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DESERT MAGAZINE
DESERT CflLEnDflfl
March 30-April 6 — Yaqui Indian
Ceremonials, Pasqua Village, Ariz.
April 4 — Penitente Passion Play,
Talpa Chapel, Taos, New Mexico.
April 4-6—Latter Day Saints' Gen-
eral Conference, Tabernacle, Salt
Lake City.
April 5-7—Ute Indian Bear Dance,
Ouray, Utah.
April 6—Easter Sunrise Services at
most Southwest Communities. Out-
standing programs at Grand Can-
yon and Wickenburg (horseback),
Arizona; Death Valley, Red Rock
Canyon and Juniper Hills, Califor- Volume 21 APRIL 1958 Number 4
nia; and Taos, New Mexico.
April 6—Desert Sun Ranchers Rodeo,
Wickenburg, Arizona. COVER Sunrise in Southern Arizona
April 6-9—Spring Corn Dances at By JOSEF MUENCH
Cochiti, San Felipe and Santo Do-
mingo pueblos. New Mexico, POETRY Fashion Notes a n d other poems 2
April 10-12, 14-19—2nd Shakespeare CALENDAR
Festival. Phoenix. April events on the desert 3
April 11—Fiesta and Evening Cele- EXPERIENCE Water Enough for Two, b y HELEN DuSHANE . 4
bration, Mission San Xavier, Ariz.
April 11-12 — Central Arizona Re- TRAVEL Dirt Road Holiday, by HELEN DuSHANE . . . 5
gional Science Fair, Tempe.
April 11-12—Science Fair, Socorro, WILDFLOWERS Flowering predictions for April 10
New Mexico.
April 11 -12—Maricopa County 4-H INDIANS Navaio Shrine in Santa F©
Fair, Phoenix. By DOROTHY L. PILLSBURY 12
April 11-13—9th Annual Fiesta and
Rodeo, Truth or Consequences, FIELD TRIP Opalite at the Silver Cloud
New Mexico. By NELL MURBARGER 15
April 11-13—Arizona Horse Lovers
Club Spring Horse Show, Phoenix. FICTION Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley 18
April 11-15—Ute Indian Bear Dance, BOTANY
Randlett, Utah. He Works All Day on Hotcakes 'n Chia
April 12—21st Annual White Sands By EUGENE L CONROTTO 19
National Monument Play Day, Al- GHOST TOWN
amogordo, New Mexico. Skidoo—Ghost Camp in the Lonely Panamints
April 12-13—26th Annual Wildflower By EVALYN SLACK GIST 20
Festival. Hi Vista (east of Lancas- CLOSE-UPS
ter), California. About those who write for Desert 21
April 12-13—Lions Club Rodeo, Bat- HISTORY
tle Mountain, Nevada. Lee's Ferry, by JOSEF and JOYCE MUENCH . 22
April 12-13 — Fiesta de las Flores, NATURE
Tucson. Ring-Tailed Night Hunters
April 13-16—23rd Annual Women's By EDMUND C. JAEGER 24
Invitational Golf Championships, FORECAST
O'Donnell, Palm Springs, Calif. Southwest river runoff predictions 27
April 13-19—19th Annual Ride of CONTEST
the DeAnza Trail Caballeros. Leave Picture-of-the-Month contest announcement . . 27
Calexico, California, on 13th; ar- LETTERS
rive Riverside on 19th. Comment from Desert's readers 28
TRUE OF FALSE
April 14-18—Desert Caballeros Ride, A test of your desert knowledge 28
Wickenburg, Arizona. NEWS
April 15—Old Timers' Celebration, From here and there on the desert 29
Dem ing. New Mexico. MINING
April 16-20 — 22nd Annual Desert Current news of desert mines 34
Circus, Palm Springs, California. HOBBY
Parade on 19th. Gems a n d Minerals 36
LAPIDARY
April 19-20 — Fiesta de la Placita, Amateur Gem Cutter, b y DR. H. C. DAKE . . . 41
Tucson. Children's Parade on 19th. COMMENT
April 19-20. 26-27, May 3-4—31st Just Between You a n d Me, b y the Editor . . . 42
Presentation of the Ramona Pag- BOOKS
Reviews of Southwestern literature 43
eant, He met, California. PHOTOGRAPHY
April 23-27 — 5th Annual Yuma Pictures of the Month back cover
County Fair, Yuma, Arizona.
April 25—Spring Festival Days, Price, The Desert Magazine Is published monthly by the Desert Press, Inc.. Palm Desert.
Utah. California. Re-entered BE second class matter July 17, 1948. at the postofflne at Palm Desert.
California, under the Act of March 3, 1870, Title registered No. 35S8B5 in U. S. Patent Office,
April 26 — Kiva Club's Nizhoni and contents copyrighted 1958 by the Desert Press, Inc. Permission to reproduce contents
Dances, University of New Mexico, must be secured from the editor in writing.
Albuquerque. RANDALL HENDERSON, Editor EUGENE L. CONROTTO, Associate Editor
April 26-27 — 14th Annual Desert BESS STACY, Business Manager EVONNE RIDDELL, Circulation Manager
Wildflower Show, China Lake, Cal. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledged
April 26-May 11—24th Annual Jun- unless full return postage Is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for
ior Indian Art Show, Museum of damage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Sub-
Northern Arizona, Flagstaff. scribers should send notice of change of address by the first of the montli preceding issue.
April 27—Arizona State Spring Ro- SUBSCRIPTION RATES
deo, Flagstaff. One Tear S4.00 Two Tears S7.00
Month of April—Marjorie Keed Ex- Canadian Subscriptions *5c Extra. Foreign 50c Extra
hibition, Desert Magazine Art Gal- Subscriptions to Army Personnel Outside U. S. A. Must Be Mailed in Conformity With
lery, Palm Desert, California,
P. O. D. Order No. 19687
Address Correspondence to Desert Magazine, Palm Desert. California
APRIL, 1958
LIFE ON THE DESERT
DESERT MAGAZINE
Palm trees line the harbor at La Paz- On Baja's tip buildings are hand woven.
long lonely roads, endless coastline
DESERT MAGAZINE
One of many roadside shrines along the Baja Cali- Mission Santa Rosalia Mulege, built by the Jesuits
fornia trail. in 1705.
Entering San lgnacio, a town of 1500 people. Bajaneros with their catch—two small turtles.
Trucks roar over 100 miles of engi- hunting for shells, skipping stones on pick up what wood remained, he as-
neered roads into La Paz, a city of the water, and watching the sun go sured me.
15,000 near the tip of Baja; but the down in a great blob of red which Again we saw coyotes in the brush,
burro comes and goes over the penin- covered the landscape in a warm mel- as well as many rabbits and crows.
sula where the truck cannot pass. He low afterglow. Because of its south- The latter seemed to be eating the
negotiates mountain trails, inching his ern latitude, this is a land of long fruit from the cardon. This largest
way around turns and being carefuj twilights. of all cacti is similar to the saguaro
not to brush the load against the can- On returning to camp we saw foot- of Sonora and Arizona, but where the
yon walls. He eats almost anything, prints of people, burros and mulas saguaro has a few branches extending
and usually is docile. that had come out of curiosity to see out from the central trunk, the cardon
We saw several men riding burros, the Nortes' possessions. Not one has many—up to 30 in some instances.
but never a woman. Apparently Baja thing was touched although our coffee, The saguaro gives the impression of
women walk—if they go anyplace at sugar, skillet and bed rolls were out waving its arms in all directions while
all. They spend most of their time in plain sight. the cardon always is reaching for the
near the casa caring for a cluster of sky. Cardon flowers usually appear
brown-eyed ninos and a scattering of We built up the fire and sat around in March or April, although just south
scrawny chickens and constantly-for- it. In the gathering dusk Manuel of Rosario we saw many still in bloom
aging pigs. The early padres forbade pointed out a lone woman, burdened in late June. The flowers are creamy
the keeping of pigs in the mission vil- with a huge bundle of wood, trudging white with curling petals—a truly ex-
lages because on several occasions along the edge of a low hill. I looked otic sight. The fruit is covered with
pigs had killed young babies while at our campfire and wondered how yellowish spines which defy removal.
the mother was away. So even today many meals she could cook with what With the aid of a kuibit, a long pole
we saw pigs on the pueblho outskirts we were burning just for fun. I asked to which is tied a smaller wooden
and at the ranchhos, but very few in Manuel if she would find what we crosspiece, we knocked off several of
the towns. would leave behind. He chuckled at the fruits.
After supper one evening we walked my concern. We would not be half a Kuibits are found here and there
for several miles along the beach, mile away before she would arrive to leaning against the hardiest cardons,
DESERT MAGAZINE
and are made from any long slender
piece of wood, usually from the dry
ribs of cardon skeletons.
Small well-defined trails lead from
tree to tree. Evidently the natives
make regular rounds to pick the fruit.
Split open with a knife, the magenta
colored pulp is revealed. This is eaten
along with the seeds in the fruit's cen-
ter. Cardon fruit is sweet and delici-
ous. The flavor cannot be compared
to any of the common fruits used in
the U.S.
Manuel explained that there are
three kinds of cardon fruit—white, red
and yellow. Until the fruit splits there
is no way to determine the pulp's color.
We ate both the white and the red and
could discern no difference in Savor.
The further south we traveled, the
more lush and tropical the growth in
the canyons appeared. So thick were
the palms, papayas, mangos, figs, cit-
rus and avocados that upon descend-
ing into inhabited canyons we could see
only the trees—no trace of a village.
As we approached, the little houses
gradually came into view. In addition
to the inevitable adobe were houses of
palm frond thatching. Sides and roof
are all of palm fiber which blends in
with the landscape so completely the
houses can scarcely be seen.
