Limns

would not be focused by a lens in

the way that visible light is, and so
would not give an image, but would
fog the entire film.
"It is not possible to prospect for
uranium with an ordinary camera.
Nell Murbarger Honors . . . Ordinary wrapped film might be
Whittier, California used if held for a very long time
Desert: right up against a very radioactive
I was very pleased to see that West- ore. This is the way radio-activity
ern author Nell Murbarger has been was first discovered. But this meth-
honored by The American Association od is obviously not sensitive enough
for State and Local History (Desert, and that is why we have geiger
Jan., '56, page 28) for her distin- counters, etc.
guished service in the cause of making "Daylight film does not have the
Americans better aware of their local same sensitivity to the various colors
history. that the eye does, so it is conceivable
She is the Southwest's top travel that there might be differences in the
writer and that her tireless enthusiasm appearance of a landscape by eye
and brilliant abilities are being recog- and by camera."
nized is gratifying.
PAUL LINSLEY
Mansions of Mysteries . . .
Prospector Is a Dude . . . Glendale, California
Desert:
Palisade, Nevada
Desert: Those who know the desert under-
Your magazine has no place for stand much about creation.
anything as contrived and artificial as The white streak running up the They alone have seen that the tomb-
the January cover picture of the pros- middle of this photograph was in- like silence of the surrounding dunes,
pector leading his burro. visible to the naked eye when Henry where weird cacti stand sentinel, are a
Miller took this picture. Can an place of life. They have found that the
In the future, please make the sub- ordinary box camera assist the pros-
jects real. The title of the January dead-looking, soundless spaces stocked
pector to find radio-active veins? by shrub and sage, shelter the lizard
cover should be "Dude" instead of
"Prospector." and snake. They know that the bird
Prospecting by Camera . . . egg and the mouse are there, blended
JOE RAND
into the delicate grays, greens, browns,
• • • Milwaukee, Wisconsin yellows and pinks characteristic of this
Loves a Little Town . . . Desert: land of color.
Opal, Wyoming I am sending you a photograph of Those who dwell in this realm know
Desert: what appears to be a radio-active ore there is no place on earth where you
"1 like to live in a little town where vein 1 discovered accidentally in cen- come closer to grasping a star in your
the trees meet across the street, where tral Wisconsin last summer. The white own hand than out on those vast sands
you wave your hand and say "hello" streak running up the middle of the on any given night.
to everyone you meet. photograph was not visible to the naked
eye but was recorded by the camera. The people who know the desert
"I like to stand for a moment out- have unlocked the doors to mansions
side the grocery store, and listen to the HENRY F. MILLER of many mysteries and found there a
friendly gossip of the folks that live large portion of happiness: release and
next door. freedom rare to experience.
"For life is interwoven with the Editor's Note: Interested in the
possibilities of prospecting for radio- J. H. ERHARDT
friends we learn to know, and we hear
their joys and sorrows as we daily come active ores with a box camera,
and go. Desert sought expert advice on this
"So, I like to live in a little town, 1 problem from Robert. A. Satten, as- Half-breed Wildcats . . .
care no more to roam, for every house sistant professor of physics of the Twin Falls, Idaho
in a little town is more than a house, University of California at Los An- Desert:
it's home." geles. Prof. Satten's reply follows: I was very much interested in Ed-
I found this poem at the Mt. Whit- "Radiation from nuclear disinte- mund Jaeger's wildcat story in the No-
ney Cafe in Lone Pine, California, and gration does affect photo film in the vember, 1955, Desert. He points out
thought it worth passing on to your daytime or in the dark as long as that wildcats will kill domestic cats,
readers. these rays can strike the film in but he failed to mention that some-
H. H. DeMILNER sufficient amount or intensity. How- times male wildcats mate with female
ever, even if the white vein in the house cats.
photograph were radioactive, its nu- We know of two offspring from such
clear radiation would, not affect the a union. These kittens are tame enough
r «iaa« H AGE-OLD photograph at all, for the following to lay around on the porch in the sun,
C J B M < » Y INDIAN RITUALS
5.8 , » « • U | 10,000 Indians, All Tribes
reasjns: but when a human appears they run
"The film is too far away. for cover.
'| AUGUST 9-12
, iv ,iv . i Write for information "Even if such radiation could They are larger than domestic kittens
Q

imnSHimcA Ceremonial Association penetrate such large distances (and and have an interesting appearance.
i mim^tmm \ Box 1029, Gallup, New Mexico
it cannot) in sufficient intensity, it MRS. C. H. MITCHELL

DESERT MAGAZINE
 DESERT CflLEIlDflR
Feb. 15-March 5—John Hilton Art
Exhibition in the Desert Magazine
Pueblo, Palm Desert, California.
March 1—Museum of Northern Ari-
zona opens for season, Flagstaff,
Arizona.
March 1-18 — Southern California
Artists Exhibition in new Twenty-
nine Palms, California, Artists Guild
Gallery.
March 3-4 — World's Championship
Tennis Matches, Palm Springs, Cali-
fornia.
March 3-4—Sierra Club Hike to Cot- Volume 19 MARCH, 1966 Number 3
tonwood Mountains from Cotton-
wood Springs in Joshua Tree Na- COVER Puma—Western Ways Photo by TOMMY LARK
tional Monument, California.
March 4—Dons Club trek to Super- LETTERS Comment from Desert's readers 2
stition Mountain, from Phoenix, CALENDAR March events on the desert 3
Arizona.
March 4—Out Wickenburg Way Style LOST MINE The Ledge of Gold John Nummel Lost
Show, Wickenburg, Arizona. By HAROLD O. WEIGHT 4
March 6—Dog Show, Phoenix Area WILDFLOWERS
Specialty Show, State Fairgrounds, Flowering predictions for March 9
Phoenix, Arizona. EXPERIENCE Bill Williams on the Rampage
March 7-8 — Dog Show, All Breed By REV. NORMAN M. SORENSEN . . . . 10
Show, State Fairgrounds, Phoenix,
Arizona. NATURE Rogue of the Rim Country
March 10—Palm Springs, California, By GASTON BURRIDGE 11
Desert Museum field trip to Mag- INDIANS
nesia Canyon near Rancho Mirage. Land of the Goshutes
March 10 — All State High School By NELL MURBARGER 13
Band, Orchestra and Chorus Fes- TRUE OR FALSE
A test of your desert knowledge . . . . . . 18
tival, Tempe, Arizona. PERSONALITY
March 10-11—Junior Ski Races, Ari- Saga of Frying Pan Ebbens
zona Snow Bowl, Flagstaff, Ariz. PERSONALITY By EDMUND C. JAEGER 19
March 11—Maricopa County Sheriff's Says Harry Oliver 21
Posse Rodeo, Phoenix, Arizona. FORECAST
Southwest river runoff predictions 22
March 14-28—Agnes Pelton Art Ex- CLOSE-UPS
hibition in the Desert Magazine About those who write for Desert 22
GARDENING
Pueblo, Palm Desert, California. Olive Trees for Shade and Beauty
March 15-18 — Phoenix World's By RUTH REYNOLDS 23
Championship Rodeo, State Fair- CONTEST
grounds, Phoenix, Arizona. Picture-of-the-month Contest announcement . . 24
PHOTOGRAPHY
March 16-18—Dons Club travelcade Pictures of the Month 25
to Hopi Villages, from Phoenix, INDIAN POLICY The Indian Bureau Is Wrong
Arizona.
By HENRY F. DOBYNS 26
March 17—Palm Springs, California, INDIAN POLICY
Desert Museum field trip to Fan The Indian Bureau Is Right
Hill Canyon in the Little San Ber- By RANDALL HENDERSON 28
nardinos. APPAREL
Desert Original: The Squaw Dress
March 17-18—Desert Arabian Horse
Show, Polo Grounds, Palm Springs, NEWS By PHYLLIS W. HEALD • . . 29
California. From here and there on the Desert 30
March 17-18—Sierra Club Hike to FICTION
Split Mountain and Fish Creek MINING Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley 30
Wash from Ocotillo Wells, Calif. Current news of desert mines 36
March 17-18 — Jeep Cavalcade, URANIUM
Hemet, California. HOBBY Progress of the mining boom 37
March 19 — Ceremonial Dance, La- LAPIDARY Gems and Minerals 40
guna Pueblo, New Mexico. Amateur Gem Cutter 45
March 21-25—Maricopa County Fair, COMMENT
Mesa, Arizona. Miniature Parade BOOKS Just Between You and Me, by the Editor . . . 46
on 21st; Rawhide Parade on 22nd. POETRY Reviews of Southwestern Literature 47
March 23-25 — Eagle Convention, Out of the Dust, by Lois Elder Roy . . back cover
Yuma, Arizona. The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Press, Inc., Palm Desert,
March 24—Palm Springs, California, California. Re-entered as second class matter July 17, 1948, at the postoffice at Palm Desert,
Desert Museum field trip to Falls California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered No. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office,
Creek Canyon. and contents copyrighted 1956 by the Desert Press, Inc. Permission to reproduce contents
must be secured from the editor in writing.
March 24-25 — Dons Club trek to
Grand Canyon, from Phoenix, Ariz. RANDALL HENDERSON, Editor EUGENE L. CONROTTO, Associate Editor
March 24-30—Sierra Club Easter Va- BESS STACY, Business Manager EVONNE RIDDELL, Circulation Manager
cation Trip to Organ Pipe Cactus Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledged
National Monument, Arizona and unless full return postage is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for
Cholly Bay, Punta Penasco, Mexico. damage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Sub-
First camp at Salton Sea State Park scribers should send notice of change of address by the first of the month preceding issue.
on March 24. SUBSCRIPTION RATES
March 27-30—Palm Springs, Califor- One Year $4.00 Two Years $7.00
nia, Pageant. Canadian Subscriptions 25c Extra, Foreign 50c Extra
March 30—Passion Play in the Peni- Subscriptions to Army Personnel Outside U. S. A. Must Be Mailed in Conformity With
tente Chapel, Taos, New Mexico. P. O. D. Order No. 19687
L Address Correspondence to Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California

MARCH, 1956
 John Nummel. miner-prospector, is gone now and so are most traces
of the trail he hiked so many times between the Red Cloud and La
Fortuna mines in the Yuma, Arizona, area. But, somewhere off that
trail near the Yuma Wash a ledge of dirty quartz cropping out beside
a palo verde tree—or the ghost of a polo verde—remains—dirty quartz,
rich in free gold.

The Ledge of Gold

John Nummel Lost...
fore the coming of the Model T, fron- his own when the fabulous silver strike
tier Southwesterners did an amazing at the Red Cloud was made.
amount of walking. "Shanks mares" He must have been a born wanderer
were the only practical means of trans- like many others who were attracted
portation in many parts of the desert, to this vast, wild, lonely and beautiful
of course, but even when horses, mules, land bordering the Colorado. From
burros, wagons and stages were avail- the '80s to World War II, John hiked
able, pioneer prospectors and miners and rode and prospected and worked
sometimes preferred walking. through the Trigo Mountains, the
When a man was doing serious pros- Chocolates, the Kofas, Castle Domes,
pecting, such an attitude was under- Lagunas and Gilas. Besides the Red
standable. Most of the great mines Cloud, he worked as a miner at La
were found by men on foot, either Fortuna, the King of Arizona and the
punching or hunting their "boo-rows" North Star, and in California at Pica-
Nummel and his walking or clambering where even a burro cho and Hedges.
stick. For more than half a cen- would have felt dizzy. But miners A man following such lonely trails
tury, John wandered the lonely seeking employment at some distant and wandering far beyond all trails
trails of Yuma County and the camp were equally nonchalant about through so many years is bound to
Colorado River country. On one pushing off on a 20 or 30-mile hike in come upon curious and interesting
trip he found a yellow quartz blazing heat, some with only a bottle things. John's discoveries included an-
ledge glittering with free gold. of water stuck in a pocket as a con- cient Indian habitations and a cave
Photograph by Ed Rochester. cession to the dangers of desert sum- with crude old mining equipment hid-
mer. den in it, far from any known mine,
John Nummel was both a miner and and a hill of what he insisted were pet-
a prospector. Quite probably influenced rified turtles. Besides his lost gold
By HAROLD O. WEIGHT by the Wild Westerns popular in Ger- ledge he discovered a number of prom-
Map by Norton Allen many then, he came directly to Cali- ising mineral leads, developing some
fornia when he emigrated to America of them and proving others worthless.
as a very young man. He spent a year And he also found a rich silver ledge
on the coast then headed for the still- but was unable to relocate it. The sil-
/ 7 0 H N NUMMEL was hiking be- wild Arizona frontier where he spent ver strike came late in his life, and is
ij> tween the Red Cloud and La For- the rest of his long life along the Colo- another story.
w tuna mines, in southern Yuma rado River and among the desert moun-
County, Arizona, when he made the tains of Yuma County. The date he The date of the yellow quartz ledge
biggest strike of his life — a yellow arrived in the Territory is uncertain, find has been forgotten. But it must
quartz ledge that glittered with free though more than once Dick Young, have been when he still was a young
gold. And for reasons that seemed Clyde Stewart and the rest of the boys man, for it was in a time when both
logical to him at the time, he left the at Picacho heard him insist: "I know the Red Cloud and La Fortuna were
ledge and walked on. And never found every judge and every official that's working steadily. The Red Cloud
it again. been elected in Yuma County since ended its period of greatest activity
It was not surprising that John found 1872." about 1900, while golden La Fortuna
his ledge on the old Red Cloud-La came into production about 1895 and
That year would seem a little too operated on a large scale until 1904,
Fortuna trail. There was a time when early to jibe with John's age when he when the main vein was lost. Its ban-
he was almost a commuter between died in 1948. But Clyde Stewart is ner year was 1900, when nearly half
the two camps. And as for being afoot certain John was one of the first men a million dollars in gold was produced.
—for more than half a century he to work at the Red Cloud after it was Both mines have had periods of re-
probably was the walkingest man in purchased by a New York company in vival, but these periods did not coincide
the Colorado River country. 1881 or 1882. In fact, Nummel was for any length of time.
That was no small distinction. Be- on the scene and developing claims of In those days good miners almost
DESERT MAGAZINE
 Old building and present day workings of the Red Cloud Mine. Nummel was one
of the earliest miners at the Red Cloud and he started from it on the trip when he
found his golden ledge.

always could find work at any of the Dutch stubborness and occasional tern- told me, "John just played the two of
more isolated desert mines in develop- per, was a sturdy exponent of this va- them, back and forth. He'd get mad
ment or production. So they did not riety of miner philosophy. and have a fight with the foreman at
hesitate to quit a job that for any rea- "When the Red Cloud and the old one, and quit, and then he'd go to
son displeased them. John, with his Fortuna were working," Clyde Stewart work at the other. And after a while

Ruins of the mill and camp of La Fortuna Mine in the Gila Mountains. Nummel
was heading for this camp when he found his rich ledge.

MARCH, 1956
he'd have a disagreement at that one miles by the trail from the Red Cloud, I went over and sat down in its shade.
and go back to work at the other. And while the twisty old wagon road took My canteen was pretty near empty, but
he would almost always walk the whole several more miles to reach the same I took a drink anyway. Then I just
distance between them, along the old location. sat there and rested in the shade. There
Red Cloud-Fortuna trail, prospecting One summer day John Nummel fol- was a sort of ledge—looked like dirty
as he went." lowed his usual procedure of row and quartz—cropping out right beside me,
So far I have been unable to work resignation at the Red Cloud. He filled where I was sitting. Out of habit more
out the course of this apparently direct his gallon canteen, slung it over his than anything else, I took my pick and
foot trail between the two mines, and shoulder and set off on foot for La broke a piece off."
probably no trace remains of large por- Fortuna. Today we would look upon John's eyes brightened when he came
tions of it. Early maps do not show that as quite a traverse since the two to that part of his story. "It was yellow
the trail, and early accounts are silent mines were more than 40 miles apart. quartz. And was it rich! And pretty!
about it. Possibly it was an old Indian John made his gold strike after he Free yellow gold. Free yellow gold in
trail, from waterhole to waterhole. Pos- crossed Yuma Wash. As usual he was yellow quartz."
sibly John, its principal traveler, laid not on the main trail, but prospecting But John had a problem. He did
out portions of it himself. According along a line parallel to it. not have tools to open the vein or do
to Stewart, it crossed Yuma Wash "It was hot as the devil," he told development work, or supplies to feed
about three miles up from the Colorado Stewart nearly half a century later. him while he worked. If he had been
River. This crossing was about nine "And there was that palo verde tree. supplied and equipped, the vicious
summer heat would have made the
hard labor of development unpleasant
at best, and quite possibly dangerous.
John did not want to return to the
nearby Red Cloud, where he had so
recently made a grand exit. More than
a matter of pride, he was certain that
the miners and prospectors at the camp
would suspect that only something ex-
traordinary would have brought him
back.
And probably John figured that
WS rM since the ledge had lain there undis-
turbed for a million years, it was un-
likely anyone else would stumble upon
this particular tree and this particular
outcrop before he could return under
better conditions and claim it. Not
many people traveled Red Cloud-La
Fortuna trail which lay some distance
from his find. Very few attempted it
in summer.
John decided to continue as he had
planned, to La Fortuna. He would
work there and save up enough money
so he could take time off to develop
his find. Then he would locate it and
open it on his way back to the Red
Cloud when he quit next at La For-
tuna.
So he pocketed the sparkling piece
he had knocked off, concealed the
freshly broken surface of the yellow
quartz ledge, and walked on.
John was short of water. But he
knew that not much farther on — it
proved to be about a mile—there was
a small natural rock tank within 200
yards of the main trail. There are
many such tanks scattered through the
desert mountains, too unimportant or
too transitory to be listed in water sup-
ply reports, or to have names. This
particular one would hold water for
six months after a cloudburst, and
John had come to depend upon it. He
1—Possible Area for John Nummel's Lost Golden Ledge.
refilled his canteen there, and con-
2—Approximate Area Where Old Red Cloud-Fortuna Trail
tinued on the trail to La Fortuna.
Crossed Yuma Wash. Matters followed the usual course
there. John worked peacefully for a
"To MARTINEZ LAKE
while, then went a few rounds with the

DESERT MAGAZINE
 Nummel and most of the other oldtimers gone, burros no longer carry the
prospectors' burdens, and the few that remain in Nummel's country, like these,
are wild. Photograph by the author.

foreman and quit. He returned to the he walked up Black Rock Wash to the his labors at La Fortuna, and had mat-
Red Cloud. But he did not walk back road linking the Black Rock and Red ters worked out differently, he might
along the old trail as he had planned. Cloud mines and followed it to the still have retraced his earlier trip and
He started hiking from La Fortuna, Red Cloud. relocated his yellow ledge. But the
but a spring wagon came along and This sounds like a fantastically in- Red Cloud was booming, and the camp
he rode with it all the way into Yuma. volved return route if you do not know supported two or three saloons. John
From Yuma he caught a ride out to the country. Actually, because of the was very partial to such institutions,
Picacho on the California side of the great half circle the Colorado makes and he got started at one and went on
Colorado. At Picacho, a friend rowed between Norton's Landing and Yuma, into the fireworks of a first class cele-
him back across the river and he it was the shortest, easiest and most bration. When it was over, he was
walked the Arizona side to the Black logical way once John had detoured broke, miserable and in immediate
Rock Landing and smelter, about a to Yuma. need of a job for grocery money. He
mile below old Norton's Landing. Then John still retained some money from went to work again at the Red Cloud.

MARCH, 1956
 route that had brought him to the
golden ledge on that hot summer day
so long before. And the southwestern
tip of Arizona's Chocolate Mountains
between Yuma Wash and Castle Dome
Landing, where he made most of his
searches, is very rough country. It is
largely of Tertiary lava, much of it is
almost straight up and down, and there
are scores of buttes and ridges and
little valleys and slopes, spotted with
saguaros—and palo verdes.
Eldred D. Wilson, Arizona Bureau
of Mines geologist, said, in the bulle-
tin on southern Yuma County issued
in 1933, that these Chocolate Moun-
tains contained no known mineral de-
posits of economic importance and
that he did not know even of any
prospects in the range.
But until the day he died, John Num-
mel was certain that there was at least
one rich mine among them. The two
principal clues to the location of the
yellow quartz ledge, to his mind, were
the point where the Red Cloud-La For-
tuna trail crossed Yuma Wash and the
little natural rock tank where he re-
filled his canteen. He had made his
find after he had crossed the wash, and
within a mile of the tank.
When he dreamed of one final trip
to find his ledge, it was at Yuma Wash
he planned to start. That was in 1947,
the last time Clyde Stewart saw him.
John was living on his state pension
and had built a little cabin near La-
guna Dam. Stewart and Ed Rochester
and Shorty Mills were on an expedi-
tion to the Red Cloud to dig out some
of the wulfenite crystals for which it
is famous among mineral collectors.
Then they planned to go on to a mine
that Shorty owned, from which strik-
ing groups of vanadinite crystals could
be dug.
Clyde Stewart, life-long miner and prospector, also known as the Tonopah
Kid, at his cabin at Picacho, where John Nummel told him the story of the "We camped at Laguna," Stewart
lost gold. Colorado River and Arizona mountains in background. Photo- remembers. "And John was there and
graph by the author. all excited and fixing to go up to Yuma
Wash where the Fortuna trail came in
and hunt for that gold mine again. By
himself.
At the next quitting, he set out along buyers for a mining company is one
the Red Cloud-La Fortuna trail to lo- thing. A lost mine is quite different. " 'I can picture that yellow ledge
cate and explore his strike. It was All men must eat, so John spent most just the way it lies,' he says. 'I can find
cooler then and he took the tools neces- of his time working. But he hunted it.'
sary. But what had seemed in his mind for the lost yellow ledge whenever op- "He'd gotten one pack burro and
a very simple project proved to be an portunity permitted. Stewart thinks he he was waiting for a man to bring in
impossible task. He crossed Yuma took the job of watchman at the in- two more. Then he was going to load
Wash and entered what he thought was active Red Cloud in the late '20s and them up and take off. And he was so
familiar country. But where were the early '30s so he would be close to the darned old then—he must have been
ridges and saddles and buttes he gold ledge area. 72 — that Ed and Shorty and I all
thought he had fixed so firmly in his
mind? Where was the right palo verde That all his searches were unsuc- ganged up on him and tried to talk
him out of it. We hadn't convinced
among so many palo verdes? He had cessful is not surprising. During his him by the time we left, but we were
been away too long, and too many trips back and forth between the Red hoping the man wouldn't show up with
later impression had dimmed the de- Cloud and the Fortuna, he had fol- those other two burros."
tails of his strike. Even the hills were lowed a dozen or more routes on both
strangers. sides of the main trail. They all must The man with the burros did not
have blurred together in his mind as he come. John Nummel never hunted for
A gold ledge to develop and show to sought to remember the one particular his gold again. Not long afterwards

DESERT MAGAZINE
 Today almost nothing is remembered about the old Red Cloud-La Fortuna trail.
Perhaps it followed in part, from waterhole to waterhole, the old Indian trail above.
Photograph by the author.
he went to the Pioneers' Home at Pres- ance as the years passed? Perhaps an and it lies open now under the Arizona
cott where, according to Ed Rochester, ancient palo verde tree now hides the desert skies, waiting for another man
he died. outcropping beneath drooping branches like John Nummel, willing to wander
And what of the yellow quartz ledge and fallen debris. Perhaps the rocks for a lifetime among lonely buttes and
with its glittering free gold, that shone John piled over it still conceal it. And valleys where even the game trails thin
in his memory with increasing brilli- perhaps both tree and rocks are gone, and thread and vanish.

Late January Storm Raises Hopes fot Wildflowers

Late January rains fell over most orchards will be in bloom in mid- hedgehog cactus to bloom about the
portions of Southern California and March, with the date for the annual end of March.
Southern Arizona, reviving hopes for Almond Blossom Festival set for William J. Reinhardt, park super-
a colorful spring wildflower display. March 11 this year. visor of Borrego State Park, writes
The amount of the rainfall varied from The one rain that fell in late Janu- from Borrego Springs, California, that
light showers over some parts of the ary may not be enough for a good very little rain has been received in his
storm area to nearly an inch of rain wildflower display, believes Bruce W. area. "Along our Palm Canyon Nature
in others. Black, park naturalist at Joshua Tree Trail we have a few shrubs beginning
The prospects for a wildflower show National Monument, also on the high to bloom—desert lavender, brittlebush
in the Lake M»ad National Recrea- desert. "If we receive several substan- and chuperosa," writes Reinhardt.
tion Area improved greatly as a result tial showers during the first half of A. T. Bicknell, superintendent of the
of the heavy drenching received there, February I would predict a good dis- Casa Grande National Monument at
reports O. L. Wallis, park naturalist. play in March—otherwise only fair, Coolidge, Arizona, reported before the
"If we continue to receive additional although with a good possibility of storm hit. He wrote then that one
rains and warm weather and do not very worth-while displays in a few good rain could change the bleak out-
experience desiccating winds, we should localized areas," Black said. look for wildflowers.
have many varieties of wildflowers be-
ginning to appear during the middle of Abnormally warm weather through Fred W. Binnewies, superintendent
March at the lower elevations and the month of January has started a of Death Valley National Monument,
slightly later at higher elevations. Some little flowering activity at the Saguaro also reported early. Prospects are very
of the perennials such as the sunrays National Monument at Tucson, Ari- poor except in the upper part of Fur-
and brittlebush are already beginning zona, and Superintendent John G. nace Creek wash where some wild-
to fill out," he writes. Lewis believes that there will be an flower sprouts are beginning to show,
The Antelope Valley in the Mojave early but poor blossom season this he said. Prospects in the higher eleva-
desert of California received its first year. A few brittlebush, desert mari- tions are also poor, but Binnewies be-
rain since early December. Mrs. Jane gold and desert zinnia are already in lieves a few hardy flowers will bloom
Pinheiro of Quartz Hill believes the flower. The prospects that the oco- in late March and April.
profusion of wildflower color will not tillo will be in leaf and flower at the A light rain fell in the Coachella
be in evidence this year because of the same time in mid-February are good, Valley of California, increasing hopes
light autumn rainfall. The almond Lewis added. He is expecting the for some wildflowers there.

