198402 desert magazine 1984 february

8/14/2019 198402 Desert Magazine 1984 February

1/44

F E B R U A R Y1 9 8 4V O L .4 8 , N o . 1,I S S N 0 1 9 4 - 3 4 0 5

f


2/44

"Jo

A L L B O O K S L I S T E D B E L O WA EP R I C E DA T$ 2 . 9 5 E AC H

^ m&*>

4 f, p '\

H A ^ :

r ^ H vi r

Ktti

Ik i_ * | r , . F *

S T . .

A L L O F T H E S E B O O K S A R E E X C E L L E N T W O R K S O NM I N E S A N D M I N I N G I N T H E IR A R E A S , T H E Y A R EA L S O A G O O D S O U R C E T O M A K E T R AV E L A N DE X P L O R AT I O N P L A N S F R O M . U N T I L A P R I L 1 5 ,1 9 8 4 , S H I P PI N G O N T H E S E W I L L B E O N LY 7 5 .

~ )E R B L A N K I S O N PA G E 3 0 ,

M I N E S

DftheN O J AV E


3/44

DW GRANTHAM, EditorM. BANDIN1, Photo EditorP . RICHARDS, Circulation

Volume 48, No. 1February, 1984

C O N T E N T S

T H E Q U E E NAND HER C A M E LAT THE F A I RR I V E R S I D E C O U N T Y ' S D AT E F E S T I VA L

W H ATTO SE E & DO IN THE C O A C H E L L A VA L L E YF I G T R E E J O H N ' S L O S T G O L D M I N E

D A T E Q U I Z

W H I T E M A N ' S P U E B L OE D I T O R ' S L E T T E R

B O O K R E V I E W S

H I D D E N T O W N N A M E S P U Z Z L E

H I S T O R I C A LMAP OF TH E C O A C H E L L A VA L L E YT H E M E D J H O O L , D E S E R T D E L I C A C Y

D A T E R E C I P I E S

L A N DOF L I T T L E S U M M E R SD E S E R T P L A N T L I F E

H A R R Y O L I V E R , M I R A G E S A L E S M A N

C O A C H E L L A VA L L E Y ' S G H O S T T O W N

T O W N SANDP L A C E SOF THE C O A C H E L L A VA L L E YC A M E L R A C E SAT THE F A I R

F r o n t C o v er4

6

9

16

18

20

20

21

22

24

26

28

31

32

36

38

R e a r C o v e r

D e s e r t S t a f f



M . B a n d i n i

T h e S t a f f

L a u r a R a e f

D W G r a n t h a m

D W G r a n t h a m

T h e S t a f f

T h e S t a f f

L e e B i r c h

Va r i o u s C o n t r i b u t o r s

L o w e L L B e a n

J i m C o r n e t t

P . Ri c h a r d s

P . W i g h t

D W G r a n t h a m

T h e S t a f f

DESERT MAGAZIN E (US?S 535230) is published every ocher (even numbered)month. Applica tion for reentry pending at Desert Hot Springs, Calif.92240. EDI TOR IAL, CIRCULATION', and ADVERTISING offices are located ac11213 Palm Dr ive, Desert Hot Springs, Calif. 92240, Telephone (619)251-1150. Please address all mail Co Post Office Box 1318, Pale DesertCalif. 92261. Subscription rates: $15.00 USA. $18.00 foreign, per year.See subscription form in this issue . POSTMASTER: Send change of addressby Form 3579 to DESERT MAGAZINE, P. O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, Cal. 92261.Copyright 1983 by DESERT MAGAZIN E. All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced in any manner without securing writtenpermission from the publisher. CONTRIBUTIONS: The editor welccsesunsolicited manuscripts and photographs but they can be returned ONLY ifaccompanied by a fully postage paid retu rn envelope. While we treat sub-missions w ith loving care, we do not assume responsibility for loss ordamage. Write rs Guide is free wit h large S.A.S.E., with sample copy ofmagazine, $2.00. Please have a nice day.


4/44

R IV E R S ID E C O U N T Y 'S N AT IO N A L

There are no flying carpets orcamel caravans to Southern Californiabut each year thousands of wintervacationers find ways to get to thatpart of the Southwest Sunbelt wherea major entertainment attraction isthe county fair built around anArabian Nights fantasy theme.

Riverside County's National DateFestival, held in mid February eachyear, celebrates an annual date har-vest that produces a gross value ofaround $35 mill ion. It is the onlysignificant commercial date harvestoutside the Arab world. Table grapesand citrus are the other economicallyimportant crops produced in theCoachella Valley.

Date palms were introduced intothe Coachella Valley in 1899 as partof a federal program to diversify Un-ited States agriculture. Experimen-tal plantings in other states werelargely unsuccessful.

Origin of the date palm from thecountries of old Arabia gave theNationaL Date Festival its ArabianNights theme which is carried out byan outdoor Arabian Nights Pageantfanta sy, camel and ostrich races(note the picture on the next p a g e ) ,the Queen Scheherazade Court of Bea-u t y , exhibits of da tes , citrus, andother farm crops of the valley.

Between Palm Springs and the Sal-ton Sea are about 5,000 acres of dategroves which produce 23 varieties ofdates, although one variety is pre-dominant. Date harvest normally

starts in late September andcontinues into February.There is a hugh outdoor stage that

is a replica of an old Arabian Nightsvillage as envisioned by the late

Harry Oliver (see the story in this issue)who designed it and supervised the const-ruction. Harry was an early Hollywood setdesigner who won one of the motion pictureindustry's first awards for his design ofthe set for the original "Ben Hur".

Built on several levels, the stage hasan array of Obelis k s, staircases, spire s,mospues, and a towering mineret from whichthe muezzin makes his nightly call to thefaithful. In the case of the Arabian NightsPageant, the faithful include a volunteercast of up to 100 costumed singers, dance rs,and other performers. Music is arrangedand scores adapted from the most popularsongs of all-time hit musical comedies andoperettas.

Queen Scherehazade and her Court ofBeauty wear their elegant costumes as theytour the fairgrounds several times daily.Photography buffs take note of that. Inaddition, there are afternoon camel andostrich races. They have no counterpartin the Arabian Nights stories, but are alot of fun to watch.

Coachella Valley residents held a "DateFestival" in 1910 to celebrate their firstdate harvest. Similar celebrations havebeen held through the years and the ArabianNights theme was adopted in 194 7.

Arabian Nights fantasy and whimsy doesnot diminish the fact that the NationalDate Festival is the Riverside County Fair.There is a junior fair and livestock showalong with one of the finest industrial artsshows. In additi on, there are also a largegem and mineral show, home arts exhibits andcontests, agriculture and horticulturaldisplays, food, fun, and a carnival for allto enjoy.

Information on next years Date Festivalmay be obtained by writing the Date Festivalat Box NNNN, Indio, Calif. 92201.


5/44

-

O S T R I C H R A C E S A R E P O P U L A R AT T H E D AT E F E S T I VA L .B R O O M I S U S E D T O S T E E R O S T R I C H ; N O T A S A W H I P.


6/44

F O C U SO N FUNW H ATT O D O A N DS EI N " H EC O A C H E L L A VA L L E Y

In addition to the areas featured in this issue,there are many more recreational, scenic and

PALM SPRINGS TRAMWAY

From the Valley Station, 2000 feetabove sea level and Palm Springs, thePalm Springs Aerial Tramway cable carscarry passengers in just 1 8 minutes tothe 8000 foot station in the senic SanJacinto Mountains where a panoramicview of the Coachella Valley is match-ed only by the sight of the San Bern-ardino Mountains more than 50 milesaway.

During the ride from the valley tothe mountain station, four completegeological life zon es th e eq uivalentof life changes observable on a motortrip from Sonora , Mexico to the ArcticCircle in Alaska, can be seen. TheMountain Station has an Alpine Rest-

aurant, cocktail lounge, gift andapparel shops . Hik ing trails lead toLong Valley and 11 campgrounds.

The tramway is located in ChinoCanyon, off Highway 111 on t he northside of Palm Spri ngs. Hours are 10a.m., weekdays, 8 a.m., week ends.Mid October to April. Last car upis at 7:30 p.m., last car down is at9:15 p.m . Ask about their ride anddine (at t he top) special. Tele-phone (619) 325-4227

MALKI MUSEUM

Located on the Fields Road turn-off from Interstate 1 0 , betweenBanning and Cabazon, the MalkiMuseum was established by the Cahuilla

cultural places for family fun in and around theCoachella Valley, some of which are listed here.

Indians to preserve their culture andhistory, and to acquaint others withtheir tribe. The Cahuillas lived inRiverside County long before the Spanishfirst came through the area in the 1770's.

