Desert Magazine 1940 November (194011)
Desert Magazine 1940 November (194011)
Desert Magazine 1940 November (194011)
M A G A Z
Gcd&ndan,
NOV. 1 Week-long convention of New
Mexico Education association ends
in Albuquerque.
1-15 Arizona open hunting season on
quail.
1-DEC. 14 California, Nevada and Utah
duck hunting season. Began Oc-
tober 16. Volume 4 NOVEMBER 1340 Number 1
2-DEC. 31 Arizona duck hunting sea-
son. Buy federal migratory bird
hunting stamps at any postofhce. COVER DESERT EVENING, photograph by Josef Muench,
7 Meeting of Arizona Mineralogical Santa Barbara, California.
society, Arizona museum, Phoenix. Comment from Desert Magazine readers Inside cover
LETTERS
7-9 Arizona Education association
meets, Tucson. Miss Alice Vail, CALENDAR November events on the desert 1
president.
8-10 State chamber of commerce secre-
PHOTOGRAPHY Prize winning pictures in September 2
taries meet, Phoenix, Arizona. MINING Gold on the Banks of the Hassayampa
11 World premiere of "Arizona" film, By CHARLES C. NIEHUIS 3
Tucson, Arizona. Reconstructed
Old Pueblo to be open Nov. 11-16. PERSONALITY 'He is our Friend'
12 Fiesta of San Diego at Jemez and By MRS. WHITE MOUNTAIN SMITH . . . 7
Tesuque pueblos, New Mexico.
Indian corn dance at Jemez, In- QUIZ A Test of Your Desert Knowledge 10
dian buffalo dance at Tesuque. ARTISTS
8-14 Ogden, Utah Livestock show. E. They Borrowed their Art from the Ancients
Fjeldsted, manager. By G. CARPENTER BARKER 11
9-17 Arizona State fair, Phoenix. W. MINERALS 'Petrified Bacon'
A. Thompson, chairman.
By JOHN W. HILTON 13
10 Second annual air show, sponsored
by Southern Nevada Aero club, to TRAVELOG Palm Oasis in Mortero Canyon
be held at Western Air Express By RANDALL HENDERSON 17
field, Las Vegas. Class one show,
featuring professional fliers. Ad- HUMOR Hard Rock Shorty—By LON GARRISON . . . 20
mission free.
PLACE NAMES Origin of names in the Southwest 21
13 Dr. Frank C. Lockwood: "Loren-
zo Hubbell, Trader to the Nava- HOBBY Cacti—Edited by LUCILE HARRIS 22
jos." Lecture at Arizona museum,
Phoenix. DIARY October at Yaquitepec
14-16 Arizona Days, in Yuma. Annual By MARSHAL SOUTH 23
fiesta of Elks lodge. Eb Lawler,
Exalted Ruler. BOOKS MARK TWAIN'S WESTERN YEARS,
15 Fiesta of La Mesilla, at Las Cru- and other reviews 25
ces, New Mexico, featuring Span- NEWS
ish and Anglo folk dances, music Here and There on the Desert 26
and customs. MINING
15-17 Convention of Arizona Hotel as-
Briefs from the desert region 28
sociation, Phoenix. Major John F. HOBBY
Gems and Minerals—Edited by ARTHUR EATON 29
Murphy, executive secretary. SHOP TALK
18-19 Central district federation of Along the Trail with the Desert Magazine . . . 33
Business and Professional Womens LANDMARK
clubs meets in Globe, Arizona. Kit Carson Monument
Pearl Davey, chairman. By MARGUERTE SANDSTROM McDOWELL 36
18-DEC. 10 Elk hunting season in Ari- WEATHER
zona. Special permits, $15 to resi- COMMENT Desert temperatures in September 36
dents, $25 to non-residents.
Just Between You and Me
21 Mineralogical society meets at
Phoenix, Arizona museum. By the Editor Inside back cover
21-23 Convention of Southwestern sec-
tion, American Medical associa- The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Publishing Company, 636
tion, Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Kohl, State Street, El Centre California. Entered as second class matter October 11, 1937, at
chairman. the post office at El Centro. California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered
No. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office, and contents copyrighted 1940 by the Desert Publishing
22-23 International Relations club con- Company. Permission to reproduce contents must be secured from the editor in writing.
vention, campus of Arizona State EANDALL HENDERSON, Editor.
Teachers college, Tempe. Speakers: TAZEWELL H. LAMB and LUCILE HARRIS, Associate Editors.
Dr. A. S. Raubenheimer, dean of Richard B. Older, Advertising Representative, 416 Wall St., Los Angeles, Calif. Phone TR 1501
college of liberal arts, University Manuscripts and photographs submitted must be accompanied by full return post-
age. The Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for damage or loss of manuscripts
of California; Hugh Matier, in- or photographs although due care will be exercised for their safety. Subscribers should
ternationally known geologist, send notice of change of address to the circulation department by the fifth of the month
journalist. preceding issue.
28-29 Annual Fiesta, Brawley, Califor- SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year $2.50 — 2 years $4.00 — 3 years $S.OO
nia. GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1 subscription $2.50 — two $4.00 — three $B.OO
Canadian subscriptions 25c extra, foreign 50c extra
Address subscription letters and correspondence to Desert Magazine, El Centro, California
NOVEMBER, 1940 1
Gactwi
By DuBOIS CORNISH,
Tucson, Arizona
Winner of the first prize this month
is the photograph of a group of Ari-
zona Giant Cactus taken in the Sa-
guaro national monument, east of
Tucson. The camera was a Rolleiflex,
Panatomic X film with Aero No. 1
filter. Exposure 1/10 at f22.
Special MekU
The following photographs enter-
ed in the September contest were
considered by the judges to have
more than usual merit:
"The Lord's Candle," by Roy Mil-
ler, Los Angeles, California.
"Navajo Shepherdess," by Samp-
son T. Yazzie, Shiprock, New Mexico.
"Desert Evening Primrose," by
Miss Catherine A. Sargent, Los An-
geles, California.
Qneat White
Zion Canyon, Utah
By GENE O. PARKS, Las Vegas, Nevada
Awarded second prize in the September pho-
tographic 1 contest. Taken with Korelle-Reflex
camera, 2 /4x21/4; 1/25 sec. at f 16; K2 yellow fil-
ter, on superpan supreme film. Taken at 4:30
p. m. on a clear September day.
This gold brick poured recently at the Vulture mill where low grade ore
is Still being worked, is worth between $12,500 and $15,000.
Many of the old mining camps of the West
produced their millions—and then gave up the
ghost. But not so the old Vulture mine at Wick-
enburg, Arizona. Discovered by Henry Wick-
Gold on the Bank* enburg in the 'sixties, the old diggings are still
producing low grade gold-bearing ore. And
there are many veteran prospectors who be-
lieve that sooner or later the original high
grade quartz vein which was lost many years
By CHARLES C. NIEHUIS
Photographs by the author
NOVEMBER, 1940
plank of the sailing ship before he began
> '• - ; to hear stories of the Southwest. They
were fascinating tales of gold and other
precious minerals to be found in the
mysterious desert. He was a man of
direct action and wanted to investigate
the reports so he went immediately to
La Paz, a little settlement on the Colo-
rado river in southwestern Arizona.
There the current talk was of the
Pauline Weaver party explorers. Weaver
had just left for Tucson. When Wicken-
burg heard that the miners with Weaver
intended to prospect the country on the
way he paused only long enough to out-
fit himself for desert travel and set out
after them. After traveling 200 miles a-
lone through hostile Indian country he
caught up with the Weaver party in Peo-
ple's valley in central Arizona.
There, while the party rested in the
green little valley, he heard the famed
King Woolsey tell yarns of gold-bearing
ore in the Harquahala mountains.
In less than six months Wickenburg
had completed the trip to Tucson with
Weaver and had returned to People's
valley. Immediately he organized a party
of prospectors to go and look over the
Harquahalas.
It was a dry 50-mile trek from the
Hassayampa river across the desert to the
Harquahala mountains. Water had to be
packed for both the trip in and the re-
turn, but still the men were optimistic.
King Woolsey had told his story well.
So well, that when Wickenburg sight-
ed some outcroppings on the top of a
high hill along the route the others of
the party refused to delay long enough
to look at it. It was a high rocky hill on
the edge of the Hassayampa plain which
lies about 12 miles southwest of the Has-
sayampa river, just east of the Big Horn
mountains.
The men found no prospects in the
Harquahalas, at least none worth develop-
ing. On the return trip Wickenburg again
sighted the same outcroppings on the
distant hill. Again he asked the others to
go over and take a look at it. They re-
fused! First, their goal had been the Har-
quahalas. Now it was the river, where
they could drink their fill and splash in
the cool stream — the precious, flowing
"Hassayampa!"
Wickenburg, with characteristic per-
sistence took his share of the water and
left the party to examine the outcrop-
Few photographs ever were taken oj Henry Wickenburg. but this copy oj one oj ping. (His companions were later to re-
the surviving prints was obtained from Frasher's studio at Pomona, California. gret their refusal to accompany him, even
to the extent of bringing suit against
His name was Heinsel. He came from the real cause of his coming to the Ameri- him. He won the court battle, after many
Germany around the Horn and landed at cas. On his father's estate near Essen, months of litigation, by establishing the
San Francisco. It was the beginning of a Germany, young Heinrich Heinsel had fact that they had refused to have any-
new life, so he adapted a new name. He discovered a vein of coal. Before he could thing to do with Vulture hill until he
took his mother's maiden name as sur- develop it, however, the government seiz- uncovered the gold.)
name and became Henry Wickenburg. ed and claimed the mine. Young Heinsel,
When Wickenburg reached the rocky
Mineralogy was his one passion. It was bitterly resentful, left the country.
hill he stopped at the bottom to pick up
this deep interest in the science that was He had hardly stepped off the gang- a rotten bit of quartz. As he turned it in
Prospectors still wash the tailings of previous operations at Vulture mine — and find enough gold to make fair ivages.
NOVEMBER, 1940
who also laid out the town of Prescott, mine. Ore, some pieces almost half gold, capacity mill is crushing ore. The plant
surveyed it. replaced sandwiches in the lunch pails consists of one jaw crusher as a primary
By the middle of June Wickenburg after the day's work was done. and a Kennedy-Van Saun gearless crush-
had packed out a ton of gold-bearing In 1879 the lessees of the property er as a secondary. These are in an enclos-
quartz, to his camp on the Hassayampa. built an 80-stamp mill at the mine. Water ed circuit, with a trommel screen having
He then set to work building an arrastra. was pumped through 121//2 miles of six- half-inch apertures. The fine grinding
Wickenburg knew little about masonry inch pipe against a 500-foot head. plant has two ball mills, a 54-inch Akins
and had difficulty building this primitive Men worked furiously to mine enough classifier and Denver precious metal jigs.
type mill for grinding the ore. ore to keep the mill running at capacity. Two huge diesel engines, one a 240-
Later, in June, 1864, Charlie Genung They even tore down the rock houses horsepower Chicago Pneumatic Benz and
dropped into Henry's camp. Genung, built by earlier miners, and poured them the other a 300-horsepower Union, turn
who had a prospect farther north, had into the hopper. These rocks from which generators which supply the power.
been chased out of his claim by Indians. the houses were built ran $20.00 a ton! All this technical data may mean more
"That's a poor arrastra," commented Vulture bullion, weight-stamped, was to mining men than to laymen. But every-
Genung when he saw Henry's crude mill. accepted as legal tender throughout the one can appreciate the fact that today,
"I'll build you a real one." territory. It helped to settle the coun- 75 years after Henry Wickenburg first
July 4, 1864, the two men celebrated try, but it also attracted bandits and In- began mining the Vulture ore, the mine
Independence Day by having a cleanup. dians. It is reported that 400 men were still furnishes employment for 35 men
The first ton of ore had been run through killed by savages during the first 15 24 hours of the day.
the new arrastra. It yielded seventeen and years of production. Perhaps one of these days the original
one-half ounces of gold. Each year the Vulture mining camp ore body will be found again and more
The news spread and miners flocked roared louder, grew lustier and larger. millions added to the $15,000,000 the
to the new field. In less than a year 40 Then in 1890 the Hassayampa whose wat- Vulture has already produced.
