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Liar's conlest New Year's eve, in Borrego Valley, Cal- ifornia. Jan. 1—Annual presentation of "The Messiah", Salt Lake Tabernacle, Temple Square, by Salt Lake Ora- torio society, Salt Lake City, Utah. Jan. 1—Ceremonial dance following inauguration of governor and gov- erning council. Taos pueblo, New Mexico. Jan. 1—New Year's race, downhill and slalom races, at Arizona Snow Bowl, Flagstaff. Volume 14 JANUARY, 1951 Number 3 Jan. 3-6 — Livestock show, Fair- grounds, Phoenix, Arizona. COVER SUNRISE IN MONUMENT VALLEY. Photo by Don Jan. 5-7—Arizona Newspaper assoc- Ollis of Santa Barbara, California iation convention. Phoenix. Jan. 6—El Dia de los Tres Reyes, CALENDAR January events on the desert 3 ceremonial dance, Taos pueblo, New Mexico. POETRY Discarded Gold Pan, and other poems . . 4 Jan. 6-7 — Squaw Valley ;,ki cham- pionships, combined with FWSA EXPLORATION We Found the Way into Elegante Class C downhill and slalom By RANDALL HENDERSON . 5 championships, Reno, Nevada. Jan. 7—Phoenix Don's club trek to PERSONALITY Trail of a Naturalist Tucson, Arizona. By LLOYD MASON SMITH . 16 Jan. 7 — Round-up safari, Wicken- burg, Arizona. LOST GOLD Annual Pegleg Smith Trek . . 18 Jan. 12—Phoenix Symphony concert. Phoenix, Arizona. MINES Current news of desert mining 20 Jan. 12-27—Art display sponsored by Women's Ten Thousand club, El INDIANS Navajo Justice Centro, California. 21 Jan. 13-14 — Annual downhill ski By SANDY HASSELL . . championship, Sugar Bowl, Mt. Disney, Nevada. QUIZ A test of your desert knowledge 22 Jan. 14 — Bandollero trip to Palm Canyon, in heart of Kofa Game FIELD TRIP Nevada Invited the Rockhounds Range. Here is only stand of na- tive palm trees (Washingtonia fili- By AL HAWORTH 23 fera) in Arizona. Tour starts 9:00 RAINFALL a.m. from chamber of commerce Report on Reservoir Storage 28 building, Yuma. LETTERS Jan. 14—Phoenix Don's club travel- Views and comment of Desert's readers ... 29 cade to Wickenburg Dude ranches CLOSE-UPS and rodeo. About those who write for Desert 31 Jan. 14-15—Berkeley Inter-City Ro- CONTEST tary club convention, Reno, Nev- Picture-of-the-Month Announcement 31 ada. NEWS Jan. 20—Wickenburg Country club's From here and there on the desert 33 Guest Golf tourney, Wickenburg, LAPIDARY Arizona. Amateur Gem Cutter, by LELANDE QUICK . . 40 Jan. 20-21—Sierra Club hike via Box HOBBY Canyon to Hidden Springs, in the Gems and Minerals 41 heart of the Little San Bernardino FICTION Mountains, California. Dry camp Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley 45 in Box Canyon. COMMENT Jan. 21—Phoenix Don's club trek to Just Between You and Me, by the Editor ... 46 Apache Trail. BOOKS Jan. 27-28—Desert Peaks section of Reviews of Southwest literature 47 Sierra club, camping and hiking trip to Eagle Mountains of the Colorado desert. Overnight camp The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Press, Inc., Palm Desert, California. Re-entered as second class matter July 17, 1948, at the post office at Palm Desert, at Cottonwood Springs, 25 miles California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered No. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office, east of Indio, California. and contents copyrighted 1951 by the Desert Press, Inc. Permission to reproduce contents must be secured from the editor in writing. Jan. 28—Desert Sun Ranchers rodeo RANDALL HENDERSON, Editor AL HAWORTH, Associate Editor at Slash-Bar-K ranch, Wickenburg, Arizona. BESS STACY, Business Manager MARTIN MORAN, Circulation Manager E. H. VAN NOSTRAND, Advertising Manager Jan. 31-Feb. 4 — Tucson Open Golf Los Angeles Office (Advertising Only): 2635 Adelbert Ave., Phone NOrmandy 3-1509 tournament, El Rio Country club, Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledged unless full return postage is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for Tucson, Arizona. damage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Sub- January—One-man show of paintings scribers should send notice of change of address by the first of the month preceding issue. by Waano Gano, Cherokee Indian SUBSCRIPTION RATES artist, Southwest Museum, High- One Year $3.50 Two Years $6.00 Canadian Subscriptions 25c Extra, Foreign 50c Extra land Park, Los Angeles, California. Subscriptions to Army Personnel Outside U. S. A. Must Be Mailed in Conformity With P. 0. D. Order No. 19687 Address Correspondence to Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California JANUARY, 1951 Vi&canded Pan

By J. A. STEBBINS Hi Vista, California Old, forgotten and cast aside; Never a burro again to ride, Never to see the red brown slopes, The gravel that raises a miner's hopes. Thrown aside in a rubbish mound, I rust and decay into the ground. Old and battered and gravel worn, Once in my hold great wealth was born. Wealth, has it kept or faded away? Has it brought new joy or sorrow today? For me . . . I yearn for the thrill of gold-fevered men, To bring me back to life again.

PROSPECTOR By RALPH A. FISHER, SR. Phoenix, Arizona Little sheet-iron pan worn thin is colored with rust, Tool of his long forgotten dream of golden dust. His aged burro, sunburned rope, the saddle pack, All mute evidence, cabalistic warning. "I did come back!" Warped wagon-bed, a broken pick and spokeless hub To testify of courage, toil, of hope, defeat, a dud. Upon wind-blown mound of worthless, dust-free rock, A foolish mockingbird alights and fails, to mock— The silent, lonely wash of glittering sand so dry, A tempting place to live, a peaceful place to die.

DESERT JESTER By HELEN VOGEL MOOG Laguna Beach, California "Yes ma'm, we usta have them Smoke trees here. Folks come seein' them from far and near." OH TURQUOISE SKY! DESERT CHRISTMAS His eyes were bland, he met her glare By MICHAEL O'NEIL With innocent unblinking stare. Morongo Valley, California By JEAN C. MOORE Oh blue of turquoise summer sky! Tucson, Arizona "Yes ma'm, those trees jest had to go, Glory of far-flung sunset gold! No silent snowflakes falling And if you really want to know— Don't let the gorgeous gladness die— Upon these desert lanes. Well, they fogged the air with too much Keep it a little while for me. No fields of white this Holy Night, smoke. Don't let it die. No frosted window panes. Made too much smog for desert folk. Illimitable desert slopes But to our golden valleys. "The fire alarms came thick and fast, Calling on eager eyes to rest Untouched by winter's s:iow, Our men and engines wouldn't last. On distance in the shining West, 'Mid gifts of blooms the Christ Child No ma'm, they ain't no trees to paint. Where hosts of iridescent hopes comes The Smoke trees wuz, but now they ain't. Like living rainbows gleam, As in the long ago. With promise that each glowing dream "Your lookin' thar? That ain't no tree, Within a yearning heart shall be And may the love He brings us. Jest a mirage that soon won't be." Fulfilled—Don't let the cloud-sparks fly The promise and the light, His eyes still bland, her outraged stare Into a world of ashen gray Like the desert flower in a hushed, dark He met with simple guileless air. Like promises all washed away! hour, Alleviate our night. Don't let the rose-red color die From off your breast, Oh turquoise sky! Don't let the crimson cloud grow cold, WINTER ON THE DESERT And disappointed, sad and old. By TANYA SOUTH Keep it a little while for me. By LUCY BARKER Eternity can stretch so far, Don't let it die! Long Beach, California That e'en the largest, brightest star Is young to it! Yet I can see TEMPLE ON THE DESERT Winter on the desert All cradled in Eternity. Sings an urgent song, And every fleeting thought I think., By PAUL WILHELM Wooing with a firmness Thousand Palms, California Each summit that I gain, each Passionate and strong: brink Build you a temple in the glow Sunshine floats on sand a-drifting, Of desert hills and in your breast Is of Eternal substance rife, Tempests rage in sands a-sifting— Imbued with life. Wake hungers death will never know— Nurses seed for spring's uplifting A dream, a Courage and a Quest! It has cherished long! DESERT MAGAZINE, Members of the exploring party reached the bottom of Elegante crater without use of rope by the route indicated by dotted lines. The alternative route of the ascent was selected to avoid the fine pea gravel encountered on the descent. The author believes there are other possible routes to the bottom. The depth of the crater is 610 feet. We Found a Way into Elegante

Many American fishermen already have discovered the recently paved road which gives them easy access to the Gulf of California 65 miles south of the international line—but few of them realize that the great black range which extends along the west side of the new high- way looks down on a desert pitted with over 500 craters—relics of a day when this area was a seething inferno of volcanic eruption. Here is a story of a trip into the heart of this land of extinct volcanos, and of descent to the floor of its largest crater. By RANDALL HENDERSON Map by Norton Allen

A JANUARY day in 1910, volcanic cavity he gave it the name crumbled less than the other craters I Carl Lumholtz, explorer and Crater Elegante. saw later in the region." writer employed to make an econ- In his book about this region. New If Carl Lumholtz were still living I omic survey of the region around the Trails in Mexico, long out of print, could answer the question in his mind headwaters of the Gulf of California Lumholtz wrote: "I do not know how on that January morning as to the in Sonora, Mexico, stood on the rim deep it is, for I had no opportunity to depth of Crater Elegante. Last Oct- of a great crater which he had spotted make a descent, which is said to be ober 9 I stood on the rim of the same previously from a nearby peak. He feasible though difficult, and it looks crater and my altimeter showed an was so impressed by the beauty of this very difficult too, for the walls have elevation of 975 feet. Four hours later,

JANUARY, 1951 after a hand and toe scramble down those precipitous walls the instrument registered 365 feet. Depth 610 feet. ' Aries Adams and I had long planned a trip into the Pinacate coun- try. We had read Lumholtz' book, and also Campfires on Desert and Lava, another out-of-print book writ- ten by William T. Hornaday in 1908 about the same area. Our trip was arranged for the sec- ond week in October this year. Our party included William A. (Bill) Sher- rill of the U.S. Immigration border patrol, and Wilson McKenney, my former associate on the Desert Maga- zine staff. Lumholtz explored the Pinacates with a wagon and saddle horses. But he had all winter to do his job. Since our time was limited to a week we used more modern transportation — two jeeps. The Pinacate country is a weird mixture of sandhills and lava beds — inaccessible to a paved-road automobile. Pinacate is Spanish for a black beetle that in some parts of the United States is known as a tumble bug. When disturbed it sticks its head in the ground and rears its hind end in the air like a clown standing on his head. The Papago Indians who once camped in the dunes and at the tinajas in this area called the Pinacate range Tjuk- toak, meaning black mountain. But life here was very hard, even for Indians, and as the threat of raid- ing Apaches diminished before the firearms of American soldiers, the Pinacate Papagos drifted north to more fruitful lands in southern Ari- zona. The four of us left El Centro the morning of October 7. Because we had good cars for the purpose, we followed the Devil's Highway, Cam- ino del Diablo, the old Mexican '49er trail east from Yuma, Arizona. The route took us past the old Fortuna mine in the lower end of the Gila range. Fortuna was once a rich gold

Top — The giant Ironwood tree on the Lechuguilla desert along Camino del Diablo east of Tin- ajas A Itas. Lumholtz commented on the size of this tree forty years ago. Center—Tree cholla is one of the most conspicuous plants on the Pinacate desert. In the right back- ground between the Saguaro cacti is an Organ Pipe cactus. Bottom—With bark and red sap like the Elephant tree, and leaves like an Ocotillo, this is Jatropha cuneata, called by the Mexicans "Sangre-de-drago", blood of the dragon. Grows along the border.

DESERT MAGAZINE .C-Wgsfc- c/w" f

producer, but the ore pinched out and years ago there was a little cemetery ing Mexico's hoof and mouth epi- now even the caretaker has left and on the gravel mesa near the tanks. It demic from spreading across the bor- the camp is a litter of debris. was a fascinating retreat for a day's der to the United States, have erected Continuing south from Fortuna the outing. But the seclusion of this spot sheet-iron huts on ground once occu- little-used road became rough and is gone. The American border patrol- pied by the cemetery and cars bustle sandy. Eventually the old trail swung men charged with the duty of prevent- in and out of the camp all day. east through a pass between the lower end of the Gila range and the north end of the Tinajas Altas mountains— Old stone grinding mill at Quitovaquita. The top stone is turned with hand- Surveyor's Pass it is called. Here we pikes. Grain poured in a small hole in the top stone is ground as it works were in a luxurious garden of Sonoran toward the outer edge where it is caught in a blanket. vegetation—along the arroyos a dense growth of Palo Verde and Ironwood, and on the plain the giant Saguaro and many less imposing species of cacti, ocotillo, incense bush and cre- osote in profusion. Beyond the pass we turned south along the base of the mountains to the historic High Tanks, Tinajas Altas. Mexican prospectors, following the discovery of gold in California in 1849, struggled across the old trail to reach the natural tanks of water at this point, and stories have been told that some of them perished at the base of the precipitous trough in which the water is found because they lacked the strength to climb the steep walls. There are glyphs and pictographs on the rock walls in this vicinity to indi- cate it was a popular watering place for pre-historic Indians. There are also many grinding holes in the rocks. When I first visited Tinajas Altas 15

JANUARY, 195 1 East of the Lechiiguilla Desert the Devil's Highway winds among the buttes of the Cabeza Prieta range.

East from Tinajas Altas there are one of the finest specimens found in and there, all the mules, donkeys and now two trails—the winding ruts left the Southwest, and I photographed it horses gathered at once around a lone by the '49ers, and a new road bull- for comparison with the picture taken but very large palo fierro tree to eat dozed across the creosote plain for by Lumholtz 40 years ago. The tree its bark and green juicy leaves, which the use of the patrolmen. The old cam- has grown a little during the 40 years, they much preferred . . . Usually some ino is being abandoned, and for lack and today is a more conspicuous land- of its branches are dry, and they fur- of use will soon become impassable. mark even than when he was there. nish the very best campfire, especially However, it could still be followed by The Ironwood, olneya tesota or for cooking purposes." jeeps, and we chose to take the historic Palo fierro as the Mexicans call it, is Three and a half miles beyond the trail. the most useful of all trees to one who giant Ironwood we came to a circle of Seven miles beyond Tinajas Altas travels the desert, according to Lum- rocks on the ground, perhaps 25 feet we saw a gigantic Ironwood tree on holtz. He wrote: "Although there was in diameter. According to Tom Childs the horizon ahead. This is said to be considerable galleta grass growing here who has spent a long lifetime in this

East of Qidtovaquita the road parallels the new boundary fence erected by the United States to keep diseased cattle from crossing from Mexico.

DESERT MAGAZINE Flashlight picture taken in camp at the base of the Pinacate range. Even after the sun had gone down the temperature ranged around the 100-degree mark. Left to right: Wilson McKenney, Bill Sherrill, Randall Henderson and Aries Adams. part of the desert, the circle marks one There is a windmill and crude temperature well over 100 degrees. of the tragedies of the Devil's High- shower at Tule well. It was a refresh- Lechuguilla is Spanish and this desert way. Nearly 100 years ago Papago In- ing stop after traveling all afternoon was named for an edible lettuce-like dians killed Mexican prospectors en across the Lechuguilla desert with the plant which grows here. route to the California gold fields on On a hill overlooking Tide well several of the Boy Scout troops of Arizona this spot. Some of the Papagos told erected this monument to mark the Cabeza Prieta game refuge. Childs about it many years later. They said they had killed for loot. Harold Weight found good collect- ing material for the rockhounds north- east of the rock circle and mapped the trip for Desert readers (September '49). The new patrol road misses the rock circle about 100 yards. At dusk we arrived at Tule well, one of the few watering places along Camino del Diablo. Border patrolmen have a camp here also. They are em- ployed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Hus- bandry. Generally they work in pairs, covering a beat of 35 miles along the border daily in motor vehicles. Their orders are to shoot and burn the car- cass of any livestock which they have reason to believe has wandered across the unfenced border from Sonora. During the previous three months they had killed nine animals.

JANUARY, 1951 We camped on the bank of an ar- peak. Lava flows extend over the means many springs. A fine flow of royo near the windmill and had bar- landscape in all directions, making water gushes from the rocks in an ar- Decued steaks for dinner. Tule well much of the area impenetrable except royo above the town. is in a game refuge, and covies of on foot or with burros. The main vol- Here we met Mr. and Mrs. George quail were running through the thick- canic vent evidently was at the top W. Cleveland. He is a border patrol- ets that surrounded our bedrolls early of the range. Pinacate peak and man who covers part of his beat on in the morning. nearby Carnegie peak, 200 feet lower, horseback and part in a pickup truck. Going east from Tule well we are the high points on the rim of what They live in a comfortable tcnthouse. again had our choice of two roads, the was once a huge boiling cauldron of The temperature was 110 degrees that old camino, or the newly-graded road liquid stone. So great was the pressure afternoon, but the Clevclands are used by the patrolmen. We followed of gas beneath the surface that smaller hardy folks who prefer the frontier, the old trail. The gravel along the vents opened up all over the area, each even when it is very hot. They bring roadside for a mile east of the well is spewing out its own stream of molten in tank gas for their Servel—and we sprinkled with chalcedony roses. We rock. appreciated the ice water they served did not have time to trace them to The road parallels close to the us after drinking hot water from our their source, but this probably is good boundary all the way, and later in the canteens for two days. Title to the hunting grounds for the rock collect- morning we caught our first glimpse land and water here remains in the ors. of the new 7-strand barbed wire fence hands of a Mexican family which has Fifteen miles out, we came to the Uncle Sam is in process of building owned it for many generations. first tongue of the great lava field along the entire border from El Paso Just outside the crumbling walls of which covers much of the area south to the Pacific. one of the settlement's first adobe of the border here. Thirty or forty At noon we arrived at Gray's well. buildings I found a primitive grinding miles to the south we could see dark Bob Gray is a cattleman who runs mill — two huge disks of stone, the brown Pinacate range, in the heart of stock in this desert. His camp is occu- lower one in fixed position and the a region which at some time in the pied only part of the time and we upper one turned by hand-pikes or distant past was an inferno of volcanic found no one at home, but the wind- possibly by a burro. It has not been action. mill was pumping water. used for many years. The Arizona The late Godfrey Sykes, formerly In mid-afternoon we arrived at an- museum should acquire this old mill connected with the Carnegie Desert other of the old watering places on before it falls into less worthy hands. Laboratory at Tucson, estimated there Camino del Diablo — Quitovaquita. The Sonoyta river, sometimes with were 500 extinct volcanic craters The word is the Mexican translation water and more often dry, is just within a radius of 50 miles of Pinacate of a Papago word which I am told across the boundary on the Mexican

Palos Verdes tinajas—one of the natural tanks at the base of the Pinacate range. Wildlife over a large area comes to these tanks for water.

DESERT MAGAZINE side of the fence. And back among the hills is an ancient cemetery—a burial place that dates back more than 100 years.

Camino del Diablo dips into Mexico V* ;•:,,".:. :j.: \"'.-. ' J ': and follows the course of the Sonoyta river east from Quitovaquita, and since there were no customs or immi- gration officers here to inspect our JS passes, we continued east along the new road north of the boundary fence • -.„•. to Sonoyta, 15 miles east. Until four years ago when a paved road was completed from Gila Bend, Arizona, to Rocky Point on the Gulf of California, Sonoyta was a sleepy little settlement where visitors seldom came. But paved roads, especially when they lead to such fine fishing waters as are found in the Gulf of California, soon work miracles. Son- oyta is becoming a tourist town—with motor courts and modern gas stations and juke boxes. Neat garitas have been erected on both sides of the international gate, and customs and immigration officers are on duty here to service the hun- dreds of American visitors who now cross the border with their fishing tackle bound for Rocky Point, or Punta Peflasco as it is known to the Mexicans. Tourist passes are issued without much delay for $2.50 a per- son. Carrying border permits issued by the chief of the immigration service in Mexicali, we got speedy clearance, and our dusty jeeps paraded through the gate and headed south. The original Sonoyta — old town — is three miles below the border. Here we stopped at the office of Alfredo Barillo, chief of police and wildlife commissioner for this area. He gave us detailed direc- tions for reaching Crater Elegante, and some sidelights on wildlife in that area. He estimated there are 500 bighorn MEXICO sheep in the Pinacate country. SOHOTTA For the next 33 miles we enjoyed IICRADONYAOUANA the luxury of paved roads, for the new highway to the gulf passes near the base of the Pinacate range. We crossed the Sonoyta river where it heads off toward the gulf. All the maps show this river as emptying into the gulf. But that is only because the draftsmen who draw maps cannot con- ceive of a river which has no mouth. They do not know about this desert country where sizable rivers just evap- Top—Title well—one of the old waterholes along Camino del Diablo. orate in thin air—or disappear in the Center—Quitovaquita where a generous spring of water supplies the little sand. The Mojave river of California settlement. is like that. And so is the Sonoyta. Its Bottom—International port of entry at Sonoyta, looking toward the Ameri- outlet is a playa somewhere out among can customs house. the sand dunes which extend along the western shore of the gulf. In flood Beyond the Sonoyta bridge we came cutters' roads in the Pinacate area, and time the Sonoyta flows quite a stream to the ranch of Sr. Rudolfo Espinosa, he carefully drew a sketch in the sand of water—but none of it ever reaches and he proved a very helpful guide. A to show which ones we should take to the Sea of Cortez, as the Gulf of Cal- former Californian, he speaks excel- reach Elegante. ifornia is labeled on old maps. lent English. There are many wood- The sun was near the horizon when

JANUARY, 1951 11 Bill Sherrill led the way out into the what appeared to be a low gray hill in after a rainstorm. Obviously it was not land of lava beds and black volcanic the distant northwest. When we came a place to be marooned for long with- buttes. We dipped into an arroyo and to the base of the hill the jeeps were out food or water. went around the first butte on the blocked by a deep arroyo with vertical We were exploring the south rim. right, passed through a little forest of banks. A mile across the chasm at the north- tree cholla cactus, passed the next two We climbed the hill, rot more than west side there appeared to be a buttes on the left, and nine miles from 100 feet in elevation above our park- streak of deep red talus which ex- the Espinosa ranch turned west on a ing space. And there in front and be- tended up to within a few feet of the rough sandy trail. It wasn't much of low us was the great chasm which we top of the escarpment. Finally we a road—just two tracks that became recognized at once as Ellegante. It is agreed the south rim was not feasible very hard to follow when they led us a stupendous crater. for the descent, and followed a dim out on a great bed of lava. It got dark The rim sloped gently 150 or 200 trail which led around the rim, per- and we lost the trail. So there we feet to the top ledge of a ragged es- haps a mile and a quarter to a point camped for the night—a warm desert carpment. The escarpment did not above the red streak of talus. night with no cloud nor haze to dim appear to average over 50 feet high It was easy to work our way down the sparkle of a billion stars overhead. and below it was a long talus slope to the top of the escarpment as we had Sr. Espinosa had told us that the which led to the bottom. But that 50- done on the south side. There we rim of Crater Elegante would appear foot vertical drop obviously would be found a rock ledge and made a trav- as a low mesa in the distance. At day- a difficult climbing problem. We had erse along the top of the cliff to our break Wilson McKenney was up and plenty of rope and it would not be landmark — the red streak of talus. scanning the horizon for that low hard to rappel down the rocky face. And there we found the route to the mesa. With mountains on the skyline But how would we get to the top again? bottom. The talus was composed of all around us, and little buttes sticking We spread out and explored the rim fine gravel and every step started a their black heads above the plain in foot by foot, hoping to find a crevice small rock slide. Most of the way we every direction, we were uncertain. or chimney which not only would slid with the rock. It was easy going But we continued along the trail, and offer a way down, but much more im- downhill. We knew the return trip stopped once to climb one of the little portant, would offer a feasible route would be tough in that kind of rock— craters to see if we could spot the big for the return to the top. The floor of but it could be done. one—for Elegante is said to be the the crater appeared dry, with a scatter- Wilson McKenney was leading. I daddy of all the craters in the Pinacate ing of Sonoran vegetation and many have been on many exploring trips region. saguaro cacti. A little play a of white with Wilson. When the going gets Our climb yielded no information, sand indicated the low point, where rough he is always out ahead, break- so we continued in the direction of water remained for perhaps a few hours ing trail. Aries Adams had received

Crater Elegante, viewed from the north rim. ft is approximately one mile across from rim to rim.