MARCH, 1956
 LIFE O NT H E DESERT

Bill Williams on the Rampage

The Bill Williams River suddenly had turned from a gentle creek we thought would lead us to the bot-
to a thundering, flood-swollen river. The worst was not over, however, tom. My wife and I each took a child
when the Rev. Sorensen started up river to the elderly Chestnuts' ranch. on our back and started down. It was
Here is the story of a mission of mercy that almost ended in tragedy a tough descent and soon after we
for the rescuers. reached bottom it was pitch black. We
tried our flashlight but found it was
By REV. NORMAN M. SORENSEN burned out.
I took my bearings from the stars

7 HE WINTER of 1936-37 was an An elderly couple named Chestnut and started hunting for the car.
unusual one on the desert of had a farm on the Bill Williams a few Trying to find a black car parked
Southern California and Arizona miles upstream from the dam, where in an area of sticky mud in the black
due to heavy rainfall and cold tem- they raised a few cattle and many of night is quite an experience. I knew
peratures. In fact, snow fell for the vegetables. Their little desert home that the hill near where the car was
first time in decades and one night the was close to the edge of the stream. parked was shaped like the back of
thermometer went so low a thin skin We were afraid it was too close. To a hand. We were on the "hand" and
of ice was frozen on the Colorado make matters worse, Mrs. Chestnut the car was between two of its "fin-
River near the Parker damsite. had been ill with the flu. gers." I left the family and started
That winter we were residing at the As soon as we felt we could get down each finger until I found the
little construction town of Cross Roads, through, my wife and I and two sons, right one. I yelled for them to follow
California, which is half way between one four and the other two, started and soon we were in the car.
Earp and Parker dam then under con- toward the Chestnut ranch to see if they
struction. needed help. The construction com- As I was turning the car around I
Just above the damsite, the Bill pany had scraped the mud off the road heard a roar behind me but could not
Williams tributary comes in from the part of the way, but the last mile or identify it. The sound from the motor
northeast. Normally the Bill Williams two before reaching the farm was either drowned it out as we headed back
is just a small stream that is easily washed out or covered with muck. home.
forded. However, it drains a vast We drove as far as we could and Later I learned that this roar was
Watershed extending nearly to Prescott then started wading through the mud. a second flood, almost as great as the
and Flagstaff in northern Arizona. We were going along fine until we first. The spot where our car had been
In early February, 1937, the weather came to a cross-channel of quicksand parked was again covered by deep
turned warm and a combination of which was too wide to jump, and not water and mud within a matter of
chinook winds and warm rains brought solid enough for footing. I tried to minutes after we had left it.
rapid melting of the snowpack in the leap across at the narrowest point, and
mountains at Flagstaff. Runoff water landed knee deep in the quicksand,
quickly accumulated in the upper trib- but saved myself by grabbing the You are cordially invited to attend . . .
utaries of the Bill Williams and soon branch of a willow which grew on the
a wall of water 20 feet high and a bank. I then improvised a crossing TWO OUTSTANDING EXHIBITIONS OF ART
quarter of a mile wide came roaring for the others and we arrived at the
down the canyon to the junction with ranch where we found the family safe.
JOHN HILTON
the Colorado River. One of the en-
gineers on the dam construction told The flood waters had reached their February 15—March 5

me later the flow reached a maximum doorstep, and then receded. They had . . . included with his famous desert scenes
of 75,000 second feet—compared with lost much of their vegetable garden, will be 14 paintings of Baja California . . .
a normal flow of about 10 feet. however.
So great was the inrush of flood Mrs. Chestnut prepared a roast
AGNES PELTON
water into the Colorado that it pushed chicken dinner with all the trimmings March 14-March 28
back upstream and for a few hours and we sat down to a cheerful meal.
the Colorado at this point actually was We started back before dark because . . . desert paintings, abstractions and draw-
ings done in Hawaii will be shown in this
flowing upstream at nearly six miles an of the long walk back to the car. Mr. exhibit . . .
hour. Chestnut suggested that we take a
The diversion tunnels at the dam- trail on the side of the hill in order to PALM DESERT

site could not handle the sudden vol- avoid most of the mud. The trail, he ART GALLERY

ume of water, and the coffer dam said, would lead us to a saddle on the in the
started to leak. Crews worked fever- hill from which we could drop down DESERT MAGAZINE
ishly to strengthen it. Fortunately for to the parked car. PUEBLO
those living downstream it held. One When we reached this spot we saw Highway 111
man came down the flood riding a several saddles instead of one, and a Palm Desert, California
tree and was rescued by a boat at the high cliff blocked our descent. To
This admission-free gallery
dam. When the water receded next make matters worse it was almost dark is open to the public from
day mud varying in depth from several and our only hope lay in finding a way 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven
inches to four feet carpeted the floor down the face of that cliff. After in- 1
*i .
days a week.
of the Bill Williams valley. vestigating it we found a crevice that

10 DESERT MAGAZINE
 The powerful, lithe mountain lion is a masterful hunter, preying on deer, colts,
wild burro and smaller animals. Western Ways Photo by Tommy Lark.

Rogue of the Rim Country...

By whatever name you know it—mountain lion, cougar, puma, perceptibly in places. His chest and
panther—the big cat pictured above is a ferocious—and admirable shoulders were wide. Into them were
denizen of the rugged Rim Country of Arizona. Each year the lion set his heavy forelegs which ended in
competes with man for a share of the deer who live in the area. broad paws, equipped with murderous,
retractile claws.
By GASTON BURRIDGE
These Arizona Rim country cats are
powerful and lithe, streamlined and
WAS near its end. The cop- "What a cat!" I gasped. jet-powered. They are long-tailed com-
per sun shone only on the higher Standing atop a high, burnt-orange ets, prowling these forests and lofty
cliff-heads. Indigo haze, like a ridge, ears cupped forward, neck grace-
faded old Spanish shawl, hooded all ridges as silently as drifting campfire
fully arched, seemingly watching some smoke. I said a little prayer that this
else. I swung my field glasses in a wide
sweep of the pinnacles above. far-off stir of dust, that mountain lion region would never be without these
had more than a touch of magnificence rogues. They belong here! it-
I almost slid past him with my bi- about him. He was not a mass of There was an air of sureness in the
noculars—but not quite. knotted muscles, though he did bulge cougar's stance. His slenderly-tapered
MARCH, 1956
11
body, with its long back legs set in ous to mankind than is a mule deer or small. Frequently, they eat skunks
with wedges of steel-trap muscles, made buck in rut! Why? The experts don't and porcupines. Mice and grasshop-
capability lurk even in his shadow. know either! There are still many dif- pers are not ruled out if the lion's
He continued to gaze far away. Was ferences of opinion between observers hunger is great enough.
he watching a hazy movement? Per- as to the character of the panther. Like The panther—male or female—will
haps he wat listening for a recognizable men, there never have been two pumas attack a full grown horse, steer or bull
sound. There was no,evidence now, of alike. Most hunters say this cat is a elk without hesitation. Old records tell
the fierceness of his nature. Only if he coward. Perhaps so. He may be smart, of cougars bringing down full-grown
should turn his rather small, flat head too. It could be he has learned: "He buffalo.
toward me, making it possible to look who looks, then runs away, may live The puma also enjoys wild burro
deeply into his soft, velvet, wicked to run another day!" One thing is cer- meat almost as much as it does veni-
eyes, would I see the flint and steel tain, he is as unpredictable as the flight son. He would like to indulge in this
wherein lies the white-hot spark. There of a mayfly. delicacy more often. Burros have long
is the arctic-cold, the split-second sav- Vast differences in individual lions been plentiful in the Rim Country, but
agery waiting to explode. are pointed to by the fact that some this wily little long-eared equine sel-
The panther fits these rugose can- cubs, taken early and brought up by dom falls prey to the cougar. Because
yons with as much exactness as evolu- man, grow into docile pets. They are of the burro's rocket-like kicks^ its
tion can obtain. It seemed to me this affectionate and trustworthy. Others, vicious teeth and it lightning-like abil-
cat knew it. often of the same litter, never can be ity to sidestep trouble it generally foils
trusted. I have found records of lions, the panther.
Beginning at the Colorado River
taken when young and well trained, Does the panther scream? Not many
above Hoover Dam and swinging a
becoming adjuncts to the chase! How- years ago this question was sure to
broad arc diagonally across northern
ever, the feline family is self-sufficient start a lengthy argument. Now, the
Arizona and southern Utah lies a
and harbors no real love for mankind. evidence supports the stand that the
wilderness not matched for variety,
This is true of your pet housecat, too. animal does scream. The puma can
brilliance and sheer breath - taking
beauty anywhere in the world. It be- Arizona has an unusual distribution duplicate all the sounds of a back-yard
gins with the accent mark of a 12,000- of mountain lion species. There are torn cat multiplied about 20 times in
foot mountain peak above Flagstaff three geographical races within its bor- volume.
and the Grand Canyon, below. It ends ders, Felis concolor azteca, Fells con- Cougar meat has been eaten by man
in an exclamation point of 10,000- color browni and Felis concolor kiaba- since earliest times. It has always been
foot peaks just over the New Mexico bensis. Azteca prowls the high, pine- considered excellent. "As good as pan-
border. Here is a mammoth expanse timbered mountains, the canyons and ther meat" was high praise to a cook
of twisting canyons, leaping red and thickly bushed hills from Prescott north in pioneer times. The meat tastes con-
ochre-colored bluffs. Here, cinnamon- to Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, east siderably like pork, a little like chicken
barked pines, alder tangles, manzanita to the Continental Divide, south to the breast with a touch of veal thrown in.
and junipers blur all sharp lines. This border. It claims the largest portion It is all white meat and its texture is
country is filled with small, swift of this region for its domain. very lean. I prefer it to venison.
streams, feathery waterfalls and ever- Browni lopes along the desert plains, Give an expectant female lion her
changing colors which dare the brash- big washes and low mountains of the choice of abodes in which to bear her
est painter. Earthquake-heaved, ero- Colorado River and southwestern sec- young and she will invariably choose
sion-gnawed, time-hardened—this land tion of Arizona, mainly in the lower a cave. If possible, it will be near a
is one of the last habitats of the moun- Sonoran zone. spring or rill, for baby lions drink a
tain lion in the Southwest. Kiababensis stalks the Kiabab Pla- great deal of water. Young cougars
Suddenly before my staring eyes-— teau north of the Grand Canyon and have been found in every month in the
he was gone — gone like the tawny on into Utah and Nevada. year. The gestation period is about
ghost he was. Some large pumas have been killed 96 days.
"Adios, Sly One," I said, "And may in the Rim country. Ben Lilly shot a The kittens — usually two — weigh
it be long before you have to flee a couple of males reportedly weighing between a half pound and a pound,
pack of hounds." over 260 pounds. The largest panther and are from eight to 12 inches long.
Even though cougars are splendidly on recsrd killed in Arizona, was shot Their bodies are heavily spotted and
equipped for aggression, they eschew by a Government hunter, Ramsey Pat- their tails ringed. The cubs get along
terson, near Hillside, Yavapai County, well among themselves, but will fight
the company of man. They are the in March, 1917. This cat weighed 276
phantoms of the hills, the ridges, the with a vengeance any chance-met cubs.
pounds without entrails. From the tip The panther is a distinctive Ameri-
thick woodlands. Without dogs trained of its nose to the end of its black-
to their scent, or unless one is lucky, can predator. He has great — almost
tufted tail, it measured eight feet, seven
as I was, a person might roam the and three quarter inches. uncanny skill as a hunter, and covers
puma's haunts for years and never see a wide range. This cat is impelled
one. Not that they are few in number, Adult male panthers average be- through instinct to live by the only
or that man is not often seen by them tween 135 to 145 pounds and females, means it knows—hunting. Frequently,
100 pounds. Even at these reduced these ways are cross-grain to man's de-
—-the fact is the puma is secretive and,
figures, these cats are a set of muscles, sires. But, there are areas on this great
some believe, instinctively afraid of teeth and claws and prey on animals Rim country where the cattle business
man. several times their weight and size. is marginal at best. It seems to me
In all Arizona's history there is but The panther's first choice of food is there must be places within it where
one report of a man being attacked by deer meat. They thrive or dwindle as the mountain lion could well be spared
an uneornered, unwounded, unpro- deer populations rise or decline. If predatory control.
voked mountain lion. There remains the puma cannot get all the deer they Let the panther remain one of the
considerable question concerning this want, next choice of food is colt and region's interesting assets to add hk
sole instance, however. then calf. But they will eat almost bit of color, excitement and flavor to
This big eat is probably less danger- anything they can lay a paw on, large an already delightful place.

12 DESERT MAGAZINE
 77?e annual school picnic is a popular affair on the Goshute Indian reservation.
Mrs. Lily Pete, in white apron, oversees arrangements on the serving tables set out
in front of the schoolhouse. Man at left is Francis Christiansen.

Land of the Goshutes...

One hundred years ago the Goshute Indians on the Nevada-Utah ern Utah, I set about doing some pre-
border were considered sub-savages by those infrequent white men liminary research. After consulting my
who had contact with them. Today, without the steady dole of govern- own rather extensive files—where I
ment aid which has come to be an accepted thing with other Indians, the found only three paragraphs on the
Goshutes still find their high border country a rigid and harsh environ- subject—I pursued the matter through
ment, but history has corrected itself in its appraisal of these admirable local, county and state libraries, and
and neighborly people. enlisted the aid of the Utah Historical
Society. All I learned from this ex-
By NELL MURBARGER tensive pursuit might have been typed
Photographs by the author on a single sheet of paper.
Map by Norton Allen Back in the 1850s and 1860s, when
their resentment of white man's intru-
sion caused them to kill a few stage
DIDN'T KNOW when I crossed Rutted wagon tracks still led away to drivers and burn a few stations, and
the state line. Not that it mat- destinations, unidentified and unseen. have their camps ravaged in retaliation
tered. Such things as political There were no towns, no buildings, no by United States cavalry, the Goshutes
boundaries seemed terribly unimpor- roadsigns, no people. Nothing but received considerable adverse publicity.
tant in the big, high aloneness that height and width and time and distance In 1863, however, they executed a
spread all around me; and whether I —and one dusty little road binding all treaty of peace with Uncle Sam, and
still traveled in Nevada, or had en- together like a tattered shoestring tied insofar as the public and press were
tered Utah, my surroundings remained around the middle of the world. concerned, the Goshutes vanished into
unchanged. This was the Land of the Goshutes. oblivion.
There was the same deep, blue sky; When the editor of Desert Magazine What has happened to the tribe in
the same rolling hills and empty val- asked me to get a story about this small the 93 years since acceptance of
leys and mountain-hemmed horizon. and little-known Indian tribe of West- that treaty was something I hoped

MARCH, 1956 13
eventually to learn; but first I was smoke—was visible. Driving down a Franz," or "See the Old Man." In any
learning that the Goshute Country lies lane of vacant cabins, I halted before case, a large share of the town's as-
a terribly long way from anywhere a log structure newer and larger than sorted dilemmas come to rest on the
else! the others where a plump Indian log doorstep of Francis "Franz" and
I had driven nearly 80 miles since woman and young girl were leaning Grace Christiansen, who, with their
leaving the last small town of McGill, on the porch rail, watching me. 10-year-old daughter, Judy-Ellen, are
Nevada, the last 20 miles without sight- From the woman I learned that this the only white residents on the Goshute
ing one operative mine or tenanted was not, as I first had supposed, an Indian Reservation.
ranch house. Topping yet another hill, isolated cattle ranch, nor a ghost min- Grace is on the government pay-
I ran my eyes down another long gray ing camp, but was the place I had come rolls as teacher, and Francis as school
slope. At first, it looked like a carbon so far to visit—the main settlement of
copy of all the other sage-grown slopes the Goshute tribe of Indians! bus driver, but to the Goshutes, who
I had crossed in the last 50 miles. But have no resident agent, minister, doc-
Introducing myself, I explained I tor, nurse, trader or postoffice, the
a narrow valley separated this particu- wanted to write about the Goshutes,
lar slope from the mountain range be- the Indian woman nodded. schoolhouse serves as the heart of com-
yond, and in that valley loomed the Shrugging her shoulders she gave munity activities, and the Christiansens
pencil-thin spires of a few green poplar me a friendly but cryptic smile. "Better fill positions far more important than
trees. see the teacher . . . " grade school teacher to 18 young In-
A few log buildings came into view. This, I was to learn, is the Goshute's dians, and school bus driver over a
They appeared to be very old and stock solution to about half the prob- 40-mile route of unpaved desert road.
unoccupied. No human being, no cat- lems that arise in his daily life. If it Along with the jobs they are paid to
tle or sheep—not even a stray wisp of isn't "See the teacher," it is "See do, they function as Indian-agents-
without-portfolio, judges advocate, vo-
cational counselors, farm advisors, psy-
chologists, veterinarians to horses,
cows, sheep and dogs, and purveyors
of emergency first aid.
"We don't claim to be all-seeing
and all-knowing, but we do what we
GOSHUTE
INDIAN can to help our Goshute neighbors
RESERVATION solve their problems," said Grace. "So
far," she laughed, "I haven't been
called upon to deliver a baby—but it
is a matter of time until I will be!"
Grace and Francis were born in
Utah. Franz is a little on the heavy
side and facetiously describes himself
as "all Dane and a yard wide." His
boyhood was spent in the Ibapah Val-
ley, north of Goshute, and he counts
among his friends many of the older
Indians whose children and grandchil-
dren he is now transporting daily to
school. Grace was born of Mormon
pioneer parentage in the town of Brig-
ham City. After extensive academic
training she entered social service work
and, in time, she and Franz obtained
civil service positions in Washington,
D.C. There was too much Utah red
sand in their veins to be content in
the effete East, however, and in the
early years of World War II they re-
turned West. Learning that the posts
of teacher and bus driver were vacant
on the Goshute Reservation, they ap-
plied for the jobs and began work in
March, 1954.
"I can't say we were welcomed with
open arms," said Grace. "For the first
year we seemed to occupy much the
same position as reeds in a stream of
water — the Goshute life flowed all
around us, and past us, but we were
never a part of it. Then a few of the
Indians began discussing their prob-
/ < (V-. TO PIOCHE lems with us and we knew that our

14 DESERT MAGAZINE
probationary period was ending and
that we were accepted."
Grace, whose life work has been
with minority groups, is a loyal de-
fender of the Goshutes.
"They're good, kind, honest folk,
with a wonderful philosophy of live
and let live," she said. "I'm supposed
to teach them the white man's way,
but when I think of the pattern we
sometimes set, I wonder if we wouldn't
do well to find value in the 'Indian
way', instead."
This appraisal of the Goshutes came
to me as a surprise, for early travelers
in the West considered this sub-tribe
close to the bottom of civilization's
scale.
The Goshutes had been a poor, ill-
fed and poorly housed band. Before
the white man came, the tribe appar-
ently had no office comparable to chief,
and no centralized authority. They
built no lodges but lived in circular,
roofless windbreaks, built of poles and
brush. Their most important winter
garment had been a rabbit-skin cape,
tied about the neck with a cord; and
in summer, both men and women had
worn little but skin breechclouts and Grace and Francis Christiansen and daughter, Judy-Ellen, hold a one-sided
aprons. Living in some of the most conference with a young Goshute, three-year-old Herman Bishop. The
barren, unproductive country in the Christiansens are the only white residents on the reservation.
West, they averaged one inhabitant to
each 35 square miles and, even then, a compassionate but ill-advised Uncle the snow-fed streams that poured into
found it barely possible to eke out a Sam took pity on these tribesmen in the valley once were adequate for a
livelihood. As a result, according to their rude dwellings and had the Civil- population of 500, while today the
early reports, they ate practically any- ian Conservation Corps build for them water volume has so seriously dimin-
thing that came to hand. a dozen neat log cabins. ished that only 18 families, comprising
Thomas J. Farnham, who visited the The cabins are still standing along 140 individuals, make their homes on
tribe in 1843, wrote: the main street of Goshute—but no the reservation.
"They wear no clothing of any de- one lives in them. This water shortage, precludes the
scription, build no shelter. They eat "We can't live in them," one Indian possibility of the Goshutes raising their
roots, lizards and snails . . . and when girl told me. "We'd freeze to death! standard of living through farming.
the lizards and snails and wild roots The government just didn't know how Only two or three families have wells
are buried in the snows in winter, they to build warm cabins . . ."
. . . dig holes . . . and sleep and fast or springs which provide enough water
Uncle Sam's cabins, it seems, were to irrigate small garden plots. Franz
till the weather permits them to go built of green logs; the logs, in curing,
abroad again for food. . . . These took me down in the valley to visit Old
shrank away from the mortar chink- Albert, preeminent gardener of the
poor creatures are hunted in the spring ing, and before long the chilling winds
of the year, when weak and helpless tribe, who owns a team of horses and
of this high elevation were whistling
. . . and when taken, are fattened, car- cultivates a small plot of bottomland
mournfully through the thin walls. The
ried to Santa Fe and sold as slaves." main settlement is at an elevation of where he raises excellent strawberries,
To avoid capture the Goshutes car- 6200 feet above sea level, and 12,088- peas, green beans, onions and other
ried water in ollas, and remained away foot Haystack Peak, in the Deep crops suited to a short growing season.
from springs where captors might be Creek range immediately behind the But Albert is lucky. He has the means
lurking. town is crowned in white through the of irrigating his fields. Few Goshutes
If this report affords a true picture greater portion of each year. Snow are that fortunate.
of Goshute life only a little more than comes early to the valley and lingers Except for this water shortage, the
100 years ago, the progress made by late; and, sometimes, it lies deep. One tribe also might engage profitably in
these people has been little short of morning last year the Christiansens cattle ranching.
miraculous! awakened to find four feet of snow in In past years, according to the
Today, their dress is much like that Goshute — all fallen during a single Christiansens, a considerable amount
of their white brothers. They eat food night! of money was spent by the Indian
from the white man's store, read news- But snow in such volume is a rarity, Service to purchase land and get the
papers and magazines—have their fa- and the main problem of the Goshute Goshutes started in the cattle business.
vorite radio programs, and live in small, country remains a lack of water. Boss farmers, or superintendents, were
weather-tight log houses, suited to the It always has been so for even the in residence for several years; but due
rigorous climate of the Goshute coun- tribal name, Goshute, is said to mean to involved economic factors the plan
try. "The Dusty People." Yet, within did not work out as contemplated and
During the Depression of the 1930s memory of older Goshute tribesmen, today the Goshute herd numbers less

MARCH, 1956 15
than 100 head of cattle, and 350 head subject to the approval of the Secretary "Since much of this distance is over
of sheep—including both individually of the Interior. rough roads, barely passable at some
and tribally-owned animals. Land in the Goshute reservation is times of the year, it is certainly not a
In some sections of the reservation held under a system of stewardship trip to be undertaken lightly—particu-
there is good grazing for both sheep somewhat different from that prevail- larly in old, worn-out cars, which may
and cattle, and a large brush area has ing in most other Indian reserves. break down. As a consequence most
been resceded by the Indian Service While the lands are held as a tribal of the young people marry in the In-
recently. The tribe owns four purebred trust, and may not be mortgaged or dian manner, and it seems to work out
Hereford bulls, two others are privately sold, the right to use specific tracts is as- very well. The family is the basis for
owned, and several Indian families are signed to individual members of the the social structure, and is a clearly de-
rebuilding their depleted herds. But tribe, or to families. If a family hold- fined unit."
this is a slow undertaking. At the ing such an assignment fails, for a per- Health of the tribe is above average.
present rate of increase, it will be sev- iod of two years, to use the land in ac- The Public Health Nurse, Mrs. Lydia
eral years before the tribe will have cordance with their contract, or uses Pescovich of Ely, visits the reservation
enough stock to fully utilize the range the land for unlawful purposes, the once a month and usually brings with
area, and, even then, there will still assignment may be canceled by the her an Ely doctor. The two conduct
be the looming spectre of aridity. Un- business council "after due notice and a clinic and as a result of her enthusi-
less deep wells can be developed, or an opportunity to be heard." While astic efforts, a preventative medical
there comes a sharp and unforeseen lands so held may not be bequeathed program of near 100 percent immuni-
upswing in natural precipitation, there to heirs, any person designated by will, zation and careful clinical diagnosis is
is not enough water on the reservation or written request, is given preference maintained.
to guarantee adequate winter feed for in the reassignment of the lands by the
a large herd. The Tribal Business council has set
council.
up a fund for transportation of any
Members of the Goshute tribe have Few members of the tribe subscribe member of the tribe who requires hos-
never received a tribal allotment from to the white man's concept of religion. pitalization; and most of the emergency
the government, and Goshute econ- "Two Mormon missionaries are as- dental needs of the school children,
omy, as a consequence, operates on signed to this district and several of during the past year, also were met by
the subsistance level. The only chance our Goshutes have been converted to drawing on the Tribal Fund. Eye ex-
for outside employment is in tending the Mormon faith, but I don't think aminations and corrective measures
or shearing sheep for the few white there has ever been any general religi- were provided, last year, by the Lions
ranchers of the surrounding area. ous fervor," said Franz. "They have Club of Ely, and the only crippled
Women tan buckskin and make a complicated religion of their own. It child in the tribe is at present receiv-
gloves and moccasins, which are skill- embraces reverence for the earth and ing surgical treatment through the
fully fashioned, but in this remote sky, and sun and moon; but we still Crippled Children's program, at a
land, far from any tourist center, there haven't been taken into their confidence Reno hospital.
is little outlet for such material. Some deeply enough to know exactly how it The only major disease afflicting the
of the boys also run traplines in winter operates." Goshutes is tuberculosis, which stems
and derive a little spending money The Goshutes have few public cere- from unbalanced diet and sub-standard
from their catches of coyotes, bobcats monials. Their chief ritual in past living conditions. Treatment is imme-
and muskrats. But taken altogether, years has been the Bear Dance, per- diate whenever presence of the disease
and from every source, the yearly in- formed at irregular intervals. At the is suspected; X-rays are provided, and
come of the Goshute Indians probably south edge of town is a rude enclosure follow-up on arrested cases is thor-
averages little more than $500 per built of poles interwoven with willow ough.
family—and among The Dusty People, brush. It is here the band gathers for Many years ago, according to some
families are large! the annual fandango, which embraces old men of the tribe, the peyote cult
With the nearest Indian agent at several days of singing, dancing, feast- was imported into the Goshute country
Owyhee, Nevada, 300 miles distant, ing, drinking and gambling. But even from Mexico and Texas where it then
management of the Goshute Indian the fandango seems to be losing its was very prevalent. This insidious
reservation would be almost impossibly appeal, and Franz said he doubted if drug is believed to have been largely
cumbersome were it not for the Gosh- many more of them will be held. responsible for a serious reduction in
ute Business Council, a responsible Although the Goshutes recognize the tribal population; but, so far as
and conscientious self - government and obey the white man's law as well is known, Goshute use of the narcotic
group with five Indian members, each as the average white man obeys it, has been discontinued.
elected for a three-year term. At the they also have laws of their own, just
time of my visit to the reservation, The Goshutes are of Shoshonean
as binding as anything in Blackstone. stock but although the language they
this group was headed by Bob Steele,
scion of an old Goshute family whose In the matter of marriage, in par- speak is similar to the Shoshonean
sundry branches now comprise a major ticular, the Goshute holds largely to tongue, there is enough difference that
portion of the tribe's population. his own time-honored customs and few members of the two tribes can barely
of their marital unions are legally sanc- understand one another. There seems
According to the constitution and tified.
by-laws of "The Confederated Tribes little danger that the Goshute language
"Personally," said Grace, "I don't will become a forgotten tongue in the
of the Goshute Reservation," as think it is so much a matter of holding
adopted in 1940, this council has the foreseeable future. One of the chief
to Indian tradition as it is a matter of challenges Grace has had to face is to
power to negotiate with federal, state inconvenience." get the children to speak English.
and county governments, employ legal In order to be married in "White
counsel, veto any sale, disposition, Man's style" the principals must go to "Before I can teach them anything,"
lease, or encumbrance of tribal lands a county seat to procure a license, laughed Grace, "I first have to teach
or assets, manage all economic affairs which means either a 90-mile trip to them to speak English! They seldom
and enterprises of the reservation, and Ely, or nearly 200 miles to the nearest hear any language but Goshute in the
promulgate and enforce ordinances, county seat in Utah. home; and sometimes it seems to me

