Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-09-09

brought Il down 10 an hrcn Of 1900
square mlluH=sovouty-nvo miles long
and between twenty-five and thirty
miles hrond-its surface during the ear
Her half " The present century and at
the time the "Murmonn' came into the
About 1850 the lake began TO rise.
reaching lu u fow years the area OF $500
square miles. which u retained until
1870 whom irrigation ceased 10 De dcHul-
tory and became u system. The lakes
rise has given rise a. much discussion,
and furnished some excuse Tor the In
ference ~ hidden feeding stream In
general the phenomenon IL laid.
Co series OF unusually wet
seasons. which not molly incrcaa-
ed tho volume ~ the stream
cmptylng Into the lake. but also ala
away with the necessity Of irrigation.
RECEDEs 4 MILE a YEAR.
Since 1870 irrigation has been taking
yearly moro and more of the water
until the length N the lake has de-
creased from eighty miles thirty years
ago 10 barely seventy, while ~ width
at no place H. greater than twenty-five
miles. AZ some places the Hhoru line
has rccedod ave miles within as many
years
The "Mormons however. do not fear
their sources Of wealth. the pumps
which draw the water from the lake 10
the rNupurutlnF HquurrH which dot the
shore often going night and day, II
would be- more difficult ana more exc
ponnlye 10 mine salt than 60 pump
water and leave the rest VI the manu-
featuring 10 the sun, hence they have
faith that the Lord Will not innlct the
blow upon them. They need river water
for lrrigution. therefore they take Il,
thcy look 90 lake water Tor some "
their Income. therefore they expect that
the divine power which, they believe.
led them 10 their holy land will see that
the lake ~ kept flled, The contradlc-
ton In their action ana their faith they
90 not appear TO notice They certainly
looked 90 none but themselves TO settle
the Irrigation difficulty
REVERENCE FOR THE LAKE.
Tho Pioneers regarded the lake with
actual reverence, and though they were
not It's finders they never would cOnHid-
tr that amy who preceded them had
part In the honora OF the discovery.
They made their own claims good by
beatowing upon IL the name II bears.
The Great Salt Lake has been discov-
cred for the iirat time by as many diff
fcrcnt persons as have most parts Of
Africn, Before any one actually visited
Il news OF the existence OF a body OF
tho Indians over the mountain ranges
ON either side The historian OF tho
West, Hubert Howe Bancroft, takes
pains 20 say that the Frcnchmun,
baron Ia liontan, who explored or pre-
tended TO explore the lower ana central
Mississippi country In the latter part u
the seventeenth century. drew upon his
Imagination when he wrote that his In
dian guides told him Of the bitter
water az far west a. the sunset, Mr..
bancroft. however advances no proof
of his assertion Although Hnron Ia
Hontnn wrote many fairy tales he told
the truth In many Instances, and this
may have been one OF them. The tale
h plausible enough.
The Great salt Lake was In the coun.
try of the Comanche Indians when the
Spanish ftihr. Escalante, came almost
TO It's shores IN the next century, and he
learned they had been rulers there for
several generations. The Comnuche In.
fuencc extended for TO the eastward,
and nothing would be more natural
water should travel 10 the border
tribes and by them be transmitted to
the river dwellera.
EsCALANTE AS EXPLORER.
Esculnnto gave civilization the first
definite knowledge OF the Great SAT-
Lake. In l5IG he was stationed nj Santa
Fn, the outpost Spanish settlement OF
the middle North The commandment de-
sired TO learn n a route could be found
between Santa Fe and the post at Mon
torcy on the Pacific coast. The frlnr
volunteered to be an explorer and early
IN the summer set of at the head OF a
party, Instead of going west he went
north, an error which prevented his
reaching Monterey, nut which brought
him, early In September to the chores
OF Utah lake He found its shores in
hahited by the futn Indians. who told
MN OF the wurlike Comanches 10 the
north and OF the salt lake.
The other lake with which this COM
municntcs." he wrote IN his diary, Zoe
cupica, as they toll u.s. many leagues
ana ~ waters are Injurious and ok
temcly salt lie who vets any part OF
MS body WIN this water Immediately
foela an Itching on the wet part"
Escalnnie ala not go on 10 mako
proof of hcarsay, but turned 10 ne
ssputhWhrd and made an EFFORT TO scale
the sierras. He failed and returned 10
Santa Fe' Apparently his discoveries