HISTORIC PANORAMAS By JOSEF and JOYCE MUENCH DESERT CALENDAR ARIZONA Dec. 5-7—Dons Club tour to Hermo- sillo, Mexico, from Phoenix. Papago Baby ShrineDec. 6-7—Kennel Show, Yuma. Dec. 13—Rag Doll Parade, Bisbee. Dec. 14—Miracle of the Roses Pag- eant, Scottsdale. Dec. 14—Dons Club tour to Wicken- burg, from Phoenix. Dec. 19—Christmas Party for winter visitors, Mesa. Dec. 20—Dog Show and Parade, Bis- bee. Dec. 28—Desert Sun Ranchers Rodeo, Wickenburg. CALIFORNIA Dec. 2-7—Southern California Open Golf Championship, Indian Wells. Dec. 5 — Los Vigilantes Christmas Parade, El Centro. Dec. 6—Open House at new Desert Museum building, Palm Springs. Dec. 6—Christmas Parade and Com- munity party, Victorville. Dec. 7—9th Annual Imperial Valley Kennel Club Show, Holtville. Dec. 13—Christmas Parade, Lancas- ter. NEVADA In southwestern Arizona live the peace- of rocks guarded by a tighter circle of up- Dec. 4 — Community Golden Anni- ful Papago Indians on a spacious reserva- right sticks. These, peeled from the prickly versary celebration, Fallon. tion dotted with villages bearing strange desert plant, are white in the sun. When names: Gu Achi, Kom Vo, Chukut Kuk, the next ceremony is held, they will be NEW MEXICO pulled out, added to the surrounding piles, Pisinemo . . . and fresh ones placed in position. Late Nov. or early Dec. — Shalako Ceremony at Zuni Pueblo. The Papago have accepted those of the According to legend, a flood once en- white man's customs which fit them, but dangered the whole land, and the medicine Dec. 8-9—Northeastern New Mexico continue to celebrate old ceremonies in the men announced that only by the sacrifice Hereford Breeders Association manner of their forefathers. of some Indian babies could the weather Show and Sale, Raton. Not often visited but most fascinating is gods be appeased. The rock pile marks the Dec. 10-12—Tortugas Indians' three the Papago Baby Shrine, one of the most burial place of these children. A service is day pilgrimage and celebration, Las unusual in the nation. A circle of black- held each year over their grave lest the Cruces. ened ocotillo branches partly enclose a pile floods come to Papagoland. Dec. 12 — Matachines Dance, Jemez Pueblo. Dec. 12 — Feast Day of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, Taos, Santa Fe and rural Spanish villages. Dec. 24 — Candle Celebration, Rui- A NEW WORLD TO SHARE doso. Dec. 24-28 — Christmas Ceremonial Dances at most New Mexico pue- With Family and Friends- blos. Christmas Eve in Spanish villages celebrated with little bon- fires for El Santo Nino, lighted before houses, in streets and before Nativity scenes. Dec. 26 — Turtle Dance, San Juan Pueblo. Dec. 26-Jan. 1 — Southwestern Sun Giue a Christmas Subscription Today Carnival, El Paso (Texas). Desert Magazine is a thoughtful Christmas present Dec. 31—Deer Dance, Sandia Pueblo. that spreads its good wishes over the entire new UTAH year and for many years to come. Dec. 10—Christmas Parade, Ameri- can Fork. USE THE HANDY ORDER BLANK Dec. 13 — 5th Annual Engen Cup IN THIS MAGAZINE Slalom, Alta, Salt Lake City. and a colorful gift card bearing your name will be Dec. 13 — Community Sing, Kays- ville. delivered lo the subscription recipient a few days Dec. 21 — Oratorio Society's annual before Christmas. presentation of The Messiah at Tabernacle, Salt Lake City.

DESERT MAGAZINE Publisher's Notes The season's greetings to our Desert Magazine family! The staff at Desert —especially the Circulation Depart- ment—has felt the Christmas spirit in a material way for the past six weeks, for our work-load in gift sub- scriptions started in mid-October and is still flooding in most happily. Thanks to those of you who use a Desert Magazine gift subscription to express your Yule spirit. And there's still time for last-min- ute Christmas gift orders to be sent through our Circulation Department to those whom you would like to have enjoy our great Desert South- Volume 21 DECEMBER. 1958 Number 12 west for the coming twelve-month in the pages of Desert. * * * We've had a strong return of ques- COVER Rainbow Natural Bridge, by HUBERT A. LOWMAN tionnaires from the Desert subscribers who were sampled last month. Early HISTORY Papago Baby Shrine replies to the survey indicate that our By JOSEF and JOYCE MUENCH 2 publication has its place in this busy CALENDAR December events on the desert 2 world. I think we can tabulate the results of the questionnaire in time FIELD TRIP Trail to the Rockhound's Dream to give a full report to you in our By NELL MURBARGER : . 4 January issue. TRUE OR FALSE * * * A test of your desert knowledge 7 Color on the back cover of this INDIANS Pueblo Portraits, by JOHN L. BLACKFORD . . 7 month's magazine is the start of a WILDLIFE program that Randall Henderson, Duel in the Dunes founder of Desert, planned long ago. By E. P. HADDON and MARY BRANHAM . 8 As editor of the magazine he has PHOTOGRAPHY dreamed of offering our readers more Pictures of the Month 10 high-quality four-color photos of the LOST MINE The Old Dutchman's Lost Ledge of Gold Southwest, and Randall's dream is By HAROLD O. WEIGHT 11 now coming true. As the magazine NATURE grows, so will the colorful desertland Lost Birds in a Strange Arid Land become a reality in our pages. By EDMUND C. JAEGER 14 * * * PERSONALITY Dolph Nevares of Death Valley It is gratifying to note that an By HARRIETT FARNSWORTH 16 increasing number of our new sub- CLOSE-UPS scribers are families who live in the About those who write for Desert 18 eastern states. We are glad to share EXPERIENCE A Sing for Atsa Gai, by JOE KERLEY .... 19 the beauty and the wholesomeness of FICTION the wonderful desert country with our Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley 20 cousins "back there." Though Desert EXPLORATION Magazine may be regional in subject Canyon Boat Ride in Utah matter, we do not want to be pro- By RANDALL HENDERSON 21 vincial in appeal. LETTERS * * * POETRY Comment from Desert's readers 26 Because I like to think of Desert To a Horned Toad and other poems .... 27 Magazine as a friendly publication, NEWS NOTES and of our readers as our family, may MINING From the Southwest 28 I extend a sincere invitation to all of Current news of desert mines 33 you to visit our Pueblo whenever you HOBBY may be in the Palm Desert area? LADIDARY Gems and Minerals 35 Drop in and enjoy the fine arts gal- Amateur Gem Cutter, by DR. H. C. DAKE . . 37 lery of desert paintings, browse INDEX through the bookstore, visit our BOOKS Contents of Desert for 1958 38 silversmith, wander through the print- Reviews of Southwestern literature 41 ing plant if you choose—and by all COMMENT means come into the publisher's of- BACK COVER Just Between You and Me, by the Editor ... 42 fice and tell us how we should put "Little sister ... Big sister," by JOSEF MUENCH your magazine together. Your ideas are one of Desert's assets. I want you to feel that you, as a reader, The Desert Magazine is published monthly by Desert Magazine, Inc., Palm Desert, own Desert Magazine—we who pub- California. Re-entered as second class matter July 17, 1948. at the postoffice at Palm Desert, lish the journal only serve in trust. California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered No. 3S8865 in U. S. Patent Office, and contents copyrighted 1958 by Desert Magazine, Inc. Permission to reproduce contents CHUCK SHELTON must be secured from the editor in writing. CHARLES E. SHELTON, Publisher Publisher RANDALL HENDERSON, Editor EUGENE L. CONROTTO, Associate Editor BESS STACY, Business Manager EVONNE RIDDELL, Circulation Manager Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledged unless full return postage is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for ABOUT THE COVER . . . damage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Sub- It was in 1909 that an Indian first guided scribers should send notice of change of address by the first of the month preceding issue. the White Man to the Rainbow-Turned-to- SUBSCRIPTION RATES Stone—spectacular Rainbow Natural Bridge One Year S4.00 Two Years S7.00 —at 309 feet high, the world's highest Canadian Subscriptions 25c Extra. Foreign 50c Extra natural arch. Due to its inaccessible loca- Subscriptions to Army Personnel Outside U. S. A. Must Be Mailed in Conformity With tion in southern Utah, a visit to Rainbow P. O. D. Order No. 19687 is still an adventure. Hubert A. Lowman of Covina, Calif., took this photograph. Address Correspondence to Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California

DECEMBER, 1958 Here is the story of a remark- able agate ledge called The Rock- hound's Dream; of an old gold mining camp in the northeastern corner of Nevada; and of that camp's woman postmaster who spends her summers prospecting. Trail To The Rockhound's Dream...

By NELL MURBARGER Map by Norton Allen

For 14 miles the Jarbidge River cuts through a deep canyon lined with tall palisades and spires. RENE SPRAGUE is postmaster mountains, and sawn lumber freighted ate—but such a confused medley of at Jarbidge, Nevada, and she in on pack mules at terrific cost, Rene's colors I have seldom seen in one stone! and I took a liking to each residence, exteriorly, is showing the Basically it was red and pearl gray; other the moment Charlie Harkinson effects of wind and weather. Inside, but there were streaks of white, patches introduced us. Dark-haired, full of however, it's as neat and attractive as of clear translucence, and flecks of life and fun, and slender as a school- a city home, with electrical appliances yellow and green. girl, no one would guess Rene to be and TV, a bathroom with hot and cold Then Rene showed me a pendant past her 40th year; yet, she proudly running water, and other conveniences and a pair of cufflinks cut from this acknowledges a 30-year-old son, and not seen in the average mining camp material that even the most discrim- admits she arrived here as a small girl dwelling. inating lapidary would be proud to in 1910—a year after D. A. Bourne But Rene's world doesn't begin and own. The agate occurred in a ledge made the first rich strike that sparked end in her home, nor in the small ad- on Jack Creek, about four miles from the rush to the canyon. joining postoffice where mail arrives town by road and foot-trail, she ex- Rene makes her home in the old twice weekly by stage from Rogerson, plained. McCormick Building, the first struc- Idaho. Each summer, after most of "My husband, Carl, and my son and ture in town to have wooden floors. the snow has disappeared from the I have staked the ledge as a mining "Jarbidge was composed mainly of higher ranges surrounding town, she claim which we call The Rockhound's tents with floors made of a whitish surrenders the postoffice key to one of Dream. There are tons of material in clay which packed almost as hard as her fellow townsmen, and takes off for the deposit, and your readers are per- cement," said Rene. "These floors the hills. fectly welcome to collect all they want held up quite well under ordinary use, Packing into the high wild Crater for their own use. but were not suitable for dancing. country to the southeast, where none of "If you'd like to see the ledge," she "My grandfather was a great hand the named peaks has an elevation of added, "I'll be glad to take you up at playing the fiddle, and we young- less than 10,000 feet, Rene camps there tomorrow afternoon . . ." sters loved to dance to his music. Be- alone in a tent for a month or more As my answer, I turned to Charlie cause we couldn't jig on the clay floors, at a time while performing the actual and asked if he'd care to go along? each of us was given an end-board pick-and-shovel labor of building trails Charlie has celebrated more than 80 from an apple box on which to dance. and working assessments on her mining birthdays, but I know few men who You can imagine what a treat it was claims. She's a good miner, too, and can outwalk him over even the most when we were allowed to come over despite the fact she calls gold mining rugged terrain. Charlie said he'd be to this new building and dance on its "a rat race," Rene admits she can't glad to go with us. real board floors!" leave it alone! I stayed that night in one of the old Constructed of huge pine logs She handed me a piece of rock the log cabins on main street. The next brought down from the surrounding size of a small cantaloupe. It was ag- morning dawned bright and beautiful. DESERT MAGAZINE Shortly after breakfast, however, a few and a one-lane unpaved road, the can- big white clouds began boiling over yon walls are formed of sheer rhyo- the skyline. As they met and merged litic palisades and pillars hundreds of with others, they changed from white feet tall. to slate blue, and low rumbles of thun- To superstitious redmen of an earlier der began sounding in the west. day, this was the haunt of Tsawhaw- "It's been threatening to storm all bitts, most feared demon in their prim- week, but nothing has happened," itive world. Lurking behind the great Charlie said. "It's been so long since stone pillars, which effectively screened rain has fallen here 1 think it's forgot- his operations, this man-eating giant ten how." was believed to pounce upon unwary But despite Charlie's prediction, tribesmen, stuff them into a giant bas- lunchtime found drops as big as nickels ket, and carry them back to his lair. sending up little puffs of dust from the According to the old legend, Jarbidge bone-dry street, and making black Canyon had been a paradise; but due splotches on the old tin roofs and the to the depredations of Tsawhawbitts, dusty surface of my car. And when every redman eventually fled its con- we drove to the postoffice, we traveled fines to relocate elsewhere. Today, through a cold gray drizzle, mixed the memory of this mythical monster with hail. is preserved only in the legend and in We were watching the rain and try- the Americanized corruption of his ing to glimpse even a tiny break in name—Jarbidge— but the canyon has the clouds, when Rene came dashing retained its strange and eerie atmos- out, carrying two rock sacks and a phere. prospector's pick, and trying to tie a After traveling down the canyon scarf over her head and button her road a couple of miles, we angled right jacket—all at the same time. on an older road for another three- "Ready?" she called brightly. quarters of a mile to a second fork. I asked if she thought we should Here we parked the car and started still go. walking. "Oh, sure!" answered Rene. "It'll be good for us!" Taking the right-hand fork, we Rene Sprague, Jarbidge's postmaster. With the summer rain silently fall- skirted the shoulder of the hill on an ing on the gray road, the thirsty soil, old trail rutted and caved by the mishap could have sent a freight outfit and the earthen roofs of long-vacant storms of nearly 50 winters. In the plunging over the precipice and down- log cabins whose empty windows dis- days when Jarbidge was young this ward to disaster, hundreds of feet be- piritedly reviewed our passage, we had been the main stage and freight low. road to Rogerson and Twin Falls, Ida- made our way along the single street In about 150 yards the long-aban- of the old mining camp, crossed the ho. On the opposite canyon wall to doned turnpike carried us to Jack Jarbidge River, and turned down- the north the old road climbed sharply Creek and an old log-and-plank bridge, stream. upward toward the Big Island — an fallen to ruin. Here the music of I have a great fondness for the Jar- elevated land area nearly surrounded running water was loud, and in the bidge and the rugged land that cradles by streams and the Jarbidge River. dense greenery flanking the bridge we it. One of Nevada's few major water- "That was the beginning of the old caught glimpses of the stream as it ways that eventually reaches outlet Crippen Grade," said Rene. Its road- cascaded toward its meeting place with beyond the state boundaries, the Jar- bed averaged not more than a foot the Jarbidge. bidge winds for 14 miles through one wider than a wagon. The slightest Making our way over the ravine on of the most scenic canyons in the West. a pair of old bridge planks still in So narrow at the bottom that it can position, we left the freight road at the accommodate only the tumbling stream Jarbidge population fluctuates from four in the winter to 24 in summer. point where it crossed the stream, and

DECEMBER, 1958 turned up Jack Creek Canyon on an trees, each like a Christmas tree wait- the creek!" said Rene. "Do you like even dimmer road. ing to be decorated; and above the to wade?" Now we were walking through a firs marched the soft gray battalions Jack Creek suddenly looked like a sylvan loveliness not at all like the of sage — inevitable hallmark of the foaming millrace deep enough to float usual concept of Nevada and what highland deserts of the West. a barge and swift enough to sweep a geographers of an earlier generation As we walked single-file along the horse off its feet. Actually, the creek termed "The Great American Desert." old road, we passed wild gardens of was only a dozen feet wide, and per- Edging the crystal stream and press- tall red-and-yellow columbines and haps a foot deep at this point; but its ing closely against the trail was a dense blue larkspurs, and clumps of ferns; bed was composed of cobbles and thicket of young aspens, willow brush, we saw hoofprints in the moist sand rounded boulders, and the water was creek dogwood and small chokecherry at the edge of the stream where a big flowing swiftly. trees. Mixed into this larger growth buck deer had come down to drink, "I can wade it if you can!" I re- were wild roses, gooseberries, grouse- and we glimpsed a water ouzel as it torted. We stepped into the stream. berries and—to my surprise and de- flirted with the spray from a bright I've never felt anything as cold as the light—wild raspberries! Not even the cascade. water that swirled up past the calves of attraction of a waiting agate ledge Second of the old log bridges that my legs to my knees. But it was only could keep me from halting occasion- had carried this sideroad up the can- a moment until we stepped out on the ally to pick a handful of the soft deli- yon lay in the water so fallen to ruin opposite bank, and again were head- cately - flavored fruit. Climbing the that crossing upon it was quite impos- ing up the canyon toward our destina- lower canyon walls above the tangled sible. tion. deciduous growth were tall slender fir "Here's where we get our baptism in It was still raining steadily; and since there was no wind in the canyon, every leaf was freighted with water. Forcing our way through the dense underbrush, we were soon so wet that a subsequent wading of the stream was attended by no qualms whatever. After this third crossing we had good hiking the remainder of the way. On the east bank of Jack Creek, near the point where Jenny Creek joins it from the south, we climbed up the canyonside a short distance to The Rockhound's Dream agate ledge. Since it hasn't often been my good fortune to find cutting agate in masses the size of a young mountain, I had suspected that Rene, in her enthusiasm, had exaggerated the extent of this de- posit. But now I saw that she had not been extravagant in her descrip- tion. There were thousands of tons of material in sight and, barring drilling, no possible means of knowing how deep the agate extended below the surface. I found material in almost every color ranging from white to charcoal - gray, with plumes and blotches and streaks in half-a-hundred other tints—including a maroon so vivid I could scarcely believe my own eyes! Although float scattered over the ground was weathered rather badly, material still in place was quite free of fracturing; and by digging below the surface, beyond the frost zone, this deleterious feature is largely eliminated. Back at Jarbidge that night, after each of us had taken a hot bath, changed to dry clothes, and eaten-a good hot supper, we spread newspapers on the big table in Rene's kitchen and laid out the several pounds of material collected that day on Jack Creek. Re- appraising those samples while bask- ing in the heat from the kitchen stove, I liked them even better than when I'd seen them through the chill half-light of that drippy afternoon. This was good material, and I knew from past

DESERT MAGAZINE experience how rockhounds would re- snow comes early and lingers late. As act to it. But did Rene know? a consequence, the road from the south Pueblo Portraits "Are you sure it's going to be all (via North Fork, Charleston and Bear right for me to write a story about Creek Summit) is not usually open this ledge?" I asked. to traffic before July 1. The road from the north (via Rogerson and Three "Of course it's all right!" exclaimed Creek, Idaho) may be traveled over Rene. "My husband and I like rock- most of the year, and the ground at hounds! The main reason we staked Jarbidge generally is free of snow by this claim was to protect the ledge for April or May. collectors who might be excluded from the property if some commercial in- As for accommodations, the old gold-mining camp hasn't much to offer. terests took it over. Naturally, we There are a few cabins which can be don't expect collectors to do any bull- rented in summer, and the Forest dozing or blasting on our property, Service maintains a delightful camp- and we won't have dealers hauling our ground in the trees along the river. rock away by the truckload. But, rock- Gasoline and oil can be purchased, but hounds are welcome to all the material no groceries. Fishing is said to be they want for their own use." good. As for the wild red raspberries, The Jarbidge vicinity is not suited I can testify that they are strictly food for wintertime collecting or camping. for the gods—especially when eaten On the high passes that separate this on a rainy afternoon while agate ad- locality from the remainder of Nevada, venturing with two good friends!

Here's the monthly I.Q. test for the desert fraternity. But you TRUE OR FALSE do not have to live among the dunes and cactus to make a passable score. The questions cover a wide range of subjects—history, geography, botany, minerals, Indians and the general lore of the desert. These monthly lists of questions are designed both as a test of knowledge for the desert student, and as a course of instruction for those who would like to become better acquainted with this desert land. Twelve to 15 is a fair score, 16 to 18 is good. Only the super students get over 18. The answers are on page 34. 1—A rattlesnake has two fangs. True False 2—Ocotillo is a species of cactus. True False 3—The famous Lost Dutchman mine in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona has been found and is now a large gold producer. True False 4—Pioche is the name of a historic mining town in Nevada. True False 5—Mark Twain once worked on a newspaper in Virginia City, Nevada. True False 6—The University of New Mexico is in Santa Fe. True False 7—The floor of Death Valley is below sea level. True False 8—Salt River Valley in Arizona gets its irrigation water from the Colo- rado River. True False 9—Feldspar is a harder mineral than calcite. True False 10—Woodpeckers sometimes make their homes in Saguaro Cactus. True False 11—Ranchers along the shore of Salton Sea use the sea water for domestic purposes. True False 12—The largest city visible from the summit of Charleston peak in Nevada is Las Vegas. True False 13—The Mormon leader Joseph Smith never saw the Great Salt Lake. True False 14—Geronimo was a notorious Navajo chief. True False 15—The junction of the Green and Colorado rivers is in Utah. True False 16—Organ Pipe National Monument in southern Arizona derives its name from the fluted rocks in that area. True False 17—The Jicarilla Indian reservation in New Mexico belongs to the Apaches. True False 18—Papago Indians in southern Arizona harvest the fruit of the Saguaro cactus for food. True False 19—Some of the richest placer gold strikes in the Southwest have been made in sand dunes. True False 20—Highway 80 crosses the Colorado River at Blythe. True Dancer of San Juan Pueblo, New Mex- False ico. She holds ceremonial arrows. By JOHN L. BLACKFOP

DECEMBER, 1958 7 DUEL IN THE DUNES

By E. P. HADDON and MARY BRANHAM Gila monster tracks. Heavy body made furrow between foot prints.