After two weeks of crossing and re-
crossing the peninsula we arrived in
La Paz, a fisherman's paradise. Dur- Clamming in Baja does not require hunting. Joe and Manuel pick them
ing the winter months sea trout, totu- off inlet floor and drop them in floating tub.
ava, giant grouper, cabrilla, white sea
bass, pompano, yellowtail, bonefish,
barracuda and red snapper are caught flower was a yellow morning-glory. would sail at 10 the following morn-
here. In April come the marlin, yel- Some of our old Southern California ing. Actually, we pulled anchor at
lowfin, tuna, sailfish, dolphin and friends grew in the sandy washes— noon. The voyage to Mazatlan is a
roosterfish, staying until the end of rabbit brush and matilija poppy were short one, only taking 24 hours. That
October. The Gulf in this vicinity is especially common. afternoon we saw many fish—marlin,
rimmed with many bays and inlets. A dreaded chubasco—a fierce storm swordfish, shark and even the giant
There are three hotels in La Paz, accompanied by high winds which lash manta ray so dreaded by pearl divers.
and we stayed at La Perl a, chiefly and tear apart the natives' flimsy homes The La Paz-Mazatlan boat is not
patronized by well-dressed and soft- —was threatening when we returned on a regular schedule, but passage
spoken Mexican businessmen. La to La Paz. At the peninsula's tip chu- usually is made once a week. Fernando
Perla serves a delicious dinner for one bascos have forced the ocean water Chacon, the shipping broker, speaks
American dollar, and a room for two over the top of 200-foot-high offshore English and his office is within half
with twin beds and bath costs five rocks. Mazatlan, on the mainland^ a block of the dock.
dollars. We rested there a day, and had wired that 100-mile-an-hour winds One cannot conquer Baja California
because no boats were to leave im- were advancing. The port of La Paz in one or even several trips. There
mediately for the Mexican mainland, was closed. No ships could leave. are too many inlets, bays, estuaries,
we toured the very tip end of the pen- Next day a tropical storm sent a de- side roads, canyons and inaccessible
insula. luge of water, but the chubasco faded places. Each month brings changes in
into the limbo of forgotten things. weather, wildlife habits, maturation of
We made the three-hundred mile flowers and plants, sea life, and in the
trip in three and a half days. The The following morning I asked if
the boat would sail. camino itself. With one good storm,
road follows the shoreline, and we el camino becomes a churning sea of
camped at the water's edge every night. "Si, si senora, today in the after- mud, impassable to even the native
Backdrop for the wild beautiful scenery noon." bajanero.
was the lofty Sierra de la Victoria When should we have the car on Leaving La Paz we sailed alongside
whose high country abounds with deer. the dock for loading? a palatial white yacht, but we had no
Growth on the Tip was lush, with "Ahorita, senora!—now!" envy in our hearts. We would rather
few cacti varieties, but many trailing So, being Norteamericanos where live a life hampered by lack of cen-
vines—a riot of color with their yel- the word "now" means "immediately," tavos than to be muy rico. It is the
low, purple, crimson and magenta we drove to the dock and waited. Two only way that one can get to know the
blossoms. The most conspicuous hours later we were told the boat people, and the earth itself.
APRIL, 1958 11
NAVAJO
SHRINE
in
SANTA FE
A Navajo medicine man, a white
trader's wife and a philanthropic
New England woman met in a
snow storm and soon discovered
they shared the same dream: to
preserve the symbols of an ancient
but rapidly disappearing culture.
In 1937 their vision was realized
—sand paintings, recorded chants,
fetishes, baskets, masks and other
evidence of Navajo religion and
art were placed in an unusual mu-
seum near Santa Fe for perpetual
preservation. The passing years
have seen the transformation of
Hasteen Kiah this cultural storehouse into an Mary Cabot Wheelwright
Indian shrine.
By DOROTHY L. PILLSBURY religious culture of their people. Trucks
rattle up loaded with Navajos who
That all three of these people did work on the railroads or who have
F HASTEEN KLAH, one of the meet, and with the help of many others found jobs in nearby cities. Some of
greatest of Navajo Ceremonial produced the Museum of Navajo Cere- them stop by the reservation to pick
Men, had not harbored for many monial Art, is a triumph of destiny. By up their "old folks"—women in full
years a persistent foreboding that the 1937, Santa Fe had a privately owned skirts, velveteen basques hung like
outward evidences of his people's re- and operated museum on a ruddy hill- Christmas trees with priceless old sil-
ligious culture might vanish from the side with its strangely oriental land- ver and turquoise jewelry—men in big
earth, there might not be a hogan- scape of dwarf cedar and pinyon trees black hats, blanket-wrapped against the
shaped building on a red hillside two dotting the sunburned earth. To it cold.
miles from the old Plaza in Santa Fe. came scholars and tourists from all Typical of the Indian visitors was a
Lost to all the world might have been over the world to revel in its collections young man working in Los Angeles
a wealth of myths, chants, symbolism and to study in its library. But, des- heavy industry. He and his bride were
and, above all, sand paintings which tiny showed its hand again and the on their honeymoon trip. When asked
traditionally are destroyed at sunset museum was transformed into an In- by Director Kenneth Foster if he found
following the day's ceremony. dian shrine. relocation in a great city hard to take,
If Mary Cabot Wheelwright of Bos- Reason for this is easy to under- the young man said it was pretty bad
ton had not migrated to the little Span- stand. The Navajos, always a dynamic at first. Then he grinned and said,
ish village of Alcalde along the Rio people, have in recent years witnessed "It's all right now."
Grande where she still lives, there an acceleration in their cultural change.
might not have been a treasure house Children are learning the white man's Members of other Indian tribes also
of Indian lore in the shadow of the ways in school, more and more young visit the museum. Elders of Rio
fabled Sangre de Cristo Mountains. adults are moving to large cities, new Grande Pueblos silently stalk through
wealth with the promise of social im- the rooms, pointing out the great col-
If Frances Newcomb had not been provement has come to the tribesmen lections of pottery, silver, medicine
the wife of a trader to the Navajos from uranium and oil leases and roy- bundles, prayer sticks and all the in-
who lived among the tribesmen in a alties.
remote part of their reservation; if she tricate paraphernalia of Indian religi-
had not won the friendship and con- Many of the younger Navajos—es- ous rites. Before some leave, they go
fidence of her Indian neighbors, much pecially those who have moved from up to Director Foster and produce a
of the interpretation of the intricate the reservation—have not seen a major particularly cherished object of their
symbolism of their religious art might ceremony for many years. In ever in- own ceremonies. "Will you take good
have perished from the earth. Great creasing numbers they come to the care of this and keep it for us?" they
would have been the loss. museum to see the preservation of the ask.
12 DESERT MAGAZINE
Museum of Navajo Ceremonial Art. Hogan-like building, designed by William
Henderson, won first prize at the First International Exhibition of Architectural
League in New York.
Hasteen Klah, Mary Cabot Wheel- fire-reddened semicircle. Hundreds of hausted, we returned to our car and
wright and Frances Newcomb met in Navajo men wandered from wagon to sped home.
a dramatic way as a wind-lashed snow wagon where the women and children But Mary Wheelwright did not rush
storm roared over the painted earth displayed their wealth of silver jewelry home after she witnessed the Yeh-
of Navajoland one November day in around smaller fires and dispensed hot bechai. She started out over the moun-
the 1930s. Mary Wheelwright had coffee, mutton stew and fried bread. tains to Frances Newcomb's trading
bumped over terrible roads to the vil- All night an artist friend and I, the post, arriving there during a snow
lage of Chinle at the entrance to fa- only non-Indians present, sat against storm. Among the many people in the
mous Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. the Yehbechai House from which came small building seeking shelter from the
In the mountains behind Chinle she the weird chanting with its oriental in- storm was Hasteen Klah.
had seen her first Yehbechai given the tonations. We thrilled to the falsetto For 30 years it had been Klah's
last night of a nine day healing cere- singing of masked dancers who ap- prayer that the evidences of his peo-
mony. peared from time to time before the ple's religious culture should not perish
That Yehbechai must have been great central fire to dance with stiff, from the earth. He could not write,
similar to one I saw in November, 10 almost mechanical-toy gestures. "This sketch or paint. But he had learned
years later. Around a great central fire is not the United States of America," to weave and on the walls of the mu-
in a deep valley surrounded by high we whispered. "This is Tibet or some seum today hang exquisite tapestries
wooded mountains, dozens of white unknown valley in Mongolia." At from Klah's loom, some of them eight
covered wagons were drawn up in a dawn, physically and emotionally ex- square feet in size, perfect in coloring
Room in the museum showing tapestries woven by Hasteen Klah and furniture
carved by Indian and Spanish-American craftsmen.
work, furnishings and display shelves
were hand-carved by Indian and Span-
ish American craftsmen. On its sajid-
colored walls hang reproductions of
Navajo sand paintings and Klah's
great woven tapestries. The museum
is open week days (except Mondays)
from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to
4:30 p.m. Admission fee is 25 cents.
On Sundays, visitors are received from
3 to 5 p.m. without charge.
Klah dedicated the completed build-
ing in November, 1937, with a Bless-
ing Way Ceremony. He died that same
year and at his request was buried a
little beyond the great carved door of
the front entrance.
Today the museum contains 400
sand paintings reproduced in various
ways. It has recordings of 1000 Nava-
jo chants with comparative material
from Tibet, Mongolia and other Asian
sources. It holds a wealth of cere-
monial objects—enough to reproduce
almost any ceremony. Outstanding is
the museum's library on Navajo art and
religious culture.
In November, 1956, the building
and its contents were rededicated.
Hozhoni Hatrali Begay, the descendant
of 10 generations of Ceremonial Men,
was brought from his Red Rock hogan
to repeat the Blessing Way Ceremony.
To this ritual came four generations
of the late Hasteen Klah's family, in-
cluding "Mrs. Sam" who had carded,
spun and dyed the wool for the tapes-
tries Klah wove in his effort to perpet-
uate the ephemeral sand paintings.
Among this delegation of Klah's de-
scendants were two young Navajos who
no longer herded sheep, but were now
employed by uranium companies.
