FEBRUARY, 1949 35 CENTS WILDFLOWERS ARE NOW IN BLOSSOM ALONG THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO

In California's most picturesque desert setting—a lovely cove at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains. • Although this new desert community was opened • Here the winter days are clear and sunny, the air to home and business investors less than three is crisp and clean and invigorating. On the sands years ago, $1,100,000 worth of lots already have of this lovely desert cove millions of tiny wild- flower plants are growing, and already in mid- been sold. Private construction totalling $1,250,000 winter great beds of purple desert verbena are is now completed or in progress, including a in blossom. $200,000 school. • Here you can get away from the crowded traffic • Here on a gently sloping bajada .overlooking the and the smog of the congested coastal areas and date gardens of the famous Coachella valley is really live—and here also many business oppor- the spacious building site for the desert home you tunities await those who want to pioneer in a have long dreamed of owning. new community.

Two New Residential Units in Palm Desert Are Now Being Opened Where on Generous Terms You May Buy . . . Spacious Homesite Lots as Low as '950 For Information Regarding Home or Business Property in Palm Desert Community Write to PALM DESERT CORPORATION PALM DESERT. CALIFORNIA Clifford W. Henderson, Founder, President Hollywood Office: 8622 Sunset Blvd. Telephone CRestview 55269 Tract Office on Property or See Your Broker Edith Ward, Tract Agent

TO IDYUWUD • HEMIT . KIVHSIDE • «M

THE DESERT MAGAZINE DESERT CALENDAR Jan. 28-29—Thunderbird Ski Carni- val, Arizona Sno-Bowl, Flagstaff, Arizona. Jan. 29—Searles Lake Gem and Min- eral society's Ninth Annual '49er party, parade, dancing, entertain- ment. Trona club, Trona, Cali- fornia. Jan. 29-30—Annual Palo Verde Val- ley rodeo, Blythe, California. Feb. 2—Candlemas day, dance, San Felipe pueblo, New Mexico. Feb. 4-5 — Second annual Arizona Volume 12 FEBRUARY. 1949 Number 4 State Square Dance festival, Shrine auditorium, Phoenix, Arizona. COVER WHITE SANDS OF NEW MEXICO, by Hubert Feb. 5-6—Palm Springs rodeo, Palm A. Lowman. This photo was awarded first Springs, California. prize in Desert's 1947 cover contest. Feb. 6—Eccles ski cup race, giant sla- lom, Snow Basin, Ogden, Utah. CALENDAR February events on the desert 3 Feb. 6—Lecture on Seri Indians of FIESTA Coachellans Prepare for Annual Date Harvest . 4 Tiburon island, by William Neil Smith, Southwest Museum, High- MINING TOWN Randsburg Refuses to Become a Ghost Town land Park, Los Angeles. By DON AND BARBARA OLLIS .... 5 Feb. 6-13—Western Mid-Winter Trap Shoot, Jaberwock club, Reno, LOST MINE The "Pothole" Placers Nevada. By JOHN D. MITCHELL 9 Feb. 8-9—Convention, New Mexico TRUE OR FALSE Wool Growers association, Albu- A check on your desert knowledge 10 querque, New Mexico. ENIGMA Feb. 12-13—Snowshoe Thompson Mystery Death in the Dunes Memorial cross country race, By ORION M. ZINK 11 White Hills, Nevada. WILDFLOWERS Fall Rains Bring Early Blooming . . . 15 Feb. 12-13—Fourth Annual Silver Spur Rodeo, Yuraa, Arizona. FIELD TRIP Rockhound Trail to Indian Pass 16 Feb. 18-20 — University of Nevada By HAROLD O. WEIGHT .... Intercollegiate Ski Carnival, 16 Mount Rose,' Reno, Nevada. POETRY The Litter-Lout and other poems . . Feb. 18-22—Riverside County Fair BOTANY 23 and National Date Festival, Junipers on the Desert by MARY BEAL County fair grounds, Indio, Cali- PHOTOGRAPHY 24 fornia. Contest winners in December . . . ANCIENT ART We Found the Cave of Lost Art Feb. 19—Annual rodeo parade, horses and horse-drawn vehicles, Tucson, By EDWARD H. DAVIS, Arizona. Told to JOHN CRIPPEN, JR 25 Feb. 19-22—Annual rodeo, La Fiesta CONTEST Prizes for photographers 26 de los Vaqueros, Tucson, Arizona. Feb. 19-22—National ski jump event, HUMOR Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley 27 Ecker Hill, Salt Lake City. PEGLEG DAY Lost Mine Hunt and Liars' Contest 28 Feb. 20—Lecture, "The Growth of the Folk Song," by Mrs. Ernest LETTERS Comment by Desert readers 29 Thompson Seton, Southwest Museum, Los Angeles. CLOSE-UPS About Desert Writers 30 Feb. 21-26—Annual Albuquerque NEWS From Here and There on the desert .... 31 Market Week. Feb. 26—Far Western Ski Associa- MINING Current news of desert mines 39 tion jumping championships, Lake Tahoe. LAPIDARY Amateur Gem Cutter, by LELANDE QUICK . . 40 Feb. 26-27—Intermountain downhill HOBBY Gems and Minerals 41 and slalom championships, Brigh- ton, Utah. COMMENT Just Between You and Me, by the Editor ... 46 Feb. 27—The Jaraba dancers, South- BOOKS Reviews of Southwest Literature 47 west Museum, Highland Park, Los Angeles. The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Press, Inc., Palm Desert, Through February—Exhibit at the California. Re-entered as second class matter July 17, 1948, at the post office at Palm Desert, Southwest Museum, Highland California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered No. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office, and contents copyrighted 1949 by the Desert Press, Inc. Permission to reproduce contents Park, Los Angeles, of a collection must be secured from the editor in writing. of water colors by pupils of the RANDALL HENDERSON, Editor BESS STACY Business Manager United States Indian school in Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledged Santa Fe. unless full return postage is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for damage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Sub- Mar. 4-6 — Annual Desert Gem and scribers should send notice of change of address by the first of the month preceding issue. Mineral show and field trips, sponsored by Desert Gem and SUBSCRIPTION RATES Mineral society of Blythe, Cali- One Year . . . $3.50 Two Years . . . $6.00 fornia. Canadian Subscriptions 25c Extra, Foreign 50c Extra Subscription to Army Personnel Outside U. S. A. Must Be Mailed in Conformity With P. O. D. Order No. 19687 Address Correspondence to Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California

FEBRUARY, 1949 During Date Festival week Indio folks wear the garb of their desert cousins in Asia and North Africa—the original home of the date. Bachian camels are brought in to give color to the program. COACHELLANS PREPARE FOR ANNUAL DATE HARVEST California's desert people will be the hosts in Febru- While a wide variety of carnival events and an Arabian ary at the one and only Date Festival held annually in the Nights pageant each evening provide entertainment for United States. Staged in a setting of oriental architecture the crowds, the unique feature of the program is the agri- and costuming the five-day program attracts visitors from cultural exhibit in which dates grown in Coachella valley all over the West. gardens are the center of interest.

This year's dates for Cali- fornia's Date Festival at Indio are— February 18-19-20-21-22

More than 200 local people in costume take part in the Arabian Nights pag- eant staged each evening on a gorgeous oriental stage.

Camel races are the highlights of an afternoon program which includes horse show, queen contest, Bagdad bazaar, slave market and carnival events. Dry desert winds have aged yet preserved the unchanging little town of Randsburg, with its musty air of hopeful expectation.

Photographs and Text by DON AND BARBARA OLLIS Randsburg Refuses to Tucked away in arid desert foothills 42 miles northeast of Mojave. Randsburg is one of the West's few remaining typical Become a Ghost Town mining towns that retain both the body and spirit of frontier days. lust far enough from U. S. Highway 395 to escape the USTY, rutted streets wind past and weathered yellows of the frame rickety unpainted miner's buildings blend into the sand, clay, tourist-trade jumble of gas sta- shacks, and warped false- and scoria hills as if in protective tions, cafes and honkytonks, fronted stores that still bear the faintly coloration against the onslaught of the the mining town has been discernible signs, "Assay Office" or desert. The total lack of greenery or threatened repeatedly with be- "State Militia." Deserted claims with cultivation of any sort, and the soldier- coming a ghost town. But it their clay-colored mine-tailings dot the ly procession of outhouses bespeak rocky slopes. Tottering galvanized the preciousness of Randsburg water. waits with knowing patience for sheds, heavy-timbered gallows frames Tucked away in the arid desert foot- the inevitable return of depres- and rusting machinery lie in desolate hills 42 miles northeast of Mojave sion's gold seekers. abandon. The warm reds, old browns, Randsburg is just far enough from

FEBRUARY, 1949 5 Prospectors still use cast iron mortar and pestle (right) to crush their ore samples and test them by the ancient method of hand panning (left).

U. S. Highway 395 to escape the the surrounding claims brought no vast the spell of gold the hills were over- tourist-trade jumble of gas stations, riches. The old miners sought greener run with new mine hands hopefully cafes and honkytonks. fields—the young miners went to war. prospecting in their spare hours. Again It is one of the West's few remain- The mining camp slowed down. Word a lucky number came up. This time the ing typical frontier mining towns that passed around that the hills were Golden Queen mine near Mojave retain both the body and spirit of the worked out, and Randsburg's popula- poured forth riches from the desert. Forty-niners. Repeatedly threatened tion dwindled. The next mining camp exodus was with becoming a ghost town, it waits After World War I accidental dis- more sudden, more complete than the with knowing patience for the inevi- covery of the fabulous Kelly Silver others. For L-208, the government table return of depression's gold mine in the middle of the district again mine-closing order of November, 1942, seekers. brought an eager horde of miners, shut down gold mining operations for True to its namesake in Transvaal, speculators, tinhorns, prospectors, and wartime conservation of manpower. South Africa, this little desert mining fortune hunters. With $100 a ton ore, Sand, sage, and creosote infiltrated the town owes its past and hinges its fut- for a brief period the Kelly was said near-ghost town of Randsburg as gas- ure to the magic cry of "Gold!" Eras to be the biggest silver mine in the rationing eliminated even the casual of prosperity and depression come and world. The surrounding hills were tourist. Only the Butte Lode mine go, but vivid legends of miraculous dis- honeycombed with shafts and humped continued to ship gold to the U. S. coveries of the great mines of the past with mine-tailings as if infested with Treasury. Its sole legal reason for and present keep prospectors active in gophers. A few struck good ore, but operating was that it supplied the town the dark, looming Rand mountains. nothing like the Kelly bonanza. As with a meager water supply. Seem- In 1895 Randsburg was a roaring time wore on, the other veins dwindled, ingly the desert would claim its ghost mining camp famous for its richest meager savings or patience ran out, town; but even stripped of its main strike, the Yellow Aster Mine. Until and the itinerant populace moved on. source of income, Randsburg managed 1942, this mine poured $16,000,000 Then in 1929 there began a new to survive the war years. into the pans of its owners. Tungsten exodus to the desert. Carpenters, sales- In today's inflation period, onlv gold found in the same ore paid the opera- men, cooks and even artists, thrown retains its depression value of $35.00 tion expenses, leaving the gold as clear out of employment in the cities where an ounce. Production costs have profit. This old glory hole above the depressions always cause the greatest doubled. Big mines such as the Yellow rusty iron sheds and weathered shacks hardship, came to the desert country Aster cannot afford to operate. But is a constant reminder of the gold that hoping to mine enough gold for their gradually the smaller mines are being may still lie in those hills. subsistence. Greenhorns though they reopened and a few new claims are After the turn of the century, the were, they were willing to learn and being worked. The hopeful roar of 100-stamp mill of the Yellow Aster work their way in the mines until they one stamp mill echoes in the hills continued to pound out the gold. But could prospect for themselves. Under above the town that once thundered

THE DESERT MAGAZINE Above: The sagging engine shed of this typical deserted mine on Randsburg's main street would have collapsed long ago if it were not supported by the cable from its winch to the gallows frame. Below: But some mills still operate at their complicated chemical processes of separating the values from the waste rock.

FEBRUARY, 1949 with the sound of crushing ore. At present, the owners of this one mill are satisfied if they meet expenses on their mine. They consider it cheaper than closing down, and fighting decay, rust, and claim jumpers, and better than selling out at a loss. A few die-hard old timers have seen the town through its cycles of depres- sion and prosperity. They have fol- lowed the elusive golden veins until they ended abruptly in a fault or gradually dimmed and flickered out. They have watched a shaft, abandoned when patience gave way, ironically produce gold a few feet farther on under the pick of a new claimant. Bert Wegman, born and raised in the Mojave mining region, exemplifies its dogged spirit in his philosophv. "Some gold takes skill to find—that's what makes it the world's medium of exchange. Some gold just takes a big enough toe to stumble on it—that's

t •* N

The five stamps of this rusting old mill (left) may never crush ore again. But miners like V. T. Bowald (above) who found his favorite French briar pipe in a mine that had been closed off for 40 years, confidently await Rands- burg's next boom.

what keeps you looking for it. And some just takes a lucky number— that's why so many of us never strike it. God Almighty put it there good so's it couldn't all be taken out in one generation." Randsburg is abiding its time. When costs go down, the mines will resume operation. If a depression comes, again men will be forced to look farther and harder for a livelihood. The hid- den riches in the desert hills will again lure the tradesman and the business- man in search of a living—in hope of sudden wealth. And Randsburg will be waiting for them.

THE DESERT MAGAZINE the •- "pot hole" placers

"Then he waded into the water and scooped up a handful of the yellow stuff."

Art by JERRY FIKE O'HARA By JOHN D. MITCHELL If there is any basis of truth in this lost gold legend, somewhere some prospecting in the Snake country ^UFFALO hunters, trappers, in eastern Utah there is a great before settling down to engage in i£ scouts and other frontiersmen bed of gravel conglomerate practice. *~ always kept a sharp lookout for studded with nuggets of gold. Lane chose for his partner another rich gold deposits on their forays Indian women once knew its lo- college graduate, who for the purpose across the great plains and into the of this story, we will call John How- mountains of the west. cation, and more recently it was discovered by a tenderfoot col- ard. Together the two men set forth Early day buffalo hunters and with fresh hearts and high hopes to trappers on their way from Deadwood, lege graduate who took out a search for the golden mirage that lay South Dakota, to Montana, Idaho, $100,000 fortune in a few months. beyond the snow-capped Rocky moun- Utah and the Spanish settlements on But if such a placer deposit tains. the Pacific Coast reported that the actually exists, its location is as For many months the young eastern Snake Indians of Utah were bartering baffling as that of Pegleg Smith's college men prospected in the Colo- gold nuggets for supplies, but had re- gold-studded hill. rado Rockies and thoroughly enjoyed fused to disclose the source of their their association with trappers, buf- wealth, even to white men who were falo hunters, scouts and prospectors. on friendly terms. been washed from the sands and Day after day, month after month gravels in a secret location by Indian they combed the rugged mountains in Letters of these early day trappers women. search of pay ore, but beyond the dis- and hunters to friends in the east re- Many years later, Frank Lane, a covery of a few low-grade gold quartz ported that the Snake Indians often graduate just out of Yale Law school, ledges, they had little success. were seen with buckskin pokes filled saw one of these letters from a trap- Finally the near approach of winter with large gold nuggets said to have per in the West, and decided to do drove them down through the sunset FEBRUARY, 1949 canyons and mountain gorges and out their pack mules one night at the base decided to turn the outfit over to his onto the plains of eastern Utah on the of a low-lying granite mountain where partner and return east to take up the border of the Snake Indian country they pitched their tent for the night. practice of law in Boston. where they established a permanent The iron-stained mesas around the Howard became the sole owner of camp and prospected for gold during great uplift were full of pot holes. A the outfit free to live the life he had the months that followed. heavy rain had fallen and the holes grown to love. After the departure Here the inexperienced prospectors stood full of water. The desert was of his friend he mounted his saddle had no better success than in the covered with green grass, making it an mule and rode out for a short hunting mountains of Colorado and Lane be- ideal camp for both men and beasts. trip on the surrounding plains. came discouraged. As spring ap- Howard was pleased with the He bagged an antelope and on his proached he grew more restless and country and had a hunch that they way back to camp stopped at one of spent most of his time around camp. were going to find the elusive pot of the pot holes to get a drink for him- Finally the two tenderfeet moved gold for which they had been search- self and water his mule. The noonday their camp farther out on the plains ing. sun was shining directly into the hole and after several days journey halted But Lane grew more restless and and as he stopped to drink he saw some shining pieces of ore at the bot- tom of the shallow cavity. You have to really know your Southwest to score high in this Then he waded into the water and TRUE OR FALSE test. It covers a broad field of scooped up a handful of the yellow knowledge—history, geography, botany, zoology, mineralogy, Indian life, stuff. He knew at once he had found and lore of the desert country. But you'll learn a lot even if you do not the bonanza for which he and his get a high score. If you get 10 correct answers you know more than many partner had been searching. of the people who live on the desert. If you can answer 15 you are entitled He put the nuggets in his pocket to follow a burro and call yourself a Desert Rat. Above 15—well, no one and went to camp. After a hurried but a Sand Dune Sage could do as well. The answers are on page 38. meal he returned to the pot hole with a gold pan and worked all afternoon 1—An arrastre was a tool used by the Spaniards for hewing logs. scooping the gravel from the bottom True False of the hole and panning out the nug- 2—Over a long period of years the water in the Great Salt Lake gradu- gets. As the sun disappeared in a ally has been rising. True False blaze of fire behind the ragged edge of the western world that lay far across 3—Brigham Young brought the first Mormon colonists to Utah after the desert he made his way back to the civil war. True False camp with an estimated $700 worth 4—A sidewinder is seldom more than two feet long. True of gold taken from the one shallow False hole. 5—The break in the Colorado river which formed Salton Sea in 1905-06 For weeks the lone prospector lived on the game that roamed the plains occurred in Mexico. True False around his camp and panned the dirt 6—The color of the blossom of chuparosa or hummingbird flower is red. and gravel found on the bottom of the True False numerous pot holes that dotted the 7—According to legend the fabulous Seven Cities of Cibola were located iron-stained mesas around the great on the Mojave desert of California. True False granite mountain. When the cold winter winds again 8—Panamint range is on the east side of Death Valley. True came across the plains Howard made False his way to the nearest settlement "with 9—One of the most poisonous insects on the desert is the tarantula. buckskin bags of gold which later True False proved to be worth nearly $100,000. 10—Prescott was the first capital of Arizona territory. True He returned east with his fortune but through bad investments eventually False lost much of it. Many years later he 11—The land where Nogales, Arizona, is located was acquired by the tried to return to the scene of his United States in the Gadsden Purchase. True False fabulous strike, but either failed to 12—The agave or wild century plant of the Southwest generally dies after reach the right location or the pot holes had been worked out, for he its first flowering. True False did not find a single nugget of gold. 13—Garnets are always red. True False Old-time cowboys and sheepherders \A—Many of the Indian cliff houses found in the Southwest are still oc- refer to a place in eastern Utah as the cupied by descendants of their original builders. True "pot holes" but none of them have False ever been known to pick up nuggets 15—The book, Mesa, Canyon and Pueblo, was written by Charles F. in this region. Lummis. True False According to one version of the 16—The tortoises found in the southwestern desert are hatched from lost gold story, the pot holes described by Howard were not natural holes eggs. True False such as occur in sandstone formation 17—White ocotillo is common in many parts of the California desert. in many parts of the west, but were True False excavations made in a gravel con- 18—The Saguaro cactus and the Joshua tree are never found growing glomerate by the Snake women to obtain the gold mentioned by the early together in the same locality. True False day trappers and hunters, and that a 19—El Tovar is the name of a famous hotel in Death Valley. True fortune still awaits the prospector who False will find that conglomerate deposit. 20—Bryce Canyon national park is north of the Grand Canyon national 10 park. True False THE DESERT MAGAZINE Mystery Death in the Dunes

Buried beneath the ever-shifting sands of Algodones dunes between By ORION M. ZINK El Centro and Yuma there may be evidence to reveal the identity of travelers who met a tragic death there in the dim distant past—but those who would solve this mystery must await the caprice of the desert T WAS an April morning in 1947, winds. Here is one of the most intriguing stories to be published by and Cleve H. Park, surveyor, and Desert Magazine in many years. his chainman, George Seaton, were conducting surveys in the sand The A Igodones sand dunes. This photograph discloses the shifting character dunes northeast of Holtville in Im- of the dunes where the massacre took place. Photograph by Don Ollis, perial Valley, California. Santa Barbara, California. Midday found the job only partly

FEBRUARY, 1949 11 completed. After lunch the men all of the cap and ball type. The rifles spur and several .44 and .50 calibre shouldered their instruments and were so rusted it was impossible to bullets. Some of the bullets had mush- trudged back to work. identify them accurately. roomed where they had spent them- Reaching the ground where they had None of the skeletons was com- selves in the sand. left off, Seaton was directed to pro- plete. There were parts of skulls, a No animal bones were found. The ceed to a sandhill about three quarters jaw bone, a few teeth, or a handful stocks and handles of the guns were of a mile away, and Park busied him- of splinters lying here and there over missing, and no spokes or any part of self with his transit. perhaps an acre of ground. a wagonbed were discovered. Heat waves danced maddeningly Other articles uncovered were a It was evident a terrific gun fight across the distance between the two powder flask, a brass bullet mold, a had taken place here in the early days, men, and the chainman became a brass kettle, a stirrup from a side sad- and several people had lost their lives. grotesque blur through the glass. dle, a bit of brass from a harness, a Who were these unfortunate victims? Realizing the futility of trying to de- When did it happen? These and other termine an elevation under the exist- Cleve H. Park, who came upon questions raced through Park's mind ing atmospheric conditions, Park the scene of the massacre while as he pondered this tragic mystery. shouldered his transit and headed surveying in the dunes. So interested had Park become in toward his assistant. his strange discoveries that Seaton had As he made his way down the sandy been forgotten. Then he realized that slope into the valley separating the somewhere in the dunes his rodman two sandhills, Park's attention was was waiting for him. He gathered up drawn to an iron rim of a wagon wheel the weapons, shouldered his transit and sticking out of a pile of sand at the headed over the sandhills to where he foot of the dune a short distance away. had last seen his companion. A casual observer might have dis- It turned out that Seaton had waited regarded it completely, thinking it a long time, then becoming worried merely a rusted rim such as one might had made his way back to the work find lying around in an abandoned car. Here Park finally joined him dis- farm yard. However, Cleve Park playing his relics and relating his ex- comes from the plains of Texas. To perience. Back at his headquarters in his experienced eye the rim looked San Diego the story eventually reached different from those he had been ac- the newspapers. customed to seeing. It was much It was then that the writer, having narrower, and evidently had been dabbled a bit in local history, became there a long time. acquainted with Cleve Park and was His efforts to dislodge it from the invited to assist in an attempt to un- sand were unsuccessful, so he turned ravel the puzzle of this death battle his attention to exploring the nearby that had occurred perhaps three terrain. He had taken only a few quarters of a century ago. steps when he caught sight of a barrel It was a foregone conclusion that of a shotgun lying near the bleached historical sources would have no rec- bones of a human skeleton. ord of a battle having taken place at Soon he came upon more bones that point. Had there been, the bodies with a badly rusted revolver nearby. and weapons would long since have Thoroughly aroused by now, Park ex- been removed. tended his search over the entire area. Apparently the party had been He came upon more skeletons, until a wiped out to the last man. But in total of seven were located. Near each time, California newspapers surely with one exception, were the rusted must have received inquiries from rela- remains of a revolver, shotgun or tives or friends worried over their rifle. strange disappearance. The revolvers and shotguns were This posed the question: When had

12 THE DESERT MAGAZINE a massacre taken place? To arrive at the approximate date, the old weapons offered the best clue. If they could be identified, and the time of their manu- facture established, then the newest gun in the lot would give us the earliest date the event could have happened. There was also the remote chance that the arms manufacturer may have re- tained records of sales even that far back. With that in mind, San Diego's Chief of Police, Clifford E. Peterson, was contacted. He offered the services of his laboratory. The rust encrusted fire- arms were turned over to his tech- nicians, Walter R. Scott and Arthur H. Hawley. The guns were in such bad con- dition it seemed a hopeless task. But after several days of soaking in rust solvent, carefully brushing and clean- ing, four of the weapons were identified and serial numbers were located on three of them. One of the revolvers was a Colt, single action, cap and ball .44 calibre and carried the number 841. It might have been any one of three models, all much alike, that were manufactured between 1847 and 1860. Of the 1860 model over 200,000 were turned out. It was the principal revolver used by the Northern forces during the Civil War. The Colt company stated that no record had been kept of sales of these models, but the small serial number would indicate early manufacture. The other revolver turned out to be a Remington single action, cap and ball .44 calibre, number 88943. This gun's handle was badly bent, suggest- ing that it might have been used as a club. The shotguns, both double-barreled muzzle loaders, could not be identified. One however, had what is known as a "Damascus twist" barrel. The other guns proved to be a breech loading Remington rifle of .50 calibre, and a lever action .50 calibre, seven-shot repeating Spencer rifle, number 27556. This gun was manu- factured from 1862 to 1865 and next to the Springfield, was the most famous weapon used during the Civil War. History records that the 197th Ohio regiment was armed with it, and Gen. Hooker stated in a report that several regiments in his army had asked for permission to purchase and arm them-

The remains of seven skeletons were found, with an ancient rifle, revolver or shotgun close by all but one of them. These pictures were taken by the surveyors before the relics were disturbed.

