266 Gould — Tertiary Springs of Western 



among the sand hills across Beaver Creek is a Tertiary spring. 

 A reservoir was constructed just below this spring and a six- 

 inch main laid to the fort. The supply has proven fully 

 ample for the use of several hundreds of persons. 



The city of Alva is located in the valley of Salt Fork. The 

 wells furnish plenty of water, but so strongly impregnated 

 with gypsum is it that it is unlit for use. The citizens are 

 compelled to buy all the water used. The water is hauled in 

 wagons from Elm Springs over two miles north, across the 

 river. Recently the city has purchased Elm Spring and a ten- 

 inch water main has been laid from it to the edge of town. 

 It is thought that the supply will be more than adequate for 

 the city. 



Woodward in the valley of the North Canadian is similarly 

 situated. The water is impure and many of the people prefer 

 to pay for water that has been hauled from springs rather than 

 to use that from the wells. The question of laying a main to 

 some springs in the vicinity is being agitated and the project 

 will doubtless eventually be accomplished. 



A few of the Tertiary springs throughout the region that 

 have come under my observation may be spoken of in this 

 connection. They are nearly all located in the southern tier 

 of counties in Kansas or the northern tier in Oklahoma, and 

 are perhaps all within fifty miles of the State line. 



At Belvidere, Kansas, near the head of the Medicine River, 

 three creeks emptying into the river from the north are fed by 

 Tertiary springs. These creeks are Soldier, Spring and 

 Thompson. On Soldier Creek is located the celebrated 

 Rockefeller horse ranch. One of the finest reservoirs in the 

 west has been made on this ranch by throwing a dam across 

 the creek. The water of Thompson Creek is turned into a 

 ditch and utilized for irrigating several hundred acres of land 

 on the Fullington ranch. Farther up the river, springs at 

 Greenleafs ranch and on Little Rocky canyon and Spring 

 Creek furnish large quantities of water. Meals' Spring on 

 Otter Creek is known for miles as are the springs in Abel's 

 pasture on Walker Creek. 



Mule Creek, a perennial stream in Comanche County, is fed 

 by Tertiary Springs. The same is true of several creeks in 

 Clark County. On Kiger Creek in the western part of the 

 county a spring at the home of Win. Funk supplies water for 

 irrigating a small garden. This is near the famous St. Jacob's 

 well and Big Basin. Still further west in Meade and Seward 

 Counties the various branches of the Cimarron are fed by 

 these springs. 



The conditions in parts of northern Oklahoma do not differ 

 from those in southern Kansas. All along the escarpments 



