195901 desert magazine 1959 january

8/14/2019 195901 Desert Magazine 1959 January

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/195901-desert-magazine-1959-january 1/44



iiJANUARY on

Snow may be flying elsewhere inthe nation, but on the lower andVt'armer desert areas, January days aresunny and just crisp enough to be

invigorating. W hen it does cloud up,the only scurrying you are apt to seeis by the photographers going for theirequipment — the brilliant red sunsetwill be worth capturing on film.

Sporting events highlight activitiesin California - Arizo na winter play-

grounds. In the higher country—SaltLake City, Reno, northern New Mex-ico and Flagstaff—great skiing is of-fered to vacationers. For the camper

and rockhound, January is a favoritege t -out -and-see- the-count ry month.Nights are chilly, so be prepared.

In sharp contrast to the white man'splay will be the generations-old cere-monies scheduled for this month at theRio Grande Pueblos of New Mexico.

ARIZONA

January 3-4—Dons Club Travelcadeto Tucson Mountain Park, San Xa-vier Mission, Colossal Cave andCasa Grande and Saguaro Nationalmonuments, from Phoenix.

January 4 — Oregon State PotluckLuncheon, Verde Park, Phoenix.

January 7-10—-Arizona National Live-stock Show, Sponsored by the Ari-zona National Livestock Associa-tion, State Fairgrounds, Phoenix.

January 9-11—7th Annual Thunder-bird Tennis Championships, Para-dise Valley Racquet Club, Phoenix.

Janu ary 11 — D esert Sun RanchersRodeo, Wickenburg.

January 11—Dons Club Apache Trai lTravelcade, from Phoenix.

January 17-18 — Dons Club Travel-cade to Chiricahua National Monu-ment, Douglas area and Tombstone,from Phoenix.

January 2 5 — D o n s Club Travelcadeto Prescott, Jerome and MontezumaCastle National Monument, fromPhoenix.

January 25 — Desert Sun RanchersRodeo, Wickenburg.

1959SCENIC FAST WATER

FLOAT TRIPS ON THE

SAN JUAN RIVER, GRAND

CANYON. RIVER OF NO

RETURN. HELL'S CANYON

M e x k m H s t E x p e d i t i o n s

M e x k m H $ t , U t o h

G L E N C A N Y O N F L O A T A N D P O W E R T R I P SM A Y T H R O U G H S E P T E M B E R

Explore and photograph this wonderful canyon,soon to be covered by rising lake waters.

Mexican Hat's

§ L M C A N Y O N B O A i m , he.WHITE CANYON. UTAH

Thunderbird Country Club in Palm Springs, Cnia, will be one of several settings in the resort commun ity for January golf tournament

January 25—Junior Chamber of Com-merce Trek to Kings Ranch, fromMesa.

January 30-February 1—Parada DelSol, Scottsdale.

Janu ary 30-Febiruary 1 — Dons ClubTravelcade to Glen Canyon Damand the Flagstaff area, from Phoe-nix.

January 31-February 8—Exposi t ionof Modern Living, ExhibitingHomes, Sports, Boats, Foods. ParkCentral, Phoenix.

CALIFORNIADecember 13-January 5—John Hilton

Art Exhibit, Desert Magazine Gal-lery, Palm Desert.

January 16-18—Annual Blue RibbonTennis Tournament, Racquet Club,Palm Springs.

January 17-February 1 — MarjorieCummins Art Exhibit, Desert Mag-azine Gallery, Palm Desert.

January 20 — National Pro-MemberInvitational Golf Tournament, In-dian Wells.

January 22-25 — Pro-Member GolfTournament, Thunderbird CountryClub, Palm Springs.

January 27-29 — Desert Senior GolfTournament, Palm Springs.

NEW MEXICOJanuary 1—Comanche Dances, Ran-chos de Taos.

January 1—Deer Dance, Taos Pueblo.January 1—Sun Bowl Carnival Pa-

rade and Football Game, El Paso(Texas ) .

January 6 — Twelfth-night Celebra-tions, burning of Christmas trees, inmost Spanish-American settlements.

January 6—Ceremonial Dances andInstallation of Governors at variousRio Grande Pueblos.

January 22-23 — Southeastern NewMexico Hereford Show and Sale,Fairgrounds, Roswell.

January 23—Buffalo Dance and Fi-esta, San Ildefonso Pueblo.

January 13UTAH

- 1847 Pioneer Days,



Publ isher 's NotesFortunately, the world changes.

Whether it alters for better or forworse is a mooted topic. But this weknow: our existence would be boringindeed if change were not ever-pres-ent.

As 1959 comes over the hill whaichanges are in store for Desert Mag-

azine this coming year?

Perhaps the major modification inDesert Magazine will be the additionof some new departments in 1959.How about a Desert Kitchen section,devoted to camping, barbecuing, andMexican cookery? Would that ap-peal to the lady folks?

A Desert Primer feature for desertnewcomers and junior readers willbroaden the appeal of the magazine.

We hope, too, to develop a serieson unique and outstanding South-western architecture. This month'sarticle on the school at Shoshone,California, is an example of Desert's

interest in the new and worthy inSouthwestern buildings. If the read-ers have suggestion of possible archi-tectural subjects, Editor Randall Hen-derson will be glad to hear from you.

More travel features are plannedfor the 1959 volume of Desert Mag-azine. More color, a few more desert-attuned features, and, of course, acontinuing liberal sprinkling of ghosttown articles, lost mine legends, rockand mineral news, Nature subjects,Indian lore—these are on the menufor the year ahead.

* * *

A report on the recent reader sur-vey which sampled one-out-of-each-ten of our subscribers was plannedfor this month's Desert Magazine,bu t a much larger return of question-naire reports than was anticipated hasset the tabulation back several weeks.Next month for sure!

* * *

For the first time Desert Magazineis carrying a four color reproductionof a painting. The back cover, an oilpainting by the well-known South-western artist, Marjorie Reed, is anexperiment that I hope we can con-tinue. We would like to hear fromour readers who want to see moredesert canvases depicted on our colorpages.

CHUCK SHELTON

Publisher

ABOUT THE COVER . . .

This wintry scene was made in AppleValley, California. The desert side ofSan Gorgonio Mountain forms the back-

ground. While snow is an annual occur-rence on the High Desert floor, it rarelyremains on the ground more than twoor three days after it falls. Photographeris Wayne Book.

V o l u m e 22 J A N U A R Y . 1959 N u m b e r 1

C O V E R

CALENDAR

A R C H E O L O G Y

EXPERIENCE

FIELD TRIP

F ICTIO N

SCIENCE

N A V I G A T I O N

DESERT QUIZ

HIKING

POETRY

P H O T O G R A P H Y

N A T U R E

I N D I A N S

P ERSO NALITY

E D U C A T I O N

LETTERS

B O O K S

N E W S N O T E S

M I N I N G

H O BBY

LAP IDARY

C O M M E N TAR T

BACK CO VER

High Desert Winter, by WAYNE BOOK

January events in the Southwest 2

Life from the Earth, by MARY BECKWITH . . 4

The Desert Is Our Friend, by DOROTHY HITT . 8

Trail to a Baja Salt SpringBy LOUISE WERNER 9

Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley 11

Fossil Insects from the Mojave

By RUTH A. KIRKBY 12

Tenderfoot Cruise on the Verde

By MARGO GERKE 15

A test of your desert knowledge 18

Backpack Adventure in Remote Asbestos Canyon

By MELVIN HUTCHINSON 19

Sunsets an d other poems 22

Picture of the Month 23

Outdoor Reunion for Jaeger's AlumniBy EDMUND C. JAEGER 24

Pueblo Portrait, by JOHN L. BLACKFORD . . 25

The Man Who Taught Us Contentment

By DOROTHY ROBERTSON 26

Death Valley High School

By EUGENE L. CONROTTO 28

Comment from Desert's readers 30

Reviews of Southwestern literature 31

From the Southwest 32

Current news of desert mines 36

Gems an d Minerals 38

Amateur Gem Cutter, by DR. H. C. DAKE . . 40

Just Between You an d Me, by the Editor . . . 42

Marjorie Reed, Artist 43

Vallecito Palm Spring, by MARJORIE REED

The Desert Magazine is published monthly by Desert Magazine, Inc., Palm Desert,California. Re-entered as second class matter July 17. 1948. at the postoffice at Palm Desert,California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered No.358865 in U. S. Patent Office,and contents copyrighted 1959 by Desert Magazine, Inc. Permission to reproduce contentsmust be secured from the editor in writing.

CHARLES E. SHELTON, Publisher RANDALL HENDERSO N, EditorEUGENE L. CONROTTO, Associate Editor EVONNE RIDDEL L, Circulation Manager

Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledgedunless full return postage is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility fordamage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Sub-scribers should send notice of change of address by the first of the month preceding issue.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

One Year S4.00 Two Years S7.00Canadian Subscriptions 25c Extra. Foreign 50c ExtraSubscriptions to Army Personnel Outside U. S. A. Must Be Mailed in Conformity With

P. O. D. Order No.19687

Address Correspondence to Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9



By MARY BECKWITH Juniper tree.

N THIS DAY of supermarketsand drug stores, we are becomingstrangers to the fruitful earth and

its prod ucts. No t so with the prehis-toric peoples of the Southwest whodirectly depended on the land for theirsustenance.

How would you feed, clothe anddoctor your family if suddenly youwere transported back to 300 A.D.?Recently a friend and I discussed this

question, and I became so engrossedwith the subject I began an exhaustiveinvestigation to find the answers. Thisarticle is the result of that research.

For thousands of years prior to thetime of our story, nomadic bandsroamed the high plateaus of the FourCorn ers area. Th e cultivation ofmaize, slowly diffused into the NorthAmerican tribal groups from CentralAmerica where it originated, closedthis Archaic Period of wandering food-searchers, and ushered in a new era.

Th e first corn w as a sorry affair—

hard, flinty and with eight small-kern-eled rows to the cob. Squash w as littlebetter. Developed from wild gourds,it was tough, stringy and inferior tast-ing. But these two new foods musthave been as enthusiastically welcomedby Mrs . An asazi as were frozen foodsof our day. They allowed a radicalchange in the Anasazi family's wayof life. Now they could hom esteadin their multi-colored Four Cornerscountry, and in the late spring planta little gard en. Even tually, other fam -ilies settled nearby and soon small pit-house villages began to dot the region.

Thus the food staple, corn, becamethe foundation of a flourishing civiliza-tion.

But, dry farming is precarious onthe desert. Na ture still had to be re -lied upon to augment the corn patch,even if the storage cists were filled.

Several uncultivated plants were all-importan t. Mesquite beans were boiledlike string beans, or dried and ground

on metates into a meal for gruels andcakes. Sometimes these beans wereeaten raw, or fermented into a bever-age. Seeds of other pod-bearers, in-cluding Catsclaw and Screw bean, weresimilarly used.

Mesquite gum was eaten like candy,and in later years, around 500 A.D.,it supplied a mucilage for mendingbroken pots—although from the abun-dance of potshards found in this region,

it never occurred to me that thesepeople bothered to repair their pot-tery. Resin also healed minor wounds,while from Mesquite bark Mrs. Ana-sazi obtained a black dye as well as atanning agent. Mesquite limbs werefashioned into digging sticks and otherimplements.

Shredded Juniper bark kept hersnug and warm in drafty shelters, andpadded baby's soft cradles. It was alsothe first disposable diaper material.Combined with Yucca fibers, Juniperbark was woven into bags, baskets,

food, medicine and clothing by the "O ld Ones,"

Southwest Basketmakers of the Anasazi Culture (300 to 700 A.D.)

LIFE from the E



Juniper berries were ground into a

alcoholic drink. Nec klaces of

Seeds also were used in rattles

dance steps. Stems and roots com-

Manzanita berries were boiled down

was used to treat sores and ulcers; andif Mrs. Anasazi walked through poi-son ivy or oak, Manzanita leaves re-lieved the itching. Leav es and fruitwere a remedy for bronchitis anddropsy.

Yucca served in a score of ways.Early Mrs. Anasazi discovered that bysoaking the stiff fibers, then beatingoff the outer cover, she had a moreamenable weaving material. Yuccabuds, flowers, young stalks, fruits andseeds furnished important foods; even

the roots were eaten raw, boiled orroasted. Roo ts and stems latheredinto a soap which made Mrs. Anasazi'shair shine. From the fruits came afermented drink—the juice even madea varnish. An d an infusion of Yuccaroots was a mild laxative.

But, despite cultivated corn andthese wonderful wild plants growingin her backyard, Mrs. Anasazi had togather even more food if empty stom-aches were to be filled.

From the Pinyons early in the fallshe gathered pine nuts which wereshelled, roasted and ground into meal.If you have ever cracked only a fewof these tough nuts, you will sympa-thize with M rs. An asazi. With Pin-yon resin she waterproofed her cook-ing baskets. In a later period thisresin was used to cement turquoisestones in jewelry. The gum also wasa mild antiseptic.

Black walnuts and acorns also wereharvested in the fall, and stored againstlean winter months.

Female work parties, with babies on

Ways of the Ancients still are used bypresent-day Indians. Here a Papag owoman stores shelled corn in an olla.

their backs and older children at theirheels, made long treks in the late sum-mer to reap Wild oats, Wheat andBuckwheat. Other seed plants, such asChia, Prince's Plume and Seep-weed,were equally importan t. Wan deringfrom clump to clump with a stick, Mrs.Anasazi knocked the seeds into herspecially-woven flat basket tray. Theseseeds were eaten parched or boiled by

placing hot stones into watertight bas-kets. Also, they were ground andshaped into cakes and baked on hotstones.

Wild berries furnished natural su-gars. They were eaten raw or cookedinto jellies and preser ves. Often theywere dried and stored for winter. M rs.Anasazi had a wide choice of berries:Currants, Blackberries, Raspberries,Wild strawberries, Service berries,Gooseberries, Oregongrape, Algerita

and Chok e-cherry. For added sugar,cat-tail was chewed like sugar cane,and wild honey must have been gath-ered.

Leaves of the Seep-weed, Checker-mallow, Cow-parsnip, Gromwell, Chic-ory and Dandelion were cooked likespinach. Salads were tossed togetherfrom the tender young leaves of theDandelion, Prairie Goldenrod, Water-

cress, Sorrel and the young stalks ofBear grass. It is not unlikely that vari-ous flowerheads, such as Yucca orIndian Paintbrush, were added.

For seasonings she had many pot-herbs, including the Bee-plant of theCaper Family, thyme-like Horsemint,Spiderwort, Sage, Parsley and thecelery-like Chuchupate. Wild onionswere eaten raw or added to stews.

Salt was more difficult to obtain.Near the mouth of the Little Colorado

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9



Chemehuevi basketmaker. Her art

is a dying one. Tribal group is

from the lower Colorado River area.

deep within the Grand Canyon, an-cestral Hopis had secret salt mines towhich they made ceremonial journeys.

Adjacent to the Zuni villages is a salt

lake, and an old Navajo lady of myacquaintance told me that in the olddays their salt came from "long, long

away" and pointed in the direction ofthe Zuni Pueblo. Near Camp Verdeis another salt mine, and large rock saltdeposits existed in the Moapa Valley

near the mouth of the Muddy River.From these sources and others Mrs.Anasazi might have obtained a preci-

ous bag of salt by trade. Animal bloodundoubtedly furnished her chief—andcheapest—salt source.

In the late spring her digging sticksunearthed Arrow-head tubers whichwere roasted and eaten like potatoes.Bulbs of the Sego-lily, Desert Hyacinthand Spring-beauty, as well as roots of

the Salsify, Scurf-pea, Spiderwort andCow-parsnip supplemented the larder.

Summer suns ripened cactus fruitswhich were eaten from the plant or

made into jellies. Flower buds of Deer-horn cholla were steamed in pits.

Deer, bear, antelope, mountain sheepand other large game animals werefelled by Mrs. Anasazi's atlatl-throw-ing husband, and roasted over pun-gent piny on fires. Smaller game —rabbit, squirrel, gopher and field mice— were trapped in intricately-wovensnares of human hair. Such game oftenwas stewed by placing hot stones inthe cooking baskets. The superior bowand arrow appeared around 600 A.D.,and game undoubtedly became a moreimportant part of the tribesmen's diet.

While hunting occupied the major

Pottery was developed during late

stages of Anasazi Culture. Photo

shows a rich archeological harvest.

,

portion of Mr. Anasazi's time, he alsohad to manufacture knives, scrapersand spear points from chert and ob-sidian. Axes, hammers and maulswere laboriously pecked out. Hesearched for strong straight Carrizo orArrow-weed stems for his arrow shafts,and various other woods for plantingsticks and implements. No one wasidle in an Anasazi household.

As the decades slowly passedthrough the Basketmaker era, ourfamily planted larger - kerneled andmore varied corn, squashes which weremore palatable, and an important newcrop—beans. Life became more leis-urely, better arts and crafts were de-veloped, and communal living became

more integrated.Medicine pouches occasionally are

found containing desiccated plants thatindicate prehistoric Indians had con-

siderable knowledge of, and treatmentfor, many ailments. Some of the nar-



otic plants such as Datura and theeeds of the Prickly Poppy may have

an to alleviate pain. Today

Prehistoric people were engrossedith the supernatural, and the medicine

an was the intermediary who wardedoff evil spirits. With chanted prayersand rituals, he secured the health andwelfare of the individual patient or theentire village, insured fertile crops andsuccessful hunts. Even today, Pussy-toes tobacco is smoked by the Navajoin prayers for rain; the Hopi grindGilia flowers as a hunting offering; andthe Zuni smear chewed roots of theScarlet Bugler on their rabbit sticks.Therefore it seem likely the ancientmedicine men had plenty to do with-out caring for minor ailments whichthe family could readily treat. He wasa specialist who attended only certainobscure illnesses for which he receivedspecialist's fees!

Mr. and Mrs. Anasazi were preoc-cupied with curing colds and sorethroats—even as we are today. Ton-ics were concocted from the boiledcrushed leaves of the Creosote Bush,the crushed roots of Yerba de Chivato(Clematis Hngusticifolia), Yarrow,Globe Mallow, Chuchupate, and thebark of the Flannel Bush. These were,I imagine, as effective as most of thehundreds of nostrums filling the drug-

gist's shelves today.

Poultices made from Groundsel stems,

Globe Mallow, leaves of the Creosote

Bush, roots of the Clematis, sap of

the Thistle Poppy and dried Indian

Paintbrush were applied to boils and

other skin disorders. Chewed Snake-

weed was recommended for removing

the stinger from bee and wasp bites.

Skeletal remains show that our Ana-

sazi family suffered from arthritis and

rheumatism for which they tried vari-

ous preparations compounded from

the Bear-berry, Locust or a decoction

of the leaves and stems of the Oregon-

grape.

Tonic Teas

Dyspepsia and other stomach qualmswere quieted with tonic teas brewedfrom Ephedra or Wild Mint, or anemetic prepared from the Cliff-rose.Other remedies were made fromSnake-weed, the dried leaves of Giliaor the roots of the Four-o'clock, Chu-chupate or Dock. A friend of mine inUtah, plagued for years with ulcers,was told by an old medicine man ofthe curative powers of Dock root. Asmy friend had tried everything else,there seemed little to lose, so for sev-eral months he munched on these roots.

Today he is a lusty eater and looksand feels wonderful.

Wounds and sores responded to anantiseptic dust of powdered Cinque-foil, Quail-plant or a solution fromthe Cliff-rose. The Zuni rub the chewedflowers and roots of Yarrow on theirskins before fire ceremonies, and per-haps Mrs. Anasazi applied this sameemollient when she burned a finger.

Poultices of chewed roots of thepurple Bell-flower or Clematis, or anapplication of Wild Mint, were first-aid therapy for swellings and bruises.

Concoctions of Penstemon, Bear-berry or Indian Paintbrush restoredhealth to kidney sufferers; while Dan-delion roots stimulated the liver.

Remedies

Wintergreen (Pyrola) was used fordiarrhea and to check hemorrhage. Anapplication of Desert Pink taken in-ternally or applied externally stimu-lated the flow of mother's milk, while

Cinquefoil hastened childbirth. Todayif a Navajo mother wishes to guaranteea girl-baby she eats Purple Bell-flowers.

The Anasazis had headaches too,and their aspirin pill was Marsh Gen-tian, the powdered roots of WingedBuckwheat, or the roots of Chuchu-pate.

Too much sun? The Zuni useground Western Wallflower in wateron the temples to revive victims ofheat prostration. It also helps screenultraviolet rays. I expect our Basket-maker family was aware of this rem-

edy, too.Smoking the dried Mullein leavessupposedly cured mental disturbances,and for anxiety a preparation of Buck-

brush leaves was applied internally as

well as externally. The Hopi use the

root of the Bladder-pod as an antidote

for rattlesnake bite.

All the herbic medicines mentioned

above, and scores of others, are being

used today by the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni

and other tribesmen. These medicines

have been handed down from genera-

tion to generation for untold ages. A

medicine man of my acquaintance con-firmed this fact when he answered my

questions with:

"But, my friend, these plants have

alwavs been used . "—END

Yucca was important food and fiber

source for the Basketmaker Indians

JANUARY, 1959



T h e family of "Mr. Average Man" takes a five-day desert

vacation which confirms a fact

i t had long known:

T h e D e s e r t is O u r F r i e n dBy DOROTHY HITT

SEDDING THE trappings ofcivilization and getting down tofundamentals would suit us fine.

To know that we must take certainprecautions or suffer the serious con-sequences would give us a lift, makeour blood run faster. Perhaps we wereborn out of time. We would have beenhappy to have lived during the timeof the trek Westward or still earlier—the finding of the New World. Perhaps,

had we lived in another era, we wouldhave been explorers.

But, in reality we are a staid mid-dle-aged couple with four children.We are technicians in a large mentalhospital in central California. Solidcitizens loaded down with the modernconveniences and debts of Mr. Aver-age Man. Earl and I wear nurse'swhites and keep aseptically clean weekin and week out. We live our livesregularly and impeccably until we canstand it no longer and our safety valvesare ready to pop.

We both seem to feel it coming onat the same time. Earl starts lookingover the camping equipment andbrowsing over maps. He talks aboutthis kind of agate or that color ofjasper he would like to have a bit of.We are restless, and the only cure isa trip to the Mojave Desert.

On our last outing we went to thePotato Patch, a well-known geode bedin the Wiley Well district south of theDesert Center to Blythe highway.There are always a number of desertenthusiasts here on week ends, but on

week days the place usually is deserted.As we turned off the paved highway

at the battered Wiley Well sign, we

dropped that staid couple in nurse's

whites and never thought of them

again for the next five days.

On Our Own

Now we w,ere on our own. We metno one. Earl drove carefully—no helpwas available if we broke down. Wewere 20 miles from the highway—along walk. It was winter and we couldhave hiked out if necessary—but wemade sure it would not be necessary.

•As soon as we left the pavement webecame self-sufficient desert folk—wecarried everything with us to sustainlife for five days.

We made camp, and everyone had

a job to do. The Bible principle of" . . . if any work not, neither let himeat," was in full force here. Earl or-ganized matters, deciding the camplay-out and seeing that everything wasarranged conveniently. The older boysunloaded the gear, while the twoyounger children gathered rocks forthe fireplace and collected wood forfuel. I set up my kitchen and helpedwith the beds.

Then Earl took a stop watch fromhis pocket. "Pretty good time," hesaid. "About 10 minutes slower thanlast time, but considering the distancewe had to carry things, not bad at all."