FEBRUARY, 1949 13 selves with this weapon. Spencers were used in great numbers in the West as late as the 80's. The Remington people furnished the following interesting information regarding the two guns bearing their trade mark: The rifle was a carbine which was turned out from 1864 until the 80's. And the revolver was known as the New Model army type, of which many thousands were manufactured from 1863 to 1865. Unfortunately the company main- tained no record of buyers or dates of sales in the early days. The serial num- bers likewise offered no clue as to exact date of manufacture. From the foregoing data furnished by the police department, arms cata- logs and the firearms companies, we concluded that the battle must have been staged not earlier than 1864 and as late as the 80's. By this time the writer had become so intrigued with the mystery, a visit to the site became a must. When ap- proached with the idea of revisiting the spot Park readily agreed and we began to formulate plans. Among the things we discussed was the possibility of finding other identify- ing articles—perhaps a coin—a watch or a ring. Perhaps in the sand where This is the complete collection of relics gathered by Cleve Park before the the wheel rested, the body of the wagon shifting sands covered the site of his discovery. might be located and no telling what additional objects might then be brought to light. It was an ideal day for hiking, turned out to be the bones of some By this time it was mid-summer. sunny, but not too warm. As Cleve small animal, possibly a coyote. Not wishing to face the extreme heat led the way across the waste land, Nothing further of interest was of the desert, tentative plans were lizards ran for their holes among scat- found, and the search was abandoned drawn to make the trip in the late fall tered patches of greasewood. and we returned to San Diego. or winter. Several postponements fol- The big sandhill where the surveyors Here we have studied every possible lowed, due to illness and other reasons. had begun their work was soon angle of this mysterious desert tragedy. A year rolled around before a definite reached. Here we halted to get our This much we surmise: the victims, date was set. bearings. From the crest it should be whoever they were, may have been Maps of the region, both early day comparatively easy to locate the traveling either the San Diego-Fort and the latest, were procured. As we wagon rim, about which we planned Yuma road, or the occasionally used made last minute preparations, Walter to center our search. But—no rim was trail from Fort Yuma to San Bernar- Zurschmiede, a lover of the great out- to be seen. dino. doors and desert enthusiast, accepted Definite bearings were in Park's pos- While the place is some little dis- an invitation to accompany us. session, even the degrees of latitude tance from the present Yuma road, it At sunup Saturday, June 5, the long and longitude, and he stated that the is not certain the old road was aligned delayed trek from San Diego to Im- terrain generally looked unchanged. exactly with the present one. A vari- perial valley started. By mid-morning It was only when a thorough search ance of five miles meant little or El Centro, then Holtville had been left of the area at the foot of the great nothing in the early days when it often behind, and we were on the long sand dune had been completed, that was necessary to make your own road. stretch headed east towards Yuma. the disappointing truth was revealed— But who were these unfortunate Half way between Gordon's Well wind storms had covered the wheel people? Prospectors? Emigrants? and Gray's Well, where the Coachella rim with sand to a depth of several Soldiers? Passengers in a stage coach? canal branches from the All-American feet. We attacked likely looking places Were they wiped out by Indians? The canal, we turned off Highway 80 and with the shovel, but it soon became victims of bandits? Or was it a shoot- headed north, following the left bank apparent that it was a hopeless task. ing scrape within a party? of the Coachella canal about five miles, We then turned to the surrounding Another vexing question for which then crossed the canal and parked our territory and went over every foot of we sought an answer was: Why were car. the ground. Little of interest was un- there no animal bones present? And Cleve Park told us the battleground covered—only a few bone fragments what had happened to the stocks of was about a mile north and east. The and a flattened cartridge, until Walter the guns? Others equally as old have Chocolate mountains could be seen in who had been making use of his bi- been found on the desert and the the distance, and the great sand dunes noculars spotted some white objects stocks have been reasonably well pre- loomed in our immediate foreground. about a quarter of a mile away. These served. Another puzzling angle is the 14 THE DESERT MAGAZINE stirrup from a side saddle or a child's The Yuma and Cocopah Indians reach such proportions that all are saddle. Was it being carried as bag- along the Colorado river and the Die- wiped out. gage, or did a woman or a youngster guenos and other tribesmen of the The Overland stage lines running perish with the rest? coastal mountain range were often at from San Antonio to San Diego fol- Most of the old Indian fighters have war with each other. The Algodones lowed a route around the dunes to the hit the long trail. But one, Barney sand dunes where the massacre took south, and no record had been un- McCoy, who was known as Buckskin place was a no-man's land between the covered of a stage coach disappearing Frank Leslie in Tombstone, and a warriors of the river bottom and those in this section. of the mountains. Either group may wicked gun fighter in his own right, After weighing carefully these and examined the guns and listened care- have made forays into the dune country. other less likely explanations of the fully to the story. Barney then 93 slayings, the writer offers the follow- years old (he has since passed away), The presence of so many weapons ing possible solution to the mystery: had fought Indians in Arizona, New in use by the army might lead one to Mexico and Texas, fingered the old believe that soldiers were the victims. That the party was attacked by cap and ball revolvers and his eyes Shotguns, however, were not regular Indians and the animals were stam- lighted up. equipment. peded with the opening onslaught. A "It wasn't Indians," he declared. That bandit raiders from across the fierce fight ensued with both sides suf- "If it had been, they would have taken border were the perpetrators of the fering losses. The skeletons found were the guns." killing is quite possible. The Mexican so scattered, they could have belonged either to the attacking or defending However, many emigrant parties, border is less than 10 miles south of prospectors and livestock men, were the battle site. party. wiped out by Indians who roamed the A shooting affray within a party Dusk found nearly all of the defend- western edge of the desert. must be discounted, as they seldom ers dead, with perhaps one or two sur- vivors badly wounded, but still able to return the fire. The attackers, unaware of the be- Fall Rains Bring Promise of Plentiful seiged's weakened condition, withdrew to await the coming of another day, or Wildflower Display This Season the arrival of reinforcements. And then—one of those desert stand storms which sometimes lasted for a day or Gentle rains in October followed by verbenas and geraeas blooming, and two, blew up. lighter showers in December and the plants of the white evening prim- As the storm raged, the remaining warmer-than-usual winter temperatures rose were visible. Highway 78: Ver- defenders succumbed to their wounds, give promise of an unusually colorful bena and occasional geraea blooming, and they and their dead companions desert lily plants. together with all equipment were wildflower display on the Colorado buried deep in the sand. If the Indians desert this season. However, the ex- Just past Ocotillo, small white eve- returned, as doubtlessly they did, no tent of the floral parade is in the lap ning primroses were blooming and the trace of their victims remained. of the storm gods—for freezing tem- young plants of the five-spot mallow, Down through the years the grave- peratures may yet blight the young other species of evening primrose, for- yard of these unknown pioneers has greenery. getmenot, verbena and desert lilies probably been covered and uncovered made a low mat along the roadside. many times by the sand storms that Some of the flowers, encouraged by have swept that section. Lying well off unusually favorable conditions, have A little farther on palafoxia and desert the beaten path it might never have jumped the gun on Nature's spring lavender were blooming. been discovered had it not been for flower show. Desert lilies were bloom- Along the road from Highway 78 Cleve Park's keen eye and innate ing in Palm wash and Arroyo Salada into the valley, chuparosa, white four- curiosity. early in December. Purplish verbena o'clock and a few incense bushes were Intrigued by what still may be dis- blossoms have been common on sand- blooming. Many small plants of pha- covered, Cleve, Walter and I, plan to hills and along roadsides since late No- celia and pincushion flower could be visit the spot from time to time, hoping vember. In some sections of the Bor- seen. Beyond Borrego school, verbena that the whims of the desert winds may again favor us, and brush back the rego badlands, the lily plants almost and fiddleneck were blooming. At the campsite, at the foot of Coyote moun- sand that hides the rusted rim. carpet the ground, and from Ed Duval tain, Dalea mollis was starting to Perhaps there, or in the age-yellowed of the Borrego store comes the report bloom, desert lavender was in full columns of some early newspaper, we, that the lily plants in some parts of the bloom and many chuparosas were in or some alert and interested reader, valley are thicker than he has ever blossom. There were many young may learn the identity of that little seen them before. phacelia and lupine plants, a few of the band who perished so long ago. Here is the outline of flower con- latter budded. The ground was still Someone who reads this article may ditions as observed at the first of the moist in Borrego valley, adding to the recall that grandparents or other rela- year along the route from Desert promise of a good show later. tives who emigrated to California in Magazine's Palm Desert office to the the early days, mysteriously disap- Pegleg Trek at the foot of Coyote In the Yaqui well area chuparosa peared. mountain in the Borrego valley. High- was blooming and bladderpod starting If anyone has a clue that will assist way 111, between Palm Desert and to bloom. in unraveling this mystery, communi- Indio, verbenas blooming at roadsides Desert Magazine's regular spring cate with Orion Zink, 2610 Montclair and on sand dunes, with promise of an flower reports from various sectors of St., San Diego 4, California, or C. H. extensive show later. Highway 99, be- the desert Southwest will start, as usual, Park, 2962 Comstock St., San Diego, tween Indio and the Borrego turnoff: in the March issue. California.

FEBRUARY, 1949 15 C. S. Walker of Gold Rock ranch with one of the One of the ancient Indian trails at Indian Pass, oddly incised boulders which cover the ground in cleared of rocks by the tribesmen many generations Indian Pass. So far, only guesses have been made as ago. In the picture are Kenneth T. Fine and Edwin to why the Indians made these markings or how R. Coile of the Border patrol and Bob long ago it was done. and C. S. Walker.

petroglyphs there — these we can understand. But why did our desert predecessors scratch apparently aim- less patterns on all those rocks? Rockhound Trail I had heard of the strangely marked stones in the pass long before I found an opportunity to visit them. And the fact that the road there traverses a gem field where magnificent specimens of dumortierite and petrified palm root toIndia n Pass have been collected whetted my desire to go. But when I made the trip, I Here's a field trip with everything—dumortierite (desert lapis) and petri- wanted to continue through Indian fied palm rock for the rock collectors, ancient Indian markings and trails for pass and follow the twisting thread of the archeologist, an old ghost town and mine workings for the historian— road marked "4S Ranch" all the way and a clean expanse of rock-strewn desert slashed by numerous arroyos to the Colorado river. And to do that for those who like to prowl the desert country for the fun of exploring a I needed a car able to claw sand with new area. all four feet. Our jeep pickup, the Packrat, al- By HAROLD O. WEIGHT ready shortened to "Packy," seemed to fill all the specifications and our ^fHERE is a gap in California's lines through the varnish on hundreds first trip to Indian pass was made in / Chocolate mountains known as of volcanic rocks, to form squares and the spring when flame-tipped ocotillos ' Indian pass. In the unwritten oblongs and diamonds. The ancient marched over the mesas and the past, the lean brown men of the desert trails through the pass, the rock circles, golden-flowering palo verde trees gathered in the pass and scratched the potsherds, the trail shrines and glorified the washes of the Cargo

16 THE DESERT MAGAZINE Indian Pass, where the 4S ranch road plunges into Gavilan wash. Indian rock circles may be seen, left of the road at the canyon rim, and the old trails are light lines in the dark malpais, also left of road. Muchachos. The road to the pass Mining has been carried on in the Ogilby runs up the bajada to Vitrefrax properly starts from Ogilby, the South- Cargos since the days when Spain ruled hill, from whose scarred surface the ern Pacific railroad station and settle- the Southwest. The road east from Bluebird quarry furnished kyanite for ment four miles north of U. S. High- Ogilby leads to Jackson gulch, where ceramics. During World War II, kya- way 80. Other roads start at Ogilby the Mexicans placered gold years be- nite was a strategic mineral, used for and penetrate the canyons of the Cargo fore the Fortyniners passed within special refractories. At present the Muchacho mountains, and visitors will sight of the mountains on their way to workings are idle, but below the hill be well repaid if they can find time to the Mother Lode country. In the same and in the washes, specimens of the become acquainted with some of the canyon is the Cargo Muchacho mine, beautiful blue mineral may be col- mines, past and present, in that his- developed in the '70s and a ghost camp lected. The road east of Vitrefrax hill toric range. by 1900. The road northeast from leads to Madre valley where rich oxi-

Some of the remaining buildings at Tumco. The white building, left, formerly company hospital, has been burned out by vandals since the picture was taken.

FEBRUARY, 1949 17 daughter-in-law, "Scotty" — who own To Palo and operate the ranch, are collectors themselves and are glad to have the rockhounds stop, see their specimens, and ask questions about material to be found in the district. The Walkers are owners of Im- perial county's biggest ghost town— the old Tumco gold camp. The road to Tumco, which lies in a valley in the Cargo Muchachos two miles to the east, cuts off right at the ranch and is marked with an Auto club sign. C. S. Walker came to these mountains 22 years ago, and the family lived at the old mining camp. Tumco was a com- pany town on company land, and when the Walkers bought the mining claims, the ruins went with them. Tumco was a rough town in its day. It received its name from the initials of The United Mines Company. Be- fore that corporation took over, the locality was known as Gold Rock and Hedges. The camp was most active at the end of the last century and the be- ginning of this, when it attained an estimated peak population of 2500. There was rich ore in the Tumco mines in the early days, but the greatest part of its production was from low grade and there still are big reserves which run a few dollars to the ton, 65 per cent free milling. A great deal of de- velopment was done and the huge stamp mill on the hill, said to be the largest in the world, crushed so much ore that the tailings poured down across the townsite, causing buildings to be abandoned and encroaching even on the old graveyard. Tumco has two graveyards, the older one in the valley, the newer out on the flats at its mouth. Both "hold the now-quiet remains of many a o Phoenix a Tucson brawling miner and camp-follower who died violently. C. S. Walker says that when he first came to Tumco, there dized surface gold ore was mined is an odd quirk of human nature that were crosses or headboards on all of before the California gold rush and some people who would be horrified the graves and most of them could be where the Padre and Madre mines are at the thought of breaking into a pri- identified. Today souvenir hunters located. vate home and stealing will break win- have hauled off all but a few. Northeast of Vitrefrax hill, reached dows in a temporarily deserted camp Big scale mining ended at Tumco by the main road which keeps to the in the desert and carry off anything about 1909, according to Walker, left of the hill, is the Micatalc mill and that is loose. when the company was in the hands properties. The Micatalc was one of For the trip to Indian pass, we of receivers. There have been spora- the few mines actually shipping when zeroed the speedometer at Ogilby and dic attempts to revive the camp. Pros- I visited the area. It quarries and mills started out on the Ogilby-Palo Verde pectors have scratched around and the sericite from Micatalc hill. Up the road which crosses the railroad then tailings have been reworked. A new canyon from the Micatalc is the camp swings northwest, paralleling the rails strike, lowered production costs or an of the American Girl, one of the old to 2.2 miles where the road divides. increase in the price of gold probably time rich gold producers, which has We followed the right branch, marked would activate Tumco again. had several periods of productivity. with a sign for the Gold Rock ranch, Since they have held the Tumco Weathering adobe buildings used for and the ranch was reached, to the west properties, the Walkers have wel- storage mark the site of the earlier of the road, at 5.1 miles. comed visitors to the old camp, realiz- camp there. All these mines are being Gold Rock guest ranch is a sort of ing the fascination a ghost town holds held, either by assessment work or as headquarters for rockhounds visiting for many people. But in a recent wave patented claims. The owners live at fields in the Cargo Muchacho area. of vandalism, four buildings in Tumco some of them. Visitors usually are The Walkers — C. S. and Margaret have been burned, including the old welcome, but trespassers are not. It Walker and their son, Bob, and hospital. And someone set fire to the

18 THE DESERT MAGAZINE Hundreds of rocks in Indian pass show scratched Margrete (Scotty) Walker with the olla she found cross lines like these. This particular specimen buried in a wash below an old Indian trail in the apparently had a diamond pattern under the more Cargo Muchacho area. Only the dark spot showed in recent squares. the wash, but the olla was unbroken. main shaft which serves the Golden since the war. Guests are welcome to We reached the pass at 19.1 miles. Cross, Golden Queen and Golden go with the Walkers on prospecting The circles, paths and marked rocks Crown mines. The eight-inch timber- and gem-hunting trips and, if inter- lie to the left of the road just before it ing thus senselessly destroyed would ested, they are taught how to pan gold. plunges into Gavilan wash on the way cost $15,000 to replace today. C. S. Most of the guests who are not rock- to the Colorado. I have always thought Walker made a gesture of helplessness hounds are converted before they leave that when the Indians scratched as he told me about it. the ranch. symbols on stone, they had a definite "We don't know what to do," he From Gold Rock ranch we followed reason for doing so. But these said. "We don't want to close the old the main road toward Palo Verde to scratched rocks in Indian pass have camp to the public, but if such destruc- 9.3 miles, then made a right-angled me guessing. The marks aren't very tion continues, there won't be any turn onto the 4S road, marked by a deep — they can be duplicated by Tumco." Tumco still is open. .But cairn of stone. The route lay north- scratching the desert varnish on sur- visitors will be doing all desert people east across almost level flats with old rounding boulders with a sharp rock. and desert lovers a service if they will Picacho peak a landmark ahead. Many But they must be old. They were re- report immediately to the Walkers at rockhounds had followed this trail, ported by early visitors, and it is pos- Gold Rock ranch any vandalism which and in patches the tires threw great sible to overturn some rocks, undis- they are not able to stop. clouds of fine dust upward where cars turbed and half buried in the clayey While living at Tumco, Walker had broken through the crust. At 11.9 soil, and find scratches on the under homesteaded the 160 acres down from miles we reached the first of the rock- as well as the upper sides. The large the mouth of the canyon where the spattered hills which rise from the number of marked stones would seem Gold Rock ranch now stands. C. S. plain to Indian pass and the road to rule out any possibility of a hoax and his son, Bob, built the big ram- started to wind back into the hills. or prank. When Malcolm Rogers, bling ranch building and cabins them- We halted at several points along this archeologist, investigated the pass selves. They drilled a well and at 521 hilly section until Indian pass was years ago and dug in some of the rock feet found all the water they need. reached, and bits of dumortierite, jas- circles, it is said that he found more Their guest ranch has been opened per and agate were found at all stops. conventional petroglyphs with the

FEBRUARY, 1949 19 lined stones. These, apparently, have The remaining seven miles to what is found. Most of them have been been removed and only the scratched left of the 4S ranch on the banks of broken and they are too pitted or too rocks remain today. the Colorado are sand and gravel driv- coarse or too powdery to cut into gems What can those scratches mean? A ing in the bed of Gavilan wash. It is a although they make excellent speci- number of theories have been ad- wild and beautiful region, from the mens. The better rock for cutters vanced. One is that the Indians pass to the river, but at the present seems to be found in smaller, com- gathered in the pass for religious cere- time it can be recommended only for pact pebbles. monials and kept time to their chants vehicles with four wheel drive or While the area in which dumortierite by striking the boulders with sharp equipped for sand driving. is found seems to be limited, the mal- rocks. Another identifies them as a Early last summer a pickup, trying pais covered hills and washes extend sort of game or the score-keeping for to go down the wash, became stuck in for miles, especially to the west, and a game. Ed Rochester, who lives at the sand. One man, affected by the moss agate and palm root have been the old camp of Picacho and who has heat, might have died but for the found as far over as the Ogilby-Palo learned a great deal about the Colo- providential arrival of a bee-keeper Verde road. While collectors have rado river Indians, says the Yumans driving down to check his stands by hunted this entire area, they have not have told him their people gathered the river. But you cannot expect a covered it as carefully as they have at the pass for games and tests of that along the Indian pass trail. physical strength. Apaches, he said, traveler in Gavilan wash every day. visited the area once a year to hunt And it is well to remember that every Rockhounds in the field miss a great mountain sheep. Apparently some re- mile down the wash must be retraced. deal because they keep their eyes fixed There is no road along the river to on the pebbles at their feet. But I ligious significance was attached to the can't believe many of them have failed trek, since the Apache traversed several Picacho now. Waters backed up by Imperial dam have flooded it. to notice' and speculate upon the good hunting grounds to reach the one ancient trails across their collecting near the pass. But no good driver should have trouble with the road southwest of grounds. I have found them in almost But I have an idea which seems as Indian pass, and the great hunting every canyon of the Cargo Muchacho reasonable as others I have heard. ground of present day desert nomads mountains, across the surrounding Indian pass, obviously, was on a long- lies there. On the yellow-brown, rock- mesas and up through the mountains used trade or migration route. The spotted hills and slopes, members of along the river. Sections of these trails trails through the sharp brown and the rockhound tribe have made their look so fresh they might have been black malpais were cleared entirely of used just before the last rain. Yet camps year after year. Instead of William P. Blake, geologist with the rock. They can be followed as easily scratching the rocks they find, these Pacific Railroad surveys, saw them in today—-except where bushes have tribesmen carry them away. From the 1853 when he made a reconnaissance grown up and washes have cut through area have come beautiful pieces of to the edge of the Cargo Muchachos, them—as when the last bare or san- petrified palm root and fiber, blue looking just as they do today. daled feet traced them out generations dumortierite, silicified fossils, and jas- ago. pers, agates and chalcedony. "We crossed several long, pathlike But why was the campsite or stop- Few of the rockhounds go even as discolorations of the surface," he ping place or game field or religious far as Indian pass. The road is rough wrote, "extending for miles in nearly center at the very top of the pass? the last half mile and in the actual pass straight lines, which were Indian trails. There is little likelihood that there was area there does not appear to be a These trails seemed very old and may any more water in the pass when the single bit of cutting material, although have endured for many generations." trails were used than there is today. the rock-covered ground looks very Blake saw the trails across the water- Hunting should have been better and much like that below. Apparently the rounded pebbles of the Colorado river camping more protected on the mesas black, volcanic mesas are of a later terraces. He thought the difference in and in the washes toward the Colorado age and overlay the strata from which color of the trails was due to removal river. palm and dumortierite are weathering. or dimming of the polish on the peb- The palm seems identical in types of bles. Since that "polish" was desert However, the pass does lie close to varnish and since only the top layer the western boundary of the land once replacement with that found near Yermo and in the Calico areas of the has the varnish, it is more likely that claimed by the Yuma Indians. And the Indians either removed the top even if the first trail makers preceded Mojave desert. It is possible that this field marks the southern shores of the layer deliberately or kicked it out of the Yumans by centuries, as may be the way. The trails in this section are possible, this point marks the natural same long-vanished lake in which the Yermo palm is believed to have been slight indentations in the surface of the division between the valleys and river- plain. bottoms of the Colorado and the great buried and replaced. desert. And it is just possible that the The washes, slopes and low rounded That removal of stones interests me. camps in the pass were a sort of border hills on either side of the 4S road have It is hard to understand how these guard station, the scratches on the been examined rather thoroughly since paths came into being in the first place. rocks a tally of persons who used the Desert first told the story of the gemmy Unless there were migrations of great trails. It might even have been an in- blue dumortierite there, in the April, numbers of Indians along them, it spection station of the sort that 1938, issue. But every trip I have hardly seems possible that they would troubles present day tourists on the made into the field has resulted in dis- be marked clearly enough by one California and Arizona state lines. It covery of material which should more traveling party to be followed exactly might have been the spot where trib- than satisfy any amateur gem cutter. by the next. I can understand whv the ute was collected from those who It remains a favorite hunting ground sharp-edged rocks were removed from wished to fish or hunt in the river for many individuals and societies, trails in the Indian pass region. It country. since exceptional finds still can be would be difficult to make any prog- The relatively good desert road ends made. The dumortierite appears to be ress, if the travelers were carrying any at Indian pass. The auto trail then concentrated in the area below and sort of burdens, unless the trail was dives down a narrow canyon, edges slightly to either side of the pass. Big cleared. around a hill and enters Gavilan wash. boulders of the blue rock still can be But on the pebble mesas, travel over

