New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-03
A LAND ALMOST UNKNOWN.
TO BE REACHED BY THE PRO
POSED LOS ANGELES AND UTAH
RAILROAD.
RICH IN PRECIOUS METALS NOW INACCESSIBLE
FERTILE VALLEYS HERE AND THERE
CI-R1nI.s pnnnICTS OLE THE DESERT.

CURIOUS PRODUCTS OF THE Dfs>Eni'
Los Angeles, June o7-Between Daggett, in Cal
ornia and Utah there IS broad stretch OF and winch
Is ncognita the people Of the United States
1t has seldom been travelled over and more seldom
described. It contains untold mineral wealth and
valleys well adapted to agriculture and capabl" OF
sustaining life for thousands Of inhabitants. All these
riches lie idle, because there Is no possibility OK
reaching them by railroad. When the proposed Ctah
and Los Angeles Railroad shall DC built, this broad
stretch OF land will be made OF the most productive
portions Of the West.
W. s. Barton OF Los Angeles, has prospeced TINS
great unknown territory for two years, and has just
returned with valuable fund of Information regarding
| it, He has investigated Death Valley, the Molave
Desert and those parts Of Nevada which nearest
u California During his long journey he nearly
always followed the survey line Of the proposed rail-
road between Los Angeles and Salt Lake. After
crossing Death Valley Mr. Barton prospeced to the
| northeast Of II, ana found almost every Kind OF
mineral In It's mountains, gold, silver, copper, Nickel
cobalt and zinc found everywhere in paying
| quantities. The Charleston Mountains contain gold
In decomposei quartz, good amount OF 1t being free
milling ore while some OF It Is combined with silver
| and copper. These will run from $50 TO 800
| to tho ton. Among the known mines In this region
is the Montgomery, which is down $50 feet, ana us
mineral averages $40 to the ton In gold ana silver
The nearest shipping point Is Fenner on the At
| lantlc and Pacific Railroad, which Is 1855 miles distant.
little way ont from Daggett, clear 10 Phoebe, in
Northeastern Nevada, the country traversed by Bar
ton was found to consist Of mineral belts OF unusual
valuc. Southwest Of Phoebe, still on the line OF the
proposed road there 100 miles Of as fine lnnd
| as can be found anywhere. 1t Is not occupied by
any one although there are thousands OF acres OF
school and Government land to be had for the taking
one OF these fertile spots named Garden Valley, the
prospector visited II sixtyfve miles southwest OF
Phoebe 1t is fifty miles long and averages ten miles
in width. Twothirds OF this constitute hrstclass
farming lands, where oats, barley potaoes and alfalfa
would lnow exceliently and apple country 1t
could not be surpassed. Mr. Barton was there on the
Fourth of July OF last year, and then one stream was
running 100 inches Of water lcngthways through the
valley, coming from range OF mountains to the north
while two smaller streams supplied 100 inches each.
| lie computed that there were no less
than 100000 acres there awaiting settlers. Yet
no one lived in this happy valley. which contained
merely fat stock and horses belonging 10 catuc-
mon of Northern Nevada.
In the mountains north OF Garden Valley there is
plenty of timber and the earth is filled with minerals.
| This region contains many patented mines winch
have to lie idle like everything else ont there. for
want Of transportation facilities but when railroad
passes through this valley the condition of things
will Immediately change. Water IS to be obtained at
n dcpth of from five to twelve feet, while artcsian
water could be easily had, 1t is thought The TEN.
pclnture of Garden VALLEY Is like that OF Los Angeles
I'm summer, while In winter only few inches OF
snow falls at any time, and 1t melts In few hours.
Here Barton saw 10000 acres of rye grass, high
rs a In place. and 1t is well known that TINS
grass grows luxuriousy only where water Is close
Ia the surface and the soil very rich. Another val
ley, northwest Of Phoebe and fifty Ave miles from
Garden Valley, Is White River Valley. This has
two or three settlers otherwise has all the qualities
OF the first described. Here apples and cereals arc
grown in large quantities. and Mr. Barton says he
never saw such oathelds before In his life. The
nearest road these uncqualled valleys is now from
Eureka New, whence II is necessary 10 travel by
WAGON over the mountain roads To reach them In
the northeast part Of White River Valley shae, coal
and petroleum exist In large quantities. This Is only
twenty miles from the proposed rnllroad
The rfntes and shoShonc indians were the former
/ owners of this grand section but the few remaining
are dying rapidly. They. peculiarly enough. as
cnbe their great mortality 10 the use Of -four They
are splendid workers. and peaceabc, although very
supcrstItious They have the greatest fear Of writ
Ing and while they will steal anything lying around
loose they dare not touch anything to which written
tag Is attached. This they call paper talk" and they
fight shy Of II. These Indians swift runners. one
Of them took letter rugged country to liico,
which means white man, distance Of $50 miles
for ~ In two days time.
Mr. Barton campcd ont at Kane Springs, seventy
five miles north Of Ash Meadows. In Death Valley.
This Is the pmce where the emgrants who persisted
I'm the valley I'm ls47 left their wagons, In their last
attempt to escape death from thirst one of the
survivors of the expedition. man named Benson, who
/ now resides In Lake County, Cal, had written
To Barton that the last gunsght mine within If
teen miles OF this spot Barton and his party. there
fore loaded II number OF burfos with two sacks
apiece each one Of them containing twelve and a half
gallons of water. when the party reached Kane
spincs these cmpied in larg, canvas tank. and
the animals Immediately sent back for more
water springs lies In a volcanic region and the
trail Of The hapless immigrants mas never been obut
Grated hy water sand Their camp was finally
found and here wagon tires and tent pins found
and some old fashioned square malls, which had been
used I'm the construction Of wagon beds. The wagons
themselves had been burned LONG by the Indians
| The imm grants had been compelled Ia leave their
wagons behind here because they found themselves I'M
able Ia get out OF Death Valley. except bv the
they had come. on account of the scarcity OF
WATER they left all their vauables behind retraced
their steps sixty miles with their cattle. all TO die
horrible death after.
Barton prospccted for the g1rnsight lead for many
DAYS. I'm every direction, but failed find It. There is
no water anywhere away from Kane springs ut
shorter distance than sixty miles. As con'c-
qrcnce birds that live In the desert must necessarily
come there drink Doves were met with by the
thousands. They feed In the desert the seeds OF
a sort of gras, that grows there; they come 10 the
spring, in the evening STAY there all night and deart
I'm the morning. They were tame and numerous
that the prospector used TO Kill them by the dozen bv
merely throwing stones ut them
In the southeast end Of Death Valley quito
volume Of wacr out of the ground and IS called
Saratoga Springs This forms a small lake called
Yuc Lake. In the spring and the lake are found
fish wi or three inches long shaped like mInnows but
spc rilcd like Barton fried some of these. but
found them UNBEATABLE. they strongly favored
with borax The prospector took swim In the spring
but though he only remained few minutes he became
very in owing to It's mineral qualities.
Ducks nre found I'm the tues throughout the year.
and the ubiquitous rotlesnake. both OF the socwinder
and mountain varieties found here IN great nuln-
bers and ever ready to fight. especially In hot
weather The Indians not partial to the ratters
but IL anything will inspire them with wholesome
horror Il IS u hnck spider. the size OF a thumbnaL