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Show THE TUIHD SITTING. Today Proceedings in Itegarr to the Land Contest Ca.e Before Itegistrar Hobla and Ite-celverHoyt Ite-celverHoyt Sherman this morning the case of the United States and Thomas J. Almy, Thomas E. Jeremy, Jr., and Levi Iteed (trad ing as Jeremy &. Co."), vi. .Alfred Thompson, tlaimant, again came on for hearing, the same counsel appearing as on the iwo previous diys. Mr. J. Few sou Smith, continuing his testimony, said that on this lith or August auJ Sept. Ht,.JS9'J he ran levels on the land In question, and did not think tha conditions or the land or theirlevels had changed since his survey In October, 16S7. Major Bird- Ts itnota fact that the most perfect, positive and Un-obliterated Un-obliterated corner or these lauds is the Great Salt Like itself, or Its shore lint? Mr. Thompson, oljected to this question as Incompetent and slightly slight-ly leading. Witness answered that the shore or storm lino of the Great S.alt Lake where the original surveys were Undoubtedly run, was an ex-cellentguido ex-cellentguido as to the determination determina-tion or the accuracy or otherwise or lines run upon its shore. He further stated Hint, In running the meander lino or the Great Salt Lae, he in some places found a alight difference from the fact that the water at the timu of his survey in 1SST, covered tho original meander Hue. The greater portion of tho land at the time or his survey in October, 1877, was below the iuvel of the Great .Salt Lake. All the lauds in question, with Uie exception excep-tion of a narrow strip of sand ridge on the shore or the lake, and a very narrow strip about two-or three rods r.ida lying north of the corner or sections 7, 12, IS and 13 wire submerged sub-merged In 1S7 by the waters or tho Great Salt Lake; also in 1SS5, all the land except the small portion or sand ridge bordering on the lake; and again in 1SS7 nearly all or it was submerged. Major Bird (referring to the plat) Do the waters of the lake enter this north inlet, and if so. do thev enter the land in dispute? Witness They will ir permitted to do so. Major BirJ Please statu what improvemertsyou fduud upon the land now In dispute when you made your Eurvey. Mr. Thomeou oljected to the question. Witness I found a shanty and two artesian wells, one 20d feet deep and tbeotbcrSOO. He believed the Jeremy Salt Co. were always reputed to have made those improvements. im-provements. Greater iart of wjmt was designated as the "Big Dam" was constructed of bruh, earth or rather sand, protected with sand bank", was from twelve to fourteen fctt in width, and varied in depth from about four to fivu or sic fret. It wasvhe believed, in the vicinity or a quarter or a mile long, including includ-ing the "Earth Levy" on the southeast south-east side or the dam and the sand levy ou the northwesterly side. There was an inlet gate from thls.dam and a covered flume to admit' the water through the g&te attached to the same. The character or the land between the sand bars and the Great Salt Lake was a sloping sand beach which extended to the lake, in many places consisting simply or mud flats or bed of the lake. He did not remember having seen any vegetation on the ground mentioned. men-tioned. He did not observe any grascs or vegetation or value growing upon the sand bars within the land in dispute, aud did not think it possible for such to grow there. Io portions whatever what-ever or this laud would produce vegetation or value tut agricultural purposes. When he maaehisin-Dcction maaehisin-Dcction tills year, the only vegetation vegeta-tion he ruunJ upon the land was principally such as grew only on saline lands.consistingof salt weeds, some sarcobatud. nr frrRaKK rnmf He did not believe that this land was, or could be, susceptible of producing pro-ducing any vegetation, agriculturally agricultural-ly valuable, so long as the lake maintained Its present level. It was thoroughly saturated, or Impregnated, Im-pregnated, with salt, and sulject to constant overflow during the periods I of the lake's greater elevation. He passed over all the land in question during Uie present year and found a very large proportion of it, north of what was called the "Big Dam," covered with salt and salt Water, the salt being from II to fully three inches thick. Major Bird I will now repeat the question, as ti how much of the land Is actually covered with salt this year. Mr.Thonipson We object to that.as incompetent, and because It has not been show n that the witness Is able to testify. Witness said he feund (be major part of the land between the "Big Dam" and the more northerly dam mostly