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APRIL, 1 9 5 5
,. ,'
. : , , •
into Agateland
Southern California path blazed
by an old miner with a witch-stick
in the 1920s — it's the Doodlebug
Trail.
DESERT MAGAZINE
everywhere were the lesser trails of
the rodent tribes. Horned lizards of
nursery school age scrambled under
SCiLE
rocks, and once two doves bolted past ••••.*'•.' m&'<- ^0:. ° '* "EARL KERR 'i
1
with a whir of strong wings.
K MILES
Clean, coarsely sandy stretches of
stream-bed were broken by sections
I I P f^»wnr fies*sr
-. » *=r| ROCHESTER
* ; - . RriCUFSTFRX '• fk-. \ \ .. . £ « - > To FURGESON LA
strewn with boulders of pink and white
tuff, black lava, and bright rhyolites.
After about a mile the canyon walls, J;IF.5~M"
30 feet high in places, drew closer to-
gether. At times the gorge was almost
choked with rock, and once we had to
detour on a narrow shelf at the canyon
edge. Walls of gravel and earth and
boulders gave way to conglomerate,
the conglomerate to white, then pur-
plish, rust and cream tuffs. In the
white tuff we had to climb the canyon
walls to by-pass great scoured-out tanks
or potholes.
Soon after starting we saw water-
worn bits of chalcedony and the
amount increased as we went on. Lu-
cile found pieces of carnelian and, later,
a cluster of quartz crystals. But side
trips out of the wash at likely spots
failed to reveal any of these materials
in place. Our directions called for tak-
ing the right-hand branch, but the ar-
royo proved to have many branches.
By nine o'clock we had hiked much
farther than one and a half miles, and
more than half our water and our al-
lotted time were gone. The air was
no longer cool.
Reluctantly we turned back. The
sunlight now carried a sting and we
slipped from shade to shade, the spots
growing smaller and thinner as the day
advanced. In an hour the sun was
burning and Lucile described a strange
drawing sensation at the base of her
skull. We dampened handkerchiefs
and covered our necks with them.
There was no cause to worry yet.
We had water and were less than a
mile from the car. But we were learn-
ing the inadvisability of scouting for
an unknown rock field in desert sum-
mer heat. And then, as we crossed a
boulder-choked curve of the canyon, started from Winterhaven, where Ed deep shaft—but the rock was barren.
a rock turned and I fell, twisting my Rochester was now residing, one mid- The man took his doodle-bug, team
ankle. Fortunately it was a sprain afternoon, taking the Laguna-Imperial and wagon and went away. Sections
rather than a break, but the ankle im- Dam road through the Quechan Indian of the road he had made departed also,
mediately swelled and I could not put Reservation. with the first cloudburst. Then it had
my weight on it. On the way Ed explained that the remained impassable until recently
jeep trail had started as a prospector's when G. E. Barrett, of Barrett's Guest
I believe treatment for sprains calls route in the 1920s when a man was Ranch, just below Imperial Dam, re-
for cold compresses. We didn't have combing this country with a doodle- opened it with a jeep.
any. But we had unlimited hot com- bug, as oldtimers called all mineral Another road had been opened to
presses — small water-worn boulders locating devices. On the western edge Ferguson Lake since we were last
in the wash, almost too hot to handle. of Rochester Basin, across the big wash along the river. It left the Imperial
After a few hot rock applications I and against the reddish mountains, the Dam road two and six tenths miles
was able to hobble along. Shortly be- doodle-bug had wiggled itself into above Laguna Dam. Signposted for
fore one p.m. we reached the car. hysteria. It was no more than an In- Barrett's Ranch and Ferguson Lake, it
We did not again attempt to visit dian trail then, but the man brought crossed the All-American Canal, fol-
Rochester Basin until last spring, when his team and wagon through from the lowed the canal road north for seven-
Ed Rochester told us there was now river, creating every foot of road as he tenths of a mile, then headed west to
a "sort of jeep trail" right to the nod- came. At the place where the doodle- circle to the south and west of Barrett's
ule beds, if we were interested. We bug had been so agitated he dug a Ranch. We took this road.
APh'IL, 1955
:
Auto trail into Rochester Basin enters it by dropping into this wash, floored with
solid tuff, at the southwestern edge of the big basin. Spectacular red-topped butte,
is a landmark of the basin.
Near the ranch we saw a small group chuck holes. In minutes the car was with a "wiggle and a twist," as Ed put
of saguaros. These Arizona escapees coated with yellow powder. The road it. The wash, floored with solid tuff,
were not as large or healthy as most roller-coasted through a lower reach drains Earl Kerr's nodule beds. We
of their brethren across the Colorado. of the great arroyo up which we had followed up its bottom and left bank
Few are found in California, and their hiked nearly five years before. Then for about a mile, crossed it again and
scarcity may explain why some were there was more dust. It was a relief stopped at the base of a mass of north-
overly-punctured with nest cavities of to leave the new road for an indistinct west-southeast trending hills. They
cactus woodpeckers—which often are left track across a dark mesa tongue. were largely dark green in color, but
appropriated by little Johnny owls. After two crossings of a rough wash, with interruptions of dark gold and
It must have taken more than the the trail twisted up to a hogback. white. Toward the east and the north
river to halt the spread of the saguaro This was the section which Barrett they became more abrupt, rising to
from Arizona into Southern California. has named Hurricane Ridge. Ed Roch- harsh, reddish buttes.
Else, how did the few in California ester, who traveled it first in a little Those we faced were smoothly
today make their crossing? Ed Roches- open jeep during a gale, thinks it well rounded, of soft disintegrating vol-
ter had a theory that before the present named. The trail straddles the ridge canic rock and the main beds were lo-
stream, a much wider body of water for more than a mile. It is not danger- cated in them, Ed told us. We had
kept them out of California. ous for an experienced driver whose noticed numerous pieces of cutting
From descriptions left by Spanish car has plenty of clearance. But, so rock along the trail, since entering the
explorers, Laguna Salada was con- far as I know, it has been traveled basin, but among the round hills nod-
nected to the Gulf and possibly to a only by four-wheel-drive vehicles and ules and botryoidal chalcedony were
lake in the Colorado Desert. A great pickup trucks. We went into four- scattered everywhere — in places so
bay extended up the present Colorado wheel at the wash crossing at the foot thickly that they made up most of the
River bed, at least as recently as 1604, of the ridge and used it several times surface. There was not much color
when Onate reached the Gulf. This before we dropped into the basin. On and many were of solid quartz—crys-
wider body of water could have suc- the return, with the trail more familiar, tals grown together—and uninterest-
cessfully prevented the crossing of the we did not require it. Not having tried ing to rock cutters. In a few minutes
saguaro—besides keeping land other- the route with a passenger car, I can- we had collected numerous specimens
wise favorable to them under water— not recommend their use. Some work of banded and patterned agate, and a
until such time as the water receded in the wash and clearing of boulders on couple of crystal-lined geodes. Most
to its present river course. the ridge would certainly be necessary of the nodules were small—up to egg
The Ferguson Lake road was deep with a low clearance car. size. But some were as big as base-
in fine dust which puffed to enormous balls and there were some huge ones.
The trail dropped from the ridge
clouds as wheels dropped into hidden into a remarkable flat-bottomed wash It had taken us two and a half hours
DESERT MAGAZINE
to reach the field. Ed was due in Win- had been in the wrong branch for the rain, I crossed the tracks of little jeeps.
terhaven that night, so we soon turned nodule beds, but had turned back a Because 1 was on foot, I found mater-
back. When Lucile and 1 returned the few hundred yards from the hills with ial they had missed. But the quantity
next day, we spent the morning explor- rock roses. of ruthlessly broken material lying
ing for a route to the nodule beds with- When I returned to the car, Lucile everywhere was incredible, considering
out crossing Hurricane Ridge. We had made her decisions and had a the obviously small number of rock
couldn't come closer, by our estimates, beautiful collection of miniature roses. hunters who had been there. It re-
than a mile; and the ridge didn't seem We located a perfect camp site for the minded me forcibly of the fallacy of
so bad the second time. night. It was a level, clean-floored the argument often advanced that keep-
In Rochester Basin again, we fol- little flat half surrounded by miniature ing a field secret preserves it, while
lowed the old doodlebug road to the buttes, but with a splendid view east- writing it up means its destruction.
westiin edge of the basin where we ward over jumbled washes and hills. This area had not been publicized,
investigated a few low rises at the big With camp established, I took my sack though word about it had gotten out
wash's edge. The northeast slopes of and canteen and set out on a short to the more eager collectors—as it al-
some were thickly scattered with ex- exploration. ways does. An undetermined but small
quisite tiny chalcedony roses, mostly It lasted three hours and I soon found number of individuals and one or two
dark sard or honey, with a little clear myself facing Lucile's problem of de- clubs are all who have collected in a
and carnelian. For Lucile this was cisions. The pieces I was finding were large field. Yet there were more sense-
the high point of the trip. She sat right so big I could carry very few. Most lessly smashed specimens here than in
down (you can see them better at that remarkable were huge clam-shaped many fields I have revisited years after
anglr than from eye level) and started nodules of colorfully-patterned opalite I have described them for Desert Mag-
picking them up. — similar to pastelite — mixed with azine and after they have been hunted
"Show intelligent discrimination," quartz and sometimes agate. There over by hundreds of real rockhounds
she kept urging herself. "You can't were few of them, but some were large and collecting groups.
take them all!" Then she looked up enough that each would make a load. I am coming to believe that publiciz-
at me and sighed, "I've never been Then there were irregular masses of ing a field may actually help to control
confronted with so many decisions!" opalite which would cut into large, the depredations of the small percent-
I hiked over the little hills finding showy cabochons, and vein agate. age of rockhogs among rockhounds.
rose;, and botryoidal chalcedony and Here and there were lines of small Even these "fast rock" boys, seeking
a few nodules, and then into the great agate and quartz nodules. It was a to strip the cream for themselves no
wash. Almost immediately I was sure case of emptying my sack every half matter how much is ruined for all who
it was the branch of the arroyo we had mile or so, for re-sorting. follow, do not want to be caught at
followed on that hot summer hike. We Wherever I went in that rugged ter- their wrecking. In the end it boils
Uncut, unpolished specimen of Rochester Basin opalite Ed Rochester on one of the "blowouts" of nodules in the
— similar in appearance to pastelite—of gray, brown, Ken nodule beds. Most of the rocks strewn on the
white and flesh colors. ground in the picture are nodules or agate.
" • <
APRIL, 1955
down to the fact that selfishness and
greed will show as quickly and un-
healthily in a rock field as in home or
business.
When I returned to camp in the
MAPS FOR ROCKHOUNDS
For many years Desert Magazine's field reporters have been seeking
gathering dark, I built a rock fireplace out new fields where the rock and gem collecting fraternity may find new
against a little vertical ledge and put cabinet and catting material. Each field trip report includes a map showing
a grill across. We had several pieces how to reach the location. Many of these back issues with maps are still
of dead ironwood, picked up during available and you may buy them at a special rate. Here is the latest list:
our wanderings, and soon had coffee
boiling and supper heating. The coals MAPS FOR THE ROCK HUNTER . . .
burned with a companionable glow May '4(i—Green jasper, near Lake Mead, Nevada. M A P
all night. Jan. '46—Agate, chalcedony, etc., Arizona. MAP
Jul. '46—Minerals at Calico. MAP
The stars gave a surprising light. Aug. '46—Fossils While You Wait. MAI1
Many unaccustomed ones shone so May '49—Geodes, chalcedony, Southern Arizona. MAP
brightly we scarcely were able to find Jul. '49—Handspikes on the border. MAP
the familiar pattern of the Big Dipper Aug. '49—Uranium Strike in Petrified Wood. MAP
or identify Polaris. We lay on our Sep. '49—Agate, jasper, on Devil's Highway. MAP
Oct. '49—Fossils in Coyote Mountain. MAP
bed rolls long after we should have Apr. '50—Dinosaur Bones in Colorado. MAP
slept, reluctant to miss even a minute May '50—Wonderstones in Nevada. MAP
of the wonder of the heavens. Jul. '50—Agate Hill in Utah. MAP
Aug. '50—Gem Field Near 29 Palms. MAP
I thought of the doodlebug prospec- Sep. '50—Apache Tears in Nevada. MAP
tor, who must have seen many nights Oct. '50—Crystal Calcite in California. MAP
like this while he wrought his road, Nov. '50—Agate Hunters in California. MAP
Dec. '50—Gold on Garces' Trail. MAP
where never a road had run before. Jan. '51—Nevada Invited the Rockhounds. MAP
Was he really squandering his time Apr. '51—Geodes on an Old Silver Trail. MAP
out here with his mechanical rainbow- Jun. '51—Rocks of the Ages—In Utah. MAP
chaser? Were they wasted, those long Jul. '51—On Black Rock Desert Trails. MAP
Aug. '51—Where Turquoise Was Mined. MAP
days of hard labor and nights of per- Sep. '51—Agate Trail in Nevada. MAP
fect rest with a dream to start tomor- Oct. '51—Geodes in Lizard Giilch. MAP
row, in the beauty of the desert dawn? Xov. '51—Cave of the Crystal Snowbanks. MAP
I hope he didn't feel so, when his shaft Dec. '51—Opalite on the Road to Cibola. MAP
Jan.'52—Fossil Leaves of an Ancient Nevada Forest. MAP
cut only barren rock. I doubt that he Mar. '52—Puzzle Rocks of the Badlands. MAP
did. Apr. '52—Garnets Aplenty at Stanley. MAP
May '52—Beauty in Those Ancient Pebbles. MAP
ROCK HUNTER'S SET, 30 Magazines $5.00
ROCHESTER BASIN
ROAD LOG COMPLETE YOUR FILES
Miles
00.0 Junction of Ferguson Lake road All back issues of Desert Magazine are now available except
with Laguna Dam-Imperial Dam Volume 1, Number 1 published in November, 1937. When some
highway, at 2.6 miles north of of the issues were exhausted, we bought them back from the
Laguna Dam, approximately 17 owners, and for these we charge from 25c to $1.00 each, according
miles from Winterhaven. Turn
left on Ferguson Lake road, cross to what we paid for them. All others are available at the regular
Ail-American Canal, turn right single copy price. If you'll send us a list of the copies you need
on canal road. to complete your files we will advise you as to the cost. Binders,
00.7 Turn left from canal road, fol- each holding 12 copies, are available for all back volumes.
lowing signposted Barrett Ranch-
Ferguson Lake road.
01.1 Right branch to Barrett Ranch.
Keep left, swinging to west of COMPLETE VOLUMES ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN BINDERS
ranch and heading north.
04.4 Cross Deep Wash. Vol. 1, Nov. '37 to Oct. '38. $10.00 Vol. 10, Nov '46 to Oct. '47. 5.00
05.0 Leave Ferguson Lake road where Vol. 2, Nov. '38 to Oct. '39. . 8.00 Vol. 11, Nov. '47 to Oct. '48. 5.00
it curves north taking faint west- Vol. 3, Nov. '39 to Oct. '40. . 6.00 Vol. 12, Nov. '48 to Oct. '49. 5.00
erly branch over dark mesa. Old Vol. 4, Xov. '40 to Oct. '41. . 5.00 Vol. 13, Nov '49 to Oct. '50. 4.00
Indian trail may be seen, roughly Vol. 5, Nov. '41 to Oct. '42. . 5.00 Vol. 14, Nov. '50 to Dec. '51. 4.00
paralleling road. Vol. 6, Nov. '42 to Oct. '43. . 5.00 Vol. 15, Jan. '52 to Dec. '52 4.00
05.9 Road Y. Take right branch, Vol. 7, Nov. '43 to Oct. '44. . 5.00 Vol. 16, Jan. '53 to Dec. '53. 4.00
which heads into rough wash, Vol. 8, Nov. '44 to Oct. '45. . 5.00 Vol. 17, Jan. '54 to Dec. '54. . . 4.00
winds down it a way, then climbs Vol. 9, Nov. '45 to Oct. '46. 5.00 First 17 volumes in binders. . .$80.00
out on mesa.
06.8 Road Y. Take sharp left curve,
which drops into wash, crosses
(Danger of becoming stuck in
wash here) and twists up onto
Hurricane Ridge.
Magazines Wanted THE
08.8 Wind from ridge into flat bot- We are needing the following issues of
tomed wash, follow up wash Desert to build up our reserves, and will
(right) about one-half mile, climb pay as follows:
stiff pitch out of wash and fol- November 37 $5.00
low left bank to December 37 75 MAGAZINE
09.9 Easy access to Earl Kerr Nodule April 38 50
Beds, in low rolling hills across September 46 50
wash. December 49 50 PALM DESERT. CALIFORNIA
11.5 Chalcedony roses on low hills at March 51 50
edge of Deep Wash, near western
side of basin.
DESERT MAGAZINE
Lost Hardin Silver
on,
A
p»« J^*sfifcfc '
' <&-*
• _
// rose from the desert floor like a broken fang — the ruins of a 90-year-old silver ore
mill at Hardin City ghost town, Nevada.
APRIL, 1955
• :
- • -"*>-»-;--•-,."•- TQ Mud Meadows Hardin's silver had been found, and
'' ''is'"'£ the rush was on!
But Black Rock ore failed to return
ToVyo V --!^::^> anything but goose eggs. Samples
\ were sent to assayers all over the coun-
try; and every assay certificate brought
back the same disheartening tale—
HARDIN CITYH4««S->V. '•' '->l»-\ not even a trace of silver!
^>~. ..LEAOVILLE
%w When someone recalled the occur-
rence of a "similar ore" in the vicinity
of Freiberg, Germany, a sample of the
black, waxy stuff was forwarded to
Charles Isenbeck, eminent Freiberg
chemist.
Isenbeck's report on that ore had
the immediate effect of turning night
into day, and bringing rejoicing out
of despair! The ore was rich beyond
•"V^*».•'•'!'• BLACK ROCK man's wildest dreams—some of it run-
ning as much as one pound of silver
to four pounds of rock!
\5^ Or, so said Isenbeck, and the Ger-
man chemist thought he could work
out a process of milling the ore.
Rabbit.Hole Isenbeck was given all the time he
. ; .\Springs\ '
wanted—more than two years of it—
during all of which period he was car-
ried on the payroll of Black Rock's
most important mining company as a
research chemist and was pulling down
a fabulous salary. (Rumor said $1000
per month!)