"Not fair! Not fair!" cried the boys."We didn't know you were timing us,this time doesn't count!"

"Okay, okay," Earl answered. "Itwas kind of sneaky. We won't countit."

The clamor died down and weturned our attention to the land be-

yond camp. It was completely newto us. Dave and Dan, our teen-agers,started off to the right.

Explore the Land

"No idle wandering, boys," theirdad said. "Keep alert about directionsand landmarks. Be back by dusk."

"We'll watch it, Dad, and we'll behungry enough to eat even your cook-ing when we get back." With a waveof the hand they were gone.

Earl, Katy, Larry and I turned leftdown a wash which supposedly led toa good fire agate field.

We spent two happy hours scouring

a small portion of the wash—without

success.

"Well, we didn't find a 'braggin'rock' today, but we saw other things,didn't we, Katy?" Earl querried as weheaded back to camp.

" Uh-huh, we saw clumps of driedweeds that had little dried flowers onthem. They'd be real nice in a bou-quet with driftwood. I saw some withopen pods. They'd go good, too," sheanswered.

"How about you, Larry? Did yousee anything interesting?"

"Sure, bugs. They're different fromthose at home." He saw my startledlook and said scornfully, "I didn't pick

any up and I didn't reach on the shady

side of bushes. I know that's where

snakes like to cool off."

Earl laughed. "Not much dangerof snakes this time of year but a goodhabit anyway. Another good practiceis to be observant and alert. Do youremember the way we came? Let'ssee if you can lead us back."

Katy and Larry took the lead, de-bating now and then as to directionand landmarks, but eventually bring-ing us into camp.

The older boys arrived promptly as

supper was ready to be served.

"We saw the biggest geode in his-tory," Dan said, "it was that bigaround." He made a circle with hisarms. "We couldn't figure out howto get it back to camp."

Burnt Hills

"The hills are real nice but still

warm even for this time of year. Itmust be because they are almostblack," Dave said.

"Makes one appreciate a cool drinkand a cool spot," Earl answered. "Itis something like this in the Holy Land.The Bible speaks of 'streams of waterin a dry place and the shadow of agreat rock in a weary land.'"

While we were talking and eating,night began to fall. We stopped tolisten to the hush of first dark on thedesert, and turned our backs on thefire to better observe our friend the

desert.

The shadows lengthened and deep-ened. They turned the mountains todeep brown and finally veiled them inEthiopian black. While we sat word-less, a tiny breeze sprang up as thecool night air gently tagged the warmday air off to the hills. Riding in onthe cool air were the day smells—theacrid aroma of the desert shrubs waftedby. We imagined we could smell theodor of warm desert rocks and the hotsand of the washes. Gradually the daysmells dissipated, and the cool un-

scented night air took their place. Thestars came out low enough to polish.Still we sat cross-legged on the ground,silent, savoring the elusive mysteriousdesert.

All five days went by as enjoyablyas did the first. We didn't find that"braggin' rock," and the boys neverfigured a way to get that huge geodeback to camp. We didn't want tobreak it up, so we left it.

But we weren't disappointed, forrocks are secondary. We came backwith knowledge and increased skill.

Our love and appreciation of the des-ert was even greater—there is whereyou can teach your children what isthe wheat and what is the chaff inlife.—END



Trail to a Baja Salt Spr ingA sunny day, new country to

explore, and in a distant ravine:mystery—a white patch of groundthat looked l ike a cross between

a glacier and gleaming sand.These are the ingredients for anexciting day of hiking on therugged Baja California gulf coast.

By LOUISE WERNERMap by Norton Al len

ET'S CLIMB to the top ofthe ridge and look around,"said my husban d, Niles. It

was only a few hundred feet high,rising to the west of our Baja Cali-fornia campsite on the western shore

of the Gulf of California, 225 milessouth of the Mexican border.

Remembering other occasions whenan impromptu scramble up a ridgehad lengthened into a long day's ex-ploration, I hastily placed a few itemsinto my small knapsack: a lightweightnylon parka, a can each of steamedbrown bread, tomato juice and fruitcocktail, some cheese, nuts and hardcandy, dark glasses, lip salve, andmoleskin for blisters. Niles took twoquarts of water, a camera, a pair ofbinoculars, flashlight and snake-bite

kit.We headed up a 150-foot pumice

slope toward a gap in the ridge, oc-casionally pausing to look back overthe environs of our camp, enjoyingthe widening perspective that comeswith elevation gains. A graceful whitecrescent of sand marked the high-tideline on Bahia de San Luis Gonzagabelow. Across a mile of blue waterloomed a red-brown volcanic island,protecting the northern arm of the bayfrom the open sea. A flight of bro wnpelicans and white gulls came winging

toward sho re. From g reat heights in-dividual birds dove, like thrown knives,headfirst into the bay. No rtheast ofthe island, beyond the sea entrance tothe bay, dozens of whales were spout-ing.

Elephant Trees

Following the ridge north to itscrest, we looked northeast into a washwe had explored the day before on ourway in. Patches of yellow, resemblingaspen in fall color, had set us to won-dering. This was the Easter seasonand fall color seemed out of place.

We had coaxed our four-wheel-drivevehicles several miles down the washover a couple of ruts to a small forestof elephant trees, of the Torote Blanco

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9

The a uthor and her husband set off to find the "snout," a white dripping wall.

variety described by Dr. Edmund C.Jaeger in the November 1956 DesertMagazine. Those Dr. Jaeger had seenon the Vizcaino Desert in June were

leafless, but our trees were well-leafed,and alongside the green-leafed oneswere some whose leaves had turned toautum n yellow. Could it be that forthese strange trees autumn comes inApril?

Rugged Terrain

To the west lay the mountainousbackbone of the 800-mile-long pen-insula, a large part of it accessibleonly on foot—hundreds of canyonsand ridges that show no sign of man'spassing, blank spaces on the map. Wehave found some of these areas great

fun to explore; they nearly alwayshave rewarded us with a surprise.

So we turned westward toward thelow red volcanic hills. Below us thejeep trail threaded between our ridgeand the next one over—a trail recentlyscratched down the gulf coast fromSan Felipe a hundred miles southwardto Gonzaga Bay, then slanting inlandto join the main peninsular road nearLaguna Chapala.

Beyond the road, ridge followedridge to drifting clouds from the Pa-cific Oc ean . Fu ll rou nde d masses of

froth, they rolled over the divide, thenquickly stretched into thin sheets fromwhich fragments tore away and van-ished into the desert air. We were on

a narrow section of the peninsula, awaistline where the Pacific and theGulf are only 50 miles apart.

To the southwest a white drift lying

in a distant canyon bottom caught oureye. "It looks like snow, but it 's prob-ably sand," said Niles.

Through binoculars we saw a gla-cierlike snout above the white patch."A drift of sand wouldn't break offlike that," I countered.

"Let's walk over for a closer look,"said my husband.

We took off down a spur thatheaded southwest. Before the whitedrift fell out of sight behind a ridge,we took a bearing on a red-brownpeak that rose immediately above and

to the west of it.The volcanic rocks clanked metal-

lically underfoot. Some looked m orelike rusty iron plates than rocks. O therswere contorted into odd shapes. One,a shallow bowl just right for a birdbath, caught my eye, but Niles hurriedme past it before I could say, "I'd liketo have that for our back yard ." Wefound sea shells a half-mile inlandfrom the gulf.

Flowers in Bloom

At this Easter season these hills toowere experiencing a resurrection. In

the washes wild desert lilies pushedup among the rocks, and rosy verbenasdrifted over sandy ridges; creosotebushes and primroses lent a golden



touch to the slopes, and gilia anddwarf lupines spread lavender-to-pur-ple carpets on the mesas. A couple ofravens soaring overhead cawed scoff-ingly, and a rock wren trilled from apile of boulders.

After climbing up and down slopesfor an hour without once catching a

glimpse of the white drift, we stoppedon a ridge-top to let a vagrant breezefan us, and to enjoy a big drink fromthe canteen . "I 'm beginning to thinkwe're chasing a mirage," said Niles.

Though only mid-morning, i t waswarm, especially in the gullies. Shortsmight have been more comfortablethan our long marine pants , but thetrail was not well-cleared of cactus,and, too, keeping the body covered isa matter of water economy in unfa-miliar country. Des ert air draws offbody moisture more slowly when one

is covered.There is a scarcity of good land-

ma rks in this country. Maps withtopographic detail are non-existent. Alost hiker is in serious trouble here,for he is not likely to find either wateror human habitation within the space-time he can survive without it. In sucha situation, keeping the body coveredcan spell the difference between life

and death.Across the Mesas

We walked across a big mesa honey-combed with rodent holes. A secondmesa supported a good stand of oco-tillos with wands flaunting red flowerbann ers. Small volcanic pebbles, setin a close wind-polished mosaic, madepatches of pavement here and thereon the mesa. Off to the right we lookeddown into a craterlike sink lined withcreamy-buff pumice dust.

We had hiked about four miles andwere coming in line with the landmark

pea k. Six or seven miles farther in-land lay the ruins of Mission Santa

ToffLAP&Z

Maria, the last project of the JesuitFathers in Baja California. Begun in1767, less than a year before the Jes-uits were expelled from the NewWorld, it was never completed.

Was it possible that this desolatearea could ever have supported enoughIndians to build a mission? History

records that about 300 of them livedat Santa Maria; some brought therefrom other locations.

On a beach 35 miles north of Bahiade San Luis Gonzaga we had foundshards of rough brown pottery mixedwith shells and obsidian chips similarto that which the Cahuilla Indians ofour Colorado Desert once made. Thegulf afforded an abundant supply offish food, a nd shore birds and eggs.Such a moist diet might also take care,to some extent, of the body's waterneeds. We understood why the Indi-ans often protested against beingmoved inland.

Father Baegert, an Alsatian Jesuit,characterized the Indians of Baja as"stupid, dull, coarse, dirty, insolent,ungrateful, lazy liars, slothful in theextreme." Scientists have found thatdehydration can make a man ineffici-ent, uncooperative and low in morale,and these Indians probably neverknew what it was to maintain in theirbodies a satisfactory water balancefor any length of time.

Mission Santa Maria is more easilyapproached from the main peninsularroad between El Rosario and LagunaChap ala. At Santa Ynez an old trailtakes off east into the mou ntai ns. Sixhours by muleback is a tiny spring ofgood water near a grove of native fanpalms below which lie the roofless re-mains of a chapel and out-buildings,and the remnants of an irrigation ditch.

We passed our landmark, the peak,rounded a bend in the canyon bottom,and there it was—the snout, a whitedripping wall!

"Of course!" said my husband, "amineral spring!"

Mineral SpringWater was trickling over fresh de-

posits of snow-white salt into smallpools . Even at close range the sceneresembled a glacier — a river of icefilling the canyon bottom. But, abovethe initial pools all was dry and crisp.We walked up the rough terraces forhalf a mile to where the canyon flooragain took on the red-brown coloringof the surrounding terrain. At itswidest point, the salt deposit was 300feet. Across intervening ridges andwashes sparkled the blue waters of the

gulf—four miles east and 1000 feetbelow.

We ate lunch under a stunted ele-phant tree, the only vegetation thathad taken root in the salty crust. Oco -tillo, those hardy adventurers among



the desert plants which we had oftenseen crowding the edges of other Bajasalt flats, here kept their distance onthe red-brown slopes well above themineral deposits.

On our way down we sampled thewater in the largest of the crystal-clearpools. It was warm, and tasted likeepsom salts, indicating the presenceof a generous amount of magnesium.

Below the snout, sheets of travertine—layered rock built up from mineraldeposited by water — lay scatteredalong the wash.

The winding wash was joined byside washes, then gradually widened,straightened out, and headed for thegulf. It contained more moisture thanother washes we had seen that day,for in it lupines grew tall among sage,saltbushes and smoke trees. The airwas alive with doves, sparrows, dragon-flies, butterflies and bees. It wouldhave been a pleasure to have followed

the wash all the way to the gulf, butthat would have taken us too far southof camp. So we cut left over the ridges,

f i t

il

,:SV»f;

:

When they reached the ravine they found water trickling over snow-white flakes.

and when we got back to camp we had

hiked a total distance of 10 miles thatday.

The gulf road pavement ends at San

H a u l R o c kof Death Valley

Skotty

" Y e p , we have rain here some-

times," Hard Rock Shorty wastelling the dude who had stoppedat Inferno store to repair a tireon his Model T Ford. "Onlytrouble is, it all comes at onct—maybe you've heerd about themcloudbursts.

"Had one of 'em 27 years ago.Me and Pisgah Bill wuz workin'that claim o' his'n up in Eight-ball crick. Tunnel goes rightinto the side o' the wall o' thecanyon. We wuz follerin' a littleseam o' quartz that showed some

gold."Wuz rainin' outside but me

an' Bill didn't think much aboutit 'til our burro, standin' in thelittle cave at the mouth o' thetunnel began to snort. Then weheerd a roarin' noise 'way upthe wash.

"We knew what that wuz.'Cloudburst,' yelled Bill as heran to the tunnel entrance. 'Sixfeet o' water rollin' down thewash,' he shouted back.

"There wuzn't time to git out.

Looked as if me an' Bill'd bedrowned like rats in a hole. ButBill's got a lotta brains an he

started usin' 'em right now. Wehad a couple wagon-loads o' thatquick-settin' cement stored in-side the entrance to the tunnel.

" 'Bring them sacks o' cementout here,' Bill yelled. So Istarted packin' cement bags tohim an' began dumpin 'em acrossthe entrance, jest outside o' wherethe burro wuz standin'.

"That burro knew what wasgoin' on, and as fast as I throwedthem bags on the floor the burroplanted hisself there and started

kickin' out to Bill. Stuff hard-ened as fast as Bill dumped it onthe wall he wuz buildin'.

"Yessir, we worked two hourslike that, jest keeping about threeinches above that risin' water.The last cement sack sealed 'ertight, an' there we wuz in thetunnel with 20 feet o' watergoin' down the wash outside.

"But before long that waterstarted fallin' agin, and if Bill an'me hadn't had a case o' beansinside that tunnel we'd a starved

to death before we could picka hole in that wall and let us andthe burro outta there."

Felipe, 125 miles below Mexicali. A

jeep road continues south along thecoast 100 miles to Bahia de San Luis

Gonzaga. The 20 miles of road south

of San Felipe, leading to a sulfur mine,

has stretches of deep sand. Puertecitos,

35 miles below the mine, contains astore and a few cabins. Sometimes gasis available here at 40 cents a gallon

—but the supply is not dependable.

We carried 10 extra gallons on this

trip. There are a few boats for rent

at Puertecitos, but you must bring

your own motor. Though this is es-sentially a jeep road, we saw several

standard cars as far south as a covea few miles below Puertecitos.

South of this cove the road climbsover mountain ridges. The trail hereis rough, with several 20 percentgrades, out-sloping ledges and highcenters. It is a long way from towingservices, repair shops and spare partsstores. Vehicles unable to return un-der their own power usually are aban-doned.

There is no permanent establishment

at Gonzaga Bay. It still belongs to theblue herons, curlews, pelicans, gulls

and plovers which follow the tides outover the volcanic reefs to feast onsnails, clams, octopus eggs and live

sponges.

The 100 miles between San Felipe

and Bahia Gonzaga is a good day's

drive. Puertecitos and various other

beaches along the way provide delight-

ful campsites.

We found shelter over our sleeping

bags unnecessary in April. Easter andThanksgiving probably are the most

dependable seasons during which to

make this trip. June through Octoberare the hot and also the stormy months

on the gulf, when the dreaded chubas-

cos occur.—END

J ANUAR Y, 1959 11



Foss i l Insects f rom the M o j a v e

By RUTH A . KIRKBY

Photom icrograph of rare jossil thrip.Actual specimen measures .0018 in.

7HE FIRST blush of morning was

lighting a dark winter sky whenmy husband Sam and I left our

Riverside, California, home. Our des-tination was a remote sector of th eMojave Desert northeast of Barstowwhere paleontologists in recent yearshave discovered an amazing depositof fossilized prehistoric insects.

I learned about this field from Uni-versity of California geologists whohad done previous work there. Eachof the many trips we have made intothis area yielded new information andproduced new mysteries bearing onthe creation and evolution of life onthis planet.

The sun was bright as we movedthrough a narrow pass over a roughand winding desert road to our desti-nation, an area where the sedimentaryrocks of an ancient lake have beenuplifted to form a broken mass of hills,

warped strata, plunging folds and faults— a terrain eroded into badlands. Inthe process of uplift, the earth's crusthas been folded and twisted into weird

A b ou t th e au th or-Ruth A. K irkby is Consultant

on Geology for the Riverside,C a l i f o r n i a , M u n i c i p a l M u -seum . More specifically sheis a specialist in paleobotanycurrently doing research withplant fossils for future publica-

tion. She has lectured through-out the country on geology,and when out on the lecturingcircuit never misses an oppor-tunity to take side trips intopromising geologic areas.



It is here that paleontolo-

containing the well - preserved

Insects constitute 90 percent of all

fossil study. Geologicallypeaking, we are living in the Age ofnsects.

Man—even with his superior intel-igence—has been unable to conquerhese diminutive creatures. So fan-astic is their birthrate, they quickly

develop immunities to our most effec-tive insecticides. We are constantlychallenged to control vast hordes ofinsects that plague our daily lives.

While many insects are beneficialand necessary as plant pollinators,harmful ones cause every farmer inthe world to grow one acre's cropsout of 10 for insects.

The Battle of Bataan was not lostbecause of superior enemy forces, butbecause our boys were attacked by asmall malarial mosquito. Rep orts of

insects interfering with aircraft at the5000 foot level have come from sev-eral Western states. And what gar-dener has not had trouble with thesepests?

Insects have existed on our planetfor many millions of years, adaptingthemselves to all conditions imagin-able. They live in the coldest and thehottest climates, and they fly, swim,crawl and burrow.

Earliest evidence of insects is foundin rocks from Devonian times, approx-imately 300 million years ago. These

fossils are of an extremely primitivetype of insect. Th e perio d followingwas the Carboniferous, when worldclimate, as revealed by fossils, waslush and tropical. Insects were giantin size, some dragonfly types foundmeasuring a record 29 inches across.However, the next period, the Per-mian, was a cold glaciated time, whenha rsh c li mat ic co nd i t i on s cau sedchanges in many life forms.

Fossil insects were not again com-mon until the flowering plants or an-giosperms began to develop. Frommy own collecting experience at num-

erous localities, rarely are insect fos-sils found where there is no evidenceof flowering plant fossils.

Fossils as carbon impressions on

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9

I 'r^Mjfd*.

: J f ****• •l' • • • •••

fine grained shales are the most com-mo n. Insects in amb er, fossils of in-sect foot impressions on fine grained

sandstone, borings in fossilized woods,and preservations in tar, peat and bogdeposits all have been found . Insectsfrozen in ice are another form of fos-silization. An u nusu al type of insectfossil is that found in onyx marble.

But, the rarest type of insect fossils,in the best state of preservation, arethe specimens found in little nodulesfrom the Mojave Desert deposits.

These fossils are three-dimensional,not pressed flat as in an impression,and details of form and structure arelifelike. Insects appe ar to be the dom -

inant form of life found in the Bar-stow deposits, and an intensive studyis being made of these important crea-tures by my fellow scientists and I.

In some of these nodules are themost phenomenal fossils ever recov-ered from the treasure house of theearth's sediments. Fossils so perfectly

Varishaped nodules contain a wealthof fossils, but secret of their for-mation remains a mystery to science.

Author checks float in fossil area.

preserved in silica that even the most

minute details are discernible; rareforms that have seldom been found inany area of the earth . Fossil insectswith internal organs clearly visible,fossil hairs, eggs with embryos, com-pound eyes with many facets, algaerevealing cellular structure or delicategauzy wings—all preserved in minerals.

The dusty desert hillsides in theBarstow formation are of Miocenetimes, deposited between 10 to 30million years ago, and containing col-orful sediments eroding into raw bar-ren hills. They are devoid of vegeta-tion except for the most tenacious des-

ert plants. From several of these lo-cales Sam and I collected small noduleson the morning of our last trip intothis area.

It was necessary in some places torecover specimens the hard way—byusing a heavy pidc to break away thematrices in which the nodules are de-posited. These stone balls, from aquarter inch to over two inches indiameter, occur in a wide variety of



shapes: round, oval, flat and oblong.We even found some that resembledlittle derby hats.

After digging for several hours inone of the layers of sediments in whichthe nodules are deposited, we hadabout a quart and a half of these odd-shaped stone balls in our pack sack.

Ventilation is poor at the diggings andthe odor from the petroliferous lime-stone is strong. Nodule collecting ishard work.

Just before lunch, Sam found astrange-looking nodule which resem-bled bread dough rolled around a twig.Upon closer examination we discov-ered the segmented form of a dragon-fly nestled in the depression. It wasa thrilling discovery —• and we werehumble after realizing that we were thefirst humans to view this ancient crea-ture.

We tried to envision this land as itwas millions of years ago when ourdragonfly was alive. A lake covereda wide portion of the area. Greenshoreline plants swayed above thewater, palms fringed the bays. Primi-tive camels and horses came to theshore for water, insects swiftly skim-

med across the watery mirror, cocoonsrocked to and fro from green stems onwhich they were fastened, and littlewater creatures were in their naturalhabitat. In some places along theshoreline, ripple marks formed aswater subsided and left the record ofthe waves—marks that are still visible

today.

At some time during this happyscene, a phenomenon occurred thatcaused the various forms of life in andaround the lake to be fossilized insilica—preserved in the most perfect

In some locations Sam Kirkby must use heavy pick to free nodules from matrix.

details. Another occurrence may have

caused the formation of the nodules

containing these fossil treasures. Ge-

ologists differ in their studied opinions

and educated guesses as to what these

phenomena might have been.

Evidence of this life is hidden in

the nodules until etching with acidreveals it to the scientist. Only in thisway can the delicate fossils be recov-ered so perfectly.

Many questions remain to be an-swered about this wonderful occur-rence. What formed the petroleum?Did the organic residue go out into

petroleum as petrification took place?Why are the nodules weathered whenfound in matrix? Did erosive forcesweather them from their original de-posit and later bury them in new sedi-ments? Why are the fossils preservedin various minerals? Does this indi-cate several occurrences?

Allan Bassett of the U.S. GeologicalSurvey is credited with starting thisnew trend in fossil collecting. He senttwo nodules from the Barstow forma-tion to Dr. Allison Palmer in Washing-ton, D. C , in 1954. Dr. Palmer re-covered a partly revealed dragonflyfrom one of the nodules. Meanwhile,another member of the Geological Sur-vey, K. E. Lohman, discovered insectfossils in some of the Barstow nodules.

Dr. Palmer published his findings

from this site in 1957 in a GeologicalSurvey paper. Dr. W. Dwight Pierce,

Los Angeles paleo - entomologist also

has done extensive research here. Dr.

Pierce published the first of a series

of papers on this subject in the Bul-

letin of the Southern California Acad-

emy of Sciences, Vol. 57-1958. My

research and study during the past five

years are providing material for a

paper that I am currently preparing.

At home, an assortment of bottleshold our nodules while formic acid

begins the work of dissolving the mat-rix from the microscopic silica fossils.Some nodules yield a great many spe-cimens, others only a few.

It is exciting to see the compoundeyes of an insect—glassy, silicious,gleaming back through the eyepiece ofthe microscope. The eyes of a crea-ture that lived so long ago are pre-

served in fine detail. The delicate ap-pendages with hairs and protuber-ances on the segmented exoskeleton,the mandibles of a crustacean or thedelicate membranous balloonlike wingsof a fly are replaced in crystal clearsilica.

