R HELD GUIDE TO ROCKS ft ill) mMERRLS

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DESERT MAGAZINE
 DESERT CALENDAR
May 30—Lincoln County Homecom-
ing Day. Caliente, Nevada.
June 1-30 — Special exhibit, colored
reproductions of Southern Califor-
nia Indian cave paintings, by
Charles La Monk. Southwest Mu-
seum. Los Angeles, Calif.
June 2-3—Intermountain Junior Fat
Stock Show, Salt Lake Union Stock
Yards. North Salt Lake City. Utah.
June 4-5—Pioneer Days celebration,
Clovis, New Mexico.
Volume 17 JUNE, 1954 Number 6
June 9-10—Arizona State Cattlegrow-
ers Convention, Flagstaff, Arizona.
COVER Red Walls, Rushing Water. Color photo taken
June 12—Fiesta of the Loma. Pro- in Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona,
cession from chapel after mass, fol-
lowed by music and fiesta. Taos by ESTHER HENDERSON of Tucson
Pueblo, New Mexico.
CALENDAR June events on the desert
June 12—Feast of San Antonio de
Padua celebrated at Cordova and INDIANS They Wouldn't Be Civilized
various other northern New Mex- By CLIFFORD L. BURDICK
ico rural villages. FICTION Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley
June 12-17 — Future Farmers of NATURE On Desert Trails with a Naturalist: III—Giant
America Fair, Santa Rosa, New
Mexico. Steeples of Lime, by EDMUND C. JAEGER . 10

June 13 — Ceremonial dances, Taos, FIELD TRIP Indian Jasper in the Whipples
Sandia and San Ildefonso pueblos. By HAROLD WEIGHT 13
New Mexico. CLOSE-UPS 18
About those who write for Desert
June 17-19—Vernal Rodeo. Vernal. LOST MINE
Utah. Lost Ledge of Mammoth Mountain
19
June 19-27—Riverside Chapter, Sierra By SHEP SHEPHERD
Club of California trip to Monu- DESERT QUIZ 20
A test of your desert knowledge
ment Valley. PHOTOGRAPHY 21
Pictures of the Month
June 20 — Corpus Christi Sunday, PIONEERS
Santa Fe, New Mexico. Long pro- Last Wagon Through the Hole-in-the-Rock
cessions march through the streets Life-on-the-Desert story by
of the city following mass in St. 22
Francis Cathedral and Christo Rey RAYMOND and ADELL JONES
COMMENT 25
Church. Prizes fcr desert photographs
POETRY 26
June 23-26 — Rodeo and Roundup, Wild Poppy, and other desert poems . . . .
Lehi, Utah. LETTERS 27
June 24—Annual Feast Day of St. Comment from Desert's readers
NEWS 29
John. San Juan Pueblo, New Mex- From Here and There on the desert
ico. Ceremonial dances and fiesta. VACATION
Pack and Boat Trips Announced for 1954 Season 33
June 24—Corn dances, Taos Pueblo
and Acoma, "The Sky City," New MINING by Sierra Club of California 34
Mexico. Current news of desert mines
HOBBY 35
June 26-27 — Indian Capital Rodeo, Gems and Minerals
Gallup. New Mexico. LAPIDARY 41
COMMENT Amateur Gem Cutter, by LELANDE QUICK . . 42
June 27—Procession of La Conquis-
tadora, commemorating the re- BOOKS Just Between You a n d Me, by the Editor . . . 43
conquest of New Mexico from the
Indians by De Vargas in 1692. Reviews of Southwestern literature
Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Press, Inc., Palm Desert,
California. Re-entered as second class matter July 17, 1948, at the postoffice at Palm Desert,
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UNE, 1954
 Two of the Seri men, showing their long hair, and a girl Manuela and her brother. They were faithful helpers
with facial paint. They have no jewelry. while the author was living with the Seri Indians.

They Wouldn't Be Civilized

Hostile and impoverished, the Seri Indians of Tiburon Island in the Gulf of
California have resisted all efforts of both church and state to bring civilization
to their arid island fortress. But despite their evil reputation they are human
beings who can be friendly—as this author discovered during his sojourn of
several weeks with them.
By CLIFFORD L. BURDICK
Photos by the Author
Map by Norton Allen

HAD BEEN sent on a private many Seris also spoke. 1 was properly over poor dirt roads for 150 miles be-
mission to get acquainted with outfitted with a four-wheel drive car fore reaching Desemboque, the main-
the Seri Indian tribe, living on which I loaded with provisions at Tuc- land stronghold of the Indians. The
the west coast of Sonora, Mexico, and son, along with old clothes which are first 100 miles was through sparsely
on their ancestral island, Tiburon always welcome with needy Indians. settled ranch country. As we ap-
(shark), largest island in the Gulf of Other essentials were an outboard proached the coast, the country became
California. motor, a tent, sleeping bags, blankets, more and more arid, and it was evi-
The Seris had been reported as be- cameras, binoculars, picks, shovels, dent that farming as an occupation
ing one of the fiercest, most uncivilized and compasses. for the Seri Indians would be out of
tribes of Indians left on the North Mr. Johnson had often flown over the question, at least until such time
American continent. My sponsor was Tiburon Island on his air trips from as our scientists discover a cheap
the late Albert M. Johnson, philan- Hollywood to Mexico City, and had means of making fresh water out of
thropist, well known for many years wondered what sort of humans lived sea water. The saguaro and pitahaya
as the partner of Death Valley Scotty on that mountainous island fortress. cactus, however, produce a nutritious
and who built the famous Scotty's He stressed the importance of secur- fruit of which both Indians and Mexi-
Castle. ing good photographs of the people. cans are very fond. The pitahaya, or
Mr. Johnson had established a foun- organ-pipe cactus, which grows pro-
At Magdalena, Sonora, I made ar- fusely in Mexico, produces a delicately
dation dedicated to helping needy In- rangements with my faithful old Mexi-
dian tribes. Reports of this backward flavored red fruit, resembling a large
can guide, Francisco Laguna, to ac- strawberry, a real Indian delicacy.
Seri tribe had filtered through to Hol- company me, inasmuch as he had been
lywood where Mr. Johnson then re- in contact with the Seri Indians, and As Francisco and I crossed the final
sided and had intrigued his interest. knew their chief, Juan Molina. Fran- mountain pass we could see Desem-
Here was a tribe that really needed cisco was anxious to take the trip, as boque, the Seri fishing village, loom-
help, he thought, perhaps culturally, he wanted to become better acquainted ing in the gorgeous rays of the setting
educationally, or economically. Pos- with the Seris himself. Francisco was sun, and like a gem in the gulf of
sibly he could help them agriculturally, a retired farmer and miner of 65 years. California, beautiful Tiburon Island,
establish a mining industry to raise He felt that the only chance to im- surrounded with shark-infested waters.
their standard of living. prove the standard of living of the We were both thirsty, and as we
I was sent to get acquainted with Seri Indians was to develop some min- passed a well at a little ranch where
the Seris, to live with them, to inves- eral resources known to exist in the the Indians secured part of their drink-
tigate their needs, photograph them, Seri desert. ing water, we stopped for a drink, and
and report back. I had spent some years We left the main arterial highway to fill the car radiator. We let down
in Mexico, and knew Spanish, which at Santa Ana, and headed westward a bucket on a 30 foot rope. When

DESERT MAGAZINE
the cargo arrived at the surface, in and piercing black eyes of his race.
the pail of water floated two enor- His poise and dignified bearing re-
mous toads. I decided I was not called to mind other great Indian
thirsty after all. chiefs of the past, Black Hawk, Sitting
Francisco and I arrived in Desem- Bull, Cochise and Palma. Whatever
boque as the sun was sinking below the apprehensions we may have had as to
waters of the gulf. He had visited these our welcome and safety in this remote
strange people before, but I had some village of wild-looking savages, the
misgivings when I got my first glimpse intelligent face and friendly gestures
of these fierce looking primitive tribes- of Juan Molina were reassuring to us,
men with their long hair waving in the and we gladly accepted his proffer of
wind or their braided queues hanging an empty bamboo house nearby as a
down their backs almost to their hips. shelter for the night. After the bounc-
ings we had received on the rough
1 was reminded of an article in the trails that day, any sleeping accommo-
Encyclopedia Americana concerning dations looked inviting to us, and we
the Seri Indians, p. 592: "They mani- were soon settled for a good rest.
fested an implacable hatred toward
aliens, whether Caucasian or Indian, We were spreading out our sleeping
and the shedding of alien blood is re- bags in the bamboo hut, when the
garded as their highest virtue." chief again appeared, with a large dish
We had already heard the story of of cooked sea-bass the Seris had caught
"Yellow Teeth," an American prospec- that day in that angler's paradise—the
tor who had ventured too far into Seri Gulf of California. The handsome chief
territory, in search of placer gold. He offered this token of his hospitality
struck it rich, but did not live to enjoy apologetically: "This is about all we
the fruits of his labors, for his blanched have to offer. My people live by fish-
bones were later found on the desert ing. This desert country will not grow
sands near his diggings, easily identi- much but cactus and mesquite. We
fied by his gold teeth. The Seri In- have to haul our water two miles, and
dians had clubbed him to death. then it often is not fit to drink. When
my people get sick we have no doc-
Curious eyes peered suspiciously at tors, so we give them a tonic made
us from behind the protection of doors from the oil of the sea turtle."
and windows as we drove our jeep
into the center of the village and halted. As soon as they are old enough to The chief was interrupted by a shrill
They obviously were startled at the hold a paddle and spear, Seri boys penetrating wail that wafted out over
sudden and unexpected arrival of three are taught to fish, for fish is the the evening air. It sounded a bit like
strangers in their midst, one of them tribe's most important item of food. the melancholy howl of the western
a Norte Americano. I also was curi- coyote that is heard so often at night.
ous, and I could see women cooking Our jeep immediately was sur- And yet there was something human
their evening meal of fish and frijoles rounded by some of the more daring about it. Francisco asked the chief
outside their adobe houses, or their and friendly Seris, who began to run the meaning of the sound. "Oh, that
more flimsy dwellings built with oco- is just an Indian mother mourning the
their hands over our baggage, appar-
tillo sticks plastered with mud and death of her child. You will hear the
ently hoping for some gift. Also, the same wail in the morning about day-
covered with palm fronds. In the eve-
ning glow, some of the Seri men could official reception committee was seen light."
be seen silhouetted on the beach clean- approaching — the chief of the Seri
Indians, who introduced himself as We asked the chief many questions
ing the giant sea-bass they had just about the history of his tribe and their
brought home from a day's fishing in Juan Molina.
ancestral home. He seemed glad to
their canoes made from hollowed-out The chief was a tall powerfully built talk with us and to answer our ques-
logs, and operated with both sails and dark-skinned Indian, with the typical tions. He explained that his tribe had
paddles. high cheek bones, straight black hair a very old and eventful history. The

This is the facial adornment of a Seri girl eligible for Jose Estorga's pet, the coral snake. He carried it around
marriage. in his pocket.

JUNE, 1954
 people to be touched by modern civili-
-\<M£fisl,;ntamp '. 'OOESEMBOQUEViU.01
zation.
Route of Boat Trip
Sen Indian Villages
Tiburon is mostly mountainous, the
highest peak being about 4000 feet.
There are valleys but even these are
too arid to produce any food except
the cactus fruit. Drinking water was
always available, however. The chief
said he knew of 19 waterholes on the
island.
The chief excused himself, and we
were so tired we went to sleep immedi-
ately. We were awakened about day-
break by the familiar mourning wail.
As we walked along the beach, we
could see the Indians preparing their
boats and nets for fishing. The women
carried five-gallon cans of water on
their heads from the water vender.
A pack of scrawny ill-tempered dogs
were fighting over some fish meat.
Farther up the circling beach could be
seen hundreds of pelicans, the Seri
pilot-birds, wheeling and diving not
more than 500 yards from the shore.
Apparently they had sighted a school
of sardines, and were intent on catch-
ing their morning meal. A flock of
seagulls had joined them in the hunt.
Soon we saw two boats loaded with
Indian fishermen paddling rapidly to-
ward the diving pelicans who had
guided them to the school of sardines.
Suddenly an explosion pierced the
morning air. The Indians had tossed
a charge of dynamite into the school
of tiny fish. It had exploded under
the water, killing or stunning great
numbers of them. In this way the
Seris obtain the bait which they use
to catch the great sea-bass. The dead
or injured sardines float on the surface
of the water, and there is a scramble to
see who gathers up the most fish, the
fishermen or the pelicans. The peli-
cans, instead of being frightened by
the explosion, gathered in still greater
numbers, as if the shot had been the
signal to come to breakfast.
Turning away from this interesting
CALIFORNIA scene our attention was attracted by a
very strange looking creature just ap-
pearing over the rim of a large sand
Seris were seen in their present loca- neck, then cut out and eat the warm dune skirting the beach. As he came
tion by the earliest white explorers. meat immediately, without cooking. closer we saw that he had no hands,
Most of their history was of war with We asked the chief to tell us about and that he wore a white bandage
some other tribe, perhaps the Yaquis his island fortress home — Tiburon. under his chin and up over his head.
or the Papagos. Their weapons had We looked at our maps and saw that He was garbed in a bright red cape
been spears and bows and arrows, but it was about 30 miles long by 30 wide, or shawl draped over his shoulders.
their chief defense had been their speed the largest island in the Gulf of Cali-
afoot, plus their endurance. When Francisco asked him the cause
fornia. It was separated from the main- of all his misfortunes, he pointed to
Mule deer have always been plen- land by about seven to 10 miles of the large flock of pelicans feeding on
tiful in the land of the Seris. Some- water, so it was comparatively easy the sardines close to shore, then ex-
times they would hunt them with bows for them to defend themselves from plained that once when he had gone
and arrows, but a favorite method hostile tribes. They could make a out to blast and gather bait, he had
was to set a dog on the unfortunate swift surprise raid on some enemy held the lighted fuse an instant too
deer. When the dog tired, a Seri would tribe, gather a food supply of cattle, long, and it had exploded and blown
take up the chase, and tired out the and make a fast getaway for their is- off both his hands, broken his jaw and
fugitive. The powerful Indian would land in their canoes. This explains deafened him. He had heard a rumor
throw down the deer and break its why they were about the last primitive that in the great country to the north

DESERT MAGAZINE
where the white man lives, artificial
hands were made. He was hoping
against hope that we might be able
to secure some for him that he might
return to fishing, and earn a livelihood
for his wife and three small children.
Fortunately it is tribal custom among
the Seris that the strong take care of
the weak. But he wanted to earn his
own livelihood if there was a way to
obtain artificial hands.
We shared our breakfast with him.
He told us his father had been the
chief of the tribe, that he was the heir
to the throne, had it not been for his
accident. In spite of his handicaps,
Pedro had the bearing and intelli-
gence of a prince.
We asked him to relate some of the
history of his tribe. He told about the
many attempts made by church or
state to civilize his savage people. Over
200 years ago the Spanish Padres sent
missionaries among the Seris to convert
them to Christianity. They built a
church or two and even planted vine-
yards, the ruins of which can still be
seen on Tiburon Island. The priests
had been successful in converting some
of the Yaquis. At that time the Seris
were at war with the Yaqui Indians,
and they suspected the Yaquis of hav-
ing sent the priests among the Seris
to spy on them. At any rate the mis-
sionaries did not stay long enough to
make any lasting impression on the
Seri Indians. They were either driven
out or killed. As a result the Seris
have no churches, no religious rites or
celebrations. What religion they may
have is individualistic. Occasionally
one wears a charm or amulet about Above—Cleaningthe sea bass they have just caught. The village of
his neck. Desemboque in the background.
Pedro told of the efforts made by Below—Many oj the Seris live in crude Ocotillo shelters such as this.
the Mexican government to tame the
Seris. Taking note of the impoverished and trotted back to home, sweet home for the bite of the rattlesnake, but
condition of the Indians, plans were on Tiburon Island. when one of their number was bitten
made in Mexico City to solve the prob- As Francisco and I became better by a coral snake, they began to pre-
lem by moving them to a new settle- acquainted with the Seris and their pare for the funeral. But Jose played
ment to be built for them near Hermo- manner of life, we studied the country with the coral snake as others would
sillo. The Seris not only were to be for miles around, to determine its agri- kittens.
given homes, but also the opportunity cultural or mining possibilities. Farm- I asked Jose about the wedding cere-
to learn to be farmers. Some of the ing seemed to be out of the question. mony of Seri Indian lovers. He re-
tribesmen actually were moved to the There was no source of water for ir- plied that Seris do not have weddings.
new location. rigation. The only fruits and vege- When a young Seri likes an Indian
But they did not remain long. They tables obtainable by the Indians were maiden, and she responds to his at-
became homesick for the carefree life brought in by Mexican traders who tentions, he has to buy her from her
they had known on Tiburon Island. bought their fish. father. If he is wealthy, the price may
They gave the "civilized" new village One of the most unforgetable char- be a fishing boat, if poor, perhaps fire-
back to the Mexicans and silently acters among the Seris was Jose Es- wood will do. If accepted, the young
stole away. torga, the affable and talkative snake- suitor just moves in to live with the
It may be that the Mexican authori- charmer. Jose was one Seri who family and works for and with them.
ties gave a deep sigh of relief after made a business of smiling. He was As a rule the Seri is a strong indi-
they were gone. It is related that one a youngish looking man about 40. vidual, and many live to be over 100.
young Seri got into an altercation with His perfect teeth made his smile the There is some sickness among the
a Mexican and killed him. He was more engaging. He would pull from younger generation who have taken
forthwith thrown into jail. But young his pocket a live coral snake, about a liking to candy and the devitalized
Buena Vida, the Seri, became home- the most deadly creature to be found foods brought in by the Mexican trad-
sick. He tore down the door of the in that desert country. It was said of ers. There is not a doctor within 100
jail, overpowered two Mexican guards, the Apaches that they had an antidote miles.

JUNE, 1954
 The Seri Indians have the reputa- more visitors to Tiburon Island fail all the way down the channel separat-
tion of having been cannibals until to return." Although some anthropol- ing the island from the mainland, a
recently. I wanted to clarify that point. ogists doubt that the Seri Indians were distance of some 60 miles.
One day, after we had been among ever cannibals, I would be inclined to For the first few miles we were fa-
them for some time, and I felt that we take their own admission at face value. vored with a good sailing wind, but
had been accepted as friends, I thought One night Jose was describing to us at midday a calm enveloped us, and
that I might safely broach the subject. some strange green and blue mineral it was necessary to start up the motor.
Accordingly, I asked one of the older deposits in their island fortress of Ti- Then all was smooth sailing. The
men a direct question, why they form- buron. He invited us to take a pros- Seris like to make camp rather early,
erly ate human flesh. I was watching pecting trip to the island in search of and by three o'clock we were heading
closely for his reaction to such a bold commercial minerals. Francisco and I into Tiburon Island's east shore to
and compromising question, and saw accepted the invitation. camp for the night. Next morning we
a half-sheepish, half-ashamed expres- Juan Molina, the chief, furnished were again on our way, sailing toward
sion creep over his face. For a mo- his boat, a dugout canoe fitted with the south. Soon after noon we landed
ment I was afraid he would refuse to sails and paddles. I took the outboard at the bay of Perros or dogs, on the
give me an answer, but he finally re- motor, just in case of calm. We car- south-east coast. We had no more
plied, in his newly acquired Spanish ried food provisions to last a week. than landed when half a dozen more
tongue, "Well, we liked the flavor bet- However, we had not correctly ap- or less wild dogs greeted us. These
ter than that of most other game; still praised the Seri appetite, for within had at some former time been turned
we resorted to eating humans only three days we were scraping the bot- loose by the Indians to shift for them-
when we were very hungry." Here tom of the larder. selves.
was indeed a frank confession. "But We set sail from the Seri port, De-
why do you still eat people? Or do A 100-year-old Seri waded ashore.
semboque, early one morning, headed I was about to remove my shoes to
you?" I countered, still watching him for Tiburon island, the traditional
carefully to detect whether or not he do likewise. "No, no," he insisted,
island home. The distance by water "just jump on my back and ride." 1
was telling the truth. "We don't dare," to the nearest island village, Tecomati,
was his reply. "The Mexican govern- was amazed that he carried me so
was but 15 miles. However, we were lightly, but was further surprised to
ment has threatened to kill us if any heading for the south end of the island, see him and the other Seris load 150-
pound packs on their backs and carry
them three miles inland to the pre-
arranged camping site. This was ap-

Httd Rock Sbotty parently a ghost town, exhibiting the

ruins of some ancient habitation, pos-
sibly the exact spot where the first
white missionaries settled. Here and
of Death Valley there could still be seen foundations
where once stood adobe houses.
The Seri chief then demonstrated
The lean-to porch in front of light his corncob while the crowd his ability as a cook, by baking some
the Inferno store was crowded waited in suspense. fine bread over the coals of the camp
with dudes as was usual during "Happened the last time that fire. The evening meal was a tasty
the tourist season. Some of them ol' crater up in the north end o' morsel for all the tired travelers. Be-
had come to Death Valley out the valley erupted. That wasn't fore retiring for the night, a meat and
of curiosity — they wanted to no ordinary volcano. Most of vegetable stew was placed in the coals
know what kind of a place this 'em spout fire an' brimstone. But to cook and simmer until about mid-
was. Others were passing through 1 guess ol' Ubehebe had burned night, when one of the party would
on their way from California to herself out for this time she sent remove it from the fire. This chore,
Nevada, some were rock collec- up a blast of air so cold it began our hundred-year-old patriarch volun-
tors and others were camera fans. rainin' icicles an' hail as big as teered to do. In the morning the stew
baseballs all over this country. was ready to eat, but the old boy had
Over at one end of the porch eaten all the meat out of the pot.
Hard Rock Shorty was seated on Turned so cold the water froze
a wobbly bench which creaked in the springs, an' me an' Pisgah After breakfast, Jose, Francisco,
at the joints every time he moved. Bill had to melt ice to give the and I set out across the hills in quest
He was answering questions — burros a drink. of the mineral deposit. We climbed
always the same questions: "Why "Happened in June, but the a steep ridge and rounded a cliff, when
do they call it Death Valley? Is snakes all thought it was an early Jose halted suddenly, and motioned
there still gold in the mountains winter and went into hibernation. for us to keep quiet. As he raised his
around here? How hot does it Every few days that ol' volcano rifle, 1 saw silhouetted in bold relief
get? etc., etc." would send out another blast of against the sky, standing on an over-
cold air. Lasted all summer an' hanging ledge about 100 feet above
Finally some one asked about the reptiles got their seasons all
snakes. Shorty had answered us and 50 yards ahead, the most ma-
mixed up. jestic appearing bighorn sheep I had
this one a thousand times, and
he always tried to give a new "They didn't come out o' their ever seen. Here was the meat so badly
answer. holes 'til December — and then needed in camp, but what a pity to
we wuz havin' our regular winter shoot, I thought. At any rate Jose
"Nope! Ain't no snakes. All freezin' weather. Snakes can't took good aim and pulled the trigger
froze to death forty, fifty years stand that kind o' weather, an' —but nothing happened. The shell
ago," he answered. it froze 'em all stiff. Ain't had missed fire, and in an instant the ani-
Then he paused to fill and no reptiles since." mal was gone, much to my inward
relief.

