New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-20
CALIFORNIA; DESERT.
It's Fast area, and What 1t Is Really
Like.

n spite OF much that has been written about the
arid section OF California, both 10 certain sec
tors and as the desert as whoIe oy people
who knew and by people who guessed there are
very very few who have any idea OF the real SIZE
or character Of that sparsely settled basin mat
stretcbes away 10 the east from the base OF the
coast range until it is lost IL the immenstles OF
the Nevada and Arizona deserts, writes speclal
contributor 10 The Los Angeles Times. II Is
land fraught with promise; land amply abIe 10
care Cor a population (Which II Will one day haVe1
greater than that OF the whole State OF California
at the present time and a land which neeas Du'
the one word. water 10 unlock storehouse'
not % gold but of that more enduring imam s0io-
AGRICULTURAL wealth.
The great basin which lies between the peaks OF
Shasta and Tehachepl on the north ard south, ana
which is bounded on the east b. the Sierra Ne
vadas and on the west by the coast ranges, con
teins the fertile and well watered valleys OF me
San Joaquin ana the Sacramento, but in IL as well
end occupying by far greater part OF it, me
barren desert counties OF Mariposa MERGED, Ma
oera, Fresno. Tul2re Kings and Kern The great
Tulare plain IS probably the most un[eTule piece
of land that lies beneath the sun, and its improve
rllenl has not been rapid IN those few instances
where man has brought water 10 its rescue. Yet
q IS not Of this uorth-central section OF when
would speak, but rather OF that part of the state
most generally accepted as the desert, ana
which because It lies nearest home, IS OF most IN
terest- From the northernmost tip OF Mono Couh-
" beyond even the famed lands that lie ABOUT
Mono Lake. 70 old Fort Yuma. down on the Col
orado in San Diego County, Is welnlgh hNe nun
ored miles ard this IS the length OF the Caliorhla
desert: from where the railroad breaks through
the San Gabriel Mountains by way Of the Soledad
straight across tbs desert 10 the Kingston range
and the Nevada line, the distance Is. about 10
miles. and this is its greatest width In shape, this
great basin, some OF which IS considerably beIo"
sea level Is 3 rough leg Of mutton. bounded on the
east by the Nevada line and the Colorado River, on
The north and west BIZ the Sierra Nevadas and the
Coast range and on the south 10y Lower California.
though IN reality ms latter IS no Douhoary a. a.
Lower California Is but a continuation OF the
-sfs~I width has aITe55lz, been gwen and this
latter width persists uniformly from Tehachepl TO
:sjlre Tor z6ursef Jha; lis area must be immense.
FeW mars give anything ike a correct estimate
Of the amount Of lana contained in any OF, the
Western deserts and. in MANY cases 50 niue IS
known of the more interior sections mat the map
hearsay- South Of the Tehaeltepl the desert Is
kept from the Cuastwlse counties by. the various
thai The Sierra Nevada runs through several desert
counties with vast stretches Of arid Iand on either
I.e iti t,.i,7.- s@r1,. yaIahle mining prop
the Great Basin yn as the California Desert
covers as with blanket the counties OF Monot
Inyo, portions o. Kern and Los Angeles most Of
san ber4aId!Ho a.gGt h4L OF ~ M re il,p
lines OF railroad TWO OF which cross il. so hat SO
Iaf as t4i-< ,f "a Ion - @ -, - ~ moi heinz
sufficiently well prepared. ,.
the desert IS like Many think II a great s9llNs
plain where the horses sink ankle deep IN Inc dusI
Tmjt1d onI bT his capacity 70 use it, Nothing
natural roaos untouched by the hand OF man. are
be found on the desert and over these ROADS you
may ride for miles without seeing paIcE OF sa4lo
as large as city lot Me upon IllG OF me G t
swept ~ winds until there is not particle
poueH a : ~ az ,5e 80 iT avtenf
J. 60 "a f+g7I n