HIS WAS the time of morning comed by his larger rivals. They could hardly follow, the unnoticed — two hours before dawn — stopped gorging their cheek pouches rattler's arched neck straightened out 7 when much of the desert wild- long enough to give the runt a thrash- with a speed no creature could dodge life is abroad, and we had come to ing with their long legs. But, the small —and the snake sank its sharp curved observe the passing parade. We mouse was not to be outdone. It fangs hard into the large Kangaroo parked our Jeep beside a cluster of waited until its opponents had depos- rat's flesh. There wasn't a sound. The small dunes in the desert north of Las ited pouches of grain in nearby bur- rattler quickly drew back into position Vegas and west of Nevada's Sheep rows, and then moved in on their for another strike — an unnecessary Range, in the land of bristling Joshua storehouses. With cheeks bulging it gesture, for the Kangaroo rat quivered trees. The white dunes glistened in scampered beneath a shrub covering helplessly and fell on its side. Cauti- the bright glare of a big desert moon. the entrance to its den. ously, the rattler approached the dead creature, touched its nose against the Three rattle-tipped sidewinders had A deadly newcomer appeared on rodent, moved completely around it crossed in front of us in the last half- the stage. Less than two feet long, and nudged the still body. Then, with mile of our wandering, and now we the appropriately-named sidewinder is open mouth, it drew the rat down- sat silently on the side of a dune to one of Nature's cleverest adaptations ward into its throat. look in on the world these reptiles for traveling over loose sand. Its body share with other small creatures. literally glides in sideward loops, mak- During that interval when there is a A many-entranced burrow was a ing for good silent traction— its tiny blending of moonlight and dawn, a few feet from us. Numerous other den rattle ready to buzz positive defiance jackrabbit crouched on a dune to our entrances, mostly at the foot of small to antagonists of any size. right, silhouetted against the eastern shrubs, also were within sight. Soon, The curtain suddenly rose on a des- glow. His body was rigidly still, the Kangaroo rats were scampering about, ert drama. One of the big rodents only evidence of life a slight twitching oblivious of our motionless presence. caught the smaller Kangaroo rat again of ears. In a wild burst of speed the We scattered grain about, and the raiding its storehouse, and launched rabbit disappeared. dainty creatures were eating at our a vigorous attack on the thief, driving With the coming of dawn, many feet—even taking grain off the toes it away. doorways to the inner dune were of our boots. With movements so swift the eye sealed against the heat of the coming A smaller Kangaroo desert day, but to rat that tried to move The unmistakable tracks led them to an incredible sight: some of the doors that in too close to the food — _ _ _ _ _ ^ remained open, the source was unwel- a struggle between a Gila monster and a sidewinder. slanting sunlight was DESERT MAGAZINE '* section of a deadly sidewinder. The rattler's fangs were imbedded in the tough beaded skin on the big lizard's neck—sunk so deeply the snake quiv- ered as it strained to withdraw them. Any other victim would have been writhing in pain, but not the Gila monster. Nor was there evidence that the rattler was suffering anything more than hurt dignity at being held in the monster's vice-like grasp. Fortunately, for the snake, the Gila monster had only pinched the flesh of one side. Had he taken a firm hold across the spine, it would have been fatal for the snake. Contrary to popular belief, rattlesnakes are deli- cate creatures and their backs are relatively easily broken. Once its fangs were free from the lizard's neck, the snake thrust them into the enemy's head. After a few moments the sidewinder straightened out, as though disgusted with the whole situation. The Gila monster opened its drooling jaws, from which oozed a mixture of saliva and venom. The rattler slid away and retreated into the first open doorway it found, seemingly none the worse for the en- an invitation to emerge and make "After a few moments, the side- counter. tracks in the sand. Dapper and gaudy, winder straightened out, as though a collared lizard perched on a nearby disgusted with the whole situation." We watched the Gila monster for ridge in the early sun, and beyond him the next hour, curious to see what we saw heavy tracks where a Gila collided; a thin, even line through the effect, if any, the snake's venom would monster had dragged itself clumsily sand made by a small creature's tail; have on it. The lizard slowly moved along. a mound of freshly-turned sand where from shrub to shrub in the dunes, ap- "Reading" the sand was interesting; a coyote had dug up its dinner. parently unharmed. here was the record of what had passed In the sand before us we saw the Two deadly reptiles had dueled, during the windless night. A few fluffs most unexpected duel of all. Ahead each equipped with death-dealing ven- of fur, two rabbit paws and mussed- lay the Gila monster we were tracking, om, and the battle had ended in a up sand — here fox and rabbit had his powerful jaws grasping the mid- no-decision draw. Gila Monsters In Nevada? Gila Monster Sidewinder HABITAT — The Gila monster's HABITAT — The sidewinder or natural habitat generally is regarded horned rattler occurs in the Lower as being restricted to the Arizona- Sonoran Life-zone, as does the Gila Sonora border country, and readers monster. But, the sidewinder's range of this story may wonder what one is more westerly, taking in Califor- of these poisonous lizards is doing nia's Mojave and Colorado deserts. in Nevada. The range of distribu- This small rattler frequents the sandy tion (see map) extends northward flats and washes of deserts, especially across the tip of southern Nevada where there are scattered bushes and and even into the southwestern cor- hummocks. ner of Utah. DESCRIPTION— IVi to 2V* feet DESCRIPTION — 12-16 inches in length; has stouter body than most from snout to vent; the thick tail other rattlesnake species; relatively an additional one-half to one-third large broad head; rattles on tip of head - body length. Tail usually tail. The hornlike projection over its banded; body color, in general, is eyes is its most distinguishing char- pinkish or dull orange, and black. acteristic. Color varies from cream, Sides of face, underside of head, and pink, tan, light brown to gray — feet usually blackish brown to black. blending well with ground. Thick skin is beaded. FOOD—Small mammals and liz- FOOD — Bird and reptile eggs, ards. nestling birds, rodents, young rabbits. MISC. — Primarily nocturnal, but MISC.—Only poisonous lizard in sometimes active at dusk and day- U.S.; can climb trees; nocturnal. time, especially in spring and fall.

DECEMBER, 1958 We have two first prize winners in our . . . PICTURES OF THE MONTH . . . contest. The judges couldn't decide which of these photos to give first, and which to give sec- ond place honors to—so they called it a tie ...

The Silent Struggle The young Saguaro Cactus and the Ironwood Tree grew up side by side. Prevailing winds bent the Iron- wood over the Saguaro, causing con- stant irritation that twisted the cactus into this grotesque shape. But as it grew outward instead of upward, the Saguaro killed the Ironwood's main trunk. Photograph was taken on the McDowell Indian Reservation in Arizona by Bob Payne of Phoenix. Camera data: Busch Press Camera; Pan X Film.

Gecko The variegated ground gecko lives in southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, south- ern California, Arizona (except the northeastern corner), Baja California and Sonora. The dark bands on the body are walnut-brown, the light bands a dull yellow. Rarely seen in the daytime, this lizard's chief enemies are nocturnal desert snakes, especially the leaf- nosed snake. Geckos feed on insects. Dick Randall of Boggs, Wyoming, is the pho- tographer. He used a Hassel- blad Camera; Verichrome Pan film; No. 6 flashbulb.

10 DESERT MAGAZINE Ed Rochester at his camp on the Colorado during his Beaver-trapping days. It was here he met the Dutch- The Old Dutchman's man who had made the gold strike. cart," Ed said. "A cart made of the front half of a wagon — the front Lost Ledge of Gold wheels, the hounds, the rocking bolster. It was a pretty heavy outfit for two burros. The old man was perched on top of a pack lashed to the bolsters. The prospector drove his burro cart out of the rough and uninhab- ited country south of Picacho with 50 pounds of gold ore in his pack. "He was confused and hungry, so That night he revealed the story of discovery, and next day disappeared. I invited him to supper. He ate as if he was starved to death." By HAROLD O. WEIGHT After the meal, as they sat beside the fire in the gathering dark, the old Map by Norton Allen Dutchman said: "You got a big boat there. How about putting me across T WAS 1910 or 1911 wh?n !he feet long, practically flat-bottomed, the river?" with quite a flare to the sides but "Maybe I could put you and the old Dutchman brought his rich running straight back from mid-bow ore into my camp," Ed Roch- animals across," Ed answered, "but with no closing in at the stern. It was not your cart." ester said. a wonderful boat for shallow water. Through that long-ago summer Ed "Well, that's all right," the Dutch- The Indians had used them in that man said. "And I'll pay you well." had been running a wiggletail in the country back to the '80s. They used big mine at Gold Road, north of Oat- them to gather up wood and haul it in He went to the cart and took out a man, Arizona. A wiggletail is a stop- to Needles where Monahan & Murphy bundled-up piece of canvas. It con- ing drill. It won that nickname be- would give them half the selling price tained 50 pounds of ore — beautiful cause of the movements the drill makes for all they brought in. rock—a yellowish quartz so rich that while operating. For reasons equally "I loaded up with beaver traps and bright free gold showed in every chunk. clear, a stoping drill also was known groceries and necessaries, and came From the pile he selected three pieces as a "widow-maker." In those days trapping down the river. Slow." and gave them to Ed. they were operated without water, and In the course of time Ed reached "You put me and my burros on the since the drilling was always upward, an ideal camping site on the California Arizona side with enough grub to get the operators were forever fogged in side three or four miles above the to Quartzsite," he said. "There's a a cloud of fine dry quartz dust that future site of Imperial Dam. It was lot of gold in those rocks." almost guaranteed silicosis. a little rincon, formed where a wash As the night hours slipped by, the "After a while I began to get clogged entered the Colorado, accessible to Dutchman—well fed and warm—told up in the lungs," Ed went on. "I Ed the story of his wonderful ore. knew it was time to quit mining. I had both river and shore. been thinking about prospecting along He remained there several days. He had started out from Quartzsite the river, so that fall I went down to One morning it rained. After the with a grubstake furnished by William Needles and bought a boat for $10 weather cleared, Ed built a fire to dry E. Scott, the local grocer. He worked from a Mojave Indian (Ed pronounced out clothing, bedding and equipment. down through the Trigo Mountains, it 'Moharve', the way almost all the That afternoon he heard a crashing stopping for a while at Jim Butler's old-timers do). and rumbling from the shore. The old camp. He reached the Colorado oppo- "It was one of those Mojave boats, Dutchman, guided by the smoke from site the town of Picacho, and crossed designed by the government for use Ed's fire, had come into camp. to California on the crude ferry. on the Colorado. A rowboat, 16 to 20 "He had two burros hitched to a The old Dutchman did not stay DECEMBER, 1958 11 long in Picacho. Striking down river burros broke into the grub sacks and boat on skinned cottonwood poles. On in the direction of Laguna Dam, he ate or ruined most of the food. The the other side it was even harder skid- prospected as he went. This country old Dutchman had to get out or starve. ding the animal out of the boat onto in the big bend of the Colorado is a He hitched up, loaded the ore he solid ground. lonely land, even today, with few jeep had dug, and headed for the smoke "Then we started on the jenny. We trails, few visitors and no permanent at Laguna Dam. He was nearly out had quite a time with her. She had inhabitants. of the mountains when he came to one ear cropped off—the sign of an Soon he came to a little basin fairly steep-walled Senator Wash, which he outlaw burro in those days. When high up in the hills. From it he could could not cross in his cart. So he we did get her across, she bogged see one little green spot of Colorado turned down the gorge toward the down between boat and shore. We River bottomland. He couldn't iden- river. Then he saw the smoke from had a time digging her out of that tify this part of the river. He also saw, Ed Rochester's camp, and made his mud." in a southerly direction, rising smoke way to it. After the old man and his outfit which he reasoned came from the set- Now he wanted to get back to departed in the direction of McPher- tlement at Laguna Dam. Quartzsite, pay Scott for his grubstake, son Wash, Ed returned to his camp on There was a waterhole in the basin, get together another outfit, and return the California side, and next day so the Dutchman camped and pros- to his promising strike. pulled out down river. pected. And in this vicinity he found Next morning Ed and the Dutchman In Yuma he sold the three pieces of his high-grade vein with gold sticking ferried the burros and supplies across gold ore at Sanguinetti's store. out of the rock right on the surface of to Arizona Territory. "Sanguinetti paid me $62 and one the ground. He settled down to work "It was quite a chore," recalled Ed. of his big black cigars," Ed said. "He the strike as long as his supplies would "We had to throw the first animal down, always gave you a cigar when he last. But, they "lasted short," for his tie him, and then skid him into the bought gold from you. "Then I sold my boat for $7, ••••%% »>,*>. •"* /••• shipped the beaver furs I had trapped, sold the traps, and went to Los An- geles." Ed hadn't even learned the Dutch- man's name. "We never asked people their names when we met in the back country in those days. Names didn't amount to anything, anyway." But, he did not forget the old pros- pector and his gold. Ed was in Quartz- site the following year, and he asked Scott about the Dutchman. Yes, the storekeeper remembered him, but hadn't seen him for a long time. Yes —he'd given him groceries the year before—but he did that with every old prospector who came by, whether they had money or not. Jim Butler—the man with whom the Dutchman had stopped off in the Trigos before making his strike—was in the store. He broke into the con- versation. "Why, one of that old fellow's bur- ros came into my camp about a month ago!" he said. "You know—that mean dock-eared jenny. I recognized her as part of his outfit. But, I haven't seen him." No one, as far as Ed knows, saw the old Dutchman after they parted on the bank of the river. The same year Ed went to Quartz- site to see Scott and Butler, he made another trip down the Colorado. The big summer runoff, backed up behind Laguna Dam, had so changed the river bottom that he no longer recog- nized the channels. The immense overflow had mudded in all that coun- try, but he did locate the Dutchman's cart stashed in the arrowweed. The mud was so deep only the top of the wheels showed. The old man had not come back to reclaim his cart, and looking up into

12 DESERT MAGAZINE the tangled mass of hills, Ed wondered if he had ever gotten back to his golden ledge. A year's weather had erased all traces of the cart tracks, and Ed was not equipped for a long search. So he continued on down the river, stop- ping at the Buena Vista Mine (later known as the Senator). None of the miners there had seen the old fellow. Another two years passed before Ed again camped in the rincon. No trace of the cart was evident in the mud this time. With a canteen and some grub, Ed hiked back into the savage barren hills, the old man's de- scription still vivid in his mind. "I found a little basin from which you could see a little speck of river bottom," Ed told me. "And there was a waterhole, too. I found where he— or someone — had hacked the upper limbs off ironwood trees for burros to browse on. With a modern-day pros- pector, there would have been no Old-timers on the porch of the C. V. Kuehn store in Quartzsite in 1915. trouble finding a camp. There would From left: Daddy Woods, Frank Weber, Jim Butler—the man who saw the have been a pile of tin cans. But in old Dutchman in the Trigos, J. Chamberlain, Gus Anderson and Felipe those days we seldom used canned Scott—son of the man who grubstaked the Dutchman on his last known trip. rations, and there was no sign of a camp in the basin. attempts to find the Dutchman's gold. Ehrenberg long ago — pounding up "But the rest — everything else — "And we kept the story to ourselves some funny ore that looked like noth- fitted. It was as the old man had because it seemed so certain the gold ing this miner had ever seen in that described it. There was just one thing was there. After all, I had seen it!" country. A yellowish quartz rich in wrong— I found the ledge, but couldn't But, the vein eluded them. Why? gold." find the gold." Possibly it was a small cropping and Had Ramon found the little basin The basin Ed located lies to the the Dutchman had taken all the rich and its treasure? Or was the ore he north of Rochester Basin. It contains ore that showed. More likely, the was crushing the remainder of that 50 perhaps 100 acres, and has two fair- basin Ed found is not the only one that pounds the Dutchman was taking back sized washes cutting through it. Ed fits the Dutchman's description. Or to Quartzsite? traced a route over which the Dutch- possibly, intentionally or by chance, Today, Ed's campsite in the little man could have gotten into the basin the old prospector twisted his story. rincon lies under the waters behind with his cart from the Picacho side, Imperial Dam. But the country of the and a way he could have gotten out, Almost every ore is as distinctive, to an expert, as a man's fingerprints. Dutchman's lost ledge remains un- heading down toward Laguna Dam. tamed, uninhabited, unchanged. And Following this trail, Ed came to where Since that day, Ed has never seen ore identical to that beautiful yellowish as we stood on the high ground not the prospector's cart would have been far from the vanished rincon and blocked by Senator Wash. Ed turned quartz with its golden burden. The looked into the hills from which the down the wash bank, saw how the old nearest thing to it is the rock of the Dutchman's queer cart with its preci- man could have driven to the camp old Senator Mine. But, once he did ous cargo had rumbled nearly half a on the river. hear an ore described that might be the century gone, Ed said: "If I had just Again it all fitted together. No Dutchman's. back-tracked him that first time . . . missing links, no false notes—but also "A tramp miner who had put in "But you've got to understand—in no gold. quite some time prospecting in the those days and around this country In the intervening years, Ed and the Trigos told me he had seen Ramon gold was very common. You saw it late Earl Kerr of Picacho, made many —an Indian I knew who lived around everyplace. You didn't pay too much attention. A fellow brought in a piece Steep walls of Senator Wash, left, prevented the Dutchman from driving his of gold—why, it was just a new pros- cart to Laguna Dam. Ferguson Lake Road, right, was built a few years ago. pect. Yeah. Good ore. Good ore! But you didn't go wild about it. You didn't ask him where it came from, or anything like that. "If he wanted to, he told you. Like the old Dutchman. And if he hadn't told me, I wouldn't have asked. It would have been as impolite as asking him his name. "Still — if just that once I had! Those big cart wheels would have left signs any good tracker could have fol- lowed right back to the basin—and to the Dutchman's gold."

13 Out of place birds that lose their way into the strange environment of the desert add interest—and a touch of mystery— to the outdoor scene. lost Birds in a Strange Arid Land By EDMUND C. JAEGER, D.Sc. Curator of Plants Riverside Municipal Museum Sketches by Morris VanDame

HUMID August afternoon while dark storm clouds hung low over the mile - and - a - half- high San Bernardino Mountains and adjacent desert slopes to the north- ward, I paused for lunch in the creo- sote bush belt of the Mojave Desert. Altitude here was 2800 feet. Soon lightning knifed its zigzag course through the black clouds, and the ominous accompaniment of deep rolls of thunder followed. After sev- eral especially sharp peals of thunder, dark curtains of rain descended over The Titmice were ill at ease at first, Desert near Amboy, I noticed nearby the mountains, and strong gusts of probably because they had no leafy a small olive-brown bird of unusual pine-scented winds swept down upon oak trees to be in. But soon I heard markings: pinkish legs, the center of me. their scratchy but pleasing chickadee- the crown bore an orange stripe bor- And with the breezes came some like notes; indeed, the strange sur- dered by a narrow black line. It strange avian visitors — birds seldom roundings stimulated them to new ef- walked from bush to bush, and I seen on the low desert floor. Evident- forts at music-making. sensed that this was no common bird, ly frightened by the storm in their As soon as the weather in the high but a total stranger to the desert, mountain home, a flock of Gambel's altitudes cleared, the birds left as doubtlessly a spring migrant far out quickly as they came. of its range. It was a forest-dwelling Chickadees and several Plain Titmice Eastern Oven-bird, one of the most had flown down into the more peace- For reasons often unknown birds interesting of the ground warblers, its ful land of creosote bushes. sometimes stray from their usual name derived from the architecture of The strange environment proved no haunts or get lost on their migratory its nest. I kept my sparrow-sized bird obstacle. Almost immediately the flights and end up far from the long- under observation for 30 minutes, only chickadees began flying from bush to established nesting areas of their spe- once hearing its loud penetrating song, bush in their typical erratic fashion, cies. It is always interesting to find tee'-a-cher, tee'-a-cher. turning upside down and twirling about such misplaced birds, and to observe on the woody stems of the plants while them as they seek adjustment to their Dr. Francis B. Sumner of La Jolla diligently hunting insect food. Nor did new surroundings. saw an Oven-bird in May, 1920, on they neglect their chickadee songs and Early one morning in April, while the Mojave Desert near Lavic where sociable call-notes as the band of 15 seated before my campfire in a broad there was a windmill and water. It to 20 birds kept well together. smoke tree wash in the mid-Mojave flew in under the shade of a truck ON DESERT TRAILS WITH A NATURALIST

14 DESERT MAGAZINE parked near the dry lake, and began ern Nebraska, western Kansas, Okla- having a larger beak. There is another walking about in characteristic teetery homa and Texas. The last place I Pyrrhuloxia in Texas and northeastern fashion. This was the first observation would have expected to find one of Mexico that is darker than the Western of an Oven-bird in California. Perhaps these large sparrows was on the desert birds. mine was the second. —yet on a December day I saw a lone Misplaced Mammals The Southwestern desert has its own and probably very lonesome one deep Once in a while we find mammals warbler, the Lucy Warbler, also known in Papagoland along the Sonoita River out of place, too. Some years ago Lee as Desert Warbler and because of its where extreme arid conditions prevail. Smith of the Camp Cady Ranch on habit of frequenting and nesting in The bird was loitering about like the Mojave River where it flows mesquite thickets, Mesquite Warbler. a lost soul in some ironwood trees. through exceedingly dry creosote bush I identified my first one under rather Its plaintive minor-keyed whistling flats, showed me porcupine quills strange conditions and certainly in an song, whee, whee, whee, first drew my plucked from the muzzle of his dog. out-of-the-way place for this active attention to this handsome finch. The This is the only time I've ever seen somber-colored brush-loving bird. black adornment of its head-top, face evidence of forest-dwelling porcupines Tom Danielsen and I were return- and breast are similar to the markings on the bleak Mojave Desert. The ing home from a pine-nut gathering of the common Desert Sparrow. nearest area known to harbor porcu- expedition in Southern Nevada on a "A cardinal in red and gray," is a pines was 50 miles away. very warm afternoon in mid-Septem- short description sometimes given for ber. Stopping at a rather desolate- the aristocratic Pyrrhuloxia. Its prom- At the time of this visit to Camp inent but stubby yellow beak has Cady, my host housed me in a cottage looking service station, we noticed a which had a screened sleeping veranda small sharp-beaked bird hopping about earned for it the name Parrot-bill. I saw one of these beautiful crested birds jutting out over the river bank. When in the shade at our feet. It was indif- I awoke in the early morning I was ferent to our presence, and with but while camped in a broad sand wash on the west coast of the Gulf of Cali- delighted with a rich medley of bird slight difficulty Tom reached down songs, among them the notes of a fly- and picked it up. The little fellow was fornia. The Pyrrhuloxia is a finch catcher. In the screw beans and wil- not only fatigued, it was very thirsty. closely related to the grosbeaks, bunt- lows was a pair of Vermilion Fly- We got it to take liquid by dropping ings, goldfinches and towhees — all catchers—an unexpected and stimulat- water from the end of a finger into its members of the Fringillidae family. ing find. The only other desert areas open beak. This revived it consider- First Observation where I have seen this fine colorful ably. It was evidently in southward The Pyrrhuloxia I saw that late bird are at Mecca near the Salton Sea fall migration, and in passing over the afternoon was a male made conspicu- and at the oasis of China Ranch near hot desert had become exhausted. The ous by the red of its face, throat and Tecopa on the Amargosa River, two station attendant said many birds came upper breast; its tail was dull red, and small Vermilion Flycatcher islands in here in summer, both by day and back gray. This observation may have a vast sea of aridity. night, many so spent and dehydrated been the first of this bird west of the they never revived. Gulf. Ordinarily, it is only seen in I hope this account of misplaced We put our Lucy Warbler in an and around the oak forests and low- birds will induce you to watch for open - screened can wrapped about land brush and tree thickets of south- similar occurrences while on desert with a wet towel to keep down the ern Arizona and Sonora and southward wanderings. Many stimulating sur- temperature, and sped westward to the to Sinaloa and Puebla. prises can be ours if we are alert to mountains where we turned it loose A related Pyrrhuloxia frequents the things we see and hear in the outdoors. in the cool shade of trees. oak forests at the lower end of Baja The best times to see lost birds are in Handsome Visitor California, but differs from its northern autumn and spring, the usual periods The handsome Pileolated Warbler representative by being smaller and of migration. (olive-green back, yellow face, dis- tinctive velvet-black cap, and bright yellow underparts) winters in Central America. It is rarely seen on our Sonoran deserts except during migra- tory flights. I became acquainted with this restless bird sprite one spring afternoon while walking among the Joshua trees on the Mojave Desert. A friendly male Pileolated Warbler ap- peared before me, flitting from bush to bush. To my amazement it flew to the shoulder of my companion, and for some moments rested there. I was so near I could see in greatest detail his handsome feathered coat. He was evidently a stray, taking time out for a moment's rest and opportunity to feed while on his migration flight. Another of my great bird surprises was the finding of a black-hooded pink-billed Harris Sparrow in the des- ert of Sonora. This bird breeds and nests in far northern Canada west of Hudson Bay. In migration and during the winter months it is found in the Lucy west-central states, especially in east- Warbler

DECEMBER, 1958 15 DOLPH NEVARES OF DEATH VALLEY

Farmer, prospector, miner and for Death Valley to find Jimmy Day- pioneer—Dolph Nevares lived his ton (Desert, June '58). One lead after life in Death Valley and became another proved false, until they stum- a fragment of its colorful history. bled onto Jimmy's team, dead in the harness that held them to the light By HARRIETT FARNSWORTH spring wagon, as were the two extra horses tied behind it. But where was Jimmy? Finally, Frank and Dolph DOLPH NEVARES, a soft- noticed a mere skeleton of a little dog spoken gentleman in his eight- running back and forth, whining, al- ies, is a Death Valley legend. ways in the same direction. From the solitude of Cow-Creek "That's Jimmy's dog," said Tilton. Ranch, his little oasis in the Funeral "We'd better follow it," suggested Range, Dolph watched the Valley go Dolph. through boom and bust and boom The little dog that had survived again, saw its rugged characters come without food and water for several and go—some making their fortunes, days in Death Valley's terrific summer others passing into oblivion. heat, proved a good guide. Six hun- Dolph was born of Basque paren- dred yards north of the old Eagle tage in San Bernardino, California, Borax works site, they found Jimmy with a touch of adventure in his blood. Dayton crouched in the scant shade He liked the desert country, and his of a creosote bush—dead. Many dates first trek took him to Daggett in 1897, have been given for this discovery, but where he went to work for the Borax Dolph is emphatic: it was August 14, Company as driver and handyman. 1900. Dolph enjoyed his job, his fellow "The trip was rough," said Dolph. workers, and rip-roaring little Daggett "But to dig a grave in that rocky sun- —then a busy shipping point. "Death baked soil was a slow tedious job. Valley, of course, I had heard of. At After Tilton said a simple graveside that time it was a land to be shunned," service, we laid Jimmy to rest. As far he said with a shrug. "And I gave it as I was concerned that was the last not a second thought until a sizzling of Death Valley for me, and it might day in August of 1900. have been had we not returned to the "Word came to Daggett that Jimmy old Greenland Ranch to rest up before Dayton, who had started out from the starting the long hot trek back to old Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, Daggett." was overdue. Frank Tilton offered to While recuperating for the return search for Jimmy, and asked for some- trip, Borax Smith sent word that he body to accompany him who could would like Dolph to stay on as over- take the heat and not go panicky. I seer in Jimmy's place at Greenland volunteered to go." In temperatures hovering around Dolph Nevares at one of the hot 120 degrees, Frank and Dolph started springs on his Death Valley ranch.

