The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-11-28
A LACK OF WATER.
Examiner Martin In From
Death Valley.
His Three Months Experience With
One of the Benson Desert
Land Surveys.

III. B. Martin. Death Valley Dry
WASH" was the way little blonde man
registered at the Occiden tai yesterday. The
writer of that was formerly newspaper
man in Greencastle. Ind. but he is now
employed by the Government.
For the past three months he has been
engaged in making special examin a. ton of
one of the so-called Benson surveys-that of
eight townships in Inyo County. compris-
ing about $4,000 acres. This land was re-
ported to have been surveyed by Benson's
deputy, j. w. Fitzpatrick. with the assist
ance OF six other men.
Mr.. Martins mission was to gather up
testimony in the interest of the Govern
ment in the Benson cases as a special ex-
aminer, consequently he has nothing to
say about the results of his trip until he
goes upon the stand, if he ever does go
upon the stand, for Attorney Joseph C.
Campbell's habeas corpus move the other
day rather leaves the Government without
anything to stand upon so far as the GRIM
inal proceedings are concerned.
Owing to the absence of Special Counsel
Stratton from his office when Mr. Martin
called there his intended narrative TO Mr..
StTatton had to be postponed until today
tin to CALL reporter last night. THE
land surveyed is not in Death Valley
proper. but is in the canyon leading to it,
about sixty miles north. The canyon is
known as the Death Valley Dry WASH
1--WE suffered a great deal from lack of
water. There is only one spring, or rather
collection of little springs, called land
springs, upon the entire survey. OF
course we went out very well prepared.
but two of our seven pack horses died.
had six men with me-only four part of
the time, however.
The country there is altogether unip-
habited; in fact. it cannot be occupied
until some means are found of gettin Q
water, by boring or otherwise, for irriga-
tiOn purposes. 1t is all desert land, sand
and gravel, with some good soil, though.
There is no vegetation except sagsbrush
and crossword, and in the mountains
some dwarf evergreens.
Toward the close we found some very
good water off the survey at the place of a
! hermit named Jacob Staininger. There
is quite number of springs there, which
oOZe out of spur of Greek Mountain.
1--we OF them are warm springs at very
comfortable temperature, and | tell you
that. after going so long without bathing
we hadn't even water enough to wash
with out on the survey-it was quite a
treat to get bath in those warm springs.
1t never freezes there at any time.
InlS man Stalnlnger was originally
from Pennsylvania. He has been living
there for the past thirteen years all alone.
He lives in small hut made of stones and
mud, built up against big rock, which
forms one of its walls. He does not take
kindly to human association.
1.-The nearest other people are some
miners working in the Tule Canyon, sew
enteen miles north OF Sand Springs. South
OF the survey the nearest people are those
at Conn u TTudO'S boraX works in Saline
Valley.
''The climate there is very fine. The air
is dry and IL seems impossible for a man TO
get sick. The heat is not at all oppressive,
nothing like | have seen it in my own
State"