Yes, this is scientific wonderment!This is real discovery from our desertregions that offers a thrill to the ex-plorer .—END



T E N D E R F O O T C R U I S E. . . O N T H E V E R D E

Two society reporters, a San Francisco artist—and one lone white collar m a n ! What this strangecrew lacked in experience it made up in enthusiasmfor the three-week "cruise" down the Verde Riverin Arizona. In their tenderfoot tale there are la ug hs— and serious lessons for the boating fraternity.

o .

By MARGO GERKE

T TAKES MORE than enthusiasmto make a seasoned camper outof a tenderfoot. I learned this

the hard way seven years ago, on myfirst camping trip.

Just out of college, I had beenworking for a year as a society re-porter on the Pasadena Star-News. Ihad been lucky to land a job on adaily newspaper, but the society desklacked the thrills of deadlines andscoops which my youth had attachedto journalism. As an escape from thefrilly adjectives of women's club newsand endless wedding stories, PeggyPowell, assistant society editor, and Ideveloped a burning interest in camp-ing and the outdoors.

Peg had read of a rubber raft trip

down the Yerde River in Arizona. Sherecalled some of the article's vivid de-scriptions of this "mischievous river. . . roar ing over rapid s, splashingthrough shallows . . . bursting forthin a gay spurt of foam and spray."What a perfect breather such a tripwould be, Peg and I agreed, before

mg-

the annual flood of June brides inun-dated our desks.

Jt was a job to convince Peg's prac-tical and sensible husband, Johnny,that this was how he should spend his

three-week vacation that year. Lesspressure was necessary to enlist MaryFlehr Schroter, my college roommateand then an artist in San Francisco,as fourth mem ber of the crew. Wearranged vacations for the middle ofMay.

A map of Arizona placed the Verdealmost exactly in the center of thestate, a river gathering life from count-less streams which flow into its valleyfrom side-canyon, creek bed and highplateau. There were Indian relics tohunt, shore-side mineral beds to ex-

plore, still pools to fish. We evenfostered visions of rich uranium strikes,or a stumbled-on lost gold mine.

We had three mon ths to plan. Peg,Johnny and I met almost every night.Mary added letters of encouragementand advice.

It was decided early that two seven-ma n life rafts (each as large as adouble bed) were needed to transportour quartet and three weeks' geardownriver. W e bough t the rafts atArmy surplus, painted their yellowsides appropriately green, added bail-

ing buckets and oars, tire pumps,emergency patches and Mae West lifejackets, the kind instantly inflated witha whoosh of CO2.

We took the boats to Salton Seaone weekend for a trial run. We triedto imagine the fierce rigors of riverrapids as we repeated rowing andbailing drills on the sea's placid calm.The craft were seaworthy and, if notreadily maneuverable, at least depend-able.

Menus were planned, marked andseparately packaged for each day of

the trip. The word "portage" was notyet included in our vocabulary, andPeg and I blithely bundled cannedfruit and beans and heavy tins of meat

"Our outfits were, we thought at thetime, both charming and practical."

and Boston brown bread. WhenJohnny viewed the food pile one eve-ning—18 days' fare spread in chrono-logical order across the living roomfloor—our pride was so obvious thathe didn't have the heart to criticizesuch efficient preparations, just be-cause of a little extra weight.

Forewarned of inevitable river dunk-ings, we carefully removed all paperlabels and painted coded descriptionsof contents with fingernail polish onthe naked tins. We rehearsed the dif-ference between "BBB" (Boston bakedbeans) and "BBrBr" (Boston brownbread) , and cataloged everything intriplicate.

Our long lists were constantly ed-ited. Packing preparations in everydepartment were thorough and, wethought, marvelously efficient.

There were sleeping bags, warm

clothes for chill nights, sun helmetsand shorts for hot days, canteens andpure-water pills, cooking gear, snakebite kits, bandages, emergency K ra-

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9



tions, a Geiger counter, sketch pads,notebooks, cameras, and waterproofboxes of endless miscellanea. Every-thing was wrapped in lookalike greenplastic bags. It all fit, with just enoughleftover room for the crew. Each boatweighed what seemed like half a ton.

We girls, naturally, were preoccu-pied with clothes. The outfits we se-lected were, we thought at the time,both charming and practical. I re-member one costume of mine: whitecorduroy shorts, a cotton blouseabloom with printed flowers, velvet

daisies on my sun helmet brim—anda pair of surplus-bought paratrooperboots, size 5E (the narrowest avail-able), with heavy wool socks to stuffthe space between leather and foot.

"The exciting flight down the wrongchannel was hardly worth the push

back upstream."

The party whose trip inspired ourshad entered the river at Camp Verde,75 miles almost due north of Phoenix,and had traveled 65 miles to Horse-shoe Dam.

We planned to float about 20 milesfarther, to Bartlett Dam, a popularfishing spot where we could park oursecond car. Acknowledging "some"inexperience, we decided to add 16miles to the fore end of the journey

by launching upriver at Cottonwood.Although it would mean an extra half-day's travel, this would give us valu-able boating practice, Johnny argued,before we would hit the rapids our

predecessors mentioned their first day."And, in case we've forgotten any-

thing, we can pick it up at the storethere," he added. "We leave civiliza-tion at Camp Verde, you know. Noteven a whistle stop for 80 miles be-yond." Peg and I were smuggly silentin the knowledge we had thought ofeverything.

Early morning, May 16, 1951, webroke overnight camp at Cottonwoodand splashed our laden rafts into 14inches of Verde River water.

Ships Away!The launching was accorded all the

ceremony it deserved. A bottle of sodapop was spilled solemnly over thebow of first the Verde Venturer andthen the Verde Valiant. We werecareful not to get our feet wet as weshoved off.

Fifty yards later we met our firstobstacle—a fallen tree which bridged

the river and dangled enough branchesand vines to block passage underneath.Johnny vaulted over the side — anddisappeared under a suddenly-floatingsun helmet. Without warning the 14-inch creeklet had grown to 10-footdepth. All of us treaded water topush the boats through.

That first day was beautiful. Warmedby sunny, clear blue skies, delightedby the music of river riffles and thecalls of songbirds from tree-linedbanks, interested in the work of bea-ver engineers, we didn't complain

about the ever more frequent dam-skirting portages, and the ever longerstretches of shallows. By night's camp,it was too late to turn back.

We beached at dusk, on a widegrassy bench where a tributary creekentered the Verde. It became a color-ful camp, every bush bright withsoaked clothing and gear, spread outto dry. Boats were overturned forcomfortable beds.

We consulted the map over supper.Our Verde route occupied about 18square inches of a four-by-six-foot mapof the state of Arizona, which we kept

rolled in waxed paper and plastic inan oar-long mailing tube.

"Just Around the Corner""This must be Beaver Creek,"

Johnny decided. "Camp Verde is justaround the corner. We should spotthe bridge by noon."

It wasn't Beaver Creek, and wedidn't reach the Camp Verde bridgeuntil three days later.

For four days—four of the mostexhausting days I have ever lived—wepushed, pulled, coaxed and cajoledour braised-bottom boats a total of

16 miles.With all our planning, our lists, our

pure-water pills and bailing drills, stillone thing was lacking. Water! Blindedby visions of "roaring rapids" and



"swirl ing pools," we hadn't thought tocheck water tables or run-off reports.

For 10 hours the second day, ex-pecting the Camp Verde bridge aroundevery ben d, we scrape d along. Catfishsunbathed at our feet, their dry backshumped above the shallows. An oc-casional water snake splashed under ahull.

The V erde was full of whimsy. At

one minute she wound narrowlythrough tangles of overhanging branch-es, then almost disappeared in rock-strewn shallows, then slyly redeepenedto dunk the boatsman who leaped offastern "to push."

A Weary DietLunch stops every other hour ra-

tionalized rest with food — and in-creased at faster rate our boredomwith "BB rBr" and canned frui t. Wewere too weary to wonder what thethree ranch hands who fished from ashady bank thought of the apparition

we presented as we dragged our partyinto view. We stumbled through twoportage hauls, unloading heavy packsand carrying first them, and then thenear-empty but still staggering raftsaround river blockades.

My ill-fitting boots long since re-moved, my feet were painfully sun-burned, and every step was torture.

Camp was made by flashlight, fourwilted river rats going through thebarest motions necessary for dinnerand bed. Even coffee failed to perkus up enough for conversation. Th epure-water pills were guaranteed to

make drinking water safe, but they

also added an intolerable iodine flavor.Tired as he was, Johnny hiked byflashlight up a tributary stream andbrought back a canteen of spring waterfor breakfast.

That night, without compunction,we jettiso ned the life jack ets. '_•-

Breakfast next morning was the bestof the trip, with spring water coffeeand French toast fried in slathers of

pure butter we feared would spoil inthe heat. Already rotten were sevenavocados I had picked from my fam-ily's trees and coyly stored in a largetin which gathered enough moistureto develop a mou ld. I had hoped th ata surprise fresh avocado salad wouldso delight my portage-partners thatthey would not criticize the addedweight.

We weren't far a-sail on the thirdday when an annoying doubt beganto undermine our confidence.

"Are you sure this is the Verde,

M ary?" I asked."I'm not even sure it's a river," shehumphed in reply.

The thought was unsettling. Wehad assumed, since the highwaycrossed the river at Camp Verde, thatthere had to be a bridge. I stoppedpulling for a minute and measuredthe river again. I could have drivenacross in my Ford, without gettingthe hub caps wet.

The idea plagued us all day until,

"Totally exhausted, we tugged the

boats along, stopping every 100yards to rest."

suddenly, in late afternoon, our Verdewas a river, a swift-pulling demonswirling down the narrows and goinglike the wind. We pulled in oars an d,heads ducked, navigated by pushingaway from thick overreaching branch-es .

This was river-running! We shotpast cottonwood trees, reedy marshes,deadwood tangles and beneath a fallen

tree trunk bridge. The Valiant bouncedover a submerged mat of twigs, spunthrough a miniature Charybdis, spedon.

It was too good to be true. Sudden-ly skeptical, we agreed reconnaissancewas in order. Wh en a foot bridgehove into view, each grabbed a beamand pulled to a stop . M ary tied fast,then climbed up to look.

Farm Fields

Beyond the dark tangle of bushesand boughs, flat farm fields stretchedfar as the eye could see.

Our "river" had forked into an ir-rigation canal!Back we plodded in waist-high

water, silt to our knees, dragging ourboat upstream against the current itfought to follow. A n exciting tripdown three-quarters of a mile washardly worth the struggle back . Fo r-tunately, the Verde Valiant's sisterraft had decided to make camp at thecanal's mo uth. Peg and Johnny hadsupper ready and coffee on.

The fourth day dawned too early.Irrigated fields meant a difficult port-age first thing. Alread y tired at 8 a.m.,we somehow blundered around a

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9 17



rancher's dam, and set to pullingagain. It was hot and beautiful—hotenough and beautiful enough to coaxus into cool shade to rest under thepretext of admiring Nature 's VerdeValley wonders. River bank foliage,clouds and sky, even the perverselyshallow water with its glints and re-flections, were magnificent.

vScratched, peeling and punctured bythe abrasion of thousands of rocks and

roots, the freshly-patched Verde Vali-an t was still leaking badly when werounded a bend shortly after noon onthe fourth day. There before usloomed the Camp Verde bridge, itsdark steel stretching like a cat's cradlefrom shore to shore. No long-soughtGolden City looked better to Coronadothan this latticed silhouette did to us.

In a way, we hated to quit our

Verde adventure. But there was no

mt m Jfc • The old desert rat who writes the Quiz

U f i S f i l l 111 11 IZ ques t

i°n s tor

Desert Magazine says this• P V w V I & " * " • month's list is a little harder than usual. Butthey can't send you to jail for missing a few of them. They cover a widerange of subjects—history, geography, minerals, botany, travel, and thegeneral lore of the desert. Ten to 12 is a fair score, 13 to 15 is good, 16 to18 excellent, and only an honest-to-goodness egghead would do better than18. The answers are on page 27.

1—An India n metate was used for—Killing game Storing foodGrinding seeds or grain Catching rain water

2—Hogan is a Navajo word translated as—Dwelling house Vil-l age Medic ineman Food

3—The mature berries of the juniper tree are — Black Blue-gray Re d Green

4—According to legend the lost Breyfogle mine is located in—Supersti-t ion Mountains of Arizo na Sou thern Utah__ .__ San DiegoCou nty, California... Dea th Valley region

5—Coolidge dam impounds the water of the— Salt River GilaRiver Am argosa River Bill Williams River

6—The shore line of Lake Mead lies in two states—California andNev ada Arizon a and Nev ada California and ArizonaUtah and Nevada

7—The notorious outlaw Billy theKid was killed by—Wyatt EarpApache Indians Pat Garret t Accident

8—Western Gecko is the name of a—Lizard Bird RodentSnake9—Coronado Highway crosses over the—Chuckawalla Mountains

Wasatch Mou ntains White Mou ntains Gila Range10—Most important crop raised by the Hopi Indians is—Corn Cot-

ton Wheat Tobacco11—Lieut . Ives is known in history as theofficer who—Brought the first

camel caravan across the Southw est desert Signed a treaty ofpeace with the Navajos __ First explored the lower Colorado Riverby bo at Surveyed the first transcontinental railroad

12— The ghost mining camp ofSkidoo isin—Nevada CaliforniaArizona Utah

13—Going eas t on U. S. Highway 80, Pacific time changes to Mountaint ime at—Y uma Tucson Gila Bend El Centro

14—Brigham Young brought his Mormon set t lers to Utah primarily to—-Fin d mo re fertile farm lands Seek gold Gain freedom toworship as they pleased Acq uire a federal land grant

15—One of the following minerals is associated with copper — Feld-spar Malachite Hematite Fluorite

16—The Montezuma Cast le ruins in Arizona areprotected by-—NationalPar k Service Forestry Service men Arizona state po-lice Private guards

17—The historic old Lee's Ferry was on the — Colorado RiverGreen River San Juan River Gila River

18—The Pueblo of the Taos Indians is in—California UtahArizona New Mexico

19—Harry Goulding is a—Guide at Grand Canyon National ParkBoatman on the Colorado River Trader in Monument Val-ley Park Superintendent at Zion National Park

20—Going north through Arizona's scenic OakCreek Canyon the firstimportant town youwould reach is—Flagstaff Cam eronHolbrook Tub a City

choice. It was almost 80 miles to asecond exit; the boats had suffered toomuch, and the water ahead appearedneither swifter nor deeper. At ouraverage speed, it would have taken23 Vi days more to complete the tripwe had planned.

Johnny hitchhiked back to Cotton-wood for the car. It took him 45minutes to accomplish round trip the16 miles we had suffered four daysafloat.

Over the evening campfire we re-viewed themistakes wehad made .

Mistakes

Number Onemistake was: wastedspace and too much weight. Ou r phil-osophy had been to take the largestboats we could find, to allow plentyof room for all the gear we felt wasneeded. Five-man rafts would havebeen a better size, with suppliestrimmed to fit.

We should have taken dehydratedfoods, now available in meals as com-plete and ready-to-heat as those incans, and strive for more menu vari-ety.

I, especially, was vehement aboutboots. My paratrooper specials hadlooked sturdy, and they were inexpen-sive. But they hurt. And they wereheavy, and too large. Well-made, per-fectly fitting footgear is a necessity onany extended hiking trip.

Advance study of thecountry is es-sential, and a map more wieldy than

ours, and limited to pertinent areas, isrecommended. If it is to be a desertdry-land trip, study plans of water-holes and access roads; for river-run-ning, check water reports!

According to ExperienceMost important of all, greenhorn

campers must be careful not to biteoff more than they can chew, especi-ally in wilderness where help is no treadily available. Keep the first tripsshort, and extend them only as experi-ence grows, not according to enthusi-asm or the number of days your vaca-

tion time happens to run.Mary wrote down the lessons in hernotebook, and we made tentative shop-ping lists for "next t ime."

The overturned rafts deflated sadlyuntil, no longer comfortable as sofas,we opened the valves and rolled theairless forms into the car t runk.

The punishment of four arduousdownriver days had taken their toll.The rubber hulls were scratched andbattered, and almost bereft of theironce-spanking coat of emerald paint.

We, too, were battlewom and spentand, like our vessels, some of the ten-derfoot color was gone.

We left our Verde adventure a littlewiser—and considerably less green.—EN D



B a c k p a c k A d v e n t u r e inR e m o t e A s b e s t o s C a n y o n

J. Harvey Butchart followed the old map into the ruggedness ofGrand Canyon's Granite Gorge—and it paid off handsomely in theadventure and satisfaction that comes from exploring forbidding terrain.

By MELVIN HUTCHINSONMap by Norton Al len

OF old maps whichmay lead to buried treasure, lostmines or mysterious hideouts is

an exciting experience—for there isan urge to adventure in every humanbeing.

J. Harvey Butchart , Ph.D., head of

mathematics instruction at ArizonaState College at Flagstaff, is no differ-ent from others in this respect. But,having a mathematical turn of mind,he sat down and reasoned out justwhere the most likely place an inter-esting old ma p could be found. The nhe went and looked, and sure enough,there it was!

Where did Dr. Butchart look? Inthe time-mellowed files of the CountyRecorder's Office, of course. It waslogical, for here is where maps ofmining claims are usually filed whenprospectors want to legally establish

their proprietary rights.Dr. Butchart 's lead came from a

mining engineer who had done someresearch into early-day mining activi-ties in north ern Arizo na. An d he was

aided in the actual search by the good-natured cooperation of CoconinoCounty Recorder Mrs. Edna MaeThornton.

It was a hand drawn, rather crudebut quite legible map, showing a trailto some asbestos mines in the depths

of Grand Canyon on the north side ofthe Colorado River. The map hadbeen filed by five pioneer Arizonans:W. H. Ashurst, father of former U.S.Senator Henry F. Ashurst ; Jack Mar-shall; C. H. McClure; T. C. Frier; andJohn Hance, for many years pictur-esque guide of the Grand Canyontrails. Da te of filing was Janua ry 1,1 8 9 3 , two years after Coconino Coun-ty was created from Yavapai Countyby the Territorial Legislature.

Dr. Butchart studied the map care-fully. Its purpose was to locate A s-bestos Canyon at the bottom of Grand

Canyon, where the five early minershad worked their claims.

The John Hance Trail, which breaksout on the South Rim of Grand Can-yon near Moran Point, was vital to the

Ferry site below Hance Rapids.

WSii"

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9

. **fd -:^i%

Dr. J. Harvey Butchart.

prospectors' scheme. The claims inAsbestos Canyon are nearly oppositethe river terminus of the Hance Trail,and the miners planned to ferry themine ore of asbestos or other mineralsacross the Colorado River to the footof the trail.

Dr. Butchart was eager to explorethe area revealed by the map. He wasnot especially interested in the area'smining possibilities. Ha d the records

indicated precious gold or silver, Dr.Butchart probably still would havepushed the idea of gaining riches farback in his mind. His enjoymentcomes from scaling difficult cliffs —from pitting his skill and resourcesagainst the challenge of precipitousterrain. He spends most of his vaca-tion time climbing mountains and ex-ploring difficult canyons. During thecollege year he leads the Campus Hik-ing Club on regular weekend jaunts.

He wanted to see the things thosefive Arizona pioneers had viewed when

they mapped forbidding Asbestos Can-yon.Last Easter vacation, while the stu-

dent choir of his college was high up

19



• £

Asbestos workings (arrows) on the north face of Granite Gorge as seen from across

the Colorado River near the mouth of Hance Creek. The dark gorge in rightbackground is Asbestos C anyon. Photo by J. Harvey Butchart.

To SOUTH RIM *

DESERT MAGAZINE



Coconino County Recorder Mrs. Edna Mae Thornton and Dr. Butchart

examine the 65-year-old map which locates claims in Grand Canyon.

on the South Rim rehearsing for the24th Annual Grand Canyon SunriseService, Dr. Butchart was in AsbestosCanyon carefully examining the inter-esting remains of an abandoned miningcamp in the depths of Grand Canyon.

Easter vacation at the college beganon a Thursday. Early morning foundDr. Butchart striding down the KaibabTrail. On his back he carried a 26-pound pack—20 pounds of campinggear, six pounds of food. He crossedthe river on the suspension bridge,walked three tenths of a mile pastPhantom Ranch, then turned right onthe trail to Clear Creek. Beyond ClearCreek he had no trail. It was his planto drop into Asbestos Canyon fromthe north side of the river, rather thanferry across the Colorado from theHance Trail as the prospectors haddone.

Gap in Canyon Wall

That night Dr. Butchart slept in anIndian ruin under an overhanging cliff.The second night, within sight of hisgoal, he had to seek shelter from asnow storm. The next day, Saturday,

Dr. Butchart found a break in the can-yon wall formation that was not shown

on the government map he was carry-

ing. He slipped through this gap, andcast about until he found a fragment

of an old trail that led into Asbestos

Canyon.

A quite sizable mining operationhad once been carried on at that iso-lated site. There were three stone

J A N U A R Y , 1 959

dwelling ruins, about 10 by 14 feetin dimension, and various discardedutensils, including many galvanizedbuckets.

An interesting find was a compara-tively new bedroll, and some campinggear which had been brought in no

longer than a few months previously,

Dr. Butchart estimated. It is probable,he believes, this gear was left by amember of a river party.

The mining operation includedabout half a dozen shafts and two orthree indications of surface diggings.At least three shafts had been drivenhigh up the side of a cliff.

Near the mouth of Asbestos Canyonhe found a waterfall higher than

Mooney Falls in Havasu Canyonwhich is 196 feet high. "During thewet season," said Dr. Butchart, "thewaterfall must be an impressive sight."

Ferry Crossing

Saturday he went down to the Col-orado River by the miners' old trailto view the site of the ferry crossingused by the miners to transport theirore to the south side of the river.Saturday night he camped at VishnuCreek, on his way out. It took all daySunday to get from Vishnu Creek campsite to Phantom Ranch, where he

stopped overnight at the campground.Getting an early start he topped outon the South Rim Monday at 10:30a.m., and was back in his classroomon Tuesday morning.

Only a seasoned outdoorsman couldhave achieved what Dr. Butchart haddone in a little over four days in thecanyon. He had penetrated one ofthe most precipitous regions in theUnited States, much of the distancewithout trails. He had found what hesought, but more important he hadfound that now rather rare experience

in modern life—true adventure.—END

Camp ruins in Asbestos Canyon.

>• :>

•A{



TONIGHT'S DESERTBy AMY VIAU

Santa Ana, CaliforniaTonight's desert is an enchanted landAs moonlight, like bleached silver laves its

sand,Reaching the unfenced leagues once

drowned by seaAnd there's a dark blue shadow beneath

white smoke tree.Beyond a clump of cacti, stiffly-setA mountain trims the night like a silhouette.

CALL OF THE DESERTBy PAULINE M. HENDERSON

Pasadena, CaliforniaWithin me there's a yearningFor the desert's sand and sky,

The call is strong, insistent,Too compelling to deny.In dreams I hear the vagrant windThat sings the siren's song,And as I listen in the night,I know where I belong.

By TANYA SOUTH

You're dreaming of exalted height.Your Path is clear, the Way alightWith every guide post. Tak e your pick,And fear no hoax. There is no trick

Her e to misguide. Each sign you findBlazens the way in simplest speech:"Love one another, and to each

"Be kind."