16 DESERT MAGAZINE
it is the only language I hear on the phonograph was blaring forth "Red- the usual tour over his 40-mile desert
school grounds!" wing," two six-year-old Goshutes were route; and while absenteeism is always
The children, she has found, are at the blackboard drawing wild-looking lower than in the average public school
eager to learn, and their capacity for cowboys, riding wild horses and rop- —on this morning there was no ab-
learning is good. Ironically, perhaps, ing wild steers, and in the school kit- senteeism, whatever! Some of the
the accomplishments in which they chen, Mrs. Lily Pete—the woman I youngsters, Franz learned, had been
excel are music and art—neither of had first met on the schoolhouse porch waiting at the bus stops for more than
which is taught in the Goshute school. was busy baking for the coming pic- an hour before his arrival. In addition
After hearing a piece of music played nic. Already that morning she had to the score of boys and girls brought
two or three times, one little girl of fried a six-gallon kettleful of savory, in by bus, mid-morning found other
six years can go to the piano and pick golden-brown doughnuts, and she and Indians pouring into the schoolyard
it out, one note at a time. a 14-year-old helper were then in the from all corners of the reservation of
My visit to the Goshute country had midst of building 15 apple and cherry every age, from fat brown babies in
not been planned to include the last pies. cradleboards, to venerable grandmoth-
day of school, but when the Christian- The day of the picnic found a chill ers.
sens said a big picnic was planned for wind sweeping down from the snow- Sight of a long table heaped with
that occasion and all the Indians on blanketed 12,000-foot crest of the Deep picnic viands seemed to exert a bad
the reservation would be in attendance, Creek Range. The sky was blue, how- influence on the youngsters' appetites,
I quickly reshuffled an always elastic ever, and the sun was shining. The and in order to keep their minds off
schedule to embrace this event. old apple trees at the edge of the their respective stomachs, Grace or-
The day before the picnic found the schoolgrounds were in blossom and ganized a couple of sets and launched
school house a buzzing hive of activity. out along the dusty country road that a square dance. The fact that the
Grace was busy with her year's end bisects the settlement, bloomed a bright dancers ranged in age from little pig-
reports; Judy-Ellen (whose school in fringe of lupines and yellow daisies, tailed girls of five and six years to
the valley had closed for the summer) and a mat of prickly phlox. man-grown boys of 15, was cause for
and four of the older Indian girls were Although the picnic was not sched- considerable scrambling in some of
sweeping the floor and dusting the uled to start until noon, Franz set the changes. But no one seemed to
bookshelves. A small, manually-wound forth in the school bus at 8 a.m. for mind, too much, if his partner's head

Mrs. Arlene P. Moon and her children Dale and Yvonne, Harlan Pete and Willis Benson McGill barbecue their
in cradleboard, at the school picnic. weiners. In background is Deep Creek Range.
iiS!Pl»!#
"'WU.

MARCH, 1956 17
reached only as high as his belt buckle, down on her back, like a cork on a Christiansens and I sat in the small
or that he had to get down on his choppy sea. But instead of becoming living room of the government provided
hands and knees to pass through some seasick, David Leo was happily beat- teacherage and talked of many things
of the "arches." ing the air with his tiny fists and his —of Indian babies, and city traffic, and
Franz and a bevy of boy-helpers delighted crowing continued all the world unrest, and chokecherries.
kindled a sagebrush bonfire in the while his baby sitter was stooped over And it wasn't at all difficult to sift
schoolyard. A table was carried from the bonfire, roasting her weiners. that conversation and see that even
the kitchen, the assorted picnic fare Yvonne Moon, another cradleboard after 15 months' residence on the
was arranged upon it, an eager line habitue, spent a good share of the day Goshute Reservation, Grace and Franz
quickly took form, and Grace, Lily, contentedly gumming potato chips. Christiansen are very much in love
and several of the older girls began During the first hour of the picnic, with this life they voluntarily chose. To
serving weiners, buns, potato chips, 200 lunches were served, and issuing the average city dweller, the most
olives, doughnuts, pie, fruit punch and of second and third helpings continued frightening aspect of such a life would
all the marshmallows anyone wanted until three o'clock that afternoon. After be the extreme isolation it entails. But
to toast. every Goshute stomach was filled, the this does not bother the Christiansens.
Several cradleboards were in evi- last game finished, and the last im-
promptu footrace run, Franz marsh- True, there is no TV reception at
dence. The one holding David Leo Goshute, and the nearest telephone is
Pete, Lily Pete's newest contribution aled his charges together, packed them
into the school bus, and started back 25 miles away;" but a short-wave radio
to the Goshute population, was being bridges the gap of communication, and
manned by an older sister, Genevieve, over the 40-mile route to deliver them
to their respective homes. a home movie projector and shipped-
who did not seem to mind in the least in films bring once-weekly entertain-
that she had been elected to serve as That evening, with another school ment to the reservation. Mail consigned
baby-sitter. When she and another year ended, and the vanguard of an- to the settlement is delivered twice
girl dashed off to a nearby willow other summer stealing across the sage- weekly to the old Pony Express station
thicket to cut wands for roasting wein- lands and into the aspen-fringed can- of Ibapah, 12 miles distant over un-
ers, the cradleboard bounced up and yons of the Deep Creek range, the paved roads; and except for the one
small business house at this place—
where Betty Calloway operates a gen-
One way to become better eral store, postoffice and gasoline serv-
TRUE OR FALSE acquainted with the Great
American Desert — its history,
geography, Indian culture, botany, minerals and wildlife and lore is to
ice station, all under one roof—the
nearest town to Goshute is Wendover,
52 miles away, and scarcely more than
take the True or False test in Desert Magazine each month. If you are a village itself. Anything not procur-
an average tenderfoot you will not get over 12 correct the first time. But able at Wendover must be obtained at
your score will improve as the months go by. Fourteen to 15 is a fair Ely, or from Tooele, or Salt Lake City,
score, 16 to 18 is excellent, over 18 ranks you as a sand dune sage. The both 175 miles easterly beyond the
answers are on page 39. Great Salt Lake Desert.
1—The burro is a native of the Southwest desert. True False When Judy-Ellen reaches high school
2—Lowell Observatory is located on Telescope Peak. True.__ _... age in four years, some arrangement
False will have to be made to complete her
3—Arizona was once a part of New Mexico territory. True schooling; but, even this, the Christian-
False sens are certain, will work itself out.
4—To establish a mining claim it is necessary to put location notices "Even if we have to take a tempo-
at all four corners. True False rary transfer to some town where she
5—Horned toads belong to the lizard family. True False can attend school, we'll be looking
6—Cliff dwelling Indians of the prehistoric period pastured their horses forward to the day when we can return
in stone corrals. True False to the Goshute country," said Grace.
7—Chief Winnemucca was a Paiute Indian. True False "This is more than a job to us, you
8—Pumice stone is of volcanic origin. True False know—it is our home!"
9—Squaw Cabbage is the name of a vegetable cultivated by desert Indians.
True False As we talked, I looked out the open
10—Roosevelt Dam was named in honor of former President Theodore door toward the west where the last
Roosevelt. True False bright tints of sunset were fading into
11—The blossom of the creosote bush is pink. True False mauve and gray. Shadows, like dark
12—Native Joshua trees of the Southwest are found only in California, velvet, had spread themselves over the
Nevada and Arizona. True False distant range of hills, a few stars were
13—The present Salton Sea was formed by flood waters from the Colorado beginning to wink in the sky, and some-
River in 1911. True False „__'::__. where in the brush back of the cabin,
14—The Navajo Indians started their herds by domesticating wild sheep a couple of quail were engaged in quail
they found in the mountains. True False conversation.
15—The Great Salt Desert lies west of the Great Salt Lake. True "We like it here in Goshute," Grace
False was continuing. "We like our work
16—Boron, California, is associated with the mining of borax. True and the satisfaction it gives us. We
Fl like the land and the climate. But,
17—Chalcedony roses belong to the quartz family of rocks. True most of all, we like our friends, the
False Goshutes, the Dusty People. They're
18—The capital of New Mexico is Albuquerque. True False good neighbors."
19—The Wasatch Mountains are visible from Las Vegas, Nevada. While I didn't mention it at the
True •_. False time, I secretly suspect that folks like
20—Tuba City is the name of a town in Arizona. True False the Christiansens will find good neigh-
bors wherever they go.

18 DESERT MAGAZINE
ON DESERT TRAILS WITH A NATURALIST - XXIII

Saga of
Frying
Pan
Ebbens
By EDMUND C. JAEGER, D.Sc.
Curator of Plants
Riverside Municipal Museum
Sketch b y Raymond F. Cox

N THE WINTER of 1914 there

fell into my hands John Muir's
inspiring book "A Thousand Mile
Walk to the Gulf" in which he de-
scribed his foot journey from the wilds
of Wisconsin south along the Missis-
sippi to New Orleans, a journey very
rich in adventures and in experiences
with creatures of the wild. Ebbens Creek and Ebbens Valley! For 30 years Edmund Jaeger
"Why not a thousand mile walk for tried to piece together the information which would explain the origin
myself?" I asked. "In my Southern of these place names on the map of the Santa Rosa Mountains. And
California mountains and desert I too now the story is told for the first time—the story of an old prospector
may have high adventure in travel. who found a little gold and infinite peace in the remote canyons of the
The only way to really know one's Southern California desert.
country is to see it on foot. If Muir
could do it so can I." Among the most difficult were two States Geological Survey in Washing-
So with knapsack loaded with a few found on a Southern California Geo- ton seeking information concerning
simple foods and two blankets I set logical Survey map of the Indio Quad- Ebbens, feeling that certainly the men
forth, like Muir before me, determined rangle. They both commemorate the there at least might tell me what Eb-
to make my way over a thousand miles work of a man named Ebbens. One is bens' first name was or his initials. The
of trail. And before a year passed I Ebbens Creek running into Dead In- Geological Survey answered that the
had accomplished my goal. I now look dian Creek west of the lower part of chief surveyors who prepared the maps
back on that experience as the most the Pines to Palms Highway on the were no longer living and that a perusal
precious and instructive of my life. western rim of the Colorado Desert of their notebooks gave none of the
Often as I sat in the shade of some near Palm Desert; the other is a brush- information I sought. This was most
trailside bush and studied my maps I covered mountain vale, Ebbens Val- disappointing.
was fascinated by the many descriptive ley, southeast of scenic, pine-clad Toro About this time Carl Eytel, the Ger-
place names. As the opportunity came Peak in the Santa Rosa Mountains. man artist who lived near me at Palm
I visited the places and sought informa- "Who was this man Ebbens?" I re- Springs, told me that Ebbens was a
tion which would help to explain why peatedly asked folks I met. "What did prospector and that he had once seen
such names were given. Some were he do that made such an impression him in town with his burros. And an-
easy to trace while others were very on the map-makers that his name is other acquaintance who lived near the
obscure and required all the ingenuity found twice on a single Geological Sur- Salton Sea said he too had once seen
of a detective to find the sources from vey Map?" Ebbens at Mecca with his donkeys but
which they sprang. I wrote to the office of the United he could tell me little more. For a long

MARCH, 1956 19
 »

good water hole. He evidently was one

of those simple, wholesome souls, who,
free from all other worldly engagements
and thoughts of obligations to society,
was about as happy at sedulously hunt-
ing his precious minerals as actually
finding them. He gleaned his greatest
pleasure from freely sampling the sim-
ple life of the open. If he found a little
pay dirt that was good too, but life's
joy never depended upon it.
Ebbens Creek, which is really no
creek at all but only an open and shal-
low scenic gulley, is reached by follow-
ing a small canyon leading off of Dead
Indian Creek, then swinging to the
right over several steep rocky ridges
on trails known only to the coyotes
and foxes. It was a little tough going
at times but the splendid views of dis-
tant desert and the beautiful agave and
ocotillo-filled natural rock gardens
along the way made us forget our ex-
ertions. Most exciting of all was the
finding of numerous spoor of the desert
bighorn and finally seeing two fine
adult rams accompanied by an ewe.
They, as usual, seemed most willing
to let us have a good look at them and
then exhibited their splendid powers
of going rapidly but with greatest grace
and ease, over the rocky terrain. At
Ebbens Creek we beheld a splendid
group of Washingtonia palms full
fronded to the base and all unspoiled
by the fire vandals. No wonder Theo-
dore Ebbens claimed this lovely spot.
In the spring season it must have been
a fine locus for his camp, for then the
group of palms are surrounded by a
glorious wild garden of flowering an-
nuals and blossoming shrubs. At that
time too the place was probably the
source of a tiny streamlet which could
be heard tinkling its way over the rocks
and meandering languidly down the
clean, sandy, flower-bordered wash.
Indeed nothing was wanting to make
T/ie rugged coyote trail to Ebbens Creek leads up Dead Indian Creek, a paradise of this secluded vale.
pictured above. The palm oasis in the foreground is at the junction of One day years later while visiting
Dead Indian and Ebbens Creeks. Both canyons have many fine groups of Miss Cornelia White, long-time resi-
native palms. dent of Palm Springs, I got some addi-
tional information about Ebbens that
time this scant bit of information ap- road had come to another frustrating explained his visits to Mecca.
peared to be all I would ever get. dead end. "In the early days of Mecca's his-
On a hot summer day in 1941 I In the meantime I decided I must tory," recalled Miss White, "there was
found the clue I so much wished in visit both of these remote places set a Mrs. Brockman who spent some years
the column in the Riverside Daily En- far away from highways and even man- there as a waitress in an eating house.
terprise entitled "Twice Told Tales." made trails. She took the position under disguise
Two lines under the part of the column Ebbens Valley is reached by going so she could pick up information on
telling of events 30 years ago said: up wild, rock-walled Martinez Canyon old mines which prospectors, eating at
"Theodore Ebbens, the prospector, is almost to its end and then turning west the restaurant, would talk about. Eb-
in San Jacinto outfitting himself to go up a smaller side canyon. Water flowed
up to his mines in the Santa Rosa part way down Martinez Canyon and bens went to Mecca to trade and he
Mountains." suspected that she must know some
a small spring quenched our thirst in
At last I had something definite to dense, brush-covered Ebbens Valley. fabulously rich prospects which might
work on: the man's first name and a Theodore Ebbens had probably spent also interest him. Secretly he followed
confirmation of his activities. But con- time in this secluded vale hidden in her when she went into the hills. I
tinued searching and inquiry during the the evening shadows of Toro Peak be- don't think she ever divulged to him
next 10 years yielded little more of the cause here he found opportunity to any knowledge she had of mines. One
information I sought. It seemed my camp in comfort with his burros at a thing I remember Mrs. Brockman tell-

20 DESERT MAGAZINE
ing me about Ebbens was that he wore a
very small shoe, much like a woman's."
In the village of San Jacinto I fig-
ured there must be someene still alive
who knew more about Ebbens. It is a
place where quite a number of old-time
prospectors and cattlemen spend their
declining years. I was directed to see
old Dan Tripp who proved to be the
very man I was seeking.
Dan is a quiet, conservative, friendly
man and I felt at ©nee that I could
trust him to sell me only the truth.
"Yes, I remember Ebbens," he said.
"He was a German who spoke broken
English. His words always sounded
chopped up. He used to spend con-
siderable time in the Santa Rosa Moun-
tains and down in Coyote Canyon.
First he had winter camps in the upper
end then later he moved down near
old Doc Beatty's place. Ted, as we
used to call him, was a small, clean-
shaven man, single, good hearted and
quiet—only weighed about 130 pounds.
"You can say of Ebbens too, that he
always had plenty to eat at camp.
Those days if a man had a shotgun
and could get hold of a few beans,
some bacon, salt, coffee and flour he
could always make a living.
"As a prospector of the late 1890s
and 1900s Ebbens was distinctly very
much of a burro man, never much in
a hurry and always drawn by the pull
of the wilderness. He generally had
four or five of the amiable beasts, some-
times more."
"Among Ebbens' eccentricities," said
Joe Hickocks, an old prospector I met
in Brawley, "was his love and deep
regard for frying pans. As his travels
lengthened and the years went by he
managed to acquire an unbelievable
number of them. Always he had at
least a dozen, sometimes more, cer-
tainly many more than he ever had
use for. These he had probably found
around old deserted miner's camps and
he just was not able to resist picking
them up and adding them to his already
plentiful stock. To him they must have
been a symbol of opulent living and it
is said that whenever he set up a new
camp one of the first things he did was
Says HARRY OLIVER:
—the ol' Mirage Salesman of Thousand Palms, California
to nail up a long crosspiece to a tree
and proceed to make a proud display It is a mark of intelligence, no mat- It's no disgrace to be poor, but it
of his skillets, new ones, old ones, ter what you are doing, to have a good might as well be.
large ones and small ones. time doing it. * * *
"When the government surveyors $ s{c ;fc
were working on the map of the Santa As I look out the window here at
A feller with long whiskers hates Old Fort Oliver I think how amazing
Rosa Mountains they hired Ebbens to to carry a baby.
pack in supplies for them. He knew S[( !ji ij;
Nature really is, I marvel at the very
that country like a book and was a thought of growing a fly swatter on
Relaxation don't tire you so much the rear end of my Burro, and always
valuable man to show them around. in the desert as other places.
Maybe they were hard up for names with wonderment I watch my pet Tor-
* * * toise put his feet in his pockets and
but I think they just kinda liked old
Ebbens. At any rate they named two Nothing has happened tomorrow. then swallow his head.
of his old hang-outs after him and (Reprinted from Harry Olivers Desert Rat Scrap Book, which, "due to the increased cost
that's how his name got on the map of printing and mailing, taxes and inflation . . . comes to you for a lousier lousy thin
twice." dime than formerly.")

MARCH, 1956 21
SOUTHWEST RIVER RUNOFF River basin is favorable. The upper runoff. The Gila River basin is ex-
FORECASTS SHOW EXTREMES Green basin in Wyoming is expected pected to have 53 percent of normal
The water supply outlooks for the to have runoff varying from 110 per- runoff at the Verde River above Horse-
major streams of the Southwest vary cent to 120 percent of the 1938-52 shoe Dam and only 36 percent of
greatly. The Great Salt Lake Basin average. Near-average runoff is pre- average for the Salt River near Roose-
watershed received above normal pre- dicted for the Yampa and White Rivers velt, Arizona. Only 20 percent to 30
cipitation during the fall and early win- in Colorado and for the Duchesne percent of the 15-year average stream-
ter while the lower Colorado and Rio River in Utah. Forecasts for the other flow can be expected for the upper
Grande basins received below normal Utah tributaries are less promising with Gila.
rainfall. The upper Colorado basin 69 percent of average indicated for The water supply outlook for the Rio
shows extremes in rainfall of from 125 Price River at Heiner and 86 percent Grande Basin varies from 52 percent
percent of normal to 40 percent of of average for Huntington Creek near of normal for the Rio Grande at Otowi
normal. Huntington. Bridge, New Mexico, to 78 percent of
Forecast for the headwaters of the Runoff for the Animas, Los Pinos average for the extreme headwaters
Colorado and for the Taylor River is and other northern tributaries of the in Colorado.
for runoff near the 1938-52 average. San Juan River is expected to be from The Great Salt Lake Basin will see
The Uncompahgre and Dolores Rivers 65 percent to 75 percent of average. 115 percent to 130 percent of average
in southwestern Colorado are less For the main stem of the San Juan at streamflows in the Bear, Logan and
promising with 75 percent of average Farmington, New Mexico, and Bluff, Weber Rivers; 130 percent, Ogden
predicted. Only 55 percent of average Utah, the forecast is 65 percent of River; 117 percent, Provo River; 125
is indicated for the lower reaches of average. percent to 130 percent, Humboldt
the Dolores. The main stem of the Precipitation has averaged much be- River; 170 percent, West Walker,
Colorado, as measured at Cisco, Utah, low normal over the lower Colorado Truckee and Carson Rivers; 135 per-
is forecast to have streamflow of about River basin. The Little Colorado River cent, East Walker and Owens Rivers.
85 percent of average. near Woodruff, Arizona, is expected The Mojave River in Southern Cali-
The general outlook for the Green to have only 25 percent of average fornia is expected to have only a 40
percent of average runoff. The outlook
for the Sevier River basin in southern
Utah is for a low streamflow of ap-
His home had been in Kingman for proximately 54 percent of average.
16 years where he was a member of a
surveying crew. His age was 62 and • • •
he served in the Army during the First FRED HARVEY TO OPERATE
World War. DEATH VALLEY RESORTS
Survivors are his two sisters, Mrs. Announcement was made recently
Lucy Leach and Mrs. Anna Wood of that the Fred Harvey hotel and restaur-
Bremerton, Washington; and a brother ant chain will take over the operation
Desert Magazine and its rock-col- of Norfolk, Nebraska.
lecting readers lost a good friend on of the Furnace Creek Inn and Furnace
January 4 when Guy Hazen passed Full military honors were accorded Creek Ranch in Death Valley National
away at the Fort Whipple hospital at him after a service conducted by Rev. Monument, and the Amargosa Hotel
Prescott. Cancer was given as the cause Paulding B. Forry at the Whipple at Death Valley Junction. The opera-
of death. Chapel. Burial was in the Whipple tional transfer will be made from Death
Cemetery. Valley Hotel Company, Limited, to
Guy was a field paleontologist for * * * the Harvey organization about the first
many years for the American Museum Rev. Norman M. Sorensen, author of May, at the end of the current sea-
of Natural History. While he was not of this month's true life experience, son, according to provisions of the
a trained scientist, he had acquired "Bill Williams on the Rampage," has long-term lease agreement.
an excellent working knowledge of been pastor of the Pioche, Nevada,
both geology and paleontology and The Death Valley properties in-
Union Church for the past 16 years. volved in the lease to Fred Harvey
was always bringing to light new fields He writes that "life has been more were developed by the Pacific Coast
he had discovered in the remote sec- routine at Pioche than it was on the Borax Company, a division of Borax
tions of the Southwest. California-Arizona border, to say the Consolidated, Limited, of London,
His most recent contribution to Des- least!" England, known for its borax mining
ert Magazine was a year ago when he In addition to his pastoral work, activities in Death Valley and its fa-
guided Harold and Lucile Weight to Rev. Sorensen is a laboratory and X- mous twenty mule teams.
a field of musical rocks in western ray technician for two hospitals in the The Harvey company owns and
Arizona {Desert Magazine, May '55), area and does "a little maintenance operates hotels and other tourist fa-
a field trip which attracted wide atten- work on refrigerators and appliances cilities and services on the South Rim
tion among both collectors and geol- on the side." In his spare time, when of Grand Canyon National Park and
ogists. he can find some, he teaches piano and has operated hotels, restaurants and
Never in good health, Guy lived his hobby is photography. The Soren- shops in the Southwest since 1876,
almost constantly in the open, and his sens, who celebrated their 25th wed- "Our company is especially inter-
friends and companions often were ding anniversary on January 1, have ested in taking over these Death Val-
amazed at his stamina in following the three boys and two girls—all of them ley operations because they follow so
desert trails with pack and prospector's musicians except the youngest, who is well the pattern of other resort opera-
hammer. He spent many months in seven and still learning. tions in the Southwest and, located as
Whipple hospital two years ago, and Rev. Sorensen is an ordained Bap- they are in an ideal winter resort
appeared to have recovered his tist minister and a graduate of Willa- climate, the Death Valley operations
strength, but returned in December mette University in Oregon. He did will effectively round out our other
and received the best of medical care graduate work at the Los Angeles interests," Byron Harvey, Jr., chair-
until the time of his death. Bible Institute. man of Fred Harvey, declared.

22 DESERT MAGAZINE
 HOME ON
THE DESERT

Olive Trees
for Shade
and Beauty

Homeowners everywhere, but especially those

on the desert, know the value of trees to their
landscapes and this month Ruth Reynolds sug-
gests that you investigate an unusual and strik-
ing tree—the olive—if you are thinking of plant-
ing trees on your property.