arrastras were in operation—all grinding er was the life blood of the mine went But whether the mine booms again or
Vulture ore. Henry quit mining, sold his on a rampage. The quiet desert stream not, the old campsite lives and thrives.
ore at $15.00 a ton to whoever wanted to became a red, rolling torrent, sweeping Henry's old homestead became Wicken-
mine it. They paid for the ore in the everything in its path. The Vulture pipe- burg, Arizona, where each year thou-
ground, mined it, packed it to Wicken- line crumpled and went with the rest. sands of desert travelers with Packards
burg's camp on the Hassayampa, and pro- Early in the development of the mine instead of pack mules refresh themselves
cessed it in the primitive arrastras. Even a series of faults in the vein had been by the magical waters of the Hassayampa.
at that price men made money. Many discovered. Each time the body of ore • • •
even grew rich! was located again. But just prior to 1890 NOT ALL TENDERFEET ARE
A 20 stamp mill was crushing Vulture the Talmage fault was encountered. It AS DUMB AS THIS ONE
ore by 1866. Three years later the camp cut the vein off completely. This catastro-
Uncalled-for panic of a "greenhorn"
roared into a new high by increasing its phe together with the flooding Hassayam-
recently sent local, county and state offic-
capacity to 80 tons every 24 hours. Vul- pa closed the mine. So ended the first
ers on an all-night wildgoose chase. Tem-
ture ore was running $40.00 to the ton! period of the life of the great Vulture.
porarily stranded in a public camp ground
Sometime during this period the Gold- Fifteen years went by. Then one sun- near center of the Valley of Fire, nine
water brothers, Michael and Joe, con- ny afternoon some children found the miles from Overton, a motorist who
structed a mill for a New York concern body of "Uncle Henry" under some thought his battery had gone dead pen-
that had leased the mine. The company mesquite trees on his homestead - - the ned this note: "If anyone sees this I am
was unable to pay the Goldwaters the same trees under which Wickenburg had heading toward Overton - - my car is
$90,000 for the construction of the mill. camped when he first came to the region stalled. I am about to go crazy. Please
But, the brothers agreed to take over 40 years before. He lay on his back, a pick me up. Thursday about September
the mine, run it until the bill was paid pistol was clutched in his hand. These 20." The motorist then apparently walk-
off out of the profits. It was easy. Thirty circumstances, together with the loneli- ed the quarter of a mile to where the
days later, at the rate of $3,000 a day, ness and disappointments that came along camp road joined the main highway. At
the lien was cleared up! with the gold from the Vulture, indicated the intersection he posted this note: "I
Thomas Price, noted western assayer, suicide, and such it was called. However, am stranded in the camp ground." Then
estimated that the Vulture company rumors of murder still persist. At any he returned to the camp ground. Tinker-
crushed 118,000 tons of ore in six years rate, the discoverer of the miraculous ing with the battery, he discovered a loose
and recovered $2,500,000. mine was dead. cable connection was the trouble. He
But the tempo of the booming Vulture The Vulture found new life in 1908, tightened it and drove away, leaving the
camp was too fast and wild for Wick- however, when a new ore body was found notes to be found by Jay Carpenter, dir-
enburg. He was essentially a simple, quiet on the property. In seven years, $1,839,- ector of the university of Nevada school
man, who had learned to know and love 357 worth of gold was brought out. But of mines, and Carpenter's son. After back-
the peace of desert solitude. He sold water began to seep into the lower levels tracking to Overton, the Carpenters con-
four-fifths of his interest in the mine to and again the mine was closed. The old tinued to Las Vegas and reported to au-
a Mr. Phillips of New York for $85,000 machinery and even what was left of thorities. Searching parties were organiz-
and turned to homesteading. the water pipe were sold for junk during ed. The posses spread out, scoured the
Governor McCormick, in a message to the years of the first World War. And Valley of Fire and surrounding territory,
the fifth legislature of the Territory, call- that was the end of the second phase of finally winding up at Overton at 3:00 a.
ed the Vulture "The Comstock of Ari- the historic mine. m. A garage owner, roused from his
zona. " But the Vulture isn't through yet! sleep, cleared up the mystery. Weary and
Superintendent Mudge, at the Vulture Since 1931 low-grade ore has been mined disgruntled, the officers returned to Las
in 1872, wrote in a report, "We have and milled. Even the old arrastras, like Vegas at 4:00 a. m. The motorist, they
paid out $600,000 for freighting of ore the rock houses before them, have been said, could not have been in any danger.
15 miles from the mine to the mills on dug up and fed into the present mill, Water was plentiful, he was only a quar-
the Hassayampa." yielding $20.00 a ton. ter of a mile off the main highway. Be-
Miners, teamsters, contractors and mill- The East Vulture Mining company is sides, he should have retrieved his scare
men 'higraded" a fortune out of the now operating the old mine. A 200-ton notes.
Lorenzo Jr. with two of his Indian friends. This photograph taken at the trading
post at Oraibi.
%
e i5 out watching the Indians ride out of the
dusty distance with their blankets, tur-
quoise, pinon nuts and sheepskins for
By MRS. WHITE MOUNTAIN SMITH barter. Soon he was behind the counter
trading striped sticks of candy for copper
bracelets and learning every Navajo word
/ V N 1876, when most men were and go as he pleases in their village and uttered in his hearing.
V/ finding excuses to keep away from in their homes. At that time no real money was used
the territory of Arizona and its "Why do you Hopi regard Mr. Hub- in trading with Indians. The accepted
restless Indian population, Don Lorenzo bell so highly?" I asked an old man loll- medium of exchange was copper wire,
Hubbell, half Connecticut Yankee, and ing in the sunlight beside his wife's in eight inch lengths, bent to fit the arm
half Spaniard, moved into the remote doorstep. of the Indian. Each bracelet was worth
valley of the Pueblo Colorado, near the "He's our friend!" And he looked at 25 cents in trade, and when merchandise
present mission settlement of Ganado. me as if I had asked a very foolish ques- was chosen, bracelets worth the amount
There among the Navajo he built a home tion. of the purchase were removed from the
for his growing family. For more than 60 Lorenzo Hubbell was born in 1883 at buyer's arm, and piled on the counter
years that sprawling comfortable old St. John's, a little town in Apache coun- until the trader said 'enough.' Or if the
ranch house has been the meeting place ty, northern Arizona. That town is much Indian brought in native wares to trade
of earth's noted men and women. Don closer to the homes of the Zuni and Apa- for 'cash' enough eight-inch lengths of
Lorenzo was dean of pioneer traders, che than the Navajo, but the little son of copper wire were cut off the spool to
and today his son, Lorenzo Hubbell, Jr. the trader found his greatest happiness satisfy the seller.
carries on the work his father left in his among the latter. Each winter Lorenzo, Young Lorenzo learned even in those
capable hands. senior, moved his family away from the days that his father always gave the In-
Against the incredibly blue sky of Ganado home back to St. Johns where dian the best of the bargain. It was his
northern Arizona the Hopi mesa of Or- they could secure schooling of a sort. creed that educated white men must nev-
aibi towers unchanging through the cen- Young Lorenzo says he went to school er take advantage of unlettered people.
turies, and close to the foot of the trail but he learned no English. All his com- Lorenzo, Jr. and I were standing one
leading into the oldest village in the panions spoke the Spanish language. Lor- day outside the old trading post at Ga-
United States, is the trading post of Lor- enzo remembers that he was lonely until nado talking about the years he'd spent
enzo Jr. Oraibi's dwellers cling to the his father began taking him on trading among the Navajo. Lorenzo lifted his
traditions and primitive ways of their trips into the Navajo reservation. Then eyes to the little hill across the desert
forefathers and do not go out of their Life, with a capital letter, really began! stream where his father sleeps in the
way to be friendly to white people. There Six years isn't a very mature age for a lands he had made his own.
are a few exceptions, and one of them is trader but that was exactly when Lorenzo "My father was never happy away
—Lorenzo Hubbell. He is free to come Hubbell began his 'swapping' with the from the desert and the Indians. And
NOVEMBER, 1940
I'm the same way. When as a small boy appeared in the desert leaving the trader blue shadowed beauty of Ganado on pap-
my father would lose track of me for vainly looking for his pay. So the goods er. Theodore Roosevelt slept under the
awhile, all he had to do was follow his were displayed in a room with a shoul- gracious roof and lounged before the
nose to where horse meat was being roast- der high window through which the buy- great open fireplace in the enormous liv-
ed by the Navajo and there I was feast- er looked from the outside and made his ing room, where the walls are hidden by
ing with the best of them!" selection. When the hat or saddle or axe priceless canvases and the ceiling studded
or calico was chosen and the price agreed with thousands of dollar's worth of rare
When Lorenzo was nine years old he and beautiful Indian baskets and plaques.
first saw Canyon de Chelly, the place upon, copper bracelets covering the cost
Here books were written, plays born and
every old Navajo mentioned when he were passed to the trader and then the
perfected, and on the soft toned old rose-
came to the trading post. It was here the buyer had the articles placed in his wood piano in a distant corner the first
tribe fled from the wrath of Uncle Sam hands. notes of that deathless ballad "The Sun-
when their murdering, raiding sins over- This same year, 1892, Lorenzo Jr. saw shine of Your Smile " came into being.
took them and United States troops were his first Snake dance among the Hopi. An old world charm and hospitality hung
sent to administer punishment. Kit Car-
son bottled them up in their favorite re- He went down into the Snake kiva with over the luxurious ranch home in the
treat and they were marched away to his father and was thrilled to see little Navajo reservation wastelands. Young
exile. Later when they returned to their boys his own age fondling live rattlers. Lorenzo absorbed those ideals as he grew
own country they resumed weaving and He watched the reptiles being washed to manhood. He spoke again of his fath-
silver craft, so Don Lorenzo loaded goods and prepared for the dance, and he could er:
for trading and went up there to spend probably give more accurate information "He never wanted money, not for
a couple of months. Probably the mer- about this exciting Indian ceremony than money's sake. Rather his idea was to work
chandise could all have been piled on any living person, should he so desire. for beauty and to bring about the preser-
one wagon, but in those days one thought But that is one thing he doesn't do— vation of native arts and crafts. My
only of impressing the native and so the give away tribal secrets of his Indian father spent his life bringing the work
caravan consisted of two huge wagons friends. of Indians to the attention of the Ameri-
and trailers and 12 teams of horses to The years slipped away and in spite of can people, and I like to feel that I have
pull the load. his lusty protests the young trader was taken up the work where he left off. I
sent to Notre Dame to be educated as a feel that the Navajo Indians are making
Those two months sped by like magic. better blankets now than ever before.
So many interesting things were to be gentleman's son should be. He finished
They have the experience of their best
seen by a small boy led by Indian com- high school there but most of the time old time weavers, and they have the
panions. He went into Mummy cave his mind was not occupied with Latin or scientific aid of modern dyes and de-
literature. He was longing to be back in signs.
where scores of Navajo perished at the
Arizona trading with the Indians, riding
hands of vengeful Mexicans, and he ex- races with them, joining them in their "It was in May 1902 that I went to
plored the mystic White House where holiday "chicken pulls" and eating roast Keam's canyon and bought the trading
no small white lad had ever been before horse meat under the spicy juniper trees. post from Thomas V. Keams. It was
him. While trading with the wily Nava- His father's home at Ganado was the there I bought my first blanket. I re-
jo of that region the customers were not mecca of every worthwhile visitor who member distinctly that it was an old dia-
allowed to come into the room where came to the Southwest. Here Remington mond and lightning design without a
merchandise was for sale. Too often they and Charley Russell sketched and dream- border, and I bought it from The Man
darted out with coveted articles and dis- ed and despaired of getting the stark Who Doesn't Talk. He was quite a char-
acter, that Navajo. I'll tell you more a-
bout him later. Anyway I've wished a
thousand times I'd kept that blanket just
for comparison."
