The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-23
RICHES OF THE DESERT.
COLE, silver, Lead, Iron and Copper
All Found In the Mojave sand.

~s ~'svSHs AcHO, iron ana TOPPER
All Found In the Motave sand.
The train was rushing over the white
MoJave desert. a trail Of sand and dust
behind. an eterhty OF dust in the dis
lance. q coming sand storm high In the
air The Thermometer was dancing a
Highland Ming, 80 degrees perhaps. any,
wnere You thought II might be. and the
heat waves rose from the sands
Il wouldn't care to own this land" re-
marked q tourist
Why" asked q Californian.
IT'S 70 absolutely worthless"
There's where you Eastern people are
mistaken said the native. .True. this
isn't the most beautiful part o< California
II like Los Angeles better myseif--but
can tell you, no one Is going to give YOU
the desert this year. Why, all It wants
Is water u convert It into the garden spot
OF the void"
That's true Of Hades." retorted the
stranger, ''but the trouble is you haven't
here"
Wrong again." said the Californian.
They are finding the finest kind of arte-
sian water all over the desert. Some day
you'll and this desert q banana orchard.
and as for value. some of the most vain.
able mines In the state are on the desert.
The land that water has been put on has
been found to be very rich. and fruit ripens
hvc or six weeks earlier here than any
where else. The desert IL rich IN gold
silver copper. lead and iron; you don't
happen to see II from the cars, but it's
there all right. Dozens OF paying gold
mines are being worked on the desert
The richest and largest iron mine In the
West In right In such a place az this. and
not far away. The iron lies around like
sand. ana Il preferred in the fine work
on the cruisers to all others over be-
yond here they raise trees. yuccas. that
are ground up and sent to England. where
they print papers on II. Down at Iyanpah
that's town right out on the desert.
red-hot place--they have started a con-
per mine: began this year. and it's PANIED
out Nsoo0 profit 30 far | suppose YOU
wouldn't refuse that And n YOU want
10 bet I'll go you any amount that within
year there't be q dozen copper mines
at work on the desert. Why, the desert
Is lust rolling in wealth all ready to- BIO
picked up. It's warm. Ill agree TO that.
hut there are hotter places When You
come 10 silver mines. there are lots of
them on the desert, at Barstow, and Calico
In tho worst part of the desert I'm the hills
over beyond Daggett, Ia the most valuable
borax deposit In any land. About 600 peo-
pie are working at II, and they think they
are IN great luck You can't touch the
norax king who owns 1t with q ten-foot
pole. He makes thousands out OF 1t.
IT you want to see the greatest sight
In America" continued the enthusiasts
Californian. I'm tho way Of salt mine. 20
down to Salton on the desert. There thew
pillow u out; and thero are acres Of salt
pure and white rs snow. I know another
desert iandhoider who gets a crop OF btu
men. another gets phnsphates another az.
hcstoz Another has a sulphur .dspoSit.
40 attn s.ka ~
the desert, and the great waste has lust be
gun 10 be known There's enough geld
and silver and copper wing In shat Scssrt
20 make hundreds az men milliouaires. ami
IT'S going 10 be found vet And" added the
Californian, there's another aide TO .; is's
hot. hut Ms the heaitNless place on earth
People ara living here now who would be
dead In few nianths anywhere elsa.
Then look at the curioslsie-." he wen;
on. Take Saltoa. way down below the
level az the sea. Ten years ago Il was one
% tho wonders Of the country saltan IL
40 feet lower than SRA ievei--a curious sort
OF place. All az once the men az the
salt station heard that the Indians said
the whole sink Was fIil ones and wa. SO
lng 20 hli pp again and they began 20 take
70 the ulountsins until not one was isft
That there was something IN what the IT,
dams said any one who has heen thegs
Knows "a yrou can sNe tae old water liHs
and the uit Gsh traps made % rnck. aloag
the shore line The vhite men adn't take
much stock Ia the story but ono day they
found water running inln the des5rt from
New river aud In few weeks there Vas
an inland ~ea ON the MoSavw Desert tNnt
von couldn't see across. zna n cume down
lnta salton and threatened 70 RUIN tha salt
work. ThsFs Il ssaid Tor a month or two,
cne az lAr wonders of tce cor-ltry, and
thousands visited a.
Then" said the Californian. 'thsre's the
town % Indie On the desert that's macy
feet below the sea level, AMI a few miles
| nom there q blows - hard that tasv'va
started wtnd ground glass factory. An
| they do IA a. set the glasS outdoors. and
| me nrsi sandstorm grsnas q al right
Down az Palm sprissss tAey have a
nain tree forest that T. desert attraction
| How the trees got there no one knows. aus
there are hundreds o. them. Soine peonle
| live there One man told me thai In SAM
| wer he spent most az the time wing In an
| irrira.ior iltch. Il Was thai or r0ass. ana
| 4, ~or,,.. riRres on the desert tho NIGHTS are
| ~ eclS you feel IS though you'd frecxS "a
| a,ath. I tell you the desert - great
| riaca IL isn't exactly a summer resort.
| hat snr actual value % resources u WIZ 60
| ahead az many Ike areas in the richest
| ,,art. Of America. New York sun.
rnxnf-NSED pISpATCHFss.