By RUTH REYNOLDS
Photographs by Helen Gardiner Doyle

S PRING COMES early to the low

desert — slightly ahead of its
official arrival date, March 20, Olive trees like the low desert country, need very little care.
and lingers briefly — so briefly that
some say the desert has no spring.
But, they are wrong. They are new- looked about her home and said, "I ata) strain. This lovely plant blooms
comers, still unaccustomed to a land would give all I own for a red brick in early spring and its fern-like foliage
where fair weather prevails and the walk and a lilac hedge in bloom." makes it an attractive shrub during
seasons change so subtly. Lilacs have been a faded dream for summer.
I should know, for I was a new- many on the low desert, dimmed by The lilac is no stranger to the high
comer once, and the coming of spring many bright, brief springtimes. But, desert. A lilac festival is held each
always reminds me of a very special today, these dreams can turn to reality spring in Palmdale, California, where
friend who was a newcomer here in because of recent improvements of the the Woman's Club, led by Mrs. Craig
Tucson in the 1890s. Persian Lilac (syringa persica lacini- Wilson, has promoted the planting of
She is Marilla Guild, a gentle, intel-
ligent woman who has lived in and One writer estimates the value of the 60 trees along Olive Road at $30,000.
loved the desert now for more than
half a century, but who too once said:
"The desert has no spring," because
it had no burgeoning trees—and no
lilacs like those that bloomed around
her childhood home in Oregon.
In recent years I have gone often to
her home on Olive Road, a short, olive
tree-lined street leading to the Univer-
sity of Arizona campus.
To walk in the shade of those trees
is a pleasant experience, and a real
incentive to use more olive trees for
street planting and home landscaping.
When nostalgic March winds rustle
the olive branches, I remember that
my friend walked this street when it
was bare of trees and known only as
"Professors' Row," and that she once

MARCH, 1956 23
several varieties of lilacs in homes, Agriculture College, who first planted years the olives bore fruit and in an-
churches, schools and parks for many olive trees on Professors' Row in 1900. other five years they were almost as
years. Several commercial farms raise Thirty years after he launched his large as the older trees along the street.
lilacs there for the Southern California project, Dr. Forbes had succeeded in Today they are among the largest and
market. The blooming of the lilacs planting olive trees on both sides of most beautiful.
attracts thousands of persons to the the street—except for four pepper trees They were six to 10-foot nursery
community—a wonderful testimonial that grew on Mrs. Guild's front lawn. plants when they were set out in 1942.
to the power and beauty of flowering They have grown rapidly, for olive
plants — and community cooperation. The pepper trees flourished and
failed. They grew rapidly but soon trees, because they have been well
Landscaping was a problem for the cared for and were well planted. Mrs.
Guilds when they moved to Professors' became almost too large for the space
they occupied. They eventually devel- Guild, not sure that root rot was not
Row in the early days. Gardens they contageous, had all of the old soil dug
had known were not to be duplicated oped root rot—and possibly trunk rot up and hauled away with the dead pep-
on the desert. —and had to be removed. per trees. The six by six-foot holes
In the back yard they grew, from a The death of a tree, especially in the were filled with fresh soil and fertilizer.
seed, a prized palo verde tree whose desert, is not to be taken lightly and
Olives are among the longest living
life span was 54 years. There also Marilla saw hers go with a heavy heart. of all trees. As ornamental shade trees
they planted cuttings of a strange, fast After their demise she felt that to they are becoming increasingly popular
growing tree, the tamarisk, native to replace them with anything but olive in Tucson. They are evergreen, with
North Africa. The University had a trees would be uncooperative, to say a maximum spread and height of 30
few years earlier received from Tu- the least. One of her sisters, who came feet. Their foliage is a neutral green
nisia four live cuttings from which to live with her after Dr. Guild's death, that blends with the desert's subtle col-
enough tamarisk to fill a sizeable forest raised an objection: "They'll bear oring and with other plants. They re-
were to be propagated in Arizona. The olives, you know, and olives fall off quire little or no pruning but may be
Guilds were well pleased with theirs, and make a mess on the sidewalk." shaped to form single trunks, or left
and some of them are still growing, Marilla knew from long experience on to develop into multi-trunked trees.
Mrs. Guild's neighbor on Olive Road Olive Road sidewalks that this is true, Under natural arid conditions they are
is responsible for the olive trees. He but answered: slow growers but planted in good soil
"Not in my lifetime—they grow too and watered freely, they grow fairly
is Dr. Robert H. Forbes, for 40 years fast. The mess made by their fallen
a member of the State Legislature and slowly." fruit occurs in the fall, but does not
for many years Dean of the University's But, she was mistaken. Within five seem to weigh too heavily against them.
Many people, including Dr. Forbes,
pick and process their olives for table
use.

Contest for Photognphets On the desert the olive is immune

to the fungus which is its chief enemy
in coastal areas. The trees are hardy
to our coldest temperatures and can
The timelessness of the desert is evident each time the subtle survive for long periods without water
seasons change—and every one of these seasons is a picture-taking for their leaves can stop transpiration
season. We are anxious to reproduce in our Pictures-of-the-Month page in times of drouth.
each month the desert, in its various phases, as interpreted by you in
your camera work. Any subject will do so long as its theme is the Being so adaptive to our desert con-
desert. Cash prizes are given to the best of these photographs each ditions, they are able to some extent
month, and the contest is open to both amateurs and professionals. to shift for themselves, but those trees
Entries for the March contest must be sent to the Desert Magazine on Olive Road have always had good
office. Palm Desert, California, postmarked not later than March 18. care, nor are they ever likely to be
Winning prints will appear in the May issue. Pictures which arrive neglected. They are too valuable. Ac-
too late for one contest are held over for the next month. First prize is cording to John Harlow, writing in
$10; second prize, $5. For non-winning pictures accepted for publica- the Tucson Daily Citizen, "To dupli-
tion $3 each will be paid. cate the planting on Olive Road would
cost at least $30,000, basing the value
HERE ARE THE RULES of the 60 trees at the conservative
figure of $500 each.
1—Prints lor monthly contests must be black and white, 5x7 or larger, printed
on glossy paper. To plant a young tree would cost
2—Each photograph submitted should be fully labeled as to subject, time and only a fraction of that amount, and
place. Also technical data: camera, shutter speed, hour of day, etc.
Harlow's estimate of their value after
3—PRINTS WILL BE RETURNED WHEN RETURN POSTAGE IS ENCLOSED.
reaching maturity makes the planting
4—All entries must be in the Desert Magazine office by the 20th of the contest
month. a good investment.
5—Contests are open to both amateur and professional photographers. Desert So, after taking a long look back-
Magazine requires first publication rights only of prize winning pictures. ward, it is time, I think, to look for-
6—Time and place of photograph are immaterial, except that it must be from the ward—to trees and tree-lined streets in
desert Southwest.
the future, and time to get some dig-
7—Judges will be selected from Desert's editorial staff, and awards will be made
immediately after the close of the contest each month. ging started.
For although people may not know
Address All Entries to Photo Editor
when it is spring on the desert, plants
detent Tftayayctte PALM DESERT. CALIFORNIA do, and many of them get off to the
best possible start when planted now
at the beginning of the growing season.

24 DESERT MAGAZINE
 \

At Rest Pictures of the Month

An old freight wagon standing near
the ghost town of Hamilton, Nevada,
supplies the subject for this month's
first prize winner. The photograph
was taken by popular western travel
author Nell Murbarger of Costa
Mesa, California. Miss Murbarger
used an argoflex, Model E camera
with Eastman Plus X film; f. 18 at
1/25 second; K-2 filter.

Roll Call
This photograph of a mother
horned toad and her nine regimented
babies was taken by Sharon Proctor
of Phoenix, Arizona. Miss Proctor's
second prize picture was taken with
a Speed Graphic on Eastman Super
Panchro-Press film; f. 18 at 1/25
second.

MARCH, 1956 25
 The Indian Bureau is Wrong...
The old policy of drift in Indian affairs has
given way in Washington to a new program de-
signed eventually to give the American Indian the
same economic independence enjoyed by his
white neighbors. There is much controversy over
the new policy, both on and off the reservation.
In order that Desert Magazine readers may gain
a little better understanding of the issues involved
in the new federal policy, the following letters ex-
changed between Henry F. Dobyns, an anthro-
pologist at Tucson, and Randall Henderson, editor
of Desert, are published. Mr. Emmons, mentioned
in the following letter, is Glenn L. Emmons, U. S.
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and Paul Jones
is a Navajo Indian, chairman of the Navajo Tribal
Council at Window Rock, Arizona:

Tucson, Arizona
Dear Mr. Henderson:
Generally, your editorials upon the delights of desert
living strike a responsive chord. But when you undertake
to discuss the American Indian, you frequently grate on
my nerves. Your January issue pronouncement grates
harder than usual. It reads like the Republican Party
platform on Indian Affairs.
To begin with, the use of the word "guardianship" is
inaccurate and misleading. The relationship between the
federal government and Indians is not that of guardian
and ward—and there happen to be a number of court
decisions to that effect. A certain type of politician who
is after Indian lands likes to employ this term inaccurately
because it gives people a bad impression both of the Indians
and the government. That is how your editorial reads.
The federal government (and certain state govern- Mojave matriarch grinding mesquite beans in the
ments: Texas and Iowa) is trustee of lands reserved for fashion of countless generations before her. Should
the Indians as the last remnants of this vast continent
which they once entirely possessed. The trusteeship of that this primitive way of preparing food be preserved for
land is supposedly a sacred obligation of the United States, its curio value? Photograph from the C. C. Pierce
but it applies to the land, not to the people. No Indian Collection.
has to remain on any reservation a minute longer than
he wishes. convictions, be turned into individualized atoms in the
general agglomerate of the country.
However, in a sense you are correct that under the Actually, few of the existing tribal governments object
present Administration, the government has attempted to to withdrawal of federal services from reservation areas,
shirk its trusteeship. Mr. Emmons seems determined to as long as they can remain self governing, and possess an
destroy tribal governments and liquidate tribal assets as adequate resource base to provide their tribesmen with
quickly as possible. As a matter of fact, his policy is adequate incomes. They do object to federal services being
strongly reminiscent of that famous phrase attributed to withdrawn before the resource base is developed to the
Commodore Vanderbilt. Brought up to date, it amounts point of reservation self-sufficiency.
to "The hell with the tribes—just see that the unscrupulous And that is just what the present administration is
Indian who has learned some of the worst features of doing—and why the Indian "defense" groups are accusing
American profiteering is in a position to cash in (and the government of turning them loose in a cruel and
then some smart white operators with wider experience greedy world without visible means of support, as you so
can cash in even more)." nicely put it. I challenge you to find the visible means
The catch phrase "responsibilities of full citizenship" of support of some of the Paiutes abandoned by the
is another administration whipping boy. All U. S. Indians government in its first round of termination bills.
have been citizens of the United States since 1924 by act If Mr. Emmons has given all the major tribal groups
of Congress. So what responsibilities would you have an opportunity for full expression of their desires and sug-
them assume? gestions to him personally, your comment is the first I've
What the administration means by that phrase is that heard of it. From what I have seen of him in action on
it wants them subjected to state and local laws and taxes, reservations, his technique is to tell the Indians what he
and not to continue to be self-governing, self-taxing bodies has planned for them and then to rush off to pressing
on their reservations. Mr. Emmons apparently is incapable appointments with Bureau personnel.
of perceiving a world in which Indians continue to govern Your blast at La Farge and the Association on Ameri-
themselves. They must, if his policy is any guide to his can Indian Affairs is unjustified and erroneous. The Asso-

26 DESERT MAGAZINE
ciation has not reversed itself. It is not blasting the admin-
istration for its efforts to extend greater rights to tribesmen.
Because that is what the administration is not doing! The
administration is taking away rights—particularly the
right to self-government and tribal integrity. Mr. Emmons
has said his policy sets the right of one Indian to reserva-
tion resources against the rights of all the rest of the
Indians of the tribe in preserving an economic grazing or
forest management unit. This is the same old Republican
double-talk (and not so very double in this case) which
really means diddling the Indians out of their land re-
sources and destroying tribal self-government. That is
what the Association is blasting. It is for the right of
tribes to govern themselves, and to hold the United States
to its moral and legal (through treaties) trusteeship obli-
gations. What right, incidentally, have we as a nation to
decry the USSR and boast of our own record of trustee-
ship when we are embarked upon a policy of violating
Indian farmer on the Colorado River Indian reserva-
our trusteeship obligations to the Indian tribes which we
ourselves imposed through enforced treaties for the most tion at Parker, Arizona. Should the Indian be given
part? If the United States cannot live up to its Indian encouragement and opportunity to adjust his life to
treaties, I cannot see any great hope that it will live up the economic pattern of the nation of which he is
to its trusteeship agreements under the U.N. any better a part?
in the future. A nation either is or is not moral—and I
can't see that the Indian policy of the present Administra-
tion is especially moral. If the Navajo Council had townsites surveyed and
laid out, it could perfectly simply assign lots to the younger
Your pat on the back to the present administration people Jones refers to, for them to build upon. The fault
for all Navajo children having school facilities is also a in that situation lies not with the reservation policy, but
misrepresentation of the truth. (Although I blame Jones right in Jones' own front yard. I haven't noticed that
for that rather than you.) Under many decades of Repub- members of other tribes have much difficulty in building
lican administration of Indian affairs, what few Navajo homes on reservation land. Partly the difficulty seems to
children could be kidnapped and sent to school were sent be that the government has done so much for the Navajos,
to boarding schools, de-loused, de-haired, forced into a and intervened in their affairs so often, that they have
Protestant denomination, etc. No wonder there was little come to expect more, and their mechanism of self-govern-
desire for schooling. ment is still a long ways from perfected.
When John Collier came into office he ended the worst The Walapais, who are concentrated at Peach Springs
boarding school policies, but he also began building day- on their reservation, assign home lots to families through
schools of the normal American type for the Navajos so the Tribal Council. The improvements are paid for and
that children could go to school while living at home with belong to the families. And the land belongs to them in
their families. He had to start from scratch. He had to the sense that it is theirs to use and develop, and cannot be
wait for funds from Congress. He had all the problems taken by someone else. It is still tribal land only in the
of Navajo land-use with scattered families and few con- sense that it is trust land which cannot be alienated from
centrations of people large enough for economic American-
tribal ownership.
type school facilities. But he went a very long ways. And
after he left office, succeeding administrations carried on The Papagos have a similar working system of use
with that particular program, reverting to use of boarding rights both at townsites where the Tribal or District Coun-
schools of a more modern type. The big burst at the end cils control lot assignments (including those to non-Indi-
came under the Navajo Development Program, which ans such as churches), and the wide open spaces devoted
passed a Democratic Congress under Truman. By the to flood-farming or grazing. They've even learned how
time Emmons came into office, the problem was virtually
to control and cut down the big private cattle operators
licked, and now all he has to do is sit back and benefit
from the publicity. Jones is wrong in giving credit to through concerted community action. Which is more
Emmons for this, and so are you. (Jones I can excuse— than can be said for the Navajos, who are so caught up
no Navajo who lived through the trauma of stock reduc- in problems they spend far more time wailing about them
tion is rational on the subject of John Collier. He has than doing anything constructive to solve them.
become a symbol which can be blamed for everything If this missive is long and sharp, please realize that
wrong in the highly critical situation of the Navajos when that is due to my disappointment at seeing a magazine
he came into office which he had to remedy somehow, and with as much influence in the Desert Southwest at Desert
which was the legacy of decades of administration of the lined up editorially on the side of a policy which I regard
party and philosophy of the present one.) as vicious and destructive of basic values of both Indian
Your argument about reservation land-holding is spe- and American life. Your attitude toward the non-human
cious. As I mentioned above, any Indian can leave a resources of the desert—as expressed in your final edi-
reservation any time he wishes, and buy property like torial paragraph—seems to me to be basically one of
anyone else if he has the necessary funds. Jones' letter conservation. So I feel that your attitude toward the
is misleading also, for the reservation Indian owns his human resources of the desert should also be one of
home, if not the land under it, which he owns in common conservation, and not support of the present administra-
with everyone else in the tribe, but which is (if the tribe's tion's destruction.
self-governing mechanism works properly, which the Nav-
ajo's has not always) assigned to him. HENRY F. DOBYNS

MARCH, 1956 27
 T h eI n d i a nB u r e a ui sR i g h t . . .
Palm Desert, California to educate and train the Indians for gradual integration
in the great melting pot which is the United States.
Dear Mr. Dobyns:
My first job when I finished my schooling in 1911 was
Oddly enough, the same mail which brought your on the Colorado River Indian reservation at Parker, Ari-
letter of disagreement with my January editorial on In- zona, and I have had close contact with various tribes
dian affairs, also brought a letter from Paul Jones, tribal during the intervening 45 years.
chief of the Navajo, expressing his appreciation for the
stand Desert Magazine has taken in this matter. Out of that association has come the firm conviction
that the future hope for the Indian lies in eventual integra-
Naturally, I will go along with Mr. Jones, partly be- tion. I gather from your letter that you share the views
cause he is better qualified to speak for the Navajo Indi- of Oliver La Farge who would maintain the Indian culture
ans than either you or me, and secondly because my views as something apart—as a sort of museum exhibit. Frankly,
happen to coincide with his. I am rather surprised that an anthropologist knowing what
Mr. Jones enclosed with his letter a widely syndicated the evolutionary processes have done to historic and pre-
editorial written by Dorothy Thompson in which she historic cultures back through the years could hold such
expressed much better than I did the philosophy of those a view.
who are in accord with the present policies of the California is one of the states in which termination is
Bureau of Indian Affairs. Miss Thompson wrote, refer- in progress. I have had an opportunity to observe at close
ring to Jones' letter: quarters the federal program as it applies to the Mission
"It is not the letter of a tribal 'chief but of a modern band of Cahuilla Indians at Palm Springs. In terms of real
and obviously able man who dares to think that it is time estate values this is one of the richest tribes in the U.S.A.
the Indians began to live in the 20th Century. Owning very valuable land within and adjoining the City
"The Navajos, the largest tribe in the United States, of Palm Springs—land which the white men would pay
residing in an area about as large as West Virginia, so millions to obtain—these Indians have been subjected to
barren as to require 22 acres for one sheep, can only many kinds of pressure. But Uncle Sam has remained a
approach the American standard by finding employment faithful and diligent guardian of their interests all through
elsewhere. According to their chief, they are fed up with the process of allotment, distribution and sale of such
becoming museum exhibits." portions of their reservation as they chose to sell.
Perhaps the Indians of the Navajo nation cannot speak I also am aware that many of the California Indians
for all the tribesmen—but they are the largest of the tribes, are opposing the termination program. The reasons for
and probably the most impoverished as a whole. We must this are easy to understand—if we realize that there also
give weight to their attitude. are many white Americans who would much prefer to live
on various types of subsidy rather than do hard work.
It is true in theory that the Indians now enjoy the role
of full citizenship. In actual operation they have neither I am aware that the program was started before Glenn
assumed the full obligations of citizenship, nor the full Emmons assumed office, yet one of the most effective
rights of citizenship. They are not required to pay the agencies being employed in the program of integration
same taxes that you and I pay for the support of our is the establishing of placement offices in some of the
schools. And as to rights, no Indian having an allotment larger cities. I happen to know that the Los Angeles office
on a reservation can go to the bank and borrow money is doing a very effective job.
to build a home. This works a special hardship in the There are now 16 such agencies, and according to
case of Indian GIs—who are barred from home loans information I have from Washington about 87 percent
under the GI bill if they want to build on their own of the Indians who are being relocated are making a satis-
reservation allotments.
factory adjustment to their new status in the American
It is all a very beautiful dream, to imagine that the economy.
various Indian reservations might be maintained as little Termination is going to be a slow process—that is in-
islands of primitive and colorful culture where American evitable. From what I have seen of the program of the
tourists could go to see how primitive people live. But present federal administration, this fact is fully recognized.
an anthropologist, better than anyone else, should know
Some of the Indians themselves arc and will continue to
that Navajo Indian women will not continue forever to
work for seven or eight cents an hour weaving beautiful oppose it bitterly, just as they were bitterly opposed to
rugs in an economy where the law has established $1.00 John Collier's stock reduction program. Indians are no
an hour as the minimum wage. The floors of my home different: from their Anglo-American cousins. Some of
are covered with those rugs, and I am depressed by the them do not always have the vision and the discipline to
thought that they will not always be available. Some of know and do what is best for themselves.
the most peaceful evenings in my life have been spent eat- Just now I feel that the Bureau of Indian Affairs under
ing mutton and fried bread beside the fire of a Navajo Glenn Emmons is making a greater contribution to the
hogan—and I wish that could last forever also, but it
won't and you and I must reconcile ourselves to the solution of their problems than the Association of Ameri-
inevitable change that will take place. can Indian Affairs.
I was interested in the presentation of your views and
For the first time, we seem to have an administration
if there is no objection from you I would like to use it in
in Washington which recognizes this law of change insofar
Desert Magazine so our readers will become acquainted
as the Indians are concerned, and is seeking to direct it
with the opposing views in the current controversy.
in an orderly way. You and I can serve best, not by
blasting the administration, but by encouraging its efforts RANDALL HENDERSON

28 DESERT MAGAZINE
Desert
Orginal:
The Squaw
Dress

The Japanese have their silk ki-

monos, the Spanish their mantillas
and shawls—and the Navajo In-
dian women have handed down to
contemporary American woman-
hood a costume native to these
shores. The squaw dress is typi-
cally American — practical, indi-
vidual and beautiful.

By PHYLLIS W. HEALD

HAVE every reason to

love the squaw dress. Its good
points are manifold and its
beauty is based on sound principles of
costume design. It is becoming to mi-
lady no matter what her size, age or
coloring. It can be bought for little
or much and it may be worn at break-
fast or to a ball. It does not wrinkle
and it cannot go out of style. Inci-
dentally, with its full swishing skirt and
gay colors, it has tremendous mascu-
line appeal. I have yet to discover a
man who doesn't like it.
So, why shouldn't the squaw dress
be, and remain, popular?
About 80 percent of the feminine
population of the Southwest, between
the ages of six and 60 own squaw
dresses. Many possess two or more
and I know of one woman who has 30.
Slowly but surely this vogue is moving There are many variations in squaw dresses and prices range from $5 to
North and East. Soon, the well cou- $250. Dress pictured above comes in sizes 10 to 18, sells for about $30.
turiered woman will have to have at Photograph courtesy Dolores Resort Wear of Tucson.
least one squaw dress if she is to con-
sider her wardrobe complete.
A few conscientious objectors say credit the Navajo Indian woman of neighbors possess. A purple blouse
all squaw dresses look alike and are, Arizona and New Mexico with a true over an orange skirt piped in red is
by definition, monotonous. Which sense of the artistic for she immediately not considered too daring for a com-
seems as absurd as saying all beef recognized the possibilities of the full fortably padded 200 pound Indian
tastes similar, or all diamond rings are skirt and rejected the rest of the cos- woman. And on her urrbrassiered
uninteresting because they are made tume. In place of the form fitting waist bosom will rest a squash blossom
in the same general pattern. Actually she substituted a loose blouse of solid necklace of devastating gorgeousness.
there are as many variations as there color to offset the magnificent turquoise Layers of silver bracelets add to this
are squaw dresses and they range in jewelry which is her pride and joy. enchanting picture which turns south-
price from $5.95 to $250. western streets into living, vivid fan-
However, these Navajo blouses are tasies.
The squaw dress dates back to the vivid, and the combinations the women
1840s when pioneer women first ar- toss together in skirt and waist make To our stoic red female compatriots
rived in the West wearing their full, their paleface sisters gasp. They enjoy goes credit for changing the uninspired,
many petticoated cotton skirts, tight the same magnificent abandon, when sexless costume fashioned by our sturdy
bodices and sunbonnets. We must it comes to color that our Mexican ancestors of 100 years ago into some-

MARCH, 1956 29
thing as dramatic and brilliant as the
bird of paradise.
Today, we of a more conservative
temperament, have modified the dress
Here ml There on the Desert...
back, not to the 49ers, but to a slightly ARIZONA Hopis Oppose Registration . . .
less glorified state than the Indian car- Mexican Labor Act . . . PHOENIX — Three traditionalist
ried it. It is now only the purist in MEXICO CITY—The United States Hopi Indian chieftains told a joint
design who insists on the Navajo and Mexico have agreed to extend for meeting of the Arizona Commission
blouse. Usually the waist is worn in- one year the Mexican farm worker of Indian Affairs and the Inter-Tribal
side and an Indian belt or a trim-bind- agreement with the single exception of Council that they see no sense in en-
ing at the top of the skirt acts as the one new point. It is that Mexican couraging their people to register as
connecting link. The dress is made of workers shall receive a subsistence al- voters. Through their interpreter,
one color or a gradation of colors with lowance if they are not given the op- Thomas Banyacya, the chieftains said
variegated trimming. Figured mater- portunity to work 80 hours in a two that by voting they stand only to lose
ial has recently become popular which week period. The State Department more of their Indian identities and cul-
calls for a minimum of trim. However, points out that the minor changes made ture. "It will lead to paying taxes,"
decoration is still the criterion of a in the agreement largely provide for Banyacya added. "This land is our
squaw dress and it is not unusual to better control over illegal entrants, re- own land. We were here first. Our
see as much as 300 yards of ricrac and duction in required paper work and life was good. Of course, we didn't
braid on the most expensive ones. interchange of the two governments' have cars, but we had plenty of rain,
The waist has freed itself of the instructions on operations and adminis- wild game, grass." The three chiefs
conventional to better serve the time tration of the program.—Yuma Sun were Dan Katchongva, David Monon-
of day and the time of year. Sleeve- • • • gye and George Nasaweseoma.—Phoe-
less blouses with V or square necks 322 Land Tracts Opened . . . nix Gazette
are designed for summer; blouses TUCSON — The Bureau of Land • • •
studded with brilliants for evening, or Management has opened 226 small
Kaibctb Herd Still Large . . .
painted with tennis rackets and horses tracts of land near Tucson and 96 in
the Apache Junction area east of Phoe- KAIBAB FOREST—That the win-
for sportswear. There are plain blouses
for the lucky ones who have Indian nix to lease-purchase applicants. The ter of 1954-55 was one of the most
Pawn jewelry to wear, full blouses for tracts are approximately five acres each, open in the last 10 years in the Kaibab
the young and slender. but some of those west of Tucson North winter deer ranges is probably
range from 1.96 to 6.97 acres. — the only reason that Arizona still has
But the skirt is inviolate. It does Phoenix Gazette a sizeable deer herd in that area, State
not change except in degree. It must
always be made in three tiers—the bot-
tom one sometimes taking as much as
12 yards of material. Usually the bold-
est decoration is placed on the skirt,
with a matching, but lighter, design
above.
Design is the crux and the charm of
Rock Shotty
the squaw dress. It gives each individ-
ual leeway to express herself in per-
of Death Valley
sonality and taste and even to reveal
Hard Rock Shorty was looking " 'Somethin' golblasted spooky
her hidden urges. Therein lies one of
through the newspaper one of the about them mountains,' Bill'd
its chief delights—the wearer can ap-
dudes had left on the bench in say. 'Them shoes wuz all right
pear bizarre without being common;
front of the Inferno store. The when I started—an' by the time
suggestive without looking crass; or
new clerk was standing in the I got to the ridge over there they
modest without feeling simple.
doorway. wuz gone.'
It is possible to get Indian artists to "See where Henry Kaiser's
paint authentic symbols on a dress. "Well, it went along that way
bought them iron mines down in fer months, an' ol' Dynamite 'ud
This at a price, of course, but it assures the Eagle Mountains," Shorty re-
one of an original. Many shops and lost enough shoes to outfit a
marked. "Guess not many folks blacksmith shop — and Bill wuz
dressmakers have designers who create know that ol' Pisgah Bill an' his
exclusively for them. With study, a gittin' madder an' madder.
mule wuz the ones that discov-
Dolores or a De Grazia model can be ered them mines. Happened way "Then one day some surveyors
recognized as quickly as a Cassini or back in the '80s when Pisgah and came into camp. Said they wuz
Dior. me wuz prospectin' down in that workin' fer the government an'
Thus it would seem that at last the country. had come across a big iron de-
American woman has a costume which "We wuz campin' by a little posit—whole mountain of it.
is all her own. Each nation, the silk spring up in one o' them canyons, " 'Funny,' one of 'em said. 'We
kimonos of Japan, to Spain with her an' once a month Bill an' his kept findin' mule shoes stuck to
richly shawled Senora, on to the En- mule'd go down to Mecca—they the rocks like they wuz glued
glish Duchess in her custom-made called the place Walker in them there. That's how we knew it was
tweeds, has developed a dress as a days—and pack in a load o' sup- iron—magnetic iron.'
symbol of its feminine aristocracy. Why plies.
shouldn't we of the United States have "OF Dynamite, the mule, kept "Bill an' me sold them claims
ours? And the squaw dress, an Ameri- loosin' his shoes. They'd come fer $3000—an' now this paper
can heritage from our Indian ancestors into camp, the mule a limpin' and says Henry Kaiser paid over a
possessing color, romance, history and Pisgah cussin'. million fer 'em."
beauty, can well be it.

