195907 desert magazine 1959 july

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LIFE BEGINS IN A MOBILE HOME!Picture yourself relaxed into thisluxurious mobilehome park community.After your steak, you might want to jointhe br idge tournament over at therecreation clubhouse. Orperhaps you'dprefer a dip inthe pool, or a leisurelygame on theshuffleboard courts. Andtonig ht the re 's the weekly dance though you might just take it easy inthe privacy ofyour own mobilehome.Inside your mobilehome thedistinc-tively modern living room is decoratively

right forentertaining, whether it's acocktail party or conversation andthat family room isperfect for watch-ing television. You might have one, twoor three luxurious bedrooms, and beau-t i ful ly appointed bath and dress ing

rooms; there's a spacious kitchen, allpolished birch andburnished copper,with every imaginable convenience builtin. This ishome, with thermostatic heatand air conditioning, designed and fur-nished forcomfortably gracious living.Where? With amobilehome, anywhere beach, mountain or desert, city orsuburb, Arizona orWashington movewhenever you choose.More than three million Americanshave already discovered this delightfulway oflife. Let your local dealer showyou how inexpensive luxury park livingcan be. Youll find him in the YellowPages. Or write the Mobilehome D ivisionof theTrailer Coach Association, 607South Hobart Blvd., Los Angeles5.

TRAILER COACH ASSOCIATION fflj 607So- HobartBlvd., Los Angeles 5, CaliforniaLook for the TCA seal, the sign of the highest construction standards.


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i n e ofth e O u t d o o t S o u t h w e s tVolume 22 JULY. 1959 Number 7

COVER: Song of the CanyonBy R. BROWNELL McGREW

4 DESERT LIVING: Apple ValleyBy EUGENE L. CONROTTO

8 PERSONALITIES: "Mr. Rattlesnake"By CHARLES E. SHELTON

10 MINING: The Mine at Sulphur, NevadaBy NELL MURBARGER

13 TRAVEL: Introducing a New Desert Feature18 INDIANS: Man of Three Names

By MARY BRANHAM20 RECREATION: Alpine Island in the Desert

By LOUISE WERNER25 BIRDS: My Singing Garden

By HARRIETT FARNSWORTH26 NATURE: Desert VinesBy EDMUND C. JAEGER34 GEMS-MINERALS: Mogollon Field Trip

By JAY ELLIS RANSOM43 ART: R. Brownell McGrew

BACK COVER: Home of Other DaysBy R. BROWNELL McGREW

P u b l i s h e r ' s N o t e s . . .Another "first" in Desert Magazine's 22 year historyan oil painting for our front cover subject. Last Januarywe had a beautiful stagecoach canvas on our back cover, apainting by Marjorie Reed. This month we have the talentsof one artist, Brownell McGrew, on both front and backcovers.Our present plan is to use paintings as cover subjectseither front or backperhaps four times a year. I would

like to have Desert's readers write me, expressing theirapproval or disapproval of this plan.Our new Travel Guide, appearing for the first time thisissue, is designed to lead our readers along some of themore interesting trails of the Southwest. The veteran desert-rats don't need to be told where to go or how to get there;they have their pet paths well in mind. But there are manywho are new to the lure and lore of the desertland. Thetravel tips are custom tailored for the latter.* * *Readers who may wish to share their favorite trip orweek end tour with other members of the Desert familyare invited to write to the appropriate member of our travelstaff, giving information on their suggested Trip-of-the-Month in the Southwest.Looking forward to Christmas our circulation staff hasalready prepared mailing pieces that will remind you thatDesert Magazine is the perfect Yule gift. Mo re than a halfmillion enclosures and envelopes are printed and stored,awaiting the first frost. We are also printing part of theDecem ber issue this mo nth. This special insert, which willbe the largest color section Desert has ever done, has thestaff looking forward to Christmaswith the mid-summertemperature dancing on tip-toe around the 111 degree markhere in Palm Desert. CHARLES E. SHELTONPublisher

The Desert Magazine, founded in 1937 by Randall Henderson, ispublished monthly by Desert Magazine, Inc., Palm Desert, California.Re-entered as second class matter July 17, 1948, at the postoffice atPalm Desert, California, under the Act o March 3, 1879. Title regis-tered No. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office, and contents copyrighted 1959by Desert Magazine, Inc. Permission to reproduce contents must besecured from the editor in writing.

CHARLES E. SHELTON, PublisherEUGENE L. CONROTTO, EditorRANDALL HENDERSON, Advisory EditorEVONNE RIDDELL, Circulation ManagerAddress all editorial and circulation correspondence to Desert Mag-azine, Palm Desert, California.Address all advertising correspondence to Clyde A. Osburn, Directorof Advertising, Suite 315, 7046 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 28, Calif.Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be re-turned or acknowledged unless full return postage is enclosed. DesertMagazine assumes no responsibility for damage or loss of manuscriptsor photographs although due care will be exercised. Subscribers shouldsend notice of change of address by the first of the month precedingissue.

Photo Hints: 12 Desert Primer: 17Desert Quiz: 27 Reader Response: 28

Desert Driving Tips: 28 Mining News: 29Amateur Gem Cutter: 30 Book Reviews: 31

Southwest Recipe;s: 31 Southwest News Briefs: 32Hard Rock Shorty: 33 Poem-of-the-Month: 41

Photo-of-the-Month: 41 Editorial: 42

ABOUT THE COVERAs colorful as R. Brownell McGrew's painting, "Song of the

Canyon," is, it is no more vivid than the isolated canyons alongthe edge of the Colorado Desert as summer approaches. In theforeground a smoke tree sends forth its spectacular blue-purpleblossoms; at the head of the canyon, life-giving sunlight nitersthrough the green leaves of an ironwood tree. (See page 43)

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J U L Y , 1959


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JACK BENNINGTON WATCHES HIS CHILDREN PLAY IN BACK YARD OF THEIR HOME AT GOLF COURSE'S EDGE.

By EUGENE L. CONROTTOApple Valley is a planned, controlled and appreciateddesert communi ty. It is a new type desert retreat forthose who enjoy th e relaxation of open country, yet whowant a home town where living standards are high, wherethe sky is blue, and escapism avai lable.

THE LIVING'S differenton pur-p o s e in the sprawling MojaveDesert community of Apple Val-ley, California. Two forcesthe AppleValley Building and DevelopmentCompany that sets the building re-strictions over this 15x20 mile area,and the desert itselfare steering theliving pace toward an informality andleisureness that has special appeal toyoungsters, old folks and those in be-tween.Take the Robert C. Duffs, late ofSanta Cruz, California. Th e Duffsare horse lovers. When conditions inthe coastal community in which theywere living became such that peopleand new homes were blocking theirhorse trails, the Duffs decided to moveto Arizona. They got as far as an

Apple Valley dude ranchstretchingtheir two-day visit into a six-weekstay.Today the Duffs live in an attrac-tive three-bedroom home in an AppleValley subdivision "zoned for horses"(one out of five new areas opened forsubdivision by the Apple Valley Build-ing and Development Company are"ho rsey" ). The home sits on one andone-eighth acres of Jo shua-tree-studdedbluff overlooking a green band of cot-tonwood trees that marks the MojaveRiver.Spittin ' distance from the slidingglass doors at the rear of the Duffhome is a corral for three horses. Writ-ten into the Duffs' deedagainst theday when the undeveloped parcels intheir neighborhood are filled with

homes is an easement for bridletrails along all the prope rty lines. Thesetrails merge into main "horses only"arteries to the river and other compasspoints. Within the community limitsare 165 miles of such trails.Apple Valley is still in its 'teens. In1944 Newt Bass and B. J. Westlund,Long Beach oilmen, came to the highdesert with an eye toward starting acattle ranch . Fo r a variety of reasonsmarket conditions, labor supplythey abandoned their idea, and thenext year put the 9000 acres theyhad acquired on the open market.Bass and Westlund soon learned asignificant lesson about selling desertliving. People, mostly from the con-gested Los Angeles basin some 100miles away, wanted their land. These

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esert place even though they couldonly come to it on week ends.They reorganized their thinking,came up with an expanded "tai lored-or-the-outdoors" community masterplan, and in 1946 the sales organiza-tion started sales in a trailer, boominga wide-open geographical designationloosely advertised as Apple Valley.The sales campaign to date has grossed$45,000,000 in new vacant subdividedlots alone, a sharp-focus endorsementof the lure of the desert.

Growing CommunityOut of this has come a town of1000 homes, scores of businesses, anda population of 8000. Apple Valleywelcomes an average of 100 new per-man ent residents a mo nth. In thenext seven years the developers fore-see 16,000 people here living inlarger than average homes (some ofthe developed areas within the landcompany's 22,000-acre holdings re-quire 2000-square-feet of livable floorspace und er roof) on lots that averagean acre in size (minimum lot size:one-third acre).One of Apple Valley's charms is

the styling of its hom es. Wh ile mo sttend toward ranch style, there is farmore variety here than in the majorityof Southern California's newer com-munities.Fences Popular

Many of the homes are encircledwith corral-type fences marking offthe property line through unspoileddesert. Ther e are no curbs, guttersor street lightsnor, according to oneof the land company executives, willthere ever bein the part of AppleValley which lies beyond the businessstreets.

Adding to the rural setting is thetouchin most of the homesknownlocally as "Apple Valley styling," asuccessful attempt by the area's homeowners to lasso the outdoors andbring it right into the living room.Wide roof overhangs that slope lowover patios, rock walls facing exteriorwalls of the house, planters that startoutdoors and end up indoors; openrounded fireplaces that become lowroom dividers; sliding glass partitionslooking out over the rolling desert orverdant back yardsthese are peculiarto Apple Valley architecture.

No one knows more about "Apple

Valley architecture" than Jack Ben-nington, 36, who with his partner, HalSmith, 37, has built a great many ofA.V.'s structures, including a 35-bed-room hospital, post office, land com-pany administration building, countryclub and two of the community's threeelementary schools.Bennington represents an unseen,but very much felt, Apple Valley in-gredient: dynam ic spirit. Things arehappening herethis is the moderndesert where the sons of pioneers arefulfilling the earlier-held dreams.