DESERT MAGAZINE explicit orders from the doctor before leaving home not to do any mountain climbing on this trip. He remained at the top—and it was a fortunate cir- cumstance for the rest of us that he did not make the descent. We reached the bottom at 1:00 p.m. We had been away from the cars nearly four hours, and our canteens were dry. It was hot down there, very hot. Shade and water were the two things we wanted most. There were a few Palo Verdes—but the Palo Verde isn't a good shade tree. Finally I found a cluster of three saguaros growing to- gether through the branches of a Palo Verde — and the four of them gave us relief from the sun rays beat- ing down into that pit. My thermo- meter registered 112 degrees in the shade. Then I put it out in the sun and it went up to 132. The weather gods of the desert got their dates mixed this year, and were giving us August temperatures in Oct- ober. This crater has been dead so many thousands of years I am sure none of the heat was radiating from beneath the surface. It came from the direct rays of the sun overhead, and reflected rays from the rocks that sur- rounded us. The prospect of making our way up through that loose talus in 132-degree air was not a cheerful thought. Then Mac opened his knapsack and took out three apples. Apples never have tasted so good. I sliced mine thin and kept a small piece in my mouth as long as it lasted. We piled a few rocks at the base of a senita cactus and put a record of our descent in a small plastic con- tainer. We found no record of a pre- vious descent. Later I learned that in November, 1949, Joe King of San Jacinto, California, James E. Brock of El Centro, and Dr. Phil A. Bir- dick of Yuma, Arizona, had visited the crater, and Dr. Birdick had de- scended to the bottom. Elegante differs from most of the other craters in the Pinacate region in that it shows no evidence of volcanic action. There is no lava around its rim, no cinders on its floor. While I do not pose as an expert geologist, my At the base of this Senita cactus in the floor of Elegante crater the climbers guess is that it was caused by a great left a record of their descent in a plastic container covered with rocks. subterranean gas explosion—a blow- out rather than a vent for the escape of I counted more than 100 mature sun had dropped below the rim. We molten rock. And what an explosion saguaros in the bottom of the crater. crossed to the south wall to explore that must have been—to blow a hole Most of the other well known mem- the possibility of an easier route there a mile wide in the crust of the earth! bers of the Sonoran plant family were —and when we found none we were The fires which once turned the Pin- there — Ironwood, Palo Verde, creo- sorry we had used up our energy in acate region into a volcanic inferno sote, ocotillo, jumping cholla, tree the attempt. have long since burned out. The re- cholla, encelia and senita cactus. Our thirst had reached the point ports of Lumholtz, W. T. Hornaday, At 2:00 o'clock Mac announced he where we would have welcomed the Godfrey Sykes and others who ex- was heading for the top. "1 would rather bitter juice of a bisnaga cactus. plored this area nearly a half century rather be on my way," he said, "than But there was no bisnaga. 1 knew that ago indicate that no action has taken down here drying out." saguaro is worse than useless as a place here for thousands of years. Bill and I decided to wait until the thirst-quencher. I cut the stem of a

JANUARY, 195 1 13 of his friend Miss Emily Beebe of Boston. Following directions given us by Sr. Espinosa, we backtracked to the little forest of tree cholla and then took off on a faint road which led directly to the east base of the Pinacate range. He told us this was known as Hunters' camp because it was used by occa- sional parties who came here to hunt sheep. Near the camp, he said, were some tanks known as Tinajas Palos Verdes. Mexicans come out here from Son- oyta to gather Ironwood for their cook stoves, and we got off on several false trails before we arrived finally at Hunters' camp late in the afternoon. Palos Verdes tanks are located less than a mile from the camp near the base of the range. They contained water, but had not been replenished by storm floods for many months and the water was not inviting. Early the next morning we headed up a canyon that appeared to lead di- rectly toward the high peaks in the range. None of the Mexicans was familiar with Emily's tanks—and we were on a blind search. Three hours later we had climbed to the 2,000- foot level and my canteen was empty again. Mac decided to head on up toward the cinder cone that is Car- negie peak, but the rest of us turned back to camp. It was another hot day, and we knew the agony of climbing in 132-degree temperatures with dry canteens. Two hours later Mac returned to camp. His water, too, had run out— but not before he reached the base of the cone. There, quite by accident, he had come upon the Sacred Cave of the Papago Indians, described at some length in Lumholtz' book. Many years ago when the Papagos camped at the waterholes in this area, and on the sand dunes to the west, one

'•-""• * •' of their gods was Iitoi. The Indians Pipe cactus near the Mexican border. belived that the cave was the entrance to a long underground passage, the senita—the "old man" cactus of the Further up the slope that leads to terminal of which was an island in the Sonora desert. It was like green cu- the top of the rim Mac was waiting Gulf of California where Elder Broth- cumber. It soothed our parched lips with a rope to help us scale a steep er's wife lived. —but our palates rebelled against this pitch. We reached the top of the rim Periodically the Papagos made pil- vile tasting pulp. at 8:00 o'clock. grimages to his cave and deposited The sun was sinking now and we I know now that the descent into ceremonial objects — prayer sticks, moved up the slope with the shadow. eagle feathers, bunches of yucca fibre, We found a slope of talus that offered Elegante involves no great climbing difficulties—but I do not recommend beads, arrows and other items which better footing than the place of our might please the fancy of Iitoi, or his descent—and we made our way up it in 132-degree temperatures. On a wife. cool day a quart canteen of water hoping that it would be possible to Mac reported that the cave actually scale the vertical cliff at the top. We would be enough — bu: not in such temperatures as we encountered. extended 200 feet back into the lava could go only a few steps between flow, and that there were scores of rests. We reached the ledge above the Our schedule permitted two more prayer sticks on its floor, and in crev- escarpment just before dark — and days in the Pinacates, and we decided ices. When Lumholtz visited the cave there was Aries Adams with a flash- to seek the natural tanks where Lum- in 1910 his guide was an old Papago light and two canteens of water wait- holtz had camped—the tanks he had who brought his sacrificial offerings ing for us. Good ol' Aries! named Las Tinajas de Emilia in honor to the cave and sang his prayers to the 14 DESERT MAGAZINE god. The cave probably has not been disturbed for many years as the Indi- ans have long since ceased to come here. We saw evidence of the bighorn sheep in many places but did not sight any of the animals. The Mexicans told us it had been a very dry year, and the animals probably were further west where the water supply is better. Between Pinacate range and the gulf is a great expanse of sand dunes. Lumholtz reported that he had found the abandoned camps of members of the Indian tribe known as the Sand Papagos out in the dunes. As soon as Mac came down the mountain, we packed our jeeps and headed for water—the great body of water known as the Gulf of California where there is found some of the finest deep-sea fishing in the world. We would have no time for fishing, but a dip in the surf would be refreshing after four days in that land of black lava and burning sun. ' f It was a pleasant 30-mile ride down the paved road from the Espinosa ranch to Punta Penasco, and one of the Mexican police directed us to a sandy beach three miles from town where we would have a comfortable camp for the night. Punta Penasco is a boom town— Mexican style. The newly-paved road has brought many American visitors —mostly fishermen bringing their own boats on trailers, or in parties to char- ter boats from the Mexicans. Shrimp, the main catch of the com- mercial fisherman here, have been bringing high prices, and the busiest Above—On the beach at Rocky Point. The Mexican village of Punta Pen- place in town was the little shipyard asco is across the bay in the background. where we saw 36 boats of various Below—Thirty-six fishing boats are now under construction in the little sizes under construction. The keels shipyard at Punta Penasco. They are used mostly for charter trips of sports and framing of the boats are mesquite fishermen from the United States—and for catching shrimp. wood, sawed from a mesquite forest that lies along the Sonoyta river near the town. Hand labor is cheap here, tion. The police chief not only keeps ating region around the headwaters of and mesquite lends itself admirably to his town in order, but he also serves the gulf—and how they found enough the timber work in boats. as a sort of chamber of commerce. He material to write books about it. The We learned that the boat owners is always the best source of informa- Pinacates are still practically a virgin charter their craft to fishing parties tion for visitors. field for archeologists and geologists on approximately the following terms: Rocky Point is handicapped by lack and explorers—for a majority of the for the large boats the rate is $6.50 a of domestic water. Its supply is 500 craters in this region have been person with a minimum of $50 a day. trucked in tanks from a well at Papa- neither mapped nor named. It is a The 30-foot boats with 114 horse- lote 14 miles away. Under the circum- rugged country at best—but the new power will carry eight people and the stances hotel rooms do not include paved road to the gulf which extends rate is $5 a person with a minimum bath facilities. along one side of the Pinacate range of $30. Smaller boats with 45 horse- has opened the way for a better ac- Our return trip was over the paved quaintance with this land of black rock power are rented with crew for $20 a road by way of Ajo, Arizona. Gila day. They carry four passengers. and white sand, of hidden tinajas and Bend and thence over Highway 80 to pre-historic Indian sites, of pagan gods Motor court and hotel accommoda- Yuma. For the information of motor- and bighorn sheep — and spreading tions are now available at Rocky ists who may sooner or later want to out at the western base of the Pina- Point, once a primitive fishing village visit this lively little fishing town on cates are the blue waters of the Gulf with only a few adobe houses and little the gulf my log showed 150 miles of California, a virgin playground for contact with the outside world. from the port to Gila Bend. American sportsmen and those who Mexican towns generally are well You will understand why Luoholtz prefer beaches which have not yet be- policed, and Rocky Point is no excep- and Hornaday came into this fascin- come too crowded.

JANUARY, 195 1 15 Edmund Jaeger spends nearly every weekend camping on the desert. He has re- duced his camping chores to the last word in simplicity—a couple of iron bars over an open fire support the cooking utensils. Trail of a Naturalist. . .

This month at Stanford University Press at Palo Alto a new book is being published. Its title is Desert Neighbors, its author is Edmund C. Jaeger, fore- most among the naturalists of the desert country. This is Jaeger's eighth book, the fourth he has written about the animal and plant life of the Great American Desert. And here is the story oi the man who has devoted most of his mature life to a study of desert life—and who writes the things he learns, not for sci- entists, but for folks who are interested only in the common names and in terms they can understand.

By LLOYD MASON SMITH Director, Palm Springs Desert Museum

1ECAUSE OF our common inter- It has been during the starlit even- two iron bars and the fire is built be- est in the wildlife of the desert ings as we sat around the campfire neath. I know many campers object country Edmund C. Jaeger and that I learned Jaeger's story — the to this procedure. It smokes up the I have camped together many times in story of one of the foremost natural- cooking utensils. But there are always the canyons of California's Colorado ists of the Southwest. desert. He spends nearly all his week- His camp routine is simple. Cooking old newspapers to wipe off the soot, ends on such camping trips, generally is done over an open fire. He finds two and later the utensils are packed in accompanied by one or more of his flat rocks and lays them 15 to 18 old papers in his camp kit. At every students at Riverside College. inches apart. Across them are placed camp he digs a "gosh hole" for gar-

16 DESERT MAGAZINE bage and empty cans, and buries ev- ery bit of waste before he leaves. During the daylight hours he prowls the canyons and mesas and his in- terest extends from the tiniest insects to the largest of the desert mammals. At night after his simple camp chores are finished he writes up his notes from the day's exploration, and per- haps completes the line drawings which make his books so popular with lay readers. Edmund Jaeger's interest in the Southern California desert—all deserts in fact, for Jaeger is a student of Na- ture everywhere—began in 1915 when he spent a year teaching in the little one-room school house which then served the six to twelve pupils in Palm Springs. Jaeger was trying to earn money to continue his schooling at Occidental college. His Palm Springs home was a little tenthouse that he built himself at a cost of $10.67. After a year at Palm Springs he re- turned to Occidental and in 1918 was graduated with a major in zoology and a minor in botany. Then he re- turned to the desert to continue his studies of its plants and animals. Two of his neighbors were Carl Eytel, the early-day artist of Palm Springs, and J. Smeaton Chase, then engaged in writing that classic of the arid country California Desert Trails, now out of print. Jaeger was a student of natural his- tory long before he came to the Cali- fornia desert. His interest really goes back to the late 1880s in the little town of Loup City, Nebraska, where he was born. Edmund Carroll was the youngest of five children, all of them Jaeger in his study in Riverside where he heads the department of zoology later becoming teachers. in the Junior College. His mother encouraged his study of native wildlife. His most vivid boy- he read a colorful advertisement in a ceived his credentials. His first teach- hood recollections are of the prairie current magazine which contained a ing position was in a prep school near fires which periodically swept over the picture of a golden yellow onion, and San Fernando. Then his father's phys- plains — and of the rabbits, coyotes a glowing account of the opportunities ician, Dr. George Abbott, obtained a and even wolves which came through for onion farmers at Walla Walla, scholarship for him in the newly char- the town in great numbers ahead of Washington. The idea of going west tered school of medicine at Loma the on-rushing flames. Their fear of was suggested by that picture of an Linda. fire was greater even than their fear onion. His family agreed, but at the From 1909 to 1911 he rode a bi- of man. suggestion of a friend they selected cycle 22 miles daily to attend medical In the library he found a volume, Riverside, California, rather than classes. Then one day in the labora- The Growing World, and it gave him Walla Walla as their destination. tory he saw a box of beetles. One of a glimpse of the world of living things The Jaeger family crossed the des- his instructors was a collector of —a world he has spent most of his life ert on the Southern Pacific in 1906, at beetles, and Jaeger begged to go along trying to understand. During his fresh- the time when flood waters from the on the next collecting trip. man year in high school the students Colorado River were pouring into the On that trip he realized that the contributed to the purchase of a com- Cahuilla basin and forming Salton Sea. world of natural history held much pound microscope, and when he be- From the train window they could see more fascination for him than a medi- gan to study the tiny structure of plant the partly submerged tracks of the or- cal career—and he resolved immedi- forms he became more eager than iginal rail line across the basin, and the ately to spend as much of his life as ever to perfect his knowledge of bot- tops of the buildings of the Liverpool possible in the outdoor world of living any. Salt Works, which a little later were things. entirely inundated. He was graduated from high school He wanted to enter Occidental col- at 15, with high honors. He taught Young Edmund took the state lege in Los Angeles, but it was neces- school for a year and then one day teacher's examination at once and re- sary for him to teach a year to obtain

JANUARY, 1951 17 some funds. On weekends and when- school. He bought a burro called Net- Mountains, was published in 1925. ever there was opportunity he knap- tie, and outside of his school hours, Then Stanford Press asked him to pre- sacked over mountain trails. One trip with his artist friend Carl Eytel and pare a desert guide book, and The took him up Icehouse Canyon in the occasionally with J. Smeaton Chase, California Deserts was published in San Gabriel Mountains where the vir- he trekked up the canyons in quest 1933. gin timberland captured his fancy and of strange beetles and snails and bo- Between books on the natural his- started a study of trees which years tanical specimens. tory of desert and mountains he has later resulted in his first published After a year on the desert he com- found time to publish two small vol- book, The Mountain Trees of South- pleted his work at Occidental, and umes, A Dictionary of Greek and ern California. then returned to the desert. This was Latin Combining Forms, and A Source The next important turning point in in 1918 and his two companions were Book of Biological Names and Terms. his life came when he read John Muir's urging him to put his naturalist's notes In addition to his several books, Ed- One Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf. into a book about the desert. He wasn't mund Jaeger's contributions to the Muir's feat so gripped his imagination ready yet for that, he said, but he did scientific world are many. He was the that he decided to repeat it himself. complete his book on the mountain first to report on the birds and plants During 1914 on weekends and during trees—the study he had started years of the Spring (Charleston) Mountains vacations he did tramp 1000 miles, before in Icehouse Canyon. The book of Nevada. He made the first plant much of the time with a 50-pound was illustrated with his own drawings. collections on Clark Mountain on the pack on his back. It was a rich exper- Published by the Star News in Pasa- Mojave, where he discovered four new ience, but the long hours of hiking dena, it was well received, and is now plant species in a single day. He first over rocky trails with a heavy pack a collector's item. brought to the attention of botanists eventually caused injury to his feet, Encouraged by the success of his the aberrant type of Joshua Tree found and the damage was so serious it be- first book, Jaeger worked hard on his in Southern Nevada and far Eastern came necessary for him to drop out next volume, and Denizens of the Des- California. This was later named var- of college. ert was published in 1920. Jaeger's lat- iety Jaegeriana, or Jaeger's Tree For a time it appeared that the Na- est book, Desert Neighbors, now being Yucca. He also discovered the Munz ture trails which held such a fascina- printed by Stanford University Press, Cholla and was instrumental in getting tion for him would be closed to him is an enlarged and revised edition of it described and named. Quite recently forever. It was a dismal prospect. And Denizens of the Desert which has long he collected a new millipede near Des- then another book helped solve his dil- been out of print. ert Hot Springs that now bears the emma. He read Robert Louis Steven- His studies were now widely known, specific name Jaegeri. son's Travels With a Donkey. and he was asked to become teacher In his early collecting days, Edmund If he couldn't walk, he could at of natural history at Riverside high freely admits, his donkey often called least ride a burro, and he resolved to school in 1921. He took the position attention to plants that he might have continue his travels on the back of a and a year later was transferred to the overlooked. But now he has graduated donkey. Raymond Cree, then superin- Junior College where he has been to a "mechanical donkey", the auto- tendent of schools in Riverside county, head of the department of zoology for mobile, which can take him much far- suggested that he take the teaching 28 years. ther afield than old Nettie ever could. job in Palm Springs' little one-room His third book, Denizens of the His present car, a 1938 Chevrolet se- dan, is called "Whichwhat, the Golden Scorpion." The first part of this nick- name was suggested by the names of two abandoned Mojavean mines and fo was deemed appropriate because, as he will tell you, "I never know which road the car will take or what I will rfaaual ^,fan,'& (fatte&t see when I get there." The paved road is a virtual stranger to Whichwhat. It much prefers the rough and dusty by- For three years the old-timers of Southern California's Colorado paths, often making its own trail over desert have been gathering in Borrego Valley on New Year's Day for brush and cactus. the annual Pegleg Smith Lost Gold Trek. Since no one has yet found the gold, Harry Oliver, originator of the gold hunt, has announced the The various utensils that form Jaeg- fourth trek will be held on January 1, 1951. er's camping equipment all have in- dividual names that only he can re- At a big campfire reunion New Year's eve the annual Lkr's contest member. The wash basin, for instance, is to be staged. Oliver is to be master of ceremonies, and has named the is a cast-off iron differential plate, following committee to assist him: Ray Hetherington of Knott's Berry shaped like a soldier's helmet, and is Farm; Ed Duvall, old-time storekeeper of Borrego; John Hilton, artist; called "Corvus" because there were M. W. Scott of Ocotillo, and Desert Steve Ragsdale of Desert Center. ravens near where he found it. The whittled wooden handle for the skillet Fifty California newspapermen are to be invited to judge the Liar's is the Whoopy-Doop. How that name contest. The trophy this year is to be a small bronzed statue of Pegleg originated even he has forgotten. Smith, modeled by Cyria Henderson, sculptress and lecturer. Ray Heth- He has even invented some savory erington is the donor of this award and will be at the campfire with Mrs. camp dishes. One of these consists of Henderson to make the presentation. Knott's Berry Farm will contribute red kidney beans cooked in gravy other prizes. Both men and women are eligible for the contest. made of flour which has been browned in oil, with tomato sauce added. At Many of those who attend the annual Trek bring their camping the time he invented this concoction equipment as accommodations in Borrego Valley are limited. Campers are he was on a collecting trip with Dr. advised to bring water and wood. Stillman Berry of Redlands, seeking desert snails. Dr. Berry had just dis-

18 DESERT MAGAZINE covered a new species of snail which he said would be called "Avawatzica" after the Avawatz mountains near which the men were camped. Later at dinner Dr. Berry asked Jaeger what he proposed to call his new bean dish. The answer was "Avawatzica, of course!" Since Jaeger goes camping nearly every weekend throughout the year, he has reduced his camping technique to a simplified art. He has removed the entire back seat of his car and cut through the partition to make it part of the luggage compartment. A mov- able section makes room for his bed- roll and here on one side he keeps his air-mattress inflated with sleeping bag unrolled on top, ready for immediate use. Removable screens for the car windows insure adequate ventilation. Food, mainly of the canned and dried varieties, is packed neatly in sturdy wooden boxes. Two jeep cans provide ample water for a long outing. The desert author has learned well the value of utilizing bits of time, rather than waiting for long periods to accomplish a task. He does much of his writing at odd moments, between classes, while lunching, on field trips, in fact whenever he has a few mom- ents to spare. Nor does he always write on regular note paper. More of- ten it is on the back of an envelope or on an irregular piece of brown wrapping paper. He carries on an enormous corres- pondence, much of it on postal cards. All this in addition to his routine school duties and serious writing. His penmanship is painstakingly precise and small, every letter distinct. He of- ten puts more information on a single postal card than most people can in a long letter. In the field Jaeger has an avid interest in everything that lives and moves. Recently Jaeger has gained interna- tional recognition in the scientific realm by his discovery in California's return until early Monday morning in made in the field. He could use these Chuckawalla Mountains of a hibernat- time for his 8:00 o'clock lecture. On as source material for the rest of his ing poor-will. Until this time there had these trips he usually takes one or two life and never exhaust their wealth of never been an authentic account of of his students, preferably those un- fact. Yes, he could. But not Jaeger. any bird hibernating. Prof. Raymond acquainted with the desert or new at He could never be happy within four Cowles of U.C.L.A. terms it one of camping. walls. Happiness to him is being out the "discoveries of the century in or- When you meet Jaeger today, you on the desert itself, smelling the odor nithology". Edmund has continued his are impressed with his healthy appear- of the creosote after a rain, watching observations on this bird for more than ance in spite of graying hair, of his a pair of gnatcatchers foraging in a four years now. quick wit and sense of humor, of his smoke tree, tracking down the high- Few people know that he has fin- ready smile and ease of manner. You pitched whistling of a cicada, feeling ancially aided nearly a hundred young never feel awkward or ill-at-ease the warmth of the sun against his men to complete their college educa- around him. He is a brilliant conver- tanned skin, watching the clouds tions. Most of these lads are now suc- sationalist in any company, although gather overhead for a summer shower, cessful botanists, zoologists, doctors, his manner is quiet and unobtrusive. sipping a cup of coffee brewed over or dentists. Because of his interest in Unmarried, Edmund now lives in a a bed of juniper coals, breathing the the healing art, Edmund has also long just-completed modern pumice-brick clear, cool, fragrant night air, and maintained a scholarship fund at the house in Riverside. But he is seldom hearing the winds murmur through the Loma Linda Medical School. Of these there. pifions. activities, he seldom speaks. In a few years he plans to retire No one is better qualified to write Every weekend almost without fail, from teaching and to devote full-time about the desert than is Edmund as soon as the Friday classes are over, to writing. He has notebook after note- Carroll Jaeger, loving and knowing it he heads for his beloved desert, not to book filled with detailed observations intimately as he does.

