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SUNKEN GOLD

UTAH'S RED ROCKS


Stefo make w* Ondvi 6q,
Desert Magazine BCCK Shop
100 ROADSIDE FLOWERS by Natt N. Dodge. A ROCK ART OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN by GOLD RUSH COUNTRY by the editors of Sunset
companion book to his 100 DESERT WILDFLOW- Campbell Grant. First reliable, well-illustrated Books. A revised and up-dated practical guide
ERS, this book lists 100 flowers growing in the book written about American Indian petro- to California's Mother Lode country. Divided
4,500 to 7,000 foot levels. Like the companion glyphs and pictographs. $12.95. into geographical areas for easy weekend trips,
book, every flower is illustrated in 4-color the 8 x 11 heavy paperback new edition is pro-
photographs. Excellent to carry in car during THE DESERT LAKE by Sessions S. Wheeler. The fusely illustrated with photos and maps. Special
weekend trips for family fun. Paperback, 64 story of Nevada's intriguing Pyramid Lake, its features and anecdotes of historical and present
pages, $1.50. ancient history, archeological finds, geology, day activities. 4-color cover, 96 pages, $1.95.
fish and bird life. Paperback. $1.95.
1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tibbitts. Up-
DESERT GARDENING by the editors of Sunset
dated edition of one of the best of the bottle
Books. Written exclusively for desert gardeners,
this book is climate zoned with maps pinpoint- books. $4.50.
ing five diverse desert zones. Calendar pre-
sents plans for care of plantings throughout
BOOK of the MONTH CALIFORNIA, A Guide to the Golden State.
Edited by Harry Hansen and newly revised, it
the year. Illustrated, 8 x 1 1 heavy paperback, contains an encyclopedia of facts from early
$1.95.
RETIRE TO days up to the Space Age. Mile by mile de-
scriptions to camping spots and commercial ac-
GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCKIES
by Robert L. Brown. Written by the author of ADVENTURE commodations. Maps. Hardcover, $7.95.
Jeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns this book THE MYSTERIOUS WEST by Brad Williams and
deals with ghost towns accessible by passen- By Harrison M. Karr
Choral Pepper. Rare book examines legends that
ger car. Gives directions and maps for finding cannot be proven true, nor untrue. New evi-
towns along with historical backgrounds. Hard- dence presented in many cases which may
cover, 401 pages, $6.25. change the history of the West. Hardcover.
$5.95.
HAPPY WANDERER TRIPS by Slim Barnard. Well-
known TV stars Henrietta and Slim Barnard ANZA-BORREGO DESERT GUIDE by Horace Par-
have put together a selection of 52 of their ker. Second edition of this well-illustrated and
trips through California taken from their Happy documented book is enlarged considerably. Tops
Wanderer travel shows. Has excellent maps, among guidebooks, it is equally recommended
history, costs of gasoline consumption, lodging, for research material in an area that was crossed
meals plus what to wear and best time to Paperback, 121 pages
by Anza, Kit Carson, the Mormon Battalion,
make trips. Cant be beat for families planning
weekend excursions. Paperback, large format,
ONLY 49ers, Railroad Survey parties, Pegleg Smith, the
Jackass Mail, Butterfield Stage, and today's
150 pages, $2.95. adventurous tourists. 139 pages, cardboard
cover, $2.95.
ANTIQUE BOTTLES by Marvin and Helen Davis.
Paperback, full color, 62 pages, $3.00. ON DESERT TRAILS by Randall Henderson, foun-
der and publisher of Desert Magazine for 23
COOKING AND CAMPING IN THE DESERT by years. One of the first good writers to reveal
Choral Pepper, Foreword by Erie Stanley Gard- MAMMALS OF THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS by the beauty of the mysterious desert areas. Hen-
ner and special section on desert driving and George Olin. Newly revised edition describes derson's experiences, combined with his com-
surviving by Jack Pepper. A book to read cover- the mammals of the deserts with artist illustra- ments on the desert of yesterday and today,
to-cover for anyone who travels back country tions of the animals and their footprints for make this a MUST for those who really want
roads. Up-to-date cooking ideas which bring easy identification. Paperback, 112 pages, ot understand the desert. 375 pages, illustrated.
gourmet fare into camp with little effort. 12- $1.00. Hardcover. $5.00.
page section of exclusive desert camping photos
with lots of ideas for places to go. Beautiful HISTORIC SPOTS IN CALIFORNIA Revised by RARE MAP REPRODUCTIONS from the year 1886.
hardcover book, $3.95. William N. Abeloe. Only complete guide to Cali- Series I includes three maps, Arizona, California
fornia landmarks with maps, photos and lively and Nevada. Series II includes New Mexico,
CAMPING AND CLIMBING IN BAJA by John text covering both historical and modern eras. Utah and Colorado. Reproduced on fine paper.
W. Robinson. Guide to the Sierra San Pedro 639 pages, $10.00. They show old towns, mines, springs and trails
Martir and Sierra Juarez of upper Baja Cali- now extinct. Each set of three, $3.75. Be sure to
fornia. Paper, $2.95. OFF THE BEATEN TRACK IN BAJA by Erie Stanley state series number with order.
Gardner. About people and places in enchant-
ALL OF MEXICO and Guatemala at low cost by ing Baja California of Mexico. Colored photos, EXPLORING CALIFORNIA BYWAYS from Kings
Norman Ford. Excellent guide for do-it-yourself 368 pages, $8.95. Canyon to the Mexican Border by Russ Leada-
traveler. Paper. $2.00.
HANDBOOK OF CRYSTAL AND MINERAL COL- brand. Maps for each trip with photographs,
SKY ISLAND by Weldon F. Heald. Informative, LECTING by William Sanborn. Describes environ- historical information, recreational facilities,
first-person narrative about the climate, wild ment typical of collection sites and physical campsites, hiking trails, etc. Paper, 165 pages,
life, unusual guests, terrain and vegetation properties of minerals and crystals. Paper, 81 $1.95.
found only in the remote Chiricahua area where pages, $2.00.
the author lived. $5.95.
REDIGGING THE WEST for old time bottles by DEATH VALLEY BOOKS
Lynn Blumenstein. Photographs of over 700 Published by the Death Valley '49ers these
WHEN ORDERING BOOKS bottles with articles that tell the story and a four volumes have been selected by '49ers
photograph of each. $4.25. as outstanding works on the history of Death
PLEASE Valley. All are durable paperback on slick
ANOTHER WILDERNESS CONQUERED by Grady stock.
Add 50 cents PER ORDER Setzler. An informal history of the Blythe-Palo
Verde Valley in Southern California. Hard- A NATURALIST'S DEATH VALLEY (Revised edi-
(Not Each Book) tion] by Edmund C. Jaeger, ScD $1.50
cover. $5.50.
for handling and mailing MANLY AND DEATH VALLEY. Symbols of Des-
FABULOUS MEXICO Where Everything Costs tiny, by Ardis Manly Walker $1.25
California residents add 5 percent Less by Norman Ford. Covers investing, vaca-
sales tax, regardless of whether you tioning and retiring prospects in Mexico. Pa- GOODBYE, DEATH VALLEY) The story of the
are a Republican or Democrat. perback. $1.50. Jayhawker Party, by L. Burr Belden $1.50
Send check or money order to Desert Maga- CAMELS AND SURVEYORS IN DEATH VALLEY
zine Book Shop, Palm Desert, California A GUIDE TO WESTERN GHOST TOWNS by Lam- By Arthur Woodward $2.00
92260. Sorry, but we cannot accept charges bert Florin. Includes maps and mileages of ghost DEATH VALLEY TALES by 10 different au-
or C.O.D. orders. towns in 15 western states. Large format, card- thors $1.25
board cover, $2.25.

2 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


CONTENTS
Volume 31 Number 6

JUNE, 1968 4 Thirty-One Years of Progress


5 Book Reviews
6 San Bernardino's Fossil Beds
WILLIAM KNYVETT
By HELEN WALKER
Publisher
10 Trip To Leadville
JACK PEPPER By DORIS CERVERI
Editor
12 Left Unbuckled
ELTA SHIVELY By DAVID HURTADO and SAM HICKS
Executive Secretary
15 Matchless Fire
MARVEL BARRETT By RICHARD W. BROOKS
Business
16 Indian Flats
LLOYD SHIVELY By ALLEN PENTON
Circulation 18 Tip For A Trip
EVALYNE SMITH By JACK DELANEY

Subscriptions 20 He's The Qwaziest People!


By ISABEL DUNWOODY
CHORAL PEPPER
Travel Feature Editor 22 What Makes Rocks Red
By EUGENE FOUSHEE
JACK DELANEY
Staff Writer 23 Photo of Monument Valley
By RALPH R. PAXTON
BILL BRYAN
Back Country Editor 25 What to do During an Earthquake

AL MERRYMAN 26 Sunken Gold of Clear Creek


By GEORGE A. THOMPSON
Staff Artist
28 It's Raining Rainbows
By DOUG ALLEN
EDITORIAL OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea, Palm Desert,
California 92260. Area Code 714 346-8144. 30 Mojave Petroglyph Legends
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs not By JAMES HARRIGAN
accompanied by self addressed, stamped and zip
coded envelopes will NOT be returned.
32 Rocks and Indians
By JACK PEPPER
ADVERTISING OFFICES- James March & Asso-
ciates Inc., 1709 West 8th Street, Los Angeles, 33 Woman's Viewpoint
California 90017, HUbbard 3-0561—115 New
Montgomery, San Francisco, California 94105, 34 Greenhorn's Luck
DOuglas 2-4994. Listed in Standard Rate & Data. By ROBERT O. BUCK
CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT: 74-109 Larrea,
Palm Desert, California 92260. Desert Magazine 36 Knight's Ferry
is published monthly. Subscription prices: United By LAMBERT FLORIN
States, 1 year, $5.00; 2 years, $9.50; 3 years,
38 Back Country Travel
$13.00. Foreign subscribers add $1.00 U. S.
Currency for each year. See Subscription Order 42 New Ideas
Form in back of this issue. Allow five weeks for By LEE OERTLE
change of address and be sure to send both
new and old addresses with zip code. 43 Letters

JUNE COLOR PHOTOS


DESERT is published monthly by Desert Magazine,
Palm Desert, Calif. Second Class Postage paid at The brilliant red rock country near Sedona, Arizona is featured
Palm Desert, Calif., and at additional mailing
offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Title regis-
on this month's cover. Photograph of the spectacular area on
tered NO. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office, and U. S. Alternate 89 from Prescott to Flagstaff is by Robert F.
contents copyrighted 1968 by Desert Magazine. Campbell, Concord, Calif. Illustrating Eugene Foushee's article
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs cannot on the fantastic formations in Southern Utah is a photograph
be returned or acknowledged unless full return
postage is enclosed. Permission to reproduce con-
of Monument Valley by Ralph R. Paxton, Carmel, Calif. Back
tents rrust be secured from the editor in writing. cover photo, saguaros near Bartlett Dam, Arizona.

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 3


Thirty-one Years of Progress
DESERT Magazine is now in its thirty-
first year. During those 31 years of pro-
gress there have been only four changes
of ownership—and during those chal-
lenging years the basic philosophy and
purpose of DESERT has not changed.
Ending his editorial "There Are Two
Deserts" in the first issue of this publi-
cation, Founder Randall Henderson
stated:
"We want to give the folks who live
on the Desert—and to those who are in-
terested in the Desert—something that
will make their lives a little happier and
a little finer—something worthwhile. In
the accomplishment of this purpose we
ask for the cooperation and help of all
friends of the Desert everywhere."
Since Randall Henderson wrote his
editorial in November, 1937, the desert
has changed physically in many ways; air-
conditioned homes and automobiles have
made the summer months no longer un- Bill Knyvett DESERT Magazine's new partner, and Jack Pepper examine a
bearable; where there was once only current issue and discuss future plans for the monthly publication. DESERT
wastelands, there are homes and irrigated was founded 31 years ago to explore and explain the desert areas of the West.
farmlands. Modern highways have re-
placed country dirt roads, and where For the past three years the July and cana as they are published and make them
prospectors with gold pans once pulled August issues have been combined into available to you.
their burros down washes, modern pros- a Summer Vacation Edition. We have de- As stated previously, we will continue
pectors with metal detectors ride in 4- cided to again publish these issues sep- to make certain changes in order to im-
wheel-drive vehicles and dune buggies. arately so henceforth there will be 12 prove DESERT Magazine. But these
single issues a year. During the summer changes will not be made on arbitrary de-
But the moods and challenges of the
months, when the lower deserts are too cisions by us, but rather they will be
desert will never change. They intensify
hot for pleasant exploring and traveling, predicated on what our readers want. We
as more and more people discover the
our articles will cover the higher eleva- cannot continue to grow and improve
beauty and appreciation of nature. In the
tions, mountains and lakes of the West. without your suggestions and criticisms.
old days the desert belonged only "to us
desert rats and God, and of the two Ninety percent of the areas covered In every tenth copy of this issue there
mostly to us desert rats." Today it be- in our travel articles throughout the year is a reader survey questionnaire. The
longs to everyone who loves and has questionnaire is not to pry into your pri-
can be reached by passenger car over
learned to appreciate the vastness of the vate affairs, but rather to give us the in-
good, back-country gravel roads. It is
open plains, the hidden oasis with palms formation we need to give you a better
by leaving the paved highways and tak-
and palos verdes, alluvial fans and moun- DESERT. If your magazine contains this
ing these secondary roads you find the questionnaire, please take a few minutes
tains and the mysteries which are the adventure and beauty of the desert. When
Great American Desert of the West. to answer the questions. Do NOT sign it
an area can be reached only by 4-wheel- —we do not need your name, just your
As announced in last month's issue, drive or dune buggy, we will make this honest opinions. But PLEASE fill out the
Choral Pepper has sold her half interest fact clear. We also will print more and questionnaire and return it to us in the
in DESERT Magazine to William Kny- larger maps to aid you in finding desig- postage-paid envelope in your issue. If
vett, a long-time desert dweller and
nated areas. your magazine does not contain the ques-
former business associate of this publi-
Here at the DESERT Magazine build- tionnaire, and you would like to have
cation. He will be publisher and Jack
ing in Palm Desert, and through our one, drop us a card and we will send it
Pepper will take over the editorial duties.
Mail Order Department, we" handle ap- to you. We need your help so we can
Although the basic editorial policy and
continue to improve your DESERT.
philosophy will not change, we will con- proximately 200 non-fiction books on
tinue to enlarge DESERT and add new the West. We will continue to select and William Knyvett Jack Pepper
features. review new books on Western Ameri- Publisher Editor

4 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


BOOK, REVIEWS
ESTEVANICO THE BLACK THE MOUTH BLOWN BOTTLE
By John Upton Terrell By Grace Kendrick
The discoverer of Arizona, New Many books, some good and some
Mexico and Cibola was not a Spanish bad, have been published on bottle col-
conquistador or a Catholic missionary, lecting, which now has nearly as many VUandererd
but an African slave who was killed by addicts as gem collecting. These books
OFFER
Indians because he lived too well. identify bottles and list their current
new book of 52 of their favorite
So maintains John Upton Terrell in values, but do not describe how these
trips in Southern California
his fascinating and well documented bottles were made.
book, "Estevanico The Black," which Grace Kendrick's new book is an ex-
undoubtedly will create great controversy tensive history of the bottle-making in-
among history buffs of the Southwest. dustry prior to the twentieth century.
Many will take exception to his views Much of the information and many of . ftv frj.^' ^ B9P* '4^B

concerning Fray Marcos, whom previous the excellent photographs were obtained
historians have credited with being the by the author personally in Mexico,
first European in the disputed areas. where bottles are still formed by the
How Estevanico rose from a Moorish method utilized by man ever since the
slave to actually leading a Spanish ex- time of Christ.
pedition in the 16th Century reads more Author of two excellent books, "The
like fiction than fact. John Upton Terrell Antique Bottle Collector" and "The Full color cover, 104 page.
is also author of Journey Into Darkness, Price Supplement to the Antique Bottle $2.95 plus sales tax
Black Robe, Furs By Astor and other Collector," Grace Kendrick has been col- Henrietta & Slim Barnard have chosen trips
important histories. that they consider the most interesting. The
lecting and researching bottles for more
book contains a map, a story of the trip with
"Estevanico was incomparably courag- than eight years. Bottle collectors will what to wear and expenses, which include
gasoline, meals and motels and all necessary
eous. He was trusted and respected by find their hobby much more interesting
expenses.
hundreds in numerous tribes between after reading this book. Hardcover, pro-
Book can be bought by sending check or
the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of fusely illustrated, 200 pages, $6.95. money order for $ 3 . 1 0 to

California . . . with Cabeza de Vaca, SLIM BARNARD ENTERPRISES


Andres Dorantes and Alonzo del Cas- Books reviewed may be ordered from Desert 6000 SUNSET BOULEVARD
Magazine Book Order Department, Palm HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA 90028
tillo, he made the greatest journey into or on sale at
Desert, California 92260. Include 50c for
the unknown in North American his- handling. California residents must add 5 % Desert Magazine Book Shop
tory . . . the first crossing of the Con- sales tax. Enclose payment with order. PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260
tinent from the Atlantic to the Pacific
north of Mexico. Estevanico was one of
the most intrepid, brave, indomitable PLAYS ON BOTH
STEREO AND MOMO
and accomplished explorers of the New
World." states the author. Hardcover,
Let us take you
155 pages, $6.95.
on an imaginary
OLD ARIZONA TREASURES TRIP THROUGH
By Jesse Rascoe CALIFORNIA IN SOUND.
In order to write this book the author
spent years researching through old news- An ideal gift for relatives in the East.
paper files, Spanish and Mexican ar-
Just close your eyes and listen to the mocking birds in an orange grove — the
chives, and local, federal and territorial barking of the sea lions at Point Lobos State Park — the sounds of seagulls at
government records. Included among the Fisherman's Wharf — the cable cars of San Francisco — the return of the
swallows to famous Capistrano Mission — hear Yosemite falls at Flood Stage and
"many secret sites" in Arizona are ha-
the singing whales of Marine Land — and many more sounds which will bring
ciendas, stage stops, stage routes, min- back pleasant memories of. your Trip through California.
ing camps, abandoned forts, missions and
Please print your name and address and mail with your check or money order.
other historical landmarks. The book is
SOUVENIRS IN SOUND Box 669 Flagstaff, Ariz. 86001
well written, especially the sections deal-
ing with robberies and stage holdups. Name:

The book contains many anecdotes which, Address:.

to this reviewer's knowledge, have not City: .State:. -Zip:.


been previously covered in other Arizona
No. of Records Wanted: Amount Enclosed: .
histories. Paperback, 120 pages, $3.00.

