Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1921-12-14

A0ACF&00 GC6CFk IN AdANCFHt@s
mud. while streams and sulphurous
gases escape In kissing jets. leaving
orange-yellow crystals around the
vents and scattering golden dust over
the slopes of the mounds. Similar vol
canic activity occurs a few miles north
81 the United States line. One theory
Is that the tremendous pressure gem
Grated on the underlying. strata by the
deposits thousands Of feet thick which
the Colorado has laid down through
the ages has caused the heat which
shows itself In the development of the
mud vents.
The Colorado has been a destroyer
on a grand scale, and a creator as
well 90 strange geographic regions
and forms. But one OF Its most sig
nal achievements has been In the eco
nomic sphere-the addition Of hun
dreds Of millions Of dollars OF value
20 the country. In this accomplish
ment the labors Of the river for UNI
numbered centuries must needs be
supplemented by brief, but all-impor-
tnnt labors II man.
Ages ago abe Gulf Of California
thrust n long narrow arm more than
$50 miles into the interior OF North
America. perhaps 100 miles above the
present United States border. Into
the side Of this deep gulf the Colorado
emptied near the present site of Yuma.
Bllndly the river carried the sands
torn from the Grand Canyon and the
upper reaches OF its streams and
dropped them into the gulf. Cubic
miles were thrown into the depression
and steadily a bar was built out into
the salt water. Eventually the bar
was built above sea level entirely
across the gulf and became mighty
dyke. damming 1t. At first fresh
or hrackish lake existed 10 the north
OF this dyke, while the Colorado al
ternately fed IL and discharged south
ward into the shortened gulf. But
eventually the river took mores or
less permanent course 10 the south
and the lake. no longer fed. and
hathed hy the intense sunshine and
dry air Of the southwest. eyap0rated.
When this country was nrst explored
by the Spanish pathfnders, a half
century after Columbus discovered
America. this old lake bed. with It's
deepest point more than 2G0 feet below
sea level. was one 81 the hottest. dry
esf, most desolate regions Of the
North American continent-the Colo
RADIO desert.
Retaining q Fertile Desert.
And 50 IL continued during the ex-
ploratlon aud settlement Of the West
by Americans. Many Of the pioneers
bound for the California gold fields In
the rush 81 80 passed this way.
and found the great depression OF the
Colorado desert the most forbidding
stretch Of their journey. Where any
thing grew Il was typical desert vege-
tation-cact. grease-wood. an occa-
sionai desert palm. But much OF IL
was dry. powdery soil devoid of all
vegetation. The temperature was one
~ the highest on the globe, sometimes
reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
But though the region was a desert
soil was a wonderful rich silt, washed
down by the Colorado. as potentially
productive as the soil of the famous
delta ~ the Nile. A few engineers
recognized this and saw that since the
region lay below the level OF the
Colorado river It's irrigation would be
a relatively simple matter. Water
was first taken by canal 10 the desert
In 1901, and wherever IL was led the
desert character disappeared. Al
falfa and other crops quickly covered
the one-time dead. scared soEl with
sheet OF green. while trees sprang up
beside the water courses.
The one-time Colorado desert has
disappeared 20 be replaced by the
Imperial valley. one OF the most re-
snarkahle agricultural regions Of the
United States. Where a score Of years
ago the Colorado desert did not pro-
duee a single dollars worth Of crops.
the produce OF the transformed I'M
perial valley now represents interest
on approximately half n billion dol
lars. And tie muddy Colorado can
~ given. fundamentally. all the credit
The Imperial valley might. In truth.
- termed a "hy-produet" Of thar great
scenic wonder. the Grand Canyon.
The river Is douhly the Valleys crea-
tor. n bnilt W the rich soil from
the materials n rsuged CUT IN making
fhe canyon. and II brings throughout
The year the llfe-giving water that on
Tire canvas 81 the Southwest has
erased a desert and drawn In an agri-
cultural wonderland