30 DESERT MAGAZINE
Game and Fish Department biologists Rock Dam on the Gila River, 20 miles 1500 Lots Offered . . .
believe following their recent survey of below Gila Bend. Main purpose of SAN BERNARDINO—The Bureau
the area. The severe drouth of the the Painted Rock Dam, which has been of Land Management announced it
summer of 1954 brought about such in the planning stage since 1950, is will lease or sell 1500 five-acre lots of
a reduction in available summer forage to shield the 75,000 acre Welton-Mo- public land for homesites in San Ber-
and left the deer in such a weakened hawk reclamation project and the City nardino County. More than 7000
condition many of them were unable of Yuma from flash floods which the acres of land were opened for immedi-
to withstand exposure even to an open U.S. Corps of Engineers estimates ate filing by persons entitled to veter-
winter. For some unknown reason, causes near $2,000,000 a year in dam- ans' preference. A drawing will be
disease did not spread through the age. Although not designated as an held on April 10 for assignment of
herd and the die-off was confined pri- irrigation project, the dam would im- tracts. Applicants should file with the
marily to fawns and old deer.—Glen- pound some waters during flood sea- Manager, Land Office, 215 West 7th
dale News sons.—Phoenix Gazette Street, Los Angeles 14, California.—
• • • • • • Los Angeles Times
Observatory Site Tests . . . CALIFORNIA • • •
SAN VINCENTE—A team of as- Blythe-Niland Maneuver Hit . . . Steam Engine Retired . . .
tronomers is expected soon to trans- EL CENTRO—Violation of state's DEATH VALLEY—After almost
port a ton of electronic equipment up rights, county rights and individual a quarter century of hauling potash in
the tortuous slopes of Kitt Peak on the rights may eventually be involved in Carlsbad, New Mexico, a narrow gauge
Papago Indian Reservation to test a the attempt of the U. S. Department steam locomotive was retired for en-
possible site for the nation's newest of Justice to seize the Blythe-Niland shrinement in Death Valley National
observatory. In all, about six other
road without just and adequate com-
Southwest peaks will be tested. The
new observatory would be supported pensation to provide for an alternative COLORADO RIVER TRIP
by about $4,000,000 of taxpayers' highway between the Palo Verde val- Hite, Utah, to Lee's Ferry, Arizona
ley and Imperial valley. This was AMERICA'S SCENIC LAST FRONTIER
money from the National Science Ten exciting days of boating, camping and
Foundation. Initial plans call for a pointed out as evident in the move exploring in the Fantastic Canyons of the
36-inch and an 80-inch telescope.— of the department of justice to strike Colorado River. Points of interest include
out the most important arguments in "Rainbow Bridge," "Hole in Rock," "Cross-
Phoenix Gazette ing of the Fathers" and many others.
• f •
the answer of Imperial County to the 1956 Sailings: June and July
government's suit for condemnation of $150.00 per person
Gila Dam Approved . . . the road. Imperial County attorneys Special rates for groups of six or more
GILA BEND—The U. S. Bureau saw the government move as a tech- Happily we will send you complete
of Budget announced that it will ap- information. Write to—
nical maneuver aimed at reducing Im-
prove for expenditure a $600,000 con- JOHANNES RIVER SAFARIS
perial County's valuation of $700,000 1816 L Street, Sacramento 14, California
gressional appropriation to start con- on the road through the Navy's Choc- (winter address)
struction on the $25,000,000 Painted olate Mountain Gunnery Range.

Desert Magazine
SAVE MONEY
MAPS are valuable
HOTEL"

Lankershim
Display and Combination Sample Rooms
You'll want to preserve those maps which appear '•Coffee Shop Cocktail Room • Piano Bar
each month in Desert Magazine—maps which will rooms
be your guide on many delightful excursions into
the great desert playground.
from .
$
4 bath
single
with

Attractive loose-leaf binders embossed in gold not

only will preserve the maps, but will be a beautiful
addition to your home book-shelf. Each binder holds
LAS ANGELES
7th & BROADWAY
12 copies. Easy to insert, they open flat.
In the very Heart of the
Mailed postpaid for Downtown Shopping and
Theatrical District
$2.00
Affiliated Weinberg Hotels
.KANSAS CITIAN, Kansas City,
Mo. CAPITOL, Amarillo

PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA

GOOD FOR
ONE DOLLAR
In cash if you present this coupon when you
register at the Lankershim prior to Dec. 31, 1956.
One coupon to a Room.

MARCH, 1956 31
 SECTIONIZED COUNTY MAPS — San
Bernardino $1; Riverside $1; Imperial

THE DESERT TRADING POST

Classified Advertising in This Section Costs 12c a Word, $2.00 Minimum Per Issue
50c; San Diego 50c; Inyo 75c; other Cali-
fornia counties $1.25 each. Nevada coun-
ties $1 each. Topographic maps of all
mapped areas. Westwide Maps Co., 114
W. Third St., Los Angeles, California.
STAMP COLLECTORS lists. Old Ameri-
INDIAN GOODS NOW AVAILABLE—"Causes and Signifi- cans free. All Southwests available. Col-
cance of the Modoc Indian War." Bound lections purchased. Hammond D78J,
5 FINE ANCIENT Indian arrowheads, $2. first release information on Modoc Indian Crystal Beach, Florida.
Flint eagle ceremonial, $2. Perfect Fol- War from files of War Department. Au-
some, $5. Spearhead, $1. List Free. Lear's thentic fascinating story, by Cadet Hugh OLD WALL TELEPHONES—oak cabinet,
Glenwood, Arkansas. Wilson of West Point (1930-1951), avail- good condition. Regular $15—now $9.95.
able by mail, $1 postpaid. Revenues for Two $18.50. Six $50.00. Tontz's, Dept.
BEAUTIFUL OBSIDIAN arrowheads from college scholarships. Order now, Hugh 31, Elsinore, California.
the Klamath Country. Black $1.00; gray Wilson Scholarship, High School PTA,
$1.50; translucent $2.00; profusely illus- Tule Lake, California. GOLD PROSPECTING CATALOG—List-
trated catalog 50c. Moise Penning, 158 ing, placer and lode maps, steel gold
Dolorosa, San Lorenzo, California. RARE GEOGRAPHIC Magazines for sale. pans, mining and mineral books, books on
Write Frank Drew, 901 Ormond Lane, lost mines, pocket magnifying glasses,
BEAUTIFUL TURQUOTSE and Silver jew- Redondo Beach, California. mineral collection sets, blueprints of dry
elry by the Pueblo Tribes — Authentic washers and wet washers you can build
Navajo rugs. The Bradleys, 4639 Cren- FOR SALE—Complete set of revised Ter- yourself. Catalog and Gold Panning Les-
shaw Blvd., Los Angeles 43, California. ritorial Enterprise. All issues May 2, 1952, sons — Free. Old Prospector, Box 729,
to Dec. 31, 1955. Complete Set of True Desk 5, Lodi, California.
SIX FINE Ancient Indian Arrowheads— West Magazines. Box WA, Desert Maga-
$2.00. Fine granite Tomahawk — $2.10. zine, Palm Desert, California. INTERESTED IN Prospecting for Gold
Effigy pipe $4.00. Perfect flint thunder- and Industrial Minerals? Join United
bird—$3.00. Flint fish hook—$3.00. List Prospectors and read Panning Gold.
free. Arrowhead, Box 1249, Hot Springs, REAL ESTATE Write for application: United Prospec-
Arkansas. tors, 701l/2 E. Edgeware Rd., Los Ange-
les 26, California.
SAVE, BUY DIRECT from Government,
OLD INDIAN horn spoon, $1.75. Fine, Surplus Farms, land, homes, etc. List URANIUM MAP of Southwest. Geiger
old Indian basket, $3.00. Five ancient $1.00. Box 169-DMA, East Hartford 8, counters, scintillators, snooper, $29.95
arrowheads, $1.00. 24-inch strand Cali- Connecticut. up. Free catalog, or better, send $1.00
fornia Mound trade beads, $1.00. Abalone for authentic uranium map of Southwest
shell pendant, $1.00. Have other relics, VIEW LOTS — Palm Desert Heights. Just Desert and catalog. Harry's Geiger
beadwork, pipes, pipe-tomahawks. Also above Desert Magazine block. Near Counters, 360 So. Hawthorne Blvd.,
want to buy or trade for all kinds old Shadow Mountain Club, school, church, Hawthorne, California.
Indian material. (Have Indian-Western market, bus. 70x100, $1200 up. Paved,
books, guns, swords, Navajo rugs—sell gas, elec, water. Restricted. For brochure
or trade). Paul L. Summers, Canyon, INDIAN PHONOGRAPH Records. New
write Box 65, Palm Desert, California. Singers! Latest Songs! As well as many
Texas.
old-time songs and chants—all completely
OVER 600 fine old baskets. Many rare DATE GARDENS. Top notch 10 acre Date authentic. Write for free record list No.
Navajo rugs, both old and new, Bayeta- Garden fully equipped. Peak production 5. Canyon Records, 834 N. 7th Avenue,
Germantown. Artifacts, gems, and fine record. $10,000 will handle. Three acre Phoenix, Arizona.
Indian jewelry. Open daily 10 to 6, closed Date Garden, only $6500. Three bedroom
Mondays. Buffalo Trading Post, Highway home on small acreage. Good well and SILVERY DESERT HOLLY plants: One
18, Apple Valley, California. domestic pump. Fine TV reception, fire- dollar each postpaid. Greasewood Green-
place, and tile. Total price only $9000. houses, Lenwood, Barstow, California.
$3000 will move you on to your own 20
AUTHENTIC INDIAN Basket collection. acre ranch with dometic well, small home, HAVE REAL FUN with desert gems,
122 baskets representing 25 different West- V4-mile of pipe line. Near the Salton Sea! minerals and rocks. The rockhound's
ern tribes. One of Ramona's originals. Who will help turn a duck club into a how-to-do-it magazine tells how. One
$895.00. Write to: Ken Franklin, Jr., bird refuge? $20,000. Write Ronald L. year (12 issues) only $3.00. Sample 25c.
Rt. 5, Box 349, Escondido, California. Johnson, Box 162, Thermal, California. Gems and Minerals, Dept. J10, Palmdale,
California.
AUTHENTIC HAND Carved Indian Cere- FOR SALE — Ocotillo Wells, San Diego
monial Masks used by the Indians on the County Highway 78. Cafe; service sta- BUY SURPLUS DIRECT from govern-
islands off the coast of British Columbia. tion and five rentals, 2 acres, highway ment at tremendous savings. Farm tools,
Have several dark stained. No two alike. frontage. Living quarters; ideal going machinery, feed, truck, jeep, tractor.
10-inch, $30.00; 14-inch, $50.00; 16-inch, business for couple. Real deal for right Hundreds of others. List $1.00. Box
$70.00. Have two in colors. 12-inch, $90.00 party. Investigate, P. O. Box 86, Del Mar, 169-Daa East Hartford 8, Connecticut.
for the pair. Moise Penning, 158 Dolo- California.
rosa, San Lorenzo, California. FIND BURIED TREASURE, gold and sil-
ver, with Goldak's sensational 3'Vi lb.
"Find-It" locator, only $49.50. Write for
BOOKS — MAGAZINES MISCELLANEOUS free literature on complete line of mineral,
metal locators; Geiger and scintillation
BOOKS FOUND—Any title! Free world- DESERT TEA. One pound one dollar counters. Goldak, 1541 W. Glenoaks
wide book search service. Any book, postpaid. Greasewood Greenhouses, Len- Blvd., Glendale, California.
new or old. Western Americana a spe- wood, Barstow, California.
cialty. Lowest price. Send wants today! BECOME A GAME WARDEN, Profes-
International Bookfinders, Box 3003-D, BUILD YOUR OWN real swimming pool! sional Hunter! Join Forestry, Park, Fish-
Beverly Hills, California. Fun for the entire family! Easy plan and ery Services. Good Pay! Opportunities
instructions, only $1.00. Delta Pools, Box Open! Free! Revealing "Select-Job Chart,"
WANTED—Back issues of Desert Magazine. 604, Stockton, California. details, job-getting secrets. Write Home
Will pay $5 for Nov. '37; $1 for Apr. '38; Study Educators, 1036-33 La Brea, Los
$1.50 for Sept. '38, in good condition. PROSPECTOR WITH revolutionary buried Angeles 19, California.
Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California. treasure finding instrument wants partner
to finance exploration trips. Full details LADY GODIVA "The World's Finest
DESERT MAGAZINES—complete run — by writing to Jules Hirshberg, 1741 N. Beautifier." For women who wish to
January, 1939, to September, 1955. True Normandie Ave., Hollywood 27, Calif. become beautiful, for women who wish
West; Gems and Minerals; Arizona High- to remain beautiful. An outstanding des-
ways. 60c per copy postpaid. Visit me HARDY CACTUS, some rarities, write for ert cream. For information, write or call
when in Tulsa. King Cornett, 201V4 N. price list. Nancy Duck, 507-30 Road, Lola Barnes, 963 N. Oakland, Pasadena
Main §f, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Grand Junction, Colorado. 6, Calif., or phone SYcamore 4-2378.

32 DESERT MAGAZINE
BOLO TIE KITS complete with nylon cord, Salton Park Gets Priority . . . moratorium on applications for small
gold colored tips, clasp and stone. Choice INDIO—Salton Sea State Park im- tracts of public domain through its
of preform or baroque or Oregon red provements have been given third pri- Reno, Nevada office. The Bureau of
moss geode slice agate, $1.25 postpaid. Land Management's Salt Lake regional
Tumbled preforms for cufflinks all colors ority among all 1956-57 projects of
agate, jasper or wood, 50c pair. Woods the State Division of Beaches and office estimated recently that 30,000
Trading Post, 17626 Gilmore, Van Nuys, Parks. The sum of $93,850 is bud- citizens have filed on tracts in Clark
California. geted for campground development, a County, Nevada. Under a new plan
GHOST TOWN ITEMS: Sun-colored glass, boat ramp and road resurfacing at the approved by the interior secretary, at-
amethyst to royal purple; ghost railroads park, situated on the north shore of tempts have been made to streamline
materials, tickets; limited odd items from Salton Sea. Coachella Valley water the small tract program in Clark Coun-
camps of the '60s. Write your interest— engineers reported that the sea in- ty. "Everything possible is being done
Box 64-D, Smith, Nevada. to adjudicate existing conflict between
creased its level by six inches during
PAN GOLD: $1 for 75 panning areas in 1955. The sea rose 13.5 inches in small tract filings and sand and gravel
25 California counties. Geological for- 1953 and 9.5 inches in 1954. Its pres- claims. Many hearings will be neces-
mations, elevations, pertinent notes. Pan- ent level is 235 feet below sea level. sary so that these conflicts, involving
ning pans $2.75, $2.25. Leather nugget
and dust poke, $1. Fred Mark, Box 801, • • • about 28,000 acres in Clark County,
Ojai, California. can be removed with due consideration
Recreation Land Sought . . . of existing rights," W. H. Koch, BLM
PACK BURROS. You seekers of the preci- BLYTHE — T h e State Division of official of Salt Lake City, declared.—
ous metals, let man's oldest friend carry Beaches and Parks is seeking lands Salt Lake Tribune
the load, picks and shovels, water and along the Colorado River in the Blythe
grub, geiger counters and what have you,
cover the ground more carefully, go area for recreational development, the
slower and live longer. Dr. Fred F. Riverside County board of supervisors
Schmidt, D. V. M., Crutch Ranch, Pov- learned recently. In a progress report River Plan Presented . . .
erty Flat, Douglas, Arizona. CARSON CITY — A multi-million
to the board, the State indicates that
the lands being sought lie within River- dollar plan for power development in
side and Imperial counties, the San the high Sierra was presented to the
Monument. United States Potash Bernardino County lands originally in newly-formed California-Nevada com-
company refinery employees loaded the plan having been dropped. Two pact commission. Officials of the Cali-
Old No. 2 aboard a railroad flatcar applications are being made, one for fornia Division of Water Resources
which took it to Death Valley. The lands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. presented their suggested projects, as
60-ton locomotive was originally used Bureau of Reclamation, and another encompassed in the overall California
to haul borax from Ryan, California, for lands falling within the jurisdiction water plan, for the Truckee, Carson
to Death Valley junction for many of the State Lands Commission. — and Walker Rivers. — Nevada State
years.—Ridgecrest Times-Herald Palo Verde Valley Times Journal
• • •
NEVADA
Small Tract Valuations . . . Land Filing Moratorium . . . GLORIOUS ADVEIUURE
BARSTOW — Some 286 small LAS VEGAS — The biggest land
tracts, with an estimated valuation of movement in American history has
well over half a million dollars, have caused the United States to declare a
been added to tax rolls in the Barstow
area, Paul B. Witmer, Southern Cali-
fornia manager of the Bureau of Land
Management disclosed. A total of
$36,000,000 of government land has
been added to tax rolls in Riverside
and San Bernardino counties.—Bar-
stow Printer-Review
- FURNACE
CREEK INN
AMERICAN PLAN

KENT FROST FURNACE CREEK

\. RANCH In the Canyons of the Colorado
JEEP TRIPS EUROPEAN PLAN -^
and San Juan Rivers
Sturdy boats and skilled boatmen-guides
insure safe and thoroughly enjoyable passage
Into the Famous through the most colorful canyons of the
Utah Needles Area Southwest desert.
Junction of the Green and Colorado rivers SAN JUAN AND COLORADO RIVERS
Indian Creek, Salt Creek, Davis Canyon Mexican Hat to Lee's Ferry
Lavander Canyon, Beef Basin, Elk Mts. For folders and reservations 7-day trips scheduled in May and June
Lock Heart Basin, Monument Canyon, Dead $200 for each person
Horse Point, Grand View Point, Red Canyon write 5509 Death Valley Ho-
Noki Dome, Bridges National Monument tel Co., Death Valley, Calif. GLEN CANYON OF THE COLORADO
Hovenweep National Monument. Or phone Furnace Creek Inn Hite, Utah, to Lee's Ferry
3-Day or longer trips arranged for 2 to at Death Valley. Or call your 8-day trips in August and September
6 person parties $25 daily per person local travel agent. $150 for each person
GRAND CANYON OF THE COLORADO
Fee includes sleeping bags, transportation, Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead
guide service and excellent meals cooked
over the open camp fire. 18-day trip in July
Special charter trips may be arranged.
For reservation write— Write for 1956 summer schedule and rates.
KENT FROST J. FRANK WRIGHT
MEXICAN HAT EXPEDITIONS
Monticello. Utah P.O. Box 427 Blanding, Utah

MARCH, 1956 1.:,

Bottle House for Sale . . . Nevada Tests Harmless . . . Dust Storms Loom . . .
TONOPAH — Efforts during the LAS VEGAS—In a formal report SANTA FE—Barring some drastic
past two years to preserve the historic on radiation, the Atomic Energy Com- changes, New Mexico and the central
Bottle House of Tonopah as a public mission said there was no injurious plains seem to be in for one of the
landmark and tourist attraction by the fallout from the nuclear test series heldworst dust storm seasons in years,
Nye-Esmeralda Historical Society came in Nevada last Spring. A study of weather experts predicted. Runoff from
to an abrupt end when members of badges worn by 171 persons or posted Colorado mountains vital to New Mex-
in 284 locations within a 50,000 square ico and El Paso area irrigated valleys,
the Business and Professional Women's mile area confirmed AEC belief that was forecast as sub-normal, but pros-
Club voted to sell the famous structure. no community was exposed to fallout pects were somewhat better than the
A minimum price of $600, it was de- radiation which could have affected previous two years. Eastern New Mex-
cided, will be acceptable for the house people's health. Nearly 83 percent of ico and West Texas were expected to
and three lots, but the women feel that the worn badges showed no radiation bear the worst of the spring winds.
the property is worth more than this exposure. The badges were worn and Ranges over New Mexico still are
figure due to the increasing value of posted in a three-state area bounded holding on to some of the good growth
the real estate and the investment they roughly by Las Vegas, Boulder City, they made during the comparatively
have made in improvements, including Ely and Tonopah, Nevada; St. George, wet summer of 1955, except along the
a new roof.—Tonopah Time-Bonanza Beaver and Cedar City, Utah; and eastern border of the state where grass
Baker and Barstow, California.—Salt is short.—New Mexican
Lake Tribune • • •
Pueblos Elect Officers . . .
1000 TRAVEL SCENES ALBUQUERQUE—Results of elec-
Lake Mead Travel Gains . . . tions held in January at 15 New Mex-
LAKE MEAD — T h e Lake Mead ico Indian pueblos have been reported
area attracted an estimated 2,500,000 to the United Pueblo Agency in Albu-
visitors in 1955. This is far ahead of querque. The new officials at Acoma,
SPECIAL OFFER the previous record year, 1953, which the "Sky City," anounced that they
To introduce readers of DESERT to our recorded a total through the Park Serv- will encourage tourist travel this year.
2"x2" COLOR SLIDES for home projec-
tion, we are offering a FREE 20 page ice checking stations of 2,220,940.— Henry Vallo, the new governor,
catalog and a FREE sample color slide. Nevada State Journal stressed that visitors are welcome at
Travel, Science, Nature, National Parks Acoma at any time and that all ef-
and the southwest. Write today to —
forts will be made to guide them to
KELLY D. C HODA points of interest. Some previous ad-
732 URSULA ST. AURORA 8, COLO. NEW MEXICO ministrations at Acoma have not en-
Kentucky Claim Repudiated . . . couraged visitors.—New Mexican
CARLSBAD — An announcement • • •
JOIN THE RIVER RATS by the State of Kentucky that the Indian Youth Gather . . .
world's largest cave is the Floyd Col- SANTA FE—Meeting in Santa Fe
Share - the • Expense - Plan
lins Cave, 100 miles south of Louis- the second annual Indian Youth Coun-
RIVER TRIPS
ville, has caused tourist-minded New cil endorsed a resolution seeking the
Mexico officials to point out that the amendment of federal laws giving states
famed Carlsbad Caverns is the world's jurisdiction over criminal and civil of-
largest. The Kentuckians say their fenses occurring on Indian Land. The
cave has 32 miles of tunnels. New council, sponsored by the New Mexico
Mexicans say Carlsbad Caverns has Association on Indian Affairs and the
more than 37 miles of corridors, with Museum of New Mexico Department
special emphasis on "corridors" and of Fine Arts, backed the amendment
not tunnels. Furthermore, said Tour- which would provide for consent by
ist Director Joseph Bursey, there are the separate Indian tribes before the
some portions of the Caverns which state can assume civil or criminal juris-
have not yet been explored. A few diction.—New Mexican
miles away, Bursey adds, in the Guad- • • •
alupe Mountains, more unexplored Pulpwood Industry Seen . . .
caves are located which are possibly ALBUQUERQUE—Dahl Kirkpat-
larger than Carlsbad Caverns and may rick, assistant forester for the New
Easter Special —March 24-31—Lower Colorado even be connected.—New Mexican Mexico-Arizona Forest Service district,
Davis Dam to Parker Dam $50 believes there is a strong possibility
San Juan—6-8 days—$10 per day. the timberland in the two states may
Stove Pipe Wells Hotel provide a new source for paper. Two
Glen Canyon—8 clays—$10 per day.
Death Valley advantages the region has over north-
Cataract Trip—8 days—$10 per day. California
The Mighty Grand Canyon—7-14 or 21 days.
$15 per day—per person Home of the Famous Annual
Group Trips of SO — Church, clubs, scouts. BURRO-FLAPJACK Looking for a PUBLISHER?
Do you have a book-length manuscript you
Boat transportation and guide furnished. CONTEST would like to have published? Learn about
$25 each person for 8 day trip. our unusual plan whereby your book can b«
Stove Pipe Wells Hotel was until his published, promoted and distributed on a
TRIPS APRIL THROUGH SEPTEMBER death in 1950 owned and operated by professional basis. We consider all types of
work—fiction, biography, poetry, scholarly
We use rubber boats. Oars or motor. George Palmer Putnam, renowned and religious books, etc. New authors wel-
author and explorer. It continues un- come. For more information, write for valu-
GEORGIE WHITE der the personal management of Mrs. able booklet D. It's free.
435 West Laconia Blvd., Los Angeles 61, Cal. George Palmer Putnam. VANTAGE PRESS. I N C .
PLymouth 5-3125 • PLymouth 5-1259 0253 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, O»lif.
Season: October 1 to June 1 Main Office: New York 1, N. Y.