Paul Jones, a nephew of Hasteen
Klah and Chairman of the Navajo
Tribal Council, sent the dedication
speech, a most poignant communica-
Last year Hozhoni Hatrali Begay rededicated the museum. In background tion in which he gave thanks to Mary
is symbolic reproduction of Shooting Chant Sand Painting. Wheelwright for her vision and gen-
erosity in establishing the museum. He
remarked that she and members of
and detail, reproducing sand paintings the mutually-felt desire to see these her staff had not regarded the sacred
used in Navajo ceremonials. religious symbols preserved was warm- Indian objects as mere curiosities, but
Frances Newcomb could do what ly expressed, Klah and Mr. and Mrs. preserved them in a form which is
Klah could not—sketch and paint the Newcomb came to Alcalde to visit pleasing to the Navajos and in which
intricate designs of sand paintings. For Mary Wheelwright. More meetings they can take pride. Miss Wheelwright
years the Navajos had welcomed her followed and the plans for a permanent has kept alive something of the religion
to their ceremonials, but they would home for these treasures took form. of a people who never had a written
not permit her to take a single note In 1937 this privately owned and oper- language, he wrote.
nor make a single sketch. Like Klah, ated museum was built on its cloud- So in the dramatic meeting more
she memorized the intricacies of design flecked hillside. Its 10 acre site was than a quarter of a century ago of a
and color in sand paintings and the donated by Miss A. E. White of Santa lady from Boston, the wife of a trader
other ceremonial symbols. These she Fe, and it is supported by Miss Wheel- to the Navajos, and a dedicated Cere-
laboriously recorded at home. Today, wright, public memberships, entrance monial Man, destiny played its part,
Mrs. Newcomb is considered an au- fees and sales of its publications and Klah evidently saw the hand writing
thority on Indian symbolism and is a other materials. on the wall long before that time. Now,
Research Member of the museum. The Museum of Navajo Ceremonial modem young Navajos are beginning
From her present home in Albuquer- Art is a beautiful eight-sided hogan- to see it, and the hogan-like building
que she fills many requests for lectures shaped building with a cribbed roof on a red New Mexican hillside which
in her specialty. and a simulated smoke hole formed started as a museum, has become an
Following this first meeting in which by a window. Its heavy doors, wood- Indian shrine.
14 DESERT MAGAZINE
Author examining opalite ledges where miners "gophered" beneath the over-
burden to rich cinnabar ore. Old stulls still are in place.
16 DESERT MAGAZINE
tains, this great million-acre desert
plain lies nearly 6000 feet above sea
level, and most of it is as flat as a field
made ready for irrigation. Yet, in all
this vast immensity I could not see a
single habitation, plowed field or tree.
While crossing this valley I entered
an area carpeted with white primroses,
each plant displaying a whole bouquet
of large tissue-petaled flowers. Meadow
larks and horned larks were singing;
jack rabbits watched both my approach
and departure with supercilious de-
tachment; and a big buck deer, brows-
ing beside the road, lifted his head to
stare at me for a moment before
bounding off across the flat.
Eighteen miles north of Battle
Mountain I sighted a grove of tall
Mormon poplars and a group of build-
ings, headquarters of the old Izzen-
hood Ranch.
North of the road beyond the ranch
is a rough trail to the abandoned work- The white dump of the Silver Cloud Mine stands out sharply against the
ings of an old lode tin mine. In a dark high desert.
deeply-cut arroyo immediately below
the discovery shaft is a gravel bed in The road dropped down to Rock tute businesswoman. By 1910 she in-
which native tin dioxide—cassiterite— Creek, a small clear stream, and creased her holdings to 225,000 acres
specimens occur. They are sparse, veered northeast. I was now deep in of range and 60,000 head of sheep)—
however, and without panning or sluic- the immense W. T. Jenkins Ranch. more than were owned, it was said,
ing equipment, difficult to find. Bill Jenkins, its founder, emigrated by any other woman on earth.
Beyond the ranch and a windmill from Wales to Nevada in the 1870s. The ranch is still owned by the fam-
and stock tank, the road forked and I From mining he drifted into the sheep ily. One of the Jenkins daughters,
followed the easterly course up a gen- business. His flocks prospered and Louise M. Marvel of Battle Mountain,
tle winding grade. Three miles from upon his death in 1899 he left to his is president of the company and ac-
the stock tank I came to a low saddle young widow and four daughters under tively engaged in its management with
from which it was possible to look eight years of age, a ranch and 20,000 her husband, E. R. Marvel, and their
over a vast expanse of country leading head of sheep. sons, Dick, Tom and John.
away toward the Tuscarora Range. Mrs. Jenkins was an unusually as- Seven miles beyond Rock Creek,
Rim of open pit development at Silver Cloud Mine. Material here is nearly all
opalite, most of it streaked with cinnabar.
APRIL, 1 95 17
my road again forked. The main trail but its entire sides showed traces of That same year New Verde halted
continued east, and the trail I took cinnabar, some of it occurring in a its operations at Silver Cloud and
angled sharply to the left. This north- yellowish siliceous sponge, but much leased the claims to B. R. Frisbie and
erly trending branch led beyond the of it in the opalite. Where broken R. C. Comozzie.
foothills to a bench overlooking the faces have long been exposed to the When the new owners gave up the
dump and glory-hole of the Silver weather, the red cinnabar streaks have lease the machinery was sold. Recent-
Cloud quicksilver mine. dulled into deep gray, but chipping ly, the Big Butte Mining Company
The milk-white pit is 100 yards invariably reveals the handsome red acquired the property.
across and 50 feet deep. Other work- patterns beneath the surface. This is
excellent quality material for cabinet Much of the trouble that attended
ings and the ruins of an earthen- operations at the Silver Cloud, accord-
roofed concrete building lie near the specimens, polished book ends, desk
sets and spheres. ing to Smith, was caused by the opal-
main pit, and in the ravine below ite. Because of it the ore is refractory
sprawls the huge white rounded dump. The Silver Cloud claims were first — difficult to crush and extremely
As I mentally compared the dump staked in the 1920s and '30s by Jack hard to roast.
to a giant snowdrift, it suddenly oc- Maddaford and Robert B. Hildebrand. I was still prowling about the mine,
curred to me that real weather was In 1940, according to Thomas A. probing into ledges and replacing good
brewing. The sun, which had shone Smith of East Ely, Nevada, funds for specimens with better, when my eye
so exuberantly only moments before, assessment work were advanced by fastened upon tiny bits of whiteness
had been swallowed by an ominous Ely Securities Company which ac- spiraling down into the white world
slate-colored cloudbank rapidly mov- cepted, in exchange, an interest in the of the pit. They were snowflakes!
ing in from the west. Stepping out claims. The following year this com- In my excitement over the red-
of the car I met the full force of the pany bought out Maddaford, and on streaked opalite 1 had forgotten about
viciously cold wind. Jan. 1, 1942, transferred their interest the wind, but as 1 neared the rim of
On the pit floor were thousands of to the New Verde Mines Company, the pit it returned, forcibly, to my con-
tons of gleaming white opalite liber- whereupon considerable development sciousness. Howling unimpeded across
ally streaked wim the deep rose-red of was undertaken, both underground and the high desert, it drove its icy needles
cinnabar. Some of this material is un- by open pit. into my cheeks, whipped the breath
from my lungs, and flung its blinding
commonly rich, and several of the A 64-foot rotary kiln was installed, curtain of snow against my eyes.
specimens I collected assayed five per- and two years later it was joined by a
cent mercury—$300 a ton quicksilver 75-foot kiln. In 1942 the mine's 1 was grateful to find the closed
ore. Most of the material, of course, monthly quicksilver production ran interior of my car still comfortably
is much lower grade, probably running between 35 and 40 flasks, and in 1943, warm from the sunshine absorbed that
one to two percent. with two kilns operating, output in- morning. After regaining my breath,
Not only the solid floor of the pit, creased to 60 flasks monthly. I snuggled down in the back seat with
a handful of cookies and an apple,
and from that cozy position peered
out at the storm—by then assuming
all the aspects of a true blizzard.
Whistling and huffing and puffing, the
Hard Rock Shorty wind beat viciously against the car un-
til it rocked and shivered like a ship
in a gale.
of Death Valley Suddenly, the snow was replaced
by sleet and hail that peppered the
roof like pellets of birdshot; and min-
utes later the storm ended and a won-
"Nope, there ain't much water rabbit lickity-split right towards
derful hushed white world spread all
in them mountains," Hard Rock that water hole.
"When them two animals around!
Shorty was saying to the stranger
who had arrived at Inferno store reached the spring the rabbit Mid-afternoon found the June sun
in a shiny new station wagon. jumped right over it, but the again shining in all its glad glory. The
coyote missed its footin' and Nevada sky, once more was fiercely
"An' what water there is ain't tumbled in the middle. They was blue, and only a few traces of white
much good fer drinkin'. Some a lot o' splashin' fer a few min- remained as evidence of the blizzard
springs has got arsenic in 'em. utes, an' that animal finally pad- that had so recently poured its fury
Some is too salty even fer boilin' dled out, but it didn't look nach- upon the land.
potatoes. But the wurst one of ural. Began shrinkin' up, an' As I started forth in search of dry
all is that alum spring. It jest sagebrush for my supper fire, a little
puckers everything up that gits before it'd gone 20 steps it had
near it. Drop a cannon ball in puckered down to the size of a brown bird was singing for all he was
the water an' it'd soon shrivel packrat. When that rabbit worth and bouncing up and down in
down to the size of a BB shot. looked back an' saw what'd hap- the air as though he was terribly happy
pened it turned around quick and about something. I think perhaps he
"I remember the time me an' started chasin' that pint-size coy- was glad that the face of the desert no
Pisgah Bill was campin' there in ote. The coyote saw trouble a longer was dark beneath the veiling
the 'twenties. I wuz sittin' there comin' and headed down the of heavy clouds—summer had returned
leanin' against a boulder restin' canyon like a scared banshee to the high country.
an' suddenly I heered' a yelpin' with the big rabbit after 'im, If this is the reason for his joy, then
and yippin' and down the canyon "Yep, that's powerful stuff, the little brown bird and 1 had much
comes a coyote chasin' a jack- that water in Alum spring." in common.