Bennington and Smith arrived inApple Valley in 1947, the year afterthe land company began its sales cam-paign. Humble Start"We came up here with two toolkits and a couple of used cars," ex-plained Bennington. "Op portun ity layall around usand this thing is just

starting."The Benningtons and their fourchildren (three girls and a boy) andthe Smiths and their four children (twogirls and two boys) live next door toeach other in $65,000 homes on TigerTail road a circular drive in theheart of the country club's 18-holeWIDE OVERH AN GING ROOFS, WIDE OPEN SPACES TYPIFY APPLE VALLEY.

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professional golf course. The 12thfairway is r ight out their back doors .Less spectacular, but also in keep-ing with the Apple Valley story, is thesuccess of Ken and. Nancy Duckhorn .Two years ago Ken retired from 20years service with the Navy.Western Store"We were in love with Apple Valleybut had to figure out some way tomake a living up there," Nancy said."A Western s tore was suggested and here weare!"With only a "love for horses" forbackground, the Duckhorns s tartedfrom scratch. Tod ay they can outfitthe entire family a laWestern in-cluding the horse (saddles, hoof files,blankets , fly spray) . Theirs is oneof the most complete Western wearstores in thenation. Regular custom-ers come from as far away as LasVegas , a mighty horsey town in itself.Almost everyone in Apple Valleyhas made some concession to Westernwear . All of the development com-pany's employees, most of thosewhowork in theApple Valley Innandthecountry club, most of the businesspeople and a great many of the towns-people stick to it almost exclusively forday-to-day wear.

Dudes ' ChoiceThe touris t representing 30 per-cent of theDuckhorn t radetakes toWestern wear like a duck to water.Usually they come in only to buy ashirt. With the shirt you need a stringtie. About half of them are satisfied,at this point, to be "half-Western."The other half go for the trousersand, ofcourse, a belt. The boots comenext. Hardest thing to get the dudesto wear is a 10-gallon hat. Averagecost of the complete outrit: under $50.

H u b of the community is the Ap-ple Valley Innthe big magnet thatdraws touris tsand potential perman-ent residentsto Apple Valley. TheInn is not expensive (rooms start at$8, dinner $3 to $5) , and it has aWestern atmosphere about it (decorat-ing the lobby and dining area wallsare large oil canvases of the West'smore notorious characters) , and a re-laxed tempo that smacks of happytimes. There's swimming, horsebackriding, a putting green (guests alsohave golfing privileges at the nearbycountry club) , professional entertain-ment, hay rides, steak frys, hiking,tennis , badmintonor just plain loaf-ingfor Inn patrons.Climate Question

Climate? Roy Carter, one of theland company's salesmen, has a uniqueway of answering that question whena prospective buyer needs to be con-vinced about thehigh desert's all-yearlivability.Roy always includes a trip to theStoddard Jess Ranch on the southernperimeter of Apple Valley near theriver on hiscustomer tours . The JessRanch is one of the world's largestturkey and commercial trout produ-cers (200,000 to 250,000 turkeysand500,000 rainbow trout annually) .

Stretching as far as the eye cansee toward thepurple San BernardinoMountains are therows of slat houseslow and sideless triangular affairsunder and around which the birdslive. This isthe only protection againstthe elements the birds have nightand day, winter and summer. Climaticconditions have never accounted forthe loss of a turkey here.The Jess Ranch also helps Roy

answer another question potential des-ertites invariably ask: water. On thebluffs above the turkey empire arethe trout lakes fed by deep wellpumps cascading a huge volume ofwater out of the ground.Modern RanchA nd the ranch allows Roy an op-portunity to describe one of the South-

west's most marvelous economic enter-prises. The water in which the troutswimfully fertilized by the fishisused to irrigate the long rows of cornin the corridors between the turkeys 'slat house rows. When the corn isripe, the turkeys are turned loose init , and they eat the plants down to thegroundear, tassel and stalk. Theturkeys pay back the trout by donat-ing their feathers and all unusableparts, after processing, to a two anda half acre "worm farm" a hugecompost area in which worms areraised for fish food.Roy Carter has been with the West-lund-Bass organization five years nowthree of them in Apple Valley. Helives in a modest home in a sectionof Apple Valley known as JoshuaTree Knolls. Before turning to realestate, Roy had a lifetime of govern-ment service behind him.

Roy's HoldingsNow he owns seven homes in Ap-ple Valley (he rents six of them forprices ranging to $125, unfurnished).H e and his fellow salesmen, 18 in

number , own a million dollars worthof real estate in Apple Valley, en-couraged by theboss to have personalholdings in the community "youmust believe in something before youcan sell it."The Carter home is surrounded by

W E S T E R N M O T I F IS E N H A N C E D BY S U C HSTRUCTURES ASFORMER SHERIFF OFFICE.

N A N C Y D U C K H O R N CAN TOG F A M I L YW E S TE R N S T Y L E - I N C L U D I N G H O R S E .

APPLE VALLEY IN N G A R D E N . A L L- YE A R M O J A V E DES-ERT RESORT'S MOST POPULAR SEASON IS S U M M E R .

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a variety of plantings from cotton-wood trees grown from suckers takenfrom the river bed, fruit trees androses to asparagus and strawberries. Itis as informal and pleasant a gardenas the desert itself."We just stuck 'em in the groundwhere there was room," explainedRoy. "It's a wonderful testimonial towhat water can do on the desert."None of the plants are more than twoyears old and already the cottonwoods(10 in number) are over 15 feet tall.All-Year Living

Apple Valley's 3000 foot elevationprovides all-year livability. Very fewof the 8000 souls here are not per-manent, full-time residents. In manyways Apple Valley is a "bedroomtown" for Victorville and George AirForce Base.A not - too - excessive number ofApple Valleyites are retired or at

least they don't stay retired long aftermoving to the desert.Dr. Orm Myers provides a case inpoint. Ill health forced him to moveto Apple Valley from Eureka wherehe was an orthopedic, surgeon. Whenhe quit he thought he was doing sofor goodbut recently he got to feel-ing so good he re-opened his practicein Apple Valley.In the center of Apple Valley's 300square miles is a naked rocky ridgeknown as Miner's Point. The Inn islocated on its northern flank, the coun-

try club and golf course wind aroundits western edge. A step down fromthe top of Miner's Point is the 1,520,-000 gallon pressure tank that supplieswater for the entire valley.From the top of the point, AppleValley's story becomes a 360-degreepanorama green alfalfa fields, the

HORSE ENTHUSIAST ROBERT DUFF, RIGHT, SHOWS TO ROY CARTER ONE OF SEVERALANTIQUE COACHES HEOWNS. DUFF KEEPS THREE HORSES ON HIS APPLE VALLEY PROPERTY

heavy growth around the main build-ings of a dozen dude ranches in thearea, an extremely busy air field witha four-directional landing strip servedby Bonanza Air Lines with two flightsdaily from Los Angeles and Las Ve-gas (planes taxi to within a stone'sthrow of the country club), a milliongrotesque Joshua treesand hanginglike delicious fruit from the asphaltvines winding out in all directions

from the community's 15-mile-longmain street are the homes.Newt Bass is building a mansionatop Miner's Point. Its orange steelgirders already dominate the area.When that house is complete and oc-cupied, Bass will have every reasonto be proud of what his eye falls uponin the valley belowno matter fromwhich window of the house he maylook.END

TWO STUDENTS OF NEW PAROCHIALSCHOOL RACE ACROSS PLAYGROUND

1 . : fi l i l : ROY CARTER HAS A SMALL BUT PRODUC-TIVE BERRY PATCH NEAR BACK DOOR.

i

GLASS AND ROCK KEYNOTE ARCHITECTURAL STYLING.CIRCULAR STONEWORK AT LEFT IS BANK'S VAULT.

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Recognized toda y as the w orld's leading a utho ri ty onBy CHARLES E. SHELTON rat tlesnakes, Laurence Kla uber has stud ied thesedangerous repti les for the past 35 yearsas his hobby.

FEW MEN would accept "Mr. Rat-tlesnake" as a title of honor, andfewer still deserve the accolade. Ifthe mantle were to grace any man'sshoulders it must be custom-tailoredto fit the healthy six-foot frame ofLaurence M. Klauber of San Diego,California.

Dr. Klauber, at 75, is the world'sleading authority on the subject ofrattlesnakes. Two facts add specialinterest to his achievement: he is nota herpetologist by profession, and hedid not begin a serious study of rep-tiles until he was 40 years old.A highly successful engineer, Klau-ber has served as president and chair-man of the board of San Diego's largestpublic utility, has been on the boardof the San Diego Zoo for more than20 years, belongs to a dozen nationalscientific societies, carries on a world-wide correspondence with fellow-sci-entists, finds time to foster manyworthy cultural projects in his com-munity, and to play the role of a de-voted grandfather.How did hean executive of oneof America's large business concernsbecome the recognized world leaderin the disparate study of the rattle-snake?"It started in the 1920s when thethen-young San Diego Zoo had ac-quired several snakes which were un-identified," Klauber recalls. "Dr.Harry Wegeforth, who was presidentof the zoo, heard somewhere that Iwas sort of an amateur snake collectoras a youngster so he asked me to labelthe zoo's snakes. I gladly offered myservices, and, as I look back on it,I'm sure I identified all of them in-correctly!"But I've been working with the

zoo ever since, and from that day onmy interest in knowing more aboutreptiles has continued."Despite his seemingly late start, inthree-and-a-half decades Klauber hastraveled far in the realm of the rattle-snake. How deeply the herpetologicalhobby captured himor vice versais revealed by these rough statistics:he has spent uncounted thousands ofhours (evenings, week ends and vaca-tions) collecting, handling, classifyingand dissecting rattlers; he has accu-mulated a reptile reference library that

is probably one of the finest in theworld and would measure more than150 feet long if placed on one longshelf; he has "milked" the venomfrom some 5000 rattlesnakes (and

been bitten twicea fact that he isnot proud of); and in the past 30years has pickled more than 35,000reptiles in the basement of his lovelyhome high on a hillside above SanDiego Bay (there are only two orthree thousand snakes in the base-ment at one time, all the other pre-served specimens going on the storageshelves of the San Diego Museum ofNatural Historyfor future scientificresearch) .