June, 1 9 6 8 / Desert M a g a z i n e / 5
San Bernardino's Fossil Beds
by Helen Walker

odo el mundo fore- High-rise grasses and swaying palms Next take a short drive east from your
glimpse a bright and covered the area. Palms shaded cool water base camp to the Calico Mountains. Here
wonderful future. But holes, which in turn lured a population too, the color is rampant. From a distance
let you and me, while of birds and beasts. A variety of grass these hills give the impression of a patch-
we are alone, take a eating animals, insect eating birds, work quilt, the colors composed of motley
long look into the past. camels, and small horses were stalked by scraps of volcanic and sedimentary rocks.
I don't mean just a few centuries, but the sabre-tooth tiger and an ancestor of Calico's claim to fame was the bonanza
back so far that geologists had to devise our present day bear. They lived, ate, of silver mines that flourished in the late
an itinerary to classify the time. They fought, and died here, leaving their re- 1800s. Today people wander through
call it the "geological time scale." mains preserved in mud and volcanic ash. the famous ghost towns of these moun-
It is thought that our earth may be As you drive through the one-way tains and poke around the mine tailings,
four-and-one-half billion years old. For road of Rainbow Canyon Loop, glance ever hopeful they may spot a piece of
classification purpose, geologists have around at the multi-colored formations forgotten ore.
agreed that the time prior to 80 million of mud and sandstone. Notice how the The eastern foot of the Calico Moun-
years ago would be called pre-cambrian. strata is twisted and buckled, having re- tains lies in part of the Mojave Desert
Forward of that, the scale would begin. sisted, then yielded, to the forces that Natural Resources Preservation Area. It
As the basis of our landscape is rock and heaved from within. By its continual is near here that the San Bernardino
its by-product ingredients, it was decided sluffing, secrets in the form of flora County Museum has had an archaeo-
to use these as a basis for dating the time and fauna fossils are being forfeited. logical excavation in progress since 1964.
periods. Exciting new discoveries are con- This particular area plays an important The Newberry and Rodman Moun-
tinually feeding information into the out- role in the completion of our time scale tains lie to the south, joined by the San
line of time. Today we have a more or outline. Bernardino Mountains, Santa Monica and
less descriptive picture of our pre-historic
past.
It is evident that our earth had an
overlay of land and sea. We are gaining
knowledge of how these were character-
ized by their raising and lowering, flood-
ing and drying out. Complete climatic
changes followed in their wake, thus our
landscape, as we see it today, was shaped.
But who is to say that the final stamp
of approval has been given?
In our own back yards are examples
to ponder. However, by venturing out
into the country, a greater awareness is
achieved. One of my favorite spots for a
base camp is at the Fossil Beds near Bar-
stow, California. It is easily reached by
taking a left turn off the Fort Irwin
Road north of town. Here you can revel
in a moonscape atmosphere while you
investigate the past.
During the relatively recent Miocene
Epoch, a mere 20-million years ago, this
now arid surface was a tropical spa. Base camp in the fossil bed area
6 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968
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San Gabriels, which form the only trans-
versed range in the western United
States. Through this basin, the Mojave
River flows from west to east, at certain
seasons running under ground. How-
ever, the flow is steady. During the
Pleistocene, or Ice Age, a vast series of
lakes existed here which were formed INDIAN FLATS
and fed by flooding during a great CAMPGROUND
alluvial, or rain-fall period. This run-off
also swelled the Mojave River and it
over-flowed into the valley to form
Manix Lake. At its peak depth, the lake
stood at a height of 1780 feet and
covered an area of 200-square miles. At
the east end it overflowed the Cady and
Cave mountains, creating what we know
today as Afton Canyon. The water con-
tinued on and formed Lake Mojave,
then turned north and flowed into Death
Valley.
Along the water edge a material called
tufa was formed. This occurred as the
WARNER
water sloshed against the shore and, in SPRINGS
turn, was evaporated or dried in the sun,
leaving behind the chemical substance,
tufa. Fortunately for geologist, this ma-
terial was organic and may be dated by
radio carbon. By this means, a date of
19,750 has been given to the maturity
of Pleistocene Lake Manix. The silt of ANY CAMPER'S BEST FRIENDS-
the former beds consists of clay and sand- King Winches are made for all Jeep
and other 4-WD and 2-WD vehicles.
stone deposits and are reported in excess
of 75 feet deep in some areas.
In plentiful supply are samples of
chalcedony and, in smaller amounts, chert
and jasper. The chalcedony is a clue that
ties together the archaeological and geo-
logical factors. The source of this ma-
terial was the Calico Mountains. It was 1
washed down the alluvial fan and de-
posited above the shore line of Lake
KING WINCHES PULL FOR YOU.
King Winches, by Koenig, provide the outdoorsman with extra power in all terrain throughout the
Manix. Artifacts made from this material world. King is the winch exclusively approved for Ford Bronco and is also made specifically for
Jeep, I-H Scout, and other 4-WD vehicles, and for pickups. Travel off-the-road knowing that
have been found, giving us reason to be-' 8,000 lbs. of positive pulling power are at your command. Move out of ravines, mud, snow...
lieve that man occupied this land some or pull s t u m p s . . . retrieve large game. Write for free folder. Specify make and model of vehicle.
20,000 years ago.
Today, modern freeways criss-cross
...KAMP-ST0R BODY
the basin. Union Pacific Railroad winds HAULS FOR YOU!
through the deep floor of Afton Canyon. It doubles your storage space..
Made to order for slip-in camp-
At high speed, one gets a fleeting glance ers, Kamp-Stor body by Koe-
of the hills—enough to mentally note nig fits over rear
wheels and under
the splash of bright color of the Calicos your camper.
in sharp contrast to the yellow and tan Six compartments
with shelving of-
blur of the desert floor. Others, of fer space f o r
course, see nothing and snooze away the spare t i r e , guns,
chairs, tools, etc.
miles. But once you have walked or Write for facts today.
driven through this landscape you will
become graphically aware of its exciting
and turbulent past. •
j/Ut$$$4£ IRON WORKS, INC.
m*>*& M Box 7726, Dept D-1 • Houston, Texas 77007* UN 9-6611 (713)

8 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


r NATIONAL GRAND PRIX CHAMPIONS
CARL JACKSON & ARMSTRONG'S
"BRUTAL" NEW NORSEMAN TIRES
CLEAN HOUSE AT RIVERSIDE
AS CARL SAYS "THE NAME OF THE GAME IS TIRES. DICK CEPEK'S
BRUTAL NEW NORSEMAN BY ARMSTRONG PROVIDED THE DURA-
BILITY, TRACTION, AND FLOTATION NECESSARY TO W I N " .

TOMORROW'S WINNERS TODAY!


by ARMSTRONG from VICJCCJzPEK
the

noRseman ARMSTRONG'S ANSWER


TO GATES 10-15 COMMANDO
"XT" TIRE. IN STOCK NOW!
PREMIUM-FULL 4 PLY-THIN WHITEWALL-TUBELESS-NYLON
10.1" W I D E , ONLY 2 9 . 5 " O.D.
2 TIRES & 15 x 9 " WIDE ONE PIECE
V W OR CORVAIR WHEELS $ 9 8 . 9 5
FOR ALL 4 WHEEL DRIVE RIGS
SET OF 4 TIRES & WHEELS $189.95
THE NEW 11L-14 HI-FLOTATION
DUNE BUGGY TIRE by ARMSTRONG
6 P.R., ACTUAL 4 PLY- BLACKWALL-TUBE TYPE-NYLON
11.1" WIDE, ONLY 2 7 . 5 " O.D.
2 TIRES, TUBES, & 9 " WIDE ONE
PIECE V W OR CORVAIR WHEELS
ONLY $ 9 4 . 9 5
F.E. TAX INCLUDED - NO EXCHANGE NECESSARY - WE SHIP ANYWHERE

DICK CEPEK
9623-25 CALIFORNIA AVE.
52 PAGE CATALOG SOUTH GATE, CALIFORNIA
WIDE TIRES & WHEELS 569-1675
UNIQUE ACCESSORIES
HOURS: Tues. thru Fri. Noon to 8. Sat. 8 to 5,
Closed Sun. & Mon.
Northern Nevada has
many interesting places
such as seen on . . .

Trip
tc
Leadville
by Doris Cerveri
Leadville, Nevada

EADVILLE, a small town fields was an arduous one. The road was was created by the Central Pacific, Wads-
now ghostly and desert- so narrow and canyon walls so steep that worth came into being and Drytown
ed, did not make much cumbersome wagon trains had to travel faded out. One might say Wadsworth
of a splash in mining in the bed of the stream for many miles. started out with a bang for the tough
circles although pro- The river was so crooked they had to little burg was only three months old
duction of lead and cross it as often as ten times in the when a bartender, Charles W. Hum-
silver continued regularly each year from course of a mile. The present highway phries killed one W. Merritt. No trial
1910 to 1923. Like all ghost towns it is was realigned and improved throughout was held because the victim had cussed
an interesting place to visit and equally the canyon although most of it still fol- his slayer prior to the shooting and in
interesting is the route leading to it lows the Central Pacific right-of-way. those days that was considered justifiable
which passes through several communi- Known to weary emigrants as early as homicide.
ties abounding with historical signifi- 1844 was Big Bend where the Truckee The bustling town was considered one
cance River turns before winding crookedly of the prettiest in Nevada, and as it was
The stretch of highway from Reno to through this canyon. After crossing the the maintenance point on the Central
Leadville goes through Sparks, follows Forty-mile Desert upon leaving the Hum- Pacific Railroad division between Salt
the Big Bend in the Truckee River at boldt River they were grateful when they Lake City and Sacramento, many people
Wadsworth, is contiguous to Pyramid reached the Truckee. Most of them camp- expected it would become the largest in
Lake, and continues north past now dry ed at Lower Crossing, now Wadsworth, western Nevada. The Southern Pacific
Winnemucca Lake. Sparks, three miles where there was a refreshing supply of Railroad later absorbed the Central Paci-
from Reno on U.S. 40 (Interstate 80), grass for their cattle, cool water to drink, fic, but Wadsworth continued to be a
got its start when the Southern Pacific and an abundance of fish to eat. Report- very prosperous community from 1890
Railroad constructed a new installation edly the Townsend-Stevens-Murphy Party to 1903. As mechanical progress short-
and moved its round house and about encountered the well-known Paiute guide, ened runs across the once perilous desert
150 dwellings from Wadsworth. Al- Capt. Truckee, at this place and named need for a base town was less urgent.
though considered by many as a suburb the river for him. Capt. John Fremont Consequently the railroad decided to
of Reno and often called East Reno, it also camped in the area before continu- close the station and move the shops to
now has a population of approximately ing south to complete his expedition. Be- Sparks.
10,000. It started out with about 1000 fore the coming of the whites, Wads- Sleepy little Wadsworth received its
residents, mostly former Wadsworthites worth was a seasonal village site for the
second setback when the freeway by-
and by 1905 was the railroad terminal Paiutes. The most disastrous conflict of
passed the town, but the final blow came
for northern Nevada. whites and Indians in Nevada occurred in
last fall when the Southern Pacific was
the vicinity of Big Bend during the Pyra-
From Sparks it is a smooth, scenic 25- granted their request made to the Public
mid Lake Massacre of May I860.
mile drive through rugged Truckee River Service Commission to abandon a small
Canyon over a high-speed, four-lane free- About 1854, William Gregory set up rarely-used spur which was Wadsworth's
way which by-passes Wadsworth. To pio- a trading post here known as Drytown only connection to the railroad system.
neers of a century ago this portion of which was a division point for teamsters. From Wadsworth the road continues
their long journey to the California gold Later, when a railroad and supply depot for approximately 16 miles to the Pyra-

10 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


mid Lake Indian Agency at Nixon. A Approximately 78 miles from Nixon, unusual sight. At the base of the geyser
few hundred Paiutes living on the reser- is the small community of Empire. This small holes and apertures constantly
vation hold their tribal council meetings town is activated by the Pacific Portland burp and spit up little bubbles of hot
here, and there is a trading post, post Cement Company whose huge gypsum water.
office, school, and community recreation quarry and plant is the largest of its kind Leaving this wonder, one continues
center. For the most part Nixon consists in the West. From 15 to 20 carloads of down the same dirt road until reaching
of shacks. Recently, however, several gypsum are shipped out each day and it Fireball Junction. A left turn here leads
attractive houses have been constructed. is estimated their large deposit contains up a narrow, winding road to Leadville.
As early as I860 prospectors probing enough gypsum to last for at least 50 Numerous mine dumps adorn steep hill-
mountain ledges a few miles west of the more years. sides overlooking the Black Rock Desert.
south end of Pyramid Lake thought they Six miles farther down the highway is About six cabins and the ruins of a mill
had found another bonanza when they the companion of Gerlach, with a popu- dot the terrain. Lead and silver ore was
discovered traces of gold and silver re- lation of about 400. This is a division found at the Tohoqua mine in quartz
sembling Comstock ore. Five town sites point on the Western Pacific Railroad. veins. Minor deposits of zinc and gold
sprung up including Pyramid City, Cold It also serves as a supply base for mines, were also found, as well as niter in cre-
Springs and Jonesville. For the most part, and a few cattle ranches scattered in the vices of rhyolite uncovered on the west-
though, mineralized rock uncovered at area. One mile north of town is Great ern side of the range.
all these sites proved of little value and Boiling Springs. The waters are com- In 1920 the Leading Mining Company
the entire district died. Pyramid Lake to- fortable for swimming all year around. took possession of the area. Production
day is noted for its good fishing, primar- Fremont camped here in 1843, as did under this concern was $153,000 in
ily cui-ui and cutthroat trout, and as a many emigrants who followed the es- 1921, and about $254,600 in 1922. The
recreation area. tablished route across awesome Black property consisted of three main claims
Rock Desert to California. developed by two shafts, a 1700-foot
Winnemucca Lake, the south-west por-
tunnel, and a 500-foot winze equipped
tion of which is included in the reserva- Traveling approximately 18 miles in
with two 75 and one 100-horse power
tion, could be called Pyramid's twin. the opposite direction from the Springs
and semi-Diesel engine, compressor,
Actually both lakes are remnants of an- over a fairly good dirt road which skirts
electric locomotive, auto trucks, 7500-
cient Lake Lahontan, which once sub- the edges of the Desert, one finds to the
merged the entire area. Until 1934 Win- foot water line, and 30,000 gallon tank.
right about a mile off the road at the
nemucca contained an abundant supply Also in operation was a 3 5-ton mill and
Fly Ranch, a multi-colored geyser. This
of fish, and geese and ducks lived in flotation plant. All this was incorpora-
is a geological oddity standing majestic-
tule marshes along its shoreline. ted in 1920 with capital stock of
ally in swampland. It is not a true geyser,
$1,500,000.
The paved highway paralleling this although hot water spouts out day and
Like all mining activities, ore petered
dry lake bed traverses low hills, and night without a let-up. It started out in
out, and production ceased. No one is
sage-alkali-covered flatland meets the eye 1916 as a drilled artesian well. Through-
living in Leadville at the present time,
for many miles. In the surrounding area out the years a large perpetual column but some prospecting and leasing was
are many curious formations and perfect- of beautifully-colored substance formed done a few years ago. Prospectors and
ly shaped tufa mounds, some of which by a flow of heavily mineralized water would-be miners never give up; there
are called beehives. In the distance, and has slowly built up. Now over 20 feet is always the possibility of finding a
from both sides of the highway, spectacu- high and still growing, it presents a most new vein leading to a rich bonanza. •
lar mountains create a panorama of awe-
some scenery and desolate landscape. At
the north end of the lake is Kumiva
Peak, 9240 feet high; on the left Gran-
ite Peak rises 8990 feet out of precipi-
tous Granite Mountains.
Numerous caves are located in both
Pyramid and Winnemucca Lake areas.
Field workers of the Nevada State Mu-
seum spent two months several years ago
exploring high rocky buttes overlooking
Winnemucca Lake where they excavated
10 different sites. Thousands of valuable
artifacts were uncovered, as well as other
evidence pointing to the habitation of
man in the Lake area dating back ap-
proximately 10 to 20,000 years. Interest-
ing and unusual petroglyphs, too, have
been discovered in the Winnemucca Lake
area. Big Bend of the Truckee River