There ar e more than 3000 artifacts,the majority of which were donated byindividual Indian families. Th e basketcollection is especially fine.

BERGMAN MUSEUM

The late Harry Bergman spent morethan 50 years of his life collectingartifacts and historical objects fromthe Western world . Many of the relics arefrom th e immediate vicinity and include

Indian artifacts and objects left bythe early Spaniards. Th e charm of thismuseum is the helter-skelter and hodge-podge display s. It has one of t he bestIndian arrowhead collections in Calif.It is located on Highway 71 betweenAguanga Valley and Anza, only an hoursdrive from Palm Sprin gs. Take Highway7 4 , the Palms to Pines Highway to thej unction with Highway 7 1 , turn left andfollow the highway until th e museum.

WHITEWATER TROUT RANCH

Open the year around every day exceptMond ay, this is an excellent picnic andone day outing spot for the family. Amountain setting with lak es, mead ows,and brooks is located here in a thumbnailsetting. Fishing is allowed (fee charged)and no license is required. There isa modest fee for use of the picnic area.


7/44

From Interstate 1 0 , a few miles north-west of Palm Spr ing s, take the WhiteWater offramp and go north about 5 mites.

INDIAN CANYONS

Ancient Indian cany ons, once home tothe Agua Caliente band of CahuilLa Ind-i a n s , Line the nearby mountains aroundPalm Spr ings. These canyons are starkreminders of the country before develop-ment. They are both q uiet and beauti ful ,rugged and colorful.

The Agua Caliente canyons begin fivemiles south of downtown Palm Springs.Here can be seen relics from theIndians' history pictogr aphs, bedrockmortar holes for grinding grain, andstone houses and shelters built highon the cliff walls centuries ago andattesting to the working life andculture that formerly existed.

Palm Canyon is one of the mostfamous of the picturesque Indiancanyons. It has been praised in n e w s -paper and magazine articles aroundthe world and used for natural sett-ings for several motion pictures.

A constant stream of icy mountainwater flows through Palm Canyon.

Andreas Ca nyon , named for " Captain"

Andreas of the Cahuilta Indian Tribe,has a perpetual, icy, sweet streamwinding through a dense growth ofalders, willows, sycamores, thicktangles of wild grape and mesquiteand groves of stately, skirtedWashingtonia palms.

Andreas , Pal m, and Murray canyonsare open to the public. They arelocated on South Palm Canyon Drive,one-half mile south of the AmericanaCanyon Hotel. Admission is chargedto Palm Canyon. There is a souvenir

shop offering antique postcardsdepicting Indian history, Indianjewelry, snacks and cold drinks.The canyons are open from Octoberto June.

PALM SPRINGS DESERT MUSEUM

The Desert Museum in Palm Springs isnot a museum from the literal or staticsense of the word. It is a living mu s-e u m a n institution of ideas ratherthan things which are constantly beingchanged to create adventures into thepast, present and future.

A few of the services and exhibitsoffered by this unusual non-profit,non-municipal museum include Fine Art,Primitive and Folk Art Shows; NaturalHistory and Scienific Exhibits;Auditorium Lectures and Concerts;Film Series; Field Trips and NatureWalks; Publishing of Scientific Books;Art Classes and a Reference Library.

SALTON SEA

Fed by the affluent waters of thecanals and ranches of the ImperialValley and the runoff from the Choco-late and Santa Rosa Moun tains, SaltonSea is more than 30 miles long and 15mile s wide. It is located betweenIndio and Brawtey with State 86 on thewest and State 111 on the east.

A year around camping, recreation,and fishing area, the Salton Sea was

formed in 1905 when the Colorado Riverbroke its banks and flooded much of thearea. For more information, see theDecember 1983 issue of DESERT.

SANTA ROSA MOUNTAINS

The Palms to Pines Highway (State74) is one of the most scenic routesin Southern California. It leaves thedesert floor at Palm Desert and windsthrough the Santa Rosa Mountains ascacti are replaced by the flora of

higher elevations, including yucca,agave, mesq uite , and then, reachingthe 5000 foot mark , are the verdantpine covered meadows and mountain slopes.

During the summer it is a welcomerespite from the hot desert and in thewinter the snow covered area offersfamily fun and sledding. The communityof Idyllwild has facilities for travelersboth in winter and summer.


8/44


9/44

F IG T R E E J O H N 'S LO S T G O LDM I E

A N DA T R I PTOF I N D I T 6 0 Y E A R S A G

Gold you say?? And near Indlo??Sure ly you mus t have been ou t Lnthe sun too Long. Or have you?? I tLs not j ust the magic word I tself

tha t qu ickens the pu lse . There I sa lure to I t l ike nothing else. Apick and a "frying pa n strapped tothe back of a grizzly prospector 'sburro. It 's adventure, uncertainty,and r iches. If you are o ne of thefortunate. If you f ind I t , you c anbuy al l that your heart desire s ,af ter mak ing a contr ibut ion to theInternal Revenue Service.

And If you don' t f ind I t??Wel l , there has been the fun oflooking for I t and j ust becauseyou didn ' t f ind any paying colordoesn ' t mean that Lt Isn ' t some-where ou t there Ln the hi l l s .Someday yo u wi l l go back foranother t ry.

Let 's go back Ln t ime say 130years ago on so . The place LsS t . Louis , Missour i . A wagon t ra inhas j ust lef t for the new land Lnthe wes t . Wide open spaces , c leanfresh air, a new l i fe , and mayber i c h e s G O L D h a d b e en d i sc o ve r edLn California.

It Ls a hard journey but thetravelers always have their eyeson the far horizon that never seemsto end on the plains of K ansas andOk lahoma, bu t which gradua l ly d i s -appear a s the Rock y Mountains comeLn to v iew.

It Is raw , undeveloped country withno f reeways , no mote l s , no t even anHoward J ohnsons or ga s s tat ion. I tspopulat ion Ls mostly animals and

Indians. And then co mes the deserts .

The deserts and fierce Indians.One morning there Is the s treak of anarrow screaming towards the wagon train,the spLne-chlll lng yel ls breaking thest i l lness of the gl is tening sands thatmean s Indians on the at tack. The wholeaffair does not take long. The travelersdon' t have a chance against the greaternumber of Indians on their superiork nowledge of the area and at tack abi l i -t ies . The wagon train Is now a smoking

heap under the same blue sk y thatearlier smiled at the travelers. TheIndians have left now, taking theirbooty with them. But , wha t Ls the spoton the horizon??

A survivor?? Yes . A survivor, runn-ing aimlessly across the burning sands,unseen by the at tackers . Tears In hiseyes, fear Ln his heart , he runs asfast as he can. He Is a f ive year oldboy. But what Ls this?? An Indian on apony Is swift ly approaching. Q uickly heIs scooped up by a strong bronze armand held to I ts r ider.

The pony and I ts r ider rej oin theother Indians gallopi ng across thedesert towards the low foothi l ls to thesouth. The hills close Ln behind them.The wagon trai n Ls now only a me ss ofglowing embers . The thoughts of a newlife and r iches have gone up In smoke.


10/44

The time Is now about 1880. A ma nk nocks on the door of a St. LouLsboarding house run by a Mrs . Bruck man.The man Ls Looking for room and boardand he appears very weary and sick .He walks with a very notlcable limp.

His skin Is brown from many years ofsun In the desert. He Is very muscu-lar and appears to be used to hardwork . Mrs . Bruckman shows him the rearroom, which h e tak es without discussion.

All he w ants a t this particulartime Is peace and quiet and to a fewwell Intended questions from Mrs .Bruckman, he has few answers. He willpay her well. He tak es a bag from hisold suitcase and scatters some shin-ing rock s on the table. She may havethem all If she will j ust Let himrest for a while.

Mrs. Bruck man goes down to thek itchen with a frown O n her usuallyplacid forehead. She talks to heryoung daughter, Ellen about theirnew boarder. There Is a mystery a-bout him and she openly wonders Ifshe should have tak en him In. Theyhave no man In the house t o protectthem. There Ls no doubt that the man LsILL. Maybe he Ls just too sick to actfriendly. So, with a shrug of her

shoulders, she puts doubts and fearsaside. But mystery and the spell ofthe unknown are at work today.

There Ls a q uick ened light InMrs. Bruckman's eyes. Life goes on dayIn and day o ut without much of anythingto break the monotony. This strangerspells adventure the mystery ofadventure--and that Ls something, evenIn St. Louis.

The man shows Improvement aftera time under the understanding andk indly care of Mrs. Bruck man and herdaughter. He has gained weight andstarted to talk about leaving a s soonas he Is able to travel again. And hehas been most generous In his apprecia-tion of the hospitality that theBruck mans have given him. He has alsobeen generous with the yellow colorednuggets from still other bags In hissuitcase.

