Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-02-07

because of the strategic Importance OF
obtaining, information on the water
supplies along the $50 miles Of our ma :
tional frontier, which 1t includes.
The geologists who did this work
prepared maps and show practically
every watering place in the region and
the roads leading to these .: watering
places. These maps have been pub
lished in series Of guides which con-
tain descriptions Of the. routes, detail
ed information regarding each water
| ing place, tables Of distances between
watering places and analysis of the
water. These guides cover not merely
the principal roads. but are especially
designed to give information regarding
the watering places in the less fire.
quented regions remote, from the main
routes. The work was placed in charge
OF geoiogists, SO that not only, should
existing water places be located and
marked, but an intelligent understand
| ing Of the water supplies below the
surface should be obtained.
Many interesting episodes in connec-
tion with the work might be related.
At various times there were break
downs in remote sections, involving ex-
traordinary exertion and some hard
ships. A rather romantic event was
the planting of signposts in the vicinity
of Tinajas Atlas along the Mexican
border In Arizona, where between 800
and 400 persons once, perished by
thirst. 1t may be somewhat surprising
to persons in the east, and possibly to
some in the west, to learn that Death
Valley, whose unsavory name and rep
utation give it a certain terrifying
notoriety throughout the country con-
tains large springs which afforded ex-
cellent swimming to the survey party
that was in the valley last winter.
The entire region, that is so arid as
to require guides to. watering places
and signposts directing to these water-
ing places, comprises a fanshaped
area, covering approximately $4,000
square miles, or nearly one-fifth of the
country. The handle Of the fan is in
Southern California; one side is form
ed by the Sierra. Nevada and Cascade
mountains; the other side extends, 300
miles along the Mexican border; while
the outer edge is traced by line ex-
tending from eastern Oregon, through
Salt Lake City,and Sante Fe, to the
mouth of the Pecos river. The highly
developed coastal section on southern
California is situated, SO to speak, at
the handle of the fan and the railroads
and automobile highways that extend
eastward and northeastward from this
section may be regarded as the ribs OF
the huge fan. tt .:...
This region is by no means devoid Of
natural resources or human activity.
1t contains prosperous cities, fertile
agricultural districts, forest clad
mountains. larss aggregate number
of watering places, rich mines, and an
slnknown wealth of mineral deposits
yet to be. discovered and exploited.
But the localities, that have water sup
plies comprise widely separated cases
in a vast expanse Of silentl changeless,
unproductive desert, whose most i'm
pressfye feature is its great distances
and whose chief evidence of human
occupation are the long, long roads
that lead from one watering place to
another. To one who has become ac-
quainted with the region It has pecu-
liar fascination and no serious dangers,
but for the stranger who penetrates 1t
without adequate information, it for
ever. contains the stern possibility of
perishing by thirst. In the last few
years travel in the region has been
greatly Increased through the use of
automobiles and this has accordingly
Increased the need for maps and guides
to watering places-Robt. H. Moulton
in Dearborn Independent