I was glad. too.
18 DESERT MAGAZINE
He Works All Day on Hotcakes 'n Chia
When the white mem first came to the desert, he learned of a
miracle cereal a teaspoon of which could sustain an Indian on a 24-
hour march. It came from the common desert sage, Salvia columbariae,
and the Indians called it chia. Its use is declining today, but one of
the men who still derives energy and unusual stamina from it is 71-year-
old hard rock miner Adolph Bulla. He mixes his with hot cakes.
By EUGENE L, CONROTTO
Panamints relatively new (1918) ghost town and an interesting mining relic for
today's desert travelers to visit. Typical of the fate of so many human
endeavors, the good accomplished at Skidoo during its 13 years of
life is little noted in the records, but the bad—murder and lynching—
By EVALYN SLACK GIST lives on, forever casting its specter over this crumbling wind-swept camp.
Photographs by M. B. Gist
Map by Norton Allen strayed, and the following morning— voir of humor, they named the place
Skidoo.
N 1905, when the search for pre- which happened to be the 23rd day of There are other versions as to how
cious metals was the consuming that month—the two men set off to Skidoo was named. Some say 23 men
interest of desert prospectors, and find the animal. Its trail led to James established the camp, others that the
the slang expression "Twenty-three Arnold's mine camp, and Ramsey and original site consisted of 23 mine
Skidoo" was a national fad, Harry Thompson were so impressed with the claims. Still another version is that 23
Ramsey and One-Eye Thompson were area's potential that they staked claims was the number of miles from Skidoo
camped in Emigrant Pass near the rim adjoining Arnold's. Noting the date to Birch Spring which later became
of Death Valley. of their good fortune and calling on
During the night their pack burro the desert wanderers' bottomless reser- the camp's water source.
My husband and I first explored
Skidoo in January, 1947. We were
accompanied by Les Comley, a Rivera
businessman who had carried the mail
from Trona to Skidoo when a lad.
Many of the old buildings still were
standing and the ground around them
was littered with cup-size assay cruci-
bles and sun-colored bottles.
It was not until last year that we
revisited this interesting ghost town.
From Stove Pipe Wells Hotel we drove
west nine miles on State Route 190
to the Emigrant Canyon turnoff, and
soon we left that road and started up
the nine steep rough winding miles to
Skidoo. This road, though safe for
a careful driver, has some stretches
where meeting an oncoming car would
present problems. But cars are few on
this off-trail road, for only folks who
revel in the historical and the obscure
hunt out Skidoo.
The decade between our visits had
seen many of Skidoo's structures torn
down or burned to the ground. Sou-
venir hunters had carried away the
crucibles and bottles. The wind at
this 5500-foot altitude whistled through
broken windows. Doors on the re-
maining buildings sagged open. Min-
ing shafts had fallen in. Only four
graves, marked by broken fences, were
discernible in the little cemetery where
James Arnold lies buried.
We stood at the entrances to crum-
bling tunnels, supported by timbers so
rotted that only the very foolish would
venture in. We walked among the
ruins of a diggings that produced in
excess of $3,000,000 in gold between
1905 and 1918.
Not one of the city's 1000 inhabi-
tants remained, but on this lonely
mountain it took but little imagination
to feel their ghostly presence and hear
the ring of iron shod boots on the
stony trails,
20 DESERT MAGAZINE
OI4 office building of the Skidoo Townsite and Mining Company.
In 1908, three years after Ramsey Skidoo Townsite and Mining Company cations came the Skidoo News, pub-
and Thompson named the camp, the was in full operation. This concern lished every Saturday at 10 cents a
had issued one million shares of capi- copy by M. R. MacLeod. The news-
tal stock with a par value of $1 each. paper's masthead carried this state-
THE mflGAZIDE Robert Montgomery was developer ment: "Chronicle of Skidoo Events,
and president of the company, and Its Happenings, Worked Over to Make
Matt Hoveck was vice president. In a Newspaper."
CL0S6-UPS their speculatory advertisements these
promoters told of five ledges with sur-
Water was piped to Skidoo from
Telescope Peak over rough terrain—
face outcroppings on the property, a tremendous undertaking. Later in
Evalyn Gist, author of this month's each of which, they felt, justified de- the day we traced the route by driv-
"Skidoo—Ghost Camp in the Lonely velopment. ing up Wild Rose Canyon toward the
Panamints," is a long-time friend and Prospectors flocked in from all parts Charcoal Kilns. According to Les
former neighbor of Desert Magazine. of Southern California. The Cheese- Comley, most of the eight-inch pipe-
She and her husband are authors of the brough Lines, with the Skidoo Mercan- line was taken up for scrap during
popular Coachella Area Motor Tours. tile Company as local agents, ran a World War I.
For the past two and a half years they stage from Los Angeles to Skidoo by
have made their home in Yucaipa, way of Johannesburg. A one-way There was no jail at Skidoo. Offend-
California. They spend the summer ticket to the new boom town cost $22, ers were handcuffed to a telegraph
months traveling with their house express rates were four cents a pound. pole until they could be removed to
trailer—Hustle Hut III—gathering ma- Kimball Brothers operated a passenger the county jail in Independence.
terial and photographs for articles. and express route linking Skidoo and As in most mining camps, even those
« * * Rhyolite. Clark and Revaldi ran an- of this century, life was rugged, and
In 1938 Dorothy L. Pillsbury, au- other to Ballarat on the western flank the saloon was the community recrea-
thor of "Navajo Shrine in Santa Fe" of the Panamints. tion center. Records show Skidoo had
in this month's Desert, left Southern James Arnold, the first claim holder at least three: The Club, The Palace
California for a new life in "a little in Skidoo, was a managing partner in and The Gold Seal. The latter saloon,
adobe house on a wedge of New Mexi- the Skidoo Trading Company Store, which stood across from Arnold's
can soil" in Santa Fe. Here she under whose roof was located the pros- store, was owned by Fred Oakes and
launched a writing career which has led pering Bank of Southern California. Joe "Hooch" Simpson, Hooch was the
to the appearance of many articles in town's "Bad Man" — an ill-tempered
national magazines and two books, By the end of 1908 the Tucki Con- drunkard and gun fighter.
No High Adobe and Adobe Doorways. solidated Telephone and Telegraph There were the usual rooming and
Her chief interest is "Northern New Company of Skidoo had strung wires boarding houses, a hotel and numer-
Mexico—its scenery, color and history across Death Valley to Rhyolite where ous small shacks in which businessmen
and its three cultures—Anglo, Spanish they connected with the Western Union and miners and their families lived.
and Indian and their impact on one lines to the outside world. Doubtlessly there was a school, al-
another—and writing about it." And with this advance in communi- though I have been unable to find
APRIL, 1 958 21
HISTORIC PANORAMAS XIV
LEE S FERRY
By JOSEF and JOYCE MUENCH
22 DESERT MAGAZINE
APRIL, 1958 23
ON DESERT TRAILS WITH A NATURALIST -- XLVIII
This month Dr. Jaeger describes the ways of the
graceful and highly intelligent ring-tailed cats and their
near relatives, the raccoons and coatimundis. These
mammals are among the desertland's most intriguing deni-
zens—but lew are the fortunate people who have observed
them in the wilds because of the nocturnal habit and
cautious nature of these beneficent creatures.
Coatimundi, lejt, walks on the soles of his feet, and looks like a cross between a
baboon, bear, raccoon and pig. At right is a ring-tailed cat. Drawing by Morris
Van Dame.
APRIL, 1 95 25
On the Mexican Plateau, where it is was a lively participant in play with queer combination of baboon, bear,
most common, it is often locally num- a pointer dog. Tame cacomixtles sel- raccoon and pig.
erous in the arid brush and wooded dom are other than the finest of animal Although not an attractive animal,
districts, and in the smaller towns companions-—gentle, desirous of being it makes, when taken young, a very
where it makes its den among the petted, and seldom given to biting. fine pet full of clownish habits. Like
stones of the many walls separating Of this animal in captivity, Victor baboons or javelinas, coatis travel in
the fields. It is generally believed that H. Calahane wrote: "When seriously small often noisy groups of five to 10
it will not live where water is not disturbed or when approached by or even up to 20 animals, made up of
easily accessible. Since ring-tails are strangers, anger or fear [is] expressed sociable females and their young. Es-
almost wholly animals of the night, few by a succession of growling clucks, or pecially intriguing to watch is the man-
people have seen them in the wilds. a series of low hoarse barks on a ner in which they hunt for food in
They are omnivorous beasts feed- background of deep growls. Wild, the open arid brushland, using their
ing upon juniper and mistletoe ber- trapped ring-tails, when first ap- long flexible piglike snouts and strong
ries, cactus fruits, grapes, rodents, proached, [may] utter a succession of webbed and clawed front paws to root
small birds, lizards, snakes and grass- piercing screams." up small rodents, insects, larvae,
hoppers. Usually the number of young is snakes, centipedes and scorpions. Dry
One observer saw them eating dates three or four, born in late April, May berries of juniper and manzanita, and
in the date gardens of Baja California. or early June. The stubby-nosed short- occasionally small birds, also are eaten.
In many parts of its range the coati
is almost wholly arboreal, but in parts
of southern Arizona, southeastern New
Mexico and northern Mexico it inhab-
its true desert areas, and at night and
sometimes during the day climbs
through the palo verde and mesquite
thickets. In climbing it uses the tail
both for balance and support. One
animal which Lloyd Ingles had as a
pet used to climb as high as a hundred
feet into pine trees.
Because of its upturned nose the
Germans call coatimundis russelbaren
(snouted bears). The New Latin
generic name Nasua applied to this
animal refers to the snout—nasus is
Latin for nose. The specific name
narka is from the same Latin noun
with the intensive suffix ica added to
emphasize the length of the nose.