WHEN THE DESERT DROPS

HER BARSBy MIRIAM R. ANDERSON

San Bernardino, CaliforniaThe elusive haunting desertWaits patiently to seeIf the venturing intruderShould share her mystery.

Isolation hides her beauty,For the one she would enthrallMust be hardy, must know silenceIs the greatest gift of all!

But then if we shall meritWind, gold sand and stars—Enchantment will await us,When the desert drops her bars.

MY DESERTBy HARRIETT FARNSWORTH

Burbank, CaliforniaGive me the desert with its double glowOf sunset at eventide,With snow-capped peaks hemming me in,A world both friendly and wide.

When the sun slips over the loshu a tipsIn a sea of rose and gold,My thoughts waft back to other landsWith memories I cherish and hold.

But give me the desert's campfire nights,Warm friendly stars overhead,And the far-off wail of the coyote's callWooing sleep to my earthy bed.

Let me keep this desert's unchangeablepeaceWhere solitude cradles the earth,And forget other scenes in far-away landsWhile unraveling its secrets find calm and

rebirth.

By DARRELL TOTTENHenderson, Nevada

There's a magic chest somewhere in the westOut of which desert colors rise

To paint at day's close, in gold-burnishedrose,

Thrilling sunsets for care-worn eyes.

Each age tries to name this chest, but I claimNames give nothing but shape or size.So I just pretend this chest is my friend;

Providing whatever I need.Each evening I may take from the sky

As much as I've earned by each deed.Knowing this I grow, in the sunset's glow,

Somewhat free from envy and greed.

DESERT STORM AT NIGHTBy BETTY ISLER

Santa Ana, California

Across dark sands the. evil-tempered stormBeats angrily upon the thunder drum,Whip-lashing at the spirits of the night.While desert creatures huddle, stark and

numb,

Bright flaming spears of jagged lightningprance

Along the mesa ridge in tribal dance.

A SPINNING WHEELAND A CRADLE

By SYLVIA REEVESTucson, Arizona

A spinning wheel and a cradleWere found on the desert sand.Their sun-bleached wood telling mutelyThe tale of a savage band.

The traveling padre was doubtful,His sight being dimmed by glare,And thought a mirage was the answer

To the pieces found lying there.

He gently placed them beside him(His burro did not complain)Then said a prayer for the ownersWho would never see them again.

By the mission wall they are lonely,A relic of conquered land—A spinning wheel and a cradleAwaiting their master's hand.

DESERT DJINNEEBy GRACE PARSONS HARMON

Desert Hot Springs, California

The desert's a brat—

And an "angel chile," too—It blows sand in your face,Or brings beauty to you!

It cares not a jotWhat thermometers say—

If you don't like the heatYou can just go away!

For it knows—well it knows—Once your shoes have held sand

You may wander the earth,But the desert's your land!

The scent of the greasewood,The meadow lark's song—

They'll be calling you backThough the journey be long!

It bewitches—enthralls—You can never get free

Once the magic is felt!Yes,

The Djinnee "jinned" me!



A.

S I « : « ' ? « ^f-aM disappearing from the Souih

sound and siiihj of the steam engine,lines have gone out of bu siness. II

page shows one of the iar.i" nim) ;•central Nevada,of Reseda, Californ

linental lines long have been convertiiter Southern Pacific R-

its steam loonmn tivpc a~w !

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9



It w as a c o m m o n sight on th ecampus: the Natural Scienceteacher and a group of his stu-dents leaving for a week endcamping trip. Far from theclassroom and close to Nature,the lessons b e c a m e deeply sig-nificant. Dr. Jaege r h as retiredfrom teaching, but once a yearhe and his former students meet

around a campfire to reminisce.

By EDMUND C. JAEGER, D.Sc.Curator of Plants

Rivers ide Munic ipa l Museum

7HR OUGHOUT MY 33 yea rs a s

a teacher of the natural sciences,I have always felt that the most

important thing I could do for mystudents was to get them to supple-ment their indoor classroom and lab-

oratory experiences with direct con-tact with Nature in the out-of-doors.I wanted them to go into the desertsand mountains where they could learnfirst hand the delights of primitive liv-ing and playing, while gleaning knowl-edge of the natural world.

And so it was common to see someof us every week end and holiday for-saking our town environments for theboundless desert, the forested moun-tains or the shores of the restless sea.

Summers usually found a group offour or five of us living like nomadsfor five or six weeks in the far-awayand strange corners of our country,Canad a and Mex ico. On three occa-sions I took some of my students tosee the charming countryside of Eng-land, Germany and other Europeannations. As the years went by I wasable to share camping experienceswith an estimated 1200 students.

In 1954, soon after my retirementfrom active classroom teaching, it oc-curred to me that it would be a mostrefreshing experience to call togetheras many as possible of these formercampm ates for a reunion. They hadscattered to many parts of the world,and the addresses of only a compara-tive few were know n. I sent invitationsto 350, asking them to join me inOctober for a "Reacquaintance Palav-er."

The lads who used to go out withme are now, for the most part, pro-fessional men —• surgeons, dentists,teachers of the biological sciences, re-search zoologists and botanists, busi-ness executives, engineers and jurists—many of them outstanding leaders intheir fields. One thing remaine d as itwas: their great love for camp life.Wh en we get together it is a real hom e-coming.

The place chosen for our camp-outwas amidst a spectacular isolated groupof large granitic rocks, piled upon one

another like giant blocks, on a broadMojave Desert creosote bush plain. Awide apron-like bajada radiating out-ward for 600 feet provided a cleanand inviting area for the many indi-vidual camps. To simplify matters,each carload of campers had been re-quested to take care of its own foodand water. In order not to disturbthe natural charm of the area by de-spoiling it of its deadwood, the menalso were asked to bring from homethe wood they needed for cooking, andan extra stick or two for the general

evening campfire.The Palaver participants began com-

ing in at mid-afternoon on Saturday,and soon 60 persons were exchanginggreetings and making new acquain-tances—their common bond being alove of the desert out-of- doo rs. Bydusk 25 small campfires were glowingin the gathering darkness, and tastysuppers were being prepared.

At seven o'clock wood was broughtin for the commo n campfire. Soonthereafter Master of Ceremonies JohnG. Gabbert, Judge of the SuperiorCourt of Riverside, California, directeda roll-call, asking the ex-students torecite memorable experiences of yester-days which occurred on desert tripswith me.

The moon was full, and after thecampfire we sauntered forth for athree-mile walk under a cloudless star-studded sky. The experience washugely enjoyed, and it left inerasablememories of the desert's nighttimecharm.

Next morning after breakfast, thegrou p assembled for a field trip. Idirected them on a round of observa-tions of the plant and animal life aswell as pointing out the unusual physi-cal features of our rocky terrain. Onthis three-hour four-mile walk therewas never a dull moment, for some-one was always turning up somethingof interest, or directing to me ques-tions of import.

Lunchtime came and shortly after-wards the early afternoon exodus forhom e. Some had yet that day to go

ON DESERT TRAILS WITH A NATURALIST

'/ A D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E

Outdoor Reunion forJaeger's Alum ni...



to places as remote as Berkeley and

Fresno.

It is gratifying to report that exceptfor many footprints left in the sand,scarcely any evidence of the presenceof the big group remained. It dem-onstrates how easily possible it is tofully utilize our wilderness areas forrecreational and educational purposes,and leave them intact and unspoiled

for others to enjoy in this and succeed-ing generations. When some of usvisited the area in December, windand rain had even erased the footprints.

The great success of this firstPalaver, or as some dubbed it, "Jae-

Edmund C. Jaeger

ger's Camp Meeting," suggested thatit be made an annual affair.

The second meeting was held in an-other scenic area of granitic rocks 20miles north of the site of the firstgathering. It was a rough mountainousenvironment we named the "Jelly-rollCountry" because of the peculiarmarkings of the numerous rocks. Hereconcentric lamina of tan-colored gran-

ite are interlaid with thinner red lay-ers, so that each rock resembles a giantbaker's jelly-roll cake. There are fewplaces in the world (one notable onebeing in the Himalayas) where similarformations are found. The Mojaveoccurrence is several square miles inextent, an intriguing place for the pho-tographer as well as the geologist.

It was during this Palaver that we

explored the giant finger-like Hercules

Needle, a stone monolith marking the

site of the great battle with the Chu-

ganosos, who were driving 4500 mules

and horses they had stolen from the

Spanish ranchos and the San Gabriel

Mission to the Santa Fe horse markets.

The third Palaver convened at thesite of the first one. The 1958 get-together was held in late Septemberin the juniper-agave area of the SantaRosa Mountains east of Pinyon Flatswith the largest representation of all,75 persons.

There were with us this time eightyoungsters ranging from seven to 12years of age, and five young men ofhigh school age—all sons of my formercampmates. They were exceedinglywell behaved and interested in the out-of-doors, and it pleases me highly thattheir fathers are bringing them up inthe old tradition of camping simply,and everywhere conserving the naturalscene. Among these fathers there isnot one who is not an active conserva-tionist.

The most applauded speaker at thecamp fire session was a boy of 12 fromCovina who recited in faultless Englishand with all the calmness, assuranceand aptitude of a trained public speak-

er, his almost fatal bout with a smallbut highly poisonous turkey fish which,in innocence, he picked up from a tidepool on the shores of the Gulf of Cali-fornia. He was made so ill that forsome days his parents despaired of hislife.

On the field trip next morning awalk of several miles took us overrough terrain where we were rewardedwith the sight of several desert bighorn.The finding of rare desert land snails,several unusual plants and birds addedmuch to the pleasure of our journey.

Already we are looking forward tonext year's Palaver. This yearly meet-ing of men of kindred souls is now awell established annual affair of un-questioned value, an autumn week endof wholesome education combinedwith meaningful recreation. Its impacton the lives of all of us, and especiallythe young participants, is most im-portant .—END

P u e b l o P o r t r a i t

P H O T O C O N T E S TYou are invited to enter desert-subject

photographs (black and wh i te , 5x7 or

larger) in Desert's monthly photo contest.

On e entry will be selected each

month, and a $10 cash prize

awarded to the photographer. All

other entries will be returned—pro-vided postage is enclosed.

For non-winning pictures accepted for

publ icat ion, $3 each wiil be paid . The

contest is open to all, and time and

place of photograph are immaterial—except that the photo must be of a

Desert Southwest subject.

Address all entries to:

PHOTO CONTEST

DESERT MAGAZINE

PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA

*-*mi

Pottery Girl of Laguna Pueblo, New

Mexico. Her richly patterned rose

and emerald shawl is an heirloom.

By JOHN L. BLACKFORD

JANUARY, 1959



T h e M a n W h o T a u g h t U s C o n t e n t m e n tHe was peculiar by mostpeople's standards. Adesert hermit who retreated

into the wilderness to f ind,through a simple existence,the inner peace and con-tentment that gave richnessto his life.

By DOROTHY ROBERTSON

MANY city dwellers, wehad an awakening need for asmall piece of unspoiled land

where the vista was still as Nature hadmade it. After months of scanning

newspaper advertisements for a desertplace, we purchased some inexpensiverailroad property—a section of landon California's Mojave Desert contain-ing within its boundaries a small por-tion of a San Bernardino Mountainspur.

While checking our boundaries, weonly found three of the corner mark-e r s . The missing monument was in arocky canyon timbered with scatteredjunipers, pinyons and small scrub, ac-cording to our map. The floor of thisgorge was a thick tangle of wild grape-

vines sprawling over great white boul-ders. Someone had gone to a greatdeal of work enlarging a natural pathalong the west face of the canyon.

"Probably someone's favorite camp-site around the bend," commented myhusband. Although we were tired andhot, we hiked to the end of the road.

To our astonishment, built into thehillside at the end of the box canyonand partly concealed by an unexpectedgrove of live oaks was a small rockcabin almost completely hidden fromview. "W e mu st be in the wrong can-

yon," my husband commented. "Themap shows no buildings."

A Rustic SettingHe knocked at the door, and when

no one appeared, we walked over tothe small wire-enclosed vegetable gar-den which also included a few fruittrees. There was something appealingabout this place: nothing fancy, justsmall and cozy and very rustic. Northof the cabin was a large circular res-ervoir 16 feet across. It was full ofclear sparkling water. We sighed en-viously as we departed.

Later when we returned to the landoffice for more information the clerkinsisted that there was "no building,no reservoir , no nothing on that sec-

tion. Yo u must have surveyed beyondthe boundary marker."

We decided the missing stake wouldturn up in time, so we went aheadwith other plans. In due course webecame the happy part-time dwellerson our own square-mile of sun-splashed desert-mountain land. Wehad found the end of our rainbow.

Some months later, a second surveyagain brought us to the little rockhouse in the box canyon. This time atall spare man was working in thegarden. He shaded his eyes uponhearing our approach, then came for-ward smiling, with outstretched hand.

"Welcome, welcome friends!" hesaid in an accented speech that wascourtly and Old W orld. "Will you

rest here awhile?"Neither young nor old looking, hissandy-gray hair, confined by a blueband, waved to his shoulders. Keenblue eyes looked out from a calmsand-brown face. His whole aspectwas that of a person who had foundpeace within himself.

His clothes were definitely individ-ualistic—a long jacket and khaki pantscut short at the knee; plain leathersandals encasing his feet. Exce pt forbeing beardless, he reminded me of aprophet of old.

Reason for the VisitWe gratefully accepted the proffered

drink of cold spring water, and thenwe introduced ourselves, and the rea-son for our presence.

"Oh , ya? Perhaps I can help you,friends," he said, then added as anafterthought: "Yust call me Louie—my Scandinavian name is too hard topronounce!"

He had lived in this canyon formany years, he told us. Often he wasgone for weeks at a time—just wander-ing, for the desert sky was the finestroof ever given to ma n. "H ave you

listened to the silence of the desert?Ya, it is wonderful for meditation andthe spirit."

Louie had not known this land hadbeen up for sale. "Such things havenever occurred to me!" he remarkedwith a surprised and naive perplexity.Then he recalled seeing a very oldcorner stake, set in the 1880 s. "Pe r-haps you will look at it, ya?"

Without hesitation, the strange manled Allan away, while I sat by thereservoir, listening to the gurglingsplash of water falling into the cisternwhich blended so musically with thesleepy fluttering of the breeze-stirredoak leaves, and the murmurous sing-ing of the pine needles.

The cabin mirrored its owner —rough and picturesque, yet enduringas a gnarled old oak. In a clearingnext to the outdoor kitchen, he hadconstructed rough trestle tables and

benches. Numerous rock and mineralsamples jostled stacks of Rosicrucianbooklets, along with the accumulationof years of outd oor living. Judging byLouie's peaceful expression, he hadfound his niche in life, however hum-b l e .

The Missing Marker

When the men returned, my hus-band's distressed expression confirmedmy unwilling suspicion. He said:"Louie thinks this place is on ourproperty."

I hoped aloud that there was some

mistake.My husband shook his head. "Th e

corner stake is marked the same wayas the other three!" I searched in mymind for something reassuring to say,but Allan rallied: "W e really had noidea—but then, a square mile is a lotof territory to us. It need make nodifference to you, sir!"

I was proud of my husband, but wedid not take Louie's iron ethics intoaccount.

"Do not distress yourselves, friends.It is not your fault. Th e simple fact

is that this property belongs to you, ya?Therefore, I am at fault — I shallmove myself away!"

To our pleas, he turned a deaf ear."You do not understand, my brother.There are forces that rule life—I mustg o . Please, do not let your hearts besore. I am a wanderer by nature.Material things mean nothing to me!Often the sky is my roof!" He smiled,flinging wide his arms to embrace theland he loved. "See? It ma tters notwhere I go, for there then, is myhome!"

It was useless. "A t least put a priceon your relinquishment," said my hus-band. "You have done all the workthat I would have had to do—built afine reservoir, piped the water . . ."

"I will think abou t it. Ya , nextweek should you come I wait for you.I tell you then. Goodbye !" The stub-born man smiled pleasantly, and sub-dued and saddened we accepted de-feat, and departed.

Next visit we found Louie sittingupon a large boulder, chin on hand,contemplating with engrossed interestthe busy morning life of a large col-ony of big blac k shiny ants. "Life istruly a marvelous thing if you buttake the time to observe the Little

• / . { : D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E



People," he said enthusiastically. "Ah,such perfection!"

Then, somewhat sheepishly, he ex-plained that he had decided to heedour offer. "It must be I am gettingold now, ya?" he said, laughing athimself. "I think one hund'ed dollar—it is not too much?" he added anx-iously. "This I will need to pay forsome land I have found nearby, and

to buy a few building materials. For

become brown and healthy. There isnothing like Nature and the desert sunto make a body hardy!"

Louie could not grasp the need forrush and hurry. "Why is it so neces-sary? Surely it is not a matter of lifeand death? I think, brother, that whenthe end of the road comes, then theyrealize too late that they have thrownaway something very precious! Ya, I

think it is better to take time to ob-

on this beautiful earth; to help God'screatures, man or beast; ah, that is aprivilege! Truly, we are here for sucha little while."

Over a decade has passed since lastwe heard those words of wisdom fromthe old recluse. More and more wehave come to realize how right Louiewas! Yes, we are here for such a little-while. When we are gone, eternity is

forever. It is folly to rush through lifeunheeding. Allan and I live each ofour precious days thankful that anunassuming man of the desert hillstook the time to open our eyes to asimple yet fundamental truth.—END

lumber I have found some railroad tiesthat will be excellent—for free!"

My husband grinned as he wrote

out a check—but we were in for an-other surprise. "Ah, no," cried Louie,"five hund'ed dollar is too much,brother! After all, this land is yourown! Ya, it is much too much." ButAllan was adamant.

As tactfully as possible we invitedLouie to continue using the gardenand the water. To our arguments, thefrustrating man merely smiled. "Thankyou, friends," he said. "Perhaps I usea little of the garden and the wateruntil I find another way."

In the months that followed we re-turned often to our desert homestead.

I always brought something for Louie—a jar or two of fruit or perhapssome preserves. He would come strid-ing up the canyon, stout staff in hand,to wish us a good day and happiness.

Although Louie was reluctant totalk about himself, he remarked oncethat he had been a seaman out ofNorway. He was one man who livedhis religion, and his concept of lifewas most intriguing. Once he remarkedthat life on the desert was the finestand most rewarding there was; especi-ally when measured against one's

peace of mind and health. "So manycome to the desert in search of health—ah, the desert way is good, for thesepoor people gain new life! Ya, they

serve and ponder the meaning of life.It is a pity people do not realize theneed for a quiet place to find spiritual

understanding."Louie showed us the small watertrough he had constructed for thedesert creatures. "Perhaps sometimewhile you are up here you will seethe wild horses. Graceful creatures—so wild and free!" He rose up inwrath, denouncing the men who cameto capture or shoot them. "There aresome who kill for no other reason thanthat they have a gun in their hands!That brother, I cannot understand! Itmust be that they have a terrible sick-ness in the head and the heart! Surelyall creatures have a right to life, for

God created all."I remember Louie's dancing eyes

and his tender voice when he spokeof the long-eared jackrabbits whichshared his vegetable garden, or thepack rat that persistently borrowed hisbelongings. "Always this fine fellowof a pack rat leaves something for mein return. Such crazy things! Bits ofsticks and stones and rubbish. Ya,that silly fellow does not know that Icannot use what he gives me!"

Louie often spoke of the simplethings in life as being the only worth-

while things one remembered in lateryears. "Peace and contentment gohand in hand, my brother. That is thekey to happiness. To enjoy each day

ARMED SERVICES TO SHAREA R I Z O N A G U N N E R Y R A N G E

Luke AFB, Ariz.—The Navy andMarine Corps will share use of thehuge 7830-square-mile southern Ari-zona Gila Bend bombing and gunneryrange with the Air Force. The agree-

ment becomes effective in April whenthe Marine Corps Auxiliary Air Sta-tion at Mojave, Calif., is transferredto Vincent AFB at Yuma.

Opening of the area to Naval usenot only will save the taxpayers money,the Navy will utilize an existing closed-to-the-public area rather than takeover additional desert land for its test-ing program.

The artificial dividing line whichpreviously separated the Gila Bendgunnery area into two halves, one usedby Luke and Williams AFB and the

other by Vincent AFB, was eliminatedby the agreement. Henceforth, theentire area will be used by the partici-pating services under the control of aloint Control Agency with headquar-ters at Luke.

In addition to the above mentionedbases, the area also will be open foruse by other Naval, Air Force andNational Guard units.

A N S W E R S TO DESERT QUIZQuestions are on page 18

1—Grinding seeds and grain.2—Dwelling house.3—Blue-gray.4—Death Valley region.5—Gila River.6—Arizona and Nevada.7—Sheriff Pat Garrett.8—Lizard.9—White Mountains of Arizona.

10—Corn.11—First explored the lower Colo-

rado by boat.12—California.13—Yuma.14—Gain freedom to worship as they

pleased.15—Malachite.16—National Park Service.17—Colorado River.

18—New Mexico.19—Trader in Monument Valley.20—Flagstaff.

JANUARY, 1959 27



D E A T H V A L L E Y H I G H S C H O O LBig City Educat ion For 15 Students

By EUGENE L. CONROTTO

The c l a s s rooms do triple duty atDeath Valley's new high school—its 15 students have facilities fora full secondary school p r o g r a m .

S H O S H O N E , t e e n a g egrandson of the late patriarchof the Death Valley Indians,

Johnny Shoshone, picked up a powersander from the orderly and well-stocked cabinet, and resumed workon his woo dshop project. Louis isstudent body president of Death Val-ley Union High School—a plant asmodern and functional as the area itserves is wild, desolate and isolated.He is one of 15 students enjoying thefacilities of this unique building, andI had interrupted his work to get hisreaction to the new school.

Louis ' reply was an ear-to-ear grin—a sentiment shared by fellow stu-dents, faculty and the townspeople ofthe oasis community of Shoshone, Cal-ifornia, the school's locale.

I was in Shoshone to learn howAtomic Age education was being car-ried out in one of the world's mostsparsely populated areas. The DVschool district embraces 2300 squaremiles (Delaware's land area is 2057

square miles) including the greater

part of the Death Valley NationalMo num ent. The land is scorched bysun in summer and chilled in winterby sand-laden winds sweeping downto the desert floor from 10,000 footpeaks . Temperatures range from 130degrees to 15 degrees.

Shoshone, population 185, is thehu b of this deser t area. It is the focalpoint of the economy, providing min-ing supplies, food, products and en-

tertainment for a population consistingof mine workers, truckers, highwaymaintenance men, pensioners, pros-pectors and a few merchants. AlthoughShoshone includes a general store,cafe, motel, bar, modem residencesand Saturday night movies, a portionof the community lives in comfortablewell-furnished cave dwellings dug intothe bluff southwest of town.

Class in home economics. Whenthis instruction period is over, thealcove's sliding panel door is low-

ered, and a new subject is taught inanother portion of the classroom.

Since over ha lf— 13 ,14 0 — of thenation's high schools have enrollmentsof less than 200, Death Valley's un-usual solution to rural America's highschool problem has far-reaching impli-cations.

Architect Robert Trask Cox of LosAngeles found the answer to the taskof creating a small school with bigschool efficiency and versatility by de-signing each classroom for triple duty.

Each of Death Valley Hi's class-rooms is six-sided with alcoves onevery other side. These three cor-ner alcoves are separated from themain body of the room by sliding pan-els covered with chalkboard and tack-bo ard . Th e panels lift into the ceilinglike garage doors.

