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comprehend. All of the stream placer known to mining has gathered where it was found through erosion and concentration by the action of water. However, in the usual occurrence on the surface of the earth it has suffered interference on the part of constantly changing nature and has had only comparative moments of geological time to gather in great quantities, spectacularly rich as some have been.

     “In the face of certain opinions, the possibility of caves of huge size in this region cannot be dismissed lightly. The limestone formation is factual. Caves of interest to explorers exist far across Nevada adjoining on the east. Only about 30 miles south is Mitchell's Cavern, now a California state park. Impressive as it is, its full extent is not known. For water on the desert we have military bases further southwest using water enough for small cities. Rumor has it that with no surface water at all, and a trace of annual rainfall, the sources (of water for these military bases) are subsurface rivers coming from far to the north. (see: Al Fry's letter - p. 179 of this volume - B.W.)

     “About 12 miles south of Kokoweef, near the outpost of Cima, and only a hoot and a holler in distance, is a ranch well that breaths!  Water rises and falls in it audibly. Just why the well gargles is not explained, but Dorr spoke of a tidal effect in the cavern river. I took that one with salt but now I wonder (Note: The rising and falling of the undergound river in response to the tides ‘might’ indicate that the source of the river comes from a very large subterranean ‘lake’ further upstream - Branton).

     “Meanwhile, scientists are interested in such caverns as this one in limestone of the Permian age, ‘estimated’ at 150 million years old. A university geologist utilizes a new time clock, thermo-luminescence. The unvarying temperature of 600 at Kokoweef enables him to test deep cave formations never