From Klauber's deep interest in therat t lesnake has come a monumentaland definitive work: Rattlesnakes Their Habits, Life Histories and In-fluence on Mankind. It was Klauber'sdesire to bring together all the perti-nent facts that have been written aboutthe rattlesnake, sift fact from myth,

by the pattern and count of the snake'sscales.Before Klauber's 35 years of fieldand laboratory research appeared inprint in 1956 there was no completepaper on the habits and life historyof the rattler. Thoug h rattlesnakes,statistically, are a minor menace toman, they are a major subject of in-terest, far out of proportion to theirrelative influence. Klau ber cites thefact that more people in the state ofCalifornia die each year from bee-sting than from rattlesnake bite.

Though few people have ever seena rattler in the wilds, almost anyonecan tell you anything you want toknow about the serpentshow longthey grow, what they eat, what theysmell like, where they live, how they

add many important findings of hisown, then put his report under onecover. The 1522-page compilationso weighty that it had to be dividedinto two volumeswas published in1 9 5 6 , in richly illustrated form, bythe University of California Press.

The book, which belongs in thelibrary of every serious herpetologist,is recognized as the most completeand authoritative documentation everdone on the rattlesnake. The lengthto which Dr. Klauber went in study-ing his dangerous darlings, then re-porting in minute detail, is evident,for example, in the chapter on the"R attle." It would be a fair guessthat most competent reptile observerswould be hard pressed to write morethan a dozen paragraphs about therattler's last inch, but Klauber hasgathered enough facts about the buz-zer-end of the snake to fill 66 pages!

His chapter on the "Treatment andPrevention of the Bite" is a smallbook in itself112 pages.Perhaps Klauber's most importantcontribution to the study of the rattle-

snake was his application of mathe-matical statistics to the classificationof the rattlers. As a result of his care -ful analysis, it is now possible to makepositive identification of any rattler

kill, how they hypnotize their prey,how they roll into hoops and chaseblack Model-T Fords . . . in fact , therattlesnake probably carries on itsscaly back more weight of misinfor-mation and folklore than any otheranimal that ever rode in Noah's Ark.

Klauber recognized that as long asthere are rattlesnakes and men to talkabout them, there will be more fictionthan fact surrounding the rattler. Butthis did not deter him from diggingout all the observations, some accur-ate and some inaccurate, that he couldgather. Throu gh the past three dec-ades he has corresponded with morethan 5000 observers throughout theworld and has read another 10,000or more scientific papers, newspaperaccounts, magazine articles, and bookreferences about the rattler.

His book is liberally seasoned withcomments from such diverse observersas forest rangers, ranchers, snake-farmoperators, amateur and professionalherpetologists, doctors, fishermen, andphotographers."Snakes can travel as fast as a horse

when they set their mind to it," wroteone volunteer correspon dent. Severalexperiments made by a competentherpetologist, Mosauer, using a stop-watch, indicated that the top straight-8 D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E

" M R . R A T T L E S N A K E "


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an hour. "I know they seem to

peed than actually exists.""We cut off a rattler's head and

omeone wrote. Klauber decapitatedseveral rattlers to study this point. Ategular intervals of several minutes heouched the heads with a pencil. Heound that the jaws can move andsnap closed up to half an hour afterthe head was severed from the snake'sody. After the head of one side-inder was cut off, its heart continuedto beat for 59 hours!

He has a file of letters from folkswho swear one touch of rattlesnakevenom on the lips is fatal. Klauberdisproved this by tasting venom (itas a slight taste, astringent at first,and then turning sweetish when heldon the tongue).

He told me that most of his collect-ing hours have been spent on thedesert. He estimates he has traveledmore than 100,000 miles on desertroads, looking for snakes."The desert is the most productivearea for the collecting of snakes, muchbetter than brushland or woodland.Not that there are more snakes persquare mile in the desertactuallythe snake population is probablythinner in the desert than it is in

brush countrybut there are fewerplaces in the desert for a snake tofind concealment."Years ago I learned that I could

collect about three times as manysnakes in the desert for the same out-put of timeand remember that I didmy field collecting mostly on week endsas I could in the foothills or brush-covered valleys. And I also learned thatsix or seven weeks during the springwould provide more snakes for mycollecting sacks than the rest of theyear put together."That's something to impress onyour readers," Klauber warned. Inthe desert areas and elsewhere rattlersare most active in the first warm weeksof spring. Certainly they may moveabout all year long, but it is in Marchand April that they are most likelyto be encountered. "May I add an-other warning for desert campers?"he asked. "Tell them to wear bootsand protective clothing that coverstheir legs if they are going to wanderat nighteven in the area of the camp-firen the desert during the springmonths."As a snake collector, Klauber alsolearned that the night hours are farmore productive than daylight hours."My best success in gathering rat-tlesnakes came when I found I couldcollect dead or injured snakes on des-ert roads after the reptiles had beenrun over by cars. That was 20 ormore years ago. I wouldn't adviseanyone to do his snake hunting todayalong the busy desert highways. Nowthe traffic is far more dangerous than

any rattler," he remarked with a smile.Should the desert traveler destroy,without question, every rattlesnake hemay encounter? Klauber says that

RATTLESNAKES WITH L ONG TAPERING RATTLES APPEARED IN BOOK WRITTEN IN 1735 BY SEBA

LAURENCE M. KLAUBER

any rattler found near a human habi-tation poses a threat to man, andtherefore, reasonably, may be killed."Rattlers are also a threat to live-stock and barnyard animals," headded. "But when the camper findsa rattler far out in the desert, far fromhuman traffic, then the person him-self must decide whether he wants tokill."

Klauber believes rattlesnakes in far-away backlands deserve mercy. "Thebalance of Nature includes the rattle-snake," he points out.The average camper, using normalcaution, has an excellent chance ofgoing through life without ever seeinga rattler in the wild. Klauber states:"It is almost a universal fact that therattlesnake will do all that it reason-ably can to avoid man. The rattler'sfirst wish is to get away from any-thing as large and as potentially dan-gerous as man. If the snake strikes,it is because it is cornered or fright-ened for its own safety."Klauber is a firm believer andpreacher that knowledge of therattlesnake's habits and respect for itsstrike are the sensible answers to ig-norance and fear.At 75, Dr. Klauber still takes anactive interest in snakes, still picklesa few occasionally in his basement,still corresponds with herpetologistsall over the world, and still finds timeto converse with enthusiasm with onewh# would write an article about him,happily explaining his hobby and hismonumenthe rattlesnake.END

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T HE M INE AT':'& LACK'0ROCK:?DESERT SUBAftbOArfi

S U LP HU R , NEVADA

By NELL MURBARGER

N O ONE knows who discoveredthe great sulphur deposit be-tween Rabbithole Spring andthe southerly fringe of Nevada's BlackRock Desert. Neither is it known inwhat year this discovery was made.Possibly a wandering Indian or anearly-day traveler on the nearby Ap-plegate-Lassen Trail was first to fingerthe pale - yellow evil-smelling earth.When the miningmen came they filedclaims, and by 1875brimstone was being

produced here at alively rate. During thefollowing years thisvast sulphur bed atthe north end of theKamma Mounta inswas worked by manymen and many corpo-rations by Chineseminers and w h i t e s .Today themine is stillgoing strong and ap-pears to be inexhaus-tible.N e v a d a S t a t eRoute 49 runs west-by-south from Win-nemucca to Sulphur

a distance of 57 miles. Although intime this may be part of the projected"Winnemucca-to-the-Sea" paved high-way, at present it is only a gradeddesert road, corrugated and dustythrough the dry months and occasion-ally blocked by snow in winter. Itcrosses theAntelope Range andpassesSawtooth Knob on its approach tothe little camp of Sulphur.

At first glance Sulphur looked justas I remembered it from a previousvisit. The vast sun-bleached playa ofBlack Rock Desert spread northwardto infinity; dusty yellow houses ofrailroad section workers huddled nearthe Western Pacific Railroad tracks;cabins built of discarded railroad tiesand other odds and ends rubbed el-bows with a few dwellings of betterquality. There was the same old milland what could have been the samestockpile of yellow sulphur rock, the

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!m * ' f .,. jfl1..

PETERSON MILL WAS BUILT IN 1947, A B A N D O N E D A F T E R FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE.

same little schoolhouse occupied onlywhen a teacher and pupils in sufficientnumber are available, and the samefalse-front vacant buildings which for-merly housed the Zeek store and afourth-class postoffice discontinuedsix years ago.As I drew closer I saw changes.Not that a mining boom was under-way, but the camp looked cleaner. Alanding strip had been cleared; aweather-beaten cluster of old chickenhouses and horse barns hadbeen torndown; a trailer park filled with housetrailers had come into being; and therewere several newbuildings painted redand white, and one huge structuresided and roofed with metal sheetingshone like a polished dime.Henry C. Crofoot of Ukiah, Cali-fornia, owns the sulphur mine. He isa big hearty happy-seeming man. Inaddition to his mining properties hehas important timberholdings in the Cali-fornia redwoods andin Colorado, as wellas farm property invarious sections ofthe country.