After all, he confided to Mrs. Bruckman,his has been a hard life with hisfather and mother tak en from him whenhe was five. But beyond that unhappybit of Information, he Is q uiet abouthis past.

Then one day the stranger becomesvery III and the doctor who Is calledIn gives the Bruckmans little hope ofhis recovery. Good care and good foodhave brought only a temppcrary Improve-ment. The stranger Ls going to die.

One evening shortly after thedoctor's visit, he asks Mrs. Bruckmanand her daughter to sit with him fora while. He has something he wants totell them and something to give themalso. He tells them the story of the

lost wagon train, h is boyhood spentwith the Indians who carried him offthat terrible day, and speaks of suchnames as Fig Tree J ohn, which meansnothing to the women from St. Louis.

Had Mr s. Bruckman been familiarwith the history of the CoachellaValley In California and the CohulllaIndians, she would have k nown of thatfamous old Indian character. Fig TreeJohn, who disappeared at Intervalsonly to return with his pockets bulg-ing with gold studded nuggets. Butthis Ls St. LouLs, Missouri, and noone has heard of such a desert valleyas the Coachella, much less Fig TreeJohn.

The stranger ask s her to bring hima pencil and paper and slowly he startsdrawing lines on the piece of paper.Then he hands It to her. It Ls a map,he says. A map to a gold mine In themountains near a large dry lake on thedesert. There Ls much gold there andhe wants her to have the map and maybesomehow she can get out there and getseme of the gold. There Ls too muchgold that they could live any placethey wanted to. Ellen can go to a youngwemens college and have beautifulclothes. Mrs . Bruckman could live likea real society lady.

10


11/44

His stony Ls Like a fantasy tothe Bruck mans. The stranger tel ls herto guard the map careful ly and not totel l s t rangers about I t ; to tel l noone about I t . A fortune L n gold l ieswithin the grasp of the person whofo l lows the map . Almos t as he cau-

t ions her, he passes away. Mrs .Bruck man fo lds the map up and p lacesthe pages In her fami ly Bib le .

Between those pages l ie adventure,r iches, fame, and maybe dea th . Lookwhat happened to the s tranger. Shebegins to th ink of people she cantrust with her s ecret but a fear andsuspicion new to her nature Is bornIn her mind and sh e and Ellen deci deto k eep their secret unt i l someonecomes along who ca n help them. Time

passes and Mrs . Bruckman dies .The map re mains In the Bible for

many yea rs , and I t Intr igues Ellen .She st i l l has several of the goldnuggets the s tranger gave her mother.lAILthln he r gr as p Is ev eryt hing shewould l ik e to hav e, thanks to themap. The spel l of mystery and adven-ture grow with each passing day andfinal ly she leaves the ci ty of St .Louis fo r the fa r wes t , where go ldj ust l ies on the ground to be pick ed

up by the f inder and magical ly turn-ed Into money to buy al l things onecould want .

With t ime, Ellen arr ived by trainLn Indlo, California. She proceededto search, always alone , for thelocat ion of the gold. She dar es nottel l anyone her secret . The dayspass and the gold eludes her search.She studies the map and the codecareful ly and with each new tr ip sheseems to draw closer t o the locat ionIndicated on the map and the twopine trees that mark the spot .

Tired and dlshartened, but notd i scouraged , E l len moves to L osAngeles , Ca l i fo rnia and tak es upres idence . Each year, when the hea tleaves the val ley, she retur ns tosearch mor e .

FIGTREE JOHN

But her efforts are not rewarded ast ime passes and she grows older, shebecom es less physical ly able to con-tinue her search. It Ls then thatEllen decides she wil l never enj oy the

riches of t hat fabulous lode of goldthe s tranger had so painstakinglymapped for her mother back Ln St . Louisso many years ago. And, Incidental ly,there Ls a code req uired to t ranslatethe locat ions and reference points onthe map . She mus t dec ide what to dowi th the map and code .

It Ls Ln 1923 Ln the little town ofPalm Springs that El len 's fr iendshipwith Mr s. ZaddLe Bunker and her husbandEd, prompts her to talk about the lostmine . It could be one others havelooked for. It wa s, she bel ieved, thelong lost Fig Tree J ohn Mine . Gold Issupposed to lie on top of the groundwait ing for someone to pick I t up.J ust l ike the s tranger said In St .Louis .

11


12/44

Mrs. Bunker accompanied ELLento her bank Ln Los AngeLes andthey removed the map from Ltsresting place In a saFe depositbox. With a q uickened anticipation,they unfolded the now-yellowedsheet and look ed at the curvinglines, the crosses, the mark s thatIndicate the railroad track s andthe strange groups of figures: 880149 880 049 separated by threedots within a circle. Then shelooks at the code. It seems asthough surely I t won't be too hardto read. And Mrs. Bunker tellsEllen that she and Ed and herfriend Cornelia White will searchfor the lost mine. And when theyfind It, they will tak e her to Itso she may have the thrill ofstanding a t last on the site ofthe fabulous treasure of gold. ItIs her mine, after all, and whenshe Is physically able to standanother trip Into the mountains ofthe desert, they will Insist shecome with them.

Mrs. Bunker watches as Ellentears out pages from a notebook,each bearing the explanation ofthe groups of figures. The Lastpage of the notebook Is left Lnthe safe deposit box with theunderstanding It will be broughtout when the mine Is found.

And so on a clear, warm dayIn May, the three, Mr. and Mrs.Bunker and Cornelia White, setout for a spot believed to be Lnthe vicinity of a big dry lak e.However, by this time, the Sal tonSe a has been created and the bigdry lake Is now full of water.They rent two burros to packtheir provision and eq uipment on.

Using a ranch near Oasis as theirbase camp, they start out on footwith the burros.

They enter a wide canyon whichIs followed until nightfall andcamp Is then made . They realizethey must find wat er, but accord-Ing to the code and the map, bythe end of the second day , theyshould find th e spring shown onthe map.

J ust Ln case , however, they bring anemergency supply of water. J ust 10years a go, Ulysses S. Grant's grand-son had almost perished Ln this areafor lack of water.

It Is a slow, uphill journey allthe way bu t they have no difficultyfinding the lancharks Indicated onthe yellowing map. Nature seems tohave stood still In her growth, orchange Ln this area, but then thedesert changes very slowly, naturally.By sunset on the second day they findthe spring shown on the map. It Ls aperfect spot for a new base of opera-tions and they set about gatheringwood for the stove and fire. So far,fortunately, everything has talliedwith the map. The three buttes, thehigh mountain to the northwest, thespring. Surley they will find Ellen 'smine for her.

They are up with the sun t o findmountain sheep drinking at the spring.The sk y Ls a faint blush of pLnk andthey are tense with excitement forthey really have started Ln earnestLn their q uest for the lost mine.They keep their eyes to the groundlooking for an outcropping tha t willappear to be gold-bearing ore. Thestranger told Mrs. Bruck man that the

precious metal was lying around ontop of the ground. There were agreat many pieces of broken Indianpottery half burled Ln the ground,evidence of one time Indian habita-tion. However, as yet, nothing resem-bling this had appeared.

It Ls possible that the band ofIndians that attacked the wagon trainlived Ln these canyons or that theyhad been the home of the boy theyraised. But wagon trains were rare Lnthe Coachella Valley and the Indiansnot often warlike. There are manystories of Indians Ln the vicinitywith rich q uantities of gold Ln theirpossession, sometimes In the form ofblack me tal, generously sprinkled withfree gold that was readily passed forcurrency at the country store.

12


13/44

PAUM SPfctNG-5

nev may be.the place. uihe r FioTVeeTSV tvu . > ^i1 Supply yj? ooncf ar,1

go ld gOF SCARCE,

T H I SM A P I N D I C AT E S T H E PAT H TA K E N I N1923 T O F I N D T H EL O S TG O L D M I N EOF F L G T R E E J O HN

The trail became Increasinglyste ep and dl-f-flcult to tr ave l andafter f ive days they reached thespot vJhere the pines are shown onthe map . Here , the re I s a g rea tamount of underbrush, many trees,and such, so I t Is decided to f inda high poin t -fran whic h they mayobtain a perspect ive of their lo -cat ion. They know they are close towhere the mine Is . And the May sunIs ho t .

They push through the under-growth, s tar t l ing a young mountainsheep with a badly swollen jaw." Frobably snake b i te" , says Mr.B u n k e r. They reach the surnnlt,exhausted fran the heat and dripp-ing with perspirat ion. They eagerlyLook for the pine t rees. But thereare none . Wi thout the 2 p ine t rees ,they are without a map point andLost. FVovlslons are running Low sothey return t o the base camp to restand study the map for a possible mis-reading or error.