In his report for the fiscal year 1866-
67, filed with the State Surveyor Gen-
eral, Humboldt county's assessor and
surveyor gave extended praise to the
Black Rock district and, in closing,
planted this thought: "If Isenbeck
succeeds as he expects, the people of
Blackrock and the whole country
should erect a statue to his memory
built of solid silver . . ."
But the Humboldt Register, of
Unionville, took a dim view of this
report—or of any report favorable to
the Black Rock. For several months
past the Register had been character-
izing Isenbeck as a "a prince of hum-
bugs," his followers as "victims of in-
sanity," and the Black Rock as a fraud
and swindle. And now, muttered the
Register, a "statue of solid silver" to
initial landmark, the leader retraced Others sought it, too. Isenbeck alluded to by the Humboldt
as best he was able the route taken by county assessor "was evidently intended
L. D. Vary, O'Donnell and Jenni- to mean two uprights with a cross
his hunting party nine years before.
son, and Judge Harvey and Steve Bass, beam and a rope in the center . . ."
All went well until he reached the
Johnny Thacker, and Jo Voshay—all So time marched on, with half the
exact point on the mountain where he
of them left campsites on the Black newspapers within 200 miles of Har-
believed the silver should be; and there
Rock. But the deepest mark of all was din City battling for the glory and
Hardin halted and stared about him
left by Charles Isenbeck. honor of the district, and the other
in bewilderment!
On all that slope, there was not one Isenbeck was a humbug or he was half whetting their knives for the kill.
landmark he could recognize! The the most astute scientist and shrewdest They had not long to wait.
only explanation seemed to be that operator who ever worked on the Har- The axe fell early in 1869 in the
devastating landslides had smothered din silver! It's all a point of opinion. form of Uncle Sam's yearbook, Min-
the area. Either that, or the Petaluma Up in Idaho, at that time, the Poor- eral Resources of the States and Ter-
man had misjudged his distances or man mine was disgorging riches from ritories West of the Rocky Mountains,
directions, or had confused his land- a black, waxy-looking ore. When a compiled and edited by Rossiter W.
marks. prospector who had seen that ore, now Raymond, special commissioner of
Although he hunted it all the rest discovered in the Black Rock country mining statistics.
of his life, he never found the Lost a vast deposit of a faintly similar ma- After stating that the Black Rock
Hardin Silver. terial, word spread that the source of district had been the scene "of hopes
10 DESERT MAGAZINE
Somewhere along the edge of the great Black Rock Desert playa millions of dollars
worth of silver ore may be hidden forever.
as wild and disappointments as over- property. An expedition sent to the sedan. Our immediate destination was
whelming as any recorded in the his- region by Mr. Clarence King confirmed Gerlach, in central Washoe County.
tory of American mines," Raymond the opinion of all scientific men from It was here we filled our gasoline
earned through with a lengthy resume the beginning, that Black Rock was and water tanks and gave our tires
of the Black Rock story. a swindle . . ." and cooling systems a final check. Then
' It was not long before the story The mystery surrounding Hardin we dropped in for a brief visit with
fou nd credence that a new ore of silver City had grown ever deeper with the Sheriff "Cisco" Ashenbrenner. When-
had been discovered in the black wax passing of time. ever we're heading into isolated terri-
of i-Iumboldt County," stated the Ray- Partly for this reason and partly due tory, we like to have some responsible
mond report. "Respectable assayers to a general interest in the Black Rock person in the vicinity know where we're
in he Pacific states, and in New York, Desert, I had begun reading every word going and when we expect to be back.
flatly contradicted the popular delu- I could find on the Hardin silver—old The sheriff advised us to go "to the
sio i. But the Black Rock people had history books, old mining reports, old old Jackson place," 30 miles north of
an assayer of their own—a man by emigrant diaries, and almost endless Gerlach, and there cut east across the
the name of Isenbeck—who claimed columns of blurred six-point type in playa toward the Black Rock range.
that no one but himself could extract 90-year-old newspaper files. The more In that way, he said, we would hit
the silver from these peculiar ores. He I read of those conflicting reports, the the old emigrant trail just south of
wo-ked by what he called the Freiberg more confused I became; and, finally, Double Hot Springs.
process, and made use of a peculiar I knew I would have to go to Hardin "You'll be traveling across the old
flu:. . . . O f course, Mr. Isenbeck's and see for myself lake bed," he explained, "and if you're
secret flux contained a compound of During my five years of Hardin a praying person, pray you won't hit
sih er. City research it had been my good a soft spot! You can see 'em if you
'Six or seven years passed away in fortune to meet Nellie Basso, of Love- keep your eyes open," he went on.
experiments and explorations . . . At lock, Nevada. An advanced mineral "They're generally a little whiter than
las1, in 1867, Mr. Isenbeck announced collector, amateur assayist, and devo- the surrounding flat; and if you think
that he was ready to work the rock tee of Black Rock history, Nellie, too, grease is slippery, that's because you've
on a large scale and 13 tons were was eager to go to Hardin. But one never been trapped in one of these
hauled . . . from different ledges . . . important obstacle stood in our way: Black Rock sinks!"
Thj result announced was $70 to $400 For all our combined researching, we With our business at Gerlach thus
pel ton! A renewed excitement was still didn't know how to find the place! completed, we headed north on the
the consequence . . . A mill was built Even Humboldt County officials trail of a lost city, and the hoped ful-
in the Black Rock country to be man- were unable to offer any help in pin- fillment of a long dream.
age d by Isenbeck. Two others were pointing the old town's location. After following the old Leadville
pu in active preparation. But Mr. It was Ed Green, of Lovelock—our road for about a dozen miles, we turned
Isenbeck could not afford to use his guide and companion on many other sharply into the desert, and five min-
flux on a large scale; and before opera- desert jaunts—who came to our res- utes later found us rolling soundlessly
tio'is commenced, he disappeared from cue. across the bland face of that great
the public eye. "Okay!" he said, at last. "I'll string sink where thousands of years ago had
'The Black Rock miners, who had along with you! If we can find Hardin lain the deep blue water of Lake La-
shewn for six years a grim determina- City, we'll find it! Otherwise, we'll at hontan.
tion and perseverance worthy of re- least see a lot of country." We were entering, now, a wide world
spt ct . . . abandoned their mines in As it isn't considered advisable to —wide, and wild, and terribly big and
despair. Houses, mills, everything was enter the more remote sections of the empty! All around us stretched the
lef1 as it stood, and in the summer of Black Rock with only one vehicle, our pale magnificence of the Black Rock
1868 there was not a human being departure from Lovelock on a morn- playa—a devil's dancefloor, 60 miles
left in the district. Even thieves would ing in July found us driving both Ed's in length; a cream-colored void in
no i go there to steal the abandoned pick-up and my old desert-toughened which was visible not one sign of life,
APRIL, 1955 11
neither plant nor animal, nor bird, nor coasted to a dusty stop behind him, din City one of these Mexican type
insect; not even one greasewood, or a I saw he was grinning. ore grinders; but after all these years,
lone blade of salt grass! Whenever I "Over there—" he said, jerking a I had never dared hope that we might
cross this Black Rock sink, it is with thumb toward the west. "What's that?" find it!
the strange feeling of having been re- Narrowing my eyes against the wind, The pit—about six feet in diameter,
born into another era of geologic time. I could make out a white stone up- and lined by wooden planking—was
The entire lake bed was our high- thrust, like a broken fang; and all in refilled to the brim with blown sand;
way. Wheel tracks led off crazily, cir- a quick, incredulous flash, 1 knew it the rotted stump of the pivot post was
cled and reconverged. There were no was an old mill chimney! still visible; the old grinding stones
road signs, or bridges, no guard rails, It was Hardin City! were still lying beside the pit; and,
no gutter. There was no speed limit, nearby, lay the flat paving stones with
no traffic officers, no traffic. As the Closer inspection revealed the ruins which that pit had been floored. Con-
sheriff had said, you paid your money of two mills—neither one large or tall, centric lines, etched into their top
and took your choice . . . and all the but strangely imposing in that wide, plane by the circling boulders, left no
while, you sat a little tensely in your empty land where no other man-made question in our minds concerning the
seat, and the cords in your neck grew structure was visible. Situated about original use of those stones.
a little tight as you watched for those 100 yards apart, each of the ruins was
perched on the lip of a low bank that We established camp at the east
treacherous soft areas of which you edge of "town" — our campsite, an
had been warned. dropped away to a clump of tules, a
seeping spring, and a pond of choco- almost-limitless flatness encrusted with
We bored into the northeast for a late-colored water huddled in the dead white mineral salts and sparingly dotted
dozen miles, then bent to the north- white somnolence of the flat. with small saltbrush.
west and the west; and, gradually, the In our prowlings of the following
slatelike surface of the dry lake bed Before we had time to examine the
day, we found the ruins of the third
was replaced by drift sand and scat- mills, we had made another discovery mill. Largest of the trio, it was a vivid
tered greasewood. Having bounced —a 90-year-old quicksilver flask! Half- sort of structure built of black and
over the last rough hummock of the buried in the white salt crust, the iron red volcanic boulders, combined in
old beachline, we again turned north container was eaten deeply by corro- some semblance of a color pattern.
—now on a dirt road that paralleled sion and so fragile it crumbled at our Sections of these walls were still stand-
the east base of the Nevada Calicos. touch. ing to a height of ten feet.
Thirty-one miles north of Gerlach And while we were still exulting Numerous low mounds, roughly
we passed the old Jackson place; and over this find, Ed stumbled upon an squared, marked the sites where adobe
here, as the sheriff had directed, we old arrastra! In a copy of the Hum- or sod buildings had formerly stood.
swung due east toward the Black Rock boldt Register for 1865, I had read and melted away; and around these
range. Seven miles across the un- that Steve Bass was installing at Har- mounds we found old square nails and
wrinkled face of the playa, another sun-purpled glass, a few bone buttons,
mile of bouncing over the rough hum- Author examines quicksilver flask and necks of green bottles—older and
mocks of the easterly shoreline; and, found in mill ruins. cruder in form than any we had seen
again, we were heading into the north. before! We also found several graves,
Torrents of water, pouring from outlined with volcanic boulders, and
tinder-dry canyons during this area's with black basalt for markers. Time,
infrequent but violent storms, had cut and the sand-blasting wind, had erased
the trail in a series of sharp, deep whatever identification those markers
gashes. Some of these gullies required once may have carried.
shovel work; most could be crossed All the while, naturally, we were
with care, and low gear. There were keeping sharp watch for the black
stretches of knife-like rock, and gravel- "waxy material" that had inspired that
filled washes, and pockets where pow- long-ago excitement; but except for
dery blow sand had drifted deeply over some black stratification in the Harle-
the trail. If it had been difficult to quin Hills to the east, we had seen
travel this road a century before, it nothing that remotely resembled the
was no less difficult today—it was still the ore described.
the same road—but we eased the cars
through, at five miles an hour, and the "Candidly," said Ed, who has spent
miles wore away. a good share of his lifetime prospect-
ing the Nevada hills, "I don't think
A smear of green tules and salt grass, there was ever a pound of ore here!
vapory white steam rising from twin Non-metallics, maybe; not silver or
cauldrons of near-boiling water, a gold . . ."
white-encrusted flat, and a long-de- Nellie's faith in the Hardin treasure
serted cabin built of old railroad ties, was still unshaken, but I sided with
announced our arrival at Double Hot Ed. After all, there was plenty of evi-
Springs. Here the wagon train had dence to uphold his theory, and not
made camp on the night prior to the very much to support the rumor of
discovery. silver's presence. We continued, how-
Soon after leaving the hot springs, ever, to prospect the washes and flats;
we began paralleling the Harlequin and by the time we left the Black Rock,
Hills — a gaudily-colored range that I felt we had given the place a fair
stretches along the horizon a few miles examination, and that Rossiter W.
east of the trail. Raymond, Uncle Sam's mining statis-
My eyes were still searching those tician, had been right: There had never
lonely canyons and bare ridges when been any ore here, and Hardin City
Ed halted the pick-up; and when I had had been nothing but a swindle!
12 DESERT MAGAZINE
LIFE ON THE DESERT
A. M. Russell's five-year plan calls for tunneling
150 feet further into the granite walls of Pcmamint
Mountains—and there he has faith he will find his
gold mine. But it takes a lot of faith.
By PANAMINT RUSS
AP RIL, 19 5 5 13
him to where he could pack and be of Some of them have been stealing cot-
some help. Now my back has to take ton from the bottom of the mattress I
his place. am sleeping on and I couldn't figure
The year before that I was caught out where they were taking it. All I
in a cloudburst about 9 p.m. on the knew was they sure made a lot of
side of a mountain. Had to drive by noise getting it through the springs. I
instinct: water all over the road, rocks just bought six new traps and went
bouncing over the top of the car, both out to the car to get them. As I raised
front tires flattened, roads washed out. the rear compartment door, there was
I was two days trying to get to town. my cotton. The packrats were building
a new nest among my extra powder, January brought above-normal pre-
It took Good Faith. cipitation to much of the Great Basin
fuses and caps. All they have to do
The year before that—all alone as now is finish their nest with matches, and part of the Colorado Basin, but
usual—I was trying to pry out a boul- set one off, burn up my transportation precipitation was below normal in the
der in the path the wheelbarrow must and I will have a 65-mile hike back Rio Grande Basin. All three basins
use and double-ruptured myself. That to town—and my Good Faith will be forecast below normal runoffs.
meant the hospital and recovery. shattered for this year. In the Great Basin region, the Great
No matter how good a desert driver Salt Lake Basin could expect some
you are, things will happen on these But out here, there's always a blue
sky, good pure water filtered by Na- water supply improvement, but sup-
dirt roads. A sharp rock sticking up plies still fall short of the 10-year av-
out of the sand, took the plug off the ture through lime and granite rocks,
smogless air, no 50-cent parking lots, erage. Most streams in the basin will
crankcase and then knocked the plug have water supplies at 60 to 85 percent
out of the gas tank. The new broom fresh sage and pinyon pine. I shouldn't
ask anyone for help, because it's my of average, although the Bear River
I had along made some plugs until I drainage will be only 56 to 65 percent.
could get some new ones, but I lost problem. But I have Faith, and it will
my gas and oil, and before reaching pay off! Sevier and Beaver River Basins,
camp the car buried itself up to the I started the tunnel five years ago. Truckee, Carson, Walker and Owens
hub caps in the soft sand and silt. 1 I was married and had a son. My wife River Basins could expect generally
had to cut sagebrush and lay it for a said one year, "I am going to break between 69 and 95 percent water sup-
road to get clear. you of that desert habit of yours. Every plies, as could the Mojave River Basin.
Another year, if I recollect right, year you go to Butte Valley and stay Serious deficiencies are predicted for
the tunnel was in about 150 feet deep too long. I warn you, if you stay over the Humboldt River Basin with the
—too far for a wheelbarrow. I needed two weeks this year I will divorce you!" main stream at Palisade expected to
an ore car, ties and rails. Had a fellow yield only 21 percent of the 10-year
I had good intentions of returning average flow.
helping me that year. He forgot to in two weeks but circumstances were
shake his trousers in the morning (a against me. Some fellow and his fam- In the Colorado Basin, forecasts for
desert must!) and a scorpion bit him ily had been working some tailings on the Colorado River above Cisco are
before he had his suspenders adjusted. an old dump and were just ready to slightly lower than a month ago, with
So he quit and I was along again with pull out. Their grub was all gone. He runoffs estimated at 68 to 93 percent
my Good Faith. warmed up the motor of his truck, but of average. The water supply outlook
The fellow who was doing the pack- forgot he had drained the radiator the for the Green River Basin is for runoff
ing by contract to get my stuff up to night before. When that cold spring ranging from much less than average
the tunnel had five burros. He always water hit the hot motor it cracked the for the upper Green River drainage in
slept on the ground by the spring. head. They were stuck and I had the Wyoming to near average for the
Chewed strong Black-jack plug to- only car within 65 miles. Yampa and White Rivers in Colorado.
bacco. He was about asleep one night Forecasts for the Utah tributaries show
I agreed to see them through. Gave 51 percent of average for the Straw-
when a snake crawled over his face them my grub and started for Trona,
between his upper lip and nose. He's berry River and 91 percent for Ashley
via Ballarat. At noon a cloudburst hit Creek.
not sure what kind it was but he swal- the Slate Range and all roads were
lowed his tobacco and got so upset washed out. It was several days before Forecasts for the San Juan River
he couldn't sleep or eat, so he pulled I could get over the roads. Then there Basin are slightly lower than those is-
out for a couple of weeks. These de- was no motor head at Trona. Had to sued a month ago. Runoff in the north
lays are costly but we must have Good send to Los Angeles. So by the time should be 80 percent, dropping to 66
Faith. I returned to camp, helped install the percent for the main stream at Farm-
Well, I tried to hire a couple of fel- head and did some necessary work, it ington.
lows to help me. Had no luck. A was three weeks before I arrived home Above normal precipitation in Jan-
mine owner at Tecopa said, "Russ, in Los Angeles. My wife was gone uary of the Lower Colorado Basin was
there just isn't any extra help around. and had taken my son. I was divorced. not sufficient to offset earlier drought
But to help you out, you take two of My boy, now 24, has never seen the conditions and water supply outlook is
my muckers for a week or so." I had tunnel his Dad has been working on poor. Seriously deficient streamflow
to guarantee them two weeks' work, for so long. in the Little Colorado Basin forecasts
board and room. The day I found that high grade ore a 30 to 50 percent runoff. Supplies
My tunnel is one mile up the side among the boulders and decided to only slightly better were forecast for
of Manly Peak, a winding burro trail drop down the hill a thousand feet and the Gila River Basin.
the only way up. These two fellows drill that tunnel, I had to have a lot In the Rio Grande Basin below-
couldn't even climb up that trail with of Good Faith. normal precipitation was general, ex-
the water, powder, drills and lunch. The tunnel is now 330 feet in solid cept over some of the eastern tributary
So I had to keep my agreement and rock, all driven by hand. I still have watersheds. The basin expected 36 to
give them two weeks' work around 150 feet to go, but I figure I can finish 80 percent of average runoff, while
camp. Another two weeks lost! it in another five years, if I have Good the Pecos River Basin forecast was for
Pack rats run all over my cabins. Faith! 62 to 85 percent of average.
