Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-02-28

jumped, through great pools of mud
dy water, which splashed onto our
windshield and was blown by the
gale inside our auto, although we
had the side curtains up. To leave
the track was dangerous, on account
of the soft sand. We helped one
auto back into the road and passed
a team which had pulled another
back.
Mojave, the only town we passed
in nearly half hundred miles, is a
railroad division point, where there
are ten saloons and reputation for
roughness second to none. The wind
was blowing so hard that we found
difficulty in making headway against
it, yet no one claimed it was "un-
usual" We were advised that in
case hat blew off not to give chase,
but to wait, as someone elses hat
would likely be along pretty soon.
Fremont valley is only an arm of
the desert, but good bunch grass is
found here and cattle grow to mar
ketable size and condition with no
other feed Near Cantil there are
springs and flowing wells. We
passed some homesteads where water
was being pumped 200 to 300 feet.
Similar land was sold by promoters
as high as $50 per acre. 1t is not
considered practicable to pump more
than so to Is feet for hay or grain
crops.
The Los Angeles aqueduct runs a
few miles west and one section can
plainly be seen, appearing like
great, black snake climbing up the
mountain side. At this point it is a
steel tube nine feet in diameter
A few miles farther on a salt COM
pany is getting out 1000 tons of
salt per year, cutting it from the bot
tom of a dry lake, which covers
township and has bed of salt 600
feet deep. The company has sold
over a million dollars worth of salt
to a single firm.
When we arrived great cloud of
yellow dust and sand filled the cen
ter of the valley, despite the fact that
it had rained the night before. The
previous day the wind and dust were
much worse, we were told, the latter
entering the houses at every crack
and Granny.
We stopped over night with lady
who was keeping store, postoffice
and hotel all at one and the same
time, doing everything herself. Dur
ing the evening an old bachelor
friend of Bandy's came in to chat a
while. He was a typical desert rat
and discoursed learnedly on the ad-
vantages of seldom taking bath or
changing clothes, saying the latter
became charged with electricity or
personal magnetism and that when
ever person changed clothss,h had
to charge them all over again. He
also offered to bet the landlady a
weeks board he could dress chick
en- in three minutes or prepare q
meal in fifteen.
The wind finally settled and the
moon shone bright and clear over
the vast, silent sagebrush plains and
barren mountains. Sunrise on the
desert was indeed beautiful sight.
A neighbor gave us some casaba
melons which he was keeping in an
open shed and which were in perfect
condition. They sure tasted fine.
This man had pumpkin plant cost
ing $4,000, beside the well. 1t costs
so much to develop farm in this To-
cality that one cannot afford to pay
much for land, especially when land
can be had in similar localities much
cheaper.
There are many clumps of grease
wood inhabited, we were cheerfully
informed, by rattlesnakes and Wild
cats. Altogether, our Ashland or
chard looked mighty good in COM
parison with the Fremont valley.
O. H, BARNHILL.