JANUARY, 1951 19 Miami, Arizona . . . A $13,000,000 copper mining de- velopment in the Globe-Miami area — an open pit operation-—is getting started immediately following approval of an R.F.C. loan to the Copper Cities Wickenburg, Arizona . . . Vernal Utah . . . Mining company, a subsidiary of the Uncle Sam and the Maricopa A new and promising process for Miami Copper company. Productive County board of supervisors are work- continuous extraction of oil from shale capacity of the new property, three ing together to speed up delivery of may bring a huge new industry to the miles northeast of Miami, is estimated lithium from two mines in the Wick- Rocky Mountain states and at the at 12,000 tons of ore a day or 45,000,- enburg area. The immediate problem same time give this nation a source of 000 pounds of copper a year. oil that far exceeds the proved petro- is one of roads. One lithium deposit is The new development will replace leum reserves remaining in the ground, on San Domingo Wash about seven the Castle Dome operation which is according to Boyd Guthrie, chief of miles north of the Phoenix highway, to be halted because of ore depletions. the U. S. Bureau of Mines' oil-shale the other is 16 miles south of town Equipment from Castle Dome will be demonstration plant near Rifle, Colo- and approximately 10 miles from the moved to the new site, including the rado. paved California highway. Lithium is Castle Dome concentrator. An esti- a strategic metal, in as vital a class as The Green River oil shale forma- mated 500 workers have been depend- uranium. It is going now from Wick- tion lies in western Colorado and Utah. ent on the Castle Dome operation.— enburg to federal laboratories where Extensive experimental work in min- Tucson Daily Citizen. secret experiments are underway. Dif- ing and refining has steadily reduced ficulty now is that the two mines are • • • the cost of producing oil from shale, Panguitch, Utah . . . not accessible to trucks. However, and it is predicted that the day is not one carload of lithium has rolled from far distant when shale oil can com- To encourage uranium prospecting Wickenburg for Amboy, New Jersey. pete commercially with natural petro- and mining development in the Marys- The shipment consisted of 50 tons leum. A dramatic milestone in devel- vale area, the U. S. Atomic Energy valued at $55 per ton.—Wickenburg opment of the West's oil shale resour- Commission has lowered the minimum Sun. ces was reached recently when for the grade of development ore that will be o • • first time diesel fuel refined from shale accepted from producers in that re- Tonopah, Nevada . . . was used to power a railroad train. The gion. The minimum has been dropped Leasing activity and reopening of Rio Grande's streamlined Prospector from two-tenths of one percent to some small gold properties in the Man- made its overnight run from Salt Lake one-tenth of one percent uranium ox- hattan district and adjacent areas is City to Denver on fuel produced at ide. The new arrangement will apply expected to follow remodeling of the the Bureau of Mines pilot plant. More only to ores extracted during the pros- War Eagle mill, after which the mill than a score of the nation's top mining pecting and development stage of op- will begin handling custom ore. The experts were in the passenger list.— erations. The program is designed to meet special conditions peculiar to the plant is being changed over from the Vernal Express. amalgamation and concentration proc- • • • Marysvale area. •— Garfield County ess to straight cyanidation. The plant Prescotl, Arizona . . . News. was built in 1908 by the late Matt Modern metallurgy is; to be em- • • • Keanne, operated on gold ore from ployed in an attempt to revive the Barstow, California . . . Manhattan mines many years. It pro- Mount Union mine, 10 miles south of Four years of prospecting by A. C. duced more than $3,000,000.—Tono- Prescott, where separation of complex Lambert have resulted in what promises pah Times-Bonanza. gold-silver-lead-zinc ore had proven to to be one of the richest tungsten strikes • • • be too difficult for previous operators. in many years on the Mojave desert. Darwin, California . . . The Silver King Divide Mining com- The mine is located approximately 25 Regular shipments of lead-silver ore pany, Austin, Nevada, is undertaking miles northeast of Barstow near Camp are being made from the Minnietta the project on advice of engineers and Irwin. Discovered in November, 1949, lead mine, on the east slope of the mineralogists. Henry V. Snell, super- subsequent tests and operations have Argus range and about 10 miles from intendent, says first move will be to produced ore graded at an average of the Panamint Springs resort. The ore reopen a 600-foot tunnel along the 3.5 percent scheelite per ton. About is going to the Selby smelter of the main vein. As soon as the ore supply 50 tons of scheelite ore a day are now .American Smelting and Refining com- justifies, a complete mill will be being mined by the open pit method. pare. The property is owned by Helen brought from Austin. According to Called the Starbrite Mine, the diggings M. Ipunn, Independence, California, local reports, the mine has not been are owned by A. C. Lambert and is ui^der lease to Tom Vignich and operated since 1906. — The Mining Clair Dunton, are leased to the Min- Ross Finley of Bishop. A unique eral Materials company. — Barstow feature of the mine is an aerial tram- Record. • • • Printer-Review. way which carries ore from upper • • • workings to a small gravity concentra- Battle Mountain. Nevada . . . tion plant recently completed on the Copper Canyon Mining company Globe, Arizona . . . property.—Humboldt Star. has resumed production of lead-zinc- A steady production rate of a ton • • • silver ore on a substantial scale from of No. 1 fiber daily and three-quarters Winnemucca, Nevada . . . the Hornfels ore body at the firm's of a ton of No. 2 grade is being main- About 900 tons of sulphide gold ore Copper Canyon property. The deposit tained by the Gila Asbestos company. daily is being milled by Getchell Mine, was discovered a few years ago, has All the No. 1, which is long and iron- Inc., at its property near Red House been developed to a depth of 700 free asbestos with fibers up to four in the Potosi district, it has been re- feet from the Julie shaft and is the inches, is purchased by the govern- ported. An improved reduction plant most important ore body in the mine. ment at $1050 a ton. The No. 2 as- is in operation, is designed to treat It was formerly noted for its output bestos, worth $550 a ton, is shipped 1500 tons of ore a day.—Humboldt of copper and gold.—Battle Mountain to Los Angeles and sold on the open Star. Scout. market.—Los Angeles Times.

20 DESERT MAGAZINE For many years Sandy Has- sell was a trader on the Navajo reservation, and out of his as- sociation with the Indians he has written for Desert Maga- zine a series of revealing stories

—little episodes which disclose t

the intimate character traits of • , the Navajo Indian. The names are fictitious — but the stories are true.

By SANDY HASSELL Sketch by Charles Keetsie Shirley, the Navajo artist

THE trading post changed management Jack He- looks-the-other-way's services were accepted by the new trader the same as if they were a part of the fix- "You are smart men, smarter than I am, and have given this case much tures in the store. Jack was a good time and consideration and have tried to be just. But I think I know better man to have for he knew all the In- than you how much this woman is worth for she has been my wife." dians, how many sheep they had and where they lived. But what was of the most value he knew all their names. but it was the injustice of it all, for he judge, jury, prosecuting attorney, de- Some of them made a practice of had given her no cause to leave. There fense and witness. changing their names every time there had been no quarrel and he had fur- The courtroom was a room that ad- was a new trader and then trying to nished all the groceries — very few joined the trading post. They liked to get credit under this name. men did this. He had made no com- hold their trials here for it was warm True, Jack was not strong enough plaint about Harry Longnose visiting and they wouldn't be interrupted. If to sack wool and do heavy work but his home almost every day that he it was necessary they could always call he was honest and all of his relatives was working and said nothing now on the trader to pass on some final lived a long way off so were not al- that Sadie was going out frequently at decision. If he did, the headmen were ways around the store wanting credit night and staying late. always right. and then expecting Jack to pay their Last week she had gone to visit her The trial lasted more than two hours debts. But Jack's cough never seemed folks and in a few days Harry had fol- and neither the defense nor the pros- to get any better so the trader thought lowed. Now they were living together ecution were called on to give any it besl; that he stay at home more and and Sadie wouldn't come home. She testimony—and didn't. The headmen less around the store. He wasn't fired, said that Harry was now her husband. gave all the evidence, debated the case just retired without any regular pay. Jack had talked to the headmen in and agreed on the verdict without any But the trader would still put down on the community and they said that one else making any comment. the books all the groceries that he and there should be a trial and he had Harry had taken Sadie away from his wife Sadie needed, for Jack had agreed. Jack and of course could keep her, but been faithful. The hour and the day of the trial Jack should be paid for his loss. Five This pleased Jack for he could now was set. No one was appointed to no- dollars a month was soon agreed on stay at home most of the time, lie tify Harry but this wasn't necessary. for they thought that was about all down when he felt tired and have all Indians always heard about trials and Harry would be able to pay. The num- that he wanted to eat. came. ber of payments he would have to His wife was a good weaver and On the day of the trial they were all make would be decided on later. In what she received for her rugs could at the trading post: Jack, Harry, Sadie, the meantime Sadie's good and bad be spent for something besides gro- a few close relatives and four head- points would have to be debated. ceries. men. Slow Talker, He-came-back-mad, Nothing about Sadie was too inti- But now Sadie had left him and he Many Children and Long Mustache mate for them to discuss and nothing was hurt. He didn't mind losing her were the four headmen who acted as was overlooked. If good features were

JANUARY, 1951 21 stressed so were the bad. They were fair and impartial. Here's a new list of brain-exercises for folks Her disposition came first. That was who like to keep their minds active. You above reproach. She smiled often and Desert Quiz need to have a heap o' knowledge about a never took offense at any jokes. She wide variety of subjects to get a high score in this test. The questions and Jack never quarreled and she include Southwestern history, botany, mineralogy, geography and the never complained or nagged. She was general lore of the dessrt country. A tenderfoot probably will not score good to her relatives and anyone who more than 10. Seasoned desert rats will get 15, and there may be a few came to her home was always welcome studious folks who score as high as 18. When they are that good we call to eat. Her fried bread was excellent 'em Sand Dune Sages. The answers are on page 45. —she always washed her hands when she made bread and patted it a long 1—Going from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Arizona, by the shortest paved time. She always had coffee made with route you would travel on—Highway 60 Highway 66 lots of sugar in it and didn't keep the Highway 93...- Highway 80... grounds in the pot until there was no room for water. She was clean and 2—Jojoba is the name of—A desert tribe of Indians A plant orderly about the house and yard. A bird .. A rodent Was a good dresser and her clothes 3—A rattlesnake adds a new button to its rattles—Once a year were always clean. She bathed regu- Every time it sheds its skin Twice a year Scientists do larly, kept her hair tidy and was al- not know the answer ways free from bugs both on her head and body. Her rugs always brought a 4—According to legend the Enchanted Mesa of New Mexico is the good price for she was a good weaver. ancient home of—The Zuni Indians Acomas Hopis Never asked Harry to chop wood—she Taos did that—and there was always some 5—Hadji Ali (Hi Jolly) was a—Yaqui chieftain Navajo god in the house in the morning to put on Camel driver Army scout the fire. Yes, she was very modest and never stood around on the street and 6—Capitol Reef National Monument is located in—New Mexico talked in a loud voice. No mention Utah... Arizona California was made of her morals for they had 7—J. Frank Dobie is best known as—A movie cowboy Mining no bearing on the case. If they had, engineer Authority on gems and minerals Writer of they would have been discussed just Southwestern books... as freely as anything else. 8—Canyon del Muerto in Arizona is a tributary of—Grand Canyon It didn't take much time to point Oak Creek Canyon Canyon de Chelly Bryce Canyon out what was undesirable about her. She had had no children and none 9—The first colony of Mormon emigrants reached Utah in—1823 could be expected. She had no sheep 1862 1870 1847 but that wasn't so bad. Her cough was 10—One of the following men played a leading role in the Lincoln similar to Jack's and they didn't think County War in New Mexico—Butch Cassidy Billy the Kid that she would live very many years Wyatt Earp.. Geronimo even with the aid of the medicine man and the white doctor. If it hadn't been 11—One of the following minerals is harder than quartz—Calcite for her cough they would have con- Feldspar Malachite Corundum .' sidered giving Jack a little more. 12—Old mining camp on the Oak Creek road between Prescott and After all of Sadie's good and bad Flagstaff, Arizona is — Oatman Ajo Globe points had been gone over several Jerome times by each headman they thought it was time to decide on how many 13—To reach Taos, New Mexico, from Santa Fe you would travel ap- payments Harry should make. Many proximately—Norlh East South West Children suggested 12 payments. The 14—Wickenburg, Arizona, is on the bank of the—Big Sandy River rest agreed that it was about right. Hassayampa Salt River Bill Williams River Yes, that made $60. 15—Clyde Forsythe is best known in the Southwest as a—Writer of des- Now the trial was over and every- ert books Painter Mining engineer Death Valley body was free to talk. Only good man- guide.. ners and natural restraint had kept Jack silent this long. Not that he 16—Tinajas is a Spanish word meaning — Natural water tanks wanted to say anything that would in- Mountain range Prospector Roasted corn fluence the decision but he was an or- 17—The old Butterfield stage line crossed the Colorado river at — ator and generally took part in all dis- Needles Ehrenberg Parker Yuma cussions. 18—M. R. Harrington is best known in the Southwest as an authority on Jack now arose, looked at each —Botany Archeology Mineralogy Flood control headman and spoke in a low voice. "I know that all of you are smart men, 19—Ubehebe is the name of an extinct volcanic crater in—Zion National smarter than I am, and have given this Park The Great Salt Desert... Death Valley Nevada's case time and consideration and have Valley of Fire.... tried to be just. But I think that I 20—Chief industry of the Yuma Indians is—Farming Weaving know better than you how much this Sheep raising.. Pottery making woman is worth for she has been my wife. I think that $50 is enough."

22 DESERT MAGAZINE Agate hunters of all ages swarm over this rocky hillside only three miles from Hoover Dam in the Lake Mead National Recreational Area. They are part of the 1000 who responded to the Clark County Gem Collectors invitation to join a mass field trip to this virgin collecting area.

When the Gem Collectors of Clark County. Nevada Invited Nevada, invited all the rockhounds in the world to join them on a mammoth field trip to a newly discovered hill of flower agate they wondered the Rockhounds what the response would be. The answer: a three-mile caiuvan jvith nearly a thousand hammerhounds. Bui the host society was equal to the occasion, and with some help from the National Park Service, provided a field day pro- By AL HA WORTH gram like nothing ever staged before. Photographs by the author Map by Norton Allen

JLL BROWN stood tall and staged—to an easily accessible but vir- Lake Mead National Recreational tanned at the crest of a low sad- gin flower agate field. Area. We had driven the day before dle in the range of rocky hills Dorothy and I were a little out of from the Desert Magazine Pueblo at and pointed across the shallow canyon. breath as we topped the rise and Palm Desert, California, and had "There it is, folks. But don't stop looked west, hoping to be able to see camped that night along with hun- down in the wash. Climb on up the Black Canyon, at the bottom of which dreds of enthusiastic rock collectors slope on the other side to find the the once unruly Colorado River now and desert lovers at Boulder Beach good stuff." flows sedately. But the intervening campground, on the clean sandy shore Bill Brown is president of the Clark ranges of the rugged Black Mountains of blue Lake Mead only five miles County Gem Collectors, Las Vegas, blocked our view. from Boulder City. Nevada, and with that wave of his arm The spot where we stood was only It was an ideal camping spot, and he was directing nearly 1000 persons three-quarters of a mile off U.S. High- one of the few places on the desert of all ages—who had come from as far way 93-466, three miles from Hoover where the unique idea, conceived six away as New York City for the big- Dam on the Arizona side of the Colo- months before by President Brown and gest mass field trip of rockhounds ever rado River and in the heart of the Paul Drury, publicity director of the

JANUARY, 1951 23 where we could hear the gentle splash of miniature waves lapping on the sandy beach—a rare sound indeed on the desert. By the time we had our own bedrolls straightened out, it was dusk and as the warmth of the Oct- ober sun disappeared a pleasant chill could be felt. All about us tents were being pitched and camp suppers were in preparation. We were among the very few who were without tents, but we still believe that one of the greatest joys of desert camping is out in the open, staring upward at the fleecy white clouds as they appear to thread their way through the myriad stars. Much later, just before sleep came to us, Dorothy murmured: "1 think the desert has a monopoly on all the stars in the universe." We were to discover that a night of sound slumber was to be denied us. Virtually all night long cars were ar- riving. They would come one or two at a time, then a group. We could hear the motors grinding along in low gear until a likely looking stopping place was found. Then the occupants would pile out, and in a few minutes there would be the sounds of tent stakes be- ing driven into the ground. About the time one group got settled, some new campers would pull in and the process would be repeated. Next day we learned the reason for these late arrivals. Many of them were from the metropolitan areas of San Diego and Los Angeles, had put in Paul Drury, left, and Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Hamilton examine huge specimen their full work-day on Friday, then found by D. R. Crawford, China Lake, California, member of the N.O.T.S. hurried home, packed their gear and Rockhounds. It was prize find of the day. started out on the long drive to Lake Mead. Most of them planned to camp Saturday night also, so came with full Clark County Gem Collectors, could of the October 8 date and the response equipment. Here, I thought, was a re- have been successfully carried out. far exceeded expectations. When Dor- vealing and significant thing. This na- The men had located the virgin ag- othy and I registered Friday afternoon tion, I decided, despite its alleged so- ate field while prospecting for new lo- at the ranger station at entrance to the cial, moral and political decay, will cations. They are true rockhounds, public campground maintained by the never go completely to the dogs as constantly searching out new fields in National Park Service on the lake long as folks want to and can escape little-known parts of the desert. But shore, there were already nearly 300 from the man-imposed regimentation this time they found an unusual com- people in camp. Some were just put- of congested cities and go out on the bination—a virgin collecting area only ting up their tents and a lew beginning free open desert—either in congenial a few steps from a paved highway. to prepare their evening meal. groups or alone. They kept it secret. But it wasn't We found Mr. and Mrs. Drury at The camp was astir early Saturday long before they began to think about headquarters tent, identified by a flag what would be the best way to share flying from the center pole, and met morning. Starting time for the trip to their find with others—for that is a Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Hamilton, official the agate field was set for 8:00 and typical trait of those in the rock and welcomers. The Hamiltcns were ev- by 6:00 the smell of coffee and siz- gem fraternity. Little by little their erywhere in their jeep, shouting greet- zling bacon was in the air. Here was plan was evoived. Working with other ings to old and new friends, furnishing camping without hardships. The Park leaders in the Clark County society, information or just making everyone Service has provided running water, it was decided to sponsor an unprec- feel at home. How she managed I cook stoves, wood and shaded tables, edented mass field trip, inviting so- don't know, but hardly a new-comer plus sanitary facilities and dressing cieties and clubs from all over South- arrived without being personally rooms. And it is all free. ern California and rockhounds from greeted by the smiling Mrs. Hamilton. By 7:30 cars were lining up on the any part of the country to visit the The campground had been reserved paved road in front of the ranger sta- Lake Mead area, spend a day or two for the occasion. We were told to pick tion. Finally the caravan got started, on the desert and hunt for flower ag- our own site, and no matter where we with Field Trip Leader Bill Brown as ate in an untouched location. settled we would be among friends. guide. Invitations went out well in advance We moved close to the water's edge We looked back. A solid line of cars

DESERT MAGAZINE stretched all the way back to the camp blasted to reach Hoover Dam—lodged the Arizona side—our caravan picked entrance, a distance of two miles. We firmly between the almost perpendicu- up more cars, late comers who had looked ahead. For nearly a mile we lar walls of Black Canyon. It was not camped at Boulder Beach the could see the twisting procession of a three-mile-long caravan, truly the night before but had arrived in time automobiles almost bumper to largest mass field trip ever made. to join the trek. bumper. The lead jeep was already out We reached the dam at 9:30 and We made the short climb up out of of sight as the highway entered the red at center of the awe-inspiring mass of Black Canyon and at 1.0 miles left and black hills of solid rock through cement and steel we zeroed our speed- the restricted dam area heading to- which the paved roadway has been ometer. At the east end of the dam— ward Kingman, Arizona, on Highway

Looking over Boulder Beach campground from U.S. Ranger station at entrance to camp. The camp was reserved the weekend of October 7 and 8 for visiting rockhounds.

if. f * ' Wmm

JANUARY, 1951 25 Glancing back we could see the highway, and established the fact that a person turning off at exactly 3.0 miles from Hoover Dam should be able to locate with comparative ease the break in the hills where we stood and which is a signpost to the collect- ing area. "Don't stop down in the wash, climb on up the other side to find the good stuff," Bill repeated. Across the wash to the west and southwest the hill- side was by now swarming with hu- manity. Some stopped near the bottom to pick up pieces of float, but the more experienced climbed up near the top of the hill. And they soon discovered it took some looking and some work to get anything worthwhile. The hill—which the Las Vegas club has unofficially named Flower Agate Hill—is an outcropping of rhyolite with seams and veins of agate contain- ing interesting inclusions of flower-like forms of hematite, manganese oxide and occasionally marcasite. Colors of the inclusions run from white through the paler blues, salmon red, golden- rod-yellow and black. Each vein runs to a slightly different basic grouping of colors, but most of the seams have an attractive mixture of several colors. An important discovery — a fact which the original locators of the field didn't know—was made late that same night. It was discovered that the flower agate collected on the morn- Paul MacMillan, Eureka, California, member of the Humboldt County ing's field trip was beautifully fluor- Gem and Mineral society, was one of those who discovered best material escent, showing sulphur yellow and could be found by digging in seams of the volcanic rock. purple tones under the mineral light. This greatly enhances the material in the eyes of many collectors, and since 93 and 466. We were in a region of to the turn-off to the day's collecting that fine October day gem cutters have hills that are almost completely barren, area. made some fluorescent settings from devoid of the familiar desert vegeta- We inched ahead and at exactly 3.0 the material. Some outstanding pol- tion which we had enjoyed at varying miles turned to the right off the paved ished specimens for cabinet displays altitudes from the below-sea-level Col- highway. A broad natural swale pro- have also been made. orado desert in California to the 3000- vided ample parking space within a On the hills in the vicinity of the ag- foot level at Searchlight, Nevada, quarter-mile of the highway, and we where the grotesque Joshua trees are ate field the dominant rock type is a learned afterwards that 320 cars car- biotite latite lava flow. This formation seen. Here in this region of lava flows rying 870 persons actually made the and closely related igneous rocks even is one of the most extensive in the trip to the collecting area. At the Black Canyon area and extends far to the hardy creosote bush could barely camp, a total of 1030 had registered. survive. The few that managed to keep the south of Hoover Dam. The freshly What were the rest doing? They were fractured rock varies in color from alive were under-sized, sear and husbands or wives or children of rock- "brown. pink, red and light reddish gray to a hounds, who had come along for the light gray. Crystals of biotite are The geology of this area, including outing. They lounged around camp or clearly visible, as are small crystals of the agate grounds for which we were swam in the lake or went boating at white feldspar. headed, is considered complex. Rus- the nearby docks. We questioned Russell Grater about sell K. Grater, Park naturalist, says We hurried from our car, walking the rock formations are probably all of northwest toward the well-defined sad- the geology of the region and he told Tertiary age or perhaps even younger dle where Bill Brown stood leaning on us that this lava flow, although young in some instances. We were trying to his pick directing the stream of human geologically, is not the most recent picture this rugged country as being traffic. When we reached his side and flow in the area. Since the cessation of comparatively new and were thinking looked down into the wash the slope volcanic activity, the region has under- about the fact that this arid region has on the opposite side already was alive gone considerable stripping of the sur- been almost continuously inhabited by with earnest collectors hard at work. face formations through erosion by man for approximately 2000 years Up the gentle rise behind us came the Colorado River and its small trib- when we were brought back to the more and still more men, women and utary streams. The agate field occu- present by a halt in the caravan's children — all eager for that first pies one of these areas of extensive movement. The lead cars had come glimpse of a virgin agate field. erosion.