14 DESERT MAGAZINE
ON DESERT TRAILS WITH A NATURALIST - XIII
Wild mice, birds, lizards — animals given
little credit for intelligence—use more wisdom
than most folks realize. It takes the patience
and understanding of a man like Edmund
Jaeger to bring this wisdom into view. Here
are the animals and here are the actions, just
as the naturalist found them in their own desert
homelands.
APRIL, 1955
National Monument. It was the season ting its limbs in motion and putting
of clear blue sunny skies, dry stimulat- into execution its decision.
ing air and cool gentle breezes; time The late winter and early spring
of autumnal bird migration. Some of months (February and March) are
the southward passing birds were Gam- very busy times for many of the desert
bel White-crowned Sparrows, which animals. It is the time of mating and
probably had left their summer home raising young families. Mid-March was
in the northern mountains not many the time Jack Shepard of Occidental
days before. Many of them doubtless College and I visited those strangle-
were very tired from the long hours banded rock formations of the mid-
of flight and were hungry and thirsty. Mojave Desert so aptly called the
Hardly had we settled in camp until Cinnamon-roll Rocks. We wished to
one of them alighted on the ground see if the chuckawallas were out of
within a few feet of us. It acted winter hiding, watch nest-building ac-
strangely unafraid, hopping about be- tivities of the rock wrens and perhaps
fore us like a tame bird long accus- run onto a new family of antelope
tomed to the companionship of man. ground squirrels.
As we walked around camp it contin- Gambel Sparrow—a desert winter We spent the whole morning climb-
ued to hop about near us, keeping just resident. Always a cheerful melo- ing among the rocks without seeing
beyond range of our moving feet. We dious songster. more than a few chuckawallas and
decided it might be thirsty so we put found only one new bird's nest. Dis-
water for it in a shallow pan. Immedi- appointed, tired, and thirsty, we re-
ately it hopped upon the pan's edge hanging limb of a spiny-leaved Joshua turned to the car and opened a cool
and drank. We threw cracker crumbs Tree. bottle of apple juice we'd kept in the
on the ground. These were promptly Shortly afterward we saw a Rough- insulating folds of a blanket. As we
eaten. Our handsome bird visitor scaled Lizard dash across the ground drank, a small head poked over the
seemed ready now to adopt us as as is its habit when stalking insect prey. top of a big boulder near the car. It
friends. At one time we were able to By chance it came very close to the looked us over, then quickly and boldly
touch it. This extraordinary behavior can containing our captive insect. Im- ran into our presence—a small ante-
continued not only the remainder of the mediately it stopped and began swing- lope ground squirrel. With tail a-
day but again on the morrow. We ing its head from side to side. We quiver, hands pressed to its sides, and
could explain it only on the basis of knew from this that it was listening to big black eyes registering curiosity and
extreme need of food and drink, the small sounds made by the mutillid excitement, it sat bolt upright before
coupled with the fact that we may have inside the tin container. us—not more than three feet away.
been the first human beings it had Of a sudden, as if a new thought We stood very still and it soon began
ever met. A most satisfying and pleas- had come to mind, the lizard ran back to play about our feet. Jack, who
ing experience it was. I do not expect some distance to the base of the Joshua happened to have some soda crackers
to see it duplicated soon. Tree, ran up its trunk, out onto a limb in his hands, threw some broken pieces
Summertime on the desert brings to a point from which it could look di- on the sand. Quickly the squirrel took
out the nervous and swiftly crawling rectly below into the can and see what one up in its small paws, sat again
little wingless wasps, which youngsters it was that made the strange noise. upright on its haunches and nibbled
often call velvet or fuzzy ants. Some Then, so quickly we were scarcely able all around the edges of the large cracker
of their intensely black bodies are cov- to follow its movements, it jumped fragment while adeptly turning it
ered with a light tan or dirty white straight down into the can and snapped around and around. After eating av-
long, hairy coat, while others have up the mutillid. During the split sec- idly for some moments it picked up
thickly-set brick-red hairs, especially ond it had taken to jump back out of some of the other choice cracker tid-
on the rounded abdomen or gaster. the can it had half swallowed the hairy bits for future needs. Each piece was
These wasps are earnest creatures, insect. A gulp and the mutillid was carried away 40 or 50 feet and buried
never given to much resting. They are well on its way to the saurian stomach. in a different place.
very hearty insects, so durably built It surprised us that the lizard was not The burial procedure was unique.
that one can be stepped on as it crawls stung internally. It might have proved First the animal dug a small hole with
in the dust and it will experience noth- to be a very hot meal, we thought. its forefeet. Then the food morsel, still
ing but temporary discomfort. When But we saw no sign of gastric discom- held in its mouth, was dropped and
disturbed they often emit a faint, high- fort. Never again will I say that a pressed firmly in place by repeated
pitched squeaky note. lizard is a stupid animal. Here surely thrusts of the nose. Covering was ac-
Recently, a camp companion of was an exhibition of expert planning, complished by working sand forward
mine came upon one of these mutillids, quick thinking and adeptness in get- with the small forefeet held side by
as they are more properly called. side to make of them a good pusher.
Never having seen one before he was Then the whole area was thoroughly
curious about its behavior. I warned This is Mutilla, the handsome fuzzy tamped and smoothed over by rapid
him that it was not safe to handle ant—really a solitary wasp. You pattings with the forefeet. It was all
roughly because of its extraordinarily are certain to meet one on your done each time in a matter of a few
long stinger, which could cause con- outdoor rambles. minutes. Once the food was buried the
siderable pain if thrust deep into hu- squirrel bounded back for more.
man flesh. Finally it became bold enough actu-
Mutillids, he found, are hard to ally to take bits of crackers from our
catch since they are alert, clever dod- hands. Feeding was several times in-
gers and swift. However, by using pa- terrupted by dust baths sometimes
tience he eventually got this one inside »t—»- taken within arms-length of us. It was
a tin can. He placed the can out of evidently a way of taking care of an-
direct sunlight under the closely over- noyingly frequent itchings due to para-
16 DESERT MAGAZINE
sites such as fleas. The dust bath family of young had been raised and back to see you and the well-mannered
activities were as ludicrous as interest- come to maturity in the time of our members of your household this spring,
ing. The ground was first reduced to absence. A bully good time we had again. We've adopted you as members
a powdery state by scratching. The with the whole new lot. of our circle of closest and choicest
animal would then lie flat on its "tum- Yes, Mrs. Ground Squirrel, we'll be desert friends.
my" and rapidly rub its underparts
back and forth eight or 10 times. This
done it made a quick roll-over in the Since they cannot put you in jail for guess-
dust several times, got up and bounced
away.
Beside us and in full bloom was a
Desert Quiz: ing wrong, Desert Magazine's monthly Quiz
provides a pleasant evening's entertainment
with no hazards attached. You may even learn something about the Great
small bush of the pungent-odored American Desert from these questions and answers. If you can answer
plant called Desert Rue or Tham- 10 of them correctly you may classify yourself as a fair beginner in the
nosma. Its oil-filled leaves, stems and study of the life and lore of the desert country. A score of 12 to 14 is fair,
blossoms are all so irritating to human 15-17 good, and if you make 19 or over you are qualified for the degree
skin that within a few minutes after SDS—Sand Dune Sage. The answers are on page 37.
being rubbed on there will be marked
reddening and severe itching. A tea, 1—According to legend the Lost Dutchman mine is located in the •—
even a weak brew of it, is so hot that Panamint Mountains Catalina Mountains Sangre de
the Paiute Indians say it will painfully Cristo Mountains Superstition Mountains
warm your stomach and cause you to 2—A "mucker" generally works in a—Mine . Sawmill . Chemi-
have such strange wild dreams as cal laboratory . Dude ranch
you've never had before. Yet it was 3—The Indian ruins known as Montezuma Castle are located in—New
the buds and blossoms of this potent Mexico . Arizona Nevada ... California
shrub that our antelope ground squir- 4—"Chaparral Bird" is one of the common names given to a—Wild
rel decided to use to spice its meal!
Crawling up into the bush it snipped- turkey __ ... Desert quail .... Roadrunner.... . Cactus wren
off and actually ate with apparent relish 5—The setting for Harold Bell Wright's book The Winning of Barbara
at least a dozen or more of the spicy Worth was—Death Valley . Salt River Valley of Arizona
odorous buds and flowers. "Ground Imperial Valley of California- ... The Mojave Desert
squirrel stomachs must be plenty 6—Malachite belongs to the—Mica group of minerals . Copper
tough," exclaimed Jack. I agreed. group—_ . Iron group _ . Aluminum group
Two weeks later I returned to the 7—Pitahaya fruit comes from a species of—Sage . Desert vine
same camp. The little ground squirrel Coniferous tree . Cactus
evidently remembered us well and the 8—The most widely known character in the Lincoln County War was—
fat feast she'd had from our hands. Billy the Kid .... Wyatt Earp .. Ike Clanton . Butch
Hardly had the car stopped until she Cassidy
came bounding over the rocks to meet 9—The name Kolb is connected with—The exploration of the Grand
us. We were ready with crackers and Canyon by boat .._.. The discovery of silver at Tombstone
hunger satisfying raisins and were re- The mining of borax in California __ . The capture of Geronimo
warded by the same evidence of com- 10—Hadji Ali (Hi Jolly) was a—River captain on the Colorado
plete confidence in our good intentions. Camel driver . Apache Indian chief . First white man to
We had a chance again to see the feed- explore Death Valley .
ing, the burying of food, the dust bath- 11—Desert mistletoe never grows on one of the following trees—Iron-
ing and grooming of furry coat. wood Mesquite . Catsclaw. Joshua tree
The place was visited a third time 12—The cactus species most commonly used by craftsmen in the making
in late October. And our little rodent of cactus furniture is—Saguaro . Staghorn . Cholla
was there to greet us again. But in- Beavertail
stead of one, there were now four. A 13—Clyde Forsythe is a desert—Author . Painter . Natural-
ist Explorer .
CALIFORNIA DESERTS SEEK 14—From the top of Sunset Crater one may see—San Francisco peaks
ELEVEN NEW STATE PARKS Wasatch range .. . Funeral mountains . San Jacinto peak .
SACRAMENTO — Eleven new 15—The plant commonly called Devil's Claw is used by Indian women in
parks from California desert counties making—Toys for the children . Medicine . Seasoning for
have been mentioned as possibilities food . Weaving baskets .
among 83 Southern California State 16—San Xavier del Bac mission is at—Nogales . Tucson ... El
park projects in a five-year $64,000,- Paso . Santa Fe
000 program released by the California
State Park Commission. The program 17—Flowers most commonly seen growing on the sand dunes following
also sets aside funds for 1200 miles winter rains are—Sunflowers .... Desert lilies .. . Verbena
of riding and hiking trails in the state. Poppies
Possible park sites include: (Imperial 18—The Mohs scale is used in measuring the—Purity of gold . Age
County) Imperial Sandhills and Pi- of a tree . Velocity of a river Hardness of a mineral .
cacho; (Riverside County) Painted 19—One of the following streams is not a tributary of the Colorado River
and Box Canyons, Quien Sabe Point, —Bill Williams River . Gila River Humboldt River
Thousand Palms and E h r e n b e r g San Juan River
Bridge; (San Bernardino County) 20—The annual Indian Inter-tribal Ceremonial is held in August each
Mitchell's Caverns, Trona Limestone year at—Gallup, New Mexico Santa Fe, New Mexico .
Pinnacles and Parker Dam. Los An- Window Rock, Arizona Tucson, Arizona........
geles Times
APRIL, 1955 17
We Climbed Glass Mountain
By LOUISE T. WERNER
At some ancient period in geological history, there was an inferno Photos by Niles Werner
of volcanic eruption in what is now known as the Mono Lake region
Map by Norton Allen
of east central California. Evidence of the prehistoric upheaval is
found today in the presence of numerous craters — and in Glass MONG THE Desert Peakers of
Mountain. Intrigued by the name, a group of Sierra Club mountaineers the Sierra Club there are some
climbed the peak — and this is what they found. who enjoy poring over maps
in search of new desert mountains to
Above—hate snow still lay on the north slopes of the upper ridge. explore. Lloyd Balsam, a young man
Below—Looking across the summit mesa. The buff-colored pumice is who between weekends of hiking and
streaked with obsidian dust. skiing supervises the testing of new
equipment at Northrop Aircraft, came
across the name "Glass Mountain" on
a map of Mono County, California.
The name intrigued him. Its proxim-
ity to the Mono Craters suggested that
"glass" might refer to the volcanic
glass, obsidian.
The position of the mountain in the
north end of Owens Valley, between
the Sierra Nevada Range on the west
and the White Mountains on the east
suggested that its 11,127-foot summit
might prove an exceptionally fine van-
tage point from which to view that
part of the country. He offered to
lead a trip there over a three-day Mem-
orial holiday.
After the word had gone out via the
printed schedule, it turned out that the
idea interested a good many others
too. Fifty-six people met on Saturday
noon at Tom's Place on Highway 395
in upper Owens Valley, to caravan to
the campsite on Glass Mountain.
We left Tom's Place, 14 cars of us,
and continued up Highway 395 to a
sign reading "Whitmore Tubs." We
turned right onto a black-top road to
Benton Crossing, eight miles, there
turning left on a dirt road that followed
up the Owens River for about two
miles and then cut across the desert
to the mouth of a canyon on the south-
west slope of Glass Mountain, five and
one-half miles of dirt road.
The road ended in the mouth of the
canyon at a large clearing under Jef-
frey pines and quaking aspen. The
elevation was about 7500 feet. Former
campers had left the clearing strewn
with debris. Leader Balsam went to
work with his shovel and others joined
him in digging a pit which a dozen
young people filled with tin cans and
bottles. Old socks, paper cartons and
a ragged shirt were piled up to be
burned. It was like having to clean
the tub before one's bath as well as
after, but what a difference it made!
We filled our eyes with the natural
beauty of the place—the shimmer of
restless aspen leaves as the sun sifted
through, tall Jeffrey pines hung with
18 DESERT MAGAZINE
fat, handsome cones, wild roses strag-
gling around the edges of the clearing
as if to fence it in. A path led back
through dense woods to a little stream
rippling over a mosaic of granite peb- • ' ' • • ; ; •
APRIL, 1955 19
mies, wild beasts and foul weather.
One day when he was walking near
the top of Mt. Konokti he tripped in
the weeds and fell, breaking into a
thousand pieces. That's why the south
slope of Mt. Konokti is covered with
obsidian.
in Peru and Yucatan archeologists
have uncovered mirrors of obsidian
that were used by the ancient Mayans.
In 1942, when black glass for sun re-
flectors became unobtainable, Dr. G.
Dallas Hanna of the California Acad-
emy of Sciences conceived the idea of
using obsidian to make mirrors for
naval instruments. His experiments
proved successful and such mirrors are
in use today. Obsidian conducts heat
at a rapid rate, is harder than pyrex
and lens grinders today consider it
superior to some forms of artificial
glass.
Over a saddle we looked down the
pine-covered slopes of McGee Canyon
to meadows on the edge of the Adobe
Valley in whose bowl two lakes
sparkled. The topographic map of the
Mt. Morris Quadrangle showed ranches
in the Adobe Valley. Roads etched
the valley floor. Beyond a low ridge
to the east the highway trailed up over
Montgomery Pass into Nevada.
Snow patches still lay on the north
side of the ridge we were traveling.
The ridge led us up on a rolling mesa
which had two high points, one to our
left and one to our right, about half a
mile apart. The mesa looked like an
old crater filled in with powdered
pumice streaked with obsidian dust.
The easterly summit broke off
abruptly and the face of the resulting
cliff looked like baked pumice mud,
similar in appearance to adobe. Below
the cliff a snow-etched ridge dropped
to the low green hills of the Benton
Range beyond which the White Moun-
tains rose to over 14,000 feet. We
picked out Boundary Peak where we
had stood last Fourth of July looking
across to Glass Mountain.
Sierra Nevada Peaks filled in the
southwest 90 degrees of our horizon,
Mounts Ritter, Banner and the Mina-
a whole. Obsidian quarries sometimes against disease. He might pronounce rets occupying the center of the arc.
belonged to a number of tribes; even one flake poisonous and the next one The temperature was so agreeable that
enemy tribes might meet there under non-poisonous even when they came we basked two hours on the summit.
truce, to gather materials for their from the same piece. Many believed An 11,000-foot summit is not always
weapons. him without question when he said so hospitably balmy as Glass Moun-
Obsidian played such an important solemnly, "This point is for bear, this tain was Memorial Day. We congrat-
part in the lives of the Indians that in one for deer, this one for coyote and ulated Jocelyn Delmonte, 12, on being
some tribes it came to have a religious this for a human enemy." the youngest lady to qualify for mem-
significance. The craftsman who could According to Samuel Alfred Barrett, bership in the Desert Peaks Section of
turn out exceptionally fine implements the Pomo Indians of Lake County, the Sierra Club, Glass Mountain being
found himself in a position to influence California, accounted for the obsidian her sixth peak from the approved list.
the minds of others. He would inspect they found on the slopes of Mt. Ko- Most of the time a mountain climber
each flake as it fell. His fellow tribes- nokti by creating "Obsidian Man," a plods. But down Glass Mountain we
men believed him if he declared that mythical character they could call on fairly flew. We found two long pum-
a certain flake had curative powers; in time of need. Obsidian Man saved ice slides and skated down, sliding
they would keep that flake as a charm them time after time from their ene- three feet at every stroke. The prob-
20 DESERT MAGAZINE
Fortv-one Sierrans reached the 11,127-foot summit of Glass Mountain, California,
on a weekend hike last spring.
lem of avoiding boulders, usually pres-
ent on scree slopes, was almost absent
on this one. Even the sixty-year-olds
in the party slid down with an aban-
don that belied their years. It was the
Pietm-of-tk-montfi Contest...
most exciting scree-run we had ever Amateur and professional photographers have been recording
encountered, losing over a thousand the desert spring more thoroughly this year than ever before. Among
feet of elevation in 15 minutes. Ob- those photos will be winners in solons and contests from one coast
sidian chips rang like Chinese chimes to another and from border to border. Some will also take prizes in
as clouds of powder billowed about the the Desert Magazine Picture-of-the-month Contest. Is yours a prize-
hilarious queue. When Ken Merton, winner? As long as it is a picture of the desert Southwest—an unusual
nine, finally ran out of slope he hol- scene, a unique rock or tree formation, human interest, or perhaps an
lered, "Let's go up and do it again, animal shot—it is eligible for the Desert contest.