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 11


Left
Unbuckled
by David Hurtado and Sam Hicks

EGENDS and supersti- gardless of whether it houses a family citos and Mestenas are connected by one
tions still hang like a of four or fourteen. of Mexico's oldest mule trails. This is
cloud over an old sec- On cold winter nights a blazing fire the ancient avenue which runs from
tion of Mexico near lights and warms each cave and the the once wealthy Sahauripa mining dis-
the junction of the Pimas gather in groups to recall the hap- trict south to Alamos, silver center and
Maicoba and Yecora penings of days gone by. one-time capital of Mexico's Northwest
rivers, tributaries of the Rio Yaqui which Territories.
It is then, as firelight dims and hud-
drains the Pacific slopes of Sonora and dled figures move closer to the glowing Adjacent to the deeply worn mule
Chihuahua. Here in the rimrocks of coals for warmth, they tell and retell trail at Rancho Cebadillas a mound of
these river canyons dwell the Pima In- age-old stories in their native tongue. rocks ornamented with three wooden
dians of the Sierra Madre. And each One famous Pima story of more re- crosses looms large in memory of three
night after darkness falls, stories of trea- cent vintage, however, is a distinct de- men who were murdered there by ban-
sure and murder are recounted around parture from their serious time-worn dits. These men were in charge of a
campfires that pinpoint those caves per- legends, and it causes great peals of mule train packing a record shipment
manently occupied by the Pimas. laughter to burst forth from first one of silver bars and other supplies from the
Fears and tragedies that have befallen cave and then another. This is basically Dolores Mine near Sahauripa to Alamos,
the Pimas since the coming of the Span- a true account of one of their own, a normally about a six day trip. After kill-
iards are revived, and somber visions of slightly built, fleet-footed tribesman ing the packers, the bandits made off with
legendary ancestors of great strength called "Chico Coyote." the entire mule train and cargo.
and wisdom, of years of tribal feasts All Pima men are hunters. The wo- The highj ackers were never caught
and famine, live again in the minds of men daily weave palm baskets and som- and no part of the silver treasure they
these rugged, simple people. breros which they sell to stores in the looted was ever recovered. It was as-
The Pimas have always dwelled in little mountain villages. These people sumed by many that the bandits quickly
caves and few members of their tribe plant no crops and they rarely own any drove the pack mules into a steep can-
have ever known the comforts of an- livestock other than the burros they use yon only a few miles from Rancho Ce-
other kind of shelter. Outside of a few for the purpose of packing mountainous badillas, cached at least a large part of
blackened pots and pans turned upside loads of palm fronds into their isolated the silver, then killed the mules to avoid
down on the rocks that ring their camp- dwellings. future detection.
fires, a modern Pima's cave looks exact- Near the apex of this particular point Local ranchers, many years later, re-
ly like the one that housed his great- of Mexican geography, formed by the ported finding bits and pieces of pack
grandparents a hundred years ago. A junction of the rivers, a series of cattle equipment in the same steep canyon
few palm mats, some blankets and a ranches that can trace their origin back which was generally conceded too treach-
metate supplement the smoky utensils to antiquity stretch along the east bank erous a place to ever take any kind of
near the fire; and these are all the fur- of the Yecora River. These ranches of animals—let alone heavily laden pack
nishings ever found in a Pima cave, re- San Jose, Orocones, Cebadillas, Valle- mules. And, as in the case of all lost

12 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


treasure stories, time and conjecture have Coyote in the act of butchering a fat
since added to the mystery of the Silver
of Cebadillas.
cow. He promptly arrested him, took him
to Sahauripa and threw him in jail, where
FROM
In order to feed their families when
wild turkey and deer were scarce, hungry
Pimas in the past frequently resorted to
plans were made to keep Chico Coyote
out of circulation for a long, long time.
In the Sahauripa jail Chico Coyote
GOLDAK
butchering cattle that belonged to local was fitted out with a new long shirt and
ranchers. Chico Coyote was definitely a pair of clean white trousers, equally
IU

RICHES!
one such Pima, and he was admired by long. He was allowed to keep the pre-
his friends and relatives for his unfailing cious belt—minus his machete, of course
ability to select only the finest beef ani- —and he dutifully threaded it through
mals to slaughter. Chico Coyote was an
outstanding hunter and tracker, and he
the loops of his out-sized pants and
cinched it tightly about his slender waist.
with the All New
differed from his tribesmen in many Chico Coyote was not happy in the COMMANDER' 720
ways. He never wore pants — only a Sahauripa jail. He was given to absolute
breech-clout, had shoulder-length hair, silence and refused to fraternize with
a long ragged shirt and a strong leather the other prisoners. Neither did the food
belt cinched about his waist through appeal to him and he only picked, bird-
which his sheathed machete was thrust. like, at his daily ration, then left his
In warm weather Chico Coyote always plate for the other inmates to clean up.
slept in a forked tree. Before drifting On the rare occasions when he caught Treasure Locator!
off in dreams he would buckle the belt a glimpse of the outside world he gazed The 'Commander' 720
around an appropriate arm of the tree, longingly at the majestic Sierra Madre unsurpassed for locating
so he wouldn't fall in case he tossed or to the South. buried treasure, coins, Civil
turned in his sleep. War relics and for beach-
Whenever it was possible for him to combing, features the
Whenever Chico Coyote butchered a do co, Chico Coyote spent long periods
cow, which was altogether too frequent- "Tell-Tone" Signal. Locates
of time staring at the jail guards. He any metal object under dirt,
ly if the other hunting was bad, he would scrutinize their facial features sand, mud, rock, etc. No
would lasso her with a piece of crude and carefully study their mannerisms. If cumbersome cords —
rope he'd freshly made from palm fiber, completely transistorized,
two guards appeared before him, side by
haze her into an inconspicuous place and battery powered.
side, Chico Coyote's eyes flew from one
face to the other, then back again like
the flashing lights of a computer making EFFECTIVE DEPTH RANGE
(Under Normal Conditions)
a scientific comparison.
After weeks of silence and careful ob-
servation, finally, one day at the Sahau- 3" Bullet
ripa jail, Chico Coyote spoke. Using 7" . . Penny

good Spanish, much to the amazement 8-12" Silver


Dollar
of those around him, he warmly address- 18" Pistol
ed jail guard, Guadalupe Raimerz. 24" . Jar of
Ramirez, obviously flattered by Chico Coins

Coyote's friendly overture toward him, 30" Kettle


then cut her throat. He would deftly re- 36" Placer Gold
responded and the two visited briefly. Deposit
move the choicest cuts, sling them on On the following day Chico Coyote 48" . Metal Chest
his back and deliver the steaming meat again spoke in friendly tones to Guada- 60" . Large Metallic
to the caves of his family and friends. lupe Ramirez. Object
Chico Coyote's method of killing beef Eventually, when conditions in the
became a trademark in the mountains jail met Chico Coyote's approval, he
between the Maicoba and Yecora Rivers, visited at great length with Guadalupe
and was occurring with a devastating de- Ramirez. He told Guadalupe that he
gree of regularity. The ranchers of this knew where the silver treasure of Ceba- . T H E GOLDAK COMPANY, INC.
1544 West Glenoaks Blvd..
area customarily shot Pimas who were dillas was hidden. If Guadalupe could Glendale, California 91201
caught killing cattle, but Chico Coyote somehow arrange for Chico Coyote's re- Gentlemen: Please send free literature on Goldak
treasure locators.
was so elusive they finally complained lease he would, in return for Guadalupe's G I enclose $1.00 foi my American Treasure
of their losses to Juan Nievas, Chief of Hunters' Guide (reg. $2.00 value).
kindly action, guide him to the precipi-
the Judicial Police of Sahauripa. tous canyon where the treasure was al- Name

After a long surveillance, during which ways assumed to be hidden, and there Address

time Juan Nievas lived, thought and show him a cave. In that cave, he would City

acted like a Pima, he finally caught Chico show Guadalupe Ramirez several wooden State Zip Code
L

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 13


pack boxes of the type originally used to then caress the handle of his six-shooter Chico Coyote stopped talking abruptly,
crate two square five gallon cans. Each of or pat the stock of his booted rifle. stood up and unbuckled the strong belt
these wooden pack boxes was stuffed Daylight came and Guadalupe brought which supported his over-sized jail pants.
with silver bars standing on end. Lying forth tortillas and machaca from his sad- If the Senor would excuse him he would
across the boxes of silver were two .44 dle pockets. Chico Coyote ate his share step out of the circle of firelight for
caliber rifles, with quantities of ammuni- with gusto and, out of enthusiasm over just one moment. He would be right
tion for them spilling forth from rotting his release from jail, was the epitome back.
cardboard boxes. Also there were the of appreciation and friendship. He assur- Guadalupe drowsily nodded his assent,
musty remains of many aparejos and ed Guadalupe that the rawhide noose his mind still envisioning the fun-loving
riatas, but through the years the rats had around his neck was no longer necessary. little muchachas, the comfortable caves
wreaked havoc upon the tallow-lubricated and the pleasant, clean aroma of woven
During the following two days the
and sweat-salted pack equipment, and palm mats.
men visited volubly as they traveled deep
Chico Coyote doubted that it would ever Chico Coyote slipped into the shadow
into the Sierra Madre. Chico Coyote was
serve any useful purpose again. of the nearest tree, ran silently to the
a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge
The men parted company in the jail, and he fairly bubbled with enthusiasm as edge of the canyon and leaped gleefully
but Chico Coyote did not have long to he explained to Guadalupe about the into the darkness and freedom.
wait. In the dead of night Guadalupe kindness of the Mother Mountains and of Now, on cold winter evenings when
rattled a giant key in the door of Chico the use of each medicinal or edible stillness creeps into the great canyons
Coyote's cell. plant they encountered on the trail. Chico of the Sierra Madre of Mexico and
Coyote would point out deer and wild campfires pinpoint the Pima Caves, the
turkey tracks, where they were barely hush of night is regularly broken by
discernible even to the trained eye, and shrieks of laughter. The happy echoes
explain what they were doing, where reverberate from canyon walls to valley
they were going and why. It seemed to floor, then back up to the highest ridges,
Guadalupe that there was nothing con- as the story of Chico Coyote's escape
cerning the mountains, the plant life, or spreads from cave to cave.
the wild life, that Chico Coyote didn't Then, after firelight and laughter
know. He knew without the slightest have died, the Pimas' thoughts turn
hesitation where the best feed and water again to the Silver Treasure of Cebadil-
could be found; he had an intelligent las and there is always speculation as to
answer for every question Guadalupe where the riches were actually hidden,
asked and a logical explanation for every and why they have never been found.
Guadalupe Ramirez explained to the point of interest that he discussed. Many Pimas believe Chico Coyote was
other prisoners that the jail authorities But Guadalupe was still suspicious and telling the truth when he described the
had effected Chico Coyote's release be- when they made their first overnight cave, the silver bars standing on end in
cause of time served and his excellent camp he tied Chico Coyote securely to
behavior. The prisoners accepted the a tree.
explanation in silence and shook their By the end of the second day the men
heads knowingly as Chico Coyote was had arrived at the head of the canyon
led into the darkness of the long cor- where legend maintained the silver treas-
ridor. Outside the jail Guadalupe's ure was hidden. Chico Coyote had al-
horse, saddled and equipped for the ready described to Guadalupe how the
trail, pawed the ground nervously. country lay; and he explained that on
Without attending to further legal the following morning they would have
formalities at the jail in connection with to leave the horse on the crest of the
Chico Coyote's release, the two men trot- ridge and descend on foot to the cave. the packboxes, the .44 caliber rifles and
ted briskly out of Sahauripa. Guadalupe In the meantime, they would make their ammunition which were known to have
was comfortably astride his horse, while camp. belonged to the murdered muleteers.
Chico Coyote jogged lightly along on Chico Coyote rustled firewood, un- It is generally conceded by them that
foot just ahead of the horse. The noose saddled the horse and spread Guada- Chico Coyote never attempted to person-
of Guadalupe's rawhide riata was pulled lupe's blankets with care. Guadalupe ally recover the treasure because of his
snug against the neck of Chico Coyote, busied himself with the task of ration- strong dislike for things of monetary
to remind him of the bond of friendship ing out tortillas and machaca. The fire value. He claimed the Creator had en-
and understanding that existed between was started, and Chico Coyote was never dowed him with intelligence, with great
the two men. And, as if an occasional more relaxed. In the light of the dancing agility and endurance, then placed him
sharp tug on the riata were not sufficient flames the men ate their rations as Chico in the Mother Mountains where he had
to impress on Chico Coyote just who was Coyote described in detail the pleasures always been provided for by nature. Ac-
in command, Guadalupe would catch of life in a Pima cave. Ah, those fun- cording to his philosophy, no man should
Chico Coyote's eye from time to time, loving, pretty little muchachas! ask for more. •

14 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


A MATCHLESS FIRE
Photos and text by Richard Weymouth Brooks

H E "Solar Cigarette
Lighter" is a small
3x4 inch parabolic re-
flector with a pronged
metal finger fastened
in the center. The
"Cigarette" is placed between the prongs
and the entire unit pointed at the sun.
Smoldering starts almost immediately.
I discovered this interesting little item
while browsing in my local Scientific
Supplies store. My curiosity aroused, I
wondered how this gadget could be use-
ful to me, a non-smoker. It occurred
to mind that it might make a good fire
starter for my desert kit.
As it turned out, it works well and
is as dependable as a sunny day. When
choosing wood for the ignitor, the dark-
er the color the more rapidly it will
smolder to a hot coal. A punky or semi-
rotten wood works the best, as this ma-
terial maintains its "coal" once it is
started.
A little dry grass, yucca fiber or min-
ute branches "fuzzed" out to make the
tinder, or a small tepee of tiny twigs, is
built to house this tinder. When the coal
is formed by the reflector, it is blown
upon to get it to its maximum heat, then
placed in the nest of tinder. Then blow
on the two together gently. If you are
lucky, it will smoke and burst into flames
in about 30 seconds to a minute. Add
more sticks to your already prepared
twig tepee and you are in business.
It took me one hour to prepare and
start the fire and cook bread twists by
this method during the last week of
October between 4 and 5 p.m. with the
sun weakened by haze.
One advantage this reflector has over
a burning glass is that it does not have
to be held. You are free to do other
things—preparation of tinder twigs, etc.
An additional "punk" can be igniting
while you are getting the fire going,
should it prove to be stubborn.
Desert skies are mostly sunny, which
makes this "igniting reflector" fairly
dependable. It is an ideal item for a
survival kit. •

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 15


Springtime . . .
Visit to Indian Flats
by Allen Penton

HE average person any slight vantage point, the fertile val- on the rock cliffs indicates the forceful-
thinks of the desert in ley below and Lake Henshaw can be seen ness of water flow that sometimes must
terms of the great basin in the distance to the southwest. occur. Once on a visit after a general
areas such as the Mo- The wooded meadow continues north spring rain, we observed the violence of
jave. These areas are along the stream for one-quarter of a the otherwise gentle waterfall. The water
beautiful in spring, but mile beyond the campground before was spurting from the cleft in the rocks,
they provide only a part of the spring- terminating abruptly at a rocky ridge. In as if from a nozzle, into the then swiftly
time wonders to be found in the great the spring this field is ablaze with Gold- running, three foot deep stream below.
southern California desert regions. Many field blossoms, blended with undertones A hike above the small waterfall is a
such experiences, and often very differ- of minute white and lavender flowers. difficult but interesting adventure. The
ent than in the low desert areas, are to The elevation is approximately 3600 feet stream courses through a maze of bould-
be found in the less arid high desert. A so the flowers do not appear until about ers and rock formations and down num-
favorite spot of mine, particularly in the one month later than in low desert areas. erous small waterfalls into occasional
spring, is Indian Flats in California's Here you find typical desert flowers but small pools. From the many small springs
San Diego County. in a setting of a wooded mountain mea- along the stream it is probable that there
Indian Flats is in a small and little- dow, complete with stream. On all sides, is at least some water in the stream year
known portion of the Cleveland National though, is a very rugged countryside, round.
Forest that borders the Anza-Borrego more typical of what would be expected At several spots upstream from the
State Park on its northwest corner. The in high desert. first small waterfall there are sedimen-
area is at the end of the Lost Valley On the opposite end of the meadow tary deposits of rock where beautiful
Truck Trail, approximately fourteen from the campground the stream flows specimens of rose and smoky quartz and
miles north of State Highway 79 and from a cleft in the rocks and over a even some small pieces of crystal clear
Warner Springs. The road is graded and, small waterfall. The pattern of erosion quartz can be found. As the crow flies,
depending on the amount of rainfall
since the last reconditioning, is either
passable to conventional automobiles or
to off-the-road vehicles only. From State
Highway 79, the road goes steadily up-
ward and through very rough, rocky and
sparsely vegetated country.
It is no wonder then at the surprise
encountered when rounding a huge
house-high boulder and entering Indian
Flats. The area is a level fertile meadow
dotted with oak trees. In the spring, it is
lushly green with a stream of clear, cold
water. In the meadow is a perfect ex-
ample of how improved campsites can
be blended into natural settings without
too severely detracting from their beauty.
The twelve campsites are widely separ-
ated among the trees, with only one or
two others visible from any one.
Indian Flats is flanked on the east
and north by ancient, boulder-strewn
hills. On the west is an excellent view of
Palomar Mountain in the distance. From