DESERT MAGAZINE
 "Bad luck," reflected the guide, and
we proceeded toward the green mineral
deposit, which as 1 had suspected,
turned out to be malachite, a green
carbonate of copper. The deposit
looked very good, consisting of a 20-
foot vein. The inner "pay streak" was
narrower, about four feet in width.
\ • if
This we sampled, as well as the whole
width of vein. Later assay reports
showed the pay streak ran $65.00 a
ton in copper and gold, the wider
sample about three percent copper.
This perhaps would prove to be the
makings of a copper mine that might
provide an income for the destitute
Seris. At least I would gather more
data for a full geologic report for Mr.
Johnson.
When we returned to camp some
others were out deer-hunting. Fran-
cisco was preparing an early supper
with fish the Indians had caught at
the beach. Before long the hunters Hunting party on Tiburon Island. Chief Juan Molina holds the gun and
returned, without any game, but they head of the deer killed by the author—who took the picture.
had robbed a bee-cave, and brought
in a five gallon can of the most delici- fire. 1 had been heading in the wrong We could see the lights of the Indian
ous honey I had tasted in a long time. direction. village on the shore, but how far away
But the larder was about depleted. When 1 reached the coals, it was not they seemed! The Indians exhibited
The following morning, in a sense of camp but a signal light Francisco had their skill as sailors in this crisis, for
desperation, I picked up the only built on a nearby hill. From there, they had been brought up in the water
weapon I had, a .22 rifle, and went however, I was able to spot the camp and on the water.
forth. I did not know much about some distance away. About midnight the prow of our
Tiburon deer, but I had had some luck Francisco, the guide, and the Indi- boat touched shore, much to the relief
hunting deer in both Wisconsin and ans had been worried when night fell of all six weary travelers, cold, wet
Colorado. I finally spotted a big buck and the camp hunter had not returned. and hungry. The storm was still rag-
a long way off on the side of the moun- They were visibly relieved when they ing, but the boat was securely an-
tain, and took two or three shots. He saw those two quarters of venison, chored, and all equipment and the
nonchalantly loped away around the which they were soon sampling on the venison was carried ashore.
mountain. This was a mule deer, the coals of the fire. The larder had been
kind I hunted in Colorado. The big replenished, and with the honey we Francisco and I were soon in the
buck disappeared around the right side made out a good meal. shelter of our adobe hut. In the morn-
of the mountain. ing we had expected a visit from our
Juan, the Seri chief, was up and traveling companions, bringing us the
I went around the mountain the moving about early next morning. He equipment and the tenderloin steaks
other way, hoping to meet him on the seemed to be a bit worried. He kept but no Seris showed up. We learned
back side. About an hour before sun- watching the sky. Finally he urged later that the Indian women were so
down we met in the brush by the ar- us to break camp and sail for home,
happy over the safe return of their men
royo. All that could be seen was a for a storm seemed to be brewing, and
streak in the bushes, so the first shot we were two days from Desemboque, they stayed up all night to celebrate.
hit him in the leg, the second shot or perhaps we could make it in one When the sun came up next morning
brought him down, and the third fin- day by sailing on into the night. there was no more venison left, not
ished him. even the tenderloin. To add to our
After a hasty breakfast the boat woes, there was no boat in sight, nor
The job of skinning was difficult, as was loaded, and we were under full tent, nor outboard motor. After an
a jackknife was the only tool at hand, sail. Each Indian took his portion of extended search, the boat was discov-
but by sundown the job was com- venison. Francisco and I reserved the ered half buried in the sand of the
pleted. I hung two quarters in a tree tenderloin. Fortunately we were fav- beach, about a mile from the place
away from the coyotes, shouldered the ored by a stiff breeze at our backs and where it had been anchored. The
other two, and headed for camp. I made good time, but the skies were motor was still roped to the boat, but
was unacquainted with the island. It threatening. We were about ten miles full of sand and sea-water. It never
was getting dark. There was no moon. from home when both darkness and
was the same again.
I trudged up hill and down dale for at the storm overtook us about the same
least two miles, far enough to have time. The winds increased and it be- We felt that the first phase of our
reached camp I thought. My sense of gan to rain. Our small boat was not mission to the Seri Indians was com-
direction must have been faulty, for I designed for rough, stormy weather. pleted, and we soon headed back to
was unable either to hear or see any It appeared that the mountainous report to our sponsor in Hollywood.
signs of camp. waves might engulf us at any moment. For our next trip, 1 recommended that
I was getting tired by this time, so sat We had heard of the fearsome storms he send clothing, blankets, and a doc-
down to rest. Then I climbed a nearby that sometimes descend on the Gulf tor to establish a small hospital; and a
hill, the better to get my bearings. In of California, in which much larger teacher for this stone-age tribe of Seri
the distance I saw the light of a dying boats than ours are capsized. Indians.

JUNE, 1954
ON DESERT TRAILS WITH A NATURALIST-III

GiantSteeplesofLime..
This month. Naturalist Edmund Jaeger takes Desert readers very deep, perhaps measuring as much
on a trip to the Pinnacles, strange limestone formations rising above as 600 feet in depth at its center. Some
Searles Dry Lake in California. There isn't much to sustain life in this idea of its size and depth can readily
desolate stretch of Mojave desert, but Nature nevertheless takes good be gained by observing the ancient
care of the native population of coyotes, wood rats, ravens, lizards and water lines, beaches and wave-cut
kit foxes, like the curious fellow who joined the author's party one benches distinctly seen on nearby
moonlit night. This is the third in Desert's series, "On Desert Trails rocky hills and the distant slopes of
with a Naturalist." the Argus and Slate Mountains to the
north and east. These shore-line fea-
By EDMUND C. JAEGER, D.Sc. tures I find are best seen in the very
Curator of Plants, Riverside Muncipal Museum early morning when shadows cast
Map by Norton Allen along them bring out clearly their po-
sition.
NE WARM August evening, with This was not my first visit to the The scenically impressive spires of
two companions, I was walking Searles Lake Pinnacles, described by gray limestone evidently were slowly
along the wide arroyo which the eminent scientist, Carl L. Hubbs formed under water around the vents
separates the two main groups of pin- of the Scripps Institution of Oceanog- of large hot springs by primitive lime-
nacles which form conspicuous land- raphy as "by far the finest examples of depositing plants called algae or pos-
marks in California's Searles Dry tufa formations in America, and per- sibly by bacteria. It no doubt took
Lake. haps in the world." Accompanying ages of lime deposition to build the
pinnacles up to the massive forms they
There was a brilliant full moon, me on this exploration trip were Jack have finally assumed, for the rate of
and out of the shadows suddenly ap- Shepherd of Occidental College and precipitation was very slow, perhaps
peared a little kit fox. It followed Brian Mahoney of Riverside. as little as one foot in a hundred years.
along like a phantom, trotting or run- These remarkable formations, some The subterranean hot waters which
ning before, beside or behind us like of them nearly a hundred feet high, encouraged the activity of the algae,
a companionable dog. Sometimes it rise from a broad plain which once or possibly bacteria, issued from the
ran out ahead and sat down, watching was the bottom of an extensive lake. lake bottom in rows of vents, probably
us intently until we almost caught up This and two other nearby lakes were along minor fault lines, or in close-set
with it. formed at the close of the Ice Age by groups of openings marking other sites
Wholly unafraid, it stayed with us the waters of fast melting glaciers of weakness in the earth's crust. Only
during the entire evening while we which reached this far inland desert thus can we account for the arrange-
hiked a distance of IVi miles or more basin by flowing through a long me- ment and position of the bizarre tufa-
up the wash, among and over the pin- andering channel which started in ceous towers.
nacles. Perhaps we were the first hu- trough-like Owen's Valley on the east The lake in which the pinnacles
man beings it had ever seen. side of the giant Sierra Nevada. This grew disappeared long ago, leaving
The kit fox merely is one of many particular Pleistocene lake has been them exposed much as they are today.
denizens of the desert which find sanc- designated by geologists as Searles However, their original form must
tuary in this desolate part of the Mo- Lake. It was not only very large, cov- have been quite different; certainly
jave Desert. ering an area of 285 square miles, but they were higher. The present struc-
Termed by Scientist Carl L. Hubbs "by far the finest examples of tufa formations
in America, and perhaps in the world," the gray steeples of the Pinnacles rise
above Searles Dry Lake in California. Photo by Charles L. Heald.

10 DESERT MAGAZINE
tures have large accumulations of talus-
like broken-off fragments sloping half
way up about their almost vertical
sides, evidencing a presumably grad-
ual disintegration.
I seriously doubt if anyone visiting
these strange "steep-sided knobs of
lime" has not been inquisitive as to
what might be inside them, especially
at their centers. I found that one of
the large columns so piqued the curi-
osity of some inquiring rock enthusi-
ast that he had gouged a large hole
more than a yard square out of its
side almost to the middle. Of course
no buried treasure was found; only
more of the same porous calcareous
tufa, not even an old tree trunk or
other object which might have been
suspected as the nucleus around which
the lime was deposited.
Wandering widely over the area I
m •. J
saw where quite a number of mining The little kit fox was naturally curious—he probably had never before
claims have been staked out, but as seen a human being—so he followed the three strange two-legged creatures
far as I could see only one group of on their moonlight trek. Photo by Lewis W. Walker.
prospectors ever thought the pinnacles
had any real commercial value. These I often hear the coyote's clear-ringing shaped patches and disk-like crusts are
men actually did some assessment call or the kit fox's single strange perhaps many years old, some of them
work consisting of about a quarter of cough-like bark. I most often see coy- even perhaps a half century of age.
a mile of road. A claim-paper found otes in the early morning just at day- Throughout the daylight hours the
in a tin can inside one of the corner break when they are returning to their visitor to the pinnacles area hears the
monuments of rocks they had built daytime hideouts after the night's hunt. lonely raucous cry of ravens. Some of
showed that they had staked out a Kit foxes come from their underground the big black birds may be seen circ-
placer claim for gold! Some one, per- lairs at dusk and quite frequently I ling overhead, often in pairs. There
haps these "gold seekers," had once have seen them come up to my camp, is evidence that each year a few pairs
started a well in the big nearby sand attracted either by curiosity or the of these sagacious birds nest in shelf-
wash, but they found no water to odor of food. like niches in some of the high rock
reward their hours of hard work. In the many crypts in the limestone towers. Their principal food is prob-
The only other formations that I towers live desert woodrats. About ably made up of lizards, and, in the
have seen anywhere approaching the the openings to their homes are quan- spring, of the young of ground squir-
Trona Pinnacles in size, number and tities of small, dry sticks of brittle bush rels and jack rabbits. Only very in-
appearance are rounded columns of and other shrubs they have brought in frequently must they find carrion. An-
lime, the so-called geyser-cones or al- as they returned from their frequent other bird using cavelets for nesting
gae pillars of the Bridges Basin near excursions along regular paths to the sites is the spider-feeding rock wren.
Green River, Wyoming, and a few nearby bushes. One often wonders Heard often is its clear bell-like song.
small lime pillars near Tonopah, Ne- how they or their other animal neigh- Several times a day, in cool winter or
vada. All of these incrustations evi- bors find enough to eat in a region so hot summer, even at mid-day, we will
dently were formed around old tree near devoid of plant life. catch sight of this sprightly dweller of
stumps and snags submerged by the the desert's solitudes.
On the north sides of the rough-sur-
waters of Eocene lakes. In time the faced limestone monoliths are splashes Right among the groups of pinnacles,
woody cores became silicified so that of the brilliant color of rock-hugging and near the big central sand wash,
inside the cones and lime cylinder we lichens. The beautiful blues are those are several low, broad, almost flat-
now find petrified wood. of the lichen called Lecanora; the topped domes of colorful gray and
The main groups of pinnacles near bright brick-reds are produced by a green powdery soils. As I tried to
Searles Lake are scattered over an lichen called Caloplaca; the lovely, walk over them I found myself sink-
area of several square miles. Beyond often circular patches of gray-green ing often more than ankle-deep into
these, often at some distance, are indicate a species of Parmelia. Scat- the fine-textured almost flour-like ma-
nearly a dozen smaller outliers. Sep- tered among the colonies of colored terial. Such rounded hillocks consist
arating the two main groups runs a lichen grows a velvety black lichen of soil heavily permeated with gypsum
long salt-bush-bordered wash of clean disposed in small patches of crust-like and other salts in minute crystalline
gray sand. It serves not only as a plates. These unique biotic entities, form, many of them the salts that in
drainway for the run-off waters of in- composed of closely associated threads purer form are found in nearby Searles
frequent rains but also as a trailway of algae and cells of low grade fungi, Dry Lake where they constitute what
for many of the wild animals, like kit probably actively grow only a com- is with little doubt the richest source
foxes and coyotes, which inhabit the paratively few hours of each year dur- of high grade commercially useful
area. Every night they leave fresh ing rains or other times of high humid- chemicals in the deserts of the world.
footprint evidence of their travels, and ity when water, so necessary to their At Trona, 15 miles due north of the
I am never surprised when camping existence, is found. We are not sur- pinnacles, is the large 33-acre plant
here to see one or more of these des- prised then to learn that the colonies of the American Potash and Chemical
ert carnivores roving about. At night composing the many colorful irregular- Company where approximately 2.000

JUNE, 1 954 11
 tons of 18 different high grade chem-
PANAMINT VALLEYM/ X
icals are daily produced from 37,-
000,000 gallons of water pumped
underground and returned as brines
carrying the precious salts.
Several well known desert land-
— - j m m ^ < ^ . - • —/$•:• • •• ••••% ^
marks can be seen from the pinnacles
area. To the north lies Telescope
Peak, highest point in the Panamint
Mountains. To the northwest may be
seen almost mile-high Argus Peak: to
the east are the bare-surfaced Owl and
Slate Mountains. On the southeast
lies beautiful Pilot Knob, said to have
||-:: Secivles %. V^ received its name because in early
days it was unmistakably recognized
by travelers from more points in the
Mojave Desert than any other land-
mark. It is an isolated, steep-sided,
almost flat-topped mountain made up
of alternating colorful layers of light
and dark volcanic rocks. They make
it appear, as a grizzled prospector once
said to me "just like a big colored layer
cake." An old, now little-used road
leads from the pinnacles directly to
this prominent desert landmark. It
was probably made by early travelers
PINNACLES seeking water at nearby Granite Wells.
Late in October and all through
November's calm, clear, sunshiny days
are good times to visit this awesome
spectacle of Nature. Because the
strange spires are especially inspiring
when seen by moonlight I generally
plan my visits (and they are quite
often) at full moon periods. As with
so many objects these huge columns
of rock then appear almost twice as
massive and high as during daylight
hours.
• • •
MARCH RAINS INCREASE
DESERT WATER SUPPLIES
Most Southwestern areas received
above-average rainfall during March
to relieve drouth conditions worsened
by an extremely dry February. Monthly
amounts ranged from over 400 per-
cent of normal in the Lower Colorado
River Basin to slightly below or some-
what above normal in other areas, the
U. S. Weather Bureau and Soil Con-
JOHANNESBURG servation Service reported April 1.
RED MTN. Above-normal March precipitation
\RANDSBURG greatly improved the water supply out-
look for the Upper Colorado, Green
River and San Juan River basins. The
Colorado River above Cisco was the
only area in which rainfall was below
normal, and consequently forecasts for
streams in the area are lower than
those of a month ago.
March precipitation was much above
normal over the entire Lower Colo-
rado River Basin, and the water poten-
tial in this area has greatly increased.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged
from near 200 to approximately 400
TO U.S.466 & SAN BERNARDINO percent of normal.
12 DESERT MAGAZINE
 "Back door" into jasper area leads from aqueduct road to excellent camping area. Colorful stone is found on the
opposite side of the Cave Hills, above left. Inset is chunk of red and yellow jasper found in the field, with a cabo-
chon cut from the material. Much of the jasper is so oxidize d it is difficult to distinguish it from the country rock.

When Lieut. Ives steamed up the Colo-

Indian Jasper rado in 1857 in the clumsy steamboat, the

"Explorer," the Chemehuevi Indians were
using beautiful arrowheads made from
jasper. Harold and Lucile Weight went

in the Whipples into the Whipple Mountains recently to see

if they could find the source of the Indian
jasper—and what they discovered is of
interest both to rockhounds and archeolo-
gists.
By HAROLD WEIGHT
Photographs by the author We had glimpsed that jasper on a February—ideal for winter rock hunt-
Map by Norton Allen visit to W. N. (Dinty) and Avis Moore, ing on the Mojave—set us off on our
now active in rockhound circles in long-planned second visit to this jas-
E WERE half a dozen miles Phoenix, but who then lived at Parker per hill. But a pinched-out tire on
east of Vidal Junction, Cali- Dam. Dinty and Avis took us on a the washboardy Riverside County sec-
fornia, on the Parker highway field trip into the Turtles, the range tion of the Baseline road from Twenty-
when the speedometer gave a convul- west of the Whipples, and on the way nine Palms, and time consumed in its
sive spin and dropped to zero. I made a brief detour to the jasper lo- repair, threw us far behind schedule.
stopped the car and Lucile and 1 cality. It seemed that we were in and Now the sun was low and a great fan
stared at one another. We felt like a back out again in a matter of moments. of cirrus pouring up from the south
couple of lost mine hunters whose We had a couple of pieces of the ma- and west promised a colorful, but
map had suddenly vanished. For our terial and this note: "Jasper hill, early, sunset. And we no longer had
only map to the jasper field we wanted Whipple Mountains. Jasper mainly a speedometer to guide us.
to relocate in the Whipple Mountains red, with white, lavender, yellow, "Well," said Lucile, "the turnoff
was a record of mileages and turns green. Part high grade, much of cut- from this highway was 1.6 miles this
taken down on a hasty guided trip ting quality. Extent of field unknown." side of Earp. And there was a sign
into the area seven years before. The unusually warm days of late there, 'River View Mine, H. O. Hogue.'

JUNE, 1954 1.3

We certainly should be able to find and Captain Sitgreaves on the way to Explorer went aground — which was
that road." Camp Yuma late in 1851. every few hundred feet—they howled
I nodded. "And the jasper was less Lt. A. W. Whipple, whose name the with delight.
than 10 miles in, good desert road all mountains now bear, reached the Col- It is a measure of Ives' character
the way. We can reach the area be- orado by Bill Williams fork in Feb- that he appreciated their amusement.
fore dark, and something in there ruary, 1854. But he was trying to fol- Despite the trying circumstances, his
should look familiar to us." low the 35th parallel, which crosses Report Upon the Colorado River of
"It was in a sort of little valley," the river north of Needles at the very the West sparkles with the wry comedy
Lucile amplified. southern tip of Nevada, in his search of the spectacle as the Indians saw it.
"Then we go on?" for a possible route for a transcontin- "If we had anticipated inspiring them
ental railroad. So he headed north with awe or admiration," he com-
Lucile nodded. "The Whipples are along the Colorado and apparently did ments, "we should be sadly disap-
always worth a visit."
not see Monument Peak. pointed. That we should spend days
Even from the highway, some miles With him was young Lt. Joseph C. in doing what they can accomplish in
to the south, the Whipples are a strik- Ives. A few years later Ives com- half as many hours strikes them as
ing range. Seen close up, they are manded an army expedition exploring unaccountably stupid."
among the most beautiful mountains the Colorado. And late in January,
on the Mojave. Much of their spec- As the Explorer inched upriver, Ives
1858, with Ives and his command saw an unusual group of mountains
tacular scenery is due to their compo- aboard, the wretchedly clumsy Explorer
sition, a helter-skelter mixup of some on the California side. "Among the
—first steamer to venture so far up group of fantastic peaks that surmount
of the world's oldest rocks—pre-Cam- the river—was bumbling its way from
brian granites, schists and quartzsites this chain," he wrote, "is a slender
sand bar to sand bar through the and perfectly symmetrical spire that
—with the colorful volcanics of Ter- Parker Valley. As Ives wrote in ex-
tiary times. Then too, their beauty is furnishes a striking landmark, as it can
asperation: "We were three days in be seen from a great way down the
augmented by the relatively heavy accomplishing nine miles. A boat
vegetation, the ironwood, palo verde river in beautiful relief against the
drawing six inches less water and with- sky." He named the spire "The Mon-
and smoke tree of bajada and washes out any reinforcing timbers attached
being more reminiscent of the Colo- ument."
to the bottom could probably have And because of that peak he called
rado Desert than of the Mojave. made the same distance in three hours."
As the highway swung around the the whole range, on both sides of the
But if Ives and Captain Robinson, Colorado, Monument Mountains. The
southern slopes of the mountains
toward the Colorado River, a lean, who piloted the Explorer, were unhappy river gorge through the mountains,
striking finger of dark volcanic rock about their progress, the Chemehuevi whose beauty he described enthusi-
came into sight to the northeast. This Indians then occupying northern Par- astically, he called Monument Can-
was famed Monument Peak, a land- ker Valley, the Whipples and the sur- yon. And after he had navigated the
mark since the beginning of the des- rounding desert, were not. For them canyon, past the site of present Parker
ert's habitation. Onate and his Spani- it was County Fair Week and show of Dam and the mouth of Bill Williams
ards must have noted it when they a lifetime combined. Always foot- River, he named one outstanding peak
came down Bill Williams River to the loose and ready to be entertained, they on the California side Mount Whipple,
Colorado in December, 1904. Padre deserted their camps and caves and for his old commander. Somehow in
Garces surely saw it in February, 1776, hunting trails to sit on the river banks the years since, the name Whipple has
when going to the land of the Mohaves, and watch the fun. Whenever the been extended to cover the whole

14 DESERT MAGAZINE
range in California. In geological se-
niority, it is fair enough that Mount
Whipple's ancient granites should out-
rank the upstart volcanic trap of
Monument Peak. Historically, Whip-
pie deserves a California range bear-
ing his name.
Ives also had plenty of time to study
the Chemehuevis whom he was enter-
taining. "They are altogether differ-
ent in appearance and character from
the other Colorado River Indians," he i ...» . f..,^P&ftS
wrote. "They have small figures and
some of them delicate, nicely-cut fea-
tures with little of the Indian physiog-
nomy. Unlike their neighbors—who
though warlike are domestic — the
Chemehuevis are a wandering race
and travel great distances on hunting
and predatory excursions. They wear
sandals and hunting shirts of buckskin,
and carry tastefully-made quivers of
the same material."
Had Ives carried his investigations
a little further, he would have discov-
ered that some of the points on the
arrows in those quivers were also taste-
fully made of beautiful moss and pais-
ley and bright, solidly colored jasper.
He certainly would have been inter-
ested to learn part of the jasper used
was found within a few miles of the
Monument Peak he so admired.
We were hunting that jasper.
We camped that night far up the
bajada, at the base of the first outliers
of the Whipples. We estimated we
should be in the vicinity of the jasper
field, but had no idea in which direc-
tion it might lie. It had, in fact, been
a very discouraging afternoon — but
the sort of exercise I can recommend
to persons who cannot understand
how a mine or ledge can become lost.
The mine sign we had depended
upon to identify the turnoff was gone,
and since the mine was not operating,
the road had deteriorated. We finally
found it only by eliminating all other
possible tracks. Up on the bajada, the
road improved, but the branches
seemed to have changed and multiplied.
We had not located ourselves when
darkness fell, and after a few miles of
useless probing to and fro with our
headlight beams, we pulled off onto a
fairly level pebble pavement. Supper
was a catch-as-catch-can affair con-
sumed by flashlight in the cab of the
pickup. The rest of campmaking con-
sisted of inflating air mattresses and
spreading our sleeping bags in the
truck bed.
But the night was perfectly suited Above—This old road leads directly across the bajada to the jasper in the
for desert camping—warm, clear and volcanic hills, upper right. Palo Verde, left, marks point where old road
quiet. For a long time we marveled to the field leaves the main road.
at the show of lights spread out below Center—Brightly colored and moss jasper may be found on slopes and
—Parker, Earp, Poston, Vidal, and ridges in the background.
scores upon scores of motels, trailer Below—From one of the caves, looking across the Colorado River valley.
camps, private homes and individual Riverside Mountains in the background.

