Morning journal and courier., 1892-02-11

ot an occasional depression-so much so as to resemble the level of the ocean at dead calm. It is unbroken by trees or bushes or deep drained channels. It is car peted with a rich growth of gramma grass es. The new railroads of Texas and New Mexico have made accessible to the geolo- gists this largest of all Texas plains, and perhaps the greatest and least studied plateau Of our country. The small amount of surface water which is not drunk up by the soil is found in a few widely distribu- ted ponds. Two streams flow around the plain. They are the Canadian and Pecos. Both have cut nearly 1000 feet below the level. Neither of them receives any sur face drainage from the plain. Yet the rain fall on the Staked Plain from June to Sep tember is from 20 to 25 inches. The soil is rich from 6 to 30 feet deep. It seems like a lake deposit, and it differs from all other parts of Texas.
 Notwithstanding the rainfall, the plain is covered with nutritious grass. As one ap- breaches, the edge of the Staked Plain rises like precipice. This wall can be seen at a distance of fifty miles. The edge is ser rated and cut into by the rain washes to such degree it is evident the wearing away process is going on rapidly. This ex- tensive washing is the same kind as that to be seen in the edges of the Bad Lands of the Dskotas. The geologist easily estimates that the Pecos and the Canadian, flowing around the west and north sides, and the Red, Brazos and Colorado, heading near the eastern border, have already worn away great slices of the Staked Plain. The top of book resting on table gives 6 good idea of the Staked Plain. This plain, talk ing it from the top downward, consists of, first, porous sentiment of soil, sand, gravel, and salt in horizontal layers to the depth of 200 feet. Then comes great floor of sands, clsys, and granites. Part of the floor is composed of the Trinity sands Part of it, where the sands have been worn away by the convulsions of nature, is of the red beds.
 The conditions are very curious to the scientist, but the main question with & practical generation is about the water con dition of this great plain. Running water in Dickens county is the only stream in the vast plain. Ii is s bright, sparkling stream that suddenly breaks out of the ground, nipples over pebbly bottoms for distance of ten miles, and then mysteriously disap- pears. How is the absence of running water to be accounted for on 50,000 miles of country possessing fair rsanfalli
 The answer is, the great csppipg strata of the Staked Plain and as porous as 8 sponge. Every drop of water evaporates or sinks downward through the soil. Un- til recent years the Staled Plain was con- sidered utterly waterless. But there have now been dug into these porous strata more than 900 wells These wells do not flow, but the water from them is pumped freely by windmills and the StAked Plain Is there made pasture for countless herds of cattle. These wells have been obtained in all parts of the Plain. Digging is no longer regarded as an experiment. The water sOaks into the ground and is stored in the mortar beds and grits. IL is kept from going further down by the underlying red beds. It constitutes one of the most remarkable sheets of underground water in this country.