20 THE DESERT MAGAZINE Bluebird quarry on Vitrefrax hill, where kyanite was mined before and during the war. Specimens of the beautiful blue mineral may be found in washes below the hill. the small rounded stones would be no pear to have been on the best of terms. rutted trails across the desert land. more difficult than over the grooved The Kamia may have had much to do But the trails, at least, will remind us path, also floored with pebbles. Re- with deepening many of the old trails, of their passage as long as the moun- moval of the top stones might almost but their numbers were small and they tains and mesas remain undisturbed. seem to be the work of Indian road- certainly can not be responsible for all And I venture to guess that rock- makers, so that others could follow the the trails. hounds will be searching beside the path. The trail from Indian pass can be old paths for dumortierite and palm traced for long distances. To the south root as long as the trails exist. According to Malcolm J. Rogers, it crosses the land of Gold Rock ranch. there are several cultures, one im- C. S. Walker has traced it across his posed on the other, in the circles at COMMISSION PROPOSES MORE homestead. Whenever you follow one INDIAN SELF-GOVERNMENT Indian pass, and the trail may have of these trails for any distance, he A proposal that the nation's 400,000 been the main route of travel between says, you will come across trail shrines Indians be given a bigger share in run- the Colorado river and ancient fresh- and potsherds. But he has yet to find ning their own affairs has been ad- water Lake Cahuilla when that great an arrowhead. vanced by a committee of the Hoover body of water filled much of what is Scotty Walker, while on one of the commission. The committee, headed now Imperial valley. Other north and trail-tracing trips, found the only un- by George Graham, Princeton uni- south trails followed the Colorado river broken olla I have seen from the Cargo versity, urges that tribal property be from Nevada to Mexico — highways Muchacho area. In a wash below the transferred to Indian-owned corpora- for aboriginal hunting, barter and war- point where the Indian trail crossed, tions. The government now holds legal fare. But what of the ones which cut she saw a very round rock protruding title to most Indian land. In its report, through the Cargo Muchachos, where from the sand. She investigated and the committee scolded the government there was neither game nor permanent the rock turned out to be a bit of the for failure to bring about a greater water? curve of the olla, which was buried improvement in Indian standards of It would seem that at some time in and filled with sand and rocks. When living, education and health. the past—possibly during the existence she dug it out, it was unbroken. It proposed an intensified program of Lake Cahuilla—there was a large How did that olla, unbroken, find of education and training in better nomadic population making frequent its way into the wash? Why were the farming methods, soil conservation and trips from river to valley. The Kamia, rocks in Indian pass scratched so the management of Indian-owned a people believed to be of Diegueno oddly? Each time I see an Indian trail, grazing and timberlands. The govern- origin, were inhabitants of Imperial a dozen questions rise in my mind. ment now spends $40,000,000 a year valley before the white men came. The hohokam have their interpreters, on Indians, or about $500 for each They were a migratory group, planting and specialists fall over one another family. But most of the money, it was maize, beans, pumpkins and melons investigating the pueblos and the be- alleged, goes into salaries for 12,000 in land around the sloughs of the Colo- ginnings of the Navajo. But there is federal employees concerned in Indian rado, flooded by the summer overflow. so pitifully little known about our affairs and on the operation and up- In dry seasons they moved to the west desert Indians. keep of schools, hospitals, reservation bank of the Colorado in the Pilot Knob One reason, of course, lies in the projects and roads. The report will be region and fished and grew melons meager evidences which they left be- used as a basis for recommendations there. This was Yuma territory, but hind. Symbols chipped on rock, rings to congress by the Hoover commis- the Yuma and the desert Kamia ap- of stone, bits of pottery—and deep- sion.—Gallup Independent.

FEBRUARY, 1949 21 The Litter Lout By ROLAND HARTLEY Now in the springtime of the year When birds and blossoms re-appear, We find the traces all about Of the animal called the Litter-lout. The Litter-lout loves beauty, so You find his traces when you go In search of some secluded spot Where nature reigns and man is not. Along cool paths where a soft breeze steals You find his scattered orange peels; Stopping to gaze around, you're near His punctured cans that once held beer. Some greasy papers, bottles, a few Tin cans, a rotting pear or two For perfume—there can be no doubt That this is the haunt of the Litter-lout. There is something in the human spark That makes man want to leave his mark Upon the world—and here we spy The work to know the Litter-lout by. It is pleasant to learn the names of things As the years march on through the pass- ing springs; So don't forget that you've heard about The animal called the Litter-lout. Photo taken by Thelma Neff along the road to Key's View • • • in Joshua Tree National monument. TO THE DESERT TOWN SHY ETERNAL HILLS By ANNA M. VERNER By JOHN E. KELLY By LEE BANNING MORRIS San Diego, California Pittsfield, Massachusetts Santa Monica, California Oh, Mother grim, of grey and silent sand Go live in the city? Say, pardner, I'd And mountains, hoary too, and yet still dark, rather With steps that did not falter, softly I trod What mem'ries lie beneath your savage You'd put me to bed with a spade; Upon the path up to the altar—that of God. The hills around, the heavens near, so very breast I'd be locoed and frazzled with all of the near me. To burn you so by day blather, And chill you cold at night, Nope, I'm no mind to trade! I felt if my heart called . . . that you would Why keep us, men, on never finished quest? hear me. There's worse than cabin fever in Unhappy? No. Just wondering of so many Dream you of ancient, life-filled sea, or A city's narrow street, things. Once fresh, green land, held in your wide The skid row takes your bankroll an' The moon . . . the stars . . . this life . . . embrace? The tinhorn's got you beat. and all it brings. Mourn not, nor rebel, for in austerity You still are beautiful The hardboiled hats and windy talk, The Great Mystery over the hills enfolded With strange, green growing things Coyotin' round the brim; Me, and almost unsuspected, molded 'Gainst sand and sky — the past's posterity. The store-bought duds and flat-heeled My heart, my soul, to fit the niche I'm given, walk, To help others, and so doing, lead them on Oh, sternly silent one, whose voiceless voice And "James" but never "Jim." to Heaven. Stills speech, once in a year you smile, and Oh, friend, I seemed so close to all Divine! then The dudes can have their towns and cars Such sweetness, unsurpassed joy, and hope, Bright flowers, like miracles, burst forth. And soft beds, every one; were mine. Come they Give me the light of Western stars, I raised my arms, and with my yearning From beauty past, or as As I head for the settin' sun! fingers Promise of that to come? I touched your hands . . . with sadness that Oh, Sphinx-lipped Desert, speak but once. Where the cowpokes yip and the kyotes still lingers. wail and say! They comforted, as on some happy morrow And the grizzly roams at timberline, Perhaps their clasp will free my heart from • • • From the Chinook Pass to the Chisholm sorrow. Trail, THE RICH REWARDS The open country—man, that's mine! I will step on. God grant it may be higher, By GRACE CULBERTSON To the eternal hills of my desire. San Diego, California There may not be much money made by CHANGE COMES TO THE DESERT verse, And poetry, I grant you, earns poor pay; By JANE WALKER But now and then I think we need rehearse Indio, California Forever The rich rewards that come a poet's way. Forgotten site of ancient camp, For there is other coin than that of banks. Where pottery sherds and fire-pits show By TANYA SOUTH And gold and silver soon are lost or spent, The home-place of a vanished race, But what encouragement is there that ranks Desert dwellers long ago. Forever is so long a word! With knowledge that your words have pleas- Just think, 'twas only yesterday ure lent? Then, brown children laughed and played, Our gaseous planet Earth was stirred And when in some far place your friend is While mothers, in the thicket's shade, Into this hardened form of clay thrilled Fashioned the pots of clay to bring And water. And I look about, To find a Desert with the lines you wrote, Water, from the distant spring. At all the heavenly forms I see, And feels you nearer, is there not fulfilled And know they are without a doubt A destiny fantastic and remote? Now, man-tamed rivers, flowing through A tick-tock in Eternity. I would that words of mine could always Reflect the stars that shone on you. end By going far enough to reach a friend! 22 THE DESERT MAGAZINE Junipers on the Desert

By MARY BEAL OLID AY greenery is found in the desert as well as m the areas more noted for their cone-bearing trees. The Junipers, closely related to the Cypress group, are abundant over a large part of the Southwestern desert regions. Their twigs and branches, especially, are beautifully adapted for festive decorations, such as mantel adornment, garlands, festoons and table arrangements. But junipers serve utilitarian purposes as well as deco- rative. From ancient days their foliage and fruit have been valued for therapeutic virtues, oil of Juniper being used extensively as medicine. The berries were used for food as well as medicine, both fresh and dried and ground into meal. Although the heartwood is very durable and much used for lead pencils, in the Southwest it serves chiefly for fence posts and fuel. Junipers are easily identified by their small berry-like cones, which are made up of fleshy scales, grown together and never separating nor becoming woody as do the true cones. The leaves of most species are minute and scale- Berry-like cones of the California Juniper are blue like, closely appressed and overlapping along the stem. with a dense silvery bloom, so numerous the whole Because of its similarity to the one in everyday use, the shrub sparkles in the sunlight. Beal photo. botanical name of the genus, Juniperus, is easy to remem- ber. The commonest species in the Southwest is the Utah Juniper. Juniperus utahensis fibrous but sweet, a favorite food for the birds and other By some botanists classed as a variety of Juniperus wildlife in their neighborhood. californica, which it resembles, and you'll find it in some You'll find this valuable drought-resistant species in Floras under the name Sabina utahensis. Ordinarily it is abundance at elevations of 3500 to 7000 feet over most a small shrubby tree 10 to 20 feet high with a definite of Arizona, throughout Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and trunk, the crown sometimes pyramidal when young, usually over all the higher mountain ranges of the eastern Mojave rounding and spreading when older, often reaching nearly desert in California. They consort with the Pinyon pines to ground level. But they are markedly variable. Some in the higher parts of their range. Below the Pinyons and cover the span of life as large shrubs. Most of them, as on lower, drier mountains they often form extensive open trees, develop compact shapely crowns but now and then forests, reaching for many miles. In central and northern become scraggly. I know a few gaunt, weather-worn old Arizona, southern Nevada and Utah these Juniper tracts trees that reach up 20 or 25 feet with two or three stout are vast enough to be of much importance, and I know branches above a bare length of sturdy trunk, showing lit- more than one pure stand of far-reaching extent in the tle foliage on the lower third of the tree and that on the eastern Mojave desert. In California, west and south of upper part not at all dense. They stand out from their the domain of the Utah Juniper is another species of run-of-the-mill associates as the personification of rug- importance, the California Juniper. ged endurance, as full of individuality and character as hardy old pioneers. Generally the limbs are quite straight, Juniperus californica rising above the base of the brownish-grey trunk, the bark Much like the Utah Juniper but more shrubby as a fibrous and shreddy. The fleshy, globose, reddish-brown rule, only occasionally becoming a tree 20 to 40 feet high. berries covered with a white "bloom," the pulp dry and The leaf-scales have a noticeable gland or pit on the back and the berries are larger, with more prominent projec- tions. At first they are blue, with a dense silvery bloom, California Juniper, growing here with Joshua trees in so numerous the whole shrub seems to sparkle in the sun- western Mojave desert, attains a height of from six to shine. In its common form the many branches rise from 15 feet. Beal photo. near the base to form a dense rounding bush 6 to 15 feet high. It grows in abundance at medium altitudes on the bordering mountain slopes and high mesas at the west side of the Colorado desert down into Lower California, and in the western Mojave desert along the slopes of the mountains flanking the valleys on the south and west, and north to the Panamints. Similar to the preceding species is One-seed Juniper. Juniperus monosperma It grows bush-fashion, the curving branches starting from the base. The twigs are four-sided, the berries blue and succulent. Common over much of Arizona, eastern Nevada, and Utah, often in association with Utah Juniper. At higher altitudes in the same general range, you'll find the Rocky Mountain Juniper.

FEBRUARY, 1949 23 Pictures of First Prize winner in Desert's Decem Second prize went to Lewis M. Jones ber contest was Egon Lempart, San Fer- of Bisbee, Arizona, with his evening sunlit nando, California, with the photo entitled photo of Arizona's Superstition mountain the Month band Dunes in Death Valley." Taken with a 4x5 Ramlose press camera, 1/50 at f. 16.

fe ~ .^ • **. . . strange figures, painted in red and black, were hidden for centuries on the roof of their isolated cave in the San Baltazar mountains of Lower California. We Found the Cave of Lost Art

The forgotten by-ways of Lower California still hold many mysteries. Here is one of the strangest—a great pre-historic painting on the roof of a cave in an unknown canyon of the San Baltazar mountains. The very memory of the makers of the painting has passed away. But Edward H. Davis, who found it, declares this story to be entirely factual. WAS collecting in Lower Cali- By EDWARD H. DAVIS cave and it was hundreds of years old fornia for the Heye Museum of As told to JOHN CRIPPEN, Jr. when Cortez conquered Mexico. It is, the American Indian, New York, perhaps, 50 or 60 kilometers from when I heard the story of the Lost of the giant palm trees lining the shore, Mulage. All my life I have wanted to Painting. Guillermo, my guide, told I could see the tiny fishing boats with search for it and have never had the me about it as Roberto Thompson and jaunty sails entering the harbor. opportunity." 1 sat in the patio of Guillermo's home Guillermo had been strangely silent I looked at my friend Roberto. He in Mulage in 1926. The fiery Mexican for half an hour. When he spoke he was as fascinated with the story as I. sun had vanished behind the great approached the subject hesitantly. Guillermo could see that our minds western mountains. We smelled the "You are here to buy things for the were made up. savory aroma of frijoles and enchiladas gran museo en Nueva York. But "Good!" he said. "Perhaps it is being prepared for our evening meal, would you be interested in seeing one nothing more than a story that has and watched the little village inland of the strangest sights in all Mexico, been passed down from the ancient from the Gulf of California awake. but something which you cannot buy people. But we shall see." With the setting of the sun it or take away from Baja California?" We set out the next morning as the seemed as if every living thing in the Of course I was interested. "What is sun rose over the wide gulf, heading pueblo had suddenly come to life. it?" I asked. "And where is it?" toward the distant San Baltazar moun- Nondescript brown dogs left the shade Guillermo seemed to be choosing tains to the west. of adobe houses and ran down the un- his words with care. "Many years ago, We had three riding mules, one pack paved streets to the accompaniment of when I was a boy, I heard of this mule, and a large supply of food, water their staccato barking. Pigs and thing—a giant painting that is hidden and blankets. For the first few miles chickens explored the town, hoping to in a cave in the mountains. It is not we traveled through a wonderful for- find bits of food that had escaped their painted on canvas as we would do it est of giant saguaro and cardon cactus. earlier searchings. Between the trunks today. It is painted on the roof of the The trunks of some specimens were

FEBRUARY, 1949 25 five feet in diameter and they must have been 40 feet in height. Guillermo rode in the lead, then Roberto Thomp- son. I followed with a rope to the pack mule. After about two hours, we entered the foothills of the San Baltazar range. By noon, we were climbing the moun- tains that form the backbone of Lower California. Our mules were walking on loose rock a great part of the time, and we often were forced to ride within a few feet of cliffs with a sheer 100- yard drop. After we made camp that evening, Guillermo told me he was going to hunt fodder for the mules. I looked at the cactus and stunted, spiny desert growths covering the surrounding mountains and turned back to him with a smile. "Que una broma!" Guillermo shook his head. "No, Senor, it is no joke. I'll show you." We walked 100 feet to a small Edward H. Davis, who discovered twisted tree that looked similar to the Arizona palo verde. Guillermo started Lost Painting in Lower California to hack off the thorny, almost leafless while collecting for the Heye branches with his machete. Museum of the American Indian "Do you mean the mules can eat 22 years ago. this?" I asked incredulously. Roberto Thompson stands beside a giant cordon cactus on the trail to the painted cave. Desert's Prize Photo Contest... The dark little Mexican looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes. "Indeed If you know the desert and can picture its sunlight and shadow, they can, Senor Davis. This tree is its strange plant and animal life, the evidences of its historic past— called the dipua. It is the best fodder your photo can win in Desert's monthly contest. The contest is open for mules and burros that grows in to amateur or professional photographers, prizes are awarded to the Lower California." picture the judges decide best presents some phase of the desert or Sure enough, as soon as we had of desert life. watered the animals, they attacked the Entries for this month's contest must be in the Desert Magazine thqrny pulp with the same enthusiasm office. Palm Desert, California, by February 20, and winning prints that a Kansas plow horse would show will appear in the April issue. Pictures which arrive too late for one for a bag of oats. month's contest are entered in the next. First prize is $10.00; second We were on our way shortly after prize, $5.00. For non-winning pictures accepted for publication, $3.00 daybreak. The country became even each will be paid. more rugged and forbidding. Many times, the mules were forced to climb HERE ARE THE RULES precipitous slopes, and to skirt deep 1—Prints for monthly contests must be black and white, 5x7 or larger, gashes in the earth. The giant rocks on printed on glossy paper. the mountainsides had been colored a 2—Each photograph submitted should be fully labeled as to subject, time and place. Also technical data: camera, shutter speed, hour of day, etc. deep red by thousands of years of ex- 3—PRINTS WILL BE RETURNED ONLY WHEN RETURN POSTAGE IS posure to brilliant sunshine. Occas- ENCLOSED. ionally, Guillermo stopped to get his 4—All entries must be in the Desert Magazine office by the 20th of the bearings. Then we plunged down to contest month. the next canyon where thorny desert 5—Contests are open to both amateur and professional photographers. bushes tore at our clothing. Desert Magazine requires first publication rights only of prize winning pictures. Toward noon, Guillermo stopped his 6—Time and place of photograph are immaterial, except that it must be mule and pointed ahead with obvious from the desert Southwest. excitement. 7—Judges will be selected from Desert's editorial staff, and awards will be made immediately after the close of the contest each month. "There it is, Senores! See the splin- ter?" ADDRESS ALL ENTRIES TO PHOTO EDITOR We saw a tall spire of rock, half as high as a skyscraper, that was detached THE from the nearby cliff and pointed directly upward. "That is our landmark, Senores. Tf PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA the story is true, we are not far from the lost painting in the cave!" 26 THE DESERT MAGAZINE paint themselves red and black when going to war. We reached the same conclusion— the painting must have been done by a superior and unknown race inhabiting Lower California between 500 and 1500 years ago. The more primitive local Indians of the Spanish colonial period, although unable to execute any such project as this, probably re- tained the custom of red and black war paint. We discovered the giant painting 22 years ago and it is still there, jealously hiding the secret of its antiquity. It will be there long after modern works of man have fallen into decay—inscrut- able, a puzzle for the ages.

Edward H. Davis at the trail's end, gazing at the figures on the roof of painted cave. Hard Rock Shorty Even the animals seemed to sense Many of the specimens were painted our excitement, and we proceeded at with arrows and spears protruding of a brisk pace, hugging the side of the from them. One large figure, done canyon as we scanned the rocky walls entirely in white, was completely trans- Death for any sign of an opening. fixed by a black spear. We speculated Guillermo was the first to see it. that this, perhaps, represented a chief Valley "Look, Senores," he called. "Up of the opposing tribes. ahead!" One problem bothered us. With the I saw what appeared to be a shadow enormous ceiling a full twenty feet "Yep, they's a lotta mineral behind some large boulders. Then we from the floor of the cave, how did the springs over in the Amargosa passed behind shrubbery on the desert prehistoric artist paint the mural? The country," Hard Rock was ex- floor and I was unable to see the cave desert shrubs in that region are so plaining to the crowd of tourists again until we rounded a corner and small and twisted that it would be im- on the porch at Inferno store. possible to fashion them into a ladder. arrived at the entrance. "There's that alum spring up The opening was enormous—a great We finally concluded that great quan- Eight Ball crick. Over in them gash fully 20 feet high, and 100 feet tities of rock must have been carried badlands is the soda springs. An' wide in the side of the mountain. The into the cavern to make a raised plat- there's salt springs and a lotta floor was level and sandy, and as we form reaching nearly to the roof. Then, others, but one yu want t' keep rode inside, triumphant English and when the work was finished, the rock away from is that magnetic spring Spanish yells reverberated against the was carried out to the floor of the up near Pisgah Bill's ol' iron walls. There, on the ceiling above our desert. mine. That water has so much heads and stretching back into the cave As we returned to Mulage, we spec- pull to it it'll jerk the tin can right as far as we could see, were the paint- ulated as to what tribe of Indians could out a yer hand when yu try to ings! They were life-size, brilliantly have executed this remarkable draw- dip up a drink. colored in red, white and black. The ing. Lower California was first ex- "Ol' Pisgah usta get a lot o' giant mural depicted the scene of sav- plored in 1539. The early Spaniards meat off that little pond below age, prehistoric warfare and, after ex- left quite voluminous records on the the spring. Duck's 'd fly in ploring the rear of the cavern which Indians of that day. This section of there to spend the night when extended into the mountain for 90 feet, they wuz comin' south in the fall. I set up my camera to record the the peninsula was populated then by When one o' them birds had a strange sights that lay above us. three tribes, the Cochimi, the Guaya- band on its leg, like them bird cura and the Pericues. They were all migration fellers put on 'em up We counted 89 figures. Nearly all so primitive that it seemed beyond be- north every season, the duck were men, but a few women and chil- lief that they could have executed the couldn't take off again. Too dren could be identified. Most of them giant mural. much magnetism in that water. were standing, although a few lay in As soon as we reached Mulage, I "Bill had duck meat all one a prone position, and nearly all were went to Father Cesar Casaldi, the local winter, but he finally had to give painted half red and half black, verti- Catholic priest, an outstanding author- it up. Ate so much o' that mag- cally. Thus, the left side of each figure ity on the Indians of Lower California.. netized bird meat his stomach got was colored a brilliant red, and the He agreed that it was impossible that magnetic. Swallered his knife one right side was in black. We noticed a the aborigines of the colonial days day an' if there hadn't been a few examples where the colors were doctor over at the Consolidated reversed. Most of the heads were in could have painted the huge mural, and it certainly was not done since mine Bill would 'a strangled to red, and the arms and legs of all the death." figures were spread apart, showing the that time. Father Casaldi told me, fingers and toes. however, that the early Indians did FEBRUARY, 1949 27 600 Take Part in Pegleg field day made -from +he heavt- of- the Visnaqa The desert still holds the secret of cactus of our Southwestern desert" — Pegleg Smith's lost gold, despite the gift boxed in quaint Mexican casseroles quest of more than 600 visitors who at $1-95 $2-95 $5.95 deposited the traditional 10 rocks on Shipped prepaid. the Pegleg monument and then roamed over the Borrego desert in the second annual Pegleg Gold Trek on New Year's day. 615 B san diego, California This year's Pegleg program started on the previous evening when nearly 300 campers spread their bedrolls among the greasewood on the sur- rounding desert and then formed a circle around a huge campfire to hear COUNTY MAPS the tall tales of the contestants in the For Schools, Hunters, Fishermen, Public Offices, and Travelers CALIF.: with Twnshp., Rng., Sec, Mines, Roads, Trails, Streams, Lakes, R. R., Schools, Liar's Contest. Rngr. Sta., Elev., Nat. Forest, Pwr. Lines, Canals, Boundaries, etc. Sizes: 20x30 to 73x100 Inches Winner of the contest was Roy Hicks Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, of Costa Mesa, California, in the role Glenn, Kings, Lake, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Solano, of a reincarnated Pegleg Smith. He Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Ventura, Yolo, Yuba—each $1. stumped into the circle on a wooden Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Plumas, Pla- Fresno, Kern, Riverside—$2.50 - $5. leg and recited a poem he had written. cer, Modoc, Madera—$1.50. Los Angeles—$1 and $3. Tulare, Tehama, Imperial—each $2. John Hilton was awarded second prize, San Diego, Mendocino, Humboldt— Siskiyou—$2 and $4. $2.50. Inyo County, $15; E or WMs $7.50; San but withdrew in favor of Guy O. Trinity, Shasta, Mono, San Luis Obispo, Bernardino, 73x110, $15; No. or So. M> Monterey, Lassen—$3. $7.50; NW, SW., NE., or SEVi, $3.75. Glazier of Boulevard, California. Two Also Oregon, Idaho and Washington County Maps large collections of phonograph records 2417 San Pablo Avenue — TEmplebar 2-3870 brought down from the Knott Berry WORLD'S MINERALS OAKLAND 12, CALIFORNIA Farm by Ray Hetherington were awarded as prizes. Harry Oliver., editor of Desert Rat Scrapbook, was master of ceremonies and kept a lively parade of contestants and impromptu entertainment in prog- ress. John Hilton with his guitar and Ted Hutchinson with his Mexican songs were called on repeatedly for musical numbers. After the contest ended Hilton tossed 11 of his 1948 oil and canvas paintings on the fire in accordance with his an- nual custom of starting each New Year by burning what he calls "the mistakes" of the previous year. EVERY DAY AT AMERICA'S MOST DISTINGUISHED RE- SORT HOTEL; 35-ACRE GARDEN ESTATE, SWIMMING Early the following morning addi- POOL AND ALL SPORTS. BUNGALOWS AND SUITES. AMERICAN PLAN. tional hundreds of trekkers arrived to FORTIETH SEASON UNDER ORIGINAL OWNERSHIP AND MAN- enjoy a field day on the desert. The AGEMENT OF NELLIE COFFMAN, EARL COFFMAN AND GEORGE ROBERSON. floor of Borrego valley in many places

RESERVATIONS EASIER BEFORE was covered with an early display of CHRISTMAS AND AFTER EASTER. wildflowers and the visitors hiked over the countryside or up the palm can- yons. Many of them visited the fine new Desert Resort Hotel erected by the Hoberg family at the entrance to Borrego palm canyon which has been completed during the past year. Among the old-timers present at the campfire party were A. A. 'Doc' Beatty of Borrego, Desert Steve Ragsdale, Powder River Sackett, Hard Rock Hume, Bill McGee, Harry Woods, Ed Stevens, Sam Robinson, Howard PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA Clark, Frank Kershaw and George Barrett.