Returning t o the summit the next day,the three branch out In anotherdirection. For several days , theyrepeat th is procedure, but nothingIs found.

Short of food and with the May h otspel l upon them, they return to theOasis Ranch. From there they travelback home to Palm Springs. There theyge t news that ElLen has passed away.M r s . Bunk er remembers the Last pageof the notebook, but Is unable to goto L os yVigeles to try to retri eve It.

The map and code remained In thepossession of Zaddle Bunker for manyyears. Thus there Is some physicalevidence to this t reasure tale . No

one seems to quest ion that Fig TreeJ ohn had easy access to some fountainof great wealth. His existence and h ishabits were known t o at least a fewpioneer people of the Coachella Valley.He possessed gold nugget s and he foundthem somewhere not too far from wherehe l ived In the "dry wash" a rea nearthe present day S a l ton Sea .

13


14/44

Wh en he needed goLd, he woulddisappear for three or fourdays , re tu rn ing wi th h i s poc-k ets filled with nugg ets . Onewould wonder, however, I f hewere actual ly 135 year s old

when death f inal ly claimed him.

It Is qui te t rue that many ofthe old desert prospe ctors becamequite unrel iable, af ter years Inthe sun and seasons spent alonewith only a burro for a l ivingcompanion. The constant thoughtof f inding that evasive t reasurek ept them going again st al l odds .I t could be th at an old prospec-to r might Imagine he k new jus twhere th at min e was located. Hecould very well draw a map , andhe could q uite accurately remem-ber p laces he had v i s i ted a foo tand poss ib ly many t imes . However,the area around the Coachella orSal on was not a mining area Inthe 1850-1870 era . But gold h asbeen found I n the J u l ian a rea ,

from this , there Is als o thechance that the old man who died In St ,Louis al l those years ago did k now, assomebody must have known then, tha tgold actually was found In the deserthil ls , and If It was t he re th en , j,-fc

mu st still be there. And how can oneexplain the accuracy of the pointson the map??

There Is no quest ion about the ageof the map. I t was Inked on a paperthat was commonly used In the 1870 -1880 era. The notebook adds furthercredence to the accuracy of the timeelement. The notebook had printeddates at the top of each page. Theyear was " 1 8 7 1 " .

For al l of those readers who longto find a long lost treasure, thereproduction of the map on the fol low-ing page may lead you to finallydiscover the true source of themysterious wealth of "Fig Tree John"and the stranger. If you find It, atleast br ing us a sample of the nuggets .

Y E A R S L AT E R ,A G R O U P H I K E DIN R O M T H E B O R R E G O S I D E , B U T F O U N D N O T HT H EM A P B E L O W I N D I C AT ES T H E I R R O U T E .

ZSJlZ+Ftt*

anyw


15/44

i 4 % :

k b f I

/

** r ..-\

I:- ..

\ 9"

I S T H E M A P U S E D B Y T H E B U N K E R S A N D C . W H I T E O N T HE X P E D I T I O N T O F I N D T H E L O S T G OL D M I N E IN 1 9 2 3

15


16/44

D AT E Q U I Z)CES A LIST of date variet ies read l ikean Arabian Boy Scout rol l cal l to you?Ar e you a pointer d o you enter a dateshop and ay, "Cjimme pound of these,a pound of those, and toss in a few ofthem there?" If so, you should save wearand tear on your index f inger by learningthe names of a few popular variet ies ofdates.

Since the beginning of the 20thcentury, date growers in the CoachellaValley of Southern California haveconcentrated on improving the quali ty ofthe various types original ly importedfrom Algeria , Iraq, Egypt, Arabia and

(To complete the test , indicate yourselect ion by checking one of the threepossible answers to each quest ion.)

1. Which of the fol lowing date var ie-ties is the eader in sales, and isthe only date with a large amountof cane sugar?

A. MaktocmB. Amir Haj j

C. Deglet Noor

2. One of these has the reputat ion, inthe Persian Gulf, of being the mostdel ic ious date in the world. (It isgrown here.)

A . Khalasa C. RharsB. Kustawy

3. Check the date that has been devel-oped into the argest s ized of allof the imported var ie t ies grown inthe United States .

A. HalawyB. Sayer

C. Medjool

4. A popular sof t date is round inshape and is one of the bestdesser t dates . Can you name it?

A. Khir C. I teemaB. Barhee

5. Which date, in its highest qual i ty,is t ransluscent? Its seeds can be seenwhen the date is held up to a l ight .

A. Hay a n yB. Deglet Noor

C. Tazizoot

Morocco. They now produce 95% of thedates grown in the United States.

The following quiz will provide anopportunity for you to prove whetheryou are date-wise or otherwise. Pleasedo not be disturbed if you are unsureof the answers the author was unsureof the questions until he corneredRoy W. Nixon (horticulturist with theUnited States t)epartment of Agriculture)and Hillman JJowell (Marketing ServicesManager of the California t)ate GrowersAssociation. )

A Deglet Noor Date Orchard

6. Can you select, from these three,the inverted sugar date that is suit-able for enjoyment by diabetics?

A. KhadrawyB. Zahidi

C. Saidy

7. One f these is known as a breaddate . Which one?

A. MedjoolB. Barhee

C. Thoory

Which of the fol lowing is a darkcolored (almost black) date?

A. DayriB. Ashrasi

C. Hilali

9. Check the popular date that isfrequently used for cooking.

A. KustawyB. Halawy

C. Khalasa

1 0 . Which date is the weetest? It islarge and is brown in color.

A. Rhars

B. Saidy

C. Hayany

Answers are on Page 30

1 6


17/44


18/44

W h i t eM a n 's

P u e b l oby Laura Raef

T HE UNIQUE pueblo "castle-turned-museum" jutting out of the side ofa mountain in Desert Hot Springs, Cali-fornia, is best described as an extremelyremarkable featas extremely remark-able as its builder, Cabot Yerxa.

From a distance, this Hopi-designedcliff dwelling practically camouflages it-self with its own muted, gray-like hues

which blend with those of the surround-ing desert. Then, like a genie poppingout of a bottle, the rambling puebloemerges from out of the mountainside in-to a spectacular view.

Cabot Yerxa, famous in the desert forhis paintings of Indians, designed hisPueblo from ancient cliff dwellings ofthe New Mexico Indians who lived overa thousand years ago.

He Started his building before the

birth of the citynow known for its heal-thy mineral watersand continued tobuild, adding room after room, for atotal of 24 years.

Yerxa deviated only slightly from theHopi Indian style of construction. Onechange he made was building stairwaysinside rather than the Indian-style lad-ders on the outside. Ancient dwellingshad only one window and one door ineach room, but Yerxa included two andsometimes three in most of hiswith ex-ception of the cave rooms which havenone at all.

The east wall on the ground floor is24 inches thick at the bottom and 10 ormore inches at the top. It has no doorsnor windows. The sun rises but does notshine into the downstairs rooms until

sunset.All 35 rooms of the four-story ramb-ling cliff dwelling have a different rooflevel. Altogether there are 150 windowsand 65 doors and 17 of these doors leadto the outside.

Yerxa included four small apartmentsinside his pueblo. These were often oc-cupied by artist friends. His fourth floorstudio towers above the canyon walls,bringing into view nearly all of Coachella

Valley. However, the canyon opens outtoward Mt. San Jacinto which gives everyroom a view of Riverside County's high-est mountain.

The castle is built over a hot waterwell. The pump, located in Yerxa's work-shop, lifts the 128 degree water to a tankbehind the pueblo. The building is 300feet above the desert floor but only 140feet to water.

When he started construction, he hadno money for tools. U sing a second-handpick and shovel, he started digging. Fora solid year, he dug a deep cavern in themountainside. With the dirt, he filled upthe canyon in the front of the mountain,which later became his front yard.

In his Model T Ford, he hauled sand,rocks and cementalong with barrels of

waterup to the mountain peak. U nablefinancially, to buy materials, he scouredthe desert collecting old railroad ties,used nails and anything else which mightbe of possible value.

Excepting for a very short time whenhe had the help of one man, he did thework aloneeven hand-mixed his ce-ment. As soon as the construction de-veloped to crude livability, Yerxa and hiswife, Portia, moved in.

1 8


19/44

\**-yThe late Cabot Yerxaand his famous Indian pueblointo wh ich h e built partof his soul.

Somewhere along the way, one roombecame an art gallery where hung paint-ings of his as well as his artist friends.He also turned one room into a tradingpost where he displayed handwork ofIndians as well as Mexican artisans,hooks and many desert souvenirs.