JUNE, 1954 15
 Each year more and more fishermen and vacationists come to this lovely vista
along the Colorado below Parker dam for recreation.

camps up and down the Colorado. of low, jagged hills looked, even by from our camp, we could see where a
This was the weekend of Washington's moonlight, as if they should carry once bladed trail left our road and
birthday, and it had brought a large rockhound rocks. headed for the hills. When we started
number of eager fishermen to the river, In the grey pre-dawn we boiled cof- to follow it, we found that it had been
but growth of permanent population fee in an open pan over a little fire badly wash-cut in several places, and
in this area since the war is astonish- in the steep V-wash beside our camp. in one great drainage channel, just to
ing. Relishing the full bodied flavor of that the west of the Cave Hills, the road
And after we were in our sleeping "primitive" brew, we wondered if the had disappeared completely. Once
bags, we watched the march of famil- old prospectors hadn't used the best across it, however, the road appeared
iar constellations overhead — Orion, method of coffee-making, after all. again and was in passable condition
then Sirius, the Dog Star, scintillating By daylight the hills to the north- the full length of the little group of
like a glorious jewel, and Cassiopeia's east looked even more interesting. hills.
Chair and the Pleiades and the Hyades. Buttes and ridges of the brownish- We knew we were on the right track
But on this clear night, the whole sky black volcanic series which outcrop when, in a shallow cave in an arroyo
seemed frosted with myriads of smaller in many places along the southeastern wall, I found two small pieces of pot-
or more distant stars which do not edges of the Whipples, they were per- tery—and a worked bit of bright red
even show in smog-filmed skies farther fectly honeycombed with caves. A jasper. Then, in the sunburned vol-
west. Then the sublimity of the mo- few hundred yards down the bajada canic rock which coated the hills, Lu-
ment was broken by the only unpleas- cile discovered a large chip of pat-
ant note—or buzz—of that night, the terned, colorful jasper. We began to
voices of a few enterprising mosquitoes LOG recognize larger pebbles and small
that apparently had tired of fisherman Mile
boulders as jasper and jasp-agate.
fare and had decided to dine out and 0.0 Turn north from Desert Center- They were so oxidized and discolored
sample rockhounds. We pulled our Parker highway, 15.3 miles from
Vidal Junction. 1.6 miles west —a dark or reddish brown—that they
heads under cover and slept. of Earp. differed little except in texture from
I woke once after the late-rising 3.9 Pass under pole line. the country rock. As in many other
moon, nearing its last quarter, was 4.1 Old road branches right to jas- fields, it was necessary to adjust our
well aloft. Its light was surprising, and per field. Watch for dangerous eyes to the material we were hunting.
cut in bed of this road. Either
I could see the great river valley and turn right here or continue on The Metropolitan Aqueduct, from
the faint masses of scattered moun- main road to: Parker Dam to Los Angeles, touches
tain ranges. Nearer, the wash-cut 4.4 Reach aqueduct road, turn right. the northwestern edges of the Cave
bajada, with sharp-limbed and spined 4.8 Turn right from aqueduct road, Hills. We followed the abandoned
palo verde, catsclaw and cholla, was follow branch a few hundred road almost to it, finding jasper spotted
yards to little mesa west of Cave
silver and black. And to the north- Hills. irregularly on the hillsides on the way.
east, quite close to our camp, a group Some of the best we located was on a

16 DESERT MAGAZINE
low hill northwest of the point where
the road enters a deep arroyo. An-
other good spot was on a small butte
separated by the old road from the
main body of the hills. Checks showed
that the jasper was scattered as float
or cropping in irregular veins in many
other places in the Cave Hills—from
top to bottom. In quality it ranged
from rather large pieces of poor grade • ,,-^ :;i*j\:*
to gem quality "thread," moss, paisley,
and almost poppy-like patterns. Colors
included reds, yellows, gold, green,
brown. It is not a field for truck col-
lecting, and rockhounds must cover a
good deal of rough territory. But if
they look they will be rewarded.
At the present time, the old road is
not passable for ordinary cars, without
some work being done to fill in a
badly washed spot and, following it,
it is necessary to walk about half a
mile to the edge of the jasper field.
We did find a branch trail from the
aqueduct road, which cuts down into
the big wash to an excellent camping
place on the opposite side of the Cave
Hills from the jasper. It offers the
easiest approach to the collecting area.
But it must be emphasized that the
aqueduct road is a private road with
permission to trespass revokable at
any time. Probably there will be no
objection to the use of this short por-
tion of it—so long as some smart or
anti-social character does not commit
a nuisance. Should it be blocked, the
old road can be followed.
The largest present-day inhabitant
of the Cave Hills whose acquaintance
we made was a rheumy-eyed desert
tortoise who apparently had been mis-
led by the unseasonable warmth to
break his winter hibernation. The dirt
from his earthy bedchamber still was
scattered over his shell, with a little The author with a piece of red and green jasper, as it occurs in thin dis-
peak of it on the top of his head. I continuous ledges at the base of the butte in the Cave Hills field.
suspect that with some of the cold
nights that have followed he has re- In a hollow in the large boulder at when winter winds swept the Mojave
turned to his burrow with the deter- the mouth of the cave Lucile found a than would any camp along the river.
mination of finding a new weather dozen bright bits of jasper. We could
forecaster. The area also has mock- It was Ives who brought the Che-
almost picture the Chemehuevi who mehuevis alive for me. Whenever 1
ing birds, linnets and bats, and appar- had squatted there, day after day,
ently an enormous population of pack- read his journals, or those of any of
working up his points with that great that remarkable group of American
rats, who are all cavedwellers. living map of the Colorado River Val- military men who first reported on
And in many places we found ley before him. Perhaps from this the West—Emory, Simpson, Whipple
evidence of earlier inhabitants who very point he had seen the smoke of and the rest—I am amazed at their
had worked these jasper fields before Ives' little steamer and had called the literary substance and vivid humanity.
us. The chippings from their arrow- family together to go see the big show. And 1 am endlessly grateful that the
point making indicated that they had I do not know whether these caves present compulsion of government re-
selected their stones with an eye for were only used for arrowpoint making, searchers to express themselves in pe-
beauty. One of the caves, which or whether they were semi-permanent dantic and meaningless jargon was
showed no indication of its size from homes. I found several tinajas in then unknown.
below, proved to be a two-bedroom nearby washes, which would hold Of course, in the matter of anthro-
affair with a wonderful view arch in water for quite a while after a rain. pology, Ives and his contemporaries
the living room. Packrats had filled And of course the wife could always had the advantage. They saw our
the two bedrooms with an incredible be sent the five or six miles down to Western Indians live, while present
amount of debris, while a tiny dark the river to fill a few pots. And I'm day researchers can only rattle dry
lizard seemed to be the only occupant certain that some of those caves, with bones or depend on informants who
of the living room. a little fire, would be much cozier sometimes take a mischievous pleasure
JUNE, 1954 17
in misinforming. Nevertheless, I won- crease in population in Parker Valley,
der how we would picture last cen- so it was with Monument Canyon.
tury's Colorado River Indians had Everywhere were homes and camps
Ives hopped ashore at each camp with and trailer parks crowded with people
briefcase full of aptitude and intelli- and cars, and the Arizona shore
gence tests, and a questionnaire de- seemed to be in the same condition.
signed to fit these particular anthro- Cars were parked at every likely spot,
too, and fishermen were still out along Adell "K. C." Jones, Life-on-the-
pological specimens into their proper Desert winner whose story appears in
sib, moiety and dichotomic pigeon- the river. At some of the little side
valleys, farming was under way. this month's Desert, was born in Og-
holes. den, Utah. After attending schools
I'm sure we wouldn't have heard of But there ahead, as we rounded a in the small Congregational College
the Chemehuevi who tried to cheat bend, was the same blood red ridge town of Tabor, Iowa, she joined her
the lieutenant in a deerskin trade. "He which had so impressed Lt. Ives. And father, a country newspaper editor in
was highly amused at being caught," for just a little stretch no modern Lovelock, Nevada. She married John
Ives wrote, "and it raised me very building obtruded. The wild, highly S. Case, another newspaper editor, in
much in his estimation; if I had tried colored buttes and ridges which crowd 1910.
to cheat him, and had succeeded, his the swiftly flowing river were just as When Ray Jones first called on Adell
admiration would have been unlim- they had been when the little Explorer in 1947, she was reading Charles
ited." Nor would it have been scien- first shattered the silence of this hid- Kelly's story, "Hole in the Rock," in
tifically worth while to tell of the In- den world, and Ives wrote rhapsodic- the May, 1947, issue of Desert Maga-
dian woman who tried to help guide ally of its beauty. Why right here, per- zine. Ray was immediately interested
the Explorer across a sand bar. Cap- haps, Ives came upon the two Cheme- and related the part his grandfather
tain Robinson's "knowledge of the huevis, with their wives, children and played in the historic Mormon trek.
river showed that it would not do, household belongings, afloat upon reed He and Mrs. Jones were married soon
and he sheered off without making the rafts. Against that bank they may after. When Desert's Life-on-the-Des-
trial. The benevolence of the old hag have drawn their rafts into the little ert contest was announced, she asked
was at once converted to rage, and cave to watch in awe, while the steamer her husband to retell the story. Their
with clenched fists and flaming eyes puffed noisily by. And perhaps the joint entry proved to be a prize-winner.
she followed along the bank, scream- warriors nervously fingered arrows
ing at the captain a volley of male- tipped with the very jasper we had A number of Mrs. Jones' poems
dictions." been collecting that afternoon. have been published, and she writes
occasional articles for her home town
Nor would we have had the final Ahead, around the bend, the little newspaper in Fallon, Nevada.
touch to make real the little Indian Chemehuevi chief and his people • • •
kiddies who once played around these would be waiting to make a state call "I am a naturalist at heart, and an
very caves: "Mr. Mollhausen has en- upon Lt. Ives when the churning Ex- explorer and amateur photographer,"
listed the services of the children to plorer nosed in to the bank. confesses Geologist C. L. Burdick. He
procure zoological specimens, and has But no—around that bend was the must, then, thoroughly have enjoyed
obtained, at the cost of a few strings gleaming, yet alien beauty of Parker the research and writing which cul-
of beads, several varieties of pouched Dam, concrete proof of the changes minated in the story on Mexico's Seri
mice and lizards. They think he eats time had brought to the once omni- Indians which appears in this issue of
them, and are delighted that his ec- potent Colorado of the West. It was Desert.
centric appetite can be gratified with late, and this was a good place to turn Burdick first visited the Seris' prim-
so much ease and profit to themselves." back. itive village in 1943 with two Ameri-
• • • can companions. Upon returning home,
When we headed back toward Earp,
we were satisfied that we had found INSCRIPTION SELECTED he told an acquaintance, T. G. Patter-
a jasper field, but did not know if it FOR SCOTTY'S MONUMENT son, about the trip, and Patterson in
was the jasper field. It looked vaguely turn related the story to Albert M.
"/ got four things to live by: Johnson, Death Valley Scotty's bene-
familiar, but there was not a single Don't say nothing that will hurt
spot that we could actually recognize. factor and friend. Johnson supported
anybody. Don't give advice — no- a foundation dedicated to helping
Later we returned with speedometer body will take it anyway. Don't
working and found that we had con- needy Indians and translating the Bible
complain. Don't explain." into their tongues. Immediately inter-
siderably overestimated the number
of miles we had traveled from the This inscription — Death Valley ested in the Seris' plight, he decided
highway and that this was a new field. Scotty's own words, according to to send Burdick back to the Indians'
The other jasper lies several miles village to write detailed reports of
Eleanor Jordon Houston's recent book
farther along the Whipples. This, and what he found there. "They Wouldn't
—is to be engraved on the plaque to Be Civilized" is the story of that second
the number of other hills apparently of be erected next November 12 at Wal- trip.
the same volcanic constitution which ter Scott's grave on a hill above Scotty's
we saw, is a good indication that there Burdick is a native of Wisconsin
Castle. and did graduate work in geology at
are more jasper areas for those who The plaque is being sponsored by the University of Wisconsin. He taught
like to hunt their own fields. the Death Valley 49ers, and will be high school science before entering
It was near sundown when we placed on a memorial monument to mining geology about 15 years ago.
reached the highway, but we did not be erected by the Gospel Foundation He currently is employed by two
want to turn homeward without driv- of California, owners of Scotty's Castle. mining companies engaged in the de-
ing up the river to Parker Dam. This, The 49ers chose the inscription at velopment of mineral resources in Baja
we think, is the most beautiful section their April meeting, and at the same California. On the side he writes arti-
of the lower Colorado which can be time approved a sketch submitted by cles on historical geology, particularly
followed by a good road, and sun- Cyria Henderson for the design of the probing the relationship of this science
down is the perfect time to see it. But plaque which she will model in clay to archeology. He lives in Tucson,
as we had been amazed by the in- and then have cast in bronze. Arizona.

18 DESERT MAGAZINE
Lost Ledge of Mammoth Canyon
By SHEP SHEPHERD
This is a new version of a
In Virginia City they bought needed
supplies, tools and horses and took a
>Y THE YEAR 1857 the trails to lost mine story related by Mark third man into the partnership. Back
the gold fields of California Twain in his book "Roughing at the location they started work on
were more or less well defined. It," and also in W. A. Chaliant's what was intended to be a permanent
Indians were still one of the major "Gold, Guns and Ghost Towns." camp. The work was barely begun
obstacles. Not long after the massacre It is the legendary Lost Cement when Indian Chief Joaquin Jim raided
of 140 people at Mountain Meadows mine, and so far as the records the camp with a party of braves, took
a band of fast riding Paiutes intercepted show it has never been re-dis- all their supplies, leaving only the
a party of California bound settlers covered. clothes they wore and one horse with
several days' march west of the mas- which to get out of the country. The
sacre scene. The party was following three returned to Virginia City to wait
Neither man's name seems to have for the Indian troubles to subside. In
the old Spanish Trail. In the ensuing been preserved though their activities
fight the settler group became disor- the meantime Van Horn became the
are frequently mentioned in old rec- victim of an ailment that left him semi-
ganized. Two men of the party es- ords of the Mammoth Canyon discov-
caped and in the darkness that night invalid. He started to San Francisco
eries. Most authentic of these writings for treatment but on the boat from
struck north. seems to be those of J. W. A. Wright, Sacramento became so ill he feared
The scene of the battle was roughly who wrote from Mammoth in 1879, death was near. He confided in a man
on the California-Nevada border. reporting for the San Francisco Post named Carpenter, adding that he be-
Traveling by night and hiding by day on the searches still going on for the lieved his two partners were planning
they kept a northerly course up the lost cement mines. to return to the ledge in spite of the
wide desert valley in which they found Doctor Randall arrived on the scene Indian menace.
themselves, hoping to cross the trail in the spring of 1861. He headquart-
of other parties traveling west. ered at old Monoville and hired a Carpenter himself apparently made
To the west they could see the party of men. Next, using the dead no effort to enter the search but his
towering mountain ranges they would man's map as a guide, he located a knowledge was passed on to two men
eventually have to cross. When their quarter section of land a few miles named Kirkpatrick and Colt, the latter
water gave out they turned westward north of the town on what was known a member of the firearms family. These
and finally arrived at a clear, cool as Pumice Flats. two men came to Monoville, hired a
stream. They had struck the head Not far to the northeast were the guide to take them to the vicinity of
waters of the Owens River. A short Mono Craters. The cones, as well as Mammoth Canyon where they be-
time later, in the same general vicinity, much of the surrounding area, were lieved Van Horn's camp to be.
they were resting near a small valley coated with pumice from the once ac- The search uncovered a place where
within sight of a lofty gray mountain. tive volcanos. logs had been laid for a floor and
One man broke off a piece of a ce- Randall hired a man named Gid nearby were the stumps of trees that
ment-like ledge and found it spotted Whiteman as foreman of eleven men had been felled. Continuing the hunt
with yellow flakes. He was convinced and began the task of prospecting every for the ledge the men found two skele-
the yellow stuff was gold. His partner inch of the 160 acres. tons supposed to have been those of
laughed at the idea, insisting the yel- The following year, 1862, a man Van Horn's partners. Apparently
low flakes were worthless. The be- named Van Horn joined the search. Joaquin Jim's warning had not been
liever filled his pockets with about ten He seems to have been prominent in an idle threat. Though they kept at
pounds of the ore and the two went on the mining fields since one district was the search until supplies and funds
their way. named after him. Another member of were exhausted, Kirkpatrick and Colt
Eventually they made their way the searching party was a German were unable to locate the cement ledge.
across the mountains and found a whose name has not been preserved in They did discover some ledges com-
small stream which led them to the the records. posed of a red cement-like material
San Joaquin River. They followed the The German is now believed to have but none that were gold bearing.
San Joaquin to the settlement of Mil- re-discovered the gold bearing cement
lerton. ledge, though not on Randall's 160 Various searchers carried on a con-
The man with the gold made plans acres. He took Van Horn into his stant hunt for the treasure during the
to retrace their steps to the rich ledge. confidence and the two quit the search next few years. Sometimes as many
However, he had become ill and be- together, saying they were tired of the as 20 parties were in the field at once,
fore his plans were completed he was country and wanted to seek new fields. prospecting from the desert floor to
forced to seek treatment in San Fran- They took one horse belonging to Van the eastern slopes of the Sierra around
cisco. His condition became so bad Horn to carry their belongings and left the base of Mammoth Mountain.
he had to give up any idea of returning in the direction of Aurora. Once hid- In the summer of 1869 two men
to the treasure. Indebted to his physi- den from the others they went to named Kent and McDougall outfitted
cian, a Dr. Randall, and without funds where the German had found the themselves with horses and supplies
he paid what he could with the ore he ledge. They loaded the horse with in Stockton, California. They next ap-
had left and gave Randall a map of the sacks of ore, concealed the location peared at a small settlement on the
section containing the gold bearing and struck out for Virginia City. At San Joaquin River at the western base
ledge. the Walker River they crushed and of the mountains. There they hired
The man died soon afterward and panned the cement-like material, ob- an Indian to guide them across the
nothing more was ever heard from his taining several thousands of dollars in mountains. The Indian returned much
companion. sold. later with the information that he had

UNE, 1 954 19
taken the men to the pumice mountain on a San Francisco street. As he lay fornia but needed help to go there.
(Mammoth Mountain). dying in a hospital he identified him- Kent hired McDougall, giving him a
Kent and McDougall returned the self as McDougall and related the fol- $1500 yearly guarantee.
following year and repeated their visit lowing story. He said that while in
Arizona he had met Kent who claimed When they had gone as far as the
every year through the summer of pumice mountain on that first trip
1877. Late that year a man collapsed he knew of some lost treasure in Cali-
Kent dismissed the guide. As soon
as the Indian was out of sight Kent
said he believed they were near one of
4fc • The Desert Quiz this month is dedicated to the richest gold deposits he had ever
I)91 17 Dorothy Peters and her Quiz group at Reno. seen. He claimed he had found it in
Nevada. (See Letters page, this issue.) If 1861 (the first year of Dr. Randall's
the list is a little tougher than usual you can blame Dorothy for it. The search) but that Indian wars had pre-
list of questions covers many fields of interest—geography, history, plant vented his returning.
and animal life, Indians, literature and the lore of the desert. A score of
12 to 14 is fair, 15 to 17 is good, 18 or over is excellent. The answers From the point where they dismissed
are on page 32. the guide the two men went on to the
headwaters of the Owens River. There
1—A Dipodomys is a species of—Reptile . Bird . Rodent
Kent described certain landmarks to
Insect . .
McDougall and they began to search.
2—When the Colorado River broke out of control, flooded Imperial
Soon they found, first the landmarks,
Valley and formed Salton Sea in 1905-6-7, the break eventually
then the ledge.
was closed by—U. S. Army Engineers . Southern Pacific Rail-
road . Mexican Government . Bureau of Reclamation That summer they took out a huge
3—Pumice stone properly is classified as—Sedimentary rock . Meta- sum in gold. They melted it into bars
morphic rock . Conglomerate . Igneous rock and hid it among their belongings
4—Irateba was once a chief of the—Yuma Indians . Mojave Indi- when they left.
ans . Paiute Indians . Pima Indians
5—Death Valley Scotty's proper name was — Walter Scott Each year they took out from $25,-
John Scott . Lewis Scott . William Scott 000 to $50,000, clearing in all nearly
6—Highest Peak in Nevada is - - Charleston Peak . Boundary $400,000. Each time they left, Mc-
Peak . Mount Davidson . Antelope Peak Dougall said, they concealed the loca-
7—Indians used Ephedra for making—Dye . Poison arrows tion against chance discovery by others.
Intoxicants . Medicine They never recorded the location or
8—The name Peralta is associated with a famous lost mine believed to staked claims, preferring to keep the
have been located in—Death Valley . The Bullion Mountains secret and avoid having it over-run
with others seeking to share in the
of California . The Superstition Mountains of Arizona
riches. Though the trip from the west
The Henry Mountains of Utah . over the mountains was an arduous
9—Havasupai Canyon, home of the Supai Indians, is a tributary of the one Kent would never risk discovery
Green River _ . The Virgin River . The Verde River by being seen with ore in the gold
the Colorado River . thirsty camps on the desert side.
10—Cathedral Gorge State Park is in — Utah . Nevada . New
Mexico . California McDougall died soon after relating
1 1—The book The Romance of the Colorado River was written by his story. Kent never returned nor was
—Nevills . Dellenbaugh . Powell . Kolb Bros. he ever heard from again. It is sup-
12 One of the following desert trees or shrubs does not shed its leaves posed that illness, or perhaps even
in winter — Jojoba . Mesquite . Catsclaw . Desert death, intervened. The job of con-
Willow cealing the mine's location must have
13 Mexican Hat, Utah, overlooks the—Colorado River . Green been expertly done for it has never
River .__. San Juan River . Sevier River been found again.
14—An Indian trader is licensed—By the State in which his trading post
is located ... By the U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs - B y the There is ample proof from other
Indian Tribal Council . No license required sources that a rich gold deposit existed
15—The color of most of the locoweeds which grow on the desert is— in the district. One man, trading with
Bluish-purple . Red . Yellow . White the Indians, was paid $300 in gold
16—The rock formation known as "The Squaw and her Basket" is seen but was unable to learn where they
—On an island in the Great Salt Lake . In the Granite Dells at had obtained it.
Prescott, Arizona . At the edge of Pyramid Lake in Nevada .. _. . Indians coming into the camp of
In the Chiracahua National Monument of Arizona Benton, a day's travel into the desert
17—The harvesting of the date crop where dates grow on the Great from the vicinity of the mine's sup-
American Desert, generally begins about—September .April .„.. posed location, paid for their pur-
June . February . chases with gold but never revealed its
18—Quicksilver comes from an ore known as—Fluorite . Cinna- source.
bar Magnesite . Galena
Winds, sands and storms can do
19—Breyfogle is a name generally associated with—The discovery of strange things to the earth's counte-
gold at Goldfield . The capture of Geronimo . The arche- nance, often altering it completely.
ology of the Mesa Verde National Park . A lost mine in the But the elements that hid a treasure
Death Valley region can again reveal it. There seems little
20—The Hopi bread known as piki is made from—Wheat ___ Corn doubt that the reddish ledge, bearing
Millet . Barley its golden fortune, will some day en-
rich another finder.

20 DESERT MAGAZINE
 ' . ' ; • - * • ' • • ' • • • : . ' / : ' . ' -
PICTURES
of the
MONTH
•PPPrr ' Migratory Worker . •.
• • • • - •

Gathering the nectar of a cactus

•••• -• i <m<i
blossom, the bee worker was quietly
busy long enough for Harry Vroman
of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to ready
his camera and take this photograph,
first prize winner in Desert's April con-
• iimtniMiirf ^ ^
test. Vroman used a B&J Press camera,
Xenar 5Vi" lens, panchromatic film,
1/50 second at f. 11.
• i ^ ^ | ^

Sunset on Lake Mary . . .

Valdis Avots of Flagstaff, Arizona,
was awarded second place for this
study of a sunset over Lake Mary,
Arizona. A Leica Elmar 35 mm. cam-
era was used with yellow filter, 1/40
second at f. 8.
JUNE, 1954 21
. . . L I F E ON T H E D E S E R T . . .