Coatimundis (there are two species)
are found from mid-Arizona and
southern Texas southward into tropic
forests of South America.
The intelligent and nimble-bodied
stream - frequenting raccoon often
Coiorado Desert raccoon. Drawing by Morris Van Dame. comes down into the margins of des-
erts where streams of the bordering
mountains emerge onto the desert flats.
Studies made on the Edward's Plateau tailed toothless sucklings are blind and It also is common on the mud flats of
in Texas indicate that in autumn in- their ear canals are closed for the first such streams as the Colorado River
sects make up the largest item of the month of life. The only noise they and Rio Grande which traverse the
ring-tail's food, with plant material utter is a metallic squeak, but later desert lowlands as they run their course
second. Mammals were the principal this develops into an explosive cough- to the sea.
food in winter. In summer, insects ing fox-like bark, or at times a muffled
were first, plants second, spiders third. whimpering sound. Weaning takes Habitat of the Colorado Desert rac-
The conclusion drawn was that the place near the end of the third month. coon (Procyon lotor pallidus), char-
"beneficial food habits of the animal By this time the animals have a dis- acterized by its light coloration, is from
more than make up for any damages tinct sweetish musky odor due to the southern Utah and southern Nevada to
done." secretion of a clear amber fluid from northern Baja California and eastward
Cacomixtles are very active crea- anal glands. The fluid appears when along the Gila River into mid-Arizona.
tures. Their gait, when moving rap- the animal is frightened, or shows I have seen its telltale tracks in muds
idly, has been described as a "loping, strong resentment or anger while be- along the lower streams of Baja Cali-
humping along, tail straight out behind, ing handled. fornia's Sierra San Pedro Martir where
drooping toward the end." They are The coatimundi or cholugo, also a it evidently subsists largely on the
good climbers and will go high into near-relative of the raccoon, walks on small granite-colored tree frog (Hyla
trees and brush in search of food, or the soles of all four feet and usually arenicolor) which inhabits the streams,
to escape enemies. When kept indoors carries erect its long banded tail. This and on insects such as grasshoppers of
as pets, they enjoy climbing the door brownish-gray long-snouted animal at the marginal rocky banks. Seeds of
and window screens. Dr. Walter P. first sight appears to be one of Nature's mesquite and screwbean trees, and cac-
Taylor tells of a pet ring-tail which greatest animal anachronisms — a tus fruits probably are eaten, too.
26 DESERT MAGAZINE
1938-52 average are in prospect for
Light Precipitation Over Desert the upper reaches of the Weber, Ogden
and Logan rivers. From 10 percent
to 15 percent below average runoff is
forecast for the lower reaches of the
Lowers River Runoff Forecasts Weber and inflow to East Canyon
Reservoir, For the Bear River, near
85 percent of average is anticipated;
Below normal rainfall was recorded normal precipitation. The water-year Provo River, average runoff; Ameri-
over most of the Southwest in January, forecasts are: Rio Grande in Colo- can Fork and Spanish Fork, 90 per-
resulting in a reduced estimation by rado, near average; inflow to Terrace cent.
the Weather Bureau of river runoff Reservoir and Conejos River, 88 per- Water supply for this season on the
volume for the current water-year cent; eastern tributaries of the upper upper Sevier and upper Beaver basins
(October, 1957, to September, 1958). Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico, is forecast to be from 105 to 120 per-
above average; inflow to El Vado Res- cent of average. Expected streamflow
COLORADO BASIN ervoir, 80 percent; Rio Chama near
Precipitation over the basin above of the Humboldt near Palisade, Ne-
Chamita, New Mexico, 112 percent; vada, is 69 percent of the 1938-52
Cisco, Utah, was very light during and Rio Grande at Otowi Bridge, New
January, averaging about 50 percent average.
Mexico, 89 percent. Near to above
of normal. Forecasts of water-year average streamflow is in prospect for Water-year runoff for the Carson is
runoff range from 85 percent of the the Pecos River Basin. forecast to be near 70 percent of the
1938-52 average for the extreme head- 15-year average. About 85 percent
waters of the Colorado, to near aver- GREAT BASIN of average runoff is indicated for the
age for the Roaring Fork; near 110 January storms over the Salt Lake West Walker, and near 70 percent of
percent of average for the Taylor, Basin were rather weak in character, average for the inflow to Bridgeport
Gunnisort and Dolores rivers; and near with most stations reporting about two- Reservoir. Near 87 percent of average
118 percent for the Uncompahgre. thirds of normal precipitation. Stream- streamflow is forecast for the Owens
Runoff of the Colorado as recorded flow of the major streams of the basin River near Bishop, California.
at Cisco has been considerably above for the first four months of the water- The water-supply outlook for the
the 15-year average for the first four year were near the 1938-52 average, Mojave River in California is for
months of the water-year, but the and with near normal precipitation slightly more than half of the 1938-52
streamflow for the entire water-year through June, streamflows near the
is expected to drop to 94 percent of average.
the 1938-52 average.
Only over the extreme headwaters
of the Yampa River in Colorado did
monthly amounts approach normal in
the Green River Basin. Near average
runoff is in prospect for the Green in
Profit From Your Photos...
Wyoming; streamflow for the Yampa In April, the desert is the photographer's most fascinating stage.
is forecast to be slightly above average; The earth in bloom, sun-filled days and interesting characters—from
while the most promising outlook is horned toads to humans—combine to make the list of camera subjects
for the White River where 118 percent endless. Add enjoyment and profit to your hobby by sharing the best
of average runoff is expected. Flow of of your photographs with folks who share your interest in the outdoors.
the Green at Green River, Utah, will Regularly enter Desert Magazine's Picture-of-the-Month Contest. It's
be 93 percent of average, the Bureau open to both amateurs and professionals, and two cash prizes are
estimated. given each month for winning entries.
Streamflow outlook for the San Entries for the April contest must be sent to the Desert Magazine
Juan is for near average for the tribu- office. Paint Desert, California, and postmarked not later than April 18.
taries and about 12 percent less than Winning prints will appear in the June issue. Pictures which arrive
average for the main stream. too late for one contest are held over for the next month. First prize is
LOWER COLORADO BASIN $10; second prize $5. For non-winning pictures accepted ior publication
$3 each will be paid.
Watershed conditions deteriorated
considerably during January in the HERE ARE THE RULES
Little Colorado Basin because of 1—Prints must be black and white. 5x7 or larger, on glossy paper.
meager rainfall. Forecast for the No-
vember to June streamflow of the up- 3—Each photograph submitted should be full? labeled as to subject, time and
place. Also technical data: camera, sbutlei speed, hour of day. elc.
per Little Colorado River at Woodruff,
Arizona, is for 39 percent of average. 3—PRINTS WIU, BE RETURNED WHEN RETURN POSTAGE 15 ENCLOSED.
Generally less than half of the Novem- 4—Entiles must be In the Desert Magazine office by the 20th of the contest month.
ber to June runoff can be expected in 5—Contests are open to both amateur and professional photographers. Desert
the Gila River Basin. Other forecasts Magazine requires first publication rights only of priie winning pictures.
are: Verde, 83 percent; Tonto Creek, S—Time and place of photograph are immaterial, except thai II mutt be from the
75 percent; Salt River, 39 percent. desert Southwest.
7—Judges witl be selected from Desert's editorial staff, and awards will be made
RIO GRANDE BASIN immediately after the close of the contest each month.
Precipitation varied considerably Address All Entries to Photo Editor
over the entire Rio Grande Basin.
Some stations reported amounts for
January as low as four percent of nor-
'Decent PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA
mal, while others received much above
APRIL, 1958
girl who was injured by a cyanide gun and development of the London Ex-
in Central California. Her parents had tension Mine in Park County, Colo-
stopped beside the road for a picnic rado, about nine miles east of Lead-
snack when the accident occurred. I ville.
wonder what "expert" placed this dan- I was prospecting and mining in the
Cyanide Guns Threaten Outdoors gerous device so near the road? The Alma Mining District at this time and
child was fortunate she was not killed. the five men who owned the Extension
San Jacinto, California
Desert: LESTER REED Mine were my friends. In business,
In the July, 1956, Desert I find a * • • mining, engineering and professional
warning to rockhounds to guard Men of the London Extension . . . pursuits they were of the old school,
against being harmed by the dastardly Denver, Colorado imbued with reality, determination, in-
Desert: tegrity and valor. The word "defeat"
cyanide guns which are being used for was not in their vocabulary. They
predator control. The February Desert story on the traced the great London Vein and
What a shameful situation it is London Extension Company's Gold- Fault, decided where it might be ex-
when we no longer can go out into the acres Mine in Nevada caused many posed, and then dug a tunnel to the
desert and other public lands for rec- memories of the early years of the ore. The five owners worked for
reation without assurance that we will century to rush through my mind. months, never wavering until their
not come in contact with the cyanide Several times during this period I dream was realized.
gun or some other form of dangerous was grubstaked in Denver to go to
poison. Nevada and "possibly" become a gold And now I learn with deep satis-
I have a newspaper clipping dated mining millionaire. In the memories faction that their heirs own the Gold-
April 2, 1957, telling of a two-year-old of those times I recall the discovery acres Mine, which appears to be far
more profitable than even the Exten-
sion,
This quiz is for those who JESSE TAYLOR
aspire to live in a big world— • • •
whose interests encompass ge- Lost Breyfogle Mine . . .
ography, history, mineralogy, wildlife and the lore of the desert country. Carlsbad, New Mexico
There's a liberal education in the monthly tests published by Desert Desert:
Magazine. A fair score is 12 to 15, a good score is 15 to 17, and 18 or In the January Desert book review
over is superior. The answers are on page 40. of Lost Mines and Hidden Treasure
1—Ironwood will not float on water. It sinks to the bottom. True. -. you mention the Breyfogle "silver."