In Alaska during the gold rush days,Yerxa had collected many things usedby Eskimos living near the Arctic Circle.These included animal skins, metatestones, pack saddles, animal traps andmany pictures taken during the gold rushto Cape Nome in the 1900s.

A museum of early day relics, Indianartifacts and beautiful bead work ofNorthern Indians, was established insidethe castle alfO. Here, he displayed a tom-ahawk and buffalo leather shield takenfrom a dead Indian on the Custer Battle-field. A pair of red moccasins, decoratedwith porcupine quills, worn by RedCloud, leader of a band of Sioux who

fought against General Custer, are in themuseum.

As the fantastic cliff dwelling grewlarger and larger, the public clamored tosee the inside. Reluctantly, Yerxa openeda part of the castle to sightseers, con-ducting tours.

Yerxa first came to the desert as earlyas 1913, with only a paper bag of foodand a quart of water and minus a blanket.Keeping warm at night by campfire heslept during the day on the sand while

the sun warmed his body.His first desert home was a hole dug

in a bank with noroof, no door, no fur-nitureonly the hole in the earth. Nexthe built a one-room cabin to be followedshortly by what he named as the "Eagle'sNest." This was half underground andhad one door and one window, also atopMiracle Hill. There was a fireplace andthis is where he brought his bride hometo live before he started his castle.

Having sunk his roots deep in the des-

ert, Yerxa spent much time with Indians,sometimes living with them and going toplaces never before seen by white man.Consequently, he became a prolific "tellerof tales," having been steeped in Indianlore.

A native of Minnesota, he was a des-cendant of John Cabot, the discoverer ofNewfoundland. He came by his reputa-tion as an adventurer early in life. Havingleft home at the tender age of sixteen, hedrifted to Alaska. Friends say he operat-ed a cigar store there during the gold

rush and made a fortune. Later, he livedfor two years in an Eskimo village. Thenhe came to Desert Hot Springs and start-ed his castle.

He never stopped building, addingroom after room. He was often heard tosay, "I'll never stop building and addingon to the castleas long as I keep build-ing I'll never die!"

But a little more than 1 7 yethe desert lover's blunted pick andalong with a few other crude toidle in his workshop. To the end,true to his word. He continued tfor 24 years, until his death at the83 .

After his death the building wauntil a group of professional and bmen formed an organization calLandmark Conservators, a non-proporation devoted to restoring an

serving landmarks of America.They have not only restored the

ing, but have added many new aand things of historical interescalled Cabot's Old Indian Puebbuilding is open for public tourday of the week except Monday9:30 A.M. to 5 P.M. Desert Hot is a few miles north of Intersnear Palm Springs.

When visitors tour the strangeclimb the narrow cement steps, tryderstand its peculiar structure, thalmost certain to feel the personapresence of the man who gave third of his lifetime to its constru

With every shovelful of earth hwith the driving of every nail anthe crude hand-mixing of every cement, there went into the castlebit, year by year, along with thestrength, his very heart, soul and

The Cabot castle-turned-museuMiracle Hill standsa tribute tomarkable man who created a remspectacular!

19


20/44


21/44

H I D D E N T O V IN I W E SDesert readers wil l remember some of the brainteasers of times past. Here is anew twi st fo r the historians. There are 33 names of towns or settlements orstations in the Coachella Valley that have or had United States Post Offices.

They may read forward, back ward, up, down, or diagonally. Answers are on Page37 and are based on the article " Towns and Places of the Coachella Valley Pastand Present" , beginning on Page 38 in this issue.

N

0

R

TH

Y

T

I

C

L

A

R

D

E

H

T

A

C

I

s

0

0

G

IL

B

Y

GP-

A

L

M

D

E

S

E

R

T

N

E

R

Y

R

AN

C

H

0

M

I

R

A

G

E

R

0

D

0

D

R

T

A

R

TH

0

U

S

A

N

D

P

A

L

M

S

W

wI0

H

L

L

BH

B

E

R

D

0

0

C

A

Mp

C

C

P

A

H

E

C

R

EI

P

A

L

M

R

E

T

R

E

R

R

H

A

N

S

B

0

G

IE

L

A

QU

I

N

T

A

E

E

R

I

L

W

H

GOOD

C

0

A

CH

E

L

L

A

A

D

A

E

M

E

D

R

M

E

T

QB

0

XA

R

S

R

M

0

wK

L

I

T

E

I

S

L

R

LUCK

D

E

S

ER

T

H

0

T

S

P

R

I

N

G

S

A

P

L

0

E

R

C

0A

J

I

C

X

W

P

A

K

M

R

A

C

R

S

N

S

M

P

SB

K

L

K

H

U

A

R

E

W

A

L

0

I

K

E

E

U

A

RI

0

L

I

W

M

L

X

I

V

Y

T

S

N

Y

E

R

D

L

EA

K

T

R

E

A

M

N

N

N

N

0

u

G

V

R

T

A

M

TG

E

H

A

L

C

D

S

Y

U

G

N

M

S

A

T

S

D

C

LW

L

E

M

L

I

A

E

0

A

0

S

M

U

L

E

A

U

I

AA

L

R

0

0

T

L

A

R

K

L

E

I

N

L

K

N

N

T

WT

G

M

N

0

Y

E

N

Z

E

D

A

T

R

E

0

D

E

Y

LE

K

A

G

U

A

E

D

0

M

E

C

C

A

Y

M

R

S

u

cR

w

L

TT

T

Y

T

I

C

N

0

T

L

A

S

2


22/44

STc*itej> *JA peio vtices Mourn at* T>Ve p/res #e stfor Me*. AKII> MAt>c >Be i iH "onrMeAVT T TVe B/'LA.TS . 7/"ifr

se** rtia-H AsJbeb A*Jt>

An.75"e

s*/7&ouoa*> AT eve PO/AJT,re : AmeisrteD T

rs

wtu-ie aov

wesrACJTOSS h <

/iXr e+teAb lecruTH AT KJ/i-C/e BOY At>

03 H Ae*txY ATT/Ai t - -rue- 10-30 TO His>ITH MiS KCrToe.

SA MGO&DNIO KAX*

n,i9rrr.

aunotrrMibTKC

U~J.^ T

rvyZlm I

JNl

^ i:

\H SfPTCMSEK. OFl.l WAMUHHAU. 4Mb

U M M A YwiLKtttson pmovr A 1OH TM SiMDIMAW * Mk POOM i AHCtLAS TO LA MX f4 CO4CM OAb " UNTIL.'977 THCS

WINS- *

fur/on

p ^ ^Z&-

6b AT AKNta'i I7wey Btoom sutn*

TOKO

|

BSS' CAM1OH

STATION

UHQurrx-CAtiVOti

[l*PKA*.CAHYOHPA L M S(*M6-S

[IMP>C A N Y O N

|JV

\ M I n*fo*nmr vme rltty M ^ neAcntb %tu oie*o. r/u>Aff twf eubeb MJb -me _J/fc M FIO-HT lUCt. TH tY HlBGC hlMM+et> OtJTjvw 16,'ti-f. M4A>y O P -me MAJ r "B4CK: 7t> UTAH OH UOttTH TO F/K>b*

JA ) ICTbtSlt OP Itn MOtT Of Tilt MiAOJUvcb IU SALT LAH H AUSY At lb

- -me 'siYn*~~THK **AI nOfr~*iMAi*iet> /*>

, /**** "*Jf* OALIFOtAJIA FOVV i> M*LOYMH TI*J1 1ATTAOCt* 9)1 SACttAMMH TO VAUtYAT %vrrH'* MILL.

**mnioGAm, Tut AorHtAiric O & T E OF me >nxmrl ** j f op wj *r Sirmie's MILL WAS m-

^

#^

f H ) NJ A U U A H VIt *

Mrrii/ow < v / WM>NT * / i T H K O O ^ I itoyt cAMvorO C H T H C WAI TOSAM hlg+C To Flttr T H f

W C 4 M S . Sir MtMtlAb

T*l* FA*.-

^s?s

WXLLS

\QoA tHLce.

iia-nK

num. Ht ki t / M> ^ ^

Ot , MS W# *rm*mi> ovt*iAtJt> MAIL

IPTU M s t

^ ~T O S A Hr

t*rr AM-

r. IT, /

AT r W avrlMMAK nt f c m - U M K ^ag z g M

c o ("l ai i I

CJ ra i T^^SZ?

b*fed

^ ^ 1 1 i -

bd

^ ^ r i y i ^ ^


35/44

B i d S H O W S H A V E S I M P L E I D E A S 2 N D M O UI HAVE MAILE D THIS TO THE EDITORS OF "BARTLETTS QUOTAT ION S" TO ADD T O MY EVER GRO WING LIST OF QUOTES.