When one of these alcoves isopened, the room is converted to aminiature theater with the open alcoveserving as a stage where attention isfocused for science instruction or lab-orato ry activity. A second alcove mayhave a cooking range and the equip-ment for the domestic science class,

;?•&

':"-'•'••-./.''.";

. ; . . . --• ••;. ' -•'••~:~y...:.k ' ' -~"~":i

8 W



and a third may be equipped withmaps , charts and globes for historyor mathematics . The students ' chairsare all movable and it is a simple mat-ter for the pupils to turn their chairsto face the alcove while the teacherslides the alcove panel and sets thestage for the instruction period.

This newly designed and efficientarrangement makes it possible to teach

a score of subjects in three classroomswith nine alcoves.

Prior to the construction of thiscomparatively small school with allthe equipment and facilities availablein much larger high schools, the Sho-shone students received their educa-tion in a rented two-bedroom home.

To provide a measure of protectionagainst the 80 and 90 mile sandstormswhich occasionally blast the Shoshonecommunity, the school plant is builtaround a sheltered patio in the formof a reversed letter J. Th e roof is ofgleaming weather-resistant aluminumwith a wide overhang.

Special Glass

To shut out the glare of a dazzlingdesert sun, the generous window spacein all classrooms is equipped with aspecial low transmission glass knownas "Lo-Tran" in the trade. This glassis quite transparent from the insidelooking out to the rugged mountainswhich partly enclose the community,but looking into the rooms from theoutside the glass appears to be so

darkly tinted as to be almost opaque.This glass is the same kind used indark glasses.

The classrooms adjoin one anotheraround the base of the reversed J.The stem of the J holds girls ' andboys' rest rooms, showers and dress-ing facilities; a playground supplyroom; administrative offices; and anurse's examination room. The cross-bar at the top of the J is a multi-useand community room, and a bad-weather gym.

Total construction cost of this school

was $207,000. The land was donatedby State Senator Charles Brown, vet-eran Shoshone businessman.

Claude D. Ellison, superintendent ofthe unified school district, escorted methrough the plant one day this winter.My host, a slow-speaking transplantedTexan, is beginning his first year atDeath Valley. He served in the Navyfrom 1942 to 1946 and in 1952 wasrecalled for six additional years ofduty.

"The things I wanted out of lifebegan crystallizing in my mind dur-ing this second hitch, for it seems thatmost of my time was spent on com-muter buses, trains and ferries between

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9

Sheltered patio and wide overhangs provide protection against wind and sun.

my New Jersey home and my Manhat-tan office," he said.

"I vowed I'd never again buck acommuter schedule. Reeta and Iwanted a school job in a small town—a quiet place. We didn't figure onfinding one so small or so quiet, but

we're highly pleased."The Ellisons and their two young

daughters live three minutes away fromthe school. There were more peoplein their New Jersey apartment build-ing than there are in Shoshone.

In addition to the high school, Elli-son's district has one-room one-teacher

Louis Shoshone is presidentof the school student body.

•;•*"

grammar schools at Shoshone; Tecopa,a dozen miles to the south; and atFurnace Creek in the great trough ofDeath Valley itself, a 130-mile round-trip from Shoshone. Two buses linkthe attendance centers at Tecopa andFurnace Creek to the high school. "It's

a long ride," Louis Shoshone told me,"but some of the Furnace Creek kidsuse this time to study, and others tosleep." Both of these activities, Claudesaid, are important for children.

Paul E. Fox, a young man who hasbeen on the DVHS faculty for the pastsix years, believes the only way accur-ately to predict school enrollment inthe district from year to year is tostudy the price of lead. The N oonDay Mine at Tecopa, the biggest leadproducer in the district, is a marginaloperation. Therefore, when the price

of lead is up and the Noon Day goesinto production, workers and theirfamilies move in. When the price oflead is low, as it is at present, the mineis closed. This explains why DVH S,built for an expected enrollment of30 , opened its doors in September toonly nine pupils. A few mon ths laterthe student body leveled off at 15.

"If the choice for filling a teachervacancy narrows down to two candi-dates of equal professional ability, thejob would go to the one with the mostschool-age children," said Claude. "A

teacher with six kids, for instance,would revolutionize the whole schoolset-up."

"Private Tutor"

Paul Fox was proud of his class-room. Fou r students were seated atdesks with heads bent over theirbooks.

"This is my geometry class," he ex-plained. "Y ou can see we have whatamounts to a private tutoring systemhere. Consider the num ber of stu-dents jammed into the average mathclass in a big city school!"

By sliding one of the blackboard-covered panels into the ceiling, Paul

|*lkexposed the chemistry lab alcove. It



was well equipped, with space enoughfor four students to carry on experi-ments at the same time.

"Chemicals have a tendency tosmell," he said. "So when we'rethrough with chemistry, we close offthe smell—and sight—of this lab."

A second alcove holds the shop,

the third a sewing room . In additionto geometry, Paul teaches algebra,general science, woodwork, math andphysics.

Paul's wife, Gladys, teaches homeeconomics, Spanish, biology, worldhistory and typing. Mo st of her workis done in the middle classroom whosealcoves include a complete kitchenwith sink, range and refrigerator forthe home economics girls; and a gen-eral science corner. When we walkedinto Mrs. Fox' room, her four historystudents were seated in this latter al-

cove behind the half-drawn partitionwatching a movie of Shakespeare'sJulius Caesar. The third alcove is aconnecting wing between Mrs. Fox'room and Mrs. Loy Tullis' room. Thiswing is the school's study hall andwell-stocked library.

The Third Room

Mrs. Tullis teaches English, speech,American history, senior problems andgirls' physical education. Her twoother alcoves contain an art room anda social studies corner filled with maps,globes and displays. With all threealcove partitions closed, and the type-writers swung out from under thetables lining two of the walls, this roombecomes a business education center.

Death Valley Hi is an ideal schoolfor college preparatory students. Arts,crafts, music and athletics must belimited, but this does not seem towork a hardship on the pupils. Thenearest high school is at Beatty, Ne-vada, 85 miles away, which explainswhy last year's athletic program con-sisted of four basketball games. But,the entire student body can be seatedin the first four rows of a school bus,and Claude plans to take the pupilson educational field trips, including afew geology outings in this area sorichly endowed with natural phenom-ena.

Death Valley school district mayonly have one high school pupil toevery 153-square-miles of its lonelyterritory, but these students attend afirst rate institution. The ir teachersare competent and dedicated, theirplant a marvel of architectural inge-nuity.

These kids are not missing anythingof significance that the outside world'slarger and more crowded schools mightpossibly be able to provide.—END

U 7 T E R STwo Wheeler Peaks . . .

Desert:

There are two correct answers to

question 15 in the November quiz ("Ifyou wanted to climb Wheeler Peakyou would go t o — " ) . In addition to13,047-foot Wheeler Peak in Nevada'sSnake Range, there is 13,151-footWheeler Peak in Taos County, NewMexico—highest point in the state.

I have ridden to the summit of NewMexico's Wheeler on horseback:, andclimbed it on foot several times . Th esummit is 13.5 air miles from Taos(my birthplace), but is not visibleuntil one is about three miles south ofTaos because the mountain is obscured

by Pueblo Peak (12,282 feet) 7.5miles northeast of Taos.

From Wheeler's summit far abovetimber line, one has a view of someof the most beautiful country in theSouthwest. To the east in the dimdistance lie the great plains, but tothe north, west and south, range afterrange of blue mountains stretch to thehorizon.

There are nearly a dozen lakes ofvarious sizes which form a circle ofgems around the base of the peak—Blue Lake, famous for secret rites of

the Taos Pueblo Indians, Water-birdLake, Horseshoe Lake, Lost Lake,Williams' Lake and several smallernameless ones.

These lakes are fed by springs andmelting snows on Wheeler, and formthe headwaters of streams which flowthrough aspen and evergreen forestsinto the Rio Grande and CanadianRivers.

If ever you want to see a corner ofGod's Country, visit the Wheeler Peakarea in Carson National Forest.

RALPH J . PHILLIPS

San Diego, Calif.

Setting the Record Straight . . .

Desert:The November "Historic Pano-

ramas" story on Jerome has put con-siderable life into the "ghosts" wholive here—all because of the appallingamount of misinformation it contains.

To put the record straight, Jerome'sofficial altitude is 5245 feet, not 5435.

It is not on Arizona State Highway 79,but on U.S. Highway 89A. The earthslide was due to a shift of the geologicformation, the Verde fault, not to anexplosion of 250 pounds (actually250,000 pounds) of dynamite. Thechief mining area was never knownas the "Black Pit"—it was the "GloryHole" until 1921 when it became the"Open Pit" or the "Big Hole." "M oremuseums than stores?" By accuratecensus there are in Jerom e: restaurants,three; bars, two ; stores, nine; museums,one!

G. E. MCMILLANHARRY F . MADERCAROLINE MARSHALLC. J . BEALESHAN S. HOLTWINIFRED S . FOSTER

Jerome, Arizona

New Mexico's Honor . • .

Desert:I am sure that I will not be the first

or only reader to write you regardingQuestion 15 in the November quiz,but I could not resist the opportunityto come to New Mexico's honor. Wealso have a Wheeler Peak in this state.

Formerly the Trunchas Peaks wereconsidered the highest in the state, butsome years ago the error was discov-

ered, and Wheeler was declared thehighest. Most road maps now indi-cate this fact.

H E L E N A N D E R S O NAlbuquerque

Birds: Man's Ally . . .

Desert:It does me good to see the editor

say something against the destructionof birds (November editorial), especi-ally the lovely wild doves.

Most people have the short-sightedattitude that birds should only eat in-sects—not deserving a few mouthfulsof grain or fruit as reward for con-suming many of the plant-destroyinginsects.

Birds are so small that the branchesof one tree will accommodate hundredsof them—and there are never enoughbirds to cope with the insects whichmultiply so fast that in a short timethere are swarms of them ready todevour all plants in sight. Only thenwill the men who shoot birds realizethe value of our feathered allies.

MINA I . LEWISHaverhill, Mass.

Rattlesnake Den . . .

Desert:I built a two-room longhouse at my

placer claims in Mint Canyon nearActo n, California. One end of thebuilding is two-feet off the ground,anchored on boulders. One night Ikept hearing a lot of soft noises fromunder the floor at the off-the-groundend of the building, and upon investi-

gating, found a den of rattlesnake s. Ikilled 50 with my rifle, and I thinkthat many more got away.

C. A. CRUZANCarlsbad, California



B O O K S o f t h e S O U T H W E S TBooks reviewed on this page are selected as being worthy of your consid-eration. They can be purchased by mail from Desert Magazine Book Shop,Palm Desert, California. Please add four percent sales tax on orders tobe sent to California. Write for complete catalog of Southwestern books.

G R A N D C A N Y O N T H R O U G HTH E EYES O F A N ATURA LIST

Grand Canyon of the ColoradoRiver in northern Arizona is manythings to many peop le. To the laymanthe 1008 square mile Grand CanyonNational Park is a delightful place forrest and recreation. To the artist andphotographer its fantastic geographyand clear air are a great natural out-door studio with an ever-changingpanorama of color and shadow.

But Grand Canyon's most impellinginterest perhaps is for the naturalistwho reads a billion years of geologicalhistory in the exposure of rock in thewalls of the great chasm, and whofinds in the plant and wildlife of thearea a fascinating revelation of themanner in which undisturbed Naturemaintains ecological balance.

The natural charm of the region hasnever been more clearly revealed forthe layman than has been done byJoseph Wood Krutch in his latest book,Grand Canyon Today and all Its Yes-terdays.

Krutch takes his readers down thebillion-year geological journey to the

bottom of the canyon, and through theSubtropical-to-Arctie life zones of theplant and animal world. The comingof civilized man has had a tragic im-pact on some aspects of wildlife in the

WHERE WERE YOU . . .

ON THE MORNINGOF THE "SHORT DAY"— 78,000 YEARS AGO?Before you call such a question absurd,

read Dr. Robert D. Stelle's fascinating accountof the birth of the FIRST and GREATEST

CIVILI ZAT ION the world has ever known.When you read this unusual book, THE

SUN RISES, will you lose all touch withreality and actually relive in memory aformer life? Will you feel a kinship withRhu Sol Ku, or Haitee, or Que Ong Linghof the Chi Yans?

Will you find yourself wondering if theauthor himself could have participated inthis early period of human history—beentrained by more advanced Elders, as well asGreat Beings from Venus and Mercury? Tomany, the now submerged Continent of Muis still a mystery.

Could the 1000 mile-long mountain rangediscovered by the U.S. Navy and the Uni-versity of California be proof of the "lostcontinent" of Polynesian legend?

THE SUN RISES is net fiction, but an infor-mative story woven about facts taken fromNature's infallible AK ASH IC RECORD. Clothbound 442 pages. Send $3.00 for your post-

paid copy of THE SUN RISES to:

L E M U R1 A N F E L LO W S H I PRAMONA 13, CALIFORNIA

area, but because of the immensity ofthe Park and the inaccessibility ofmuch of it, the damage may not beentirely irreparable.

His chapter on The Balance of Na-ture will be especially interesting tothose who would understand better theevil effects of ill-advised game laws, ofover-grazing and ruthless destructionof watershed cover. The meaning andimportance of wise conservation areemphasized.

The author is more than a natural-ist—he is a philosopher who goes be-yond the superficial observation of the

land and its physical resources to adiscussion of ultimate values—of theprofits for a few versus the enjoy-ment and spiritual values which mayaccrue to great numbers through thepreservation of park and wildernessareas.

Those who have read Krutch's Th eDesert Year, The Voice of the Desert,an d The Great Chain of Life, will findin Grand Canyon the same beautifulprose and thoughtful approach toquestions of living interest.

Published by William Sloane Asso-

ciates, New York . 276 pp . $5.

AUTH O RITATIVE WO RK F O R

NEW HOBBYISTS REPRINTED

Getting Acquainted With M inerals,a pioneer gem and mineral book writ-ten for the amateur and published in1 9 3 4 , has been reprinted in an ex-panded and rearranged edition. Newchapters have been added on radio-activity, gem cutting and specimenpreparation, and most of the original

illustrations replaced with new ones.

The early work was written by thelate George Letchworth English, notedmineralogist connected with the Ward'sNatura l Science establishment. Co -author of the revised volume is DavidE. Jensen, head of Ward's geologicaldivision.

This is a very complete and well-written book which should satisfy therequirements of the average hobbyistwho is seeking to acquire a solid foun-dation in the study of mineralogy.More than 500 minerals are described.Of particular note are the quality linedrawings and half-tones used to illus-trate this book.

Published by McGraw Hill BookCompany, New York; illustrated; in-dex; mineral identification table; 363pages; $6.95.

DESERT NATURE SCENEF O R Y O U N G R E A D E R S

A little book for the little naturalists,Wild Folk in the Desert tells in verybasic sentences of a few plants andmany animals that live in the aridstretches of southwestern United States.The book would be an ideal presentfor a fourth-grade youngster who wantsto learn som e of the fundam ental factsof desert animal life.

Written in medium-large type, using

small-fry words, the book is well illus-trated, depicting 90 plants or animals.Authors are Carroll Lane Fenton, sci-ence educator, and Evelyn Carswell, aTucson grade school science teacher.

Wild Folk jumps hither and yon incovering its desertland assignment, butthis sort of patchwork reporting prob-ably matches the active wanderings ofthe age level that will get the most outof the boo k. As a ma tter of fact,parents who read this book to youngnon-readers will probably learn someinteresting, if fragmentary, informa-

tion about our desert dwellers.Published by the John Day Co.,

New York; illustrated with line draw-ings; 128 pages; $3.50.

A N Z A / B O R R E G O D E S E R T

G UIDE BO O K

Southern California's Last Frontier

By Horace Parker

For the jeeper, camper, hiker, horse-m a n , tourist, historian, and collector.

$2.50 AT BOOKSTORES-OR $2.75 PPD. FROM

BOX 85 — BALBOA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

NEW SIXTH EDITION

A R T O F

G E M C U T T I N GBy DR. H. C. DAKE

A standard textbook ioi the amateurand commercial gem cutter since 1938

—now revised and brought up-to-dateto include the most modern techniquesused in the lapidary arts.

New edition contains: 120 illustrationsincluding many of latest gem cutting equip-ment; section on tumbling; detailed de-scription of sawing, grinding, polishing,cabochons, facet cutting, specimen finish-ing, gem identification, sphere cutting, etc.

Paper cover; 128 pages

$2.00Please add 10c for postage and handling

California residents add4 percent sales tax

Order by mail from:

DE S E R T M A G A Z I N EB O O K S H O P

PALM DESERT CALIFORNIA

JAN UA RY , 19 59 31



S O U T H W E S T N E W S B R I E F S

Kitt Peak Highway . . .Tucson—Ground survey parties are

mapping the best access route for the13-mile highway which will lead tothe observatory site atop rugged KittPeak in the Papago Indian Reservation.The National Science Foundation willpay the tr ibesmen $25,000 a year forus e ofthe 2400-acre site, sacred homeof the Papagos ' gods.

Signboard Blight . . .

Palm Springs, Calif. —There are1400 signboards along the 25-mile

resort route from Palm Springs toIndio, but the builders of only 72 ofthese signs bothered to take out re-quired building permits . Furtherm ore,estimates theCounty Planning Com-mission, 54percent of thesigns maybe inviolation ofzoning laws becausethey are not set back farenough fromthe highway. The Commission ordereda probe designed tocorrect the viola-tions.

ENJOY A DESERT VACATIONIN FAMOUS

S E A T S V A L L E YEvery vacation facility at two Fred Harveyresorts. Golf, swim, ride, bask in thewarmsun, explore this mineral-rich land. Ex-

ceptional cuisine.

F U R N A < E C R E E KL UX URI O USAMERICAN PLAN RATES

Reservoir Land . . .Flagstaff—-Land for theproposed

Marble Canyon Dam and reservoir isbeing withdrawn from public entry bythe Bureau of Reclamation. Controlof thedamsite, 45miles downstreamfrom Glen Canyon Dam, is beingsought by Arizona for purposes ofconstructing a 510,000 kilowatt ca-pacity power dam. Arizona also wantsFederal Power Commission permissionto build a 440,000 kilowatt capacityda m inBridge Canyon. The Bureauof Reclamation said itsmove towith-draw the land was not intended as op-position to Arizona's request, althoughother Federal agencies are consideringbuilding the Marble Canyon powerdam. California has filed a formalprotest against construction ofthe damby Arizona.

MODEST

EUROPEAN PLAN

For reservations or colorful brochure

contact your Travel Agent or write directFURNACE CREEK INN

P.O. BOX 55, DEATH VALLEY, CALIF.

Jn Los Angeles, phone M A d i s o n 7 - 8 O 4 8In San Francisco, EXbrook 7-2717

Fort Union Dedication . . .

Las Vegas, N.M.—Formal dedica-tion ofFort Union as anational mon-ument is scheduled for mid-June.Under construction at the sprawlingmilitary post afew miles north of LasVegas is a Visitors' Center and Mu-seum. Established at thejunction of

the northern and southern branchesofthe Santa FeTrail, Fort Union wason e of themost important militaryoutposts in theWest from 1851 to1 8 9 1 .

Cave Sought forPark . . .

Tucson—The Arizona State ParksBoard is considering plans to includeColossal Cave in thestate parks sys-tem. The cave, located inthe RinconMountains east ofTucson, is ofscenicand scientific interest, aBoard spokes-man said. The cave is onstate land

under leaseto

Pima County, which hassubleased it to aprivate operator.

Discrimination Charged . . .

Carson City, Nev.—The granting ofa license to a saloon operator to setup aCarson City bar for the exclusiveuse ofIndians was met with a chargeof discrimination by a representative

of thePyramid Lake Tribal Council,th e Carson Nevada Appeal reported.Council Secretary Dora John said shefelt that bars inCarson City indicat-ing they did notwant Indian tradeduring therecent Nevada Day Cele-bration, and thegranting of the spe-cial Indian bar license were discrimin-atory acts.

Cam per ' s Choice—KAR KAMPSets up in 5 Minutes

You'll be all set to enjoy the outdoors year'round in a KAR KAMP. It's always readyfor that spur-of-the-moment week-end vaca-tion or hunting or fishing trip.

Unrolls from" aluminum carrier on top ofcar and assembles into a completely enclosedroom TVzxlO

1^' in just 5 minutes. Rolls back

into carrier in even less time. Entire inter-ior is useable. No center poles. All corners,doors and windows are equipped with rust-proof zippers. The 8 oz. D.F. canvas utilizedis water-repellent and mildew proof. Fullsize canvas floor covering included. KARKAMP, when erected, gives you direct accessto your car and can be quickly detachedallowing car to be driven away.

Complete T/2-KW/2' room, including car-rier, only .$199.95 freight prepaid. Smallersizes also available. Order now! For furtherinformation write:

KA R K A M P MFG. | 0 U T H SANGABRIEL,ACALIF.

A few choice territories available for agents.

Sandstorm D a m a g e Lessening . . .

Thousand Palms, Calif.—The StateHighway Department reported a re-duction in windborne sand damagealong the Highway 60-70-99 express-way between Garnet andThousandPalms. Main reason forthis improve-ment was the stabilization of the con-struction scars on the hillsides north ofthe highway. The State ismaintaininga 24-hour patrol along the 10-milesection, andwhen damaging wind-

storms arise, highway signs indicatingalternate routes through thearea areuncovered.

Giant Cables Span Glen . . .

Page, Ariz.—A mile of four-inchcable, largest of itskind ever manu-factured commercially in the U.S.,now spans the Colorado River at theGlen Canyon damsite. The two singletrack cableways will be capable of de-livering 50-ton payloads of concreteevery four minutes inthe constructionof the 700-foot high dam. The cable

was fabricated inTrenton, NewJersey.First Indian Dentist . . .

Taos, N.M. — Dr.George BlueSpruce, Jr., a Pueblo Indian and theonly Indian dentist in the commis-sioned corps ofthe U.S. Public HealthService, recently took upduties at theTaos Pueblo Health Center. Dr.Spruce will serve Picuris, SanJuan,San Ildefonso and Santa Clara pueblos.

KENT FROST JEEP TRIPSInto the Famous Utah Needles Area

Junction of the Green and Colorado rivers;

Indian and Salt creeks; Davis. Lavender,Monument, Red, Dark and White canyons;Dead Horse and Grand View points; Hoven-weep and Bridges national monuments.3-fla.v or Ioniser trips for 2-fi person parties—$35 daily per person. Includes sleepinghaffs. transportation, grnide service, meals.WriteTCTTNT FROST. Monticello. Vl,,h



Land for Recreation . . .

Indio, Calif.—A move is underwayin Coachella Valley to take advantageof the Bureau of Land Management 'sstanding offer to sell public land atnominal cost to any political subdivi-sion, public agency or non-profit or-ganization which wants to develop suchacreage for recreational purpo ses. Thelaw limits to 640 acres per year theamount of land any one group canreceive. Desert Editor Randall Hen-derson proposed to the CV AdvisoryPlanning Committee that a coordin-ated effort be made by local publicorganizations to acquire desired recre-ation lands from the government, andstudies are now underway by both thePlanners and the Desert ProtectiveCouncil.

Reefs for Sal ton S e a . . .

Salton Sea, Calif. — The Wildlife

Conservation Board has allocated$3500 for the establishment of arti-ficial reefs at three locations in the345-square-mile Salton Sea. Purposeof the reefs, made from old autobodies, is to improve the sports fish-ing in the inland sea. Transp lantedcorvina are plentiful in the Saltonwaters, but they are hard to catch.Fishermen are having the best lucknear the wreckage of an old Navypiling.