"When you went to Keam's canyon
- were you not trading mostly with the
lets. But as soon as they saw that the This is the old ranch home of Don So the friendship of those two grand old
coin would buy as much goods as the Lorenzo Hubbell near Ganado, Ari- men continues with their descendants.
copper wire they took it readily. zona, established in 1876. Don Lor- Lorenzo Jr. has traded with the Nava-
He was also the first trader to deal in enzo, whose body noiv rests with jo and Hopi for 38 years. He is said to
Hopi pottery extensively. He would take that of his wife and his Navajo be the most widely known Indian trader
a light wagon and go to the First Mesa friend Many Horses in a nearby in the United States. His blankets and
and purchase all the pottery Nampeyo shrine, is standing by the tree in baskets and pottery go to every big city
made. For a long time she was one of the center of the photograph. this side of the Atlantic. Wool from his
the few women who made pottery for warehouses is used both here and abroad
sale. Most of them made only what they Navajo was so indignant when an agent and carloads of the tasty little pinon nuts,
needed for household use. Fred Harvey invaded his part of the reservation look- sale of which means life or death to the
was always on the lookout for authentic ing for children to take to school, he and Navajo at times, are shipped everywhere.
Indian material and Lorenzo sold him the others captured the official and held him Purchasers know they are taking no
best of everything he bought from both two days until Chee Dodge and some of chance when they order Indian arts and
the Navajo and Hopi. He always em- the cooler heads persuaded them to let crafts from Hubbell. He will send them
phasizes the fact that Fred Harvey did their prisoner go. nothing but genuine Indian work !of
more to bring Indian art before the eyes Lorenzo and I returned to the living good quality. True, Lorenzo never turns
of the world than any other factor. Hub- room of the house and were seated in down any rug or bit of pottery brought
bell says Harvey always handled Indian front of the fire when the door opened to him by its maker. If the article is in-
crafts with good taste and dignity and and down the long room, with the light ferior he says so plainly and pays accord-
considered the human element involved. stealthy tread of a mountain lion, came ingly. Then it is stored away in the gap-
One gathers that the first years at one of the tallest Navajo I've seen. He ing maw of a huge warehouse and I
Keam's canyon were rather tempestuous. looked at no one but Lorenzo Hubbell, doubt if it ever again sees light of day.
Ill advised officials ordered all Navajo who had risen and walked with out- Once I watched him buy a crooked ill
men to have their gleaming black hair stretched hand. woven blanket from a very old Navajo
cut short like white men wore theirs. The woman. It was fit for nothing but a door
Navajo have always gloried in their well "Ya-tah-hey, Na-tah-ni!" The Navajo's
arm went around the shoulders of his mat.
kept long hair and trouble was expected
to follow the order. One man, The Man shorter friend in a rare gesture of In- "Why did you buy that worthless
Who Doesn't Talk came into the trading dian affection. thing?" I asked when the old woman
post and asked for the best butcher knife "Who is he?" I asked Lorenzo's sister, had spent her money and gone.
in stock. "I have a purpose" was all he Mrs. Goodman. "Did you not see that she is very old,
would say. He bought the knife and "That is Slender Man, nephew of and her eyes almost sightless? Could
went to the office of agent Burton. Look- Many Horses who is buried on Ganado you not see how her hand trembled while
ing that official directly in the eye he hill beside our father. You know Many she waited for me to tell her I'd buy the
threw the dangerous knife on the desk Horses and my father were the greatest rug? And you ask why I bought it. Once
and said: friends. Each, at different times, saved she was the best weaver in this part of
"You have said my hair must be cut. the life of the other, and when Many the country, and now her people are all
Take this knife, cut my throat first and Horses knew that his time to die had dead and she herds sheep for strangers
then cut my hair!" There was nothing come, he asked that he might be buried in exchange for a little food. If it had
more said about cutting hair. This same close to where my father would be laid." taken my last dollar I'd have bought that
NOVEMBER, 1940
blanket from her!" Lorenzo will never be
rich as we count worldly treasure.
Not every Desert Magazine reader can score a
He has several trading posts on the
Navajo reservation, and many of the In-
dians ride long distances to trade with
DESERT QUIZ high mark in this monthly Quiz. But every
student of the desert can gain a new fund of
him. At Pinon 31 miles from any white information by spending a little time with this list of questions and answers.
residence his store serves at least a hun- The questions are designed to cover a broad field—history, geography, botany,
dred Navajo families. He has posts at mineralogy, and general lore of the desert country. Those who can answer half
Tenebito, at Na-ah-tee canyon, Ganado of the 20 questions correctly are better informed than the average person. A
and Winslow. And above his store at score of 15 gives you rating as a "Desert Rat," and those who exceed 15 cor-
Oraibi the one word "HUBBELL" serves rect answers belong to that small and very select fraternity known as Sand
as a magnet for hundreds of Navajo Dune Sages. The answers are on page 37.
bringing their trade to the man they trust.
When ready money is needed they pawn 1—Agave, jojoba, juniper and nolina are characteristic shrubs of the—
their treasures of silver and turquoise with Lower Sonoran plant zone Upper Sonoran plant zone
him knowing that years may pass and the Hudsonian plant zone Alpine plant zone
pawn will not be sold, not as long as
2—The old Bradshaw stage road was built primarily to—
they are living and have hopes of re-
Connect San Bernardino with the La Paz gold fields
deeming it.
Provide transportation between Yuma and Prescott
"The Indians must prosper or the trad- Carry mail from Los Angeles to Phoenix
ers will vanish," says Lorenzo, and his Haul gold-seekers from Sonora to the California gold fields
wise advice has saved the tribe from many
fatal blunders. 3—The Lehman caves are located in—
Only Lorenzo, Jr., the sister, Barbara Utah Arizona California Nevada
Goodman, who keeps the old home al- 4—The desert screwbean grows on the—
ways ready to receive Lorenzo and the Mesquite tree.-, IronwoocL- Smoke tree Palo Verde
other brother Roman, are left of the or- 5—In making Katchina dolls the Hopi Indians prefer to use—
iginal family of Don Lorenzo. Yucca wood Juniper Cottonwood Clay
Roman Hubbell never cared so much 6—Blossoms of the desert senna are—
about trading with the Navajo as he did Purple White Yellow Pink...
exploring their beautiful country and tak-
ing visitors to the hidden away spots no —The Cedar Brakes national monument in Utah is noted for its—
casual traveler could find. His comfortable Dense forests of cedar Gorgeous waterfalls
cars with Indian symbols painted on the Colorful sandstone erosions Herds of antelope
doors carry hundreds of people each year 8—Parker, Arizona, is entirely surrounded by the—
to the beauty and grandeur of the South- Mojave Indian reservation Yuma Indian reservation
west within half a day's trip of the rail- Chemehuevi Indian reservation Colorado river Indian reservation
road. Just as Lorenzo sells Indian arts 9—The Spanish padre who accompanied the De Anza expedition in the 1775-
and crafts to the public, Roman sells the 76 trek from Tubac to the Pacific ocean was—
charm and magnificence of the Southwest Father Font Father Garces Father Escalante
to those who want to leave the world be- Father Serra
hind for a few hours or a few days. 10—Smoki People hold their annual snake dance at—
• • • Oraibi Flagstaff Gallup Prescott
11—Tuzigoot national monument Indian dwellings were built by—
DESERT POPULATION WILL Cliff dwellers Pit dwellers Pueblo dwellers
BE GROWING THIS WINTER Cave dwellers
More than 1000 applications have 12—Chimayo, New Mexico, is noted mainly for its—
been received from persons seeking to ob- Weaving industry Ancient ruins Warlike Indians
tain government land under the Five- Fine silverwork
Acre Tract law which became operative 13—Softest rock in the Mohrs scale of hardness is—
August 9, according to Paul B. Witmer, Calcite Talc Sandstone Mica
registrar of the Los Angeles land office. 14—The "Mountain Men" of the early days in the Southwest were primarily—
Mr. Witmer stated this week that Goldseekers Indian traders Trappers Army scouts
field men probably will begin active work
in the field within the next two weeks, 15—If a Hopi Indian gave you some piki he would expect you to—
inspecting and making recommendations Burn it as incense Hang it over the door for good luck-
as to the granting of the individual ap- Use it to charm snakes Eat it
plications. 16—Virginia City, Nevada, was famous for its production of—
The Los Angeles registrar was one of Copper Gold Lead Iron
the original sponsors of the Five-Acre 17—Purpose of Father Escalante's trek from Santa Fe in 1776 was to—
law, and is giving all possible assistance Explore the Colorado river Find a new route to Monterey
to those who desire public lands under Christianize the Pahute Indians Found a mission at Great Salt Lake
this program. Recently he has made a 18—The 20-mule team wagons in the early days of Death Valley hauled—
number of recommendations to the de- Gypsum Gold ore Rock salt Borax
partment for the purpose of simplifying 19—Cactus fruit most popular with the Papago Indians for food comes from the-
the procedure under which the "Jackrab- Cholla *Organ Pipe cactus Saguaro Prickly pear
bit homesteads" can be obtained. A ma- 20—Chief industry of the Hualpai Indians of Northern Arizona is—
jority of the applications received at Los Weaving blankets.... Stock raising.... Silversmithing.... Game hunting--..
Angeles are for land in the Twentynine
Palms area and Morongo valley area.
I lieu ISotto we
tkeit -fltt fitom
tke -(indent*
By G. CARPENTER BARKER
NOVEMBER, 1940 11
he clenched, unlit, between his teeth each rock, then sifts the sand particles
while he applied a sticky white liquid to through cheese cloth and finally through
an Indian design outlined on his canvas. muslin to obtain a consistently fine quali-
ty of pigments. The different colors then
Mae, meanwhile, took her place at the are placed in separate containers, ready
other side of the table and began apply- for application. From the four or five
ing the liquid adhesive to another de- crude shades used in the making of their
sign. Then, using her hand as a palette, first "Painted Desert," the de Villes have
she mixed some of the sand pigments to expanded their stock to more than 50
the desired color and sprinkled it over different hues of sand ground from such
the prepared section of the design. This minerals as cinnabar, azurite, turquoise,
done, she applied the adhesive to another copper, lapis and many other kinds of
section and poured the sand colors on rock and ore. Some of their best materials
that also. In this way she gradually cov- come from ore dumps outside abandoned
ered each part of the design with clear, desert mines. The older the mine, the
fresh colors. better for their purpose, for the rocks
Detailed as is this process of painting, must have stood the test of weathering.
it is only the final stage of an arduous Equipped with this wide range of pig-
task which begins far out on the open ments, George now does sand portraits
desert. Periodically, the de Villes make and character sketches, but his favorite
rock-hunting expeditions to gather raw subjects continue to be desert landscapes,
materials suitable to be ground into pig- particularly the Grand Canyon of the E. George de Ville—by himself.
ments. The rocks they select are alike Colorado. Although the canyon for gen-
in one respect—they must have been ex- erations has been the despair of artists hind the designs. Through long acquaint-
posed to sun and storms of the desert for who have tried to paint it, George finds ance with several medicine men she al-
at least half a century. Only by choosing in this theme the ideal opportunity to dis- ready has learned the symbolic meanings
rocks which have been so exposed, can play his medium to best advantage. The of many ceremonial paintings.
they be sure that their colors will be projection from the canvas of each tiny
permanent. I had suspected that Mae was interest-
grain of sand seems to impart a vibrancy
ed in Indian art, but not until I took
Returning home from a desert rock which only Nature herself can surpass.
time to explore the studio more thorough-
hunt, George and Mae sort out their ac- While Mae now divides most of her ly did I find out how keen a student she
cumulated stones according to variety and time between preparing sand colors and is. On shelves and tables around the
color and then begin preparing the pig- producing exquisite small sketches, she room were many beautiful Indian vases
ments. In this work, Mae's deft fingers hopes that eventually she will have and jars which came from the sites of
excel. "In fact," George told me, "she enough leisure to return to her own spec- ancient villages near Gallup. Inspecting
considers the job too important to be ial interest — making permanent repro- some of the larger bowls more closely, I
handled by anyone else." ductions of the Navajo sand paintings. saw that their surfaces were criss-crossed
Using a prehistoric Indian metate or It's not only the Indian designs that in- by scores of tiny lines. These bowls, I
grinding stone, Mae carefully breaks up terest her, she says, but the stories be- found, she had carried home in frag-
ments, bound up in a handkerchief, and
then bit by bit had pieced them to-
gether.
"Nowadays," she said, "we haven't
much time for archaeology." And small
wonder, for in the past few years more
than 4,000 of the de Ville sketches and
paintings have gone out to dealers and
art collectors in many parts of the na-
tion. Such wide interest has their work
attracted that a large Hollywood motion
picture studio recently sent cameramen to
Gallup to film a feature of the de Villes.