"Been working likea Trojan!" said this84-year-old man byway of greeting. "Mycrew and I built thatnew warehouse yon-der ," Crofoot indi-cated the silver - col -ored building I hadnoticed upon enteringtown. "It'll hold 52carloads of sulphura b o u t 4 0 , 0 0 0 hun-dred-pound bags. Webuilt a 20-by-40-footcommissary, tooanda laundry room."10 D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E


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After an inspection tour of the new

About two miles east of camp

U nique OperationThese sulphur diggings in the Kam-Some of the pits are veryThe Peterson Pit, for exam ple,

Drilling tests show the sulphur

From the bottom of each pit to the

, Crofoot explained. W hetherno waste rock. At present

Sulphur is one of our most impor-ant fertilizers and soil conditioners.Today's progressive truck farmer andhay and grain grower is fully awareof the beneficial action of sulphur.Farmers use from 300 to 700 poundsof this mineral per acre on their fields.Packed in BagsBoth mining and milling processesare relatively simple. After drillingand blasting, the sulphur ore is loadedon trucks and hauled downgrade tothe mill where it is pulverized andautomatically fed into stout 100-pound paper bags. Then to waitingfreight cars, each of which holds 40tonsan average day's run.While the entire production of themine is now sold as agricultural sul-phurat $17.50 per tonplans areafoot to install a retort by which thesulphur may be refined to 99-plus per-cent purity, thereby enabling its salefor medical and technical use.Only a few weeks before my visit,

an important new discovery was madeat the mine. "W aste roc k" from acertain digging was tested and foundto be rich in mercury.Fifty tons of the material yieldedthree flasks of quicksilvervalued at$276 each. Ano ther two flasks werelost due to milling deficiencies, andthe 50-ton load also produced twotons of pure sulphur.Elsewhere on Crofoot's claims at

dwelling had five rooms, all nicelywall-papered at one time. Still flour-ishing in the front yard are two 30-foot ponderosa pines.At the western edge of camp theground dropped away abruptly to therim of a yawning sulphur pit strewnwith the heavy timbers and rust-cor-roded machinery of an old mill, andspotted over the surrounding hills aredark yawning mouths of many old

H E N R Y C R O F O O T , L E FT , A N D T H E S T R I C K L A N D S I N F R O N T O F T H E I R F U L L Y -E Q U IP P E D T R A I L ER .

Sulphur is a five-inch vein of purealum. "If you touch a piece of it toyour tongue, you'll pucker terribly,"he said. There are also deposits oflong-fiber asbestos and several typesof spar.Shortly after sundown mine super-intendent G. W. Strickland and hiswife, Sarah Nell, returned from a one-

day fishing trip with their limit of finebig rainbows. Th at night we enjoyeda splendid trout supper at an outsidetable under the stars.Next day "Strick" and his son, Rus-sell, took me up a steep rutted trailto an old sulphur mining ghost townseveral miles back in the hills.There are 15 buildings here, mostlyof wooden frame construction withcorrugated tin roofs. Th e "be st"

They're scooping riches out of the ground at this oldW estern mining campand the vast sulphur deposithere gives every indication of being without end.J U L Y , 1 9 5 9

tunnels. The sulphur is hard enoughso that timbering underground work-ings usually is not necessary . Eve ntunnels driven many years ago stillstand firm. Many of these old driftswere run by Chinese miners, and weexamined stone walls built during theChinese period of occupation.Rover's "Fame"

J . W. Rover, a 43-year-old nativeof New York, was one of the firstlocators on this deposit, but his mainclaim to fame came from murderinghis mine superintendent, I. N. Sharp,in April, 1875. Rover was the firstman legally executed in WashoeCounty. (Although the crime wascommitted in Humboldt County, Ro-ver's execution took place at Reno,Feb . 19, 1878.)Theodore Hale purchased half-in-terest in the mine in May, 1875, and

the following month laid out an am-bitious new townsite to which he gavethe significant name, Inferno.Hale and his partners used a dozen

11


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large freight teams to haul sulphur toHumboldt House, then a s tation onthe Central Pacific Railroad about 40miles southwest of Winn emuc ca. Thecompany placed on display at the sta-tion a block of pure sulphur weighingover 700 pounds, ultimately exhibitedat the Centennial Exposition in Phila-delphia.Within another five years Hale'soutfit was refining more than 11,000pounds of sulphur daily, "and as soonas new machinery is in place they willbe able to refine 22,000 pounds every12 hours," reported the 5/7ver Statenewspaper on April 28 , 1880. Thatsummer fire broke out in an aban-doned portion of the mine and theportal of the tunnel then being workedwas caved in to contain the fire.

Quite a Sight"Those who have seen the blazingbrimstone at night say it is a grand

spectacle," remarked the Silver Stateon June 30. "Th e blue flames shootup some distance, and the smoke isdense . . . If Bob Ingersoll could beprevailed upon to go there and inhalethe sulphurous fumes for a short timehe would never again deny the exist-ence of a hell."Production of mine and mill wentforward with the regularity of thetides. Freighter Alex Wise addedmore mule teams and more wagonsand drivers, and still the stockpile oflemon-colored ore continued to mount,until in September, 1882, the SilverState noted that owners of the greatmine in the Kammas "expect to ship1500 tons of refined sulphur duringthe next two months.""If there is a man, woman or childwithin 1000 miles of here troubledwith the itch, let them come to In-ferno," proclaimed Theodore Hale inth e Silver State. "If they are not curedin a week there is no hope for themthis side of Lucifer's regions."

Demand IncreasesDuring the past 50 years the sulphurrequirements of the world have in-creased greatly with the widespreadgrowth of the chemical industry, and,according to findings of the President'sMaterials Policy Commission, our an-nual domestic demand for sulphur, by1975 , will be in the neighborhood of10,000,000 tons.When that time comes, the mine atSulphur will be a century oldand Ihaven't a doubt but that it will still begoing its quiet, unpretentious way, stillproviding jobs for miners and millmenand railroaders, and still contributingits share to our nation's greatness.END

12

PHOTO HINTS by Bob Riddell

Capture the SunsetSunsets present a great challenge to the picturetaker, but theresults can be most rewarding.Luck and perseve rance, in equal portion, play a big part. Howmany times have I raced to a spot only to find the clouds weren't justrighteither too low on the horizon, or had blown away entirely.Fortuitously, an occasional spectacular sunset is caught from thehighway. But most photographers spend hours searching for thelocation where mountains, saguaro cactus or other growth make thebest silhouette against the setting sun. A pre-chosen location assurestime to focus by daylight. Be sure your cam era angle allows themain subject-matter to be clearly defined against the sky, as theground area should go black in sunset silhouettes. Your sky shouldtake up three-quarters of the picture.The best sunsets in the desert country occur during the summermonths when there are thunderheads hovering overhead.There is no tight formula for a sunset shot, as the light varies. Itake a basic meter reading, then set the camera lens for an averagebetwe en the lightest and darkest are a. If the sun is too bright to lookinto with the nake d eye it is too soon to take the p icture. The trick isto get the scene before the sun sets too low, but with enough rays tosilhouette the picture area.A good tip is to bracket exposures, first try a stop a half over,next a stop one-half an exposure under normal lens opening, thenone stop over an d und er. Black and white film h as a lot of latitude.Color has less. Slight under-exposure on color film can produce abrilliant red sunset, while slight over-exposure emphasizes the goldsand yellows.Data on photo above: I snapped this Arizona sunset scene thesecond after the sun sank behind the Tucson Mountains. Cam era:4x5 Speed Graph ic, five-inch Ilex lens, yellow filter. Film: Supe r XX.Exposure: 1/25 second at f. 11.

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14/44

J u ly T r a v e l F a r e :;**&

: ; ! ' ' :

By LUCILE WEIGHTP . O . Drawer 758, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

By THOMAS B. LESURE6120 N. 18th St., PhoenixO NE OF THE nicest times of the year to vacation inthe mountain-forest wonderland of Flagstaffwhereon the Fourth of July just 83 years ago frontiersmenhoisted a huge pine flagpole and gave the community itsname is during July and August. With a host of attrac-tive events, the town comes more alive than ever, and the"local color" of trading Hopis and Navajos, booted lumber-jacks and Stetson-topped cowhands seems even more pro-nounced.

MONUM ENT ADMINISTRA TION BUILDING IS LOCATED AT 29 PALMS OASIS.

STRANGE AS IT sounds, the Southern Californiadesert offers summ er play spots, too. The "elevatedisland" of Joshua Tree National Monument, astrideSan Bernardino-Riverside counties150 miles east of LosAngeles and much, closer for many thousands of SouthernCalifornianshas campsites at over 4000 feet and ridingand hiking area at 5-6000 feet.Camp and picnic sites are among imposing graniteformations, many shaded by pinyons and junipers, andsome oaks. Choo se your site elevation according to tem-peratur e: Hidden Valley, 420 0 feet; Jum bo Rocks, 4400;White Tank, 3800; Belle, 3800; Cottonwood, 3000; Indian

Cove, 32 00 ; Sheep Pass , 45 00 . The latter is for groupsonly, with reservation made by writing Monument head-quarters, Twentynine Palms. Ryan C amp , 4300 feet , isovernight stop on the 30-mile Riding and Hiking Trail(horses at Burnt Mt. Dude Ranch near trail start in eastYucca Valley, and at Terry Terhune's Stables, TwentyninePalms, near t rai l end.)You must take water and firewood when visiting Joshua.Only Cottonw ood has water. If you are not equipped forcamping, there are over 40 air-conditioned motels inTwentynine Palms, many in other High Desert communitieswest to Moron go Valley.Traces of the area's fascinating history remain: caveswhere Indians lived (artifacts exhibited at Visitor Center,

Twentynine Palms); check-dams buil t by early cat t lemen;shafts and tunnels from mining days which started in1870s.(Continued on page 16)

LUMBER MILL IN FLAGSTAFF WHERE BUSY LUMBER INDUSTRY IS KING.

Appropriately, July 4th remains the king-pin for specialactivitiesbut the old pioneer celebration has come a longway. It 's organized and big-time. Luckily, that doesn'taffect its authen ticity. To o, the India ns have taken it over.Some 10,000 of themfrom more than 20 tribesgatherin a real Indian encampment for the annual All-IndianPow-Wow which features day-time parades and rodeos,and night-time dances highlighting intricate-stepped, haunt-ing and drama tic ceremonies of their ancestors. Next towitnessing ceremonials on the reservations, the Pow-Wowis your best bet for meeting the lore of the Old West.

