The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-10
The Motor 7 ruck's
Widening Reach
Gives New Sig
nificance to Min
eral and Agricul-
tural Possibilities
of Parched Lands

| 0lBneQ NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. I'll OtiVAe' et<e
ingenious contrivances to prevent IL
And yet, the very dryness OF that
air Is a positive virtue. apparently,
because in the next paragraph this
rugged pioneer Of the West says:
| "A wonderful health giving and re-
storing, lung curing and all ailment
healing atmosphere Is this bracing
desert air, and It would seem az
though no Ill that flesh Is heir to
could exist under It's benign influenza
Human beings simply dry up and blow
away" This is probably a fancifui
way Of saying that they endure in
definitely without physical decay II
other vital essentials be at hand to
sustain life. II Mr.. Parsons be quito
correct in this estimate of the curative
balm of the desert air, II will surely
be merely a matter OF time before
great hotel-like sanitariums are es-
tablished where to-day the faunal
denizens are the scorpion, the lizard,
the RATHER. the desert turtle and the
coyote.
The. desert areas are not by any
means completely denuded Of vegeta-
ton, but the growths of course arc
all of the sort that can Withstand the
high degree of dryness. We are told:
Comparatively small portions Of these
great areas are composed exclusively
of ravaging and annihilating sand. the
larger portion producing innumerable
varieties of the cactus family, such
as the Joshuas Or yucca palms. prickly
pear and the savage cholla, together
with the Spanish dagger. sage brush,
mesquite, CROSSWORD and other plants
indigenous to arid surroundings where
a water supply from stream or rain
fall Is almost unknown"
However, there must be water I'M
DERIVING wide areas of these desert
lands. for otherwise there could be no
source Of supply for the existing water
holes, wells and scattered springs
which work their way to the surface
and maintain their modest proportions
there in the face of the evaporative
greed of the atmosphere.
At one stage in his thousand mile
exploratory trip Mr.. Parsons found
1t necessary to forward mail to the
outer world, and as he says: 80 an
associate, q fine fellow from the Uni
versity Club, New York city. who
would not be denied the desert ex-
perience. Joined me. and we safely de-
livered the packet to some campers
to be mailed by them at Dagsett, Cali
fornia, ITO miles distant over the
bdesert, where the mercury rises TO 1870
or more IN the shade, and no shade
1t was rather a hard jolting the mules
gave US on our long saddle trip, but
we were we'll repaid by the romantic
ride through a long canyon, and the
beautiful scenery everywhere. Great
walls quite enclosed us at times, and
often the formation was wrought by
the elements into many fantastic
shapes well worth journeying a long
distance to see.
while resting the mules we walked
mile to the Amargosa River Of
legendary name and fame, a stream
which almost describes a circle in its
course from start to finish until 1t
finally empties into Death Valley few
hours ride further on. Its water Ia
unpalatable because of nitro and other
minerals, and though bitter, as its
Spanish name signifies, will save from
perishing. A singular feature Of the
general streams in these parts, many
of them turned upside down, Is the
volume of water at their sources and
the scarcity at their terminal points;
quite the reverse with eastern
streams"
subterranean Floods 10 BE Tapped.
Herein lies the explanation of the
, water holes and springs which break
! TO the surface at widely separated
points. The desert soil virtually blots
5 out the further flow Of the rivers, like
vast sponge, and holds the water
t hidden beneath an arid, blistered face
r except here and there, where II re-
. turns to the light of day singularly
a cool at times. 1t is this fact that war
rants Mr. Parsons's conviction that the
] day Is coming when these subterran-
5 can floods can be tapped. raised and
t spread broadcast upon lands that
would blossom as the rose IL water
Q in plenty could be fed to them"
, Indeed. we are informed OF certain
I work done last year by the United
I States Geological Survey which sup
Q ports Mr.. Parsons's theory. Explora-
r tory drillings were undertaken In q
desert valley near Ely, New. where the
r geologic conditions indicated the ex-
: istence of ground water in sufficient
= quantity for practical irrigation. The
results obtained were favorable, Three
y wells were drilled, two Of which yielded
large supplies within 100 feet of the
t surface. The third however, although
carried to a depth OF ola feet. did not
produce enough water to be Of poten-
I TALLY practical value for irrigation.
u Mr. Parsons describes the activities OF
: rancher, a near desert rat" who.
$ trenching a seemingly dry erstwhile
!. bed of the Colorado River, managed to
y get enough water to grow garden
Q truck which he sold TO mining camps
Q In the neighborhood. That rancher In
Z the western desert was virtually imi-
= Eating practices instituted by the
s. Egyptians along the Nile thousands Of
years ago.
! And that there should be abun-
II dant guide posts erected everywhere
: throughout the desert region in ques-
u ton is doubly emphasized by the mem
ia. attitude OF the scattered inhabitants
. toward circumstances which they ac-
= cept as matter OF course and are
prime to make little of when the
- traveller comes along. Mr., Parsons
!, tells us: Distances do not count n
= the desert and for good brand OF liar
. commend me to the cheerful denizens
: OF that region. who win tell you with
IS prompt exactitude your very close