16 DESERT MAGAZINE Ranch (today Furnace Creek Ranch). Last Chance, whose gold turned up north of Cow-Creek. It required six "This was a situation not to be in great varnished kidney - shaped parallel claims to cover it safely. I taken lightly," said Dolph. "Green- chunks—a single bucketful estimated called it the Conglomerate. It was my land Ranch consisted of nothing more at $80,000! favorite because it was so full of sur- than a big adobe house, a barn, corral Dolph smiled. "I was saving my prises. Nowhere else, except by drill- and alfalfa fields which produced feed money — because there wasn't any- ing in Africa, had anyone discovered for the company's dray mules and place to spend it, nor did I have time a claim so flush with low-grade cattle. No other sign of civilization as to strike out on my own, not even quartz." far as eye could see—only shimmering when Rhyolite went boom right under Dolph picked and hacked at the alkali flats, glowering mountains and my nose. But, after eight years on Conglomerate almost steadily for two desolation. No excitement in prospect Borax Smith's payroll, I quit him and years, and the need for a cabin at except the once-a-month mail stage or went looking for land I could settle nearby Cow-Creek was becoming in- an occasional visit from Borax Smith on." creasingly evident. who unexpectedly dropped in on his In wandering along the foothills of camps to keep in personal touch with the Funeral Mountains, Dolph often "Lumber was my problem," he said his men." stopped to rest and chat with a fellow with a shrug. "Lumber was scarcer named Watkins, who was squatting in Death Valley than ice in July. I Dinner for Borax Smith on the rocky sun-baked hillside known had no time to drive outside to get it. Dolph accepted the job. Even be- as Cow-Creek Ranch. Watkins lived Deserted mining camps had been fore he had time to order new supplies, in a wickiup built of arrowbush, and picked clean. One day I hiked up to he heard horses galloping down the owned little else besides a two-horse the old Lee Camp. Several wind- team and light wagon. He liked Cow- blown buildings remained, and I old Randsburg Road one hot summer bought enough lumber for $500 from evening. When the rig stopped at the Creek Ranch because of its 110-de- gree hot water pools bubbling up at the owners to build a two-room cabin Ranch door, Borax Smith and his —and considered it a bargain." partner, Ryan, stepped out. "We're the old Indian campsite farther up the hungrier'n coyotes, Dolph!" boomed hill. Smith. "Rustle up some grub, quick!" When Watkins died suddenly, leav- Feud with the Indians Dolph was panic stricken. Smith, ing the land unclaimed, Dolph lost no What more could a desert rat ask then in his sixties—dark, athletic of time. From the state he bought the for? A cabin a thousand feet above build—was considered a good scout 320 rocky hillside acres as Patented the Valley floor, hot water pools, free- by his men, even though he had Land. When the cry of "gold" rang dom and contentment. "Well," Dolph amassed a fortune. Dolph didn't know out within shouting distance of Cow- laughed wryly, "maybe not always this, and he stood staring at his boss. Creek, Dolph hurried away to get in contentment. Every time the Indians Serve a millionaire grub? Why he had on the excitement. His new ranch came to bathe, they'd fill the pools nothing to cook! Not even a table to would have to wait. with rocks. I'd tote 'em away, and serve it on! Finley from Colorado and his part- they brought 'em back. This went on "I was at wit's end," said Dolph, his ner Lee, a Kentuckian, had struck it until I took advantage of the Indians' black eyes twinkling, "but, I told them rich in the Funeral Mountains only 12 lazy streak. One day I took the rocks I'd do my best. In time I rustled up miles east of Dolph's place! A fair so far away my visitors lost interest in my old stand-by, pork-and-beans and road led into the Hayseed Mine from binging 'em back—and we lived in some canned meat, and with apologies Beatty, Nevada, but a trail was badly peace." seated my distinguished guests around needed over the Funerals into Death Hot water on the hill meant city an upturned feed box." Valley, and Dolph built it. conveniences in the cabin. In time, "No apologies! No apologies, "Alone, I hacked, picked and shov- hand-dug ditches circled several acres Dolph!" roared Smith. "This is the eled out that trail in record time," re- around the cabin, and hot water ran best grub I ever ate!" called Dolph. Today it leads to the from the kitchen faucet. "Perhaps it was, that day," Dolph almost forgotten old Hayseed Mine, Plant life indigenous to the Valley reminisced. "Smith and Ryan had later called Lee Camp. moved in. Dolph, encouraging Na- been out scouting the Lila-C—the big ture, planted palms, cottonwoods and borax strike that proved rich enough Boom at Hayseed athels that thrived in neighborly con- to bring in the Tonopah & Tidewater "People poured into the Hayseed. fusion with arrowbush, tules, desert Railroad — and boom went Death Buildings went up overnight—stores, holly and mesquite trees—a cool in- Valley!" homes, shacks, tents, a big hotel, a viting oasis encircling his two-room Dolph served the Greenland Ranch five-stamp mill, a postoffice that served cabin. well for the next two years. Then a thousand population. But, the profit- Wildlife moved in: cottontails, kit Smith sent him out on the desert as able stringers played out and in three foxes, packrats, chipmunks, badgers, a prospector—new borax deposits had years the people were gone, and the coyotes, birds by the hundreds and to be found, and what adventuresome camp was left for wind, sun and often wild burros. It was not unusual young fellow wouldn't keep his eye vandals to wreak their havoc." for bighorn sheep to graze at a seep cocked for a few good gold claims of Time went trickling on. New boom southeast of the cabin — in spite of his own? towns kept coming and going. Dolph Indians waiting behind rock - walled By now isolation and the Valley's and his partner, Dick Ryan, had col- blinds to get their meat ration. terrific summer heat held no terror for lected some promising gold claims of Dolph cleared a space west of the Dolph Nevares. Besides, things were their own. beginning to happen around him. In cabin and circled the plot with irriga- 1900, the cry of "gold, gold, gold" "The four Christmas Mines were tion ditches. Here he planted apricot rang out across the Valley with dis- the best," said Dolph. and fig trees, and a small vineyard. covery of the Confidence Mines. With- "They brought us $12,000 through Next spring his garden produced oni- in seven miles of it, Yeomen and his a promoter named Brevis. But. my ons, beans, peppers and watermelons. partner, Barbour, located the fabulous richest strike was made in 1910 just The garden thrived. So did the DECEMBER, 1958 17 rabbits. The melons grew large and luscious. Dolph seldom got one, for World Will Revert to Stone Age the coyotes loved them. In time, fruit trees bore abundantly, grape vines produced delectable fruits. Dolph got Says Scientist from Cal-Tech some. So did the birds. Content with The world is rapidly approaching permits any state, territory or political life at his enchanting oasis in the the day when mineral deposits will be subdivision, including counties and Funerals, Dolph weeded and hoed his exhausted and the metal industries will municipalities, and also non-profit cor- garden while changes were taking place have to derive their raw materials from in the Valley. porations and associations to acquire common rocks. This was the predic- up to 640 acres of the public domain This area was becoming popular as tion of Dr. James Bonner at the an- in any one year for public or recrea- a winter resort, and visitors straggled nual meeting of the Desert Protective tional purposes. Federal officials in up the rugged hogback to Cow-Creek. Council in the Desert Magazine pueblo the Los Angeles Land Office expressed Each winter more came. They loved at Palm Desert in October. disappointment that Southern Califor- it. Some came for a day's picnic, Dr. Bonner is professor of biochem- nia towns and counties have not taken others for extended camp-outs — de- istry at the California Institute of Tech- advantage of this law to secure public lighting in the hot water pools, the nology, and co-author of the book land for recreational use. There would memorable shadow - patterns shifting The Next Hundred Years. over the formidable Valley below. be a nominal charge for such lands, Nature lovers are justified in asking but it would be only a fraction of their "One day I looked around wonder- that wildlife and recreational areas be appraised value. ing where time had gone—60 years reserved in their natural state, and of it!" Dolph sighed. "I slacked up even if some mineral resources are in- The Council passed a resolution urg- on prospecting. Decided to keep up cluded in such areas, it will make little ing that no decision be made as to assessment work on only a few good difference in the long span of time. protective works for Rainbow Bridge claims. But this sort of left me at loose Eventually it will be necessary to de- National Monument until Glen Can- ends. When I was offered a job at rive all the world's minerals from com- yon Dam is completed, the new reser- Monument Headquarters as gardener, mon rock, and the reservation of lim- voir filled, and an on-the-ground ap- I took it." ited areas for recreational use will not praisal made of the need for such pro- greatly hasten the day when the iron, tective works. It has been the attitude Dolph Retires copper, lead and other minerals re- of the Council that protective dams With the exceptions of weekends quired by an industrial civilization and a pumping plant such as would spent at his cabin, Dolph stayed on the must be taken from deposits of such be necessary to prevent water from the new job for 10 years. Still active, and low grade that today they are regarded reservoir backing up under the Bridge tough as a pine knot, he retired and as common rocks. would be more destructive of the scenic went up to the cabin to watch the "It is good for people to have wild values in the Bridge area than would world go by. However, other interests areas as a place of retreat from the the estuary which during limited per- had their eyes on his charming oasis. pressures of a highly complex com- iods would fill the Bridge Creek chan- More water was needed for the Val- mercial and social life," Dr. Bonner nel beneath the great arch. ley hotels. Cow-Creek Ranch, the only said. "Let's learn to do without the privately owned ranch in the Monu- present high grade resources a little ment, was a likely source. Several faster so we may reserve at least a years passed in negotiations, then small portion of the earth's surface in Dolph sold out and left Death Valley. its virgin state. Our children will thank us for doing so." When I recently visited my old Dr. Bonner said the fossil fuels, coal friend in his neat little cottage in San and petroleum, will be nearing exhaus- Bernardino, he still was chipper, still tion in the next 50 years, but by that blessed with his rare sense of humor time the harnessing of nuclear energy and good memory. Twenty - five years ago, Harriett will have reached the stage when we Farnsworth of Palm Springs, Califor- "What's become of the old Con- will have an ample power supply. glomerate?" I asked. A sad little smile nia, came out from Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Horace Parker of Balboa Island, to take a look at the desert. crept over Dolph's happy face, a tone California, and author of the Anza- of longing tinged his voice: Borrego Desert State Park guide book, "Its wide open space spelled peace "Oh, I still hang onto my favorite. was elected president of the Desert and contentment, its interesting old That hole still makes me feel like a Protective Council for the coming timers became my friends," writes the millionaire — although somebody else year. He succeeds Col. James Wester- author of "Dolph Nevares of Death will take out its gold. Yes, often I get field, who was re-elected to the board Valley" in this month's magazine. "I mighty homesick for Death Valley. followed them into the back country, of directors and will serve as vice lived their rugged life and loved it. Wish I had time to relive every day of president in the year ahead. Other it." Three months spent in a cave, where directors re-elected were Nina Paul I went to study and photograph wild- Cow-Creek Ranch will live in mem- Shumway, Dr. Ernest Tinkham and life, was an adventure of which I had ory as a monument to one man's infal- Dr. C. E. Smith. long dreamed. The winter I spent lible faith in himself; a faith that flour- Harry C. James, executive director alone in Dolph Nevares' cabin in ished and strengthened while facing of the Council, gave a detailed report Death Valley stands out as a high- obstacles that would have broken regarding the availability of public light of my desert wanderings." weaker spirits. "This faith," said land for recreational purposes, based Dolph, "was always nourished by my on information given him by the Fed- Her desert articles have appeared in unfailing confidence that I would live eral Bureau of Land Management in 20 publications. "To sum it up," she to see Death Valley pay off in more Los Angeles. concludes, "I'm a dyed - in - the - sand than gold—and it did." Title 43 of the Public Lands law desert rat . . ."

18 DESERT MAGAZINE The Navajo, a man of many friends, lay dying. For this sing they would A Sing For Atsa Gai employ powerful medicine —even six-shooters—to drive away the evil spirits.

BY JOE KERLEY couldn't see how incantations, chants, sand paintings and herb tea could cure a desperately ill person. Still, if there was the remotest chance that a sing would benefit Atsa Gai—even spiritually—I couldn't re- fuse to help. I told Claw that I would give flour, sugar, coffee, cookies and candy. And at the last minute added, "And I'll give the medicine man a blanket." Claw Begony nodded in satisfaction. "I go to Tees Toh," he said. The news spread quickly over the desert grapevine, and the Navajos be- gan to assemble. Atsa Gai was well liked, and because of his long illness this would be a dramatic sing. It also would be a great challenge to the medicine man of Tees Toh. Few Nav- ajos in the area would want to miss it. I had known Atsa Gai for several years. He was one of my first visitors when I took over the lonely trading post at Kayenta, Arizona, and I had liked him at first sight. Tall, handsome and straight as a young tree, he was more of an extro- vert than other Navajos I had known. His was an outgoing friendly big- hearted nature. He loved to laugh, especially at himself. Perhaps that was why he was a successful gambler. Losing didn't Medicine man prepares for a sing. worry him. Gambling was fun, not a SPOKE TO Claw Begony, the life-and-death matter. If he won, he thin-faced long-haired Navajo, as won. If he lost—he'd try again later. he entered the trading post, but ment. He had been sent home from He was considered wealthy. He had he merely grunted, stopping just inside there, his case pronounced incurable. good horses, much silver and turquoise, the doorway to stand with lowered "We've done all we can," I reminded and a pretty wife who was an expert head and downcast gaze. Claw gently. weaver. But in the midst of his pros- I went on with my work. He would He shook his head. perity, trouble, in the form of a leg tell me what was troubling him when malady, crept in. "No sickness can stand against the One day he limped into the store, he was good and ready; not before. right medicine," he said solemnly. "I Presently he came to the counter his handsome face drawn with pain. have visited a man at Tees Toh. He "How'd you hurt your leg?" I asked. and extended his hand. I placed mine knows about Atsa Gai's sickness. He in it, and he held it an instant, not says his medicine is so powerful it can "I didn't hurt it," he laughed. "It shaking it, then let his hand slide away. hurt me. I wish it would stop hurting suck the evil spirits from Atsa Gai's me." "I've come to talk to you about our body, right up the smoke hole of the But it grew worse. Before long he friend, Atsa Gai," he said, his usually hogan. But he is very old now and he no longer could stand the pain of soft voice harsh with grieving. "He's needs help. He has trained two young riding in the saddle, and when we da-a-tsa. Yah-go da-a-tsa! Very near singers in his own way ... He will brought him home from Tuba City to to death." cost us a lot of money." die, he was a skeleton of his former He was visibly moved. White Eagle, Claw wanted me to help, and he self. the laughing gambling life-loving young wouldn't ask me directly. I had at- I went to see him the morning be- Atsa Gai, was failing rapidly. But tended healing sings, and considered fore the sing, and at first glance what more could be done for him? them pure superstition. Sure, it gave thought he was already dead. When I A sing had been held for Atsa Gai the Navajos a chance to get together, saw the faint lift of his ribs, I knelt before I persuaded him to go to the gamble and trade, and probably they beside him and spoke. Indian hospital in Tuba City for treat- were sincere in their belief; but I Once he opened his eyes, but they

DECEMBER, 1958 19 were blank. He seemed very far away. Against the south wall a group of porcelain pot to Atsa Gai's lips. The I went back to the trading post in men were busily tearing a bolt of cloth liquid dribbled down the sick man's sorrow. into small pieces and tying candy, chin and chest. I could scarcely Claw Begony came again that after- cookies, cigarettes, gum and other gifts breathe. noon. into the squares. Claw and several "Drink!" I begged silently. "Drink!" "To chase evil spirits away for other men sat near the door, each of Atsa Gai's body seemed to stiffen good," he said, looking at the rifles them armed with the borrowed fire- a little. In the stillness we could hear and six-shooters on the pawn rack, arms. him suck in some of the medicine. He "medicine man says he'll need guns The medicine man sat beside the stopped, panting audibly, before mak- and ammunition." clear-burning juniper fire built just be- ing a feeble motion to take the pot in "What are you going to do with low the smoke hole. His young help- his hands. Then he drank. Noisily. them?" I asked, startled. ers watched him intently as he meas- Greedily. He ignored the question. ured out various herbs from buckskin Outside, the chanting rose in volume "When you hear the singers tonight, pouches, and placed them, with chants until the sound—primitive, compelling it will be time for you to come," he and incantations, into a white porce- — was all but unbearable. And as said. lain cooking pot steaming over the fire. Atsa Gai swallowed the last of the "Okay," I said. "I'll lend you the He was very old and withdrawn, brew, Claw Begony and his compan- guns and give you ammunition. Just apparently unaware of anything except ions began firing through the smoke don't kill anyone." his own movements. hole, while the men with the bags of After the last ingredient was added goodies tossed them after the bullets. There were 40 singers—young men to the sacred brew, there was a shaking This was the test. The crucial mo- with leather lungs. Their weird chant- of gourd rattles, a swishing of eagle ing sent gooseflesh over me as Claw ment. feathers, a low intense chanting. Then I leaned forward, tears streaming escorted me into Atsa Gai's hogan the pot was removed from the fire. that night. down my cheeks, my eyes on Atsa While the brew cooled, the medicine Gai's face. The dwelling was not more than 14 man and his assistants meditated, heads Then he opened his eyes. He looked feet wide, with mud plastered over bent. The calico bags were stacked up and recognizing me, he smiled. juniper logs. It had a smoke hole in a little pile. The singers outside "It worked!" I exulted. "He's near the center of the domed roof, but chanted the sacred songs. We sat in healed!" with a heavy rug hung over the door- silence waiting. Afterward, walking home in the way, there wasn't a breath of air in As if at a signal, though I saw none, cold early morning air, I marveled at the crowded little room. one of the assistants went to Atsa Gai, my emotion. But, in spite of myself, Atsa Gai lay on a sheep pelt near lifting the inert figure to a sitting posi- I believed he was healed. the north wall, through which his body tion. The medicine man followed, Atsa Gai came to see me a few would be taken should he die. Strands carrying the pot of brew. weeks later. He was still gaunt and of his loosened long black hair lay Suddenly, there was a surge of ex- pale, and he still limped, but he was across his bare chest, and his eyes pectancy, an electrical tingle in the evidently well on the way back to were closed. He was pale, as though room. All eyes were on the medicine health. I couldn't resist invading his the medicine man had sprinkled him man. Something was about to happen. privacy of thought. with sacred pollen. Slowly he pressed the rim of the "Gambler," I asked, "did you really believe you'd be healed?" There was no mirth in his eyes when they met mine. "The medicine man told me the evil spirits would be sucked up through the smoke hole when I drank the medicine, Hard Rock Shorty and he said the bullets would chase them away forever ... I believed, and of Death Valley it was so," he replied.

"Yep, they's a lotta mineral meat off that little pond below springs over in the Amargosa the spring. Ducks 'd fly in there country," Hard Rock Shorty was to spend the night when they explaining to the crowd of tour- wuz headin' south in the fall. PHOTO CONTEST You are invited to enter desert-subject ists on the leanto porch at In- When one o' them birds had a photographs (black and white, 5x7 or ferno store. band on his leg, like them bird larger) in Desert's monthly photo contest. "There's that alum spring up migration fellers put on 'em up One entry will be selected each Eight Ball Crick. Then over in north every season, the duck month, and a $10 cash prize the badlands is the soda springs. couldn't take off again. Too awarded to the photographer. All much magnetism in the water. other entries will be returned—pro- An' there's salt springs and mag- vided postage is enclosed. nesium springs an' a lotta others. "Bill had duck meat all one For non-winning pictures accepted for But the one yu want to keep winter, but he finally had to give publication, $3 each will be paid. The away from is that magnetic spring it up. Ate so much o' that mag- contest is open to all, and time and up near Pisgah Bill's iron mine. netized bird meat his stomach place of photograph are immaterial— That water has so much pull it'll except that the photo must be of a got magnetic. Swallered his knife Desert Southwest subject. jerk the tin can right outta your one day an' if there hadn't been Address all entries to: hand when yu try to dip up a a doctor over at the Consolidated drink. Mine Bill woulda strangled to PHOTO CONTEST "OF Pisgah usta git a lot o' death." DESERT MAGAZINE PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA

20 DESERT MAGAZINE Canyon Boat Ride in Utah

By RANDALL HENDERSON Within a few months rising pulled ashore where we made camp on Map by Norton Allen water behind a cofferdam in Glen a sandbar. The skipper and his young Canyon of the Colorado River will boatmen gathered firewood and cooked N THE GREAT chasm which begin the transformation of a an appetizing dinner while the rest of the Colorado River has slashed scenic area of millions of acres in us spread our bedrolls among the wil- through the southern Utah and southern Utah. Some lovely can- lows and salt cedars in accordance northern Arizona plateau, workmen yons will be inundated, but num- with the traditional pattern of the river are drilling and blasting the sidewalk berless new scenic vistas will be runners, women upstream, men down- in preparation for the construction of made accessible around the 400- stream. Glen Canyon dam. Within a few years mile shoreline of a new reservoir. Next morning it was only a 12-mile the new reservoir to be created will run to Mexican Hat where we stopped have backed 187 miles upstream be- death of Norman and Doris Nevills in to load additional provisions for the hind the dam and inundated some of an airplane crash in 1949 the equip- 8-day journey ahead. The hydrog- the most colorful and fantastic terrain ment was taken over by Frank Wright. rapher at the U.S.G.S. gauging station in the West. Wright added new boats, the ones in at Mexican Hat told us the river dis- I have wanted to make one more use today, but of the Nevills pattern. charge was 5500 second feet—a rather trip into the gorgeous tributary can- A year ago Gaylord Staveley bought low river but ample for our voyage. yons of that region before they are the equipment from Wright and con- In the afternoon run below Mexican submerged, and I welcomed the invi- tinues to operate as Mexican Hat Ex- Hat we followed the winding course of tation of Gaylord Staveley of the Mex- peditions. Gay's active associate in the famous Goosenecks, where the ican Hat River Expeditions to become the river enterprise is his wife Joan, river in a series of graceful curves a member of one of his San Juan- daughter of Norman and Doris Nevills. Joan plans the commissary for the river doubles back on itself like a sidewinder Glen Canyon boat parties. We made in motion. Here we encountered sand the trip last June. trips, as did her mother many years ago for her father. waves three and four feet high. The Our party of 22—17 passengers and sandwaves come and go in midstream, five boatmen—left Bluff, Utah, in five Below Bluff the San Juan flows be- piling up in a parallel series of huge boats the morning of June 19. I knew tween high sidewalk for many miles rollers. They are quite harmless, and these boats well, they are of plywood and occasionally Indian petroglyphs passengers generally get a thrill in and fiber-glass construction, designed are seen on the rocks. The current is riding them. Hitting them bow or stern originally by Norman Nevills for the fast, but the few mild riffles cause no foremost is a sort of slow-motion San Juan river runs which he inaugur- boating problems. bucking pony experience. Broadside, ated in the late 1930s. Following the At 21 miles from the start Gay they are a rubber-cushioned roller-