Complimenting the Pow-Wow is the Museum of North-ern Arizona, set on the edge of a small, pine-girt gorgeand easily reached by a three-mile drive out Fort ValleyRoa d. A showplace for the region's anthropology , naturalsciences and archeology, and its usual interest is heightenedby the Ho pi Craftsmen E xhibit. Ho pi men and wom en,attired in traditional tribal garb, demonstrate weaving,Katchina doll carving, making of pottery and basketry and

(Continued on page 16)14 DESERT MAGAZINE


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V Joshua Tree National Monum entV Mescalero Apache Ceremonial

V Flagstaff High CountryV Back Road to Virginia City

By W. THETFORD LeVINESSP.O. Box 155, Santa Fe

THE "DANCE of the mountain men" is the propername for it , but even anthropologists have long dubbedit the "crown dance." Nowadays it 's known through-out the Southwest by a complete misnomer, the "devildance ."Whatever it's called, it's the featured attraction at thefour-day encampment of the Mescalero Apache Indians,held every year in early July. Mescaleroag ency town,postoffice, and scene of the the annual get-togetheris onU.S. 70 in southern New Mexico, high in the SacramentoMo untains and 29 miles north east of Alam ogord o. Thedates this year are July 2-5.Essentially, the pow-wow is a "coming out party" fordebu tantes of the tribe. There is baseball each morning,rodeo each afternoon, and ceremonial dancing each night.The all-male "devil dance" is performed around a hugebonfire, while the girls who are "coming out" do a "maidendan ce" in a near-by tepee . (Th is is, incidentally, one of

y & i - r " " : - V ' 1 ? - : - ' . : . S - K ; l t ~AFTER THE CROWN DANCE, VISITORS JOIN APACHES FOR ROUND DANCE.

the last surviving maturation rites among North AmericanInd ians.) Later , both sexes give a "roun d dan ce" whichanyo ne may join. Visitors from far-away places often doand then write post cards back home: "I danced withthe Indians in New Mexico . . ."The "devil dance" is one of the most spirited andspectacular you will see anywh ere. M arked by hop pingsteps and quick gyrations, a male chorus accompanies, andthere's an improvised druma cow-hide stretched acrosstwo plank s. Th e headd ress, or "cro wn ," is wider than the(Continued on page 16)

By PEGGY TREGOUnionvil le , via Imlay, Nev.T HE WELCOME MAT is out! You are invited toVirginia City for its summer-long centennial celebra-tion. M ost of the folks who visit the Queen of theComstock will arrive by paved highway; a very, very fewwill travel the historic winding path of the old Virginiaand Truckee Railroad, for it isn't widely known that somesegments of the original roadbed are improved for motor-ing.You'll find it a fascinating experience to ride over partof a route that was an engineering wonder of the worldonly 90 years ago. One portion especially sh ouldn't bemissedthe 11-mile loop through Carson River Canyonfrom U.S. 50.The loop begins about four miles east of Carson Citywhere a small sign points to Brunswick Canyon, and a dirtroad heads south toward the line of trees along the river.The entire area is heavy with history. Near the turnoff,crowning a low hill, is old Empire City's cemeteryall thatremains of Nevada's "seaport town" where logs floatingdown-river from the Sierras were caught and processedfor Comstock mines. At the junction of road and river-bank is the first remnant of a series of historic quartz mills,dating from the 1860s, which are scattered throughout thecanyon. Broken walls and a giant wooden pow er wheelmark the Morgan Mill site.The V&T main line takes over from here eastward,keeping to river level and soon passing a remnant of theBrunswick Mill power dam which ripples the stream justwest of the mill's massive stone abutm ents. Th e canyo n

(Continued on page 17)

fill: Ril B STREET IN HEART OF VIRGINIA CITY. PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSEF MUENCH.

J U L Y , 1 9 5 9 15


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California (Continuedfrom page 14)Bird, animal and plant life have attracted many scientistsand students. Birds are best observed at CottonwoodSprings and at the Oasis, Twentynine Palm s. You maycatch glimpses of bighorn sheep, mule deer, coyote, cougar,badger, desert fox and many rodents; also desert tortoise,chuckaw alla and scaly lizard. Rattlesnakes are occasional,so take care around bushes or rocks and in sandy areas(even the rat t lesnakes are protected in the Monument).The flora is especially rich, many of the plants havingfurnished former Indian inhabitants food and other sup-plies. Most noticeable plant is the Joshua Tree, giant lilyfor which the Monu men t is nam ed. This and the M ojayeyucca bloom in April, but their large capsule fruits persistfor a long time. No lina, with a tall stalk ending in afeathery plume of tiny cream flowers, may have bloomedin May, but the "everlasting" flowers remain throughsummer.Most of the summer blooming species will be foundnot along main roads as are spring annuals, but amongshrubs, granite boulders and in washes. These includescarlet-tubed California fuchsia, aromatic lavender rockpennyroyal, apricot mallow, golden viguiera, rock lotus,

lavender mojave aster, paintbrush, desert plume and desertrock goldenbush, a glossy-leaved small shrub often clingingto cracks in granite. Also du e to bloom is chilopsis ordesert willow, with orchid-like flowers, and smoke tree.While scant rainfall has prevented 1959 being a "good"flower year, some flowers nearly always can be foundat various elevations.You can see the native fan palm (Washingtonia filifera)at Twentynine Palm oasis, 49 Palms oasis, CottonwoodSprings and Lost Palms Can yon. Cactus includes bigelowand silver cholla, pancake, pencil, mojave mound, straw-berry, beavertail, dead, grizzly bear, cottontops, barrel andseveral ma mm illarias. Un usual stand of bigelow cholla isin Pinto Basin, just above the Ocotillo Garden.Information and publications are available at Oasisheadquarters, Twentynine Palms, open every day.The half-million acre Monument can be reached fromthe west by Twentynine Palms Highway, with entrancesfrom Joshua Tree or the main entrance at TwentyninePalm s; from the south at Cottonw ood Springs turnoff fromHighways 60-70; from the east via Baseline Highway(turnoff between Rice and Desert Center); and fromBarstow-Victorville-Hesperia areas via Old Woman SpringsR oad .

tourists. And it's better that way. After all, Nature hasbeen around a lot longer than humans and has betterprofited by her experience . In fact, almost everyw hereyou go, there's beauty, sometimes rough-cut but moreoften exquisite.Southwardless than a half hour away from "Flag"lies winsome Oak Creek Canyon where a murmuringclear-water creek has carved a grandiose gorge that opensinto a massive, red-rock am phitheater at Sedona. It 'sover crowded in summerpeople know a good place whenthey find it-and trou t fishing is spotty. Bu t pine-cro wn edcampsites (several of which have been up-graded for theseason), rustic guest lodges, restful inspiring scenery, andisolated spots like West Oak Creek Natural Area (whereangling is really good because the average traveler won'ttake time to hike to it) more than compensate. Need more?You could inspect the modernistic Chapel of the HolyCross built on flaming rock formations, or the MeteoriteMuseum in Sedona where visitors from outer space are areality.A bit farther onaround the Verde Valleyyou'll findTuzigoot National Monument with its citadel-type prehis-toric Indian ruins, the cameo-like cliff dwelling of Monte-zuma Castle, old Fort Verde where troopers tried to curbthe Apache menace, and the "sliding ghost city" of Jerome.A pleasant drive southeast of Flagstaff runs to WalnutCanyon National Monument where ancient cliff dwellingsare hidden in a horseshoe-shaped gorge. Northeast of townstands Sunset Crater, rearing its rose-tinted cone 1000 feetabove the jagged lava beds, perpetual ice caves and fumer-oles of the national monum ent section. And , just a stepaway, so to speak, is Wupatki National Monument withits brick-colored "Tall House," ceremonial ball court and800 other ruins inhabited more than 700 years ago.This will get you started if you haven't been to "Flag"before. If you have, there's no need for m e to tell youhow delightful it is to linger. F rank ly, I have no sug ges-tions on how to tear yourself awayunless you havestronger will power than I have, or the boss is likely to

start a private-eye search because you're missing.

Arizona (Continuedfrom page 14)baking piki, the paper-thin Hop i "bread ." You can pur-chase finely-made handicrafts at much more tempting pricesthan normally found in highway or city shops.Should you miss the Fourth of July observance, theMuseum has other special events worth seeing. They in-clude The Navajo Craftsmen Exhibit, July 26-Aug. 2; adisplay of etchings by G. E. Burr, Aug. 15-20; and Shontodepicting life and its manifold aspects in a modernNavajo community, Oct . 4-Nov. 25.Other Flagstaff events are: the Oberammergau PassionPlay, through Aug. 30 (except at Pow-Wow time); Sheriff'sPosse Rodeo, July 25; and the Coconino County Fair,Sept. 5-7. Or you m ight make a sawmill tour, or visit theLowell Observatory (where the planet, Pluto, was dis-covered) by contact ing the Chamber of Commerce.The extras are a treat, of course, but fortunately "Flag"doesn't have to rely on man-made attractions to stimulate

New Mexico (Continuedfrom page 15)shoulder span and more than two feet high; other detailsof costume include masks, buckskin shirts with long fringes,plaid shawls, and boots turned up at the toe. The dancersdecorate their legs with spots, stripes, and zigzags of red,yellow and white. Teams of eight or 10 take turns per-forming; the ceremony lasts several hours. Often two ormore teams will dance at the same time, spreading out atintervals from the fire like the spokes of a wheel.Visitors may enter the ceremonial tepeeas many ascan crowd in. Th e "maiden da nce" is graceful, rhythm icfull of hip and arm movements with little space fordirectional motion. At daw n of the last morning there isa race in which Mescalero boys chase the girls who havenow prepared themselves for marriage. In the old days,girls caught were considered married on the spot. Toda y,good schools and job opportunities lure Indians away fromsuch binding traditions.The Mescalero Apache reservation has many camp-sites, and you are welcome to use them. The tribe operatesa few guest cabins and a restaurant; other accommodationsare available at Ruido so, Tularosa, and Alamo gordo . Ifyou visit the encampment, you'll be within an hour's driveof several other points of interest in southern New Mexico:Lincolntown where Billy the Kid made his famous jailbreak in 1881, is on U.S. 370 to the north and east; there'sa solar observatory, open to the public on Sundays, in theSacramentos near Cloudcroft; and White Sands National

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On July 25-26, Indians of Santa Clara Pueblo will holdnials. Puye is the ancestral hom eexcavated and partially restored . Ab ando ned before

Eu rop ean influence. Ma ny kinds of pueb lo dancesre believed to have been used when Puye was inhabited.anta Clarans own the old site, and charge a fee at cere-ial time for parking and guide service. Puye is offtate Ro ad 4 not far from th e atom city, Los Alam os. Its also within commuting distance of Taos, Santa Fe, andAlbuquerque .