False To the best of my knowledge, the
Breyfogle was a gold mine. I wore
2—Wild turkeys are still to be seen in some parts of the Southwest. out several pairs of shoes looking for
True False this lost bonanza.
3—The Apache rebel Geronimo was killed in battle. True J. E. HORTON
False
4—Pyramid Lake is in Utah. True False Dear Mr. Horton: There are many
5—Ultra-violet rays from the sun are believed to have caused the petri- versions of the story about Brey-
fication of the fossilized wood found so widely in the Southwest. fogle's lost ledge. Some writers say
True False it was gold, but others insist it was
6—Cactus furniture and novelties made by many craftsmen in the silver ore with some gold content.
Southwest generally are made from the dead stalks of Cholla cactus. Leland Lovelace, author of "Lost
Mines and Hidden Treasure," de-
True False scribes the ore as "white, heavy sil-
7—Bill Williams was a famous steamboat captain on the Colorado ver in beautiful pink quartz."—R.H.
River. True False • • •
8—Capt. Palma was the name of a famous Yuma Indian chief. True Colorado-Mo jave Boundary Line...
False
9—Free gold is sometimes found in quartz. True False Yucca Valley, California
10—The South Rim of Grand Canyon is higher than the North Rim. Desert:
True False Since release of my new book, My
11— The Great White Throne is in Zion National Park. True Life on the Mojave, several people
have told me that the Yucca Valley
False area of which I wrote is on the Colo-
12—The capital of Nevada is Reno. True False rado — not Mojave — Desert. Is my
13—Highway 66 crosses the Colorado River at Topoc. True book mis titled?
False
14—Sunset Crater in northern Arizona was an active volcano within the JUNE LeMERT PAXTON
memory of living persons. True False Dear June: Your title is correct.
15—Date palms are not a native of North America. True . _ . False It is generally accepted that the
16—First known white men to see the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico Little San Bernardino Range is the
were Spanish padres. True False dividing line between the Colorado
and Mojave deserts—Desert Maga-
17—Certain species of desert birds build their nests in cactus. True zine has always so defined it, and
False most authorities agree.—R.H.
18—Wickenburg, Arizona, is on Highway 80. True False • • •
19—Most conspicuous peak visible from Flagstaff, Arizona, is Navajo Memories of Old Nevada . . .
Mountain. True False Seekonk, Massachusetts
20—The Green River of Utah is a tributary of the Colorado River. Desert:
True False Your magazine has brought back
many memories of the three years I
28 DESERT MAGAZINE
spent in Nevada from 1905 through crutches and beat all local 100 yard the way to the oasis. My friend had
1907. dash records when a pistol accidentally on a silly little hat which kept bobbing
My headquarters was Goldfield, a dropped behind him went off; up and down as she walked. She re-
boom town that grew from a few hun- Surveying mining claims at Klondike minded me of a tin soldier marching
dred people to 13,000 in a few years. Wells for Jim Butler, the discoverer in the sand—two steps forward, slide
I held down many different jobs — of Tonopah which he described as back one.
prospector, assayer, postoffice clerk, "pure luck"; men paying $3 a night After what seemed hours, we
grocery wagon driver, bill collector and to sleep on a hotel floor; two bits for reached the spring and luckily there
surveyor's helper. two donuts and a cup of coffee; two was a man who agreed to aid us—
These varied occupations allowed bits to wash a pair of stockings; 75 only he had no car, which meant we
me to visit many places and meet many cents for a T-Bone steak; Diamond- had to walk back. He picked up his
people—Tex Rickard, gambler, sports- field Jack Davis and his hunchback shovel and back we hiked to the
man and fight promoter; Diamondfield bodyguard . . . stalled automobile. Fortunately we
Jack Davis, mine owner who was tried These were interesting times. were walking down-grade now.
and acquitted of killing sheepherders; JOHN H. HYLAND
Death Valley Scotty who had a dirty When we reached the car my friend
rag wrapped around one arm where a • • * and I fell exhausted under the shade
skunk had bitten him; A Friend in the Desert . . . of a mesquite tree while the man went
to work freeing the car by jacking up
Dr. Mary Williams, more interested Laguna Beach, California the rear wheels and placing more
in prospecting than medicine and al- Desert: branches under them. After he drove
ways looking for that big strike; Mo- One warm May day in 1938, my the car onto solid ground we felt such
hawk stock rising from 40 cents to $20 friend and I decided to take a picnic a deep sense of gratitude for his assist-
a share in a few month's time; a big lunch to Corn Springs. It would be a
floating population from all over the ance that no fee he may have charged
gay adventure, we decided, but hardly for his hot task would have seemed
world, and every corner a saloon and worth stopping to tell my husband
every saloon a gambling joint open 24 unreasonable.
where we were going. As we drove
hours a day; past the garage in Desert Center where When we asked what we owed him,
The struggle between the A.F. of L. he was working, we waved and called he looked at the picnic basket in the
and I.W.W. over control of Goldfield's out that we would be home in time to car and with a twinkle in his eye said,
labor, and President Teddy Roosevelt get his dinner. "Just give me a piece of homemade
sending Federal troops in to prevent Two miles from Corn Springs we cake."
bloodshed; the day water arrived bogged down in the soft sand. After We learned two things about the
through the new 30 mile pipe line and a futile attempt to move the car by desert that day: never make a trip
it was too alkaline to drink; placing mesquite branches under the into it without telling someone at home
The 20 Mule Team passing through rear wheels for traction, we gave up where you are going; and, helping
Goldfield on its way east to advertise and started up the wash to Com people in distress is second nature with
borax; the day Editor Sprague of the Springs for help. true desert folks.
Goldfield News dropped his two The road was slightly up-grade all VELMA DUTTON
APRIL, 1958 29
Solons Back Parker Indians . . . Mojave Desert at Ludlow and points backing the change. The desert resi-
PARKER—Arizona's congressional 96 and 123 miles east of Barstow, dents at the angry hearing made it
delegation has given its unanimous also on U. S. Highway 66. By the end known that they have their own plans
support to the appeal of the Colorado of this year, the state hopes to have for development, and resent the coun-
River Tribe for independence and self 20 to 30 units completed in forested ty seat trying to control them from
government. The action followed the areas of northern counties, and 14 afar.—Desert Journal
Tribe's offer to negotiate a long-range more in San Bernardino County desert • • •
plan with the Department of Interior areas. From then on, if appropriations Mecca Hill Park Acquisition . . .
leading to the right of self-determina- are made as needed, the program will MECCA—A restrictive Federal law
tion. Tribal leaders and the Depart- proceed at an accelerated rate and the which could drag out for 20 years ac-
ment of Interior agreed on: creation state, at the end of five years, will have
quisition of lands for the proposed
of an advisory group of Arizona citi- 300 rests at intervals of 50 miles along Mecca Hills State Park may be circum-
zens to help the Tribe with financial 15,000 miles of state highways. Cost vented by a lease plan. William L.
problems; the Tribe is to work out its of constructing the first units averaged Kenyon, Southern California district
independence plan; and when ap- $6410 each. . . . manager of the State Division of
proved by the Department of Interior, Beaches and Parks, said plans for the
Mojave Dam Location . . . park are hampered by a law which
this plan will go to the Arizona repre- VICTORVILLE — The Zone 4 sets the amount of public domain land
sentatives and senators who will at- Flood Control District Advisory Board a state can acquire for recreational
tempt to change it into law.-—Yuma approved a site on the west fork of purposes at one square mile a year.
Sun • • • the Mojave River south of Victorville The projected park contains 40 square
CALIFORNIA proposed by the U.S. Corps of Engi- miles, 20 of them Federally owned.
Roadside Rests Dedicated . . . neers. Next step is to secure Congres- The state, according to Kenyon, now
LUDLOW—The California Division sional authorization of funds for the hopes to avoid the 20 year acquisi-
of Beaches and Parks officially dedi- project which will cost an estimated tion process by working out a lease
cated the first three roadside rest sta- $3,000,000. . . . agreement with the government. —
tions in the state. The group is on the Coachella Valley Sun
Desert Zoning Brings Protests . . .
SAN BERNARDINO—Opposition a • •
30 DESERT MAGAZINE
NEVADA times" in their future planning for the
Burro Hunter Permits Protested . . . main stream flood protective system.
MINA—Application of three men The Senator said he expects the hear-
to capture wild burros in Marietta Val- ings that will be held on his proposed
ley was tabled by the County Commis- legislation will help develop the com-
sioners following a vigorous protest plete programing for the project. —
by 83-year-old William J. Ford of the El Crepusculo
Tonopah Junction Rock House. The • • •
hearing was to be resumed in early Solar Heater In Operation . . .
March. "Other states are protecting LAS CRUCES—The solar heating
their wild burros, but we are giving system in the home of Dr. J. A.
them away," Ford declared. He added Soules, New Mexico A&M physics
that no one has the right to sell the professor, has successfully passed its
burros because they "belong to the preliminary tests. Following the com-
state."—Mineral County Independent pletion of the solar collectors, a tem-
• • • perature of 60 to 62 degrees Fahren-
Twenty-one Bighorns Slain . . . heit can be maintained in the house
CARSON CITY — Latest tally of even on the coldest nights. Heat is
Nevada's 1957 desert bighorn sheep collected on the roof and transferred
hunt based on 47 out of 60 tags re- to water which is pumped throughout
turned indicates that 21 animals were the house to provide indoor warmth,
taken by hunters. Of this total, 16 —Las Cruces Citizen
were killed in the Sheep Mountain • • •
portion of the Desert Game Range, Grazing Fees Boosted . . .
two in the Pintwater portion, and three WASHINGTON, D. C. — Basic
in areas of Lincoln and Clark counties grazing fee for use of Western Federal
lying outside the range.—Nevada State range lands during 1958 will be 19
Journal cents an animal-unit-month—a 4 cent
• • • increase over the 1957 rates, the In-
Fifth Colorado Dam Proposed . . . terior Department announced. Af-
BRIDGE CANYON—A fifth dam fected are 30,000 stockmen who graze This year, enjoy the family vacation you1ve
dreamed of,. • a delightful adventure in
almost 12,000,000 head of livestock Utah, the West's enchanted land.
on the Colorado River rivaling Hoover on the Federal range. The new fee is Rough it in t h e mountains * , .