34
DESERT MAGAZINE
ern states is that crews can work in Polygamy Dispute Flares . . . to be distributed through four church
Southwest forests about 10 months of SHORT CREEK — The current missions in the County along with
the year, and the region has easy access Utah drive to abolish polygamy came food and clothing regularly distributed
into the news recently when Mrs. Vera by the missions.—Salt Lake Tribune
to California markets. Most serious
limiting factor is the water problem. Johnson Black chose to part with her
But, Kirkpatrick says, mills can be eight children rather than sign an State Buys Paint . . .
built that produce pulp with very little amended state affidavit that she would
abide by the laws of Utah and refrain SALT LAKE CITY—Utah bought
water.—New Mexican 60,000 gallons of traffic paint—enough
• • • from teaching her children the forbid-
den Fundamentalist doctrine. Her de- to supply its estimated requirement for
UTAH highway markers for the entire year.
cision eased tension at Short Creek fol-
Bryce Needs By-Passed . . . lowing the Sixth District Juvenile The contracts were awarded only after
PANGUITCH — The Garfield Court's order that the eight children exhaustive road and laboratory tests
County News voiced the opinion re- be taken away and turned over to on 27 paint samples supplied by vari-
cently that all the money made avail- welfare officials unless their parents ous bidders. Total price for the paint
able for road construction in Southern promised to refrain from the practice was $174,850.—Salt Lake Tribune
Utah National Parks will be used in of polygamy and teaching it to the
the "second rate attraction," Cedar children.
Breaks, while "the major scenic attrac-
tion in this section of the world, Bryce
Canyon National Park," will be denied
needed road improvements. "A vitally
• • •
Surplus Food for Navajos . . .
SAN JUAN COUNTY—The Utah
OLD WEST
If you like the OLD WEST, you'll treas-
ure TRUE WEST—only slick-paper mag-
necessary link between Bryce Park, Welfare Commission is completing ar- azine of Us kind. Each bi-monthly

Tropic, Henrieville, Cannonville, Boul- rangements with the U.S. Department articles writlen by top authorities.
Plenty of aclion photos, too—all about
der and Escalante and the rest of the of Agriculture to make government Ihe Old West: BAD MEN, LOST MINES,
BURIED TREASURE, RANGE WARS,
county and the rest of the world—a surplus food and commodities avail- INDIAN FIGHTS, OUTLAWS, GHOST-
TOWNS, TRAIL DRIVES, GOLD RUSH,
year-round highway needed for tourists able to about 1000 drouth plagued COWBOYS & RANCH LIFE. Truly,
as well as local residents—is going to be Navajo Indians in San Juan County. TRUE WEST is the real thingl
Subscribe NOW.
denied while the Park Service goes all Approximately 150 Navajos were re-
out on the Cedar Breaks road—a road ceiving this type of assistance in mid- SPECIAL GET-ACQUAINTED OFFER:
•K I years of TRUE WEST (12 issues! $3.00
which will be used only a very short January, but the state said the program •K 4 years of TRUE WEST 124 issues) $5.00
part of the year," commented the news- will be extended to include about 850 Rush bills, check or M.O. to:
paper. more. The food and commodities are TRUE WEST • P.O.Box 5008-M* Austin 31,Texas

•- • •• .

NON-PERISHABLE LIGHTWEIGHT DELICIOUS FOOD

BERNARD
KAMP-PACK
IDEAL FOR OUTDOOR LIVING AND TRAVELING IN THE SOUTHWEST
Here is delicious concentrated food in foil that never spoils. Proved in
use on year-long safaris in hottest Africa and on expeditions to chill
Alaska. Won't freeze—won't spoil. Waterproof, too. Easy to fix in seconds.
Packed in lightweight, compact foil pouches, you'll find delicious food for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sweet Cream Buttermilk Pancakes, Rich
Savory Soups, Meat Stews and Chili, Hot Biscuits, Stir 'N' Serv Instant
Puddings are just a few of over 100 tasty varieties. Add only water, stir,
(heat) and serve.
WRITE FOR COMPLETE CATALOG AND ORDER FORM

BERNARD FOOD INDUSTRIES, INC.

1208 E. San Antonio San lose 27, California

MARCH, 1956 35
 Carson City, Nevada . . .

MINES ni MINING
Manhattan, Nevada . . . Ignacio. New Mexico . . .
Nevada's zinc production shows promise
of some climb after a two-year slump. Zinc
production in the state hit an all time low
in 1954 with only 1150 tons produced.
However, from January 1 to November 1,
1955, Nevada's production was estimated
at 2500 tons. American Metal Co., Ltd.,
The White Caps mine was recently ac- Tennessee Gas and Transmission Co. of New York importer, recently increased its
quired by a group of mine operators known Houston made a record high bid of $267.12 price for zinc metal purchased from pro-
as the Noack-Caulfield group, who plan to per acre for 1280 acres of Ute Indian oil ducers to 13.5 cents a pound.
redevelop the famous old mine as soon as and gas land in San Juan County, New • • •
weather conditions permit. The nsw owners Mexico. Forty-one thousand acres of Ute
plan to de-water the 800-foot shaft and mountain land were put up for bid and Washington, D. C. . . .
recover the cinnabar and gold ores known offers were received on all but 10,000 acres. A miscalculation by the Defense Depart-
to be in the mine. In its former operating The bonus bid total was $1,400,000. Ten- ment during the Korean War, which has
days the White Caps produced $2,723,000 nessee Gas also appeared to be the high never been corrected, has retarded develop-
in gold and mercury. It was known for its bidder on two other tracts totaling 3840 ment of the full usefulness of tungsten in
spectacularly rich gold . ores, but recovery acres.—Aztec Independent-Review high temperature alloys, and is interfering
was difficult because of the ore's arsenical • • • seriously with the tungsten industry, the
nature. A small rotary furnace will be in- Tungsten Institute declared. An all-out ef-
stalled to treat the cinnabar.—Reese River Nye County, Nevada . . . fort on the part of the domestic tungsten
Reveille The famous Bullfrog Mine in southwest- mining industry is planned to correct the
ern Nye County, Nevada, may be put into situation. Announcement of the effort was
• • • activity again according to company offi- made at the same time a contract was
Orogrande, New Mexico . . . cials. An expansive core drilling program signed with the Stanford Research Institute
A lease and option to buy for $40,000 to explore the company's 45 patented claims to conduct a research program for the bene-
the 19 A. L. Culver mining claims in the in the county was ordered. Geologists have
advised that the mine may contain in addi- fit of tungsten.—Reese River Reveille
Jarilla Mountains west of Orogrande signed • • •
by the Anaconda Company was filed in the tion to gold and silver, many new minerals
office of the Otero County clerk. The lease unheard of during the early gold rush days. Superior, Arizona . . .
is for 10 years and calls for a royalty per- —Nevada State Journal A 10-year option to purchase two copper
centage of five percent of the "net smelter • • • mine prospects near Superior has been con-
return per dry ton" or ore, or $150 per Park City, Utah . . . cluded between Anaconda Company and
month, whichever is greater.—Alamogordo New Park Mining Co. confirmed a sen- stockholders of the Bellemont and Queen
Daily News sational increase in values of gold, silver Creek copper firms. Sale price of the Belle-
• • • and copper in a branch of the Pearl fissure mont was set at $800,000. The Queen
at its Park City District mine. Discovery Creek agreement calls for a purchase price
Boron, California . . . of the ore, which has averaged between four of $400,000. All of the properties are con-
Giant earth-moving machines cut into and seven ounces of gold, between 5 and tiguous and are located just south of Magma
virgin desert soil in early January to inaug- 10 percent copper and up to 45 ounces of Copper Company's producing mine at Su-
urate work on the Pacific Coast Borax Com- silver to the short ton, was made on the perior. The properties cover three and a
pany's open pit borax mine, a major step 1755 foot level about 500 feet east from half square miles.—Phoenix Gazette
in the $18,000,000 development of the the main shaft now being deepened. Some • • •
world's only know sodium borate deposit. of the values assayed from the face have
The project, which will bring about the run above 34 ounces of gold and 100 ounces Hesperia, California . . .
conversion from 30 years of shaft-tunnel of silver to the ton.—Salt Lake Tribune The Morrison-Knudsen Co. has brought
operations, is expected to be completed in a million dollars worth of heavy equip-
next year. The company also plans the • • • ment to start construction of the Santa Fe
construction of new refining and concen- Thousand Palms, California . . . Spur line between Hesperia and the Per-
trating plants.-—Boron Enterprise Despite strong opposition from Palm manente Cement plant site in Lucerne Val-
• • • Springs and Palm Desert spokesmen, the ley. The Permanente plant is being devel-
Riverside County Board of Supervisors ap- oped by the Henry Kaiser interests.—Victor
Mount Tobin, Nevada . . . proved the construction of an ore reduction Valley News-Herald
Rich mercury ore has been found in the plant in the Thousand Palms area. The • • •
Mount Tobin area in Humboldt County by opposition succeeded, however, in haying Las Vegas, Nevada . . .
Walter Low. It is reported to be one of several restrictions placed on the operation,
the richest mercury bearing ore veins re- including a 500-foot setback of all opera- The old Potosi Mine, discovered and
cently uncovered. The ore from the prop- tions on the 51-acre tract; 10-foot height developed by the Mormons in the early
erty is being processed by the Eureka Min- limit on all tailings or stockpiled ore; no days of the Las Vegas area, may go back
ing Co., following the establishment of a smelting or similar operations; compacted into production when lead and zinc market
temporary retort.—Nevada State Journal clay bottom for settling ponds to prevent prices are stabilized, it was reported by the
water pollution; adequate dust collecting Anaconda Co. which acquired the Potosi
apparatus; authority of the health depart- in 1922.—Pioche Record
ment to halt operations if they are found • • •
"OVERLOOKED FORTUNES', to be polluting the atmosphere. The permit
expires Dec. 31, 1960. The Thousand Palms,
Twining. New Mexico . . .
IN THE RARER MINERALS Construction was expected to start in
Find war minerals! Here are a few of the Palm Desert and Indio chambers of com-
merce and the Western Mining council sup- February on a new copper mill at Twining
40 or more strategic rarer minerals which to process ore now being mined in that area
you may be overlooking in the hills or in ported the plant.—Coachella Valley Sun
by the Taos Uranium Exploration Company.
that mine or prospect hole: columbium, tan- • • • Engineers conservatively estimate 900,000
talum, uranium, vanadium, tungsten, nickel, S a n t a Fe, N e w Mexico . . . tons of mill ore at the mine site.—El Crep-
cobalt, bismuth, palladium, iridium, osmi- The accidental discovery of an old gold usculo
um, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, titan- mine, containing a seven-foot-wide vein of • • •
ium, tin, molybdenum, selenium, germanium, gold ore which had been lost for a century
manganese, cadmium, thallium, antimony,
San Manuel, Arizona . . .
or more, has also revealed what geologists The giant San Manuel copper crusher
mercury, chromium, etc. Prices booming; and engineers claim to be "a big mountain
many much more valuable than a gold mill and smelter plant was expected to start
of minerals" reports Edward J. James, presi- operation in the early part of this year fol-
mine: cassiterite now $1000 a ton; bismuth dent of Onego Corporation. Onego, while
$1500 a ton; columbite $2500 a ton; tanta-
lowing the testing of equipment. Ore already
mining a rich silica deposit at an elevation is flowing from the San Manuel mine, the
lite or microlite $5000 a ton; tungsten $3 of 8300 feet on Oro Quay Peak in the San
pound; platinum $90 ounce, etc. Now you
largest underground copper mine in North
Pedro Mountains, discovered the lost mine. America. When the mine and mill are run-
can learn what they are, how to find, iden- —Mining Record ning at full production, expected in mid-
tify and cash in upon them. Send for free • • • 1956, the Magma Copper Co. expects to
copy "overlooked fortunes"—it may lead produce 6,000,000 pounds of molybdenum
to knowledge which may make you rich! Carson City. Nevada . . . yearly and 140,000,000 pounds of copper.
A postcard will do. The Bureau of Mines estimated that ti- Estimates were that the output would in-
tanium production in the United States dur- crease the nation's production of copper by
DUKE'S RESEARCH LABORATORY ing 1955 was 7500 short tons with Nevada
Box 666, Dept. B, Hot Springs, New Mexico producing slightly less than half of that eight percent and of molybdenum by 11
total.—Nevada State Journal percent.—Phoenix Gazette

36 DESERT MAGAZINE
 BOOM DAYS IN URANIUM U.S. Puts Limited Supply
Of Thorium Metal on Market
The government has offered to sell from
its stocks limited quantities of thorium metal
AEC to Ask Competitive Bids for $43 a kilogram (2.2 pounds). Thorium,
the so-called "fertile material" can be trans-
muted in atomic reactors to fissionable ur-
On Withdrawn U-Ore Reserves anium-233. U233 can be used to make
weapons or to fuel nuclear power plants.
It has been estimated that successful "breed-
ing" of U233 out of Thorium in atomic
A system of competitive bidding will be control since the uranium deposits on these plants could boost the world's nuclear en-
instituted for leasing uranium deposits de- lands constitute a reserve. ergy reserves four to 10 times.
veloped by the Atomic Energy Commission Ore production from privately owned
on withdrawn public lands and certain other properties is being maintained at a high Many authorities believe no long-lasting
AEC-controlled areas. economic atomic power industry can be
level, the AEC reports. established without exploitation of thorium.
Lands affected include those originally When the AEC determines that a portion
purchased by the Manhattan Engineer Dis- of the reserves should be leased, it will Despite its potential value, Thorium is not
trict and subsequently transferred to the award the lease to the acceptable bidder being stockpiled in large amounts by the
AEC, and public lands withdrawn from offering the highest cash bonus by sealed government. It expects private enterprise
mineral entry at the AEC's request for ex- bid. Royalty rate, work requirements, and some day to take on that job. The AEC
ploration purposes. plans at some future time to use thorium
other conditions will be stated in the invi-
However, the AEC said it does not con- tation to bid. These conditions will be de- blankets in an advanced reactor at Oak
template extensive leasing of lands under its termined by the AEC,and will be based on Ridge, Tennessee, in the hope of producing
U235 in amount greater than the U235
the estimated size and grade of the deposit used in the reactor's primary fuel. The
and the cost of mining facilities and produc- only fissionable materials now in use are
Atomic Power Future Is tion. Uranium-235 and Plutonium. The AEC last
Limitless, Experts Say A few leases, possibly about 15, will be August announced a price of $25,000 a
The head of the General Electric corpora- offered soon to try out the program, but kilogram for U235. It has not yet an-
tion recently predicted that in 20 years half no extensive usage of the new competitive nounced the price at which it might buy
of all electric power installations will be bidding system is planned.—Dove Creek or sell Plutonium. It probably is costlier
atomic. Press than U235.—Humboldt Star
Possibilities that there will be at any time
in the foreseeable future an oversupply of
uranium are being discounted more and
more positively by all experts and authori-
ties in the field of atomic energy. At pres-
ent uranium continues to be the most sought
after element in the world, with its supply
as yet far short of the demand.
Equally important is the fact that even
Prospector's Headquarters
GEIGER COUNTERS AND SCINTILLATORS
more rapidly than the supply is increased The "Snooper" Gciger counter—Model 108 ? 89.95
new uses and developments are produced to The "Lucky Strike" Geiger Counter—Model 106 99.50
The "Professional" Geiger Counter—Model 107 139.50
increase the demand, in a field that is still The "Special Scintillator"—Model 117 299.50
in its infancy and is said by authorities to The "Deluxe" Scintillator—Model 111B 405.00
have a future the full extent of which can-
not be visualized at present.—Reese River ULTRA-VIOLET MINERALIGHTS
Reveille Model NH—Operates on 110 AC only 14.75
• • • Model M12—Operates on batteries only—with battery 40.65
Model SL-2537—Operates on batteries or 110 AC without case & batteries 39.50
BLM Releases Withdrawn With 303 case and batteries
With 404 case and batteries -
61.00
66.00
Yuma Land for Mining
The Bureau of Land Management an- CHEMICAL TEST KITS
nounced the opening of 9824 acres of land Kit for 14 Minerals (Uranium not included) 1«.95
in Arizona's Yuma Desert for public filing Kit for 36 Minerals (Including Uranium) 31.25
of uranium and other mining claims.
Acting Secretary of Interior Clarence A. BOOKS
Davis said the lands no longer are needed "Prospecting With a Geiger Counter" by Wright 60
for reclamation purposes. The lands have "Uranium Color Photo Tone"
"Facts You Should Know About Uranium" by R. W. Ramsey
1.00
1-00
been closed to mining location, but open "Uranium Prospectors Hand Book" 100
to mineral leasing. After April 3 they will "The Uranium and Fluorescent Minerals" by H. C. Dake 2.00
be open to all forms of mining location. "Popular Prospecting" by H. C. Dake 2.00
"Uranium, Where It Is and How to Find It" by Proctor and Hyatt 2.50
The lands are part of a 20,250 acre area "Minerals for Atomic Energy" by Kininger 7.50
which was withdrawn for the Colorado "Let's go Prospecting" by Edward Arthur 3.50
River storage and Yuma reclamation proj-
ects. Inquiries concerning the lands should MAPS
be mailed to the BLM, Phoenix, Arizona. Map and Geology (Uranium and Mineral Districts of California) 1.50
Map of Kern County (New Section and Township) 1.50
Map Uranium and Minerals (The Nine Southwest States) 1.00
Book and Map "Gems and Minerals of California" by McAllister 1.75
Book and Map "Lost Mines and Treasures of the Southwest" 2.00
TREASURE HUNTERS
New type metals detector. Distinguishes
metals from black magnetic sands. Ideal for OTHER SUPPLIES
locating gold nuggets, placer deposits. De- Fluorescent Minerals set—10 Specimens—boxed 2.50
tects metals under salt water. Locates coins, Prospectors Picks (not polished) - 3.85
jewelry on Prospectors Picks (polished) 4.10
beaches. Free Mineral Specimen Boxes (35 Named Minerals) 1.50
from false de- Pocket Camp Stove 6.95
tections. Each 12" Diameter Steel Gold Pan 1.25
unit supplied
with two dif- All prices F.O.B. Los Angeles
ferent search
coils. Ask for Add 3% Sales Tax if you live in California. 4 % if in Los Angeles
free l i t e r a -
ture. Member of American Gem & Mineral Suppliers Association
GARDINER
ELECTRONICS
CO., DEPT. DM
2 5 4 5 E. INDIAN
ALLEN LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT COMPANY
SCHOOL ROAD 3632 W. Slauson Ave. Open Monday evening until 9:00 los Angeles 43, California
PHOENIX, ARIZ.

MARCH, 1956 37
Vestalee Uranium Plans New shipments to various marketing agencies has Plateau Uranium Ore Output
been in progress. 5 areas have been opened Increased by 50% in 1955
Treatment Plant at Phalan up which have produced an economic grade
A major expansion program is underway Production of uranium ore on the Colo-
on its Phalan property by Vestalee Uranium tonnage. In view of the complex nature of rado Plateau during 1955 was one and a
and Thorium Corporation. The property is the sulphide ore containing gold, copper, half times greater than in 1954, the Grand
located in Elko County, Nevada, about 50 silver, tungsten and molybdenum minerals, Junction Operations Office of the AEC
miles southwest of Wendover. For the past a treatment plant is scheduled in order to reported.
seven months the mine workings have been increase the domestic margin by marketing In a year-end review of operations, the
under rehabilitation, exploration and devel- the minerals or favorable combination of AEC said that "by June, 1955, there were
opment, and the production of crude ore minerals separately.—Wells Progress approximately 1000 uranium ore producers
on the plateau . . . and it is estimated there
were 6000 persons directly engaged in ur-
anium mining operations in the Western
Announcing . . . the new Gardiner United States last year."
Percentage of uranium ore purchased un-
der contract system increased from 49 per-
Scintillation Counter Ulith Loudspeaker Alarm! cent in 1948 to 98 percent during 1955.
According to best estimates, private indus-
Alarm sounds only when pre-set gamma try drilled five million feet of hole in ex-
radiation level is reached, and increases ploration for uranium deposits last year.
in pitch as radiation level increases be- "Before 1955, we were able to cite only
yond pre-set amount.
about 10 uranium deposits which had more
than 100,000 tons of reserves. Today, we
OTHER NEW FEATURES: know of some 25 deposits containing re-
• 8-range sensitivity switch covers ranges serves in excess of 100,000 tons and of at
of .01, .025, .05, .1, .25, .5, 1, 5, and least a few where the reserves are measured
MR/HR.
• Built-in battery tester tests separately in multiples of 1,000,000 tons," the AEC
the condition of each battery. report states.
• IV2" x 1" Thallium activated sodium "In addition to the new finds in new lo-
iodide crystal. calities, important discoveries have been
• 5 time constants: .2, .5, 1, 5, 25 seconds. made in and around active districts on the
• Head-phone alarm for flying or using Colorado Plateau. Substantial additional
in noisy surroundings.
• 10-tube circuit for ultra-sensitivity and tonnages of ore have been found in the Big
greater accuracy. Indian Wash area and the Red and White
• Large 3W non-breakable plastic meter. Canyons of Utah, in the Grants, N. M.,
• All tubes plug in and can be easily vicinity as well as in some of the longer-
replaced by the prospector in the field. worked areas of the Plateau, including Long
Price $565.00 Park and Paradox Valley, Colorado," the
report concluded.—Salt Lake Tribune
GARDINER ELECTRONICS COMPANY
2545 E. INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD PHOENIX, ARIZONA
A high point in an era of a resurgent
mining industry was reached in Mohave
County, Arizona, when the first carload of
uranium ore was shipped from a county
mine. Shippers of the high grade ore were
the operators of the Democrat mine on the
"PROSPECTORS" east slope of the Hualapai Mountains. The
56-ton carload was shipped to the Vitro
Chemical Company in Salt Lake City, Utah.
SCINTILLATORS • NUCUOMETERS • GEIGER The mine was originally worked in the
1870s and 80s as a gold and silver property.
It is owned by Sylvia Vukoye and is oper-
COUNTERS & MULTIPLE TUBE COUNTERS ated under a bond and lease arrangement
by the Spartan Mining Company, Charles
Demonstrators on Hand Offered at a Substantial E. Howell, Ralph Antles and associates.
Work was started on the property in Feb-
ruary of 1955.—Mohave Miner
Discount
Bank terms arranged on approved credit in California
A uranium strike of major proportions
has been made in the Rundberg mine, the
WE CARRY A COMPLETE LINE OF LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT Apex Uranium company announced. Offi-
cials announced that the strike embodies
"ROCK-A-TEER" TRIM SAW METAL DETECTORS either the first pitchblende vein discovered
in Nevada or is a vein of some unique min-
FINDINGS CAPS ETC. MINERALIGHTS eral not previously identified, but having
GRINDING WHEELS CHEMICAL KITS definite qualities similar to pitchblende.—
Reese River Reveille
STERLING SILVER MORTARS & PESTELS
BAROQUES BOOKS
MINERALS MINER PICKS
CUTTING MATERIAL HARDNESS TESTING SETS RADIUM MINES, INC.
MOUNTINGS JEWELRY TOOLS 140 N. VIRGINIA ST.
DIAMOND WHEEL DRESSERS RENO, NEVADA
SANDING CLOTH
Why not deal with a prewar corporation?
Comhton J\oak INCORPORATED 1940

1409 S. LONG BEACH BLVD PHONE NEWMARK 2-9096 COMPTON, CALIFORNIA FOR SALE: Uranium, Germanium, Rare Earths,
Claims in three states.
4 blocks south of Olive Street
WANTED: Claims of uranium and all other
Open Daily except Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Tuesday Evenings till 9:00 p.m. rare elements.

38 DESERT MAGAZINE
AEC to Open Tuba City's The Coso Uranium Company of Ridge- processing an average of 75 tons of ore
New U-Ore Buying Station crest, California, has made its first shipment per day from Verdi's 2200 acres of claims
of 100 tons of uranium ore to a Salt Lake near Rosamond. As a preliminary to any
A new uranium ore buying station and City, Utah, mill. The company has a 500- contract, the AEC is presently eagaged in
sampling plant was expected to be opened ton contract with the AEC. Company of- listing all uranium producers and possible
by the Atomic Energy Commission in Tuba ficials estimate that the ore will net between producers within a 300-400 mile radius of
City, Arizona, on February 1. The sampl- $60 and $140 per ton. The 26 unpatented the Verdi mill at Mojave.—Mojave Desert
ing plant was built by Rare Metals Corpora- claims of the Coso Co. are located east of News
tion of America and leased to the Com- Haiwee Reservoir on the west flank of the
mission pending completion of the uranium Coso Mountain Range.—Ridgecrest Times-
processing mill being erected by Rare Metals. Herald THE PROSPECTOR'S CATALOG
After completion of the mill, scheduled We are pleased to announce the advent of
for this summer, the Rare Metals firm will a new Minerals Unlimited Catalog, specifi-
The Verdi Development Co. of Mojave, cally designed for the amateur or profes-
take over the sampling plant to purchase sional prospector. If you are interested in
ores for their own account. In the mean- California, is negotiating with the AEC for Geiger Counters, Mineralights, Blowpipe Bets,
time, the Tuba City sampling plant will be a contract to buy uranium ore from other Gold Pan or any of the other equipment
producers within a reasonable radius of the necessary to a field or prospecting trip,
operated for the Commission by its ore-buy- send 5G in stamps or coin for your copy.
ing agent for the purchase of ores that are company's processing mill. The mill, first MINERALS UNLIMITED, Dept. D
amenable to the treatment processes being of its kind on the West Coast, went into 1724 University Ave., Berkeley, California
provided.—Coconino Sun operation in mid-November of last year,
• • •
A uranium ore body totaling at least 40,-
000 tons has been indicated by drilling on Prospecting for Enjoyment?
property of Blue Goose Mining, Inc., in
the Circle Cliffs area of Garfield County,
Utah. Engineers estimate the ore will run
between $30 and $40 to the ton, Blue Goose NEW MINERALIGHT
president L. E. Murray said. Probing of
mineralized holes shows the deposit is up
to seven feet thick with uranium oxide con- HOBBY SET MAKES
tent as high as 1.44 percent and possible
average of over .40 percent, Murray said.
About 7200 feet of a projected 15,000-foot
FLUORESCENCE MORE
drilling program has been completed. —
Dove Creek Press FUN FOR EVERYONE!
Now—a black light kit for every hobbyist—every rockhound—every
TRUE OR FALSE ANSWERS prospector—and their families and children! It's the little brother to the
Questions are on page 18 famous professional Mineralight. It's low-budget fluorescence complete
1—False. The burro was brought lo in every detail—fascinating enjoyment within
the Southwest by Spaniards. the reach of everyone. Here's all you need
2—False. Lowell Observatory is lo- o( E It for the rewarding study and identification
cated on Mars Hill just out of H ^» of beautiful fluorescent minerals. And —
Flagstaff, Arizona.
3—True. watch common household items take on
4—False. Location notices are re- glowing rainbow colors under ultra-violet
quired only in the location mon- light. To open up a new world of science
ument. and fun, buy Mineralight "Model NH" from
5—True. your dealer.
6—False. There were no horses in
the Southwest before the coming YOU GET THIS SET—Short-wave ultra-violet MINERALIGHT, complete for 110-volt AC, fully
of Europeans.
7—True. 8—True. guaranteed, gift packaged • 8 beautifully mounted mineral specimens. • Invisible
9—False. Squaw Cabbage grows crayon, chalk and ink. • Fluorescent materials demonstrator card. • Educational folder;
wild in many parts of the desert "Rocks and Minerals that Fluoresce with MINERALIGHT" — list and color descriptions.
but it has never been regarded
as a vegetable nor was it culti-
vated by the Indians.
10—True. PROSPECTING FOR PROFIT? ^tk
11—False. The blossom of creosote Then the more intense battery-oper-
is yellow. ated portable MINERALIGHTS are essential
12—True. in locating valuable mineral fields, sorting
13—False. Salton sea was formed by specimens, preparing displays. Invaluable
for rock collecting, mineralogy. The Fun
overflow waters from the Colo- Model M-12 Hobby with a Profitable Future! Model SL 2537
rado River in 1905-6-7.
14—False. Domestic sheep were first
brought to the Americas by the SEND COUPON FOR FREE ULTRA-VIOLET INFORMATION KIT AND YOUR DEALER'S NAME!
Spaniards.
15—True. 16—True. 17—True.
18—False. The capital of New Mex-
ico is Santa Fe.
19—False. The Wasatch Mountains ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS. INC.
are in Utah. Dept. D, San Gabriel, California
20—True. Please send free illustrated information kit on fun and profit with MINERA-'
LIGHT — and name of nearest dealer.