Two more of New Mexico's biggest Indian fiestas takeplace in Julyat Cochiti on the 14th, and Santa Ana onthe 26th. There is a day-long "corn dance" with eachfiesta. Coch iti is on the Rio G rand e 14 miles west ofU.S. 85 between Santa Fe and Bernalillo, while Santa Anais just off State Road 44 northwest of Bernalillo.There is much other activity for you to enjoy in NewMexico this month, topped, perhaps, by Rodeo de SantaFe, July 8-11. Also on the 11th is the opening of theGhost Ranch Nature Museum, on U.S. 84 near Abiquiu.All month Santa Fe 's Museum of Internat ional Folk Artwill exhibit "Popular Arts of Colonial New Mexico," andthe Santa Fe Opera will be in its third season.

Utah-Nevada (Continuedfrom page 15)from here on is a rugged beautiful wilderness under thesummer sun. Tall cottonwoods on the river's edge provideshade for camping and picnicking; great rocks and steep

hills rise sharply o n either side. Th ere is good fishing inthe sparkling Carson, and mill ruins for you to explore.This is truly a trip into the pastthe V&T was built tobring o re to these early mills.A few miles beyond the Brunswick is the MerrimacMill site, reached by a side road where the V&T main lineswings left. Several small buildings hav e survived the millitselfeach big installation fostered a small town, thoughmost of the homesites today are mere splinters and shards.Past the Merrimac the main line begins what was a

heavy climb for V&T locomotives, but an easy grade formod ern cars. The concrete skeleton of a later mill lurksleft of the road, and breathtakingly far below you'll see therabble m arking the Vivian Mill site. The narrow rockycut on a sharp turn nearby was the scene of the V&T's firsthead-on collision in 1869; your imagination easily canre-create the scene, and it is fitting to lean on the hornboth in memory of the luckless engineer who lost his lifehere, and to warn other motorists who might be aroundthe corner . Traffic on this road , however, is usually sc ant.The roadbed keeps a nearly-constant level back toU.S. 50 from this point, but there is pleasant hiking downto river level at Zephyr Flat where the Carson bendssharply eastward. A roofless stone dormitory marks the

Santiago Mill, and a narrow-gauge railroad can be tracedfrom here down-river to the last big mill, the Eur eka. Youcan glimpse the Eureka superintendent's deserted two-storyhome on a distant cliff top.Long-gone ties have left red-brown stains across theroad surface; crossing U.S. 50 the last of the V&T rails lieimbedd ed in the highway. Eve n with these visible mem en-tos, it is hard to realize that this lonely lovely route re-sounded to industry and steam whistles a mere lifetimeago when V irginia City itself was yo ung.

One of the problems facing a vaca-tioner is what clothes to bring, which toleave home. If your summer outingincludes a visit to or through the South-west, keynote to your wardrobe selec-tion should be comfort and informality.Summertime travel in a non-refriger-ated car is bound to be hot, for your

DESERT PRIMERCLOTHES FOR TRAVELgas - burning all - metal hollow - interiorvehicle has many of the features pos-sessed by a good oven. Children will bemore comfortable traveling in shorts,tee-shirts or sun suits (very few eatingestablishments along the Southwest'smajor arteries have "no swim suit-cladpatrons allowed" rulesalthough grown-ups will not be at ease dining in suchatt ire) .Dad and mom should wear loose-fit-

ting clothing, too. Dad will want open-at-the-neck shirts. Pack a necktie, butchances are you won't need it. Momwill get much practical use out of sepa-rates shorts and halter for drivingcomfort, matching skirt for out-of-carwear. Pick a matching wardrobe grouparound which you can make multi-useoutfits.Footwear is important. Open-toe shoesor sandals will help keep your feet fromswelling, but aren't advised for walkingin the sandy country.On the lower deserts (southern Ari-zona, southeastern California) there islittle chance you will need a coat oreven a sweater for evening wear. Inthe higher elevations (northern Arizona,New Mexico) you may feel the needfor a wrap.You'll perspire a good dealwhichis a good thing because this is yourbody's method of keeping cool. But,it'll mean clothes will wrinkle and haveto be changed more frequently thanusual. Wash and wear, drip dry, is theword. Washed clothing dries overnight

in the desert country.

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M a n o fT h r e e N a m e s

By MARY BRANHAM

E N C A R N A C I O N P E N A of San Ildefonso Pueblo, NewMexico, has two names and two occupations. In thepueblo and in the nearby Espanola Valley Encarnacionworks as a builder, laying thick adobe bricks for thewallsof new houses, plastering, putting up vegas for roofs. Tohis "anglo " neighbors he is anexpert at building corner fire-places. His skill as a builder keeps him so busy there istoo little time for his other occupationa pueblo artis t .A s an artist he is called Soqueen ("the mist that risesafter ra i n" ) . When I asked him when he started paintinghe said, "A long time ago, when I was a bo y in the IndianSchool at Santa Fe." Unlike his artistic ancestors, Soqueendoes not use a yucca leaf brush or paints made from earth.His brushes are sable and hiswater colors are commerci-ally prepared, but his skill can be traced to painters likethe anonymous Indian artist who was commissioned byCoronado to draw the animals of the area on a deer skin.Soqueen usually paints Indian dancersan understand-able subject since he participates in many of the dancesin the pueblo. When I asked how many dances he couldperform he shrugged modestly, finally said, "the buffalodance, the eagle dance, bow and arrow, basket dancemany others ."This former San Ildefonso war chief regularly exhibitshis paintings at theSanta Fe Fiesta and theGallup Inter-Tribal Ceremon ial. T hey are purchased by people in thevalley whocollect Indian paintings and by visitors whocome to the pueblo from Santa Fe and Los Alamos fordances and feast days. They are also bought by tourists the Denver woman who particularly liked his buffalodancers , or thegreeting card artist from Kansas City whocalled Soqueen's art "sophisticated."Last spring Encarnacion thebuilder, and Soqueen theartist, acquired a third vocationtheater builderand athird nameEnky. One evening as he sat onhis doorstepa car drove into his yard. Two strangers stepped out and

introduced themselves. They were investigating thepossi-bility ofbuilding a summer theater onpueblo landseveralacres lying between the pueblo andState Road 4, the LosAlamo s Highway. There was a five room adobe house onthe land, or rather the remains of a house. One of the fiverooms belonged to Encarnacion.Encarnacion Pena liked the two strangers, MarjorieMiller, the theater 's producer, and Alice Bernard, the di-rector. Though he had never seen a play, he was interestedin their plans for anoutdoor theater. He listened, and thentalked to the co-owners of the land and building. Theyagreed to lease the property; the pueblo governor cooper-

ated, as did the Indian Service, and the theater was inbusiness.When I metEnky for the first time he was standingunder a glossy green cottonwood tree in the yard of theadobe house. There was no roof on onewing of the L-shaped building. There were no windows or doors. Thetime was short and the problems many, but Enky hadfaith in the project.At this time Encarnacion was helping build a house inthe valley, but on week ends he worked on the theater. Agreat many enthusiastic people from Los Alamos, SantaFe and Espanola Valley also helped. On week days thesepeople were scientists, secretaries, housewives, librarians,engineers, teachers and accountants; on week ends theybecame carpenters, electricians, painters and plasterers.They had time, talent, ideas and ingenuity to contribute,but sooner or later they all turned to Enky for help andpractical advice. It was Enky who knew how wide to cuta doorway and still support the heavy adobe walls,howto build a roof that did not sag, the right consistency tomix mud for plastering.The theater wasnamed The Don Juan Playhouse inhonor of Don Juan de Onate . In the spring of 1598,Onate directed his company to present a play on the banksof the RioGrande which flows near San Ildefonso. Theplayers like to think their "patron saint" was the firstEuropean to produce a play in what is now the UnitedStates.A t the nightly rehearsals of Blithe Spirit Enky andfellow pueblo residents sat by and watched with interest.Pancho, Enky's collie pup, enjoyed the new attraction inthe ancient village.Three months after I met Enky we stood under thesame big cottonwood and chatted during the intermissionof theopening night performa nce. Aro und the old tree aflagstone seat had been built, and thenames of the mem-bers of the first cast written in the concrete. Against thenorth wall of the adobe house a newly finished fountain

Encarnacion Pena of San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, is a handy man to have around ifyou need a picture painted, a f ireplace built , or an old adobe house converted to a theater18 DESERT MAGAZINE


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- ENCARNACION PENA SANARTIST AND BUILDER.

JUAN PLAYHOUSE STAGEFOR FIRST OUTDOOR PLAY i ,ON SAN ILDEFONSO LAND 1

- ENCARNACION "SUPERVISED"E CONSTRUCTION OF A FOUNTAIN

THE NORTH WALL OF THEAND THE LOW STONE WALL

OLD COTTONWOOD TREESHADES THE PLAYHOUSE PATIO.

ater. Candles in hurricane lamps burnedgaily painted tables. Around us stood an en-ver and Dallas andEarly in the play, Pancho, the pueblo collie who had

to enjoy the sophisticated Noel Coward comedy.When the first season was over, it was Enky whod the "winterizing" of the Playhouse. Though

ater. Plays were announced for a new season and withhe first warm days work was underway to make the Donuan ready for another summer.