28 THE DESERT MAGAZINE Houseboating on the Desert... When Pegleg Prospected the Mojave Mountain Center, California Riverside, California Desert: Desert: I am interested in John Edwin On January 16, 1886, the Press and Hogg's suggestion in the editorial page Horticulturalist, a 4-page, 8-column of your January number. Houseboat- weekly newspaper edited by L. M. The Goat Editor Pulls a Boner... ing should fit the Salton Sea very well. Holt of Riverside, and the antecedent El Centro, California I put in years of house-boating in the of the present Riverside Daily Press, Desert: New York area. published a story which may interest The goat on the January cover is a Houseboats need harbors. Harbors the Pegleg trekkers. tame Angora—not a wild goat at all— can be built in the shallow waters Under the title "The So-Called Peg- or perhaps a tame one gone wild. This along the shore with dragline shovels, Leg Mine" the story was contributed writer knows, for he has seen hundreds and islands can be created. Imagine by a correspondent signing himself of them recaptured in the mountains a man-made atoll of desert sand with "An Old-Time Miner." The writer of southern Arizona. rock protection far enough out to be stated that he met Smith in San Fran- LEO TURNER away from shore drift. Some things cisco in 1854. Pegleg had been a can be done in that direction by co- Rocky Mountain trapper, and from Cashion, Arizona operative effort among interested 1850 to 1852 had operated a trading Desert: people. post on the Plains. May I offer your editor a mild re- WILSON HOWELL He was in San Francisco in 1854 to proach for the title on your cover pic- organize a small party to go prospect- ture for January. It is a very fine pic- He's Not a Water Fowl.. • ing on the Mojave river. The story ture and I would suggest that it be run Pegleg told was this: again sometime. But next time please Moab, Utah Desert: "Twenty-two years ago (1832) a change the wording. party of us was camped on the Mojave I live near the White Tank moun- I enjoyed your editor's story of his river and a Dutchman found what he tains. Have been all around and boat trips on the San Juan and Colo- called a piece of gold. We laughed at through them, and the same with rado rivers. Last year in June I made him and his gold, but am now con- nearly all the mountains in southwest- the voyage through Glen canyon and vinced that it was gold. It was a piece ern Arizona. In this part of Arizona noted "R. H. of Desert Magazine" in about as big as the end of your thumb there are no "Wild Arizona Goats."' the registers along the way. and pretty smooth. I think it was True there are many domestic goats We had a strange experience just washed gold. I am sure I can find the gone wild. And I do maintain that the below the Crossing of the Fathers. old camping place, but I don't know front cover is a very fine example of Two young eagles were aroused by exactly where the Dutchman found the a pure bred Angora. our talking and flew up from the shore piece, but it was near camp." BEN HUMPHREYS and one of them soared down over us to have a look. He was careless and The correspondent was invited to To readers Leo Turner, Ben sailed in too close to the water. When accompany the party, but was unable Humphreys and the other 21 sub- his feet hit the water he tried to re- to do so. Years later he met Pegleg scribers who called our attention to cover but it was too late. A wave again and Smith said to him: "We this incorrect title, Desert's goat struck his wings and he landed like a didn't get into the old camp. The editor apologizes for the error, and clumsy duck. He sat there a few mo- Indians seemed pretty hostile and the ments and then slowly began to sink. boys wasn't very brave. We prospected quotes Item No. 3 among his New some and found nothing." Year resolutions, namely: "That He struggled with his powerful wings during 1949 I will strive to keep The Old-Time Miner who reported to get free, but his feathers had gotten this conversation, and later sent the those pesky goats in their proper wet and he was unable to lift his body story to the newspaper, was inclined to zoological pigeon-holes." clear of the water. It was a hopeless discredit the Pegleg gold discovery as • • • struggle. a myth. Pitfall or Burial Ground? ... The current was swift and he soon But please understand I am not try- Las Vegas, Nevada disappeared in a riffle next to a cliff. ing to start a controversy. I merely Desert: When we again caught sight of him he am reporting what I read in that old I was much interested in the letter was all submerged except his head Riverside newspaper. from Emma E. Ford of McGill, Ne- and neck. When we finally caught up vada, in your December issue, with with him in our cumbersome rubber CHARLES C. BAKER reference to the discovery of Lehman raft he was almost a drowned eagle. cave. In August and September of We stuck a paddle under his breast 1938, I was employed by the National and he clutched it for dear life. He Champion of All Liars ... Park service to remove that part of rode the paddle for awhile and we Pinyon Flats, California the deposit in the entrance of the cave finally got him into the raft. After Desert: chamber which was in the way of the about five miles he was dry enough to Being an honest man, and never new tunnel entrance then being con- want to leave, but we realized that if having stretched the truth in my life, structed. We found parts of many we released him he might flutter to I am puzzled to know who the h— human skeletons throughout the top the bottom of the raft and his sharp named me as one of the judges in the half of the 20-foot deposit. During claws could easily rip a hole and sink Liar's Contest that precedes the Peg- the course of this work I checked with us all. leg Smith lost gold trek in Borrego old-time residents of the area regard- So we pulled in to shore and left valley New Year's day. ing the discovery of the cave and their him perched on a rock to dry out. The My personal opinion is that the big- information is in complete agreement last we saw him he was still perched gest liar of all is now dead. I refer to with that obtained by Mrs. Ford. there in the hot afternoon sun. Ol' Pegleg Smith. The only thing that S. M. WHEELER C. W. ZUMWALT he knew about gold was the nuggets he

FEBRUARY, 1949 29 hi-graded from some working mine strength lost during these water-witch- dump, or stole off an Indian or honest ing sessions perhaps the way would be prospector. He would pull out that opened for a more unbiased approach #** pocket-worn nugget he carried around to the art of dowsing. and tell a fabulous yarn about where Geological science dismisses the it came from. The reason there are so whole thing with this quotation, wmi many different versions of the Pegleg "Water-witching is the result of pre- yarn is because he told a different vious geological knowledge, or of men- story each time. tal influence." But we think it is okay if a lot of Sure, they think we are crazy. But folks wish to gather around an open we will go on finding water just the campfire in Borrego valley New Year's same. And perhaps a future genera- Eve and swap lies, which everybody tion of scientists will provide the A desert homesite or knowing to be good-natured lies, can- scientific basis for the thing we are a spacious 1-to 5- acre not do any harm. doing. Maybe after all Ol' Pegleg did not C. W. MUNSON live in vain, if he causes folks to get at breathtaking I y out in the clean desert hills, while pre- beautiful ... tending to hunt for a lost mine. DESERT STEVE RAGSDALE DESERT Borrego Springs CLOSE-UPS "MM"MOMS Friend Steve: Do you remember 0 that day out at Desert Center 31 • Whether YOU desire a permanent winter home or a Harold and Lucile Weight of the quiet, restful, weekend desert retreat, it will pay you to years ago when a tourist drove up to investigate the investment opportunities now available at Desert Magazine staff resigned their Borrego Springs. your gasoline pump and asked you • A pleasant four-hour drive s. e. of Los Angeles, fat the positions in January to devote their wondrous Borrego Desert. Abundance of water. if there were any rattlesnakes in time to the free lance field of journal- • Vi to 3 acre fully improved desert estates from $1300 Chuckawalla valley. And you re- per acre. Easy terms. ism. Lucile has been a member of the • Unlimited are the investment opportunities for those who plied: "H— no, they all broke their buy fir*». Investigate) backs trying to follow them Ford staff since September, 1937, two tracks the tourists make across this months before the first issue of Desert valley." No, Steve, the champion was published. During the war she as- FOR HEALTH AND FUTURE sumed the entire editorial responsi- PROFIT FROM YOUR INVESTMENT liar isn't dead yet—and may he live to a ripe old age in his little shack bility for two years while Randall on Pinyon flats.—R. H. Henderson was in service in Africa. More recently she has devoted her Write today for Free time largely to the mangement of the Booklets and infor- In Defense of Water-Witching ... circulation and book departments al- mation on these des- though continuing as an editorial as- ert resort develop- San Pedro, California sociate. Harold came to the editorial Desert: ments: staff in the fall of 1946, a few months I am aware that many people are after receiving his discharge as a staff skeptical about the art of water-witch- sergeant in the army air corps, and in • BORREGO SPRINGS ing or dowsing. 1947 he and Lucile were married. He Multi-million-dollar desert resort in San But they are wrong. Certain people has -divided his time between his edi- Diego County. are gifted with the art of divining torial desk and field reporting, being underground water channels. It isn't accompanied on many of his field trips witchcraft. There is a very plausible by Lucile. He has had some success explanation. as a fiction writer and plans to devote • MORGAN MANOR All plant and animal life is attracted much of his time to that field of writ- Frank Morgan's new development adjoin- to water. They must have it for with- ing. His field trip stories in Desert ing Borrego Springs, and featuring spa- out it they die. It is the old law of self- cious 2y2, 5 and 10-acre estate sites. have been one of the most popular preservation with which all living features in the magazine, and he plans things are endowed by Nature. to continue as a contributor to this I do not know why one person can publication. The Weights have been • THUNDERBIRD RANCH hold a green stick and sense the mag- highly efficient members of Desert's Frank Bogert's new settlement adjoining netic attraction between the stick and staff and their departure will be a mat- his popular THUNDERBIRD RANCH in underground water—or why another ter of regret to their associates as well Palm Springs. person cannot do so. That is some- as to many of the magazine's readers thing beyond the present limitations of who are personally acquainted with our knowledge. But I do know from them. Martin Moran, who served in my own experience that in prospecting the navy during the war and has been Please mention The Desert Magazine when for water in this manner after two you write to: hours where many underground chan- a member of the staff the last two nels exist I am physically exhausted, years, assumed the management of the while I can carry the forked stick circulation department, and Bertha RANSOM & HINKLE, Inc. around all day over non-water bearing Greeley Brown, member of the staff AGENTS ground with no more fatigue than for three years, will become manager THE PLAZA, PALM SPRINGS comes from the exercise of walking. of the book department. A successor TELEPHONE: PALM SPRINGS 3666 to Harold Weight's editorial position If medical science would find some has not yet been named. measure for determining the energy or

30 THE DESERT MAGAZINE can obtain the licenses by mail from the clerk of the superior court. Indians, how- ever, may have their licenses issued by bonded superintendents or agents on the reservation.—Coconino Sun.

Who Was Lost? ... They Can't Issue Licenses . . . ARIZONA YUMA—John L. Taylor, 68, who left In Memory of the Wetherills . . . FLAGSTAFF—For years it has been the Needles, California, on November 3 on a custom, particularly in northern Arizona rubber raft, bound down the Colorado river KAYENTA—Lee and Frank Bradley are counties, for justices of the peace to issue for Yuma and who was reported missing getting together selected blocks of native marriage licenses in the outlying districts, for more than a week, was found Novem- stone to form the cairn in which they will because of the great distances to county ber 21 at Alexander's landing, a few miles place a memorial plaque on the graves of seats. Under a ruling by the attorney gen- north of Imperial dam. Taylor, when found Louisa and John Wetherill during the win- by a party of Yumans, was safe and sound ter. Funds for the plaque and cairn were eral's office, this practice must be stopped and calmly fishing. He was disgusted, it contributed by friends of the Wetherills and and licenses can be issued only at county was said, when informed that he had been the arrangements made by a committee seats. Residents of isolated areas may apply believed lost on the river. "I didn't expect composed of Dr. Harold S. Colton of Flag- to justices who are located more than 20 to make the trip in any 24 hours," he de- staff, Jimmy Swinnerton and Harry C. miles from the county seat, and the justices clared.-—Yuma Sun. James. John Wetherill died in December, 1944, and his wife the following September. • • • Natural History Museum Planned ... PHOENIX — Plans for establishing a FUN— DIFFERENT— ROMANTIC natural history museum at Phoenix are near completion, according to a report which . Mo&t Governor Dan E. Garvey received from a committee appointed by the late Governor Osborn to obtain the museum. The state already has received the collections of John Eagle and the noted scout, Major Frederick R. Burnham, and A. Kingsley Macomber is preparing to ship his collection to Phoenix. —Tucson Citizen.

Who Lost a Trailer and Car? . . . PHOENIX—Attempts were being made in November to locate the owner of a rusted automobile and trailer which were buried under the bed of the Salt river dur- ing a flash flood in April, 1937. A power shovel of the Arizona Sand and Rock com- pany uncovered the vehicles under 15 feet of gravel in a gravel pit. Al Carter, plant superintendent, said the company lost a truck in the same flood.—Tucson Citizen.

Reset Tucson Monument . . . TUCSON — The monument on top of Sentinel peak, more commonly known as "A" mountain, which had been loosened by rain, was reset permanently December 14 Riverside County Fair and National by Tucson members of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The monument, located just south of the letter "A," was placed by the DAR during a convention in 1933, in recognition of the importance of DATE the mountain in the lives of the pioneers. As early as 1692, according to Winona Jewell, DAR regent, the peak was used for signal fires which warned the Spanish pioneers of approaching Indians.—Tucson FESTIVAL Citizen. • • • at INDIO, CALIF. She Pioneered the Little Colorado ... JOSEPH CITY—"Grandma" Sophie Mc- February 18-19-20-21-22, 1949 Laws, said to be the last of the original Mormon pioneers of the Little Colorado GORGEOUS EXHIBITS OF AMERICAN DATES. CITRUS AND settlements, died November 27 at the age OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS — EDUCATIONAL EX- of 92. Mrs. McLaws first came to Joseph City, then known as Allen's Camp, in April, HIBITS—ART EXHIBIT—OUTSTANDING LIVESTOCK SHOW. 1876, and lived with her husband at the fort located just east of the present city. Arabian Nights Pageant She often declared that she had lived in three Arizona counties during her 72 years Presented Nightly, Free, on Authentic Arabian Stage at Joseph City, without moving from the Cast of Over 100 house her husband built for them. When she arrived, Allen's Camp was in Yavapai CARNIVAL GAYWAY FOR YOUNG AND OLD county. When the county was divided, her "SLAVE MARKET"—Mammoth Street Parade—Bagdad Bazaar home became part of Apache county. In 1895, Navajo county was created and they BLUE RIBBON HORSE SHOW — CAMEL RACES lived in their third Arizona county without BREATHTAKING CIRCUS ACTS moving.—Hoi brook Tribune-News.

FEBRUARY, 1949 31 New Navajo Constitution? . . . WINDOW ROCK—Provisions of a pro- posed new constitution for the Navajo THE D6SCRT TRADING POST Indians were to be explained at the Decem- Classified Advertising in This Section Costs 8c a word, $1.00 Minimum Per Issue ber tribal council meeting at Window Rock. Norman Littell, tribal attorney, said that the constitution, which was drafted follow- ing conferences with representatives of the GOLD! YOU CAN PAN GOLD — It's easy! department of the interior, would not be INDIAN GOODS Healthy, profitable occupation or hobby. Send for big, illustrated book, "Gold Panning for voted on at this meeting. Earlier, James M. ALWAYS THE BEST in Indian things. Old and Profit"—$1.00. Want some of my genuine Stewart, general superintendent of the new Navajo rugs a specialty. Fine jewelry and California gold? One beautiful nugget, $1.00. Navajo reservation, reported that the tribe baskets. Our thirty tons of rocks and minerals Four nuggets, $2.00. Other wonderful speci- include many hard to get items. Always wel- men gold nuggets, $5 and $10 each. Desert has a net balance of $2,906,355.38. The come. Daniels Indian Trading Post, 401 W. Jim, 627 Lillian, Stockton, California. sawmill account contained $900,000 of the Foothill Blvd., Fontana, California. total.—Tucson Citizen. • • • FOUR VERY FINE ancient Indian Arrowheads, CACTI AND SUCCULENTS—From the deserts of the world. Don-Rita brand. By appoint- A flood control survey, extending from $1.00; 4 tiny perfect bird arrowheads, $1.00; ment only. Write us your needs and we will 1 ancient stone tomahawk, $1.00; 2 flint skin- try to help you. Michael Donnelly Cacti Coolidge to the mouth of the Gila river ning knives, $1.00; 1 large flint hoe, $1.00; 2 has been assured by the department of spearheads, $1.00; 10 arrowheads from 10 Gardens, 334 Lowell St., Daly City, California. states, $1.00; 20 damaged arrowheads, $1.00; agriculture. The survey will be for the pro- 10 fish sealers, $1.00; 10 hide scrapers, $1.00; LEARN the profitable jewelry and goldsmithing posed $25,800,000 flood control program 4 perfect saw edged arrowheads, $1.00. The trade at home. Simplified course teaches for the Gila river below Gillespie dam. above 11 offers $10, postpaid. List free. jewelry designing, manufacture and repairing; Lear's, Kirby, Arkansas. gemsetting, etc. Gemcrafters, Dept. F., Kali- • • • spell, Montana. Survey work preparatory to construction BOOKS—MAGAZINES of a gas pipeline from New Mexico to Cali- FRED AND JESSIE PORTER welcome you to fornia is underway. The survey crew is the "Pow-Wow" Trading Post, Yermo, 14 working in the area north of Flagstaff, near BOOKFINDERS—Scarce, out of print, unusual miles east of Barstow, Highway 91. Rocks! books quickly supplied. Send wants. Clifton, Rocks! Rocks! Rocks in the rough, slabbed, Black Falls trading post and Wupatki Box 1377d, Beverly Hills, California. preforms and cabochons. Fluorescent and rare national monument. specimens. Caledonite, Linerite, Benitoite, OUTDOOR RAMBLER—An outdoor publication Neptunite and many others. See your own that's different. Two years, $1.00; 60c year; cut. Gifts and Souvenirs. 10c copy. Outdoor Rambler, Box 884, lone, CALIFORNIA California. PANNING GOLD — Another hobby for Rock- hounds and Desert Roamers. Know how to California Gila Monster? .. . pan gold, where to look for it and be able to BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES recognize valuable quartz ledges. The places BLYTHE—The question of whether or you go are where rich virgin ground is found. not Gila monsters cross the Colorado river FOR SALE—Opal mining claim. New discovery, Two instruction booklets 25c or send your precious opals, nodule type, red and green name for free literature and catalogue of into California was reopened with the re- fire. Gem Shop, established business, good mining books and supplies for beginners. ported discovery of one of the poisonous clean stock, reasonably priced. Gold placer Old Prospector, Box 21-B211, Dutch Flat, Calif. reptiles at the county airport, formerly and quartz claims, good surface showings, lease and option basis. John Glass, Box 255, Blythe army air field. Thomas Bridges and Weiser, Idaho. KARAKULS—Producers of Persian Lamb fur M. G. VanZandt found a small Gila mon- are easy to raise, adaptable to any climate ster, measuring five inches in length, when or altitude. For further information write ONE OF NEVADA'S best turquoise mines. Ill Addis Kelley, 4637 E. 52nd Place, Maywood, they were tearing down some of the build- health reason for selling. Box 121, Mina, California. ings and raised a board from the ground. Nevada. They reported there was evidence which METEORITES WANTED, iron or stone, highest indicated that the mother had been at the PHOTOGRAPHS WANTED prices. Stuart Perry, Adrian, Michigan. spot where the small reptile was captured. The alleged Gila monster was exhibited in DESIRE the two following Standard Oil pic- GEOLOGIC AND SCENIC Color slides for Edu- a jar at the Ripley school by VanZandt's tures to complete my album. These pictures cational Entertainment. Catalog Free. Heald- were given out in the summer of 1947. 1—Oak Robinson, Dept. 2, 112 E. Lemon Ave., Mon- son.—Palo Verde Valley Times. Creek Canyon, Arizona. 2—Monument Valley, rovia, California. • • • Utah and Arizona. Will pay a reasonable sum for these or will exchange four of the Calico Monument Blocked . . . Hawaiian pictures for them. Mrs. Dick Groot, CARPENTER AND MECHANIC will exchange 1039 S. Luder, El Monte, California. part time services for building or room suit- BARSTOW—Several hundred mining able for display and shop for curios and claims plus titles to much land held pri- gifts. Single man, silversmith, wood carving REAL ESTATE and antique repair and upholstering. No vately must be settled before the govern- liquor. Proposition must be sound, on Cali- ment can consider making the colorful YOUR DESERT HOME—New, modern 2 bed- fornia highway, with water and electricity, Calico mountains a national monument, ac- rooms, fireplace, garage and plunge. Lot and permanent. Address Box JB, Desert cording to Congressman Harry R. Sheppard. 120x160, full price, $13,950. Carl Henderson, Magazine, Palm Desert, California. Realtor, P. O. Box 201, Palm Desert, Calif. The government, Sheppard says, does not DESIRE TO MEET middle aged health seeking feel justified in going to the expense of DESERT ACREAGE—486 acres only $5000. In- unencumbered hiking and camping partner satisfying the potential claims of these prop- cludes good alfalfa, date and grape land and for desert trips, North, South Highway 80 erty owners to establish a 4500-acre monu- plenty of mountains. Water and electricity between Jacumba and El Centro. Car de- available. Carl Henderson, Realtor, P. O. Box sirable but not essential. I have all gear. ment. If, through local interest and activity, 201, Palm Desert, California. Share gas and chow. Paul L. Cowgill, 4491 the property owners could be eliminated, Thirty-ninth St., San Diego, Calif. Phone the government would look with more favor FOR SALE—Residence Lot 50x100, utilities in, T6913. upon releasing its portion of the acreage membership in club, La Quinta, California. Price $900. Maud C. Joss, 736 S. Madison involved, it was said. The original plan for Avenue, Pasadena 5, California. FOR RENT—Rock shop and trading post on the monument suggested that the mining Highways No. 70 and 80. Two four-room claims be left in present hands, as has been YOUR DESERT HOME — Five acres, $1000, partly furnished apartments. Display room done in Death Valley national monument. terms. Nothing to compete with it. R. H. 36x20. Two acres for parking. Long time McDonald, Box 21, Desert Hot Springs, Calif. lease to reliable party. Address P. O. Box —Barstow Printer-Review. 346, Deming, New Mexico. • • • USE THAT MONEY to build now—pay $250 Ocean Fishing for Salton . . . cash, balance monthly on Ranchito homesites. FOR SALE—Deer, peafowl, pheasants, quail. No well to drill, no pump, tank or tower. Chimney Rock Ranch, Montezuma Valley, NILAND—Anglers of the future will be Electricity and water mains now in—moderate restrictions. Total prices from $750, insured Santa Ysabel, California. able to do their deep-sea fishing in the title, wide view, near P. O., stores. Write for Salton Sea if plans of the division of fish maps of this Ail-Year desert foothill tract. PURPLE SAGE HONEY—Two-pound jar of and game mature. Willis A. Evans, biologist Clarke Battelle, Lucerne Valley, California. comb chunks, $2.10. 5 lbs. of strained, $3.00 of the bureau of fish conservation, reports prepaid. Tontz Honey Farms, Elsinore, Calif. that only four known species of fish in- DESERT HOMESITE—3'/2 acres planted to dates and grapefruit, all utilities, wonderful view, habit the sea at present: mullet; the ten- located V* mile from 100 Palms. Unbelievably COLOR SLIDES—Travel, Nature, Geology, etc. pounder, a relative of the tarpon; desert low price, $4000. Write Ronald L. Johnson, Free list (with sample 30c-, three for dollar). minnows, and mosquito fish. Before plant- Realtor, Thermal, California. Kelly D. Choda, Box 5, Los Alamos, New Mexico. ing some type of ocean fish, a food supply must be made available. Since microscopic MISCELLANEOUS life forms known as plankton are present FOR SALE—Karakul wool bed blankets, colors, WHOLESALE LOTS, Cactus. Resurrection blue, green, natural and maroon. Money back in the Salton, a plankton feeding species of Plants. Boxed Cactus. Aztec Cactus Co., P. O. . guarantee. Price $17.50. Write Addis Kelley, fish was selected for the experiment. Evans Box 833, Presidio, Texas. 4637 E. 52nd Place, Maywood, California. and Warden-Pilot Al Reese flew to Guay-

