The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-18
WATER OF SALT LAKE
RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING.
Proximity of the Time When There Will Be No Lake Has Caused a
Panic in the City-Irrigati on Fertlizes a Vast Area,
but Robs Great Body Of Water.

Salt Lake City. Utah. Jan. r.-The people
Of this district are in a panic over the dis
appearance OF Salt Lake. The water mas
been gradually lowering for years, but with
in the last two years. and particularly: our
ing the year just past. the decrease mas
been noticeably rapid.
The certainty of the rapidly approaching
time when there will be no lake is OF no
small concern to the city. Upon it depends
the summer rush which fattens the peck
cts Of the citizens.
OF small consequence is it just now
whether Salt Lake City is the center OF
mormonism. very few people would stop to
see a mormon town. Very little conse-
Quence IS the temple which visitors flock to
see. OF small weight is the beauty Of the
town.
All Of these attractions are as nothing
when compared with, the lake. the .phenom-
email, the Me-givtng Salt sL1&tf
OF the thousands Afrd th6dsaAldi otpeople
who make the annual pilgrimage to Salt
Lake City the majority hosa eane aiiment
To be sure. people go to bathe for fun IN
the water. but II. Is not from them that the
city reaps its harvests; 1t is from the in
ing and good hotel service and drug stores
and a hundred an one things. which the
average traveller would neither expect nor
Salt Lake is ons OF the phenomena OF the
world and every zone who goes near or
through the city sfaps to view. 1t. &.
either east or west. II It passes through Salt
Lake City stops there, Several hours at
least are given the travellers and a bath in
the lake is advertised as the feature Of the
city.
The average traveller. whether he has had
time to see the temple or not. whether he
has even had time to lunch. has bathed in
the lake. OF no small consequence is :his
lake treasure to the city.
FARMERS DEMAND IRRIGATION.
But the country. people? There lies the
sest of the the la aEeu0! fhe Il fsr is 1sf Sav sh no a ass
for tourists. they gain nothing by them, It
is their fields that they think most Of. And
those fields. except for the irrigation ditch.
would be desert ~.
The Government. when It put in the big
irrigation bitches and cut of the supply
waters of the lake did not. perhaps. realize
The ditch has served its purpose. well:
The desert now blooms with peach and
plum trees. 1t is green with alfalfa and q
country which was once ~uninhabltable Is
now dotted with comfortable farms and
coy farmhouses.
As 1t stands. the contest lies between the
alfalfa field. Shall there be a lake or shall
there be a field? 1t has become evident
that there Is not the ws,er for both. Ever
very little water running into the lake.
Except Tor some hidden springs which
Supply II, no one Knows how many or
how large they are, the lake water Is I'M
changed.
Yet while no water was coming into the
lake. thousands of gallons were constantly
being drawn of. The great salt xefneries.
which produce ~. COO tons Of salt a year,
draw of 100000 gallons of water in the
same time. And busy old Sol shining down
day after day. summer and winter. has
piled himself with a multiplication of those
ENTERPRISE OF SALT REF!NERS.
Although there has always been q greater
81: less amount Of refining done. it Is only
the last few years that the salt In
The process now employed is to
pump the water some fourteen feet above
three miles back to the ~evaporatlng ponds.
The ponds cover LOO acres Of ground and