DECEMBER, 1958 21 •#*k : *&*

rnisic . TEMPLE Redbud Mystery Can. Can-

Forbidden Can %

MONUMENT VALLEY

To U.S. HWY. 89 To TUBA CITY coaster. Occasionally they break Clay Hills crossing where shallow their survey. He told me the new wrong and spray the passengers, but water and low banks made it possible Glen Canyon reservoir will back up wet clothes are no hardship when the for early day explorers to ford the in the San Juan channel as far as temperature is in the 90s. river. Then we arrived at Paiute Farms Grand Gulch, shown on the accom- We camped the second night 18 where the channel spreads out between panying map. miles below Mexican Hat, and early low hills forming a valley where until Paiute Rapid is a long rocky chute, the third morning came to the first recent years wild tribesmen were plant- but it would have been a laborious of the four rapids in the lower San ing maize and squash. The river here task to have portaged our gear along Juan. This is Government Rapids, so runs shallow over a sandy bar, and the boulder-strewn shoreline, and the named because a couple of boats except in high water the boat crew and skipper decided to run it with full manned by a U.S. Survey party are passengers generally have to wade and loads. We bumped along over the reported to have cracked up here many drag the boats. Despite the low stage rocks in many places but the power years ago. At a stream flow of 5500 of the water, however, Gay Staveley, of the current carried us through, and feet they are mild, and the skipper piloting the lead boat, found a channel without damage. headed into them without stopping we could follow most of the way. We for the usual palaver with the boatmen. were almost through the shallows when Treacherous Rapids the boat grounded and a few minutes An hour later we ran Syncline Rapid Fossil Beds of wading in ankle-deep water soon without difficulty, and stopped for Later in the morning we stopped to put us over the bar. We ran 31 miles lunch at the head of 13-Foot Rapids examine fossil deposits in a sidewall today. where the river loses that much eleva- near the river. According to Bill Early in the morning of the fifth tion in a quarter of a mile. The rapids Thompson, the paleontologist of our day we reached the head of Paiute looked treacherous and after the boat- party, these stony clams and corals rapids. Although Paiute is one of the men had studied the water as it cas- are the fossilized remains of marine major rapids in the lower San Juan, caded over and around great obstruct- life of at least 250,000 years ago. it is not comparable to the rapids of ing boulders, it was decided the pas- A few miles downstream where the Grand Canyon. sengers should walk the shoreline while Slick Horn tributary enters the San the oarsmen took the boats through. Juan we could see on the shore line Geological Study The run was made without accident. traces of the oil seeps which in the In camp at the head of the rapids At six in the evening we pulled in past brought oil drillers into this area. were Maurice Cooley, geologist, who at the entrance to Redbud tributary They were never successful in reaching with Bob McGregor as assistant were canyon, a delightful camp with Na- a producing well. making a geological survey of the area ture's swimming pools and waterfalls Today we ran 28 miles in a lovely for the Museum of Northern Arizona. in the background. We ran 21 miles canyon sector where the sidewalls are The Museum has a contract with the today. 1500 feet high, and when we pulled federal government to map and study From Redbud tributary it was only ashore for night camp at 5:30 a can- the geology of the entire basin to be an 8-mile run the next morning to the yon wren somewhere up in the cliffs submerged later by the water behind confluence of the San Juan with the gave us a serenade. Glen Canyon dam. Frank Wright was Colorado. By 9:30 we had drifted out On the fourth day we passed the old with the geologists as boatman for into the broad expanse of the Glen

22 DESERT MAGAZINE August 12, 1869, and his notes con- pin bends in the gorge. This place tain the following record: might also have been called Echo Can- "On entering we find a little grove yon for the sound waves from any of boxelder and cottonwood trees; and, noise are bounced back and forth turning to the right, we find ourselves among the sidewalls and clefts in a in a vast chamber carved out of rock. babble of echoes. At the upper end there is a clear deep Among those who have had the pool of water bordered by verdure. privilege of visiting these and other The chamber is more than 200 feet scenic side canyons and glens along high, 500 feet long and 200 feet wide. this sector of the Colorado there is a Through the ceiling and on through deep sense of regret that all these lovely the rocks for 1000 feet above, there places are to be submerged under the is a narrow winding skylight, and this new man-made lake. At one time is all carved out by a little stream there was a growing tide of popular which runs only during the showers interest in reserving the sector of the that fall now and then in this arid Colorado River from the southern Utah country. . . . Here we bring our camp. boundary north almost to Moab as When 'Old Shady' (the cook) sings the Escalante National Monument. us a song at night, we are pleased to Charles Kelly, one of the sponsors of find that this hollow in the rock is the idea, wrote the story for the Feb- filled with sweet sounds. It was doubt- ruary '41 issue of Desert Magazine. less made for an academy of music Later, Kelly told me that Secretary of by its storm-born architect; so we Interior Harold Ickes favored the pro- named it Music Temple." posal and was planning to press for Guest Register its acceptance in Washington — and then circumstances caused Ickes to Frank Wright and I placed a guest resign. register in Music Temple May 7, 1953, and when I returned this year the reg- New Vistas ister's 150 pages were filled with over But while the scenic side canyons 4000 names. Since there was no more at river level will be inundated, those space for entries and its binding was who are acquainted with this lovely showing the erosion of many thousands southern Utah terrain agree that the of hands, I wrapped it in plastic and waters of the new lake at a higher level Canyon sector of the Rio Colorado. brought it out for permanent safe- I use the term "drifted" because that will give access to many new vistas of keeping in the archives of Colorado rare beauty which are now inaccessible. is the manner of travel on most of the River travel. Soon after Glen Canyon San Juan and Glen Canyon expedi- That night, our sixth day on the dam is completed Music Temple will river, we camped at the mouth of For- tions. Very little rowing is done. The be submerged and its beauty and de- current carries the boats along at from bidden Canyon tributary. Names here lightful acoustics lost to mankind for- are a little confusing for the stream six to 10 miles an hour—and who ever. would want to go faster in a setting which flows in Forbidden Canyon is of such majestic beauty? Just downstream from Music Temple is Mystery Canyon where at certain Gay Staveley, skipper of Side Canyons stages of the river it is possible for the Mexican Hat Expeditions. Immediately downstream from where small boats to enter the sidewall of the San Juan enters the Colorado are Glen Canyon through a narrow slot some of the most fantastic and color- and follow a winding passageway far ful side canyons to be found in all the back into the sandstone cliff. The pas- mountainous regions of the West. sage is too narrow to use oars, and passengers propel the boat by pushing First there is Hidden Passage where on the sidewalls. The passage was the boats are moored at the base of a silted up when we arrived there—too vertical sandstone wall, and the pas- shallow for the boats and the quick- sengers discover a narrow passage in sand too treacherous for wading. This the cliff where they may enter and canyon was named by Norman Nevills follow a tiny stream far back into the on one of his first trips through Glen heart of a great domed massif. Some- Canyon. He found where prehistoric times it is necessary to wade, and this Indians had cut hand and toe niches summer even to swim to reach the leading to the top of the wall. How- little waterfall which terminates the ever, time and weather had so disinte- winding slot. Maidenhair ferns grow grated the sandstone as to make it in soft strata in the walls where water impossible to ascend to the top. Nor- seeps out. It is always cool and restful man never solved the mystery of why in this narrow corridor. those steps were chiseled in the rock Across the river and just a few or their destination—but they supplied miles below is Music Temple, a favor- a name for the canyon. ite side trip for all river voyagers, and We crossed the river again to visit the despair of the photographers be- Twilight Canyon, another tributary cause so little sunlight penetrates the where the erosion of countless ages by great domed room. cloudburst torrents carrying a high Music Temple was named by Major sand content has gouged out great John Wesley Powell. He camped here overhanging amphitheaters at the hair-

DECEMBER, 1958 23 posed dams, tunnel and pumping plant. In order to forestall any hasty action which might later prove to be ill-ad- vised, the Desert Council at its October meeting passed a resolution asking that the final decision as to protective works at Rainbow Bridge be deferred until Glen Canyon lake has been filled. At that time a realistic appraisal of the situation can be made at the Bridge site. Since the lake will be subject to wide fluctuation, protective works could be installed later if it is decided they are desired. The Bridge itself is in no danger of destruction or inun- dation regardless of the decision as to protective works. I am completely in accord with the attitude of the Desert Protective Council. 13.464 Visitors Beneath the Bridge span the Park Service keeps a register, although there is no resident custodian. Since the Monument was established by Presi- dent Taft in 1910 and the register placed here, 13,464 persons had signed their names as visitors when I Kane Creek Terminal, where San Juan and Glen Canyon boatmen was there June 25. leave the river because Glen Canyon damsite is closed to navigation. Byron Cumming and John Wether- ill are believed to have been the first Aztec Creek. This is the river approach adequate protective measures to pre- white men to see Rainbow Bridge. to Rainbow Bridge National Monu- clude impairment of the Rainbow That was in August, 1909. In 1913 ment. In recent years, since Rainbow Bridge National Monument." Theodore Roosevelt signed the register Lodge burned and the original 14- Engineers for the Bureau of Recla- and Zane Gray and Irvin Cobb were mile overland trail to the Bridge was mation have stated that they can pro- among the first visitors. Most of the made impassable by storms, a great tect the Monument area by construct- travel to Rainbow in recent years has majority of the visitors to Rainbow ing a barrier dam in Bridge Canyon been by way of the river. have trekked in from the Colorado below the Bridge, and a diversion dam We returned to the river late in the River, a distance of six miles accord- upstream with a tunnel which will di- afternoon and after camping there that ing to the sign boards, but probably vert the storm water from above out night shoved off at eight a.m. for the somewhat less than that. of Bridge Canyon. A third installation last lap of our journey. At 6:15 that All river voyagers stop at Forbidden would be a pumping plant at the bar- evening we arrived at Kane Creek Canyon. Two river parties were rier dam to dispose of storm water where a terminal camp has been estab- camped there when we arrived at six which might accumulate in the immedi- lished since the Glen Canyon damsite in the evening, one of them a troop ate area of the Bridge, between the two 25 miles downstream was closed to of 33 Boy Scouts from Salt Lake City bulkhead dams. river boats. From this point a rough who had floated down the river on Float in Equipment road has been bulldozed to connect rubber rafts from Hite Ferry crossing. with the paved Kanab-to-damsite high- The engineers have suggested that A fairly good foot trail follows Az- way near the little trailer camp of if this construction program is deferred Wahweap. At Wahweap Art Greene tec Creek four and one-half miles up- until they can float the heavy equip- stream to its junction with Bridge has provided cabin lodging with a ment for construction of the two pro- mess hall for travelers. Art's daughter Canyon, a tributary of Forbidden Can- tective dams to the site on the rising yon, and thence one and one-half miles Grace, and her husband Mel Schop- water in the new reservoir they can man, provide much better accommo- along the floor of Bridge Canyon to avoid the necessity of blasting roads dations than normally would be ex- the great arch which is Rainbow Nat- overland to the locale—and thus pre- pected in a boom construction camp. ural Bridge. serve as much of the wilderness aspect Water Under Rainbow of that area as possible. Archeological Survey According to the engineers who sur- Conservationists are divided in their Here I met an old friend, Dr. Jesse veyed the contour of the new reservoir opinions as to the installation of pro- Jennings, head of the department of shoreline, when the lake is filled a tective works at Rainbow Bridge. The Anthropology at the University of narrow finger of water would back up Sierra Club of California is insisting Utah. He and his associates are mak- in Bridge Canyon immediately under- that the barrier dams be built and the ing an archeological survey of the re- neath die Bridge span. Monument fully protected against any gion to be inundated by the new Glen Public Law 485 authorizing the backwater from Glen Canyon Dam. Canyon Lake, and taking out any arti- construction of the Upper Colorado The Desert Protective Council has facts which can be removed. River Storage Project including Glen taken the position that a backwater At Kane Creek landing I also met Canyon Dam, specifically provides estuary in the creek beneath the Bridge Dr. Gregory Crampton professor of "that as part of the Glen Canyon Unit would be less destructive to the scenic history at the university who with as- the Secretary of Interior shall take values of the area than would the pro- sociates is making a historical survey

24 DESERT MAGAZINE of the Glen Canyon area to be sub- dent at the University of Iowa for merged later. three years, and then a year at the At Dr. Crampton's suggestion, and University of Colorado where he ma- with the approval of Frank Wright, I jored in psychology. forwarded the register which I had In 1951 on a motor trip from the brought from Music Temple to the Royal Gorge of Colorado to Grand Utah Historical Society in Salt Lake Canyon, he took a wrong road, and for the permanent archives of the So- stopped at Mexican Hat for informa- ciety. David E. Miller, also of the tion. At the Mexican Hat lodge he department of history at the univer- met Joan and Sandra Nevills who, after sity, arrived while I was there. Dr. the tragic death of their parents, were Miller is writing a book on the Hole- living with their grandmother, Mae in-the-Rock trek made by a colony Nevills. of Mormons in 1879-80, one of the most amazing episodes in the Utah his- tory of the Church of Latter Day Saints (Desert, May '47). PERSONNEL Following is the passenger list and Boating on the fast water rivers of crew on the expedition described in the West with passengers involves con- the accompanying story: siderable responsibility on the part of In the boat Music Temple: the leader, not only from the stand- Gay Staveley, Mexican Hat, Utah, point of safety, but also for adequate Leader. Mary Beckwith, Van Nuys, Calif. commissary and pleasurable travel. Capt. John Granicher, San Fran- Gay Staveley, although he has had cisco. previous experience as a boatman on Joe L. Dudziak, Richmond, Calif. the San Juan and Colorado, was serv- Randall Henderson, Palm Desert, ing his first season as skipper of river Calif. In the Piute: expeditions, and I was interested in Earl Weimer, Grand Junction, Col., the background of this young man who boatman. had chosen river-running as a vocation. Mickey and Georganne Garms, Antioch, Calif. Born in Traer, Iowa, he was a stu- Pat McCormick, Chicago, 111. In the Thlo-be-nah: Hidden Passage, one of the many Kent Hoist, Traer, Iowa, boatman. Bob and Gladys Stoer, La Cres- scenic tributaries along the Glen centa, Calif. Canyon sector of the Colorado River. Trude and Marion Misley, Santa Clara, Calif. In the Petroglyph: Entrance to Bridge Canyon where Howard Hurst, Blanding, Utah, boatman. it joins Forbidden Canyon, one of Helen Williamson, Colorado the scenic passageways on the trail Springs, Col. from the river to Rainbow Bridge. Lucy Arnold, Tucson. Dr. William Kuhlman, Colorado Springs, Col. quarters for their river expeditions is In the Moonlight: at Mexican Hat. Gordon Lyman, Blanding, Utah, boatman. At Wahweap our journey ended Dr. Wm. L. and Dolores Thomp- and the fine companions of the 9-day son, Richmond, Calif. trip down the San Juan and Colorado Paul L. Wright, Prescott, Arizona departed for their homes, leaving only Skipper Gay and his boatmen to load the boats on trailers for their return That unscheduled stop at Mexican trip to Mexican Hat. Gay was sched- Hat set the stage for a romance which uled to leave in a few days for the reached its climax in 1954 when Joan greatest of all the western river ad- and Gay were married, while he was ventures — the three-week boat trip serving a two-year hitch in the Air through the Grand Canyon of the Col- Force. orado where Ol' Man River cascades In 1956 Frank Wright took the over many rocky barriers, challenging Staveleys on trips down the San Juan the skill of the best white water boat- and through Grand Canyon as a wed- men. ding present—and Gay liked the ad- Our last evening together we drove venture of white water boating so well from Wahweap down to the damsite he decided to make a career of it. In where sealers and drillers and powder October '57 he bought the Mexican men are working around the clock in Hat river equipment from Wright, and the preliminary construction of the during the 1958 season piloted four great dam that is to provide 900,000 trips on the San Juan, three in Glen kilowatts of much needed power for Canyon, one through Grand Canyon the states of the Southwest, and as a and several one-day trips from Bluff very important by-product, better ac- to Mexican Hat. cessibility to a great recreational area While the Staveleys have a home in in the land of fantastic colors and rock Grand Junction, Colorado, the head- formations which is southern Utah.

DECEMBER, 1958 25 Me too, please! . . . We Head the Other Way . . . Desert: Desert: Referring to the "Just Between" My reason for being an avid Desert LETTERS page in the October Desert Magazine, reader is the exact opposite of why please tell your editor I would like most people buy the magazine—I read Regarding the Rattlesnake . . . to be included in his little party of Desert: "kindred souls" when he quits this it to find out where people are going, I have lived on the Mojave Desert mess which we call civilization, and and then we head in the other direc- two years and in that time have come heads for that spring out in the desert tion. face to face with only three rattlers. In wilderness. And we are not anti-social, either. each case the encounter was peaceable. I don't know how to make a G-string We think camping is for the favored I was raised in Virginia and taught to but I guess if the desert Indians found few who know how to camp and kill all snakes on sight . . . but after a way to do it, us white savages can maintain cleanliness. We don't like to observing that snakes try to get away learn also. camp where hundreds have littered the from man instead of attacking him, I LEE R. YOUNG place before we arrive. We don't be- stopped killing and began capturing Ft. Wayne, Indiana lieve in camping where everything but them for pets. Since then I have been the kitchen sink is provided—at a fee. the champion of reptiles and other so- The Mitten's Geology . . . Then too, we have been at this busi- called wildlife. Desert: ness of camping for so many years JAMES C. CASSELL, JR. The photograph of one of the Mit- our equipment is down to the mini- Yucca Valley, California tens of Monument Valley in the Octo- mum. Tents, camp cots, butane stoves, ber Desert bore the caption "... great ice boxes and chairs are not included Desert: volcanic core . . ." which I believe is in our gear. I was on the Amargosa in the Death erroneous. We have a small place on the Colo- Valley country for four years begin- All the reading I have done indicates rado Desert near Travertine Point ning in 1904. My young son and I that the monuments in the Valley where we spend a night or two, and spent many spring days wandering proper are sedimentary in origin. Their then duck over the border in the early over the beautiful wildflower-covered straight-sided appearance, and terrac- dawn to camp in Mexico where the hills until we encountered too many ing of the talus slope and base indicate roads are such that the privacy every- rattlers and sidewinders. We killed 26 sedimentary stratified rock. one is entitled to still is available. No of them near our cabin. But, my ELNA BARKER one supplies our wood or water, there husband's wages were all ours for Los Angeles are no fees, and we lead the life of keeps — no deductions, no endless Dear Elna Bakker: You are cor- Riley. government forms to fill out. It is rect—the Mittens are of sedimentary After all this, may I add that I en- heavenly to recall that all that worried and not volcanic rock. The editor joy Desert immeasurably. There is no us then were a few measly rattlesnakes! must have been looking out the periodical like it — long may it live! Me? I prefer the desert and rattlers! window when that caption reached And it will if what I read the other CORA LEE FAIRCHILD the proof desk.—R.H. day is true: Los Angeles County ex- Santa Cruz, California pects a population of 14,000,000 in Coloring Glass on the Desert . . . 12 years! Most of these people will Desert: be looking for recreation outside the Desert: teeming urban areas. We moved to the Mojave Desert I have been doing some experiment- early this year, built ourselves a two- ing in the coloring of glass on the HELEN DuSHANE bedroom cabin and settled down. First desert, and perhaps some of the results Altadena, California thing we did was plant some flowers will interest your readers: and shrubs around the place. This brought in the rodents and, in turn, It has been said that new glass turns the snakes. So far most of the snakes amber, and old glass amethyst. My Desert Poems in Braille . . . experience has been that both new Desert: have been of the harmless varieties, and old glass will gradually assume any but we did kill one nine-button dia- one of four shades, depending on the May I have your permission to make mondback. He was 39-inches long. chemicals used in their making. The a hand-embossed Braille booklet of Evidently there still are some rattlers shades are amber, blue, green or ame- poems taken from past issues of Des- in this country, j thyst. ert? I am making a booklet for my- JOE FORBES If the age of the glass makes any self so that I may enjoy these poems Hinkley, California difference it is only because different after I become totally blind, and I chemicals were used at different peri- would like to make one for the Blind Bill Bass—Arizona Institution . . . ods. I am convinced that it is the Recreation Center in San Diego to Desert: chemistry of the class—not the age— express my gratitude for the Braille I want to thank you for the fine which makes the difference. training I received there. article on Bill Bass in the October It is said that hard glass requires MRS. LIKE issue. It was our very real pleasure more time than soft glass to change Calexico, California to spend a night in Wickenburg at color, and I believe this is true. I Bass' La Siesta Motel, and we were placed a large cut glass bowl in my Dear Madam: We are glad to royally entertained by the proprietor glass garden in April '57, and by Au- grant the permission you seek. You with his colored slides of Arizona's gust '57 it had turned a deep purple, have undertaken a very worthwhile great scenery. with no damage to the glass. Other project and one that will be deeply Bass is not only a loyal citizen of glass items take two or three years to appreciated by those who are able Arizona, he is an institution! acquire a new shade. to envision this fascinating desert MARY M. BARTLETT RUTH ROWAN only through the medium of Braille. Pasadena, California Yucca Valley, California —R.H. 26 DESERT MAGAZINE Photo by Leonard Richardson

JOSHUAS ASSURANCE By BETTY ISLER To a Horned Toad By GRACE BARKER WILSON Santa Ana, California Kirtland, New Mexico No fragile, graceful members, these By BERTHA GATES GODDARD Non-conformist desert trees. Bellflower, California As long as there are spaces where the sky Belligerent, with spiny arms Bends down to touch the gray horizon rim, Devoid of any leafy charms, Oh little horned toad with eyes alight, And clouds of gold and crimson paint the Upraised defiantly to sky Your color like the sand on which you run west, In battle pose, grotesque, awry, So quickly, when you frolic in the sun, Then fade away when sunset fires grow dim; They sprawl, like rough, guerrilla bands Or when you dart and snare a gnat in flight, As long as dusky curtains shroud the night, Haphazardly across the sands. Or pull an angleworm with stubborn might, And shafts of silver moonlight filter through, I almost stepped on you. Yet I would shun I'll walk abroad and stretch my arms and THE OCOTILLO To hurt you in the least, or spoil your fun, soul, By JOHN TYLER LAWRENCE Shy child of desert, or a garden sprite. And know that God Himself may walk Chula Vista, California here too. A miniken descendant you may be Lonely I stand, on the desert sand, Of prehistoric monster, grim and bold, My many arms raised in prayer, A ruler of the world in eons vast. CHRISTMAS GREETING Silently beseeching a moment's surcease, Beneath your scales and horns, oh mystery! From the scorching motionless air. By GEORGIA JORDAN Your heart is warm, your manner calm. San Diego, California Forelorn, pathetic and ugly, Behold, I stand more dead than alive, You live in peace, a lie to ages past. His golden Star comes very near Wondering why God has spared me, From out the Desert's crown of blue. Why I'm allowed to survive. The night is still, and yet I hear HIDDEN TREASURE The angels sing "Goodwill" to you. Cringing in base humility, Suffering mad with the heat, By FLORETTA BARNARD VANDERBILT Sharing my lot with the vermin, Claremont, California Searching for shade at my feet. The mountains, squat old ladies, sit Sublime Pitting my strength 'gainst the hopeless, And let the world go by. Waiting alone for the day, With clouds as shawls their shoulders round By TANYA SOUTH When summer yields at last to winter, They gaze into the sky. And this sun-devil goes on his way. I walk the valley, lowly and content. At peace with man, and on my duties Healing my wounds with its breezes, Small worth to earth are such as these, Observers fain would say: bent. Quenching my thirst with its rain, I seek no more the starry heights to Caressing me with air cool and tender, No nurture here for man or beast, Unless they live to pray. climb. Dispelling all vestige of pain. The life sublime 'Til I burst forth in a myriad of crimson, 'Tho gaunt and ugly, wrinkled, old, May be attained by all who love God Stunningly beautiful I stand, They hide an unseen wealth most. Haughty with regal splendor, For those who climb and dig shall find It's no respector of the purse or post. Truly the queen of this land. Both earthly gain, and health.