USS Arizona Shrine . . .

Phoenix—-The Governor of Arizonahas named a state-wide committee toraise funds to enshrine the battleshipUSS Arizona, sunk during the 1941Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese.Chairman of the committee is JamesB . Roark, retired Navy Chief WarrantOfficer, who also heads the NationalFleet Association's USS Arizona Me-morial Committee.

Surplus Food for Navaios . . .

Window Rock, Ariz.—The Depart-ment of Public Welfare and the Nav-

ajo Tribe have reached agreement onthe distribution of surplus governmentfoodstuffs to needy Indians. The Tribehas set aside $116,000 of its funds toconstruct warehouses, and it agreed totransport the food to the reservation.Rice, corn meal, dried milk, cheeseand flour are the principal items thatwill be given to the Navajos.

B o o k M a n u s c r i p t sby cooperative publisher who offers authorsearly publication, higher royalty, nationaldistribution, and beautifully designed books.All subjects welcomed. Write, or send yourMS directly.

GREENWICH BOOK PUBLISHERS, INC.Atten. Mr. Slocum, 489 Fifth Ave., N.Y., N.Y.

Dixie State Park . . .St. George, Utah—Utah's new State

Park and Recreation Commission for-mally accepted title to 295 picturesqueacres in Snow Canyon of the RedMountains, thus creating Utah's firststate park . To be know n as DixieState Park, the tract lies northwest ofSt. George along State Highway 18.

Water Costs Rising . . .Las Cruces, N.M. — New Mexico

Senator Clinton Anderson warned theWest that it had better speed up workon its reclamation projects before thecost spirals even highe r. He cited Ele-phant Butte Dam on the Rio Grandeas an example. When built in 1912-16,the dam cost was $6,000,000. Todaythe same structure would cost sixtimes that amount. The dam's powerplant, built for $1,460,000, now wouldcost $4,490,000.

60,000 Acre Land Deal . . .Kingman, Ariz.—Forty Tucson areabusinessmen and investors purchased60,000 acres—93.5 square miles—ofland in Mohave County west of King-man . It was one of the largest realestate transactions in Arizona history.An extensive farming operation isplanned on the land.

Monument Marks Uprising . . .

Blanding, Utah—The West's "lastIndian uprising" has been marked witha monument on the east side of theBlanding LDS Chapel. It was in thisarea in 1923 that a disturbance oc-curred, which ended with the death ofthe Ute Chief, Old Posey.

For Hummingbirds OnlyNo other bird or bee can reachthe honey water in tills feeder.

It cannot drip

Nothing to rust

Easy to clean

M o r e e n ,j o y -ment than youe v e r t h o u g h tpossible.

— • —

A very heart-warming gift.

$2.95

(Sorry, no C.O.D.'s. P lease add 18c postag eanywhere in U.S.A. In Californiaalso add 12c tax.)

Designed by—

ERWIN M. BROWN

HUMMINGBIRD HEAVENDept. D

6818 Apperson St.Tujunga, California

WANT

Pork Chops on the Peaks?

Steak on Safari?

Minestrone

in the Mountains?• • * ? ? „

tSliilm itliil ^

i\ ;i|§§lii§

Y o u ' v e f o u n d i t !

K A M P - P A C KIt's the perfect concentrated food for

any kind of camping trip, hiking,

fishing or hunting. Travel with a

light pack: take K A M P - P A CK ! Best

of all, KAMP-PACK gives you 114

marvelous varieties of nutritious

foods. Complete one-day units . . .breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Separate meals in 4-man and 8-

man envelopes (a minestrone dinner

for four weighs 11 ozs.; a six-course

pork chop dinner only 10 ozs.) Also,

hot breads, meat stews, cereals, ome-

lettes, hot chocolate, juice, etc. In

KAMP-PACK neither flavor nor tex-

ture is changed in the freeze-dehy-

dration. All you do-is add water!

KAMP-PACK foods come in sturdy

water-proof Kraft envelopes, foillined, impervious to sun or rain.

Shipped from two plants and stocked

in twelve convenient warehouses.

M a i l Coupon to Nearest Plant

BERNARD FOOD INDUSTRIES, INC. Dept. DM217 N. Jefferson Ave., Chicago, Illinois1208 E. San Antonio, San Jose, California

Please send me cotnplefe information andprice list for KAMP-PACK foods.

Name ,

Add ress „___ „ . . __

City____. State

J A N U A RY , 19 5 9 33



T H E D E S E R T T R A D I N G P O S TClassified Ad rates are 12c per word, $2minimum per issue. Copy deadline forthe February issue is January 2. M ailcopy to: Trading Post, Desert Magazine,Palm Desert, California.

0 B O O K S - M A G A Z I N E S

OUT-OF-print books at lowest prices! You nameit—we f ind it ! Western Americana, desert andIndian books a specialty. Send us your w ants.No oblig ation . International Bookfinders, Box3003-D, Beverly Hil ls, California.

"GEMS & M inerals M agazine ," largest rock hobbymonthly. Field trips, "h o w " art icles, pictures,a d s . $3 year. Sample 25c. Box 687J, M entone,California.

BACK ISSUES wa nted . We wi l l pay $7.50 forNovember '37 Desert Magazines in good con-d i t ion. Also 50c for March '54, and 50c forMarch '52. Package securely and mail toDesert Magazine, Palm Desert, Calif.

GEM HUNTERS Atlas. A whole book of d etailedmaps showing gemstone locations throughoutthe Southwest. Covers: Arizo na, New Mex ico,Utah, Colo rado. This handy atlas really getsdown to "brass tacks" for the rock collector.Price $1 postpa id. Scenic Guides, Box 288,Susanvil le, California.

THE BOOK of Mineral Photographs, 118 pages,octavo, over one hundred pages of excellenti l lustrat ions of f ine minerals and rocks withdescript ions. Indexe d. $1.68 postpaid . B. M .Shaub, 159 Elm Street, Northampton, Mass.

• CO LO R SLI DES

COLOR SLIDES. R e-live your vacation trips. 3000travel Kodachromes, parks, U.S., foreign, na-ture , etc. Free list (sample 30c). Send today.Kelly D. Choda, Box 15, Palmer Lake, Colo.

• G E M S , C U T - P O L I S H E D

GENUINE TURQUOISE: Natural color, blue andbluish green, cut and polished cabochons—25carats (5 to 10 stones according to size) $3.50including tax, postpaid in U.S.A. Package 50carats (10 to 20 cabochons) $6.15 includingtax, postpaid in U.S.A. Elliott Gem & MineralShop, 235 E. Seaside Blvd., Long Beach 2, Cal.

CALIFOR NIA DESERT rocks. G em quality . Pol-

ished. Large assortment. One dollar postpa id.Pollard, Route 1, Box 12, Lakeside, California.Gem Shop and Rock Yard, 427 Laurel St.,Lakeside.

OPAL, AMETHYST, etc. 10 ringsize stones, groun dand polished ready to set, $5. Opals, deepr e d , blue, green, golden f lashing in all colorsof the rainbow, direct from the mine, 15 for$ 5 . Kendall, Sanmiguel d'Allende, Guanaju-a t o , Mex ico .

THOUSANDS OF slabs, by the square inch:W o o d , jasper, agate—20c. Aventurine (India)—20c. Obsidian (black and cinnamon)—15c.Jade (New Zealand, green)—40c. Petrif iedcoral (cream, brown)—30c. Bloodstone (India,nice spots)—25c. M inim um order $2. Please

add 10 % F ederal, California residents 4 %state tax. R efund if not satisfied. G&H Rock-hound, 3557-D 30th Street, San Diego 4, Calif.

BIG VARIETY of tumbled gemstones, petrif iedwood, amethyst, t igereye, obsidian, agates,etc. $3.50 pound, postpaid. V. Brubaker,5318 W. L-12, Lancaster, California.

BOLA AND jew elry f inding price l ist. Compareour prices before you buy. Please include 10cto cover cost of m ailing . Dealers send resale

number for wholesale l ist. The Hobby Shop,Dept. DM , P.O. Box 753, 619 No rth 10thAvenue (Hiway 30), Caldwell, Idaho.

AUSTRALIAN TUMBLED gemstones. 8 dif ferentpolished baroques, identif ied, suitable fornecklace or chain bracelet. Send $1 plus 10cpostage. Bensusan, 8615 Columbus Ave.,Sepulveda, California.

9 G E M S , M I N E R A L S - F O S S I L S

12 POUNDS of beautiful Colorado mineral speci-mens, $8 prepaid. Ask for l ist of others.Jack the Rockhound, P.O. Box 245, Carbon-dale, Colorado.

FOSSILS. 12 Different fo r $2. Other prices on

request. Will buy, sell or trade. Museum ofFossils, Clifford H. Earl, P. O. Box 188,Sedona, Arizona.

ROCK COLLECTORS— attention! For junior s, 30identif ied rocks and minerals including goldand copper, $1.10 postpaid; or, if advancedcollector, send $5.50 for package of fossils,minerals, crystals (singles and groups), gold,nodules, rocks. Identity and locality. Stampsyou send, bring more rocks! Offer good oneyear. The R ockologist, Box 181 , CathedralCity, Calif .

GEMM Y FLUORITE octahedrons . 3 pairs $1 . Eachpair a differe nt color. Gene Curtiss, 911 PineSt., Benton, Kentucky.

COLLECTION FOR sale. Fine collection of pe tri-f ied wood, polished f lats, l imb sections, roughwood, pine cones and cycads. All must go, bythe piece or the pound. Over 10 westernstates represented, many museum quality spe-cimens. Deals in person only. Bill M athew s,1001 Dolores Dr., Fullerton, Calif. LAmbert5-8465.

• G E M S , R O U G H M A T E R I A L

DINOSAUR BONE. Gem quality colorful agatized,jasperized, opalized bone 50c poun d. Alsobea utiful red lace agate $1 poun d. Postageextra. Gene Stephen, Route 2, Grand Junc tion,Colorado.

CAVE CREEK jasper $1.50 pound or 4 poundsfor $5 postpaid. Sadler, 719 E. M oreland,Phoenix, Arizona.

WE ARE mining every day. M ojave Desert agate,jasper and palm wood shipped mixed 100pounds $10.50 F.O.B. Barstow. M orton M in-erals & M ining , 21423 Highw ay 66, R.F.D. 1,Barstow, California.

TURQUOISE FOR sale. Turquoise in the roughpriced at from $5 to $50 a pound. Royal BlueMines Co., Tonopah, Nevada.

UNUSUAL. SEND $4 and you wil l receive atleast 30 inches superb a gate; M exican Lace,Utah Moss, wood, f lowline obsidian, bacon.Bonus to first 50 orders a slab of M onteCristo wood showing growth rings for about100 years. Immed iate refund if dissatisfied.Sara Scott, Agate s. 4820 Beaum ont D r., LaMesa, California.

TURQU OISE - EXCEPTIONALLY clean Ame ricanwater-worn nuggets in pure undyed naturalcolors and higrad e solids. $5 brings yourchoice postpaid 150 grams "good" or 125-g."be tter " or 100-g. "be st." Desertgems, Maca-tawa, Mich igan.

UTAH ROCKS. Petrif ied wood, dinosaur bone,beaver agate, snowflake obsidian, 50c pound.Slabs, 25c square inch. Septrian nodules, sel-enite, wh ite ony x, 15c poun d. Postage extra.Hubert 's Rock Shop, Hurricane, Utah.

PRECIOUS VIR GIN'S Veil whi te jade! Purest ofknown jades. Beautiful specimen for display,cutting or carving, $2. Old Prospector, Can-y o n , California.

OPALS AND sapphires direct from Australia.This month's best buy: Rough emeralds, finecabochon material, deep color, 2 carat to 25carat pieces. Two qualities, $15 and $45 pero z . , sent airmail. Send personal check, inter-national mo ney orde r, bank dra ft. Free 16page list of all Australian gemstones. Aus-tralian Gem Trading Co., 49 Elizabeth Street,Melbourne, Aust ra l ia .

FIRE OPAL and amethyst im porte d direc tly fro mM exico . Compare our prices. Lace and cathe-dral agate, petrif ied woods . Write for pricelist. Pecos Canyon Tra ding Post, Langtry, Tex.

• GE MS , DEALERS

ROCKS-OPPOSITE West End Air Base, agate,woods, minerals, books, local information. Nomail orders please. Ironw ood R ock Shop,Highway 60-70 west of Blythe, California.

DESERT ROCKS, wo ods , jewe lry. Residence rearof shop. R ockhounds welcome. M ile west onU.S. 66. McShan's Gem Shop and DesertMuseum. P.O. Box 22, Needles, California.

SHAMROCK ROCK Shop, 1115 La Cadena Drive,Riverside, California. Phone OVerland 6-3956.Specimens, minerals., slabs, findings, etc.

NOW OPEN-Jacumba Rock and Shell Shop,P.O. Box 34, Jacumba, California. Owners:Les and Ruth Starbuck.

VISIT GOLD Pan Rock Shop. Beautiful spherematerial, mineral specimens, choice crystals,cutt ing materials, jewelry, bob t ies, baroques,spheres, bookends, paperweights, cabochons,faceted stones, f luorescents, jewelry f indings,lapidary equipment and supplies, Navajo rugs,custom sawing—by the inch or shares. Saws,up to 30-inch diameters. John and Etta James,proprietors, 2020 North Carson Street on High-way 395 north end of town. Carson City, Nev.

• I N D I A N G O O D S

FROM OLD Comanche hunting grounds : Indianart ifacts, buffalo skulls. Mounted horns, West-ern lamps. Prices on request. Thun derbirdTrading Post, Highway 80 at Brazos River,

M il lsap, Texas.

AUTHENTIC I NDIA N jew elry, Navajo rugs, Chi-mayo blankets, squaw boots, old Indian col-lection. Closed Tuesdays. Pow-W ow IndianTrading Post, 19967 Ventura Blvd., East Wood-land Hills, Calif. Open Sundays.

THREE FINE prehistoric Indian war arrowheads$ 1 . Flint scalping knife $1. Rare f l int thunder-bird $3. All for only $4. Catalog free. Arrow-head, Glenwood, Arkansas.

FINE RESERVATION-MADE Navajo and Zuni jew-elry. Old pawn. Hundreds of f ine old bas-kets, moderately priced, in excellent condit ion.Navajo rugs, Chimayo homespuns, artifacts. Acollector's paradise! Open daily 10 to 5:30,

closed M onday s. Buffalo Trading Post, High -wa y 18, Apple V alley, California.

FASCINATING INDIAN f l int chipping! Easy,profitable. Complete kit of tools, materialsand instructions: $2. Instruction booklet only:75c. G uaranteed satisfaction . Lobo, Box 144-M D , Carlsbad, New Mexico.



SELLING 100,000 Indian relics. 100 nice ancientarrowheads $25. Grooved stone tomahawk $3.Perfect spearhead over 8 inches long $20.Indian skull $25. Ancient water bott le fromgrave $7. List free. Leer's, Gle nw ood , Ark .

e M A P S

SECTIONIZED COUNTY maps — San Bernardino$1.50; Riverside $1; Imperial, small $1, large$ 2 ; San Diego 50c; Inyo, western half $1.25,eastern half, $1.25; Kern $1.25; other Califor-nia counties $1.25 each. Nevada counties $1

each. Topographic maps of all mapped west-ern areas. Westwide Maps Co., 114 W. ThirdSt., Los Angeles, California.

9 MININGASSAYS. COMPLETE, accurate, guarante ed. High-

est quality sp ectrographic. Only $5 per sam-p l e . Reed Engineering, 620-R So. InglewoodA v e . , Ing lewood, Cal i forn ia .

© REAL ESTATE

ARE YOU interested in prospecting for minerals,or rockhun ting? Write for l i terature to UnitedProspectors, 701V2 E. Edgeware, Los Angeles,2 6 , Cal i forn ia .

ULTRAVIOLET LAMPS, equipment, accessories for

mineralogists, prospectors, hobbyists. Freeliterature. Radiant, M anufacturers, DM , Cam-bria Heights 11, New Y ork.

ATTENTION GOLD diggers! For sale two 20acre placer claims. Reasonable. Write Post-off ice Box 102, Quartzsite, Arizona.

WILL SELL or lease or traide high ly minera lizedpatented section 13, town ship 5 north , range15 east, SBB&M, Calif., about 10 miles southEssex in the Old Wom an M ts. M ining District.Carries: beryl, rare earths, molybdenite, go ld ,silver, pla tinu m. Lease $1 a year per acreplus 5% royalty apply on purchase price $15,-0 0 0 . Will trade land or propert ies equal val-u e s . Reports on minerals are available. WriteBi l l Y im, Amboy, Cal i forn ia .

DESERT INVESTMENT. $20 dow n, $15 monthbuys level 20 acre lot, on road. In NW 'ASec. 6-12N-18E, in beautiful Lanfair Valley,San Bernardino Cou nty, Califo rnia. Full price$1295. Ow ner, Dale Henion, 2086 E. Colo-rado, Pasadena, Calif.

HAVE PATENTED mines and claims for sale at$500 each, providing at the t ime of transferof deeds you grant us a lease at 10 percentroya lty. Have supersonic mi l l , lab and engi-neer ready to go. Water aplenty, well testedand reports. Wisdom, Box 558, Goldfield, Nev.

• T R A V E L , R E C R E A T I O N

1959 EUROPEAN summer Grand Tour. 61 daysin Europe, leaving Quebec June 28. Visit ingEngland, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,Germany, Holland, Austria, I taly and France.Cultural and historical points of interest. Lim-ited to 25. $1592, all expenses, from Quebec.Write for six-page brochure. Professor ErwinRuff, University of Redlands, Redlands, Calif .

ALASKA—ONCE in a l i fet ime adventure for teen-age boys and girls (separate group s). Fullysupervised, four week, 1959 summer vacationtrip from your home in California to Alaskaand return, in our bus, for $295 total. Pango ld , hike, swim, hunt rocks, practice survivalcamping, photography and archery. Limitedto 40 campers. Personal interviews required.Consideration given to parents wishing to ac-company group. Ten percent discount for twoor more campers from the same family. Res-ervations must be made soon so that insuranceand permits may be obtained. For furtherin format ion: Mr. and Mrs. M cMichael , 25438BeJoal Street, Barstow, California.

WILDERNESS TRAIL Trips - hiking and rid ing.Yearly calendar of activit ies, including trips

in California Sierra Nevada, Arizona and Mex-i c o . Family groups and inexperienced peoplecome. Outstanding for natural science inter-ests, photography and rock collectors. Wamp-ler Trail Trips, Box 45, Berkeley, California.

80 ACRES near Lockhart, level, $125 acre, 25%dow n. 20 acres Highway 395, level, north ofAdela nto, $150 acre, 10% dow n. 2V2 acres

west o f Adelanto , leve l , $1495, 10% down.2V2 acres Lancaster on paved highway, shal-low water, level, $2495, 10% do wn . Dr.Dodge, 1804 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, Calif.

FOR SALE. 2V2 acres. Mo rong o Valley . U tilitiesavailable. $50 dow n. $25 per month. Totalprice: $1850. Write: P.O. Box 115, MorongoValley, Calif .

FOR SALE-M orongo Valley Home. Lot, 100x180wit h 22 native junipers. 15'/2x23-foot living-dining area. 12V2xl5V2-foot bedroom. Excel-lent f ireplace. Cooler. Amp le storage. 9x12-foot studio suitable for extra sleeping. Rea-sonable for quick sale. Box 123, MorongoValley, or phone FOrrest 5-3615.

FOR RENT: Cozy five-room home, carport and

shop. In the mountains on new road to Bor-rego between Warners Hot Springs and Bor-rego. $55 per month . W . H. Link, 6635Mission Gorge Road, San Diego 20, California.

HOW MAN Y know ? That under the "1938 SmallTract Act" any citizen over 21 years may filefor a small tract of public domain up to 5acres. The only other requirement is to builda 20'x20' cabin in the 3 years your lease runs.You may then buy the land for a small sumgene rally $20 per acre. Filing fees, 3 yearsrental and locator's fees run $100 or less.Recently cabin requirements have been waivedin many cases. Folk's Realty Co., Brokers,Land Consultants, are offering for your inspec-tion 2V2 acre tracts near Lake Isabella, and 5acre tracts near the new California City and

Fremont Valley developments. For further in-formation write or phone H. C. Roarty, 2333Collins Ave., Oran ge. KEIlog 2-2957.

« W E ST E R N M E R C H A N D I S E

GHOST TOW N items: Sun-colored glass, amethystto royal purple; ghost railroads materials,t ickets; l imited odd items from camps of the' 6 0 s . Write yo ur interest—Box 64-D, Smith,Nevada.

• M I S C E L L A N E O U S

LADY GODIVA "The World's Finest Beautif ier."For women who wish to become beautiful,for women wh o wish to remain beautiful. Anoutstanding desert cream. For information,

write or call Lola Barnes, 963 N. Oakland,Pasadena 6, Calif., or phone SYcamore 4-2378.

BEAUTIFUL FAN Leaf Palms. $2 per year perpa lm. Write Ronald L. Johnson, Thermal, Calif .

CASH FOR hunting knives, before 1900, goodcondit ion only. M ail particulars. Lewis, 316" C " Street, San Diego, Calif.

DELICIOUS PEAR apple jelly. Made from pricklypear cactus. Highly nourishing. 65c per Vipint . Pecos Canyon Tra ding Post, Langtry , Tex.

HIGHEST CASH paid for old gold, jewelry, goldteeth, diamonds, watches, silver, rings, an-t iques. M ail art icles today. Informa tion free.Chicago Gold R efining C o., 6 E. M onroe, D ept.2 7 5 , Chicago 3.

FOR SALE: Sharps Carbine, good condit ion,found in Cave Cache, Guadalupe Mtns., NewM exico. Price $100. W . J. Blake, Route 1,Box 41-A, Carlsbad, New Mexico.

R A R E S T I N V I T A T I O N

Y O U M A Y R E C E I V E. . . to see and photograph beau-tiful, gentle and gorgeous GlenCanyon of the Colorado River.

MAY AND JUNE. 1959

• This o pportunity will nevercome again. W hy? Becauseduring the winter of 1958-59the U.S. Bureau of Reclamationwill close normal river flow

with a cofferdam at Glen Can-yon damsite. This will beginthe forming of Glen CanyonLake and back the watersabove the mouth of the SanJuan River, making a lake morethan 50 miles in length. Tha tportion of Glen Canyon willforever be buried beneath waterand dead silt.

• Come and see the final 100miles of Gentle Glen Canyonin 1959. We offer the lowestboat fares in our 21 years ofguiding on Western Rivers.

• To all of you who pay yourfull fare before December 31,

1 9 5 8 , the full fare will be $50.00.The same short-trip fares afterJanuary 1 will be $60.00.

• For 20 years we have offeredriver trips on Western Riversin U. S., Canada and Alaska—"down north" to the Arctic.Our small craft have traveledto within 1400 miles of theNorth Pole.

• To all of you who identifywith in one - half topographicmile, the camera spot of theabove photo we will give a $5credit on any boating fare. Forparticulars, write or wire:

LARABEE and ALESONWESTERN RIVER TOURS

Richfield, Utah

J A N U A RY , 19 5 9 35



Ulfand

Goldpoint , N e v a d a . . .A rich body ofgold-silver ore has

been discovered on the 800 foot levelof the Ohio Mine at Goldpoint. The10-foot vein's assays show consistentvalues up to $200 per ton. The oreis free milling. The mining companyis affiliated with United States Millingand Minerals Corporation ofSilverPeak where the Ohio Mine ore is being

processed. The 40-mile GoldpointtoSilver Peak road was reconditioned towithstand the heavy equipment mov-ing from mine to mill.