.26 DESERT MAGAZINE By noon most of the rock hunters had enough specimens or enough hard work to satisfy them. There was some grumbling about the quality of material found, and it is true that much of it showed soft spots. But many of those who really dug into veins for material that had not weath- ered out found flower agate that was extremely colorful and, as was proven later, made beautiful cabochons. Saturday night found most of the rockhounds back in camp. Although they had gathered from all parts of the United States they were on as friendly terms as if they were next- door neighbors. The outdoors does this for people, but in addition this varied group had the twin common bonds of belonging to the rock frater- nity and being lovers of the desert trails. On Saturday night, with the neon lights and the artificial glamor of

At right — President Bill Brown of the Clark County Gem Collectors, Las Vegas, Nevada, directs eager agate hunters to best collecting spot.

Below — Natural parking area just off paved highway. At right of center low saddle in range of hills can be seen. Cross this to agate grounds.

JANUARY, 1951 2? Las Vegas not many miles away, these people chose to enjoy themselves ^eA&uMtinA Sfocv Sfaontaye o£ IRain,.. around a huge bonfire under God's open sky, dropping later into deep Drouth conditions over the greater part of the Southwest during the slumber from which they could last year are reflected in the report of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation awaken next morning refreshed, with giving the acre feet of water in storage in its irrigation reservoirs on clear heads and no regrets. September 30 this year compared with the same date in 1949: At the campfire program George F. Project Reservoir Capacity Sept. 30.- 49 ijept. 30. '50 Baggley, superintendent of the Lake Boulder Canyon Lake Mead 27,935,000 22,828,000 19,751,000 Mead National Recreational Area, Parker Dam Power Havasu 688,000 613,400 588,800 was introduced and Naturalist Grater Salt River Bartlett 179,500 8,900 2,900 Horse Mesa 245,100 166,900 200,800 talked for several minutes on the geol- Horseshoe 67,900 500 800 ogy of the region. Also introduced was Mormon Flat 57,900 35,200 52,200 Lelande Quick, editor of the Lapidary Roosevelt 1,398,400 385,600 5,200 Journal and a regular contributor to Stewart Mountain 69,800 34,700 45,600 Desert Magazine. Then as entertain- Fruit Growers Fruit Growers 4,500 400 700 Humbolt Rye Patch 179,000 35,500 28,900 ment four costumed couples danced Hyrum Hyrum 15,300 4,900 6,900 square dances to music of an eight- Moor. Lake Moon Lake . 35,800 9,700 10,900 piece western band directed by Marion Newlands Lahontan 290,900 72,500 159,800 Johnson, member of the Las Vegas Lake Tahoe 732,000 127,200 332,400 Newton Newton 5,300 1,000 1,100 club. Following this exhibition, the Ogden River Pine View 44,200 11,100 15,600 band played on and many of the Pine River Vallecito 126,300 59,900 24,800 guests joined in the fun of open-air Provo River Deer Creek .... 149,700 116,000 120,400 square dancing. Scofield Scofield 65,800 19,900 26,900 Strawberry Valley Strawberry 270,000 104,900 123,800 Most of the visitors delayed their Truckee River Storage Boca 40,900 17,600 27,700 trip home until Sunday — and there Uncompahgre - Taylor Park .... 106,200 65,900 35,200 was another field trip Sunday morn- Weber River Echo 73,900 19,000 39,500 W. C. Austin Altus 145,000 120,800 148,900 ing. This was to the park onyx field Carlsbad - Alamogordo .... 132,200 106,200 95,200 (Desert, Sept. '46) which was visited Colorado River Marshall Ford 810,000 509,500 157,600 by 391 persons in 142 cars. Had it Rio Grande- Caballo 346,000 67,900 43,000 not been for the record-shattering Elephant Butte 2,197,600 714,400 333,500 Tucumcari Conchas -... 274,900 252,400 214,000 gathering of the day before, this in it- Belle Fourche Belle Fourche 177,500 34,200 47,900 self would have been a huge mass Milk River... ..Fresno 127,200 10,400 34,100 field trip. Nelson 68,800 0 19,000 Sherburne Lakes 66,100 9,900 22,000 The influx of rockhounds, added to Rapid Valley Deerfield 15,000 13,100 12,600 the regular visitors at Hoover Dam, re- Riverton Bull Lake 152,000 71,100 101,300 sulted in two new records for federal Pilot Butte 31,500 3,100 6,200 officials to enter in their books. Satur- Shoshone Buffalo Bill 456,600 ,336,100 391,300 Sun River...- Gibson 105,000 4,300 63,500 day, October 7, was the largest single Pishkun 32,100 11,300 23,800 October day since the dam was Willow Creek 32,300 1,000 21,200 opened, and the largest October week- end. It must have been gratifying to Club President Bill Brown, Vice President OPALIZED OBSIDIAN - FROM MEXICO Cortes Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. Drury, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton and Alex Way down in Mexico, the land of romance and undis- Boyle—all of whom worked hard to covered precious and semi-precious stones, I have found put over the unprecedented undertak- something entirely new and fascinating. Basically, it is ing—when there was such a tremen- dous response to the Clark County opalized obsidian (Pitchstone) but embedded in it are Gem Collectors' unlimited invitation. beautiful round, bright red inclusions like round peanuts Certainly they must have felt well re- or jumping beans. It makes beautiful cabochons and out- paid for their efforts. standing cabinet specimens in the rough. Send me five Driving back to the Desert Maga- zine Pueblo at Palm Desert, Dorothy dollars for about three pounds and get the thrill of your and I pondered this question: does rockhound experience. Don't ask for free sample; or ask contact with the outdoors and with the questions. Shipping expense is too high from here and I'm desert make people into friendly, gen- uine, tolerant humans like the folks we too busy. had been with for the past two days; Mr. J. L Kraft has been my friend for many years. I'm sure he will or are friendly, genuine and tolerant vouch for my honesty. people the ones who are attracted by MR. ALBERTO E. MAAS the outdoors and the beauty of the Alamos, Sonora, Mexico desert? P.S. Perhaps you can suggest a name for this most interesting gem. It's probably a little of both, we de- cided.

28 DESERT MAGAZINE Now this is the part that is hard to Concepcion Mine. Mr. Mitchell must believe, but those words that I put in also know about the many bars of the soup were so strong that they pure silver that in recent years have melted the kettle, melted the stove, been uncovered of the Sierra de Cau- and burnt a hole through the floor. chapa ore. There are people who this Without a stove it was too cold for day have very valuable information Tall Tales—The Montana Brand ... us. So we came to California. regarding these mines and if notes DOROTHY VICK could be compiled it would make the Gallatin Gateway, Montana • • • Lost Dutchman Mine a pauper. Desert: (With apologies to Hard Rock The Agate Is Still There . . . I would be glad to hear from any- Shorty) Los Angeles, California one having information on the sub- After several hours search we chose Desert: ject. Who's got the missing link? our camping site. This place is unique 1 want to enter a protest against J. W. HENDERSON in two respects. First, there are three persons who change the names; of old • • • little hills all in a row that are readily landmarks. "Keep the Roadsides Clean" . . . spotted miles away, making our camp A recent writer describing a trip via Lucerne Valley, California easy to find. Second, at the foot of the Wiley's Well referred to Double Butte, Desert: middle hill there are a number of about five or six miles south. Those Referring to your editorial in the large black boulders. They are smooth twin buttes have down through the Desert for November, regarding the and cannot be moved. We use them years been called "The Picachos." desecration of the desert and its high- as tables and extra chairs. I visited this section first in 1906, ways with rubbish, beer bottles and I set up a stone and rendered out before A. P. Wiley of Palo Verde cans. This is a terrible thing and on a nice fresh supply of shortening from store dug the well. At that time I all highways. I ride to Victorville and the nearby greasewood. Joe set up our camped at Mule Spring on the old back to my ranch in Lucerne Valley. water supply. He tapped a barrel cac- Bradshaw stage line. Three subse- Long ago I took two cardboard car- tus on the north side of the hill for quent visits gave me a pretty good tons with me and filled them with cold water, one on the South for hot knowledge of this area. bottles and then counted 60 more water and a very large one on top of In 1906 the area of The Picachos that I did not pick up, only one way. the hill for our shower bath. was one great field of agates of all It is impossible to catch the guilty It took our united efforts to catch descriptions. A rockhound now tells parties. The thing that will stop it is enough lightning bugs to fill our light me the agates are all gone. This is fear of being caught. My suggestion globes. These turn on and off when erroneous as the agate material is em- is wide publicity, with consent of State we pull a chain which raises and low- bedded in solid rock. It is still there Police and Sheriff's offices, stating the ers a hood over the globe. if they want to mine for it. possibility of a campaign by the above. We now feel that we are as ratty GEO. S. MADDEN The gathering of the cans and bottles as any "desert rat." It is true in the early days that and taking off the finger prints and There seems to be some mistake as the buttes were called the Pica- comparing them with those on car to why we are here. Let me make this chos— a Spanish word meaning drivers, licenses and other finger clear. It did not get too cold for us peak or summit. The Mexican prints in official records, to be fol- in Montana. We enjoy cold weather, prospectors applied the name to lowed by arrest and punishment. that is we enjoyed it as long as we had many conspicuous pinnacles in I know it is an impossible task but a good stove to sit by. Losing our the Southwest. However, when wouldn't strong preliminary publicity stove caused our move. the map-makers came along they to the plan stop, a part at least, of the It was like this, when the cold recorded Picacho as the name of nuisance? weather came we were all set with a peak along the Colorado river WM. E. MILLER wood, books to read, and plenty of several miles to the southeast— • • • soup in the big kettle. It gets so cold and it probably was to avoid con- Los Angeles, California sometimes that our words come out fusion that the rockhounds have Desert: in icicles, long or short depending been using the name Twin Buttes Apropos to your editorial in Nov- upon what we have said. Putting these for the pinnacles you refer to— ember Desert Magazine on our debris icicles in the soup "kills two birds with R.H. strewn highways, Mrs. Poss and I one stone." As they melt we hear what • • • have just returned from one of our was said, then we stir the letters back Lost Silver of the Jesuits . . . bi-annual escapes from civilization, a into the soup. I just love Alphabet Colorado Springs, Colorado three weeks camping trip through the soup. Desert: Utah-Colorado plateau country in- On one of our coldest days an old As a new subscriber to your maga- cluding the Four Corners Section and prospector came to the door. I opened zine you sure came through with a Monument Valley. the door and beckoned him in. As bombshell when you published the The contrast between unspoiled he brushed the snow from his whis- story "Lost Silver Mine of the Jesuits". primitive Navajo land and what we kers he said something. Without A lot of people have kept this story term "civilization" was revealed in a thinking I popped it into the soup. almost secret but now Mr. Mitchell way not so complimentary to the lat- Then I saw his face and knew that has given the search a new impetus. ter. those words should never have been I have been gathering a lot of inform- Taking the shortcut from Shiprock put in my soup. I had to get that ation and am probably one of many via the "over the rocks" route to Mex- icicle out or my soup would not be who have a copy of Don Ricardo's ican Water, Dinnehotso and Kayenta, fit to eat. As I turned to try to rescue document. The document refers in de- one sees much country unscathed by my soun a blue smoke was boiling up tail to the treasure stored in six mines civilized trappings. It is when one re- out of the kettle. The soup was com- of the Tumacacori Mission. All we turns to glorious California, and I ing right up over the top of the kettle need now is one of Mr. Norton Al- mean glorious, that the jolt is felt. On and was running over onto the stove. len's wonderful maps showing the the homeward stretch from Barstow The room filled with the blue smoke. landslide that covers up the Purisima the welcoming effect of California's

JANUARY, 1951 29 famed scenery was sadly diminished piness is something we create within via Tulsa. At a point 20 miles below by the rubbish fringed highway which ourselves. Tulsa the construction crew had to lined the roadside mile after mile all As in the past, so in the future, you blast off part of a bluff, known locally the way to Los Angeles. That the nui- promise to take us to remote canyons as Stone bluff. sance has suddenly accelerated since where there is peace and beauty, to In doing so they blasted out a rat- the advent of the throw-away can and places where Nature's charm fills the tlesnakle which was killed by the ex- bottle is obvious. A program to elim- heart with renewed inspiration, and plosion. Said snake was 11 feet long, inate the nuisance will not be easy due where we can meet lovely people who 5V2 inches in diameter, and its tail to the nature of the culprit who causes live happy useful lives without any carried 52 rattles. it. Your suggestion that it would be concern as to whether they ever make I didn't see the snake, but a friend good for the brewing companies to the front page. Your role will be to and neighbor who lived a half mile take heed is a wise one. tell us where and when and how we away saw it and gave me the descrip- May I suggest something further. can find health and happiness in the tion. This snake was the talk of that The beer and whiskey concerns sun and sand and solitude of the part of the country for a long time. have big advertising budgets. Their great desert land. We are with you ALBERT LLOYD billboards line the highways. They heart and soul on this journey to see • • • the beauty which lies beyond each could easily accommodate a box or From a German Rockhound . . . rider ad to stress some such slogan as glorified horizon of a thousand desert "Keep The Roadside Clean." Even landscapes. 14 Westend Str. the oil companies who profit by the LEO TURNER Hof-Saale, Bavaria public's love of the open road could • • • U.S. Zone, Germany Desert: well use some of their billboard space Discovery of Pipe Spring . . . in such a campaign. Being a passionated collector of Fallon, Nevada minerals since my earliest childhood, This nuisance can never be stopped Desert: I hope to find your kind attention for by Penal Codes or Highway Patrol By coincidence, when your Novem- a special desire. alone. Like spitting on the sidewalk, ber issue came I was reading Paul Up to 16 March 1945, I had gath- the can tosser has got to become con- Bailey's book, Jacob Hamblin, and ered nearly 500 pieces of petrifactions, scious that it is a disgusting habit and had just read the story of Pipe Spring. a considerable collection of minerals to have an accusing finger pointed at It states Jacob Hamblin's "little party and jewels with at least 1500 regis- him every time he poises for the left Santa Clara settlement on the tered pieces, esteemed and acknow- throw. Hundreds of billboard fingers 28th of October, 1858, and made ledged by scientists, and furthermore should have some effect on even a their third night's camp at a clear 500 pieces not yet ranged into mineral thoughtless trash thrower. spring flowing out of a low ridge of grades. You can, as experts, certainly As a first step in getting action into tumbled red buttes." consider yourselves the value of this this, you might suggest that all read- Jacob Hamblin sized up the place collection. ers of Desert Magazine who have as a strategic spot to build a fort to By the air raid upon Wuerzburg I friends of influence in the concerns guard the east-west trail from the rim was totaly bombed out, lost entirely mentioned, appoint themselves com- of the Colorado to the Rio Virgin, my collection of petrifactions, miner- mittees of one to drive some such idea then told how the spring was named. als and jewels, except a very small home. In Jay Ransom's version in your rest which I had carried into the cellar This is probably only one of the November issue the date of Hamblin's in the very last minute (even this rest many rises your editorial will evoke visit was given as two years earlier, in was plundered after the attack), and from your desert loving friends. 1856. As an interested reader of early lost my whole scientific literature and Cordially yours, day Latter Day Saints history, please more than 500 other volumes too. JOHN R. POSS tell me which date is correct. • • • After I had surmounted the terrible MRS. RAY S. JONES shock, the old collector ambition Goal of Desert Magazine . . . Mrs. Jones: Jay Ransom evi- awoke anew, and being assisted gen- El Centro, California dently took his data from the erously by dear friends in our country, Desert: Pipe Spring National Monument I succeeded to gather again about 500 For thirteen glorious years we have descriptive booklet issued by the pieces of minerals within the last four read and enjoyed Desert Magazine with National Park Service. This book- years. its travel, exploring, mineralogy, wild- let states: "The first white men to By this letter I should like to get life, lost treasure and personalities. visit Pipe Spring were the Jacob connexion with friends of minerals With such writers as Everett Ruess Hamblin party, who, in 1856, and collectors "from the other side of and Marshal South you have lead us camped at this then nameless the large pond", either to exchange into the solitude of the sand dunes sprins." That leaves me puzzled, minerals or to get presented such ones where the Voice of the Desert speaks too. I'll write to the Utah State bv generous gentlemen until a possi- to souls in a most tender and effica- Historical Society. I am sure they bility of payment is given. cious manner, bringing comfort and have the records.—R.H. T should be very glnd if mv letter peace to troubled hearts. • • • would have some success, and should Your goal to publish a magazine Oklahoma's Big Snake . . . be thankful for the slightest gift of which will be true and genuine has Tulsa, Oklahoma minerals. met with the grand success which it Desert: The nieces should be pointed out so justly deserves and proves that the Now I do not wish to start a con- precisely ("class and finding-place), great majority of American Peoples troversy, but John G. Spielman in otherwise they would be of no value still hold fast to the noble first prin- your October issue seems to think the for collectors. ciples on which this powerful nation 36 rattles he saw at Hot Springs, Hoping to be favoured with a kind was founded. You seek to emphasize N.M.. was a record. reply, a way of living which is wholesome In 1904-5 the Midland Valley rail- I remain. and satisfying—down close to the road was under construction from Ft. voiirs good earth where one learns that hap- Smith, Arkansas, to Wichila, Kansas, HANNS KLEEMEIER 30 DESERT MAGAZINE utor to Desert for many years. She about Jaeger for this number of also writes for several national publi- Desert. fDAGAZIM cations, among them the Christian Lloyd is a native of Montana, but Dt&tftl Science Monitor. he came to California with his parents • • • when he was eight, and went through CLOSE-UPS Chaffey junior college at Ontario and Catherine Venn's Diary of a Jack- later through the University of Cali- rabbit Homesteader, which has ap- fornia where his research on the For many years the editors of Des- peared serially in the last six issues of Joshua tree gave him a master's degree. ert Magazine tried to find an Indian Desert Magazine, was concluded with Lloyd's schedule of field trips, lec- trader wno had both the time and the the December issue. Although Mrs. tures and museum displays at Palm interest to write about his experiences Venn, after several months in her lit- Springs attracts 35,000 people annu- in dealing with the Navajo. And then tle cabana in the Jackrabbit colony in ally to the museum in Palm Springs. we met i>andy Hassell. After several Section 36 in Riverside county, had years as a trader Sandy had moved to • • • to return to her position as secretary Wilson McKenney, one of the Santa Fe where he had become a to the Los Angeles City council in "trader to the traders." He covered the founders of Desert Magazine, who is order to hold her civil service senior- now a free-lance writer, recently com- reservation regularly and brought in ity, she makes frequent trips to her Indian goods for resale. pleted the manuscript of the most desert homestead, and plans to do complete story yet written about Peg- Hassell has written a series of 10 more writing about life in her little leg Smith and his lost nuggets of black short stories about the Navajo out of cabana on the desert. gold. The story is to be published in his experience on the reservation. The • • • a paper-backed booklet by the Desert first of these, Navajo Justice, appears For the information of Desert Mag- Magazine printers early in 1951. in this issue of Desert, and others, ill- azine readers who missed the full- • • • ustrated by Indian artists, will appear length story about Lloyd Mason Recently Harold and Lucile Weight, in future issues. Smith in the December issue of Des- formerly of the Desert Magazine staff, Sandy's interest in the Navajo be- ert Magazine, he is the director and have become associated with Lucille gan when he was a small boy in Ten- curator of the Desert Museum at Coke and Martha Berry in the pub- nessee where he was born more than Palm Springs. It was through his work lishing of the Calico Print, a monthly 60 years ago. His uncle, after a tour in the museum that he became ac- newspaper which has been published of the reservation in a buckboard, re- quainted with Edmund C. Jaeger, and intermittently for many years at Yermo turned home with a Navajo rug, a their common interest as naturalists near the old Calico mining camp. The pair of moccasins, a hand-made silver paved the way for many camping paper is devoted largely to mining and ring and many tales about Indians, trips together—and the gathering of historical news of the Southwest. The flash-floods and the hospitality of the the material which Smith has written editorial office is in Pasadena. people he met, both red and white. When he was old enough to leave home the Navajo reservation was his destination, and that has been his Picture Contest Announcement... home ever since, although he has trav- eled and worked in many places, in- Beginning in January, 1951, Desert Magazine will resume its cluding Alaska. He has been a guide, monthly Picture-of-the-Month Contest, awarding cash prizes to pho- packer, cowhand, camp cook, harvest tographers, both amateur and professional, who submit the best hand and lumberjack. He even spent desert photographs for publication. several months on the road in Okla- Winter months are picture months on the desert—and the subject homa, selling school supplies and material is unlimited: Landscapes, strange rock formations, unusual cook stoves. botanical specimens, wildlife, prospectors, Indians, sunsets—all these and many more invite the camera owner. Remember, it takes the But always he comes back to the shadows to make the picture, but there are nearly alway* good reservation. He is an outdoor man. "I shadows on the desert. would rather make the acquaintance Entries for the January contest must be in the Desert Magazine and cultivate the friendship of wild office. Palm Desert, California, by January 20, and the winning prints things than kill them," he says. "I have will appear in the March issue. Pictures which arrive too late for one never been a prospector nor a rock- month's contest are held over for the next month. First prize is $10: hound. Too often I have seen the second prize $5.00. For non-winning pictures accepted for publication rock collectors cart home great quan- $3.00 each will be paid. tities of gem material and then dis- card it in the back yard. I enjoy min- HERE ARE THE RULES 1—Prints for monthly contests must be black and white. 5x7 or larger, printed erals but I never wanted to possess on glossy paper. them." 2—Each photograph submitted should be fully labeled as to subject, time and A year ago Sandy wrote a little 42- place. Also technical data: camera, shutter speed, hour of day, etc. 3—PRINTS WILL BE RETURNED WHEN RETURN POSTAGE IS ENCLOSED. page book titled "Know the Navajo" 4—All entries must be in the Desert Magazine office by the 20th of the contest with more pertinent information about month. these Indians than is contained in 5—Contests are open to both amateur and professional photographers. Desert most of the much larger volumes of Magazine requires first publication rights only of prize winning pictures. 6—Time and place of photograph are immaterial, except that it must be from the other writers. Thousands of these desert Southwest. books have sold at 50c each. 7—Judges will be selected irom Desert's editorial staff, and awards will be made • • • immediately after the close of the contest each month. Dorothy L. Pillsbury of Sante Fe, Address All Entries to Photo Editor New Mexico, whose book No High Adobe, is reviewed in this issue of *De&ent PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA Desert Magazine has been a contrib-