*».. # WASH

Last Wagon Through

the Hole-in-the-Rock
By RAYMOND SMITH JONES Cedar City, Parowan and Paragoonah
As told to his wife, Adell Before his death at the age answered the call, perhaps not cheer-
of 94, Stanford Smith told mem- fully but certainly without question.
Y GRANDFATHER, Joseph bers of his family the intimate They gathered at the frontier town of
Stanford Smith, was only five details of his personal experi- Escalante and when word came from
years old when his parents, ence as a member of the his- the scouts that a place had been found
Joseph H. and Maria Stanford Smith toric Mormon colony which in to cross the Colorado River, the cara-
and their family set sail from Liver- 1880 crossed the Colorado River van started out.
pool, England, for the United States. at the Hole-in-the-Rock on its Stanford had a stout covered wagon
The family had been converted to way to establish a new settle- and two teams. With him were his
Mormonism in their native Stafford- ment at Bluff, Utah. The per- wife Arabella and their three little
shire and were on their way to join the sonal sacrifice and courage of children, Ada Olivia, five; Elroy, three,
Saints in Utah. They sailed on the that amazing trek are revealed and George Abraham, just six months
old ship Curling in April, 1855. They in this story, told by one of old.
landed in New York a month later. Smith's grandsons. When the crevice, through which
It was October before they reached the scouts thought the wagons could
Salt Lake City, having come across be taken down to the river, was reached
the plains with Milo Anderson's Hand- Endowment House at Salt Lake City. the men were dismayed. It would take
cart Company, the elders walking all She was 17, a pretty dark-haired girl, weeks, some even said months, of hard
the way. pleasingly plump. Stanford was 20, work to make a passageway. It was
In December of that year they were tall and thin with brown hair and blue already October and supplies were
sent to the Iron Mission in Southern eyes. They set up housekeeping in rapidly diminishing. Perhaps they
Utah and settled at Cedar City. Here Cedar City. should turn back and find an easier
Stanford grew to manhood. In 1879 word came to them from route.
Arabella Coombs was born in Col- church leaders that they were among But church authorities said: "No,
orado and migrated with her parents the families chosen to found a colony proceed at any cost."
to the Iron Mission. In 1870 she and in the far off corner of San Juan So groups of families back-tracked
Stanford Smith were married in the County. About 80 families, from to camp at the springs: Rock Corral,

22 DESERT MAGAZINE
Soda Springs, 50-Mile and 40-Mile. wanted to help. Stanford climbed in which the wagon must be lowered to
At the latter was a great natural bowl and unlocked the brakes—and paused the river.
carved by erosion in the sandstone. long enough to give each of the young- "I'll cross-lock the wheels. Please
On its smooth floor the older men, the sters a bear hug. throw me the chains, Belle."
women and children danced to pass Arabella climbed in and laid the She did as he asked, and then
away the long evenings and forget their baby on the bed and Stanford started jumped down to help. Stanford took
cold and hunger. the team toward the crevice through her arm and they walked to the top
Grandfather used to tell how they
even snared gophers and made stew
of them to supplement the meager ra-
tions. The younger men set about
carving a road down through the Hole.
It took them three months to do it—
a road more like a crude staircase,
down which they hoped they could
take their wagons. While men in the Mormon cara-
van spent three months widening
The families were called to the rim
this cleft in the rocks so the wag-
and the descent was begun. The wag-
ons could be lowered down to
ons were lowered one at a time, with
the river, the women camped at
locked wheels and ropes attached to
springs back along the trail to
the rear axles, then belayed around a
Escalante.
stout juniper post, solidly embedded
in the rock rim. The strongest men
slowly played out the ropes, letting
the wagons descend as easily as possi-
ble.
As road foreman, Stanford had seen
little of his family for weeks. He was
laboring to exhaustion, first at the rock
cut, then on the ferry and the long
dugway up the opposite bank of the
treacherous river.
At last the word came that all the
wagons were down, and the crossing
on the ferry began. Stanford looked
around for his family and wagon, but
they were nowhere in sight. He
dropped his shovel and climbed to the
top of the crevice.
There, huddled in a heap of tattered
quilts on packed dirty snow he found
his wife, her baby swathed in blankets
in her arms.
"Stanford, I thought you'd never
come," she exclaimed.
"But where are the other children,
and the wagon?" he asked.
"They're over there. They moved
the wagon back while they took the
others down." She pointed to a rusty
stovepipe showing above a huge sand-
stone boulder.
For a moment Stanford's face
flushed with rage. He threw his hat
on the ground and stomped it—as was
his habit when he was angry.
"With me down there helping get
their wagons on the raft, 1 thought
some one would bring my wagon down.
Drat 'em!"
"I've got the horses harnessed and
things all packed," Belle breathlessly
assured him as they ran toward the
wagon. Stanford hooked up the team,
two at the tongue, and old Nig tied to
the rear axle. The fourth horse, a
cripple, had died at 50-Mile spring.
The children woke up, tumbled
from their bed in the wagon, and

JUNE, 1954
of the crevice, where hand in hand ford got aboard. "Here we go. Hold chin began quivering and he had to
they looked down—10 feet of loose tight to your lines." Arabella smiled grin, knowing by her temper she wasn't
sand, then a rocky pitch as steep as at her little brood. "We'll be right too badly hurt. He put his arms around
the roof of a house and barely as wide back," she called. her and both began crying, then laugh-
as the wagon — below that a dizzy Stanford braced his legs against the ing with relief.
chute down to the landing place, once dashboard and they started down They had done it! Had taken the
fairly level but now ploughed up with through the Hole-in-the-Rock. The last wagon down — alone. Stanford
wheels and hoofs. Below that, they first lurch nearly pulled Belle off her put Belle on the bed in the wagon,
could not see, but Stanford knew what feet. She dug her heels in to hold her found the medicine kit and cleaned the
was down there—boulders, washouts, balance. Old Nig was thrown to his long gash in her leg.
dugways like narrow shelves. But it haunches. Arabella raced after him and "Darling, will you be all right?"
was that first drop of 150 feet that the wagon holding to the lines with "Of course 1 will. Just leave me
frightened him. desperate strength. Nig rolled to his here and go as fast as you can for the
"I am afraid we can't make it," he side and gave a shrill neigh of terror. children."
exclaimed. "His dead weight will be as good as a "I'll hurry," he flung over his shoul-
"But we've got to make it," she live one," she thought. der and began the steep climb up the
answered calmly. Just then her foot caught between incline they had just come down.
They went back to the wagon where two rocks. She kicked it free but lost He passed old Nig, who was trying
Stanford checked the harness, the axles, her balance and went sprawling after to regain his feet. He climbed too fast
the tires, the brakes. He looked at old Nig. She was blinded by the sand and became dizzy. He slowed down,
Belle, and felt a surge of admiration which streamed after her. She gritted and looked around. He had driven a
for this brave beautiful girl. They had her teeth and hung on to the lines. A wagon down that fearful crevice, and
been called to go to San Juan, and jagged rock tore her flesh and hot pain dragged his wife behind. Her clothes
they would go. With such a wife, no ran up her leg from heel to hip. The and flesh torn, she had gamely said
man could retreat. wagon struck a huge boulder. The she'd "crow-hopped right along." God
"If we only had a few men to hold impact jerked her to her feet and flung bless her gallant heart! He kicked the
the wagon back we might make it. her against the side of the cliff. rocks at his feet and with tears stream-
Belle." ing down his face lifted his hat in
The wagon stopped with the team
"I'll do the holding back," said salute to Arabella, his wife.
wedged under the tongue and Stanford
Belle, "on old Nig's lines. Isn't that leaped to the ground and loosened the "Papa! Papa!" a faint call came
what he's tied back there for?" tugs to free the team then turned to from far up the crevice.
"Any man with sense in his head see what had happened to Arabella. He answered: "Papa's coming, Ada!"
wouldn't let a woman do that," he There she stood, her face white against His voice echoed and re-echoed among
cried. the red sandstone. the rocks as he called to the children
"What else is there to do?" she over and over.
He used to tell us she was the most
countered. gallant thing he had ever seen as she At last he reached the top to find
"But, Belle, the children?" stood there defiant, blood-smeared, the three little ones sitting where their
"They will have to stay up here. dirt-begrimed, and with her eyes flash- mother had left them.
We'll come back for them." ing dared him to sympathize. "God stayed with us," said Ada.
"And if we don't come back?" "The baby's gone to sleep an' my arm's
In a shaky voice he asked, "How did
"We'll come back. We've got to!" 'most broke," said Roy. Little George
you make it. Belle?"
answered Belle. woke up and smiled a toothless grin.
"Oh 1 crow-hopped right along!'
Carefully she set three-year-old Roy Stanford Smith lifted the baby ten-
she answered. He looked away.
on a folded quilt back from the crev- derly in his arms, took his son's hand
He walked to the apparently life- in his, and with Ada clinging to his
ice. Between his short legs she put the less form of Nig, felt his flank. It
baby and told him: "Hold little brother pocket, went down to Arabella.
quivered under his hand and Nig tried
'til papa comes for you." Stanford's wagon lumbered out of
to raise his bruised and battered head.
She told Ada to sit in front of her the canyon, the team limping painfully.
Stanford then looked back up the Old Nig followed behind on trembling
brothers and say a little prayer. She crack. Up there on the sharp rocks a
kissed each one and tucked quilts legs, his hide torn and bleeding in
hundred feet above him waved a piece places.
snugly around them. "Don't move of white cloth, a piece of her garment.
dears. Don't even stand up. As soon Why she had been dragged all that Just before they reached the river's
as we get the wagon down papa will way! edge, five men came into view just
come back for you!" ahead of them, carrying chains and
"Looks like you lost your handker- ropes.
Ada turned to Stanford, "Will you chief, Belle." He tried to force a
come back, papa?" He could only nod laugh, instead he choked and grabbed "Look, Stanford," she said. "They
a yes and turn away with tears. "Then her to him, his eyes going swiftly over are coming to help."
I'm not afraid. We'll stay here with her. A trickle of blood ran down her He cracked his whip and shouted
God 'til you and mama get the wagon leg making a pool on the rocks. "Belle, to his team and bore down on the
down." And Ada began her little you're hurt! And we're alone here." men evidently without any intention
prayer: "Father in heaven bless me of stopping. They jumped out of the
and Roy and baby until our father "Old Nig dragged me all the way
road just in time.
comes back." down," she admitted.
"We came back to help you," one
"Is your leg broken?" he faltered.
To take Belle's mind off the chil- of them began, but Stanford cut him
dren, Stanford told her to test Nig's She wouldn't have his sympathy; not short. "How's the ferry, boys? Any
lines. "Pull back as hard as you can. just yet anyway. "Does that feel like of it left for us?"
I bet you couldn't pull the legs off a it's broken?" she fairly screamed, and "Brother Smith, we didn't—" Again
flea." Arabella wrapped the lines kicked his shin with fury. he was cut short. Stanford hadn't got-
around her strong supple hands. Stan- He felt like shaking her, but her ten over the bitterness he felt when his
24 DESERT MAGAZINE
family and wagon were left stranded get down from the wagons. Others Platt Lyman was their leader. "We
above the Hole-in-the-Rock. He leaped down with eagerness, ready to will meet here on this spot tomorrow
glanced at Arabella. She was pale. He make a home here. Arabella and her morning for land-drawing," he said,
remembered her gallant conduct, and friend Mary Jones were eager to pick "go now and prepare yourselves." He
was ashamed of his own ill temper. out their plots, adjoining as they had stressed the fact that Montezuma was
"Forget it fellows. We managed been neighbors in Cedar City. "We their original destination; that the fam-
fine. My wife here is all the help a can build our houses side by side, of ilies already there were expecting them,
fellow needs." Arabella's smile for- this pretty pink stone," cried Arabella, hopefully waiting for help to come, as
gave his petulance. They went down and Mary agreed. they were surrounded by hostile Indi-
to the ferry, followed by the abashed "Well, it's a wonderful place to camp ans whom they hoped to convert. The
men. The wagon was loaded onto the for a while," said Stanford as he un- majority had to go on.
raft. Arabella lay on a pallet at the hooked his team. It was the 6th of Stanford failed to draw one of the
raft's edge and watched red cliff walls April, 1880. Songs were on the wom- lucky numbers, and he and Arabella
recede, then closed her eyes and slept. en's lips as they carried water from went on to Montezuma, and three
When Stanford lifted her to the wagon the river to bathe the children—their years later moved to Mancos, Colo-
an hour later she was completely re- first real baths since leaving Escalante. rado. Of all the colonists mentioned
laxed. And then they washed the clothes. in this story, only the baby, George
After they got up out of the can- They must still live in the wagons Abraham Smith, now 74, is living—
yon of the Colorado there was still a while the men built homes. And some making his home in the little Mormon
long slow journey to reach their final must move on seventeen miles up the colony at Ammon, Idaho.
destination at Montezuma Creek on the river to Montezuma for it had become Today a monument stands on the
east side of the San Juan River. For evident that this place was too small bank of the Colorado River where
two and a half more months the tired for so many families. So they began that historic crossing was made — a
caravan plodded eastward from the a lottery for the land. Each head of tribute to the self-sacrifice and cour-
Colorado, hewing its way through family lucky enough to draw a land age of the Stanfords and the Arabellas
juniper forests, fighting mud which number would receive 15 acres and a of that heroic period in Western his-
balled the wheels into solid disks, slid- small city lot. tory.
ing down the slick clay hills where the
wheels could get no traction, climbing
from canyon to mesa and back to
canyon over and over again.
Each mile of the long trek was a
fight to conquer weariness, hunger,
discouragement and fear, in bitter win-
PHOTO C O N T E S T . . . in June
If you get up and out early enough one morning this June, you
ter weather. Finally they came to their may find a night-blooming cereus still blossoming in the dawn. Or
last barrier — San Juan Hill. For a watch one at night and use flash equipment for a camera study of
week they pitted their strength against this interesting desert flower to submit in Desert Magazine's June
its slippery sandstone and almost gave Picture-of-the-Month contest.
up. But they had to make it! And Of course photo contest subject matter is not limited to night-
they did, but the trail was strewn with blooming cereus. Anything of the desert Southwest—animal, vege-
broken spokes, worn-out shoes, live- table or mineral—is eligible. Winners are selected on the basis of
stock that had collapsed from exhaus- good composition, unusual subject treatment, clear focus and sharp
tion. Men toiled and sweated goading contrast of black and white.
the wagons on and up.
Entries for the June contest must be in the Desert Magazine office.
The caravan finally crawled back to Palm Desert, California, by June 20, and the winning prints will appear
the San Juan's brink and found be- in the August issue. Pictures which arrive too late for one contest are
tween weird bluffs of many-colored held over for the next month. First prize is $10; second prize $5.00.
sandstone a tiny green valley. They For non-winning pictures accepted for publication $3.00 each will be
stopped because they could go no paid.
farther. Here was grass, water, good
soil—a place to rest and recuperate. HERE ARE THE RULES
It had a fierce untamed beauty that
refreshed them. There were fish in 1—Prints for monthly contests must be black and white, 5x7 or larger, printed
on glossy paper.
the river and rabbits in the willows—
food. They decided to call their new 2—Each photograph submitted should be fully labeled as to subject, time and
place. Also technical data: camera, shutter speed, hour of day, etc.
home Bluff.
3—PRINTS WILL BE RETURNED WHEN RETURN POSTAGE IS ENCLOSED.
"End of the Trail," sang out one
4—All entries must be in the Desert Magazine office by the 20th of the contest
of the men. "This is San Juan." month.
"But it's so small—no bigger than 5—Contes'.s are open to both amateur and professional photographers. Desert
a backyard," protested his wife. Magazine requires first publication rights only of prize winning pictures.
"Where is the fort? The Indians? Our 6—Time and place of photograph are immaterial, except that it must be from the
own people?" (A settlement had al- desert Southwest.
ready been established at Montezuma 7—Judges will be selected from Desert's editorial staff, and awards will be made
Creek.) immediately after the close of the contest each month.
"This is not Montezuma, but it's Address All Entries to Photo Editor
decided we stay here. We can't go
on." Some of the women refused to IDe&ent W&yayute PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
believe this small parcel of land was
their destination and were reluctant to

JUNE, 1954 25
 TOUd
By MARGARET SHELTON
Vista, California
Needing only sunshine
A toe-hold in the rocks
Nothing half so dainty
Comes in a florist's box.
Fragile as a butterfly
Shy of the oft used trail
Sends its petals riding
High on the desert's gale.

DESERT REVERIE
By ORVAL RICKETTS
Farmington, New Mexico
Pale blue of pinyon smoke ascends
To drift above the sage
In lazy spirals, like my thoughts
Soar off beyond the page.
The pungent fragrance fills the air
With potent scent of pine.
As redolent as timbered hill.
As heady as a wine.
These wisps of wafted smoke somehow
bscnscnoltzia glyptosperma, a typical Mo/ave Desert poppy. Photo by Stir strange, far thoughts in me,
As if this healing incense might
Mary Beat of Daggett, California. Be spirit of the tree.
DESERT HAVEN YUCCA
By ALICE BRILEY By GEORGIA JORDAN
Albuquerque, New Mexico San Diego, California NOSTALGIA
This is landscape from a fantasy. Unyielding bayonets of rooted green By GRACE BARKER WILSON
Objects are rigid. They appear to be Protect the rounded yucca spires that gleam Kirtland, New Mexico
Savagely threatening and vigilant. Upon the western hills, bright with the
The sun is a metal shield and every plant sheen I want to hear the coyotes howl on some far
Is armored. Hard to believe these spears Of morning sun on temple bells of cream; hill.
are warm Fair cloisters for the insect choirs that sing And the crackle of the campfire break the
With shelter for such tender things. No A happy welcome to the new-born Spring. evening still.
storm I want to watch the red of sunset skies grow
Disturbs the Elf Owl in her spine-thatched • • • dim.
house. DESERT GOLD And see the purple sage against the canyon
The wren in the mesquite thorn, the dancing rim.
By MARY PERDEW I want to hear the wind as it goes whistling
mouse Not hidden by the aging rocks
See nothing alien in their home but find on.
The desert a pioneer mother, austere but Nor deep beneath the sands. And the lowing of the cattle when the sun
kind. The gleaming gold that all may share. is gone.
• • • Is far from seeking hands, I want to see the friendly stars come close
Remote from weary, futile search. and bright,
PURPLE HAZE Long wanderings and toil, And sleep out on the range land on a moon-
The finest and the brightest gold lit night.
By A. L. TOULOUSE Is not within the soil.
Costa Mesa, California Though Nature guards her secrets well
Yours is no magic glory. At times, near close of day
Spun of burnished gold, The wonder of the treasure shines, CANYON ARTIST
Splashing the heavens with beauty In glorious array. By ELSIE MCKINNON STRACHAN
No heart can ever hold. Pure gold, for all the world. Santa Ana, California
It lies in Desert sunsets.
Yours is no trailing crimson. Flaming skies. Unnoticing the tourists' probing eyes,
Nor gaudy banner flying. Nor conscious that her wrap was out of
That changes every moment place
As the day is dying. I LIKE THE DESERT Among the tanning throng, she searched the
skies
Yours is the breath of solitude. By AMY VIAU
Above the canyon, watched the low-sun's
Silently drifting down Santa Ana, California pace.
And gently wrapping about the land 1 walked in the desert and did not care Beside her easel on the look-out rim
A hazy purple gown. That sand filled my shoes and wind blew She placed pastels of every shade and hue;
Yours is the curtain of tranquility my hair; And there, while daylight's sky grew quickly
That beckons the coming night. For I like the desert and its wind and sand dim.
And modulates the harmony of brilliance Are one with the reaching desert land. She blended colors where the page was new.
To a subdued pastel light. And then, as windowed light of El Tovar
I gazed through the sunny arid air Pricked through pine scented dusk, her
Yours is the desert vesper hour And beheld the desert, everywhere. fingers sped.
That comes to this land of stone. Its vastness reigning victoriously She sketched the mighty chasm, its shad-
And fills the air with music, O'er land once ruled by the rushing sea. owed scar
A song in a whispered tone. Of stream, the sun's mauve footprints over-
1 walked in the desert where tall cacti wear head.
Yours is the hymn of twilight That special dignity desert plants share; Yet, some of narrow stature thought her
Bringing sleep beneath your span. The sand purred where I walked — such odd —
Yours is the will of God, purring could be. Whose fingers traced this moving glimpse
Giving comfort and peace to man. Since I like the desert, perhaps it likes me. of God.

26 DESERT MAGAZINE
umm
And the Waters Prevailed . . .

Desert:
Englewood, Colorado

"In the six hundredth year of Noah's

that half of the questions have been
asked over and over again. The Des-
ert Quiz Master has been improving
lately and has come up with a few
new questions that are really lulus, but
could he junk some of those stock
queries regarding the location of the
Lost Dutchman Mine, the fact that
Tombstone was noted for silver and
that the capital of New Mexico is
The Over-rated Concentrator . . .

Desert:
Searchlight, Nevada

I have always liked your fine maga-

zine, and I was shocked to find a
highly inaccurate article on page 24
of the April number.
"Wilson, Nevada," the mining item
was headed, and it began: "One-hun-
dred percent recovery of gold is the
life, in the second month, the seven- Santa Fe? By now we have memor- claim of inventor . . ." The so-called
teenth day of the month, the same day ized the answers to these and other "concentrate classifier" which this
were all the fountains of the great over-and-over-againers, and it hardly paragraph described happens to be
deep broken up, and the windows of seems fair to take credit for them. located on my property, which, inci-
heaven were opened. And the rain The general consensus of opinion dentally, is 42, not 60, miles from
was upon the earth forty days and up here seems to be that the multiple- Las Vegas. The machine is not a suc-
forty nights. And the waters prevailed, choice type quiz is favored over the cess and everyone who has seen it has
and were increased greatly upon the true-false. It is better for a group not called it a success, and it certainly
earth; and the ark went upon the face when nobody agrees and everybody does not move about a thousand yards.
of the waters . . . and all the high hills, wants to scatter. The operators are lucky to get two
that were under the whole heaven, Even as is, the quiz section is a high- yards through the thing in an hour.
were covered. And every living sub- light in Desert Magazine.
stance was destroyed which was upon There is no machine operating in
the face of the ground, both man, and DOROTHY PETERS Alaska, as both machines are here on
cattle, and the creeping things, and my property. One machine was oper-
Thanks, Dorothy Peters, for your ating until 1 cancelled the lease March
the fowl of the heaven; and they were letter. The Quiz Master has no alibi.
destroyed from the earth: and Noah 26 because it was not concentrating
He admits he just sorta got in a rut. and it recovered a very small percent-
only remained alive, and they that were But he'll try to do better—and if the
with him in the ark." Genesis, Chapter age of the values.
June Quiz is a toughy it's all your
7: verses 11, 12, 18, 19, 23. fault. As appreciation for your let- LEON V. GARLAND
With such a simple explanation for ter, Desert will give a year's sub- • • •
the finding of dinosaur fossils, why scription to the member of your For Campfire Control . . .
must we say that no one knows the group who wins the June Quiz. If Flagstaff, Arizona
cause of their wholesale destruction? it's a tie, they'll have to flip a coin Desert:
We may consult any King James ver- or draw lots. We're not kidding, we I agree with Dr. Edmund Jaeger
sion of the Bible and we shall find really mean this—and we'll depend (April Desert) that the wood camp-
that approximately in 2349 B.C., 4302 on you to send us the name, and if fire is the highlight of an outdoor trip.
years ago, the entire earth was de- you win it yourself, more power to Cooking over a ready-built fireplace
stroyed by a tremendous flood. Why you.—R.H. at an established campground is about
make it so difficult for ourselves in • • • as satisfying as cooking on a gas range.
trying to estimate just how many "mil- The Lost Dutchman Mine . . . However, the camper must exercise
lions" of years ago these animals were caution in building and tending his
buried, when the Good Book tells us Los Angeles, California
Desert: campfire. I have heard campers insist
the complete answer in simple lan- that three rocks on two feet of duff
guage any child can understand? I think I have read almost every
story ever published about the Lost made a fire perfectly safe—and I have
JAMES E. WILHITE Dutchman Mine, and in 1941 spent had to put out the flames that crawled
about two months in the Superstitions out after they had left the site believ-
Quiz Fan's Plea . . . looking for the fabulously rich vein. ing the fire out.
The stories put out by some of the I know that most Desert Magazine
Desert:
writers are, in my opinion, just bunk. readers are experienced campers and
How about some new blood for an too much in love with Nature to burn
old favorite, the Desert Quiz? Some writers talk about surface
veins. The Superstition Mountains do even a struggling clump of sage brush
Everybody I know who reads Des- unnecessarily. As an unconscious mat-
ert Magazine (and there is an eager not have any veins showing at the sur-
face; there has not been sufficient ero- ter of habit, I am sure they would
group of Desert fans in this end of never place their rocks or start a fire
Nevada) turns to the quiz page first sion to expose them. Others tell of
placers and arrastres. They never saw without first making sure that it could
—as many people seek a newspaper's not crawl away out of control.
comics before reading the headlines. either in the Superstitions.
In our own little crowd, we await the In 1941, a friend of mine and I had But to those readers who may not
arrival of Desert each month with a pack outfit owned by Abe L. Reid be so careful or experienced, I would
anticipation as to what the quiz will who had spent 40 years in the Super- sound this warning: First, clear your
hold, then all assemble and take the stitions working for different ranches fire site of all burnable material for a
test together. Arguments, even wagers and hoping to find the lost mine. He distance of at least two feet in all di-
ensue, and the winner doesn't let the told us that in all those years he had rections. Then, and only then, is it
runners-up forget for a minute for the never seen the color of gold. safe to start the fire.
rest of the month that he is top man I understand Herman Petrasch, My experience makes me partial to
in desert lore. With the arrival of the whose version of the Lost Dutchman the sheep herder's fireplace, dug in
next issue, he may be deposed and a story was published in the January the soil. If I intend to stay in one
new king crowned. issue, passed away in November, 1953, place for more than one day, I prefer
There is nothing so disconcerting as at the age of 92. to cook under the fire.
to begin one of these quizzes and find V. H. GOODMAN PAUL M. ELLIS

JUNE, 1954 27
Finders Keepers? . . . Water Hope for Desert . . . tion, the desert offers as good a place
Glendale, California Los Angeles, California as any for water development. It will
Desert: Desert: not be made to bloom overnight as a
I was very interested in the story, It has been my pleasure closely to result of the Riess discovery, because
"Lost Wells-Fargo Gold" in the April observe the work of Stephen Riess, the lack of hard-rock well-drilling
issue of Desert Magazine, and I am controversial primary water hydrolo- "know-how" and inadequacy of equip-
wondering who would become the gist, for many years. Confusion cre- ment impedes its progress. New sonic
legal owner if this lost gold were to be ated by technical errors in articles such well-drilling devices offer a possible
found? as "New Source of Water for Desert solution to this problem.
ENOS SNYDER Lands?" by Gaston Burridge (April LLOYD ROOKE
Desert) gives comfort and argument
So many factors enter into the to critics of his well-locating methods.
question of who may properly claim It is not possible in a short letter such Sage and Sagebrush . . .
lost treasure that it is impossible to as this to describe the sound founda- San Bernardino, California
answer it unless all the specific cir- tion for his work; rather, it is hoped Desert:
cumstances are known — whether the following explanation may help to I note there has been some discus-
the discovery was accidental or the clarify the situation. sion in Desert about the names creo-
result of a considerable expenditure sote bush and greasewood as applied
of time and money, whether the land Geologists, hydrologists in particu-
lar, are generally agreed that the earth's to desert shrubs.
was public or private, whether the
original owner or his heirs can or water is either internal or external in Confusing greasewood and creosote
cannot be positively established, etc. basic origin. The latter is derived from is almost as bad as the error made by
Not even a lawyer would attempt to the well-known precipitation cycle; the writers who refer io desert brush col-
answer your question in advance of former, from little understood petro- lectively as sagebrush. That really
the discovery.—R.H. logic processes. According to this defi- puts my nerves on edge. Actually,
nition the great mass of existing water there isn't a single plant of sagebrush
is predominantly external in origin. among the various kinds of plants
There is no controversy about either they are referring to collectively. Sage-
If You Wear
of these conclusions. brush does not grow in the low south-
SPECS ern deserts, except perhaps an occa-
You Need
With particular reference to ground- sional plant near the base of the foot-
water locations, hydrologists have been hills.
and are primarily concerned with ex-
Sagebrush is not the same as sage,
SPBCTO ternal water. Procedures for its loca-
tion involve a knowledge of physical
factors such as porosity, percolation,
if you please. That's another mistake
that makes the plant-lover bite his