Encarnacion Pena of San lldefonso Pueblo enjoys histhree occupations. As Encarnacion, the builder, he knowshow to lay the bricks for corner fireplaces in houses builtfor scientists who delve into the secrets of the atomic age.As Soqueen, the artist, he uses a modern medium for hispaintings but his style is reminiscent of that used by hisancestors when they painted murals on the walls of cere-monial kivas. As Enky, the theater builder, he enjoyswatching a rehearsal of a modern comedy, but on feastdays he takes part in ancient ceremonial dances.He has lived most of his life in the shadow of Tunyo,the dramatic volcanic Black Mesa where Tsah-ve-voh, thegiant who eats children, has lived for a thousand years.From Encarnacion's house in the pueblo he can hear heavytrucks passing on the busy highway that leads to LosAlamos, the Atomic City.This is Encarnacion's way of lifea happy blending ofthe very old with the very new.END


20/44

i n t h e D e s e r tWHEN JULY HEAT

WAVES ROLLACROSS THE

DESERT FLOOR,IT'S TIME TOPOINT YOUR

HIKING SHOESTOWARD THE

TOP OF NEVADA'SWHEELER PEAK . . .

By LOUISE WERNER

THE 8000-FOOT public campground, shaded by yellowpines, was loud with the clamor of Lehman Creekand its many tributaries that wander past tables andstoves and improvised rock fireplaces. Tall canelike grasses,yellow mimulus and blue penstemons were lush along thecrooked little stream s. The scent of wild roses filled the air.A sign reading "Stella Lake, 5 MilesWheeler Peak,7 Miles," ushered the Sierra Club knapsackers onto a pathcut through rose thickets, young aspen and mountainmahogany.A feathery cloud enveloped many of the mountainmahogany trees a myriad of cycle-shaped wings onwhich the seeds would shortly escape. Yellow-brown eyeslooked up from the depths of creamy mariposa tulips.Grasshoppers clapped their wings, hopping from tall grassto gray sage to scarlet penstemon.It was the Fourth of July week end, and we were ineastern Nevada on the flank of 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak,heart of the proposed Great Basin National Park analpine island in the midst of a vast ocean of desert.In September, 1955, writer Weldon Heald of Tucsonrediscovered a live glacier, complete with bergschrund,crevasses and fresh moraines, in a basin hidden under alowering cliff on the northeast face of Wheeler. Healdnamed it Matthes Glacier after Francois Emile Matthes(1874-1948), one of America's most distinguished geolo-gists, and a world authority on glaciers. The ice mass,roughly triangular and about 2000 feet at its greatest di-20

HIKERS REST IN SNOW-FIELD 1000 FEET BELOWSUMMIT IN BACKGROUND.

pension, has been seen by few, hidden as it is in a pocketin the shadow of the peak.This icy remnant of an age long past has become thecenter of a movement to set aside 145 square miles of theSnake Range, including Lehman Caves National Monu-ment, as a national park. Heald and fellow supporters ofthe park idea point out that the Wheeler Peak area, withits glacier, lakes, caves, easy stream-side trail passing inseven miles through five life zones, and its spectacular viewsof the surroundingdesert, is a worthycandidate for nationalpark status.The Sierra Clubmembers making thishike all carried theseitems in their backpacks: sleeping bag,some type of shelter(from a mere sheet ofp las t ic yardage tot e n t s ) , d e h y d r a t e dfood, cooking and eat-ing utensils, sweaters,c o a t s o r p a r k a s ,matches, first aid andto i le t r ies . We hadboiled down our needsto the bare minimum. ,My husband, Niles, GERRIT AND MIKI BRATT ENJOY CAMPFIRE.

D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E


21/44

an d Icarried 19 and 17 pounds re-spectively, exclusive of camera equip-ment . Our down sleeping bags weighabout five pounds each; air mattresstwo pounds; long woolen underwearfor sleeping, onepound; food for twodays, two pounds; cooking can, cup,spoon and canteen, one pound; woolsweater and nylon parka, 10 ounces;first aid and toiletries, eight ounces;plastic shelter, two pounds; knapsack,three pounds.

The trail climbed gently through aforest of aspen, the sunsifting throughyellow-green foliage to white bark andto red columbines luxuriating under-neath. Butterflies hovered over musky-smelling white yarrow and lavendershooting stars. Awall of rock slabspiled in layers looked as if itmightcome tumbling down ifyou pulledout one of the lower pebbles.Hike leader Dick Kenyon setaslowpace atfirst to allow us time to get

used toour packs, but the riseinelevation was so gradual and the trailin such good condition that fast hikerswere allowed to forge ahead. DesertPeakers usually stay behind the leaderif there is any question about the ro ute.In cases like this, however, where theroute isknown to be uncomplicatedby forking or disappearing trails,hik-ers who prefer afast pace are allowedto go onprovided the leader feelsthey arecapable of looking after them-selves. Some hikers keep their eye

Neva da *s F i r s t Na t io na l Pa rk So o nM a y B e A Reality By WELDON HEALDIn April the National Parks Advisory Board recommendedtoSecretary of the Interior Seaton that eight newareas be included inthe National Park System. Among them was the Wheeler Peak-

Lehman Corves region of Nevada's Snake Range. The reasons givenin favor of the Wheeler area: ".. .itsrecognized scientific values and. . .findings that have determined it to be representative of thenumer-ous Great Basin mountain rang es an d as such ofnational significance."This isamajor advance for the proposed Great Basin NationalPark, aproject that has state-wide backing in Nevada and is warmlyendorsed by several nation al conservation organizations. However,some opposition has been expressed by stockmen, sportsmen and,tacitly, by theForest Service, which recently countered thepark pro-posal with aWheeler Peak Scenic Area. But the protests are largelydue to misunderstanding and in most cases differences have beensettled satisfactorily.A bill for thecreation of thepark is being written in cooperationwith the Interior Department and will be introduced in Congress bythe Nevada delegation. It provides an area of about 145 square milesand includes Lehman Caves, Wheeler Peak and theMatthes Glacier.Within the boundaries the terrain stretches from the desert valleys,with their antelope herds, to the arctic-alpine zone, above timberline.In fact, one authority emphatically stated that "TheWheeler Peakarea hasagreater variety of outstanding scenery than any existingnational park."However, the preservation of this magnificent piece oforiginalAmerica is far from accomplished. Those who are concerned withour rapidly dwindling scenic resources canhelp by joining the GreatBasin Range National Park Association. The annual dues are $3, sentto Glenn C.Osborne, Treasurer, Garrison, Utah.

Y

> N A KEV A L LE

BAKER CREEK *'" ''" ':CAMPGROUND, ,=

.ftaqpupikiH

J U L Y , 1 9 5 9 21


22/44


23/44


24/44

HIKERS ON THIS TRIP WERE PREPARED FOR WHEELER'SFREQUENT R A I N S . HOMEMADE PLASTIC TENT ABOVE WEIGHSTW O POUNDS, DOUBLES AS A "PRIVATE" OUTDOOR SHOWER.

light brown bird sitting on a low limb kept saying, "thrt,thrt, three-o-wheat," as if adding a commercial.There was plenty of firewood at hand and Niles soonhad the tea water sizzling in a pound coffee canone oftwo that constituted our entire set of cooking utensils. Apound coffee can, with its broad bottom, allows food toheat quickly, is about the right size for a one-dish hotmeal for two, and is expendable. We long ago reneged atbringing home blackened pots to clean.Raindrops hissed on our fire and spattered into ourcorn chowdera dish containing dehydrated corn, potatoes,milk, onions and seasonings. At this elevation it requiredabout a half hour's simmering. Our ounce packages of

pre-cooked dehydrated beef being new to us, we nibbledright out of the package. It tasted so good we sprinkled theremainder on top of the chowder after dishing it up, ratherthan dumping it into the pot and losing sight of it. A sauceof dried apricots (we cooked enough for breakfast, too)made a fine dessert.Our entire dinner including tea and sugar onlyweighed sixounces per serving in our knapsacks. Improveddehydrated foods like these, along with plastic shelters,down sleeping bags and nylon parkas, have revolutionizedknapsacking. Today you can go into the mountains for along week end with less than 20 pounds on your back andbe better equipped than was the knapsacker of 15 yearsago whocarried 50 pounds.Now and again, during our meal, showers sent us run-ning for our plastic shelter. Clouds hung low when we

got together around the campfire that evening. Bedtimecomes early for knapsackers, and at nine o'clock we dis-persedhappy to see quite a few stars against patchesof cobalt blue sky.After a breakfast of coffee, frosted flakes with powderedmilk and the left-over apricot sauce, we joined the groupon the trail. The hikers left most of their gear in camp, Icarried a lunch, quart of water, parka, first aid and camera.Thin ice edged the lake in places, and most of us werepuffing when we clambered up the slope beyond the lake.

Large snow fields were numerous now, and the spruce wasbecoming more and more scrubby in this "alpine island."On top of the ridge we found remnants of an old trailused more than a hundred years ago when the top ofWheeler Peak served as a heliograph station. The flashingmirrors of the heliograph sent messages in Morse codebefore the telegraph came into use. These messages wererelayed as far as 200 milesfrom one mountaintop toanother. Wheeler was an intermediate station between Mt.Nebo in Utah and an unknown peak to the west. Historianshave pretty much neglected this form of early-day com-munication.Although the old heliograph trail appeared and dis-appeared, we needed no path to the summit of Wheeler.