JANUARY, 195 1 31 MAPS for those who travel tie desert country More than 300 maps, especially drawn by Norton of interest in the Southwest. Allen for your guidance, have appeared in past A limited number of back issues of Desert con- issues of Desert Magazine—maps to ghost towns, taining these guide maps are still available and to lost treasure areas, to gem and mineral fields, to can be supplied—in complete copies of the maga- historical landmarks—maps of forgotten trails and zine-—at less than 17 cents each. These magazines of the newest roads. Desert Magazine's maps are also contain many other maps not listed below. accurate and easy to follow—they are the most Here; are those available, classified for easy refer- accurate guides you can obtain to a thousand places ence: MAPS FOR TRAVELER AND EXPLORER . . . MAiPS FOR THE ROCK HUNTER . . . Aug. '45—Vanishing Oasis of Palm Wash. MAP Sep. '45—River Trail to Rainbow Bridge. MAP Jun. '45—Selenite crystals in Utah. MAP Oct. '45—New Trail to Hidden Springs. MAP Nov. '45—Geodes in the Chuckawallas. MAP Nov. '45—Where Palm Meets Pine. MAP Apr. '46—Beach Stones Along the Colorado. MAP Dec. '45—Palms in Pushawalla Canyon. MAP May '46—Green jasper, near Lake Mead. Nevada. MAP Feb. '46—Crater of the Setting Sun. Jun. '46—Agate, chalcedony, etc., Arizona. MAP Mar. '46—Dripping Springs in the Santa Rosas. MAP Sep. '46—Gem onyx field, near Las Vegas. Nevada. MAP Apr. '46—Palms That Grow in Cat Canyon. MAP Oct. '46—Augite crystals, Hopi Buttes. Arizona. MAP May '46—By Jalopy Through "The Sweepings of the World." Nov. '46—Petrified stumps. Painted Desert. Arizona. MAP MAP Feb. '47—Indian turquoise workings, se Arizona. MAP Jul. '46—Palm Hunters in the Inkopah Wastelands. MAP Apr. '47—Wood from Petrified Hollows, s Utah. MAP Freak Rocks in Nature's Wonderland. May '47—Hauser geode beds. Black Hills, Calif. MAP Aug. '46—We Camped at Cantu Palms. MAP Jul. '47—Geodes at Searchlight, Nevada. MAP Nov. '46—Glyph Hunters in the Indian Country. MAP Aug. '47—Agate, chalcedony. Fossil sprs., Arizona. MAP Dec. '46—We Explored Dark Canyon, Utah. MAP Oct. '47—Collecting crystals. Topaz mt., Utah. MAP Feb. '47—Palms of Palomar, Baja. Calif. MAP Nov. '47—Petrified wood. Cedar ml., Nevada. MAP Apr. '47—Palms of the Carrizo Country. MAP Apr. '48—Mudpots and obsidian, Salton Sea. MAP May '47—Day in Grapevine Canyon. MAP Jul. '48—Agate and chalcedony. Turtle mts., Calif. MAP Tun. '47—Palms That Survived in Cloudburst Canyon. MAP Oct. '48—Ancient Beach pebbles, Colorado riv. MAP Aug. '47—Mastodons of Moab. MAP Nov. '48—Blue agate on the Mojave. MAP Sep. '47—Oasis on Bear Creek. MAP D«.c. '48—Gem field in Cady Mts. MAP Feb. '48—Operation Underground. MAP Feb. '49—Kyanite Crystals in Imperial County. MAP Apr. '48—We Scaled El Picacho. MAP Mar. '49—Turquoise hunters have a field day. MAP May '48—Fishing Village on the Gulf. MAP Apr. '49—Geodes in the Kofa Country. MAP Jun. '48—Daddy of the Palm Canyons. MAP May '49—Geodes. Chalcedony, Southern Arizona. MAP Aug. '48—Utah's Incredible Arch of Stone. MAP Ju:i. '49—Jasper along Highway 60. MAP Mar. '49—Country of the Standing Rocks. MAP Ju'.. '49—Sandpikes on the border. MAP Jun. '49—Ancient Artists Lived on Rattlesnake Peak. MAP Sep. '49—Agate, jasper, on Devil's Highway. MAP Aug. '49—Indian Country Trek. MAP Oct. '49—Fossils in Coyote Mountain. MAP Oct. '49—19 Days on Utah Trails. MAP Nciv. '49—Apache Tears at Bagdad. MAP Nov. '49—19 Days on Utah Trails. (Cont.) MAP Dec. '49—"Lakeview Diamonds" in Oregon. MAP Dec. '49—Valley of the Cathedrals. MAP ROCK HUNTER'S SET, 30 magazines. . . $5.00 TRAVEL AND EXPLORATION SET, 30 mags. $5.00 FOR THE LOST TREASURE HUNTER . . . (7 of these stories include maps) MAPS TO THE GHOST TOWNS . . . Jun. '45—Rumors of Gold Aug. '46—John D. Lee's lost gold mine. Ariz. Jul. '46—Ghost Town of Calico Hills. MAP Nov. '46—Lost Pegleg gold not a myth, Calif. MAP Jan. '47—Ghost Town of White Hills, Arizona. MAP Dec. '46—Treasure Hunt on the Salt Desert, Utah. MAP Jun. '47—When Rawhide Roared. MAP Apr. '47—Lost John Clark silver mine, Ariz. Jul. '47—Gold Harvest at Aurora. MAP May '47—Searching for lost cities of the desert. May '48—Columbus Ghost Town in Nevada. MAP Jun. '47—Lost quartz-silver vein, Calif. MAP Jan. '49—Old Fort Cummings in New Mexico. MAP Sep. '47—His Compass Was a Burro's Tail, Ariz. MAP Nov. '47—Jack Stewart's gold ledge. Calif. GHOST TOWN MAPPED TRIPS, 6 mags. . . $1.00 Feb. '48—He Guards the Secret Turquoise Shrine Mar. '48—Guadalupe gold, Texas Apr. '48—Maximilian's Treasure, Texas Jun. '48—Tim Cody's lost gold ledge, Nev. MAPS TO HISTORICAL PLACES . . . Jul. '48—Lost Treasure of del Bac. Sep. '48—Haunted Silver in Arizona. MAP Juii. '45—Trek of the Mormon Battalion. MAP Oct. '48—New Clues to Pegleg Gold. MAP Mar. '46—First Emigrant Train. MAP Dec. '48—Emerald Mine in Santa Rosas. Apr. '46—Long Walk of the Navajo to Ft. Sumner. MAP Jan. '49—Lost Squaw Hollow Gold Ledge, Arizona. May '46—When Hawaiians Came to the Utah Desert. MAP Feb. '49—The Potholes Placer, Utah. May '47—Mormon Crossing at Hole-in-the-Rock. MAP Apr. '49—Lost Lead-Silver Mine in Nevada. Jul. '48—On Kino's Trail to Pozo Verde. MAP Feb. '50—Lost Gold of Salt Spring. MAP LOST TREASURE SET, 21 magazines . . . $3.50 HISTORICAL MAPPED TRIPS, 6 magazines $1.00

ORDER AS MANY ISSUES AS YOU WISH Magazines may be ordered by specifying month One copy 25c; Six for $1.00; 12 for $2.00 and year only, or by sets. The entire set of 51 different magazines for $8.00 «• LOOSE LEAF BINDERS FOR PERMANENT THE FILING WILL BE SUPPLIED FOR $2.00 EACH 4 Each binder has space for 12 copies PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA

32 DESERT MAGAZINE Ancient Dwellings Uncovered . . . FLAGSTAFF—More than 100 an- cient Indian dwelling sites, some dat- ing back as far as 100 A.D., have ott been located as a result of excavation ARIZONA Glen Canyon Project Heads List . . . for a natural gas pipeline across Meteorites by the Roadside . . . FLAGSTAFF—The proposed Glen northern Arizona, according to Fred Canyon dam on the Colorado River Wendorf, archeologist in charge of a WINSLOW—Reversing a previous special survey. Wendorf said his decision, Dr. H. H. Nininger has an- 15 miles upstream from Lees Ferry and 13 miles downstream from the crews have excavated 10 ruins and nounced that the American Meteorite located 100 others.—Coconino Sun. Museum near Highway 66 a few miles Arizona-Utah border, has been given west of this city will continue to be top priority by the department of in- operated as an educational exhibit of terior. Glen Canyon dam would be meteorites. The realignment of High- one of several storage reservoirs mak- way 66 left the museum a short dis- ing up the over-all Colorado River tance from the paved road, and Dr. utilization and development program. Nininger stated several months ago It is the only Arizona site in the upper that because attendance had fallen off basin storage scheme. sharply, he would close the institution There are 10 units in the project, and move the collection of meteorites designed to save upstream water for elsewhere. Both scientists and laymen later delivery to lower-basin states. protested this decision, so Dr. and Electric power would also be gener- Mrs. Nininger have reconsidered and ated at the dams.—Coconino Sun. ROUND TRIP will maintain their fine collection • • • Good First Class or where it is, with a number of improve- TUCSON — The Arizona State Coach- on Four daily ments which will add to the public's Museum is sending out a folder giv- air-conditioned Trains interest in the museum. ing a short history of the museum and • • • its activities plus a brief natural his- Greasewood Keeps Down Dust . . . tory of Arizona, references to museum TUCSON—Besides giving the land- displays covering the state's geology scape a denuded look, removal of na- and telling the story of its pre-historic tive creosote bushes from the desert inhabitants. Copies of the folder and 'EVERYTHING FOR THE HIKER" is responsible for much of Tucson's announcements of museum events will dust, according to Dr. Walter Phillips, be mailed upon request. SLEEPING BAGS • • • head of the University of Arizona AIR MATTRESSES botany department. "It's the silliest TUCSON — All types of tourist thing that's ever been done," he de- business in the nine southern counties SMALL TENTS clared. He pointed out that it takes of Arizona showed an 18 percent in- and many other items 25 years or more for a creosote bush crease for September, 1950, over Sep- or greasewood to grow to full height. tember, 1949, the business research Much of the area around Tucson bureau of the University of Arizona VAN DEGRIFT'S HIKE HUT has been stripped of its native vegeta- has announced. Average increase for 717 West Seventh Street tion by real estate developers who the entire state was 15 percent. Tuc- LOS ANGELES 14. CALIFORNIA grade large tracts of land with bull- son showed a 37 percent increase. dozers. Once the creosote and other desert growth is removed, the soil is subject to rapid wind erosion and ASK YOUR CONTFLACTOR ABOUT "PRECISION BUILT" creates huge clouds of dust with every gust of wind.—Tucson Daily Citizen. • • • RED CINDER BLOCKS Plan Indian Children's Home . . . You'll have year COTTONWOOD — Establishment of an orphanage for Indian children around comfort and a children's home here is believed with to be virtually assured following ac- tion of Verde Land and Development "Precision Built" stockholders in voting to offer to the Arizona Baptist Convention unused RED CINDER OR buildings for that purpose. If the PUMICE BLOCKS offer is accepted, the Baptists will Homes of Distinction begin operation of the home as soon as the large former United Verde Ex- are built with tension office, emergency hospital and PLANS AVAILABLE smaller structures can be put in con- DESERT CINDER BLOCKS FOR dition. DESERT HOMES Tentative plans call for facilities for 40 children and a minimum staff of seven adults. The Navajo Indian Transit Mixed Concrete Co. agency at Window Rock, Arizona, 3464 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena 8 has agreed to cooperate.—Verde In- RYAN 1-6329 or Corona Phone 1340 dependent.

JANUARY, 195 1 33 Sanitation Lack Navajo Problem . . . DOUGLAS — A Navajo Indian THE D€S€RT TRADING POST baby has no better than a 50-50 chance of living to be five years old, Classified Advertising in This Section Costs 8c a Word, $1.00 Minimum Per Issue 8000 Navajos die every year from tuberculosis, venereal disease is wide- spread and improperly treated if at INDIAN GOODS COLOR SLIDES—Travel, Nature, Geology, etc. Free list (with sample 30c, three for dollar). all, and many other infectious dis- WE SEARCH UNCEASINGLY for old and rare Kelly D. Choda, Box 5, Lo;; Alamos, New Indian Artifacts, but seldom accumulate a Mexico. eases are prevalent on the reservation. large assortment. Collectors seem as eager to possess them as their original owners. To THREE DIMENSIONAL Desert Dioramas, 6x8x2, These were some of the statements those who like real Indian things, a hearty $3.00; 8x13x2, $5.00; 8x20x2, $7.00; "The Spe- made by Dr. Clarence G. Salsbury, welcome. You too may find here something cial," 10x20x2 y2, $10.00. Diorama Studios, you have long desired. We are continually Tucson, Ariz. who spent many years on the reserva- increasing our stock with the finest in Navajo rugs, Indian baskets, and hand-made jewelry. FABULOUS EARNINGS — Fascinating pastime. tion at the Ganado mission and who is Daniels Trading Post, 401 W. Foothill Blvd., Growing Genuine, living miniature (Ming) Fontana, California. Trees. New Sensational Business or Hobby. now head of the state health depart- Astounding information FRE!i!. Dwarf Gar- ment's preventive disease bureau, in 4 PERFECT AND FINE Indian Arrowheads dens, Box 355N, Briggs Station, Los Angeles $1.00. 2 large arrowheads $1.00; extra fine 48, California. a talk before a nurses' annual meeting stone tomahawk $2.00; 4 beautiful bird ar- rowheads $1.00; 2 flint knives $1.00; fine PUGET SOUND SALMON shipped anywhere in in Douglas. Improper sanitation, he effigy peace pipe $8.00; bone fish hook $2.00; U.S.A. Guaranteed to arrive in excellent con- said, helps spread of the deadly dis- 6" or over spearhead $5.00, thin and perfect. dition. Thomas Seafoods, 3-110 E. 158th St., List Free. Lear's, Glenwood, Arkansas. Seattle 55, Wash. eases. He urged education which would lead to improved economic BOOKS — MAGAZINES CHEMIST, desert wise and wi:h auto, wants grub stake to search for gem mineral speci- conditions, which in turn would cor- MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS for all publica- mens, war value enhanced job lots of ore tions at publisher's prices. Courteous, prompt and mining leases. One deal might pay for rect many features of the Indians' service. F. G. Voltmer, 10211 Seabury Lane, a year's grub stake. $150 per week required. Los Angeles 24, California. Write Clinton Davidson, 610 S. Main Street, plight.—Holbrook Tribune-News. Los Angeles, Calif. BOOKF1NDERS—Scarce, out of print, unusual • • • books Quickly supplied. Send wants. Clifton, LADY GODIVA "The World's Fir.est Beautifier." 'Arizona Highways' State-Financed Box 1377d, Beverly Hills, California. For women who wish to becorr.e beautiful, for women who wish to remain beautiful. An PHOENIX — The Arizona High- GEM TRAIL JOURNAL, the only real field outstanding desert cream. For information, guide of its kind. The best there is on Cali- write or call Lola Barnes, 963 No. Oakland, ways magazine, recognized as one of fornia collecting. Get your copy direct from Pasadena 6, Calif, or phone SYcamore 4-2378. the author by sending $2.00 plus 6c tax to the outstanding pictorial publications 1781 Fleming St., Pomona, Calif. OLD WESTERN outlaw photos, $1.00. 20 dif- in the nation and featuring color pho- ferent Old West, Pioneer, etc., photos, $1.00. WORKING WITH AGATE: 24-page illustrated 10 different battle of Wounded Knee 50c. tograph reproductions, reduced its an- booklet. Tells you how. Practical information 5 different Lincoln 25c. Lists 5c Vernon Lem- nual loss in the fiscal year ended July —Collecting to displaying. 50c postpaid. ley Store, 302 Dallas Ave., Mena. Arkansas. Melvin Kathan, 11 S. E. 78th, Portland 16, 1, 1950, to $47,781, the Arizona Oregon. SILVERY DESERT HOLLY PLANTS. One dollar each postpaid. Greasewood Greenhouses, RFD, State Highway Commission has re- ASPEN ON THE ROARING FORK, by Frank Barstow, California. L. Wentworth. A six hundred copy reprint ported. The magazine receives an an- of this scarce history of Colorado's greatest PROSPECTORS AND ROCKHOUNDS WANTED. nual appropriation of $100,000 from silver camp is now off the press. Four illus- To join the newly incorporated United Pros- trations, two additional chapters, and a pectors Organization. If you are experienced the state legislature. It supplements 21 x 30 pictorial map of Aspen in 1893. 350 or beginners the articles in our magazine are pages of fascinating history. Price $6.00 bound to help you enjoy your hobby and the this state money with income from Postpaid. Francis Rizzari, 2101 Hoyt St., outdoors. Send your name for our new bro- subscriptions.—Tucson Daily Citizen. Denver 15, Colorado. chure and literature. United Prospectors, Box 729 Lodi, California. • • • MISCELLANEOUS "GOLD PANNING FOR PROFIT." Healthy out- Arizona Protects Reptiles . . . FRED AND JESSIE PORTER welcome you to door hobby. Beginners big illustrated instruc- PHOENIX — Arizona Fish and "Pow-Wow" Rock and Gift Shop. East end tion book—$1.00. Miners' gold pans, $2.00. of Yermo, Calif. Hi-way 91. You are assured Prospectors' powerful magnifying glass, $1.00. Game Commission has asked civic of an interesting stop here; whether it be Package black sand and real gold, $1.00. rocks, gifts, information or a souvenir. Desert Jim, 627 Lillian, Stockton, California. groups throughout the state to publi- What's your hobby? Ours is rocks. Come in PANNING GOLD — Another hobby for Rock cize the fact that the Gila Monster and and "Pow-Wow" with us. Hounds and Desert Roamers. A new booklet, Horned Toad are now protected ani- "What the Beginner Needs to Know," 36 pages ARIZONA DESERT TRIPS. Want to venture to of instructions; also catalogue of mining books mals in the state of Arizona. It is ordinarily inaccessible places? We're com- and prospectors supplies, maps of where to go pletely equipped. Gritzner's 135 North Sir- and blue prints of hand machines you can illegal to kill the reptiles or to take rine Street—Mesa, Arizona. build. Mailed postpaid 25c, coin or stamps. them from their native habitat except Old Prospector, Box 729, Desk 5, Lodi, Calif. through permission in writing from REAL ESTATE! the commission. TUB CANYON RANCH PALM DESERT: 40 acres, fine soil, good well. Buy direct and save. C. W. Faries, 45S So. BORREGO VALLEY Spring, Los Angeles 13. CALIFORNIA Limited accommodations for those INDIAN TRADING POST: California's most Salton View Road Paved . . . beautiful Indian Trading Post for sale. Pine who seek a quiet home atmos- Valley, California—on transcontinental High- TWENTYN1NE PALMS—One of way 80, 45 miles east of San Diego and 75 phere on the desert in an out-of- west of El Centro, in the mountains, eleva- the West's most magnificent views is the-way corner of the Borrego. tion 3700 ft. In the fogless belt with a mar- velous climate. 1000 sq. ft. store building of now only 25 minutes by high-gear Ideal for Family. No telephone. adobe brick with tile roof, luge beam ceil- paved road from the center of Twen- ings and open fireplace. Thirty-ft. store For further information please front, huge parking space. Typical Trading tynine Palms. The newly-paved Joshua write to: Post signs, Katchinas etc. Sales room 19 x 30. rug room 13 x 16. We handle only genuine Monument highway to Salton View Noel and Ruth Crickmer Indian merchandise. This is really a treasure was officially dedicated recently by trove of all things Indian. Navajo rugs, In- Borrego Star Route, Julian P.O. dian jewelry, baskets, pottery, bead work the Twentynine Palms chamber of and world-wide imports of the highest class. California Does a large all-year volume of business. commerce with Jack Givens, superin- Seven-year lease at $75.00 per month. Being tendent of the Joshua Tree National on transcontinental highway 80 has a large all-year-round volume of traffic. Don't for- Monument, in attendance. Salton get that the 1953 World's Fair to be held in WANT *IO,OOO* San Diego is sure to pull crowds of people View overlooks Coachella Valley and past this post. Address, Indian Trading Post, Earn the govern- Super Sensitive P. R. I. Pine Valley, California. Salton Sea and from its elevation of ment bonus. Locate /*ri/*CD milMTCD 5185 feet Old Mexico, Palm Springs, Uranium with a GEIGtR COUNTtR HOT MINERAL WATER! Imagine your own Also get one for Atom Bomb swimming pool — Heated By Nature! Five San Gorgonio Peak and Mt. San Ja- Defense! acres of beautiful desert land for only $2500 Find gold, silver, and other —$500 down and 4 years to pay. Hot water cinto can be seen—covering a varia- valuable ores with a P.R.I. Trea- guaranteed. Located on surfaced road 13 tion in altitude from more than 200 sure Locator. World's finest in-P«'" /nqyWes miles NE of Palm Springs. Doctors and struments. Free catalog. Write! l"<"t*