DECEMBER, 1958 27 Forest Recreation . . . Salt Lake City — Camping, picnic and other recreational uses of the na- tion's forests will soar in the coming SOUTHWEST NEWS BRIEFS years, speakers at a meeting of the Society of American Foresters de- clared. Here are some of the speakers' Museum Started . . . Missions Accessible . . . comments: By the year 2000 the na- tion will need eight times the picnic Death Valley, Calif.—Construction Mountainair, N. M.—The ancient is slated to start this winter on the mission churches of Abo and Quarai and camping area it now has. Since $350,000 Death Valley Museum, Au- are now accessible by paved highways. 1946 annual visitors to national for- ditorium and Information Center just These missions were built in the early ests increased from 18,500,000 to 61,- north of Furnace Creek Ranch on 1600s and abandoned 75 years before 000,000 last year; national park visi- State Highway 190. Initiated by the the California missions were founded. tor totals rose from 26,000,000 in Death Valley '49ers four years ago, A program of preserving the churches 1946 to 58,000,000 last year. The the museum is a joint project of the from further deterioration has been only way sufficient recreation areas can '49ers, California State Division of underway during the past several be developed is for multiple use of Beaches and Parks, Death Valley months. existing forests—recreation, watershed Hotel Corporation, and the U.S. Parks protection, lumbering, mining and Service. Fail to Agree . . . grazing. Land for forest and park Santa Fe — Representatives of the areas near large population centers Population Soars . . . must be purchased now—the need for Phoenix—Arizona's resident popu- Upper Colorado River Basin states city and regional planning is urgent. lation now totals 1,200,000—a 60 per- (N.M., Utah, Colorado and Wyoming) Tourist and recreation economy is be- cent gain over the 1950 count. Spec- failed to agree on a course of action coming increasingly important, and tacular gains were reported for Pima to take in opposing California's an- therefore is a force to be respected as County (77 percent increase during nounced intention of legally stalling much as the other forest uses. the past eight years), Maricopa (74 the filling of the Glen Canyon Reser- percent), Yuma (71 percent) and Co- voir. The early filling of the reservoir conino (67 percent). Yavapai showed would hamper Hoover Dam's ability Town Architecture "Frozen" . . . no gain; Graham's population in- to meet power commitments, Califor- Scottsdale, Ariz. — A step toward creased less than one percent; and nia contends. The Upper Basin repre- "freezing" Scottsdale as the "West's Mohave was up only 5.8 percent. sentatives will meet again in March. Most Western Town"—with all archi- tecture conforming to a master plan —has been made by the town's 12 For business architects. They have formed a com- or pleasure, mittee to advise the town council on for anything IN THE WEST preserving a Western flavor in this under the sun area. The architects will set boundar- Bonanza flies you GO BY AIR ies within which "strict Western" build- to the fun! ing will be enforced; designate a fringe GO BONANZA area in which "semi-Western" archi- Now serving tecture will be accepted; and define 22 resort cities in what "strict Western" and "semi- California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah Western" architecture is..

EIKO RENO

HAWTHORNE

« TOOT."

IAS VEGAS • Camper's Choice—KAR KAMP Sets up in 5 Minutes You'll be all set to enjoy the outdoors year 'round In a KAR KAMP. It's always ready i?**^ P»« SFHINGS ^ *. for that spur-of-the-moment week-end vaca- 10S ANGELES tion or hunting or fishing trip. INTL • • Unrolls from aluminum carrier on top of car and assembles into a completely enclosed room 7V2XIOV2' in just 5 minutes. Rolls back into carrier in even less time. Entire inter- ior is useable. No center poles. All corners, SAN DIEGO doors and windows are equipped with rust- proof zippers. The 8 oz. D.F. canvas utilized is water-repellent and mildew proof. Full size canvas floor covering included. KAR COMING SOON KAMP, when erected, gives you direct access to your car and can be quickly detached F-27 Silver Darts. .. allowing car to be driven away. America's newest Complete 7V2XlOVz' room, including car- turbo-prop airplanes rier, only $199.95 freight prepaid. Smaller sizes also available. Order now! For further information write: |/in If AMP kAEF* 8915 EAST GARVEY AVENUE I\«IV ivHiyir ivirv». SOUTH SAN GABRIEL, CALIF. FLY BONANZA AIR LINES A few choice territories available for agents.

28 DESERT MAGAZINE Wildflower Sanctuaries . . . Good Fishing . . . WANT Lancaster, Calif. — Four county- Salton Sea, Calif.—New recreational owned areas totaling 914 acres in the possibilities for this inland sea were Pork Chops on the Peaks? east portion of Antelope Valley were assured when surf fishermen landed dedicated as wildflower sanctuaries to corvina. Because the sea is shallow, Steak on Safari? preserve the native floral growth of the fishermen can wade up to 100 feet desert — but a fifth area, 4480 pri- from shore at some points. Minestrone vately-owned acres in the western por- tion of the Valley, was ordered studied Dinosaur Booklet . . . in the Mountains? as to cost of acquisition for a similar Vernal, Utah — The National Park wildflower sanctuary. The Antelope Service has issued a 46-page illustrated Valley Ledger-Gazette said the dis-booklet, The Dinosaur Quarry, which trict's supervisorial representative said gives the background of Dinosaur Na- purchase of the 4480-acre tract was tional Monument, and describes the "foolish" because the county already creatures whose bones have been found owns land where flowers can thrive. here. Copies may be obtained at 25c The four smaller parcels will be main- each from the Superintendent of Doc- tained by the County in their native uments, Government Printing Office, state. The cost of fencing the acreage Washington 25, D. C. to prevent livestock grazing is being studied. Small Tracts . . . Lucerne Valley, Calif. — Persons River Diversion Date . . . with statutory rights in 2Vi-acre-par- Page, Ariz.—February, 1959, is the cels may soon be offered desert recre- You've found it! target date for diversion of the Colo- ation homestead tracts in 7000 acres rado River around the construction of land adjacent to the Old Woman site of Glen Canyon Dam. Two diver- Springs Road from Old Woman sion tunnels—2300 feet in length and Springs to a point about 10 miles east. 41 feet in diameter—are nearing com- Federal and county officials were re- pletion. They will be used to divert portedly near agreement on how the the flow of the river during construc- lands of Johnson Valley should be dis- KAMP-PACK tion of the dam. Both concrete-lined posed of. Applications for the small tunnels will become permanent parts tracts were made two and three years It's the perfect concentrated food for of the project. ago. any kind of camping trip, hiking, fishing or hunting. Travel with a Fight Encroachment . . . Nixon, Nev. — The Pyramid Lake light pack: take KAMP-PACK! Best Paiute Indians announced a radical of all, KAMP-PACK gives you 114 policy change concerning the straying marvelous varieties of nutritious into their grazing lands of cattle from foods. Complete one-day units . . . neighboring ranches. In the past the breakfast, lunch and dinner. Paiutes have been indifferent to the encroachment, but now they will fight. Separate meals in 4-man and 8- The Nevada State Journal said the man envelopes (a minestrone dinner Paiute Tribal Council is studying ENJOY A DESERT VACATION for four weighs 11 ozs.; a six-course means of bringing electricity, better IN FAMOUS pork chop dinner only 10 02s.) Also, education, improved housing and san- itation to the reservation; but these hot breads, meat stews, cereals, ome- projects must wait until the land ques- DEATH VALLEY lettes, hot chocolate, juice, etc. In tion is resolved. The new Indian KAMP-PACK neither flavor nor tex- weapons will be fences, court orders Every vacation facility at two Fred Harvey ture is changed in the freeze-dehy- and legislation. resorts. Golf, swim, ride, bask in the warm sun, explore this mineral-rich land. Ex- dration. All you do-is add water! Bautista Highway . . . ceptional cuisine. KAMP-PACK foods come in sturdy Borrego Springs, Calif. — Renewed water-proof Kraft envelopes, foil interest in the long-proposed Hemet lined, impervious to sun or rain. to Borrego highway via Bautista and FURNACE CRTEK Shipped from two plants and stocked Coyote canyons was reported by the LUXURIOUS in twelve convenient warehouses. Hemet News. At present the Bautista AMERICAN PLAN RATES Canyon route is open to one-way travel, but the Coyote Canyon Road from a point near the Bailey and Cary Mail Coupon to Nearest Plant ranches is passable for four-wheel- RJIWECRFEK drive cars only. BERNARD FOOD INDUSTRIES, INC. Dept. DM MODEST 217 N. Jefferson Ave., Chicago, Illinois EUROPEAN PLAN 1208 E. San Antonio, San Jose, California KENT FROST JEEP TRIPS Into the Famous Utah Needles Area For reservations or colorful brochure Please send me complete information and Junction of the Green and Colorado rivers; contact your Travel Agent or write direct price list for KAMP-PACK foods. Indian and Salt creeks; Davis, Lavender, Monument, Red, Dark and White canyons; Dead Horse and Grand View points; Hoven- FURNACE CREEK INN Name weep and Bridges national monuments. P.O. BOX 55, DEATH VALLEY, CALIF. Address — 3-day or longer trips for 2-6 person parties In Los Angeles, phone MAdlson 7-8O48 —$25 daily per person. Includes sleeping State. bags, transportation, guide service, meals. In San Francisco, EXbrook 7-2717 C,ty__ Write KENT FROST, Monticello, Utah.

DECEMBER, 1958 29 GEMMY FLUORITE octahedrons. 3 pairs $1. Each pair a different color. Gene Curtiss, 911 Pine THE DESERT TRADING POST St., Benton, Kentucky. FREE LIST of crystallized minerals. Complete Classified Advertising in This Section Costs 12c a Word, $2.00 Minimum Per Issue spectrographic assays $5. Detection of any one element, $1 each. Hal Miller, Rt. 1, Eldo- rado Springs Rd., Boulder, Colorado.

GEM STONES: 2 key rings; 2 pair earrings; 2 THE BEST holiday gifts are beautiful mineral spe- • BOOKS-MAGAZINES Western ties; 2 necklaces; 2 shirt corners; and cimens. Take your choice from our large stock 10 polished specimens. All for $7.50, post- of domestic and foreign crystal and massive OUT-OF-print books at lowest prices! You name paid. Morton Minerals and Mining, 21423 specimens. Write for free price list. Contin- it—we find it! Western Americana, desert and Highway 66, R.F.D. 1, Barstow, California. ental Minerals, P.O. Box 1206, Anaconda, Mont. Indian books a specialty. Send us your wants. No obligation. International Bookfinders, Box BOLA AND jewelry finding price list. Compare 3003-D, Beverly Hills, California. our prices before you buy. Please include 10c • GEMS, ROUGH MATERIAL to cover cost of mailing. Dealers send resale DINOSAUR BONE. Gem quality colorful agatized, "GEMS & Minerals Magazine," largest rock hobby number for wholesale list. The Hobby Shop, monthly. Field trips, "how" articles, pictures, jasperized, opalized bone 50c pound. Also Dept. DM, P.O. Box 753, 619 North 10th beautiful red lace agate $1 pound. Postage ads. $3 year. Sample 25c. Box 687J, Mentone, Avenue (Hiway 30), Caldwell, Idaho. California. extra. Gene Stephen, Route 2, Grand Junction, THOUSANDS OF slabs, by the square inch: Colorado. "POPULAR PROSPECTING" - A book to save Wood, jasper, agate—20c. Aventurine (India) precious time. Know what to look for. Only WE ARE mining every day. Mojave Desert agate, —20c. Obsidian (black and cinnamon)—15c. jasper and palm wood shipped mixed 100 $2. Worth much more. Lobo, Box 144, Carls- Jade (New Zealand, green)—40c. Petrified bad 7, New Mexico. pounds $10.50 F.O.B. Barstow. Morton Min- coral (cream, brown)—30c. Bloodstone (India, erals & Mining, 21423 Highway 66, R.F.D. 1, nice spots)—25c. Minimum order $2. Please BACK ISSUES wanted. We will pay $7.50 for Barstow, California. add 10% Federal, California residents 4% November '37 Desert Magazines in good con- state tax. Refund if not satisfied. G&H Rock- dition. Also 50c for March '54, and 50c for TURQUOISE FOR sale. Turquoise in the rough hound, 3557-D 30th Street, San Diego 4, Calif. March '52. Package securely and mail to priced at from $5 to $50 a pound. Royal Blue Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, Calif. Mines Co., Tonopah, Nevada.

GEM HUNTERS Atlas. A whcle book of detailed • GEMS, DEALERS CAVE CREEK jasper $1.50 pound or 4 pounds maps showing gemstone locations throughout for $5 postpaid. Sadler, 719 E. Moreland, VISIT GOLD Pan Rock Shop. Beautiful sphere the Southwest. Covers: Arizona, New Mexico, Phoenix, Arizona. material, gems, mineral specimens, choice Utah, Colorado. This handy atlas really gets crystals, gem materials, jewelry, baroques, etc. ALASKAN CUTTING material and slabs. Jasper, down to "brass tacks" for the rock collector. Over 100 tons of material to select from. John agate, petrified wood. Mixed rough, 50c per Price $1 postpaid. Scenic Guides, Box 288, and Etta James, proprietors, 2020 N. Carson pound. Small slabs, 50c each, plus postage. Susanville, California. Street, Carson City, Nevada. Epidote crystals, garnet, pyrite, mineral speci- mens. Information on request. No collection • COLOR SLIDES ROCKS-OPPOSITE West End Air Base, agate, complete without specimens from the fabulous woods, minerals, books, local information. No 49th state. Davidson's, Box 154, South Ton- COLOR SLIDES. Re-live your vacation trips. 3000 mail orders please. Ironwood Rock Shop, gass, Ketchikan, Alaska. travel Kodachromes, parks, U.S., foreign, na- Highway 60-70 west of Blythe, California. ture, etc. Free list (sample 30c). Send today. UTAH ROCKS. Petrified wood, dinosaur bone, Kelly D. Choda, Box 15, Palmer Lake, Colo. DESERT ROCKS, woods, jewelry. Residence rear beaver agate, snowflake obsidian, 50c pound. of shop. Rockhounds welcome. Mile west on Slabs, 25c square inch. Septrian nodules, sel- • GEMS, CUT-POLISHED~~ U.S. 66. McShan's Gem Shop and Desert enite, white onyx, 15c pound. Postage extra. Museum. P.O. Box 22, Needles, California. Hubert's Rock Shop, Hurricane, Utah. GENUINE TURQUOISE: Natural color, blue and bluish green, cut and polished cabochons—25 SHAMROCK ROCK Shop, 1115 La Cadena Drive, TURQUOISE - EXCEPTIONALLY clean American carats (5 to 10 stones according to size) $3.50 Riverside, California. Phone OVerland 6-3956. water-worn nuggets in pure undyed natural including tax, postpaid in U.S.A. Package 50 Specimens, minerals, slabs, findings, etc. colors and higrade solids. $5 brings your choice postpaid 150 grams "good" or 125-g. carats (10 to 20 cabochons) $6.15 including NOW OPEN-Jacumba Rock and Shell Shop, "better" or 100-g. "best." Desertgems, Maca- tax, postpaid in U.S.A. Elliott Gem & Mineral P.O. Box 34, Jacumba, California. Owners: tawa, Michigan. Shop, 235 E. Seaside Blvd., Long Beach 2, Cal. Les and Ruth Starbuck. CALIFORNIA DESERT rocks. Gem quality. Pol- • HOUSE TRAILERS ished. Large assortment. One dollar postpaid. • GEMS, MINERALS-FOSSILS Pollard, Route 1, Box 12, Lakeside, California. EXCEPTIONAL TRAILER value. Fully equipped Gem Shop and Rock Yard, 427 Laurel St., 12 POUNDS of beautiful Colorado mineral speci- 25-foot Eastern-built, with awning. $500. May Lakeside. mens, $8 prepaid. Ask for list of others. be seen at Silver Spur Mobile Home Park, 2Vi Jack the Rockhound, P.O. Box 245, Carbon- OPALS AND sapphires direct from Australia. Spe- miles up Highway 74 from Palm Desert. Ask dale, Colorado. cial—this month's best buy: cut opals ready for Hughes, or write Box 582, Palm Desert, Cal. for mounting: 6 solid white red opals, 6 black TWELVE NEW Mexico minerals $2; six fluor- opal doublets, 6 transparent green opals. 18 escents $1.06; five crystallized minerals $1.06; • INDIAN GOODS gems together over 30 carats airmailed for lists. Specimens, Winston, New Mexico. $18. Send personal check, international money FROM OLD Comanche hunting grounds: Indian order, bank draft. Free 16 page list of all FOSSILS. 12 Different for $2. Other prices on artifacts, buffalo skulls. Mounted horns, West- Australian Gemstones. Australian Gem Trad- request. Will buy, sell or trade. Museum of ern lamps. Prices on request. Thunderbird ing Co., 49 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Aus- Fossils, Clifford H. Earl, P. O. Box 188, Trading Post, Highway 80 at Brazos River, tralia. Sedona, Arizona. Millsap, Texas.

"BAROQUE GEM stone kits" for schools, organi- ROCK COLLECTORS—attention! For juniors, 30 AUTHENTIC INDIAN jewelry, Navajo rugs, Chi- zations, gift shops and home hobbyists. Ear- identified rocks and minerals including gold mayo blankets, squaw boots, old Indian col- rings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, bolos and copper, $1.10 postpaid; or, if advanced lection. Closed Tuesdays. Pow-Wow Indian and keyrings, nickel or D.P.L. 60c a kit, 6 kit collector, send $5.50 for package of fossils, Trading Post, 19967 Ventura Blvd., East Wood- medium $3.60 postpaid. Choice of stones, minerals, crystals (singles and groups), gold, land Hills, Calif. Open Sundays. tigereye, moss agate, goldstone, blue or green nodules, rocks. Identity and locality. Stamps jasper, and rhodonite. Discount on gross lots you send, bring more rocks! Offer good one THREE FINE prehistoric Indian war arrowheads for larger users. Roy's Rock Shop, P.O. Box year. The Rockologist, Box 181, Cathedral $1. Flint scalping knife $1. Rare flint thunder- 133, Trinidad, California. City, Calif. bird $3. All for only $4. Catalog free. Arrow- head, Glenwood, Arkansas. OPAL, AMETHYST, etc. 10 ringsize stones, ground CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! Agatized whalebone ver- and polished ready to set, $5. Opals, deep tebraes. Gem material has good cellular pat- "MAGIC KACHINAS" booklet. Make Hopi Indian red, blue, green, golden flashing in all colors terns in shades of blue, brown, and gray. Cut kachina spirit images. Carve—paint. Story, of the rainbow, direct from the mine, 15 for 3 ways. Vi to 10 Ib. pieces, 35c Ib. Fine blue map, patterns. Well-illustrated, informative. $5. Kendall, Sanmiguel d'Allende, Guanaju- 50c. Fossil specimens 20c Ib. Add postage. For your copy, send $1—Ethos Publishing ato, Mexico. Artrox, 2415 Thomas St., Redondo Beach, Calif. Co., P.O. Box 5056, Phoenix, Arizona.

30 DESERT MAGAZINE SELLING 100,000 Indian relics. 100 nice ancient GROCERY STORE, motel, service station. High- arrowheads $25. Small grooved stone toma- • MINING way 66. Priced at $65,000, $10,000 down. hawk $2. Large grooved stone tomahawk $3. Will trade for income property. Submit offer. Perfect spearhead over 8 inches long $20. ASSAYS. COMPLETE, accurate, guaranteed. High- Jack M. Riddle, Cadiz, California. Flint scalping knife $1. Indian skull $25. est quality spectrographic. Only $5 per sam- Ancient water bottle from grave $7. List free. ple. Reed Engineering, 620-R So. Inglewood DESERT INVESTMENT. $20 down, $15 month Lear's, Glenwood, Arkansas. Ave., Inglewood, California. buys level 20 acre lot, on road. In NWV4 Sec. 6-12N-18E, in beautiful Lanfair Valley, FINE RESERVATION-MADE Navajo and Zuni jew- ARE YOU interested in prospecting for minerals, San Bernardino County, California. Full price elry. Old pawn. Hundreds of fine old bas- or rockhunting? Write for literature to United $1295. Owner, Dale Henion, 2086 E. Colo- kets, moderately priced, in excellent condition. Prospectors, 701'/2 E. Edgeware, Los Angeles, rado, Pasadena, Calif. Navajo rugs, Chimayo homespuns, artifacts. A 26, California. collector's paradise! Open daily 10 to 5:30, closed Mondays. Buffalo Trading Post, High- ULTRAVIOLET LAMPS, equipment, accessories for • WESTERN MERCHANDISE mineralogists, prospectors, hobbyists. Free way 18, Apple Valley, California. FREE CATALOG: Western wear, boots, saddles, literature. Radiant, Manufacturers, DM, Cam- leather supplies. Silver Spur, Box 1785-JJ7, FLINT ARROWHEAD making secret! Ancient bria Heights 11, New York. Fort Worth, Texas. methods. Illustrated. $1. Guaranteed. Catalog PAN GOLD: $1 for 75 panning areas in 25 Cali- free. Chief Blackhawk, Kennewick 7, Wash- GHOST TOWN items: Sun-colored glass, amethyst fornia counties. Geological formations, eleva- ington. to royal purple; ghost railroads materials, tions, pertinent notes. Panning pans $2.75, tickets; limited odd items from camps of the FOR THAT unusual gift. Indian handmade $2.25. Leather nugget and dust poke $1. '60s. Write your interest—Box 64-D, Smith, sweater-guards of sterling silver in heavy Fred Mark, Box 801, Ojai, California. Nevada. Hopi overlay design, with sterling chain $6.85. Desert quail pins Navajo sandcast of sterling ATTENTION GOLD diggers! For sale two 20 silver with channel turquoise eye $3 each. acre placer claims. Reasonable. Write Post- • MISCELLANEOUS Prices include taxes and postage. Satisfaction office Box 102, Quartzsite, Arizona. guaranteed on any item from our shop. Au- LADY GODIVA "The World's Finest Beautifier." thentic Indian Crafts. Retail and wholesale. • REAL ESTATE For women who wish to become beautiful, Ogg's Hogan, Wickenburg, Arizona. for women who wish to remain beautiful. An NO DOWN payment—highway frontage on 395. outstanding desert cream. For information, FASCINATING INDIAN flint chipping! Easy, 3 to 12 acre parcels, $20 to $30 per month. write or call Lola Barnes, 963 N. Oakland, profitable. Complete kit of tools, materials Each parcel has 330 feet of frontage and is Pasadena 6, Calif., or phone SYcamore 4-2378. and instructions: $2. Instruction booklet only: located 16 miles North of Adelanto on main 75c. Guaranteed satisfaction. Lobo, Box 144- road to California City and Fremont Valley. BEAUTIFUL FAN Leaf Palms. $2 per year per MD, Carlsbad, New Mexico. Level with view, shallow water and Edwards palm. Write Ronald L. Johnson, Thermal, Calif. Air Force Base one mile west. Also Joshua covered 20 acre parcel same locale bordering CASH FOR hunting knives, before 1900, good • MAPS Air Base—$28 per month, $2800 full price. condition only. Mail particulars. Lewis, 316 "C" Street, San Diego, Calif. SECTIONIZED COUNTY maps — San Bernardino Near Randsburg, level to mountains with beau- $1.50; Riverside $1; Imperial, small $1, large tiful view toward California City, 40 acres, PINYON NUTS, $1.25 pound, postpaid anywhere $2; San Diego 50c; Inyo, western half $1.25, $28 per month, $2800 full price. Also 20 in States. Mrs. H. F. Lauzon, Box 34, Grand eastern half, $1.25; Kern $1.25; other Califor- industrial acres on railroad, Hinkley-Lockhart Canyon, Arizona. nia counties $1.25 each. Nevada counties $1 area $40 per month, $3900 full price. No land each. Topographic maps of all mapped west- for less in this section! Owner — VErmont HAND MADE violin, bow and case. $87. Old ern areas. Westwide Maps Co., 114 W. Third 8-3176, VErmont 8-2824. 3835V2 Keystone violins repaired. George Blatt, Box 213, St., Los Angeles, California. Ave., Culver City, Calif. Johannesburg, California.

Unusual "Artifacts" . • . Bat Hordes . . . Old Bridge . . . Virginia City, Nev.—Into the cor- Morenci, Ariz. — A University of Blythe, Calif .—The Palo Verde Val- nerstone box sealed in the monument Arizona zoology professor estimated ley Chamber of Commerce has re- commemorating the 100th anniversary there are more than 1,000,000 bats quested the state to leave the old of the discovery of silver on the Corn- in Eagle Creek Cave southwest of Blythe-Ehrenberg bridge structure in- stock Lode, went a bottle of whisky, here. Dr. E. Lendell Cockrum said tact, after completion of the proposed a deck of cards, a pair of dice, a the bats are so tightly packed against couple of poker chips and a .36 cali- the chamber's high ceiling they look new freeway bridge across the Colo- ber bullet. These were the contribu- like a layer of velvet. He thinks this rado River, the Palo Verde Valley tions of Lucius Beebe, chairman of is the largest concentration of bats in Times reported. The new bridge as the memorial committee, who said no the state. The bats, a Mexican free- now designed permits only motor ve- artifacts could be more appropriate tail species, are in Arizona from mid- hicle traffic, but the chamber said the as symbols of the Comstock's early May to mid-October. During the existing bridge handles considerable days than hard liquor and gambling winter months they migrate south into foot, horse, sheep and cattle traffic, implements. Also placed in the box Mexico. and if left standing could continue in were legal and rare documents, old this capacity. newspapers and a small bar of silver Pueblo Fracas . . . bullion. Santo Domingo, N. M.—A storm of New Capitol Plans . . . angry protest broke out in normally Carson City, Nev.—A controversial Water Decline . . . peaceful Santo Domingo Pueblo over a 4.45-acre plot of land. In 1911 the plan to raze the present Capitol build- Phoenix—Water tables in Arizona's ing and replace it with a one-story major ground-water basins continued Federal government took the land, to decline, the U. S. Geological Survey used until last year for school purposes, structure was part of a comprehensive reported. The Salt River Valley de- and paid the Indians $110 for it. To- proposal presented to the State Plan- cline ranged from one to 25 feet; the day the government is offering the ning Board by a San Francisco archi- lower Santa Cruz basin water level land back to the Indians—but not on tectural firm. The master plan also dropped one to 30 feet. Increased ir- a tax-exempt basis, as the Indians de- called for erection of a legislative-state rigation developments were reported mand. The tribesmen claim that minus archives building adjacent to the new in McMullen Valley, Harquahala trust status, the land could be sold to Capitol. A new supreme court build- Plains, and parts of Mohave County. white men by some future council— ing would be built south of the Capitol. The Upper Santa Cruz basin and por- thus creating an intolerable "white Funds for advanced planning of a new tions of the Yuma-Mohawk areas had man's island" in the heart of the legislative building were appropriated local rises in ground-water levels. Pueblo. last year.