32 THE DESERT MAGAZINE mas and brought back a load of Mexican November 24, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Stancliffe, status of land-use permits held by 200 to anchovies which were planted in the Sal- Nadine Johnson and Denney Houhlan spent 300 persons on lands of the Agua Caliente ton. When the forage becomes well-estab- the night on the floating wreckage with the Indian reservation may be changed within lished, some type of game fish will be temperature 14 above zero. Enroute from the next 90 days. Possible changes in per- planted.—Palm Springs Desert Sun. Hawthorne to Las Vegas, the pilot ap- mits will come as the land allotments now • • • parently became lost and cruised until his in the process of being made are passed in The Desert Shakes . . . gas was gone. When they hit the lake, trust patent or fee patent from tribal to DEATH VALLEY—The quake which empty gas tanks and the fact that one engine individual ownership. — Coachella Desert rocked the desert regions of Southern Cali- tore loose kept the craft afloat. When water Barnacle. fornia on December 4, brought down at rose in the cabin, the flyers escaped to the least three landslides visible on the slopes top of the plane and made a sail by un- of Tucki mountain, south of Stove Pipe furling a parachute. They were rescued Wells hotel. Each time such a locality gets early Thanksgiving morning, while drifting SAN JUAN RIVER a good shaking up, it was said, prospectors toward the mouth of Rush creek, and were BOAT TRIPS take to the hills in the hope that veins treated at Mono county hospital for shock and exposure.—Inyo Register. hitherto hidden may have been uncovered. Bluff or Mexican Hat, Utah, to Lee's Ferry Down in the Indio-Palm Springs region • • • where the earthquake was most violent, Indian Land Title Granted . . . Eight-Day Trip Amid the Scenic Canyons Harry Oliver, who has been campaigning COACHELLA—Fee title to a 40-acre of Southern Utah for creation of a desert county, looked wor- tract on the northern outskirts of Coachella Visit Rainbow Bridge ried. "I said I'd split the county," he de- has been awarded to Alexander James, and Other Points of Interest in This clared, "but I didn't mean to split it that Coachella Valley Indian. This reportedly Magnificent Canyon Country deep."—Inyo Independent and The Palm makes James the first Indian in 25 years to Springs Desert Sun. obtain complete title to Coachella land. Write ior Rates and Full Information • • • Previously, Indian land, allocated in 40-acre They Crashed in Mono Lake . . . parcels to individuals, was held in trust by CHARLES LARA BEE LEEVINING—When their little cabin the government and sale was not allowed. Encinitas, California plane made a forced landing on Mono lake, In the Palm Springs area it was said that SNIFF'S BACK YARD The Show Place of the Coachella Valley A veritable Garden of Eden By LOTTA BARRETT warble their songs from bush and tree and hum- ming birds tirelessly dart from blossom to blossom. All the blessings of Allah are now ready to be The most wondrous thing in the whole garden is enjoyed in "Sniff's Back Yard"—a restful haven for a genuine Arabian tent, of great and lasting beauty the traveler. Along the cool aisles under the stately of an exacting artistry—an authentic example of date palms, there's a Fairyland of exotic blooms and intricate needle work. The tent is about fifteen feet trees laden with unusual fruits from far off Spain, across. The basic material is a basket weave of China, Brazil, Japan, Jaffa, Palestine—from all the fine canvas, upon which is appliqued thousands of rich desert lands of the entire world. tiny motifs of bright colored cotton material, all This season more new and unusual plants have mathematically perfect. Fifteen members of one been added, and there is no other spot in the vast family stitched millions of complicated designs into Colorado Desert area more interesting and educa- this fabulous tent, taking five years to complete it. tional than Sniff's Date Garden. Down around the corner from the Arabian tent is Dr. and Mrs. Sniff have spent many years gather- a small grove of banana trees, towering up twenty ing unusual plants, shrubs and trees from the most feet. Only a few years ago Mrs. Sniff set out a remote places on earth and now the reward is great handful of little trees. Now there's a grove, bearing for visitors; the gates to "Sniff's Back Yard" are delicious fruit. Verily everything planted in "Sniff's flung wide open so that all may enjoy the beauty, Back Yard" thrives and bears quantities of fruit, the fragrance and charm of this interesting place. just as the Garden of Eden did many ages ago. One of the most fantastic of the citrus collection The great date grove of majestic palms is in itself is an individual tree which produces nine varieties a sight to see. The summer and early winter bon- of fruit. Then there are Tangelos—the result of tanger- nets of heavy paper that have protected the great ines and grapefruit being combined; Lemolas— bunches of delicious, healthful fruit during the grow- grapefruit and lemons; Limequat—lime and kum- ing and ripening period have been torn off and the quat, and several other delicious combinations. cream of the crop is now being picked. As breathtaking as the citrus collection are the The high quality of Sniff's Garden dates has won beautiful roses, trees and bushes, lining the walks. many ribbons and trophies which are arranged in There are flame vines and red honeysuckles a handsome display in the sales room. The bounti- climbing the adobe walls, and night blooming jas- ful date crop of this year is being shipped all over mine—unbearably pungent at night—grows in pro- the country, and abroad. fusion. Orchid and coffee trees add a tropical touch, Dr. and Mrs. D. G. Sniff will greet you cordially and bottle-brush and Chinese hat trees are as in- and show you around their "Back Yard," the most triguing as the strawberry tree and rice paper plants. colorful, most interesting place in the whole great This desert Garden of Eden is, moreover, a sanc- American desert area, located 20 miles east of tuary for myriads of rainbow hued birds. Song birds Palm Springs on Highway 111. ADVERTISEMENT

FEBRUARY, 1949 33 Randsburg's First Recorder Dies... cember 11, destined for the Los Angeles out of revenues over a period of 20 years. RANDSBURG—Judge Edward B. Ma- market. Governor Pittman, a member of the com- ginnis, 75, a resident of Randsburg for 50 • • • mission, declared that the power rate for years, died October 30. He was not quite One of the first projects of the new wild lessees at the plant now is the lowest in 21 when Burcham, Singleton and Mooers life club being formed in Coachella valley the United States — less than 3 mills per discovered the Yellow Aster mine in 1895, will be an attempt to stock antelope on kilowatt hour.—Tonopah Times-Bonanza. uninhabited desert areas such as that near • • • and Maginnis was made the recorder of the Chuckawalla wells. newly-organized Rand mining district. The • • • Base Buildings Sold . . . following year he was elected justice of the Frank Sabathe, 80, one of the early resi- TONOPAH—Tonopah hotels and room- peace and held the office for many years. dents of the Twentynine Palms area, died ing houses were jammed during the sale of —Inyo Register. at the Palm Springs hospital in December. 537 buildings auctioned at Tonopah army • • • Sabathe operated a freight train between air base. Bidders came from many states— The first carload of tomatoes out of San Bernardino and Old Dale in 1896. from California to Florida. All structures Sonora shipped on the new shortline rail- • • • on the base were sold with the exception of road from Mexico, arrived at Mexicali De- Known to old-timers on the desert as the those awarded to various governmental, lady who, in her youth, had charge of the state and community agencies and a few mail carrying dog at Calico silver camp, retained by the air force. Total price paid "EVERYTHING FOR THE HIKER" Mrs. Fannie A. Mudget died December 10 for the 537 structures was $186,282.22. in a San Bernardino hospital, aged 74. There has been a big influx of workers, • • • anticipating a few weeks work wrecking SLEEPING BAGS and moving the buildings disposed of at the NEVADA sale. Except in special circumstances, all AIR MATTRESSES Make BMI Payment . . . structures must be removed from the base SMALL TENTS LAS VEGAS—During a meeting of the within 60 days of purchase. — Tonopah Colorado River commission at Las Vegas, Times-Bonanza. and many other items the United States government was handed • • • Nevada's first check for $79,211.65 to be Bighorns at Lake Mead . . . applied on the purchase of the big Basic BOULDER CITY—Lake Mead recrea- VAN DEGRIFT'S HIKE HUT Magnesium plant at Henderson, Nevada. tional area has more bighorn or mountain 717 West Seventh Street The money came from operating revenues obtained by the state from corporations and sheep than any other area administered by LOS ANGELES 14. CALIFORNIA the national park service in the United operators using plant facilities. The price of States, according to George Baggley, super- the plant was set at $24,000,000, to be paid intendent of the Lake Mead area. The big- horn found in this area is a different species from the one found in the Rocky moun- tains, and is well adapted to a desert moun- ONLY ONE WORLD FAMOUS tain existence. Less than a generation ago. these mountain sheep were very scarce, but protection has allowed them to make a Valerie Jean date Shop speedy recovery and now they are often seen on the mountains along the shores of Our story of "QUALITY PRODUCTS ONLY" told and retold in largest Lake Mead—Goldfield News. periodicals all over the world. Send a trial order for THE DE LUXE • • • ASSORTMENT of finest dates and desert delicacies. Mead Test Base Rumored . . . CARSON CITY—The governor's office 1 pound delivered $1.30 3 pounds delivered $3.50 has no comment on reports from Las Vegas that the air force planned to build a huge Order from VALERIE JEAN With Confidence experimental station on the shores of Lake Mead. The Las Vegas stories hinted that Write for Complete Folder THERMAL, CALIFORNIA the air force planned to move part of its Wright field testing and experimental facili- ties at Dayton, Ohio, to the Lake Mead area. Air force officials conferred with Governor Pittman in November, then in- spected the Lake Mead area, it was said. into the heart of Earlier reports of a proposed testing base along the Colorado river had come from the Southwest's Arizona.—Winnemucca Star. BY BOAT most scenic can- Norman Nevills • • • yon country with Cloy Dam Rises at Davis . . . DAVIS DAM—After removing 450,000 A limited number of reservations are now being made for the 1949 cubic yards of undesirable material from Nevills expeditions down the San Juan and Colorado rivers—191 miles the Davis dam foundation lying across the old river channel, the Utah Construction in seven days. Special-built river boats, skilled boatmen, good food company is replacing it with clay hauled and sleeping bags for all passengers. from the borrow pit three miles upstream on the Arizona side. Object of digging the Boats start from Mexican Hat, Utah, on the San Juan, and complete the cutoff trench, 200 feet wide and 1000 feet trip at Lee's Ferry on the Colorado. Arrangements will be made to have your car driven from Mexican Hat to Lee's Ferry. Sidetrips include: YOU WILL BE PLEASED With the service and quality of goods Crossing of the Fathers, Music Temple, Mystery, Twilight and Hidden you will receive by ordering from the Passage Canyons, Outlaw Cave, and the Famous Rainbow Bridge Heart of the Navajo Country. Navajo Rugs and Saddle Blankets Genuine Handmade Silver Jewelry For Schedules and Rates Write to Set With Turquoise Petrified Wood and Agate Settings— NORMAN NEVILLS - BLUFF. UTAH Made by Indians Write Me for Prices and Descriptions ". . . A river trip with Norman Nevills is more than a mere boat ride. It is a flight on a magic carpet of adventure into a canyon wilderness of indescribable beauty and E. P. WOODS grandeur." Navajo Blankets - Indian Handicraft —DESERT MAGAZINE Wholesale Distributor FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO

34 THE DESERT MAGAZINE long, was to remove porous loose material Application of the Southern Pacific to of the department of the interior, has pre- and replace it with compacted clay. This abandon approximately eight miles of rail- sented a plan for the formation of a firm, impervious core will rise 200 feet road from Mina south to Tonopah Junction "Navajo Development corporation" owned from the lowest point of excavation to the will be strongly protested by the commis- by the Navajo tribe. Its purpose would be top of the dam and will require approxi- sioners of Mineral county and mining men the development of small industries on the mately 1,200,000 cubic yards of clay. On and residents of the area. reservation "which can furnish the Indians either side of the clay core, progressively with hundreds, perhaps thousands of jobs." larger material is placed to act as ballast The proposed corporation could purchase and to provide a protective wear surface. NEW MEXICO needed looms and equipment and employ a This outer material will require approxi- manager for small plants engaged in manu- mately 3,000,000 cubic yards of fill vary- Pottery at Taos . . . facture of handwoven items. It could go ing in size from dirt to boulders one cubic TAOS—After long years, pottery-making into partnership with existing business yard in size.—Mohave Miner. is being revived at Taos Indian pueblo. firms for operation of industrial plants on • • • Juanita Lucero Gonzales has been hired as the reservation. It could furnish a factory an instructor, classes have been organized, and equipment and contract with an out- Forty-Five-Year Shoes . . . and the first pots came out of the baking LUNING—On one of his periodical trips fire in mid-November. The teacher is a to visit a friend at Luning, Jack Stratton of Taos girl who married a San Ildefonso man Mina complained mildly that the shoes he and learned the craft while living in that was wearing were beginning to break out at pueblo. Maria Martinez, most famous of for the desert the seams, according to W. D. Edds. "At the San Ildefonso potters, has promised to that I guess I haven't much of a kick com- come to Taos to discuss pottery-making I SOUTHWEST ing," Jack is reported to have said. "I with the class. First move toward the proj- bought and started wearing those shoes in ect started last summer when Adam Tru- vo'di gtadLy fu%nii.h 1903." Jack is said to have the original box jillo, his wife and brother, went to the in which the shoes were sold him in the mountains to bring down some of the heavy i.amhLs± and s.i.timats.\ on tns. Coeur d' Alene country in Idaho, 45 years Taos clay for the work.—Taos El Crepus- ago. Commenting on the story, the Inyo culo. fcxintincj of youz Independent said, "It's possible if you sit • • • around the cracker barrel and walk on your

FEBRUARY, 1949 35 side company to operate it; and by grant- Traders association at the annual meeting ing concessions on the use of land, water, in December, which brought 75 members NEW FOLDER READY etc., encourage outside industries to set up from the Southwestern states. Jack Cline NOW it's LUCERNE VALLEY, high desert their own plants on the reservation, em- of Fruitland was elected first vice-president; community—center of interesting deposits, near ploying Navajo workers. — Gallup Inde- Roscoe McGee of Red Mesa, second vice- mountains, lakes, fishing, winter sports. Here are all year homesites, egg ranches, alfalfa pendent. president, and M. L. Woodard of Gallup, tields with back drop of majestic peaks. WRITE • • • secretary-treasurer. A. H. Lee of Ganado today for new folder with picture-map, free. was continued as the traders' representa- ADDRESS Chamber of Commerce Traders Pick President . . . tive on the survey board which is conduct- LUCERNE VALLEY, San Bernardino Co., Calif. GALLUP — Howard Wilson of Gallup ing a study of trading practices on the was elected president of the United Indian Navajo reservation.—Tucson Citizen. • • • Complete Custodian's Home . . . SLEEP IN YOUR CAR AZTEC—A new Spanish design home of CALIFORNIA CAR BED stuccoed cement blocks is being constructed Transferable luxurious, air-foam inner- for the superintendent of Aztec Ruins na- tional monument. Superintendent Irving spring unit converts your car to a Townsend and his family are expected to double bed. move into the new home within 30 days. 1-3 hours to install. No Cutting. The old custodian's residence, built of Now Available . . . adobe, reportedly is unsafe to live in.— CUSTOM CRUISING SEAT . . . Aztec Independent-Review. Marvelous new dual iron! seats con- • • • verting at a fingertouch to single OR Inter-Tribal Dates Set ... double bed, reclining chairs, or chaise GALLUP—Dates for the four-day Inter- longue. An emergency ambulance, ideal Tribal Indian Ceremonial at Gallup have for the tourist. Featured in Newsweek. been set for August 11-14, 1949. The dates June 21. P. 73. Write for Brochure "F." were scheduled so as not to conflict with CALIFORNIA CAR BED COMPANY preparations for the Hopi Snake and Flute 2725 W. 54th St.. Los Angeles 43 AXminster 34700 ceremonies in August. Joe Sekakuku, chief of the Snake fraternity at Shipaulovi on Second Mesa, asked for cooperation ex- plaining: "It is important to the ceremony ! to have all members of the Snake lodge in the kiva the first four days, for those are HEALTHFUL, QUIET the hunting days when they must go out to hunt snakes in each of the four directions. Participation by our members in the cere- monies has been falling off. Many are DESERT LIFE drawn to Gallup for the Ceremonial when the dates coincide. Others take part with the Ceremonial dance team." Flute cere- monies take place at the same time in the Hopi villages which have not scheduled the biennial Snake dance.—Gallup Independent. NEAR PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. • • • To Buy New Mexican . . . SANTA FE—Robert McKinney, Tucum- cari rancher, has been granted an option to purchase the Santa Fe New Mexican, said to be the oldest newspaper in the Southwest. A LIFE OF CONSTANT ENJOYMENT AT McKinney, who planned to exercise his PALM VILLAGE IN THE SUN DRENCHED option January 15, comes from one of the UNSPOILED DESERT. oldest Southwestern families. His grand- father, Robert Moody, was a freighter on the Santa Fe Trail in the '50s and '60s, and SWIM in a glamorous pool. was one of the few wagon train operators who kept the trail open during the civil war. PLAY tennis, badminton, golf. Later he was one of the pioneer ranchers HORSEBACK rides up the trails of the palm of the Sangre de Cristos. Early settlers in New Mexico, the McKinneys fought on both studded canyons. sides of the Lincoln county war. Kip Mc- HIKES to the Cathedral-like date gardens. Kinney fought beside Billy the Kid in the famous "Three Day Battle," and Deputy TRIPS to the snow capped mountains in 30 U. S. Marshal John McKinney was with minutes. Pat Garrett and John W. Poe the night Billy the Kid was killed at Fort Sumner. PICNIC on the shores of the Salton Sea 40 —Santa Fe New Mexican. miles away. • • • Indian Service to Gallup . . . ENJOY night club life at Palm Springs. GALLUP—The Indian service at Window Rock has petitioned the Gallup town board SHOP at Palm Village shops. for use of the old court room for a Gallup BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT YOU HERE business office. The proposed office will be engaged in purchasing, warehousing and WRITE for descriptive circular picturing finance. The move will bring 32 clerical workers from the reservation headquarters $1,000,000 improvements. at Window Rock.—Gallup Independent. LOTS START AT $795. UTAH Fast Water Voyages in 1949 ... BLUFF—Norman N e v i 11 s , champion of the fast river boatmen, has just an- nounced the sailing dates for his 1949 ex- peditions down the Green, San Juan and PALM VILLAGE2Wfe£W: Colorado rivers. He plans five boat parties for the 7-day 191-mile trip from Mexican P. O. BOX DD, PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA Hat down the San Juan and Colorado rivers to Lees ferry starting May 1, 10, 19, 28 and

36 THE DESERT MAGAZINE June 6. On June 20 he will pilot a party in Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, down the Green River, and on July 12 he Utah, and the north rim of the Grand Can- will start his sixth annual run through the yon, Arizona. Oliver G. Taylor, park serv- rapids of Grand Canyon from Lee's ferry ice concessions chief, said the new con- to Boulder City. tracts conform with a recently established • • • park service policy calling for eventual government ownership, but private opera- May Hike Grazing Fees . . . tion of concessions, competitive bidding for SALT LAKE CITY—Question of a hike expiring contracts and control of profits. in grazing fees may come up at the Janu- The Utah Parks company started operations ary meeting of the livestock advisory com- in Zion in 1923, Grand Canyon in 1927, mittee in Salt Lake City, according to and Bryce in 1928. The company was said Marion Clawson, director of the bureau of to have more than $2,500,000 invested in land management. While the fee was raised lodges, cabins, restaurants, stores and park transportation systems.—Salt Lake Tribune. GO EAST BY from five cents to eight cents a head for cattle two years ago, another rise is not in-, conceivable in the face of rising costs and the fact that livestock prices are higher, X-Ray at Whiterocks . . . Clawson believes. The bureau, it was said, WHITEROCKS—Tuberculosis, topping a spent $1,000,000 during 1948 for soil and long list of diseases prevalent among the SOUTH! moisture improvement in 150,000,000 acres three Ute Indian bands, is at last coming of public range. It reseeded 50,000 acres under the scrutiny of medical science. during the past season, chiefly crested wheat Through the efforts of Dr. John R. Bourne, grass, in Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. who directs medical activities at the Ft. • • • Duchesne hospital, a chest X-ray survey Antelope Transplanted . . . VERNAL—R. L. Turpin, Utah fish and game director, reports the state has been Permanent Gold able to move 60 head of antelope from the embossed binders for Daggett county sagelands to the open rangelands of Iron county. The first drive Los Angeles • New York took place in November when a plane was with a gay stopover in used to drive 66 animals into the state DESERT traps near Linwood. The trapped animals These easy-to-insert binders core New Orleans were put into trucks, hauled across the Green river and released in one herd at made especially for Desert Mag- Iron Springs. Six animals were lost out of azine readers who want to pre- For a coast-to-coast trip that's dif- the three truckloads, dying from injuries serve the maps and other travel ferent, delightful —go via S. P.'s received when they were trapped. The river information for future use. was too deep for the truck motors to be Sunset Limited and the Washington- used, and horses hauled the trucks through They open flat, and each binder Sunset Route. the Green. It was found that by covering has space for 12 magazines. the trucks so that no light could get in, the antelopes were kept quiet.—Vernal Express. Mailed postpaid for ROUTE OF ROMANCE: Go via Phoe- $1.50 nix and the fascinating Southern Arizona guest ranch country, El Concessions Contract Signed . . . SALT LAKE CITY—After 10 months of Paso, San Antonio, Houston, the negotiations, Utah Parks company, a sub- bayouland, New Orleans, Mont- sidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad com- Palm Desert. Calif. gomery, Atlanta, Washington, Bal- pany, has signed a 20-year contract with the department of the interior for concessions timore, Philadelphia, New York.

THROUGH PULLMANS: Enjoy a New Orleans stopover — without worries — while we move your PUMICE SLOCKS luggage — without charge — from your incoming Pullman to iden- RED CINDER tical accommodations on your outgoing train.