34 DESERT MAGAZINE Cloud Seeding Is Filmed . . . BISHOP — The entire process of seeding clouds with dry ice to increase precipitation—a new scientific accom- plishment that may one day revolu- tionize agriculture and the livestock industry in the arid Southwest—is be- ing recorded on motion picture film by the Moody Institute of Science of Santa Monica. The institute special- izes in meticulous scientific films. A five-man crew was sent into the Bishop area to film the California Electric Power Company's cloud-seed- ing process. The firm has been using a P-38 to spread dry ice in super- WITH NEW, EXCLUSIVE MOBIL CREDIT/CHEK BOOK cooled clouds over the High Sierras Bishop Creek basin. Object has been to increase snowfall, which in turn MobJ I q as provides more water run-off to operate the company's hydroelectric generating plants. The program has been under- way three years.—Inyo Independent. • • • Land Ownership Plan Discussed . . . WARNER HOT SPRINGS—If the many attendant problems can be MOBIL CREDIT VCHEIC IS worked out, California will be the first •state in which a withdrawal plan to take Indian lands from under control •of the Indian Bureau and make them FASTER! the property of individual Indians will After years of searching for a way to be tried. This was the statement of speed up and simplify credit purchasing Indian Commissioner Dillon S. Myer for you, we're replacing the conventional at a recent conference here when In- dians from all southern California res- Credit Card with the Mobil Credit Chek ervations met with officials of the Book. In a 9-month test, thousands of bureau. Oregon motorists have proved to their There are many problems to be complete satisfaction that this modern, solved before the plan can be put into operation to the satisfaction of both simplified business form eliminates the tribesmen and the government. practically all writing; by actual tests, Water is the major need on reserva- "in-station" time has been cut in half! vir-= tions. Commissioner Myer said Cali- MOBIL CREDIT VCHEIC IS fornia Indians are better prepared to put the plan in operation because their children already attend public school. —Banning Record. SAFER! Yes, safer than even bank checks, Tramway Will Be Built. Claim . . . because you have dual protection— PALM SPRINGS—Despite a ruling your own signature and your of the secretary of interior denying an individual code that is punched application for right-of-way across U. . each purchase ticket. S. Forestry land, "the Mt. San Jacinto out Winter Park aerial tramway will be built," according to Earl Coffman, chairman of the Winter Park Tramway Authority. The Authority was created with ap- MOBIL CREDIT VCHE£ proval of the State of California for the purpose of building a tramway from near Palm Springs, on the floor EASIER! of the Colorado desert, to near the summit of Mt. San Jacinto, nearly « or addreaddre..s to HI 11,000 feet high. Everything was set record purchase

36 DESERT MAGAZINE Uniform Brand Laws Asked . . . been recognized but the area has not WINNEMUCCA — The Nevada been readily accessible. That situation State Cattle association has adopted has been remedied with completion by recommendations that the state legis- the Forest Service of an approach lature enact uniform state-wide brand road in Lee Canyon. Elevation of the inspection and theft protection laws accessible zone ranges from 8000 to to help stabilize the cattle industry. 11,000 feet, provides an abundance of Under present conditions, enforcement powdery snow with fine skiing terrain of brand inspection laws is difficult for from four to five months annually. and many of the state's cattlemen are —Review-Journal. deprived of the protection which the • • • laws are supposed to give, the associa- 'Big Dinosaur' Only Few Bones . . . tion claims.—Humboldt Star. LAS VEGAS—It was a good yarn • • • while it lasted, but the reported dis- Nevada Wildlife Survey . . . covery of a dinosaur skeleton measur- ELY—A thorough study of man- ing 30 feet in length turned out to be agement practices, wildlife population only a handful of fossilized sea shells. trends, game laws and propagation in- Sgt. William Lyons and two civilian stallations was made this fall for the employes from Nellis air base made Privacy State of Nevada by Dr. Ira N. Gabri- the find while erecting a relay station elson, authority on fish and wildlife on Sunrise Mountain. Their original conservation. He is president of the report created great excitement. But National Wildlife Management Insti- Russell Grater, park service naturalist tute of Washington, D. C. of the Lake Mead Recreational Area, At conclusion of his survey, Dr. and Edward F. Schenk, geologist from Gabrielson was to provide the state the U. S. bureau of mines. Boulder commission with a written report of City, blew up the bubble. They said like it his findings and recommendations. The the trio had uncovered a bed of ma- institute is a privately-financed organi- rine fossils probably three million zation, has performed similar services years old, pre-dating any of the big on the Santa Fe for many other states free of charge. pre-historic reptiles whose remains —Ely Record. have been found. The fossils were • • • found in what is known as the Kai- Towed to Scrap Heap . . . bab formation, the same geological RENO—Engine 28, all that remains formation found on the rim of the of the famous and romantic Virginia Grand Canyon.—Review-Journal. & Truckee railroad—Nevada's historic • • • gold and silver ore train line—has NEW MEXICO been towed to Reno for scrapping. Range Dispute—No Shooting . . . — Room to Three other cars of the narrow-gauge AZTEC—In the old days of the Roam, too! road were turned over to the state to West, range disputes usually led to be placed on display at Carson City. • • • FURNACE GREEK INN '"SAS More Dam Money to Be Spent . . . It's a private world of your own BOULDER CITY — Construction FURNACE CREEK RANCH EUROP»N PMN -your room on one of Santa Fe's totaling $32,234,110 at Hoover and in "Romantic DEATH VALLEY great trains, whether it's a deluxe Davis dams on the Colorado River is , desert oasis. Sunny d cool ntohts RiQino suite or economical roomette. ploring. Lontact included in the U. S. Bureau of Recla- Death Valley Hotel Co., Ltd., 510 West When you feel like roaming, mation's program for the current fiscal ei, MAdison 2511. year. Work at Hoover Dam will take there's a lounge car for friendly $11,000,000 of the total, while $21,- relaxation . . . and at mealtime, INVENTORS you choose from a Fred Harvey 000,000 will be expended toward com- When you are satisfied that you have in- pletion of the Davis Dam project far- vented a matter of value write me, without menu and eat from a table, in- obligation, for full information on what steps ther downstream. The 1950-51 pro- you should take to secure a Patent. stead of a one-choice tray. gram, according to bureau officials, PATRICK D. BEAVERS You board the Santa Fe "encompasses essential tasks to pre- Registered Patent Attorney serve water resource benefits built up 1023 Columbian Bldg.. Washington 1, D.C. downtown, not out in the sticks. through prior years." — Tonopah You leave on schedule in any Times-Bonanza. weather...see scenery and places • • • HAVE YOU SEEN PALM SPRINGS? en route at eye level . . . arrive Winter Sports Now Accessible . . . safely, relaxed, refreshed. LAS VEGAS — The winter sports Would You Like To? Yes, figure it out. You'll go possibilities of the upper Lee Canyon Will send you 24 Beautiful 3V2 x area, in the Charleston division of the 5'/2 Color Views of Palm Springs, Santa Fe —nil the way I Nevada National Forest, have long the Desert and Vicinity. C. C. Thompson, Calif. Ore. Wash. Ida. FREE—1951 Desert Calendar — |-REE Pass. Traffic Mgr. Los Angeles 14, COUNTY MAPS ALL FOR ONLY S1.00 CASH OR 'A fcf California for Travelers, Homeseekers, Prospectors MONEY ORDER List and prices on request FREE Postpaid in the U.S.A. Santa Fe WORLD'S MINERALS EMIL A. KNORR 2417 San Pablo Ave. Oakland 12, Calif. 296 N. Palm Canyon Palm Springs

JANUARY, 1951 37 shooting, but the Navajo Indians say dians, agreed to use his influence in area full of a great variety of prehis- they won't attempt to settle a current getting the 24 families to take their toric Indian ruins situated on mesas dispute that way. A dispute of long estimated 5000 head of sheep off lands and in canyons and valleys with high standing over Indian lands along the leased by white ranchers. But the case scenic values. One of the final steps Arizona-New Mexico-Utah borders isn't settled, Patterson pointed out. now being taken is exchange of lands gave birth recently to rumors that He has filed suit for the Navajo tribes- between New Mexico and the federal there might be bloodshed between men in U. S. district court for a ruling government so that all land required white stockmen and the Navajo tribes- on the Indian claim to grazing rights for the monument can be presented to men. The past dry year has added to in the San Juan River area.—Aztec the government without cost. This is the range problem and range land is Independent. required procedure. About 15 years at a premium, so the dispute which • • • ago the State of New Mexico began has been going on for years flared up Early New Mexico Ranching . . . acquisition of land for this purpose. again last fall. But the Indians said Ranching is New Mexico's oldest Some Indian lands were purchased, they would rely on their white lawyers industry—and still today is the solid but after being paid for their land the to fight their battle. Outcome finally foundation of its economy. Range use Indians were given use right in per- was that the Navajo families had to by domestic livestock is believed to petuity.—Gallup Independent. move their sheep back across the San have begun in New Mexico about 20 • • • Juan River to reservation lands. Atty. years before the Pilgrims landed at Reseeding Proves Successful . . . Knox Patterson, representing the In- Plymouth Rock, but it was not until TAOS — Reseeding of sagebrush the cattle boom of the '80s that heavy land and over-grazed range with use of the range lands began on a crested wheat grass has proved highly large scale. New Mexico has 77,767,- successful in experiments conducted 000 acres of land, most of it range. by the U. S. Forest Service in northern LAS The range land was seriously abused New Mexico, and it is hoped that the ' UNION from 1880 until 1930. Then stock- results shown on National Forest land i PACIFIC men and the government awoke to will encourage ranchers and cattlemen RAILROAD VEGAS the danger, Erosion control, range to reseed their private land. management and other corrective prac- Planting over-grazed land or sage- tices were started. Today rapid strides brush areas to crested wheat grass ac- are being made in the direction of im- Utt PLUS TAX complishes two things: it provides ex- proving existing range lands and re- cellent feed for livestock, and has tre- Now! $|2ROUND TRIP claiming land which had virtually gone mendous watershed benefits by halting New Low Fare bad. destructive erosion.—El Crepusculo. 4 Daily Air- Conditioned Trains • • • • • • Coach or Pullman Monument Plans Progress . . . GALLUP—Progress is being made Billy the Kid in the News . . . toward establishment of Manuelito SANTA FE—Many times over the National Monument, comprising an past 70 years it has been reported that Billy the Kid, the Southwest's most famous outlaw, was still alive, that he escaped death when he was 5 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN supposedly killed by the blazing guns of Sheriff Pat Garrett at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, on July 14, 1881. But now for the first time an attempt is being made to submit documentary evidence that William H. Bonney did not die at the hands of Pat Garrett, LOAt the ChelseaS, ever y ANGELEguest room is a large S but instead made his way to Old Mex- outside room, with its own private bath. All ico and there lived for years with the are beautifully decorated and designed for Yaqui Indians. comfort. A truly outstanding downtown hotel- Governor Mabry of New Mexico perfect for those who wish to be in mid-city, has received a formal petition asking and yet prefer a quiet home-like atmosphere. a full pardon for The Kid. The peti- The Chelsea is near-Radio Center, Hunting- tion was submitted by an El Paso ton Library, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, law firm and states that Billy is now China City, Movie Studios, Beaches. 90 years of age and because he has Rates from $3.00. Beautiful New Coffee Shop Now Open

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DESERT MAGAZINE been all these years under a death tween the ages of six and eight were VERNAL—Mrs. Taviana Atwine, sentence "it has been impossible for those who needed dental care the most. who could well remember the uprising him to live openly without fear." The — Vernal Express. of Colorado Indians which resulted in voluminous appeal includes affidavits the Meeker massacre, died in Novem- from two people who claim they knew Record-Size Elk Killed . . . ber here at the age of 101. She and Billy the Kid in his young manhood VERNAL—A 625-pound elk, the her husband were among the most and have seen him within the past biggest ever bagged locally, was killed progressive of the Ute Indians. — year. with one shot by Jack Boren, local Vernal Express. Governor Mabry asked the El Paso game warden, during a special elk lawyers to produce the man who season for which only 40 permits were COLOR SLIDES issued. Boren made his kill on Dowds Travel the West via scenic slides. All na- claims to be Billy. He said he would tional parks and monuments plus cacti, not act on the pardon request until he Mountain, 45 miles north of Vernal flowers, reptiles and models in gorgeous in country gripped by blizzards and landscape settings. 2x2 or stereo 8 only had a personal interview with the al- $1.95. Rare agate scenes and formations; sub-zero temperatures. The elk's ant- iris, plume, sagenite; 6 2x2 color slides $1.95. leged Kid.—Gallup Independent. Visit. See amazing slide show. Tons of lers had a spread of 57 inches.—Ver- agate; thousands of slabs; pound or slice • • • nal Express. 10c. Dave Harris, 2401 I'ittsburg, El Paso, National Forests Report Income . . . • • • Texas. WASHINGTON — National forest 'National Park Highway' Boosted Headquarters for receipts nearly balanced administra- KANAB — An organization to be Repairs & Sales all tive costs for the fiscal year ending known as U. S. Highway 89 associa- makes. Collimator June 30, 1950, it has been announced. tion has been formed to promote and alignment. BINOCULAR Receipts from the 152 national for- improve what has been temporarily INSTRUMENT CO. ests were $33,594,164, administrative named the "Border-to-Border National 536 8. Hill St. Park Highway." There are more Na- TUcker 1624 costs totaled $33,837,145. The Los Angeles 13, Cal. Apache National Forest lying partly tional Parks and National Monuments in New Mexico and partly in Arizona, along this highway, it is claimed, than was one of the 69 where receipts ex- on any other route in the nation. At SLEEP IN YOUR CAR ceeded administrative costs. The cost an organization meeting in Montpelier, figures do not include funds spent for Idaho, were representatives of cham- roads and trails, flood control, pest bers of commerce and civic groups control or emergency construction and from Montana, Wyoming. Idaho, Ari- repairs.—Gallup Independent. zona and Utah.—Kane County Stan- dard. • • • UTAH CEDAR CITY—Travel during Oc- tober in both Zion and Bryce Canyon I. CALIFORNIA CAR BED. Innerspring AIRFOAM replacement folding seat bed. Blood, Sweat and Tears . . . National Parks exceeded the 1949 II. CUSTOM CRUISING SEAT. Luxurious twin front seats form reclining seat, single FT. DUCHESNE—Indian children figures, it has been announced. There or double bed. All cars fitted. Transferable. were 10,316 visitors to Bryce in Oc- No cutting- 3 hr. installation. Free pam- don't like it any better than their little phlet "D" on request. white brothers, but the youngsters at tober of 1950 compared to 7869 in Factory Installations Whiterocks Indian boarding school 1949. At Zion 1950 travel was up Mail Order Shipments have to go to the dentist just the same. from 15,545 in 1949 to 16.011 in CALIFORNIA CAR BED COMPANY A dental program financed by the October, 1950.—Iron County Record. 2725 W. 54th St., Los Angeles 43, AX. 3-4700 tribal business committee has just been completed, with 145 enrolled students making the trip to the den- tist's chair. Some children had as On DESERT TRDILS with Everett Ruess many as 12 and 14 teeth needing den- Everett Ruess dreamed of a wild carefree life in the far places tal work, according to Roy Adams, of the earth where, unfettered by the petty restrictions of civilization, principal of the school. Children be- he could explore the unknown wilderness and paint and write as he roamed. "OVERLOOKED FORTUNES!" In the Rarer Minerals He lived with the Indians, he explored ancient cliff dwellings, he There is other mineral wealth in "them disappeared in the desert wilderness for weeks at a time, and each thar hills" besides gold and pretty rocks! time he returned to the haunts of men he wrote of his experiencos. There are "overlooked fortunes" in the many newer and rare minerals, such as Colum- bium, Tantalum, Vanadium, Molybdenum, In November, 1934, he and his burros headed off into the red Uranium, Nickel, Cobalt, Bismuth, Didymi- um, Selenium, Rhodium, Osmium, Rutheni- sandstone country of Southern Utah—and he has never been seen um, Platinum, etc., to mention just a few of the 35 or more rarer elements and their since then, and although there has been a widespread search for 300 or more commercial ores which the aver- him, no clue has ever been unearthed to reveal his fate. age prospectors and mineral collectors are walking over in the hills today and mine owners, large and small, are throwing upon But in his diary, and the letters he wrote, he left a rich legacy for their waste-dumps unidentified! Many more valuable than a gold mine: Cassiterite $600 those who would find the peace and beauty in life. a ton; Columbite or Samarskite SI-000 a ton; Bismuth ores $2,000 a ton; Tantalite or Microlite up to $3,000 a ton, etc. Now you All this material together with many of his block prints and can learn how to find, identify, and start cashing in on them! Send for FREE copy sketches are included in ON DESERT TRAILS WITH EVERETT "Overlooked Fortunes" — it may lead to RUESS. knowledge which may make you rich!

DUKE'S THIS IS A LIMITED EDITION Published by RESEARCH LABORATORY THE Box 666. Dept. B Mailed postpaid in U.S.A. for $2.75 HOT SPRINGS. NEW MEXICO California buyers add 8c sales tax Palm Desert, California

JANUARY, 1951 39 REAL VALUES! Snowflake Obsidian, 75c lb.; Star Agates, fluorescent $1.00 lb.; Petrified Wood, strong in Carnotite, $1.00 lb.; Petrified Wood, fine cutting material, $1.00 lb.; Blue Banded, AMATEUR GEM CUTTER Grape, Barite, Pigeon Blood Agates, finest cutting material, $1.00 lb.; Fine Dinosaur Bone, $1.00 to $4.00 lb.; many-colored Lime By LELANDE QUICK, Editor of The Lapidary Journal - Onyx for book ends, 50c lb.; Selenite Crys- tals, clearest known, all sizes, 40c lb.; Sep- Since the discovery of jade in Wyoming the Indians received their jade by long trian nodules, all sizes, 25c lb; Utah Picture in 1930, and its consequent commercial treks over the Bering Straits from China. Rock, 7c per in., rough 25c lb. Green Tec- availability in 1940, coincidsntal with the There is positively no connection between tites, gems from falling Meteorites, 75c, $1.00 discovery of jade at Monterey, California, the Mexican artifacts and the present neph- and $1.50 each. All slabbed stuff 30c to 60c per inch. Cash with order, you pay postage the same year, the amateur jem cutter has rite supplies of Alaska, California or Wyo- please. had a wide interest in the gem. It has been ming. his favorite cabochon material for several There are two great books on jade gen- HUBERT'S ROCK SHOP years. erally used as source material. The most Local Hocks and Minerals, Springdale, Utah Speakers on the subject arc always popu- important is one that the public never sees. lar with program chairmen and accounts It is one of the most remarkable books ever of these talks reach us in the many society written. It is a catalog of the collection of bulletins that cross our desk. We are ap- Heber R. Bishop of New York; a work 12" BENCH palled at times at the misinformation, supervised by S. W. Bushell and G. F. rather than the information, that some of Kunz. Only one hundred copies of a two- the speakers hand out to their audiences. volume edition were printed in 1906. These Perhaps some of this is due .o poor report- were distributed to famous libraries of the ing. world. The book is inaccessible to most There is an honest excuse Eor error, how- people. The two volumes weigh 125 ever, for the speakers get their information pounds. from the older books on jade. Much of that Six years later Laufer's work appeared. information has been proved wrong. Prior to the time of his death in 1934 he Much of the pardonable confusion arises often said that he was going to rewrite the from association of the word jade with book and correct the errors that he and China. Contrary to popular belief there others had found in the light of newer in- is no jade in China. There never has been vestigations. Laufer was probably the great- jade in China. Jade just happens to be the est student of Chinese art. He was a biblio- favorite material of the Chinese gem carv- phile but he was not a mineralogist or a ers and they have long been expert artisans gemologist and his opinions on jade were MODEL H-12 in jade carving. There is only one jade au- often wrong. They were wrong to the ex- thority who has ever claimec that jade was tent that several museums in America today found in China and it is his book (Laufer) number in their jade collections items that that most people consult when they want are not jade at all. We remember the story HILLQUIST Rock Saw to brush up on the subject for a little talk a friend told us of selling a jade collection to the club. All other authorities dispute to a midwest museum. The museum asked BIG! HUSKY! FAST CUTTING! Laufer in this. Laufer's opinion of it whereupon he said No other saw can touch it for price — no other none of it was jade and none of it was old. can compare in value. Here, at last, is a durable, S. Howard Hansford, probably the lead- easy-to-operate slabbing saw at minimum cost. ing authority on jade in the world today, Our friend was asked to make restitution. Rugged, quick-action rock clamp. Splash proof. Accu- devotes much space in his new book Chinese A laboratory examination revealed that rate cross feed indicator. Heavy arbor with precision Jade Carving to disprove Laufer. Hansford Laufer was wrong. Tests were then made fitted babbitt sleeve bearing. Rifle-drilled shaft with states "neither nephrite or jadeite is known immediately upon items in other collec- positive grease pressure lubrication. Only $72.00 to exist in its natural state within China tions and many were found to be serpen- f.o.b. Seattle less blade and motor. Crating $3.00. proper, nor in Manchuria, Mongolia or tine and other materials whereas nearly all Tibet. Siberia now sends so:ne jade to the of them had been identified as jade by 16" Chinese market but, apart from this, Chi- Laufer. FLOOR MODEL nese Turkestan is China's only source of We do not know the source of the jade- H-16 supply and may prove to nave been her ite used by the Mayas and Aztecs in carv- only source from earliest times." ing their ugly figurines. But it is safe to *1W.OO Some persons may do sorre hair splitting assume that it was local material—both 20" over this statement and say "well, isn't jadeite and nephrite. Some authorities say Chinese Turkestan in China?" Now called that jade artifacts have never been found FLOOR MODEL Sinkiang, it became part cf the Chinese north of Mexico City but we have in our H-20 Republic but it was never one of the eight- possession a jade axe-head found in Sonora, $155.00 een provinces. A comparative example not far below the California border. We would be to call Alaska x part of the consider as ridiculous the hypothesis of a PRICES F.O.B. United States proper. present "authority" that the Mayas must SEATTLE WITHOUT Since China is now getting jadeite from have been world travelers because their SAW BLADE Burma, most of the fine early jade art figurines contain Negroid and Scandinavian OR MOTOR. pieces are jadeite and not nephrite. It is features. Stone Age man and later peoples A favorite with professional lapidaries because they a popular belief that the jadeite is more made their implements and ornaments from cut BIG rocks. The 16" model will cut rocks up to valuable than nephrite. Actually, jadeite native rock and there is no evidence that 7"x9"xl8 ". 3" cross feed. Splash-proof operation. and nephrite are of about equal value. It they made treks of considerable distances Full 7" babbitt bearing with grease pressure lubrica- is the amount of the carving on a piece that for any favored material until they became tion. VA" shaft. Removable sump. Rugged "life-time" determines its value. The age of a piece is navigators. The American tribes knew the construction throughout. not important in establishing the value as canoe only and that did not take them far. HILLQUIST a gem. Jadeite is the harder of the two The jade carvings of the Maoris in New but nephrite is the tougher and more diffi- Zealand are even uglier than the Mexican cult to work. The fact is that no jadeite examples. These people lived in an abso- Auto-Feed. came into China from Burma until less lute stone age until recent times; times $46.35 INSTALLED than 200 years ago so that all of the older within the memory of those still living. ON ALL MODELS pieces from China are nephrite. If a piece When Captain James Cook discovered New Easy to install on many other makes of saws. Pat- is jadeite it is proof positive that it is of Zealand in 1769 he said that the Maoris ented revolutionary principle! Foolproof! Pays for comparatively recent origin. On the other were absolutely without knowledge of any itself by increasing life of saw blades! Automatically hand all of the fine jewelry pieces coming metals. The New Zealand "greenstone" adjusts cutting speed to hardness of rock. Nothing out of China today are jadeite. Jadeite has else like it. (as it is called locally) is nephrite. None never been found anywhere in Asia except of it is available commercially because the at the present diggings near Mogaung in New Zealand government declines to per- LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT CO. Burma. mit the export of the scarce material. They The jade artifacts of the Aztecs and prefer to allow the natives to continue their Mayas in America were almost always jade- jadecraft as they have for centuries. WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG ite. This disproves the popular idea that (To be continued next month)