"We're glad our work is gaining re-
cognition," Mae told me, "but we don't
intend to allow our reputation to inter-
fere with our way of living—at least not
more than we can help. This part of the
country has become our home, and we
intend to remain here."
They had chosen a good location for
their headquarters. I find it hard to think
of any other setting as appropriate for
the development of their art. The veteran
Navajo sand painters of this desert re-
gion have two worthy colleagues in E.
Tribal Life in the Canyons—done in sand by the de Villes. George and T. Mae de Ville.
acon
men purposes—but the trip is full of
historical interest for those who like
to explore the out-of-the-way places
on the desert. Wear your old clothes
if you go on this field excursion, and
By JOHN W. HILTON take a shovel and plenty of water—
it is not a place for tenderfeet.
'OLD NUGGETS as big as days of slow travel—and still is for that Pacific railroad tracks and followed the
potatoes!" matter. winding trail toward Dos Palmas. From
This was the rumor that With his Indian friend as guide, Brad- this point east to the Colorado river the
reached the sleepy pueblos of San Ber- shaw mapped his route—the old Brad- trail follows almost the exact route taken
nardino and Los Angeles in the early shaw stage road. It has long since been by Bradshaw. In fact, the deeply rutted
'sixties. abandoned, and is barely passable today, tracks made by early day stage coach and
"Gold on the Colorado river—at La but three of the most strategic waterholes freight wagon are visible for long dis-
Paz! It may be a bigger strike than Sut- along the route are still there — Dos tances.
ter's Mill!" Palmas, Canyon springs and Chuckawalla First rays of the sun were breaking
There was the story of the Sonora min- wells. through the gap in the eastern mountains
er who had found a single chunk of Bradshaw planned well, estimating the as we topped the rise near the site of
yellow metal worth $800. Such reports distances between water, calculating the the Spindle Top oil well — a prospect
were bound to start a gold rush, even in strength and speed of man and beast, and hole long since abandoned for the reason
times of civil war, for the year was 1862 working out a solution for every obstacle. that no oil was found.
and California was in turmoil. In August, 1862, with the desert temp- We passed the Dos Palmas ranch, a
People were frantic to reach this place eratures approaching 120 degrees, the lovely oasis on the floor of the great ba-
on the Arizona desert. The problem was first big caravan of gold-seekers went over jada that extends from the Orocopia
how to get there. There were neither the new route. There were 150 well mountains to the edge of Salton sea.
maps nor roads. The only known trans- equipped travelers in the party—and it Presently we came to the historic Dos
portation route was up the river by boat is to Bradshaw's credit that they made Palmas springs. Here are the charred re-
from Yuma. the 250-mile journey through this hot mains of the little cabin occupied by
Blustering Bill Bradshaw solved the and almost unknown land without loss Frank Coffey for many years. Frank came
problem. He knew something of the of man or beast. to this region in the 'eighties. He and
country, and he believed a feasible route In August this year, within a few days his burros prospected the Colorado desert
for a road could be found through San of the 78th anniversary of Bradshaw's for nearly 50 years, until his death in
Gorgonio pass and thence across thq famous trek, Henry Eilers of Date Palm 1936.
trackless wastes of Coachella valley. He beach and I set out along the route the This spot holds pleasant memories for
was sure he could find a gap leading pioneer road-builder had opened up east those of us who have lived long on the
through the Chuckawalla mountains and of Dos Palmas. No, we were not seeking Colorado desert. Frank Coffey was a
into the river valley near the present site gold. I wanted to revisit and map an old mining man—but he was also a philoso-
of Blythe. Then it would be a simple onyx deposit I had located many years pher and story teller. No one ever
matter to ferry across the river to the ago near the east end of the Orocopia thought of going through Dos Palmas
newly discovered gold field. mountains. without stopping for a chat with the
It was Chief Cabezon of the Cahuillas We left the floor of Coachella valley veteran prospector. A stop meant a stay
who told him about Salt creek wash, that early in the morning loaded with bed- of at least an hour, for Frank liked to
great sandy arroyo which divides the Or- rolls, grub box and plenty of water. We talk. He was always grateful for the mag-
ocopia and the Chocolate mountains and followed the paved Northshore road from azines and papers I brought along when
provides an easy grade and ample supply Mecca to a point just east of Date Palm I was going that way. He would follow
of water. Water was essential in those beach, then dipped under the Southern me out to the car, plant his foot on the
NOVEMBER, 1940 13
desert—but they generally change the
mileage figures on these unsurveyed
trails.
At the edge of Salt creek wash a faint
trail leads off to the left to Orocopia
mine. Although a fortune is said to have
been produced by this mine in the early
days, it is so little known today that few
of the desert natives are aware of its
exact location.
I had heard there were geodes a mile
beyond the old mine, and decided to do
a little exploring in that region. The little
used trail up the wash to the mine is
very sandy, but we kept our momentum
and had no trouble.
The old mine camp is about demolish-
ed. The tool house and blacksmith shop
which survived many years of weather
and vandalism were blown down in re-
cent times by a desert twister. Some tun-
nels, inhabited by bats, the tailings and
the foundation of the mill are all that
remain.
The sun was high and the rocks were
almost too hot to hold on to for support
when we had completed our inspection
of the mine and started to climb the hill
behind it.
We reached the top and in a little val-
ley below was a banded plutonic forma-
tion which might carry geodes. It ap-
peared nearly two miles away, but after
coming this far we were determined to
go on.
The distance actually was close to three
miles and our canteens were nearly empty
when we reached the banded rock. It
was a fruitless trip. There were geodes
in the rock, but they were too small and
Above—Hilton and Henry Eilers slopped to inspect the ruins of the old Canyon soft to be of much interest. We separated
Springs stage station—used in the 'sixties by the Bradshaw stage line. and explored the area a quarter of a mile
each way, but found nothing worth tak-
Below—"Bradshaw cave'1 in the west bank of Red canyon -where stage drivers and
ing home.
passengers once found shelter in bad weather. The rockhound sans shirt is Henry
Eilers who accompanied Hilton on this field trip. There may be geodes back of the Or-
ocopia mine—but we simply did not find
them. It is a wild and colorful region, but
running board—and there I was anchor- stop and chat with an old man who had I would not recommend it for a mid-
ed until he had finished his story. From lived by the side of this road for 30 summer hike. We returned with empty
those chats I learned much history and years. canteens, but there was ample water in
geology and legend that has never been "If folks are in that bi.» a hurry, I the car.
written in books. don't see why they wasted their time
It was easy going down grade to Salt
It was Frank who first showed me the comin' out here in the first place," he
creek wash again. We resumed our trip
cave in Red canyon where the stage pas- would say.
along the old stage route and stopped at
sengers once stopped for shelter during Cloudbursts in September, 1939, play- Clemens well. The water was foul with
bad weather in the days before the Can- ed havoc with the road through this re- the bodies of trade rats, but we bailed it
yon Springs stage station was built. gion. Beyond Dos Palmas no effort had out for the benefit of the next traveler
Frank left this world and the desert been made to repair the trail and there who comes this way.
he loved at a time when it was beginning were frequent short detours when the Our next stop was at the old Canyon
to change too rapidly for him. The last first car along after the flood had turned springs stage station On the south bank of
few years of his life brought disillusion- out to avoid an impassable gully in the the arroyo. The old rock house is in
ment. Strangers began coming this way road. ruins, due partly to the elements but
who did not so much as wave at the old
So many detours were encountered a- more largely to the excavations of those
man as they rode by his little shack.
long the way that my speedometer showed fools who imagine there is treasure bur-
"Now what do you s'pose I did to three-tenths greater mileage than over ied beneath the foundations of every his-
hurt their feelin's?" he would ask in a the same route a year and a half ago. toric landmark. I wish those thoughtless
hurt voice. "Why they jest passed by This is a reason why travelers on unim- persons who invent tales of buried treas-
without so much as lookin' in." proved desert routes cannot always de- ure for campfire entertainment would pick
He never could understand why any- pend on the accuracy of previous maps. on something besides these old stage
one would be in too much of a hurry to Heavy rains do not come often on the buildings. If some restoration work is
not done soon the old Canyon springs larger crevices following the bedding ladies, and the other reserved for the
station will be only a memory. planes of the uplifted stone are filled men.
Across the wash from the stage station with plutonic rock that must have forced A short distance up the canyon be-
is the tributary wash in which the springs its way to the surface through fissures yond the cave we came upon recent evi-
are located, and it is up this arroyo where caused by the upthrust of the land blocks. dence of the changing desert landscape.
the bloodstone deposit described and It is in such bands of plutonic rock that A great mass of the canyon wall had fall-
mapped in the Desert Magazine of bloodstone and geode fields occur. en into the streambed and formed a nat-
March, 1933, is located. Presently we came to a cave. Several ural dam. This had happened since my
Red canyon, the tributary wash which names have been given this cavern by last visit here. In fact it was so recent that
was the objective of our trip, enters Salt prospectors who inhabited it at various the dust on the rocks had not been dis-
creek arroyo from the north, and is the times. One visitor even named it after turbed. The earth movements accompany-
second canyon beyond the stage station. himself and proclaimed the fact by ing the earthquake in Imperial valley
Turning left up the side wash we were scratching it in the sandstone. As far as this year may have caused this fall. It
soon pulling in heavy sand. All went I am concerned it is Bradshaw cave. Bill will be interesting to see what happens
well until a sharp jog in the watercourse Bradshaw, more than any pioneer of this when the next cloudburst sends a torrent
slowed us down - - and then we were region, deserves the honor. of water down this arroyo—whether the
•stuck. When Frank Coffey first guided me to obstruction is washed away, or a desert
The sun was low and we were tired this cave eight years ago he explained tank formed here. Eventually erosion will
and hungry, so we concluded this was that in the early days of the Bradshaw clear the obstacle.
an ideal spot for a camp. We could dig route there was no time to erect shelters. We continued our hike up the canyon
the car out in the morning when we were Red canyon was a watering place for and reached a point where a dike of bed-
fresh. travelers, and it was only natural that the rock crossed the floor of the arroyo. A-
It wasn't as hard a job as we had an- cave should be used as shelter by those bove the natural dam there were salt
ticipated. Flat slabs of flagstone were who camped here. grass and other signs of water.
abundant, and they solved the problem Coffey said that within his memory the Henry and I decided to dig for mois-
very readily. We continued our way up cave had been much deeper than it is ture. Not that we needed the water, but
the arroyo by a method that is slow but today. He explained that the Hemet we were interested to know if the under-
sure—on foot. earthquake many years ago shook a great ground tanks here retained their supply
The geology of this canyon is inter- block off the canyon wall and subsequent of water through a summer in which
esting. It has been eroded in upturned cloudbursts carried it away, leaving only there had not been a thunder shower to
beds of red sandstone which evidently the rear portion of the cavern intact. L. replenish them.
had formed in the bottom of an ancient S. Barnes who has known the cave for With our prospector's picks for tools
lake. Patterns made by mud worms crawl- many years, confirmed Frank's statement we began excavating. First we came to
ing on the bottom, and the ripple marks as to the previous depth of the cavity. damp sand, and then a little deeper the
of the waves on the beach help tell the A hard layer of sandstone that has re- soil was dripping with water. Soon the
geological story. sisted erosion bisects the cave at a sharp hole began to fill. On such a day as this
Here and there these sandstone beds angle, forming two rooms. Both Coffey it is always consoling to know that a
are cracked, and hot lime-bearing waters and Barnes told me that on those rare natural water supply is available, even
have deposited aragonite in the form of occasions when there were women in when the canteens are full.
limestone onyx in the seams. Other the party one room was assigned to the It was noon when we reached the base
NOVEMBER, 1940 15
had found the new waterhole, and were
making the most of it.
Gingerly we scraped them away to fill
our canteens. They resented our intru-
sion, and we each left with a sting or two
as a souvenir of this adventure.
On the trip home that evening we
talked about Bill Bradshaw and the fron-
tiersmen who blazed this old trail across
the desert. There have been tremendous
changes on the desert horizon during the
intervening 78 years. And yet Salt creek
wash today is just about as they found it.
Clemens well has been dug; the Oro-
copia mining boom flared up and passed;
the old rock house is going back to des-
ert and the cave is not as deep as it was
—but the hills are as silent and majestic
as when Bill Bradshaw first followed the
white ribbon of sand that is Salt creek
wash.
