The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-04-30
A SALT DESERT.
Below Sea Level Where None But Indians
and Chinese Can Work.

beAOW sea Lever w here None but Indians
and Chinese Can Work.
Salton is one of the lowest points in
the United States, being 263 feet below
sea level. 1t is dreary spot situated at
about the end of huge valley, which
on the east will one day be abloom with
the flowers of orange and lemon trees,
and whose gentle slopes will be covered
over with vines bearing grapes that
will far surpass in size, flavor and beauty
the tabled punches of Eschol. But from
time immemorial Salton itself has been
a desert and for all time to come it will
remain so. 1t is as if some huge curse
had been placed on it and except for a
few scant sage-brush nothing grows on
it nor can be made to grow. Here lie
the huge salt beds which are now being
worked by San Francisco company,
so what looks apparently a useless
waste is really valuable land
The beds cover an enormous area, and
the salt is scraped from off the surface
and is not, as some people imagine,
mixed in the same way as gold and sill
yer. The beds are about six to eight
feet in length, and often larger, for
they are artifcially made, and in them
oozes the salt. The only tools which
are employed to gather salt are shovel
and hoe. Then the crude salt is loaded
upon fiat cars and run down by loco
motive into the mills, where it is
pounded up into salt for the table, for
the dairy and for such other purposes as
is needed. The amount of salt that can
be produced is incalculable. Indeed,
there is enough to supply the civilized
world for all time to come, and if there
were a failure of salt anywhere the Col
orado desert would be able to supply
the demand.
In broad day when the beds are seen
from the railroad cars, they look like an
immense inland ocean, whose waters
are of glaring white and upon whose
broad bosom rise innumerable mirages
from great city blessed with churches
and cathedrals, whose spires are as
numerous as the masts on the River
Thames to great ocean steamships and
huge sailing vessels. In early morning
when the sun is rising the scene is one
of unsurpassed splendor, for as the rays
strike the salty crystals they flash
forth various eolored lights.
The only labor that can be had here is
Chinese and Indian, and Mr.. Durbrow,
the manager, who has had considerable
experience with the Indians, says that
the Indians of the Colorado desert are
admirable workers. Indeed, they ap-
pear to be and are particularly am
bilious. They have built around the
managers house quite little settle
ment and they are epicures in the man.
ner of food. They are all men of family.
| Their women, who are singularly good
looking, keep house for them, but do no
sort of manual labor except that con-
stalwart young chaps, and so well
thought of are they by Mr.. Durbrow
that he pays the Indians Sl.50 day
and the Chinese $1.35 day.
In conversing with Mr.. locker, who is
the foreman at the works, he said: ''It
| is mistake to suppose that all Indians
are worthless. The nine men that
have with me are wonderful worlmen.
l have no trouble with them. They are
at the salt beds by five a. m, and they
| work steadily till the noon hour, when
| they eat their dinners and again go to
work. In fact, one Indian is worth two
Cinnamon, and they know it, and de-
mand more pay. You have to keep
continually watching a Chinaman, for
he will talk and chatter during the
working hours. Not so the Indian. He
is stolid and will keep on working. never
stopping to talk or smoke. They are
| good hard laborers and have love for
| it, inasmuch as it brings them many
luxuries. They are kind to their fami-
lies and really are admirable people,
whom it is pleasure to deal with. =
/ San Francisco Chronicle.