CONCRETE NEW ORLEANS SIGHT-SEEING: If you wish, take our tour of the city See Our Display at the Date during your seven-hour stopover. Festival in Indio, February 18. 19, 20. 21, 22, 1949 The tour, including dinner at a famed French restaurant: just $5.

DESERT DESIGNED . . . For reservations and information, for maximum insulation and light weight. Precision built, accurately see your near-by S. P. Agent. square. In natural colors for any background or architectural de- He'll gladly serve you. sign. For commercial and residential construction, garden walls, fireplaces, barbecues—adaptable for Class "A" construction. Immediate Delivery Anywhere on the Desert — For Descriptive Literature Write TRANSULITE BLOCK COMPANY 3464 E. FOOTHILL BLVD.. PASADENA. CALIF, —or— BOX 186. CORONA. CALIF. Phone SYcamore 38133 Phone Corona 781 or 311 SP EL CENTRO ADDRESS: 1000 North Fourth Street — Phone El Centro 71 the friendly Southern Pacific

FEBRUARY, 1949 37 has been started on the Uintah-Ouray reser- Law Review. Wartime construction of the sessed 1 cent for each year of age, and with vation. With the full support of Supt. For- plant, the Review says, gave the West the almost 3000 members, the group gained rest Stone, the survey will be under the di- opportunity to develop a mature steel in- sufficient funds for erection of the memorial. rection of Dr. Arthur W. Dahlstrom, Indian dustry of its own, and with it a mature in- Four original mill stones from the building service medical officer—Salt Lake Tribune. dustrial economy. But purchase of the were used in constructing the base.—Salt plant by the United States Steel corporation Lake Tribune. and the more recent acquisition of the Con- • • • West Needed Geneva . . . solidated Steel corporation by U. S. Steel's Remembers Pioneer Freighting . . . western subsidiary, Columbia Steel, frus- PROVO^The West failed to declare its trated that hope.—Salt Lake Tribune. VERNAL—When C. W. Wardle first industrial independence when it let the hauled freight between Price and Vernal, Geneva steel plant near Provo slip from its • • • the 125-mile trip took between 16 and 20 grasp, according to the Stanford University Salt Lake Drops . . . days, "depending on the weather and the luck the freighters had." Wardle made his SALT LAKE CITY—Reflecting the small first freighting trip in 1897, when he was amount of precipitation in Utah during the 11 years old, and continued in the business summer and fall, Great Salt Lake's water until he drove motor trucks in hours over level registered another drop during Oc- the routes which had taken weeks. Hauling tober and November and now is 4196.15 7000 to 8500 pounds of freight, the freight- feet above sea level. The lake, according ers could count on clearing about $50 per to M. T. Wilson, district engineer of the trip between the two towns. "Sometimes it U. S. geological survey, maintains a bal- got as cold as 40 degrees below zero," ance between runoff from streams and pre- Wardle declared. "The snow would be five cipitation on the lake, and evaporation from or six feet deep and we'd often have to its surface. In wet seasons, the lake rises. hitch 20 horses to one wagon to open a Six or seven wet years could raise the level trail. The driver had to keep walking most IN BORREGO VALLEY enough to bring water to the Saltair pavilion of the way to keep from freezing."—Vernal again.—Salt Lake Tribune. Express. The End of the Rainbow Is • • • • • • Geologists See Their Subject . . . One of the oldest structures in Sevier SALT LAKE CITY—Geology students county, the 70-year-old Redmond opera TUB CANYON RANCH at the University of Utah, traveling by mod- house, was destroyed by fire in December. ern air liner, made an aerial survey of the The opera house, built in the '80s by Julius Where, for the discriminating state's three physiographic provinces in Oc- Christensen, had been used for the past 40 buyer, we have a limited num- tober. The one-hour trip afforded the stu- years as a community recreation center. dents views of the Wasatch fault in the • • • ber of choice, high level HOME- Wasatch range, the Stockton bar which The ski tow for Uintah county's new snow SITES, in a restricted area. formed in ancient Lake Bonneville, and the sports area in Dry Fork canyon was ex- Uintah mountains, said to be the only east- pected to be ready for use by Christmas, We invite you to share our west range on this continent.—Salt Lake Claudius A. Banks, chairman of the Uintah Desert Ranch with us. Write City Tribune. Snow Sports committee reports. or see • • • • • • Grist Mill Memorial . . . Sarah Jane Brown, 76, died in Blanding November 13. She grew up with the hard- NOEL AND RUTH CRICKMER WEST IORDAN—With more than 200 ships and privations of pioneer life. She Borrego, Julian P. O.. California descendents of the Gardner family attend- went with her husband to Old Mexico, set- ing, the site on which a grist mill was erected tling at Colonia Diaz in 1898 and moving (No Speculators, Please) 101 years ago by Archie Gardner was to Colonia DuMan in 1902. They came by marked with a monument in October. Fi- team back to the States in 1908, when nances for the monument were obtained Mexico was in revolutionary turmoil and through the family. Each member was as- settled at Blanding—then called Grayson— in 1910. Mrs. Brown was the mother of 14 children, 11 of whom are yet living.

Lovely TWIN PALMS at Palm Desert TRUE OR FALSE ANSWERS Questions Are on Page 10 1—False. An arrastre was used to grind ore. 2—False. Great Salt Lake has been gradually receding. 3—False. Brigham Young's Mor- mon colonists reached Utah in July, 1847. 4—True. 5—True. 6—True. 7—False. The Seven Cities of Ci- bola were said to be in present New Mexico. 8—False. Panamint range is on the west side of Death Valley. 9—False. The tarantula bite is hardly as serious as a bee sting. 10—True. 11—True. 12—True. 13—False. Garnets are found in many colors. In a scenic Wonderland in the heart of the Date Empire, 12 miles east of Palm Springs. 14—False. The cliff houses have long Ten minute walk to the fabulous Shadow Mountain Club for swimming, tennis, etc. Twenty- five minute drive to the Salton Sea for duck hunting and boating. One and two-bedroom since been abandoned by Indians. suites complete with living room, kitchen and dinette. Private patio. Write or 'phone for 15—True. 16—True. reservations now for winter vacation. 17—False. White ocotillo is a rarity. Post Office Box 2, PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 18—False. They grow together in Telephone Indio 76231 northwestern Arizona. ROBERT C. AND FLORENCE STURGEON, Managing Owners 19—False. El Tovar is on the south Come on Out WHERE SUMMER SPENDS THE WINTER rim of Grand canyon. 20—True.

38 THE DESERT MAGAZINE Garfield, Utah . . . Utah's first electrolytic copper refinery, now under construction south of Garfield, mines And mining... will cost $16,000,000 and will increase the state's annual pay roll by $2,500,000, of- Carson City, Nevada . . . Durango, Colorado . . . ficials of the Kennecott Copper corporation "Mining operations" are under way in The first major oil pool discovered in have disclosed. Erection of structural steel the basement of the Nevada state museum Colorado since the great Rangely field was will commence about mid-January, with at Carson City. The mine, a project of the tapped at the turn of the century reportedly tentative plans calling for completion of the museum's board of directors, is equipped has been found near Dove Creek in the San tank house, casting and refinery buildings for all the different types of mining used in Juan basin. The Byrd-Frost-English and by October, 1949, and completion of the Nevada. Square-set timbering from the Western Natural Gas well, Driscoll No. 1, entire program by March, 1950. Initial Comstock Lode is on display along with a was brought in near the Utah line in No- capacity will be 12,000 tons of copper per caving operation with timber donated by vember. The well tested between 750 and month, cast in the form of wire bars. Utah Consolidated Copper. There is a setup for 1000 barrels of distillate a day and about Construction company has the general con- blasting with fuses sticking out of the ore 20,000,000 cubic feet of gas daily, accord- tract for the refinery.—5a// Lake Tribune. and a rescue crew standing by with full ing to Col. D. Harold Byrd, head of the equipment should anything go wrong. The company. The well was drilled to 8286 mine was financed by a $35,000 donation feet in the Mississippian before being plug- by Major Max C. Fleischman, while other ged back to the Paradox formation, be- Ottawa, Canada . . . individuals and concerns donated equipment. tween 5910 and 5934, where it was brought Prospectors searching for radioactive ores The project will be completed within six in. It was the first deep test ever drilled in with a Geiger counter can be fooled by the months, and is planned to give a visitor the the Dove Creek structure. — Farmington presence of potassium, according to F. E. feel of real mine conditions without hazards Times-Hustler. Senftle, physicist in the department of of water, congestion, poor visibility, noises • • • mines. One pound of rock containing 5 per and poor air.—Winnemucca Star. cent potassium would emit 4500 gamma Goldfield, Nevada . . . rays per minute, Senftle declares, and any • • • gamma ray detector as sensitive as a Geiger The Red Hill Florence company, oper- counter should be affected by such a radia- Washington, D. C. . . . ating a lease on the course of the rich gold tion source jn the field, unless gamma rays Gold traders are doing a flourishing busi- vein found by Newmont-Deep Mines at from potassium were of very low energy. ness around the world, it is reported. In the Goldfield, reports 130 tons of ore mined Potassium is an important constituent of U. S. and Canada, free gold transactions and awaiting acceptance of custom ore by feldspar and is present in many types of have gained in volume with prices about Newmont mill management. At times the crystalline rocks, particularly granite, sye- $42 an ounce. Mexico paid $53 an ounce, ore did not average over 3 inches in width, nite, granediorite and pegmatite.—Salt Lake Colombia $54, Chile $60, Argentina $58-$60. but some of the narrower streaks yielded Tribune. In Paris more than $60 an ounce was paid values in excess of $1000 a ton. W. J. and prices paid by Moscow buyers reached Frank, manager, estimated that the ore as high as $63 an ounce in Europe. Up to mined would average over $50 a ton. The $85 an ounce was paid for gold in Bom- vein, reportedly, is widening while values Beatty, Nevada ... bay and $88 in Karachi. In Africa, Cairo continue high.-—Tonopah Times-Bonanza. Stoping operations are under way at the led the market with a price of $72-$73 an old Senator Stewart mine which will furnish ounce. Gold producers throughout the ore for the Quinn mill just south of Beatty, world reportedly were growing restive at with about 15 tons of ore being broken daily. the spread between official and private Eureka, Nevada . . . According to plans made by Homer prices for gold, and Field Marshal Jan Termination of all pumping operations Weeks, operator, production will be in- Smuts of South Africa is said to have sug- has been ordered in the Eureka corpora- creased to 20 tons, which will keep the gested that the United States raise the price tion's shaft at Ruby hill, \Vi miles from mill operating 16 hours a day. Work is of gold. American officials say, however, Eureka. The order, in the form of a tele- being conducted on the 170-foot level.— that a higher price would simply increase gram from the company's headquarters in Beatty Bulletin. the inflationary trend.—Pioche Record. Toronto, Canada, explained that increased water flow encountered in November was • • • much greater than the capacity of the plant Winnemucca, Nevada . . . and was accompanied by mud and disin- Walter C. Lawson has been appointed tegrated rock coming from a fissure or fault. manager of the New Cornelia branch of Open pit work at the old Patterson claims Preliminary estimates by George W. the Phelps Dodge corporation at Ajo, Ari- in the Leonard creek district, 100 miles Mitchell, general manager indicated, it was zona. Lawson, first employed by Phelps northwest of Winnemucca, reportedly is de- said, that a sum probably exceeding $8,000,- Dodge as a mining engineer at Ajo in 1926, veloping a large high grade copper deposit. 000 would be necessary to unwater the will replace Ernest Wittenau, retiring after Ormand Wisby and Norville Clark of Chin- mine and open the ore zone. Pumping oper- 33 years with the company. ault, Oregon, purchased the claims recently ations were halted to conserve funds pend- from Frank Roberts of Idaho, and their ing studies to determine the best plan of work has disclosed extensive values in cop- procedure. Work attempting to clear the Retirement of D. D. Moffat and J. D. per and silver. Shipments are being made shaft of water has been under way several Shilling, top-ranking executives of Kenne- to the American Smelting and Refining years with expenditure of a great amount cott Copper corporation's Utah division, was company at Garfield, Utah. Mr. and Mrs. of money.—Pioche Record. effective December 31. Both men have Duane Bowman of Oklahoma are develop- been in the mining industry for 50 years ing a copper and silver property two miles and have reached retirement age under the from the Patterson claims, with ore ship- company's plan. Moffat was vice-president ments anticipated within the next month. Bonanza, Utah . . . and general manager of the Utah division —Humboldt Star. A revolutionary development in chemi- and Shilling was assistant general manager. cal engineering—transportation of gilson- Tonopah, Nevada . . . ite in a crude oil pipeline and refining the mineral in the same manner as crude oil— A 56-ton car of lead-silver ore shipped by Frank Warren and A. M. Werner of Ton- will be undertaken by the American Gil- leasers on the Fabbi-Wells property at Lone opah reportedly have discovered small but sonite company. A plant to render gilson- Mountain, 38 miles north and west of promising outcrops 75 miles south and ite soluble will be constructed at Bonanza Tonopah, Nevada, returned a total value of west of Tonopah which contain appreciable as soon as concrete can be poured in the well over $100 a ton. The shipment aver- values in gold and silver and may develop spring. The liquid gilsonite will be intro- aged 20 per cent lead, carried 15 ounces into a uranium discovery. The vein was duced into the Rangely-Salt Lake pipeline, sttver and 15 per cent zinc. No payment stripped of overburden for 15 feet and was and will be processed just as if it were oil was made for the zinc. found to widen to 16 inches. When War- from one of the Rangely wells. The plant ren tested the vein with a Geiger counter, at Bonanza will have an output equivalent • • • it showed evidence of uranium-bearing to 100-600 barrels a day, and mining will minerals, it was said, registering from 40 be carried on by the open pit method. Gil- Plants in the Los Angeles and San Fran- to 80 clicks. A 10-pound sample was for- sonite, a hydrocarbon, is known only in the cisco areas are expanding perlite on a com- warded to the atomic energy commission Uintah basin and heretofore has been used mercial scale. Prices of expended perlite and in the meantime the partners propose only for the manufacture of special var- at plants where it is produced range from to explore their find on a gold and silver nishes, electrical insulation, rotogravure inks 18 Vi cents to 33 1-3 cents per cubic foot in basis.—Tonopah Times Bonanza. and similar items.—Vernal Express. bags. Several sizes are available.

FEBRUARY, 1949 39 MOUNTINGS 18" NECK CHAIN—Sterling, dot $ 3.S0 Gold FUled. doi 4.50 No. 20IS Sterling Silver Bexel. it 30 No. 201 Gold FiUed Bezel, it 55 No. 238 Gold Filled Bezel, it 50 CLEVICES ior pendants, GF. doz 1.25 CLEVICES ior earrings. GF. doz 1.20 PENDANT FRAMES, with chain. 22mm Round or 18x2 5mm Oval, Sterling Silver or Gold filled, doz. .. 12.00 TIE SLIDES—Gold iilled. doz 6.00 CAST RINGS—Men's heavy Sterling. By LELANDE QUICK, Editor of The Lapidary Journal asstd. shapes, unfinished, doz 9.00 Additional Items when Available We received a letter from a woman in you don't need all that to bring a fine Texas, whose name we withhold for reasons Christmas dinner to the table do you? Agate Jewelry Wholesale that will become obvious. She writes: "I "I think it is smart for the beginner with (Price List Available) am enclosing an advertisement which I want little time and a fancied interest to purchase O. R. JUNKINS & SON your opinion on. I am something less than one of the many low priced lapidary outfits P. O. Box 1295 Newport. Oregon an amateur, as I know nothing at all about and feel his way. If he likes to make cabo- rock cutting. I am a rockhound however chons, wants to do something else and take and would like to cut my own material. on more expensive equipment he can al- ways sell his low priced machine to some- Since I am very busy most of the time and one else who has become interested by will have very little time for my hobby I watching him. But he can't sell some home hate to put much money into equipment. made junk to anyone. My husband would like to buy me a set I GORDON can work with for Christmas but neither he "Therefore we suggest that you send for the little machine, get a book or two on gem nor I feel that he can afford $100 to $150 cutting, try your hand and feel your way. GEM AND MINERAL SUPPLIES for a set when I have no more time than I Indeed there is nothing in all this world for do. Besides I am going on 49 and have a person going on 49 and a nervous wreck become a nervous wreck from too much like a few hours at the grinding wheel shap- "Dependable Lapidary Equipment" worry and responsibility in late years and I ing up the minerals of the earth into things Write for Our Price List might just make a mess of everything. So of beauty that will last long after the maker you see what I am up against. I do have a and his machinery are dust. motor and can get a belt. Will the equip- "For obvious reasons we cannot recom- 1850 E. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY ment advertised contain all I need to cut mend any equipment for we are doing busi- LONG BEACH 6, CALIFORNIA and polish my rocks and make cabochons?" ness daily with all the equipment manu- We offered our correspondent the fol- facturers. And so we cannot endorse the lowing advice. machine in the ad you sent. We do know it "Indeed I know your problem for people is a good value and packs a lot of happiness are bewildered when they see a lapidary for you. We hope you find a joyful ex- machine offered for around $25 and then perience in gathering more rocks and in see another advertisement for apparently cutting them." the same thing for around $425. I use the • • • word "apparently" because all is not seen ^Lou/mal- in the ad. The $25 outfit is good value for During the years there have been many the money and be assured you can have a suggestions here about marking blanks in lot of fun with it and turn out some fine such a way that perfect cabochons could be cabochons. But then the $425 outfit is fine cut. We have now hit upon the perfect A National Magazine for the Gem Cutter and you can turn out many, many things method. It's a little more trouble perhaps but it assures perfection. There are now on Collector and Silversmith besides cabochons and it will stand up much longer under severe use. the market several good templates made of Some back issues available at 50c each. plastic materials, some of them transparent "A glance at your paper will indicate so that you can see what you are doing, Subscription $2.00 per year (6 issues) watches for sale for $2 and others for $200. some of them real precision templates so All you want to do is tell time with them that you are guaranteed that the stone you P. O. Box 1228 Hollywood 28. Calif. and about all you get for the other $198 is cut will fit standard size mountings. Find LELANDE QUICK. Editor and Manager much longer life, more beauty, more depend- the spot you want to mark and cover it ability and certainly greater pride of owner- with transparent decorators' scotch type ship. You can buy an Austin automobile tape. Salvage a sapphire point from a and tour the United States in it but you can "permanent" phonograph needle. They are BEFORE YOU Suy AN/ LAPIDARY do so in greater comfort, in less time and not supposed to be good after a couple of for much more money in a Packard. I thousand plays. Imbed it in a holder and think you see the comparison. use it for a pencil. Then mark the design "The thing we have been trying to im- through the template with the needle (you press upon people for many years is that can still see it) and it will cut the tape and gem cutting is not difficult and it is not mark the stone at the same time. Pull the expensive. One can make it very difficult excess tape away and you will have a by attempting artistic work in expensive marked cabochon shape to which the tape materials and make it expensive by having will stick through water, grease and weather. an elaborate lapidary shop filled with all When you have ground the blank to the CATALOG- the latest labor saving gadgets. edge of the tape pull off the tape and there "Take a look at the modern kitchen as you are. No rubbed out marks to worry pages packed -full of helpful Lapidary Inst- about and a perfect blank assured. ructions. ..should be inevery rock nuls library. portrayed in the magazines. See the elec- tric stoves where you stick the turkey in • • • "Phi6 complete information on the famous j the oven and go off to the football game. Hill^uist line of Lapidary E^uipmen/" including 1 The thing turns on and turns off when the Long ago we gave a method of cutting Hill(IuishCom(actUpUni'tHill(luisM6"Bock Saw/, ' turkey is done; all by itself. In addition to surplus material from slabs by using a pair HillquisrTnmSai*', Hillijutst 4ufo Feed, Hil/

40 THE DESERT MAGAZINE Those interested in a new mineral club being organized in San Antonio, Texas, may contact Mrs. Lela S. Karwiel, 723 Steves Avenue, San Antonio.

f Qem and On Highway 91. 11 Miles East of Barstow One Mile West of Yermo, California E. W. Shaw. P. O. Box 363. Yermo. Calif.

AMERICAN MINERAL FEDERATION BLYTHE WILL SPONSOR PLANS REVISED CONSTITUTION DESERT GEM SHOW OfieU - THexic* Because of vigorous opposition expressed Desert Gem and Mineral society of 10 small pieces—average W-3/*"—$1.00 to certain provisions of the articles of in- Blythe will sponsor this year's Desert Gem 5 larger—average V*"-l" 1.00 corporation of the American Federation of show, to be held at Blythe, March 4-6. 6 still larger—1"-2" or over 2.00 Mineralogical societies, an emergency rules Blythe, Indio, and probably the Banning 1 small vial clear fire opal 1.50 committee has been appointed to prepare a societies will participate, and all amateurs 50 rough mixed Mexican Opals, complete and more acceptable constitution are invited to exhibit at the show. Field including honey, cherry, etc.. and by-laws before the Sacramento conven- tion of the federation, June 24-26, 1949. trips are planned, those tentatively scheduled average 1" 1.50 Formal incorporation will follow the meet- being one to the Arizona quartz crystal ALL 5 LOTS POSTPAID—S6.00 ing. Suggestions and recommendations fields Saturday, March 5, and one to the about the constitution or by-laws may be Houser geode beds March 6. At the last Although these are sold chiefly as sent to any member of the committee. show held in Blythe, 750 visitors registered cabinet specimens and have plenty of and more than 250 made the trip to the fire, many of them will work up into new Orlin J. Bell, 320 California Street, San Houser beds. More than 2000 visitors at- cabochons. Francisco, California, is chairman of the tended last year's Desert Gem show at Money Cheerfully Refunded if Not emergency rules committee. Members are: Indio, sponsored by the Coachella Valley Entirely Satisfactory. Lloyd L. Roberson, 522 N. 70th Street, society. Seattle, Washington; Junius J. Hayes, Uni- Polished Mexican Opals and othei versity of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; and The executive board of the Blythe society gem stone cabochons on approval to Oscar Anderson, 422 Nineteenth Street, is working out further plans at present. Mrs. responsible persons. Bettendorf, Iowa. Collis Mayflower is acting president. Others active in formulating the plans are Dale DR. RALPH E. MUELLER Breman, Lyle Addison, Mrs. Emmy Lou 3701 Valentine Road Kansas City 2, Mo. ANNUAL SEARLES '49ER Corones and Glenn Vargas. PARTY. JANUARY 29 Searles Lake Gem and Mineral society will hold its annual '49er party, Saturday, January 29, 1949, during the afternoon and RUTILE--THE GEM OF THE HOUR evening at the Trona club. Included in Rutile is a reality. RUTILE IS THE MOST AMAZING GEM KNOWN. It has a plans for the ninth annual affair are games, much higher refractive index than Diamond. In the sunlight sparks of refractive fire dancing, music, costumes, prizes, a parade are thrown out by every facet. It displays all the colors of the rainbow in a dazzling and entertainment. The program was origi- play of color. nated in 1941 by Ann and George Pipkin. IT MUST BE SEEN TO BE APPRECIATED Officers of the mineral society were to be Nothing has created such intense interest and excitement as has the showing of these installed at the December 15 meeting of the gems. A recent issue of The Saturday Evening Post gave them a prominent write-up. group. John Pillott is the new president; Cut gems are now actually in stock and available for immediate delivery. B. Bostrom, vice-president; Mrs. Betty ROUND BRILLIANT CUT GEMS ARE PRICED AT Grau, secretary; Eddie Redenbach, treas- Vz to V* carat gems at $12.50 per stone urer. New directors are Bob Cartter, Clark 1 carat gems at $15.00 per stone Mills, Ralph Merrill and Mrs. Nellie Mer- IV2 to 2'/z carat gems at $12.50 per carat ritt. Meetings of the club are held the third 3 carat and larger gems at $10.00 per carat Wednesday of each month at the Trona club at 8 p. m. Add 20% Federal Excise Tax and California Sales Tax to Above Prices PRICES ON ROUGH BOULES. BOULE SECTIONS and PREFORMS ON REQUEST DEALERS' INQUIRIES SOLICITED PROPOSE NAME CHANGE FOR MEN'S RINGS. LADIES' RINGS. AND EARWIRES MOUNTED WITH RUTILE CALIFORNIA FEDERATION AVAILABLE IN GOLD AND PLATINUM The Hollywood Lapidary society and the GRIEGER'S "ENCYCLOPEDIA AND SUPER-CATALOG OF THE LAPIDARY Gem Cutters' Guild of Los Angeles were AND JEWELRY ARTS" Is as Sensational as Are the NEW RUTILE GEMS admitted to the California Federation of Read what purchasers of this new book are saying: Mineralogical societies at a directors' meet- "I would still buy it at $3.00 to $5.00 as it contains as much, if not more, ing held November 14 at Bakersfield. The meaty information for the lapidary and jeweler than any of the books on federation now has 43 members. It was the market selling in that range." moved and carried that a proposal to change "It is the only satisfactory catalog of lapidary supplies and materials that the name of the organization to the Cali- I have ever seen. It is superbly illustrated and beautifully printed." fornia-Nevada Federation of Mineral and Gem societies be submitted to member Send $1.00 for this 160-page bound book 9x12 inches in size. It is sold for only a societies. portion of its actual cost. May be returned for full cash refund if not satisfactory. The educational committee of the fed- eration wishes to start a collection of 35 mm 1633 EAST WALNUT STREET colored slides of minerals and gems to be made available to federation members, PASADENA 4, CALIFORNIA. schools, and wherever it will serve to pro- PHONLSY6-6423 mote interest and knowledge in the mineral sciences. Ralph Dietz, chairman of the OPEN ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY 830AM-5:30 PM- committee, has asked each of the member MONDAY THRU THURSDAY OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY societies to support the project and form a committee of those interested.