Explore for Treasure! NAME..

Find wealth lost or bur-
ied for years! Search for ADDRESS
gold and silver coins, bul-
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with M-Scope Treasure- CITY STATE..
Metal locators. Used world-
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Payment.
Fisher Research Lab., Inc.
Dept. D-l Palo Alto, Cal. ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS, INC.
MARCH, 1956
 E. C. Brookins was elected president of

GlMS oni MINERALS the Gem County Rock and Mineral Society.
Earl Kent will serve as vice president; Mrs.
A. R. Albee, secretary; Mrs. A. J. Monroe,
treasurer; A. R. Albee, federation director;
Mrs. Cora Holman, publicity chairman.
• • •
The Delvers Gem and Mineral Society
of Downey, California, has elected the fol-

and 'Tflwenal Societies lowing officers: Martin Henson, president;

Ted Merrifield, first vice president; Francis
Bradshaw, second vice president; Zelma
Thieme, third vice president; Harry Ander-
son, secretary; Glendora Parks, treasurer;
*7UMA O^icet&fat 1956 and Rip Mosher, Bill May, Ed Flutot and
Charles Bullock, directors.—Delvings
• • •
Hershel Shaw was elected president of The Riverside, California, Gem and Min-
the Banning, California, Mineral Society eral Society has elected Thomas V. Harwell
recently. Serving with Shaw will be Frank president for the coming year. Other offi-
Karas, vice president; Mrs. Beulah Karas, cers are Clarence Wunderlich, vice president;
secretary-treasurer; and Pete Masten, di- and Lloyd E. Holmquist, secretary-treasurer.
rector.—Banning Record • • •
• • • The Wasatch Gem Society of Salt Lake
Cliff Messinger was named president of City, Utah, elected the following officers:
the Tacoma, Washington, Agate Club. Don Jordan, president; Marie Crane, vice
Others elected were Glen Myhre, vice presi- president; Dr. B. D. Bennion, field trip
dent; Lottie Summers, secretary; Elsie Mer- chairman; Faye Burnside, secretary; and
dian, treasurer; and George Green, director. Ken Stewart, treasurer.
—The Puget Sounder • • •
• • • Stewart Romney was elected president of
Unanimously elected to offices in the the Mineralogical Society of Utah. Also
Glendale, California, Lapidary and Gem elected were Walter H. Koch, first vice presi-
Society were Eugene Rath, president; Ellis dent; Dr. Olivia McHugh, second vice presi-
Roth, first vice president; Arthur Bowman, dent; W. Hugh Burnside, secretary; Edna
second vice president; Cecelia Keiss, secre- Johnson, treasurer; and Katherine Stake,
tary; and Leo Molitor, treasurer.—Glendale historian.
Gems • • •
• • • The Del Norte Rockhounds of Crescent
Max Woods will be the new president of City, California, elected these officers for
the Bellflower, California, Gem and Mineral the new club year: Gertrude Penn, presi-
Society. Others elected were Stan Walters, dent; Catharine Thomas, vice president;
vice president; Marion Davidson, secretary; Margaret Gaines, secretary-treasurer; Ar-
and Charles Wolfe, treasurer.—Bell Notes mond Poirier, Lenore Sondergard, Art Ab-
• • • bott, Jack Powell, Inez Merrill and Jack
HILLQUIST New officers of the Indiana Geology and Thomas, directors.
• • •
Gem Society of Indianapolis are Frank C.
COMPARE* Sanders, president; Ralph E. Hagemier, vice New officers of the Sequoia Mineral So-
• Put the Hillquist Gemmaster beside any lapidary president; Mrs. Edward Hedeen, secretary; ciety of California, are Velma Hill, president;
machine — cheaper, flimsy "gadgets" or units that Fred S. Smith, treasurer; and Miss Florence George Baxter, vice president; Sylvia Dial,
sell at twice the price. Compare construction! Com- Geisler, historian. secretary; Mabel Anderson, treasurer; and
pare ease of operation! Compare how much you Roy Schoetker, federation director.
get for your money and you'll say, "I'll take the
Gemmaster!"

Here is a worthy companion for our larger and

r
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
CuttmFAQT...
CuttmQMOOTHl
aluminum tub. You get a rugged, double-action rack
clamp, not a puny little pebble pincher. You get a For Low Original Cost, specify Felker RIM-
full 3 " babbitt sleeve bearing and ball thrust bear- LOCK! . . . standard of the lapidary industry.
ing. You get a big 7" Super Speed diamond saw Rugged, speedy and gives excellent service for
and all the equipment you need to go right to work. a modest investment. Available in copper or
USES ALL ACCESSORIES steel, diameters 3 inches through 36 inches.
You can use all the regular Hillquist accessories*
with the Gemmaster: The Hillquist Facetor, Sphere
Cutters, Laps, Drum and Disc Sanders, etc.

WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG

TcOMPLBTE"REmJo"(JSE! YOU GET ALL THIS-
II For Long Life and Extra Fast Cuts, specify
Felker KIMBERLEY! Costs more but makes
up for the difference in unusually long life!
Metal bond rim gets the most use from every
diamond particle! Fastest cutting lapidary
blade on the market!

BIG 7 " Diamond Saw • 6" x I " Gi Felker M o d e l DH-1 - A

I Wheel • 6 " felt Buff • 6 " Backing Wheel It's EASIER with Felker Di-Met RIM- lapidary saw that operates
6 " Disc Sander • Double-action Rock
Clamp • Oil Feed Cup • Water Feed LOCK and KIMBERLEY DIAMOND like a circular saw! Blade
Hose & Clamp • Dop Sticks & Dop W a x * BLADES! Developed by lapidists for dips into coolant stored in
Polish, Compound, E t c ^ lapidists...designed especially for extra aluminum base...can't run
cutting speed and economical life! For dry! Includes rip and angle
BUILT FOR LONG SERVICE! a quicker look inside your rocks, you fences. Uses 6 inch or 8
No other low-cost lap unit can always depend upon Felker per-
gives you full 3 " sleeve
inch Rimlock or Kimberley
bearing, ball thrust bearing formance ! blades. Other machines
and pressure lubrication. available.
COLOR FILM AVAILABLE J
For Club and Society programs request
strip film, "Diamond Mining in So. FELKER MANUFACTURING CO.
Africa" with 33% long-play record. Torrance, California

World's largest manufacturer of diamond abrasive cut-off blades and equipment.

40 DESERT MAGAZINE
 New officers of the San Francisco Gem GOLD FIRST METAL an alloy with silver, the paler the metal,
and Mineral Society are Oscar Merwin, the more silver it contains. Australian gold
USED BY ANCIENT MAN is the purest (three percent silver) found.
president; Walter Eyestone, vice president;
Ivy Schryver, recording secretary; Helen Gold was undoubtedly the first metal used California gold averages about 10 percent
Jaye, corresponding secretary; John Dille, by primitive man, for occurring as it does silver and European gold as much as 30
treasurer; Frances Bramhall Iden, librarian; in stream beds, its bright color probably at- percent silver.
Anne Bain, hostess; Jack Donohue, curator; tracted his eye, and it was soft enough to The largest gold nugget ever found is the
and Dr. George Bates, Hobart Chenoweth, be easily worked into various shapes, which, "Welcome Nugget," discovered in Australia
Al Grapes, Georgia Paine, Henry Reinecke because they did not tarnish, became per- and weighing 248 pounds. The largest nug-
and Dr. Lillian Wong, directors.—The Min- manent ornaments. Gold is associated with get found in California weighed 161 pounds.
eralog the very earliest civilizations known on California, in the middle 19th Century, was
earth. It has been found in ancient tombs the largest gold producing area in the world,
and was used as ornamentation in Egypt but today this honor falls on South Africa
Dr. Asher Havenhill, Fresno physician, 3000 years ago. Gold forms very few com- where half of the world's production is mined
was elected president of the Fresno Gem pounds, but has a decided tendency to alloy each year.—Howard Blackburn in the San
and Mineral Society. He succeeds Clarence with other minerals. Diego, California, Lapidary Society's Shop
Yoder. Also elected were Ocie Randall, Natural gold is never pure, but is usually Notes and News
first vice president; George Pierson, second
vice president; Marvin Grove, treasurer;
Corrine Laine, secretary; Walter Riley, fed-
eration director; and Sara Smerud, Theodore
Bahl, Merel Rowe and William Winter, di-
rectors.
LINDE "A" RUBY POWDER $3.75 PER LB.
For a LIMITED TIME the factory h a s asked us to sell "factory seconds"
of this wonderful polishing agent which normally sells for $20 per lb.
FINDING GOOD MATERIAL Actual professional tests show this to be perfect for polishing cabochons
IN DUMPS NOT ALL LUCK and for use in tumbling barrels. DEALERS WRITE FOR DETAILS.
QUANTITY IS LIMITED but we should be able to fill orders until the
Mrs. Jessie Hardman, secretary of the end of the year. 8 oz. $2.00; 1 lb. $3.70; 5 lbs. for only $13.90.
California Federation, has the following
advice to give on how to find material in
a mine damp:
Study the situation carefully, try to find
TIN OXIDE $1.50 PER POUND
a spot where no one has dug before. Study If you buy $5 worth of Basic Lapidary Supplies from the following list.
the shrubbery on the dump. A plant indi- A $10 purchase entitles you to buy 2 lbs. Tin Oxide at $1.50 per lb.
cates a spot where no one has dug in recent A $25 purchase entitles you to buy 5 lbs. of Tin Oxide.
years. Dig around its roots.
Start at the bottom of a dump that has NORTON CRYSTOLON GRINDING WHEELS . . .
not been worked very much. If you start Size 6xVa" 6x1" 8x1"
in the middle, you may end up working the 8xlV2" 10x1 W
same material twice. 80 grit _ $8.20
100 grit .$2.90 $3.95 $5.85 8.20 $12.40
When you find a good specimen, study the 220 grit 3.25 4.30 6.45 9.00 13.65
material in which it lies. When the mine 320 grit 3.65 4.90 7.35 10.25 15.50
is working, the discarded material is tossed Shipping weight 2 lbs. 3 lbs. 5 lbs.
out over the side of the dump. Your best 6 lbs. 9 lbs.
Crystolon Wheel Dressing Brick 6"x2"xl" $1.05
bet, after finding a good specimen, is to
work up toward the place where the ma-
terial was dumped. CRYSTOLON ABRASIVE for the Lapidary
Pay particular attention lo the debris Grit Size 1 Pound 5 lb. Lots Grit Size 1 Pound 5 lb. Lots
around obstructions in the dump such as 80, 100, 120, 180, 220 $ .90 $ .56 Graded 400 _ 1.09 .75
boulders. 2F (320, 3F (400) .94 .60 Graded 600 . _ 1.35 .98
If you find debris where someone else has
found good material, dig there. The reason
material is found in the dump in the first
DURITE (Silicon Carbide) ROLL SANDING CLOTH—
place is because the miners either missed Dry Rolls-Available in 120, 220, 320 grits
it or else it was inferior to their standards. 2" wide, 25 ft. long-$2.15; 150-foot roll—$ 9.60
The same applies for the rockhound who 3" wide, 15 ft. long- 2.15; 150-foot r o l l - 14.10
dug before you—he misses some and tosses 10" wide, 5 ft. long- 2.15
eut some, too. 12" wide, 5 ft. long— 2.40
Each mineral has its own characteristic
in dumps. Sheelite, for instance, is found DURITE SANDING CLOTH in round disks . . .
in concentrations. The pegmatite are found Dry Type Available in 120, 220, 320 grits
in pockets of clay.—Coachella Valley, Cali- Wet Type Avail, in 150, 220, 400, 600 grits
fornia, Mineral Society's Lik 'n Lap 6" discs 8 for $1.10 25 for $ 2.40 6" discs 5 for $1.00 25 for $ 3.90
8" discs 5 for 1.10 25 for 4.40 8" discs 3 for 1.10 25 for 7.00
10" discs 3 for 1.10 25 for 6.90 10" discs 2 for 1.15 25 for 11.00
12" discs 2 for 1.10 25 for 10.10 12" discs 2 for 1.65 25 for 16.00

TRAVEL DREAMS COME TRUE! CONGO OR FELKER DI-MET DIAMOND BLADES

Cast loose to follow the sun...explore the 4" diameter by .025" thick $ 7.80 10" diameter by .040" thick- $14.80
... byways, relax by a rippling stream,.. enjoy
if s« i t h ii o u t i
6" diameter by .025" thick „ 7.80 12 diameter by .040" thick .. 18.20
i the comforts of home. Write for free booklet! 14 diameter by .050" thick _ 25.20
A1RSTREAM TRAILERS INC. 6" diameter by .032" thick 7.80
16 diameter by .050" thick 28.60
w r i t e OE
110 CHURCH ST., JACKSON CENTER, OHIO
1 7 5 5 N M A m S T _L 0 S A N G E L E S 3 1 i CALIR.
8" diameter by .032" thick 10.40 20' diameter by .060" thick „ __ 39.20
8" diameter by .040" thick 11.40 24 diameter by .060" thick- . 50.60

When ordering please state arbor hole size

MINERALOGY
ALL PRICES F.O.B. PASADENA - ADD 3% SALES TAX IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA

Offers unlimited opportunity for rock collector or Ura-

GRIEGER'S, Inc.
nium prospector. Make it your career or hobby. We train Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4185 — Catalina Station, Pasadena, Calif.
you at home. Diploma course. Send for Free Catalog.
MINERAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE 1633 EAST WALNUT ST. PASADENA 4, CALIF.
Desk 7 • 159 E. Ontario • Chicago 11

MARCH, 1956 41
 GEMS A - PLENTY: Beautiful baroque
gems, large variety, tumble polished all

G E m fllftRT A DV ERT IS
12« a word . .
N 6 RATE
Minimum $2.00
over, $10.00 for one pound (about 100
stones). 10 lbs. of top grade gemstone
prepaid for $7.00. Wholesale price to
dealers on baroque gems and gemstone
in the rough. Satisfaction guaranteed on
every sale. San Fernando Valley Gem
LOOK—GOOD Tumbling Grade turquoise, GENUINE TURQUOISE: Natural color, Co., 5905 Kester Ave., Van Nuys,. Calif.
some will cab, very little matrix. No blue and bluish green, cut and polished
green. Makes beautiful baroques. $6 per cabochons — 25 carats (5 to 10 stones BEAUTIFUL MISCELLANEOUS tumbled
pound F.O.B. Mountain Springs Gifts, according to size) $3.50 including tax, rock agates, $6 pound. Tumbled Apache
Box 461, Jacumba, California. postpaid in U.S.A. Package 50 carats (10 tears, $7 pound. Mexican agate, rough,
to 20 cabochons) $6.15 including tax, cutting material, $2 pound. Clear Mexi-
McSHAN'S GEM SHOP-—open 5 to 9 p.m. postpaid in U.S.A. Elliott Gem & Mineral can calcite rhombs, 25c each. Mrs. J. J.
except Mondays and Thursdays. Rocks, Shop, 235 E. Seaside Blvd., Long Beach Riddle, 434 West Main Street, Mesa, Ariz.
gems, cholla cactus wood. Mile west on 2, California.
U.S. 66, Needles, California, Box 22. SPECIAL ON baroques mixed variety all
BEAUTIFUL FREE GOLD — Specimens polished $3.95 lb. 5 lbs. lot $18.75 slabs
SPECIMENS, FACETING material. Slabs. $1.00 each. Return if not satisfied. Prices and stones in the rough. Dixie Rock
Huge stock fire opal. H. A. Ivers, 1400 to dealers, J. N. Reed, Box 102, Cabazon, Shop, 502 W. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel,
North Hacienda Blvd., La Habra Heights, California. California.
California. COLORADO MINERAL specimens, cut- PERSIAN TURQUOISE, beautiful spider
DESERT BOTTLES, Amethyst to royal ting and tumbling materials. Send 2 cent web, imported from Kohrramshahr, Iran.
purple, broken, for tumbling. Chrysocolla, stamp for list and terms. Dealers please Seven nugget necklace, matching earrings,
peridote, agatized petrified wood, wonder write for wholesale list. John Patrick, all sterling, $7.95. Same in Sleeping
rock, cinnabar in opalite, geodes, thunder Idaho Springs, Colorado. Beauty robbins egg blue, $5.95, tax and
eggs, uranium, gold, lead, massive garnets, postpaid. Turquoise Jim, 1225 N. Anita,
onyx, crystal quartz, tungsten, all color NOTICE: After August first we will be Tucson, Arizona.
lamping rocks, pyrites or iron, silver, cop- located at 2020 North Carson St., Carson
per. These are specimens and tumbling City, Nevada. Mail address, P.O. Box
material. Write for price list, wholesale 117. Gold Pan Rock Shop, John L. and
to dealers. Wisdom-Mani, Dyer, Nevada. Etta A. James, prop. MILITARY TO STOP WANTON
FOR SALE: Beautiful purple petrified wood REMOVAL OF JADE DEPOSIT
GEMS OF THE DESERT. Highly polished with uranium, pyrolusite, manganite. Nice Recent exploitation of the jade deposits
baroques tumbled variety. Agates, jasper, sample $1.00. Postage. Maggie Baker, on the Hunter Liggett military reservation
rhodenite, petrified woods. General mix- Kingman, Arizona. on California's Monterey Peninsula has
ture, $6.00 pound. Also findings, send necessitated certain restriction on removal
for price list. Dealers wholesale prices. of the semi-precious stone according to Col.
We do commercial gem cutting. Tur- HAVE REAL FUN with desert gems,
quoise our specialty. Prices on rough tur- minerals and rocks. The rockhound's Harry A. Welsch, deputy post commander.
quoise invited. Golden West Gem Co., how-to-do-it magazine tells how. One The restrictions are designed to conserve
7355 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, year (12 issues) only $3.00. Sample 25c. the stone for removal by legitimate collec-
California. Gems and Minerals, Dept. J-10, Palmdale, tors, he said.
California. Several commercial organizations have
ROCKS—opposite West End Air Base, ag- removed the stone from the reservation
ROCK COLLECTORS — Attention! For without authorization and have utilized
ate, woods, minerals, books, Local infor- better rocks visit the trailer rock store, methods of excavation which endanger the
mation. Ironwood Rock Shop, Highway 69-457 Hiway 111 between Palm Springs value of the remaining jade. Deposits at
60-70 West of Blythe, California. and Palm Desert. Open any day you find Jade Cove and Willow Creek have been
us home. Mail address: Box 181, Cathe- blasted out with dynamite, the military re-
OPALS AND SAPPHIRES rough, direct dral City, California. The Rockologist ports.
from Australia. Cutting opal, 1 ounce (Chuckawalla Slim).
$5, $10, $20, $30 and $60. Blue sap- Persons desiring to enter the reservation
phires, 1 ounce $10, $30 and $60. Star FINE CRYSTALLIZED Minerals and mas- for the purpose of removing jade will be
sapphires 12 stones $10, $20, and $30, sive ore specimens direct from western required to submit a written request to the
etc. Post free and insured. Send inter- mines. Mineralights and specimen kits commander of the reservation asking per-
national money order, bank draft. Aus- for prospectors. No cutting material mission to enter and excavate the jade.
tralian Gem Trading Co., 49 Elizabeth handled. Write for free list. Rocky Lapidarists who desire to explore the jade
St., Melbourne, Australia. Free list of Mountain Minerals, Box 1204, Idaho deposits at Jade Cove and Willow Creek
all Australian stones rough and cut, 16 pp. Falls, Idaho. are asked to write the commanding officer
several days in advance of the proposed
trip. Persons who enter the reservation
without authority will be escorted from
Hunter Liggett by military police.
In the past, commercial interests entered
the post without authorization and removed
jade by the truck and boatloads, the military
reported.—Salinas Californian
Petrified Wood, Moss Agate, Chrysocolla
Turquoise, Jade and Jasper Jewelry
HAND MADE IN STERLING SILVER One of the most noted turquoise mines
in New Mexico is the Tiffany Mine near
Bracelets, Rings, Necklaces, Earrings Albuquerque, so named because Tiffany of
and Brooches New York took all the mine's output for

li SPECIALLY SELECTED STONES WITH

CHOICE COLORS AND PICTURES
over 20 years. It is estimated that the gem
material during the 1891-96 period was val-
ued at $1,500,000. Today the Tiffany is a
tourist attraction. The upper cuts show the
Write for Folder With Prices
markings of primitive tools used by the In-
dians. More modern excavations are visible
ELLIOTT'S GEM SHOP in the lower levels. The Azure Mine near
Silver City, New Mexico, was another heavy
23S East Seaside Blvd. Long Beach 2. California producer. One pocket at the Azure, dis-
fiiiiil Across from West End of Municipal
Auditorium Grounds
covered in 1893, was productive until 1907.
A 1500 carat nugget was found here.—
Hours 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Daily Except Monday Seattle, Washington, Gem Collectors Club's
Nuts and Nodules

42 DESERT MAGAZINE
SOCIETIES LIST MARCH- SECONDARY LEAD MINERALS the carbonate group, is attractive but occurs
in few localities; delicate blue crystals have
APRIL GEM SHOW DATES YIELD RARE SPECIMENS been found at Tiger, Arizona.
On March 3 and 4 the Mineral and Gem Many colorful and rare specimens, much The lead mineral in the phosphate, ar-
Society of Castro Valley is planning a gem prized by rockhounds, are found as secon- senate, vanadate and uranate groups are
show at the Hayward Union High School, dary minerals in weathered lead ore veins. usually highly colored and spectacular spe-
Hayward, California.—San Jose Lapidary Lead oxides, such as massicot, are very cimen material. Here we find wulfenite,
Society's Lap Bulletin rare. Massicot is found with galena and pyromorphite, mimetite, vanadenite and
often dismissed by mineral collectors as a endlicite.
The San Luis Obispo, California, Gem dull coating marring the beauty of their
and Mineral Club will hold its annual ex- Other lead minerals of interest to the
hibit at Veteran's Memorial Hall on March specimens. collector are cerussite, anglisite and cala-
17-18. The famous Biconoid collection will Phosganite is a rare lead carbonate, pop- donite, which make fine micromounts. Long
be featured at the admission-free show. ular for its fluorescence, and sometimes Beach, California Mineral and Gem Soci-
Doors will open at 10 a.m. and close at 9 found in good crystals. Leadhillite, also in ety's Mineral News
p.m. on both days, and a field trip is
scheduled.
* * *
March 17 and 18 are the dates for the
Tucson, Arizona, Gem and Mineral Society's This is b u t a s m a l l portion of GRIEGER'S I N C . stock of
Second Annual Gem and Mineral Show.
The show will be held in the north end of BRACELET CHAINS KEY CHAINS NECKLACE CHAINS
the Pima County Fair Building at the Fair-
grounds on South Sixth Ave. and Irvington If y o u do not h a v e our FREE CATALOG - 5 5 1 , send f o r it.
Road.
* :'fi *

The fourth annual Joint Show, combining No. 39-5

the talents of the Washougal Gem Club, KEY RING I"
Yacolt Mineral Club, Columbia Gorge & I" FANCY
Rockhounds and Mt. Hood Rock Club, is CHAIN
scheduled for March 24-25 at the Crown THIS ILLUSTRATION SHOWS ONLY
Zellerbach Hotel, Camas, Washington. A PORTION OF CHAIN AND CARD Chain will not kink.
No. 26C-6 RHODIUM PLATED
The annual Eugene, Oregon, Gem and NECK CHAIN — 18 2 for $1.00
Mineral Show is scheduled for April 14-15 YOUR COST—78 c each I dz $3.83 3 dz $8.65
at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene. in I doz lots.
A conducted field trip on both days of the GOLD PLATED
show is planned. Those seeking commercial On fancy display card, jump rings made 2 for $1.00
space in the show should write to the Eu- from as large as 19 gauge wire will fit in Id* $3.75 3d* $8.45
gene Mineral Club, 2512 W. 7th St., these links for hanging baroques.
Eugene, Oregon. Outside exhibits are in- STERLING SILVER RHODIUM PLATED YOUR COST—24e each
vited, and exhibitors should write Otto Koe- $I.IOea 3 for $2.80 I dz $8.35 in 3 doz lots.
nig, 125 Jeppesen Acres Drive, Eugene,
Oregon, for space reservations. GOLD FILLED
$l.25ea 3 for $ 3 . 1 0 I dz $9.30 DEALERS WRITE FOR PRICES
The San Jose, California, Lapidary So-
ciety will stage its 11th annual gem show
at San Jose State College on April 21-22.—
Lap Bulletin
NECKLACE
PHOENIX PLANS °GEM SHOW Has foldover clasp
AT FAIRGROUNDS, MARCH 2-4
Three Phoenix, Arizona, organizations
will combine forces March 2, 3 and 4, to
present one of the biggest gem and mineral
shows ever held in the state. AiResearch
Lapidary Club, Maricopa Lapidary Society
and Mineralogical Society of Arizona mem-
bers will display a variety of exhibits at
the State Fairgrounds from 7 p.m. to 11 These bracelet chains are ideal for mak-
p.m. on Friday, March 2; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. No. 28-3
Saturday, March 3; and noon to 9 p.m., BRACELET CHAIN 7 " ing of baroque bracelet jewelry. The
Sunday, March 4. Admission charge will clasps are the foldover type which allow
STERLING SILVER RHODIUM PLATED
be 25 cents. easy hooking. Any of our jump rings will
95c eo 3 for $2.15 I dz $7.60
Outstanding features of the show are ex- fit in the links.
pected to be the continuous demonstrations GOLD FILLED YOUR COST— 73c each
of lapidary work, mounting of thumbnail $I.IOea 3 for $2.50 I dz $8.80 in I doz lots.
exhibits and micromounts, gold panning,
mineral testing for identification and the
art of making jewelry.
Stan Jones will show his complete home- No. 28-4 These bracelet chains ate ideal for mak-
made lapidary equipment including the only BRACELET CHAIN 7" ing of baroque bracelet jewelry. The
known machine for cutting ash trays from clasps are the foldover type which allow
semi-precious stone. Another unique display RHODIUM PLATED
will be Jones' outstanding petrified wood 3 for $1.00 I dz $ 2 . 7 0 3 dz $ 7 . 3 0 easy hooking. Any of our jump rings will
collection. fit in the links.YOUR COST—20c eac
GOLD PLATED
Arthur L. Flagg will demonstrate the in 3 doz lots.
mounting of thumbnail and micromount 4 for $1.00 I dz $ 2 . 4 5 3 dz $ 6 . 6 0
crystals. PRICES QUOTED APPLY ONLY TO THOSE QUANTITIES MENTIONED
Floyd Getsinger will display his unique PER ITEM A N D COLOR OR LARGER MULTIPLES THEREOF.
camera for photographing micromounts on ADD 1 0 % FEDERAL EXCISE T A X EXCEPT WHERE NOTED.
35 mm. film.
C a l i f o r n i a r e s i d e n t s — P l e a s e a d d3 %s a l e s t a x .
J. C. Glenn, old time prospector and
miner, will show his collection of gold dust
and nuggets and will demonstrate the tech-
nique for extracting them from river sand
by panning.
GRIEGER'S, Inc.
MAIL ADDRESS: P. O. Box 41 8 5 , CATALINA STATION, PASADENA, CALIF.
General chairman of the event is Mar-
garet Graves, 8126 North 12th St., Phoenix.