Pop!"
Had time permitted, Pop and the Entries ior the April contest must be sent to the Desert Magazine
rest of us would have agreed. It had office. Palm Desert, California, and postmarked not later than April
been an easy climb up, a fast slide 18. Winning prints will appear in the June issue. Pictures which arrive
down Lloyd Balsam's intriguing Glass too late for one contest are held over for the next month. First prize
Mountain. is $10; second prize $5. For non-winning pictures accepted for publica-
tion $3 each will be paid.
SEARCH OF CHAPEL RUIN
MAY FIND KINO'S GRAVE HERE ARE THE RULES
NOGALES—Just across the border 1—Prints for monthly contests must be black and white. 5x7 or larger, printed
from here, at Magdalena, Sonora, on glossy paper.
Mexico, archeologists are unearthing 2—Each photograph submitted should be fully labeled as to subject, time and
what they believe may be the grave of place. Also technical data: camera, shutter speed, hour of day, etc.
Father Eusebio Kino, builder of Span- 3—PRINTS WILL BE RETURNED WHEN RETURN POSTAGE IS ENCLOSED.
ish missions in the Southwest. The 4—All entries must be in the Desert Magazine office by the 20th of the contest
month.
search is being conducted at a ruin
5—Contests are open to both amateur and professional photographers. Desert
believed by its discoveror, Col. Gil Magazine requires first publication rights only of prize winning pictures.
Proctor, U. S. Army, Ret., to be the 6—Time and place of photograph are immaterial, except that it must be from the
chapel of San Francisco Xavier, where desert Southwest.
eighteenth century historians recorded 7—Judges will be selected from Desert's editorial staff, and awards will be made
the priest died and was buried in 1711. immediately after the close of the contest each month.
The ruin follows the floor plan of the
usual religious center in the old South- Address All Entries to Photo Editor
west — chapel, vestry, priest's room
and enclosed courtyard used as a ceme- *74e *De4ent 7%aycifi*te PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
tery.—Phoenix Gazette
APRIL, 1955 21
HOME ON THE DESERT
DESERT MAGAZINE
Something had to be done. Assum- A resident of Winslow, Arizona, Opal
ing my most neighborly manners, I Edna Singer has lived 28 years on the
ventured to intercede for the bush. Arizona desert, numbers among her
"You like it?" she asked me. friends many Navajo, Hopi and
Apache Indians. She is a member of
"Yes," I said, "I like it. If it were the National Press Women and at the
mine I'd leave it." Arizona Press Women's 1954 conven-
"But why?" she wanted to know. tion in Phoenix was presented with
She was a New Yorker and I wasn't
going to like her, I thought. But I When Nell Murbarger, author of the First Award for best news story
tried to explain. "It's kind of pretty— this month's "Lost Hardin Silver: Mys- published in a magazine.
tery or Hoax?," completed the round * * *
or could be," I told her, "and it smells
good, when there's rain." trip to Hardin City, it had been a Alhambra, California, housewife
vague trail she followed at best. Ed Louise T. Werner, author of this
She looked at me strangely for a Green, her guide, said, "I wouldn't go month's "We Climbed Glass Moun-
moment and then she smiled and said, over that road again for a million dol- tain," took up mountain climbing be-
"If you like it we will leave it." And lars!" But Miss Murbarger had other cause that was one of the favorite hob-
I knew her for the good neighbor she ideas. A month later she needed ac- bies of her husband, Niles. At present
has proved to be. curate measurements for the Desert Mrs. Werner is aiding the desert peaks
To this day she probably doesn't map of the road and back along the section of the Sierra Club in its move
know that "our bush," which forages 500-mile trip went the author and Ed to have the Forest Service declare the
on both sides of the fence and thrives Green. Miss Murbarger, of Costa northern portion of the White Moun-
beautifully, is actually a creosote bush Mesa, California, has just collected five tain Range of California and Nevada a
—resinous, slightly poisonous, known top awards from the California Asso- Wild Area, to protect it from unneces-
to native desert people as "little bad ciation of Press Women for the best sary road building. The area, she ex-
smeller" but commonly called grease- literary material published by Califor- plains, abounds with specimens of
wood. nia women writers during 1954. Her miniature alpine plants, Indian arti-
"Josie Pearl, Prospector on Nevada's facts, sage hens, horned larks, rosy
Black Rock Desert" {Desert, August, finches and wild horses.
WORLD DESERT SYMPOSIUM 1954) took first place in the interview * * *
DUE APRIL 26 IN AMERICA classification for both newspapers and A. M. Russell, 5143'/2 Almaden
magazines, and will qualify for national Drive, Los Angeles 24, California, is
"The Future of Our Arid Lands" is competition in July.
the subject of a symposium to be at- better known to his friends as Pana-
tended by experts from all over the * * * mint Russ ("Life on the Desert," this
desert regions of the world April 26 Harold O. Weight (author of this issue). Russ has extended an invita-
to May 4 at Albuquerque and Socorro, month's "Doodlebug Trail into Agate- tion to anyone ready and willing to
New Mexico, sponsored by the United land") is in the enviable position of share his Good Faith and opportunity:
Nations UNESCO, the Rockefeller having all his hobbies become a part "That little prospect has laid idle long
Foundation, National Science Founda- of his work as a writer. Weight, who enough! Now that there is peace again
tion and the American Association for lives at Twentynine Palms, California, —no gasoline shortage, no war hys-
the Advancement of Science. with his author wife Lucilc, lists among teria—there might be someone who
his hobbies: Americana book collect- would drift out to the Panamints, do
It will be the first world conference ing, history research, ghost towns, rock a little window shopping, meet real
on desert problems ever to take place collecting and cutting and polishing, people, let their blood pressure get
in the United States and will be at- photography, desert travel, camping back to normal and even decide to
tended by hundreds of the foremost and hiking. Rock hunting isn't all help me finish that tunnel."
leaders in desert research from Aus- work in the sun, though, he explains. * * *
tralia, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Last February 2, he and his wife were
two Americas, according to Victor H. Norton Allen is the artist-cartog-
caught in a first-class blizzard-type rapher who has been drawing Desert
Schoffelmayer, member of the Desert snow storm in Arizona while crossing Magazine's popular maps for 17 years.
and Arid Land Committee, AAAS. the Black Mountains between Davis Norton is a very modest young man—
Head of the symposium is Dr. Peter Dam and the Kingman Road. so modest in fact that when he slipped
C. Duisberg, well-known desert re- * * * off to Fredonia, Arizona, last sum-
searcher of El Paso, Texas. One entire When the editors of Desert first cor- mer and returned to his mountainside
day, April 29, will be devoted to responded with O. E. Singer, author home at La Mesa, California, a few
roundtable discussions open to the of this month's "Navajo Medicine days later with a bride, he neglected to
general public. A two-day field trip, Man," there was a natural inclination mention this event to any except his
including geology and ecology excur- to communicate with a "Mr. Singer." most intimate friends. But the truth
sions to Estancia Valley, White Sands, It didn't take long to receive the amus- finally came to light—and now Desert
Gran Quivira, Jornada Experiment ing reply: "Great shades of cacti, Mr. Magazine can make a belated anounce-
Range Station, the "Malpais" lava Editor, I'm female! . . . I assure you ment of the marriage. The bride was
formation near Carrizozo, is scheduled the use of initials was not meant in Ethel Crane, a New Jersey girl who
for April 30 and May 1. any way to conceal my sex. It just came West 12 years ago, taught school
The conference is to open at the seemed simpler to use them." To verify in Brawley, California, and then re-
University of New Mexico. John L. her statement, Mrs. Singer listed a hus- turned to Columbia for her master's
Hay, chairman of the Committee on band who is a Santa Fe Diesel engineer, degree in education. Norton's main
Education, 1007 Robinson Blvd., El two children, two grand-children and hobby for many years has been arche-
Paso, Texas, states that people of the a Boston screw-tail bulldog. ology and he has one of the finest pri-
southwest are invited to attend these New to Desert readers, she has sold vate collections of artifacts in the
important meetings. Hotel reservations articles to numerous other magazines Southwest. Fittingly, the bride wore
and information can be obtained from and is currently working on a Western a Zuni ring and prehistoric pueblo
Hay. novel set shortly after the Civil War. turquoise at the wedding ceremony.
APRIL, 1955
DESERT WONDERS
SUNRISE
By ANONA MCCONAGHY
Downey, California
In The Desett By LAURA A. LAVIGNE
Phoenix, Arizona
By G. R. MARSDEN Dust-devils swirling o'er the land;
I saw a desert sun arise Long Beach, California
Above a barren land, Strange entities born of the wind.
The glory of the flaming skies When the sagebrush sweeps the cobwebs Arrayed in garb of soil and sand,
Was like a silver band From a man's neglected soul, Bedecked with shredded leaves and straw.
Which squeezed my heart— He can place the flaming sunset
a tightening On a candle cactus pole; Pole-cacti thumbing "that-a-way";
That made my breath come fast; He can match the sky-high stature Spike-armor standing straight and tall.
So brief a time, a perfect thing— Of a two-toned mountain king; Mute sentries of an ancient day
But mine while life shall last. He can touch an early planet Still guarding Nature's last frontier.
In the necklace night will bring.
He can glimpse a sea of crystal
THE ANSWER As he stands on golden ground; Cloud-wisps that travel to the north
He can hear the silence shouting For rendezvous on mountain top.
By SARAH PHILLIPS SALINGER That a restless son is found! And wrapt in darkness sally forth—
Santa Barbara, California A mighty coverlet of rain.
i'm not sure that this is the answer
But it does, in a way, satisfy THISTLE SAGE To me who by the desert live,
When I think of the size of a desert (Salvia Carduacea) The wonder of these things is lost.
And question the wherefore and why? By MARGARET SHELTON Til alien eyes in reverence give
Vista, California Full measure to their mystery.
As I watched a breath-taking sunset
My question found ample reply — Remember the bare bleak rocks and shale
I saw that the size of the desert must be The home of the lizard and thorn?
Plenty-big, to make room for the sky.
• • •
Remember the blow of wind off the snow
And its wail of a soul forlorn?
Well, this is the stage for the thistle sage
FAITH
CLASSWORK Where it stands in its fierce grey spines. By TANYA SOUTH
By DARRELL A. TOTTEN
Faith is the open door to Heaven.
Las Vegas, Nevada Remember the sky of lupine blue And in your life it is the leaven
The desert is a teacher who portrays The clouds and the sun and the sand? That recreates again your hope,
Odd vignettes of life in subtle ways. Remember the days when the poppies blaze And brings a more enlightened scope.
Just walk a desert trail, alone, and know Like a sunset spread on the land?
Why Man has ever sought to learn—and Well, this is the place where the thistles Have Faith, dear heart. That much
grow. grace God asks.
As tomb-like silence casts its formless spell Their full share in the pageant of spring.
One finds, within his thoughts, heaven and With Faith to guide, there are no
hell. tasks
Far from the city's raucous, man-made din (Purple ruffled petals like a can-can skirt
Flaunting urgent fragrance like a fresh young Too hard, no struggle over long.
The seeker finds true virtue and true sin. Nor any wrong
Mind? — Is it more than just the human flirt-
brain, All around the flounces are stay-away signs Too difficult to override—
Counting much less of pleasure than of pain? Made of wicked petioles and grey-green For Faith will guide.
Ask the desert. The teacher can explain! spines.)
24 DESERT MAGAZINE
Pktms of
the Month
Desert Conitast
Don Cathcart, San Bernar-
dino, California, was the win-
ner of first prize in Desert's
February Picture-of-the-Month
contest. Don caught this unusual
picture while rambling over the
desert—a tarantula on the skull
of a bovine, in a setting of cac-
tus. Taken with a 3V* x 4V4
Speed Graphic, 4.7 Ektar lens,
1/100 second at F: 16, Super
Pancro Press film.
Young
Second place winner in the
February Picture-of-the-Month
contest was Willard Luce of
Provo, Utah. His subject is
Drummer Clement Young Eagle
of Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico,
who participates in many of the
Indian ceremonials. Photo-
graphed with a Super Graflex,
1/30 second at F:16. Medium
Pan film.
25
Navajo
Medicine
Man ...
Small Man lay gravely ill on the pile of
sheepskins on the dirt floor of his hogan.
He was an old Navajo, and ready for the
Happy Hunting Grounds. But there remained
the hope that the Death Spirit could be
thwarted by a chant or an herb, a sand-
painting or a sacred potion—or at least the
four-day trip to the after-life be made easier.
So Small Man's relatives sent for the "doc-
tor"—Medicine Man Dugal Chee Begay.
By O. E. SINGER
Photos by George C. Hight
MAN Dugal Chee poured on glowing red-hot stones piled sheepskin spread on the bare dirt floor.
B e g a y stood before his hogan in the center had billowed up mightily Outside, over an open fire, his wife
doorway, facing the east. —but after Small Man had emerged, Mary prepared breakfast of mutton
About his neck hung strands of silver dripping with sweat, and had dashed stew, fry-bread and coffee.
jewelry and circling his waist was a cold water over his body to complete Taking up his medicine pouch, made
fine concho belt studded with tur- the treatment, the sickness still re- from the skin of a deer killed without
quoise. From his ears hung long slen- mained. the spilling of blood, he reached inside
der turquoise earrings. He wore his Small Man was old. How old only and carefully and reverently took out
hat, a wide-brimmed, tall-crowned felt, the gods knew. He had taken to his a number of sacred items and placed
set straight on his head. sheepskins on the dirt floor of his ho- them in a pile in front of him.
With thin, graceful hands he beck- gan, the messenger told Dugal Chee There were bear claw rattles, bits of
oned to the rising sun, pulling its bene- Begay, and could not arise. animal tissue, beads, shells, stones, a
ficial rays toward him, inhaling its sa- As the medicine man turned to en- piece of alien scalp, a tuft of hair, tiny
cred breath, in a prayer to heal and ter his hogan his eyes swept over the bags of medicinal herbs gathered from
to bless. fat sheep in the corral. For his skill mountain and plain, Mormon tea for
He would need the blessing and this day he would be paid as much as the stomach, leaves of the barbary for
healing power of the sun god, this four sheep, a bolt of cloth, some silver rheumatic stiffness and, for sores,
day. and turquoise, depending on how long branches of the cancer root.
Only this morning word had come his services would be required. The medicine man handled the items
to him that Hastquin Yaze, Small Man, Dugal Chee Begay was a good medi- carefully, and said a prayer over them
was ill and that his services were cine man, thus a wealthy one. When asking forgiveness for disturbing them.
needed. illness struck, or the bird of evil omen, To Navajos, all objects, animate or
The sweat bath, taken by the sick the owl, hooted nearby, or bad dreams inanimate, are endowed with living
man in a specially constructed sweat troubled one's slumber, rich and poor spirits.
room, a hogan-like structure made of alike sought his services. Dugal Chee Begay bowed his head
tightly chinked mud and logs, had done Once inside his hogan, Dugal Chee and silently asked the healing gods to
no good. Steam generated by water Begay sat down cross-legged on his imbue the sacred objects before him
26 DESERT MAGAZINE
The Navajo sandpainting is a symbolic design carefully "painted" with brightly
colored sands to help drive the Evil Spirits out of the patient. The design must be
destroyed at sundown.
with great power, to make them fine sand, and had shaken the sheep- She was an industrious and faithful
stronger than ever before. skins that were their beds and slung woman.
He sat, head bowed, deep in medi- them over a rabbit bush to sun and Mary watched her husband until,
tation, until Mary spoke from the door- air. Now she sat at her loom, in the crossing over a ridge, he disappeared
way, telling him that hot food awaited. shade of a scrub cedar. from view.
Breakfast over, Dugal Chee Begay Sitting cross-legged on a blanket It was a half-day's journey by horse-
rose and saddled his horse. To the spread on the bare earth, wearing a back to Small Man's camp. The medi-
back of the saddle he tied a bright bright velvet blouse and ankle-length, cine man urged his mount gently with
Pendleton blanket, his constant com- full-gathered skirt, the Navajo wife's his heels until billows of dust whirled
panion summer and winter. In sum- nimble fingers drew the yarns back in their wake.
mer, the blanket, worn over his shoul- and forth across the width of the loom. As he rode, his mind went back to
ders, kept out the heat and slung As she worked she kept an eye on the the days of his apprenticeship when,
over a limb of scrub cedar, af- sheep that grazed nearby. as a boy, he had been coached as a
forded shade. In winter, it warmed singer by an aging uncle, a prominent
him. Caught in a winter's night, he Dugal Chee Begay took up his medi-
cine pouch and mounting his horse, medicine man.
would scoop out a trench in the earth Dugal Chee Begay had been chosen
the length and breadth of his body, rode away from his home in the Black
Mountain region to be gone one day, as a pupil by the Old One because of
build in it a fire of cedar limbs or his quickness of mind and his natural
rabbit brush, and allow the fire to burn nine days, two months—Mary never
knew—for many times he was called aptitude for the singing of songs. Un-
down into ashes. Bedded down in the der the Old One's instruction, he mem-
hot ashes, rolled in his blanket and directly from one sick bed to another.
orized the many songs and chants,
covered with dirt, he would sleep snug He did not look back. Mary would learned to construct the intricately
and warm. guard the flock well and care for the beautiful symbolic sandpaintings and
Mary had "done the dishes" by cornpatch that glinted green in the to make prayersticks of willow, feather-
scouring blackened pots and pans with morning sun at the foot of the ridge. tipped and carved particularly for the
APRIL, 1955 27
The journey had taken longer than
he had anticipated. It was now far
past mid-afternoon, and a group of the
sick man's friends and relatives stood
about the clearing. As he rode into
camp, the eyes in their solemn faces
strained toward him anxiously and,
when he had stiffly dismounted, one
came forward and quietly led his horse
away.
Going over to the hogan of Small
Man, Dugal Chee Begay lifted the
blanket that covered the doorway and
stepped inside.
Small Man lay upon a sheepskin in
the Southwest corner. His eyes, sun-
ken in a face criss-crossed with the
lines of many years, were closed. His
mouth hung slack and slightly open,
his breath a dry rattle in his throat.
A bright headband held in place the
thin, straggly hair that he wore cut
short at the ear lobes.
On the north side of the hogan.
