Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-18

expansive desert, and the home OF pros
perity, peace and plenty.
A more definite description OF these
ranches and the locality OF the great
basins and the adjacent valleys may be
of interest. In the first place, it may
be stated that the school land, 200 600
acres, is secured to the state of Nevada,
through the powerful influence of Sen
ator Stewart in congress, and is being
sold under the authority of the state at
the minimum price, 81 25 per acre; the
conditions OF sale are 25 cents cash per
acre, the purchaser paying per cent
per annum on the remainder, and has
twenty-five years in which to pay the
balance.
To give the information of locality of
the country 90 back to Messrs. Yount
& Whites ranch. These pioneer
ranches, as before stated, are in Pah-
rump basin, occupying central locality
in this midland county, lying between
Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, and are
reached by private conveyance only.
The nearest railroad point is Daggett, a
distance of l50 miles. Pahrump basin
embraces an area rs miles in length by
Ii miles in breadth. and has no visible
outlet or escape for water whatever.
The towering mountains. extending to
the height of 1000 to IL 200 feet, inclos-
ing this basin, admit of convenient
passes for railroad and wagon to the
mining camps and to the other valleys.
The state line between Nevada and
California, as well as the line of the
proposed Salt Lake railroad, passes
through the entire length of the basin,
leaving the larger part of the valley and
all of the timber Of Yellow Pine noun
tain in the state of Nevada.
In concluding description of the
ranches and agricultural resources of the
country, l know of nothing that will
convey more direct or clearer concep-
tion of farming in PahrHmp basin and
valleys than to give few facts and
figures relative to these pioneer ranches.
They have been operated under the
most trying difficulties, and at great ex-
pense, for from fifteen to twenty years,
and have most thoroughly and satisfac-
torily proven the heretofore unknown
merits OF the soil and its adaptability,
together with that of the climate, to the
raising Of an abundance OF all kinds
of products. The Yount ranch of 730
acres is situated eighteen miles from the
Montgomery camp and seven miles
from Pahrump. Pahrump basin has an
atmospheric temperature varying from
16 to 104 above zero, and is abundanrly
supplied with water having perpetual
temperature OF 90 degrees, with bitches,
etc., in perfect condition. All manner
of farm machinery, threshers, mowers,
hay-pressess, barley crushers, ETC., are
in use. 1t may be expected that under
the supervision of such gentleman, as
all know Mr.. H. White to be, that the
products of the farm or ranch must be
conclusive evidence of the merits of the
basin for profitable farming. There are
but 800 Of the $50 acres of this ranch
under cultivation. Below is given this
years products, with the home price at
which it was sold:
Hay, $50 tons, lc per pound, or $40 per
ton.
Barley 100 tons, 8 to Sc per pound, or $50 to
800 per ton.
Wheat, is tons, 8 to Sc per pound, or $50 to
Com. 36 tons, 8 to SC per pound, or $50 to
Potatoes, 20 to 35 tons, 4c per pound, or $50
Bacon, 81 tons. 20 to Is per pound, or sloo
to $500 per ton.
Butter, tons, soc per pound, or $1,000 per
ton.
Wine, 1s to 20 barrels, $3.50 to So per gal.
Ion.
Dried grapes, pears, figs, apricots,
plums, peaches, prunes, etc, 20 cents
per pound; 500 chickens, rs to SO per
dozen ducks, geese and turkeys, many /;
eggs, 30 cents per dozen. Beef cattle,
work horses, mules and asses are omit
ted in the list, but sufficient is enumer-
ated. From this the reader may form
quite correct idea of the country and
its capabilities.
The temperature is but little colder
than that of the orange orchard region
of Los Angeles. The greatest extremes
ever known, and this but for few days,
was IL above zero and 104 above. Why
are there not 500 happy, prosperous
homes in this and other valleys? The
question is so simple and the wherefore
so obvious to any one familiar with the
country that no mistake can be made in
answering. 1t is because we have no
railroad to surmount the difficulties Of
transportation. The precious metals and
minerals, borax, tales, salt, gypsum,
iron, marble, ETC., ETC., abound in un-
limited supply. An intelligent and an
appreciative knowledge of the mines,
metals and minerals of the country can
not be given in newspaper brief.
There are to my personal knowledge
thirty duly organized mining districts in
the vicinity Of the proposed Salt Lake
and Los Angeles railroad lying between
Phoebe and Daggett. These facts may
sound distrustful even to the old and ex
perienced miners, but when the cold
steel truth is known all classes tum BILE
to the secret of why so little is known
and why they are not worked.
Senator Jones and his co partner of
Panamint, Mr.. Oster of Resting Springs
and others, after spending hundreds of
thousands, too, tumbled to the secret.
In the absence of cheap transportation
the expense and difficulties of operating
the mines in an isolated country where
the freight on ton of coke costs $50
and a stick of mine timber 81, and
your class of ore is $40 per ton, make
the mines sick and drive all men to
disappointment and to the stubborn
fact that nothing can be accomplished
without railroad to and through the
country. In the illustration the value
OF $40 per ton, to say nothing of the
millions of tons above that, it will bear
transportation to Los Angeles city for
reduction. A. q. Campbell OF Salt
Lake is gen man well and crediiably
known, especially as a successful MN
ing man. His expansive and penetrat-
ing brain has shown its superiority in
all matters on which it has been applied.
About five years ago Mr.. Campbell came
down from Salt Lake to Yellow Pine
mining district, situated within seven