DECEMBER, 1958 31 Landmark Doomed . . . Desert Pictures Available . . . Hesperia, Calif.—The old Hesperia Santa Fe, N. M.—The New Mexico Hotel, one of the Mojave Desert's most State Tourist Bureau has completed famous landmarks, is being razed by production of a new 28-minute sound- wrecking crews. The picturesque brick color film rounding up the many at- hostelry was condemned by county tractions of the Land of Enchantment. authorities. The film is available in 16 mm. for clubs and organizations outside New Ute Corporations . . . Mexico if requests are received at least Roosevelt, Utah—The Affiliated Ute six weeks in advance. E. P. Haddon, Citizens are studying proposals to es- noted outdoor photographer, shot the tablish three tribal corporations, one film which is titled "The Land of En- for the sheep industry; one for cattle; chantment." and the third to handle funds which come to the Indians from oil leases, Western Village . . . oil lease bonuses, royalties, claims set- Apple Valley, Calif.—Erection of a tled by the government and any other Western Village, patterned after a income of the group. "Gay '90s Ghost Town," is progress- Charcoal Ovens . . . ing at Dead Man's Point near here, Ely, Nev.—The State Park Com- reports the Apple Valley News. All mission will request additional funds structures and merchandise in the new to place a caretaker on the payroll to tourist attraction will conform to Gay supervise and maintain the Ward Char- '90s standards of appearance. coal Ovens State Park, 17 miles south of Ely, reports the Ely Record. Money Study Thunderstorms . . . is already available for the digging of Socorro, N. M.—A research team RAREST INVITATION a well at the Ovens to provide a de- working under Navy contract studied pendable water supply for tourists. the phenomenon of thunderstorms atop YOU MAY RECEIVE 10,297-foot Mt. Withington. The So- Glen Land Sale . . . corro County El Defensor said the ... to see and photograph beau- Kanab, Utah—The Bureau of Land researchers used an airplane, captive tiful, gentle and gorgeous Glen Management will sell 49 small tracts balloons and radar in their summer Canyon of the Colorado River. of public domain to highest bidders at project. The team sought new infor- MAY AND JUNE, 1959 the Newhouse Hotel in Salt Lake City mation on how clouds make their elec- on January 7. The tracts are located tricity, how thunderstorms originate, • This opportunity will never 66 miles east of Kanab and 14 miles come again. Why? Because and the movement of air in, above and during the winter of 1958-59 northwest of Glen Canyon Dam site. below clouds. the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation They range in size from 2.5 to 3.15 will close normal river flow acres, and appraised values are $175 Indian Lands . . . with a cofferdam at Glen Can- to $300 per tract. yon damsite. This will begin Parker, Ariz. — A group of Utah the forming of Glen Canyon businessmen and engineers have sub- Lake and back the waters mitted a new proposal to develop 60,- above the mouth of the San 000 acres of land on the Colorado Juan River, making a lake more You'll want to keep those than 50 miles in length. That Indian Reservation. An earlier plan portion of Glen Canyon will collapsed when Colorado River Enter- forever be buried beneath water MAPS prises was unable to post a $5,000,000 and dead silt. performance bond. The Utah group • Come and see the final 100 which appear each month in would develop the land, turn one-third miles of Gentle Glen Canyon of it over to the Indians and retain the in 1959. We offer the lowest Desert Magazine — maps remaining two-thirds for 25 years, boat fares in our 21 years of which will be your guide on guiding on Western Rivers. after which the Indians would receive many delightful excursions clear title to all the land. • To all of you who pay your full fare before December 31, into the great desert play- 1958, the full fare will be $50.00. ground. Seeks Re-Election . . . The same short-trip fares after February 1 will be $60.00. Window Rock, Ariz.—Navajo Tri- Attractive loose-leaf binders em- bal Council Chairman Paul Jones said • For 20 years we have offered bossed in gold not only will river trips on Western Rivers preserve the maps, but will be he will seek re-election to a second in U. S., Canada and Alaska— a beautiful addition to your four-year term in the March 2-3 Tribal "down north" to the Arctic. election. Sam Ahkeah, tribal chairman Our small craft have traveled home book-shelf. Each binder to within 1400 miles of the holds 12 copies. Easy to insert, for 10 years before being defeated by North Pole. they open flat. Jones, is reportedly planning to oppose • To all of you who identify the 63-year-old head of the Navajos. within one - half topographic Mailed postpaid for mile, the camera spot of the OUT OP THE PAST Arrowhead Jewelry! above photo we will give a $5 $2.50 A "Lost" art revived! Earrings: credit on any boating fare. For Large, medium, small, $2 pair. particulars, write or wire: Obsidian black acetate. Neck- lace 18" chain, $1.50. Bolo Tie; THE mflGRZIPE Large arrowhead, leatherette LARABEE and ALESON cord, $1.50. Flint arrowhead making secret! Ancient meth- WESTERN RIVER TOURS ods. Illustrated. Guaranteed. PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA SI. Free catalog. Richfield, Utah CHIEF BLACKHAWK 11Box 564-DM, Kennewick, Wash. 32 DESERT MAGAZINE Santa Fe . . . Tonopah, Nevada . . . Perlite, virtually unknown commer- Work was expected to begin on cially before the war, is now being construction of a mill for recovery of mined in three New Mexico counties, selenium and silver from Tonopah Taos, Socorro and Valencia. Produc- area ores, the Nevada Minerals and tion of perlite in Taos County—where Oil Corporation announced. Plans three mills will turn out more than half call for the immediate reactivation of of the U.S. demand—is of particular the underground workings of the Ton- economic importance because of the opah-Belmont claims, as well as the long-standing depressed economy of milling of dump material on the sur- Vernal. Utah . . . the northern part of the state, the face. Also involved are the North A spokesman of the National Farm- Santa Fe New Mexican said. Perlite Star and Montana mining claims. Out- ers Union Exploration Corporation of resources in the area of the Taos right acquisition of 22 claims in the Denver said his company was studying County operations apparently are prac- Seibert Lake deposits, five claims in bids for drilling and coring on oil shale tically unlimited. One company said the Crow Springs district, and a 35- properties in the Bonanza-Dragon area, the ore content of only five percent of year lease on 1200 acres in the Crow the Vernal Express disclosed. The its holdings has been proven by drill- Springs area were added to the corpo- tests are intended to determine the ing—but even this small test will pro- ration's assets in preliminary moves. amount of overburden several miles vide all the crude material the plant back from the outcrop, and the con- will need for 20 years of operation. tinuity and thickness of the beds. Ten Perlite, although abundant in the West, Comparison Mineral Specimens to 15 methods for recovering oil from 64 different 1" specimens, only $6.00 ppd. is practically non-existent east of the Send for FREE details on above offer, shale currently are being tested PLUS 64 other 1" specimens, all available throughout the world, and the Denver Rockies. Most of the nation's produc- at 10 for S1.00! California customers add 4% sales tax corporation hopes to avail itself of the tion goes to the construction industry, MINERALS UNLIMITED most economically feasible one — if but many specialized uses are being 1724 University Avenue. Dept. 1) and when it begins its Utah operation. found for this material. Berkeley S. California Grants, New Mexico . . . Increased production of uranium mines and mills in the Grants area was reflected in a steady rise in deliveries of uranium concentrates to the AEC Prospectors' Headquarters depot in Grand Junction, Colorado. John A. Garcia, New Mexico State GEIGER COUNTERS AND SCINTILLATORS The "Snooper" Geiger counter—model 108 9 29.95 Mining Inspector, said it would prob- The "Lucky Strike" Geiger counter—Model 106C 99.50 ably be two more years before the The "Professional" Geiger Counter—Model 107C 149.50 The "Special Sdntillator"—Model 117 299.50 uranium industry reaches peak pro- The "Deluxe" Sclntillator—Model 111B 495.00 duction in his state. New Mexico uranium output was valued at $30,- ULTRA-VIOLET MINERALIGHTS 510,000 during the year—an increase Model NH—Operates on 110 AC only 14.75 Model M12—Operates on batteries only—with battery 40.65 of $2,135,000 over the preceding year. Model SL-2537—Operates on batteries or 110 AC—without case and batteries 39.50 With No. 303 case and batteries 61.00 Tonnage increased greatly, but the With No. 404 case and batteries 66.00 ore was of lower grade than last year. BOOKS "Prospecting with a Geiger Counter" by Wright «0 Tuscarora, Nevada . . . "Uranium Color Photo Tone" 1.00 "Uranium Prospectors Hand Book" 1.00 New gold mining activity is reported "The Uranium and Fluorescent Minerals" by H. C. Dake 2.00 in Tuscarora, Elko County, one of "Popular Prospecting" by H. C. Dake 2.00 "Uranium, Where It Is and How to Find It" by Proctor and Hyatt 2.50 Nevada's most famous mining towns. "Minerals for Atomic Energy" by Nininger 7.50 King and Company has begun devel- "Let's Go Prospecting" by Edward Arthur 3.50 opment work on the White Palace MAPS Claims, formerly the Gold Bug prop- Map and Geology (Uranium and Mineral Districts of California) 1.50 erty. The mining concern hopes to Map of Kern County (New Section and Township) 1.50 Map Uranium and Minerals (The Nine Southwest States) 1.00 erect a mill near the mine to treat free Book and Map "Gems and Minerals of California" by McAllister 1.75 gold. Book and Map "Lost Mines and Treasures of the Southwest" , 2.00 OTHER SUPPLIES Mineral Hardness Test Set 2.25 Radiassay—Uranium Test Kit 14.95 $ $ $ TREASURE $ $ $ Mercury—Detector Fluorescent Screen 6.75 New transistor metal detector finds lost or Scheelite Fluorescent Analyzer 6.00 hidden treasure, coins, gold, silver, Jewelry, Fluorescent Mineral Set—10 Specimens—boxed 2.50 relics. Profitable hobby. New underwater Mineral Specimen Boxes (35 named Minerals) 1.50 metal detector detects sunken ships, out- Prospectors Picks (not polished) 4.50 board motors, Prospectors Picks (polished) 5.00 etc., in 300 ft. 12" Diameter Steel Gold Pan 1.25 of salt or fresh 16" Diameter Steel Gold Pan 1.70 water. Oper- ates from a All prices F.O.B. Los Angeles boat. Scintilla- tion counter. Add 4% Sales Tax if you live in California Free catalog. Member of American Gem & Mineral Suppliers Association GARDINER ELECTRONICS DEPT. 9 ALLEN LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT COMPANY 2543 E. INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD 3632 West Slauson Ave., Dept. D Open Monday evening until 9:00 los Angeles, Calif. PHOENIX, ARIZ.

DECEMBER, 1958 33 Denver, Colorado . . . Ballarat, California . . . Window Rock, Arizona . . . The Free World's uranium reserves Onyx deposits nine miles west of Oil production on the Navajo Res- for the foreseeable nuclear power pro- the ghost town of Ballarat will be ex- ervation was temporarily suspended gram are sufficient, AEC Raw Ma- ploited by a Southern California part- following complaints by the Tribal terials Division Director Jesse C. John- nership. They estimate that 70,000 Council that the petroleum producers son said. These reserves amount to tons or more of the material is avail- are wasting natural gas from the oil 1.5 million tons of uranium oxide in able, plus 50,000 tons of travertine wells. A Tribal spokesman estimated areas under development, with an ul- marble. Principal uses of the onyx that 80,000,000 feet of gas worth timate possible production of 2 million will be for jewelry, table tops, and $2,500 to the tribe in royalties was tons. Atomic Energy programs, still interior and exterior building embel- wasted daily. The Federal Power in the planning stage, would broaden lishments, while the marble will be Commission has granted temporary future market demands for uranium, used in construction work. authority to the El Paso Gas Com- Johnson predicted. pany for construction of plant and Washington, D. C. . . . pipeline facilities necessary to collect Only four materials will be pur- and transport gas produced in the chased for the national stockpile dur- field. "OVERLOOKED FORTUNES" ing the 1959 fiscal year — asbestos, IN THE RARER MINERALS small diamond dies, muscovite block Santa Fe . . . Here are a few of the 300 or more rarer mica and firm mica. The Office of minerals and gemstones you may be over- Civil and Defense Mobilization said The New Mexico State Land Office looking while mining, prospecting or gem received $3,500,000 for oil leases on hunting. Uranium, vanadium, columbium, other commodities could be included tantalum, tungsten, nickel, cobalt, selenium, later. The reduction in the number of less than 77,000 acres of state land germanium, bismuth, platinum, iridium, desired materials resulted from the during the first eight months of 1958 beryllium, golden beryl, emeralds, etc. —a record high average of $46 per Some minerals worth $1 to $2 a pound, filling of many of the stockpile goals others $25 to $100 an ounce; some beryl- during the past year, and the change in acre per year. The per-acre price is lium gems worth a fortune! If looking for expectancy of the duration of a future 20 percent above last year's average, gems, get out of the agate class into the all-out emergency from a five year to and over 200 percent greater than the big money; an emerald the size of your thumb may be worth $500 to $5000 or a three year period, officials added. going price 10 years ago. The state is morel Now you can learn how to find, offering about 10,000 acres of pre- identify, and cash in on them. New simple FIND BURIED TREASURE sumably potential oil land each month. system. Send for free copy "Overlooked GOLD, silver, coins, jewelry, strongboxes, battle relics! M- Fortunes"—it may lead to knowledge which SCOPE transistorized electronic may make you rich! A postcard will do. Treasure-Metal Locators detect Austin, Nevada . . . them all. Used world-wide. Ex- citing! Rewarding! Guaranteed. DUKE'S RESEARCH LABORATORY Lightweight, super-sensitive. The Atomic Energy Commission and Box 666—Dept. B From $59.50, easy terms. FREE Apex Minerals Corporation reached catalog — FISHER RESEARCH TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEW MEXICO LAB., INC.—Dept. D-2, Palo Alto, Calif. agreement on the price the former will pay for uranium concentrates produced by the latter, thus clearing the way HIDDEN TREASURES for construction of an $800,000 ura- nium mill by Apex near Austin. The GOLD, SILVER, PRECIOUS METALS with the Famous Model I/ 27 Metal Detector. Lightweight, ultra-sensitive, low company said its 200-ton-a-day mill cost. None finer. Also GEIGER COUNTERS for uranium ^ Compton and the VIOLITE for tungsten. INFORMATION FREE . would be available to other Nevada uranium producers. Completion date OjU-n C:.,,i-rJ — Fx..•//<••( was set for early spring.

METAL DETECTORS Battery test switch • Head phones with clear signal • Great sensitivity TRUE OR FALSE ANSWERS One nob control • Easiest of all to operate • Low cost operation Questions are on page 7 1—True. MORE ACCURATE, it's the first METAL DETECTOR designed SPE- 2—False. Ocotillo belongs to the CIFICALLY for detecting placer gold, nuggets, and other small metal genus Fouquiera. objects. Depth range 7 feet—comes complete, ready to use. 3—False. The Lost Dutchman is still a lost mine. MODEL 27—instructions included $110.00 4—True. 5—True. MODEL 711—with 21 ft. depth range $138.50 6—False. The University of New Mexico is in Albuquerque. 7—True, approximately 280 feet be- MINERALIGHT—Complete line for $14.95 up to $114.00 low sea level at Badwater. Send for Complete Information 8—False. Salt River Valley is ir- rigated from Salt River water VISIT OUR NEW MINERAL DEPARTMENT, stocked with many out- stored behind Roosevelt dam. standing specimens, including native wire silver from Honduras, S. A. 9—True. 10—True. LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES—TOOLS—GEMS—JEWELRY 11—False. Salton sea water is too salty for domestic use. CHEMICAL KITS, MORTARS & PESTLES—PICKS—BOOKS—ETC. 12—True. 13—True. FOR THE WOOD WORKING HOBBYIST WE NOW STOCK A 14—False. Geronimo was an Apache. 15—True. COMPLETE LINE OF ATLAS AND PORTER CABLE POWER TOOLS 16—False. Organ Pipe derives its name from a species of cactus. (buy from an experienced wood worker) 17—True. 18—True. 19-—False. Drifting sand may carry Com fit on J\ock

34 DESERT MAGAZINE Carey Ranch Is Open . . . Bend, Oregon—The Clara Carey Plume Beds off of State Route 27 near Crooked Creek Junction are open for collecting, de- spite widely-circulated reports to the con- trary. This is the information supplied by GEMS AND MINERALS Henry and Venda Dierck of the Tacoma, Washington, Agate Club. The Diercks said REPORTS FROM THE FIELD Dave McGuffin, one of the Carey Ranch These notes are intended as suggestions for your collecting trips. Always make local owners, was most obliging on their recent inquiry before following trails into uninhabited areas. Mail your recent information visit. Both upper and lower gem locations on collecting areas (new fields, status changes, roads, etc.) that you want to share have been bulldozed for easier collecting. with other hobbyists, to "Field Reports," Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California. Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.—A group of Palmdale hobbyists made a field trip to Chalcedony in the Kofas . . . Arizona Quartz Crystals . . . Palos Verdes Estates where, they report, Yuma, Ariz.—Will T. Scott of La Mesa, Congress Junction, Ariz.—Here are di- cutting material among the beach pebbles California, gives these directions to a large rections to an interesting quartz crystal lo- was very limited. field of chalcedony in very large pieces, and cation, as reported by the Tucson Society: colors ranging from pink and blue to cream: Travel west two miles from Congress to Gabbs, Nev.—The famous Gabbs petri- "At the south end of Kofa Mountain mas- the junction of Highway 93; turn north on fied wood locale is now under the protec- sif, there is a gap between the Kofas and 93 and keep a sharp lookout to your right tion of the Nevada State Park system. the Castle Domes that appears to be passa- for a sign reading "Gypsy Ranch"; follow Collecting specimens at this location is no ble (it isn't). Just before reaching this the ranch road in a short distance—perhaps longer allowed. pass, and right on the boundary of the two miles—to where a series of test holes Game Refuge, you enter the chalcedony have been dug close by the road. In this field. And just east of a sign denoting the area quartz crystals of odd and unusuai Game Refuge is a seam of pretty good form occur. Most are opaque, but many ton. DIAMOND BLADES fire agate. About a half mile east of here are doubly terminated, some recapped with are some quartz crystal rosettes and geodes. iron coatings or showing inclusions, pene- lleiivy-l>uiy SlJMIll. Super The latter are of inferior quality." trations, etc. Limonite cubes also are found 8np.-Chg

DECEMBER, 1958 35 High Sierra Minerals . . . GEM FIELD MAPS OF Madera, Calif. — The rich potential of FOUR-CORNER STATES 11 ti gem stones and minerals in the High Sierras Cy Johnson, the Western travel author of eastern Madera County was described and publisher, has gathered together 32 full- QUOTES by Ralph Walton, a packer. Erosion and page maps of gem and mineral collecting glaciation, following the upheaval which areas in a little paper-back book entitled FROM THE GEM AND MINERAL WORLD formed the Sierras, has left formations ex- Gem Hunters Atlas—Southwest. posed in the Minaret District. Much pros- The maps are professionally done and pecting has taken place in this area, but its show great detail—not only indicating col- "Archeologists have found ivory figurines ruggedness and inaccessibility have pre- lecting fields, but camping and picnic sites, from ancient Babylonia that have survived vented commercial mining. Iron, copper, trails, mines, general points of interest, con- for 2700 years. One thing this proves is lead, silver, zinc, tungsten, molybdenum dition of roads, etc. Each map takes in a that Babylonian children were not allowed and titanium have been found here. Epi- great deal of territory, often embracing to play in the living room."—Pseudomorph dote probably is the most common mineral dozens of collecting fields. The collecting of interest to hobbyists, Walton said. Also fields are in four states: Arizona, New "A rockhound is a man who slaps his abundant are garnet, pyrophyllite (occurring Mexico, Colorado and Utah. little boy's hand for picking up candy that in the rocky ridge just above Stevenson Published by Scenic Guides. $1. May be has been dropped in the dirt—and then Meadow on the upper North Fork of the purchased by mail from Desert Magazine licks a slab of agate to see if it will polish." San Joaquin River), and andalusite crystals Book Shop, Palm Desert, Calif. California —Breccia (below the pyrophyllite formation). Lazu- residents please add 4 percent sales tax. lite and actinolite are plentiful, but in "If all the cars in California were lined localized areas. Tremolite is scarce, but up bumper to bumper—some dope would quartz is abundant and varies from clear to MANY VARIATIONS OF pull out and try to pass them."—Rock- whitish. Pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite and CRYSTAL INCLUSIONS crofters' Psephite sphalerite are among the many other min- Any foreign matter inside of a crystal is erals found in this district. Stevenson called an inclusion. They are infinite in Meadow is about a 14-mile pack trip. "There is nothing harder than a diamond nature and arrangement. except paying for it."—Gemcrafter Walton's address is Gen. Del., O'Neals, in Gaseous inclusions appears as cavities the winter months; Box 118, Bass Lake, in or negative crystals within a crystal. Liquid the summer. "If you can't see God in a pebble, you inclusions are often water, sometimes dis- can't see him in a mountain." — Austin, solved salts or liquid carbon dioxide. Solid Minnesota, Gem and Mineral Society's Santa Barbara, Calif.-—Fossil bone speci- inclusions appear in great varieties, and Achates mens described as excellent were collected many are microscopic. They include other this summer along Refugio Beach. Best minerals, sand, dust or organic matter. Or- "A man reaches metallic age when he time to find the material is at low tide. ganic inclusions are best known by the in- has a heart of gold, silver hair, and lead sect inclusions in amber (which is not a in his feet."—Sooner Rockologist crystal), but also include bits of wood or coal trapped by growth of the host crystal. The unusual round bubble inclusions are "I've never heard a tumbler make as peculiar to glass, and often are formed in much noise as a grumbler."—Miami, Flor- FOR FUN obsidian. But the round bubble in any ida, Mineral and Gem Society's Chips and Facets lEARN FOR PROFIT crystalline mineral is so rare that specimens GEM MAKING which contain them are immediately identi- fied as synthetic.—George E. Smith in the LAPIDARY SKILL ENHANCES JEWELRY ARTS Oklahoma Mineral and Gem Society's FULL OR PART TIME Sooner Rockologist MINERALOGY HOBBY MMt fascinating, money-making hobby! Become a rock Those interested in both mineralogy and hound . . . find stone* — convert them into "salable" masterpieces. Easy to do ... work with your hands — Rosarita Beach, Baja Calif.-—San Diego lapidary can benefit by putting one to work hike the outdoors for profit. rockhounds found some good material in for the other. For instance, an Iceland Spar this area: red moss agate, clear agate, and GRIEGER'S NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA! specimen looks much nicer when polished dendrites. The specimens were small, they and the double refraction made visible. A SENSATIONAL-JUST OFF THE PRESS reported. little lapidary work can remove foreign Here's the "how to do it" bible of the industry. Up-to- date, informative, easy to understand. Written and put matter blocking full view of crystal inclu- out by the country's outstanding lapidary authorities. FUN with ROCKS and MINERALS sions in quartz. When cut properly, botry- 320 PAGES . . . OVER 2000 PICTURES Ideal gift for rockhounds, hobbyists, Boy oidal psilomelane not only will present a Scouts, Girl Scouts, and beginners. Get different cabochon, but the structure of the . . . 30 ARTICLES . . . source data for everything you Petro-Polish kit for grinding and polishing need. Only $2.20 (includes postage) and our money back mineral readily can be studied. guarantee. Send for FREE detailed information on this rocks and gem stones by hand. With Petro- authentic book. FREE . . . FREE . . . get your copy of the Polish you'll have "fun with rocks and Big 16-page introductory BULLETIN ... no obligation minerals." Complete kit postpaid $2.00 (4% Polishing slabs of material that have rare . . . ACT NOW! tax in California). minerals as inclusions can be of use in HANSEN HANDICRAFTS distinguishing these rarities. Basalt that INC. 919 S. Monterey Ave., Monrovia, California contains zeolites can be cut and then studied. Beach nodules also can be cut and polished, many of them affording unique studies in geology. Many unsuspected minerals can be cut into attractive gems: bornite, chalcopyrite, hematite, psilomelane, etc.—Jack Schwartz in the Montebello, California, Mineral and Petrified Wood, Moss Agate, Chrysocolla Lapidary Society's The Braggin' Rock Turquoise, Jade and Jasper Jewelry HAND MADE IN STERLING SILVER CAPTIVE Bracelets, Rings, Necklaces, Earrings TURQUOISE and Brooches EARRINGS SPECIALLY SELECTED STONES WITH Genuine Sleeping Beauty CHOICE COLORS AND PICTURES Turquoise Nuggets Write for Folder With Prices caged in gleaming silver- colored metal to form un- ELLIOTT'S GEfll SHOP usually fascinating earrings. 235 East Seaside Blvd. Long Beach 2, California 6 I (post. & fed. tax paid. Across from West End of Municipal I No C.O.D., please.) Auditorium Grounds LOST MOUNTAIN GEMS Hours 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Daily Except Monday P.O. BOX 5012 - PHOENIX, ARIZONA

