The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1910-09-27
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aish. mudas currcni Hs ,haia
~ sixteen small iahe. ah,fs ar.
anlgeV in their t~nrn pagasai
tcaiufcs and roaiomcl auein. Thr
are situated vita % tea cacrsiohs
directly under thr PERCEPTIONS rcl
bluffs which form ihc eastern bound.
AIRY of The fertile rcros Valley an
shis point.
Nesting w quiet halious boz the
hilis and lslss under lho almost
perpetual sunshine These iillr lakes
would NOT be thought of ns NOR
than pleasant SPOTS toT picnic ur
fishing excursion hat for me-
culiar aud mysterious fact. Almost
Immediately from the shore line the
chalky white sides sinh down per
pendicularly when Won look into
the clear, blue water you can dis
cover no bottom, IT you will take
one OF the white rocks that lie about
the beach and drop II into the wa
ter YOU can sec Il sink until IL van
isbes from view, and ms you get the
last fading glimpse il Is slim sinking.
Finally, practically all the attempts
which have been made to find bot
tom by sounding have resulted ia
failure. Hence in the western
vernacular, which is noted for its
playful eXagerations, they have
earned the name, THE BottomIess
Lakes"
The plains east Of the Pecos and
in front of the bluffs are ailuvial
but above the fertile soil is a layer
of alkal. which. in turn. is covered
with thin layer of sitting dirt.
Scarcely any attempts are made 1T
cultivation; sheep and cattle graze
upon the coarse salt grass that
grows sparsely on the flats. Some
of the lakes are situated upon the
level of the plain; others lie above
it; but the water level differs for
each lake, due to difference in feed,
seepage and evaporation.
These miniature bodies of water
have well defined characteristics
which most of them follow The
lakes are, for the most part, circu-
lar; they occur in a gypsum forma-
ton; and the water is of the COM
mon artesian type, but little
brackish taste is due to sanding,
The solid constituents are heavier,
also, than the common artesian wa
ter of the valley, having about 1000
parts per million against 1000 for
the water from the wells, Fish,
bass, perch and others, swarm in
the waters, and the common water
birds are found about the banks.
Tule reed, plantains, salt grass and
other vegetation fringe the shores.
The sides, as far as can be seen
under water, are covered for the
most part with MOSES of different
hues-dark green, brown and lit
tie red mingled in, The bluffs
which tower above are dark red,
but where landslides have occurred
the shining white of the gypsum IS
exposed Occasionally a shrub Or
small tree has obtained precarlous
hold on the perpendicular wall OF
rock, and it's green foliage is well
Aome contrast in the red mass.
The differences are mainly in slza
and shape. Several Of the larger
lakes have taken in more territory,
have shallower portions, and do not
conform to the usual circular form.
Then, again, at the extreme norlh
end of the chain, which is close to
five miles in length, there are i've
lakes which do not lie under the
bluffs, although they resemble the
rest in their general characteristics
Next to these lakes is Souther-
land lake, which is among the larger
ones, and lies directly under tower
ing cliff. 1t is named from doctor
who lived years ago not far from
its unknown depths. He declared
that here was the only water in the
country fit to drink. So he planted
his little grove of cottonWoods anu
willows under the bluff and con
tinued to enjoy the healthfui wa
ter afar from the settlements. but
it was hard on the people VINO nan
to ride that long distance LOT 'he
doctor, for often the Pecos was nigh
and the water flooded the valies.
It is said that several were drowned
in the attempt to ford the treacher'
GUS stream. But the good doc'o'
continued TO live where he pieaseu ;
until one day, he married, ana ms
wife decided that she did not cur
to live in the valley. So he gave up
~ tho lake. SAN