MARCH, 1956 43
MINERALS FLUORESCE WHEN thetic materials are much more uniform and INTENSE GREENS. REDS
efficient. However, the first modern fluores- ARE POPULAR GEM COLORS
ELECTRONS DISPLACED cent lamps used willemite ore.
The most important factor affecting the
What happens when a mineral fluoresces? Luminescent materials are called phos- value of a gem stone is a property often
Basically, it is very simple: phors, meaning "light bearer." Phosphors appreciated by the layman as much as by
The electrons in the outer orbits of the are composed of a matrix or main mass and the expert. It seems apparent that there is
atoms of the fluorescing material are an impurity called an activator. a universal preference for certain color
knocked out of position by free energy from Some of the most common phosphors are qualitites in gem stones and it is of interest
sunlight, x-rays, ultra-violet light, etc. When calcium silicate (blue), zinc silicate (green), to consider what color effects so appeal to
these electrons move back to their original cadmium silicate (yellow-pink) and calcium our sense of beauty that we prize them so
position they give up the energy previously phosphate (white and color tints). Most highly for gems, despite the fact that we
absorbed. This secondary radiation is a of these pure compounds will not fluoresce would probably shun such tones for dress,
lower frequency than the original radiation, until combined with the activator—usually house paint, etc.
thus, the high frequency exciting energy, a compound of a metal, such as copper, Since gems are small, we usually demand
normally invisible to the eye, is reradiated silver, antimony, manganese, bismuth and an uncompromising "intensity" of color, so
at a lower frequency which is visible to the thallium. These impurities trigger the ex- that a strong effect will be produced. Deli-
eye, and this we call light. citation and also supply the source of lu- cate colors which we enjoy in flowers are
minescence. The electrons in the outer often termed "washed out" in gem stones,
The term phosphorescence is applied to orbits of the activator atoms are the source
materials that persist in light-giving qualities of the luminescence. and, as a rule, the colors found in the most
after the excitation source has been discon- valuable of colored stones are the same ones
tinued. Some of the displaced electrons The main body of the phosphor is merely which delight the child in his toys. Only
have been trapped, delaying their return to an envelope or housing to hold the activator. when there is some strong compensating
normal orbits. Thus in willamite, which is zinc silicate factor do we excuse an otherwise weak
with a manganese activator, only the acti- color. Asterism makes a grayish sapphire
The term fluorescence, on the other hand, vator fluoresces, not the zinc silicate. — acceptable.
assumes that the radiation of light occurs Dave Yeomans in the Montebello, Califor-
simultaneously with the exciting radiation. nia, Mineral and Lapidary Society's The Most gems derive their color from im-
No precise separation exists between phos- Braggin' Rock purities, but some, like peridot, are self-
phorescence and fluorescence. Phosphores- colored even when pure (idiochromatic).
cent materials may persist in giving light for Stones having strong dispersion display color,
a fraction of a second, or for many hours. which is just as important as the color of
Natural minerals are rarely, if ever, used GARNET NAMED FOR RED the material, and this property is what lends
commercially for their fluorescent or phos- POMEGRANATE SEEDS beauty to the diamond, sphene and deman-
phorescent properties. This is because syn- toid. Material of varying degrees of re-
Garnet is from the Latin granatus mean- fraction bring about interference rays, which
ing seed-like and referring to the red seeds result in the beautiful colors seen in opal.
of the pomegranate, also known as the There are other less important natural phe-
garnet apple. nomena producing color effects, and some
BLANK MOUNTINGS
Bohemia was once a good source of gar- artificial causes, including heat treatment,
for net, but the supply there is now almost exposure to X-rays, and dyeing
AGATE JEWELRY exhausted and the main source of gem Green is a very popular color and any
WHOLESALE
quality garnet today is Burma and Brazil. natural stone of sufficient durability, having
Non-jewel quality garnet is found in many a distinct and pleasing green color, is sure
Rings — Ear Wires — Tie Chains places, particularly in California and Ari- to be appreciated. Emerald and jade are
Cuff Links — Neck Chains zona. This type is used as an abrasive, for mong the most valuable of green stones,
Bezel — devices — Shanks garnet paper, etc. f he most favored emeralds are described
Ruby Valley south of Elko, Nevada, was to be of a grass-green velvety quality, and
Solder — Findings
so named because of the gemstones found the best color for jade is described to be
Send stamp for price list No. 3 there, thought by early pioneers to be rubies, emerald green. A tendency toward the blue
but actually transparent red garnets. Indi- rather than yellow is desired in such green
O. R. JUNKINS & SON ans have for years gathered these small stones as tourmaline, demantoid, chryso-
440 N.W. Beach St. crystals in the Four Corners area. — San prase, vesovianite, variscite, amazonite and
NEWPORT, OREGON Jose, California, Lapidary • Society's Lap others.
Bulletin Red, as exemplified by the ruby, is a very
much desired color in gems and is of rare
occurrence. The preferred shade is a deep,
soft, rich red, with a slight violet cast as
SAWS! GRINDS! 'HILLQUiST SLABBINGJAWS the dichroic secondary color. Spinel and
STANDS! BUFFS! 12" bench model, $72 rubellite sometimes approach this color, but
Everything in-1 16" floor model, $110 I
eluded except I 20" floor model, $155
spinel shows no dichroism and is more
motor. Uses a l l ! Real rockhounds saws often of a slight yellowish cast.
HiUquistacceS-l favored for their big Blue is quite commonly found in gems,
HILLQUIST DIAMOND SAWS capacity and lifetime varying from the corn-flower blue of sap-
beginners. Only I I Cut Faster—Last Longer—Cost construction. "Magic-
phire to sky blue of turquoise.
$42.50 complete. I Less. Available in all sizes. Brain" automatic feed L
HILLQUIST TRIM SAW You'll swear by'em, not at'em! for above $46;35_ Yellow does not appear to be a popular
The "Cadillac" of trim saws. Exclu-I
gem color, but stones such as the true yel-
sive "up-and-down" I Before you buy any lapidary I
low topaz, honey-yellow catseye, canary
l^arbor. "No-splash" I ( diamond, golden beryl, golden sapphire and
plastic guards. I equipment-send for our big | yellow sphene are prized by some and bring
Precision rock high prices.
FREE CATALOG!
r clamp and guide. 1
s Complete with 8" I
blade, $62.501 FULL OF HELPFUL LAPIDARY I
wheels. Froml Violet and purples are found chiefly in
amethyst, spinel, almandine garnet and oc-
cur occasionally in corundum, tourmaline
HILLQUIST GEM DRILL-HOLElAW INFORMATION-SendNOWTo | and other allochromatic stones.
I Drills finest holes , LAPIDARY EQUIP. CO. .HILLQUIST DRUM SANDER Pinks are usually not widely desired, but
lathigh I The most popular drum
I speed and saws
1545 W. 49 St. SEATTLE ? , W N .
I sander made. Patented
are found in rose quartz, tourmaline, corun-
Idiscsuptol'/2". I "quick-lock'screwmakes'' dum, beryl, topaz and kunzite. Pink shades
| Exclusive ramrod I it easy to change sanding may be of rare occurrence in some gems
I action prevents I cloth. 3 " x 7 " - $9.50 and the stone may thus become valuable
I core plugging. from a collector's standpoint. Brown shades
I Fully automatic. HILLQUIST COMPACT LAhJNIT appear to be the least desired of all stones,
HILLQUIST COMPLETE FACETER but orange hues may be pleasing, as found
Only $62.50 complete with 3 1 in sard, essonite, hyacinth and citrine quartz.
\ index plates. You can cut any I The orange flame colored variety of sapphire
faceted form quickly and I called "padparradscha" is very valuable.
easily. The equal I
__ of faceters I
Black stones, once very popular as mourn-
costing twice I ing gems, are now little used, except for dyed
the price. J chalcedony known as "black onyx."—The
Mineralogist

44 DESERT MAGAZINE
"FLOW" POLISH TECHNIQUE
mm
quently coated with a layer of iridescent
"mother of pearl," while the curved inter-
sand to a smooth surface and add details.
Dissolve a few grains of the acid in a half
cup of water. Mix the powders with this
solution to form a thick paste, and smear
it on the cloth and rub the stone to a polish.
Wash this off and next get a fine shine with
a dry cloth. Alabaster and larger fossil
CAN CLOUD GEM SURFACE ior presents a series of various-sized cham- cross sections can likewise be polished. —
A good polish is one in which the reflect- bers. In some specimens the chambers may Minnesota Mineral Club's Rock Rustler's
ing surface is free from visible scratches, be completely filled with calcite or wholly News
pits and waves. The surface should reflect empty. To attempt to break open these
a bright object with the same clarity on all remarkable fossils to expose the interior is
points of the surface. There should be no generally disastrous, but they can be neatly NINE GEM CLUBS JOIN
"cloudy" spots that dull the natural trans- sawed and the exposed faces of the cham- CALIFORNIA FEDERATION
parency of the stone. These dull spots re- bers polished to bring out the fine details.
sult from overheating during the sanding Polished specimens of the nautilus make Nine gem and mineral societies joined
and polishing processes. I recommend the very attractive additions to a collection.— the ranks of the California Federation re-
use of wet sanding cloth which will keep the The Mineralogist cently, bringing the number of member
surface temperature sufficiently low to pre- clubs to 107. Latest arrivals were the Bell-
vent flowing. flower Gem and Mineral Society; C. R. A.
Rockhound Club, Coalinga Rockhound So-
This cloudy scum will appear with cer- ciety; Lahontan Gem and Mineral Club;
tain polishing compounds even if the wet OLIVINE. ZIRCON SCRATCHES Palomar Gem and Mineral Club; Pasadena
method is used. After considerable experi- ELIMINATED BY RE-CEMENTING Lapidary Society; Riverside Gem and Min-
menting, I find that: extremely fine carbo- Both professional and amateur lapidaries eral Society; Yreka Rock and Mineral Club;
rundum will give a good polish; air float and Yuba-Sutter Mineral Society. — San
tripoli gives a better one; and cerium oxide will often encounter difficulties in polishing
the long table on a rectangular step cut oli- Jose, California, Lapidary Society's Lap
produces a brilliant polish on most materi- vine or zircon. Scratches may appear on Bulletin
als. All of these must be used on a canvas the large facets of this material that are
covered wheel and the stone must be kept most annoying
cool. The wheel should run under 800 be immediately to eliminate. This can often
eliminated by removing the itbru DIAMOND BLADES
rpm and the slower it revolves, the easier stone from the dop and recementing in such "Treat yourself to the best"
it will be to keep it wet. a fashion as to present the opposite side of
The polish on jewelry and on musical the facet to the lap wheel. Heavy-Duty Super Stand.
Sup.-Chgd. Chgd. Chgd.
instruments is the same given to rocks. The 6" $ $ 9.03 $ 7.98
flow method is called burnish on jewelry, Why this should be effective is possibly 8" 11.50 10.44
French polish on varnished surfaces and open to debate and theory, but it is effective 10"
12"
15.23
22.26
14.02
18.53
Beilby layer on rocks. The burnish is done when other remedies have failed. It is a 14" 29.40 25.67
with a burnishing tool, rubbed over the little difficult to reset the stone in the cement 18" 32 76 29.08
metal with considerable pressure. The pol- at the proper angle, but with a little prac- 18"
20"
65.60
77.95
48.20
51.97
36.12
39.84
ish is accomplished on the surface of a lac- tice and patience it can be accomplished— 24" <«.2<1 65.73 51.40
quered piece by softening it with a solvent The Mineralogist 30" Mil.02 125.73
and leveling it to a polish. In a rock, the :i(i" 226.00 188.05
surface becomes hot enough to level to a State Arbor Size
polish during the period it is pressed against MINIMUM EQUIPMENT NEEDED Sales Tax in California
the wheel. Allow for Postage and Insurance
Abraded or cut polish is accomplished TO CUT PETOSKEY STONES Covington Ball Bearing Grinder
when the high places on a surface are cut You can cut, carve and polish petoskey and .shields are
away leaving finer and finer scratches until stone with the minimum of equipment. All furnished in 3
they can only be seen with a magnifying you need is a hacksaw, file, wet-or-dry sand sizes and price
glass. In jewelry, the abraded method is paper of 240 to 400 grit, an old felt hat, ranges to suit
preferred. In varnish, either method is good, some oxalic acid, tin oxide or levigated your r e q u i r e -
and with stones, I prefer the abraded sur- alumina or even silica flour. Rough out the ments. Water
face technique. shape you want (bookend, paperweight, ash- and grit proof.
The cloudy surface and "surface smear" tray, etc.) with coarse and fine files. Broken
of the flow method mars the beauty of the hacksaw blades make excellent scrapers. Wet COVINGTO " TRIM SAW
specimen. A surface movement will blur and motor a r e com-
the delicate tracery of the inclusions. In pact a n d do n o t
extreme flow, the surface will take on a splash. Save blades
decided ripple. At the time of the flow,
minute quantities of the polishing powder ALTA INDUSTRIES and clothing with
this saw.
are drawn into the surface along with tiny 2133 W. Encanto Blvd., Phoenix, Arizona
air bubbles. It is this air and powder that
gives the surface its smoky appearance.— LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT BUILD YOUR OWN LAP
Herbert L. Monlux in the Minnesota Min- and SAVE with a COV-
eral Club's Rock Rustler's News MANUFACTURE AND DESIGN INGTON 12" or 16" Lap
Kit. W e furnish every-
New 10-12 inch powerfeed slabbing thing yon need. Send
NAUTILUS FOSSILS CAN BE saw unit. for n e w free lapidary
SAWED OPEN, NEATLY POLISHED 16-18 inch powerfeed slabbing saw catalog.

Among the many specimens which can

units.
u COVINGTON
be developed and improved by sawing and 8 and 10 inch trim saw units. % Multi-Feature
polishing are agatized and calcified fossils Plain and ball bearing belt sanders. 16" Lapidary
Unit Does
of the chambered nautilus. everything
The exterior of these specimens are fre- Send postal for free literature.

COVINGTON
12", 14" ±
HOCKS AND MINERALS or 16" f
Power Feed
(AMERICA'S OLDEST AND LARGEST MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO ROCKS AND MINERALS) Diamond
Founded 1926 — Issued once every 2 months — 112 pages Slab Saws
1 year subscription $3.00 — Sample Copy 60c SAVE
A magazine written in simple, understandable language for those interested in rocks, minerals, BLADES
crystals, ores, gems, sands, fossils. A simple- knowledge of minerals could mean your fortune. USED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
For fun and adventure galore, read Rocks and Minerals and watch your spare time turn into Send for New Catalog, IT'S F R E E
a fascinating and profitable hobby. A magazine for young and old alike. DEALERS WANTED
ROCKS AND MINERALS Covington Lapidary Eng.
BOX 29, DEPT. D PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK REDLANDS D, CALIFORNIA

MARCH, 1956 45
 By RANDALL HENDERSON

NE GROUP WANTS to strip the desert highlands desert arroyos and bursts out each spring in a mass of pink
°f their pinyon trees, another group would make and white orchid-like flowers is catalpa—Chilopsis linearis.
composition board of the greasewood, and now My friend, Ted Hutchison who has a little nursery
comes Senator Alan Bible of Nevada with the proposal near Barstow, has been experimenting with the cultivation
that the U.S. Department of Agriculture conduct experi- of Catalpa and his neighbors have become so enthusiastic
mental tests to "determine the feasibility of using sage- over the project they have formed the Desert Catalpa Club
brush as the basic material in a paper-making process" and are planning to hold a Catalpa Festival in June.
Probably would require at least 20 acres of sage to If you are not acquainted with Catalpa, you will not
make enough paper for one Sunday edition of a metro- be impressed when it is first pointed out to you—unless it
politan newspaper. is in blossom. In flower it is one of the loveliest shrubs
And what would we have if the desert mesas were that grows on the desert, and you will readily understand
denuded of their sage brush? The answer: Probably a Ted's enthusiasm for it.
few million more acres of top soil in the bottom of Lake
Mead and other lakes and reservoirs of the Southwest.
The rain gods have chosen this season to distribute
And if you ask what value has topsoil that grows noth- their moisture elsewhere—and we'll miss the gorgeous
ing but sagebrush I would remind you that in the slow panorama of wildflower blossom which follows heavy
processes of Nature it requires thousands of years to make winter rainfall.
fertile topsoil—and those sage bushes and their roots are
holding in place the minute particles of decomposed rock The seeds will remain dormant in the desert sands—
while Mother Nature adds the rainfall and organic matter awaiting the day when the proper amount of moisture
necessary to transform them into productive soil. starts the process of germination.
In a Scientific American article, Dr. Fritz W. Went
Removal of the plant cover would leave a barren waste of the California Institute of Technology revealed the con-
open to erosion of wind and flood run-off. Then we would
have a desert so sterile it would be shunned by both man clusions drawn from an exhaustive study of the ecology
and animal. We don't want any part of the Southwest to of desert plants. "In dry years," he reported, "the seeds
revert to that if we can helt) it. of certain annual plants lie dormant. This itself is not at
all amazing; what is remarkable is that they refuse to
germinate even after a rain unless the rainfall is at least
Perhaps Senator Bible's interest in discovering a new half an inch" or more.
economic resource for Nevada is influenced by dire news This mystery which has interested many a desert na-
from the gambling front—which in the past has been a ture lover is explained by the fact that some seeds have
very important source of tax revenues for his state. In water-soluble germination inhibitors in their coverings.
recent weeks three of the swankiest of Las Vegas' palatial Rain in sufficient quantity to support the potential seedling
casinos have closed their doors, and others are said to be washes off the inhibiting substance. Anything less leaves
operating at a loss. the seeds dormant to await more rainfall—as many are
Las Vegas' gambling industry merely is paying the now.
inevitable penalty of over-expansion. There is a limit to
sueker money in the good old U.S.A., even in these days
of booming prosperity. February and March are delightful months on the
desert—most of the time. The rest of the time they are
We'll hope that Nevada is able to find new sources of a housewife's nightmare. For these are the months when
tax revenue elsewhere without denuding its colorful land- the winds come, and bring clouds of blow-sand so fine
scape of the one shrub which more than any other is keep- it sifts through every crack and keyhole.
ing the state from washing down the drain—or blowing
over into Utah, Arizona and California. Lois Roy's poem on the back cover of this Desert was
written especially for the tenderfoot housewives of the
desert. I suggest that you read it, even if you are neither
To most desert folks it is known as Desert Willow— a tenderfoot nor a housewife—for it expresses in beautiful
but to the botanist the sprawling tree which grows in the words a sentiment that is good for all of us.

46 DESERT MAGAZINE
 NATURALIST KRUTCH WRITES
OF HIS YEAR ON THE DESERT
The Desert Year affords the reader
a pleasant and productive visit with
an outstanding naturalist whose inter-
SCHOOLMARM TELLS OF maps, illustrations, gazetteer of locali- ests range from the philosophical im-
NAVAJOLAND ADVENTURES ties, check list of mammals and the plications of a near-drowned bat to
detailed accounts of each species. the preparation ants make for winter.
Don't Fence Me In is a lighthearted Joseph Wood Krutch is interested in
narrative of an interesting and adven- Published by University of Illinois
Press, Urbana, Illinois. 152 pages. everything below, on and above the
turous schoolmarm, Dee Inman, who desert and his interest is contagious.
takes her readers to the top of a North- Index. Cloth $4; paper $3.
western mountain where she served as From his first look at the startling
a firespotter and then to one of the panorama of the Southwest to his re-
more remote corners of Navajoland Again available is the popular Ari- luctant departure from "his" desert 15
where she taught shy Indian children zona State Guide. The new and revised months later, Mr. Krutch puts into
for the U. S. Indian Service. edition brings to the reader the latest words the feeling created in him by
The author exhibits tender insight information on the history, geography, the desert—a feeling that remains an
into the much misunderstood Navajo. people and culture of Arizona. The unexplainable emotion with the great
She believes, as so many others who book, one of the volumes in the Hast- majority of us.
are interested in helping the Navajo ings House, New York publishers, Mr. Krutch has written a book
believe, that the salvation of the Dineh American Guide Series, first appeared whose freshness of approach to the
lies in educating the young—not in at- in 1940. familiar results is an experience those
tempting to cure the superstitions of 532 pages, 64 of illustrations; 24 eager to get the most out of the desert
the old. logged tours of the state, nine of the will not want to miss.
Mrs. Inman pays particular atten- Grand Canyon National Park; chro- Published by William Sloane Asso-
tion to the land around her. She viv- nology, bibliography, index; drawings ciates, Inc., New York; drawings by
idly describes the places she visits and and maps; $6.00. Rudolf Freund; 260 pages; $3.75.
the things she sees.
Published by Exposition Press, New
York; eight photographs; 167 pages;
$3.00.
o
SCIENTISTS REPORT ON
a •
PAPER BACKED BOOKS
HUACHUCA RANGE MAMMALS
The Huachuca Mountains along the
Unequalled values for
Arizona-Sonora border rise to an ele-
vation of 9300 feet, and this region
inexpensive reference, pleasure
because of its comparative isolation is THE DESERT IN PICTURES
a rich field for the research of the Edited by Edmund C. Jaeger, D.Sc. Outstanding photographic essays on desert
Naturalist. vistas, wildlife, botany.
42 pages—50c
A rather exhaustive study of the
DEATH VALLEY SCOTTY TOLD ME
wildlife found in the life zones of this By Eleanor Jordan Houston. Salty tales of the poker-faced desert rat who won
rugged country recently has been com- the nation's headlines. Illustrated.
pleted by Donald F. Hoffmeister and 105 pages—$1.25
Woodrow W. Goodpaster with the co- FLOWERS OF THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS
operation of associate scientists in By Natt N. Dodge, drawings by Jeanne R. Janish. A helpful guide to the more
common flowers that grow on the desert.
highly specialized fields. This scien- 112 pages—$1.00
tific work has been published under the FLOWERS OF THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS
title, Mammals of the Huachuca Moun- By Leslie P. Arnberger, drawings by Jeanne R. Janish. Handbook to the flower-
tains, Southeastern Arizona. ing plants of the Southwest Mountains.
The book is complete with tables, 112 pages—$1.00
DEATH VALLEY TALES
Books reviewed on this page are available at By nine populo:r desert authors. True chapters from the drama-crammed past of
Desert Crafts Shop, Palm Desert the Death Valley country.
Add three percent sales tax on orders to be 59 pages—$1.00
sent to California LOST MINES OF DEATH VALLEY
By Harold O. Weight. Tales of the lost treasure of the Breyfogle, Goler, Avawatz
and others. With map and illustrations.
NOW . . . 72 pages—$1.50
» DESERT FACTS • WEATHER WILD PALMS OF THE CALIFORNIA DESERT
• 64 PAGES By Randall Henderson. The story of Palm Canyon, Andreas Canyon, Fern
• ENJOY IT ALL WITH Canyon and Eagle Canyon, with photographs and map.
31 pages—50c
The original SALTON SEA STORY
By Helen Burns. New and revised edition just off the press. The past, present
DESERT ALMANAC and future of "Old Salton." Illustrated.
35 pages—$1.00
By MILES CLARK Add 5c per volume ior postage. California Buyers add 3% sales tax.
only 50c postpaid 'De&ent
NORTHRIDGE PRESS
PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
Box 135, Northridge, California

MARCH, 1956
 (To a Tenderfoot Housewife)
By Lois ELDER ROY
Palm Desert, California

This morning I was feeling sorry for myself.

A whirlwind had come through the house
And left a coverlet of dust on sill and shelf.
Creaking doors and windows made an awful din;
Above it all I heard a cheery voice call,
"Are you in?"

A neighbor's voice! 1 turned around, and lo!

Gaillardias within her hands,
Reflecting all the colors of the sunset's glow.
Wind, and sun, and sand-—
God's elements combined in bright bouquet.

"I just breezed in to bring you these,"

She called so gay, "They are the first.
They're all for you," she called back at the door.
"I couldn't think of anyone who'd appreciate or
love them more."

Then she was gone. But, somehow, as I hunted

for a vase,
As did King Midas, everything I touched
Began to gleam about the place.
A golden flower—
The gold of friendship's love; my whole day did
bewitch!
Tonight, I touch each petal—they are real and
I am RICH!