DESERT MAGAZINE SHOPPING FOR PRICE? Immediate Delivery — Prepaid AMATEUR GEM CUTTER KEY RINGS, 25mm. Finest quality ( 6 for 81.00 Snake Chain l'/2". Nickel PI. (12 for $1.85 By Dr. H. C. DAKE, Editor of The Mineralogist BRACELETS Fancy Pattern Link ( 6 for $1.00 Chain. Gilt or white pit. Complete (12 for $1.80 EARRINGS Plain Ball. Split ( 6 pr. for 30c drop. Gilt or white plate (12 pr. for 55c Fairburn Jaspagate The Marchet Bands, being simply a flow BELL CAPS 7 Point Gilt or white ( 25c doz. In response to some recent inquiries, at- structure, were obviously present the instant the obsidian chilled to a point where it plate ($2.60 gross tention may be called to the fact that the Calif. Residents add 4% Sales Tax well known and most colorful Fairburn became a solid. The "offsets" in the band- Free Catalog showing all kinds of easy to use "agate," is not a true agate. Technically ings appeared in the mass during slight and inexpensive Jewelry Parts to make your own this material is a jaspagate. In slabs, this movements in the final stages of solidifica- Necklaces, Earrings, Cuff Links, Bolo Ties, etc. material is sub-translucent, while true jas- tion, without benefit of earthquakes, frac- JEWELGEMS by JAY O'DAY per would be wholly opaque, and agate and turing or any secondary recementation by P.O. Box 6 Rancho Mirage, California chalcedony are transparent to translucent. mineral ladened percolating waters. The well known polka dot "agate" of Tumbler Speeds Central Oregon is in this same class, not Gem tumbler speed usually is given in a true agate, and yet not a true jasper. In RPM. This may be confusing and not ac- these cases material is often referred to as curate, since tumblers vary greatly in di- agate or as jaspagate, a mixture of jasper ameter, hence the RPM speed for a small and agate. Materials in this class are almost barrel would be wholly incorrect for a large HIGHLAND PARK identical chemically, differing only in physi- one. THE LAPIDARY'S cal properties, color, markings, and the like. Ken Borschel of Iowa Falls, Iowa, sug- By whatever name we may call this Fair- gests that the speed of tumblers be stated STANDARD OF VALUE burn material, it is most beautiful, especially in surface feet per minute as measured on the lively red colored and well-banded ex- the container surface. This method of stat- BUY THE BEST amples. ing correct speeds has long been used in FOR "Marchet Bands" reference to grinding wheels. Congo Dia Rlades — Sizes The so-called "Marchet Bands," noted in Without doubt this inaccuracy in tumbling flange from 4" to 24" in some obsidian, are no mystery, nor are speeds accounts for a good deal of the Light, Standard, Heavy they caused by inclusions of mercury or trouble encountered by beginners. The op- and Extra Heavy duty. carbon. These colorful straight, curved, or erator of a small barrel may be trying to fantastically folded ribbons, are simply get proper results by following the RPM Highland part of the flow structure of this material. speeds used by the operator of a much Depending upon the angle at which the larger container. Park material is sectioned, the lines and band- Synthetic Gems Trim Saws ings of the flow structure will appear dif- The most widely used crystalline types of Compact and ferent. It has been suggested that earth- artificial gem stones are the fused aluminum rugged for long quakes were involved in the genesis of this oxide and magnesium aluminum oxide va- lasting service. material; an ingenious thought, but wholly rieties. Fused aluminum oxide (A12O3— K-1 Trim s.nv without foundation whatever. The igneous artificial sapphire), has been manufactured rocks already offer plenty of complications for some years, while the spinel type (MGO- for the amateur, without adding more. Al 2O3) is of more recent origin. A Leader The above data was given to me, many By the addition of small amounts of In Its Field years ago, by Dr. Esper Larsen, then a chromium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and celebrated petrographer at Harvard Uni- similar metallic oxides, a wide variation of Highland Park Power-feed versity. Dr. Larsen made a petrographic colors can be attained in artificial corun- Slab Saws. Sizes range examination of the Glass Buttes obsidian, dum. The hardness, specific gravity, color from 12" to 24". Metal more than 20 years ago, after I first de- or Lueite hood. scribed and called attention to this now and refraction index of both artificial ma- celebrated locality in Central Oregon. Dr. terials closely resembles the natural material, Larsen also examined specimens of the rare often making determination difficult with- "double" and "triple" flow specimens, which out the aid of proper equipment. are contacts between flows, often meeting Highland Park Combination Unit Available in all sizes. Perfect Combination at right angles. Unit for Lapidary work. Handles sawing, Obsidian, in composition, is a rhyolite NEW SIXTH EDITION grinding, sanding and polishing. Excep- rock, and is classed as such by the petrog- tionally quiet operation. rapher—the rock expert. All rhyolite rocks A RT O F have a high silica content, averaging close GEM CUTTING to 75 percent. Included in the rhyolite By DR. H. C. DAKE group are such common rock as pumice, which may be regarded as the froth or A standard textbook for the amateur foam floating on the original lava. The and commercial gem cutter since 1938 familiar perlite of Central Oregon, the —now revised and brought up-to-date home of the agate-filled thunderegg, is just to include the most modern techniques another physical form of rhyolite. used in the lapidary arts. K-10 Combination Unit Rhyolite is the eruptive equivalent of New edition contains: 120 illustrations granite, both having the same essential including many of latest gem cutting equip- Arbors of all sizes — Tumblers, two chemical composition. The only differences ment; section on tumbling; detailed de- models. Wet and dry belt sanders— are structural and genetic. Neither of these scription of sawing, grinding, polishing, Lapidary units in two different sizes. rocks carry even minute traces of mercury cabochons, facet cutting, specimen finish- ing, gem identification, sphere cutting, etc. 32 MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM or carbon, and the iron content is low, The most complete line of lapidary machin- usually around one percent. Chemically, Paper cover; 128 pages ery offered by any manufacturer. See these the rhyolites are composed largely of silica at your local Highland Park dealer or write and aluminum oxides. $2.00 for free literature. Please add 10c for postage and handling A Product of California residents add 4 percent sales tax HIGHLAND PARK PIECES FOR FUN — FOR PROFIT! Order by mail from: SUrt today . , . gtt acquainted with tht most tri n 111 nQ hobby tvtr wiv11£v MANUFACTURING CO. — LAPIDARY. L»»rn to makt txptrt. DESERT MAGAZINE BOOK SHOP 1009-1011 Mission Street South Pasadena, California ...- :rad«. NO OSLIOATrON PALM DESERT CALIFORNIA writ* today to: eRIEGERS, Inc. Dipt. 1633 Eait Walnut, Paildeni. «, California. 69

DECEMBER, 1958 37 DESERT MAGAZINE JANUARY TO PALM DESERT, CALIF. TWENTY-FIRST VOLUME INDEX DECEMBER, 1958

Hunt, Aurora, James Henry Carleton Black (Calif.) Nov pl8 Western Frontier Dragoon Dec p41 Bridge (Utah) Dec p23 Acoma Pueblo, N.M. Aug p29 Jahns, Pat, The Frontier World of Doc Cataract (Ariz.) Feb p5, Nov p9 Acomita, N.M. Aug p27 Holliday May p43 Gateway (Utah) May p27 Aleson, Harry Feb plO James, Harry, Red Man White Man Glen (Utah) Dec p22 Alford, Trudy, Author of—Children of the -. Sep p43 Grand (Ariz.) Oct p5 Sky Dwellers Aug p27 Keleher, William A., Violence in Lincoln Granite Gorge (Ariz.) Jan pl9 Alford, Trudy (Close-ups) Aug p6 County, 1869-1881 Dec p43 Havasu (Ariz.) Jan pl3, Nov p9 Alverson, A. H. Mar p26 Larrison, Earl J., Owyhee: The Life of a Inscription (Calif.) Nov pl8 American Federation of Mineralogical Northern Desert Feb p43 Labyrinth (Calif.) Feb p5 Societies Mar p9 Lingenfelter, R. E., First Through the Pipes (Calif.) Sep pl2 Animals— Grand Canyon Oct p43 Rattlesnake (Calif.) Sep p9 Burro Sep p27 Loomis, Noel M., The Texas-Santa Fe Stillwater (Utah) Feb p5 Coatimundi Apr p24 Pioneers Oct p43 Caruthers, William (Close-ups)....May p29 Coyote Sep p27 Lovelace, Leland, Lost Mines and Hidden Campfire cooking Aug pl2 Night activities May p24 Treasure Jan p43 Raccoon Apr p24 Christensen, Vivian Jul p8 Lyman, George D., The Comstock Lode Chubasco Apr pll Ring-tailed Cat Apr p24 Jan p43 Applegate Emigrant Trail, Nev Mar p22 Cinder Cones, near Kelso, Calif.... Jul pl6 McNitt, Frank, Richard Wetherilt: Ana- City living on the desert May pl9 Arnold, James Apr p20 sazi Aug p43 Arts and Crafts— Miller, William J., California Through Coffey, Frank Mar p26 Ceramics Oct plO the Ages Jul p43 Colton, Harold S. and Mary-Russell F. Cholla wood jewelry Mar pl2 Murbarger, Nell, Sovereigns of the Sage Aug p7 Lopez, George Jan plO Jul p43 Comley, Lee Apr p20 Rollins, Warren E Oct p28 Paxton, June LeMert, My Life on the Conrotto, Eugene L., Author of— Santo carving . Jan plO Mojave Mar p43 Black Agate in Gypsum Wash... Jan pl5 Association of Lunar and Planetary Pearl, Richard M., Colorado Gem Trails Loop Trip Through the El Pasos Feb pl9 Observers Nov p29 and Mineral Guide Jun p43 Rockhound Bonanza at Boron Mar p5 Atmospheric Research Observatory, —Popular Gemology Nov p43 He Works All Day on Hotcakes 'n Chia Flagstaff Jul p28 Rigby, Douglas, Desert Happy....Apr p43 Apr pl9 Shaub, B. M., The Book of Mineral Apache Tears in the Chuckawallas B May pll Photographs Jan p39 The Desert Was White With Chalcedony Baja California ._. Apr p5 Sonnichsen, C. L., The Story of Roy Bean Roses Jun pl9 Bass, William Wallace, Ada Diefendorf Nov p43 Where Green Marble Was Mined-Aug pl6 and William, Jr Oct p5 Stone, Irving, Men to Match My Moun- Gold Diggings in Rattlesnake Canyon Bat Cave, Ariz Jan pl9 tains _ May p43 Tanner, Clara Lee, Southwest Indian Sep p9 Battle Mountain, Nev Apr pl5 Lost Morrow Turquoise Mine.... Oct pl7 Bernadette, Shrine to Sep p8 Paintings Feb p43 Corn Springs, Calif Nov p22 Birds— Williams, Jack R., Indians of Carlsbad Caverns National Park Mar p43 Cristy, Ronald J., Author of— Black-chinned Sparrow Nov p26 Jewelry from the Cholla Mar pl2 Doves Jan p24 Wood, Elizabeth Lambert, The Tragedy Horned Owls May p24 of the Powers Mine Sep p43 Lucy Warbler Dec pl4 —Arizona Hoof Trails Sep p43 Pinyon Jays Aug p25 Borghoff, Mike Mar pl3 Dake, Dr. H. C, Author of—Amateur Pyrrhuloxia Dec pl4 Boron, Calif Mar p5 Gem Cutter series every issue Quail Oct p20 Botany— Date Festival, Indio, Calif Feb p2 Sage Grouse Nov p26 Baccharis sergiloides Sep p30 Day, Eme Breland, Author of—Lavender Sage Sparrow Nov p26 Cardon Apr plO, Jul p22 from an Arizona Garden Jun p30 Sage Thrasher Nov p26 Chia Apr pl9 Day, Erne Breland (Close-ups)..... Jun p28 Water needs Sep p29 Cholla Mar pl2, Oct p25 Dayton, Jimmy Jun pl5, Dec pl6 Bible Altar, Rademacher Hills, Edible desert plants Aug pl2 Death Valley, Calif. Calif. Jun pll Greasewood Oct p31 Jun pl5, p23, Jul p24, Dec pl6 Bishop, Harry C Feb pi3 Joshua Tree Sep p9 Desert Protective Council Dec pl8 Blackford, John L., Author of—Today the Lavender Jun p30 DeWolfe, Lou and Louise May pll Apache Are Friendly Tribesmen Sep pl3 Laws for protection of plants DuShane, Helen, Author of— Pueblo Portraits May pl5, p42 Water Enough for Two Apr p4 Oct back cover, Nov pl7, Dec p7 Mammillaria Alversonii Mar p26 Dirt Road Holiday Apr p5 Black Rock Desert Navy Land Grab Mesquite Oct p4 Dutch John Flat, Utah Jan p8 Jul p34 Miner's Lettuce Aug pl4 E Bonner, Dr. James Dec pl8 Onion, wild Aug pl4 El Marmol, Baja Calif Apr p7 Book Reviews— Palm Trees, irrigation of Jul p21 Esenwein, William, Author of— Bailey, Paul, Wovoka, The Indian Pennyroyal Aug pi3 / Found Gold on Rich Hill Jan p27 Messiah Apr p43 Pygmy Cedar Jul pl9 Esenwein, William (Close-ups) Jan p30 Benson, Lyman, Plant Classification Sagebrush Nov p24 Esenwein, William Sep pl5 Mar p43 Squaw Cabbage Aug pl3 Eslinger, Jim Mar pl3 Bigelow, Lt. John, On the Bloody Trail Squaw Tea Aug pl2 of Geronimo Nov p43 Bradshaw Road, Calif May pl4 DeRoss, Rose Marie, Woman of the Bradt, George M., Author of— Farnsworth, Harriett, author of— Rivers Aug p41 The Spotted Night Snake Oct pl9 Dolph Nevares of Death Valley. Dec pl6 Duke, Alton, Arizona Gem Fields Brown, Kenneth Apr p7 Farnsworth, Harriett (Close-ups) Dec pl8 Jan p39 Bulla, Adolph Apr pl9 Fenley, Savola, Author of— Fergusson, Erna, Dancing Gods Aug p43 Bulletin Editors' Seminar.Feb p38, Apr p36 Where We Found Happiness Jul p2 Fitzpatrick, George, New Mexico Home Burridge, Gaston, Author of— Fenley, Savola (Close-ups) Jul plO Plan Book Apr p43 Big Eyes Among Desert Pines Jul p28 Ferguson, H. N., Author of— Gerhard, Peter and Howard E. Gulick, Hobbyists Who Scan the Desert Night Guest Register in Stone Jul pll The Lower California Guidebook.Jun p43 Sky Nov. p29 Ferguson, H. N. (Close-ups) Jul pll Hafen, LeRoy R., The Utah Expedition, Burridge, Gaston (Close-ups) Jul plO Fish, Baja Calif, species Apr pll 1857-58 Dec p43 Butler, Jim Dec pl2 Fish Traps, Calif. Jul p22 Harpending, Asbury, The Great Diamond Flagstaff Jul p28 Hoax Jun p43 c Flaming Gorge Dam, Utah Jan p5 Heap, Gwinn Harris, Central Route to Calhoun, Aida, Author of— Flash flood May p27 the Pacific Aug p41 Fiesta Time in Santa Fe Sep p5 Fort Bowie, Ariz . Sep p4 Heizer, Robert F., A Guide to Archeo- Calhoun, Aida (Close-ups) Sep p30 Fowler, Eleanor N., Author of—Silence the logical Field Methods Sep p43 Canyons— Desert's Most Precious Gift Nov p8 Hugh, Don A., Solo Below Aug. p43 American (Nev.) Nov p4 Fowler, Eleanor N. (Close-ups)....Nov p22

38 DESERT MAGAZINE Franka, Tommy Jul p8 Highways and Roads— Carlos, Lopez Jun p27 Friedman, L. A Jun p6 Baja Calif. Apr p5 Chavez, Henry Aug p28 Baker-Amboy, Calif Jul pl3 Chinkinnow Mar pl7 Big Bear-Yucca Valley, Calif-.. Sep plO Chino, Jose Aug p27 Gardner, Claude May p5 Blue Cut, Calif Mar p42 Garcia, Bill Nov pl4 Gems and Minerals, Collecting Areas— Gateway Canyon, Utah May p27 Gray Whiskers Jul p5 Black Mt.-Opal Mt., Calif Nov pl8 Monument Valley Aug p31 Haska Aug pl4 Boron, Calif. Mar p5 Seven Troughs-Lovelock, Nev Jun p7 Jones, Paul Aug p21 El Paso Mts., Calif Feb p20 Stoddard Well, Calif Aug pl6 Klah, Hasteen Apr pl2 Gypsum Wash, Nev Jan pl5 Uinta Mt., Utah Jan p7 McCabe, J. Maurice Aug p21 Jarbidge, Nev. Dec p4 History— Papuan Mar pl7 Little Chuckawalla Mts., Calif-May pll Comstock Lode Jan p2 Watahomagie, Reed Nov pll Pipes Canyon, Calif Sep pl2 Crossing of the Fathers Mar p23 White, Elizabeth —.Jun p4 Rattlesnake Canyon, Calif Sep pll Fort Bowie, Ariz Sep p4 Indians, Prehistoric— Silver Cloud Mine, Nev Apr pl6 Fort Davis, Texas Jul p23 Fish Traps, Calif Jul p22 Verde Antique Quarry, Calif Aug pl6 Jerome, Ariz. Nov p23 Grinding Holes Oct pl5 Whipple Mts., Calif Jun pl9 Lee's Ferry Apr p22 Indians, Tribes— Whitlock Mts., Ariz Oct pl4 Peeples Party Jan p27 Acoma Aug p27 Wiley's Well, Calif May pll Stokes Castle May p4 Apache Sep pl3 Gems and Minerals, Specimens— Territorial Prison, Yuma Feb pl7 Colorado River (Parker) Jul p31 Agate Jan pl5, Mar p5, Oct. pl4, Dec p4 Hoffman, Charles J., Author of — Adult Havasupai Jan pl3, Nov p9 Apache Tears May pll Education for the Papagos Jun p27 Navajo Aug p21 Borate Crystals Mar p5 Hoffman, Charles J. (Close-ups)... Jun p28 Papago Jun p27 Chalcedony Roses Jun pl9 Homesteading Feb p27 Pima Sep p25 Fluorescent Materials Feb p20 Hood, Amorita, Author of— Gold Sep pll Snakes Are His Friends Sep pl5 J Jaspagate 1 Jun p21 Hood, Amorita (Close-ups) Nov p22 Jaeger, Edmund C, Author of—on Desert Jasper Feb p20, Nov pl8 Hubbs, Dr. Carl C. May p25 Trails with a Naturalist Series— Marble Aug pl6 Huey, Laurence M., Author of— Doves of the Desert Jan p24 Opal Feb p20, Nov pl8 Piny on Jays Are Funny Aug p25 Life on an Ancient Mojave Play a Feb p24 Opalite Apr pl6 Huey, Laurence M. (Close-ups)....- Aug p6 He Discovered a Rare Cactus in the Petrified Wood Hundred Peaks Game Mar pll Chuckawallas Mar p26 Feb p20, Mar p5, Nov p38 Hunter, Audrey Mac and Randall Hender- Ring-Tailed Night Hunters Apr p24 Gist, Evalyn Slack, Author of—Skidoo— son, Authors of—Boom Days in Old La Night Life on the Desert May p24 Ghost Camp in the Lonely Panamints Paz Sep pl9 "Dry Lakes" Filled with Water. Jun p24 Apr p20 River of the Bitter Waters Jul p24 Gist, Evalyn Slack (Close-ups) Apr p21 I Edible Plants That Grow Along the Ghost Towns— Indians, Arts and Crafts— Desert Trails Aug pl2 American Canyon, Nev Nov p4 Hopi-Navajo Aug p7 Water for Wildlife in an Arid Land Coaldale, Calif. Feb p20 Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art Sep p27 Coolgardie, Calif Nov pl9 Apr p 12 Friendly Birds of the Brush Oct p20 Farrell, Nev Jun p5 Indians, Ceremonials— In the Land of Sagebrush Nov p24 Garlock, Calif Feb p22 Papago Baby Shrine Dec p2 Lost Birds in a Strange Arid Land Jerome, Ariz. Nov p23 Navajo Sing Dec pl9 Dec pl4 La Paz, Ariz Sep pl9 Indians, Education— James, Harry C, Author of—We Would Mazuma, Nev. Jun p5 Adult Education Program, Papago Protect Desert Plant Life May pl5 Octave, Ariz. Jan p28 Jun p27 Jarbidge, Nevada Dec p4 Rasor, Calif. Feb p25 Hopi School Jun p4 E Seven Troughs, Nev Jun p5 Kiva Club Nov pl4 Kerley, Joe, Author of— Skidoo, Calif. Apr p20 Indians, Health—Monument Valley Mission Haska of the Hogan Aug pl4 Soda, Calif Feb p26 Hospital Jul p5 A Sing For Atsa Gai Dec pl9 Stanton, Ariz. Jan p27 Indians, Personalities— Kiva Club Nov pl4 Taylor, Nev. May p5 Begay, Lennie Mar p25 Knee, Maurice Jul p6 Vernon, Nev. Jun p5 Weaver, Ariz. Jan p28 Goldacres, Nev. Feb pl3 Granger, Roscoe Jan p8 Announcing a new edition of Green, Ed Jun p8, Nov p6 Greenawalt, Robert O., Author of—Guano JOHN D. MITCHELL'S Tramway in Granite Gorge Jan pl9 Greenawalt, Robert O. (Close-ups) Jan p30 Gypsum Cave, Nev Jan. pl6 LOST MINES AND H Haas, Walter Nov p29 Haddon, E. P. and Mary Branham, authors of—Duel in the Dunes Dec p8 BURIED TREASURES Hammen, Barbara, Author of— Night in Gateway Canyon May p27 Hammen, Barbara (Close-ups) May p29 Harkinson, Charlie Dec p4 Along the Old Frontier Harrison, Bill Aug pl6 Harrison, Melbourne Sep p9 This popular book, out of print for several months, is again avail- Headwear, women's Jun pl2 able without any advance in price. Latest information available about Heald, Phyllis W., Author of— 51 of the most authentic lost mines in the Southwest, including Pegleg From Sunbonnet to Sunshine Jun pl2 Smith's black gold. Lost Breyfogle, Lost Dutchman, Lost Arch, and the Heald, Phyllis W. (Close-ups) Aug p5 Heald, Phyllis and Weldon, Authors of— Cave of the Golden Sands. Maps and illustrations. Desert Living in the City May pl9 Henderson, Randall, Author of— $5.00 POSTPAID The Water Was Rough in Cataract Can- California buyers add 4% sales tax yon Feb p5 Roving Laboratory of the Desert Jul pl8 Craftsmen of Apple Valley Oct plO Trail to the Canyon of Turquoise Water Nov p9 PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA Canyon Boat Ride in Utah Dec p21 Hesperia, Calif. Feb p27