Small Man's two wives sat on sheep-
skins. The stark fear on their faces
gave way to relief as Dugal Chee Be-
gay entered and sat down quietly by
the side of Small Man. Would his
power be strong enough to stay the
hand of the Evil One who had stamped
the face of Small Man with the mark
Navajo Medicine bag in which are kepi the sacred items used by the of death? If not, as a Medicine Man
medicine man to minister to his patients. The bag is made from the skin he could give comfort to his going, and
of a deer killed without the spilling of blood, preferably by suffocation make easier the perilous four-day
with sacred pollen. crossing over to the Happy Hunting
Grounds.
god to whom the prayer would be of- well, a time of feasting and visiting There was no time for elaborate
fered. He had also learned how to with friends and relatives not often ritual. For a silent moment Dugal
diagnose illnesses and to distinguish seen. Navajos do not live in villages Chee Begay sat with head bowed.
the healing herbs one from another, but in scattered isolated family groups Then he began to chant:
when to gather and how to brew. near ranges or beside a waterhole. To There is no Evil in You
Through this knowledge he since had visit with a neighbor means a long ride. It is gone . . . It is gone . . .
driven many evil spirits from the bodies Big Charlie was a man rich in rela- Outside, the men's voices joined
of his people. tives, horses and sheep, and his sing that of Dugal Chee Begay, the wailing
He thought of Chala Tso, Big Char- had netted Dugal Chee Begay 12 sheep, cry filling the dying day and on into
lie, who had accidentally killed a snake. two ponies, a bolt of bright velvet, two the night.
The spirit of the snake had entered rugs and a small bag of raw turquoise.
Big Charlie's stomach, he could feel That had been four days ago. Now As the chant rose from the lips of
it squirming about, he said, and it was the medicine man was on his way to Dugal Chee Begay in a long, last cry,
causing him great pain. He sent for the hogan of Small Man, who could then died away in silence, the watchers
Dugal Chee Begay. not arise from his sheepskin. melted away on silent feet as quickly
It had taken a nine-day sing and Fine particles of sand cut Dugal as though the hand of a magician had
four assistants to drive the snake's Chee Begay's face and he pulled his wiped them suddenly from the land-
spirit from the man's stomach. It had hat lower over his eyes as the wind scape.
required many prayersticks, the con- sent a sudden gust whistling through Left with the dead in the now silent
struction of a sandpainting and the the scrub cedar, flushing a dust devil hogan was only Dugal Chee Begay,
blackening of the patient's body from that scuttled erratically away. An evil head bowed in silent resignation.
the soles of his feet to the top of his omen, the dust devil could bring dras- Now he, too, rose and, lifting the
head with a brew made from the ashes tic misfortune should it cross his path. blanket that covered the doorway,
of burned foxtail and pennyroyal. Dugal Chee Begay followed it with stepped out into the night. Mounting
It had been a big sing, with the his eyes and sighed for his people who his horse, he merged into the shadow
man's relatives helping with the ex- were constantly beset with the ever- of scrub cedar and was soon lost to
pense. It had taken a lot of coffee, present Evil Ones. As a medicine man, view.
fry-bread and mutton to feed the vis- it was his responsibility to counteract If no post trader or friendly white
itors who came to help. All who came the harm they wrought. man could be found for the task, the
had donated to the feast, as each one Crossing a deep arroyo and, top- dead man's relatives would return, re-
attending would derive some benefit ping a rise, the rider suddenly came luctantly and fearfully, to perform
from the rite. upon the hogan of Small Man, tucked burial rites and to destroy the hogan.
The Navajo sing is more than a under a ridge in a clump of scrub The place, now the habitat of malig-
healing session, it is a social affair as cedar. nant spirits, would be taboo forever.
28 DESERT MAGAZINE
Nona B. Mott's hobby—tropical
30 DESERT MAGAZINE
Sheephole Mountain Story . . . Rabbits, Sea-shells and Bottles . . .
LfflCRS
Junipers and Junipers . . .
Desert:
Malibu, California
Desert: I am mailing a copy to every mem- manufacture car dressing tent which covers windows, providing A
foot space for privacy and dressing, also, car door insect screens
ber who wasn't at the meeting, so that for protection.
In your February issue you describe each of our 249 members will have EICHORST AUTO TOP SHOP
the Valley of Fire and one of the stone one for ready reference. 8119 Long Beach Blvd. • South Gate, Calif.
Free Folders • LA 4B3! • I to 2 Days Service
elephants (p. 25) and also show a I thought you might like to know
picture of the other stone elephant on about it. It proves we really enjoy
page 26. Why doesn't someone tell and use Desert. We've gone on many
the public where the second one is lo- good trips taken from it and really You'll want to keep those
cated? It is a much better elephant appreciate the excellent work put into
than the one on page 25. it. MAPS
There is no sign to call attention to WALLY FISHER
it (unless it has been placed there which appear each month in
L.E.R.C. Rockcrafters Club Desert Magazine—maps which
lately), while the first elephant has a • • •
sign near the road directing visitors Arizona Gets Yuma Back . . . will be your guide on many de-
to it. The one on page 26 is a consid- lightful excursions into the great
erable distance east of the other one, Yuma, Arizona desert playground.
about 100 feet from the road on the Desert: Attractive loose-leaf binders em-
north side (left side going toward In regard to the Desert February bossed in gold not only will
Overton), about where the road in your Calendar, page 3, February 12-13, preserve the maps, but will be
map goes behind three peaks, about Jaycee Silver Spur Rodeo, Yuma, Cali- a beautiful addition to your
half way between "Atlatl Rock" and fornia . . . I've been living in Yuma, home book-shelf. Each binder
"Boat Dock." The road at this point Arizona, for 10 years and in Arizona holds 12 copies. Easy to insert,
is narrow and crooked as it passes for 29 years. First time I knew Yuma they open flat.
between big rocks so that if you are was in California.
traveling at regular speed the elephant Mailed postpaid for
Shame on you. Give us back Yuma.
would be in view for only a few sec- $2.00
MRS. C. M. EDWARDS
onds and might easily be missed. Although Yuma on numerous oc- THE
I get much information about inter- casions has considered seceding from
esting places to see from reading Des- Arizona for one reason or another,
ert Magazine. Desert had no intention of hastening PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
JOHN V. FREDERICK this action. Sorry!—R. H.
APRIL, 1955 31
Washington, D. C. . . .
APRIL, 1955 33
Jeep Cavalcade Announced . . .
34 DESERT MAGAZINE
Valley Snow Unusual . . . Blasts Affect Prospecting . . . Low Revision Sought . . .
DEATH VALLEY—Early January Geiger counters may click wildly in WASHINGTON — Misuse of min-
snows in Death Valley startled many Western and Rocky Mountain areas, ing laws to gain access to valuable
tourists in the area. Snow, falling at but prospectors have been cautioned timber lands and camp sites has been
the 1,000-foot level made chains nec- not to become too excited since the condemned by Nevada Congressman
essary for autos to negotiate stretches clicking may be caused by nuclear ex- Cliff Young, who introduced in Con-
of the highway over Townes' Pass. periments in southern Nevada. The gress an amendment to the Materials
lnyo Independent Atomic Energy Commission issued the Act that would curb such action. His
• • • warning high background readings amendment would prohibit a mining
Salton Park Dedicated . . . could be occasioned by the experiments claim on public lands when the claim
COACHELLA—Dedication of one which in the past have run as long as is based on location of sand, stone,
of California's newest state parks took three months. Goldfietd News gravel, pumice, pumicite and cinders.
place on the shores of the Salton Sea • • • Tonopah Time-Bonanza
on February 12. The Salton Sea State Progress Threat Averted . . . • • •
Park is located just south of Mecca on VIRGINIA CITY—The Territorial
the north shore of the great inland Enterprise rested easier today as edi- NEW MEXICO
body of water. Coachella Valley Sun tors were assured by Bell Telephone
• • • of Nevada that Virginia City would be Wind Erosion Predicted . . .
Mojave Survey Begins . . . the "last community in the state to SANTA FE—Serious wind erosion
BARSTOW—An industrial survey suffer the inconvenience and indignity has been predicted for New Mexico
of the Mojave Desert area has been of automatic phones." The paper an- during March and April unless good
started by the Quinton Engineering nounced that "the pestilence of what amounts of rainfall are received, ac-
Co. of Los Angeles to determine the passes for progress will be spared Vir- cording to the U.S. Weather Bureau.
present industrial land use and the ginia City" and that "the oldest switch- The Bureau said that cold weather and
potential. The study is being sponsored board in the West and its effective lack of moisture has kept winter grains
by the Mojave Valley Chambers of service by operators would continue dormant in the eastern plains creating
Commerce. Barstow Printer-Review for some time into the future." Ter- conditions favorable to erosion. New
• • • ritorial Enterprise. Mexican
NEVADA • • •
Last Train Preserved . . . Bill Protects Gamblers . . .
CARSON CITY — Nevada's legis-
CARSON CITY—Last locomotive
and three cars of the Virginia and lature has now passed a bill to protect SUN HELMETS
Truckee Railroad will be placed on gamblers, instead of the public. It
permanent display outside the Carson wasn't thought necessary, until two
City depot. The locomotive is No. 27, men used Mexican coins in Nevada's
a ten-wheeler built for the V and T legal slot machines and no law could
by Baldwin in 1913 which saw service be found prohibiting it. The new bill
on the final run five years ago. Ter- will now make it illegal for the public
ritorial Enterprise to cheat the gamblers. Phoenix Gazette
THE LARGEST
ftopulat Pticect Lightweight; 11 02. only. Ideal for fishing,
HOTEL IN desert wear, your backyard, on those
parched, sunswept days. Originally de-
LOS ANGELES signed for Allies in desert warfare against
Rommel.
SENSIBLE RATES
Singles from $3.50 State Sizes 6 and up. Brand new. (Surplus.
Dealer enquiries invited.)
Doubles from $5.00
Send check or M.O. Unconditional 10-day
Twin Beds
money back guarantee if item is returned
from $6.00 prepaid in same condition as shipped.
California residents add 3% sales tax.
\/ weekly
tind monthly'
ates on request
APRIL, 1955 35
Elk in New Home . . . S.P. Plans Pipeline . . . By the time Fitzpatrick finally found
SANTA FE—State Game Warden An 800-mile pipeline from El Paso it, he was getting a little panicky that
Homer Pickens has turned housing of- through Tucson and Phoenix to Los this gem of frontier newspaper report-
ficial for 106 elk, which he moved Angeles will be laid along Southern ing was lost forever. He penned an
from their Yellowstone homes to new Pacific railroad tracks in 1955, com- article on it for the September issue of
homes in New Mexico for seed stock. pany officials announced. Southern the magazine. The interview, with an
One-third of the herd went to the Pacific will use this new method of unidentified reporter, was in the Las
Cimarron Canyon wildlife area in transporting refined petroleum prod- Vegas Gazette for December 28, 1880.
northern New Mexico with the re- ucts—regular, premium and aviation The Gazette had gone extra the night
mainder sent to the Gila Wilderness gasolines, diesel oil and jet plane fuel. before on the capture of the Kid and
area in southwestern New Mexico. Southern Pacific Pipelines, Inc., a sub- other outlaws by Pat Garrett's posse
New Mexican sidiary of S.P. Railroad Co., will carry at Stinking Springs. In the interview,
• • • out the job. Alamogordo Daily News the Kid said he had planned to skip
Fort To Be Monument . . . • • • the country before Garrett caught him.
Museum To Expand . . . He also said "1 haven't stolen any
Historic old Fort Union, the Santa stock. I made my living gambling, but
Fe trail outpost, will soon become a SILVER CITY—Expansion of the that was the only way I could live.
national monument. The crumbled Mogollon Museum has been announced They wouldn't let me settle down. If
ruins of the fort will be restored, with by Curator Marshall Walton to pre- they had, I wouldn't be here today,
work due to begin this spring. Clovis serve all old-time New Mexicana avail- Chisum got me into all this trouble and
New Mexico Press able. The museum will also be then wouldn't help me out."
• • • incorporated into a non-profit organi-
Indian Aid Necessary . . . zation with a self-perpetuating board. Cattleman John Chisum, according
Silver City Daily Press to some chronicles, was the power be-
SANTA FE—New Mexican Indian hind the move which brought Pat Gar-
tribes are not in favor of repeal of the • • •
Rare Interview Found . . . rett from Texas to stamp out lawless-
1934 Indian Reorganization Act and ness after the Lincoln County war.—
the New Mexico Association of Indian SANTA FE—A rare, if not the only
newspaper interview ever given by New Mexican
Affairs has urged Congress to kill the
Malone Bill which calls for the repeal. Billy the Kid was discovered by George • • •
The bill, which would allow three years Fitzpatrick, editor of New Mexico UTAH
for Indians to prepare for equal citi- Magazine. He came across it by acci- Sierra Club To Tour River . . .
zen status, was the subject of a meet- dent two years ago while doing re- SALT LAKE CITY—Whether or
ing of the Association with Apache, search at Highlands University on an- not Utah Gov. J. Bracken Lee accepts,
Pueblo and Navajo tribal representa- other project. When he went back the Sierra Club plans five six-day
tives. New Mexican later, the interview had been misplaced. trips this summer down the wilder-
ness river trails of the Dinosaur
National Monument area—land which
will be partially flooded if Echo Park
flPRIL IS UIILDFLOUIER fllOnTH Dam were to be built. The club in-
vited the governor to see with his "own
Know Your Wildflowers • • • Enjoy Your Hikes and Trips eyes how indescribable the beauty is
in this part of Colorado and Utah . . ."
Salt Lake Tribune
April and the following weeks promise to be one of the most • • •
luxurious seasons for flowering cacti and wildflowers in the Southwest. Hite Ferry Quits . . .
Enjoy your hikes or serious botany rambles by knowing the names and HITE — "There's just not enough
habitats of the beauties of the desert. Tuck one of the following booklets money in it," was the way Ilda and
in your pocket or have one of the authoritative books in the car for Elmer Johnson described their reason
for quitting the Hite Ferry on the up-
ready reference. per Colorado River. Lack of adequate
school facilities for their children was
FLOWERS OP THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS, Natt X. Dodge $1.00 another reason given. Without the
Handy booklet size, illustrated with many drawings. ferry, which charged $5 one-way plus
FLOWERS OF THE SOUTHWEST MESAS, Pauline M. Patraw $1.00 50 cents per passenger to make the
Convenient booklet, showing sections, illustrated. half-mile run, motorists must drive
FLOWERS OF THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS, Leslie Arnberger. $1.00 325 miles through Hanksville, Green-
Booklet describing the many mountain species; illustrated. river, Moab, Monticello and Blanding
DESERT WILD FLOWERS, Edmund C. Jaeger $5.00 to get from Hite on the north bank to
A revised edition of this famous, authoritative book. White Canyon on the south. Ogden
FIELD BOOK OF WESTERN WILD FLOWERS, Margaret Armstrong $5.00
Standard-Examiner
Also the authority on western flower display. • • •
University Growth Continues . . .
THE FLOWERING CACTUS, Raymond Carlson $7.50
SALT LAKE CITY—Nearly $4,-
Gorgeous photographs, descriptive text of desert beauties.
425,000 in new construction and re-
modeling is proceeding on schedule at
Books Mailed Prepaid — California Buyers add 3% sales tax the University of Utah. The program
includes a union building, classroom
building, men's dormitory, mainte-
nance shop, renovation of the boiler
plant and conversion to gas of the
Palm Desert, California heating system in Stadium Village.
Salt Lake Tribune
36 DESERT MAGAZINE
School Site Selected . . .
RENO—Regents of the University
of Nevada have accepted a 60-acre
tract near the Las Vegas strip for con-
struction of a proposed southern Ne-
vada branch of the school. A bill is
H$HI Rock Shotty
pending before the legislature to au-
thorize a $200,000 bond issue for of Death Valley
construction of a classroom building
at the site. The land was a gift of ordered a dozen young apple
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Wilbourn, A station wagon stopped in
front of the Inferno store and a trees an' planted 'em below the
Modesto, Calif. Humboldt Star spring up in Eight Ball canyon.
young woman came in. "What
• • • can we buy for a cold lunch?" But they wuz too much alkali in
Daylight Saving Readied . . . she asked. "We brought a picnic the ground, an' them apples wuz
CARSON CITY—Nevada will join basket with us, but the butter so salty he couldn't eat 'em.
California in switching to daylight melted, the milk turned sour and "Then Bill got another idea.
saving time from April 24 to Septem- I am afraid your hot weather has He ordered some buds an' grafted
ber 25, Governor Charles Russell an- spoiled the meat." 'em on the ironwood trees. About
nounced. Present Nevada laws allow Hard Rock Shorty, waiting on the third year it looked like he'd
the governor to invoke daylight saving the trade while the clerk made a have a nice crop o' apples. They
time whenever he feels conditions war- trip down to Barstow for sup- got big and red, and Bill did a
rant. Humboldt Star plies, waved at the shelves: "Lot's lot o' talkin' about the apple pies
• • • o' grub up there—beans, sardines, and dumplin's he wuz gonna
Drought Break Seen . . . hardtack, coffee an' some o' that make.
The drought cycle in the Rocky new-fangled canned ham . . ." "Then one night one o' the
Mountain region has passed its crisis "But don't you have any fruit burros reared up on his hind legs
and the area can now look for cooler, or fresh vegetables?" she asked. and knocked one o' them apples
damper weather, according to Dr. Wal- "Naw, that stuff don't grow off the tree and tried to eat it.
ter Orr Roberts, director of the Colo- here. Tried it once—that is, my Broke three teeth on the first
rado University high altitude observa- pardner Pisgah Bill did. Bill bite. Guess they wuz too much
tory at Climax, Colo. Roberts' studies liked apples, an' he wuz always iron, fer Bill couldn't bust one
of sun spots have convinced him that frettin' cause he didn't have none. o' them apples with a sledge
the next two or three decades will be Decided one day to grow 'em hammer. Finally sold his crop
drought-free. He said indications are himself so he got one o' them to one o' them rock collectors
mounting steadily that a 60-year nursery catalogs and sent out an' fer cuttin' material."
drought cycle is being reversed.