76 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


ous gem mines which reportedly have
yielded excellent specimens of garnet. A
thorough search further up the stream
toward the Anza-Borrego Park Boun-
dary could result in the finding of some
gem quality mineral finds. The fact that
there are no gem locations noted in the
gem collectors handbooks for this par-
ticular area could be because of its re-
moteness and the limited accessibility of
the terrain. This, and the total absence
of roads in the six to eight miles from
Indian Flats to the Anza-Borrego Park
boundary and probably at least that dis-
tance beyond, results in very few visitors
to the area.
The setting at Indian Flats, with its
abundance of water, game and shelter
among the trees and its remoteness from
any similar area, causes one to consider
that its name is truly derived from its
previous inhabitants. We plan someday
to return with the express purpose of
searching far out from the campground TOVICTORVILLE
SAN BERNARDINO
for Indian artifacts or petroglyphs among
the many rock formations and small caves
to be found in the surrounding hills.
For the gem hunters, the trip to or
from Indian Flats can be even more in-
teresting by a stop in an area along the
roadside from about one-quarter to one-
half of the way in from State Highway
79. In this area we found many excel-
lent specimens of black and dark green
tourmaline very near the road. The
crystals that we extracted from the rocks
ranged from one-eighth of an inch to
one inch in thickness. It is not too diffi-
cult, with a little care in pecking away
at the rocks, to extract some nice speci-
mens of the preferred terminated tour-
maline gems.
Indian Flats is particularly beautiful
in the spring and is an excellent example
of the gentleness of many high desert
areas. The enjoyment is magnified by
the fact that its remoteness prevents
overcrowding despite the presence of
one of those modern day miracles, an
improved public campground. If you do
go to Indian Flats, plan to stay there
overnight. On a clear day, the late after-
noon sun causes the rocky peak to the
east of the campground to become ra-
diant with hues of gold and pink. It, in
itself, is an experience well worth the
trip. •

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 17


A TIP FOR A TRIP
by Jack Delaney

HAT does a barber do ning reads, "Desert Lawn Drive," but Above: El Casco Resort, one of several
on his day off?" I tried this road will lead you through San Recreational sites having man-made
this question on Vince, Timoteo Canyon. lakes stocked with trout. Below: the
while he was mowing After the first couple of miles the single room San Timoteo school is
my hair and running road enters the canyon where you'll en- more than 100 years old and today
the edger around my joy the quiet countryside, picturesque is a Sunday school.
ears. His enthused reply was, "We enjoy farm houses, pastoral scenes with horses
taking one-day trips—there are so many and cattle on the green hillsides; and,
interesting jaunts available within a after crossing the San Bernardino County
short distance of our desert." line, miles of citrus orchards. It would be
"Name one," I suggested, fully expect- a good idea to take your lunch and stop
ing him to name twenty. To my surprise, in a particularly scenic spot and have a
he limited his recommendation to just picnic. The canyon offers many ideal lo-
one, which is quite an achievement for a cations for this popular pastime.
barber! His idea was that a loop trip One such place is called Fisherman's
through San Timoteo Canyon provides Retreat. It consists of five man-made
an interesting couple of hours as an en- lakes, stocked with rainbow trout, bass,
joyable relief from the heat of the des- bluegill, and catfish. No license is re-
ert. We conducted a dry run on his pet quired for fishing here. Around the lakes
trip and are in accord with his recom- are picnic facilities, lawns, spaces for
mendation. camping, trailers and campers, and apart-
Should you feel the need for a respite ments and cabins to rent. The whole set-
from the toasty summer temperature of ting is loaded with shade trees and fea-
the Southeastern California desert re- tures a quiet, close-to-nature atmosphere.
gions, just drive west on Interstate 10 Also, for those who enjoy horse-play,
Freeway to the San Timoteo Canyon this recreation center has a stable of
Road off-ramp, beyond Beaumont, cross horses, that may be rented by the day.
the Freeway on the overpass and con- Less than half a mile away, along the
tinue straight ahead. A sign at the begin- same road, is another rest stop, similar

18 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


to Fishermen's Retreat, but on a smaller
scale. El Casco Resort consists of two
man-made lakes that are stocked with
fish, plus picnic facilities, cabins for
rent, trailer and camper spaces, and
plenty of shade trees. This resort has
been in existence for about 60 years. A
number of improvements are scheduled
for the near future, such as the addition
of two more lakes, and expansion of the
camping area.
Between these two recreation spots
you'll see a quaint small structure that
is a hundred years old. This is the old
San Timoteo School. As a one-room in-
stitution of A-B-Cs, it served the area
for many years. The building is still in
good condition and is being used pres-
ently as a Sunday school. You'll want
to shoot a picture or two of this gem of are held, an administration building, The San Bernardino Asistencia was
yesteryear. beautiful grounds and several inspiring originally a branch of the San Gabriel
While you are in a nostalgic mood, bells, one of which was brought here Mission dating back to 1819.
continue your drive along San Timoteo from Spain. The museums offer many
Canyon Road until it ends at Barton dioramas depicting the pioneer period
Send for FREE Catalog of our
Road, which crosses it at right angles. of our history and items pertaining to
the Indian, mission, and rancho eras of Recommended Books
Turn right on Barton Road and proceed
about two blocks, and you'll see a Cali- early California. This attraction is open Dept. BC, Desert Magazine
fornia historical landmark that dates to the public daily (except Mondays) Palm Desert, California 92260
back much further than the ancient and there is no charge.
rchoolhouse. This is the old San Ber- Backtracking on Barton Road will take
nardino Asistencia which served, origin- you to Loma Linda via the back door. Lowest Photo Print Prices
ally, as a branch of the San Gabriel Mis- You'll pass the beautiful new hospital
sion. It is located on what was known as and the Loma Linda University. Drive Highest Quality
KODACOLOR FILM
the San Bernardino Rancho of Mission through town to Interstate 10 Freeway, DEVELOPED & PRINTED
San Gabriel, established in the year 1819- enter in the direction of Redlands, and 8 Jumbo Prints $1.78
drive to your starting point, the San 12 Jumbo Prints $2.42
As was the case with other California 12 Jumbo Prints and
Missions, San Bernardino Asistencia lived Timoteo Canyon Road off-ramp. This New Roll of Kodacolor (except 126 ....$3.30
through a turbulent past. Originally, it will complete the loop trip. The total 12 Jumbo Prints and
New Roll of Kodacolor 126 $3.50
was constructed by Franciscan Fathers distance is only 38 miles; but by driving Kodacolor Neg reprints $ .16
around 1830. In 1834, Indians attacked at a leisurely pace and enjoying frequent
Send for price sheets
this outpost and stole the ornaments and stops, you can extend this pleasant inter- and envelopes
lude into the paved road back country All other
sacred vessels of the chapel. Later, they
for several hours. Photo prices are
returned and killed 14 of the Christian comparably low
Indians and carried off many others as So I suggest the next time you have
prisoners. In 1842, the property was your hair cut, after discussing the wea-
MARKET BASKET PHOTO CO.
granted by the Mexican government to ther and the Dodgers with your barber, P. O. Box 370, Yuma, Arizona 85364 or
ask him for a tip—a tip for a trip. • P. O. Box 2830, San Diego, Calif. 92112
Diego Sepulveda of Los Angeles, as part
of Rancho de San Bernardino. In 1851,
the entire rancho was sold to the Mor-
mons, who had come from Salt Lake to
Wesie&n flwtweafi
form a colony in the valley.
After several other changes of owner-
ship, the buildings of the Asistencia fell
DESERT
BOOT
wmm THE
SPORTSMAN
Deerskin moccasins and moccasin boots . . . men's and women's sandals . . . Rachel Brown
to ruin. The people of San Bernardino vestidos and capes . . . men's, women's and children's leather jackets . . . authentic Indian
beaded moccasins . . . Kaibab buckskin molded sole moccasins . . . Guilmox, Minnetonka,
County purchased the land and fully re- Taos, Lazar, Bass moccasins.
stored this important memento of the WRITE FOR FREE BROCHURE
past. Here, you'll see two museum build- THE MOCCASIN SHOP, 174 North Palm Canyon Drive
ings, a chapel where frequent weddings Palm Springs, Calif. 92262 AC 714 325-6425

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 19


He's the Qwaziest People!
by Isabel Dunwoody
HERE'S no question but his bird brothers? Not him. The only beak that seemed to grow and grow until
that the Roadrunner is time he flies is when flushed from his it reached two inches. For plummage,
the desert's whackiest nest or frightened. Bailey's Birds of New she gave him a speckled Jacob's coat of
bird. He doesn't look Mexico reports, "The roadrunner gave many colors — metallic green, purple,
like a bird. He doesn't the most perfect example of volplaning black, white and brown. Intuition or-
live on seeds, worms, when it took off from a 50-foot high dained this whacky bird would rule all
plain everyday insects, although he will cliff and glided down a canyon an eighth the land he surveyed, so she sat a jaunty,
stoop to it if his gourmet taste can't be of a mile, never flapping a wing, not bristle-tipped crown squarely atop his
satisfied. He can fly, but he prefers to be even when it alighted on a rock." arrogant head. In justification for his
a pedestrian, and he doesn't follow the He has a better use for his tail than his outlandish features, she gave him superb
flock. He does make the most of the wings, as it acts as his brake, evident eyesight to spot a skittering lizard and a
tricks Nature played on him and he strong bill to tenderize it for swallowing
from the cloud of sand that results from
makes slaves of all humans he adopts. whole. His mixed-up plummage melts
his sudden stops. His tail also depicts
The Indians knew him first. They instantly into his desert surroundings to
his moods. If he is undecided, it slowly
scratched facsimiles of his crazy tracks discourage lurking predators. As a special
pumps up an down; if nervous, it opens bonus, El Paisano was gifted with a de-
by graves of their departed to confuse
evil spirits. Born with four toes on each and shuts and when he is on the run, lightful zest for living and zany charac-
foot, two pointing forward, two back- it streams straight out behind him. teristics to make him the exciting bird
ward, "X" literally marks the spot. Some Mother Nature, in a spirit of fun, he is.
Indians trimmed cradle-boards with his chose a mixed-up halloween dress for the When you first become acquainted
feathers to ward off evil spirits from comical roadrunner. She painted blue with the cocky little fellow, he might
their newborn. and orange circles, clownlike, around the be making a mad dash across desert
This most contrary bird has wings, bare spots of his inquisitive eyes, then, ridges, swerving around a flowering
but does he spend time in the sky like in a surprise switch, added a Pinnochio cactus, or contentedly sitting in the

20 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


shade of a mesquite bush. Racing down tion. Only after the enemy has departed desert, it is time for a favorite snack.
a desert road in hot pursuit used to be is his leg good as new. All other mem- Honey bees gathering nectar from Supine
a favorite pastime, a trait which gave bers of the bird-kindgom flutter a broken and primroses disappear like caviar at a
him his name, but with today's high- wing. cocktail party. However, the desert's
ways and fast cars, he doesn't try it In spite of his unconventional behav- ready pantry is willingly by-passed for
so often anymore. Clocked at 18 miles ior, when it comes to brains, you can't a piece of raw hamburger begged from
per hour, he will chase anything that pell this comical bird short. Systematic, his human neighbors.
moves. Aggressive and fearless, he uses he has been known to pass certain points In Thousand Palms, California, an
anyplace on the desert as a "drag-strip." at definite times. He may dislike the enterprising roadrunner begs from door
When he isn't darting about, like his hampering of communal life, but once to door, using at least three aliases. At the
human neighbors, he loves to bask in having chosen his preferred mesquite or Edgar Marrotte's home, he is Pete. Pete
the sun, spreading his feathers to catch raltbush thicket, he settles down to re- shows up regularly for his handout. Once
every last relaxing ray. main year after year, his ranges from a little too anxious, he decided on a
While El Paisano is generally a California to Southern Utah, Colorado, cheese hors d'oeuvre. Unfortunately the
"loner," he is not a perennial bachelor. Kansas, mid-Texas and lower Gulf Coast cheese was in a rat trap and Pete still
In the spring his fancy turns to thoughts South through Lower California and wears a twisted beak from his sad ex-
of a lady fair. Around and around he into Mexico. perience. A short distance from the Mar-
turns, in wild zigzag circles, until he Since almost everything about this otte's, he is known as Joe, and still fur-
convinces a nonchalant mate of his fi- ther along, he does his trick-or-treating as
roadrunner is surprising, it figures that
delity. Although his song is loud and Oscar, just three more names added to
his gourmet tastes would be somewhat
coarse, it is the lilt of a lark to his chosen his long repertory. He and his fellow
strange too. Delectable tidbits for him
lady roadrunner. Their home might be roadrunners are also known as the Chap-
are crickets which he unearths by clever- arral Cock, Ground Cuckoo, El Paisano,
a low yucca, a crumbling adobe wall, or
ly overturning stones and mudcakes; as Mexicans affectionately call him,
even an old packing crate. In a strange
sort of birdland birth control method, small horn toads, mice, cactus fruits, meaning Countryman, and the high-
the nest might contain an unhatched grasshoppers, spiders, snails that he toned listing the Encyclopedia gives him,
egg, a baby and a fledging all at the same cracks open on a rock, and oh yes, occa- "Geocyx Californianns." Mostly he is
time. sionally rattlesnakes. Everything goes simply called "The Roadrunner."
In the roadrunner's feathered breast down whole after he has hammered them No matter what his name, the zany
lies a fierce parental protectiveness. If with his unique bill. And his etiquette roadrunner is always popular. Roadrun-
his babies are threatened, like the pos- doesn't come from a book—if swallow- ner, Arizona is named for him. He is
sum, he covers this anxiety with pre- ing a lizard means some if it must trail the state bird of New Mexico, protected
tence, agonizing with a suddenly broken from his overloaded beak. under Federal status. He has been sculp-
leg, his crest alone telegraphing his emo- When the smell of spring is in the tured, put on postal cards; and in Scots-
dale, Arizona, there is a line of sports-
wear named for him.
He likes to be near human neighbors
and can become a household pet. Mexi-
cans consider El Paisano a good omen if
he chooses to live close by. The Marotte's
of Thousand Palms love to tell how he
climbs up a ladder to sit on the roof, or
dash by a hanging bell, pausing to ring
it. With his over-abundant love of mis-
chief and fun, however, he is apt to be-
come a tormentor, especially of competi-
tive pets such as dogs. He nips their
paws. At the Desert Museum in Tucson,
Arizona, they have to change roadrunner
pets now and then because some get too
playful and nip at children's bare toes.
Mostly his breathless whistle or loud coo
is warmly welcomed.
In every respect the roadrunner, El
Paisano, Pete, Joe, Oscar or whatever
you choose to call him, is a whim of na-
ture from his comical looks to his whacky
habits. To know this zany fellow, so full
of the joy of living, is to love him. •

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 21


HOW DID THE MESAS AND

BUTTES OF THE WEST FORM?

WHAT CAUSES CANYONS?

JOURNEY WITH A GEOLOGIST

THROUGH SPECTACULAR
HAT makes the rocks word definitions, some confusion has re-
SOUTHEASTERN UTAH
red, green or blue?" sulted as to the exact meanings of the
AS HE EXPLAINS Would you believe terms: mesas, buttes, monuments, etc.
iron? That question is "Mesa" was a descriptive term brought
THESE NATURAL WONDERS to the southwest by the Spaniards, who
one of the most com-
monly-asked by travel- were referring to the flat-topped rock
ers in the colorful Four Corners country. formations or "tablelands." In general,
And, believe it or not, the answer is mesas are larger than buttes.
"iron." It would seem more logical if The typical monuments of Fisher
iron made the rocks red, copper made Towers, near Moab, Utah, Monument
them green, and cobalt made them blue. Valley, and the Valley of the Gods con-
sist of horizontal beds of massive, rela-

WHAT
But surprisingly enough, iron produces
those colors, plus all gradations in be- tively hard sandstone overlying beds of
tween. The oxidized state of the iron relatively softer sandstone. The softer
produces the reds, and the reduced state sandstones form the talus-covered slopes
of the iron produces the blues, greens, beneath the vertical walls of the sand-
and grays. That is to say that the oxidized stone.