Smallest newspaper In the world and th onlyt pass one. (Not a Texaa Bossl)

Packet 1 of Pouch 10

Thla paper la not entered aa second daaamail. It'i a flrat claaa newspaper.

Published at Fort OliverTHOUSAND PALMS, CALIFORNIA

Four Times a YearO N THE NEWSSTAND 10c A COPT

B u t sometime! they don't have them.

MAILING PRICE $1.00 A YEARAfter the Democrats get rid of Sum-merfield and stamps come down inprice, I will go back to 50c a year.

This offer expires when 1 doAsbestos editions will

be forwarded in case youdon't make it.

Published by

HARRY1 8 8 *

O L I V E RIVM

Fort CommanderPublisher

DistributorLamp Lighter

EditorArtist

JanitorGardener

Owner

There Is nothing bigger than the"out-doors."

Nature teaches beasts to know theirfriends.

People ask me how I get my nameIn the papers so often. It is so easyall you do Is build yourself the mostcolorful place to live in all the wholecountythen live in it 20 years or sowith a startling horde of screw-ballanimalsand if you do not give theAnimals "last names"your name issure to be used every time they dothe unexpectedand who is to knowyou kinda set-the-stageabit

Peg1 L egSmithT h e P .T. B a r n u m of D e se r t G h o s ts

THINGS JUST HAPPEN INBORREGO DESERT

In the year 1836 an earthquake shook-upthis desert valley and from Coyote Mountaina large boulder was detached and rolled outon the edge of the valley {where the view isgood and the parking grand) in the next hun-dred years, the hot summer sun and the coolwinters caused this boulder to disintegrate anddecompose into fragments, the base of thePeg-Leg Monument today.

This all happened the same year Peg-LegSmith came West and found and also lost bisfabulous GOLD, {the most noteworthy col-ourable Desert fantasy we have today.) Alittle less than a hundred years later, I, HarryOliver, homesteaded in Borrego. The surveyshowed this disintegrated rock to be on thesection line, the East boundary of my 160acres, along side of the H.O. Ranch adobehouse.

In the year of 1916 the Peg Leg Smith Clubwas started,at first just talk, Doc A. A.Beatty was the Boss Tall Tale Teller, RoyBrininger, second best, The Kelseys and JackDickerson, Harry Woods and the DuVall'sand others kept it going.

It was about 20 years later (1935) that Igot to know Peg Leg {and learned I couldtune-in and talk to the Old Gold-Finding-Ghost) 6 shots of old Bourbon was all it tookto make contact8 shots and he would comeand sit beside me. This Bourbon stuff isPayola, unpaid as YET.

PRESS AGENT FOR A GHOSTIt was after we talked, sitting on the frag-

ments of the rock, that I started as his PressAgent and went to work on getting the Monu-ment started.

As to what has been done over the last 25years I suggest you read Bert Fireman, of the"Phoenix Gazette," his story, on the nextpage, Bert is Arizona's top historian and as-sayer of "Lost Mines."

HAPPY OLD GHOSTAnd I just wonder if he don't know where

his lost mine is, Why else does he alwayshang around Borrego?

As I await the word from Clyde E, StricklerPark Supervisorthat,at long-last, (after 25years effort) The San Diego County LandMarks Society, will accept The Peg-LegMonument. And after endless requests theHistorical Society will adopt Mr. Thomas L.Smith as a sure-enough Borrego Desert Pioneer./ am happy as I know, the Old Ghost himselftold me, it will be.)

Two Thousand Wfld Buffalo Stampeded past the Grandstand In the las'Act. 1Can yon Just see JJ.C. of M.G.Mtaking 2000 Wild Bofalo to Rome,can't).

"Where?" Up in Belle FourSouth Dakota, "The Black Hills Roundu p , " stages a Great Show here at thplace in the spectacular Bad Land(July 3-5).

"Gee"2000 is a lot of Buffalo.*

In this edition you will find maShows of The Old West with namand places you should know moabout

I can't begin to list them allA chaof Missions, many Great Parks, GhoTowns, numerous Cavalcades, IndiaPow-Wow's, and Frontier Days.I picthem for showmanship and unforgetable names.-So I say, "Take a feyears off and see them alL"

P e g - L e g in N eMy 25 years as Press Agent for

Peg Leg Ghost has at long last caugthe attention of New York.

Frank Scully, writing in the NeYork Variety, May 25, 1955, says, anI quote"Wonder if Oliver ever hearof the silver pegleg that was buriwith Peter Stuyvesant, once a mayof New York? If he ever does, he mdo for the silver market what evWm. Jennings Bryan couldn't do."

W e s t s G r ea te stT h e B u r r o

hiding behindhis absurd facehas a keen intel-lect, Is a greatactor, an d h a sl o n g taken hispart in enter-tainment. S o m eare used franklya s ra u 8 e u mpieces. Ownersof roadside es-tablishments i nthe Southwest often park one or twoutside to lure tourists. Rodeo clowtrain them as comedy mounts, athey are used for laughs In Softball basketball games where the players amounted. A burro race is staged Colorado each year, from Leadviile Fairplay. Also Death Valley has Burro-Flapjack race. In the dude anpack-trail business, eleven burros pacabout as much as six horses, eat leand are surer-footed. Several outfiincluding the Sierra Club, of San Fracisco, use burros for pack animon hiking trips over the John MuTrail. Burros are also standard equiment without which no buried-treasuexpedition would be official.


36/44

C o a c h e lla V a l le y ' s G h o s t T o w nBy Phyllis Wight

p

Berdoo Camp in 1936

I F YO U 'RE the kind of person whoalways has to find out what's at theend of "that little road," you belong toan ever-growing breed of weekend ex-plorer who spends all free time on thedesert. Some prospect, some look forpurple bottles, others just look, but onething they have in common. They wantto know why the unexpected things theyinevitably find, are there.

Just such a place lies less than a dozenmiles from Indio. This isn't a hiddenspotit's not possible to hide vast ce-ment foundations with stairways leadingnowhere still intact. Rather, it's well onthe way to becoming an historic spot,with a history reaching back some 30years.

For those of you who haven't visitedthis ghost town, take Highway 60 outof Indio a mile and a half to DillonRoad, follow Dillon seven miles andturn right at the San Bernardino Can-yon sign. W atch for a left turn a littlemore than three miles up the Canyon.After you turn, the road forks and youwill notice a chain across the right forkwhich leads to what is left of the oldchange house and warehouse, but theroad you will follow turns sharply tothe left, under the spot where the rail-road trestle used to be. This windsaround and up a short hill, and, oddlyenough, this road is paved. Ther e are

two small washouts here, but with rea-sonable care a passenger car can detouraround the bad spots. When you havereached the top and parked your vehicle,you've arrived within easy walking dis-tance of "Berdoo Camp."

Built when the Metropolitan WaterDistrict was constructing the aqueduct tocarry water from the Colorado River to

Los Angeles, substantial buildings withall possible conveniences were construct-ed to accommodate the men who workedthe desert project.

Eight other camps were established inCoachella Valley to facilitate the projectFargo Canyon, Yellow Canyon, Push-awalla among thembut Berdoo Campwas the largest and most costly. The sumof $148,000 was spent to complete it.Considering the low cost of constructionin the early '30s, that was a large sumof money. There were more than 40buildings plus necessary improvements

even fire plugs on the hilltop!Roads had to be provided prior to work

on the aqueduct itself. The building ofthe first section of road, 35 miles alongthe north side of Coachella Valley, be-tween Garnet and Indio, was completedin 1933. Each road built by the Districtwas planned to connect with state high-ways, with paved branch roads to the divi-sion camps and the aqueduct intakes.Then stub roads were brought to the indi-vidual contractor's camps to complete

the District road system. The origroads were first prospector's trails, "scratch" roads built by the DistPrior to that, the only State highway to serve any of the camps east of Wwater was old Highway 99 and branch from Coachella to BIythe, cathe Sunkist Trail. In addition to rothe District installed power lines,

phone lines, and water lines with wand pumping equipment before constion could start.

It is evident that the roads in varstages of construction were not smooth. An editorial in the oldCoachelValley Submarinedescribed a trip to vthe Berdoo Camp, commenting thatmen would be glad to stay in camp they got there! Meanwhile, Coachand Indio merchants outdid themsetrying to get business from the caThis same editor also stated that "chella built a road into town fromaqueduct while Indio argued as to to spend its money."