Stage coaches no longer rattle over the
bumpy road and parties of wild-eyed gold
seekers come no more to this region, but
in their places come others seeking trea-
sure—treasure that cannot be spent—
specimens of rock that carry with them
memories of sun shot canyons, breathless
climbs and star-studded desert nights.
They are treasures that, in terms of
health and real happiness, probably have
far greater buying power than the gold
that was mined by those old-timers near-
ly a century ago.
NOVEMBER, 194 17
This photograph. taken from the floor of the cove, shows To reach the top of one of the Cabezas it was necessary
just the tops of the towering bald-headed boulders knoivn to work our way up a crevice between two great boulders
as Dos Cabezas. of granite.
aboriginal life — but a diligent search A wide desert valley extends back in- to the palms—for it is the last time you
sooner or later reveals that ancient red- to the Peninsular range west of Sugar- will see them until you reach the oasis.
skins once camped nearby. The evidence loaf and the road across this valley is a We camped that night in Dos Cabezas
may be pottery shards in the sand, or winding ungraded trail bordered by a lux- cove with the bald-headed boulders that
broken chips of a foreign chalcedony or uriant growth of upper Sonoran vegeta- gave this place its name, towering in the
obsidian. Sometimes it merely is a weath- tion — ocotillo, jojoba, cholla, ephedra, moonlight above. Dos Cabezas is Spanish,
ered prayer stick buried in the dust of a agave, and on the higher levels juniper. meaning "two heads."
cave, or the faint trace of glyphs on the The rain gods were kind to this section It is a lovely camping spot. The trail
eroded face of a rock. I know of but one of the desert this September. We came comes to a dead end here. The place is
exception to this rule. That is at Palm along two weeks after the showers, and too remote for paved-road tourists, and
canyon in the Kofa mountains of Ari- the ocotillo already had thrown out shag- you'll feel as far removed from the rest
zona. I have yet to find tribal relics in gy coats of green leaves. Even the bur- of the world as if you were camping on
that spot. But the water supply there is roweed, which does not usually respond the planet Mars.
so far beneath the surface, and the can- to rain as quickly as ocotillo, was leafing Take plenty of water, for it is a dry
yon so precipitous that I can understand out. When ocotillo and burroweed are camp. Twenty years ago when the rail-
why Indians ignored the place. both in leaf the whole aspect of the des- road was being built across the moun-
My most recent trip to Mortero Palm ert changes. The browns give way to a tains from Imperial valley to San Diego
canyon was in September this year. My horizon of green. The traditional desert the springs were capped and the water
companion was Rand, my 20-year-old —the land of pastels—takes on a rich piped to Dos Cabezas station several
son who is now a member of the Desert deep coloring that is a contradiction of miles away. Water can be obtained at the
Magazine staff. the very word desert. station.
We packed our bedrolls and grub box Just before reaching Dos Cabezas cove Desert willow is the predominating
in the back of the car on a late Saturday we passed a pile of huge boulders and tree in the cove, but there are also mes-
afternoon and left El Centro on U. S. in the shelter of these rocks is an old quites, and a trio of mountain sumacs
Highway 80, heading toward the moun- sheep camp, constructed about 1920 by that have grown to tree-like proportions.
tain range that forms the western rim of Bob McCain, who now runs cattle in the The railroad construction crew built a
the Colorado desert. range to the west. There are too many picnic table under the sumacs. It is still
Less than a mile beyond Miller's ser- dry years to make sheep raising highly there, covered with the initials of visitors.
vice station, at the foot of the Mountain profitable in this area, and the camp is Since the urge to carve their initials in
Springs grade, we left the paved high- deserted most of the time. public places seems to be uncontrollable
way and dropped down into the dry It is possible to get a first glimpse of in many humans—the table is the best
sandy bed of In-ko-pah arroyo. The rough Mortero palms from the sheep corral. A place to put them. Certainly it is better
road crosses the wash to Sugarloaf moun- tiny cluster of green fronds may be seen than mutilating the trees. I've often
tain, then turns west along the tracks of in a little canyon far off to the southwest. wondered if the problem of the initial-
the San Diego and Arizona railroad. Note the location well if you plan to hike carvers might not be solved by erecting
NOVEMBER, 1940 19
of the canyon on the flat top of a great
slab of rock which forms a dike across
the water course. Probably a stream of
water poured over this dike at one time
forming a waterfall. It is easy to visualize
Hard Rock Shorty •
r
"J.T the women of an ancient tribe sitting on
the flat rock beside the stream, chatting
of Death Valley . . . S=4*#i? about their domestic affairs as their pes-
tles crunched the mesquite beans in the
By LON GARRISON bottom of the mortars.
ii fi AZY," demanded Hard figgerin'! All this gold was in a At a later date a white man came here,
/ Rock Shorty. "Yuh think little box canyon an' up to the head and just upstream from the mortars, built
I'm lazy? Great Jumpin' of it Jones'd rigged up a big sheet a concrete water tank for cattle he was
Jack Hammers! Me lazy? Why only iron shield. Had one o' these here running on the desert below. But a cloud-
last week—but Shucks! I knowed little carbon dioxide seeps under it burst wrecked the tank, and the rainfall
a guy oncet that was lazy though." to keep it cold an' nature done the in this area is too sparse to make stock
Hard Rock settled back in the rest. grazing a profitable venture. The morteros
shade and chewed on his pipe stem "The hot air rushin' up the can- probably will be there long after the last
until his blood pressure went down, yon'd hit the cold iron an' this'd vestige of the water tank has been swept
before he went on with his tale of condense the water out. This wat- away by floods.
the man he knew once who was er'd run down the crick an' wash The catsclaw will pick at your cloth-
really indolent. the sand out over some natural pot ing and the loose rocks slip from under
"I'll tell yuh about this Do-Noth- holes they was there. Down below your feet as you ascend that steep 300-
in' Jones. He'd a little claim over was a mercury deposit and Jones'd foot slope above the morteros. But when
here on Thirsty crick, an' it was set some o' this rock out in the sun you reach the top, the hard part of the
really dry. No more water over on 'til the mercury cooked out an' trip is over. The palms are just ahead.
it than there is in the Cactus bar. then carry the high grade down an' The Washingtonias in this group still
But Jones was a prospector, an' mix 'er up a bit. Then he'd set the
amalgam back in the sun and let wear their shaggy skirts. Some of them
the color was good so he staked
'er out. One day Pisgah Bill an' me the mercury all cook out again an' show evidence of ancient fires—perhaps
got to wonderin' how things was shovel up the gold. Purty nice—an' started by Indians, or by lightning. But
goin' so we meandered over to it worked too! few feet have trod that jungle of palms
look. Couldn't find no trace o' the and arrowweeds in recent years.
"But as I was sayin', this Do-
owner. Do-Nothin' Jones 'd skip- Nothin' Jones was about the laziest There is a little spring in the center of
ped. Had things rigged up kind o' cuss, outside a jassack, I ever seen the oasis, but it is not very accessible due
complicated though an' me an' Bill or hearn about, an' after it was all to the jungle of shrubbery that has grown
couldn't figger it out so went home. set up he was too gol-blamed lazy up around it. Visitors should take their
"After I'd set an' thunk about to run it. Just walked off an' left canteens to be sure of their water supply.
it a few days I decides to go back ever'thing. Didn't even clean up One of the striking landmarks here is
an' take another look. This time I the last time. An' that gold'd be sea lion rock—located on the hillside
got it, an' say! This Do-Nothin' there yet if I hadn't hired a guy just above the little pile of slabs where
Jones must o' been a top hand at to go out an' shovel it up for me!" nearly every visitor stops to eat lunch. I
have followed this water course some dis-
tance beyond the palms, but as far as I
know it is the only group of Washing-
tonias in the canyon.
Mortero canyon is included within the
proposed boundaries of the greater Anza
desert state park. Political and uninform-
Each month the Desert Magazine 2—Not more than four prints may be
ed persons in San Diego have been seek-
offers two cash prizes for the best submitted by one person in one month.
camera pictures submitted by amateur ing to block the reservation of this land
3—Winners will be required to furnish
photographers. The first award is either good glossy enlargements or the for park purposes. My opinion is that if
$5.00 and the second $3.00. original negatives ir requested. they were better acquainted with this
4—Prints must be in black and white, region their objections would be with-
Pictures are limited to desert sub- 3V4X5V2 or larger,, and must be on glossy drawn. Cattle raising has proved unprofit-
jects, but there is no restriction as to paper. able here. There is not sufficient water for
the residence of the photographer. En- Pictures will be returned only when agriculture. It belongs to the public as a
tries may include Indian pictures, rock stamped envelopes or photo-mailers are playground—a playground whose beauty
enclosed.
formations, flowers and wild animals, will be reserved for those who have the
canyons, trees, waterholes — in fact For non-prize-winning pictures accepted hardihood to venture off the paved high-
for publication $1.00 will be paid for each
everything that belongs to the desert print. ways and explore the real desert that lies
country. behind the austere mask of the arid
Winners of the November contest
will be announced and the pictures region.
Following are the rules governing
the photographic contest: published in the January number of There is a rugged fascination about
the magazine. Address all entries to: Dos Cabezas and the Mortero palm can-
1—Pictures submitted in the November yon that cannot be measured with dollars
contest must be received at the Desert Contest Editor, Desert Maga- nor bought with gold. They belong to
Magazine office by November 20. zine, El Centre California. Nature-loving Americans of every creed
and color and race.
ARIZONA CALIFORNIA
CASSADORA Gila county FISH SPRINGS Imperial county
Spring and mountain named for San One and a half miles south of River-
Carlos Apache sub-chief whose small side county line between highway 99 and
band lived in the Gila valley now cov- Salton sea, artesian springs fed by es-
ered by the waters of Coolidge dam. In cape of Coachella valley water. Named 1941 Model
1873 several whites were killed by A- from the fact that a certain kind of fish
paches in the vicinity of Cassadora's has long lived in the tepid water, which
camp. The chief said his people were has a temperature of about 90 degrees. a. a
not responsible, the killing was done by C. R. Orcutt, in Western American Scien- Be sure to see this IMPROVED travel-
"bad Indians." When settlers refused to ing home. More luxury while you
tist, vol. 5, September 1888, under the rough it. Stop where you wish—Stay
believe him, troops were ordered to hunt title Fishing on the Colorado desert, de- as long as you like.
the killers and to take no prisoners. Fear- scribes catching Cyprinodon calijornien-
ing death, Cassadora and all his band — N O W ON DISPLAY AT —
sis there and gives water temperature as
fled to the hills, men, women and child-
ren on foot. As Capt. J. M. Hamilton's 100 degrees. Main spring occupies a GEORGE T. HALL
pool once measured as 20 feet or more SO. CALIFORNIA DISTRIBUTOR
cavalrymen tracked down the fugitives, a 5614 West Washington
squaw walked into the bluecoats' lines. in depth. U. S. geological survey reports
origin of springs of this type may be due Los Angeles — — — California
Her people wanted to give up. Hamilton
told her none would be allowed to sur- to softening and carrying upward of fine
render. Despite this ultimatum the entire silty soil by rising currents of water.
band appeared next morning, their hands These and similar springs may represent . BETTER DEALERS FEATURE
in air as a sign of peace, and asked for dying phases of vents kin to mud vol-
mercy. Cassadora spoke: "We were a- canoes south of Salton sea and their op-
fraid because some bad Indians had kill- enings may have more truly explosive
ed white men, so we ran away. That was origin. Fish springs are best example
wrong. We cannot fight. We have no known of the type, but Figtree John (see
arms or ammunition. Our food is gone. Desert Magazine May 1940 p 42) and FLEXIBLE STEEL
We suffer from hunger. Our moccasins Dos Palmas (Desert Magazine Jan. 1940 VENETIAN BLIND
are worn out. You can see our tracks on p40) are of the same type.
the rocks where our feet have left blood.