Dam in size is proposed in a bill intro- based on average livestock prices at explore the wild wonderlands . . ,
fish and swim to your heart's con-
duced in Congress by Nevada Senator markets in the 11 Western states dur- t e n t . . . rub elbows with the atjll
George W. Malone. Site of the dam ing the preceding year,—New Mexican
living past. Whatever you and yyur
family enjoy, i t s here for you.
would be in the main stream of the m • •
river at Bridge Canyon just above UTAH
Wherever you go, whatever you do t vou'U
find a friendly and a warm welcome. From
Lake Mead. Malone said the dam Plaque for Gold Spike Monument the natural phenomenon of the
concrete-hard Bnnneville Salt Flats l
would have a storage capacity of only BRIGHAM CITY —On May 19, on the West to Dinosaur National
3,700,000 acre feet of water (com- 1869, the first transcontinental rail- Monument on the East, from the
virgin heauty of Logan Canyon on
pared with Glen Canyon's 26,000,- road across the United States was com- the North to Monument Valley,^,
000), but would be high enough to Zion'a and Brjrce National Parka on the
pleted with the driving of a golden South, there ia a new experience and thrill,
produce 750,000 kilowatts of electric- spike where working crews from the at every turn of Utah's broad high-
ways. World travelers tell us that
ity, almost as much as Hoover Dam. east and west met at Promontory, no other area offers a greater •£. j
—Eureka Sentinel Utah. Since then the site has been variety of recreation than uoe$ the ^
State of Utah-
To Open Mormon Trail . . . made a National Monument and more
LAS VEGAS — To preserve and than 5000 persons registered at the And if your vacation budget is a ,
mark the old trails over which the Monument last year. Plans are now 'll find your dollars go a long way in
32 DESERT MAGAZINE
GHOST TOWN ITEMS: Sun-colored glass, Utah Planetarium Opens . . . bobsled, around 100 bales of hay daily
amethyst to royal purple; ghost railroads to the reeding grounds, states that as
materials, tickets; limited odd items from PROVO — A three - dimensional
camps of the '60s. Write your interest— replica of the Utah Valley skyline may many as 2000 persons journey to the
Box 64-D, Smith, Nevada. be viewed at the first Planetarium to ranch on weekends.—Salt Lake Trib-
SCINTILLATORS, REGULAR $495, $200. be built in Utah, and now open to the une
Gun probe style, regular $640, only $225. public at Brigham Young University. • • •
Write for literature, or information. Also The $5500 Spitz optical projector
metal locators. Kenneth MayhaJl, Bell- Utah Buffalo Herd Numbers 49 . . .
mont, Mississippi. creates an illusion of the sky with
changing position of the sun, moon HANKSVILLE—The state's buffalo
LAND-LAND-LAND. At $5 an acre I will herd appears to be holding its own,
locate you on beautiful mountain land. and planets, which may be studied
Streams, airport, deer, cabin sites. 3000 while sitting in indoor comfort. Weekly Fish and Game Department officials
acres available. Surveyed, mapped. J. S. lecture demonstrations are given for reported following the annual census
Wisdom, Goldpoint, Nevada. those wishing to attend. of the herd which showed 49 animals.
IRONWOOD BOLO TIES $3.00; cuff links This is the highest count in several
$3.50; tie bars $1.75; brooches $1.50; years. The census was made by air-
ear rings $3.50; pendants $1.50; sweater plane. The herd ranges in Wayne
holder $3.75. Postpaid, Hand made. Visitors See Elk Fed . . .
Beautifully polished. Iron wood Shop, and Garfield counties in the vicinity
CACHE COUNTY — The winter of Hanksville and the Henry Moun-
Route 2, Box 352, Scottsdale, Arizona. feeding of the herd of four to five
PAN GOLD: $1 for 75 panning areas in tains.— Vernal Express
hundred elk at the Utah Fish and
25 California counties. Geological for- Game Department's Hardware Ranch
mations, elevations, pertinent notes. Pan-
ning pans $2.75, $2.25. Leather nugget is attracting increased thousands of KENT FROST JEEP TRIPS
Into the Famous Utah Xeedlea Area
and dust poke $1. Fred Mark, Box 801, visitors during the season. The trip Junction of the Green and Colorado rivers;
Ojai, California. Indian and Salt creeks; Davis. Lavender,
to see the great herd becomes an ex- Monument, Red, Dark and White canyons;
ANTIQUE WALL phones. Excellent con- citing winter outing, particularly for Dead Horse and Grand View points; Hoven-
weep and Hridges national monuments.
dition. $9.95; two $18.50. Luscious pur- youngsters, who find riding on the hay 3-day or longer trips for 2-6 persoD partlos
ple sage honey—raw, thick. Organically sled with bells jingling a real treat. —$23 dally per person. Includes sleep!ug
grown dried fruit, nuts. Free circular. bass, transport a tiop, jtnicle service, meals.
Tontz Honey Farm and Country Store, Joe Berger, who hauls, with team and Write KENT FROST, Momtcello, Utah.
old Highway 71, Elsinore, California,
Open every day.
POSTAGE PAID
timated cost is $8,465,000, plus an NAME.
additional three million for roads Dealer Inquiries Invited AO D R ESS. „_..___.„
which would provide access to the
Antelope Island recreational area. CITY STATE-
APRIL, 1958 33
Henderson, Nevada . . .
Stauffer Chemical Co, recently en-
MINERALOGY
pound; platinum S90 ounce, etc. Now you • • •
can learn what they are, how to find, iden-
tify and cath in upon Thorn. Send lor tree
Grass Valley, California . . .
copy "overlooked Fortunes"—it may lead Senator William Knowland told
to knowledge which may make you rich! Offers unlimited opportunity for rock; icollector or lira- local miners that he is preparing legis-
A postcard will do. nium prospector. Make
ake It your career 01
or hobby. We train
you at home. Diploma
>rna course. Send fifor Free Catalog, lation which would allow U.S. gold
DUKE'S RESEARCH LABORATORY
MINERAL SCIENCE INSTITUTE miners to receive the world price for
Box 646, Oopt. B, Hot Spring*. New Mexico their product. "Policies of the national
Deik 7 • 159 E. Ontario • Chitons 11
administration since the crime of 1933
resulted in the closing of many of the
gold mines. This discrimination should
34 DESERT MAGAZINE
G r e e n River, U t a h . . . Jungo, Nevada . . . Cannonville, Utah . . .
Union Carbide Nuclear Corporation Highest grade iron ore mined in any American Mud and Chemical Cor-
completed testing of its Green River quantity in the United States is being poration of New Orleans, La., has
uranium ore upgrading plant. A sim- taken out of Jackson Mountain mines, completed its bentonite plant at Can-
ilar operation at Slick Rock, Colorado, the producers report. Ore amounting nonville. Commercial outlet for the
in the Uravan Mineral District also to 40,000 tons extracted from the product, a pure clay that swells in
was reaching completion. Both this Austin-Beko Mine and 25,000 tons water, will be in Southern California
plant and a new uranium mill at Rifle, from the neighboring Humboldt Met-
Colorado, are what the Atomic Energy and the Four Corners area. Bentonite
als Company Mine has averaged about has an important use in oil fields,
Commission refers to as the "Rifle 65 percent iron, compared with the
complex" of plants being built at a famed Mesabi Range's 50 percent ore. foundaries and various water saving
cost of over $8,400,000 by Union The Jungo "premium" ore is being practices.—Garfield County News
Carbide Nuclear. Input capacity of the mixed with other ores of lower quality
Green River "chemical - mechanical" so that they will refine more readily.—
concentrator will be between 300 and Humboldt Star SSS T R E A S U R E S S $
400 tons daily. Ore grades entering Improved metal detector finds lost or hidden
treasure, coins, gold, silver, Jewelry, relics..
the upgrader are around .3 percent Profitable hobbv Also new m r t m n t w mrinl
U3O8. After processing, the concen- Battle Mountain, Nevada . . . detector. Detects sunken ships, outboard mo-
tors, etc., .in
trates will be around 15 percent U308. Mining operations have begun on .1UU ft. ot sail
or fresh wat-
—Salt Lake Tribune the Clipper group of quicksilver claims er. Operates
from • boat.
• • • in the Ivanhoe Mining District, follow- Free l i t e r a -
ture .
