The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-05-20
ONE OF LEAST
KNOWN REGIONS
Some Facts Of Interest About
Mexlco's Lower California

| Washington. d. c., May 20.-Lowc
California, Mexico's isolated peninsula
the coast of which the Pacific Fleet ,
the United States is now patrolling, d
one of the least-known territories il
Ncrth America. The following facts
c ncerning this arm of land. whlcl
projects about 500 miles southeastern
from the southern border of Califor.
mia. were given out by the Nationa
Geographic society at WASHINGTON, -
G., today
The width of tho peninsula varies
from about 80 To more than 100 miles
and its irregular coast-lne. over 1000
miles long, is bordered by numerous
islands. Being mainly a mountainous
desert region, 1t is thnly peopled and
| presents many sharply contrasting
conditions. Low -scorchrd plains,
where death by thirst awaits the trav-
| elcT lie close to the bases Of towering
| granite peaks, belted 10y forests ana
! capped in winter by snow; dcsolate
plateaus of black lava look down on
valleys scanned with -bordered
streams.
At the time of it's discovery i'm 1888
by an expedition sent out 10y Cortes in
search of a fabulously rich island, IL
is estimated to have been inhabited by
$4,000 Indians, who vigorously resented
the intrusion and prevented the new
gnmnrs from
more than Il century. The Jesuitcs
then came in and were wonderfully
successful i'm exploring the peninsula
and establishing missions. They es-
tablisEed three main trails. one along
each coast and the third down the
middle, which serve as the regular
routes Of travel today. The Indians
have vanished from all parts of their
former territory, except few i'm the
extreme northern end.
Difficult to Develop Resources.
During the last half century all
parts of the territory have been visit
ed, mainly by Americans i'm search Of
mines and other natural resources, but
little of the knowledge gained has be-
come available to the public Cola,
silver, copper, iron and other minerals
and much fertile land have been founu
but the scarcity OF water, fuel, forage,
and the difficulties of transportation
have united with other causes To bring
about failure to develop the resources.
The climate OF Lower California in
general is hot and arid. Northern con- |
ditions are closely like those i'm add |
joining parts of southern California; |
in the middle they are more arid, but |
the extreme southern end. though arid |
tropical. has more regular summer |
rains. The peninsula suffers long per-
iods Of drought, during which no rain
fall sufficient To start Vegetation oc-
ours over large areas for periods of |
from three to five years. These dry I
periods may be succeededsby torrentitl |
rains, which sweep the country and |
roll great floods down to the sea. Sur
face water is scarce and limited main
ly To isolated water-h holes in the rocks
or To springs from which small streams
flow short distance The Rio Santo
Domingo is the one living stream with
i'm the peninsula which flows on the
surface from its source TO the sea
che year These conditions
have resulted in the Development OF
the richest and most extraordinary de-
sert fora in the world. The bird and
life, however is closely re-
lated to that of southern California.
The plains abound with small desert
such as rabbits, pocket
mice, kangaroo rats and others. \
large number of the smaller desert
mammals never drink water. it hay-
some of them to take water IN cap
tivity.> Antelope mountain sheep.
and mountain lions arc the
only large game animals.
The peninsula is thinly peoplcd ana
enormous areas remain uninhabitcl.
The most popuious section is the reg
ion south of La Paz, whore rains are
more regular than further north. \
few small towns and widely scattered
along the coast. with
limited number Of VILLAGES, ranches
and miners camps in the interior Gov
Pr the population. Lower California
has territorial form of governments.
and owing to its great length, is d-
Iidcd near the middle into Il northern
and southern district Ensenada and
La Paz being the respective capitals
sydney Australia now has popula-
! "a