SHIELD precipitation, drainage, etc. For this

reason wells are first located, as a rule,
fingernails. Sagebrush is artemisia.
Sage is salvia. Yucca is not a cactus,
but a lily. Ocotillo is neither cactus
in the porous lowlands of valleys or
ANTI-GLARE PROTECTION basins, then located up the slopes to nor lily. It is fouquiera. How many
for work, play, reading, driving, sports, tele- the economic limit of pumping from times have 1 heard people refer to both
vision. Just snap them on your glasses and see a more or less uniform subsurface these latter species as cactus. Might
better, feel safer when driving in the sunlight
water level. as well confuse a walnut with a grape-
or toward glaring headlights at night. fruit—they both grow on trees don't
Opaque or transparent styles—$1.00 A part of the water of internal or- they? I am not a botanist.
BALBOA ENTERPRISES igin, that defined by Riess with refer-
507 East Balboa Blvd., Balkoa, California ence to the precipitation cycle as "pri- EDWIN F. WIEGAND
mary," represents water of original • • •
occurrence. Its location involves mainly River at Mexican Hat . . .
KEEP VOUR I M P S . . . a knowledge of the chemistry of petro-
logic processes and none of the afore-
Desert:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Every month Desert Magazine mentioned factors. For this reason the
carries two or three maps especi- Riess primary wells are located in I was interested in the news item
ally prepared for readers who practically impervious rock, the high- from Mexican Hat, Utah, published
come to the desert for recreation land of the valleys and basins. in the April issue of Desert Magazine,
or field trips. which told of the new bridge being
These maps are best retained Misunderstanding of this distinction built over the Colorado River at that
for permanent reference by filing has resulted in much criticism by what point.
your copy of Desert Magazine we might distinguish as practicing sec- My goodness, how can this be? I
each month in one of the loose- ondary external water hydrologists. am sure that I crossed the San Juan
leaf binders supplied by the Riess readily admits his knowledge of River at Mexican Hat last June 27. I
magazine publishers. the process is incomplete. Many new felt at the time that the new bridge
Covered with imitation leather wells must be drilled to perfect pri- was sorely needed.
and gold embossed, each binder mary water hydrology. Statistically, Thanks for a fine magazine. But
holds 12 copies. They are easy the record is most impressive. Aca- hereafter let's cross the beautiful San
to insert and they lie flat when demic support comes not from second- Juan at Mexican Hat—or do I have
ary water hydrologists but rather from the wrong hat?
open. MAILED POSTPAID FOR metallurgists, petrologists, mining ge- LEROY S. TAYLOR
$2.00 ologists and desert rats who know
good and well that some spring waters Reader Taylor is indeed right.
HE did not originate in the atmosphere. It was Desert's exchange editor who
got his hats mixed up. For his
PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
Since precipitation does not affect stupidity he has been awarded a
primary water well production or loca- Dunce's Hat.—R.H.
28 DESERT MAGAZINE
 COTTONWOOD—John W. Strat-

Here and Jhete on the Desett... ton has assumed duties as superintend-
ent of Tuzigoot National Monument.
A former personnel assistant at South-
ARIZONA Indian Liquor Vote . . . western National Monument headquar-
ters at Globe, he succeeds J. W.
Apaches Elect Woman . . . PHOENIX—Arizona voters will be Brewer, now superintendent at Wu-
asked in the November general election patki National Monument. — Verde
SAN CARLOS — A quiet-spoken to lift the ban on sale of liquor to
28-year-old woman with a sincere in- Independent.
Indians. The resolution provides for
terest in the welfare of her people is lifting of the ban on Indian liquor • • •
the first member of her sex to be sales after July 1, 1957. However, CALIFORNIA
elected to the San Carlos Apache In- Indians would be able to buy liquor
dian Tribal Council. She is Pricilla Tramway Path Cleared . . .
immediately upon approval by the elec-
Smith, graduate of Indian Service torate in off-reservation establishments. PALM SPRINGS—Construction of
schools and Haskell Institute in Kan- —Phoenix Gazette. the Mt. San Jacinto Tramway, proj-
sas, where she took a two-year com- ected on plans as the largest and high-
• • • est in the world, is scheduled to start
mercial course. New chairman of the
San Carlos tribe is Jess J. Stevens, Hopis Report to Phoenix . . . late this year or early in 1955. Final
former vice-chairman; Oliver Talgo PHOENIX — Secretary of Interior obstacle to the project was cleared in
succeeds Stevens in the latter capacity. Douglas McKay has announced that April when Secretary of Interior Doug-
Other councilors are Fred Naltazan, the Hopi Indian Agency, located las McKay approved an exchange of
Briton Goode, Ernest Victor, Paul wholly in Arizona, soon will send ad- land which granted the Winter Park
Anderson, Manuel Hinton, Marvin ministrative reports to the Phoenix Authority right-of-way across a half
Mull, Harrison Porter and Willis Titla. Area Office of the Bureau of Indian section of land in the San Bernardino
Retiring chairman is Clarence Wesley, Affairs instead of to New Mexico. Ef- National Forest 2700 feet above sea
who had held the post for three years. fective date of the transfer of admin- level on the almost perpendicular side
—Phoenix Gazette. istrative jurisdiction has not yet been of Mt. San Jacinto. For more than
worked out. four years the granting of this right-of-
• • •
way, upon which two giant steel towers
Father Abandons Search . . . • • •
of the tramway will be located, has
YUMA—John Walker has finally Desalting Tests Readied . . . been opposed by conservation groups
given up hope for his daughter June, PHOENIX — Government chemists which fear that the tramway will open
who disappeared with her companion, have completed preliminary studies of the wilderness area to persons who
Klaus Martens, on the Yuma desert in Salt River Valley water wells being would not appreciate the wonders of
July, 1951. The New York insurance considered as sites for testing a process the virgin mountain area. Under terms
man had planned a final 3-week search to reduce by electrolysis the salt con- of the land transaction, the Winter
for the pair but abandoned it after tent of irrigation water. Tests are Park Authority deeded one full section
seeing the desert for the first time this scheduled to begin in fall. According of land situated near the headwaters
April. Until the search trip to Yuma, to R. J. McMullen, general manager of Snow Creek at the 5000-foot eleva-
the easterner had had no conception of the Salt River Valley Water Users tion for the 326 acres of land at the
of what the desert was like. He was Association, there is a growing prob- 2700-foot elevation. The proposed
overwhelmed by its vastness and deso- lem of salt concentration in valley tramway is expected to cost between
lation and accepted its ability to swal- lands. With the lowering of the water eight and ten million dollars.—Desert
low up his daughter without a trace. table, he explained, mineralized waters Sun.
Miss Walker and Martens disappeared at lower levels are not carried off in
after their rented light plane appar- drainage but are recirculated by pump-
ently made a forced landing on the ing, thus increasing the salinity of the
desert. Their tracks led from the un-
damaged plane but were lost in the
soil.—Phoenix Gazette.
• • • Antique Sundials
sand after a few hundred feet.— Yuma Made of solid bronze, collected
Daily Sun. KEAMS CANYON — Clyde W.
Pensoneau, a member of the Indian from historical places of the West.
• • •
Bureau staff at the Colorado River Old ranches, Spanish, Indian and
Mark Victims' Graves . . . Agency, Parker, Arizona, has been Civil War battlefields, Coronado's
SENTINEL—A brass plate bearing named superintendent of the Hopi
the Oatman family name and a brief Agency at Keams Canyon. Pensoneau winter camp of 1541.
history of their massacre by Tonto served the Colorado River tribe as The original dial I found in the
Apache Indians in 1850 now marks agricultural extension agent since 1952. remains of a burned wagon train
the victims' burial spot 15 miles north He has been with the Bureau for 13 on the old Santa Fe Trail just south
of here. The historical marker was years. of Raton, New Mexico.
placed by the Arizona Society, Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution. The SAVE MONEY! Diameter 12 inches, has Roman
Oatmans left an immigrant train to I)O IT YOTJBSBLF! numerals on face and bears the in-
Complete instructions in scription "Time Takes All But Mem-
continue alone to California, were "Home Raircutting Sim- ories." Weight 8 pounds. Story of
plified." Easy directions
overtaken by Indians and the mother, for cutting men's, wom- it all and instructions on how to set
father and one child killed. One boy, en's, children's hai it correctly in your garden with each
clear illustrations — ,vrit- dial. $30.00 delivered in U.S. and
thrown over a cliff and believed dead, ten by a profession 1 barber. Special
p sec- Canada.
tion on cutting an thinning
hii ffor Home
recovered and escaped. Two daughters Permanents. Pays fo Itself with One Hair-
were taken into captivity where one cut. Satisfaction ranteed. MOORE C. HESS
Only $1.00 postpaid — Cash, check or M.O.
died and the other, Olive, later was (Penna. residents please add lc sales tax)
Write for prices on genuine barber tools. BOX 7188
rescued and reunited with her brother. MR. CHARLES OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
—Phoenix Gazette. DEPT. F, 1 4 0 6 P O C O N O STREET, PITTSBURGH I S , PA.

JUNE, 1954
 JUDGES NOW SELECTING
WRITING CONTEST WINNERS
THE DESERT TRADING POST
Classified Advertising in This Section Costs 10c a Word, $1.50 Minimum Per Issue
Many readers responded to Desert
Magazine's latest writing contest, which
closed May 20, with stories of how
they had succeeded in attracting des-
CLOSING OUT—For many years we have ert birds to their homes. Most of the
BOOKS — MAGAZINES entries were from folks untrained in
served you, our friends and customers,
BOOKS FOUND—Any title! Free world- with the finest of Reservation Indian made professional journalism; many of the
wide book search service. Any book, artifacts, but now the time has come for manuscripts submitted represented first
new or old. Western Americana a spe- us to retire from active business. We writing attempts of their authors.
cialty. Lowest price. Send wants today! are offering our selected stock at a sub-
International Bookfinders, Box 3003-D, stantial discount for quick disposal. You Members of Desert's editorial staff
Beverly Hills. California. may now buy things you could not afford selected to act as judges in the contest
at former prices. Many items of interest
to collectors. Daniels Indian Trading are carefully considering entries, read-
BOOKS ON GEMS — Rare, old, out-of-
print books in many languages. Stamp Post, 16299 Foothill Blvd. (Highway 66) ing and re-reading them until final se-
for list. Willems. Box 1515, Chicago 90. Fontana. California. lections are made, and results will be
FOR SALE: Large Indian collection, ollas, announced in the July issue.
INDIAN GOODS baskets, artifacts. Write for list. Chevron
Station, Borrego Springs, California. WANT PARTNER: have gold so rich can
6 PERFECT ANCIENT FLINT arrowheads see the gold in rock: I have mill. 50%
$2.00. Fine double bladed tomahawk for $2,500 cash. J. S. Wisdom, Tonopah,
$3.00. Grooved granite war club $2.00. REAL ESTATE
Nevada, via Fish Lake Valley.
Perfect peace pipe $5.00. 6 fine bird ar- 82 ACRES WITH WATER RIGHTS: East-
rows $2.00. 2 flint knives $1.00. 6" to 7" ern High Sierra. Fishing, hunting area. IMPORT-EXPORT! Opportunity profitable,
Perfect spearhead $7.00. All offers Ideal for Trailer Park or subdivide for world-wide, mail-order business from
$20.00. List Free. Lear's. Glenwood, cabin sites. Box 417. Bishop. California. home, without capital, or travel abroad.
Arkansas. Established World Trader ships instruc-
CAFE FULLY EQUIPPED (living quart- tions for no-risk examination. Experience
AUTHENTIC INDIAN SONGS and chants ers). Mobilgas station, garage: with 5 unnecessary. Free details. Mellinger.
on high fidelity phonograph records. Re- rental units. Going business. Also, want A-986. Los Angeles 24, California.
corded by well known tribal singers — partner promoting new desert resort.
Natay, Pop Chalee, Chief Spotted Back Acreage one to 300 acres. Come and FIND YOUR OWN beautiful Gold nug-
Hamilton, H. Lomawaima, J. Gachupin stop with us. Ocotillo Wells Inn, High- gets! It's fun! Beginners' illustrated in-
and others. For catalogue write Canyon way 78. San Diego Co., or write Box 86. struction book! $1.00. Gold pan. $2.00.
Records, 834 North 7th Avenue. Phoenix, Del Mar. California. Where to go? Gold placer maps. South-
Arizona. ern California, Nevada, Arizona. $1.00
BEAUTIFUL DESERT RETREAT 4 miles each state. All three maps $2.00. Desert
FOR SALE—Collection of several thou- south of Indio, 26 miles SE of Palm Jim, Box 604. Stockton. California.
sand arrowheads and yumas, made in Springs. Home built by reputable con-
Oregon about 60 years ago. Almost in- tractor with his own crew for his own GOLD PROSPECTING CATALOG—List-
tact and 95% perfect specimens. Prob- use. located top of magnificent sand dune ing, placer and lode maps, steel gold pans,
ably largest and finest collection ever planted to mesquite and flowering desert mining and mineral books, books on lost
offered publicly. Should bring $25,000 shrubs. All surrounded by ten acres mines, pocket magnifying glasses, min-
in active tourist market. Details on ap- young Ruby Blush grapefruit trees. Owner eral collection sets, blueprints of dry
plication. Seaside Stamp Shop. 307 now forced to leave valley will sell at washers and wet washers you can build
Broadway, Seaside. Oregon. cost. $47,000. Write Ronald L. Johnson, yourself. Catalog and Gold Panning Les-
Thermal, California. son — Free. Old Prospector. Box 729.
Desk 5, Lodi, California.
PRICED TO SELL: Picturesque modern
Pinon Incense... mountain home. Large rooms and fire- DESERT TEA. One pound one dollar
place with rock and gemshop adjoining.
Good water. 5 acres of land with trees,
postpaid. Greasewood Greenhouses. Len-
wood, Barstow, California.
Bring the delightful fragrance fronting highway 67. Beautiful view.
of the Pinyon Forest into your Building sites, healthful climate, no smog. NEW CALIFORNIA State Topographic
home or office. The burner is a 1800 ft. elevation. Natural lake site. Map 64x90" $2.50. Lost mines of 10
Write for Kodak picture and terms. Rock- Southwestern states, with map $1.75.
miniature model of the outdoor house Gem Shop, Star Route, Lakeside, Sectionized County maps: San Bernar-
baking ovens used by prehis- California. dino, Riverside $1.00 each, lnyo. Mono,
toric Indians, and still in use in Kern, Los Angeles 75c each. Imperial,
NEAR SALTON SEA—80 acres flat land San Diego 50c each. New series of Ne-
New Mexico pueblos. When vada County maps $1.00 each. Joshua
$1595 (full price) $35.00 down $30.00
the little cones of genuine pin- month. Act now! Pon & Co. Box 546- Tree-Twentynine Palms area $1.56. Town-
yon pine are burned in this tiny DM. Azusa, Calif. ship blanks, all sizes. Lode or Placer
oven the aroma is a breath of location notice forms 5c each. Topo-
MISCELLANEOUS graphical maps in California, Nevada.
the outdoor Southwest. Utah, Arizona and all other Western
Kills kitchen and bathroom FREE CATALOGUE: Make profitable states. Westwide Maps Co., 114'/2 W.
costume jewelry. Quality findings, lowest Third St., Los Angeles, California.
odors and removes the smell of
stale tobacco. Pueblo Indians prices, rhinestone, supplies. Box 552,
EE, Pasadena, California. GHOST TOWN ITEMS: Sun-colored glass,
burn pinyon for nasal and amethyst to royal purple; ghost railroads
bronchial ailments. GET YOUR SAMPLE COPY of Gritzner's materials, tickets; limited odd items from
Geode "The friendly little mineral pub- camps of the '60s. Write your interest—
Burner and 15 cones....$1.75 lication" including our latest price list of Box 64-D. Smith, Nevada.
Burner and 54 cones... 3.00 quality minerals, books, magazines, min-
Extra cones, 36 for 1.50 eralights, Geiger Counters, Rockhound AVAILABLE: four 8x10 glossy photos
Specials and lapidary equipment — 25c showing over 100 dried plant decorations
Postpaid to You please. Gritzner's Minerals. Mesa 3, Ariz. for home use. With list $1.00. Palm
Valley Ranch, Box 70. Palm Springs.
D6S6RT CRAFTS SHOP I WILL SELL my rights and interest and
my holdings in and on five claims stra-
California.

Palm Desert, California tegically located. Have land and mining SILVERY DESERT HOLLY PLANTS:
value. Joe Melee. 1007 Belleview, San One dollar each postpaid. Greasewood
Bernardino. California. Greenhouses, Lenwood, Barstow, Calif.

30 DESERT MAGAZINE
Try, Try Again . . . New Superintendent Named . . . public inspection January 1, 1937.
NEEDLES — For a distance of DEATH VALLEY—Following the The last person in line that day was
about six miles immediately below resignation of T. R. Goodwin as super- number 4,999,980. The five-millionth
Davis Dam, the clear cool water re- intendent of Death Valley National visitor had to wait until early April 2.
leased from the dam has scoured the Monument April 1, the Park Service —Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Colorado River bottom bed down to office in Washington announced the • • •
exposed gravel and rubble, providing appointment of Fred Binnewies of Navy Considers Lake Mead . . .
fair to good trout habitat. The warmer Bandelier National Monument as LAS VEGAS—Rumors have been
silt-free water of Topock Swamp and Goodwin's successor. Ted Ogston, flying in Las Vegas that the U. S. Navy
Lake Havasu, just below Needles, pro- chief ranger, who has been eligible for is considering an installation at Lake
vides habitat for large mouth bass. retirement for some time, but who re- Mead, but no official confirmation of
But in that section of the river between mained as acting superintendent after reports has been made. A cadre of
Needles and the Nevada line, the river Goodwin was seriously injured in an Navy men has been quartered at Nellis
bottom is mainly fine sand in continu- automobile accident several months Air Force Base and the officers have
ous movement downstream, and sum- ago, also has resigned active duty in been reported "highly interested" in
mertime water temperatures are mostly the Park Service. Goodwin is making the Lake Mead area, giving rise to
too cold for warm water fish and too his home at present in Las Vegas, speculation that a base is planned
warm for trout. The California De- Nevada. there.—Las Vegas Review-Journal.
partment has made several unsuccess- • • • • • •
ful plants in the difficult river stretch Indians Prefer Status Quo . . . Lake Mead Cabin Sites . . .
and soon will try again—this time with PALM SPRINGS — Five years is BOULDER CITY—A second vaca-
the small mouth bass, an "in-between" too short a time to put the Indians on tion cabin site area has been opened
fish whose temperature tolerance is a basis of equality with their white in the Lake Mead National Recreation
somewhere between warm water and brothers, believes Cruz Siba, Palm Area. The latest group of lots was
cold water varieties. About 15,000 Springs Indian. The proposed term- made available in April by the National
will be planted in early summer. — ination bill is too drastic, he told Riv- Park Service. It is located 16 miles
Desert Star. erside County supervisors, and charged south of Overton on the shore of Lake
• • • that an attempt is being made to push Mead in the vicinity of Stewart Point.
Swims Across Salton Sea . . . the bill regardless of how the Indians The 89 lots in the parcel are being
MECCA—Ray Carmassi, 25-year- themselves feel. If only five years is made available as part of a new pro-
old swimming instructor, became the allowed for training the Indians for gram designed to give more oppor-
first person to swim across Salton Sea citizenship, a large percentage of them tunity for recreational use of the reser-
when he negotiated the choppy waters will become charity cases, he said. Siba voirs created by Davis and Hoover
April 11, from Salton Sea Beach on believes the Indians would prefer re- dams.—Las Vegas Re view-Journal.
the south side to Desert Beach across maining wards of the government to
the sea on the north shore. Time was being given their freedom uneducated,
11 hours, 10 minutes and 31 seconds. discriminated against and incapable of 1000 TRAVEL SCENES
Because of adverse conditions, he did earning a living.—Date Palm.
not attempt the return swim as origin- • • •
ally planned.—Desert Sun. NEVADA
• • • Indians Protest Self-Rule . . . SPECIAL OFFER
Ask Mono Monument . . . LAS VEGAS—Nevada Indians are To introduce readers of DESEKT to our
MAMMOTH — A Forest Service seeking to halt a congressional bill 2"x2" COLOR SLIDES for home projec-
tion, we are offering a FREE 20 page
field survey of the Mono Craters south which would transfer federal reserva- catalog and a FREE sample color slide.
Travel, Science, Nature, National Parks
of Mammoth may be made this sum- tion lands to the state. While the and the southwest. Write today to —
mer, according to Mr. and Mrs. John Indians are not in disagreement with
Haddaway who are leading efforts to the intent of the law, they believe that KELLY D. C H O D A
BOX 588 STANFORD, CALIF.
establish the craters area as a national Nevada Indians are not yet ready for
monument. The Haddaways have or- total self-rule. Many tribesmen, In-
ganized the Save-the-California-Scen- dian spokesmen claim, cannot read or
ery Society at Mammoth in the inter- write and are incapable of managing
ests of preserving the natural beauty their medical expenses and other costs.
of the Mono Craters.—Inyo Register. In the event the bill is passed, the
• • • spokesman recommend that a state
HOTEL
Museum Group Gets Kilns . . . board be set up with representation
LONE PINE — The old charcoal from the governor's office and various
kilns south of Lone Pine, which played tribal units to help the Indians in the EUEROH FIGUHOA AT OLYMPIC ILVD.
an important part in the early develop- transition. — Las Vegas Review-Jour- with
ment of Inyo County, have been pre- nal. w v 4 'T ,, * motel
sented to the Eastern California Mu- • • • •S^fe—L i«*5« prices
seum Association by the Columbia- 5.000,000th Visitor . . .
Southern Chemical Corporation. The BOULDER CITY—It was an April
grant included a P/4-acre parcel of Fool's joke on the Boulder City Bureau Heated swimming pool
land on which the kilns are located, of Reclamation office, Hoover Dam exclusively fur guests...
with right of access to the property officials and the Boulder City Chamber ample parking... fine food
modwtlj priced... only
from Highway 6-395. The kilns were of Commerce. Officials from the three 2 blocks from Staller Center.
built nearly 85 years ago to furnish organizations waited all day April 1 EAftL J WOLFOBD. Manaqm

charcoal for the famous Cerro Colo- to greet the five-millionth visitor to
rado lead-silver mine in the mountains take the guided dam tour since the
above Keeler.—Inyo Independent. giant reservoir was first opened to

JUNE, 1 9 5 4 31
 NEW MEXICO Uranium Gives Navajos Hope . . . UTAH
RR Hires Indian Guides . . . WASHINGTON—The current ur- To Explore Colorado River . . .
SANTA FE—Indian guides in full anium boom on reservation lands will MOAB—John M. Goddard of Los
tribal costume now ride Santa Fe Rail- not solve all of the Navajo troubles— Angeles, first man in history to travel
way's streamlined Super Chief east- but it will help. Recent discoveries of the entire length of the Nile River,
bound and El Capitan westbound to great pockets of raw uranium on tribal will embark soon on a second voyage.
explain to passengers the various land- lands may bring new and much-needed With a scientist companion, he plans
marks, history and colorful sights of wealth to the tribe. Roughly $470,000 to explore the Colorado River from a
the Southwest. Three Indians from went into the tills of the Navajo Tribal point in Utah to the Gulf of California.
Zuni Pueblo have been assigned to Council from rentals and royalties of Detailed investigation of side canyons
ride the two trains in New Mexico be- uranium lands for the year ending June and caves along the 1800-mile river
tween Gallup and Raton. They are 30, 1953—and this is only a starting is main objective of the trip. Accom-
personable and good conversational- trickle in the flood of dollars which panying Goddard will be Dr. Arthur
ists, and the information service they should accrue during the next few A. Holmgren of the U. S. Agricultural
provide is proving popular with trav- years. In addition, new jobs for In- College at Logan, Utah, well-known
elers.—New Mexican. dians should be created by the $2,750,- botanist and authority on the plant
• • • 000 uranium ore processing plant now life of the Colorado Basin.
Indian Craftsmen Reassured . . . under construction near Shiprock. "Ur- • • •
GALLUP—Shinzo Noguchi, Tokyo anium is the most important develop- First Weber "Hole-Through" . . .
College professor on a visit to South- ment on the reservation in the last GATEWAY — First phase of the
western Indian country as a member few years," said Allen G. Harper, area $69 million Weber River water devel-
of a special cultural committee, says director of the Navajo Agency for the opment project was completed when
something will be done about Japan- Bureau of Indian Affairs, "and we Gateway Tunnel was "holed through"
ese-made imitations of Indian crafts. hope it will mean new wealth, health just 14'/2 months after the first dyna-
Noguchi said he was very surprised and dignity for the tribe." mite blast was fired. East portal of
to hear of recent charges by Indian • • • the nine-foot, four-inch bore is about
craftsmen that imitation Indian articles More Schools for Navajos . . . a half mile above Devil's Gate in
made cheaply in Japan were being Weber Canyon, with the west portal
sold in this country for the genuine WASHINGTON — An emergency on the south side of the mouth of
article. He promised to take the mat- program to get 7000 more Navajo chil- Weber Canyon. Work on the tunnel
ter up on his return to Japan.—New dren into schools by September is began from the west end in January,
being worked out by the Bureau of 1953.—Salt Lake Tribune.
Mexican.
Indian Affairs. The program would • • •
• • •
begin with purchase of about $700,000 More Chukars for Utah . . .
Father Berard Gravely 111 . . .
worth of trailers and prefabricated CEDAR CITY — Another 1,557
GALLUP — Father Berard Haile,
buildings to provide 43 additional chukar partridges have been planted
84, Franciscan priest who has spent
school facilities at 36 locations on the in 15 new Utah areas by the State
50 years working with the Navajo and
reservation in Arizona and New Mex- Department of Fish and Game, mak-
translating their language, suffered a
ico. Doubling up in the present 60 ing totals of 9,738 birds and 34 plant-
heart attack at St. Michaels, Arizona,
boarding schools and day schools on ing sites since the program began 2Vi
in early April and is gravely ill in Gal-
the reservation also is planned as well years ago. Field census and observa-
lup. Only a few weeks before, the
as placement of a large number of tion show the birds are scattered but
Navajo Tribal Council voted to pub-
pupils in off-reservation schools. A managing very well. — Iron County
lish the two volumes of Father Berard's
third phase calls for moving several Record.
monumental work on the Navajo
hundred Navajo children into North-
Blessing Way ceremony.—New Mexi-
ern Arizona towns for enrollment in
can.
elementary grades.—Phoenix Gazette. ANSWERS TO QUIZ
• • • Questions are on page 20
'EVERYTHING FOR THE HIKER" Urge Fort Union Monument . . . 1—Rodent—the Kangaroo rat.
LAS CRUCES—Restoration of old 2—Southern Pacific Railroad.
SLEEPING BAGS Fort Union (Desert, February, 1953), 3—Igneous rock. It is a form of
AIR MATTRESSES army base of operations and supplies lava.
during the Indian wars, is being urged. 4—Mojave Indians in the 1850s.
SMALL TENTS 5—Walter Scott.
A move is now under way to establish
the old fort as a national monument. 6—Boundary Peak, elevation 13.145.
and many other items —Las Cruces Citizens. 7—Medicine.
• • • 8—The Superstition Mountains of
VAN DEGRIFT'S HIKE HUT Mining Town for Sale . . . Arizona.
717 West Seventh Street 9—Colorado River.
MADRID — "For Sale: Entire 10—Nevada.
LOS ANGELES 14. CALIFORNIA Town, 200 houses, grade and high 1 1—Dellenbaugh.
school, power house, general store, 12—Jojoba, or Goatnut.
tavern, machine shop; mineral rights 13—San Juan River.
Looking for a PUBLISHER? 9000 acres; excellent climate; fine in- 14—Licensed by the U. S. Bureau of
Do you have a book-length manuscript you dustrial location," read the ad in the Indian Affairs.
would like to have published? Learn about
our unusual plan whereby your book can be Wall Street Journal. The once-bust- I 5—Bluish-purple.
published, promoted and distributed on a I ft—At the edge of Pyramid Lake.
professional basis. We consider all types of ling, now deserted coal mining town
work—fiction, biography, poetry, scholarly of Madrid is on the block. More than 17—September.
and religious bjoks, etc. New authors wel- 18—Cinnabar.
come. For more information, write for valu- $40,000,000 worth of coal has been
able booklet D. It's free. 19—A lost mine in the Death Valley
mined in the area over the past 70
VANTAGE PRESS, INC. region.
6356 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 2fi, Calif. years. Reported price for the entire
Main Office: Xew York 1, X. Y. 20—Corn.
town is $250,000.—New Mexican.