MAKES iron has a higher ratio of oxygen to iron


than does the reduced iron.
The de Chelly sandstone buttes of
Monument Valley and the great red
walls around Moab are composed of
Try to picture the entire region covered
with these horizontal sedimentary layers.
Then came the rivers with their attendant
side canyons and smaller washes. These
canyons steadily, but slowly, increase
their length by eroding headward. This

ROCKS
tiny sand grains cemented together and
stained with the oxidized iron or hema- headward erosion proceeds logically by
tite. The Chinle (Painted Desert) and dissolving and washing away the clay-
stone, removing the support of the mas-
Brushy Basin (between Blanding and
sive overlying sandstone. This creates
Bluff, Utah) claystones include many
alcoves or arch-like caves. The cave or
blue, green, and gray layers which are

RED?
overhang enlarges until the roof col-
colored by the reduced iron oxides, such
lapses. Then the canyon has advanced
as Goethite (named in honor of the
the depth of the cave, and the process
German poet!). Occasionally one might
begins once more. A network of canyons
notice where a plant root has grown into
gradually dissects the barren expanse of
red claystone and the root is surrounded
sandstone—which might be many miles
by a few inches of light green clay. This
across. The canyons widen out until they
light bleached zone results from the gradually become broad valleys. In this
mild plant acids reducing the oxidized widening process sometimes the thin
red clay coloring. This is just another dividing walls separating the valleys
step in the continuous process of chemical crumble. When this happens, great mass-
weathering and erosion. es of rock are left standing isolated-—
"How did the monuments in Monu- and the true mesas are born. So actually,
ment Valley get there?" mesas are left there. Of course, all the
"Were they harder than the surround- erosive forces continue changing the face
rock?" of the earth so that it is never really fin-
by "Did they just get pushed up?" ished. What we see is in reality just a
It's a long story and we need to ap- couple of frames out of a very long mo-
Eugene preciate there are a great many subtle tion picture. Earlier in the movie there
factors at work, changing the face of were no monuments; now there are
Foushee mesas, monuments or buttes; later in the
the earth at an incredibly slow rate.
picture these will be gone also.
Inasmuch as most rock features were
not named by geographers with precise If there is a well-developed joint sys-

22 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


*%m

Valley of the Gods in Southern Utah

tern in the massive sandstone, these classic examples of incised meanders.


vertical joints or planes of weakness can Originally that portion of the river had
be important factors in influencing can- a low gradient, with slow-moving water.
yon or valley development, and particul- This resulted in the great meanders sim-
arly in the creation of spires or needles. ilar to those caused by sluggish coastal
The two sets of vertical joints at right rivers. The water through the meander
angles to each other tend to leave high (or gooseneck) was speeded up, perhaps
shafts of rock bounded by four flat by regional uplift, resulting in rapid
faces with sharp corners. Obviously, the downcutting of the channel. The down-
old erosive forces will not leave those cutting has continued until now the
corners sharp very long. They round river's meanders are incised 1000 feet
them off by a process called spheroidal deep. To see what is the future fate of
weathering, leaving, for example, the The Goosenecks, we can go thirteen
dramatic spires which are called The miles west of Bluff and two and one-half
Needles in Canyonlands National Park. miles south of Highway 47 on an un-
The fins and thin spires in the Arches marked trail to another gorgeous view of
National Monument are also dominantly a gooseneck. But where is the river that
shaped by two sets of vertical joints. is supposed to be down there cutting
Usually canyons simply grow from away on the channel? The San Juan has
washes that start channeling the rain finally broken through the narrow wall
water rather than from such dramatic that had separated two loops of the
forces as faults and joint systems. Subtle river; the gooseneck has been cut off;
differences in hardness, cementing agents, the channel left dry; and the seven hun-
porosity, permeability, and grain size will dred foot high cone-shaped mesa that
tend to influence the growth of canyons was inside the loop now stands like a
and hence the shaping of mesas. castle with a dry moat surrounding it.
Shiprock, Agathlan, Alhambra Rock, Fantastic! And the river flows on. •
and Boundary Butte are special cases in
The annual All Tribes Indian Day
the Four Corners country. They are hard
Ceremony will be held this year
igneous rocks which were intruded into
on June 15 at Bluff, Utah. One of
softer sedimentary formations. With lots
the most spectacular events in
of time for erosion, the surrounding
the West, it includes horse races,
sedimentary rocks have been washed
Indian dancing, sand painting and
away leaving the black, ragged igneous
many other contests, attracting
cores rising above the landscape.
visitors every year from through-
"How about those crazy Goosenecks?"
out the United States.
The Goosenecks of the San Juan are

24 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


What To Do During An Earthquake
(Just keep calm anddon't get shook)
Since Southern California has had California, and 60 in 1886 at Charles- occurrence of aftershocks, which normally
several minor earthquakes recently we ton, South Carolina. follow all large shocks. However, it is
think this information from the Na- Other major earthquakes in the United very rare for an aftershock to reach the
States, which resulted in few if any fa- intensity of the main earthquake.
tional Earthquake Information Center,
talities due to sparseness of population, Last of all, do not reoccupy a seriously
U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey will occurred in Missouri in 1811 and 1812 damaged building without the approval
be of interest. Like they say, what ever and at Yakutat Bay, Alaska, in 1899. of local authorities. Just because the
happens, don't get shook. What do you do then when the earth building withstood the main shock does
shakes beneath your feet and your house not necessarily indicate it will also with-

begins to sway? Dive under a table, desk, stand strong aftershocks. •
The likelihood of your being injured doorway, or any covering that will pro-
in a major earthquake in the United tect you against a falling ceiling. DON'T
See "The Roving Kind"
States is exceedingly small. About 1500 rush into the street where you may be on Channel 13, June 27
persons have died during earthquakes struck by falling cornices and chimneys
(or earthquake-generated tsunamis and and other flying objects.
fires) since this country was settled, and CUSTOM MADE METAL DETECTORS
If you are outside, try to get into an
ARE THE BEST
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June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 25


SUNKEN
GOLD
OF
CLEAR
CREEK
by George A. Thompson

SHORT item which ap- The coin found by Drestelhorst had the Mormons were forced to camp on its bank
peared on the back words "California Gold" around its rim, for several days while waiting for the
pages of a December, a term then used by many assayers in waters to subside. After losing several
1910, issue of the Red- California and the Great Basin to desig- days of valuable traveling time they be-
ding Free Press pro- nate a coin of pure gold. It also had the came impatient and decided to chance a
vides a clue to where initials "SMV" inscribed on it. Even crossing. Most of the wagons got across
today's treasure seeker might find his though it apparently had lain in the the stream safely, but when the Bishop's
fortune. The article reported briefly that sand and gravel of Clear Creek for many wagon started across disaster struck.
an old prospector named William Dres- years it was still bright and shiny and re- The Bishop's wagon entered the swol-
telhorst had found a ten dollar gold tained its luster. len stream only a few feet downstream
coin in his sluice box on Clear Creek, a Several months had passed from the from where the others had crossed, but
small stream north of Redding, Califor- time that Drestelhorst had found the apparently the water was much deeper
nia and not far from the present day coin and given it to Fitzgerald and he there, or one of the wheels fell into a
Whiskeytown Dam. was no longer in the area, having moved hole. Without warning the wagon tipped
The story of Drestelhorst's find would on in search of more promising diggings. on its side and was carried several hun-
probably have gone unnoticed if he Several old-timers around Redding were dred feet downstream before the strug-
hadn't used the coin to pay a long over- greatly excited by Mrs. Fitzgerald's story gling horses could stop it. By then most
due feed bill owed to McCoy Fitzgerald of how the coin was found and were ob- of its cargo had been spilled into the
for keeping his burros for him while he viously disappointed when neither she muddy water and washed away. Accord-
prospected Clear Creek. Fitzgerald's wife nor her husband could tell them just ing to the old-timers, among the items
took the gold coin into town and showed where the coin had been found. It was lost was a small wooden chest containing
it to a store owner. She remarked how only after months of trying to locate the $40,000 in newly made gold coins. The
surprised she and her husband had been old prospector had passed without suc- gold was to buy good farm land to in-
to get it since they were certain Drestel- cess that they explained their interest. sure the success of the new colony. The
horst hadn't found any gold on Clear The story the old-timers told was that ten dollar coins, all bearing the inscrip-
Creek, and they had thought he was too during the early 1850s a wagon train of tion "California Gold" and the initials
poor to pay the feed bill. Mormons had passed through the Red- "SMV," were exactly like the one Dres-
After taking a closer look at the coin ding area on the way to a new colony telhorst had found in his sluice box
the merchant offered to buy it, explain- in the fertile valley beyond. Their little
sixty years later.
ing that it was not a regular minted coin wagon train had been making good time
but a rare one made in a hand mold by through an unsettled area not far from Although the Mormons camped at
an assayer. It had been common before the tiny settlement of Horsetown when the creek side for nearly a week and
mints were established in the west for it was forced to stop at the banks of searched along its banks for miles down-
assayers to make coins from the raw gold Clear Creek by a swirling, muddy, tor- stream, no trace of the missing chest
that miners sold them, certifying their rent of raging flood waters. The usually was found. The water was too deep anr*
value by putting their initials on them. quiet creek was in flood stage and the muddy to allow a thorough search and

26 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


after several of the men had been in-
jured by swiftly moving floating logs FREE-CATALOG BOOKS
and debris the search was abandoned. FUN & PROFIT
Later, when the stream was only a quiet WITH
brook, some of the Mormon men return- METAL DETECTORS
ed. Though they searched both banks GOLDAK, WHITE'S, DETECTRON, RAYSCOPE
and even the bottom of all but the deep- Prospecting and Hiking Equipment
Books — Topo Maps
est holes, no trace of the missing chest
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or its golden treasure was found. The states, each state has index.
banks of the crossing where they had Order FREE Catalogue
camped were washed away, hundreds of
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washed downstream. With heavy hearts
they returned to their new homes and
the incident was forgotten by all except
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story of the Mormon's fruitless search.
During the following years a few who NEW PROCESS PRODUCES 1 TO 2
heard the story tried to find the lost QUARTS OF PURE WATER DAILY
treasure but by then the creek had IN DRIEST DESERT
changed so that no one was sure just A Reusable kit for Survival and a
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around Redding quickly became pros- California residents add 12c sales tax
pectors and daily they panned along
Clear Creek in search of more of the lost
coins, but none were successful. It soon
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That's because it was designed to detect coins,
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tors" had their hands well blistered they and larger objects such as treasure chests and
large containers of metal.
lost interest in the search and Clear Creek
The COINMASTER IV will alto detect natural gold
returned to nature, with its only visitors and silver nuggets.
being deer and mountain quail. The lightweight, compactness and ease of opera-
tion make the COINMASTER IV a favorite instru-
Over the years high waters and floods ment with the ladies. The molded 6-inch ultra-
have probably carried the coins along for sensitive loop effectively probes at increased
depths . . . even for single coins.
some distance, dropping them along quiet
stretches of water or into deep holes.
With the coins being hidden under the
sand and gravel of the creek bottom the
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June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 27


i • I
.

. : • • • • ,

It's Raining
Rainbows
by Doug Allen

Flying over hake Powell, a C-46 drops fingerling trout into the blue waters below. Lake Powell is one of America's
finest fishing and recreational areas. Below, the "flying fish" are placed into special tanks preparatory to their flight.

LYING fish in Arizona?


Right! Fishermen on
Arizona's Lake Powell
this year will be catch-
ing a piscatorial rarity:
the "Arizona flying
fish." Although they look like ordinary
rainbow trout (which, indeed, they are)
these fish are sophisticated travelers.
Born at the Willow Beach National
Fish Hatchery, 11 miles below Hoover
Dam on the Colorado River, and raised
to three to five inches in length, they
were trucked early one morning last
October to the airport at Kingman. There
they were transferred to large cylindrical
tanks inside a glistening silver and blue
C-46. Fifteen thousand bigger-than-fin-
gerling trout shared 300 gallons of water
in each of four separate tanks—a total
of 60,000 fish per load.
The giant airborne aquarium covered
the 200 air miles from Kingman to Lake

28 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


The trout are placed in special tanks.
Almost a half million trout were drop-
ped into Lake Powell in the operation.

AMERICA'S
NEW VACATION LAND!
LAKE POWELL
RAINBOW BRIDGE
GLEN CANYON DAM
TRIPS from ONE HOUR le FIVE DAYS
SPECIAL ONE DAY TRIP to RAINBOW BRIDGE
Fishing unexcelled. Water Sports. Finest
photography. Complete Marina. Boat
and Motor Rentals. Accommodations.
New Motel. Trailer Park.
Write for Information
ART GREENE
CANYON TOURS, INC.
WAHWEAP LODGE and MARINA
P. O. Box 1597 Page, Arizona
Phone 645-2448

Powell in less than an hour. During the trout were moved from the hatchery to
trip, ice was added to the water to lower Lake Powell.
the trouts' metabolism, and oxygen was While planting fish by airplane is
fed into the tanks to keep them alive in not new, the October drop was the first
the subway-like environment. to plant fish of this size in quantity.
After a low pass over the lake to set Intermountain Aviation, Inc. conducted
altimeters, the C-46 climbed to 700 feet a test plant of 7,200 six-inch rainbow in
and slowed to 110 knots. Once over the Mojave Lake last spring with less than
drop channel, release valves opened in one per cent mortality. Handling of the
one of the tanks and 15,000 rainbows fish, time en route, and transportation
began their headlong plunge to the environment affect the rate of mortality
water. The occupants of the first tank far more than the final high dive. And
were in the air within a minute. once in the water, these fish, because of
their size, have a better survival-from- As one famous Bluff landmark
Fish and Game predictions of the aero-
predators rate than the usual fingerling said to another,
dynamic qualities of the relatively large
graduate from a hatchery. "Stay with Gene and Mary Foushee
fish proved to be correct. Most of them
Since hatchery-raised trout do not at Recapture Motel and Tour the Big
had stabilized in a head-down position
normally reproduce, the sport-fish popu- Country with Geologist Gene."
and slowed to a terminal velocity before
lation of recreation areas such as Lake
hitting the water. Although stunned on Heated pool—nightly slide shows
Powell must be maintained by planting.
impact, all but a few recovered to swim The success of Operation Fishdrop
automatic laundry—playgrounds—one-day
down to deep water. Department of In- river trips with Ken Ross—tranquil San
assures that planting of larger, sturdier Juan River valley.
terior officials estimate less than a 5 per fish by air will become commonplace.
cent mortality rate, far below that which for brochure write:
So don't be alarmed if you happen to
results from other means of transport.
In each of four passes, 15,000 trout
be fishing this summer and a large silver
aircraft flies overhead with what appears
Recapture Motel
entered the lake, and an hour later the to be smoke trailing behind it. Just duck Bluff, Utah 84512
C-46 was back in Kingman for another your head and listen to the patter of Remember Bluff's mini-ceremonial
load. In four days, almost half a million Arizona's "flying fish." D All Tribes Indian Day June 15

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 29


MOJAVE PETROGLYPH LEGENDS
by James M. Harrigan
URING an era in Amer- lived as neighbors, although they were
ica when the goliaths
of the animal kingdom
not related. The Mojave stemmed from
the New Mexico tribes and the Cheme- o
were being subdued by huevi from the Shoshones. Their lang-
a new creature—man— uages were different and their cultures
a flint-tipped spear were not the same, although they traded
missed its mark and struck a rock, leav- wives on occasion. Their petroglyph sym-
ing a scratch across its face. This rock bols are quite similar, however, with
with the scratch became a marker and this similar meanings. It is through these sym-
pre-historic man was reminded of his bad bols and their meanings that many of the
luck everytime he passed that particular California tribes achieved a spiritual un-
rock. The other members of his clan derstanding of one another.
learned of the rock and of the bad luck The Chemehuevi roamed the Mojave
sign on its face and they learned that by Desert far and wide in search of food,
scratching a hard flint stone over the which, especially in areas where springs
face of any softer rock, they too could existed, became their chief petroglyph
make a bad luck sign. sites.
Eventually such marks were made into A legend of the Chemehuevi found
angles, arcs, and circles. Early man had in the Turtle Mountains depicts tragedy
learned the basic design structures for and the results:
symbols, visual representations of things O' younger brothers, I will tell you
that they could or could not see. Those how a great warrior who was very
symbolic signs were held sacred. Many wise and very strong and who was the
of them survived from generation to great Chief of your grandfathers came
generation, becoming more or less so- to lose his soul to the evil spirit that
phisticated. Petroglyphs, as they are call- lives among the rocks and grass. The
ed now, are the remnant sign-posts of a great Chief lived in his house at the
civilization long vanished. top of the mountain with his two
Primitive man living in his hostile en- wives and many children. One day the
vironment was the frequent victim of the great Chief decided to come down to
ravages of nature and sought ways to the village to see his people and, un-
appease these fearful elements which had known to him, the evil spirit of the
become his gods. He selected special rocks and grass concealed itself along
places to perform certain rites which were the trail and when the great Chief
to become traditional, and he designed passed this place, the evil spirit jump-
special petroglyph symbols and carved ed out of its hiding place and put two
them upon the rocks within these areas knives into the foot of the great Chief,
so that all would know the sacred places. causing him much pain and sickness.
In areas around his encampments, he The great Chief knew that the evil
carved symbols to relate the legends of spirit had put a demon inside of his
his tribe which subsequently became as body and, being very sick, he lay down
important to his progeny as the Holy on the grass. Soon the demon inside
Bible is to us today. Leegnds have a of his body caused his eyes to grow
basic truth underlying their exagerations tired, and then took away his breath.
or they would not have survived. The two wives of the great Chief were
The Mojave and Chemehuevi Indians very frightened and came down to the

