Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-05

quite as acrimonious as in more civilized
counties. One such battlei now raging
at Palm Springs between the present
captain, Jim, and one Francisco, an am
bilious wire-puller. The Indian is
politician, and to defeat the agent is one
Of their highest ambitions. A certain
Win Pablo OF Banning is loud in his
boasts that he has "fired" the Indian
agent. They are not backward in ac
cusing their agents of wrongdoing when
they think that wrong has been done.
However, the success of Will Pablo's
efforts has not yet been made manifest.
Salton is now assuming its former as
pect. 1t is looking busy, and even Mr..
Durbrow's amiable burro Nelson has ban
isbed from his interesting physiognomy
that look of ennui which is so depress-
ing, even on donkey's face, and is now
beginning to take an intelligent interest
in the progress OF affairs, and in the
squaws when cooking their tortillas.
In speaking with Mr.. Durbrow as to
the cause OF the lake, he said: "lt was
not the quantity of water that passed
through the crevasse, which is only 300
feet wide, but an overflow of the banks
for distance of ten to twelve miles at
depth of two and one-half feet, with a
current of from four to five miles an
hour. That was the true cause of the
lake being formed at Salton. At least
two-thirds OF the water that passes
through the crevasse passes to the
southwest, and finds its way back into
the Colorado river, near its mouth.
The lake, now in its deepest place, is
about thirteen inches by about eight
miles wide to ten miles long. The
<@f hA toI~ 4.
was ten by thirty miles. 1t is my opin-
nearly the same height as it did last
the Colorado river will reach Salton.
The lakes that formed between the
river and Salton have entirely dis
appeared, and it will take an
immense volume of water to
fill up these depressions again,
and water cannot reach Salton until
these depressions are first filled up, so
that the water will overflow their banks.
As there is no prospect of high water
this February there will be but little
raise in the Colorado until the usual
June raise. There having been little or
no rain in Arizoba for the past nine
months, the summer raise is expected
to be small. The winds of this summer
have been filling up the channels cut by
the water that came to Salton last sum-
| mer. The moisture has started growths
of mesquite, the seed of which has been
distributed by the water, in places where
there was no vegetation. These trees
will be the means OF forming sand dunes
in many places, such as are seen to the
north of Indio. If these sand dunes are
formed in the channel through
which the water came they will
form barriers to a height greater
than the water reached at any time
last summer. Not expecting high
water in the Colorado the coming year,
the growth of trees and drifting of sands
will have nearly two years before the
high waters of 1898, which will be
ample time in all probability to shut off
all water communications of the Col
orado river with Salton. 1t is but
question of time that the depression In
the Colorado desert will be entirely cut
off from the water of the Colorado river.
The sand hills commencing at about
Pilot Knob, and extending west some
| forty miles, are gradually reaching, year
| by year, the Cucupah mountains.
When joined to these mountains it will
form barrier some 200 to 800 feet high,
and entirely shut off the waters of the
Colorado river from the New river coun-
! try and Salton. The channel through
which the water came is entirely dry for
a distance of some 100 miles from Salton.
T. III GrJMoI1R