32 DESERT MAGAZINE
VACATION IDEAS ;

and

1954 Season
• * *

Planning a summer vacation? Here are some

ideas for outdoor adventure for the whole family
—offered by experts in the field, the Sierra Club By boat through Dinosaur National Monument.
Steamboat Rock in the background.
of California.
Photo by Martin Litton.
Twenty-one different outings in the high Yampa Rivers in Dinosaur National Mon- Of all the Club's outings, its base camp
mountain areas of California, Oregon, Mon- ument on the boundary between Utah and usually attracts most participants. The base
tana, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado have Colorado, inaugurated last year, will be camp is set up in some scenically spectacular
been scheduled by the Sierra Club for the continued this year. There will be five area close to timberline, remote but not too
coming summer—the most ambitious out- river trips, each of six days duration, start- far from road heads for convenient one-
ing program the Club has ever undertaken. ing June 13, June 21, June 29, July 7. and day transportation.
The outings will include pack trips in July 15. Easy of access, maintained at a fixed lo-
Sequoia, Grand Teton and Glacier National The first three will start at Lily Park on cation, with better shelter and supply than
Parks; knapsack trips in Rocky Mountain the Yampa and continue down the Green; the traveling type of trip permits, the base
and Sierra wilderness areas; riverboat trips the last two will start from the Gates of camp is especially popular with those who
in Dinosaur National Monument, with sev- Lodore on the upper Green River, enabling prefer to become intimately acquainted with
eral stationary "base camps" scheduled for persons who have previously traveled the and to explore intensively a limited area
the less active vacationists. Yampa to see different scenery on the first rather than to cover long distances and
Members, prospective members, and part of the trip. see much new country in a summer's trip.
For the young of heart and sound of For this reason, it is a favorite with ama-
members of other outdoor and conserva- teur botanists, ornithologists, photographers
tion organizations are eligible to partici- limb, the Club has scheduled five knapsack —not to mention fishermen.
pate in the Club's outings. The Sierra Club trips on which participants carry on their
is one of the nation's leading conservation back all essentials of food and shelter for a This year, the Club is providing three
groups and, with 8,000 members, is Cali- week or more. base camps instead of the usual one. One,
fornia's largest outdoor club. Its Outing Two of these trips are planned in the of six weeks duration, will be located on
Committee, headed by Dr. Stewart Kim- High Sierra. The first, July 3 to 17, will Bear Creek, a tributary of the south fork
ball, organizes the trips on a nonprofit start from the north fork of the Kings of the San Joaquin River in Sierra National
basis. River and travel over the White Divide Forest east of Fresno. California. It will
The varied outing fare has been arranged and Hell-for-Sure Pass. The second is open July 4, offering its accommodations in
planned for August 8 to 15, with itinerary three periods of two weeks. Capacity is
by the Club in conformity with its long- 167 persons each period.
held belief that by encouraging people to to be decided later.
know and to love the wilderness, they will A knapsack trip designed especially for Another base camp will be maintained
become its staunch defenders against inva- beginners is tentatively scheduled to depart in the Mount Whitney country, on Crab-
sion and exploitation. August 1 from Glacier Point in Yosemite tree Creek. It will run from July 18 to 31,
With less than one percent of the nation's National Park, crossing the Clark Range and is limited to 75 persons.
total area remaining in a wild state, the at Red Peak Pass and returning to Yosem- For the first time, the Club will maintain
Club and kindred organizations seek to ite Valley August 7. an out-of-State base camp this year. It
preserve this small area unimpaired for the will be located in the Three Sisters Wilder-
Knapsackers will also visit California's ness Area west of Bend. Oregon, from
enjoyment of present and future generations. Trinity Alps country, a one-week trip being August 8 to 12.
"High trips"—so-called because they are scheduled there July 11 to 17. The cost of these outings depends on pre-
trips high in the mountains close to timber- One out-of-State knapsack trip has been vailing prices of supplies, packers' fees, and
line—are a long-established specialty of the scheduled for August 8 to 22, probably in similar charges.
Club, inaugurated more than 50 years ago. the Jim Bridger Wilderness Area, located This year the Club expects them to be
On these trips, the participants hike, pack in the Wind River range of Wyoming. as follows; High trip, $85-$95; river trip,
animals carry necessary equipment and sup- To acquaint mountain travelers with the $65; base camp, $40-$52; knapsack trip.
plies and a commissary crew prepares meals. possibilities of burro travel—and with the $20 (one week). $37 (two weeks); burro
There will be four high trips this year, wide range of burro cussedness—the Club trip, $51; family burro trip, $125 per fam-
two in Sequoia National Park, one each in has scheduled four trips in which burros ily. Rates for children 14 years and under
Grand Teton National Park and Glacier are the beasts of burden. Since the partici- are $5 less for the middle two-week period
National Park. pants not only hike but pack the burros of the Bear Creek Base Camp and $10
The first Sequoia National Park high trip and learn to look after their welfare as less on all the high trips.
will depart from Mineral King July 4 and well, the trips are doubly educational. The address of the Sierra Club is 1050
travel by way of Franklin Pass. Forester Three burro trips will enter the Sierra Mills Tower, San Francisco 4, California.
Lake, Lost Canyon. Nine Lakes Basin, Little from the east side, over Kearsarge Pass.
Five Lakes and out by Sawtooth Pass, re- The first two will probably make the cir-
turning to Mineral King July 16. cuit Glenn Pass-Woods Creek-Bubbs Creek; SAN JUAN and COLORADO
The second two-week high trip will leave the third will probably go south past Mount RIVER EXPEDITIONS
Mineral King July 17 via Sawtooth Pass, Whitney and out over Army Pass to Lone Enjoy exploration, safe adventure and
Lost Canyon, Little Five Lakes, Nine Lakes Pine. scenic beauty in the gorgeous canyons of
Basin, Moraine Lake, returning via For- A fourth burro trip, starting from Tuo- Utah and Arizona. Staunch boats, experi-
ester Lake and Franklin Pass, reaching lumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park,
Mineral King July 30. enced rivermen. For 1954 summer schedule
is especially designed for family vacation- or charter trips anytime write to—
The Grand Teton high trip will be of one ing. Parents may take as many children as
week's duration only, August 1 to 7. The they wish, with a maximum of three burros J. FRANK WRIGHT
Glacier high trip will be of ten days' dura- to a family. The itinerary—to the north or
tion, August 9 to 19. MEXICAN HAT EXPEDITIONS
south of Tuolumne Meadows—will be de-
The river trips down the Green and cided by the participants. Blanding, Utah

JUNE, 1954 33
 Winnemucca, Nevada . . .

MINES ni MINIM
Moab, Utah . . . Abiquiu, New Mexico . . .
Development of a Nevada uranium
deposit, termed by mining engineers
"one of the most important uranium
strikes in the United States," is being
started by a newly-organized Denver
Bids have been issued and construc- Not far from here, in mineral-rich company. The strike was made sev-
Rio Arriba County, scene of the most eral months ago by three young Win-
tion is expected to begin soon on an
recent uranium rush, crews are work- nemucca machinists, but the impor-
Atomic Energy sampling plant at tance of the discovery was only re-
Moab. It is hoped that the facility ing around the clock to open up what
may be one of the major oil pools in cently determined. Mining Engineer
will be ready for operation in Septem- Arthur Sweet said the deposit was un-
ber or October. The sampling plant the world. Drilling, now in its ninth
month, has been slowed by the large usual in that the uranium is found in
will be one of the largest uranium ore veins of meta-autunite rather than in
receiving stations on the Colorado Pla- quantities of water encountered from
790 feet downward. The underground spotty deposits of carnotite. The prop-
teau and will incorporate mechanical erty is located 70 miles northwest of
sampling equipment and procedures to water tables are so promising, in fact,
that Ed W. Cannedy, the drilling con- Winnemucca in the King's River Val-
obtain accurate ore samples. — San ley of Humboldt County. — Mining
Juan Record. tractor, believes the area eventually
• • • may become a rich agricultural em- Record.
Moab, Utah . . . pire. The oil rig is located on Ghost • • •
Development is planned at once by Ranch off U. S. Highway 83 ten miles Henderson, Nevada . . .
Anaconda Copper Company on a north of Abiquiu.—New Mexican. The Manganese, Inc., plant near
group of 20 uranium claims recently • • • Henderson, heavily damaged by fire
leased in the Temple Mountain area. Randsburg, California . . . last June, has been rebuilt and mod-
The claims are reported to be located W. C. Brown and J. Russell Peery, ernized and has resumed operations.
on a pipe or fumerole where rich pri- both of Johannesburg, are building a Continuous production of nodulized
mary ore is found. For complete evalu- screen-jig type of mill on a site leased manganese of specified grade has been
ation of the ore, a program of coring from the owners of the Big Dyke maintained on a 67 percent capacity
will be undertaken.—Humboldt Star. Claim. The property is located just basis, with regular shipments to points
• • • east of Randsburg along the county of use. Full capacity is expected to
Reno, Nevada . . . road to Red Mountain. The mill is be reached in the near future.—Battle
University of Nevada has received designed to handle placer ore, and the Mountain Scout.
a museum sample of the first oil to be owners have leased placer ground just • • •
discovered in the state by the Shell Oil southeast of the mill to supply the Washington, D. C. . . .
Company, which brought in the first concentrators.—Mining Record. Lead, zinc, uranium and 16 other
successful well in Nye County. Dean • • • metals have been added to the govern-
Vernon E. Scheid of Mackay School Kingman, Arizona . . . ment's list of minerals which may
of Mines said the sample would be Seventy-three miles southeast of qualify for financial assistance in ex-
placed in the school's museum as part Kingman, high on a mountain side in ploration projects. The Defense Min-
of the mineralogic and geologic collec- the Aquarius Range, lie the Wothree erals Exploration program was set up
tion.—Pioche Record. Mines, major Arizona producers of in 1951 to encourage production of
• • • tungsten. Forty men are working defense materials. It included lead,
Tonopah, Nevada . . . 24 hours a day in the development uranium and zinc, but these three min-
The old Carrie lead-silver mine near of wolframite tungsten ore bodies and erals were eliminated in May, 1953.
Gilbert in northern Esmeralda County, in building a mill to reduce the high- The recently expanded list, bringing
whose history dates back to 1880, may grade into concentrates. The mine's to 33 the total number of minerals eli-
be destined for new prominence, this name is derived from WO-3, symbol gible, includes bauxite, chromium, cop-
time as a tungsten producer. The for tungstic acid.—Pioche Record. per, fluorspar, crucible grade graphite,
property is being reactivated by a • • • lead, molybdenum, zinc and cadmium
partnership composed of Fred and Farmington, New Mexico . . . exploration as eligible for 50 percent
Homer Gilbert of Mina, R. E. William- Dr. V. D. Harrington of Farming- government assistance. Eligible for 75
son of Round Mountain and the L&W ton and Cuba has announced discov- percent government aid are projects
Tungsten Company of Santa Monica, ery of a $300,000 uranium deposit involving metals such as uranium, tung-
California. Preliminary exploration off west of Farmington. Harrington said sten, tin, thorium, tantalum, mangan-
a drift at the 90-foot level has dis- he and Clayton Davidson, local coal ese, industrial diamonds and mercury.
closed a 20-inch streak of highgrade miner, made the discovery and that —Territorial Enterprise.
scheelite running between IVi and 6 ore had been assayed at $65 a ton. • • •
percent WO-3, the operators report. They estimated that 87,000 tons lay Albuquerque, New Mexico . . .
—Humboldt Star. on or very near the surface.—New Prospectors from all over the nation
• • • Mexican. packed their Geiger counters and
Las Vegas, Nevada . . . • • • rushed to New Mexico after Tom
Senator Pat McCarran has suggested San Carlos, Arizona . . . Bridges announced his rich uranium
to Defense Mobilizer Arthur S. Flem- The Apache Tribal Council has strike in eastern Rio Arriba county.
ming that a Nevada site be designated taken steps to stop the growing amount Bridges filed 205 claims covering 4800
a stockpile depot under the new metals of prospecting, apparently for uranium, acres. He claimed the ore to be some
and minerals stockpiling program re- taking place on the San Carlos reser- of the richest found anywhere and re-
cently announced by President Eisen- vation. One hundred notices that such ported that geologists estimated the
hower. McCarran pointed out that prospecting is unlawful were posted presence of about 250,000 tons con-
Nevada needs a purchase point to im- at all entrances to the reservation. taining an average of .5 percent ura-
plement the program in the state.— Tribal police were ordered to arrest nium oxide, worth about $70 a ton.—
Las Vegas Review-Journal. violators.-—Phoenix Gazette. Mining Record.

34 DESERT MAGAZINE
 SAN DIEGO SOCIETY SETS

OEMS mi MINERALS
FIELD TRIPS PLANNED ROCKY MOUNTAIN MEET
OCTOBER DATES FOR SHOW
San Diego Mineral and Gem Society has
selected October 2 and 3 as dates for its
1954 show, to be held in the Spanish Vil-
lage of Balboa Park, San Diego, California.
There will be ample free parking, Mrs.
FOR MILWAUKEE VISITORS JUNE 11 TO 13 IN UTAH Norman Dawson, publicity chairman, prom-
A tour of the Greene Memorial Museum Mineralogical Society of Utah is host to ises, and a snack bar will be operated at
of Paleontology of Milwaukee-Downer Col- this year's convention of the Rocky Moun- the show.
lege with its curator, Dr. Katherine Grea- tain Federation of Mineral Societies, sched- • • •
cen Nelson as guide, and a visit to the Lutz uled June 11 to 13 in Salt Lake City. A Mrs. Elizabeth Morrison showed fellow
Quarry at Oshkosh, where marcasite, py- camp site for visitors is planned 12 miles members of Humboldt Gem and Mineral
rite, calcite and sphalerite are found, are east of the city in the Wasatch Mountains. Society colored slides of the trip she and
field trip highlights planned for visitors to Trailer camps and tourist cottages also are her two sons took to Ceylon and Africa.
the 1954 convention of the Midwest Fed- available.
eration of Mineralogical Societies. The Chairman of exhibit space for the show
meeting will be held in Milwaukee, Wiscon- is Dr. B. D. Bennion, 1403 Emerson Ave- TRE A SURE HUNTERS
sin, June 24 to 26. In addition to planned nue, Salt Lake City. W. T. Rogers, 1230 New type metals detector. Distinguishes
group trips, each visitor will receive a sou- Parkway Avenue, is handling dealer space. metals from black magnetic sands. Ideal for
Other inquiries may be directed to President locating gold nuggets, placer deposits. De-
venir guide of noteworthy geological sites tects metals under salt water. Locates
in Wisconsin with directions to each spot Golden W. Robbins, 715 Boston Building, coins, jewelry
or Stewart Romney, secretary, 409 Univer- '*"'-'•' • " A*- • • * ..'•.Siii.v on b e a c h e s .
and lists of minerals to be seen or found •' ** .-..~,' : - Free from
there. sity Street, all in Salt Lake City, Utah. * '• ' --•.'. ¥% '• '-•.-.. .'•..'••' •:'.• false detec-
Other special features of the convention • • • '' • • i - • : V •')•- 1 tions. Each
• t. (R-.-p-s-;*- *^ unit supplied
are the "Book Nook," where donated books JUNE SHOW TO FEATURE / '" '• with two dif-
and mineralogical magazines will be sold
for federation benefit; the Trading Post for
swappers, and a Pebble Pup Booth for jun-
ior collectors. Guided tours also are planned
FAMOUS OREGON AGATES
Central Oregon's famous agates will be
featured at the first annual rock show of
IjW ,'
.
- ' ', > .

;-•'
• ,.. \
: ' •'
•, >
•
ferent search
coils. Ask for
free I i t e r a-
ture.

to landmarks and places of interest in the Prineville Mineral Society, scheduled June '>•
f4p
-•'• •
;j , ' • • ••
. • .': 7
*. . : : % - ;
GARDINER
ELECTRONICS
city. 26 and 27 at the Crooked River Roundup .'.,.•-;• f'i''.-:' C O . , DEPT. DM

• • • Grounds, Prineville, Oregon. There will be *it„•*-• '.' •1_':; ^ J W j l 2 0 i a N. DAYTON

j « iMiHlJ ^ M M V PHOENIX, ARIZ.
SHOW IN SAN BERNARDINO exhibits, field trips, a trading post for ex-
change of material, commercial booths,
Eighth annual gem and mineral show of grab bags and display prizes. Further in-
Orange Belt Mineralogical Society will be formation about the show may be obtained
held September 25 and 26 at the Orange
Show Grounds in San Bernardino, Cali-
by writing Mrs. C. F. Cheney, general
chairman, Prineville, Oregon.
From Our New Location
fornia. NOTICE: All of our prices now include
• • • tax and postage.
ALFRED HAWLEY LEADS Miss Frances Bieber of Santa Fe, New
Mexico, who spent ten years in China help- SPECIALS
FIRST YEAR ACTIVITIES ing the people revive ancient Chinese arts Australian Fire Opal—1st grade, oz. $24.00
2nd grade, oz. 8.00
Alfred E. Hawley is charter president of and crafts, spoke to members of Santa Fe Hearts 25 mm. (polished and drilled)—Jade,
the Southern California Mineral Identifica- Gem and Mineral Club on "Gem Stones Malachite, Blue agate, Carnelian, ea. $2.45
tion Society, organized recently in Comp- Used in Chinese Costume." Chrysoprase, tigereye, rose quartz, etc.
Carved fish, frogs, turtles, bees etc., in
ton, California. Purpose of the club is to • • • tigereye, amethyst, hematite & opal, ea. $2.50
promote the study of mineralogy, particu- Potluck supper and colored slides of
larly mineral identification. Other officers Grand Canyon were highlights of the March SLABS AND CHUNK MATERIAL
meeting of Clark County Gem Collectors, 40 to 50 sq. inches assorted slabs $2.50
are Ernest M. Featherston, vice-president, 8 lbs. assorted chunk mtl. for cutting. $3.75
and Marge Lemons, secretary-treasurer. Las Vegas, Nevada. Bloodstone (India), per lb $5.25
Slabs, per inch . .50
REDWOOD SOCIETY* DISPLAY Moss Agate (India), per lb 4.60
JOIN THE THOUSANDS who's hobby is gem Slabs, per inch - .45
AT SONOMA COUNTY FAIR Red Plume Agate, per lb 12.00
cuttin g, jewelry making, mineral collecti ng. Slabs, per inch .. 1.30
Redwood Gem and Mineral Society of Send only $3.00 today—for 12 monthly is- Mexican Agate, per lb ... 3.50
Santa Rosa, California, invites all rock- sues of national how-to-do-it magazine. S 3m- Slabs, per inch 30
hounds to visit their gem and mineral ex- Rose Quartz (very good color), per lb... 1.25
pie copy 25c. Slabs, per inch 30
hibit at the Sonoma County Fair, July 16 GEMS & MINERALS Jade (Alaska), per Vi lb 6.25
through 24 in Santa Rosa. Local material Dept. J-6 Palmdale, California
Slabs, per inch 90
will be featured. Burnite (top grade), per lb 7.40
Slabs, per inch 50
Templates (sizes marked for standard
cuts) 2.10
FACETING MATERIAL (Mine run)
Vi-lb. Sunstone $1.70
Vi-lb. Kunzite 2.60
V4-lb. Topaz (Mexican) 2.80
e See*t Vi-lb. Peridot
Vi-lb. Amethyst
6.10
6.70
Petrified Wood, Moss Agate, Chrysocolla Vi-lb. Smoky quartz 7.60
•A-lb. Apatite 6.70
Turquoise, Jade and Jasper Jewelry Vi-lb. Garnet (very good) 8.40
Corundum preforms 9 to 10 mm. avg. 5 ct.
to ct., ea. ..$2,85
HAND MADE IN STERLING SILVER Specimen boxes, 35 different minerals..$1.90
70 different minerals 3.90
Bracelets, Rings, Necklaces, Earrings Cat's eye shells, sup. quality, small, ea... .25
large, ea... .60
and Brooches Synthetic Turquoise, per gram 15
Turquoise nuggets, medium, ea 15
SPECIALLY SELECTED STONES WITH large, ea 25
CHOICE COLORS AND PICTURES Try our approvals on loose stones—$10.00
deposit or $20.00 shipment on initial order.
Write for Folder With Prices
Store hours—Mon., Tues., Thurs., and Sat.
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
ELLIOTT'S GEM SHOP Wed. and Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded
235 East Seaside Blvd. LONG BEACH 2. CALIF.
Across from West End of Municipal
Auditorium Grounds COAST GEMS INC.
Hours 10 A.M. to 9 P.M. Daily Except Monday 8911 E. Valley Blvd., Rosemcad, Calif.
Atlantic 7-8244