The buildings in Berdoo Camp wof various types. The layout plan sdifferent-sized dormitoriesone to h40 men, one for 28, several for 2couple for eight and a number houonly four. Again quoting the Rethe District charged a little more foprivilege of listening to fewer snorethe larger dormitories charged 20c day for lodging, and the cottages cha25c and 35c!

A 9-room guest house was maintaat the camp for use of visiting memof the District organization and guwith $1 per person per night the ref ee . A large mess hall served mealthe men with hours according to shifts being worked. Nin e meals awere not unusual. These meals cost man $1.15 per day. Each camp operated a commissary where toiletticles, tobacco and cigarettes and so fcould be purchased at small cost.

The Division Headquarters Office in a large building near the north

boundary of the camp, at the edge ofravine. The superintendent's residwas above and to the right of the ofand there were other buildings usean auto repair shop, car shed, tool smachine shop and general utility build

One of the largest buildings, at upper end of the camp near the "U " was a 27-bed hospital. W hile ocamps had emergency first-aid statthe hospital was located at Berdoo Cwhere accident (and other) cases


37/44

brought by ambulance. T. SheridanCarey, M.D., of Los Angeles, was sur-geon-medical officer for this class A in-dustrial hospital, with one assistant sur-geon and 14 registered male nurses asstaff. The air-conditioned hospital wasequipped with a modern operating room,X-ray plant, diet kitchen, general officesand other modern facilities. Each em-

ployee was charged 5c per working dayfor medical service. It was decided, asthe Coachella tunnels neared completion,to expand the medical facilities at Ban-ning. Accordingly, the Berdoo hospitalwas closed in October '36 and all equip-ment moved there.

The camp buildings were of frame,sheeted with plaster wallboard outsideand insulating wallboard on the interior.Each building was sprayed with lightbrown lacquer, wired for electricity andequipped with modern plumbing. Theywere heated by gas radiators supplied

with gas piped from a liquid butaneplant; the dormitories were cooled insummer by air forced through insulatedducts from a centrally located plantwhere coils were cooled by water cir-culated from a cooling tower.

Although the roads were rough andsummer weather hot, the men didn'tsuffer for want of entertainment. Oneevent was Indio's two-day Miner's DayCelebration. W ork on the tunnels wassuspended so the men might attend.Along with boxing, sack races and soon, a contest was held to determine thebest rock-drilling team (driller andchuck-tender) from the various camps.A prize of $1,000 was donated by Indiobusiness men. This contest involved twoblocks, one weighing 41 tons and theother 37, with the idea being to drill ahole completely through each of thesolid concrete blocks in the shortesttime possible. The winning team camefrom the Wide Canyon Camp, withBerdoo coming in second. The w inningtime was 5 minutes, 42 seconds.

All entertainment wasn't so innocent

though. In May of 1934, Chief Sanfordof Indio inaugurated a general clean-upof card rooms and saloons, where fre-quent brawls proved upsetting to thecommunity. Some of the "hard rock"men objected to this and made strongcomments through the newspapers aboutthe enforced "loss of recreation."

Fore ground foundation was jour-man dormitory.

The placing of concrete in the Coa-chella tunnels was finished on May 8,1937, with the completion of the liningof the east heading at Berdoo Camp. At

that time, passages were closed off inthe Yellow and Pushawalla tunnels withheavy concrete plugs. At Fargo andBerdoo, doors were set in the tunnellining and the passages (adits) were tobe maintained as entries to the tunnelfor inspection. In December of thatyear, the Coachella Headquarters Officewas closed.

(Three of the tunnels have been in-spected and re-opened to be used as airraid shelters through an agreement be-tween the Civil Defense office in Indioand the Metropolitan Water District.)

While you consider the busy camshort history you can't help but specuupon what could be done with the sof concrete still intact? On a large at the "topside" of the camp, woulit be fun to build your own Berdoo Caenjoy the breeze in the evening, watch the lights come on over the vall

A parody of a Julia Carney poem g"Little drops of waterOn little grains of sand,Make a lot of differenceIn the price of land."

Some day, no doubt, old Berdoo wbe awakened from her long rest byambitious dreamer who will discover magnificent view when he innocenfollows a rainbow to "the end of tlittle road."

R M U D A D UA L M C. T/fT7Tm

D T A N W F.T7T33>K Y V A L L E 1O U S H T R O N f l E E R T E K 0 M

A N S W E R ST O P U Z Z L EON A G E213


38/44

T O W N S A N D P L A C E S O F T H E CB Y D . W.G R A N T H A M

Many areas of the Coachel la Val ley have had names which enabled the vis i tor orresident to specif ical ly ident i fy that area. Some have even had several names.However, few of these places have had suff ic ient economic resources or populat ion towarrant a t ta ining off ic ia l recogni t ion of their place by having a United States PostOffice.

In t imes past , the dest iny of a community was decided by the presence or absenceof a Post O ff ice . I t gave a sort of permanence to the community. O ften the PostOff ice served as the ocial center for the community a place to gather, meet f r iends,and pass current news.

The Coachel la Val ley was no different in this respect . Many of the communit iesthat received post off ices s t i l l exis t today. And many of the names give us an ideaof why these towns were named.

The val ley also has numerous areas that have never had a post off ice but arest i l l recognizable such as Myome, Painted Hil ls , and Seven Palms.

To explore the Postal his tory of our t )eser t Val ley is to recal l these communit iesand their locat ions. Some of the inact ive off ices are clues to perhaps a ghost townsuch as Berdoo Camp or a "lost" set t lement such as Pierce. The oachel la Val ley hashad at least 3f post off ices . Let ' s see what these 3f off ices are:

A R A B I AO ffice opened August 22, 1913.

Was also a stat ion name for theSouthern Pacif ic Rai l road. Townwas named for i ts s imil iar i ty toArabia . Had a small businessdis t r ic t . Off ice c losed October3 0 , 1915. Town was located 3 milesSouth of Thermal .

B E R M U D A D U N E SO ffice opened September I, 1961.

Is a real es ta te promotion name.O ff ice c losed 1977. Si te located

*f miles northwest of Indio ndI mile east of Palm City.

C H I R I A C O S U M M I TO ffice opened August 1, 1959.

Named for Joseph L. Chir iaco,ownerof the s i te and service s ta t ion.It is a t ravel lers s top on Inter-s ta te 10. Located 30 miles eastof Indio.

B E R D O O C A M POffice opened May 18, 1934- . Was a construc-

t ion camp for the Los ngeles Metropol i tanWater t)istrict aqueduct . Berdoo is a s langname for San Bernardino. O ff ice c losedJuly 15, 1937. Si te is North of Indio. Manyruins are there .

C AT H E D R A L C I T YOffice opened September 27, 1928. Town

named for a nearby Cathedral like rockformation. Located 6 miles South of Palm

Sprirvjs.

C O A C H E L L AO ffice opened November 30, 1901. The name

comes from a Spanish word "conchi l la" whichmeans sea shel ls . The area was a part ofancient Lake Cahui l la at one t ime. Locat ionis 3 miles Southeast of Indio.

3 8


39/44

D E S E R TH O TS P R I N G SOffice opened August 1,

Named for its location on the desertand presence of hot water springs.'Earlier area was called Coffee'sfor a spa located there. Location

is 12 miles North of Palm Springs.

G A R N E TO ffice opened June 18, 1927.

Named for a nearby hi l l wheregarnets (s tones) may be found.Area also known as Seven Palms.Located 6 miles north of Palm Springs.O ff ice c losed August 4 , 1943.

I N D I A N W E L L SO ffice opened July 9, 1915.

Closed December 30 , 1933. ReopenedSeptember I, 1968. Named for wellsdug by the Cahuilla Indians forwater. Located 7 miles west ofIndio and 4- miles east of Palm t)esert.

K O K E L LOffice opened May 10, 1901. Town

adopted the name of the SouthernPacif ic Rai l road Stat ion but itssource is still unknown. Locationis 6 miles north of Mecca. Was a

townsi te . O ff ice c losed June 7, 1902and name changed to Thermal.

E C C AO ffice- opened September 26, 1903.

Named for a date or chard plantedfrom sh oots impor ted from Mecca,formerly known as Walters . Most ofthe town is below sea level . Located13 miles Southeast of Indio.

N O R T ^PA L M S P R I N G SOffice opened February 16, 1950.Named for its geographicallocation North of Palm Springs.formerly known as Qarnet Qardens.Located 6 miles north of PalmSprings.

Office opened August 28, 1913. Locationwas originally next to the Southern PacificRai Iroad Right-of-Way but was moved in 1938to a site 3/4- mile northwest of the originallocation. The name is Hebrew for "reddish".

Located 9 miles east of Palm Springs. Officeclosed June 1, 1939. Name changed toThousand Palms.