Springer Tribune
• • • DESERT ARTISTS DISPLAY
Fish Eggs Processed . . . WORK AT ART GALLERY
VERNAL — More than 6 million Some of the desert's finest artists
ALTA INDUSTRIES
2133 W. Encanto Blvd., Phoenix, Arizona
game fish eggs are now being proc- and craftsmen are currently participat-
essed through Utah's hatchery trays ing in weekend exhibits of their work LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT
for eventual planting as fry, fingerling at the Desert Magazine art gallery. MANUFACTURE AND DESIGN*
and legals. Hatchery facilities will Each weekend through March and New 10-12 inch powerfeed slabbing
work at their peak all year to process April the gallery, located on Highway saw unit.
the two million brook, three million 111 in Palm Desert, California, is to be 16-18 inch powerfeed slabbing saw-
rainbow, one million brown and 300,- the scene of outstanding displays of units.
000 kokanee salmon eggs. Vernal desert artisans. Nationally-known ar- 8 and 10 inch trim saw units.
Express tists John Hilton, James Swinnerton, Plain and ball bearing belt sanders.
Clyde Forsythe, Henry Clive, Conrad Send postal for free New 1955 litera-
ture.
Buff and P. Stanlaws will be present
ANSWERS TO DESERT QUIZ from time to time during that period
Questions are on page 17 to give criticisms and suggestions.
JOSHUA TREE AREA
1—Superstition Mountains. sri.ENIMI) 5-ACRE TRACT SITES
WALLIS, GOOD *GET POSTS LOW I'RICKM CABINS
2—Mine. U.S. Government Tracts
3—Arizona. AS LAKE MEAD NATURALISTS S10-S20 per acre. Roads, water, electricity
4—Roadrunner. O. L. Wallis and John Good have planned. Jo.shua Tiee-29 Palms area.
No. 1 Map $1.50 plus <i cents postage
5—Imperial Valley of California. been appointed Park Naturalists for
6—Copper group. the Lake Mead National Recreation E. B. MOORE CO.. INC.
7—Cactus. Exp. on "The Great American Desert"
8—Billy the Kid. Area, Superintendent Charles A. No Smog. No fog. Elevation 3000 feet.
9—Exploration of Grand Canyon. Richey announced. The pair will teach Locator. 20fi Hwy., Joshua Tree
10—Camel driver. desert lore through radio programs,
11—Joshua tree. guided trips and talks at the Boulder
12—Cholla.
Beach Campground, Supt. Richey said. LOOKfma a y A MILLION THRILLS!
13—Painter. High Power
14—San Francisco peaks.
15—Weaving baskets.
Wallis has served as ranger-natural- BiB>NOCULARS
ist in Crater Lake and Yosemite Na- [ 3 0 DAY FREE TRIAL
16—Tucson. tional Parks and as a park ranger at Finest Precision Optic.
17—Verbena. m mm
18—Hardness of minerals. Yosemite and Lake Mead. Good has
$9
: : ' ^ H | 33 Models] Easy Pay Plan
19—Humboldt River.
20—Gallup, New Mexico.
been a tour guide at Carlsbad Caverns
National Park and park ranger at Lake
Mead.
1 1 "1
BUSHNEU SiMta UVU
|9
[H
* ^
free/ Catalog & Book
"How to Select Binocular*"
D.pl. D-4 43 E. Green
Paaadnna. Calif.
APRIL, 1955 37
use in discussing something picked up at
38 DESERT MAGAZINE
A 4000 carat aquamarine blue precious
APRIL, 1 9 5 5 39
COLORADO MINERAL specimens, cut-
ting and tumbling materials. Send 2 cent
GEfll fllflRT A D V E R T I S I N G
10c a word . . . Minimum $1.50
R A T E stamp for list and terms. Dealers please
write for wholesale list. John Patrick,
Idaho Springs, Colorado.
McSHAN'S GEM SHOP—open part time,
TUMBLED and polished moss agates, 5c LOVELY BAROQUE GEMS: For making or find us by directions on door. Cholla
and 10c a piece or $5.50 a pound. Moss today's jewelry. Bracelet finding kits. Bola cactus wood a specialty, write for prices.
agate slabs, 35c a square inch, post paid. necklace kits. Caps, chain, jump rings, 1 mile west on U. S. 66, Needles, Cali-
Donald Handlos, P.O. Box 42, Richey, stone cement. Faceted stars, faceting gar- fornia, Box 22.
Montana. nets, rough star sapphires, goldstone, BEAUTIFUL FREE GOLD — Specimens
golden citrine, aquamarine, India moon- $1.00 each. Return if not satisfied. Prices
SPECIAL TUMBLED GEMS—3 oz. $1.25, stone, fine sagenite agate. Fire opal by to dealers. J. N. Reed, Box 102, Cabazon,
excellent quality, postpaid. Dixie Rock the piece, the ounce or the pound, Mexi- California.
Shop, 3245 Prospect Ave., So. San Ga- can banded agate, Siam zircons, maderia QUARTZ CRYSTAL GEODES (Kentucky
briel, California. or red. Rutillated quartz, clear smoky Diamonds). These geodes range from
quartz. Dark and light amethyst, lapis- 2" to 8" diameter. Showy xls. Masses
GEMS OF THE DESERT — Baroques — lazuli from Persia and Afghanistan. Fine clear to white, some phantoms. Selected
beautiful tumble polished variety, includ- specimens. Cut slabs. Open every day specimens from broken geodes $2.50 lb.
ing agate, jasper agate, colorful petrified in the week. Drop in and see us. H. A. Unopened geodes $1.50 lb. Dealers
woods (Black Fig), Death Valley Sagen- Ivers, 1400 North Hacienda Blvd., La write for wholesale rates. Midwest Min-
ite, including rare Ruby Sagenite. Avail- Habra Heights, California. eral Mart. R. B. Boies, P. O. Box 391,
able in all sizes and colors. $10.00, per Hamilton, Ohio. We trade for Western
pound, average 100 rocks per pound. FOR SALE: Beautiful purple petrified minerals.
Dealer's prices available. Satisfaction wood with uranium, pyrolusite, manga-
guaranteed. Spradlins', 7547 Beck Ave., nite. Nice sample $1.00. Postage. Maggie HAVING SOLD my "Trailer Court," I am
North Hollywood, Calif. Poplar 5-2245. Baker, Kingman, Arizona. out of the rock business until further
notice. P. G. Nichols, 3922 N. Oracle
STOP at the new Ironwood Rock Shop. 7 OPALS AND SAPPHIRES rough, direct Rd., Tucson, Arizona.
miles West of Blythe, California, Highway from Australia. Cutting opal, 1 ounce
60-70. Many new rocks and minerals. $5, $10, $20, $30 and $60. Blue sap-
phires, 1 ounce $10, $30, and $60. Star FAMOUS TEXAS PLUMES
SELL EARRINGS! Big profit! Kenroe sapphires, 12 stones $10, $20, and $30, Red Plume, Black Plume, 1'om Pom and
Creations, Muncie, Indiana. etc. Post free and insured. Send inter- many other types of agate. Slabs sent on
approval for deposit or reference. Free
national money order, bank draft. Aus- price list on rough agate.
MINERAL SPECIMENS, cabochons and tralian Gem Trading Co., 49 Elizabeth
cutting materials of all kinds, western St., Melbourne, Australia. Free list of WOODWARD RANCH
jewelry. Beautiful travertine for book- all Australian stones rough and cut, 16 pp. Box 453. Alpine. Texas
ends, paper weights, spheres, etc. Write
for prices. Eighteen miles south of Battle GENUINE TURQUOISE: Natural color,
Mountain at Copper Canyon, John L. blue and bluish green, cut and polished
James, Box 495, Battle Mountain, Nev. cabochons — 25 carats (5 to 10 stones IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
according to size) $3.00 including tax, On GEIGER and SCINTILLATION COUNTERS,
ATTENTION ROCK COLLECTORS. It postpaid in U.S.A. Package 50 carats (10 NUCLIOMETERS, METAL DETECTORS and
will pay you to visit the Ken-Dor Rock to 20 cabochons) $6.15 including tax,
Roost. We buy, sell, or exchange min- MINERALIGHTS
postpaid in U.S.A. Elliott Gem & Mineral We handle the most complete
eral specimens. Visitors are always wel- Shop, 235 E. Seaside Blvd., Long Beach
come. Ken-Dor Rock Roost, 419 Sut- line of radiation detectors in
2, California. the west.
ter, Modesto, California.
ONYX BLANKS, unpolished, black 25c
each, red, green, blue 35c each. Perfect
GEMS A-PLENTY: Beautiful baroque
gems, large variety, tumble polished all
IP SEND FOR
FREE
over, $10.00 for one pound (about 100 rim 1HJ2 LITERATURE
cut titanium. Fine cutting and polishing stones). 10 lbs. of top grade gemstone "SO Ppd<
at reasonable prices. Prompt attention to prepaid for $7.00. Wholesale price to Dialer for
mail orders. Juchem Bros., 315 West 5th Detection, Goldaki Ultraviolet and
dealers on baroque gems and gemstone Precision Radial ion Instruments
St. Los Angeles 13, California. in the rough. Satisfaction guaranteed on 133 Ni Sirrine Street
every sale. San Fernando Valley Gem Mesa 3i Arizona
ROCK COLLECTORS ATTENTION. To Co., 5905 Kester Ave., Van Nuys, Calif.
WO 4-02:13
see the finest variety of rock and mineral
specimens, come to the Trailer Rock
Store, 69-457 Highway 111. Chuckawalla
Slim the Rockologist, Box 181, Cathedral YOU DO GET MORE WITH THE FRANTOM DVA
Compare it with other cab- &
City, California. ochon units and you'll see
why we say you do get if . .^JS^K^1
MORE quality, sturdiness,
design — MORE steady,
Jhe smooth running — MOKE
ease and economy of oper-
Practical ation when you get a
FRANTOM DVA. You get
specter" a BIG 10" Felker Saw —
BIG 8", 100 and 220 grit
tin Speaker grinding wheels — a BIG
8x3" DRUM sander—a BIG
8" Peel-'Em-Off combination
sanding1 and polishing disk
— and built-in WEIGHT-
FEED for the BIG saw vise
(so you can saw while you
grind). And in addition
y o u r FRANTOM DVA
• Automatic comes with p o l i s h i n g
action leather, Peel-'Em-Off Ce-
ment, abrasive cloth, water
connections, sponge, belt
and 2-speed pulley. You'll
be amazed, also, at how
smoothly and quietly the
Largest Diversified Stock in the West machine runs on its fully Frantom DVA Cabochon Unit $145.00
Ask for Our Rental-Ownership Plan sealed, self-aligning Fafnir Less motor. FOB Hawthorne, Calif. Sh. Wt. 115 lbs.
New—Used—Trade—Terms ball-bearings. In every way Crt. Chg. $4.00. DVM with motor—$175.00 (sh. wt. 140 lbs.)
the DVA is a BIG, STURDY machine—one that will give you years and years of real
Scfntillntor from Model 111B to the "Royal service—compare it with any machine of its type and we're confident you'll agree that
Scintillator" at $1,995.00—Dealer Inquiries you do GET MORE with the FRANTOM DVA.
MICROMATIC ASSOCIATES SEE THESE AT YOUR FRANTOM DEALER OR WRITE FOR LITERATURE
PA 10208 — 2322 W. Whittier Blvd. FRANTOM LAPIDARY
MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA
P. O. Box 622 — OSborne 6-1598 — 4839 West 137th Street — Hawthorne, California
40 DESERT MAGAZINE
DIAMONDS MADE BY CALLED TO PHONE, Don Wells was elected president of the
FIRE RUINS HOBBY Lapidary Club of Vancouver, British Co-
LABORATORY SCIENTISTS lumbia, at a recent meeting. Jack Clarke
Artificial diamonds have been produced Never leave your saw unattended, is what was elected vice-president, with Miss Eve-
in the laboratory and are indistinguishable George Tippie, of the Old Baldy, California, lyn Major, secretary, Mrs. Manzanita
from the real thing. But the diamond Lapidary Society, learned when his entire Mearns, corresponding secretary, and Gor-
market is not due for a tumble—the man- 15 years' collection of finished rocks was don Craig, treasurer. The group also re-
made variety costs at least twice as much ruined in a fire recently. Called to the tele- ported in its monthly bulletin that New
as natural diamonds. phone while sawing a rock with his diamond Westminster and Kamloops, British Colum-
Importance of the discovery, which was saw, the fire was said to have started at bia, had formed new lapidary clubs.
announced by the General Electric Research that point, destroying the shop, tools and • • •
Laboratory, is in industry and national de- irreplaceable rocks. Newly elected to take office in March for
fense. Hundreds of pounds of diamonds But when members of the Old Baldy the Old Baldy Lapidary Society, California,
are imported each year to cut steel, dig Lapidary Society learned of Tippie's plight, are President J. D. Rittenhouse, Vice-presi-
through rock, make precision tools and a surprise was in store for the unfortunate dent O. V. Allen and re-elected Secretary-
scores of other jobs. War or blockade collector. The Tippies almost stayed home treasurer Catherine Rittenhouse.
could not now cut off the U.S. diamond from the club's next rock exchange meeting
supply. for lack of a polished piece to take to the
In the laboratory, a carbon-containing exchange. In true rockhound spirit the
material is subjected to pressure and heat meeting turned out to be a shower of cabo-
equal to that 240 miles deep within the chons, jewelry, big polished wood flats,
earth. The result is a perfect diamond that crystals and spheres for them.
will scratch natural diamonds, has the X-ray The Tippies are back in the rock hobby
"fingerprints" of the natural diamond and again!
meets the same chemical tests.
Largest diamond produced artificially to
date measures only 1/16 of an inch in its TRE A S U R E H U N T E R S
longest dimension, weighing a fraction of New type metals detector. Distinguishes
a carat. Phoenix Gazette meta s from t lack magnetic sands. Ideal for
• • • loeat TIE gold nuggets, placer deposits. De-
tects metals under salt water. Locates
The Gem County Rock and Mineral coins, jewelr.\
• -
on b e a c h e s .
Society, Emmett, Idaho, has announced its
officers for 1955. J. A. Monroe has been
elected president, with Mrs. Esther Palmer,
vice-president, Mrs. Zella Kent, secretary
f Free from
false detec-
tions. Each
p^MS^.-tf"^-**^ unit supplied
A. • with two dif-
and Mrs. Grace Monroe, treasurer. His- % ' ••' ;,.;'"? ferent search
torians are Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Albee and ..„ , - ; coils. Ask for
E. C. Brookins, while other officers include: ' ' . free 1 i t e r a •
lure
publicity, Mrs. Cora Holman; ways and m ' • IrSt, * GARDINER
means, Earl Kent, E. C. Brookins and A. •f ; i ; , ELECTRONICS
H. Holman; program, Mrs. Alice Brookins.
Mrs. Myrtle Albee and Mrs. Cora Holman;
'-
, •B
•- ,\ ~ '
*, ^ M | .
' CO., DEPT.
201 8 H. DAYTON
DM
HILLQUIST
COMPARE!
• Put the Hillquist Gemmaster beside any lapidary
machine — cheaper, flimsy "gadgets" or units that
sell at twice the price. Compare construction! Com-
pare ease of operation! Compare how much you
get for your money and you'll say, "I'll take the
Gemmaster!"
Here is a worthy companion for our larger and
more expensive Hillquist Compact Lapidary Unit.
Tho smaller in size, the Hillquist Gemmaster has
many of the same features. It's all-metal with spun
aluminum tub. You get a rugged, double-action rock
OREMASTER MODEL L3TSM-55 clamp, not a puny little pebble pincher. You get a
full 3 " babbitt sleeve bearing and ball thrust bear-
ing. You get a big 7" Super Speed diamond saw
SUPER GEIGER COUNTER and all the equipment you need to go right to work.
Over 100 times more sensitive than some Geiger counters USES ALL ACCESSORIES
Designed for detecting both radioactive adapted for AIR-BORNE or MOBILE pros- You can use all the regular Hillquist accessories
minerals and oil deposits. pecting; three, for ore sample and vein with the Gemmaster: The Hillquist Facetor, Sphere
Detects any radioactive mineral. testing. Cutters, laps, Drum and Disc Sanders, etc.
Detects radiation in samples of uranium Four meter-movement speeds.
as small as a pinhead, which some in- Powered by two 90-volt batteries and WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG
struments costing as much as $600.00 do two flashlight cells easily replaced even
in total darkness: economical to operate i COMPLETE, REAW TO USE! YOU GET ALL THIS-
not detect. —total replacement cost of all four bat-
Detects beta, gamma, cosmic, and X rays. teries only $7.50.
Detects through solid concrete, brick, Equipped with jacks for both external
stone, steel, iron, wood, water, dirt, etc. meter and drill-hole probe.
Detects through glass. Prospect by car Heavy gauge, lightweight, rustproof,
with all windows closed—at ANY speed. beautiful hammer toned aluminum cases
Uses lliree supersensitive Geiger tubes strong enough to hold a man's weight.
(Even though two tubes are broken or out, Shoulder carrying strap and large, com-
the Oremaster Model L3TSM-55 will still fortable carrying handle. BIG 7" Diamond Saw • 6" x 1 " Grinding
operate). Compact—only 17" long, 5" wide, and 4" Wheel • 6 " Felt Buff • 6 " Backing Wheel
Has powerful built-in supersensitive high. 6 " Disc Sander • Double-action Rock
speaker to use in rough terrain, snake Weights only ~\k pounds complete. Clamp • Oil Feed Cup • Water Feed
country, alone in the car—wherever you Directional — built-in directional feature Hose & Clamp • Dop Sticks & Dop Wax*
cannot watch the meter. to indicate the direction of the radiation. Polish, Compound, Etc.
Big 4V2" highest quality, supersensitive Tropicalized.
meter. One year guarantee. BUILT FOR LONG SERVICE!
Eight meter ranges (In addition to gen- Any model Oremaster can be serviced in No other low-cost lap unit
eral prospecting, two of these ranges are our laboratory in thirty minutes. gives you full 3" sleeve
PRICE: $295.00 bearing, ball thrust bearing
and pressure lubrication.
Terms available. Trade-ins accepted. All makes of counters serviced.
APRIL, 1955 41
ACCURATE ORE DISCOVERY MOUNTING MINERALS WILL
METHODS BEING RESEARCHED KEEP STOCK TRIMMED SUGGESTIONS FOR
"Better methods of discovering new ore FIELD TRIPPERS
deposits with which to restock the nation's "A mineral specimen seldom need be
dwindling metal supplies will result from more than one inch square. Color, form, From the Rockhound's Call month-
geochemical research now under way at crystal structure, in most cases, is just as ly bulletin of the Compton Gem &
Northwestern University. evident at this size and it is only when the Mineral Club of Compton, California.
