Show RIVERS OF THE DESERT some 0 of the strange prank pranks they play now and then A large contractor la Is authority for the statement that in proportion to the number ot of streams there are more mora bridges in arid regions than in an any other section of the country of course he only referred to such bridges as span what were formerly or are now the well defined channels of running water in parts of the southwest creeks and rivers often appear and disappear so quickly quickly that it Is not known whence they coma come nor whither they go sometimes a stream vanishes and leaves no si signs in 2 sometimes its disappearance Is marked marke by an increase of water la in the neighboring river sometimes it cuts tor for itself a nice channel but whatever becomes of it the old bed Is usually left perfectly dry these changes generally take place after a flood and necessitate the construction of new bridges one little rivulet in southern california has required the building of five distinct bridges about two years ago the southern pacific railroad lost a stream called the whitewater river had never been known to fall fail before dur ing the wet season it became an angry turbulent and destructive flood but when the rain ceased it gradually dis afeard and left no traces of its course A young explorer was sure that ha he could find the mouth of any stream and so selecting one whose outlet waa was not known he began his tour of hinves ti gation after riding many hours through the heat and sand his atten tion was tor for a short time attracted by other objects when suddenly he re his mission and looked tor for his river but not a drop of water was in sight well he exclaimed I 1 found that the darned thing went into the ground anyhow an old timer says that many of the smaller streams of the desert have no headwaters or outlets but simply an and a final ending |