We do not want to die. But if we must,
we prefer to die by the bullets of your
soldiers' guns than from hunger. We NEVADA
In the Center of Downtown
come asking for peace." This was too GOLDFIELD Esmeralda county
much for Hamilton. He swore he would
rather lose his place in the army than In November 1902 Harry Stimler and
Billy Marsh, two young Tonopah pros-
LOS ANGELES
kill these Indians in cold blood. He fed
the tribesmen, sent a plea to headquarters pectors, entered the district now known
asking that the order to take no prison- as Goldfield. First they stopped near Rab- FOURTH and
ers be rescinded. This was done. Cassa- bit springs. On Columbia mountain they SPRING STS.
dora's band surrendered on February 18, opened ledges that later produced hun-
DOWNTOWN
1874, troopers escorted the Apaches to dreds of thousands of dollars. Finding
the homes from which they had fled. gold float about a mile north of the town
of Columbia, they struck out into the
SALOME CREEK Gila county surrounding country. When they hurried
Rises north of Roosevelt lake on west into Tonopah their samples assayed $12.
slope of Sierra Ancha and flows south- in gold. They returned to camp, made 19
west into lake. Stream originally named locations and named the district "Grand-
for the daughter of Herodias. Spanish pa." A gold rush followed, somebody
pronounced it "Sal-oh-may," accent on put out the slogan, "Once a desert, now
the last syllable and this the early Ameri- a gold field" and the original name
can settlers turned into "Sally May." "Grandpa" was forgotten in the more
By 1886 the name was commonly attrib- glamorous title, Goldfield.
uted to two daughters of an old (and
mythical) settler, "Sally and May," whose Right in the center of activities..
existence is very unlikely, Barnes com- . . . . a quiet, comfortable hotel
ments. UTAH home . . 200 rooms
From $2 with from . 25
• • • BEAR RIVER CITY Box Elder county I'rivnte Bath
NEW MEXICO Alt. 4,498. Pop. 436. Settled 1866.
ST. VRAIN Curry county Derived its name from Bear river, near
From Cesari St. Vrain, pioneer trap- which it is situated. Region at headwaters Angelus De Anza
per who went to New Mexico with Kit of this stream once abounded in black H OT • L
Carson in 1826. bears.
NOVEMBER, 1940 21
mates. Collectors in northern states report that
it is very hardy and withstands severe frosts.
Cuttings require only the usual precautions
necessary with cactus to become established in
the garden; that is, dry the fresh cut thorough-
ly for about two weeks after which it can
be rooted in sand and then transplanted to a
medium rich soil that is well drained and in
partial shade.
Cleveland, Ohio . . .
New officers of the Midwest Cactus and
Succulent society are John Bock, Sharon,
Perm., president; Kenneth Kline, Cleveland,
Ord mountain district south of Daggett, Cali- 1st vice-president; Grace S. Rodgers, Lorain,
fornia, there are some with bristles up to 12 Ohio, 2nd vice-president; John E. C. Rodgers,
or 14 inches in length! This variety has long Lorain, secretary-treasurer.
By ROY MILLER been sold by cactus dealers under the name
of "Grizzly Bear" cactus, and is sometimes
Belonging to the same genus as the com- called Opuntia ursina.
mon prickly pear cactus, Opuntia erinacea is Members of this species have no fear of Cincinnati, Ohio . . .
strikingly different in appearance. Instead of cold weather. Growing as they often do at Newly elected officers of the K I O Cactus
having vicious spines, the joints or pads are very high altitudes they encounter low tem- club are Jos. F. Schnurr, Covington, presi-
covered with long flexible bristles or hairs peratures and sometimes are snowbound most dent; Rev. Neil E. Annable, Bellevue, Ky.,
which are usually white or light grey in col- of the winter. This does them no harm as vice-president; H. Ranshaw, Covington, treas-
or. Nature must surely have been in a they prepare for the cold early in the autumn urer; Lloyd F. Combs, Cincinnati, recording
prankish mood when she designed a woolly by going dormant and drying out, losing most secretary; Chas. R. Cole, Cincinnati, corre-
looking coat for this desert dweller. of their succulent nature. Many of the pads sponding secretary.
Opuntia erinacea ranges over a rather then le..n over until they are practically
Tucson, Arizona . . .
The spread of the plant disease, bacterial
necrosis, among the Arizona giant cactus, has
led to a survey by the national park service
and the university of Arizona.
The disease is first noticed when the plants
begin to exude a dark brown liquid. Finally
rotted away, the giants break and fall in wind
Colony O) Grizzly Bear Cactus. Photo taken by the author at Ord mountain, Mojave desert. storms. This condition was first reported
scientifically by Dr. J. G. Brown, professor
of plant pathology at the state university, last
large territory and—as usual in the cactus prostrate and thus spend the winter under spring at the Tucson meeting of the southwest
family—varies considerably in different lo- the snow. In the spring the prostrate pads section, American Association for the Ad-
calities. Plants have been found in California form roots and send up new shoots and so vancement of Science. Cooperating with Dr.
as far north as Bishop and as far south as the clump spreads year by year into a tan- Brown in the present survey work is D. W.
the San Jacinto mountains, along the Palms gled mass of pads and bristles. Egermayer, ranger in charge of the Saj;uaro
to Pines highway. From here they range north The flowers are large for the size of the national monument.
and east through southern Nevada and north- plant. They grow along the upper edge of
western Arizona to the southern part of Utah. the pads—sometimes three or four on a pad,
Variations in this species need not be con- and are usually 2 or 21/2 inches across. They
fusing, even to the beginner, as they consist vary in color from light yellow to red, oc-
only of differences in the size of the joints casionally with a double row of petals. The
and in the length and color of the spines.
The joints or pads are light green in color
and rather flabby in texture and may be from
seed pods are covered with short stiff bristles.
This is another species which was named
NEWCACTUS
. Grow these fascinating flowering plants in
in 1856 by that pioneer desert botanist, Dr.
two to eight or ten inches long. The spines George Engelmann, and although hairsplit- p u r apartment window. A real garden
or bristles run from snow white to grey or ting botanists have quibbled over the name .hobby! Grow anywhere! My new ^
yellow and may or may not have the tips catalog profusely illustrated in lull colors FREE TO
many times since, it is still recognized by CUSTOMERS. II wanted for reference 10c i s \
colored red or black. most authorities. appreciated to cover mailing costs. Its a handbook of\
Among cactus collectors, the longer the In cultivation this plant is very satisfactory interesting photos and culture directions.
bristles the more desirable the plant. Some —the only objection being that the spines J O H N S O N C A C T U S G A R D E N S BYNES, CALIF
very fine specimens have been found. In the may turn to a rather dirty grey in some cli-
DESERT DIARY
By MARSHAL SOUTH
Octaken, at
NOVEMBER, 1940 23
scraps set out on the edge of the terrace at the north end of never varies. There is truth in this argument, for it is one of
the house. An old brown squirrel who has gradually be- the most constant of clocks. One can always rely on it. With-
come tamer and tamer has developed a habit of coming down out variation for five years its hands have pointed to 4:33.
there to squat and stuff. Several days ago a big pack rat, Tanya contends that it is dumb and static and that she is a
evidently scandalized at such gluttony, summoned courage little tired of glancing at the unchanging expression on its
enough to sample the free provisions also. face. There are other things, she says, that she would like
But his antics were funny. Plainly he was torn between better to see in the clock niche. "It won't tick!" she says,
nervous apprehension and a burning desire to get hold of shaking it.
some plunder. He would come scooting out of the bushes "It may go in the winter," I suggest mildly, "It went once."
with long, nimble leaps, pause, glance around, then dash "You say that every year," she counters, "and in the win-
for the food, snatching a morsel from under the squirrel's ter you say that the works are probably frozen and that it
nose and fleeing with it as madly as a thief with a jittery will maybe go in the summer. What's the good of keeping
conscience. Sometimes, in his haste he would drop the scrap a clock that won't tick?"
half way and, too scared to stop, would go tumbling into "The sundial doesn't tick either," Rider said mischievously.
shelter without it. Then, presently, his nose and bright eyes "So we ought to keep the clock, Mother. Maybe some day
would thrust cautiously out again. With a nervous rush he we'll need to check up one against the other." He giggled at
would dart for the morsel and race to safety with it. Soon his own joke.
he would be back again for more. Back and forth, grabbing "An excellent argument," I said. "I think Rider is quite
and scooting, streaking away with his loot between the mescals right. One never knows what may happen; one should be
and rocks. For a long while, sputtering with suppressed gig- prepared for every sort of emergency. Besides the clock is
gles, Rider and Rudyard watched the show through a narrow decorative and its presence lends a sort of social standing.
little window. Meanwhile, undisturbed and with a sort of And if there should be an eclipse of the sun and the sun-
bored air, the squirrel sat stolidly munching. When he had
dial "
reached for the last scrap and stuffed it into his mouth he
turned with dignity and tailed off to his own diggings. "Oh well, never mind the rest of it," Tanya said resign-
edly. She put the old veteran back in his niche.
The kitchen clock has again been under fire. Every once So again, in peace, with neither tick nor tock time marches
in a while there is an agitation to dispossess it and evict it on at Yaquitepec and the unhurried, silent shadow moves
from its niche over the stove. It is a battle between the round ana round on the chisel-marked granite block that
"ayes" and the "noes"-—and so far the "noes" have always stands on the terrace. There is nothing elaborate about the
won by a narrow margin. It is the only clock Yaquitepec pos- Yaquitepec sundial. But it does its work with fair accuracy
sesses. And, as Rider points out, it is a good clock for it and we are satisfied with it. It wasn't originally intended to
be a sundial. In the beginning it was part of a crude home-
made grain mill. But another mill superseded it and in the
course of time the upper millstone of the discarded apparatus
was broken. Then one day the old clock folded its hands at
M SPRINGS 4:33 and we were without the time. Which didn't matter
much, for "time" is an illusion anyway. But there is a sort
of habit to the counting of it. So I resurrected the nether
millstone with its central iron pin—which was a long iron
bolt cemented into a hole in the stone—and set forth to
make a sundial.
When you set out to make a sundial you are likely, un-
less you have given some study to what seems an artlessly
AT ITS BEST simple matter, to discover several things. Things about angles
and directions and so forth. It isn't a matter of just marking
the passage of a shadow with a line denoting each hour. Oh
no! Several things—simple enough things, of course—must
be taken into consideration. All of which, by the aid of a
carpenter's square and level, an old gun barrel and a bor-
rowed watch, we eventually solved. It was winter when I
made the sundial and I still have chilly recollections of
"shooting" the North star through the old gun barrel, lashed
to a post—an operation which, in conjunction with the
square and level, gave me a pattern for the gnomen angle.
"For Good Health" this is the waywe play There are teeth-chattering memories too of levelling and
There's no liner place to enjoy desert wedging and sighting under the chill starlight as I arranged
life than the Desert Inn—a 35-acre the granite block on a big boulder pedestal in the exact
garden estate in the midst oi scenic position necessary, so that in the morning it could be per-
splendors. So carefree and informal. manently secured with cement. The cutting of the hour lines,
yet one of America's most luxurious checking with the borrowed watch, was a sunny job that
hotels- was easy.
Enjoy your own private bun-
galow; swimming pool, tennis They are crude but the final result was comforting. Our
courts; all-grass golf course sundial works. Sometimes it proves, when checked against
adjoining grounds. Delicious
food. the haughty mechanism of expensive visiting watches, to be
fifteen minutes or so out. But who would worry about a little
32 years under original ownership and
management of Nellie N. Coffmati,
THE thing like 15 minutes' error? Certainly not here on Ghost
mountain, where there are no "limiteds" to catch and where
Earl Cojfman and George Robersori.
DESERT the golden sheen of the sun wraps the desert distances in a
PALM SPRINGS, CALlF. INN robe of glow and dim mystery that is timeless.
THREE HOURS FROM LOS ANGELES What is Time, anyway?
NOVEMBER, 1940 25
Plan Now to H€ R€ fin D T H C R C
SKI an the
. . .
SKIS
SKATES ARIZONA Coolidge . . .
CLOTHING Safeguarding publicly-owned prehistoric
Accessories Tucson . . . ruins is aim of an intensive field program
Rancho del Quivari, one-time home of by the national park service. Hugh M. Mill-
Harold Bell Wright southwest of Tucson,
V ANSKI DEGRIFT'
and HIKE HUT
GOT W. 7th Street — Los Angeles
has been sold to Ruth Dickenson, formerly
of Santa Cruz, California. The ranch's his-
tory: originally homesteaded by the late
er, superintendent of Southwestern national
monuments reports erosion has endangered
several famous ruins in the Southwest. Wise-
FREE PARKING IN REAR ly planned action is needed. A general poli-
Kirk L. Hart, former Tucson rancher-bank- cy of preservation and restoration for Ari-
er; operated as a cattle ranch by Harold
zona and New Mexico monuments will be
Bell Wright and Walter Bailey; bought by
the late Milton Statler and operated as a set up.
dude ranch; leased and operated for the Window Rock . . .
tventuaUy.uihy not now VISIT past year by the Rancho del Quivari, Inc., Navajo Indians in 1939 had commercial
revenue of $1,768,182, according to E. R.