We followed the backbone of the ridge all the way. At12,000 feet we were breathing hard, barely putting onefoot in front of the other. Patches of pink phlox and whitephlox seemed to find the thin air invigorating. There wasa bite in the wind that came over the ridge in little puffsto slap us in the face. We stopped to put on our wraps.As noon approached, clouds were gathering about us.At 13,000 feet lavender-blue polemonium hugged therocks. Looking back over our route the ridge curved downto a snow-corniced edge above Stella Lake. To the rightTeresa Lake had come into view. Far beyond LehmanCreek Canyon the highway threaded the flat toward Sacra-mento Pass to the northwest.On top of Wheeler we found remnants of the old stone

walls of the heliograph station. The attendant's job musthave been a cold one. For years after the station wasabandoned a little wood stove had remained in the shelteruntil an "antique lover" hauled it away.Eager to glimpse Matthes Glacier, we edged as closeas we dared to the 2000-foot precipice that overhangs thecirque. All we could see of the glacier from this vantagepoint was a ragged edge of snow on the ice mass far side.To properly view the glacier you have to make a differentapproach, perhaps over the rugged ridge above TeresaLakeland the best time to do this is in September afterthe year's fresh snow has melted off of the crevasses, freshmoraines and bergschrund.When we returned to the summit it was snowingnthe very heart of the Desert Southweston the Fourth ofJuly!END

A F o r e s t AtOur F e e t . "Step by step we forced ourway along, now stopping to takebreath, now lying down on thesloping snow or rugged rock torest. At last the flat summit (ofSan Gorgonio) was clearly out-lined before us."A few more gasps, a few morestruggles and we were on top. Ihad purposely kept my eyes from

looking out before I was fairly onthe summit. I wished to see noth-ing until I could see all. In amoment the great vast scene wasgiven to me. It was mine to en-joy, to wonder over, to study, andto feel its gigantic power. Thefirst impression was that it wasnot, could not be real. It was sowonderful, so vast, so extensive,

so diverse, and everything wasso magnified space, distance,sandy wastes, flat plain, waterthat it seemed as if it was oneof the opium or hasheesh dreamsof DeQuincey or Fitzhugh Ludlow.It was monstrous, enlarged be-yond conception, terrific in itspower. Then, too, it was sostrange, so foreign. It was desert,yet at our feet was a great forest." George Wharton James' "TheWonders of the Colorado Desert"(1906)

24 DESERT MAGAZINE


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M y S i n g i n g G a r d e n By HARRIETT FARNSWORTH

CIRCUMSTANCES sentme to the high desert, I parkedmy small trailer on a hillsidea mile from the village, then lookedaround disconsolately, wondering whaton earth I'd find for amusement in thissilent lonely land.The mountains holding the valleysnugly in an elbow bend were com-forting, the ancient Joshua trees werefascinating; but from sheer lonelinessI walked about talking to the birds.Then, without considering the conse-quences, I scattered crumbs about mydoorstep. When a bird paused to pickup my handouts, I talked to it softly.When they began bringing in theirrelatives and friends, I started regularfeedings and placed water about inshallow earthen dishes. After that, Ireally began having company!Birds flew in from everywhere,chirping, singing and twittering. Soonthey were feeding with less caution,and paying me scant attention when Islowly moved among them, hummingor talking in a low voice. In time,these little creatures captured my im-agination, and the days became filledwith delightful surprises.Spring, far from being the lonelytime I had anticipated, quickly slippedby while I watched my amusing littleboarders. A friendly house finch builther nest in the patio, and ingeniouscactus wrens turned thorny chollas intosafe apartment houses.During this busy nest-building sea-son, the birds dropped a few hints asto their needs. One morning whilewatching a sparrow tugging industri-ously at an old cloth tacked to an out-door bench, I stood wondering why it

annoyed her. When she flew back toher nest site with a tiny scrap of thecloth in her bill, I realized what wasgoing on. I helped with the nest build-ing business after that, and began feel-ing very important.Nest Materials

I gathered bits of bright wool, yarnand soft cloth cut into narrow strips,and hung them conspicuously abouton the bushes near the door. Theydisappeared almost as fast as I putthem out. My simple offerings gavebright touches to the future maternitywards, and appeared to be much ap-preciated by these busy little mothers-to-be.

News of the encouragement I wasoffering my little boarders continuedto spread. Now I had dozens of therosy-necked house finches, melodiousorioles, sassy flycatchers, and inimita-ble cactus wrens building their nestspractically under my nose. What mira-cles were taking place in those shelters!Hours melted away while I waitedfor the mothers to leave their nurseriesso I could peek in and see what washappening. Often I was caught at thenests when they returnedbut theywere so accustomed to my presencethey seemed little disturbed.By the time the fledglings appeared,some of the happy mothers acted as ifthey expected me to care for theirprecocious babies. How nice to findsuch a competent nurse to take overin their absence!

T h e lonely hours vanishf o r a woman who takes tofeeding the birds whichfrequent her desert home.In time my thoughts turned to birdhouses. These lent a bright and charm-ing touch to the premises. Mine weresimple affairs made from handy ma-terialscigar boxes, bark from trees,wood from old orange crates.An ordinary apple-box cut in halfmade a simple but attractive feedingstation with a front porch overhang.This I nailed to a stump in front of abushgiving the birds a feeling ofsecurity. When I placed grain in it,they seemed delighted with my humbleefforts. The feeder never lacked anassortment of chattering chirping vis-itors.Where were the lonely days I hadanticipated? They had slipped away,filled to the brim with new interests.I had never been busier!Then summer came. Water, scarceon the high desert during the dry sum-mer season, always was waiting in theshade of my trees. It was fresh andclean all the time because I kept theyard hoses dripping in the containers.Colored stones placed in these basinsmade the birds' watering and preeningplaces more attractive and safe. Whatgay bathing parties went on at all

times! Cheerful chirpings and chat-terings told me how much they appre-ciated my thoughtfulness.Birds are prompt little creatures.My clock could have been set by then-arrivals for breakfast, brunch, lunch,afternoon tea and evening dinner. Theypicked and pecked at everything,chirping and chattering gleefully. Nowand then some pampered little queenwould try to rule the roost, and thena battle raged. However, these squab-bles always ended in gay communitysong fests.

Road Runners, TooYears melted away on the hillside.Birds multiplied. Several coveys ofGambel's quail moved in. They skit-tered out from the bushes at feedingtime, morning and evening. In moved acocky road runner. In time he broughtalong his impudent wife. At 10 andfour every morning and afternoon they

looked in on the bird parties.I lived with birds, began slaving forbirds. I planted tubular flowers todelight the hummers. I added scarlettrumpet, morning-glory, an assortmentof cacti and bird-of-paradise for myfriends.Not even in fall and winter was Ilonely. Many birds flying southstopped for water and food at my place.There were always surprise visitorsfeasting and resting in the yard. Oftenthey tarried for days before continu-ing their journeys over the southern

mountains to warmer climates. Onecold December morning I was thrilledto find four plump round-bellied blue-birds at the feeders.Early one spring a robin droppedin to see me. As he hopped past mydoor, he studied me with round curi-ous eyes. He checked both feedersand fountains, then drank, and withthe straight-backed dignity of a red-vested gentleman, hopped back theway he had come.Spring again was in full swing. Theflowers about my door burst intobloom, every bush was alive with birdsongs, the busy little hummers andverdins flitted about enjoying theirfeasts of bugs and nectar. I walkedabout with a song in my heart everytime I looked at my singing garden.Eight years have slipped by sincefirst I met my birds. I will never bean Audubon, or a Dora Isenberg,the lady who stocked the HawaiianIslands with rare and exotic birds; butI have come to love and appreciatethese little friends as much as anyonecould. I know that no matter whereI might roam, be it swampland, cityor jungle, I'll always throw out a "wel-come mat" of food to keep a singing

'* garden about my doorsteps.ENDJULY, 1959 25


26/44

DesertBUFFALO GOURD Vines

STRANGE SOUNDS awakened meone night while camped in thecharming Kofa Mountain countryof western Arizonaa hollow scrap-ing noise completely unfamiliar to mein all my years of desertland explora-tion.Sitting up in my sleeping bag, I looked around, intenton finding the source of the unusual sounds. SoonI discovered the "noise-maker"a young kit fox20 yards up the washwas playing with adetached and dried gourd, using his front paws tobatter it over the ground.The cucumber or gourd family (Cucurbitaceal)contains at least 87 genera and 650 species intemperate and warm regions of the world. Severalof the perennial gourds are local to widespreadon our Western deserts. Perhaps the most com-mon and beautiful is the buffalo gourd or cala-bazilla (cucurbita joetidissima). Because of itsfetid odor when crushed, it is not too highlyesteemed!Chief charm of the vine is the beauty of itsabundant big green, gracefully-poised triangularleaves, covered with bright silvery hairs. The largeyellow tubular flowers are attractive, as are thefist-sized yellow-striped gourds which appear inlate summer and autumn.Given sufficient water, this gourd is an amazingly fastgrower, sending out its numerousradiating runners 15 to 20 feet ina single season. With room tospread, it will cover many squarefeet of ground. I have severalplants growing in my gardenwhere they serve as a substitutefor a lawn. They require no care,little water and are always goodlooking.

The plant's strong disagree-able odor when crushed is a pro-tective device of considerable im-port. I have yet to observe anyanimal that will eat the leaves. The root is intensely bitter.It is unfortunate that some of thegourd's defenses against mildewcannot through cross-breeding bebuilt into our domestic garden cu-curbits, such as watermelons, can-taloupes and cucumbers.

Early Mexican housewiveswere aware of the value of the26

By EDMUND C. JAEGER, D.Sc.Curator of PlantsRiverside Municipal Museum

FINGER-LEAFGOURD

PALMATE-LEAF GOURD

HEART-SEED

roots in whitening clothes. They putcut-up roots in their wash water.Arizona Indians ate the cooked gourds,grinding the seeds into a mush.Two closely related and attractivegourds are widespread on our deserts,both prized for their handsome five-part leaves.

Cucurbita digitata has leaves with very long narrowlobes (finger - like ordigitate), theupper sur-face being dark greenwith conspicuous bandsof small white hairsalong the main veins.The handsome deep-throated flowers withflaring petals are yel-low in color, as are theripe gourds.Leaves of the close-ly related Cucurbitapalmata, a plant of thebroad, glaring sand-washes, are light gray-green on the upper sur-face, not so deeplycleft. Its yellow gourds,often called "coyote melons," are considered utterly worth-less, but as folks say, "good enough for coyotes." In timesof great hunger, coyotes will actually feed upon the gourds'oil-rich seeds.

Most interesting of all gourds are several kinds calleddeer-apple, snake-apple or ibervilles (the latter namehonors an earlyn the mid seventeenth centuryFrench-Canadian naval officer and explorer, Pierre Iberville).These gourds are found from arid west Texas across Sonorato Baja California. They have enormous bulbous roots,some as big as small casks and shaped like giant turnipswith projecting necks from which the vines come forth.In Baja I quite often found these water-swollen rootsalmost hidden or jutting half above ground under theshade of large shrubs. Root-stored water enables the vinesto come forth each spring, climb rapidly through any sup-port they can findrees or shrubsand produce fruit(big round "berries") thoughthere has been little or no r

195907 desert magazine 1959 july

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