covered with salt. Korth of the most northerly dam uron this division of land the ponds were mostly covered with salt, with the exception of a portion of the island sh6wn on the northern part The silt varied m thickness from 1 to about 2J Imhe.a, or possibly more. A large quantity of the salt lying in the central part of the uml was also" covered with water, he thought from 15 to 2 inches in depth; in some places more. That wasin June andiikewisein August The salt was much more extensive than the water covering Jt. Major Bird "ow state whether thoso ponds, salt, and water extended extend-ed beyond the limits ot the land embraced em-braced in the lauds now in contest to the north and to the east. Witness Yes, extended both north nnd east or the lands now in que-tlon. Indeed, I found salt beyond, or east of, the dam shown In the south-easterly part or section 17 of township 1, 2f. It., 2 W. Mr. Thompson asked that this answer an-swer be struck out as irrelevant. Maior Bird Did vou tnrii,rit, density of the water within the boundaries of the salt pond? Mr. Thompson We object to lhat question-unless It is confined to the land in question as Immaterial and irrelevant. Witness, continuing, said that on tho laud in question a "number or holes or wells weresunk, varying in do th from three to four and four and a half feet These were dug or sunk on the higher portions of the ground. The water In them when tested by experts in his presence, was found to contain from 15 to 20 per cent of salt. Witness himseir sunk a number of holes on other portions or Jeremy & Co 'a Iamto (from ten to twenty inches deep), and the water therein contained rrom fourteen to nearly twenty-four degrees of salt. Tho tests, or observations, obser-vations, were made with a salinom--ler and graduated rrom 0 degree to 100 degrees, UielOd degree point being be-ing the point or complete saturation. Some of Uie waters within these ponds and the lands in dispute showed even a greater dentlty than Uie lake itseir prolabiy owing to the extreme saturation or the ground wiUi salty matter therefrom. When on this disputed land on the 7thof Junelastther-JtMn nlnx.lr. rerred towasoccupitdby aiiumbercr men who wereatUiat tltno gathering gather-ing salt from Uie land, and which was being hauled away by team. Precisely the sam6 condition or things existed when ho was on Uie laud In August aud September last. Major Bird What would be the effect if the "Big DaniV and Inlet gate were removed? Witness During times oi high water it would, admit or a greater Influx of water from tle lake upon these lands, and would also allow of ready drainage back to the lake of the water lying above Uie level of Uie bar or rounded reef, west of Uie "Big Dam" and crest or Uie surface orthewattrin the lake at Uie time or the survey. Major Bird WcuU the natural rotation and elevation or (lie lauds, together with the rand reef, hold sufficient water for the evaporation and manufacture of salt without the "Big Dam," as tliown upon tho exhibit? Witness Unquestionably it would.. - 3Isjir Bird If salt water was being be-ing evaporated within thwe grounds, a rise in Uie lake should occur, and newr' water flows into Uie grounds, would or would it not Interfere with the manufacture of salt? Witness replied Uiat it would undoubtedly check the precipitation precipita-tion of salt and so Interfere with its manufacture. Without the dam, he added, it would be imposslblu (o mamifactuni salt during periods' of high water in tho lake, since the ponds would be too deeply submerged sub-merged ror recipltat!on to occur. There was no otrtructlon whatever atthe north inlet. On each occasion or bis visiting tub di.-iited lands Jeremy 4. Co. were in possession. Major Bird Has the character cr this land changed In any way since you first knew it (some ten or eleven years ago)? Witness said bo recognited no change in its natural features and condition save that the Salt Lake was at present lower than it had been at intervals when he had been on the ground. Major Bird Can these lands be reclaimed to an agricultural state, and. If not, why? Mr. Thompson oljected, as Uie question called for a conclusion from the witness. Witness I would not consider these lands susceptible of reclamation reclama-tion so ion; as Salt Lake shall remain re-main at its general level, as it has been known to exist since the setUement cf'-the Territory, slnco they are liable during the high stages of Uiu lake, to bu submerged by Uie water rrom Uie laku to a considerable depth. Should the permanent recession or tho lake occur, oc-cur, it would probably take ages to iflVct a reclamation of the lauds. ( Case proceeding.) |