$ $ $ T H A S TJ UK $ $ $New transistor metal detectorfinds lost orhidden treasure,coins, gold, silver, jewelry , relics.Profitable hobby. Nowunderwat-er metal detector detects sunkenships, outboard motors, etc., inup to 300 feet ofsalt orfreshwater. Operates from aboat.Scint i l la t ion Counters . Ma n yother models. Free catalog.G A R D I N E R E L E CT RONICS D E P T . •>

2 5 4 5 EINDIAN SCHOOL, PHO ENIX, ARIZ.

'

Salome, Arizona . . .Plans to reopen the famed Harqua-

hala Deposit nine miles south of Sa-lome were told by Rainbow Minerals ,Inc., the Arizona corporation whichrecently took over the gold propertieson alease -purchase arrangement.A mong the famous producers involvedin the transaction were the BonanzaMine (which yielded $7,000,000 in

gold atpresent values), the GoldenEagle, Queen of For tune, Big Al, NewYorker and Jack Pot. The Harqua-hala district, first worked in 1888, wasthe scene of mining activity until theearly 1930s. At one time 4000 peoplelived here. ARainbow Mineralsspokesman said litigation—not the lackof gold—forced the mines to close. Inaddition tolarge highgrade veinsinsome ofthe mines and awealth oflowgrade, Harquahala has 290,000tons oftailings which mining menthink will yield good gold values.

H I D D E N T R E A S U R E S ?GOL D, SILVER, PRECIOUS METALS wi th trio Famous Mo del '̂ T,,I I ill ll} Hfill

27 Metal Detector. Lightweight, ultrasensitive, low /!« V̂'ll/IVlcost. None f iner . A lso GEIGER COUNTERS foruranium ^A iS,^ \Vs, *

and the VIOLITE for ungsten. INFORM ATION FREE^J?\ \%ZJ%] I

BUY jDdecbum . i^mmm s^^^fp11 jP/)/> & C/?/M

Often Copied — Never Excelled T I B * 3 1 ^ ! ^ f\VV\ f̂#l/*f

METAL DETECTORS

Battery test switch •Head phones with clear signal •Great sensitivityO n e nob control •Easiest of all to operate •Low cost operation

MORE ACCURATE, it's the first METAL DETECTOR d e s i g n e d SPE-CIFICALLY for detect ing p lacer gold , nuggets , and other smal l metal

objects. Depth ran ge 7feet—comes complete , ready to use.MODEL 27— instructions included $110.00MODEL 711— with 21 ft. d e p t h r a n g e $138.50

MINERALIGHT—Complete line for $14.95 up to $11400

Send for Complete Information

VISIT OUR NEW MINERAL DEPARTMENT, s tocked with many out-s tanding specimens , including nat ive wire s i lver f rom Honduras , S. A.

LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES—TOOLS—GEMS—JEWELRYCHEMICAL KITS. MORTARS & PESTLES—PICKS—BOOKS—ETC.

FOR THE WOOD WORKING HOBBYIST WE NOW STOCKACOMPLETE LINE OF ATLAS AND PORTER CABLE POWER TOOLS

(buy from an experienced wood worker)domfiton d\oak cSnofi

1405 S. Long Beach Blvd. 3blocks south ofOliveNEwmark 2-9096 O pe n Friday Even ings Compton, California

Window Rock, Arizona . . .The Navajo Tribal Council does

not recognize the authority of the UtahOil and Gas Conservation Commis-sion to regulate production on Indianlands, the Salt Lake Tribune learnedfrom the Council's legal staff. Asaresult, 90 percent of all production ofoil in Utah will pass from state com-mission-type regulation, toFederalregulation on basis ofadministrativereview in the Depar tment of Interior.The issue arose when the Secretary ofInterior—acting under powers that arehis to regulate oil and gas productionon Indian and Federal public domain—ordered the 327 oil wells intheUtah portion of the Reservation shutdown on grounds natural gas was be-ing flared. This was the first time in38 years that anInterior Secretaryhad acted under these powers, such

matters usually being left to state oiland gas commissions. Natural gasproduction on Navajo oil lands in NewMexico isbeing regulated bythatstate's commission—without objectionfrom the Tribe.

Austin, Nevada . .•Apex Minerals Corporation officials

said the company's new uranium mill,first in Nevada, should be inopera-tion this spring. After that, work willbe started onother prospects andmines in the area, some of which areknown to be of great value followingdiamond drill testing. The Apex cus-tom mill will handle allores fromsurrounding mines, inaddition to itsow n ore. Apex said ithad been im-possible tooperate its mine on any-thing more than adevelopment basis,or to develop the neighboring mines,because of the distance to the nearestmill—which was in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City . . .The nation's copper slump may be

over. After months offaltering de-mand and reduced output, early winter

saw the price ofcopper move toitshighest level in nearly two years . Allmajor U.S. producers have increasedtheir work weeks, partly tooffsetshortages of copper caused by strikesin this nation, Canada and Rhodesia,an d tohead offwhat some fearedwould be arunaway market, with cop-per prices skyrocketing. Kennec ottwas back to aseven-day per weekoperation, and Anaconda and Phelps-Dodge were working six days.

Comparison Mineral Specimens64 different 1" specimens, only $6.00 ppd.Send for FREE details on above offer,PLUS 64 other 1" specimens, all availableat 10 for S1.00!

California customers add 4% sales taxMINERALS UNLIMITED

1724 University Avenue. Dept. DBerkeley S. California



Hoyden. Arizona . . .

The latest additions to Kennecott 'sRay Mines Division, a new smelteran d a leach-precipitation-flotation fa-cility, recently were dedicated at Hay-den. The new smelter and l-p-f facil-ity are the principal units in Kenne-cott 's $40,000,000 expansion programat Hayden and Ray — a programspringing from an operation which

now pulls a ton of ore from theground to get 18 pounds of copper,and which anticipates a continuedlowering of the copper content of itso r e . The additions will mean a greatercopper recovery, thus allowing theArizona ore to compete with highergrade foreign ores.

Boron, California . . .

Growing demand for boron prod-ucts will cause production to doubleagain within the next 10 years. Thisis the prediction of Pacific Coast Borax

Company General Manager J. F. Cor-kill. "Stepped up research in boronchemistry plus a gradual rise in theworld standard of living may wellbring about an increased demand forboron," Corkill said. Among the newboron products are gasoline additives,brake fluid additives and boron fuelsfor jets and missiles. Future develop-ments in boron chemistry may produceultra-hard plastics and heat resistantpolymers, he added.

You'll want to keep those

M A P Swhich appear each month inDeser t M agaz ine — mapswhich will be your guide onmany del ightful excursionsinto the great desert play-ground.

Attractive loose-leaf binders em-

bossed in gold not only will

preserve the m a p s , but will be

a beautiful addition to your

ho m e book-shelf. Each binder

holds 12 copies . Easy to insert,

they open flat.

Mailed postpaid for

$2.50


Lovelock, Nevada . . .A veteran Pershing County mining

man, Kent Maher, has found threesmoky-colored diamonds in hot bluem ud of a volcanic chimney in DixieValley. The U.S. Mineral Laboratoryin San Francisco confirmed the find.The discovery was made on one ofMaher 's claims in this heavily mineral-ized area.

geles. The oil company has approxi-mately 34,000 acres under lease inCalifornia, the land extending fromthe Mexican border to the Holtville

area.

Holtville, California . • .A wildcat well is being sunk on Eas t

Mesa, 10 miles east of Holtville—anarea that many geologists believe hasa great oil development potential.Drilling the well for the Border Oiland Gas Corporation of Y uma is theMarine Drilling Company of Los An-

FINO BURIED TREASUREGOLD, silver, coins, jewelry,strongboxes, battle relics! M-SCOPK transistorized electronicTreasure-Metal Locators detectthem all. Used world-wide. Ex-citing! Rewarding! Guaranteed.

Lightweight, super-sensitive.From $59.50, easy terms. FREEcata log — FISHER RESEARCH

AB., INC.—Dept. I)-2, Palo Alto, Calif.

" O V E R L O O K E D F O R T U N E S "IN THERARER M INERALS

Here are a few of the 300 or more rarer

minerals and gemstones you may be over-looking while mining, prospecting or gemhunt ing. Uran ium, vanadium, co lumbium,tantalum, tungsten, nickel, cobalt, selenium,germanium, b ismuth, p la t inum, i r id ium,beryll ium, golden beryl, emeralds, etc.Some minerals worth $1 to $2 a pound ,others $25 to $100 an ounce; some beryl-l ium gems worth a fo r tune! If looking fo rgems, get out of the agate class into thebig money; an emerald the size of yourthumb may be worth $500 to $5000 ormore! Now you can learn how to f ind,ident i fy , and cash in on them. New simplesystem. Send fo r f ree copy "OverlookedFortunes"-—it may lead to knowledge whichmay make you r ich! A postcard wi l l do.

DUK E' S RESEARCH LABO RAT O RYBox 666—Dept. B

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEWMEXICO

P r o s p e c t o r s ' H e a d q u a r t e r sGEIGER COUNTERS AND SCINTILLATORS

Tlie "Sno oper" Geiger counter—model 108 $ 29.95The "Lucky Strike" Geiger counter—Model 106C 99.50The "Professional" Geiger Counter—Model 10TC 149.50The "Special Scintillator"—Model 117 299.50The "Deluxe" Scinlillator—Model 1UB 495.00

ULTRA-VIOLET MINERALIGHTSModel NH—Operates on 110 AC only 14.75Model M12—Operates on batteries only—with battery 40.65Model 8L-2537—Operates on batteries or 110 AC—without case and batteries 39.50

With No. 303 case and batter ies Sl.OOWith No. 404 case and batterie s 66.00

B O O K S"Prospec ting with a Geiger Counte r" by Wright «0"Uranium Color Photo Tone" 1.00Uranium Prospectors Hand Book" 1.00The Uranium and Fluorescen t Minerals" by H. C. Dake 2.00Popular Prospecting" by H. C. Dake 2.00Uranium, Where It Is and How to Find It" by Proc tor and Hyatt 2.50Minerals for Atomic Ene rgy" by Nininger 7.50Let's Go Prospecting" by Edward Arthur 3.50

M A P SMap and Geology (Uranium and Mineral Districts of California) 1.50Map of Kern County (New Section and Township) 1.50

Map Uranium and Minerals (The Nine Southwest States) 1.00Book and Map "Gems and Minerals of California" by McAllister 1.75Book and Map "Lost Mines and Treasures of the Southwest" 2.00

O T H E R S U P P L I E SMineral Hardness Test Set 2.25Radiassay—Uranium Test Kit 14.9SMercury—Detector Fluorescent Screen 6.75Scheelite Flnorescent Analyzer 6.00Fluorescent Mineral Set—10 Specimens—boxed 2.50Mineral Specimen Boxes (35 named Minerals) 1.50Prospectors Picks (not polished) 4.50Prospectors Picks (polished) .. .. 5.0012" Diameter Steel Gold Pan 1.8516" Diam eter Steel Gold Pan 1.70

All prices F.O.B. Los Angeles

A dd 4% Sales Tax if you live in California

Member of American Gem & Mineral Suppliers Association

A L L E N L A P I D A R Y E Q U I P M E N T C O M P A N Y3632 West Slauson Av«., Dept. D Ooen Monday evening unti l 9:00 Los Angeles, Calif.

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9 37



REPORTS FROM THE FIELDThese notes are intended as suggestions for your collecting trips. Always make localinquiry before following trails into uninhabited areas. Mail your recent informationon collecting areas (new fields, status changes, roads, etc.) that you want to sharewith other hobbyists, to "Field Reports," Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California.

Cutting Wood Near Camp . . .Calico, Calif.—Long Beach rockhounds

who made a trip to Mule Canyon earlierthis winter said they collected cutting andpolishing grade petrified wood close totheircamp. Also found were harmless taran-tula spiders. The hobbyists report firewoodwas available inTin CanCanyon, but heavyrains had closed theOnyx andOdessaCan-yon roads. Tin Can Canyon agate alsowas collected.

FUN with ROCKS and MINERALS

Ideal gift lor rockhounds, hobbyists, BoyScouts, Girl Scouts, and beginners. Get1'etro-Polish kit for grinding and polishingrocks and gem stones by hand. With Peiro-Polish you'll have "fun with rocks andminerals." Complete kit postpaid $2.00 (4.vtax in California).

HANSEX HANDICRAFTS!>!!> S. Monterey Ave., Monrovia, California

JJ ^ 5 £ 5 ? T , Assorted mixture of fineG E M S T O N E B a r o q u e s , c o n s i s t i n g of

AMKTHYST • AGATKJASPER • PETRIFIED WOOD • TIGER-EYE • APACHE TEARS. One poundcontains approximately 1(10 to 140 stones—$4.00 plus postage. Discounts to dealers.

CORONUT GEM AND JEWELRY CO.

l I 1 3 9 ' / 2W.

MAGNOLIA BLVD., NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CAL.

N E Wopen

NOTICEto all our customers—

SHOP HOURS: Open 9 a.m. to .r

until 10 p.m. on Wednesdays;

Sundays and Mondays.

21108

VALLEY ART SHOPPEDevonshire Blvd., Chatsworth,

Phone Diamond 8-4607

p.m.;closed

Calif.

W E AR EB E T T I N G 30c

TH A T yOUW i l l KE EP OUR

G I A N T 340 P A G E REFERENCE BOOK

Y e s , weare mak ing anamaz ing "SEE TAT NORISK" offerfo you. Here's how t works - Send $2.20 (which includespos tage) , for this bigbook . . .and if youw i sh to return if

WE'LL REFUND $2.50. Thebook is the outs tanding workever done in thef ie ld . .. contains 340 pages .. .3000 items— over 35 full- leng th artic les — complete inform ation on

ho w to make cjems, cutt jno, polishing inform ation , etc.

P R O F I T A B L E H O B B YJewelry mak ing and gemcut t ing of fer great oppor tuni t iestoday to make big $$. Full or pa r t t i m e . . . easy to learn-- can bedone bymen and women alike. Most gift shops,stores, service stations and Ind iv iduals areeager to buy

hand-made r ings , bracelets , eardrops, bola t ies an d dozensof other things that you canmake, Gets tar ted today , no

experience necessary —fascina ting ho bby —pr ofitab le career.

6 R IE G E R * S ' D E P T , A - 42 P A 5A DEN A 4, CAMF.

Gentlemen: Please rush your NEW340page JEWECYCLOPEDIA on

-'_10-day money back plus !5c " g

Enclosed is$2.20 [including postage).

EN -

offer. I

Hassayampa Fire Agate . . .Hassayampa, Ariz.—Will T. Scott of La

Mesa, Calif., sends these directions to afireagate locale: "Go toWintersburg or Has-sayampa; there is abladed road which goeswest to the large irrigated farms in Cen-tennial Valley. Several miles westward, thisroad cuts across the Big Inch GasLineRoad. It's a rough trail. Just south of Sad-dle Mountain, there is a wire fence. Takethe faint trail which parallels the fence andleads north. This too is a rough road. Stay

with it until youcome to a steep hill at thebottom of which there is themain washwhich drains thesouthern slopes of SaddleMt. Hunt upthis wash—there is fire agateon thehills to theeast, andbanded agateto thenorth."

A Variety of Specimens . . .Amelia Court House, Va.—W. D. Balt-

zey has reopened the Piedmont MiningCompany's Mica Mine located a mile fromthe center of this small town, reports H. P.Gavan of Norfolk. For a dollar admissioncharge, visitors cantake out any and allspecimens they find. Amazonite is plentiful,says Gavan. This material isfound inmanytypes and colors ofcrystal formations. Gar-nets, zircons, feldspar, muscovite, biotite,

some lepidolite, beryl andother specimensalso have come from themine. Topazandamethyst also have been reported at theMica Mine.

Mine Open toRockhounds . . .Knoxville, Calif.—Owner of the Manhat-

tan Mine twomiles north of Knoxville isallowing hobbyists tocollect material on hisproperty, theEast Bay Mineral Society ofOakland reports. There is noadmission feeto enter thearea, and allmaterials exceptagate-banded onyx (10c per pound) andpink agate-striped onyx (20c per pound)can betaken without charge.

They CutTheir OwnRoad . . .Death Valley, Calif.—Maude Barnesand

fellow members of theVerdugo Hills Gemand Mineral Society made a field trip toWingate Pass inthe southern Death Valleyarea. From Shoshone they followed theroad to theturnoff, butthe "Wingate Pass"sign pointed up awash which bore notraceof a road. The wash hadbeen filled withboulders brought down by recent cloud-bursts, soBarnes and hiscompanions madetheir own road. By moving rocks andshoveling off high spots and filling in thelow ones, they made 12miles infour hours.The party camped at theManganese Minecabin andfrom there made short explora-tion trips into the surrounding country.While they found much solid agate, mostof it wascolorless. Onelocation yieldedbeautiful redplume agate. Aragonite crys-tals were badly weathered.

New Minerals From A jo . . .A j o , Ariz.—Two new minerals from the

Ajo area recently were discovered: ajoiteand papagoite. Scientific papers on these

minerals have not yetbeen published. Ajo-ite is a copper aluminum silicate whichoccurs in small pale aquamarine-coloredtufts of fine radiating crystals somewhatresembling bisbeeite or even aurichalcite ingrowth, reports theTucson Gem and Min-eral Society. Papagoite is a copper calciumaluminum silicate quite different in appear-ance. The crystals aremonoclinic and oc-cu r in veins in a quartz-rich matrix. Theyare achalcanthitc-blue, notmore than 1/50inch in size, andtransparent with brilliantfaces. Ajoite makes an especially finemicromount.

Rare Beryllium Mineral . . .Winstead, N. M.—A considerable quan-

tity of helvite, one of the beryllium min-erals, is available at a location near Win-stead, the Tucson Gem and Mineral Societyreported. Helvite, a silicate of iron, man-ganese andberyllium, occurs in veins withquartz, hornblende andiron, in pegmatiteveins, and at times in gneiss.

Hill Yields GemMaterial . . .Adelanto, Calif. — Field Trip Chairman

Clifford Hanchette recently led the Mon-rovia Rockhounds to Kramer Hills, northof Adelanto, where jasper, jaspagate andopalite were collected.

A D D R E S S -

j C ITY

W 3 k -H

|i|

rf&lC /Tfc6 7»C t4i£t& i

Petrified Wood, Moss Agate, ChrysocollaTurquoise, Jade and Jasper Jewelry

H A N D M A DE INS TE RLING S ILVE R

Bracelets, Rings, Necklaces, Earringsand Brooches

S P E C IA L L Y S EL EC T E D S T O N E S W I T H

C H O I C E C O L O R S A N D PICTURE S

Write for Folder With Prices

E L L I O T T ' S G E f f l S H O P235 E ast S easide B lvd. Long B each 1, C a l i f o r n i a

Across from West End ofMunic ipalAuditor ium Grounds

nours lua.m. to y p.m. uaity except Monday



A gate in the Mesa Country . . .Glade Park, Colorado—Here is a mileage

log to an agate field south of ColoradoNational Monument supplied by Will T.Scott of La Mesa, Calif. Mile 0—the cross-road store of Glade Park. Supplies, gaso-line, postoffice, rockhound information.This location can be reached either fromFruita or Grand Junction. Take the bladedroad south which leads up to the top of themesa. Good agate specimens are foundalong the pipeline going up the hill. Mile

8.5—Windy Point, road fork, take left fork.9.1—Bad cattle guard. 10.5—F ork, keepright. 10.8— Cattle guard. 10.9—JohnsonCreek , bridge. 11.0—Cattle guard . 11.4—•Moss and banded agate all along bank rightside of road. 11.8—East Creek, much agatehere. 12.0—House on left; corral on right;agate float and veins around pens. Bytaking the right fork at Windy Point (8.5miles) and continuing on to the NationalForest boundary, another collecting field isreached. A fence line runs up the hill tothe right at the Forest boundary, and at thetop, on slopes of the hill, Scott found agate,petrified wood, small calcite roses and somegood barium crystals. This is high mesacountry where aspens and pines predom-inate. There are good public camps withwater in this vicinity.

Old Field Open—With PermissionTrona, Calif. — Colton and Hollywood

rockhounds recently made a field trip to thefamed Lead Pipe Springs collecting area,a celebrated and productive jasper-chalced-ony-agate field before the Navy made itpart of its Naval Ordnance Test Station.The hobbyists had the Navy's permissionto make the trip, and a Navy guard es-corted the 42-car caravan to the Springs.The group spent most of the time at thefield looking for geodes and fire opal, andone report was that the hunting was nottoo successful. Ca mp was made at ValleyWells by prior permission from the Ameri-can Potash and Chemical Company, which

also allowed the visitors to collect crystalson Searles Lake.

SECOND ANNUAL SEMINAR

FOR BULLETIN EDITORSFebruary 14-15dates were announced

for Desert Magazine's second annualGemand Mineral Bulletin Editors' Seminar andOpen House. Co-sponsoring the event withDesert is the National Bulletin Editors' As-sociation.

The seminar dates again coincide withthe February 14-23 Riverside County Fairand National Date Festival at nearby Indio,thus affording an opportunity for the editorsand their staffs to visit the fair and itsoutstanding gem and mineral exhibit.

Vivienne Dosse, founder-president of theNational Editors' Association, asked editorsof new clubs or those not on her mailinglist who are interested in attending thisyear's seminar, to contact Desert Magazine,Palm Desert, California, in order to com-plete the invitation list.

At last year's inaugural event, 25 clubswere represented.

Agate Field Still Popular . . .Monolith, Calif. — The Horse Canyon

agate field in the Tehachapi Mountains nearMonolith continues to be one of the mostpopular Southern California gem fields, re-ports from several clubs indicate. Entrancegate to the field is near Cache Creek, about12 miles west of Mojave on Highway 466.The canyon is seven miles beyond thehigh-way. A charge of $1 per day is collectedat this gate. Horse Canyon, 5000 feet abovesea level, is a dry camp—both water andfirewood should be brought in by thecamper. Equipment needed to dislodge theagate includes pick, shovel, sledge hammerand chisel. In addition to camping andagate hunting, the area offers excellenthiking possibilities.

The word "gold" comes from the ancientSanskrit word for "shine." Gold is the mostuniversal of metals, being found in its nat-ural state throughout the world. It doesnot corrode, rust, disintegrate or crumble,and a one-gram piece can be stretched intotwo miles of wire.

REAL SEAHORSE EABBINGSA fine and original gift! Handpainted in black, white, silver,dark blue, green, red and brown.Choice of screw type or pierced.Only $2.50 per pair. Check orM.O. Tax and postage paid.Other unusual gifts, jewelry.Order from THE SEA SHELL37 72 MISSION BLVD., SAN DIEGO 8, CAL.

Dealer Inquiries Welcome

Good Wood Locale . . .Rio Grande City, Texas—A half day's

collecting in the El Sauz area near RioGrande City netted the Edinburg Magic

Valley Gem and Mineral Society a bounte-ous harvest of "excellent quality" petrifiedwood. Members found gemmy petrifiedpalm wood, some specimens weighing 20pounds. One woman located a very largewood stump. Agate also was collected.

H a n d m a d e S t e r l i n g R i n g sSuitable for Agate or Petrified Wood.

$7.00 per Ooz.