Illustrations by the author

o AAA
30 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968
village with their children to tell all
of the people. The people were very
much afraid because it was a fearful
omen to have one's Chief captured
by an evil spirit. All the people, as a
result, ran away and left their homes
and went to the big river to the east.
The primary key to this petroglyph
legend is the Chief. Then follows the
snake under his foot and the empty MOJAVE FERTILITY SYMBOLS
house at the top, which indicates death,
the women and children departing from
the house, the village houses (shown as
occupied) and the figures fleeing to-
wards the river (Colorado River).
One of the ceremonial rites practiced
by the Mojave was the puberty rite. In
the Piute Springs area of the Piute Range
the Mojave put his petroglyphs upon
the rocks to indicate this sacred place. CHEMEHUEVI FERTILITY SYMBOLS
The Mojave god of creation was Matho-
welia, who lived within a big mountain
and received the young girls when they
reached their puberty age. It was Matho-
welia who was to make them pure and
fertile. At this sacred place, holes were
dug into the ground and the girls were
buried in them up to their chin, remain-
ing for three days while the older wo-
men brought them food. Ceremonial
dances continued unabated and with in-
creasing tempo until the completion of
the rite. When the girls were removed
from the ground, they were promptly
bartered and married.
It is difficult to date the petroglyphs.
Some are so faint they can hardly be
seen. A legend of the Mojave relates of
their creator god, Mathowelia, as hav- ft*
ing lived within a big mountain until
it was broken down and their nation
was destroyed. The earthquake inferred
to must have been of tremendous mag-
nitude to break a mountain down and
bury the people. The Mexican tribes of
Central America have legends about
earthquakes of a catastrophic nature that
took place hundreds of years before the
Spanish invaders arrived. However, the
newest petroglyphs are perhaps 150 to UTE PAIUTE MOJAVE CHEMEHUEVI
200 years old. In many areas, where
there are as many as three distinct ages
of carvings, the ages may go back to WAR GOD
600 or 800 years.
H. H. Bancroft, the famous historian
SYMBOL COMPARISON OF FOUR TRIBES
and collector of facts, wrote, "To ancient
myths has been attributed the preserva-
tion of shattered fragments of lost
science." •

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 31


ROCKS
AND
INDIANS
3YJACKPEPPER

s you drive along the I was 10 years old and the more I collect house the artifacts and displays. Among
road and look up on and learn, the more I realize how little major displays are the extensive Irving
the hill the building ap- I know about our past." Her fellow ar- S. Cobb collection of Plains Indian ma-
pears to be a mixture cheologists, who come from all parts of terial and the Lackland family basket
of Swiss chalet and the world to study at her museum, praise collection.
English Normandy ar- her knowledge and collections. In addition to the upstairs California
chitecture, and you have a feeling the Mrs. Oliver bought the building in Indians room, there are displays on South-
huge Joshuas should be replaced with 1937 from H. Arden Edwards, an artist, west Indians including the Hohokam,
trees from the Black Forest of Germany. who built the original structure as a Anasazi, Hopi, Navajo, Zuni and Apache.
This incongruity is compounded when hideaway. At that time it consisted only She has just completed another room
you walk into one of the most unusual of the main room and a few artifacts. It which will be devoted to artifacts from
buildings ever constructed by imaginative was Edwards who named the butte after foreign countries.
man. The Antelope Valley Indian Mu- the Indian tribe that was never there. Due to several factors, Mrs. Oliver
seum is not constructed next to the sand- closed the museum in 1964 and for three
With the exception of a three-year
stone buttes, it's built on top of them years traveled extensively in Europe and
period, the museum has been open since
with 70 percent of the floors and walls Asia, collecting as she traveled. After
1937 with Mrs. Oliver enlarging the
being the natural rocks of the buttes. three years the pressure from educators
collections and adding new rooms to
The back wall of the huge main room
is native rock, complete with a natural
spring and pool. The stairway from the
main room to the second story is a ver-
tical cut through two huge boulders,
with the steps carved from rock. The
second story floor is the top of several
boulders. To top it all, the museum is
located on Piute Butte near Palmdale,
California, only two hours from Los An-
geles. The only fallacy about this is the
Piute (Paiute) Indians did not live in
California.
But this is the only fallacy. Inside the
unusual building is housed one of the
best collections of pre-historic and In-
dian artifacts in the Southwest. And, as
previously indicated, the artifacts and
treasures are displayed in a natural sur-
rounding which makes the visitor feel
he is actually living among the Indians
of the past.
The private museum is owned and
operated by Mrs. Grace Oliver, a charm-
ing woman who has "been exposed to Artifacts and paintings of California Indians are displayed on natural rock for-
archeology and collecting artifacts since mations. Vertical entrance to second floor is between two boulders, loiver right.

32 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


and other museum officials became so
great she re-opened the doors, One of
the factors was a long and discouraging u
negotiation with government officials for
the County of Los Angeles to purchase
the museum. Mrs. Oliver feels she has frrom a
been caught in a political situation, and
is deeply resentful at the attitude of some
county officials. yi
Since the museum is privately operated, I/wooman 5
which it will be until the "political situ-
ation" is settled, Mrs. Oliver must charge
one dollar admission for adults and 50 Viewpoint
cents for children over 6. Regardless of
whether you are interested in Indian cul-
ture, a visit to the museum is well worth We have decided it's time to have an
the admission charge just to see the un- informative column for our women
usual building that, according to the bro- readers. And, it's about time, since Des-
chure, "is so original it defies descrip- ert Magazine is 31 years old! In this
tion." column will be hints and information
on how to make traveling, camping and
It is located near 150th Street on East
enjoyment of the outdoors easier for the
Avenue M, approximately 18 miles from
hard working ladies who are usually
either Palmdale or Lancaster, California.
cooking beans while the man is out ex-
It is open every day from 10 A.M. until
ploring or rock hounding.
5 P.M., except Thanksgiving, Christmas
This is your column, ladies, so if you
and New Years. •
I have any ideas you would like to share
with others please send them in, atten-
tion Viewpoint. How to entertain the
kids while traveling, how to keep beans
from burning while you're exploring,
what are the best shoes to wear in the
desert, how to keep your husband from
snoring . . . anything to help make life
easier for the fairer sex is for View-
point. To start off here is a recipe.
Happy cooking!

CAMPER'S TAMALE PIE


From Sundowners Jeep Club Bulletin
Santa Fe Springs, California

1 1b. ground beef


1 large can tomatoes
1can whole kernel corn
1can minced olives
y4 cup yellow corn meal
garlic salt and pepper
Brown meat in skillet. Add tomatoes,
seasonings and corn meal mixed with %
cup water. Mixture will thicken some
while cooking. Simmer about 20 min-
Kachina Hall is the main room of the Antelope Valley Museum. Back wall is utes until corn meal is done, stirring
natural sandstone with spring water flowing down the side. Upper photo occasionally. Add corn and olives just
illustrates some beautifully preserved artifacts and skulls of primitive man. before cooking is completed. Serves four.

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 33


Greenhorn's Luck
by Robert 0. Buck

ORE than a century ago He was not a miner. In fact, had never had worked and searched over this hill
a hard working miner, been near a gold mine in his life. But, for more than eighty years.
prospecting for gold on broke and desperate, he put all his be- It was all hard rock mining; the worst
Jackass Hill, Tuolumne longings in a bag and set out afoot for kind for a novice to attempt, and most of
County, C a 1 i o r n i a, the gold country. After looking around the old timers scoffed when Newmeyer
spent several months a few days for a suitable place to dig, he asked them where they thought would be
and plenty of sweat digging a hole, then ended up on Jackass Hill, just two miles a good place to dig.
gave it up. Discouraged, he moved on, from Tuttletown and overlooking the Finally, some kind hearted soul, prob-
seeking his end of the rainbow on some Stanislaus River to the north. ably just to get rid of him, pointed out
other hill. Little did he realize that he This area is honeycombed with tun- an old shaft and told him, "Why don't
had stopped digging within six feet of a nels, shafts and coyote holes left from you try this hole? It's about as good a
fortune. earlier mining operations. This is pocket chance as any."
Many stories came from Jackass Hill country and had been a very rich dig- Bob Newmeyer negotiated a lease with
of rich gold discoveries made by the hun- gings. Thousands of eager pocket hunters the property owner, on a royalty basis. A
dreds of pocket hunters who had dug
on the hill. Other stories came from
Mark Twain's pen, for this is the site
of the cabin, now an historical land-
mark, in which he spent many hours on
his famous writings read and loved
around the world.
It was the year 1931. The great de-
pression, triggered by the stock market
crash of 1929, was at its worst. Jobs were
scarce. Many people were out of work
and hungry. Many of the unemployed in
California came to the Mother Lode gold
country to pan gold for a living. It was
California's second gold rush. Nearly
every stream and river in the Sierra Ne-
vada foothills was lined with men, wo-
men and children. Working with pick
and shovels, gold pans, rockers and
sluices, they all made a living, of sorts,
by working over ground that had been
the leavings of those earlier miners, the
'49ers. Many old dumps from abandoned
mines, that showed any signs of free
gold, were also worked, and some paid
handsomely.
This story has to do with one of the
men of that era. His name was Robert
Newmeyer. A single man, he had been
living in the San Francisco area. When
he found himself without a job, he read
a newspaper account of the people who
were beating the depression and making
a living by reworking the gravels of the Carson Hill viewed from the north as you travel down Highway 49, the Mother
Mother Lode country. Lode Highway. Scar on hill is huge glory hole from recent mining operations.

34 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


percentage of anything he might find blank muck out of the way so he could
would go to the owner. Then he took a
good look at his mine. This was an old
shaft. The original hole had probably
continue in his search for gold.
For two days he dug in this muck and
hauled it to the surface, dumping it in
New factual
been started by one of those '49ers, and
had gone through five or six other stages
of digging through the years, until it
a pile near the shaft's entrance. Then a
larger lump than the others was en-
evidence
was now about fifty feet deep. It had
partly filled with rubble and needed
countered. A little difficulty was exper-
ienced in getting it out with the shovel
and into the bucket. In struggling with
on the
timbering.
Most of the local inhabitants thought
he was nuts, but Newmeyer went to
this chunk, Newmeyer gouged it with
his shovel and a gleam of yellow met his
eye. Hurrying to the surface, he washed
legends
work. Looking around at some of the
other working prospect holes, he learned
the chunk. Even to this rank amateur, it
was obvious that he had struck gold!
of the West
how to construct a windlass, found some Newmeyer then examined the pile of
rope and a bucket. He repaired the lad- black muck which he had thrown out
der down the shaft, gathered up some and was considered by him such a "pain
old timbers and shored up the collar of in the neck" while digging. Many of
the shaft. After cleaning the debris from these chunks in the black, sticky muck
the bottom of the hole, he was ready to were also nearly pure gold.
start digging.
The rank amateur who had been
Climbing down the ladder, he would
scoffed at by some of the miners in the
fill the bucket, climb back up and wind
area had found a fortune in an old
up the windlass. Then dump the bucket,
abandoned mine shaft that others had
let it back down, climb back down the
worked but given up as not worth the
ladder and repeat the process. This he did
effort. Countless others had walked by,
for several days, not even knowing for
completely ignoring it for years. This is
sure what he was looking for.
a true story of Robert Newmeyer. I met
By his own story, he was downright
the man, saw the gold and the hole it
discouraged and ready to give up the
came from at the time he was digging
whole idea when, after digging about
his fortune. By Brad Williams and
six feet deeper in the shaft, he dug into
To the sight-seer touring the Mother Choral Pepper
a black sticky muck, which resembled
Lode country, a visit to Jackass Hill is This book examines many little-
graphite. It was black and sticky and a
a must. Traveling north on State Route known stories and legends that
mess to work in. He was covered with
49 (the Mother Lode Highway), from have emerged from the western
this black, decomposed slate from head
the Sonora-Columbia area, you will find region of North America.
to foot the day I saw him as he climbed
a well marked turnoff about one mile Included are such phenomena as
out of the shaft.
beyond Tuttletown. A short mile of the discovery of a Spanish galleon
In the black muck he was digging, in the middle of the desert; the
there were several chunks of hard, heavy paved winding road will lead you to the
strange curse that rules over San
material. These pieces were so coated top of Jackass Hill. The road ends on the Miguel Island; the discovery of old
with the black muck it was impossible top of the hill in a natural, parklike set- Roman artifacts buried near Tuc-
ting surrounding Mark Twain's cabin. son, Arizona; the unexplained be-
to identify them as anything other than heading of at least 13 victims in
a rock, and they interfered with his While there, notice the many aban- the Nahanni Valley; and many
digging in the muck. They were contin- doned mine shafts and holes. Someone other equally bewildering happen-
ually getting in the way of his shovel. else may have stopped digging within ings. Elaborate confidence schemes
His only interest was to get this blankety- reach of a fortune. • and fantastically imagined hoaxes
are documented, along with new
FINDING factual evidence that seems to cor-

9*
THINKING OF roborate what were formerly as-
BACKPACKING?
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LOST sumed to be tall tales.
b r o c h u r e on TREASURE
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for the great outdoors -gg#^^ 711-T METAL DETECTORS
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f
DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE

Find out why Kelty


Pack is preferred by Send check or money order to
practiced backpack-
ers. Write for free lit- Desert Magazine Book Shop,
erature and back-
packer's checklist.
\ \\\' / LITERATURE i Palm Desert, Calif. 92260
S ^ H b ""•••• .

Dept. D, P.O. Box 3453


Add 50 cents for postage and
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Glendale. California
handling. California residents
Vt _ a
91201 additional 30 cents tax.

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 35


A monthly feature by the author of Ghost Town Album, Ghost Town Trails,
Let me show you
Ghost Town Shadows, Ghost Town Treasures and Boot Hill
Cnnyonlands
National Parh
at Moab, Utah
^
Knight's Ferry, California
in comfortable, air conditioned, 4-wheel-drive BY LAMBERT FLORIN
station wagons and in river float boats. One-
day tours and camping trips, too.
LET'S GO TO BAJA
Join my Baja Safari for that adventure of a
lifetime. I make just one big 25-day trip each
year in my air-conditioned station wagons from
San Diego to La Paz. Trips start about Feb.
TEM from the San Joa-
1 so make your plans now for a grand time.
quin Valley Republi-
Write for details to: MITCH WILLIAMS, TAG-
A-LONG TOURS, Dept. B, Moab Utah 84532. can, about 1855: "The
Phone AC 801, 253-4346. story goes that a party
of miners were work-
ing on a claim of sluice
and hydraulic pipes and hose at a point

STOP called Buena Vista nearly opposite


Knight's Ferry. One night about dark a
miner found an object which had washed
That thief with "LOCK STRAP"! off the bank like an ordinary stone and
A revolutionary new design was about to pass on into the sluice. The
attaches to front and effulgent gleams from it lit up all the
rear slot. For all G.I. cans space in the vicinity and caused much as-
and all 6" high rear
tonishment in the hardy workmen.
panels. All steel construc-
tion and electric welded. "The pipeman picked it up and was
TYPE E ONLY $5.00 about to pass it on to his comrade, but
Calif residents add accidently dropped it, allowing it to fall
5% sales tax.
into the sluice where it passed on into
SEND FOR FREE BROCHURE SHOWING FIVE
OTHER MODELS TO FIT ANY VEHICLE.
the mass of mud and stone known as the
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED. tailings. A company of spiritualists at
Knight's Ferry is trying to discover the
LOCK STRAP
329 West Lomita Ave , Dept. D, Glencfale, Calif 91204 present locality of the stone reported to
be larger than the Koh-i-noor."
The Stanislaus River, upon which

OCELOT 5/S Knight's Ferry was settled, has had a


history fitting to one of the wildest and
most picturesque streams of the Sierra.
Relative peace prevailed along the
stream until the historic cry uttered by
James Marshall, "Boys, I believe I have
( Super Sport) The first man of note to explore it was found gold!" Shortly after this cataclys-
Gabriel Morgan, while searching for a mic event, men by the thousands were
mission site in 1808. Eighteen years later swarming all over the Sierra Piedmont.
•M m •/ the area near its mouth was the scene of Obstructing their free and easy passage
the most important of several battles be- were many tumbling mountain rivers,
tween Mexicans and Indians. This fight one of the largest of these the Stanislaus.
In 1849 William Knight began opera-
was led, on the Indian side, by Chief
tion of a ferry and trading post at a lo-
Estanislao who had been educated at Mis-
cation where the stream ran deeply and,
sion San Jose, but later turned renegade.
consequently, less boisterously.
Not clear is whether the river and subse-
Here's a new breed of cat, the OCELOT/SUPER SPORT.
Designed for street use, as well as off the road. This is ciuently the county was named for Estan- Knight had come to California in
trie closest to a group 7 car that a VW dune buggy ever
came With a spoiler and removable side panels that islao before his defection, or for one of 1841, first settling at Knight's Landing
complete the way out styling and puts the OCELET S/S
years ahead of the pack. The body kit is available in 15 the Polish Saints called Stanislaus. Chief in Yolo County. He was a fur-trader, al-
standard colors, Metalilake, Candyapple, webbing, and
in any color at a slight extra cost. Estanislao, incidentally, lost the deciding though rumored to have been educated
For information:
send $1.00 for brochure.
To: SAND CHARIOTS
struggle in which his adversary was none as a physician. Like every other able
Dept. D1
505 East Walnut,
other than General Vallejo. For many bodied man, he caught the gold fever
Fullerton, California
92632 years afterward relics of battle were plow- and one day was stopped on his way to
ed up at the scene. the southern mines by the Stanislaus. He

36 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


wasn't alone in his difficulty, as many Ralston to honor a prominent official of
others were camped there, wondering the Central Pacific Railroad. When Mr.
how to get across. Knight saw an oppor- Ralston declined the honor, the Mexi-
tunity. Abandoning his search for gold, cans obligingly renamed the place Mo-
he set up a crude ferry operation. By desto, Spanish for "modest."
1850, with thousands of miners passing A roaring gold camp, Oakdale, stood COOKING and
that way, receipts averaged $500 per day, on the hill above Knight's Ferry. It was CAMPING
but Knight wasn't reaping the harvest.
He died in November of the same year
at its height about the same time and the on the DESERT
two towns shared a cemetery located
he established the business. CHORAL PEPPER
midway between and on a scarce plot of
With Knight's death, the ferry was level ground on the river's bank. One of
taken over by John and Lewis Dent. its fascinating old tombstones is pictured
These two had a sister, Julia, who became here. The "Dukedom of Nassau" must
the bride of Ulysses S. Grant, the latter refer to the Duchy of Nassau which
visiting his brothers-in-law at Knight's existed on the east bank of the Rhine in
Ferry in 1854. This year was an impor- Germany from 1806 to 1866. •
tant one for the rapidly growing town.
One Dent brother went into partnership ?§| ERLE STANLE
with D. M. Locke and built a grist and
sawmill beside the river. When a bridge Authorized
was swung across the water, it put the
ferry out of business. This bridge is gen- JEEP by Choral Pepper
erally believed to have been a covered, Sales and Service with a chapter on
wooden one, but the author has an un- LARGEST SUPPLY O F

dated drawing of the town that clearly NEW A N D USED JEEP PARTS
I N THE WEST.
Driving and Surviving
?hows a suspension bridge. Looking for a Jeep—Try us! on the Desert
However this span was constructed, it BRIAN CHUCHUA'S
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE CENTER by Jack Pepper
was built so near the water that a flood
Dept. DM 1625 S. Harbor Blvd.
in 1862 swept it away. The mill build- Fullerton, California
ings went along with the bridge. It was "Cooking and Camping on the Desert" is
more than just a book on preparing for a
said that for a long time sacks of flour desert outing or making meals that will
were recovered from the banks below the JCWILRY CRAFTS CATALOG appeal while in camp. This book is a brief
manual on how to survive in the desert . . .
disaster, their contents hardened on the the book is a must for anyone making a
outside, but good under the shell. trip to the desert, whether it is his first or

Two years later a new bridge stood


on the site of the first, this one on high
FREE! fiftieth. BILL HILTON, Santa Barbara News-
Press.