40 DESERT MAGAZINE EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT OF LAPIDARY SHOW DATES The Glendale Lapidary and Gem society has set May 12 and 13. 1951, as the dates for their next exhibit of the lapidary art. More details about the show will be an- Gems and Minerals nounced from month to month. On November 18 and 19 a field trip to Horse Canyon opened the busy winter sea- son of outdoor activities and desert visits. GEOCHEMICAL PROSPECTING ORANGE BELT SHOW e e • Bulletin 156, Mineral Commodities of OPENING NEW FIELDS OUTSTANDING EVENT California, which was announced by the Geochemistry, a method adapted to the The fourth annual gem and mineral show California Division of Mines recently, is search for valuable deposits of ore, is be- of the Orange Belt Mineralogical society, now available, it has been announced. The ginning to attract the attention of mining San Bernardino, California, was an out- volume has more than 400 pages, contains companies in this country after having been standing event for rockhounds on Novem- summaries of approximately 75 of Cali- employed successfully in other countries. ber 4 and 5. The club is a large one, and fornia's mineral commodities. Each sum- The new process depends upon the detec- always attempts to provide special attrac- mary includes data on mineralogy, geological tion of chemical halos or "anomalies" in tions for visitors. This year a surprise fea- occurrence, distribution of deposits, uses, surface material — rocks, soil, alluvium, ture was a tribute to the famous tourmaline prices and markets. The publication may vegetation and water. and Kunzite gem mines of Pala, San Di- be obtained for $2.06 from the Division Rapid methods have been developed for ego County. Enormous quartz crystals shot of Mines branch office, 402B State Building. the detection in soil of zinc, copper, nickel through with the gem material were dis- Los Angeles: or from the main office, Ferry and cobalt. Geochemistry is a promising played by Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Dosse in a Building, San Francisco. line of investigation as an aid to expanding natural setting. Historic documents and domestic sources of raw materials. pictures relating to the discovery of Kunzite were also on display. PERMANENT ROCK COLLECTION A wide variety of specimens, cut and PLANNED BY SOCIETY polished gems, varied lapidary work, fluor- Establishment of a permanent rock and escent displays, silver work, petrified wood, gem collection suitable for display at the odd rock formations and demonstrations of Riverside County Fair and National Date lapidary techniques all added up to a well- Festival is planned by the Coachella Valley rounded show. (California) Mineral society. Don Butter- • • • worth is committee chairman. A Grab Bag, refreshments and motion Members of the society on November 11 picture combined to provide an interesting MINERALIGHT and 12 joined the rockology, art and nature November meeting for the Kern County study classes of Coachella Valley Union Mineral society. The society meets in Model SL Ultra-Violet Lamps high school adult education program for a Elliott Community hall. 1107 N. Chester • Vivid fluorescence • Much lower field trip to Crystal Hill, Arizona. This avenue. Oildale, California. prices • Weight. 16 ounces • Stream- followed an October field trip to the blood- • • • lined • Short Wave • Long Wave stone area of historic Salt Wash. The so- The Searles Lake Gem and Mineral so- a 110-Volt • Battery ciety meets the second Friday of each month ciety, Trona, California, sponsored an an- After two years of research, the at the water district auditorium in Coachella. nual Hobby show November 18 and 19 in finest Mineralights ever produced, • • • the auditorium of Trona school. The show are now here—at unbelievably low Horse Canyon was the goal of members was open to all types of displays, with rib- prices. bon awards to winners. Out-of-town exhib- of the Santa Monica, California, Gemo- See these two great Ultra-Violet logical society on their November field trip, its augmented the displays of local collec- while for December a Christmas party was tor's items and handicraft produces. lamps at your dealer's . . . planned. This was to include an exchange • • • MODEL SL 2537—Short Wave of rocks. November field trip for the San Gorgonio MODEL SL :«)()()—Long Wave Mineral and Gem society, Banning, Cali- • • • fornia, was to Randsburg where members A complete line of modernized, light It was "fossil night" November 14 for attended the Randsburg show and partici- weight, low-priced field accessories is the Sequoia Mineral society, with members pated in scheduled field trips. Localities also available. Write for catalog SIJ 2. bringing fossil material to the meeting in visited yielded rhodonite, moss picture jas- Parlier high school. October field trip was per and agate. Election of new officers was an overnight outing to Valley Springs, ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS. INC. slated for the December meeting. At the SOUTH PASADENA, CALIF. where some nice agate was found. regular November meeting Chairman Jim • • • Adrian made his final report on the sucess- Some Dealerships still available The Fallon, Nevada, Rock and Gem club ful show staged by the society in October. got off to a good start on its busy winter program with an exhibit at the state fair in September. There have been several field trips since then, one highly successful one to the hills south of Smith Valley where smoky and stibnite quartz crystals were found. Several members also at- tended the Clark County Gem Collectors Petrified Wood, Moss Agate, Chrysocolla mass field trip in the vicinity of Hoover Turquoise, Jade and Jasper Jewelry Dam October 7 and 8. President of the club is Harry Ringstrom. HAND MADE IN STERLING SILVER • • • Prof. Junius Hayes of the University of Bracelets, Rings, Necklaces, Earrings Utah talked on meteors and their relation and Brooches to the structure of the earth at October meeting of the Wasatch Gem society, Salt SPECIALLY SELECTED STONES WITH Lake City. Specimens of meteorites were CHOICE COLORS AND PICTURES on display so those interested could study Write for Folder With Prices them. SYNTHETIC RUTILE Cut by expert cutters now offered at new low prices. : Choice Mineral Specimens & Gem Material; Kb ,-1 ELLIOTT'S GEM SHOP Lapidary & Silversmith Equipment & Sup- J 235 East Seaside Blvd. LONG BEACH 2. CALIF. plies; Geiger Counters & Uranium Ores. .1. C. FILER & SON Across from Wesi End of Municipal 1344 Hinav 99, San Bernardino, California Auditorium Grounds Midway between Redlands & San Bernardino. On Hiivay 99 Open Every Day Hours 10 A. M. to 9 P. M. Daily Except Monday

JANUARY, 195 1 41 fIRE OPAL ADVERTISING RATE 8c a Word . . . Minimum $1.00 MEXICO GEM MART

10 Small Pieces Average W S1.00 RADIOACTIVE ORE COLLECTION. Six won- FOR SALE: Copper and Crystal Specimen Col- 5 Larger Pieces Average %"—1".... 1.00 derful specimens of Euxenite & Monazite, lection. Over 100 pounds $25.00. You can't 12 Nice Pieces Cherry & Honey Opal 1.00 Autunite, Uranophane, Carnotite, Samaraskite go wrong on this collection either for your- and Lambertite in neat redwood chest, only self or for resale. L. M. Jones, Box 307 (Suitable for Cabochons) S2.00 Postpaid! Supply limited—Order now! Bisbee, Ariz. 1 Small Vial Clear Fire Opal 1.50 URANIUM PROSPECTORS, Box 604, Stockton, California. BARGAIN ASSORTMENT NO. 8: Rare speci- 1 Large Vial Clear Fire Opal 3.00 mens. 1 Xigrine specimen, 1 sphere speci- MINERAL SPECIMENS, slabs or material by men, 1 Christobolite specimen, 1 Pectolite S7.50 the pound for cutting and polishing, RX specimen, 1 Priqrite specimen from Norway, Units, Carborundum wheels Cerium Oxide. 1 Natrolite specimen, 1 Ulexite specimen, 1 Mountings. Approval selection sent upon re- Columbite specimen, 1 Carnotite specimen, 1 Entire Lot Postpaid for $5.00 quest. You are welcome. A. L. Jarvis, Route Apjohnite specimen. All for $3.20, payable 2, Box 125, Watsonville, California, on Salinas to II. A. Ivers, West Coast Minerals, 1400 Saiisfaction Guaranteed or Money Highway. Hacienda Blvd., La Habra Heights, La Habra, Calif. Cheerfully Refunded MINERAL SETS: 24 Colorful Minerals (iden- tified) in lxl compartments, $3.00 postpaid. WILL BUY SILVER MINERALS. Send sample Prompt Shipment on all Sizes PROSPECTOR'S SET — 50 minerals (identi- and asking prices. Walter Busch, 43-32 El- fied) in lxl compartments in cloth reinforced, bertson St., Elmhurst, L.I., N.Y. Felker Diamond Saw Blades sturdy cartons, S5.00 postpaid. ELLIOTT GEM SHOP, 235 East Seaside Blvd. Long SIX LARGE SLICES of Arizona Agates, $5.00 RALPH E. MUELLER & SON Beach 2, California. postpaid. Arizona Agate Mines, Cave Creek, Arizona. BLACK ONYX blanks 25c each. Red Onyx 307 Admiral Blvd. • Kansas City 6. Mo. blanks 35c each. Green Onyx blanks 35c DAROLD J. HENRY'S GEM TRAIL JOURNAL each. Prompt service given to mail order for sale by author at 1781 Fleming St., Po- jobs. All kinds of fine cutting. Juchem Bros., mona, California, for $2.00 plus tax. This 315 W. 5th St., Los Angeles 13, Calif. book is the best field guide to California Collecting. Fully illustrated. DIAMOND BLADES RUTILE, brilliant cut, at a new low price. Com- plete stock of all gem stones. Complete pro- GOOD CUTTING MATERIAL from the best fessional lapidary service. Ace Lapidary, Box fields. Mosses, Arizona Woods, Rickolite, 67, Jamaica, New York. colored bandings and nodules. Many $1.00 Standard lieavy-Duty Supcr- 3 lb., some 35c lb. Also Sliced. Gerald Britt, Super-Chgd. OiirgMf Charged FIFTY MINERAL SPECIMENS, /4-in. or over, i)02 Torronce Blvd., Redondo Beach, Cali- 6 $ $ 7.70 $ 6.75 boxed, identified, described, mounted. Post- fornia. 8" 9.90 8.95 paid $4.00. Old Prospector, Box 729 Lodi, 11.95 California. ROCK COLLECTORS ATTENTION—The Trail- 10" 12.95 er Rock Store is again open to visitors to 12" 18.95 15.75 If YOU ARE A ROCKHOUND you need the the area between Palm Springs and Palm 14" 24.95 21.85 Lapidary Journal. Tells how tc cut and polish Desert, Hiway 111. The Rockologist, (Chuck- 16" 27.85 24.75 rocks, gives news of all mineral-gem groups. awalla Slim) Box 181, Cathedral City, Cali- 20" 66.30 44.20 33.95 Tells how to make jewelry, carries ads of fornia. 24" 79.30 55.90 43.75 dealers in supplies, equipment, gems, minerals 30" 127.25 106.95 State from all over the world. Well illustrated, Arbor beautifully printed. Subscription $2.00 a year 36" 192.20 159.95 —back numbers 50c. Sample Copy 25c if you sales tax in California. Size have never subscribed or been sampled. AMONG THE LELANDE QUICK, Editor, P. O. Box 1228, Allow for Postage and Insurance Hollywood 28, California. Covington Ball Bearing Grinder FOR SALE: Beautiful purple Petrified Wood ROCK HUNTERS nd •hirlils ara with Uranium, Pyrolusite, Manganite. Nice sample $1.00. Postage. Maggie Baker, Wen- urniili-d In t den, Arizona. tees and prio* anges to unit MINERAL SPECIMENS and cutting material of FIRST SEQUOIA SHOW all kinds. Gold and Silver jewelry made to onr reqnir*- order. Your stones or ours. 5 lbs. good cutting PROVES BIG SUCCESS meau. Watar a>d material S4.00. J. L. James, Box 117, Carson It proof. City, Nevada. More than 5000 persons visited the first annual Gem and Mineral show presented ATTENTION ROCK COLLECTORS. It will pay you to visit the Ken-Dor Rock Roost. We buy. by the Sequoia Mineral society November sell, or exchange mineral specimens. Visitors 18 and 19 at the Fresno district fairgrounds, COVINGTON 8" TRIM SAW are always welcome. Ken-Dor Rock Roost, Fresno. California. There was ample floor and motor are com 419 Sutter, Modesto, California. space for the 14 large floor cases, 14 tables pact and do no TWELVE CABOCHON BLANKS cut to stand- and 500 feet of wall shelves which dis- •plash. Save blade* ard sizes. Group includes Jade, Tiger Eye. played mineral specimens, jewelry, cabo- and clothine will Agate etc. $2.40 postpaid. Bookends, ready to polish. $.3.00 up. Will do custom slabbing chons, fossils, opals, flats. In addition there this saw. on 24-inch saw, fie per sq. inch. VICTOR was a darkened room for fluorescent ma- BUILD YOUR OWN LAP VALLEY GEMS, Box 158, Phelan. California. terials. and BAVK with a COV- $6.00 BRINGS YOU a 10-Ib. selection of Colo- The show was strictly for the amateur. rado mineral specimens, cutting material or There were no entry fees and no awards, INGTON 12" or 16" Lap fluorescent types. Choose which you prefer. Kit. We furnish every- Ask for new list. Jack The Rockhound, P. 0. but 48 exhibitors were attracted. Ocie Ran- thing yon need. Send Box 86, Carbondale, Colo. dall, society president, says it is certain the society will put on another show next for free catalog. ONE DOLLAR BRINGS two-pound sack of dec]) red fluorescing Calcite or five Chalcedony year. flowers or five Petrified Wood specimens, • • • h COVIKGTOX postpaid. Gritzner's, 135 N. Sirrine Street. ™ Multi-Feature Mesa. Arizona. The recent show held by the Whittier, If" Lap Unit California, Gem and Mineral society re- Doea sulted in so much interest in the organiza- everything for yon. Fine Quality Gem Materials tion that attendance at the November meet- ing jumped to 50. President of the Whit- COVINGTON 1*" 14" Rough and Slabbed tier society is Bill Mclninch. or Id" • • • Power Feed Custom Cutting—Your stones cut and pol- Diamond ished io order. Moderate rates. New officers have been elected by the Saws Cabochons—Choice stones in a big variety Gila Valley Gem and Mineral society, Ari- of materials for jewelry making or collectors. zona. Taking office at the December 14 SAVB meeting were: Fenton Taylor, president; BLADES Lapidary supplies—Including Poly Arbors, grinding wheels, Covington Super-charged Emmitt Sims, vice president; Murial Lay- Diamond blades, Sanding cloth, Tin Oxide, ton, secretary. Joe Gable is retiring presi- etc. dent. Send for New Catalog, IT'S FREE • • • COVINGTON LAPIDARY SUPPL KANE LAPIDARY & SUPPLY Junior rockhounds of the Coachella Val- ley, California, Mineral society enjoyed a Redlands, California 1737 E. McDowell Road Phoenix, Ariz. field trip November 18 to Garnet Queen mine in the Santa Rosa Mountains.

42 DESERT MAGAZINE DECEMBER BUSY MONTH BENITOITE LISTED AS Attractive exhibits of gem stones dis- FOR ARIZONA SOCIETY played by members and one collection CALIFORNIA'S EXCLUSIVE shown by Rheo Boucher, Seattle, were a A Birthday meeting, swap meeting and First discovered in San Benito County in feature of the November meeting of the Christmas party and a field trip all were 1907 by two prospectors, benitoite. is one Yavapai Gem and Mineral society, Pres- included in one busy month for members gem mineral that has been found only in cott, Arizona. Members also took part in of the Mineralogical Society of Arizona, California, has no scientific rival and has a quiz, with senior prize going to Mrs. Phoenix, in December. The Birthday meet- filled an empty place in crystallography. A Eugene Neuman and junior prize to John ing was on December 1, the swap meeting Los Angeles jeweler who first examined the Butcher. A rock auction was scheduled for and Christmas party December 15. On material, according to The Mineralogist, the December 5 meeting, with proceeds December 10 members went to the Big Bug pronounced it to be a volcanic glass of going into the society's treasury. mining district to collect quartz crystals and doubtful value. Specimens sent to San • • • pyrite crystals. Francisco for cutting were thought to be More than 300 specimens of minerals, Plans for January include an auction sapphire, but it remained for G. D. Louder- fossils, artifacts and rocks were sold to the January 19, and donations are already back of the University of California to more than 200 persons who attended the being accepted for the big event, determine that benitoite was a new mineral. first auction held in November by the coo The Franciscan schists, exposed in the Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois. Chrysotile asbestos forms one of the Coast Range, are often intruded by various The club now has new headquarters in the two varieties of serpentine and is a hydrous types of basic igneous rocks and large Downers Grove high school. Specimens magnesium silicate. It occurs as a silky, masses of serpentine. It is in a glaucophane sold at the auction were donated by club fibrous product, ranging from one-half to schist lens which cuts through a hill of members and friends. There was one amus- two inches in length or in very short fibers. serpentine that benitoite is found. Before ing incident: a bidder bought his own spe- The former is woven into heat-resisting the discovery of benitoite no mineral either cimen for $4.50. cloth and cords, while the short-fiber as- artificial or natural belonged to the ditri- bestos is processed into fire-proof material agonal dipyramidal class of the hexagonal for many commercial uses. Asbestos is an system. Benitoite is a titano-silicate of odd crystallization. barium having a vitreous luster and con- JEWELRY MOUNTINGS o o c choidal fracture. Its rich blue color is due October field trip for the El Paso, Texas, to small amounts of titanium in the form ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE Mineral and Gem society was to Kingston. of sesquioxide, and rivals that of sapphire. AVAILABLE New Mexico, an old mining town. Mem- • • • bers explored abandoned shafts and the The superb finish and fine craftsmanship A Christmas rock exchange featured the of CONLEY'S ELKHEAD LIFETIME PAT- rugged hills surrounding the old camp. December 8 meeting of the Dona Ana TERN in 3-tone gold filled enables you to Priscilla White found some old Indian pot- create exquisite jewelry equal to the finest tery sherds and a number of stone artifacts County (New Mexico) Rockhound club. professional shop. Other CONLEY mount- The meeting was in the Mesilla Park school. ings in Gold — Filled — Silver and Plate. at an old Indian site. Regular meetings of Ijowest Possible Prices Consistent with Qual- the El Paso society are held the second Each club member brought a rock for Santa's pack, and each received a rock as ity — Insist on Conley Quality. and fourth Tuesdays of each month at AVAILABLE AT ALL BETTER DEALERS Texas Western College Museum building. a present. Last field trip for the club was • • • to the Rincon area in search of thunder or write eggs. Herbert L. Monlux, widely known lec- THE CONLEY CO. • • • W. 715 Riverside Ave.. Spokane. Wash. turer and rockhound, entertained members "Gem Cutting in Ancient Egypt" was of the Los Angeles Lapidary society at topic of a talk given at November meeting their November meeting with colored pic- of the Delvers Gem and Mineral society, tures taken in the Canadian Northwest this Downey, California. Speaker was Dr. past summer. He pointed out that the Richard H. Swift, lecturer and member of glacial formations near the Canadian ice the Southern California Academy of Sci- field attain a perfection of shape and beauty ence, Adventurers club. Federation of Nat- that no rockhound could hope to achieve. ural Sciences and many other scientific His pictures supported his statements. Mon- groups. He brought to the meeting a dis- lux himself is known for his fine cabochon play from his famed collection of Egyptian cutting. The Los Angeles Lapidary society Jewelry. For December the society was meets the first Monday of every month at planning a Christmas party and potluck the Van Ness Playground, Slauson avenue dinner. and Second avenue, Los Angeles, California. o o • • • e How to cut and polish spheres was ex- Twenty-five members of the Chicago plained for members of the Mineral and RUTILE (Titania) Rocks and Minerals society joined the Gem Society of Castro Valley, California, Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois on at their November meeting when Ward Pacific Gem Cutters is first to offer you this a fall field trip to collect marine fossils in most amazing gem cut in our own plant, at Lewis, society vice president, outlined these these Low Prices. the Moulding-Brownell quarry at Thornton, processes: cut the material into a cube; cut Small stones can be had in pairs for earrings Illinois. Several varieties of coral, gastro- M to 1 carat sizes at $10.00 carat off all corners so it becomes an 18-sided 1 carat sizes and up at $ 7.50 carat pods, brochiopods, trilobites and crinoids object; rough-grind into the shape of a Each stone guaranteed to be first quality. were found in good condition. The quarry sphere; smooth-grind the material between Brilliant cut stones from Linde Air Products is Silurian in age and is probably the largest boules, facet for facet to duplicate the bril- the ends of two pipes; final polishing with liant diamond cut. These synthetic balls of Niagaran dolomite and limestone coral reef cerium oxide on a leather buffer. Mrs. fire have a double refractive index and in the region. Lewis described several one-day field trips exceed the diamond in brilliance. • • • and showed rock and mineral specimens PACIFIC GEM CUTTERS After recovering from their fourth an- collected. Part of the time at the Novem- LAPIDARY AND STONE SUPPLY nual gem and mineral show, members of Phone MA 8835—Judson Hives Building ber meeting was given over to planning 424 South Broadway, Los Angeles 1.3, Calif. the Orange Belt Mineralogical society held for the society's annual Christmas party. their November meeting in the San Bernar- dino Valley College social hall. Reports of the show showed it was an outstanding success. "Archeology of San Bernardino Valley" was topic of a talk given by Ger- ald Smith. He explained and illustrated how pre-historic Indians in the region used native stones, earths and pigments for BEFORE YOU BUY CDCC f ATA I rtft many purposes. SBND FOR o « BIG rficC \*AIML\J\jr 35 COLORFUL WESTERN MINERAL The world-famous HILLQUIST LINE of lapidary equipment SPECIMENS LAPIDARY EQUIP. CO. ms w. 49 ST., SEATUE 7, WASH . . . approximately 1", identified, boxed, $3.75 Postpaid. Prices other Rocks & Min- erals on request. B. D. BLACKWELL 202 D Bicknell Santa Monica. California