JUNE, 1954 35
 AMONG THE
GEfll mflRT A D V ERT I 5
10c a word . .
N G R A T E
Minimum $1.50
ROCK HUNTERS
CYCAD. Cabinet specimens, and diamond- DENDRITIC OPAL, Kansas, good polish- In spite of rain. 16 members of San Di-
pattern cutting material. C. F. Frank. ing stone, only $1.25 a pound. Hastings ego Mineral and Gem Society made the
Box 310, Custer, South Dakota. Typewriter Co., Hastings, Nebraska. scheduled March field trip to Tyce Quarry
in In-Ko-Pah Gorge, California. Many
ATTENTION DEALERS—About 7000 lbs. SANDING PLATES—Ideal for polishing characteristic silicates were collected in the
assorted rocks at reasonable prices if you stones, Metal. Wood, or Plastics. 6-8-10" crystalline limestone of the conlact-meta-
buy the lot. P. O. Box 243, 24226 High- plates—W plywood with rubber sponge morphic deposit. Later, two limestone
way 60, Sunnymead, California. and duro 220 grit sanding disc. This quarries at Dos Cabez-s were visited and
excellent rubber sponge will give you a garnets, blue calcite, white wollastonite
YOUR SCRAP MINERALS might be worth better polish on irregular pieces. 6 inch
$16.00 or more per pound in polished $1.00. 8 inch $1.25. 12 inch $1.50. and several other minerals collected.
tumbled gems. We will tumble them for Hastings Typewriter Co., Hastings, Neb. • • •
you, ten pounds minimum, on shares or Pictures painted in stone by Nature mil-
in trade for cutting material. Write C. L. AUSTRALIAN cutting fire opal, specimens, lions of years ago were featured at the
King, after June 1 at The Boulders, Ever- cutting material. H. A. Ivers, 1400 Ha- March show of the Mineralogical Society
green, Colorado. cienda Blvd., La Habra. California. of Arizona and Maricopa Lapidary Society.
One picture agate had been cut and polished
SPECIAL: One piece facet grade Kunzite, MINERAL SPECIMENS, cabochons and by Agnes M. Hoist of Phoenix who then
100 carats, $12.00. J. C. Boscey. 5761 cutting materials of all kinds, western had inserted the thin slab in an enlarger
Zelzah, Encino. California. jewelry. Beautiful travertine for book- and used it as a negative to print what she
ends, paper weights, spheres etc. Write entitled "Storm Picture." Other show high-
COMING TO THE CONVENTION? Stop for prices. Eighteen miles south of Battle lights were a 46-link necklace of Wyoming
and see one of Utah's largest assortments Mountain at Copper Canyon, John L. jade cut from one piece by E. B. Bomar
of colorful Agate, beautiful wood speci- James, Box 495, Battle Mountain, Nev. of Phoenix; natural chalcedony roses and
mens, Dinna Bone, Dugway Geodes, Jade quartz crystals mounted in silver by Wilma
and Snowflake Obsidian. See our mu- QUARTZ CRYSTAL GEODES (Kentucky Cowell; a complete mineral "dinner" dis-
seum of polished specimens and cut Diamonds). These geodes range from played by Mr. and Mrs. Van Home of
stones. Vi block off Highway 91, 329 2" to 8" diameter. Showy xls. Masses Tempe, and jeweled bottles from China
Reed Ave., Salt Lake City. Phone 38722. clear to white, some phantoms. Selected from the collection of Dr. and Mrs. A. C.
The Dowses. specimens from broken geodes $2.50 lb. Armbruster. The fluorescent room con-
Unopened geodes $1.50 lb. Dealers tained material from all 48 states. Canada
PRIVATE COLLECTION for sale. Over write for wholesale rates. Midwest Min-
250 fine specimens. See this at 548 Ne- eral Mart. R. B. Boies. P. O. Box 391, and England.
vada Hwy, Boulder City, Nevada. Lewis Hamilton. Ohio. We trade for Western • • •
M. Jones. minerals. "Not enough shelves" is a common rock-
hound complaint. A. E. Powell of San Fer-
SLABBED AGATE: Montezuma and ROSE ROCKS—Barite crystals in the form nando Valley, California, Mineral and Gem
Gayegos agate 50c to $1.50 per square of a rose V/i in. size $1.00. We will send Society offers a suggestion: "To double the
inch or $7.00 per lb. in the rough. Satis- a free sample if you inclose 25c for pack- area of shelves, hang shallow drawers under
faction guaranteed. Palmer's Lapidary aging and mailing. Harris Gems. Yukon, the shelves, or construct another shallow
and Fixit Shop. Palmer H. Nelson, Prop.. Oklahoma. shelf under existing ones to provide room
1503 N. College Ave., Ft. Collins, Colo. for tools, templates and small specimens."
WANTED: Chalk grade Turquoise. Write • • •
FIFTY MINERAL Specimens, %-in. or complete details as to quality and price. "Gold in the Mother Lode Country" was
over, boxed, identified, described, mounted. P.O. Box 5171. Phoenix, Arizona. the topic of Mrs. Dorothy Craig, past presi-
Postpaid $4.00. Old Prospector, Box 729, GENUINE TURQUOISE: Natural color, dent of the California Federation of Min-
Lodi, California. blue and bluish green, cut and polished eralogical Societies, when she spoke to Del-
BOOKS: Beginners to advanced. Gemology. cabochons — 25 carats (5 to 10 stones vers Gem and Mineral Society in Downey,
mineralogy, geology, etc. Write today according to size) $3.50 including tax. California. According to Mrs. Craig, the
for free price list. Gem Finders, 859 postpaid in U.S.A. Package 50 carats gold was originally deposited in this area
North Ramona, Hawthorne, California. 10 to 20 cabochons) $6.15 including during the Jurassic era when there was
tax, postpaid in U.S.A. Elliott Gem & another mountain range where the Sierra
GEMS A-PLENTY: Beautiful baroque Mineral Shop, 235 E. Seaside Blvd., Long Nevada are today. This range eroded away,
gems, large variety, tumble polished all Beach 2, California. leaving free gold exposed. When the Sierra
over, $10.00 for one pound (about 100 were thrust upward, the gold was buried
stones). 10 lbs. of top grade gemstone FOR SALE: Beautiful purple petrified in stream beds where it was later discovered
prepaid for $7.00. Wholesale price to wood with uranium, pyrolusite, manga- by the Fortyniners. Most of the gold is
dealers on baroque gems and gemstone nite. Nice sample $1.00. Postage. Maggie placer.
in the rough. Satisfaction guaranteed on Baker, Kingman, Arizona.
• • •
every sale. San Fernando Valley Rock THE BELEAL'S Ironwood Rock Shop. Practical suggestions for taking care of
Shop, 6329 Lindley Ave., Reseda, Calif. Specializing in fire agate. P.O. Box 542, gem and mineral specimens and for dis-
ROCKHOUND PARADISE. Stop and see Highway 60-70, 7 miles from Blythe, Cal. playing them to advantage were given
our display. Agate rough and slabs. No TONOPAH, Nevada, is where C. C. Boak Compton Gem and Mineral Club members
junk. Minerals, fluorescent minerals. Sat- lives, with his outstanding scientific by Jack Streeter at the April meeting.
isfaction guaranteed. Write for prices. world-wide collection of Mineral, Gem • • •
P. G. Nichols, Prop., Sun Valley Trailer and semi-Gemstone species—spectacular A mineralogy division field trip of San
Park, 3922 No. Oracle Road, Tucson, crystal groups, etc. Visitors welcome. C. Diego Mineral and Gem Society to San
Arizona. C. Boak, 511 Ellis St., Tonopah, Nevada. Felipe garnet mine netted good specimens
of tremolite associated with essonite (a type
GET YOUR COPY of "A Mineral Collec- ONYX BLANKS, unpolished, black 25c of garnet), garnet and green diopside.
tor's Guide to Wonderful Wyoming." 25c. each; red, green, blue 35c each. Perfect • • •
Gritzner's, Mesa 3, Arizona. cut titanium. Fine cutting and polishing Because of its high specific gravity, barite
McSHAN's GEM SHOP—open part time, at reasonable prices. Prompt attention to is used in rotary drilling fluids in petroleum
or find us by directions on door. Cholla mail orders. Juchem Bros., 315 West 5th mining equipment. Barium sulfate is used
cactus wood a specialty, write for prices. St., Los Angeles 13, California. in shields for atomic stock piles, and other
1 mile west on U. S. 66. Needles, Cali- 10 POUNDS of beautiful mineral speci- barium compounds are employed in the
fornia, Box 22. mens, selected $6.00. Ask for list. Jack manufacture of paints, rubber and glass.
The Rockhound, P.O. Box 245, Carbon- These facts were included in William F.
RADIOACTIVE ORE Collection: 6 won- Paine's talk to members of the Mineralogi-
derful different specimens in neat Red- dale, Colorado.
cal Society of Arizona. Paine is general
wood chest, $2.00. Pretty Gold nugget. BEAUTIFUL URANIUM specimens in manager of the Arizona Barite Company.
$1.00, four nuggets, $2.00, choice col- banded quartz. Polishes nicely. Two The company's mine, only one of its kind
lection 12 nuggets, $5.00. Uranium pounds $1.00. J. S. Wisdom, Tonopah. west of Arkansas, is located near Mesa,
Prospector, Box 604, Stockton, Calif. Nevada, Via Fish Lake Valley Rt. Arizona.

36 DESERT MAGAZINE
 Claim OH BLANK MOUNTINGS
for
AGATE JEWELRY
Welcome WHOLESALE
Rings — Ear Wires — Tie Chains
Cuii Links — Neck Chains
trail winds up to the claims. It is a fairly
strenuous hike with about two miles of Betel — devices — Shanks
fairly steep uphill trail, but the specimens Solder — Findings
found at the end are reward enough for the Send stamp for price list No. 3
trek.
At an elevation of 5200 feet, the Red Top O. R. JUNKINS & SON
area is covered with snow much of the
year, but in the summer it is a delightful 440 N.W. Beach St.
place to camp and hunt for agate, crystals NEWPORT, OREGON
and geodes. It is part of a forest reserve
and, although camping is encouraged, visit- FAMOUS TEXAS PLUMES
ors are cautioned to be careful with camp- Red Plume, Pom Pom and many other types
fires, matches and cigarettes. of agate. Slabs on approval. Rough agate,
8 lb. mixture postpaid, $5.00. Price list on
CHAIRMEN PLAN FALL request.

GEM AND HOBBY SHOW WOODWARD RANCH

Plans are already well under way by 17 miles So. on Hwy 118
Searles Lake Gem and Mineral Society, Box 453. Alpine. Texas
Trona, California, for their October gem
and hobby show. Chairmen are Oscar Wal- COLORFUL CUTTING MATERIALS
strom, field trips; Mrs. Dunn, art exhibits; Sawed, untrimmed pieces, none smaller
than half inch; sampler of one piece each
Dwight Sawyer, minerals; Eddie Redenbach, of Asizona Jasper, chrysocolla, moss agate,
lapidary and gems; Mrs. George Pipkin, Shattuckite, petrified wood, Norwegian
general hobbies; Mo Leonardi, raffles, and moonstone, verdite, sodalite, green quartz:
Al Tankersley, Redenbach and O. B. Ross, All nine pieces, identified, postpaid
guaranteed $1.00
to EllenSbury grab bags and miscellaneous. LOST MOUNTAIN GEMS
Map to Puget Sound Gem and Mineral • • • P.O. Box 5012, Phoenix, Arizona

Club's agate claims on Red Top Moun- Of 32 classes of symmetry that include
tain, Washington. All rockhounds are all mathematically possible crystal forms
there still are seven that have no mineral M I N E R A L C A T A L O G AVAILABLE
invited to hunt on the jour claims. representatives, Colorado Mineral Society's Send 5c< cost of handling
Mineral Minutes revealed in a recent issue. If you want Fine ami Rare Minerals, Ores,
• • •
5 1GHTY ACRES of choice collecting
ground have been saved for the rock- A return trip to Opal Mountain was
hounds by recent action of the Puget scheduled for April by Hollywood Lapidary
Sound Gem and Mineral Club, Seattle. and Mineral Society.
Fluoreseents, Geiger Counters, Mineralights,
Rooks, Ring Mounts, or advice, write to—

MINERALS UNLIMITED
1721 University Ave., Berkeley 3, California
Washington. • • •
Hearing that certain individuals were A three-day field trip to Lone Pine, Cali-
planning to acquire the Red Top Mountain fornia, was planned for April by Long WHEN IN SAN DIEGO
agate beds near Liberty, Washington, and Beach Mineral and Gem Society. The area
charge fees for hunting the fine blue and yields pyrite crystals, galena copper speci- You will enjoy stopping to see our display
of fine crystals and mineral specimens from
lavendar specimens found there, the Puget mens, chrysocolla, clear and mottled cal- all over the world.
Sounders acted to save one of their favorite cite, lime minerals, copper, silver and lead. MINERAL GEMS
field trip sites. They filed four mineral • • •
claims in the best areas covering the top An auction for members' benefit was held O. A. Newhousp, 4fi7« Park Blvd.
and slopes of Red Top Mountain and Tean- by San Antonio, Texas, Rock and Lapidary Corner Adams Ave. — San Pit'KO (i, Calif.
away Ridge. Society. Profits for members totaled $66.25.
The club recorded the four claims in
Kittitas County, Washington, at a total cost SAWS'. GRINDS! 1 HILLQUIST SLABBING SAWS
12" bench model, $72
of $5.10. To hold the claims, improve- SANDS! BUFFS!
16" floor model, $110
ments of a minimum value of $100 must Everything in- I
eluded except 20" floor model, $155
be made on each claim. The Puget Sound motor. Uses all Real rockhounds saws
rockhounds plan to place a cairn on each HiMquistacces-l favored for their big
claim where visitors may register; other sories. Ideal tor HILLQUIST DIAMOND SAWS capacity and lifetime
camping facilities may follow. beginners. Only I Cut Foster-Last Longer-Cost
construction. "Magic-
$41.50 complete. I Brain" automatic feed
I Less. Available in all sizes.
Frances L. Thompson, secretary, extends HILLQUIST TRIM SAW I You'll swear by 'em, not ot'em!
for above $46,35
the club's invitation to all gem and mineral The "Cadillac" of trim saws. Exclu-
hobbyists to visit the claims, free of charge.
Prior permission is not necessary, but the
s i v e "up-and-down"
arbor. "No-splash"
Before you buy any lapidary
claimants ask that the area be left unclut- plastic guards. equipment - send for our big
tered for future visitors. Precision rock

The claims cannot be reached by auto-

mobile. Cars can be driven off the high-
clamp and guide.
^ Complete with 8"
blade, $62.50
FREE CATALOG!
FULL OF HELPFUL LAPIDARY
| T h e ultim
ate in horizontal sh
lapidary units.l
wheels. From]

way about l'/i miles on Medicine Creek HILLQUIST GEM IJLL-lLE W_'NFORMAT.ON-send NOW TO
Road. From the end of the road, a ranger I Drills finest holes .HILLQUIST DRUM SANDER
lot high The most popular drum
1545 W . 49 St. SEATTLE 7 , W N .
I speed and saws I sander made. Patented
• Specializing in • I discs up to 1 Vi". I "quick-lock' screw makes '
] it easy to change sanding
FINE FOREIGN GEMS I Exclusive ramrod
• action prevents I cloth. 3 " x 7 " - $9.50
AND MINERALS I core plugging.
Lapidary Equipment and Supplies IFullyautomatic. HILLQUIST COMPACT LAP UNIT
I Bigger than the Gem-Master. Handles
Gem drills—Jewelry tools—Sterling HILLQUIST COMPLETE FACETER I up to a 10" saw. Saws, grinds, J
Jewelry Mountings—Books—Mineralights Only $62.50 complete with 31 I sands, polishes, laps, facets,^ "
index plates. You can cut a n y l I cuts spheres — does every
SUPERIOR GEMS & MINERALS faceted form quickly and I I Big! ^99® • y l b l e for pro- —
a ua I thing and u
mmy unu does it better.
u« M
4665 Park Blvd., San Diego 16, California ^easily. The equal I 1 2" "12 wnee - - ^anting fast,BThouands in use.
offaceters I I fessionals or anyo l y $ 5 3 . 5 0 | Everything include
Open 10:30 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. costing twice I nd eXCept m t O r
Closed Sundays the price. I S I n>ooth 8 » n t r t f r o m J l i i J
Qthnr ftrr t m m •ot$122.50
°

JUNE, 1 9 5 4 37
 Miss Ruth Simpson of Southwest Mu- Members of the Mineralogical Society SECOND ANNUAL LAPIDARY
seum described the desert life of early Cali- of Southern California were asked to bring ASSOCIATION SHOW DATES
fornia man when she appeared as guest fossil specimens to the April meeting in
speaker at a meeting of Los Angeles Lapi- Pasadena. The evening's subject was the Lapidary Association of Southern Cali-
dary Society. She showed colored slides of Pre-Tertiary Mojave Desert. fornia will hold its second annual gem
ancient Indian campsites and displayed • • • show August 13, 14 and 15 at the Shrine
scrapers, arrowheads, choppers and other Duxbury Point was the destination of a Convention Hall in Los Angeles. Host
artifacts from the Pinto Basin and Mojave field trip party from San Francisco Gem clubs will be the Los Angeles Lapidary
Lake areas. and Mineral Society. Members took ad- Society, Santa Monica Gemological Society,
vantage of low tides to hunt for petrified Hollywood Lapidary Society and the Gem
whalebone, agate, variegated jasper, drift- Cutters Guild. Several feature exhibits are
FIRE OPAL-MEXICO wood and shells. planned in addition to displays from the 12
Fine minerals, Aztec agate and other • • • member societies of the association.
CHOICE cutting materials "Micromount Night"' was April 15 for • • •
REQUEST FREE PRICE LIST the East Bay Mineral Society of Oakland. For every one-carat diamond found, 10
California. George H. Needham spoke on tons of rock are processed. Gladys Hanna-
RALPH E. MUELLER & S O N "The Preparation and Display of Micro- ford told members of Fresno Gem and
1000 E. Camslback Phoenix, Arizona mounts," illustrating his remarks with spe- Mineral Society. Fifty percent of the dia-
cimen displays and colored slides. mond is lost in cutting, so the 10 tons of
ore actually yields one-half carat of cut
gem. The deeper the diamond miner goes
into the earth, the smaller the diamonds
TIN OXIDE $1.50 PER POUND become. Mrs. Hannaford is a representa-
tive of the DeBeers diamond syndicate.
If you buy $5 worth of Basic Lapidary Supplies from the following list. • • •
A $10 purchase entitles you to buy 2 lbs. Tin Oxide at $1.50 per lb. The Puget Sounder, organ of Tacoma.
Washington, Agate Club, has announced a
A $25 purchase entitles you to buy 5 lbs. of Tin Oxide. writing contest. Entrants are to tell how
they became rockhounds.
NORTON CRYSTOLON GRINDING WHEELS . . . • • •
Size 6x'/2" 6x1" 8x1" 8x1 W 10x1 W Quartz crystals from Quartzsite, Arizona,
80 grit $7.50 joined collections of Delvers Gem and Min-
100 grit $2.65 $3.60 $5.35 7.50 $11.35 eral Society Members, Downey, California,
after a recent field trip.
220 grit 2.95 3.95 5.90 8.25 12.50 • • •
320 grit 3.35 4.50 6.70 9.40 14.20 Five speakers presented the program at a
Shipping weight 2 lbs. 3 lbs. 5 lbs. 6 lbs. 9 lbs. recent meeting of Arrowhead Mineralogical
Society, Fontana. California. Junior Mem-
Crystolon Wheel Dressing Brick 6"x2"xl" 95c ber Joe Walker discussed Horse Canyon
agate; Elmer Jarrett advised on the proper
CRYSTOLON ABRASIVE for the Lapidary . . . bezel of a cabochon; George Seaberg spoke
Grit Size 1 Pound 5 Lb. Lots 10 Lb. Lots 25 Lb. Lots on "Sawing Techniques"; George Tyler told
80. 100, 120, 18, 220 $ .83 $ .52 $ .39 $ .30 how he made his onyx vases, and John
2F (320), 3F (400) .38 .57 .41 .32 Short gave tips on polishing tigereye.
Graded 400 1.09 .73 .57 .48
Graded 600 1.35 .94 .78 .69
DURITE (Silicon Carbide) ROLL SANDING CLOTH—
Available in 120. 150. 180. 220. 330 grits
Dry Rolls
2" wide, 25 ft. long—$2.00; 150-foot roll—$ 9.00
3" wide. 15 ft. long— 2.00; 150-foot roll— 13.25
10" wide. 5 ft. long— 2.00; 150-foot roll— 39.77
12" wide, 5 ft. long— 2.25; 150-foot roll— 47.70
Wet Rolls
3" wide, 10 ft. long—$2.00; 150-foot roll—$21.60
10" wide. 40 in. long— 2.60; 150-foot roll— 71.25
DURITE SANDING CLOTH in round disks . . .
Available in 120. 220. 320 grits
Wet Dry
6" 5 for $1.00; 25 for $ 3.90 8 for $1.00; 25 for $ 2.25
8" 3 for 1.10; 25 for 7.00 5 for 1.00; 25 for 4.10
10" 2 for 1.15; 25 for 11.00 3 for 1.00; 25 for 6.45
DEALERS
12" 2 for 1.65; 25 for 16.00 2 for 1.00; 25 for 9.45 WANTED
SCINTl
CONGO OR FELKER DI-MET DIAMOND BLADES Here is the ideal field instrument for Uranium
4" diameter by .205" thick $ 7.80 10" diameter by .040" thick $14.80 prospecting. It's ultra-sensitive, low in cost, light-
6" diameter by .205" thick 7.80 12" diameter by .040" thick 18.20 weight and small in size.
6" diameter by .032" thick 7.80 14" diameter by .050" thick 25.20 The model 117 "Special ScintHlator" is made
16" diameter by .050" thick 28.60 by Precision Radiation Instruments, Inc., manu-
8" diameter by .032" thick 10.40 20" diameter by .060" thick 39.20 facturers of the famous Model
8" diameter by .040" thick 11.40 24" diameter by .060" thick 50.60 111 "Scintillator:'
When ordering please state arbor hole size Write for tree complete cata-
ALL PRICES F.O.B. PASADENA log on instruments for detect-
ing uranium and ofher metais.
$29050
ADD 3% SALES TAX IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA
Member of American Gem and Mineral Suppliers Association PRECISION RADIATION INSTRUMENTS, INC.11
2235 _ S. La Brea, Los Angeles 16, Calif.

GRIEGER'S [ Please send tree Catalog.

Name
Address
-
1633 E. WALNUT ST. PASADENA 4, CALIFORNIA
_Zone State-
WORLD'S LADCEST MANUFACTURERS OF PORTABLE RADIATION INSTRUMENTS

38 DESERT MAGAZINE
ORANGE COAST SHOW DATES Expense of incorporation for Montebello First public show of Wichita Gem and
Mineral and Lapidary Society was partly Mineral Society was held in April in Wich-
Orange Coast Mineral and Lapidary So- defrayed by an auction sale held at a recent ita, Kansas. To provide enough cases for
ciety, Costa Mesa, California, will hold its meeting. Program Chairman Jack Schwartz members' displays, a volunteer group mass-
annual gem and mineral show in conjunc- auctioned off donated specimens for a profit constructed case parts which were sold to
tion with the Orange County Fair. August of $33. individual members who assembled them
10 to 15. • • • themselves.
• • • "The Earth is Born," a series of colored • • •
Searles Lake Gem and Mineral Society. slides from the Life magazine series "The Braving rain, 30 members of San Diego
Trona, California, is organizing a junior World We Live In," were shown at the Lapidary Society attended the March meet-
division. Helping with plans are Al Tanker- April meeting of Coachella Valley Mineral ing and viewed slides from "Desert Treasure
sley, Eddie Redenbach and Mo Leonardi. Society, Indio, California. The slides and Trails."
• • « accompanying script were loaned by the
Using a black light to bring out the beauty California Federation of Mineralogical So- LAPIDARY SUPPLIES — MINERALIGHTS
of choice specimens in his collection, cieties. Send for FREE price list
Thomas Warren presented a program, "Flu- • • •
orescence in Minerals," for Pasadena Lapi- An illustrated lecture. "Uranium in the CALIFORNIA HOUSE OF ROCKS
dary Society. Morrison and Shinarump formations in 16208 S. Clark Ave., Bellilower. California
• • • Southeastern Utah" was planned for the Open 10 a.m. lo 7 p.m. Wed. (ill 9 p.m.
When a new job made it necessary for April meeting of Wasatch Gem Society. Closed Sunday
him to leave the San Diego, California, Guest speaker was Horace K. Thurbcr. Jr.
area, Felix Kallis resigned as president of
San Diego Mineral and Gem Society. He
is succeeded by Norman Dawson, former
vice-president. Mineralight Makes Rich Tungsten Find in Nevada
• • • PROSPECTORS
Indiana Geology and Gem Society car- ARE REWARDED
ried an illustrated article on "Geography
and Geology of the Canon City Embay-
ment, Canon City, Colorado" in its April
bulletin.

