Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1891-07-12
Continued from last ,ceek.)

But. after all, our mineral
AFRO not what we must rely upon Tor
the future prosperity o. tho county;
for every ounCe of gold or silver taken
out OF the ground leaves it just that
much poorer, and after the mineral
wealth is exhausted nothing is left.
No country has ever a~mountedto any
thing that depended upon its mines
alone. California even, with all it's
wealth OF gold, never commenced TO
amount 70 anything till it. became
known that hs agricultural
exceeded its %1LiueI1is; and to-day tho
mines that once attracteu tho whole
world, do not command II single col
umn Of newspaper notice where the
agricultural. resources Till tho whole
sheet. a few years ago Utah was be-
hiud Nevada In all respects; Colorado
was looked upon us the greatest des-
ert in the United States, and Arizona
was noxt TO il. 10 day they ure all
ahead OF our State and county be-
u they have developed their ag.
ricultural resources. And these re-
sIurces were developed first, and now
their mineral wealth is being develop
cd ~ rank with others. This county
has both the land and the water TO
make il us rich and prosperous us any
county Of it's size in the irrigation re.
gion OF tho United States. With M
hlt Of our county covered hy high
mountains that form the main water
shed in tho western part Of this u
y, our annual rainfall and prcc;pi-
tdtion Of moisture is over twice us
much rs tho other counties in the
State. In the year 1889 the annual
precipitation Of this county was 2G.l0
inches rs against 1867 in Washoe;
5.97 in humboldt; $50 in Eureka;
LII in White Pine 600 in Storey;
229 in Churchill; 1911 in Ormsby;
23.Gs in Douglas; 7 40 in Esmeralda;
$50 in Nye,. and 1890 inches in Lin
coin county. Only Washoe and
douglas counties recorded over one
half as much us this county, which
shows that our watersheds ure sup
piled with moro moisture than any
other part OF the State. or our 2,
53S,500 acres OF irrignble lands, about
IL half; or, to be- uCrurate, 100000
acres is in places whore water cannot
be got upon it, or there is not enough
water TO ,ifrigatH with; l,G8J,4HO acres
lilo in positions where they can be
irrigated, either by water now flowing
pust, or ny Writer'S stored in reser-
voirs, and tho remaining 1921 acres
are now under irrigation. And Of
the lands now irrigated fully nine
tenths is meadow and pasture land,
bringing in n small income, but moth
inS TO what might be raised from
lands properly cultivated.
RESERVOIR SITES.
The large reservoir sites in this
county are twenty-five in number.
Seven Of these arc in the Columbia
river division; two in tho Salt Lake
division, and the rest in tho humboldt
division. They all have n sufficient
water supply to Till them, and tho
agricultural lands, mentioned as
capable OF being irrigated, Ito below
the reseiv oir sites IN this county. As
forty acres il looked upon as q guuer-
Gus amount OF land in an irrigating
cOuntry for family of four Persons
our 1,2lS,1W acres OF irrigable land
should support n population Of 49,
80 persons-nearly twice rs many Us
the whole State had at its best times.
But il yon give u generous estimate
VI eighty acres 10 four persons thon
we have enough for GU,9O0 persons.
These figures Of our available lands
nre not guess work, but are based up.
on careful examination Of the whole
cbunty, and reliable Information
But we have not TO depend upon
agriculture alone for u supply for
future or present population. Our
rolling hills and high mo%uptains fur.
nish tho finest grazing lands in the
world for our horses, caitlo und sheep.
In fact grazing or etoctraising has
been n OF our principal Industries,
and will continue TO form u largo
source ofotiri %reyenue:t Owing to tho
poor method ,bf obtaining statistics
adopted in This St6te, IT Is impossible
to mako eteh+a Reasonable guess ut
tho actual number OF stock in tho
county, but n safe estimate would DO
abUdt tnree times tho number fur
nishod by tho Assessor; although this
ysar / huve. heard Of some large
stockmen who have given in three
fourths the number they know they
have.
But still with our agricultural,
embarrassing aud mining resources
that arc partly developed in a crude
way, W. have other that adj.
Tnnced civilization hove created. Our !
streams can bo used for power for
factories as well ps irrigation; and tho
industries chat thrive IN Massachu.
sotts and other States Gun thrive horo
just IA we'll The great trouble with
ue 10 that our population is no small
competitep Is created and no real
advancement is made. rhe only in.
lustries Sc pursue arc carried on IN
sunh Crude ways that their future
possibilities "a only DO guessed Ut;