3 assorted samples, postpaid for $1.75Tumbled stone jewelry made up inexpensively

HANSEN NOVELTY CO.BEND, OREGON

D E A L E R S A T T E N T I O NB AROQUE JEWELRY

PREFORMSBAROQUES BY THE POUNDWR IT E FOR WHOLESALE PRICES

ROY'S ROCK SH OPP.O. BOX 133 TRINIDAD, CALIF.

iliiiii

ROCKHOUND PICKof one-piece hand-forged polishedsteel— $4 each, postpaid.

Miners' Candleholderrepl ica of old-t ime miners ' candle-holders, single or in mat ched pa i r s—$1.50 each, postpaid

R AY FLARTYBox 160, Nederland, Colorado

C A P T I V ET U R Q U O I S E

EARRI NGS

Genuine Sleeping BeautyTurquoise Nuggets

caged in gleaming silver-colored metal to fo rm un-usually fascinating earrings.

$ I (post. & f ed . tax paid.

I No C.O.D., please.)

LOST MOUNTAIN GEMSP.O. BOX 5012 - PHOEN IX, A R IZ ON A

I I H i l l U l P A R KTHE LAPIDARY'S

STANDARD OF VALUE

BUV THE BESTFOR LESS

Congo I>ia Blades — Sizes

Itange From 4" to 24" in

Light, Standard, Heavy

and Extra Heavy duty.

HighlandPark

' o in i> a c t an il

rugged for long

lasting .service.

lJ-4 Trim Saw

A Leader

In Its Field

Highland Park Power-feed

Slab Saws. Sizes ran ge

from 12" to 24". Metal

or- Lucit.e hood.

.1-2 &.1-::

Slab Saw

Highland Park Combination UnitAvailable in all sizes. Perfect CombinationUnit for Lapidary work. Handles sawing,grinding, sanding and polishing. Exceptionally quiet operation.

15-10 Co mb inatio n Unit

Arbors of all s i z e s — T u m b l e r s , twomodels. Wet and dry belt Sanders—Lapidary units in two different sizes.

32 MODELS TO CHOOSE FROMThe most complete line of lapidary machin-ery offered by anymanufacturer. See theseat your local Highland Park dealer or writefor free literature.

A Product of

H I G H L A N D P A R K

M A N U F A C T U R I N G C O .1009-1011 Mission StreetSouth Pasadena, California

JAN UA RY , 19 59 39



A M A T E U R G E M C U T T E RBy Dr. H. C. DAKE, Editor of The Mineralogis t

Hack S aw s

Akio Ujihara of Los Angeles offers somehelpful suggestions on lapidary saws. Hehas carried out experiments with the powerhack saw for lapidary work. On an ironstrip 12 inches long by two inches wide, 18gauge, he silver soldered one-inch segmentsof metallic bonded diamond teeth takenfrom a standard circular diamond saw.

He found that this type saw will cut, butha s the disadvantage of being slow at loweroperating speeds. At higher speeds, vibra-tion problems were encountered.

On e of the advantages of the hack saw

DIAMOND BLADES" Treat y wr se lf Vo.the best",?.

S t a nd . S upe rCl igi l . Chgd.

$12.35 $11.2517.90 16.40 14.851 9.7522.0031 .HO42.B049.20(>9.7!i78.1092.20

179.102(i7.60

State arbor wizr—ScriMl postage—Tax in Calif.

•(!).!«

28.3030.50•Ki '!!.

50.0505.7082.90

18.5025.7533.2039.5054.2550.7575.50

Free Catalog shows 17 Covington Avertical type grinders and polishers.

• 6 Covington Trim Saws• to choose from in latest| Free Catalog.

I h

Select any one of 7C ov ing ton S lab Sawsfrom latest Free Cata-log.

Multi - Feature Lapi-dary Unit. Free Cat-alog shows 8 Cov-i n g t o n H o r i z o n t a l smodels. if

VI-*- I • I

BUILD YOUlt OWN ILAP and save. Free jjC a t a l o g s h o w s 13 «tB u i l d Y o u r OwnItems. §P

USED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

Send lor latest Catalog showing Covington,the largest lapidary equipment line in

America. IT'S FREE.DEALERS WANTED

Covington Lapidary Eng., Corp.REDLANDS D, CALIFORNIA

tool was the simplicity of applying thecoolant and flushing liquid. Even withouta cover for the saw, there was no splash-ing or airborne mist, as encountered in thestandard circular diamond saw.

We feel there are possibilities in the de-velopment of an entirely different type dia-mond saw for the lapidary industry.

It would appear that the objection to thehack saw is its slow cutting speed and thevibration problem, two disadvantages thateasily could be overcome as further experi-mental work by Ujihara tends to indicate.He believes part of his original failure wasdue to using a blade with only a half-inchhorizontal stroke. Subsequent experimentsindicate that the strike should be at leasttwo inches for greater efficiency.

Experiments also reveal that a narrowblade is more effective—that is, a blade asnarrow as possible and yet with the neces-sary rigidity. The blade may be perforatedto further reduce friction binding.

To impregnate a hack saw type blade, itwould not be necessary to notch the bladeto get an even surface. The diamond read-ily could be applied by some sinteringmethod.

Success by OthersHigh speeds in hack saw tools have been

developed in other fields, including woodwork, where such speeds are essential. Forexample, in logging the chain saw long hasbeen standard. In addition, there has beendeveloped a similar gasoline-powered toolwhich uses a straight saw blade. This toolis operated at high speeds, and is claimed

to be wholly satisfactory. It was developedto replace the potentially dangerous chainsaw.

In sawing rocks, the straight blade wouldnot have to be operated at such high speeds.There is a wide-open field here for investi-gation. There would be many advantagesin the use of a straight blade in lapidarywork. For one thing, unlimited depthscould be cut in one direction. Here thecircular saw is severely limited, as this toolonly can cut half its diameter, minus the

GENUINE • INDIA

PERFECT RUBY CRYST ALSAvg. Mi-Inch ea., good color at $1 ea.

Inquire for fine faceted stones, commercial

and rare . Also fine rough and specimens.Will send approvals.

R. C. R O M A N E L L A22 West 48th St. New York 36, N. Y.

S H O P P I N G for PRICE?Immediate Delivery — Prepaid

CHAIN Gold or Rhodium Plate.Fine Link 10 ft. for $1.00

NECKLACES 15" of above chain. ( 6 for $1.20Complete, (add 10c per necklace (121 for $2.30for 18" chain)

EARWIRES Pierced. ( 6 pair for $ .60Gold Filled (12 pair for $1.00

EARWIRES Pierced. ( 6 pair for $ .70Ster ling Silver (12 pair for $1.20

Add 10% Fed. Tax.

Calif. Residents also add 4% Sales TaxFREB CATALOG showing easy to use andinexpensive JEWELRY PARTS.

JEWELGEMS by JAY O'DAYP.O. Box 6D Rancho Mirage, California

thickness of the collar. Hence, with astraight blade only 12 inches long, wecould make cuts that would require at leasta 30-inch diameter circular blade. The dif-ference in cost of diamond charging theseblades would be considerable.

While the circular diamond saw is anefficient and effective tool in the hands ofthe experienced operator, it is by no meansfool proof as many have learned. The costof the diamond to charge the circular blade

also is a substantial cost item. Straightblade cost would be about one-third.We feel that a low cost power hack saw

would be an important factor in wideningthe popularity of the lapidary hobby.

Rings Fr©m MeteoritesA reader reports he has cut a very attrac-

tive and unique finger ring from a specimenof iron meteorite from Arizona. A sectionof meteorite was first obtained by the useof the mud saw. This section was cut ap-proximately one-fourth-inch thick and thenshaped to a circular form on the Crystolongrinding wheel. By the use of a tube drillcharged with silicon carbide grit, a sectionwas cut from the center of the meteoritedisk to fit the finger. The ring was thenpolished on the felt buff.

By proper shaping of the material, enoughmetal can be left at the exposed side of thering to permit mounting a facet cut stone.

This work can be readily done by anymanufacturing jeweler. A compact mass ofiron meteorite will take a high polish andwith the presence of nickel alloyed with theiron, the metal holds its color well. A ringof this kind is unusual to say the least andoffers some possibilities for the ingeniouslapidarist.

Tektite Gizzard StonesExciting observations recently have been

made in the study of tektites by Dr. Hub-bard of the National Bureau of Standards.Tektites have been found along with thefossilized skeletal remains of large extinct

birds. This would serve to date the fallwithin narrow limits.Tektites have been found along with

various species of various ages. Attentionmay be called to the fact that we mayidentify, as such, gizzard stones only whenthey are found associated with the fossilremains, and when no other worn rocksoccur in the vicinity—in short, in the sedi-mentary beds.

Flower AgateThe beautifully colored plume or flower

agate found at the Priday Ranch locality incentral Oregon and elsewhere, representsinclusions of thin films of iron oxide. Inmost cases these inclusions are hydratediron oxides, like geothite. Mang anese ox-ide (usually black or dark brown) may bepresent in some specimens.

The growths of colored "flowers" aremainly of red, green, yellow and brown,frequently grouped in bunches in a matrixof colorless transparent chalcedony. In thebetter specimens the stalks and leaves willbe green, with the tops red or yellow—•strongly resembling a plant in full bloom.Flower agate is especially well-suited forcabochon cutting. So great has been thedemand for this high grade agate, that pricesare at least four times higher than theywere 10 years ago.

C U T O E M S . . . M A K E J E W E L R Y

PIECES FOR FUN — FOR P R O F I T !Start today . . , get acquainted witht h * most thrilling hobby «vcr Revised— LA PID A R Y. Lea rn to make expert,p r o f t u i o n a l ' t y p * r i n g s , b r ac e -I « t 8 , j « w « l r y in y o u r ow n h o m e .

SEN D for our FREE 16-page booklet• . detail data from the nation's leading

Suppliers tc tht trade. NO O B L I G A T I O N/rite today to: O R I E G E R ' S . Inc. Dept.

1633 last Walnut. Pasadena 4, C a l i f or n ia 69



T o**

m F ' e l d s * L o s * T r e a s u r e flreas* ^

o s t T o w n s * F o r

H i k i n g a n d E x p l o r a t i o n • F o r T r a v e l in t h e D e s e r t C o u n t r yThe maps published each month in Desert Magazine are accurate guides to the places you will want to visit. Over

400 of these maps have appeared in past issues of Desert. Many of these back issues are still available. Here is a

classified list — at a special price.

LOST TREASURE—9 of them w i th mapsAug. '52—Lost Gold of the Vampire Bats.Oct. '52—Lost Pima Indian Gold.Nov. '52—Lost Silver Ledge of Santa Catarina.Dec. '52—Troopers' Lost Gold.May '53—Lost Mine of the Blond Mayo.Aug. '53—Lost Blue Bucket Mine.Sep. '53—Lost Breyfogle. MAPFeb. '54—The Sewing Basket's SecretSep. '54—Lost Mule Shoe Gold. MAPJul. '55—Dark Gold on the Tabaseca Trail. MAPOct. '55—Lost Gold of the Great Dunes. MAPNov. '55—Lost Gold of Jarbidge. MAPFeb. '56—Treasure Canyon of the Coso Ancients. MAPMar. '56—Ledge of Gold John Hummel Lost. MAPApr. '56—The Gold I Lost in Morgan City Wash.Oct. '56—Lost Jesuit Mine.Ian. '57—Lost Apache Gold. MAPMay '57—Lost Silver in the Trigos. MAP

TREASURE HUNTER'S SET. 18 Magazines $3.00

G H O S T TO WN —9 of them w i th mapsJul . '46—Ghost Town of Calico Hills. MAPNov. '52—Ghost of Baxter Mountain. MAPDec. '52—I Remember BodieJul. '53—Man Who Bought a Ghost Town. MAPOct. '53—Silver Strike at Belmont. MAPMay '54—Nevada Ghost Town. MAPAug. '54—The Ghost That Refuses to Die.

Oct. '55—They Found New Wealth in Fairview. MAPApr. '56—Ghost City on Mingus Mountain.May '56—Pilgrimage Tnto the Past. MAPJan. '57—Boom and Bust at Leadfield. MAPFeb. '57—Only the Sidewalks Remain at Gold Creek.

MAP

GHOST TOWN SET. 12 Magazines $2.00

DESERT TRIBESMEN—3 of them w i th mapsAug. '52—Story of an Indian Marriage.Oct. '52—Tribal Council at Window Rock.Dec. '52—Christinas at San Felipe, New MexicoAug. '53—Indian Farm ers in Parker Valley. MAPJun. '54—Seri Indians of Baja California. MAPAug. '54—Revolt Against Ancient Gods.Apr. '55—Navajo Medicine Man.Nov. '55—Saguaro Harvest in the Land of Papagos.Dec. '55—The Man Who Laughed Too Much.

Mar. '56—Land of the Goshutes. MAPJun. '56—One-eyed Snake of Betatakin.Sep. '56—Indian Sing in Cross Canyon.

DESERT TRIBESMEN SET. 12 Magazines $2.00

ROCK HUNTERS—Maps with all of themJul . '46—Minerals at Calico. MAPMay '52—Beauty in Those Ancient Pebbles. MAPJun. '52—Petrified Wood Along Butterfield Trail. MAPAug. '52—Black Agate in Milky Wash. MAPNov. '52—Fossil Shells in Yuha Basin. MAPDec. '52—We Explored an Old Nevada Lake Bed. MAPMay '53—Harquahala Bonanza. MAPAug. '53—South Pass in Wyoming. MAPSep. '53—Crystal Field at Quartzsite. MAPOct. '53—Gem Stones in the Bradshaws. MAP

Jun. '54—Indian Jasper in the Whipples. MAPJul . '54—Jasper in Limestone Gulch. MAPAug. '54—Crystal Roses of Eldorado. MAPFeb. '55—Agate Hunters in the Apaches. MAPMar. '55—Gems of Monte Cristo. MAPApr. '55—Doodlebug Trail, into Agateland. MAPMay '55—Bell Rocks in the Big Sandy. MAPJul . '55—Rock Hunting Along Pioneer Trails. MAPAug. '55—Opal Miner of Rainbow Ridge. MAPSep. '55—An Ancient Sea Gives up I ts Dead. MAPOct. '55—Day in Greenwater Canyon. MAPNov. '55—Rock Trails in Chemehuevi-Land. MAPDec. '55—Saddle Mountain, Arizona. MAPApr. '56—Serpentine Miners of Salt Creek. MAPMay '56—Augustine Pass Agates. MAPJun. '56—Petrified Forests in Utah's Circle Cliffs.

MAPJul . '56—Petrified Palm in an Ancient Stream. MAP

Aug. '56—Gems in Ship Mountains. MAPSep. '56—Icicle Agate in Silver Peaks. MAPOct. '56—Treasure Hunters in Superstition. MAPROCK HUNTER'S SET, 30 Magazines $5.00

TRAVEL. EXPLORATION—Maps with all of them

Jul . '46—Palm Hunters in the Inkopah Wastelands.MAP

May '52—Goblins in Flam e Colored Stone. MAPJun . '52—Murray Canyon is a Challenge. MAPOct. '52—Glen Canyon Voyage. MAPNov. '52—Desert Trek in 1904. MAPFeb. '53—Boatride in Mojave Canyon. MAPJul . '53—Boat Ride on Big Bend, Texas. MAPDec. '55—We Explored the Winding Stair Cave. MAPJul . '56—Boat Trip in Lodore Canyon. MAP

Aug. '56—Voyage in the Little Colorado. MAPSep. '56—Exploring Anza's Unknown Canyon. MAPNov. '56—Jeep Trail in Utah. MAP

TRAVEL, EXPLORATION SET. 12 Magazines .$2.00

Many of the above magazines are newsstand returns, but all of them ar e complete and in good condition. The supply

of some issues is limited, and we reserve the privilege of substituting other copies which include maps of the same

general subject.

Order as Many of the Above Issues as You Wish

One Copy 25c; Six for $1.00; 12 for$2.00

Several issues are duplicated in theabove sets. Therea re 41 different issues and this entire set is $6.00.

LOOSE LEAF BINDERS FOR PERMANENT FILING

WILL BE SUPPLIED FOR $2.50 EACH

Bach binder has space for 12 copies

Magazines may be ordered by specifying month

and year only, or by sets

T H E


J A N U A R Y , 1 9 59 41



§>

if

Q u i t j&etureen l/ou and. Me

~ - z z

1L. V

By RANDALL HENDERSON

C A N N O T G E N E R A T E any enthusiasm over thisrace between United States and Russia to see whichcan first plant its flag on the moon. According to all

scientific reports, the moon is more arid than the Saharadesert. I am in favor of giving the moon to Russia, while

we here in the United States devote our energies to per-fecting a process for desalting sea water at a cost of lessthan 50c a thousand gallons. At the rate population isincreasing and our water supply diminishing, an addedsupply of good water is going to be more important inthe years ahead than any claim we could establish to alifeless satellite 238,857 miles away.

For those who would better understand the fine bal-ance which Nature, left to her own resources, preserveson this earth, I would recommend Joseph Wood Krutch'slatest book, Grand Canyon— Today and all its Yesterdays.

Mr. Krutch is a naturalist and his chapter on "TheBalance of Nat ure " is one of the most clarifying treatisesI have ever read on this subject. He and other men ofscience have learned that every creature and every planthave a role to play in making this planet a habitable placefor man. Mutual aid is a more important factor in thesurvival of species than mutual destruction.

Once, following a radio broadcast from Tucson inwhich he suggested that he would not even want to seethe tarantula and scorpion totally exterminated, an indig-nant woman called him on the phone and accused him ofblasphemy. Only man, she said, was valuable in God'ssight. Krutch writes:

"She was silenced (but I am afraid not convinced)when I pointed out that , on the evidence of the Bible

itself, this had not been God's point of view. He did notsay to Noah, 'save as many men as you can and let thesoulless beasts drown'. He said something like this:'You and your family are enough to preserve your species.Get two of every other so that none shall become extinct. 'A nd He didn't say only the 'useful' ones, either. Thetarantula and the scorpion must have been taken along.And what right have we to exterminate what God tookthe trouble to save in the A r k ? "

; J ; ;[* :J;

The Wilderness bill, widely sponsored by conserva-tion organizations, failed to pass the last two sessions ofCongress, but the measure is by no means dead. In prep-aration for its introduction in the 86th Congress, hearings

have been conducted during the fall months.This bill, in brief, provides for a National Wilderness

Preservation System which " . . . shall be composed of

areas of public land in the United States and its territoriesand possessions, retaining their natural primeval environ-ment and influence and being managed for purposesconsistent with their continued preservation as wilderness,which areas shall serve the public purposes of recreational,

scenic, scientific, educational, conservation, and historicaluse and enjoyment by the people in such manner as willleave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment aswilderness."

The alignment of interests favoring and opposing themeasure is well established. It is opposed by the lumber-ing, mining, cattle and sheep men and some of the FarmBureaus. Wildlife and conservation groups are practicallyunanimous in their support of the bill.

i am confident that if a poll were taken, a majorityof Americans would favor the Wilderness plan—for it isa program designed for the enjoyment of all our peoplefor all future time. There is no shortage of food or fabricsor building m aterials in America today, and if our mineral

supplies are approaching exhaustion the preservation oflimited areas which are closed to mining will not greatlyhasten the day when we must find some other solution tothat problem. If the areas to be closed to mineral exploi-tation contain any great mineral treasure, I am sure theprospectors who have combed the land for a hundredyears would have discovered and staked it out long beforethis.

Too much crowding brings out the worst in humannature, and in the face of rapidly expanding populationwe need to reserve as much recreational space as we canbefore it is too late.

O ne of the characters in a book I read recently wasdescribed as a man who had no imagination. "He wasquick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things,not in the significances."

And probably that explains why some folks love thisdesert land, and others find it repellant. Those who see"only the things" find no beauty in the colors and formsof the desert landscape. App reciation of Nature's artistryis limited to those who have the vision to see behind andbeyond the superficial aspect of things—those with thepower to see "significances."

To these the desert is fascinating because they recog-nize in this strange world of paradoxes the opportunity togain new understanding of the miracle of Creation.

A nd of course some of them have to write poetryabout it. Heaven bless them for that—I only wish I hadthe space to print all their poem s.

VI D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E



As a former associate editor ofDesert Magazine, Margo Gerke is well

aware of our no-fiction policy. Shehad something of a job convincing theeditor that all the incidents in the"Tenderfoot Cruise on the Verde"comedy-of-oarers appearing in this is-s u e , really were true.

It was five months after the VerdeRiver trip that Margo joined Desert'sstaff. She remained three years, thendecided to try free-lancing, and movedher paints and typewriter to San Fran-cisco.

After a year beside the Bay, Margoentered the Christmas card business

and shifted to her family home in Sier-ra Madre, California, to handle annualproduction of 30,000 silk-screeneddesert greeting cards, distributedthrough Arizona and Southern Cali-fornia.

Now she concentrates exclusively onfree-lance writing and commercial artprojects. In Septemb er she moved herstudio to Palm Desert, and maintainsan office in the Desert pueblo.

Mary Beckwith—"Becky" to herfriends—of Van Nuys, California, hasbeen over a great deal of the Grand

Canyon-Four Corners country—"fol-lowing 80 years behind the footstepsof Major Po well." She is author ofthis month's "Life from the Earth."

During the years she has been astudent of the Navajo- language, one ofthe most difficult on earth as we cangather from her succinct description:"What a collection of grunts, throat-clearings and coughing consonants!One explanation for a certain Navajosound which tickled me was: 'clearyour throat as though trying to dis-lodge a hair!' "

A tr ip with pack burros through thered desertland of northern Arizonaduring the summer of 1932 bringsback warm memories to Melvin Hut-chinson, author of "Backpack Adven-ture in Remote Asbestos Canyon" inthis month's magazine. "I t was dur-ing the Depression, and that wonderfulthree-month vacation cost my com-panion and me $45 — including thetwo burros," he writes .

After 10 years of newspaper workon the staff of Flagstaff's CoconinoS u n , Hutchinson completed the college

work which the Depression had inter-rupted . At presen t he is assistant pr o-fessor of journalism and director ofpublicity at Arizona State College.

J A N U A R Y , 1 9 5 9

77ie Butterfield Stage

M A R J O R I E R E E D , A r t i s t(see "Vallecito Palm Spring" on back cover)

She c a p t u r e s th e a c t io n o f t h e O ld W e s tThe Old West—horses, stagecoaches, prospectors, Indians, stage drivers,

desert waterholes—these are the predominating subjects of Marjorie Reed'swork, recognized today as among the finest contemporary art being created

•• . f i , in ,(> |, , * n in the Southwest. Miss Re ed has traveled to"I the far corners of the desertland in her searchI for authentic material around which to baseI her colorful pain tings. Indeed , authenticity

ranks with sparkle and action as the chiefcharacteristics of Miss Reed's art.

The stagecoach above is part of her mostnoted success—a 30-canvas series depicting

the Butterfield transcontinental stage opera-tion of 1857-58. The paintings below andon the back cover point to another Marjorie

ffLi Reed artistic forte: the Palm Springs-Colo-I rado Desert area on which she has doneI considerable study and research.

M The artist's work will be featured at theadmission-free Desert Magazine Art Gallery

* m y t o n Highway 111 , Palm Desert, California,during the month of Febru ary. Also on the Desert Art G allery exhibitcalendar are these shows: John Hilton, December 13-January 5; M arjorieCummins, Jan. 17-Feb. 1; R. Brownell McGrew, last three weeks in March.Desert Prospector—Palm Canyon

ill!

195901 desert magazine 1959 january

Documents