JANUARY, 195 1 MARICOPA LAPIDARY SOCIETY SOCIETY WILL HAVE PEBBLE BEACH VISITED ANNOUNCES FEBRUARY SHOW FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT BY MODESTO SOCIETY A rock and gem show designed to appeal Mrs. Elinor Wallar will become San Fer- Agate, jasper and jade were collected by lo hobbyists interested in gem cutting, min- nando Valley Mineral and Gem society's members of the Mother Lode Mineral so- eral collecting, jewelry crafting, stone carv- first woman president in January, 1951. She ciety, Modesto, California, on their Novem- ing or just gathering pretty stones, has been is past-editor of the society's bulletin, served ber field trip to Pebble Beach. Les Burford, announced by the Maricopa Lapidary so- as vice president in 1950, and as director to Stockton, was trip leader. At the Novem- ciety. Phoenix, Arizona, for February 17 the California Federation. Other new offi- ber meeting Dr. H. D. Squires, an instructor and 18. The show will be in the National cers will be: J. L. Thomas, vice president; at Modesto junior college, told about Mt. Guard armory in Phoenix. Hours will be Mrs. Dorothea Glass, secretary; Harvey G. Lassen and neighboring volcanos. He de- from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. both days. Chapman Jr., treasurer. scribed "what is happening" in the area, Society members will have most of the New meeting place is the Victory-Van illustrated his talk with slides and lava displays, but there will be commercial ex- Owen playground, 12240 Archwood street. specimens. hibits and demonstrations too, plus talks and North Hollywood, California: the time, 7:30 The society's non-competitive show, held lectures. p.m. the second Thursday of each month. October 28 and 29, attracted 30 individual Visitors are always welcome. Mailing ad- exhibitors and 500 visitors, was considered dress, Box 148, North Hollywood, Cali- highly successful. WHOOSH fornia. • • • Newly Developed Polishing Powder The treasury of the Chicago Rocks and A joint trip with the Pasadena City Col- Minerals society was bolstered by revenue This is the best polishing agent you have lege geology class to Searles Lake, Trona, ever tried. Works to perfection on stones from a "silent" auction which featured the below Sapphire in hardness. With a cloth California, was enjoyed November 18 and November meeting. To enhance the so- buff S'ou can polish carved stones. 19 by members of the Mineralogical So- ciety's cabinet of specimens on display in $1.75 per II). ciety of Southern California, Pasadena. This the clubhouse, members have been asked to was the weekend of the Searles Lake soci- loan specimens for a period of three months. RKDONDO BEACH MOONSTONE AGATES ety's annual Hobby show. November meet- This will create a loan exhibition in addi- still available. By the lb - $1.25 ing was held in the Pasadena public library tion to the permanent display. Two of the lecture room with W. Scott Lewis as speaker. society's junior members recently won hon- CARVED TIGERBYB and ROSE QUARTZ His subject was "Our Beauties of the Min- ors and special notice. Jay Wollin earned Brooch stones. Each stone is pierced at eral World," and the set of colored slides a third place ribbon for his pyritized speri- least !) times. Size 30x40 mm. $1.80 each. he used to illustrate his talk were the ones fer display at the American Federation which won for him a prize at the last Inter- convention in Milwaukee, while Alan Hahn's STAR QUARTZ — Synthetic faceted stones. national Exhibition of Nature Photography own mineral collection was subject of an Covington Lapidary Equipment at the Chicago Museum of Natural History. article in The Herald, northwest Chicago newspaper. S-T GEM SHOP Lelande Quick, editor of Lapidary Journal • • • 7010 Foothill Blvd. Tujunga. Calif. and regular contributor to Desert Magazine, was guest speaker at October meeting of The first and third Tuesdays of each the Sacramento Mineral society. Quick month are regular meeting nights for the talked on "The Second Stone Age." His Tucson, Arizona, Gem and Mineral society, talk was an argument and plea for develop- visitors are always welcome. Motion pic- Agate Jewelry ment of the lapidary hobby. In the evening's tures on "Texas and Its Resources" and mineral display there were more than 100 "Mountain Building" were shown at the entries, all of them natural mineral oddities. November 7 meeting. John W. Anthony, Wholesale mineralogist, gave an illustrated talk at the Rings — Pendants — Tie Chains October 17 meeting in room 106, Arizona Brooches — Ear Rings November seemed to be election month for a great many societies, and the Long State Museum, University of Arizona Bracelets — Matched Sets campus. Ask lor price list No. 1. Beach Mineralogical society was no excep- tion—election of new officers was held at • • • the November 8 regular meeting. In addi- Nomination of officers was scheduled for Blank Mountings tion there was a panel discussion on quartz, the Northern California Mineral society, Rings — Ear Wires — Tie Chains covering commercial aspects, gem qualities San Francisco, at its November 14 meeting Cuff Links — Neck Chains and its place as a mineral. On November while for November 21 a potluck buffet Bezel — devices — Shanks 18 and 19 members enjoyed a field trip to supper and social gathering was planned. Solder — Findings Lead Pipe Springs. They were led by Ralph The society clubrooms are at 1001 Oak Ask for price list No. 2 Dietze of China Lake, California, who met Street, San Francisco, California. Fall field the visitors at Johannesburg in the Rands- trip was to the A. G. Swanson ranch near O. R. JUNKINS & SON burg district. Opal, geodes and agate were Morgan Hill in search of orbicular jasper collected. found in the area. Near-by Anderson Dam 440 N.W. Beach St. was also visited and small quantities of Newport, Oregon A trip to Picacho on the Colorado River magnesite and massive calcite were collected. in search of agate was the November 18 • • • and 19 field trip for the San Diego Lapidary Miss Lillian Copeland, a detective ser- society. It was a true desert outing. At the geant in the Los Angeles County sheriff's ALLEN November 8 meeting election of officers was office and an expert geologist, gave an JUNIOR scheduled with installation of new officers illustrated talk on "The Geology of Yellow- set for November 22. stone Park" at November meeting of the GEM Searles Lake Gem and Mineral society, CUTTER First fall indoor meeting for the Minne- Trona, California. It was announced at sota Mineral club, Minneapolis, was No- the meeting that the society's new Lapidary A Complete Lapidary Shop vember 11 at the Curtis Hotel. Talks, col- hut, built and equipped by the group, will ored slides and pictures of field trips were soon be ready for an open house. Club Only $42.50 included in the program. A combined picnic members will be on hand to demonstrate • Ideal for apartment house dwel- and field trip was enjoyed in October, last and teach use of the lapidary equipment. out-door event of the season. • • • ers. Mr. and Mrs. P. C. Pinkerton were hosts • Polish rocks into beautiful gems. ATTENTION to members of the Banning, California, • Anyone can learn. CRYSTAL HUNTERS Mineral society at their November 13 meet- Here it is! New booklet ing. Harold Moore, society president, said • Instructions included. tells all about the "Dia- one field trip a month is planned for the mond" region. Full of cooler months of the winter. Write for Catalog, 25c instructions and tips on finding crystals any- • • • where. Send for a copy Regular November meeting of the Pasa- ALLEN LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT today and watch your crystal collection grow. dena Lapidary society was held on Thurs- COMPANY — Dept. D SI.00 put.' it to work day, November 16, at Las Casitas del for you. 3632 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles 43. Cal. Arroyo, 177 South Arroyo boulevard, Pasa- CLAUDE B. SMITH dena. Members of the society conducted a Phone Axminister 2-6206 Box 291 Geneva, N. Y. lapidary work shop as the evening's pro- gram. 44 DESERT MAGAZINE CLOSE DECISION FAVORS with the Atomic Energy Commission. Pray PACIFIC MINERAL SOCIETY showed colored slides of the Mountain Pass ANSWERS TO DESERT QUIZ area in San Bernardino County. Bastnasite Questions are on page 22. First place honors at the California Fed- is found in this area in the pre-Cambrian 1—Highway 60. eration of Mineralogical Societies conven- metamorphic sediments, he said. 2—A plant. tion, held last June at Trona, were shared • • • 3—Every time it sheds its skin. by the Pacific Mineral society and the 4—Acomas. Mineralogical Society of Southern Califor- A Christmas party for members and 5—Camel driver. nia—but the Federation finally reached a guests was the December program for the 6—Utah. decision favoring the Pacific Mineral so- San Diego Mineral and Gem society. The 7—Writer of Southwestern books. ciety and the coveted plaque was presented society's Lapidary division heard at its 8—Canyon de Chelly. to the society at its November meeting. October meeting a lecture on synthetic gem 9—1847. Speaker at the meeting was Lloyd Pray, materials and discussed gem accents. 10—Billy the Kid. assistant to Dr. D. F. Hewitt, scientist with Speaker was Charles Parsons, chairman of 1 1—Corundum. the U. S. Geological Survey and associated the division. 12—Jerome. 13—North. 14—Hassayampa River. 15—Painter. 16—Natural water tanks. 17—Yuma. 18—Archeology. 19—Death Valley. 20—Fanning.

ROCK and GEM HOBBY SHOP OF DEATH VALLEY Rock Cutting — Rings Mounted lo Order FELIX V. BRADDI, Owner Stones Ground and Polished Uranium Ore Tested—Western Jewelry 1959 Harbor Boulevard The dude was waiting for the —why, them ol' timers can go COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA motor of his car to cool off so alone with a burro fer weeks at he could add some water to the a time with no more water than NEW CATALOGS AVAILABLE almost-dry radiator. He had ven- yuh could tote in yore hind If you want Choice Cutting Material, Fine & Rare Minerals, Geiger Counters, Miner- tured far from the swanky resort pocket. They got camels skinned alights, Books, Trim Saws, Fluorescents, hotel where he was staying and all holler. Ores, Gems, Ring Mounts, or advice, write had finally wound up at Inferno "Take Pisgah Bill, now. He to ... Store—just in time to get some useta get in trainin' before he MINERALS UNLIMITED desperately-needed water. He was gonna start out prospectin'. 1721 University -\ve.. Berkeley 3, California | and Hard Rock Shorty were sit- Fust he'd go a day without water. ting in chairs on the store porch Then two, then a week. I never ALTA INDUSTRIES while they waited. did find out just how long ol' Lapidary Equipment Bill coulda gone—when he was Manufacture and Design "I never saw such a dry coun- 16-18 inch power feed slabbing saw try in my life," the tenderfoot in the peak o' condition, y'un- Belt sanders, including ball bearing Drill press grumbled. "I've driven more derstand—if he'd been pressed. Grinding arbor and trim saw But th' last time he wuz off Sent] postal for free literature than 200 miles today over this ALTA INDUSTRIES valley, and this is the first sign huntin' gold, right in the middle 915 B. Washington St., Pasadena fi, Calif. of civilization or of water that o' summer, he went the last three weeks without teching a drap o' I've seen. Do you have a well FAMOUS TEXAS PLUMES here?" liquid and it wuz durned near fatal." Pick up your own for 25c a lb., or choose "Nope," grunted Shorty, "haul from my tables. Red plume and many in our water." Hard Rock paused, drew a cup other types of agate. 17 miles south of of cold water from the cooler Alpine. Road paved. Price list on request. "Does it ever rain here?" near his chair, and drank it with Orders filled promptly. Postage please. Get acquainted offer—8 lb. mixture post- "Don't hardly never rain," evident satisfaction. paid, $5.00. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Shorty assured him. "Yessir, I thought that was th' WOODWARD RANCH "Well, how do prospectors get end o' ol' Pisgah Bill. Just as he Box 453 Alpine, Texas along out in these dry hills?" the walked inta camp, one o' them I visitor prodded. "I couldn't go there August storms whipped up half a day without water." quickern' yuh could say dag nab Shorty squinted across the it. It wuz rainin' on th' hills over THE C8MPT0N ROCK SHOP shimmering sands of the valley yonder, and an extra strong gust A Friendly Place to Visit to the hazy desert hills in the dis- o' wind carried a few rain drops tance, apparently trying to make over where we wuz. One o' them up his mind whether he should drops hit Bill in the face, and STERLING SILVER bother to answer. At last he th' shock wuz too much fer 'im. LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT spoke. He keeled over in a dead faint. SUPPLIES • AUSTRALIAN OPAL "Gettin' along without water "I don't believe poor Bill BELGIUM CONGO MALACHITE is like gettin' along without a woulda ever cum outta it, ex- lot o' other things. Yuh sorta cept fer my fast thinkin'. I quick Closed Sunday and Monday get used to it little by little. Th' scooped up a bucket o' dry sand Open Tuesday Eve. Till 10:00 longer you're out on the desert an' poured it in his face. An' in 10 Miles from Los Angeles th' less water yuh drink. two shakes of a dead lamb's tail 2 Blocks from Long Beach "An' them prospecter fellers he wuz good as new again." 1409 So. Long Beach Blvd., Compton, Calif.

JANUARY, 1951 45 /T" By RANDALL HENDERSON tragic adventure in Death Valley should be preserved by folks who still have the feel of the desert frontier—who HIS YEAR on December 2 and 3 the Death Valley havs in their veins the blood of campers. '49ers held their second annual trek to the floor of • • • 7 the Valley of Death. It was a very modest pro- gram this year, compared with the colorful spectacle One of the lessons learned in rambling over the desert presented in the centennial year of 1949. during the last 40 years is that everything in Nature is The 1949 program was too costly to be repeated year slowly but surely changing form. Nothing stands still. after year without a state appropriation. The event this Even the rocks are in the process of alteration—slowly, year went to the other extreme. Without ballyhoo and at in terms of the man-made calendar—but changing never- very little cost, a simple program of dining and dancing theless. and dedication was held at the Furnace Creek Ranch. I wish human beings better understood this law of Before another December comes, I hope there will the universe. For it has bearing on our religion, our be planned another type of program which will fall some- economic life, our politics. When our forefathers estab- where between the two extremes—a program which will lished the form of government under which we Americans have widespread popular appeal because of its historical have grown and prospered for more than 150 years they significance, and yet one that can be presented without changed, radically, the whole concept of human relations putting a heavy burden of work or financing on anyone. which had existed previous to that time. They were This is not an original idea—-it was suggested by one revolutionists in their day. If it were not for revolutionists of the '49ers—but the event I have in mind would be our human society would stagnate. called the Annual Encampment of the Death Valley It is comforting to keep this law of change in mind '49ers. It would be a large scale model, with a different in these troubled days. Communism does not frighten historical theme, of the Pegleg Smith Trek held on New me as it does some of my neighbors, for communism is a Year's Eve in Borrego Valley each year. The only expense stark materialistic philosophy that is a throw-back to the involved in the Pegleg Trek is the cost of carting in a big days when primitive man's only quest was for food and pile of firewood. shelter. It carries the seeds of its own destruction, for There are many secluded canyons around the rim of human destiny is toward spiritual, not materialistic goals. Death Valley which would provide an ideal setting for a This is a changing world in which right eventually con- mammoth campfire program—where thousands of people quers might. could sit on the rocks in a natural amphitheater and As a nation we have a critical decision to make— witness campfire entertainment in which the dramatized whether we will continue to seek to contain communism story of the original Death Valley '49ers would occupy by force of arms at terrific cost in men and resources— part, but not all of the evening. A hill-billy orchestra, a or let it run its course. If we elect the latter course, we couple of covered wagons carrying the entertainers, and must keep ourselves strong—strong in defensive arma- a huge pile of firewood would be all the properties re- ment, and equally important, strong in the defense of quired. It would not be very formal. those human liberties which are our bulwark against the Then after the program was over a majority of those insidious boring of communism from within. present would roll up in their air-mattress-equipped • • • sleeping bags on the floor of the valley and spend the This is the time of year when we desert folks are look- night under the stars—just as thousands of them did in ing to the rain gods for showers. For it is the rainfall in 1949. It would be an encampment in the truest sense of January and February which determines whether or not the word. our sand dunes will be covered with verbena and prim- Such a program I am sure would bring together as rose in March and April. many people as the roads in Death Valley would accom- Over most of the Southwest, rainfall has been very modate—and they would have a grand time. light during the last 18 months, much less than normal. With due respect for the talent in Los Angeles and Gorgeous wildflower displays such as we had in 1948 Hollywood, I suspect that such a program will not be come only at rare intervals—perhaps ten or twelve years. possible until civic leaders in Kern and San Bernardino But last year we had practically no flowers at all, and counties in California and Clark county in Nevada take we are hoping to get a better break this season. over the management of the Death Valley Trek. The The seeds are there, billions of them, and if the Hollywood concept of entertainment which has prevailed moisture is sufficient they will burst forth a little later in previous treks to Death Valley is far removed from the in a display of color such as no earthly landscape gardener kind of campfire party I am thinking about. could ever create. One cannot live on the desert, or close Lewis Manly and the Jayhawkers of the original trek to Nature anywhere, without having reverence for the were campers. It is fitting that the tradition of their near- Goc of creation.

46 DESERT MAGAZINE tained by writing to the College at State College, New Mexico. BOOKS OF THE SOUTHWEST • • • For New Mexico Travelers . . . LIFE IS SIMPLE For romance and drama would always For many years Betty and Clee IN TENORIO FLAT flourish outside the window. Woods, both writers, have been trek- "Just call me Mr. Abeyta," said the This gay little volume is illustrated king the roads of New Mexico—not small boy, with the flash of a smile as with vignettes by M. J. Davis. always the paved roads. Out of the he blinked snowflakes from long, black Published by The University of New intimate acquaintance with the state lashes, a newspaper in his mittened Mexico Press, Albuquerque. New which these travels have given her, hand. Thus the reader meets the little Mexico. 198 pp. $3.50. Betty Woods recently has completed newsboy in No High Adobe, Dorothy • • • a little travelers' handbook — Fifty Pillsbury's recent collection of essays. Desert Trees and Shrubs . . ,, Trips to Thrills. Mr. Abeyta is only one of the un- Ornamentals for New Mexico is the Some of the trips are to Indian and forgettable characters in these charm- title of a 48-page bulletin issued by the Mexican dances and fiestas, others to ing sketches which originally appeared New Mexico College of Agriculture places of scenic interest. Each is de- in the Christian Science Monitor. and Mechanic Arts for the information scribed briefly and accompanied by a Miss Pillsbury lives in Santa Fe "on of those who have landscaping prob- thumbnail sketch showing the best a wedge of New Mexican soil" in a lems on the desert. While the trees route to follow. And it is not cluttered settlement of Spanish-Americans. "My and shrubs described in this circular up with advertising as are so many neighbors are rich in time, that almost (No. 224) are especially adapted for of the low-priced guide books. unrealized Anglo commodity.'" With New Mexico, the information also ap- Published by New Mexico Maga- the simplest and most delightful artis- plies to other desert areas with similar zine, Santa Fe. 104 pp. Paper cover. try she introduces these neighbors of conditions. The bulletin may be ob- $1.00. Tenorio Flat and they instantly come alive. Their warm laughter, their problems, their joys—above all their unique and unshakable individualities make the reader wish for neighbors ^forthe like them. They have been almost un- touched by this age of gadgets and standardization. And therein lies their OUTDOOR MAN charm. Family life in Tenorio Flat has heart warming qualities that are fast disappearing among the Anglos. There is Mrs. Apodaca whose ex- pressive wrapping of a shawl about her proclaims the state of her emotions, ROUGH whether joyous or in the depths of RUGGED Latin gloom. She could dismiss with AND WATER REPELLENT COVER a casual No importa such calamities THIS as the caving in of her roof in a rain- TOP QUALITY BAG FOR ONLY- s storm, a fire in her parents' adobe, the 3 pounds of virgin loss of daughter Armendita's good job wool in a dress shop. But when she learned INSIDE LINING IS VERY FIN16E that the school teacher had said her COUNT 80 SQUARE SHEETING Carmelita "makes flat when she sings" IT COSTS NOTHING TO COMPARE. COME IN FOR —Mrs. Apodaca was crushed, and COMPLETE DETAILS ON BAGS FROM »3.5O UP. would drape her shoulders only in her OUR oldest shawl. She has sympathetic EXCLUSIVE understanding for the Anglo ladies— 95 DESIGN so busy, busy with their clubs, PTA, DETACHABLE FUR COLLAR telefonos, hair driers. But she feels 23 WEAR WITH OR WITHOUT no envy. TWO JACKETS IN ONE Cousin Canuto recklessly gives up his munificent job at the self-serve TOP QUALITY HORSEHIDE 10 OZ. FLEECY WOOL INNER LINING market to open a tiny tiendacita in his QUILTED RAYON LINING own home where the credit slips on TWO FLANNELETTE LINED SLASH POCKETS the nails behind his counter accumulate REYNOLDS CAMP KIT MAIL ORDER . . . ADD TAX SALES TAX as he sings around his glowing winter GIVE CHEST, WAIST, APPROX. HGT. AND WGT. fire or tends his hollyhocks in the sum- 14 PIECE ALUMINUM SET MAIN OFFICE PASADENA mer. Cousin Canuto is a romantic; 95 99 E. COLORADO not for him the slavery of the modern SAN BERNARDINO world. COMPLETE CAMPING 571 FOURTH STR SALES and RENTALS RIVERSIDE Perhaps today's headline news would 4023 MAIN STREET 5 Locations not seem so grim if delivered with TELESCOPE CASTING SANTA ANA To Serve You 0R FLY ROD/l 95 406 WEST FOURTH dash and spirit by a small lovable Mr. FRESNO Abeyta. Perhaps Anglos would not 1 135 BROADWAY hover so pathetically over the knobs of radio and television sets if there BRADLEY-REHRIG CO. were more Apodacas in the world.

JANUARY, 1951 47 finest. .. Royal Triton—the distinctive purple motor oil—is engineered to afford the greatest degree of engine protection for the modern motor car. 7600—the gas- oline of the future —more than meets the power requirements of today's highest compression engines. This distinguished combination is available at the sign of the Seventy-six. UNION OIL COMPANY