The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-13

eSefIeme e,Sa simplicity and liphtuess of
gIaWng required In the construrtion ~
Tni SIg Nevada Northern, the new line from
14I 49, on the Southern Pacific south
,ar OF the entire, distance this road ira
verses generally broad and level val.
icy OF gradually uniform eleyat;on ln
aooVe ape sea level. In the I4o miles 70
the mouth Of Robinson canvon t5are e
- not MI OF over three feet and not
CUT OF Tour feet except in one in.
stLdiace. sLie where gravel ridge of prob
~ I've 1eet elevation has been cut
~ fsnroIgn ana the gravel taken out used
most remarkable stretch Of Wsstern ro
toad OF equal length 1 have ever seem
~ Soore the elevation above sea level
Is osZl feet, aud at Elv about SaN6
iseep' the ascent of less than 500 feet
pelng nearly all in the last fifteen miIes
oelore REACHING Ely. Ely lies in the
dnr flUuea Oh hoelnson canyon, and in or
tar;n ~ aVold the heavy grade on en-.
nIteen miles before reaching it swings
out or the bottom OF the valley onIo
the talps slope of the borderino rance
ana thus enters the town on an eosr
grade. This valley is somewhat re.
narkaele N some respects The north.
eFn end IS known as Goshnte valley and
1ne southern end to Ely and for some
while stall farther south it bears the
local names of Cave valley and Desert
valley. No water flows out of this val.
lev, and none into it. All the water
It receives is what falls upon it's sur.
race as ram or snow, or flows into it
from the slopes of the mountains which
mem ~ IN. Several creeks of some con.
an%A
mountains on both sides, but all are
either absorbed by the thirsty soil or
swallowed up by the vast gravel de.
poslt which overlies the entire floor
OF the valley. The entire valley is
practically without population except
Tor the people brought here by the
INNING industry, there probably not
miles, and these are clustered at a few
widely separated points. There are
many springs, some of considerable vol
ume, along the foothills. and it is the
water from these and the small noun.
tain streams that is used to a limited
extent for irrigation,
The valley is in many places fifteen
or more miles in width, and contains
vast areas, of apparently fertile land
that would seem to be admirably
adapted to irrigation. It is covered
everywhere with the various varieties
OF sage brush except in the lowest por-
tlons, where here and there occur
marshes, dry lakes or in a few in
stances alkali flats. The former are
usually covered with willows or coarse
grasses and surrounded by luxuriant
meadow and pasture lands, while the
latter two are entirely devoid of vege-
tation. Because of the slight fall and
small volume OF the valley streams
f1n crpl
the remarkable smoothness and regl-
larity Of surface presented is one of
Its striking features.
Farming Possibilities.
General Manager Requa, of the
Nevada Northern railroad, thinks o
great deal OF fine land in this valley
can be reclaimed by the use of the un-
dergEound. water supply, which is ap-
parently ineXhaustible and can be !
reached at shallow depths. Many wells |
have been sunk along the Il miles of
railroad and in every instance abun-
dant water of good quality has been
obtained at depths varying from eight !
to thirty feet. With the present i'm
proved methods of pumping, water can
be raised from wells OF that depth for
successful irrigation where surrounding
circumstances are favorable and good
iudlhEto SIG uEdl az udh'l, tllcN VIII
soon be in this valley. Mr.. Requa
thinks there is a fine field for develop
ment in this way, TO say nothing Of
the possibilities of getting artesian
water, a matter which has never been
tested as no we'll in the valley has ever
been sunk through the great gravel
deposit which underlieS IL,
The Nevada Northern Is an excellent |
road for a new line. It is standard
gauge, laid with heavy steel, is level,
smooth and well ballasted, for the most
part. with clean gravel. 1t is now run
ming one passenger train per day each
way. leaving Ely at 7:30 a. N, and
leaving Cobre returning at 1880 p. NJ.
The run to Ely, l4l miles, is made
IN four hours and thirty five minutes,
which is good time for new road.
In Full Operation,
The road is now in full operation TO
Ely. and both passenger aud freight
traffic is heavy. The train on which
your correspondent came down from
Cobre a few days ago carried forty
passengers, all men. Among them were
laborers. prospeetors, miners, mine own
ers, contractors, g stenographer, news
paper min, young business man seek
ing a location. q lawyer and a mining
expert who has spent many years In
Australia and South Africa. TO say
nothing of a gambler or two and an
other whose proper classification would
be that Of plain adventurer. This crowd