DECEMBER, 1958 39 L Northern Portion Apr p6 Conglomerate Mine, Calif Dec pl7 Laguna Salada, Baja Calif Jun p24 Southern Portion Apr p7 Dry Washer Operation Sep pl2 "Land Grab" Law May p29 Maps, California— Gilsonite Aug p35 Landmarks— Amargosa River Jul p24 Gold Feb pl3, Sep p9, p35 El Morro, N. M Jul pll Baker-Amboy Road Jul pl4 Goldacres Mine, Nev Feb pl3 Mosquito Rock, Nev Jul p22 Black Mt.-Opal Mt Nov p20 Guano Tramway, Ariz Jan pl9 Stokes Castle, Nev. Jun pl8 Boron Mar p6 La Paz Placer, Ariz Sep pl9 Landscape Arch, Utah Mar pl3 El Paso Mtns Feb p20 London Extension Mining Co...Feb pl3 Lawrence, Godfrey Feb pl9 Little Chuckawallas May pl2 Lucky Onyx Mine, Calif Sep pl2 Lesure, Thomas B. (Close-ups) Oct p30 McCoy Mtns. —.Mar pl7 Monitor Mine, Nev May p6 LeViness, W. Thetford, Author of — He Mojave Sink Feb p25 Navajo Oil Lease Feb p35, Aug p21 Carves the Santos in the Land of the Picacho-Imperial Dam Dec pl2 Old Harmony Borax Works, Calif Penitentes Jan plO San Bernardino Mtns Sep plO Jun pi5, p23 Venerable Painter of Santa Fe_... Oct p28 Skidoo Apr p20 Pacific Coast Borax Co., Calif._.Mar p8 Life on the Desert Contest Winners-Mar p24 Slocum Mt. Oct pl8 Rich Hill Placer, Ariz Jan p27 Linwood, Utah Jan p8 Verde Antique Quarry Aug pl7 Silver Cloud Mine, Nev Apr pl6 Lively, W. I., Author of— Whipple Mtns Jun p20 Stokes Castle, Nev May p4 Cactus Spines for Survival Oct p25 Maps, Nevada— Verde Antique Quarry, Calif Aug pl6 Lizer, Jack Jun pl9 American Canyon Nov p4 Waterman Mill, Calif Aug plO Lloyd, Audrey Walls, Author of—Saga of Goldacres Feb pl4 Missions and Churches— Death Valley's Jimmy Dayton ___Jun pl5 Gypsum Wash Jan pl6 Chapel of the Holy Cross, Ariz._.Sep p22 Lloyd, Audrey Walls (Close-ups)...Jun p28 Jarbidge Dec p6 Monument Valley Mission Hospital Locke, Ernest G Nov p4 Seven Troughs District. Jun p6 Jul p5 Lopez, George Jan plO Silver Cloud Mine Apr pl6 San Xavier del Bac, Ariz Sep p8 Lost Mines and Treasure— Taylor May p6 Tumacacori Aug p4, p5 Dutchman's Gold Dec pll Maps, New Mexico— Mobile Desert Laboratory Jul pl8 Morrow Turquoise Oct pl7 Acoma Aug p29 Monroe, Harold L., Author of—Arizona's Papuan's Placer Mar pl7 Maps, Utah— Shrine to Bernadette Sep p8 Tumacacori's Bells Aug p5 Arches National Monument Mar pl4 Monroe, Harold L. (Close-ups) Sep p30 Lovelock, Nev. Jun p7 Cataract Canyon Feb p6 Monument Valley, Ariz.-Utah Jul p5 Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff Jul p28 Flaming Gorge Damsite Jan p7 Morgan, Vincent Mar p5 San Juan-Colorado rivers Dec p22 Morrow Brothers Oct pl7 M Moths May p26 Maps, Misc.— McCartys, N.M. Aug p27 Gila Monster-Sidewinder distribution Mountains— McClure, Charles V. Sep p9 Dec p9 Black Mt., Calif Nov pl8 McCoy, Bill Mar pl7 El Paso Mtns., Calif Feb pl9 McFarland, Noel May p26 Marten, Herbert Sep p25 Little Chuckawalla Mtns., Calif.._May pll McManus, Mrs. Austin Jul pl8 Mason, Dr. J. Lloyd and Alice Jul p5 Humboldt Range, Nev Nov p4 Manila, Utah Jan p8 Miller, Dr. Loye Holmes May p24 Opal Mt., Calif Nov pl8 Maps, Arizona— Mines and Mining— Rademacher Hills, Calif Jun pll Granite Gorge Tramway Jan p20 American Canyon Placer, Nev.-Nov p4 Rich Hill, Ariz Jan p27 Havasu Canyon Nov plO Argus Mine, Nev May p6 San Bernardino Mtns., Calif Sep p9 La Paz Sep p20 Big Butte Mining Co., Nev Apr pl6 Slocum Mt., Calif Oct pl8 Rich Hill Jan p28 Chinese Placer Miners Nov p4 Uinta Mtns., Utah Jan p7 Whitlock Mts. Oct pl4 Cinnabar Apr pl6 Weaver Mtns., Ariz Jan p27 Maps, Baja California— Colorado Camp, Calif Feb p20 Whipple Mtns., Calif Jun pl9 Laguna Salada Jun p24 Comstock Lode, Nev Jan p2 Whitlock Mtns., Ariz Oct pl3 Muench, Josef and Joyce, Authors of the Historic Panoramas Series— The Comstock Lode Jan p2 Territorial Prison Feb pl7 Crossing of the Fathers Mar p23 Lee's Ferry Apr p22 Stokes Castle May p4 Old Harmony Borax Works Jun p23 Fort Davis Jul p23 Mission Tumacacori Aug p4 Old Fort Bowie. Sep p4 Tombstone Oct p2 Jerome Nov p23 Papago Baby Shrine Dec p2 Murbarger, Nell, Author of— Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River Jan p5 Open Pit Miners at Goldacres....Feb pl3 Minute Men—In Jeeps! Mar pl9 Opalite at the Silver Cloud. Apr pl5 You Are Cordially Invited . . . When the Brass Band Played at Taylor May pi ... to visit and enjoy the outstanding exhibit of Southwestern The Seven Troughs Bonanza Jun p5 art in the spacious foyers of Desert Magazine's beautiful Pueblo White Man's Medicine in Monument Val- along Highway 111 between Palm Springs and Indio, California. ley Jul p5 Museum Where "Ideas" Are More Im- The finest work of more than fifty of the Southwest's best known portant Than "Things" Aug p7 artists make up this ever changing display. Regardless of Creed Sep p22 Trail-Blazer of Grand Canyon Oct p5 Visitors are always welcome at the admission-free Desert Chinese Ghost Town in the Humboldt Magazine art gallery which is open seven days a week from 9 Range Nov p4 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trail to the Rockhound's Dream Dec p4 Murbarger, Nell (Close-ups) Mar p28 Adjoining the art gallery is the Desert Book and Crafts Shop Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art where the best of current Southwestern books are available for Apr p 12 your reading enjoyment. Visitors may browse at will in the rest- Museum of Northern Arizona Aug p7 ful atmosphere of the gallery and book shop. Music Temple, Utah Dec p23 N Napier, Earl Jan pl5 "Friend or Stranger, you are welcome here." Naval Observatory's Flagstaff Station Jul p28

40 DESERT MAGAZINE ment in the West, they "surveyed and built roads for others to travel; they explored and exploited yet not often BOOKS of the SOUTHWEST for their own profit. The construction of forts served not only for protection Books reviewed on this page are selected as being worthy of your consid- eration. They can be purchased by mail from Desert Magazine Book Shop, but as experimental farms where seeds Palm Desert, California. Please add four percent sales tax on orders to be sent to California. Write for complete catalog of Southwestern books. were planted, fruit trees and vegetables propagated. Their saw mills were re- placed by flour mills and sites of forts became cities ..." And only through By tracing General Carleton's ca- THE ARMY'S ROLE IN THE the protection offered by the soldiers reer, author Hunt sheds additional SETTLEMENT OF THE WEST were the geologists, ornithologists, ar- light on the U. S. Army's problems The popular conception of two-gun cheologists, meteorologists and other and accomplishments of a century ago. sheriffs and determined vigilantes as scientists able to function on the fron- "The constructive efforts of the United being the sole forces of law and order tier. in the West is amended by Aurora States soldiers have frequently been Hunt in her latest book, James Henry minimized," writes the author. In ad- Carleton was active in the South- Carleton, Western Frontier Dragoon. dition to helping tame the lawless ele- (Continued on page 43)

Nevares, Adolph Dec pl6 Pillsbury, Dorothy L., Author of— Smith, Shine Mar p28 Newcomb, Frances Apr pl2 Navajo Shrine in Santa Fe Apr pl2 Soda Lake, Calif Feb p24 Nickerson, Link Jun p9 Pillsbury, Dorothy L. (Close-ups), Apr p21 Speer, Marion A Nov pl9 Novak, Jack C. (Close-ups) Nov p22 Proctor, Elmo Jan p22 Sprague, Rene Dec p4 Staude, Marguerite Sep p22 o Q Staveley, Gaylord Dec p21 O'Neill, John Nov p31 Quinones, Manuel Apr p8 Steptoe Valley, Nev. May p6 Ouellette, Cecil M., Author of—Over the R Stoddard, Sheldon Aug pl7 Top of Landscape Arch Mar pl3 Rainbow Bridge, Utah Dec p23 Stokes, J. G. and Anson May p4 Ouellette, Cecil M. (Close-ups) Mar p28 Ranches— Supai, Ariz Jan pi3, Nov p9 P China, Calif Jul p26 T Cow-Creek, Calif Dec pl6 Taylor, Fenton, Author of—Gem Trails Pack Rat Oct p25 Furnace Creek, Calif. Jun pi5, Dec pl6 Parker, Ruth Aug pl8 Greenland, Calif Jun pl5, Dec pl6 in Arizona's Whillocks ... Oct pl3 Parks and Monuments— Taylor Well, Calif May pl4 Hackberry, Ariz. Oct pl4 Tecopa, Calif. Jul p25 Arches Mar pi3 Jenkins, Nev. Apr pl7 Teeter, LaVon, Author of— Death Valley Jun pl5 111, Ariz. Oct pl4 Inscription Rock Jul pll Whitlock, Ariz Oct pl5 From Pueblo to Classroom Nov pl4 Mitchell Caverns Mar pl8 Teeter, LaVon (Close-ups) Nov p22 Reese, Tex, Author of— Temple, Bill, Sr., Jr. and Gertrude.Aug pl7 Pattie Basin, Baja Calif Jun p24 New Shade Tree for the Desert... Oct p4 Tevis, Lloyd, Jr Jul pl8 Penitentes Jan plO Reese, Tex (Close-ups) Oct p30 Thornton, Joe Nov p5 Perry, Loran and Rose May pll Renslow, Alphine, Author of— Tombstone, Ariz. Oct p2 Phillips, Mary Geisler, Author of— Lennie Begay's Priceless Gift Mar p25 Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad....Feb p25 He Was a Good Man Sep p25 Reptiles— Photography, Contest Winners— Gila Monster Dec p8 u H. Chapman, L. Bruton Jan p23 Rattlesnakes P. Black, J. Meyerpeter Feb p23 . Sep pll, Oct p31, Nov p22, Dec p8, p26 Upper Basin Dams Jan p5, Feb pl8 J. Novak, K. Lopez Mar p4 Spotted Night Snake Oct pl9 V J. Kahle, J. Orr Apr back cover Water Needs Sep p29 Virginia City, Nev Jan p2 H. Chapman, L. Schooler May p2 Rigby, Elizabeth, Author of—Primitive Vil- N. Murbarger, F. Birdwell Jun p2 lage in Havasupai Canyon Jan pi3 w L. Schooler, G. Helland Jul back cover Rivers— Walter, Gwen and Marvin Jul p5 Mrs. A. Allanson, R. Currens.—Aug pl5 Amargosa Jul p24 Walton, Jean R Jan p5 R. Carmichael, L. Lovett Sep p2 Colorado Wampler, Joe Nov p9 J. Kahle, C. Bodenstein Oct p23 Jan pl9, Feb p5, Jan p25, Dec p22 Ward, Elizabeth, Author of— J. Novak, R. Meleski Nov back cover Green Jan p5, Feb p5 Back-Road on the Mojave Jul pi3 D. Randall, R. Payne Dec plO Jarbidge Dec p4 Ward, Nev., Reflex May p6 Photography, Covers— Mojave Feb p24 Washoe Jeep Squadron Mar pl9 Dead Horse Point on the Colorado River Rio Hardy Jun p25 Water for Wildlife Sep p27 near Moab, Utah, Syl Labrot Jan San Juan Dec p21 Weaver, Pauline Sep pl9 Wildflower Garden, Harry Vroman.Feb Robertson, Dorothy, Author of— Weight, Harold O., Author of— High Desert in Spring The Desert Gave Us a Way to Live Mojave Desert Opal Diggings Nov pl8 Darwin Van Campen Mar Feb p27 The Old Dutchman's Lost Ledge of Gold Sunset in Southern Arizona Papuan's Lost Placer Mine Mar pl7 Dec pll Mystery Shrine on the Mojave... Jun pll Weight, Harold O. (Close-ups) ...... Nov p22 Josef Muench Apr Went, Frits Jul pl8 Mosquito Rock, Josef Muench May Emily of the Desert Trails. Nov p26 Robey, Bobby Aug pl6 Werner, Louise, Author of—He Became Prehistoric Pictographs in Monument a Mountaineer at 70 Mar pll Valley, Josef Muench Jun Robinson, Max H., Author of— Wheelwright, Mary Cabot Apr pl2 Monument Valley, Josef Muench Jul Just a Dusty Desert Road. Aug p20 Whidden, A. K Mar pll Navajo Mother and Child Robinson, Max H. (Close-ups) Aug p6 White, Elizabeth, Author of—First Day in Josef Muench Aug Rochester, Ed Dec pll the White Man's School. Jun p4 Double-O Arch, Arches National Monu- Rollins, Warren E Oct p28 White, Elizabeth (Close-ups) Jun p28 ment, Utah, Hubert A. Lowman Sep White, Georgia Feb p5 Spectators at Colorado National Monu- White Pine News (Nev.) May p6 ment, Chuck Abbott Oct Santa Fe Fiesta Sep p5 White Pine Reflex (Nev.) May p6 White Sands National Monument Schneider, Chips Feb pl9 Wilson, Henry Aug plO Chuck Abbott Nov Scott, Wm. Dec pll Wilson, Thomas C. Mar p20 Rainbow Turned to Stone Sedona, Ariz. Sep p22 Wiltsey, Norman B., Author of—When Hubert A. Lowman Dec Sheep Grazing Problem May p42 Riches Come to the Navajo Aug p21 Little sister . . . Big sister Simpson, Joe Apr p21 Wiltsey, Norman B. (Close-ups) Aug p6 Josef Muench Dec back cover Sims, Earl and Alice Oct plO Witmer, Paul May p29 Photography, Features— Slade, Peter Mar pl2 Wright, Frank Dec p23 In Memory May p22-23 Smith, Alfred Merritt Nov p4 Pueblo Portraits Smith, "Borax" Dec pl6 Y Oct back cover, Nov pl7, Dec p7 Smith, J. Russell Nov p31 '•Young, Clarence Nov p7

DECEMBER, 1958 41 By RANDALL HENDERSON NE OF MY correspondents is Mrs. Ruth Rowan of One of the most delightful motor trips in Southern Yucca Valley, California. Mrs. Rowan makes a California is over the winding Pines-to-Palms highway delightful game of living on the desert. In her back between Mountain Center at an elevation of nearly 5000 yard she is experimenting with the coloring of glass under feet and Palm Desert near sea level. Much of this journey the desert sun and some of the things she has learned are on State Highway 74 is through the Upper Sonoran life quoted on the Letters page of this issue. zone—the zone of ocotillo, the yuccas, manzanita, pinyon, Another of her interests is the propagation of the juniper, nolina, agave, jojoba and wild apricot—a luxuri- Joshua tree. The Joshua is an eccentric, in habits as well ant desert garden of fantastic foliage and creamy white as in appearance. Joshuas do not bloom every year and blossoms in a setting of huge boulders and ramparts of Mrs. Rowan is keeping records to determine if there is a granite. definite cycle-pattern, or if it is a hit and miss affair, the But alas, the paint daubers recently have moved into secret of which is known only to the Creator. this lovely natural park. Last week when I drove down To Ruth Rowan the desert is a great fascinating lab- the mountain grade to my desert home I found three great oratory in which the works of the God of creation are far roadside boulders splattered with crude lettering in red more revealing than any book ever written. I do not paint, obviously the work of nitwits to whom nothing is know Ruth Rowan personally, but I'll bet she is a darned sacred. The frustrating thing about this hideous form of good neighbor. vandalism is that it is seldom possible to identify the perpetrators. But this is not always true. Occasionally these ugly Two years ago California initiated a plan for the con- daubings are put there by small time merchants and trades- struction of parking places along its highways — little men to advertise their wares. You and I can do something ramada-shaded turnouts with tables for picnickers and about that. We can refuse to patronize their shops and trash cans for litter. Many other states have installed roadside stands—and make it known to them why they these roadside rests and they have been very popular with are on our blacklist. In most of the states it is illegal to motorists. mar the natural landscape in this manner, but when law On a more or less experimental basis, the first two enforcement fails it remains for those of us who would rests were installed along the desert span of U.S. Highway preserve the beauty of the roadside landscape to discour- 66 between Barstow and Needles. age the practice in every way we can. But the program is under fire. Critics say they are too costly to build, and the expense of maintenance ex- There will always be elections in America we hope— orbitant. The program seems to have become stymied and there will always be winners and losers. Perhaps on before it is well started. the day after the November election there were hearts The job of building and maintaining the rest parks was heavy with disappointment. I wish the defeated candi- given to the Division of Beaches and Parks. And therein dates and those who shared their aspirations for high lies the trouble. Much of the excessive cost has been due political honor might have stood with me on the floor of to the expense of complying with specifications set up by my desert cove at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains the State Highway department for paving and curbing as the sun came up on the morning of November 5. the turnouts, and the fact that the Park department is Those rugged mountains have been there for a million not normally equipped with trucks and personnel for the years. The snow on their summits has been giving life maintenance job. to the things that live and grow in the canyons below for The Highway department, on the other hand, has countless ages. The sun coming over the mountains in a mobile equipment on the road all the time for roadside halo of crimson and azure was giving warmth and energy maintenance, and could service the roadside parks at a to living things on this earth eons before man emerged. fraction of the cost to the Park department. Those are the important things of our life—the soil, Anyone who has traveled the highways of Texas will the rain, the sun. And no senator or congressman or appreciate the value of these little roadside parking places. governor can add to or detract from them. We humans It is to be hoped the new governor of California will find play a very minor role in the Great Plan of the universe. a way to settle the feud between the two departments of It is good to have faith and work industriously for the his state—for those little shaded resting places at intervals things we believe to be right. But there is always the on the long stretches of desert highway in California will possibility we may be wrong. And after all, it is the in- add much to both the safety and pleasure of motor touring tegrity and beauty and understanding in the heart of each in this state. individual—and not the men in congress—that determine the fullness of each life.

42 DESERT MAGAZINE West and the Rockies Historical Series. to this legend-shrouded personality: BOOKS Illustrated, references and index; 350 the Kid was a rather intelligent young (Continued from page 41) pages. $9.50. man. west. He performed escort duty on Keleher's book contains extensive the Santa Fe Trail, served in the notes and personality profiles. It is a SMALL TOWN FEUD WHICH dispassionate account of the classic Mexican War, and was active in the COMPOUNDED INTO VIOLENCE settlement of the Indian Problem. As small town feud which became com- commander of the California Volun- The terrifying consequences of a pounded, but to have written it any teers at the outbreak of the Civil War, complete breakdown in law and order other way would have added more fuel he invaded Southern-sympathizing Ari- are well known in the West; but the of half-truths to the still smouldering zona and became its military governor. reasons building up to these break- legend of Billy the Kid and his buck- Not only was that territory made se- downs are too often obscured by pas- skin colleagues. cure for the Union; "... civilization sion or misinterpreted through preju- Published by University of New marched into Arizona with the Cali- dice. Mexico Press; notes and index; 390 fornia Volunteers . . . the permanent The early Lincoln County, New pages; $6.00. settlement by Americans became as- Mexico, disorder — terminated with sured," wrote an earlier historian of the slaying of Billy the Kid—is one of that event. the blackest chapters in Western his- tory. The background to these inci- Book Manuscripts Published by The Arthur H. Clark dents is the subject of a new book, by cooperative publisher who offers authors early publication, higher royalty, national Company as Volume II in its Frontier Violence in Lincoln County, 1869- distribution, and beautifully designed books. Military Series; illustrated; five maps All subjects welcomed. Write, or send your 1881, by William A. Keleher. This is a MS directly. (one folding); bibliography; index; highly documented work, for the auth- GREENWICH BOOK PUBLISHERS, INC. 390 pages; $10. or, a noted Albuquerque attorney, Atten. Mr. Slocum, 489 Fifth Ave., N.Y., N.Y. knows his way around the courthouse UTAH EXPEDITION WAS archives which hitherto have concealed many of the facts behind the story. ANZA/BORREGO DESERT TRAGEDY OF ERRORS Highlight of the book is the dealings GUIDE BOOK In 1857, President James Buchanan, between the notorious Kid and Terri- Southern California's Last Frontier determined to force the Mormons to torial Governor Lew Wallace, a liter- conform to a federal law which forbade ary figure of international repute who By Horace Parker plural marriages, named a new gov- completed his novel, Ben Hur, while For the jeeper, camper, hiker, horse- ernor to replace Brigham Young, and in office. However, it is the rough man, tourist, historian, and collector. ordered 2500 troops to accompany the letters of Billy the Kid which steal the $2.50 AT BOOKSTORES-OR $2.75 PPD. FROM new executive to Salt Lake City as an show in this exchange. They are re- \l aiia.no •/ escort. markable for the insight revealed into BOX 85 - BALBOA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA Then ensued a series of tragic blun- his character. A new facet is added ders and misunderstandings, both in Washington and among the Latter Day Saints, which for several months threat- ened to result in open warfare between Announcing the latest book by JOSEPH WOOD KRUTCH, the army and the Utah settlers. one of America's greatest Naturalist-Authors A completely documented record of this near-tragic episode in United States history has been compiled by LeRoy R. Hafen, professor of History at GRAND CANYON Brigham Young University, with the assistance of Ann W. Hafen. The Today and all its Yesterdays book, titled The Utah Expedition 1857-58, has been published in sub- If you've read THE DESERT YEAR, THE VOICE OF THE stantial and pleasing format by The DESERT or THE GREAT CHAIN OF LIFE, you'll know Arthur H. Clark Company of Los An- what a treat is in store for you in the pages of this new geles. volume, for Mr. Erutch is an interpretative scientist who This is a factual book, devoted for writes for the lay reader. the most part to letters and other doc- uments which serve to emphasize both There is a billion years of geological history exposed in the the ineptness of official Washington mile-deep walls of the great gorge in northern Arizona— and the unnecessary suspicion aroused and you'll know how they came to be and their signifi- among the settlers in Utah. The cance to the men and women in today's world when you author has let the records speak for themselves, without any attempt to have read this delightful book. justify or condemn the mistakes made $5.00 Postpaid by either side of the controversy. California buyers add 20c sales tax The role played by Brigham Young at this critical period in American his- tory adds to his stature as one of the greatest American leaders of all time. Palm Desert, California Published by The Arthur Clark Company as Volume VIII in the Far

DECEMBER, 1958 43 Navajo Indians surround their children with warm family affection, reports photograph little sister.. Big sister" Josef Muench. The two children in this picture, living close to Nature and dependent upon th own efforts for a livelihood, are Dart of this tribal erouD. touching in their Invp inr pnrh nth,