ONLY $3.95
stone piers and indubitably a covered Lapidary — rockhounding
^—jewelry making... add up to Plus 25 cents mailing charges. California
wooden span. There can be no doubt
GET a fascinating creative art! addresses add 20 cents tax. Send check or
about how this one was built because it CRAFT'S | SEND FOR FREE CATALOG money order to Desert Magazine,
World's largest selection - over 10,000 items
stands today, still carrying a full load of BIGGEST
offered...imports from all parts of the world. Palm Desert, Calif. 92260
CATALOG STONES—JEWELRY MATERIALS- MOUNTINGS
traffic restricted to one way passage by a BOOKS- CRAFT TOOLS -MACHINERY—SUPPLIES—ETC AUTOGRAPHED COPIES O N REQUEST
signal system. The span was put to- GRIEGER'S, INC.
Depl 52 -1633 E. Walnut—Pasadena, Calif.
gether with wooden pegs, a remarkable
example of sturdy, early day construction.
Stanislaus County was cut from Tuo-
lumne in 1854 with the first seat at
Adamsville, a one time flourishing min-
Make Your Outings More Fun
ing camp. With the demise of Adams-
ville, the county seat went to another,
7*»/
newer camp, Empire City. But mines here Stop By And See Our . . . METAL DETECTORS
• Detectron
proved similarly ephemeral and La Western Artifacts, Indian Collection, Jewelry
Display, Lapidary Equipment, Tumblers, Gold • Rayscope Find
Grange took over as the seat of govern-
Pans, Dry Washers, Books on Treasures and Get the Best . .
ment. In 1862 however, Knight's Ferry
Lost Mines . . . and other items of fun for
Top Guarantee . .
Easy to Operate
Gold
was the metropolis and so became the the entire family. For information just write From Old Coins
new county seat. When this town, too, to or call: $75.00 to
proved temporary, the seat was finally
$165.00 Treasures
and permanently shifted to Modesto. As COMPTON ROCK SHOP
a sidelight, Modesto was originally named Ph. 632-9096 1405 South Long Beach Blvd. Compron, California 90221

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 37


CHATTER
by Bill Bryan
Driving a CJ5 Jeep, Carl Jackson,
Hemet, California, was top winner in
BACK COUNTRY
the National Four Wheel Drive Grand
Prix at Riverside, Calif. Jackson showed
San Fernando Vagabonds
his ability in both the eliminations and
runoffs by out-maneuvering Monte Carl-
ton, John Crofts, Bud Ekins, Larry Min-
Win Conservation Award
or and Baja Champion Vic Wilson. Campsites in the Little Sycamore tion with personnel of the Angeles Na-
Besides three trophies and money from Campground in the Angeles National tional Forest.
the sponsors, Jackson picked up $100 Forest have been cleaned and improved "After we finished with the rocks and
from Dick Cepek whose Armstrong tires thanks to members of the San Fernando put tables and heavy cement stoves in
he was running, and $150 from Clarence Valley Vagabonds 4 Wheel Drive Club. their proper places, we had completed
Shook of Rancho Jeep Supply Company. They will be presented with a Desert 5 campsites," Don Renwick reported.
Trophies were furnished by Brian Chu- Magazine's Conservation and Preserva- "We also did our regular policing of
chuas Four Wheel Drive Center, Fuller- tion Award. the grounds, picking up the trash that
ton. Members first used their 4WD rigs thoughtless visitors had left behind."
About 10,000 people attended the and winches to remove numerous boul- Twenty-nine members using 17 ve-
three-day event which was sponsored by ders of 500 pounds minimum weight hicles spent a total of 407 man-hours
the International Four Wheel Drive As- from the campsites, working in coopera- working on the project. O
sociation and sanctioned by N.O.R.R.A.
Some of the clubs attending the event
with good turnout of members included
the Blythe Jeep Club, the Hill and Gully
Riders of Riverside, the Desert Foxes,
the Chuckwallas, Sareea Al Jamel of
Indio and the Phoenix Jeep Club. Also
on hand were Thurston Warn and Al
Jensen of Warn Manufacturing Co.,
Heddley Mattingley of the Daktari tele-
vision series, Al Cook of Kaiser Jeep
Corp., Harold Hawthorne of Phoenix.
Bruce Meyer, designer and builder of
the Meyer-Manx dune buggy body, was
great help to me in the judges stand.
Rodger Musser and Ed Pearlman were
among the many who did an outstanding
job in the pits. Sorry I can't mention
everyone. •

Desert Magazine each month


will recognize either an individual
or members of an organization
who have contributed toward the
preservation or conservation of
our wilderness areas. We hope
by presenting this award it will
teach vandals and litterbugs to
change their habits and enjoy and
not destroy our natural resources.
Please send your nominations for
an individual or organization and
a description of the project to
Back Country Travel, Desert
Magazine, Palm Desert, Calif. Members of the Vagabonds replace firebox in one of the camp stoves. Below,one
92260. of the campsites after the San Fernando club members completed their project.

38 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


TRAVEL
TOP DRIVERS COMPETE AT RIVERSIDE
There was plenty of action at the recent Riverside Na- honors went to Carl Jackson, of Hemet, driving a CJ5
tional Four Wheel Drive and Dune Buggy Champion- Jeep sponsored by Dick Cepek and Armstrong Tires.
ship with more than 10,000 spectators on hand. Top In addition to the money he also garnered 3 trophies.

Marvin Carroll, Escondido, gets ready for a timed run dur- Dune buggy designer and builder George Haddock blew a
ing the Riverside 4th Annual National 4WD Grand Prix. transmission only twenty-five yards from the finish line.

Carl Jackson won the money and trophies in his C/5 4- Ed Veneable and Gene Hightower, Blythe, prepare for
cylinder Jeep. The popular driver is from Hemet, Calif. their time run during the three-day action-packed event.

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 39


Trading Pest HOW TO PLACE YOUR AD
" ^ Mail your copy and first-insertion remit-
tance to: Trading Post, Desert Magazine,

CLASSIFIEDS Palm Desert, California 92260. Classified


rates are 25c per word, $5 minimum
per insertion.
DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS IS 10TH OF
• BOOKS - MAGAZINES • BOOKS - MAGAZINES SECOND M O N T H PRECEDING COVER DATE.

OUT-OF-PRINT books at lowest prices! You FREE 128 page catalog on detectors, books and
name it—we find it! Western Americana, maps. General Electronic Detection Co., 16238
desert and Indian books a specialty. Send Lakewood Blvd., Bellflower, Calif. 90706. • MAPS
us your wants. No obligation, International "THE OLD BOTTLE EXCHANGE,"—Bottle collec-
SECTIONIZED COUNTY maps — San Bernardino
Bookfinders, Box 3003-D, Beverly Hills, Calif. tors own monthly publication. Subscribe to-
$3; Riverside $ 1 ; Imperial, small $ 1 , large
"OVERLOOKED FORTUNES" in minerals and gem day, $4 year, receive free 50 word ad credit. $2; San Diego $1.25; Inyo $2.50; Kern $1.25,
stones,- here are a few of the 300 or more Sample 25c. OBX, Box 243, Bend, Oregon other California counties $1.25 each. Nevada
you may be overlooking: uranium, vanadium, 97701. counties $1 each. Include 5 percent sales tax.
tin, tungsten, columbium, tantalum, nickel, WILD & WOOLLY WEST books: Narrow Gauge Topographic maps of all mapped western
cobalt, gold, silver, platinum, iridium, beryl- Trains, Twain's Jumping Frog, Service's Yu- areas. Westwide Maps Co., 114 West Third
lium, emeralds, etc. Some worth $1 to $2 a kon Poems, Uncle Jim's Pancakes, $1.00 Street, Los Angeles 13, California.
pound, others $25 to $200 per ounce; an each. Zuni Indians $2.00. Send stamp for
emerald the size of your thumb may be illustrated catalog. Filter Press, Box 5-D,
worth $1000 or more; learn how to find, Palmer Lake, Colorado 80133. • MINING
identify and cash in on them. New simple
system. Send for free copy "Overlooked For- UTAH ASSAYING Company assays gold & silver,
tunes in Minerals,' 1 it may lead to knowledge • GEMS $3.00, platinum $3.00. Spectrographs $5.00.
which may make you rich! Duke's Research SHAMROCK ROCK SHOP, 593 West La Cadena 172 North 9th West, Salt Lake City, Utah
Laboratory, Box 666-B, Truth or Consequences Drive. Riverside, California 92501. Parallel 84116.
New Mexico 87901. to Riverside Freeway. Phone 686-3956. ASSAYS. COMPLETE, accurate, guaranteed. High-
" A GUIDE For Insulator Collectors" (with prices). Come in and browse; jewelry mountings, est quality spectrographic. Only $5.00 per
127 pages, 168 insulators described, sketched chains, supplies, minerals, slabs, rough ma- sample. Reed Engineering, 620-R So. Ingle-
and priced, 4 group photographs, copies of terial, equipment, black lights, metal de- wood Ave., Inglewood, California 90301.
10 patents, copies from old catalogs—and tectors, maps, rock and bottle books.
more. An exciting new collecting field, start POCKET GOLD, $2. Placer gold, $2. Gold dust,
now and don't be sorry later. By J. C. Tib- $1. Attractively displayed. Postpaid. Money- OLD COINS, STAMPS
bitts, order from me at "The Little Glass back guarantee. Lester Lea, Box 237D, Mt. CHOICE UNCIRCULATED silver dollars: 1800-81
Shack," 3161 56th Str., Apt. B., Sacramento, Shasta, California 96067. S mint, 1883-84-85, 1899-1900-01-02 O
Calif. 95820. $3.00 (plus 5 % tax for Cali-
CHOICE MINERAL specimens, gems, cutting ma- mint $3.50 each. 1878 CC mint $15.00.
fornians) plus 25c for mail orders.
terial, machinery, lapidary and jewelers sup- Illustrated Coin catalogue 50c. Shultz, Box
LOST DESERT GOLD, legendary and geological plies, mountings, fluorescent lamps, books. 746, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110.
history of the southern California desert, with Sumners, 21108 Devonshire, Chatsworth, Cal.
photos and maps to pinpoint locations. $2.50
postpaid. Gedco Publishing Co., Box 67, Bell- • PHOTO SUPPLIES
flower, Calif. 90706. • HOME STUDY
CUSTOM FILM finishing by mail since 1932.
NEVADA TREASURE Hunters Ghost Town Guide. LEARN OIL painting by mail. Also casein or Morgan Camera Shop "The complete photo-
Large folded map. 800 place name glossary. acrylic. Amateur, advanced. Easy, fascinating, graphic store," 6262 Sunset Blvd., Holly-
Railroads, towns, camps, camel trail. $1.50. naturalistic. Easy payments. Art, Box 4 8 6 , wood, California 90028.
Theron Fox, 1296-C Yosemite, San Jose 26, Montrose, Colorado.
California. FILMS AND PROCESSING mailers, both movies
and stills. Free price lists upon request. Ver-
ARIZONA TREASURE Hunters Ghost Town Guide, • INDIAN GOODS don, P. O. Box 118, Tempe, Arizona 85281.
large folded map 1881, small early map,
FINE RESERVATION-MADE Navajo, Zuni, Hopi
1200 place name glossary, mines, camps,
jewelry. Large selection of old pawn and
Indian reservations, etc. $1.50. Theron Fox,
Kachina dolls. Navajo rugs, Yei blankets, • PLANTS, SEED
1296-E Yosemite, San Jose, California.
Chimayo blankets and vests, pottery. Kaibab EL RANCHO Galapagos Cactus Growers. You
SURVIVAL BOOKS! Guerrilla Warfare, Wilder- moccasins. A collector's paradise! Open daily are invited to visit our greenhouses and cactus
ness Living, Medical, Guns, Self Defense, 10 to 5:30, closed Mondays. Buffalo Trading gardens on the east slope of Copper Moun-
Nature. Books—Vital, Fascinating, Extraor- Post, Highway 18, Apple Valley, Calif. tain. Star Route 1, Box 710, Twentynine
dinary; Catalog free. Adobe Hacienda, Palms, California. Phone 362-4329.
AUTHENTIC INDIAN jewelry, Navajo rugs, Chi-
Route 3, Box 517A, Glendole, Arizona 85301.
mayo blankets, squaw boots. Collector's RANCHO ENVIRONMENTAL NURSERY for pro
GUIDE TO MEXICO'S gems and minerals: locali- items. Closed Tuesdays. Pow-Wow Indian fessional molecular temperature adaptations.
ties, mines, maps, directions, contacts. Eng- Trading Post, 19967 Ventura Blvd., East Native plants in stock and ready to go.
lish-Spanish glossary, too. $2.00 postpaid. Woodland Hills, Calif. Open Sundays. Smoketree District, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Gemac, Mentone, Calif. 92359.
"GEMS & AAINERALS," the monthly guide to • MAPS
gems, minerals, and rock hobby fun. $4.50 • REAL ESTATE
year. Sample 25c. Gems & Minerals, Mentone, CALIFORNIA TREASURE hunters attention! Here
Calif. 92359. it is at last! Buried treasures and lost mines GOVERNMENT PUBLIC LAND (400,000,000
on a road map! In color, 38 inches by 25 acres] in 25 states. Low as $1.00 acre. 1968
"ASSAULT ON BAJA,'1 E. Washburn, 3934 report. Details $1.00. Land Information,
inches, Northern and Southern California on
Cortland, Lynwood, Calif. $2.00 tax included, 422DM Washington Building, Washington
opposite sides, 127 locations, 5300 words
"zest of dicsovery" writes Belden; "wide- D.C. 20005.
of clues and descriptions; keyed numerically
eyed experience" says Powell USC.
and alphabetically, city and county index's HOMESTEAD LANDS now available 160-640
COMPLETELY NEW — Excitingly different! "101 Folded to pocket size. Only $4 from: Varna acres. Write: Land Information, Dept. 7 1 1 ,
Ghost Town Relics"—Beautiful color cover, Enterprises, P. O. Box 2216, Dept. A, Van P.O. Box 148 Postal Station A, Vancouver,
lists over 140 relics, over 100 relic photos. Nuys, Calif. 91404. 5 % sales tax, please. British Columbia. Enclose $1.00 for Bulletin
Article on restoring, utilization of relics. A COLLECTORS' ITEM: 1871 geographical map and Map index.
price guide included. $3 ppd. Wes Bressie, print, rare issue, Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura, FOR INFORMATION on acreage, home or lot in
Rt. 1 , Box 582, Eagle Point, Oregon 97524. San Bernardino areas. All old stage, freight or near this desert area, please write or
FRANK FISH—Treasure Hunter—said Gold is stops, trails, roads, towns, etc. 1 8 " x 2 4 " visit Ralph W. Fisher, Realtor, 73644 29-
where you find it. His book "Buried Treasure rolled, $2.95. Oma Mining Co., P.O. Box Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
& Lost Mines'' tells how and where to look, 2247, Culver City, Calif. 90005. 92277.
93 locations, photos and maps. 19x24 UTAH TREASURE, relic hunters ghost town map. QUIET, PEACEFUL Southern Utah mountain val-
colored map pinpointing book locations. Book Mining camps, forts, stage and railroad sta- ley, 2 '/2 acres level, fertile and rich land
$1.50. Map $1.50. Special: both $2.50 post- tions, Pony Express, emigrant, Spanish trails. including '/2 mineral rights $250. Cash or
paid. Publisher, Erie Schaefer, 14728 Peyton $1.00. George Thompson, 105 Whitesides, terms. Write: Dept. TPDM, P.O. Box 17401,
Drive, Chino, Calif. 91710. Layton, Utah 84041. Holladay, Utah 84117.

