here is a subject that is worthy the attention of settlers in our arid and apparently desert regions of country. we are told that the source of an artesian well is from fountains of water gathered and stored in higher lands that run through different strata of rocks till they reach the valleys, and when the boring reaches down to these strata the water naturally comes up toward the height of the fountain it started from. would it not be a sensible inquiry to make as to where the supply came from to furnish the water in the higher lands? that the accepted theory of supply to artesian wells comes from some higher point is not correct can be demonstrated on the prairies, where no higher land is in sight.
a very good test occurred some years ago at the hamilton mine, adjoining the great chapin mine, in wisconsin. it became almost impossible[69] to work the mine on account of the great influx of water.
not much more than a half mile away was a lake that was charged with producing this annoying flow.
at the time of a temporary abandonment, the writer disputed this solution, and a survey was proposed to determine the level in the lake and mine, which showed the water in the mine eleven feet the lowest. to overcome this encroachment of water, an ingenious device was adopted by building a chimney over the point of inflow to the height of water level and stopping at the bottom; when completed allowed to fill.
when its true level was reached the rest of the mine was dry some distance above. it is doubtful if any place on the earth will not respond with a flow of water within a mile in depth and rarely half that distance will need to be bored.
in the mojave desert it is claimed a depth of 200 feet and often less gets a good flow of water. what sends it up and whence its source? in michigan, wisconsin, and many other adjacent states, a depth of 100 or 200 feet will produce large flowing wells. where does this universal supply come from and why unchanged by wet or dry seasons? the flow from lake superior[70] is frequently larger in the dry season of august than in the wet season of spring.
if there is no unfailing supply of water in the earth, where does the influence come from to produce an oasis in a desert?
if artesian wells are bored in our arid and now almost worthless lands, wherever a fountain of water is tapped will be an oasis around which the settler can produce fabulous wealth of crops and obtain forage for live stock. the expense of boring wells will be largely compensated by cheapness of land and bountiful results in vegetation.
