Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-06


Springervile a deserted cattle ranch is
passed. The ranch was once the home
ranch" oil fifteen thousandl cattle and
could not have been bought for $40, 600
but the country is now left to the owners
OF sheep and the once valuable ranches
are for sale at a very low price.
sPRiNGERviLLE
has suffered materially from the drought
OF past years, and many people are to
be met IN ali parts OF Utah who have
been residents OF the place. IL IS
naturally the best place Tor farming, or
raising sheep and cattle in the whole oil
Arizona. But the original settlers were
SLOW 10 develop the country. Keaervoirs
were not thought OF by those who first
came; the people lived ON what they
had. The money from the sheep and
cattle did not reach the hands Of the real
settlers but was owned by big holders
whose homes were In the east OF other
places. Ihey invested no money In
developing the country because II best
subserveu their interests to not have It
developed. But the cattle owners have
suffered most from the drought and lar
mer settlers are nov Restocking the
Despite tue poverty OF the people they
have built a 47S-aCre reservoir ON one OF
the branches OF salt river dilching il
over the divide into the Little Colorado
river, They have just purchased the
land in the lower end OF Lee valley,
mountain valley eighteen miles above,
and Will soon uulld still larger reser-
vuir there. The upper canal which has
been an expense Tor years was this year
used 10 raise several thousand bushels
oil grain. Springerville Is located at the
loot OF the White mountains, and the
abundance OF iced ON these mountains
is phenomenal. OF late the people have
been gathering milk stock around them
and ddirying Is to be carried on quite
extensively during the coming summer.
An absence of four years ON Springer
vile shows that despite the drought the
place has grown considerably, while the
people were never more encouraged
IMAM now.
NuTRGoso AND ALPINE
are mountain towns OF Apache County.
AT one time they were inhabited bv
quite well-to.do people and were really
III thrifty condition. Eight years ago
Alpine was devastated by grasshop.
pers and has never recovered. Nutrioso
was by far the best built up settlement
OF Eastern Arizona and its farming land
is FULLY as productive as any around.
The town is surrounded by timber aud
ram was for many years plentiful. OF
late it has not been SO. As feed grew
less plentiful on the grazing land, the
prairie dogs were driven near the farms
tor food. Thus the crops were eaten
down and the town suffered greatly.
THE PRAIRIE DOG
is troublesome animal and the CUES.
ton of its extinction is one OF great i'm
portance to the people OF the territories
of Arizona and New Mexico. The
prairie dog is not in reality dog and
eats no flesh at all, while his meal is as
wholesome as rabbit. The animals
usually live close together forming
prairie dog towns" Smoking them to
death with sulphur has been quite sue
cesstuly tired IN many places, but not u
in holes which have two openings. The
young dogs are usually born in the sum-
mer time when the grass is green II
the rains are heavy enough to flood the
country to any great extent il will run
over the mounus and into the holes
The older dogs often escape the Hood,
but the younger ones are drowned, 50
during the drought they have increased
| rapidly. Another use OF this is that the
| coyotes, hawks, owls and rattle snakes
which once sought subsistence at the
| dog towns have been quite Tuthlessly
| destroyed. The owl used to wait at the
| mouth OF the hole and pounce upo the
dogs, large or small, as they came out
A hawk would swoop down on them as
he would on chickens The rattle-snake
went into the holes, swallowed the
young and would come out with two or
three great Jumps to show where the
little dogs were But the prairie dog