G R A YOffice opened August 8, 1913. Named for

Hilda M. Qray, who applied for the job ofpostmaster but did not get i t . Located 11miles Northwest of Edam along the SouthernPacific Railroad. Office closed May 10, 1918through a name change to Noria.

I N D I OO ffice opened July 3, 1888. Name is

Spanish term for Indian. Locat ion is 7 mileseast of Indian Wells. Was a act ive rai l roadtown.

L A Q U I N T AOffice opened November 22, 1930. Name is

Spanish for a retreat or stopping place torest. Also translates as "fifth day", aplace to rest on the 5th day of travel.Located 9 miles South and West of Indio.

N O R I AOffice opened May 10, 1918. formerly known

as (qray. Orig ion of name unknow n. Located11 miles northwest of Edam along the rai l -road. Off ice c losed September 30, 1920.

N O R T H S H O R EO ffice opened Apri l 2, 1962. Named fori ts physical locat ion on the North shore(s ide) of the Sal ton Sea. Located 10 milesSoutheast of Mecca.

3 9


40/44

O A S I SOffice opened as a branch of

another office. Located in the"Oasis" area, so named becauseit was a watering spot fortravellers on the road from Indioto El Centro. Located 6 milesSouthwest of Mecca.

P A O D A L EO ffice opened March 9, 1883.

Named for the nearby oasis ofPalm Springs. Was n agricul turalcommunity, ra is ing grapes andoranges. Located 3 miles north ofPalm Springs. Off ice c losed May 12,1890 when the post off ice asphysical ly moved 3 miles south and

renamed Palm Sprirxjs .

PA L U S P R I N G SOffice opened May 12, 1890 when

moved there f rom Palmdale .Original ly located in San t)iegoCounty before Riverside Countywas formed. Named for the warmsprings located by Palm Canyon.Area formerly known as AquaCaliente . Located 12 miles North-west of Palm t ieser t .

R A N C H O M I R A G EOffice opened february 1, 1951 .

Named for a real estate promotionproject. Located 10 miles South-east of Palm Springs.

S A LT O N C I T YO ffice opened July 8, 1961.

Named for i ts locat ion alongthe Sal ton Sea. Si te is actual lyin Imperial County, 30 milessouth of Thermal .

PA L M C I T YO ffice opened October 15, 1962. Named fo r

a real es ta te promotion decorated withpalm trees . Located 7 miles Southeast ofThousand Palms. Area is local ly known asPalm t)esert ountry Club now.

D E S E R TO ffice opened July 16, 1 9 4 - 7 through the

effor ts of Randal I Henderson who movedt)esert Magazine there . Named for i tslocat ion on the t )eser t i th Palm trees .Located 12 miles Southeast of Palm Springs.

P I E R C EOffice opened December 16, 1898. Named

for the family, Pierce, who owned theranch where the Post off ice was located.Located 2 miles West of Palm Springs and23 miles Northwest of Indio. Closed Apri l3 0 , 1902.

S A LT O NOffice opened february 4 , 1889, or iginal ly

in San t)iego ounty before Riverside Countycreated. Named because it as a shippingpoint for sal t . Si te is now under the watersof the Sal ton Sea. Located 25 miles Southeastof Indio along the rai l road. Off ice c losedApri l 30, 1906.

S K YVA L L E YOffice opened June 10, 1959. Named because

of geographical location in a valley highabove the desert floor that enables one to"look" down from the sky onto the desertbelow. Located 11 miles Southeast oftiesert Hot Springs. Office closed June 5 t1969.


41/44

S M O K E T R E EO ffice opened September 16, 1968

as a branch of Palm Springs.Named for the ranch located there,which was robably named for thetrees of the area, calledSmdketrees. Located 2 miles

Southeast of Palm Springs.

T H E R M A LOffice opened June 7, 1902.

Previously known as Kokell.Ncmied for the Thermal wellsdrilled to obtain water. Located7 miles south of Indio.

S N O W C R E E KO ffice opened Apri l 25, 1914-. Named for

the creek, flowing past the rea, which isseasonal and fed by melting snow from Mt.San Jacinto. Located 5 miles Southwest ofWhitewater. O ff ice c losed July 31, 1918.

T H O U S A N D PA L M SOffice opened June 1, 1939. formerly

known as Edam. Named for the many fanpalms growing in the area. Located 9miles east of Palm Springs.

WA LT E R SO ffice opened February 25, 1896.

Named after the wner of thetownsite. Located 13 milesSoutheast of Indio. O ff ice c losedSeptember 26, 1903.

W H I T E W A T E R

Office opened May 3, 1926. Named orthe nearby Whitewater River, whose watersappear milky as they flow over a sandyr i v e r bed. Located 10 i les nor th ofPalm Springs.

HARRY OLIVER, continued from page 32

When a subscriber complained thathis news was not too fresh, Harrytold him, "The news in this paperhas been tested by t ime. You shouldsubscribe to this paper and save thepacke ts for junior. . .cuz no one isgoing to be crazy enough to printstuff like this when I'm gone ." Andhe was ever so right.

Many of his sayings have containedbits of wisdom that have endured thetest of t ime. For instance, "In bait-ing a mouse trap with chee se, alwaysleave room for the mouse ." Or, "Neverspeak loudly to one another unless theshanty is on f i re . "

And then there was the time Harrydecided to help all those people whowere running around looking for thelost Peg Leg Smith gold . Harry wentout and had a number of peg legs made .He then took them out into the desertand scattered them about. For sometime thereaft er, prospectors were"c lose" to finding the lost gold ec-ause they had found Smith's peg leg.

Harry once told Tom Murr ay, "I 've lived invarious deserts for years , and I can tell youthat Death Valley is K i n g . I, as most people,like the mystery of the desert . The deserttolerates the invasion of people , but it neverreveals its secrets ."

In 196 5, after 21 years as Fort Commander,ar t i s t , publisher, edi tor, and desert rat,Harry Olive bade farewell to his old FortOliver and retired to the Motion Picture Co-untry Home in Woodland Hil ls , Calif . Hepassed away there on July 4, 1 9 7 3 , the veryda y he had predicted he would pass on.

Old Fort Oliver remained vacant for thenext six years . The elements took their tollon the buildings and numerous brainlessvandals destroyed everything they could. Theonce proud fort became an eyesore. The Countybuilding department tried to condemn it. Itwas restored for a t ime , but then again fellinto disuse and ruin. Finally, it was leveled.

Desert is proud to present a copy of a sideof one of Harry Olivers' DESERT RAT SCRAPBOOKon pages 34 and 35. Reading it will enable youtp gain an insight into Harry Oliver, the desertrat and philosopher.


42/44

Great Way to SaveYour Back Issues of

Desert Magazine

The bestway that we knowof to preserve and protectthose issues you want tosaveDeser t Magazine'shandsome, durable binderin brown vinyl with goldD e s e r tlogo imprint. Keepsyour back issuesin orderfor easy reference whenyou want to plan your nexttrip or research clues tothat lost gold mine.An at-tractive addition to yourbookshelf, too.

Each binder holds twelveissues.

Order Yours Today!

Please send Desert Mag-azine Binder(s) @ $6.00 + $1.00postage & handling.D Payment enclosed $D Charge to my VISA or Master-

chargeD VISA n MASTERCHARGE

ACCOUNT NO.

EXPIRATION DATE:

Signature

Name (PRINT)

Address

City _

State -Zip

Desert BindersPos t O ff i c e Box 1318Palm Deser t , Cat. 92261

42

C O M IN G S O O NIND E S E R T

THE PONY EXPRESS IN NEVADA

HISTORY OF THEOWENS VALLEY ACQUEDUCT

DESERT VISITS JULIAN

MORE ON FIG TREE JOHN AND HIS GOLD MINE

A VISIT TO AN ARIZONA GHOST TOWN

AND MUCH MUCH MORE

Magazine Since 1937

REPLACEABLE SUBSCRIPTION FORM

Check here if youwish this issue replace d.

P. O. Box 1318. Palm Desert, California 92260

Q ENTER A NEW SUBSCRIPTION Q RENEW MY PRESENT SUBSC RIPTION

NAME

ADDRESS

ZIP CODE

U SEND GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONTO:

NAME

ADDRESS

Sign Gilt Card: "From

NAME

ADDRESS

Sign Gill Card: "From

One Year $ 1 5 .0 0 PAYME NT ENCLOSED

D ALSO SEND DES ERT'S 12-ISSUEHANDSOME BROWN VINYL BINDERFOR

Date Blnder(a) w ith Year(s) D Undat


43/44


44/44

198402 desert magazine 1984 february

Documents