliy,was
called as a witness for the protest.
ants. He had been aequaiDted with,
these particular lands, he said,
since June 7th Of the present year,
when he first visited them. He
met Prof. J. FewsOn Smith and Mr..
Levi Reed there. On the northern
part OF the Jeremy Il Co. salt lands
they made a test Of some OF
the waters in some OF the
wells which had been dug in differ
ent places over that portion OF the
land; they also ran line OF levels
from the Great Salt Lake through
the northern inlet. Salt and
water we've found deposited upon
the land within the salt ponds, as
shown upon Exhibit 2, referring par
ticularly to the land in dispute.
The salt was covered with water
from one to three inches deep. The
levels showed that the mouth ofthe
north inlet at that time was alitue
over q foot higher than the surface
of the lake. There was a very re-
cent water marx, which gave
undoubted evidence that with
| in few days prior 10
that time the water had flowed over
and into the inlet. As TO how far
| the water went he could not say, as
they did not follow up the mark.
He believed 1t reached the Jeremy
& Co. salt lands, but woIld not be
/ positive as to that. Witness visited
/ the lands again on August 1lth.
I Messrs. Almy, Jeremy, Levi
Reed, Prof Jones, Prof smith, and
| Messrs. Button and Owen were
present. They drove over nearly
every part Of this laRd, tested wells
on different parts, examined the
water in the artesian well ut the
shanty-in fact, made a thorough
examination Of the land
| The land marked nsand bar" was
/ simply q sandy ridge thrown up By
the action Of The waves. The land
between the ''sand bars" and the
Ike was a low, fat, sandy beach,
with considerable mud mixed In,
| similar to the shores Of the lake a
long distance either way. In no
/ sense was It agricultural or arabic
land.
Mr. Thompson moved to strike out
| this last answer, as Incompetent.
Major Bird asked the witness II be
had any knowledge OF arabic and
agricultural lands. of lands desert
in character and susceptible OF re-
clamatiOn.
Mr.. Shelton answered in the AZ
! firmative. Forseven years OF has life,
he said, he Travelled all through this
western country. In Colorado, Wyo-
ming and Idaho he hal run several
Irritating bitches for the reclama-
| zion of desert lands. All these lands
showed from the vegetation upon
them at that time, aud from the
character Of the soil, that they were
/ susceptible of reclamation and OF
| producing an agricultural crop.
| The only desert lands he had
seen that would practically come
,,,der the head of s'desert''
4 we're in Idaho and Wyoming.
! These produced no vegetation ut ali,
even where fresh water had been
Introduced. The lands in that
country had the common name OF
Grad lsnds,u and, in his opinion.
the land now In dispute at Garfield
could very properly bear the same
| fitle so far as agricultural products
yv,.r. concerned. This land was, In
fact the bach Of the lake for several
miles each way, and was, therefore,
subject 10 overflow by any rise Of
| the lake. The land in the southeast
corner Of the portion in dispute, and
east and south OF the line D1rdeling
the salt pond and south inlet was .
sandy clay, thoroughly impregnateo
with salt, carrying no vegetation
except, SO far as he could see, .
grass commonly called squirrel TALL
aud that only in small quantities
| The salt ponds upon the disputed
lands extended beyond the latter, t.
the north and east. The lands II
question showed decided yatel
marks. and left no doubt 10 his mine
| That they were nearly, If not totally
submerged by the waters OF ths
! Great Salt Lake during Its higl
wster period. They were not a. ~
capable of supporting vegetation