"Arthur L. Howland, associate professor mineral takes some unusual massive form A few hints to the new rockhounds
of geology and chairman of the department, that large specimens are necessary. from oldtimers might be of help.
and Robert Garrels, assistant professor, are "The smaller size, however, can possibly Camping equipment deserves good
conducting studies in crystallization which be lost and therefore should be mounted. care. A level campsite, without sharp
will assist field geologists in locating still The small specimens can be set in a two rocks or holes is the best place to
undiscovered ore deposits by indicating the foot by two foot block of styrofome, one- erect a tent. An extra piece of can-
manner in which such deposits were formed half inch thick. The stone is pressed down vas over the floor of the tent will
millions of years ago. into the fome and secured with airplane help to keep cot legs from punching
"With the aid of an apparatus which they cement, then labeled with the mineral's holes. It is also easier to clean up.
have developed, the scientists are attempt- name and place where it was found. If you are camping in a windy area
ing to duplicate, under laboratory-controlled From the Rock Rustler's News, publica- (such as Last Chance Canyon) be
conditions, the natural processes by which tion of the Minnesota Mineral Club. sure to collapse tent before leaving.
crystals are replaced by chemicals carried The gusty desert winds may break
in moving waters, or are dissolved and poles or tear tent fabric. There is
carried away, to be deposited alsewhere, According to Mary Frances Berkholz, a not much rain in the desert, but if it
either in fissures in the earth's surface, with number of popular California collecting does rain, remember to loosen guy
resultant lode formations, or as replacement areas now are temporarily closed to rock- ropes to allow for shrinkage. Never
in woody materials. hounds. Among the restricted sites are store a tent, sleeping bag, or blankets
"A knowledge of the kinds of rocks that Horse Canyon, the Bullion Mountains, when wet. Mildew can rot canvas.
are replaced and the kinds of solutions Death Valley onyx deposit, Rose Quartz Check your equipment before storing
which replace them will aid the geologist in deposits in the Greenhorn Mountains, Liv- and make repairs then. Be sure to
picking probable ore sites." ingston Quarry and the Mt. Tule asteriated check sleeping bags and blankets
quartz field. stored in garage or attic for spiders
From the Science Digest, (as reprinted before climbing in for the night.
in the bulletin of The Hollywood Lapidary • • •
and Mineral Society, California.) When at the campsite do not drink
New officers of the Compton, California, water except from clear running
Gem and Mineral Club were elected at a streams. Alkali present in most des-
THE PROSPECTOR'S CATAT.OG recent meeting. Elected for 1955 are Marge ert water, while not fatal, is un-
We are pleased to announce the advent of
a new Minerals Unlimited Catalog, specifi- Wakeman, president, Ed Wilson, vice-presi- pleasant. A water supply on the des-
cally designed for the amateur or profes- dent, Thelma Yandell, recording secretary, ert camping trip is a must. Do not
sional prospector. If you are interested in Rose Nelson, corresponding secretary, dig your way under an embankment
Geijrer Counters, Mineraliylits, Blowpipe Sets,
Gold Pan or any of the other equipment George Leach, treasurer, Merlyn Heddon, no matter how good the material may
necessary to a field or prospecting trip, librarian, and Mayrose Backus, historian. be, it could give away and bury you.
send 5c in stamps or coin for your copv. The group has chosen "Holidays in Gems" When approaching the edge of a
MINERALS UNLIMITED, Dcpt. I)
1724 University Ave., Berkeley, California as the theme for a special display at the cliff or high bank test the edge with
1955 show. a stick or pole. While the surface
soil may be dry it could be under
mined. Do not leave your campfire
Why Search for burning even in the desert. The desert
wind can scatter the sparks for miles
to ignite the underbrush. Forest fires
URANIUM r
are started by careless campers and
hunters. Be sure they don't add Rock-
hounds to that list.
Be careful where you place your
with a Horse and Buggy? hands and feet in snake country.
Wear boots if possible and always be
alert. Stay on known roads unless
following club markers. Drive with
<!yy{&at caution. If you get stuck in the sand
don't race your engine. Increase the
tread of your tires by releasing some
of the air. Break up some brush for
a footing under the wheels. If you
become lost stick to the road; do not
head off across country. And most
important of all, if you wish to go on
camping and hunting for a hobby,
clean up your camp. Leave it the
way you would wish to find it.
Is more sensitive than any other
Scintillator or Geiger Counter
Easily detects deeply buried Uranium
deposits from ground or air
w Produces results never before possible RADIO-ACTIVE
k Can be used for oil field surveys
Made by the manufacturers of the URANIUM
Dealers famous vl Scintillator"
ORE
Wanted
SPECIMENS
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I INSTRUMENTS, INC. 9 different
Western U.S.
Contact your nearest dealer \ I 2235 DSR S o l a Brea A v e , Los Angeles 16, California
Samples
orwritedirectforcompletecatalog \ I Please send Free Catalog. *•
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Solid
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W O R L D ' S L A R G E S T M A N U F A C T U R E R S O FP O R T A B L E R A D I A T I O N I N S T R U M E N T S BOX 6519-B, SAN DIEGO 6, CALIFORNIA
42 DESERT MAGAZINE
FINDING URANIUM REPAIRING TRILOBITES "The result was a crustacian ancestor
THROUGH PLANTS FOR READY DISPLAY which defied all but close inspection—I of-
fered them for sale at 25 cents each. In
Now you can go out in the back country, Trilobites—Paleozoic marine anthropods some cases I made double grafts. It is
find a certain bush and say, "Dig under here of one to two inches and larger—are rare possible, of course, that I joined the head
and you'll find uranium." This might sound and expensive fossils, but Harry E. Nelson, of Uncle Joe to the body of Aunt Suzie,
fantastic, but it can be done. of the Earth Science Club of Northern to the tail of Cousin Pete, but I assured
The University of Arizona is at present, Illinois, found a way to produce complete the children they were getting a genuine
making a study to determine the value of fossils inexpensively for the study of his Calymenus niagansis from the old Silurian
locating uranium by plants. The roots of junior high school science class pupils. Sea, a body of water that covered northern
some plants extend down into the ground The problem was that complete fossils Illinois some four hundred million years
from 10 to 100 feet. These roots carry are rare, but broken pieces are plentiful. ago."
traces of uranium to the leaves. By testing "I had noticed that the shape of trilobites Condensed from the Earth Science News,
the leaves it is sometimes possible to deter- was very uniform. If two of these creatures bulletin of the Earth Science Club of
mine the presence, the amount, and the were about the same length they would also Northern Illinois.
approximate depth of the uranium. be about the same width. There seemed to
The procedure used in these tests is as be no reason why the tail of one such trilo-
follows: The leaf, bark or wood of the bite could not be joined to the head end of BLANK MOUNTINGS
plant is burned. The ash that remains, is a like creature, even though they were dif-
powdered and placed in a shallow metal ferent individuals. for
disc. This ash is then tested for radioactiv- "So I took my diamond trim saw and AGATE JEWELRY
ity by an alpha scintillation counter. The cut squarely across the tail part of one WHOLESALE
number of counts recorded per minute de- trilobite and in the same manner across the
termine the strength of the uranium. head end of another. I joined the two with Rings — Ear Wires — Tie Chains
If a deposit appears to be found, tests on the aid of a drop of testor's cement. The Cuff Links — Neck Chains
the plants can indicate the outline, depth ugly gap where the joint was made I cov- Bezel — devices — Shanks
and richness. The most accurate method to ered with plaster of Paris. I next took an
ice pick and engraved transverse ridges in Solder — Findings
determine the extent of a deposit is by a
series of core drillings. The next best the plaster to correspond with the natural Send stamp for price list No. 3
method, and the cheapest, is by testing the ridges on the back of the trilobite. The last
plants. step was to mix yellow and black Tempora O. R. JUNKINS Cr SON
Although cheaper than core drilling, the paint until the exact shade of the natural 440 N.W. Beach St.
taking of tests on plants can be quite costly. color of the trilobite was found. This was NEWPORT. OREGON
It is estimated that 200 tests, at about $5 brushed onto the plaster union.
per test, would be needed for a 10 acre plot.
Finding uranium by plants will not take
the place of a geiger counter, but it still NEW
gives a person another method to use, so—
next time you go prospecting, remember the F-6 GE/GER &
saying, "a bush in the hand, may be worth
a million dollars in uranium." GEIGER
(From Shop Notes and News, monthly
bulletin of the San Diego, California, Lapi- COUNTER HERE!
dary Society, article by Ed Bohe, C.G.) $ 50
I59
M SCOPE
1. BUILT-IN LOUDSPEAKER -Eliminates headphones.
Designed and engineered especially for Prospectors. Hero is a 2. HIGHLY SENSITIVE PROBE
rugged, compact, battery-operated, portable uranium prospect- 3. LARGE, COUNTS-PER-MINUTE METER
4. BUILT-IN BATTERY CHECKER
ing instrument. Hand carry or sling from shoulder on strap. H a i
5. 5 ft. SELF-COILING PROBE CABLE
highest sensitivity practical f o r use in the f i e l d . Check its
6. RAIN & DUST PROOF
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B. RANGES - 0 - 5 0 0 , 0-5000 counts per min.
DR-290
DS-234 NUCLIOMETER
SCINTILLATION D e t e c t r o n Super
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Detector. Ideal l o r
Gun type. Ultra hi-sensitivity for detecting deep ura-
aerial or mobile search. 6 operating nium deposits by grid-
ranges-25, 5, 1, .25, 05 and .025 map survey. 3 ranges 0-25,0-250, and
MR/HR. Will operate in tempera-
tures from 35°F to 110°. 3 con- 0-2500 counts per sec. Excellent for
trols-zero set, range and time
constant. Tropicalized, water- $
airborne use. Meter calibrated in
counts-per-sec. *545
proofed and shock-proofed.
467 BISMUTH NUCLIOMETER-
Most Sensitive $1295.00
OTHER PROSPECTING EQUIPMENT
V-43 MINERALIGHT-ldeal for field use in Uranium Prospecting,
• MINERAL-METAL LOCATORS Mining, Ore Sorting, etc. Has a 6 bar quartz tube. Thumb-tip switch.
Built-in flashlight for white or ultraviolet light. Reflector, tube and filter
O GEIGER COUNTERS protected by metal guard. With carrying case and straps. Wt. 6\'A lbs.
• SCINTILLA-SCOPES $77.50
V-43 BATTERIES-6 V. Hot Shot , $3.75
• MINERALIGHTS
M12 MINERAUGHT—Lightest, most compact Held unit available. Built-in flashlight with 2-way
USE OUR TIME PAYMENT PLAN switch for white or ultraviolet. Pure fused quartz tube. Weighs only 3% lbs $39.75
IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT
M12 BATTERIES for above. 6V. lantern type 90c
"HOW T O BE A Depth range 7 ft. & silver. Light wei . Depth range
SUCCESSFUL URANIUM $138.50
APRIL, 1 9 5 5 43
SILVER ONYX FIELD IS lies about two and a half miles by road
CLAIMED FOR ROCKHOUNDS from Calico Ghost Town, with exact in-
G e m StOneS Minerals structions and permission to trespass avail-
Write Your 'Wants' to Merrell's Rare silver onyx fields of the Calico able at the Assay Office in Calico.
Mountains, California, have been claimed
ROCK HOUSE for use of rockhounds by George Dotson
of the Calico Ghost Town Assay Office and INDIANA DIAMONDS
NOW NUMBER TEN
329 E. Alosta (Hiway 66) Rock Shop and Calico Fred Noller, man-
Glendora, California ager of Calico Restoration project, the pair Glenn A. Black, of the Evansville, Indi-
have announced. ana, Lapidary Society, tells in a recent is-
CALIFORNIA GEMSTONE
"Rhodonite" — highly agatized, beautiful One source of the silver onyx, or Calico sue of the Society's News Letter of the ten
pastel shades of pink with yellow, green, Mountains travertine, has been under claim diamonds located in Indiana.
black and white. 18x25 mm. cabochon,
SI.50 ea. Slabs, 3 sq. in. $1.00. for many years, according to Dotson, and "One stone was found by a farmer in a
(ion nine Turquoise Baroques Vi" to Vz" is now closed to the public because of a field near Peru, which is in Miami County,
Baroques, 20 for $1.00. commercial mining operation. However, in northern Indiana. It had been associated
¥2" to % " Baroques, 5 for SI.00
Please add 10% Federal tax and postage this same material can be found on the with glacier deposited gravels and weighed
Write for prices north side of Calico Mountain which Dot- 3.93 carats. It was the largest stone a friend
son and Noller have claimed. The field of mine had ever seen from Indiana. 1 also
believe it was the only one from so far
north in the state. It measured 14 by 9 by
3.2 mm. This was the 10th diamond found
in Indiana which had come to my friend's
TIN OXIDE $1.50 PER POUND attention.
"The other nine were: 3.06 carats rough,
If you b u y $5 worth of Basic Lapidary Supplies from the following list. cut to a shallow marquise brilliant of 1.33
A $10 purchase entitles you to buy 2 lbs. Tin Oxide at $1.50 per lb. carats; one of 3.64 carats rough; a tiny
dodecahedron; a 2.5 carat cut stone, rough
A $25 purchase entitles you to buy 5 lbs. of Tin Oxide. weight unknown; a pair of matched bril-
liants of approximately .87 carats from un-
NORTON CRYSTOLON GRINDING WHEELS . . . known rough weight; 1.05 carat stone in
Size 6xVi" 6x1" 8x1" 8xl'/2" 10xl'/2" the rough; and three stones of 1.25, .625
80 grit $7.50 and .75 carats, found by a Dr. Kelso of
Mooresville in Morgan County.
100 grit $2.65 $3.60 $5.35 7.50 $11.35
"Most of these stones apparently came
220 grit 2.95 3.95 5.90 8.25 12.50 from either Morgan or Brown Counties,
320 grit 3.35 4.50 6.70 9.40 14.20 probably they all did. They were, of course,
Shipping weight . 2 lbs. 3 lbs. 5 lbs. 6 lbs. 9 lbs. associated with the glacial drift so plentiful
Crystolon Wheel Dressing Brick 6"x2"xl" 95c in that part of Indiana. They had been
carried there from the north but where the
CRYSTOLON ABRASIVE for the Lapidary . . . pipe from which they were gouged by ice
was located, is as yet unknown—probably
Grit Size 1 Pound 5 Lb. Lots 10 Lb. Lois 25 Lb. Lots in the Hudson Bay area."
80. 100, 120- 18. 220 $ .83 $ .52 $ .39 $ .30
2F (320). 3F (400) .38 .57 .41 .32
Graded 400 1.09 .73 .57 .48
Graded 600 1.35 .94 .78 .69
DURITE (Silicon Carbide) ROLL SANDING CLOTH—
Available in 120. 150. 180. 220. 330 grits
Dry Rolls
2" wide, 25 ft. long—$2.00; 150-foot roll—$ 9.00
3" wide. 15 ft. long— 2.00; 150-foot roll— 13.25
10" wide. 5 ft. long— 2.00; 150-foot roll— 39.77
12" wide. 5 ft. long— 2.25; 150-foot roll— 47.70
Wet Rolls
3" wide, 10 ft. long—$2.00; 150-foot roll—$21.60
10" wide. 40 in. long— 2.60; 150-foot roll— 71.25
DURITE SANDING CLOTH in round disks . . .
Available in 120. 220. 320 grits
Wet Dry
6" 5 for $1.00; 25 for $ 3.90 8 for $1.00; 25 for $ 2.25
8" 3 for 1.10; 25 for 7.00 5 for 1.00; 25 for 4.10 "20th Century" prospectors — hunters,
10" 2 for 1.15; 25 for 11.00 3 for 1.00; 25 for 6.45 fishermen everywhere, take Goldak's new
12" 2 for 1.65; 25 for 16.00 2 for 1.00: 25 for 9.45 U-238B geiger counters on every trip! The
CONGO OR FELKER DI-MET DIAMOND BLADES U. S. government offers $35,000 reward for
4" diameter by .205" thick $ 7.80 10" diameter by .040" thick $14.80 uranium deposits!
6" diameter by .205" thick 7.80 12" diameter by .040" thick 18.20 World's most sensitive uranium locator,
6" diameter by .032" thick 7.80 14" diameter by .050" thick 25.20 the U-238B geiger counter is ideal f o r
16" diameter by .050" thick 28.60 prospecting on your next trip out-of-doors.
8" diameter by .032" thick 10.40 20" diameter by .060" thick 39.20
8" diameter by .040" thick 11.40 Not much bigger than your hand, the
24" diameter by .060" thick 50.60
When ordering please state arbor hole size U-238B is easily carried in any pack. Yet
this amazing bantamweight locator costs
ALL PRICES F.O.B. PASADENA
LESS than you thought possible!
ADD 3% SALES TAX IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA
Member of American Gem and Mineral Suppliers Association Write today for complete, free details!