FEBRUARY, 1949 41 WHEN YOU TRAVEL Sixty-Six Highway, stop at Boodle's place, one mile west of Galena, ADVERTISING RATE Kansas. Thousands of fine minerals, Indian relics. Dealers Welcome. No mall orders, GEM MflRT 8c a Word . . . Minimum $1.00 please. Boodle Lane, Box 331, Galena, Kansas. MINERAL SPECIMENS, slabs or material by the pound for cutting and polishing, RX Units, Felker Di-Met and Carborundum Saw Blades, URANIUM—One pound sample of rich uranium NEW FIND — Oregon Wonderstone, pleasing Carborundum wheels Cerium Oxide. Mount- ore, $5.00. Physicians and pharmacists can patterns, contrasting colors, white, red, buff. ings. Approval selection sent upon request. use it for many experiments. Radio activity Polishes well. 5 lbs. $2.00 plus postage. Also You are welcome. A. L. Jarvis, Route 2, Box lasts over one thousand years. Compare it Nevada Wonderstone, same price. Idaore 350, Watsonville, California, on Salinas High- with other rocks on your vacation and per- Gem Company, 52 E. Commercial St., Weiser, way. haps find a uranium mine. Colorado Uranium Idaho. Inc., Cortez, Colorado. SHELL JEWELRY SUPPLIES—$5.00 brings you AGATES, WOODS—All gem materials. New 30 packages of beautifully colored shells plus RARE FERN AGATES from India. The most finds. Escadillo agate, clear and banded. one dozen fancy cut shells and enough sup- rare in the world, in ring and brooch size. Also Cameo agate, opaque bright coloring. plies to make 7 brooches and 15 pairs of ear- Cinnamon stones from India, $5 each. Most Both 15c inch, 75c pound. Very nice. Golden rings. Satisfaction guaranteed and postage curious stone from India, large size which Moss, Red and Golden Moss, Amethyst Agate, prepaid. Shell Supply Co., 260 East First St., rattles and bends, natural stone, for $5. Large Moss Jasper, Mojave Desert Palm Wood, Ari- Long Beach, California. rough garnets for cutting, of finest quality. zona Wood blended colors. All 15c inch, $1.00 25 carats of cut Ceylon native zircons for only pound. Baker Ranch eggs, $1.00 pound. Send $25, many colors included. Ceylon moon- for list. Tax in California. Postage, please. GOOD CUTTING MATERIAL—Agates, Jasper, stones, 25 carat lot for $12.50. Rare blue Sequoia Gem and Mineral Shop, 321 West Agatized Wood, etc. 5 lbs. $3.50; 10 sq. in. precious topazes, $1 per carat. Rare green Tulare Avenue, Visalia, California. $2.00. Larger amounts at reduced rates. garnets, $3 each. Mosaic stones, $5 each. Nevada Turquoise, good color, 20 cents carat Finest white brilliant cut zircons and many up. Rough Turquoise to cut, $1.50 per oz. other fine cut stones. Mother of pearl MONTANA MOSS AGATES in the rough for and up. Cutting, polishing and silver work cameos, $2 each. Also many others. Carved gem cutting $1.50 per lb. plus postage. Also done. Free list cutting materials, minerals, obsidians, per dozen $4.50. Ask for my ap- Slabbed Agate 25c per sq. in. (Minimum order specimens and supplies of all kinds. John L. proval selection. Ernest Meier, Church Str. $1.00). Elliott Gem Shop, 26 Jergins Arcade, James, Box 379, Battle Mountain, Nevada. Annex, P. O. Box 302, New York 8, N. Y. Long Beach 2, California. GEM STONES—Rare gems, semi-precious (rough ATTENTION ROCK COLLECTORS. It will pay and cut). Stones for every purpose. It may RARE MINERAL of "Gehlenite." Takes fine you to visit the Ken-Dor Rock Roost. We buy, pay you to write us your requirements. We polish, 5 lbs. postpaid, $1.50. Much cheaper sell, or exchange mineral specimens. Visitors buy direct from Brazil, Burma, Ceylon, India, in lots. A. J. Evans, 212 E. Hemlock St., are always welcome. Ken-Dor Rock Roost, 419 Australia. Importers of fine gems. Joseph Deming, New Mexico. So. Franklin, Modesto, California. Tynski, Box 81, Station K, Brooklyn 19, N. Y. AGATE FOR SALE—We have Red and Black MONTANA YELLOWSTONE VALLEY Agate Plume, Blue and Pink Banded, and many ROSE QUARTZ—$1.00 per lb. rough. From Cabochons, $1.50 to $10 each. C. T. Royels, kinds of Moss Agates. All at our ranch at finest deposit known. European and Asiatic Box C, Brady, Montana. Alpine, Texas, or write J. A. Anderson, Box market before war. Rose Quartz, 283 Wildwood Park, Fort Garry, Man., Canada. 182, Alpine, Texas. FIFTY MINERAL SPECIMENS, %-in. or over, boxed, identified, described, mounted. Post- BEAUTIFUL AUSTRALIAN Opal Cabs, 10x8— FIRE OPAL—We are now specializing in all paid $4.00. Old Prospector, Box 21B212, Dutch $3.00 to $7.20. 12x10—$4.80 to $9.00. Opal grades of Australian cutting fire opal. We Flat, California. rough for cutting $1.20 & $2.00. Ace Lapi- stock this lovely opal in all price ranges. dary, Box 67, Jamaica, New York. Also cutting material and specimens. No mail orders. West Coast Mineral Co., 1400 Haci- FINE CUTTING TURQUOISE—Good quality, enda Blvd. (State Highway 39), La Habra $2.00; high grade, $3.00; extra quality, $4.00 BRAZILIAN AGATE, Specimen pieces, also Heights, California. to $5.00 per ounce. E. P. Woods, Farming- good for coloring, $1.00 a pound. Pieces run ton, New Mexico. from one to ten pounds each. Black Onyx Blanks, 16x12 and 14x12 size—$2.50 dozen. $1.00 BRINGS YOU one beautiful group of Mail orders filled promptly. JUCHEM BROTH- Colorado Crystals. Ask for list of many other ARIZONA pink gem agate in the rough, $1.25 ERS, 315 W. 5th St., Los Angeles 13, Calif. fine and interesting specimens. Jack The lb. Transparent Obsidian nodules, excellent Rock Hound, P. O. Box 86, Carbondale, Colo. faceting material, 10 for $1.10. Fairy Crosses, 3 for $1.10. MARYANN KASEY, Box 968, BEAUTIFUL ARIZONA AGATES. Polished sam- Bakersfield, California. ples and listings $2.00. Unpolished samples LOOKING FOR RARE, unusual, faceted gems? $1.00. Arizona Agate Mines, Cave Creek, Ariz. Send specifications and we'll get it for you. Five-pointed, faceted, quartz crystal stars, CABOCHON SPECIAL—Three for $1.00. Three drilled for mounting, Vi-in. $5.00 per pair, different ring size cabochons. Assorted ma- OREGON PLUME AGATE, from noted Central %-in $6.20 per pair, postage and tax included. terial. Polished—ready to mount. This is a Oregon gem fields. Finest quality plumes, $1.50 25 colorful Western minerals, labeled, at- real buy. CABOCHON BLANKS. Six for $1.00. sq. in. Assorted, vari-colored types, $1.00 sq. tractively mounted $1.75 postpaid. 60 min- Ring and brooch size cabochon blanks. in.; cabochon sized slabs, 50c each. Small erals, official Boy Scout set, indexed in box, Sawed closely, ready for you to grind, sand rough chunks, $5.00 lb. Fair warning folks; $4.00 postpaid. Brilliant minerals, gems, fluor- and polish. Assorted sizes and materials. this Plume is in strong demand and is going, escents. Write for free lists. Superior Min- Satisfaction guaranteed. Postage paid on this going— Choicest Red Moss Agate $3.00 lb. erals, Box 248, Saint George, Utah. special. Look up our advertisement in the Other gemmy types of Moss $1.25 lb. From December and January issues. These fine of- Plume vein, mixed moss and plume, varicolor- fers are still open. Morton Minerals and ed, 2 lbs. $3.00. Include postage on rough CARNOTITE, low grade URANIUM base ore Milling, 1901 South Muscatel Avenue, Rose- Agate, please. Satisfaction guaranteed. C. G. specimens. Bright yellow on copper carbon- mead, California. Springer, 862 Roosevelt Ave., Bend, Ore. ate base. Colorful for your cabinet, $5.00 lb. Also some carnotite Pseudomorph after wood, $1.00 an ounce. Carnotite in sandstone forma- MINERAL SETS—24 Colorful Minerals (identi- tion, $2.00 lb. Plus postage on all orders. fied) in lxl compartments — Postage paid, Limited supply. Jay G. Ransom, Palm Desert, $3.50. Prospector's Set of 50 Minerals (identi- California. fied) in lxl compartments in cloth reinforced sturdy cartons. Postage paid $5.75. Elliott's CARNOTITE WE'RE STARTING a New Year at a new loca- Gem Shop, 26 Jergins Arcade, Long Beach 2, tion up in the hills. Our new address is Calif. (URANIUM • VANADIUM) 10016 North Seventh Place, Phoenix, Arizona. (RADIUM) Drop in when you're out our way. Tucson MINERALS, GEMS, COINS, Bills, Old Glass, Thompson. Books, Stamps, Fossils, Buttons, Dolls, Wea- pons, Miniatures, Indian Silver Rings and specimens oi good character from (Colo- COLORFUL AGATES AND WOODS from Ari- Bracelets. Also Mexico. Catalogue 5c. Cowboy rado) 3 and 4 ounces, with copy oi official zona, Utah and New Mexico. The hard-to- Lemley, Las Cruces, New Mexico. photo of Underwater Bomb Blast at Bikini get Black Wood, Utah Pigeon Blood Agate, Atoll 121/2 inches by 19 inches. $3.00 each. Golden Moss, Red Moss, Red Banded, Black MINERAL SPECIMENS — Micro-mount and and Red Banded, Black Agate, Jet Black, Thumb-nail sizes; write today for free list. Express only—prepaid. Inquiries concern- Colored and Picture Wood, Chrysocolla with J. E. Byron, Mining Engineer, 1240 Pearl ing larger specimens invited. U. S. Atomic Malachite inclusions. Very colorful Dinosaur Street, Boulder, Colorado. Energy Commission—License D-229. Bone, Utah. The above minerals, 15c sq. in. Will assort. Rough $1.50 lb. Minimum order AT THE DESERT RAT'S NEST—Coober pedy $1.50. Approximate postage please. Good opal, pinpoint and blue fire (10 carat ant- C. RICHARD REDINGTON solid Green and White Banded Ricolite, New hill garnets, will wholesale smaller grades), 975 Detroit Street. Denver 6. Colorado Mexico 50c lb., fine for book-ends, etc. Come cut and uncut moonstones, Ceylon. All Brazil- and pick out your own. Materials as low as ian facet material in stock. A new blue sap- 35c lb. Geo. C. Curtis, The Agate Man, 645 phire up to 10 carats, flawless. Australian and First St., Hermoea Beach, California. Siam uncut zircons, Burma rubles, Tasmania white zircons, Queensland sapphire. Geo. W. THE ERSKINE COLLECTION, 307 Rosemont Chambers, P. O. Box 1123, Encinitas, Calif. POLISHED TURQUOISE SPECIMENS St., La Jolla, California, for this month will Visitors inquire at Kizer's filling station, Completely polished lumps of very fine mail you one 3-in. specimen of Green Mica corner 101 and F St. for address. specimen grade turquoise from several lo- with Rose Garnet inclusion, plus one 2-in. calities over the world. cluster of Rosette Gypsum for $1.00 postpaid. TEXAS AGATES—Five pounds selected from all locations, including plume, iris, fortifica- Write for Price List and Approval Selection JASPERIZED PALM WOOD or fiber, blended tion, scenic, opal assortment, etc., postpaid, colors. Red, brown, grey $1.00 pound plus $5.00. Visit. 20 tons to select from at 25c HAROLD D. MARYOTT & CO. postage. Takes excellent polish. Inquire first per pound. El Paso Rock and Lapidary Sup- Miami. Arixona service station. E. L. Vanderlip, Winterhaven, ply, 2401 Pittsburg St., El Paso, Texas. Phone California. 5-8721.

42 THE DESERT MAGAZINE YUMA GEM AND MINERAL AMONG THE ROCK COLLECTORS ATTENTION—As you SOCIETY ORGANIZED drive Highway 111 look for the Yuma Gem and Mineral society was or- TRAILER ROCK STORE ganized December 2, 1948. V. N. Yager, I carry the finest variety of Rock and Min ROCK HUNTERS eral specimens in the West. REMEMBER Box 1265, Yuma, Arizona, is acting chair- I have NO private collection so everything man of the new group and Mrs. Leah B. is for sale. Robinson, 845 Third Avenue, Yuma, is sec- THE ROCKOLOGIST (Chuckawalla Slim) The annual Christmas party of the Santa retary. Officers were to be elected at the Box 181 Cathedral City, Calif. Monica Gemological society was enjoyed December 15 meeting and tentative plans December 1 by members and guests. Inter- for programs, field trips, and affiliation esting games and contests, based on miner- with the California federation discussed. All als, were prepared by Mrs. Clarence Chit- gem and mineral enthusiasts were invited tenden. Refreshments and exchange of gifts to join the new group. rounded out the festivities. December field trip was to the area south of Ridgecrest • • • with the NOTS of Inyokern. Vincent Evans of Reedley college talked • • • on his travels to South America, and Peru in particular, at the November meeting of A lapidary symposium on cutting and the Sequoia Mineral society. His talk was polishing of gems was to feature the De- illustrated with colored slides. A. Alex- cember 3 meeting of the Colorado Mineral ander of the federal bureau of reclamation society of Denver. Ress Philips was to dis- was to lecture at the December 7 meeting HAZEN'S FOSSIL MUSEUM cuss equipment; Chester R. Howard, cabo- at Parlier union high school on the irriga- chons, and Guy B. Ellermeier, faceting. All tion projects of the San Joaquin valley. See Fossil Plant and Animal Remains members were invited to participate. At the November meeting, Carrol H. Wage- • • • Gems and Minerals For Sal* mann, geologist, gave a talk on the origin of George W. Chambers, who operates the On Highway U.S. 93-466, % mile west the scenery as shown in Rocky Mountain Desert Rats Nest at Encinitas, reports that of its junction with U.S. 66 at national park, illustrated with color slides. in a parcel of zircons mined in Australia he Kingman, Ariz. • • • found a terminated zircon which he believes one of the largest and most perfect in the GUY E. HAZEN Dr. George Schwartz, professor of ge- world, both as to weight and crystalline Box 695. Kingman. Ariiona ology at the University of Minnesota, was shape. The crystal weighs three pounds, to be principal speaker at the December eight and three-quarters ounces. Three of meeting of the Minnesota Mineral club of the crystal faces are 2V4 inches long, the Minneapolis. His topic was "Copper Min- fourth 314 inches long. erals." Two films, one showing the artificial production of crystals and the other the • • • • New beauty in collections production of sulphur in Texas and Louisi- A hobby show was held in Barstow, Cali- • Instant identification ana, were shown at the November meeting fornia, November 21, under the auspices of • Faster analysis of the society. After the pictures W. J. the Mojave Desert Gem and Mineral society. • Uncover new wealth Bingham spoke on the equipment needed The show included any sort of hobby from for cutting and polishing stone, and how to baby dolls to model railroads. There were use it. 64 exhibits, and 557 visitors registered at BULLETIN • • • the show. Ernest J. McMichael is president SEND A top program was enjoyed by members of the Mojave club. FOR of the Chicago Rocks and Minerals society, • • • D200 2650 W. Peterson Avenue, at the Decem- December meeting of the San Fernando MINERAUGHT does all this with ber 11 meeting. R. C. L. atomic blinker Valley Mineral and Gem society of Se- such ores as Scheelite, Uranium, survey meters containing Geiger counters Mercury, Zircon, Hydozincite, pulveda was a Christmas party and pro- Willemite und many other minerals were clacking away in the invisible radio- gram including songs and recitations. John and materials. See these com- active waves from rocks containing uran- and Johnnie Anderson furnished music with pletely portable lamps at your ium, thorium, carnotite, carnotite wood and MINKRAMGHT DEALER, It their electric guitars; the Craig family acted models from $12.50 up. pitchblende. Rockhounds who had col- out a skit portraying a night on a field trip; lected in Utah and Arizona brought in the Johnnie Mitchell, Mary Newbold, Mr. Lil- specimens. Lloyd G. Shore was guest jibald, and Master Johnnie Dwyer sang, speaker and demonstrator for the evening, and Master Hal Dwyer recited "What Are and the Radiation Counter Laboratories, Rockhounds?" After the program Santa Inc., of Chicago, furnished the survey Claus arrived with presents. Mrs. H. meters. The annual auction of the society Stamp was hostess. Field trip for Decem- was held November 13. During the recess ber was planned to the Yermo area. Stevens T. Norvell entertained the mem- bers and guests with color kodachrome slides. • • • Dr. J. G. Lester, chairman of the geology 'Ztene /tie 76* fyfa, department of Emory university, was the featured speaker at the November meeting of the Georgia Mineral society held in At- tyou'ue Seen ^oo6i*ty 'potf lanta. His subject was "Uranium Minerals, Petrified Wood, Moss Agate. Chrysocolla How and Where to Find Them," and a demonstration of the Geiger counter was Turquoise, Jade and Jasper Jewelry included. HAND MADE IN STERLING SILVER • • • The Feather River Gem and Mineral Bracelets, Rings, Necklaces, Earrings society of Oroville, California, has issued and Brooches the first number of its new bulletin, Feather River Reflections. In the bulletin the new 151 SPECIALLY SELECTED STONES WITH society meeting place, Dunstone memorial CHOICE COLORS AND PICTURES hall, Wyandotte, was announced. Decem- ber 16 meeting was to be a Christmas party Write for Folder With Prices potluck, with a swap-sell-buy-or-giveaway session following, and the annual election ill of officers. The first November meeting ELLIOTT'S GEM SHOP was largely taken up with a discussion of 26 Jergens Arcade LONG BEACH 2. CALIF. lapidary practice. At the second Novem- ber meeting, Lee and Cooky Reeves showed Entrance Subway at Ocean and Pine kodachromes of their recent four-day trip to Open 10 A. M. to 10 P. M. Daily Gerlach, Nevada, and vicinity*

FEBRUARY, 1949 43 Robert Dott, director of the Oklahoma Gene Linville of Hollywood spoke on YAVAPAI SOCIETY STAGES state geological survey, gave an illustrated "Gems" at the December meeting of the SECOND ANNUAL SHOW talk on the industrial minerals of Oklahoma Pomona Valley Mineral club, held in the at the December meeting of the Oklahoma chemistry building of Pomona college. Ac- The second annual gem and mineral show Mineral and Gem society of Oklahoma City. cording to Linville, 35-40 of the 3000 known of the Yavapai Gem and Mineral society Oil, asphalt sand, glass sand, calcite and minerals can be classed as gems. He con- attracted more than 300 people to the dis- selenite were among the minerals mentioned. cluded his lecture by answering questions play room of the Arizona Power corpora- club members asked. He displayed a beauti- tion, Prescott, November 27-28. Twenty ful emerald crystal in matrix. new members were admitted into the society At the December meeting of the Mineral- as a result of the show. In addition there ogical Society of Utah, C. W. Lockerbie was were visitors from Canada, California, New to discuss his representative agate collections Yachats Gem and Mineral club of Ore- Mexico, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Montana, from five western Utah fields. Field trip gon has elected Alice Hyder, president; Colorado, Illinois, South Dakota and Iowa. for the month was to be for clear gypsum Peggy B amber, vice-president; Harvey Judges for the exhibits were Fred Schem- crystals. Cole, treasurer, and Fritze Cole, Box 150, mer, president of the Northern Arizona • • • Yachats, Oregon, secretary. Storms have Fair association, and Dr. C. A. Anderson opened up the beaches, it was reported, and and Dr. Ralph S. Cannon, both of the S. L. Wolfson was chosen president of hunting is good along the coast.. Members U. S. geological survey. Award winners the Tucson Gem and Mineral society at the would like to trade sagenite and other beach were: Minerals—Chip Murdock, first; Mr. December meeting in the state museum. material for rocks from other districts. and Mrs. Al Potter, second; John Butcher, Mrs. A. H. Murchison was elected vice- third. Gems—John Butcher, first; Victor president, and Mrs. Don Graham, secre- R. Kiessling, second; Robert de Angelis, tary-treasurer. O. R. Watwood is the re- Dr. Dan Spaulding of Coin, Iowa, who third. Slabs and polished material—Ernest tiring president. was stationed in Burma during the war, E. Michael; John Butcher, second; Pete told the November meeting of the Nebraska Murdock, third. Thumbnails and micro- NEW FACETING MATERIAL Mineralogy and Gem club of Omaha about mounts—Mrs. E. E. Michael, first; Pete Aquamarine, Citrine, Topaz, Amethyst his visits to the ruby mines there and the Murdock, second; Alvin A. Hanson, third. and Smoky Quartz methods used to cut and polish the stones. Fossils—Chip Murdock, first; Alvin A. Lapidary Equipment and Supplies Hanson, second; Harold Butcher, third. Sheet Silver, Trim and Findings Club members showed colored slides and movies taken on earlier picnics and field Vice-President E. E. Michael also exhibited Write for Lists trips. Dr. E. S. Bantin was to talk on a collection of gem stones non-competi- S-T GEM & MINERAL SHOP fluorescence at the January meeting at tively. (11121 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga, Calif. Joslyn memorial in Omaha. Dr. Harvey H. Nininger of the Ameri- • • e can Meteorite museum near Winslow, lec- tured at the December 7 meeting of the GEM VILLAGE Dr. Carl Beck, geology professor at the Yavapai society on "Stones from the Skies." The Rockhound Colony University of New Mexico, spoke on "Crys- In his lecture, Dr. Nininger advocated the For anything in gems, jewelry, cutting tallography" at the November meeting of widespread study of meteorites, not only so materials, or a location for shop, business, the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral club, that more would be found but because it or just a nice place to live, write to using models of the six different crystal would be discovered how interesting they systems to illustrate his talk. It was de- are in themselves. Club President Harold FRANK MORSE cided at the last meeting to have a series of Butcher announced that the club will meet BAYFIELD. COLORADO short talks prepared by club members on on the first Wednesday of each month in subjects pertaining to geology, mining, min- the music room of the Prescott junior high eralogy and the lapidary arts. school. CHOICE CABOCHON MATERIAL e • • Fine crystalled minerals. When and if roaming rockhounds reach The Northern California Mineral Society. Mineralight and fluorescent minerals. El Paso, Texas, the El Paso Mineral and Gem society invites them to contact any Inc., planned its annual election of officers MINERALS UNLIMITED of the following members of the society to at the December 15 meeting at the San 1724 University Ave.. Berkeley 3. Calif. "talk rocks": R. H. Miller, Ascarate Park; Francisco public library. December 12, "Selections personal as your own" Chas. J. Hutchinson, 303 San Francisco; members of the society were to make a J. W. Redding, 177 Anita Circle. Meetings field trip to Petaluma to see the collection of the group are held the second and fourth of Max Vonsen, said to be the largest and Wednesdays and field trips usually are taken finest private mineral collection in Cali- Silversmith - Stones Cut and Polished fornia. Annual Christmas tree party of the on the second Sunday of each month. group was to be held December 11 at the Custom Made Mountings • • • society headquarters, 1001 Oak Street. Myor Wolfenson spoke on the "Lost Wax POP MENARD'S HOBBY SHOP Method" of making silver castings at the e • • Hobby Supplies - Scale Models November meeting of the Hollywood Lapi- The Clark County Gem Collectors of Moss Agate and Opal Collection on Display dary society. Mr. Tracy from the Birming- Southern Nevada held their Christmas pot- ham hospital gave a short talk about the luck supper at the Parks museum, Decem- For Repairs Phone 6423 work being done for the veterans. Profit ber 19, with about 50 persons present. There from the recent show held by the society, 378 S. Indian Ave. Palm Springs. Calif. was an exchange of gifts and a grab bag of $194.11, is to be set aside as a show fund. stones, both rough and polished. A social Visitors Welcome Approximately 50 cars and 150 persons meeting was held after the supper. Anna made the field trip to Nuevo on November Parks was hostess for the program. The 21 where asterated quartz was obtained society, which consists of more than 60 from the dump. Twenty-two made the members, is making field trips every Sun- Mule canyon field trip and good material day, weather permitting. One of the most RX-47 was obtained, some of which was polished interesting of the year was by boats down and on display at the November meeting. the Colorado river to collecting areas almost A COMPLETE • • • impossible to reach by any other method. LAPIDARY O. C. Smith, superintendent of petroleum • • • refineries, Bell, California, was to speak on SHOP the simplicity of most of the tests necessary November meeting of the Kern County Mineral society, in conjunction with the IN ONE to identify the common minerals at the De- cember meeting of the San Diego Mineral Kern Historical society, was addressed by SMALL and Gem society. The Christmas party of Dr. H. H. Nininger, director of the Ameri- • the society was planned for December 10 can Meteorite Museum near Winslow, Ari- MACHINE at the E. P. C. A. hall, with each person at- zona, who lectured on meteorites and dis- tending bringing a gift. December 5, the played some of his personal collection. The The Most Practical Ever Devised for Gem and Lapidary division planned a field field trip of the month was a trading ex- Gem Cutting and Polishing trip for star quartz east of Jacumba. De- pedition to Porterville where members of cember 19, the Mineralogy division planned the group bartered with the Sequoia Min- Send for Circular A a field trip to the Ashley gem mine at eral society. Plans are being formulated to RX LABORATORY Pala and the Mineral Resources division make the trading trip an annual event, and scheduled a field trip to the garnet mine possibly arrange similar events with the 1317 Seaman Ave. EL MONTE. CALIF. near Descanso. Mojave and Trona groups.