DEATH VALLEY of which Miss Dickenson is head.
Ajo . . •
Fryer, superintendent of the Navajo agency
here. Largest returns came from sale of
"Dhe Valley of life" American participation in the Coronado livestock, totaling $767,470. Other revenue:
STOVE PIPE WELLS international monument in Arizona has been hides and pelts, $19,362; wool and mohair,
HOTEL.""1 LODGES approved by the senate public lands com- $346,036; arts and crafts products, $438,-
f: mittee. United States area in the monument 998. In addition the Indians had an income
includes approximately 2880 acres between of $70,573 through the livestock disposition
Bisbee and Nogales. This is now part of program. Navajo slaughtered 55,618 sheep
the Coronado national forest. Mexico has and 40,859 goats for home consumption.
Jfc: established its part of the monument across
the border. Presidential approval of the in-
•
CALIFORNIA
• •
NOVEMBER, 1940 27
Reno, Nevada . • .
NOVEMBER, 1940 29
East Bay Mineral society held its opening
session October 3rd at Oakland. George Hig- B eanI i j H I
AMONG THE son led the round table discussion on "Agates." PETRIFIED WOOD BOOK ENDS
ROCK H U n T E R S Each member was requested to study up on
the subject in advance. As an aid to the
study of the subject, four card tables of speci-
Showing Bark . . . They Last Forever.
These book ends are
mens were provided. At each table one of
the more experienced members took his place IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Robert A. Allen, state highway engineer, to answer questions. —Indian Curios and Jewelry—Stones
Carson City, Nevada, supervised the collecting • • • cut and polished—Mineral specimens.
and exhibiting of Nevada's minerals and gem
Francis J. Sperison, expert engraver and
minerals for the San Francisco world's fair.
finished speaker, gave a lecture on "The His-
RAINBOW GEM CO.
• • • tory and Development of Engraved Gem 546 W . Mission Dr. San Gabriel, Calif.
Writes O. L. Butts, 1131 Hayne, Ottumwa, Stones" at the October 17 meeting of the
Iowa: "I would like to trade agates and ge- East Bay mineral society.
odes from this state for agates in the west. W e • • • MINERALS & THEIR STORIES
have geodes here from the size of a dollar to
as big as a boat. If you know any one who Kern county mineral society met September 24 different economic minerals in very at-
9th for its first fall session. Members reported tractive box with a 48 pane booklet of stories
wants to trade have them write me. " their vacation experiences in rock collecting.
of these minerals at $1.25, postage paid.
• • • T. V. Little submitted field trip schedules for
Gordon Funk, member of the West Coast PROSPECTOR'S SET — 50 SPECIMENS
the year. Preliminary work of incorporation of in l x l " compartments in sturdy, cloth cov-
society and field trip manager for Los Angeles the society under California state laws has ered, hinged lid box for $2.00, postage 25c.
society, addressed Long Beach mineralogical been completed, according to reports in the Visitors say our store has the largest stock
society on the borate minerals, illustrating his of minerals, the best display and lowest
Pseudomorph, their official publication. prices west of the Rockies.
talk with specimens from his private collec- • • • Headquarters for fluorescent lights
tion. and minerals.
• • • At the Nevada state fair, Fallon, Nevada, STORE OPEN ON AFTERNOONS ONLY
Los Angeles Mineralogical society resumed August 30-31, a very wonderful display of INCLUDING SUNDAY BUT CLOSED ON
Nevada minerals and gems was on exhibit, MONDAYS.
meetings September 19. Walter Zimmerman PACIFIC MINERAL MART
addressed the group on "Telescopes for Ama- sponsored by the state highway department.
Also on view was "Oscar," a partially mum- 637 Redondo Ave. Long Beach, Calif.
teurs."
mified Indian skeleton unearthed by S. and
• • • Georgie Wheeler in caves east of Fallon.
San Diego Mineralogical society held its
annual exhibit at the Y. M. C. A. auditorium,
"Oscar" is about two thousand years old, his
age having been ascertained from bones of RALIGHT
San Diego, October 12th at 7:30 p. m. W . the eohippus or three toed horse found on
Scott Lewis, speaker of the evening, chose as the same level as the burial.
his topic "Mineral Origins." A new class in • • • FOR BEST
mineralogy was organized.
Due to many causes, the water level of
• • •
Walker Lake in Mineral county, Nevada, has ULTRA-VIOLET
New officers of the Orange Belt Mineral dropped 211/2 feet in the past 10 years.
society at San Bernardino are: R. A. Crippen,
president; Frank R. Wilkins, vice president;
• • • FLUORESCENCE
It is reported that if the underground work-
Walter Hadley, treasurer; Vera L. McMinn, ings of the Mizpah mine in Tonopah, Nevada,
secretary, and Kenneth Garner, Howard Fletch- could be put end to end, they would reach Improved High Intensity Genuine Cold
er, Ralph Eells and W . M. Snow, directors. from Tonopah to a point 165 miles beyond
Quartz Lamps — Portable 6 Volt and
M. J. Holmes of Los Angeles addressed the 110 Volt Sets. Essential for prospect-
San Francisco. ing and mining Scheelite.
club on the subject of Strategic Minerals at Send for free list of fluorescent minerals,
its September meeting. literature and Money Back Guarantee —
• • • Dept. DP 7
NOVEMBER, 1940. 31
HERE'S A SPECIMEN! In Oregon between Sweet Home and Holly.
A large fragment found recently on an old on the old road, there is a great quantity of RX—the complete
mine dump near Rincon in San Diego county, very excellent petrified wood. The ranchers lapidary shop in
California, proved to be a fine collection of plow up the pieces and toss them out of the
way, against fence posts or into ditches. Some one small machine
good mineral specimens all in itself. When
it was carefully broken into smaller pieces, of the wood is of a lime or sandstone com- Write for circular
more than 10 different minerals made their position, and consequently not good for pol- and free working chart.
appearance from the one large fragment. The ishing, but many specimens are of agate or
jasper and show good grain. The ranchers are W. A . FELKER 3521 Emerald St., Torrance, California
micas were well represented by biotite, white
muscovite, muscovite stained red with iron, courteous and readily grant permission to
sericite and lepidolite. The other minerals hunt petrified wood on their farms, provided
were white amblygonite, several small black gates are left open or shut as found, and
tourmalines, a few rather poor garnets, and
on one piece of rock a coating of almost mi-
croscopic pink tourmalines. This was the type
stock is not disturbed.
Jerry B. Keeney is glad to guide visitors
over his place and show them two huge tree
Jewel Craft
of "find" of which most collectors dream, but stumps petrified in an upright position. There INCORPORATED
seldom have the good luck to encounter. are probably many more stumps and sections
in the heavily forested sections of Keeney's EXPERT
farm. G E M
• • •
NEW GEM CATALOG At its first fall meeting in September the
CUTTING
Write for your free copy of our new 16 Kern County Mineral society was entertained 704 S. San Pedro Los Angeles, Calif.
page, illustrated gem catalog with com-
plete price list. It's yours for the ask- by vacation experiences and tales of the col-
ing. Write today. lecting tours of members during the summer
months. Mrs. Mae Chenard was awarded the
V. D . H I L L pri2e for the most striking specimen collected
Rt. 7-G — — Salem, Oregon by club members since the last meeting in GEMS and MINERALS
May—a beautiful polished piece of sagenite. Hundreds of fine minerals in stock.
The Kern society has now completed the in- Send for Sc catalog. Ultra-Violet lamps
corporation of its group on a non-profit basis, for collectors and prospectors. Circular
free. Argon lamp and fluorescent min-
SPECIAL .... and recommends similar action by other socie-
ties.
eral samples, $1.00. Educational month-
ly Mineral Bulletin 25c a year. Sales
tax on above in California.
Eden Valley and Utah Petrified Wood
20c per lb. "Field Identification of Minerals for Ore- W. SCOTT LEWIS
gon prospectors and collectors" is the name 2500 N. Beachwood Dr.
GINGKO $1.00 lb. of a bound bulletin 8'/2 x i l, 128 pages, issued HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
by the state department of geology and min-
F. H. CRAWFORD eral industries at 702 Woodlark building,
Portland. Ray C. Treasher is the author, and
922 N. Golden West Ave. the book is sold for 50 cents.
ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA HAND-FABRICATED
STERLING MOUNTINGS
GEM PROSPECTOR Blank Rings etc. . . . 50c to $2.00
COVINGTON 16-inch LAP UNIT (Mount your own gems)
BY SETH RICE
Assembled all ready to Your Gems Mounted . 75c to $2.50
use—table, pan, motor San Diego, California
hanger, 2 pulleys, V- General price list free
belt. 16" removable lap A prospector sat on a malpais rock one blist- CHRISTMAS STERUNG RINGS
plate, shaft, 2 bearings, ering July day;
ball thrust bearing, 3 He cursed the heat, he cursed his thirst, and With Black Agate Wood . . . $1.50
jars o f abrasive and
brush. (crated, less his luck that made him stay; O. P. AVERY
motor) But the lure of the desert held him fast; he 1843 N. Alvarado St., Los Angeles, Calif.
$34.90 fought its thrall in vain;
He was the type called desert rat, in the land
Build your own that knows no rain.
Lap Kit "Legends of Gems.
Long had he sought for golden sands or a U A I I C A l l Incorporated with
with our 16" removable
lap plate fitted to shaft,
2 bearings and ball bearing thrust to fit
lode that carried pay; T II U III O V H "Gems — How to
know and cut
Oft had he worked in others' mines, that he U I II f n M I t n e m " $ l - Postpaid
your table with rust proof splash pan. might pursue his way;
(Crated) $19.50 Itl R t H A L "Gems — How to
The full line of Covington Equipment is Long endured the thirst and heat o'er the
now on display and sale at the following arid waste of the West, know and cut
dealers:
WARNER & GRIEGER Searching the earth for the only spot where
his vagrant soul might rest.
LABORATORY ders in Gem
405 Ninita Parkway Pasadena, Calif. Craft" 10c postpaid
S M I T H ' S AGATE SHOP
228 S. W. Alder St., Portland, Ore. A hill he found at eventide where the sun-
Manufactured by . . . . Our shop is now ten years old and is fully
light seemed to play equipped with latest machines for SAW-
COVINGTON LAPIDARY ENGINEERING CO. On all the rainbows in the world—and there ING, POLISHING and FINISHING all
12 Cajon St., Redlands, California seemed to stay. kinds of Gem Material and Specimens to-
Myrickite, blue chalcedony, jasper and blood- gether with a carefully selected stock of
stone, too; finishe PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRE-
Here was beauty that balmed his soul, not CIOUS GEMS, ready for RINGS, BRACE-
HILTON'S A*t wealth that most men woo.
/ J /E'VE been on the trail together and Utah resides a great family of human as accurately as possible in word and pic-
VV three years now—the Desert Mag- beings—the highest type of American cit- ture, the spirit of the real Desert to
azine and those readers who em- izenship—with a common heritage of those countless men and women who
barked with us on this publishing ven- environment and interest and opportuni- have been intrigued by the charm of the
ture three years ago. This is our anni- ty, yet residing for the most part in re- desert, but whose homes are elsewhere.
versary number—the beginning of our gions that are remote from the so-called "This is to be a friendly, personal mag-
fourth year. cultural centers. azine, written for the people of the Des-
With few exceptions the 600 charter "This is the last great frontier of the ert and their friends — and insofar as
subscribers are still on our mailing list. United States. It will be the purpose of possible, by Desert people. Preference
Along with them are many hundreds of the Desert Magazine to entertain and will be given to those writers and artists
others who value their Desert Magazine serve the people whom desire or circum- —yes, and poets — whose inspiration
so highly they have purchased all the back stance has brought to this Desert fron- comes from close association with the
copies and are preserving their complete tier. But also, the magazine will carry scented greasewood, the shifting sand
files for reference purposes. dunes, the coloring of Desert landscapes,
Our reader family has been growing from precipitous canyons and gorgeous
steadily. In August we passed the 10,000 Dick Older, Advertising sunsets.
mark, and at the present rate of progress "The Desert has its own traditions—
the number will reach 12,000 by the first art—literature—industry and commerce.
of January, 1941. Since each copy of It will be the purpose of the Desert Mag-
Desert Magazine, according to a recent azine to crystallize and preserve these
survey, is read by an average of 4.9 per- phases of Desert life as a culture distinc-
sons, there are now nearly 50,000 desert- tive of arid but virile America. We would
minded folks following the trails with us give character and personality to the pur-
each month, exploring the remote can- suits of Desert peoples—create a keener
yons, getting acquainted with the colorful consciousness of the heritage which is
personalities of the desert region, gain- theirs—bring them a little closer together
ing an intimate knowledge of the rocks in a bond of pride in their Desert homes,
and flowers and the history and lore of and perhaps break down in some measure
the desert region. the prejudice against the Desert which is
* * * born of misunderstanding and fear."