DEALER INQUIRIES WELCOME
44 DESERT MAGAZINE
SAY IT IN ENGLISH NON-METALLICS TO BRING SCIENCE USES INDIRECT
FOR EASIER TALKING NEW WEALTH INTO WORLD METHODS TO FIND ORE
Mineral names come to us from many Non-metallic minerals will bring "such By indirect methods, geophysicists can
sources—proper names, descriptive names wealth as the world has never known." locate magnetic bodies under the earth's
from other languages. Whatever language This is the prediction of Dr. William R. surface, charting the width and depth, and
a mineral name comes from, it is an Eng- Ross, president of Colorado State College even tell what the substance may be.
lish word and deserves an English pronun- of Education. Fundamental economics re- Members of the Gem and Mineral So-
ciation. quires that there be a balance between me- ciety of San Mateo County, California,
Professor Kiril Spiroff of the Michigan tallic and non-metallic minerals, he ex- learned of methods of geophysical explora-
School of Mines was once asked, "How plained, and metallics have already brought tion from Gordon Bath, of the U.S. Geo-
do you pronounce "BOH-zite'?" He replied much wealth. logical Survey, at a recent meeting of the
somewhat aggressively: "BAUKS-ite!" The "Now, the non-metallic minerals will group.
mineral was named for the French locality bring such wealth as we never have known," Direct methods of exploration, they
of Baux. A Frenchman would be right in said Dr. Ross. "All over the earth, people learned, such as with Geiger counter or
calling it boh-zite and some dictionaries will be fed and clothed and sheltered as scintillator, record by contrast with sur-
call it boh-zite, but all mineralogists say they never have been before. The good life rounding rocks, but cannot detect more than
•BAUKS-ite." will prevail everywhere. a foot in depth. By indirect methods, such
Domeykite is another name mispro- "When that time comes, there will be no as gravity instruments, the position, depth
nounced. It comes from the name of a need of war. All the world will enjoy the and amplitude of curve may describe the
Chilean mineralogist, Domeyko, and the good life . . . and there will be no cause subterranean body.
dictionary says "Do-MAY-kite." There is for envy between nations."
no phonetic reason why these two names Dr. Ross listed feldspar, silica and lepi-
should not be given the pronunciations of dolite among the active non-metallic min- • Specializing in •
their original languages for all of their erals. Mining Record
sounds can be rendered in English. FINE FOREIGN GEMS
The rockhound usually stumbles when AND MINERALS
he goes after certain names that have come CUTTING MATERIALS Lapidary Equipment and Supplies
to us from the German. If you are German, from the West and Southwest, rough or
Gem drills—Jewelry tools—Sterling
all right. The rockhound is never worried slabbed at Wholesale.
Jewelry Mountings—Books—Mineralights
about pronouncing the name of the poet, SUPERIOR GEMS & MINERALS
Goethe. Where he really hams it up is LOST MOUNTAIN GEMS 4665 Park Blvd., San Diego 16, California
when he tries to get German with the 3005 N. 39th S». — Phoenix, Arizona Open 10:30 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.
word "Goethite," named for the poet. There
Closed Sundays
being no English equivalent for the Ger-
man "o" he comes as near to it as he can
with the sound of er as in "her." He doesn't
quite make it, and he goes on and pro-
nounces th as in "thin" which is out of
bounds for the German. "Gerthite" is
neither English nor German, fish nor fowl.
Dictionaries and encyclopedias insist on the
German quality to vowel and consonant.
Prospector's Headquarters
GEIGER COUNTERS AND SCINTILLATORS
The encyclopedia wants the German The "Snooper" Geiger Counter—Model 108 $ 29.95
value in "Loess," but some dictionaries al- The "Lucky Strike" Geiger Counter—Model 106.. 99.50
low it "LO-ess." The "Professional" Geiger Counter—Model 107 139.50
Condensed from an article by Bertha C. The "Special Scintillator"-Model 117 299.50
Minardi in The Nebraska Rockhound's Rear The "Deluxe" Scintillator—Model 11 IB 495.00
Trunk, bulletin of the Nebraska Mineral
and Gem Club. ULTRA-VIOLET MINERALIGHTS
• • • Model H—Operates on 110 AC only 12.50
ARIZONA URANIUM BOOM Model TH—Operates on 110 AC only 19.75
Model M12—Operates on batteries only—with battery- - 40.65
IS STILL GOING STRONG Model SL-2537—operates on batteries or 110 AC—without case and batteries 39.50
The small uranium boom started in Ari- with case and batteries 59.00
zona in mid-1954 when prospectors and
AEC men were so thick a person could
hardly elbow his way through. CHEMICAL TEST KITS
So said Jackson L. Clark, state mineralo- Kit for 14 minerals (Uranium not included) 16.95
gist in the Arizona Bureau of Mines, as he Kit for 36 minerals (Including Uranium) _____ _ 31.25
spoke recently to the Mineralogical Society
of Arizona. BOOKS
"Until that time, no one knew there was "Prospecting with a Geiger Counter"—by Wright .60
any uranium in Arizona, except in its por- "URANIUM Color Photo Tone" 1.00
tion of the Colorado Plateau," Clark ex- "Facts You Should Know About Uranium" by R. W. Ramsey 1.00
plained. "Yellow, green and black are the "Uranium Prospectors Handbook" 1.00
predominating colors to look for in uranium- "Uranium and Mineral Maps" 1.00
bearing minerals of this area. Look on old "The Uranium and Fluorescent Minerals" by H. C. Dake _ 2.00
dumps of other mines, since uranium occurs "Popular Prospecting" 2.00
with other base metals and in pegmatites." "Uranium, Where Is It an How to Find It" 2.50
Clark said the uranium minerals of Ari- "Minerals for Atomic Energy" by Nininger 7.50
zona have been found in massive quartzite,
kasolite, polycrase, dark purple fluorite, OTHER SUPPLIES
altered zircons and rare earth minerals. The Prospectors Picks (polished) 4.10
uranium minerals found were uraninite, Prospectors Picks (not polished) 3.85
meta-torbernite and carnotite. Hardness Test Sets 2.00
(From the Mineralogical Society of Ari- Mineral Specimen boxes 1.50
zona bulletin.) Pocket Camp Stove 6.95
APRIL, 1 9 5 5
Quit Hetween U&u/an<LJMi
0/zr~—^ - — -*-'£' s^^y /X>/-i -:v
~£ #-
1
^V M^*-^s»s,
By RANDALL HENDERSON
ERE'S A REFRESHING bit of news for those who within their boundaries would jeopardize both. When
are dismayed by the accumulation of litter along a troop of Boy Scouts or a class of school youngsters goes
California's fine highways. The California Assem- into the park area for a day's outing they scatter through
bly now in session passed the following resolution: the timber or rocks like rabbits. That is the normal thing
"Whereas, It appears that a vigorous law enforce- for them to do—and the parks have always been a place
ment program would greatly assist in combating this where they could follow their urge to explore in compara-
menace to public health and safety; now therefore, tive security. Men with loaded guns and a license to shoot
be it resolved by the Assembly of the State of in such areas would destroy all that.
California, that the California Highway Patrol is My generation was taught that the parks—both state
hereby requested to take every step and to use every and national—were to be conserved as areas of unspoiled
means at its disposal in developing and executing a natural beauty — retreats where Americans could find
vigorous law enforcement program against the litter- peace and inspiration. It was a fine concept, but it is
ing of highways and roadsides in the state . . ." being threatened today by pressure groups from many
A letter from Commissioner Bernard R. Caldwell of directions—the cattle industry wants grazing rights in it,
the Patrol states that directives are now in preparation the timbermen want to cut down the trees, the miners want
which will put in force the legislative mandate. Also, an to despoil the land in their quest for minerals, power
amendment to the Vehicle Code is now before the Legis- interests would build reservoirs that would completely
lature which will make it unlawful to throw any substance change the character of the landscape, the concessionnaires
upon the public highway. "This law, if adopted," com- would clutter up the areas with Coney Island commercial
ments Commissioner Caldwell, "will provide the enforce- enterprises—and now the hunters are asking for privileges
ment officer with a much improved working tool." which would make the lands unsafe for humans or wildlife.
Law enforcement and education! It is an effective Your problem and mine, if we would preserve these
team. Rigid enforcement is the duty of the police. The parks for the purposes for which they were set aside, is
educational part of the program is my responsibility and to resist any and all of these commercial invaders. Alto-
yours. I have friends who are so conscientious they will gether the area in parks comprises only a tiny fraction of
one percent of Uncle Sam's big domain. Wouldn't it be
not even toss a chewing gum wrapper out the car window. a worthy thing to be able to pass on to our children a few
The laws and the police are not needed for them. Un- small areas of natural wilderness as our American fore-
fortunately, not all humans are that thoughtful. fathers found them?
The basic contribution of both Christianity and Dem-
ocratic government to progress, is freedom and dignity
for the individual. But neither Christianity nor Democracy As this is written, early in March, the feel of desert
can give dignity to a human being who has not the spring has come to our bajada at the base of the Santa
capacity for dignity. And so the cops are an essential Rosas. Mesquite and cottonwood are putting out new
part of the team. foliage, the dunes and mesas are covered with green
* * * sprouts, and the linnets which raised a brood in the rafters
over our patio last year, have returned and are building
Under pressure from certain sportsmen's groups, a
a new nest.
bill has been introduced in the current session of the
California senate which would permit hunting in the state Spring is late this year, due to rains and abnormally
parks. cold weather in January and February—but those rains
I cannot believe that the legislators will enact such a have given the promise of an unusually colorful wildflower
measure, for hunting in the park areas would be in direct display.
violation of the basic concept of the public park systems. Desert sand is not as sterile as it appears. Give it water
That concept is well defined in the words of the original and sunshine and it sends forth a luxurious carpet of
act which established the national park system: plants and shrubs. Infiltrated with a generous portion of
"To conserve the scenery and the natural and peet moss or leaf mold it responds amazingly in the pro-
historic objects and the wildlife therein, and to pro- duction of domestic flowers and vegetables and shrubs.
vide for the enjoyment of the same and by such When the radio brings a babble of man-made troubles
means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoy- — armed strife, human delinquency, intolerance and
ment of future generations." greed—Cyria and I turn it off and go out and work in
State and national parks are a sanctuary for wildlife our garden. It is fine tonic for these days of confusion
as well as for human life—and the licensing of hunting and distrust.
46 DESERT MAGAZINE
MISSION SAN XAVIER
DEL BAC IN PICTURES
Mission San Xavier del Bac stands
strikingly alone in the desert, nine miles
from Tucson, Arizona. This pictorial
book, Mission San Xavier del Bac,
BASKET WEAVING STILL among them "For We're the Old presents its beauty in color and black-
AN ART AMONG TRIBESMEN Timers Who Never Came Back." The and-white photographs by Ansel Ad-
Eight groups of Indians in Arizona reader will enjoy the true ring of the ams, internationally known photogra-
are engaged actively in the weaving of stories: "The Rosebush," for one, pher. Nancy Newhall tells the poignant
beautiful baskets — and the Basket covers the mining experiences of a story and Edith Hamlin has added four
Weavers of Arizona is both a tribute couple, from Barstow to Austin, Ne- key drawings to complete the history
to them and the man who wrote it— vada, to Tonopah, mentioning the of one of America's most impressive
Bert Robinson, authority on South- "robbing of a pillar" in old-time min- shrines.
western Indian Basket weaving and ing. The authors are familiar with it This history is followed from 1688
until 1951 actively engaged in Indian all, having lived, worked and mined when Jesuit Father Kino first came
affairs. on the desert, listening all the while to and founded a mission. Then came
the tales of the old-timers. Fray Garces, the first Franciscan and
Baskets of this Arizona group are
Paper bound, 44 pages, published later, in 1783, the actual work was
not surpassed anywhere in Indian
1954; available at Desert Crafts Shop, begun by the Papago Indians and the
country. No patterns are drawn; the
Palm Desert, or from the authors at Franciscans.
picture of the pattern is carried in the
Bishop. California. $1.00.
mind. Among the Chemehuevis, the Today, Mission San Xavier del Bac
• • •
designs belong to the weaver who or- is a shrine not only to the Papago
iginated it. The Papago tribe uses no MINERALS AND ROCKS
EXPLAINED TO BEGINNERS Indians and the Franciscans, but to
dye in the making of baskets, but is the many, of all creeds, who visit it
highly individual in the use of the Often a bookseller will receive a each year.
saguaro, turtle and bird figure designs. query: "I'm just becoming interested
in rocks and minerals. Can you rec- Published by 5 Associates, Inc., San
Hopi baskets are known for color, yet Francisco, with the typography and
there is no similarity between those of ommend a book that will explain right
from the start how I can begin my engravinsi an art, in this 71-page book.
the Second Mesa, where only four col- $2.95.
ors are used, and those of the Third hobby of collecting them?'"
Mesa, where brilliancy is obtained from Richard M. Pearl, assistant professor
blending of dyes. The Hopi groom of geology at Colorado College, Colo- Looking for a PUBLISHER?
keeps his basket from the wedding rado Springs, Colorado, has written a Do you have a book-length manuscript you
would like to have published? Learn about
ceremony till he dies; then it is buried book designed for just such an indi- our unusual plan whereby your book can be
with him. Among the older type of vidual. In How to Know the Minerals published, promoted and distributed on a
professional basis. We consider all types of
Pima baskets, now discontinued, the and Rocks, Author Pearl explains the work—fiction, biography, poetry, scholarly
and religious books, etc. New authors wel-
largest of their storage baskets would fundamentals of the mineral hobby, come. For more information, write for valu-
hold 40 to 50 bushels of wheat. In the defining the terms which one would able booklet D. It's free.
changes in their craft, the Indian weav- meet in starting the hobby, and ex- VANTAGE l'RESS, INC.
6356 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, CallC.
ers are only following the competitive plaining the difference between rocks Main Office: New Vork 1, N. Y.
trend of civilization of which they are and minerals.
a part. A brief lesson in geology is included,
Rich color photographs and 73 black describing how rocks and minerals are
and white illustrations, taken either in formed. But the beginning rockhound Here's
the homes of Indians or the locations is most interested in how to recognize MOUTH-WATERING NEWS
mentioned, show vividly the types, the various minerals and for this pur-
shapes and manner of basket weaving. pose How to Know the Minerals and for those who love native
Each chapter on tribal weaving is Rocks becomes a handy field book. Southwestern cooking
prefaced by an interesting background The author describes the seven basic
of the history and customs of the In-
dian. A map, showing the locations
points which should be studied in iden-
tifying minerals — luster, hardness,
'Food of the Conquerors'
of the basket-weaving tribes, is in- color, streak, cleavage, fracture, and by Margaret Abreu
cluded. specific gravity—then offers a guide
Published by the University of New
Mexico Press. 164 pages. $7.50.
to more than 125 of the most important
minerals and rocks, including gems, $1.00
• • • ores, native metals, meteorites, and
others. A full page is given to the de- Now available through your
STORIES. POEMS, SONGS
OF DEATH VALLEY scription of each mineral or rock, cov- bookstores. Or you may have
ering its physical properties and giving a FREE copy with a $2.50
Written by Lee Early and "Aim" interesting background data.
Morhardt, who would rather "make Eight pages of the book are devoted year's subscription to New
50 cents at mining than 10 dollars to color illustrations of 46 minerals— Mexico Magazine, the color-
selling someone something," Western a further aid to identifying some of
Men and Desert Gold is a collection of ful voice of the "Land of
those in the text.
true tales, songs and poems of the Enchantment."
Death Valley region. Published by McGraw-Hill Book-
Company. Inc.. 192 pages, illustrated
Handy pocket size, this booklet is in color photographs and black and
good reading while on the desert or at white line drawings, $3.50.
New Mexico Magazine
home. Included are nine poems of Honks reviewed on this page are available at Box 938 Santa Fe, N. M.
the desert and three songs (with notes). Desert Crafts Sl\op, Ptilui Desert
APRIL, 1 9 5 5 47
OUR FREE CATALOG NO. 542 IS THE
WORLD'S LARGEST CATALOG of JEWELRY PARTS
HERE ARE A FEW TYPICAL ITEMS
LIBERAL DISCOUNT TO ESTABLISHED DEALERS IMMEDIATE DELIVERY FROM STOCK
No. 14-10 VISIT OUR SHOP and select your tumble with us.
BELL CAP — NEW IMPROVED polished gems from several hundred thousand
Sterling Silver $1.65 ea.-3 for $3.65
CEMENTING TO BAROQUE GEMS pieces. Select those you wish and pay "by
Gold Filled $1.75 ea.-3 for $3.95
Rhodium or Gold Plated—$1.10 per doz. the pound." We will send TEN SUPERBLY
Sterling Silver—$1.50 doz. POLISHED HI-GLOSS GEMS for ONLY $1.00
Gold filled—$1.60 doz. plus tax and postage.
NEVER BEFORE!
We Stock a Complete Line No. 74-5
Have you been able to order
of Copper Jewelry Parts EAR MOUNTINGS RING MOUNTINGS
13x18 mm.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Rhodium or Gold Plated and get any size you desire at
Between January and March of 1956 75c pr-$3.00 doz.
NO EXTRA COST
A New Edition of GRIEGER'S
ENCYCLOPEDIA AND No. 67-22 ASK FOR OUR NEW JEWELRY CATALOG
SUPERCATALOG OF THE No. PS-3
CUFF LINK
LAPIDARY AND JEWERLY ARTS MOUNTING
Will be published King Size This illustrates a large variety of rings, pen-
This will be a book 8 ' / 2 x l l " in size contain- 24 mm. dants, brooches, and earwires. All standard
ing over 300 pages. A book of this type Round sizes of rings are listed and you may select
would normally sell for $10.00. This will be This Type Mounting
published to sell for $4.00 in paper binding any size you wish.
Easily Set
and $5.00 in Hard Binding.
Rhodium or DEALER'S SPECIAL ATTENTION
ADVANCE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED Gold Plate
at $2.00 per copy postpaid, for paper bound
80c pr. — $3.75 doz. pieces You too can order any size ring you wish
edition.
and obtain lower prices than ever before.
Orders for copies with Hardcover book bind- 24 mm. carved jades fit this cuff link
ing will be accepted at $3.00 per copy post-
paid.
THESE PRICES WILL BE CANCELLED ON DAY Radiation Detection Equipment No. 80-9
OF PUBLICATION
Geiger Counters
No. 77-35 MENS' RING MOUNTING
Scintillation Counters
PENDANT MOUNTING 12x16 mm. stone size
with 18" chain Uranium Ore Samples
15x20 mm. Sterling Silver
Calibrated Uranium Standards
Available in Gold Plated $2.50 each—3 for $5.65
or Rhodium Plated
TURN YOUR GEIGER COUNTER IN ON Available in sizes: 8,
$1.20 each—$12.00 doz.
A NEW MODERN SCINTILLITRON 8'/2, 9, 9'/2, 10, 101/2,
GP color has GF chain
RP color has SS chain I I , 11V2, 12, 121/2, & 13
Dealers—Write for prices Prospectors Picks — Gold Pans
PLEASE ADD 10% FEDERAL EXCISE TAX TO ALL ITEMS LISTED, EXCEPT ENCYCLOPEDIA-CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ADD 3% SALES TAX
POSTAGE EXTRA
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GRIEGER'S INC. • Mailing Address: P. 0. Box 4185 • CATALINA STATION, PASADENA, CALIF.
STORE ADDRESS - 1633 EAST WALNUT STREET, PASADENA 4, CALIFORNIA
OUR STORE IS OPEN EVERY DAY EXCEPT SUNDAY FROM 8:30 TO 5:00. PHONE SY 6-6423