44 THE DESERT MAGAZINE REPORT AMETHYST FIND NEAR SAN JOSE LAPIDARY SHOW LONG BEACH SOCIETY BOULEVARD. CALIFORNIA PLANS OUTLINED VOTES NAME CHANGE When William Axemaker of Boulevard, Variety and beauty of gem stones will be At the November meeting of the Long California, went hunting a few weeks ago, featured at the fourth annual gem show of Beach Mineralogical society the first read- he found an outcropping of purple rock, the San Jose Lapidary society, at the San ing and passing of the proposal to change according to Guy O. Glazier. Being a rock- Jose Womens club auditorium, 75 S. the club name to Long Beach Mineral and hound and gem cutter, he brought home Eleventh Street, April 23-24. The society Gem society were made. Second reading samples. One piece, faceted by an Oregon has completed its own show cases and will and voting on the proposition were to be a gem cutter is classified as an eight carat present a more elaborate show than in pre- part of the business of the December meet- amethyst valued at $20 a carat. Axemaker vious years. For months the 75 members of ing. Installation of officers was to take already has filed on the outcrop which is the society have been transforming rough place at the December gathering, and pres- identified only as being "not many miles material from almost every important gem entation of gifts to the out-going officers. from Boulevard." locality in the world into gem stones and Another feature of the potluck night meet- jewelry. ing was to be distribution of high grade • - • • minerals, crystals and rocks to members Approximately 10,000 pieces, represent- who had paid their dues. William R. Harriman, well known in the ing more than 100 varieties of material will field of gold mining, gave an informal and be shown as spheres, flats, cabochon cuts humorous account of the gold discoveries and faceted stones. Novelties such as lamp in California at the November meeting of bases, book ends, ash trays and pen trays The Pacific Mineral society held its an- the Delvers Gem and Mineral society of will be displayed and the transparencies nual Christmas dinner party at the Eleda Downey. Field trip of the month was to which received so much favorable comment cafe, Los Angeles, December 8. Entertain- the jasper fields near Ludlow, California. at the last show will be exhibited on a frame ment of the evening included Christmas • • • which is seven feet high and 16 feet long. carols sung by Clara Louise Underwood, Richard Liddicoat, assistant director of None of the exhibits will be for sale. Ad- accompanied by Irene Kecura at the piano. the Gemological Institute of America, out- mission will be free and the show will be Mrs. John A. Jones showed colored slides lined the history of the manufacture of open from 10 a. m. to 9 p. m. which she had taken of the Pacific synthetic gems at the November meeting of Mineral society's field trips for 1948. Dr. the Mineralogical Society of Southern Cali- P. A. Foster displayed crystals which had fornia. The speaker showed slides of syn- been used in the study of crystallography. thetic gems. Mr. Rodekohr and Mr. Vance Gem Stone Collectors of Utah have gave a resume of their recent trip to New elected Kenneth O. Stewart president for Mexico. With the aid of a steam shovel, 1949. Mrs. Geraldine Hamilton is vice- January 3 meeting of the Los Angeles they were able to uncover some nice smith- president; Grant Steele, secretary, and Mose Lapidary society will have Mr. Forbes of sonite buried in the dump at the Kelly Whitaker, treasurer. The annual com- the Carborundum company as its principal mine. Bill Sanborn, national park ranger petitive display of cut and polished stones speaker. Ted Schroeder is president of the naturalist, was to be the speaker at the was held at the December meeting with Los Angeles group. Anyone interested is December meeting of the society, discussing grand prize awarded to B. D. Bannion. always welcome at the meetings of the "Exploring Yellowstone's Fossil Forests." First awards, in six classes, went to: H. society, held the first Monday of each month All communications to the society should Hardy, Bingham, cabochons; C. L. Pettit, at Griffith playground, Los Feliz and River- be addressed to Mrs. Victor J. Robbins, 928 Woods Cross, facet stones; T. Frank Nel- side Drive, Los Angeles. E. Hellman Avenue, Monterey Park, Cali- son, Salt Lake City, jewelry; K. O. Stewart, fornia. Utah stones; and B. D. Bennion, slab stones and ornaments. • • • DIAMOND DRILLING Wanda Strange, sixth grade, was elected Two Rigs - Go Anywhere president of the Ajo Rockhounds, ele- $3.50 a Foot Up mentary grade school club sponsored by The Imperial Lapidary guild and the Im- Special Deal on Large or Several Mrs. Thelma Stokes at Ajo, Arizona. Other perial Valley Gem and Mineral society are Small Consolidated Contracts officers are: Philip Johannes, sixth grade, making plans for their spring show, but no vice-president; Nancy Powell, seventh dates have been set as yet. Six Guild mem- E. R. BISSETT grade, secretary; Norman Godfrey, eighth bers are doing silver work to set the stones P. O. Box 44 WINCHESTER. CALIF. grade, treasurer, and Gloria Gray, sergeant they have been polishing. Mr. and Mrs. N. at arms. The group is making plans for a Pratt, Leo DeCelles and his son, Bobby, field trip soon, for specimens of chalcedony and Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Beleal made a to be gathered for the fluorescent display. three-day trip into the Black Hills of Im- perial county after rocks, and were joined RANIU • • • by George Moore and Leon Miller. Carne- Radiation detection, lightweight, sturdy Dona Ana County Rockhound club of lian, opalite and sagenite agate were col- Geiger Counters. One-year guarantee. New Mexico was to sponsor a public lec- lected. ture by Chas. J. Hutchinson, January 7, at MINERAL PROSPECTING EQUIP. CO. the Branigan public library in Las Cruces. 2200 N. Reese Place. Burbank. Calif. Hutchinson will lecture on his experiences The San Gorgonio Mineral and Gem CHarleston 8-4838 in the Yukon at the turn of the century, society of Banning entertained members and illustrated with hand colored lantern slides guests with a Christmas party December 15 Please Send Latest Folder made from photographs taken at the time. in the Legion hall. Society officers elected Regular meeting was scheduled for January for 1949 are: Dr. Niles J. Reeves, presi- | Name | 21 at the J. T. Kilgore residence in Fill- dent; O. G. Wellborn, vice-president; Vera more, with an election of officers planned. Lockwood, secretary-treasurer; George Eus- | Street | January field trip was planned to Orogrande. tice and Al Showman, directors. Al Show- • • • man will continue to edit the society bulle- • Town , State I Tentative plans of the State Mineral tin, Rock-Bits, and handle publicity. Society of Texas call for a rock show in Societies wishing to exchange bulletins San Antonio, April 23-24, at the Plaza should address Al Showman, Box 357, hotel with the exhibit space occupying the Banning, California. whole roof garden. There will be a charge NOTICE for those who plan to sell material, but no URANIUM PROSPECTORS fee for those exhibiting. All members were New officers for the Eugene Mineral as- urged to plan an individual display. sociation of Eugene, Oregon, were elected Fluorescent and Geiger Counter quantitive • • • at the December 1 meeting at Condon Hall. test on ten samples. $1.00. Roger C. Bale is the new president; M. G. Counter and Fluorescent surveys made on Raymond L. Rock, 322 Arlington Court, your property very reasonable. You may is president of the recently formed San Woodward, vice-president; Helen Erickson, have a fortune and not know it. Antonio Rock and Lapidary society of secretary-treasurer; L. H. Kerlee, custodian- Texas. R. B. Perry is vice-president and librarian, and F. R. McCabe and Dan E. Lela S. Karwiel, 723 Steves, is secretary- Cole, board of trustees. George Barton, TRY US treasurer. The society reportedly has 33 with the help of F. W. Robinson, demon- paid up members, and will meet the sec- strated the use of the Geiger counters at ond Monday of every month at 8 p. m. at the meeting. Mrs. Roger C. Bale, 2099 PROSPECTORS HELPER the downtown division of Trinity university Riverview Street, Eugene, Oregon, is the 13342 East Telegraph Road on Crockett Street. publicity director for the club. WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA

FEBRUARY, 1949 45 By RANDALL HENDERSON N NEW Year's eve I was one of the 300 trekkers followed the prospector's trail. But his home is now in who sat around a campfire on the floor of Cali- Costa Mesa, California. They produce great poets at fornia's Borrego desert and listened to the tall tales Costa Mesa, for that little seaside community also is the of the old-timers who had come to take part in the annual home of Nell Murbarger whose beautiful verses often Liar's contest. appear in Desert. A hundred feet from the log fire was the Pegleg monu- Generally the poets have to be content in the role of ment—a pile of granite boulders that grows year by year unsung heroes. They do not get many breaks. I get out as lost treasure hunters come to this region to search for of patience with them myself sometimes when the mail the nuggets of black gold said to be exposed on the top bag bulges with their good, bad and indifferent verse. But of Pegleg Smith's legendary three hills. According to tra- despite all that, I love the whole tribe of them. And it dition each gold hunter must deposit ten rocks on the gave me a great thrill when a mild-mannered old veteran— monument before starting his quest. It is a tribute to the a dark horse entry and a poet—hobbled into the ring god of good fortune. and made all the desert's big bad liars look like a bunch It was quite fitting that the master of ceremonies for of amateurs. the evening should be Harry Oliver whose quarterly maga- • • • zine, Desert Rat Scrapbook, is famed for its desert myth- The Great Artist who paints the ever-changing colors ology. When the visitors had found their seats on the sand on the desert landscape gave us a rare picture this year. Harry mounted a stump and summoned the contestants to Entering Borrego valley through the great forest of oco- enter the ring and spin their yarns. tillo which spreads out at the base of the San Ysidro and There were many of them. I lost count somewhere in Vallecito mountains, the roadside was vivid with the color- the 20's. There were professionals and amateurs, and ing of the Midwest in autumn. they told some amazing stories. But we all knew who the It was the color of ocotillo—not the scarlet plumes of winner would be long before the party broke up. the blossom, but of ocotillo leaves. Their colors ranged You would expect the champion in this kind of a con- from bronze to bright yellow, and from deep maroon to test to be a blustering extrovert with a gift o' gab. Actually pink, with an occasional staff of green. the winner was a soft-spoken little old man with a scraggly It requires an unusual combination of weather changes beard—a poet. to create this picture. The ocotillo puts on leaves only Half way through the program he stumped into the after a substantial rain. It may wait months or even circle on a pegleg and told his story in verse—in a voice years—but there must be water in the ground to bring that might well have come from the grave. I don't sup- out the leaves. They remain only as long as the earth at pose Hollywood has ever heard of Roy Hicks—but his their roots is damp. lines and his impersonation of a reincarnated Pegleg Smith This year the rain came in October, and then in De- for the few moments he stood out there by that blazing log cember while the stalks still wore their shaggy coats of fire was something out of this world—as they were in- green leaves a frost came—and the New Year's color tended to be. Hollywood seldom produces such artistry as display was the result. It may not happen again for the campers around the fire witnessed that evening. Here 20 years. are the closing lines of the poem, which Roy Hicks had written himself— • • • Like most of the others at the campfire, I rolled my sleeping bag on the floor of the desert after the party Tonight I have come from the grave's narrow cell. was ended. All around my bed were tiny green sprouts of But your fate and your fortunes I may not foretell, desert wildflowers just coming through the ground— Or, who in the search for my gold shall excel— lupine, desert lily, verbena, primrose. There is the prom- My gold that was black as the cinders of hell. ise of a glorious wildflower display on the Colorado desert Enmeshed and enthralled by its magical spell, this season, and it will come early. Already verbena and Ye here on the desert forever shall dwell. lily are in blossom in sheltered areas. Its curse I bequeath ye, forever, farewell. I can think of no better place to start the New Year Black gold of the desert— than to awaken on January 1 in a garden of wildflowers, Truth, legend or myth? with a warm desert sun coming over the distant horizon. Ah, that is my secret, What vigor and beauty and promise there is in such an Me! Old Pegleg Smith. environment. I awakened with the lines of OF Pegleg the poet running through my mind, and I was glad that And then he stumped out of the circle on his wooden I am one of those fortunate folks who, "Enmeshed and leg. Actually, Roy Hicks has two good legs, but he did enthralled by its magical spell, ye here on the desert a superb job of making up as a pegleg. In his youth Roy forever shall dwell."

46 THE DESERT MAGAZINE the pottery vessels clean," was built beside the little rito, and contained 400 rooms. In its final form, it was a continuous ring about an open court, with only a narrow, easily-blocked passage to the outside valley. Frijoles was occupied for about 600 years, then abandoned, Hendron believes. There are ruins enough to have housed 2000 orimitive Indians, but it seems that no more than a few hundred ever lived there at any one time. The valley probably was abandoned during a period of great drouth. WHEN THE CERRO GORDO THE ANCIENTS LIVED IN By the end of the 16th century all the great HELPED BUILD LOS ANGELES HIDDEN FRIJOLES CANYON towns of the Pajarito plateau were empty. The value of FRIJOLES: HIDDEN Remi A. Nadeau has the proper family The Keres-speaking Indians of New VALLEY OF THE NEW WORLD, lies in background for writing CITY-MAKERS, Mexico have a legend that long ago a treaty the simplicity with which the author has the story of the men who built Los Angeles was made between their ancestors and the outlined the Indian history of the region, from a pueblo to a city in the great boom Tewa-speaking people, roughly defining the and the clarity with which he has recreated starting in 1868. He is a descendant of territory which was to belong to each group. the life of its ancient inhabitants. Excellent Remi Nadeau, leading Southern California The spot where the treaty was completed photographs, and sketches by Jocelyn Tay- freighter in the 1870s, who also built the was called Tyuonyi, meaning "place of treaty," which we know today as Frijoles lor add to the book's value. The story was first four-story building in Los Angeles. It canyon. J. W. Hendron has given a simple, edited by Dorothy Thomas. is not surprising, then, that the author's readable account of the history of that spot Rydal Press, Santa Fe, 1946. 91 pps., especial interest centers on transportation, in FRIJOLES: A HIDDEN VALLEY IN maps, plans, bibliography, glossary, index. and the most valuable parts of the new THE NEW WORLD. $2.75. book deal with the development of roads, • • • wagon routes and railroads. Hendron has spent most of his life in New Mexico and has done much archeologi- In celebration of California's centennials, Of particular interest to desert people are cal work in the Bandelier national monu- the University of California Press is pub- the chapters on the great silver mining ment, under the general direction of the lishing the Chronicles of California series. camps of Cerro Gordo, in the Inyo moun- national park service. Some years ago he The books are planned to cover the events tains, and Panamint, near Death Valley. wrote a semi-technical account on the arche- and phases in the state's past which most Panamint has been dealt with before and in ology of Frijoles. But the present work, ac- influenced the development of California, greater detail by other writers, but CITY- cording to the author, is meant for the lay with three titles announced to date. "Gold MAKERS contains the most complete ac- reader who visits Bandelier monument and Is the Cornerstone," by John Walton count of Cerro Gordo in print. who would like to understand some of the Caughey, describes the gold rush, routes to customs and ways of life of its ancient in- the mines, life in the camps and the effects Nadeau tells of the discovery of the "fat habitants. He has made the book "a com- of gold on California. "California Pic- hill" by Mexican prospectors in 1865, and bination of legendary material, observation, torial," by Jeanne Van Nostrand and Edith of the 1867 rush when ore worth less than speculation, scientific fact and logic." Coulter, tells the story of the state from $200 a ton was thrown away as worthless. 1786 to 1859 by means of contemporary He describes the first road to the camp The lands south of Frijoles canyon sup- posedly were Keres, those to the north paintings and drawings, most of them pub- built by M. W. Belshaw to permit hauling Tewa. But both groups occupied the can- lished for the first time. "Land in Cali- of heavy equipment for the smelter he and yon, possibly together at some period. fornia," by W. W. Robinson, traces the his partners were erecting, a road "so wind- Eventually the Keres moved or were driven story of land ownership in California from ing that Cerro Gordans joked of having to out. Then the Tewas built their stone Indian days to the present. be drunk to drive it." pueblos of the "great period." In a little He tells of great pack trains of burros more than 100 years, Frijoles canyon Indians loaded with ore for the smelter, bringing cut more than 300 cave rooms in the soft Many good photographs of the Mother down charcoal, hauling water for the camp. rock of the north cliff of the valley. As Lode country, the old Spanish missions and He goes into details of Nadeau's freighting many houses as caves were built—some of coast points of interest are to be found in network to take the lead-silver ingots to Los them three stories high, leaning against the "California Landmarks," by Jim McClure, Angeles and bring supplies back. In 1873 cliff with the great roof beams set into the published by Stanford University Press. But there were 80 teams constantly on the road, cliff at one end. The houses extended out the subtitle, "A photographic guide to the and supplying the Cerro Gordo was Los as far as four rows of rooms from the cliff, state's historic spots," is too ambitious. Angeles' chief business enterprise. Travel- and were terraced up with brush ramadas on the roofs. Long House has rooms built side With the exception of a few shots of Bodie ers of today can hardly imagine that nerve- and Aurora, the vast array of historical straining trek. The wagon wheels had to by side along the cliff front for over 700 feet. ruins which dot the desert area are totally be chained and double-braking systems used ignored. Readers who did not know the to get the loaded wagons down from the Pueblos were constructed in the open facts would be left with the impression that mountains, and as many as 28 mules were valley during some period. Puwige, "pueblo no California history was made east of the used to haul them through the hub-deep Sierras. 149 pps., $3.00, maps and keys. sands of Red Rock canyon. where the women scraped the bottoms of There are stories of the battle for the control of Cerro Gordo's mines, smelters and roads; of the ore steamer on Owen's HERE'S PEG-LEG AGAIN! lake; of times when bars of lead-silver bul- lion piled so high at Cartago and Swansea that miners built huts of them. Other fas- cinating sections deal with the bandit Vas- quez's reign of terror and capture; the Golden Mirages Southern Pacific railroad and the battle for By PHILIP A. BAILEY Cajon pass; the railroad conquest of the Tehachapi. Prominent among the "city- makers" told about are John Downey, The most complete account of the Lost Peg-Leg mine and the three Robert Widney, Francis Temple, Phineas gold buttes, together with other legends and tales of the Southern Banning, Benjamin Wilson, Mortimer Bel- California deserts, past and present, is back in print. shaw and Harvey O'Melveny. LIMITED NUMBER AVAILABLE CITY-MAKERS is well written, a book rich in source materials and facts which hitherto have been obtainable only from the $4.50 yellowing files of early newspapers. It is California Residents Add 2Vi% Sales Tax valuable to anyone interested in Southern California history. Order from Doubleday & Co., Garden City, New York, 1948. 270 pps., index, bibliography, DESERT CRAFTS SHOP . . . Palm Desert, California map end papers. $3.50.

FEBRUARY, 1949 47 Jlaoe, If 044, Waited the MectasUcvn QoodneAA, a death/, FRESH DATE?

We are now picking those luscious, flavorful, sun-ripened dates at our scientifically operated date plantations daily and ship them to you in the finest state of their natural goodness—-fresh from the palms and packed immediately to fill your particular order. _- ... Make your selections from the packs listed below and we will" send the dates, carefully selected and packed, Postpaid to you or your friends anywhere in the continental U. S. A. These unusually fine dates, right out of the Great American Desert, make an ideal gift for the family, friends, business associates, relatives or the "gang" at the office.

'DESERT KINGS' PACK NO. 1 'DESE.T PRINCESS' PACK NO. 3 Our De Luxe Pack of Hand-Layered, Sun- A very Fine Grade of Desert Delight Dates. ripened Dates—A Date Connoisseur's Dream Shipped in fibre board or wood container. A of Perfection. most acceptable gift for family and friends. 3 Pounds $5.00 10 Pounds $15.00 2 Pounds $2.00 6 Pounds $ 5.00 5 Pounds 7.50 15 Pounds 20.00 4 Pounds 3.60 10 Pounds 8.00 Shipped Postpaid Anywhere in the Continental U. S. A. 5 Pounds 4.40 15 Pounds 10.50 Shipped Postpaid Anywhere in the Continental U. S. A.

''DESERT QUEENS" . . . PACK NO. 2 'DESERT DELIGHTS" SAMPLER NO. 4 This is a hand-layered pack of specially This is a popular mixture of our best known selected Dates. You and our many other good date varieties — Sure to please all palates. friends have made it our most popular gift Shipped in fibre board or wood containers. package. 2 Pounds $2.50 5 Pounds $ 5.00 3 Pounds $3.00 10 Pounds $ 9.00 3 Pounds 3.60 10 Pounds 8.00 5 Pounds 4.80 15 Pounds 12.00 4 Pounds 4.25 15 Pounds 12.00 Shipped Postpaid Anywhere in the Continental U. S. A. Shipped Postpaid Anywhere in the Continental U. S. A. DESERT PLANTATIONS FRANK H. SCHUBERT, Owner Box 725 INDIO, CALIFORNIA