40 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968


• TREASURE FINDERS MISCELLANEOUS • MISCELLANEOUS
TREASURE-METAL and mineral locators. Free 24 ADOBE BRICK!! Selection of soil, construction COLONISTS WANTED. Adventurous spirit, all
page booklet. GeoFinder Co., Box 37, Lake- ideas, complete system for hand making ages. U.S.A. and Latin America. Application
wood, Calif. 90714. brick. Sample of soil enclosed. Send $1 to and booklet, "Intentional Community Con-
FISHER "GEMINI 1 ' M-Scope. All-new treasure Adobe Brick, Box 3367, North Las Vegas, cepts" $2.00. The Questers, P.O. Box N-7,
and metal detector. Superb sensitivity, space Nevada 89030. Los Banos, Calif. 93635.
age design. Write world's leading manufac-
turer for free Discovery booklet and product
information. Guaranteed. Terms. Fisher Re-
search, Dept. D-6, Palo Alto, Calif. 94301. Clyde Forsythe's Famous . . . REPUBLISHED BY
GOLDAK TREASURE Locators—new for '68! A POPULAR DEMAND
hobby you'll enjoy for fun and profit. Find
coins, gold, silver. Goldak Dept. DMC, 1101A
Air Way, Glendale, Calif. 91201.
TREASURE, COIN and relic hunters news publi-
cation. Only $1 yearly. Sample copy 25c.
Gold Strike Nevada's
Gold Bug, Box 588-D, Alamo, Calif. 94507.
FREE 128 page catalog on detectors, books and
maps. General Electronic Defection Co., 16238
Lakewood Blvd., Bellflower, Calif 90706. _
Series Turbulent
POWERFUL METROTECH locators detect gold, sil-
ver, coins, relics. Moneyback guarantee. Terms
free information. Underground Explorations,
Four Mining Camp Scenes
Yesterday
Dept. 3A, Box 793, Menlo Park, Calif. 94025. All In 4-Color
FIND GOLD—new pocket size detector, just By DON ASHBAUGH
patented, finds gold in ten seconds. Guaran- Each 1 4 " x l 7 " with white margins
teed. $15.00 complete with battery. Western Westernlore Ghost Town Series
Engineering, Box 885, Manhattan Reach,
on high quality paper suitable for
Calif. 90266. Hell Raising Boom Towns
framing.
OUTDOORSMEN — Whites famous Goldmaster
Metal-Mineral locators. S-63 $169.50. Fin- No lettering or folds. of a Thousand Killings!
ancing available. Visit The Bookman, 622 N.
Orange^ Redlands, Calif. 92373. Factual in every detail yet as exciting as a
ONLY
novel, Nevada's Turbulent Yesterday is
• WESTERN GOODS tops in its field. For 10 years as Sunday
GHOST TOWN items: Sun-colored glass, ame-
thyst to royal purple; ghost railroads ma-
terials, tickets; limited odd items from camps
of the '60s. Write your interest—Box 64-D,
Smith, Nevada.
$2.50
A SET
editor of the Review Journal, the late Don
Ashbaugh collected material for his book.
Now back in print, this excellent book is a
must for arm chair adventures as well as
active explorers. Hard cover, 349 pages, 67
NAVAJO RUG COLLECTION for sale—all or part. Postage & Tax included priceless historical photographs. Price: $7.50
Write: John L. James, 1853 Ivy Street, Car-
son City, Nevada 89701. plus 25 cents for mailing. Calif, residents
Send Check or Money Order ro
SUN COLORED purple glass: bottles, pressed add 38 cents sales tax. Send check or money
glass, novelties, etc. Send for list. The Glass Desert Magazine Book Shop, order to DESERT MAGAZINE BOOK
Bottle, Box 576, Lomita, Calif. 90717. Palm Desert, Calif. 92260 SHOP, Palm Desert, Calif. 92260. Please
No Charges Please. include your zip code.
• MISCELLANEOUS
MONEY—SPARE TIME opportunity—we pay at
the rate of $10.00 per hour for nothing but
your opinions, written from home about our SU B S C R I P T I O N SERVICE
clients' products and publications, sent you PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260
free. Nothing to buy, sell, canvas or learn.
D ENTER A NEW SUBSCRIPTION D RENEW MY PRESENT SUBSCRIPTION
No skill. No gimmicks. Just honesty. Details
from Research 669, Mineola, N. Y. 11501.
Dept. I.G.-16.
NAME
BLUFF'S ALL TRIBES Indian Day Indians! Tlorse
races, Archery, Fry Bread Contest, Indian
ADDRESS ZIP CODE
Dancing, Squaw Wood-Cutting Contest, Sand
Painting, June 15, Bluff, Utah. D SEND GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO:
AUTHENTIC SEAWEED~ToASTERS,"gaThered by
divers along the California coast, scientifi- NAME
cally preserved to retain their natural beauty.
Please include 25c for mailing and handling. ADDRESS
Coaster set of 4—$2.40; 6—$3.00. Califor-
nia residents add 5c on each dollar to: Al-
NAME
gimar, Box 428, Del Mar, Calif. 92021.
CLIPPING ABOUT Treasure, Hobbies, Mexico,
ADDRESS
Deserts, and Indians. $1.10 per dozen clip-
pings. Research Clipping Service, Box 1665,
Hyattsville, MD. 20788. NAME
HOME ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE to complete'
home bar accessories. Send $1.00. Happy ADDRESS
Hour Products, Dept. D, 3591 North Indian
Ave., Palm Springs, Calif. 92262. Sign Gift Card: "From
YOUR FAVORITE verse, bible passageT^house One Year $5.00 Two Years $9.50 Three Years $13.00
blessing or bit of philosophy hand-lettered
(Or 2 One Years) |Or Three One Years)
in Old English on decorated parchment ready
for framing. Every one by hand to your order, • PAYMENT ENCLOSED • BILL ME LATER
35-word limit, please. $3 plus 25c postage, • ALSO SEND DESERT'S 12-ISSUE HANDSOME BROWN VINYL BINDER FOR $3.50
cash or money order. List of available verses, (includes tax and postage)
25c. House of Hedin, 750 West San Jose
Date Binder(s) with Year(s) Q Undated
P-4, Claremont, Calif. 91711.

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 41


NEW by V. LEE OERTLE
TRANSMISSION COOLER
A new automatic transmission
cooler should interest DESERT read-
ers. Any mechanic will tell you that
engine overheating is often caused
indirectly by the over-hot automatic
transmission. It in turn throws the
load into the tank at bottom of ra-
diator, which adds more heat to the
cooling system than it can manage.
The new Karmazin Power Cooler by- TRAIL-BIKE TRAILER
passes the engine cooling system One of the most compact, hand-
CONTINUOUS WHEEL BALANCER with a compact radiator of its own, some, and well-engineered bike-to-
One of the slickest ideas I've seen which is mounted just ahead of the ters I've ever seen is the new Cycle
in years is the new clamp-on and car's radiator. The hot fluid from Trailer from Golden Rod. This husky
leave-on wheel balancer. This device the automatic transmission is then little trailer is built of steel chan-
counters the unbalance of the wheel passed through the Karmazin unit nels and hauls one or two trail bikes
rim or tire automatically, according and cooled, then returned to the easily. Eight eye-bolts strategically
to the manufacturer. It does this job transmission. Installation can also placed provide proper hold-down
continuously and without fixed be made behind the radiator, or any- points. It comes complete with
weights. If the balance of the wheel where under the hood. The price wheel-chains that are enclosed in
or tire changes, the new Perfect was not announced. For those tow- vinyl tubing to prevent scratches. It
Action Wheel Balancer counteracts ing boats, trailers, or horses here is also has a safety chain, and com-
that change as it happens. A series a way to handle those hot desert plete legal lighting equipment. The
of free-moving steel balls within an roads and steep mountains in sum- Cycle Trailer weighs just 216 pounds
oil-filled solution provides damping mer. From Karmazin Products Corp., empty, and sells for $154.70, from
and lubrication. (The damping is Power Cooler, 3776 Eleventh Street, Dutton-Lainson Company, Hastings,
necessary to keep the balls from Wyandotte. Mich. 48192. Nebraska 68901.
sliding out of position during ac-
celeration or vibration.) Sounds com-
plicated, but the device works on es-
sentially the same mechanical laws
that make turbine rotors workable.
Priced at $21.95 per set, from Tech-
sonics, Santa Fe Road, Taos, New
Mexico 87571.

TRAILER LIFT
The new Pedalift is a compact
little foot-jack that can be inserted WATER CARRIER LANTERN HOLDER
under the coupler or dolly-shift to This unique water carrier is made There's nothing like a handy pro-
raise a heavy trailer tongue-load for of translucent sanitary polyethelene jection to suspend that lantern at
easier hook-up. Since some trailers and after use can be folded and night — but somteimes big trees
have tongue-loads of 1000 to 1500 stored away. It also can be partially have no branches. A new item from
pounds, the Pedalift device is ob- filled with water, put in the deep Tempo Products solves the problem
viously a real aid to reducing lifting freeze thus providing campers with neatly. It consists of a 24-inch
effort. It also leaves the user's hands water that gradually thaws as the swing-arm, with a chain-fastener at
free to make the hook-up. Operation day goes on. Has a spigot and handle the tip end. The other end fits into
is by foot-pedal. It ratchets the trail- for carrying. a special bracket that can be at-
er-tongue upward from 1 inch to 5 It is available in two sizes; 2V2 tached to a tree, camper, trailer, or
inches, and has a 300 pound hitch gallon container for $2.00, and 5 a post in ground. The Lantern Hold-
capacity. Pedalift sells for $29.95 gallon container for $2.49. Distribu- er sells for just $5.95 from Tempo
from Reese Products, Inc., P. 0. Box ted by Yeagle Enterprises, P.O. Box Products Co., 6200 Cochran Road,
940, Elkhart, Ind. 46514. 306, Levittown, Pennsylvania 19057. Cleveland, Ohio 44139.
42 / Desert Magazine / June, 1968
Calendar of
Western Events
Information on Western Events must be
received at DESERT six weeks prior to sched-
uled date.
Letters requesting answers must include stamped self-addressed envelope.
MAY 16-19, CALIFORNIA UNIT, AVION
TRAVELCADE CLUB SPRING RALLY, El-
fin Forest, junction of Harmony Grove and
Questhaven Road, near Escondido, Calif. Lim-
To Mr. Bean . . . When You've Lost Your Marbles . . . ited to Avion trailer & camper owners.
In the Nov. '67 issue, you stated that you Jack Sheppard's article on rockhounds in MAY 18 & 19, SEARCHERS GEM & MIN-
knew what direction "Mr. Pegleg" took when the May issue reminds me of a story I was ERAL SOCIETY'S 9th annual show, Retail
he left his jeep, because you knew where Peg- told when I first became a rockhound. The Clerks Union Auditorium, 8530 Stanton,
Buena Park, Calif. Free admission, free park-
leg Smith was found dying. You said you way to prove you are a rockhound is to fill ing, prizes.
would answer any questions the readers asked a jar full of marbles. Everytime you bring
as "long as it did not disclose the exact area." a rock home take one of the marbles out of the MAY 18 & 19, YUCAIPA VALLEY GEM
jar and throw it away; when you have lost AND MINERAL SHOW, Grange Hall, 13365
Which Pegleg Smith were you referring to? Second St., Yucaipa, Calif.
Thomas, James, Albert, or some other so-called all your marbles you are a rockhound.
Pegleg? According to old newspapers, maga- RALPH POTTER, MAY 18 & 19, SAN JOSE ANTIQUE BOT-
zines—such as the San Francisco Bulletin, Red Borrego Springs, Calif. TLE SHOW & SALE, Santa Clara County
Fairgrounds, San Jose, Calif. Write Doris
Bluff Beacon, Alta California—Thomas (Peg- Sekevec, 677 N. Central Ave., Campbell,
leg) Smith was in the San Francisco area from Food for T h o u g h t . . . Calif. 95008.
1861 until his death.
On your front cover of the March issue you MAY 25 & 26, AMERICAN RIVER GEM
According to Sardis W. Templeton's book. showed palm trees at Palm Canyon. No one AND MINERAL SHOW, Rancho Cordova
"The Lame Captain," pages 225-226, Thomas seems to know who planted them or how old Community Center, 2197 Chase Drive, Rancho
Long Smith, known as Pegleg Smith, at the Cordova, Calif. Open to public, no admission.
they are. Also, do you know there are more
age of 63 was admitted to the San Francisco Joshua Trees near Searchlight, Nevada than MAY 30 & 31, LAS VEGAS JEEP IN fam-
County Hospital and remained there until his in all of California's Joshua Tree National ily 4WD fun and events. Write to Las Vegas
death on Oct. 15, 1866 at the age of 65 years Monument? Jeep Club, Inc., P. O. Box 1874, Las Vegas,
and 3 days. According to reliable sources, your Nevada 89101.
ELMO MENETRE,
Mr. Pegleg Smith could not be Thomas Long
Hot Springs, New Mexico. MAY 30—JUNE 2, PROSPECTOR'S CLUB
Smith. Which Smith are you talking about? OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA annual con-
MRS. A. BUSALD, vention, Galileo Park, California City, Calif.
Wants Plans . . . Demonstrations, swap meet, field trials,
Anaheim, Calif.
movies. Everyone, any age, welcome.
Relative to "Weekend Prospecting" in the
February issue I would like to obtain plans MAY 30-JUNE 2, SACRAMENTO JEEP
Wrong O w n e r . . .
and diagrams for the separator and sluice CLUB'S annual Gold Country 4WD Classic.
I am writing in regard to "The Mystery of described by Carl Fischer. Write Sacramento Jeepers, P. O. Box 9201,
the Arrow" by Retta Ewers in the March Ft. Sutter Station, Sacramento, Calif.
CHESTER WISNIEWSKI,
1968 issue. It was stated that the property Oakland, Calif. JUNE 8 & 9, ROLLIN' ROCK ROUNDUP
and the hotel was owned by the University of & GEM & MINERAL SHOW, Oakdale, Park,
Since many readers have asked for the plans,
Redlands. The property (1,735 acres) and the Glen Rose, Texas. Write Doyle Cooper, Box
Mr. Fischer is taking time out from his busy 398, Glen Rose, Texas 76043.
hotel is owned and operated by Campus Cru-
schedule of prospecting and taking photo-
sade for Christ International. JUNE 8 & 9, SOUTH BAY GEM & MIN-
graphs (he is an excellent photographer as
CAROLYNN FOSTER, well as writer) to write an article on the sub- ERAL SHOW, Torrance Recreation Center,
Garden Grove, Calif. 3341 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, Calif. Free ad-
ject. It will appear soon in Desert Magazine. mission and parking. Experts and beginners.
Write Ron Wood, 944 S. Eucalyptus Ave.,
Trigger Happy Cowboys . . . Inglewood, Calif. 90301.
Truckhaven Road Completed . . .
We bought your March issue on the news- JUNE 11-13, NORRA CROSS COUNTRY
Is it true that the old Truckhaven Road 7-11 RACE, Las Vegas, Nevada. For back
stand and it inspired us (my husband, baby from the Salton Sea to Borrego is now paved country vehicles. Write NORRA, 19730 Ven-
and I) to visit the Dale mining district. With and ready for passenger car traffic? I can re- tura Blvd., Suite 6, Woodland Hills, Calif.
the exception of the weekend cowboys, the member when it took either a jeep or a good 91364.
trip was indeed refreshing. mule to go the distance.
JUNE 15, ALL TRIBES INDIAN DAY,
However, a word on those gun-happy cow- ALFRED KNIGHT, Bluff, Utah. Authentic Indian dances, Navajo
boys who supposedly are adults; these idiots Los Angeles, Calif. fry bread contest, Navajo vs. Ute tug-of-war,
ought to have their "toys" taken away from bow and arrow contests, squaw wood cutting
The last seven miles of a new highway which contest, sand painter, Indian craftsmen.
them. Bullets whizzed within inches of us, one parallels the old Truckhaven Trail (which
hitting a hill not six feet from where my 2- still exists and can only be traversed by 4- JUNE 15, HI DESERT C.B. RADIO CLUB's
year-old daughter stood. When God gave us wheel-drive or a mule) is being completed. annual steak fry, Knotts Sky Park, Twenty-
brains these trigger happy people missed get- nine Palms, Calif. Public invited, $1.50 dona-
Dedication of the new Borrego-Salton Seaway tion. Overnight camping facilities.
ting theirs. I hope they see this letter, al- is scheduled (as we go to press) for May 3.
though I doubt if they know how to read. Let's hope the speeding motorists don't throw JULY 4-7, LOS ANGELES CACTUS AND
CHRISTINE POOLE, SUCCULENT SOCIETY'S annual show. Los
their cans out the windows, as it is a beautiful Angeles County Arboretum, 309 N. Baldwin
Redlands, Calif. area. Ave., Arcadia. Admission free.

June, 1968 / Desert Magazine / 43


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