In an editorial in the first number of That was the goal of the Desert Mag-
the magazine we wrote: azine in 1936—and it is the goal today.
"Nearly every creed and industry and As the Magazine has gained in popu-
locality has its journal—except the Des- larity, our staff has grown. And since this
ert. Here, within the boundaries of Ari- is a friendly, personal sort of journal, we
zona, California, Nevada, New Mexico are publishing the photographs of our
NOVEMBER, 1940 33
staff associates in this anniversary num- Indian life and lore 82
ber—that the readers may feel a closer Nature subjects 6&
acquaintanceship with those who are de- Photography 60
voting their energies to the task. Landmark features 48
* * * Personality sketches 45
Editorial comment 45
Many factors contribute to make the Monthly news briefs 37
editorial work on this magazine a source
Mining features 28
of pride and pleasure to its creators. For
one thing, we have unlimited material Desert Quiz 28
from which to draw our editorial features. Place Names department 24
There is no dearth of text and pictures. Cactus department 20
If the advertising revenue would justify Botanical features 14
it, we could just as readily be printing Poetry page 7
96 pages of entertaining and informative * The total of these figures exceeds the 446
questionnaires for the reason that several read-
features every month. We have confi- ers indicated more than one first choice.
dence that will come eventually.
More important than all else in the Then we checked the results by an-
progress of this magazine, however, has other method. We added the figures to-
been the fine interest and loyalty of its gether and averaged them. For example:
readers. Approximately half of them are We took the vote on Mapped Travelogs
residents on the desert—the other half and added the l's and 2's and 3 s etc to-
Norton Allen. Artist gether and averaged them. Each subject
are scattered through every state in the
union and at least 14 foreign countries. was treated similarly, and the results are
They are folks with ideals—men and age when most folks are too busy to be shown in the following table. It varies
women, young and old, with alert in- bothered with mail questionnaires. slightly from the popularity rating given
telligent minds. Our daily mail lhas We believe the information compiled in the first table.
reached huge proportions. It is made up from these replies will be interesting to Mapped travelogs 2.58
for the most part of letters and orders our readers. The Desert Magazine folks Historical features 2.89
and inquiries from people who are broad have much in common and the figures Gems and Minerals 3.98
and generous in their attitude toward life we are quoting give a very accurate com- Indian life and lore 4.06
and toward those with whom they deal. posite of the group as a whole. Nature subjects 4.51
It is a rare day when we find a note of First, we wanted to know which of our Photography 4.79
pettiness in the bundle the mail man monthly editorial features are the most Personality sketches » 5.09
lugs in. popular—for the future guidance of our Landmark features 5.59
A practical demonstration of our read- writers and editors. We listed 16 of our Editorial comment 5.94
er loyalty came in August when we mail- leading subjects and asked our readers Mining features 6.13
ed out questionnaires for our annual read- to grade them according to personal pre- Desert Quiz 6.80
er survey. We sent out 1000 of them, to ference, marking the favorite subject No. Monthly news briefs 7.09
names picked blindly at random from 1, the second choice No. 2, etc. After the Cactus department 7.26
our subscription list. first 446 answers came in we tabulated all Place Names department 7.39
We offered no reward for rilling out the first place selections, and here are the Botanical features 7.79
these question blanks, but within 30 days results: Poetry page 9.2^
we had received 446 replies. They are Mapped travelogs 168 * * *
still coming in and the number now ex- Historical features 120 One of the facts disclosed by our
ceeds 500. It is an amazing return in an Gems and Minerals Ill questionnaire is that our readers nearly
Randall Henderson, Editor Bess Stacy, Associate Publisher Rand Henderson. Circulation
I
34 The DESERT MAGAZINE
all have hobbies—89 percent of them to Their average annual auto travel is 95% of the readers are keeping their
be exact. And they prefer outdoor hob- 14,089 miles. magazines for permanent reference.
bies. The following figures, taken from Their annual expenditure for car up- 3% are not keeping their copies.
the 446 replies, show the number and keep is $106.94. 2% are passing their magazines along
kind of hobbies listed by these readers. Their average annual expenditure for to others.
OUTDOOR HOBBIES gas and oil is $207.00.
Office records of the Desert Magazine
Gems and Minerals 133 During the past year they motored an show that:
Photography 87 average of 679 miles each on trips sug-
gested by Desert Magazine travelogs. 20% of the subscriptions received are
Gardening 26
Desert exploration 20 They spend an average of $32.40 an- paid-in-advance orders for periods rang-
Hiking 19 nually for books. ing from 2 to 5 years.
Hunting and Fishing 19 78% of them own cameras and their 72% of Desert Magazine buyers renew
Indian crafts 17 average annual expenditure for photogra- their subscriptions within 30 days of ex-
Nature study 17 phy is $56.11. piration.
Travel 17
Geology 16
Cacti 12
Painting and sketching 11
Miscellaneous
INDOOR HOBBIES
61
FREAK ROCK IN UTAH
Books and Reading 35
Stamps 19 Wka can identifa Uvti
Handicrafts 17
Music 10
Writing 7
Radio 5
Poetry 4
Miscellaneous 20
Readers were asked to state the vaca-
tion and leisure time pursuits they pre-
ferred. A majority indicated two or more
preferences. Here are their answers in
percentage of the 446 questionnaires re-
turned:
Visit scenic places 71%
Explore the desert 66%
Collect rocks and minerals 48%
Camp outdoors 37%
Hunt and fish 32%
Hike 31%
Prospect 22%
Climb mountains 19%
Other pertinent facts about the mem-
bers of the Desert Magazine reader fami-
ly were disclosed by the questionnaire as
follows:
36.5% of the Desert Magazine readers
are professional men and women—doc-
tors, lawyers, artists, teachers, engineers
and scientists.
22.7% are business executives, ranch
and mine owners and managers, utility
executives, etc.
20.1% are skilled craftsmen, salesmen,
clerks, artisans, mechanics, etc. CASH PRIZE OFFERED magazine will award a cash prize of
8.6% are housewives. $5.00. Those entering the contest should
TO CONTEST WINNER give the exact location of the Landmark,
7.7% are retired. its name, directions for reaching it by
4.4% belong to miscellaneous classifica- For the monthly Landmark Contest
in November the Desert Magazine staff highway or railroad, geological forma-
tions. tion, approximate dimensions, and any
has selected a well-known and very un-
Their average annual family income is usual rock formation in southern Utah. other historical or legendary material con-
$3924.00. The name of this rock appears on nearly nected with it. Origin of the name should
75.4% of them own their homes. all the maps, and although it is not near be given if possible.
Average value of their homes is a paved highway, it is widely known to Entries must reach the Desert Maga-
$7950.00. travelers. zine office by November 20, and the win-
94.4% of them own automobiles, many For the best descriptive story of this ning story will be published in the Janu-
•of them two or more cars. Landmark, not exceeding 500 words, the ary issue of this magazine.
NOVEMBER, 1940 35
KIT CRRSon monument Winner of the September
Landmark contest of the
D e s e r t Magazine was
were not pointed out to the traveler, due
to its color which blends into that of the
surrounding cliffs. Its height is judged
Marguerite Sandstrom McDowell of Fort Defiance, Arizona. She identifed as being about 75 feet and its base about
the accompanying photograph, which was published in the September 25 feet in diameter.
number of the magazine, as Kit Carson Monument, a natural landmark on One must take the by-roads to see this
the Navajo Indian reservation. Her winning story is published on this page. notable spire, the handicraft of wind and
rain, and travel northwest of Gallup,
New Mexico, by Window Rock, Arizona
the Navajo agency, to old Fort Defiance,
and to the mouth of Canon Bonito.
WeaUte*
FROM PHOENIX BUREAU
Temperatures— Degrees
Mean for month 85-2
Normal for September 82.7
High on September 9 107.0
Low on September 21 67.0
Rain— Inches
Total for month 1.43
Normal for September 75
By MARGUERITE SANDSTROM McDOWELL Weather-
Days clear 16
Days partly cloudy 9
/ y N upper Canon Bonito near its predominates the Chinle and Canyon de Days cloudy 5
J juncture with Blue canyon stands Chelly region. It is a landmark known G. K. GREENING, Meteorologist.
Kit Carson Monument. It is a rock for many years and many names are carv-
known in Navajo as Tse'i'ahi, which FROM YUMA BUREAU
ed on the rock itself. Some of them are
Temperatures— Degrees
means "rock standing up." John Stewart, 1905, blacksmith of Fort Mean for month 85.3
The first historical reference to it is Defiance; L. L. Preston 1907, and Jim Normal for September 83.7
made in Lieutenant J. E. Simpson's Jour- Damon 1913, son of Anson Chandler High on September 10 109.0
Damon, pioneer Indian trader. Low on September 19 64.0
nal of 1849. He states, "Just before reach- Rain— Inches
ing camp a most singular looking column Colonel John Washington, the Military Total for month 0.53
appears on the left of the road resembling Governor of New Mexico, passed by 71-year average for September 0.34
when viewed nearby, a vase; when re- Tse'i'ahi in 1849 as did Henry Lafayette Weather-
motely, a statue. It is of sandstone forma- Days clear 24
Dodge, the first civil agent to the Nava- Days partly cloudy 4
tion and has an altitude from 30 to 40 jo in 1851. Captain John Walker with Days cloudy 2
feet." Simpson also has a plate showing his mounted rifles passed by it in pursuit Sunshine 89 percent (331 hours out of
the picture of what we know as Kit Car- of the Navajo in 1858 and Kit Carson possible 371 hours).
son monument. Colorado river — Figures on discharge and
in the winter of 1863. storage not available. Revised capacity ta-
The monument stands beside an old Behind the monument are the ruins of bles for Boulder dam became effective Sep-
Navajo Indian and military trail between a small 13th century cliff house hidden tember 1 giving estimated storage of 24,560,-
in a cave. 000 acre feet at that time, 1,120,000 more
Fort Defiance and Canyon de Chelly. It than the old tables indicated.
is formed of the same sandstone which The spire would not be noticed if it JAMES H. GORDON, Meteorologist.
By RANDALL HENDERSON
NOVEMBER, 1940 37
L6T US H U P VOU PLfll) VOUR DCSCRT OUTIHG
5ACT0N
SANDV BEACH,
BOATING j V-~
THE FASCINATING IMPERIAL DESERT Let us help you plan an outing trip that will give you a
EXPLORE this winter. Follow the winding automobile
trails that lead to rare scenic areas, to
old and new mining fields, to gem and mineral areas, to pic-
day or a week or a month of joy and relaxation in the great
Imperial desert winter playground of Southern California.
WATER IS NOW FLOWING IN THE NEW ALL-AMERICAN
turesque waterholes and historical monuments. CANAL THROUGH THE PICTURESQUE SANDHILLS EAST OF
Make El Centre with its luxurious or its moderate priced EL CENTRO.
hotels and automobile courts, y ° u r headquarters for a week- For details and informative booklet write to:—
end or a prolonged vacation while you take the good by-roads
that extend into ANZA DESERT park . . . to Salton Sea with its
world-famous mudpots . . . to Painted Canyon . . . to the placer EL CEHTRO CHRmBER OF COfnfllERCE
gold fields . . . to Imperial Dam on the Colorado river . . . or to ROBERT HAYS, Secretary-Manager
picturesque Old Mexico a few miles to the south. El Centro, California