A late April field trip to Thornton Quarry

was scheduled by the Earth Science Club
of Northern Illinois. Those who had visited / was collecting
the area before, remembered the quantities
of fossil specimens found there.
• • •
minerals for fun... but
A "Kriss-Kross" puzzle of stones to cut
was the brain-teaser published in the April
FOUND A FORTUNE!
issue of Evansville Lapidary Society's News- Each of these
letter. The March issue gave the answers headlines...reprinted
to the February Valentine puzzle. from just two recent
• • • editions of MINING
Stan Skiba continued his "Uranium Pros- RECORD...refers
pecting" series in the April issue of the lo a find made
with a Mineralight
'/;
American Prospectors Journal, organ of
the American Prospectors Club of Los An- Ultra-Violet
geles, with detailed discussions of isorad Lamp.
mapping and quantitative assays of radio-
active ores.
• • • \9\

3r~
Jim Kilgore and Vearl Hooper pooled
their knowledge of diamond saws to present
the March program of Dona Ana County
Rockhound Club, Mesilla Park, New Mex- "This is i •ithoui doubt one-
ico. Kilgore told how saws are made, why "Y _s, lie hud with us on of lln a orld's major ill-
of your lights, which if "1 ist lln M ncralight posits of ScJiecl tc.would
they are able to cut hard gemstones and
how they should be treated to keep them in ust d. Without thelighi ic in all our prosp iii,ill. II probably III VI f have bet n
wo ul<l have never locattI hit S hi i n vi iii vi hliihli it, discovt vi I with ml ii Mill-
top condition. Hooper told what not to do
to saws and the best type to buy. Ihi tungsten." till till HI u id tu it it cralight.'
-IraC.Lambert -Wm. II. Baldwin. -1I\ //. Hooper.

(ABOVE QUOTATIONS ARE EXCERPTS FROM ACTUAL LETTERS IN FILES OF ULTRAVIOLET PRODUCTS INC.)

Many a Mineralight user will tell you that what started as a hobby produced a
bonanza. For in addition to providing added pleasure and excitement for collectors all
over the world, this magic black-light lamp has often located hidden values by the ton!
Tungsten, uranium, mercury, zirconium and many other valuable minerals are readily
ALLEN identified with Mineralight. You do not have to be an expert to make these identifica-
JUNIOR GEM CUTTER tions. Anyone can do it quickly and easily.
A Complete Lapidary Shop Mineralight will make your mineral collecting more interesting-more thrilling-more
Only $43.50 exciting. And there's always the possibility that the magic of Mineralight may light your
• Ideal for apartment house dwellers. way to a fortune...as it has done for so many others.
• Polish rocks into beautiful gems.
• Anyone can learn.
• Instructions included.
ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS, I N C.
Fill out and mail
Write for Catalog, 25c Dept D South Pasadena, California
coupon today, for free
catalog, prospecting PI( asi si ml itif complete Information on \jour Mint ritlujht prospecting
ALLEN LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT instructions and illus- Inniji.s, and ftttmc <>\ di oh r tu ttV( si tut .

COMPANY — Dept. D trations of minerals NAME

3632 W. Slimon Av«., Lei Angeles 43, C»l. in glowing colors. ADDRESS
Phone Axminjter 2-6206 CITY STATE

JUNE, 1954 39
 First meeting of the junior group of A new evening class in mineral identifica- Sgt. George Zurian, president of El Paso
Chicago Rocks and Minerals Society was tion started April I at Santa Barbara High Mineral and Gem Society, discussed "Syn-
held in March and elections were held. School, sponsored by the Santa Barbara thetic Sapphire and Spinel Production" in
Alan Hahn is president; Alice Swanson, Mineral and Gem Society. the April issue of The Voice, monthly club
vice-president; Robert Gonzales, secretary; • • • bulletin.
Bob Holtz, treasurer, and Jay Wollin, man- In a "Did you Know?" column in the • • •
ager. March issue of Evansville, Indiana, Lapi- University of Denver announces extended
dary Society's Newsletter, the editors re- day courses in gems for rockhounds and
ported that for all of the "diamond ore" their families.
TURQUOISE
Cabochon and baroque cut stones in all sizes
mined, only one part in 21,000,000 is dia- • • •
and grades, drilled, tumbled nuggets matched
mond. Members of East Bay Mineral Society,
for necklaces and earrings. • • • Oakland, California, have a new project.
Approval selections A "Lapidary Clinic" was scheduled for They are assembling kits of specimen rocks
the April meeting of Shadow Mountain and minerals to be placed in schools where
MARYOTT'S Gem and Mineral Society, Palm Desert, teachers and students show interest. Dr.
Claypool, Arizona California. General Chairman Don Butter- F. M. Yockey is heading the project.
worth said it would be an opportunity for • • •
society members to watch cutting, polishing Dr. Ben Hur Wilson was guest speaker
and faceting operations and jewelry making at the April meeting of the Chicago Rocks
as well as to view finished pieces. and Minerals Society. He gave an illus-
• • • trated lecture on "The Earth as a Planet."
Ninth annual exhibit of Minnesota Min- Dr. Wilson is a past president of the Ameri-
eral Club was held in April. Mineral speci- can Federation of Mineralogical Societies.
mens, meteorites, cabochons and faceted • • •
gems were displayed for visitors. "In Utah," Speaker Burnett Hendryx of
Bryce Canyon told the Gem and Mineral
Society of San Mateo County, California,
S T R I KE IT R
ICK NOW! "are formations of every geologic age since
WITH the world began and every kind of climate."
GEIGER COUNTERS and METAL DETECTORS He showed colored slides of weirdly beau-
by tiful formations in Cedar Breaks, Zion,
DefeC ron, Fisher and P ecision Radiation Grand Canyon, Bryce and Captol Reef
Instruments. Also MINERALIGHTS national parks and monuments.
Wr te us for specific information— • • •
An oil portrait of Arthur L. Flagg, who
has spent many years working with the
0 children of Arizona, teaching them about
geology, gems and minerals, was presented
135 N. Sirrine Street to the Mineralogical Society of Arizona,
flr Mesa 3, Arizona
Phone WO 4-6233
which he helped found. The painting was
the gift of junior members of the society
and former junior members now in the
adult group.
HILLQUIST
• Put the Hillquist Gemmaster beside any lapidary
The NUCLIOMETER Model DR-290
machine — cheaper, flimsy "gadgets" or units that A super-sensitive instrument unaffected by desert
sell at twice the price. Compare construction! Com- heat, excellent for making "grid-map" surveys, for
pare ease of operation! Compare how much you
get for your money and you'll say, "I'll take the
uranium deposits, and locating distant ore bodies.
Gemmaster!" Tested and proven to be the most sensitive and
Here is a worthy companion for our larger and
efficient portable radiation detector made. It is
more expensive Hillquist Compact Lapidary Unit. rugged, stable, with a three scale sensitivity, cali-
Tho smaller in size, the Hillquist Gemmaster has brated in counts-per-second, low operation cost.
many of the same features. It's all-metal with spun Priced at only $545.00 F.O.B. Compton, California
aluminum tub. You get a rugged, double-action rock
clamp, not a puny little pebble pincher. You get a New Model DS-234 Scintillation—The latest scin-
full 3" babbitt sleeve bearing and ball thrust bear- tillation counter on the market. Superior sensitivity
ing. You get a big 7" Super Speed diamond saw performance and calibration. Low Price... $467.00
and all the equipment you need to go right to work.
P\O.B. Compton, California
USES ALL ACCESSORIES Geiger Counters—The Prospectors Pal Model DG-2
You can use all the regular Hillquist accessories
with the Gemmaster: The Hillquist Facetor, Sphere
with three scale sensitivity meter $98.50
Cutters, Laps, Drum and Disc Sanders, etc. The only low cost counter calibrated on all three scales Model 27
WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG Model DG-7—same as above with separate, detached probe $135.00
METAL DETECTORS—The Model 27 Deluxe (with meter) for prospecting
i COMPLETE, READY TO USE! YOU GET ALL THIS- for metallic minerals, gold and silver included (Depth range maximum
7 ft.) $110.00
Model 711. Metal case, light weight, easy to carry (depth range 21 ft.) $138.50
All priced F.O.B. Compton, California
Mortars and Pestles — Gold Pans, 2 lb. — Miner Picks, 4 H>.
BIG 7" Diamond Saw • 6" x 1 " Grinding Drift Picks — Chemical Kits
Wheel • 6" Felt Buff • 6" Backing Wheel
6" Disc Sander • Double-action Rock We stock a complete line of Ultra-Violet
Clamp • Oil Feed Cup • Water Feed
Hose & Clamp • Dop Sticks & Dop Wax
Mineralights, also Gem cutting and polish-
Polish, Compound, Etc. ing equipment, and supplies.
BUILT FOR LONG SERVICE!
No other low-cost lap unit
gives you full 3" sleeve
bearing, ball thrust bearing
and pressure lubrication.
Compton Rock Shop
1409 South Long Beach Blvd.
Compton, California
/ OA EQUIPMENT CO.u, Model DR-290 Open house every Tuesday evening
Nucliometer Telephone NEwmark 2-9096
1545 WEST 49TH ST., SEATTLE 7, WASHINGTON

40 DESERT MAGAZINE
 DIAMOND BLADES
AMATEUR OEM CUTTER
By LELANDE QUICK, Editor of The Lapidary Journal
Treat yourself to the best"
•avv-lhny Super Siangan
I>er-Cligd. Chained Cliiirs<-(
-S S 9.03 S 7.98
A visitor to our office the other day came top rubber companies, and he has written 11.50 10.44
15.23 14.02
for advice on how to polish opals. He said a paper that will shortly appear on the 22.211 18.53
that he had tried all of the various agents excellent results obtained in lapidary classes 2ii. 10 25.67
on the market but that his scratches still with this type of equipment. 32.76 29.08
43.20
remained. Now here was a man who The chief faults with sanding cloth are 51.97 39.84
thought that if he had a few scratches after that a fresh piece is usually too sharp to re- 65.73 51.10
finishing his sanding operation they would Mil.H2 125.73
move scratches. A partly worn cloth is 220.00 188.05
be removed with tin oxide or cerium oxide better but the cutting texture does not re- Slate Arbor Size
or some other wonder working agent. It is main constant. Wet sanding is preferred sales tax iii California
not so. for some gems, and cloth for that purpose Allow for Postage and Insurance
One could, in time, remove some hair- has never been too satisfactory; the firm-
like scratches with a polishing agent on a ness of padding on wheels is too uniform Covington Ball Bearing Grinder
felt or leather buff but it would take so and it should vary with the type of gem Mid shields are
much time it would be folly to try it. Our being ground. The wear factor and time furnished in 3
visitor even admitted that he had pits in element in class rooms is tremendous where sizes and price
his finished gems. We told him that he was cloth is used; in the classroom there is r a n g e s to s u i t
mistaken in believing that his opals were seldom room for the use of all kinds of your require-
finished if he took them to the polishers grit, etc. iiients. Water and
with pits and scratches in them. No one Mr. Chick tells us that after a great grit proof.
ever gets a perfect polish on any gem deal of experimenting the nationally known
unless he has first done a perfect sanding COVINGTON 8" TRIM SAW
rubber company has devised two wheels
job. for all sanding operations for all materials. and motor lire com-
The temptation is strong indeed, especi- The name and address of the company will pact and do not
ally with opals, to take a gem with a few he supplied if you send a self addressed and splash. S;ivc hi fides
and clothing with
scratches still on it to the buffs just to see postage paid envelope with your request for I h i s SOW.
how the fire comes out. It takes more information. No dealer has these wheels
strength of character than we usually pos- stocked at this time but they should be
sess to refrain from polishing until every stocked by most dealers soon because the BUILD YOUR O W N LAP
last scratch is removed by the sanders. manufacturer plans wide advertising about anil HAVE with a COV-
them.
We can't see that any improvement has IXGTON 12" or 16" Lap
been made in sanding operations themselves Nine good reasons for adopting their use Kit. We furnish every-
in many years but certainly a lot of things (especially in class rooms) develops from thing you need. Seuil
have been done to take the hardship out of Mr. Chick's correspondence with us on for new frpc lapi<lnr,v
the equipment used. When we first began the matter. They are: catalog.
the hobby, sanders were all home made. The wheels were especially designed for ACOVIXGTOX
An amateur would visit a wood turner and gemstone polishing. ^Multi-Feature
get some wheels turned and an arbor hole They eliminate fussing with sanding cloth. Hi" Lapidary
drilled in them. Then he would rummage They enable the gemcutter to be a better Unit Does
around until he found some sponge rub- s
everything
master of his technique. *; I for you.
ber or perhaps he would cut up some old They are very versatile and may be used
carpet to use as a pad over which to wet or dry. COVINGTOX
stretch his sanding cloth. The cloth was There is no need to resurface the wheels 12" 14" .
then cut to oversize and the over-lap was to renew their cutting ability. Any wearing or Hi" f
tacked down to the periphery of the wheel. Power Feed
It used to take us a good half hour to action will only expose new grit of the Diamond
same density. Slab Saws
change the cloth on a wheel. Then came
the manufactured wheels with a spring The beginner can accomplish perfect SAVE
attachment. These were better, but still bad. sanding immediately. BLADES
The change over is very simple; especi-
About two years ago the greatest boon ally to vertical arbor machines. Used by the U. S. Government
of all came along—peel-em-off sanding Rubber wheels are inexpensive and long Send for New Catalog, IT'S FREE
disks and cement. These were cut to size lasting.
and all the lapidary had to do was yank In the class rooms, where space is lim- Covington Lapidary Eng.
off the worn out cloth, rub a little goo on ited, the use of rubber wheels greatly en- REDLANDS D, CALIFORNIA
a new disk and slap it on the wheel. Cloth larges existing facilities.
could be changed before you could count
to sixty—and that's less than a minute. The new edition of the ROCKHOUND J A D E
BUYERS GUIDE is now out. It can be TOP QUALITY BLACK—
This all leads up to what promises to be Takes perfect polish—$1.50 inch.
a new boon to the sanding problem and procured from Desert Magazine Bookshop
for $2.00 postpaid ($2.06 in California). OLIVE GREEN—Very compact—$1.00 Inch.
one can even save that precious minute
and just quit stocking any sanding cloth. The new edition has 192 pages of valuable DARK—
There is now on the market a rubber bonded information for the traveling rockhound. Medium to light green mottled Si.2.) inch.
sanding wheel that does away with the It gives specific directions—with maps— of SMALL PIECES—
where to go for gems and minerals in the H i to 1 inch in slabs, 25c to SI.(Ml each.
use of any cloth at all. The various sizes of SUNSET JASPER—50c inch.
grits have been bonded right into a rubber states of Washington, Oregon, California, RED & YKM.OW MOSS AGATE—75c inch.
wheel and all you do when you wear away Minnesota, Utah, Texas, Maine, Virginia, GREEN MOSS—BOc Inch.
the grit with sanding operations is to re- Arizona and Mexico. DESERT FLOWER Agates—very pretty 75c
veal new grit. This is not a new idea but The GUIDE has scores and scores of You can always count on Kood quality and
it is an idea that has never been widely ac- extra good measure. Satisfaction guaranteed.
short cuts for your shop, many of which Please add postage. 10',- off on orders of
cepted because nothing has been written have appeared in this column. It tells you
about it. One manufacturer of lapidary SI5.00 or more.
the name and time and place of meeting KOBBEMAN LAPIDARYS
equipment used to put out a "one man of nearly every one of the gem and mineral KK No. 2, Bi>\ 1132 Koseburg, Oregon
band" outfit that came equipped with rub- clubs and lists gem displays of about 600
ber bonded grinders and sanders but their museums. Tells you just where you can buy
manufacture was stopped, probably because anything a rockhound would use from a ALTA INDUSTRIES
of a lack of popularity of these items and trout fly to a rock pick, from a diamond
the difficulty of purchasing replacements. 2123 West K m a n t o Blvd., Phoenix, Ai'Issoni
wheel dresser to a diamond ring. This is
Now we hear from Stephen Chick, a the biggest value in a rockhound book ever LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT
lapidary instructor in the schools of Ann offered. We can be pardoned for being en- Manufacture and Design
Arbor, Mich. Mr. Chick has been doing a thusiastic about it because it's the one book 16-1R inch powerfeed slabbing saw
we always believed the rockhound needed Belt sanders and Trim saws
lot of research on rubber sanding wheels, (send postal for free literature)
with the cooperation of one of the nation's most—and we wrote it.

UNE, 1 954 4.1

 By RANDALL HENDERSON
AST WEEK J was present at a meeting when the music, fine art and healthful recreation, uncluttered by
directors of the Death Valley 49ers chose the catch-penny venders and stop and go signals.
inscription which is to be placed on a plaque at Perhaps it would be stretching a point to classify the
the grave of Death Valley Scotty during the annual annual burro-ftapjack contest which is part of the Encamp-
Encampment of the organization next November. (See ment program as a cultural event—but it takes a bit of
page 18, this issue of Desert.) comedy to complete every well-balanced show, and those
The mystery which surrounded Scotty during his life prospectors and burros are the greatest clowns on earth.
remains unsolved after his death. This was evident in
the good-humored debate which preceded the decision of Recently I spent a weekend visiting with some of the
the 49ers. While it is well known that the funds with Jackrabbit homesteaders in Twentynine Palms, Lucerne
which the million dollar Castle was built, and which sup- and Apple Valleys on California's Mojave desert, and was
ported Scotty in his late years came from Albert M. amazed at the progress many of Uncle Sam's 5-acre settlers
Johnson, the multi-millionaire insurance man, there is are making.
still no accounting for the huge sums he disbursed in frolic Most of the men and women who are taking up these
and folly before he had access to the Johnson fortune. little homesteads are folks from the coastal metropolitan
The fabulous gold mine which Scotty talked about areas. As soon as the week's work is done they hurry out
generally is conceded to have been a myth. His enemies, to their desert claims, spend the weekend building roads,
and he made many of them, say he was a high-grader, a erecting cabins and planting shrubbery.
thief and a blackmailer. Others are not so harsh in their Paul B. Witmer, manager of the U. S. District Land
judgment. They all agree he was a master press agent. Office in Los Angeles, tells me that as many as 75 appli-
The 49ers were unwilling to classify Scotty either as cants are being processed in a day at his busy headquart-
a saint or sinner. For his plaque they selected a quotation ers. The applicants are given a three-year lease at nom-
from Eleanor Jordan Houston's book. Death Valley inal cost, and if the required improvements are made
Scotty Told Me—they let him write his own epitaph— within three years a deed to the property is issued on pay-
and since it is an expression of the best in the man, no ment of the appraised value, which averages about $20
one is hurt. an acre. The Small Tract Act under which these lands are
Despite his flare for publicity while he was alive, sold differs from the old homestead law in that no resi-
Scotty sought no monument for himself. Once he said to dence on the site is required.
Mrs. Houston: "I like the press. They never neglected In future issues Desert Magazine will publish more
me. Kept me in the headlines longer than any other man. detailed information regarding the Small Tract Act and
That's monument enough for me. An honest man don't manner in which literally thousands of Americans in the
need no monument." Southwest are acquiring desert homesteads under its pro-
X S *
visions.
The Death Valley 49ers is a rather amazing organi- :|: :;: *
zation. It grew out of the California Centennial Pageant The organized mining groups persist in their efforts
staged in Death Valley in 1949, and was formed to per- to secure congressional action which will open the Joshua
petuate the best of the historical traditions of the South- Tree National Monument to mining operations.
west. Those of us who are opposed to the proposal would
Having no by-laws and making no discrimination as be much more sympathetic if the mining interests would
to race, religion or politics, the organization is managed agree to radical changes in the present antiquated mining
by a self-perpetuating board of Southern Californians laws—changes which would limit mining claims strictly
who give generously of their time to many activities of a to mining operations.
cultural character. Anyone may belong to the organiza- Prospectors combed the Joshua Tree area in search
tion who contributes $2.00 or more to the treasury. As of minerals for nearly a hundred years before the Mon-
there are no salaries and the directors pay their own travel ument was established—and found only two or three
expenses the funds are devoted entirely to the staging of small deposits of marketable ore which have long since
the annual Encampment, and toward the building of a been worked out. It just isn't a mineralized area.
museum in Death Valley. I am not afraid that mining will ever destroy the
The campfire programs, the artists', authors' and pho- peace and beauty of the Monument. But 1 dread to think
tographers' breakfasts—open to everyone; the art and what might happen to the Joshua Tree park if anyone
hobby shows and the sunrise services in Death Valley, all could go in there and stake a claim and put up a shack
add up to a delightful three or four day program that is under the protection of a law that puts on big-hearted
most refreshing to those who occasionally like to get away slow-moving Uncle Sam, the burden of proving no market-
from the world of speed and commerce and enjoy good able minerals are present.

42 DESERT MAGAZINE
 UNDERSTANDING WEATHER
AND HOW TO PREDICT IT
We can't change the weather, turn-
ing off rain for sunshine on a picnic
day or producing gentle showers for
COLORFUL GUIDE TO this year, Mrs. Houston decided to go our newly-planted garden. But we can
PLAYGROUNDS OF UTAH ahead and publish the material under predict with fair accuracy what the
Travelers generally are agreed that the title, Death Valley Scotty Told Me. weather will be like.
insofar as the natural landscape is The book is largely the tales told For these predictions, most people
concerned, the most colorful region in by Scotty—not the impossible yarns rely on newspaper or radio reports
the United States lies within that great the old show man delighted in telling made by trained meteorologists and,
plateau area extending from the Rocky reporters and casual acquaintainces, if they can read them, on weather maps
Mountains across New Mexico, Utah but the kind of stories he related in published in the larger daily newspa-
and Arizona to the State of Nevada. the informality of evening chats with pers. But few people understand what
The cream of this scenic wonder- friends—for lie spent many evenings weather is and what causes it.
land is in Utah where almost the en- with the Houstons, both at the Castle
tire southern half of the state is broken and at their Death Valley home. In their latest book, Our Changing
by cliffs and spires and turrets of a Weather, Carroll Lane Fenton and Mil-
Mrs. Houston, in her foreword, ap- dred Adams Fenton explain weather
hundred shades of red and yellow, praised Scotty as a very "real, forceful
fringed everywhere with the green of for the layman and show him how he
and unique personality," with the abil- can try weather forecasting himself.
juniper and coniferous trees. ity "to puncture a stuffed shirt with a They first discuss the components of
It is the two national parks and nine few vivid words . . . Yet he never weather, like clouds, rain and fog,
national monuments within Utah that capitalized on his exploits, and he wind and thunderstorms, cyclones and
have supplied the material for a color- never hurt anyone, even those who air masses. Then they show how to
ful booklet published by the Zion- called him a faker and harder names." use this knowledge in predicting the
Bryce Natural History Association. After her first unpleasant encounter weather, a hobby that can be both
With 16 pages in full color and scores with Scotty, she learned to know him fun and profitable, especially in plan-
of black and white photos, these na- as a very human and unobtrusive ning outdoor recreation.
tional playgrounds are depicted as neighbor whose bluntness of speech
"Masterpieces in Erosion" in both pic- Our Changing Weather is a Double-
was merely a shield for his protection day Junior Book, excellent for young
ture and text. Members of the Park against the silly chatter of the curious.
Service have contributed to make this readers of all ages, but it also is rec-
"I have tried to present Scotty as I ommended for adults who want a
an exceptionally fine guide book to knew him—the master storyteller, the
the recreational areas in Utah. The simple explanation of natural phenom-
humorist, the philosopher," she wrote. ena which, unexplained, seem baffling.
book is well edited by M. V. Walker, The book reveals the human being be-
executive secretary of the Association. hind the glamorous Death Valley Published by Doubleday and Com-
The official road map of Utah, Scotty of the headlines. pany. 110 pages, numerous photo-
showing the park areas, national for- Published by the author. Litho- graphs and diagrams. $2.50.
ests and Indian reservations in color graphed photos. Appendix. Paper- • • •
is included as an insert in the book. bound in 106 pages. $1.00. Books reviewed on this page are available (it
Desert Crafts Shop, Palm Desert
Bound in 4-color paper cover, 65
pages. $1.00.
• • • Who was this poker-faced desert rat who made the top headlines
SCOTTY, THE MAN WHO COULD across the nation? Was he genuine—or just a skilled press agent?
PUNCTURE STUFFED SHIRTS What about his gold mine? His castle? His private life?
The first time Eleanor Jordon Hous-
ton met Death Valley Scotty, he auto- You'll find many of the answers in Eleanor Jordon Houston's book—
graphed a book at her request and just off the press!
then said to her: "Now, don't let me
ever see you again!"
/
That was in 1947 soon after Mrs.
Houston had gone to Death Valley as
the bride of Park Ranger Sam Hous-
t/ctMey Scotty
ton, who was stationed there.
But despite this rude introduction TOLD ME - -
Mrs. Houston became well acquainted
with Scotty in the years that followed, Here is Death Valley Scotty as he was known to close friends whom
and eventually he agreed to collabo- he liked and trusted. Here are reported the conversations which took
rate in the preparation of a book place at Scotty's Castle, his ranch, and in the home of Mrs. Houston
which would contain many of his during the years her husband was a Park Ranger in Death Valley.
stories. "I believe we can sell a million This is the story of the real Death Valley Scotty
copies," he said. "Got to be cheap,
—the man behind the headlines.
though. Make it cheap, people will
buy." $1.00 postpaid
Much of the material for the book California buyers add a 3-cent stamp to cover tax
had been written when the Houstons
in 1949 were transferred to Mammoth
Cave National Park, Kentucky, where
DESERT CRAFTS SHOP
Sam become superintendent. Follow- Palm Desert, California
ing Walter Scott's death in January

JUNE, 1954 43
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