The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-04-14
ODD THINGS IN THE WEST.
WONDERFUL NATURAL CURIoSI-
TIES IN ARIZONA AND NEVADA.
Whole Mountains of Salt-StrauRe
Petrifaction, Subterranean Rivers
and Prehistoric Remains.

TN the State of Nevada and the Ter
rltory of Arizona occur the most
extensive natural stores Of salt in
the United States. Not only are
there salt springs, wells, lakes aud ponds,
with fields OF salt in the deserts, but
also immense deposits Of rock salt. In
the early days of silver mining on the
Comstock lode salt, for use in the ANAL
gamation Of the ores, was brought over
the Sierra Nevada Mountains by teams,
as it had been seen by tho emigrants to
California in crossing the plains, but the
owners Of the teams could not be induced
to venture out into those great wastes
aud waterless tracts. In 1862 camels were
brought to the Comstock mines for use
in the deserts, aud train of fifteen OF
those animals was employed in packing
salt from Sand Springs. This was In
miles cast of Virginia City. Wagons
being used in the transportation Of salt
from this deposit, rs we'll as the camels,
the price of the article was soon reduced
to $50 a ton. Soon the occupation of
the "ships Of the desert" was gone;
prairie schooners" crowded them to the
rocks. They were sold to Mexicans,
who used them in packing wood down
the mountains. Among the rocks tho
poor brutcs became footsore, aud by i'll
usage were reduced to mere skeletons.
They were then sold to q compassionate
Frcnchmau who owned ranch ON tho
Carson River. Their new owner turned
the animals out to roam at will. The
bitter and pric'ly shrubs CT our deserts
being tho same as or akin to those Of
their native deserts, tho herd soon in.
creased to over thirty, great and small.
They were at last sold to parties in Ari-
zoua to be used in packing orc from the
mountains to mills in the valleys. Tho
Arizona men soon turned the whole herd
loose to shift for themselves in the viii.
dcrness. At last accounts they were
running wild on the G:la River, where
they find congenial home.
Great quantities of petrified wood are
seen in many places. In some localities
the trunks Of whole trees, three or four
feet In diameter, lie stretched along the
ground. These are now solid stone.
Cloudbursts, sweeping the 1oil out of
rayines aud cutting throu .h mountain
;lats, havo often brought to light thick
strata of logs and bougas, or long lines
of stumps OF large trees standing as they
grew, the roots and ali parts thoroughly
pctriied.
1t is evident that a. one timo trees
and vegetation must have been abundant
in the Great Basin Region, as it was the
home Of animals now only found in the
forests aud jungles Of tropical countries.
Under e stratum of sandstone about
twenty feet thick at the State prison
quarry, Carson City, in layer OF fine
grained stone that appears to have once
been the soft, oozy margin of lake, are
to be seen hundreds of tracks of various
kinds OF animals aud birds. These tracks
look as fresh and distinct as those we
frequently see of domestic auimals in
the mud at and about ponds after tiaas; tia.s
soft material has hardened ,under the
heat OF the sun. There are tracks of
elephants, rhinoceros, horse, deer, lions,
layers, wolves, hyenas, Of many kinds of
birds, large aud small. There are also the
tracks of what Is supposed to have been q
man of prehistoric times. The tracks
are such rs might have been made by a
big man. The tracks of all tho
larger animals lead in one direction and
all were evidently moving toward the
Same object, which object must have
been water-a lake or a spring. AS tho
soft mud, all now stone, is seen to have
been squeezed up or splashed aside by
the feet of some of the heavy beasts the
tracks cannot be far from where lay the
ancient lake or pond, and by stripping
of the superintendent strata for short
distance further some wonderful discov-
cries might be made.
The greatest single deposit of salt in
Nevada is that which is sometimes
:alled "Salt Mouutain," and is u range
II hills Of pure rock salt situated in the
southwestern corner Of the State, in Lin.
soln County. This mountain mass of
ock salt is Of uurivaled purity ana pos
csses the solidity of marble. 1t lies on
he Rio Virgin, q tributary OF the Colo.
ado River, In tho northern portion OF
he Colorado basin. A solid wall os
Ialt is exposed on each side Of Cave Hill
Canyon, which is so hard that it is nee
,9sary to blast it down. 1t is worked
ike an open quarry and the salt Is taken
,ut in large blocks, which are so trans
aren't that newspaper can be read
through them. From this mountain
iidge of salt might be quarried an
amount of that article sufficient to sup
ply the whole United States for ages.
In several places in this region, Lin.
coin County, Nct., and the adjoining
country about Death Valley, CAL, are
found traces of former occupation by
some race Of civilized people, probably
the Spanish. In the Kingston range Of
mountains, on the eastern face of Clarke
Mountain, near its summit, is perpen-
dicular cliff of limestone $50 feet in
height and with q smooth surface. On
The face of this cliff, at height OF 100
feet from its base are engraved the fol-.
lowing characters: SIX l. D." The
cross and letters are Of mammoth pro-
portions. being not less than sixty feet
In height. They are cut into the solid
rock to depth OF two feet, aud are
plainly to be seen at q great distance.
No one in the country knows how,
when or by whom the letters were cut.
The Indians living in the vicinity have
no tradition in regard to the inscription.
IA tho tnacription Ia In Ro,nan leftars