Carson City. Nevada . . . ing the purchase of the property by
GARDINER
The Nevada Mining Association Horace T. Jones of Salt Lake City. ELECTRONICS
charged that Japan purchased 80 per- The new owner announced plans for Birr. 9
cent of the state's $2,253,000 iron ore the installation of a Crocker rotary 1 3 4 1 I . INDIAN
output in 1957 with U.S.-supplied aid plant, power plant and crusher. — SCHOOL »O*D
FHOEN1I, A111
funds. The state's total mining output Pioche Record
last year was $83,411,000, compared
with a production of $126,234,615 in
1956. Employment in Nevada mines
was about 2300 less in December 1957
than in December 1956. The Mining
Association said many Nevada com-
munities, formerly prosperous and con-
tent, are now ghost towns, or soon will
Prospectors' Headquarters
GEIGER COUNTERS AND SCINTILLATORS
be. This applies particularly to com- The " S n o o p e r " Gel Her c o u n t e r — m o d e l 108 * 29.05
munities depending upon tungsten and The " L u c k y S l r l k e " G e i s c r counter—Model 10IIC „ 'IU.3O
The " P r o f e s s i o n a l " Gelfter Counter—Model 107C HD.Vt
lead-zinc mining for their survival.— The "Special Scint Mint or"—Model 1 IT MJI
Reese River Reveille The "neluxe" S r i n t i Il a l o r — M o d e l till! 4U5.B0
• • • ULTRA-VIOLET MINERALIGHTS
Desert Creek Area, Utah . . . Model SH—Operates o n 110 A C o n l y
Model Mta—Operates o n batteries o n l y — w i t h b a t t e r y
„ 14.T5
4 0.115
The 38,460-acre Desert Creek area Model SI:-2.">;)7—Operates o n b a t t e r i e s or 110 A C — w i t h o u t case and batteries .19,3(1
Wilh No. 30.1 I;i«e and bnttcries : «l,00
of San Juan County may contain over Wilh No. 401 ruse nnd batteries S0.00
WA billion barrels of oil in place, a
petroleum engineer for the Carter Oil BOOKS
Co., Standard Oil subsidiary, esti- " P r o s p e c t i n g with a l i o l s e r C o u n t e r " by W r i g h t
" Urn n I u m Color P h o t o T o n e " _
„ _ „...„ ,«0
1.00
mated. Only about 20 percent of the " U r a n i u m Prospectors timid Hook" „ 1.00
"The U r a n i u m a n d Fliloresrcnl Minerals" by H . C. » a k e „ 1.00
reserve of high quality crude oil could " P o p u l a r Prospecilriu" by H. C. l>«ke „ 2.00
be recovered on a primary basis, he "(IranI•• Hi, W h e r e II Is a n d f l o w Io Find I t " by P r o c t o r and Ilysiti
"Minerals for A l o m i c K n e r g y " bj- X in inner !
2.3(1
7.SO
added. Secondary recovery would re- "fjei's fio ProHpertlus" by E d w a r d A r t h u r 9.30
sult in about that much again being
recovered. The 60 percent remaining MAPS
would be left in the ground. — Salt Map
Map
a n d Geolotfy ( U r a n i u m a n d Mineral Districts of California)—
o f Kern Comity ( N e w Section a n d T o w n s h i p )
.„...-... 1*30
1.30
Lake Tribune Map Uranium nnd Minerals ( T h e N i n e S o u t h w e s t States) 1.00
Book u u d Mnp "Cctns and Minerals of California" by McAllister 1.75
• • • Book n n d Map "t-ost Mines a n d T r e a s u r e s of t h e South ivest" t.OO
Silver City, Nevada . . .
Donovan Mining and Milling Co. OTHER SUPPLIES
Mineral II :i ill ness Test Ret „ E.I5
reported the uncovering of a 750,000- Hadlnssny—Uranium Tent Kit „ 1J.B3
Merrnry—Detector Fluorescent Screen _ 0.73
ton gold ore body showing values of Scliccl I te PI iiorescent A uulyzcr 8.00
$10 to $17 per ton. Donovan has been Fluorescent Mineral Set—10 Specimens—boxed
Mineral Specimen Roxcs (35 named Minerals)
S.50
1.30
developing the Silver City mine for Prospectors Picks (not polished) 4.30
Prospectors Picks (polished)...,,..., 5.00
two and a half years.—Mason Valley 1!" Diameter Steel (Jold Pun .. . . l.*3
News IB" Diameter Steel Gold Pan _ _.; , , „ 1.70
APRIL, 1958 35
DATES ANNOUNCED FOR
36 DESERT MAGAZINE
dust could contact silicosis, a disease of ported, particularly in milting. Industry is
LAPIDARY WORK
Lapidary work generates a fine dust, par-
jasper) or silicate dust (most minerals).
Dust of this sort was commonly present
in mining before dry drilling was outlawed.
Control has been effected in the mining
ful if inhaled over a period of time.
Anyone who does a great deal of lapi-
dary work should give some serious thought
to reducing exposure to dust from dry
ticularly in dry sanding, and over a period industry through use of water in drilling grinding, sanding or polishing. One of the
of time the hobbyist who does not take and through adequate ventilation. Trouble easiest ways to do this is to wear a dust
proper precautions against inhaling this even today, however, is occasionally re- mask.
In setting up lapidary equipment, some
thought should be given to designing effi-
cient suction ducts to remove dust. Wet
"LET'S GET ACQUAINTED" OFFER sanding, grinding and polishing are safe
procedures.—Ghost Sheet
BAROQUE CUFF LINKS LATEST BARGAIN Herschel Owens, president; Helen Bever,
BULLETIN FOR A vice president; Gladness Orr, secretary; and
BAROQUE STONES Mabel Anderson, treasurer; are the new
RING MOUNTINGS L I S T I N G OF officers of the Sequoia Mineral Society of
LUCKY CLOVER MANY OF THESE the Fresno, California, area. — Sequoia
EARWIRES ITEMS. Bulletin
* * +
The Riverside, California, Gem and Min-
DO YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING FREE CATALOGS? eral Society elected the following new offi-
cers: Clarence Wonderlick, president; Lynn
#PS-I2 A 16-page Catalog of Synthetic Boules in color, Carved Jade items, Rock M. Skinner, vice president; Ralph Hasdal,
Crystal novelties, and new Safety Set Gem Mounts. secretary-treasurer; and Tom Harwell and
James Martin, directors.
#PS-I3 A 24-page Catalog of Faceted Gem Stones printed in actual colors. * * *
Clay Scott was re-elected president of
#PS-I4 A 16-page Catalog of Gold Rings to fit gems in Catalog PS-13. the Hemet-San Jacinto, California, Rock-
hounds Club. Other officers unanimously
PS-15 A Catalog devoted Exclusively to Rough Gem Materials. Contains FIRST re-elected were Webb Parker, vice president;
OFFERINGS of the exciting NEW BLUE AND BLACK ITALIAN GOLDSTONE. and Kathen'ne Kelly, secretary. — Hemet
News
GRIEGER'S ARE THE "FIRST" TO OFFER MANY NEW ITEMS!
PS-16 A NEW CATALOG listing all of our "MONEY SAVING" PREMIUM OFFERS.
YOU CAN SAVE UP TO 5 0 % . PRE-HIS1 rORIC STYLE
ARROWH EAD JEWELRY
REQUEST CATALOGS YOU DO NOT HAVE BY NUMBER! ET1C CKMSTONK
OF SYNTH
Arrowheads mounted In til under bird fittings.
All metal parts n< >n-tarnish rhodium finish,
Opauue colors: ol sidIan black, milk white,
COME TO OUR STORE yellow, bittersweet.
Clear colors: xl, pink-
HUGE NEW SHIPMENT OF TIGER EYE JUST ARRIVED direct from Africa. xl, smoke, amethyst.
Matched earrings,
tax Incl fS.Sfl
ASK FOR YOUR FREE SAMPLE OF I dozen 7 prong one piece bell cops. REGULAR J 8-inch nerklace,
retail VALUE 75c. Ask for it by #X30-7—Only I dozen free to each store customer tax incl $g.JO
postage - Ins. - prepaid
or with a mail order. M-ljj dealers inquiries invited
GRIEGER'S INC. * Mailing Address: P. 0. Box 4IS5 * CATALtHA STATION, PASAOfNA, CALIF. IMIf.A V TK.tll.
PRODUCTS CO.
Stare Address: 1633 E. WALNUT ST. • PASADENA 4, CALIF. Baum Building
Danville, Illinois
OUR STORE IS OPEN EVERT OAT 3:JO A M . UNTIL 5 : 0 0 P.M - CLOSED ALl DAT SUNDAY
APRIL, 1958 37
DEALERS
GEM MART A D V E R T I S I N G
13c •
R A T E
w a r d . . . Minimum $2.00
DEALERS, NOVELTY<JIFT store owners:
Here's an item rockhounds will buy!
Paste surplus tumbled stones to attractive
Western rockhound motif cards—pack-
trains, donkeys, etc. Retail from 25c to
$2.50. Send 50c for live different sam-
CUT-POLISHED-TUMBLED GEMS BLUE ARIZONA vein agate. 100 pounds ples, price list. Desert Originals, Box
$25. Also colorful assortment tumbled 621, Palm Desert, California.
LARGE VARIETY mixed tumbled stone stones to ]-inch size from Nevada's El
—Tigereye, agates, obsidian, palm root, Dorado Mountains. $2 pound, 5 pound VISIT GOLD PAN Rock Shop. Beautiful
quartz. 40-60 stones in pound—only $4. minimum order. Postpaid. Napier, 20- sphere material, gems, mineral specimens,
Free: matched preforms with every 472 Harvard Ave., Hayward, California. choice crystals, gem materials, jewelry,
pound purchased. Cash or money orders, baroques, etc. Over 100 tons of material
tax paid. Sid's Originals, Route 1, Box COLORADO MINERAL specimens, cut- to select from. John and Etta James,
369, Beaumont, California. ting and tumbling materials. Send 2 cent proprietors, 2020 N. Carson Street, Car-
stamp for list and terms. Dealers please son City, Nevada.
GENUINE TURQUOISE: Natural color, write for wholesale list. John Patrick,
blue and bluish green, cut and polished Idaho Springs, Colorado.
cabochons — 25 cents (5 to 10 stones DESERT ROCKS, woods, jewelry. Resi-
according to size) $3.50 including tax, dence rear of shop. Rockhounds wel-
WE ARE MINING every day. Mojave come. Mile west on U.S. 66. McShan's
postpaid in U.S.A. Package 50 carats (10 Desert agate, jasper and palm wood, Gem Shop and Desert Museum. P.O.
to 20 cabochons) $6.15 including tax, shipped mixed 100 pounds $10.50 F.O.B. Box 22, Needles, California.
postpaid in U.S.A. Elliott Gem & Mineral Barstow. Morton Minerals & Mining,
Shop, 235 E. Seaside Blvd., Long Beach 21423 Highway 66, R.F.D. 1, Barstow, ROCKS—opposite West End Air Base, ag-
2, California. California. ate, woods, minerals, books, local infor-
FACETED STONES, cabochons, carved mation. No mail orders please. Iron-
stones, etc. Drop us a postcard for free SLAB SPECIAL! One good sized slab of wood Rock Shop, Highway 60-70 West
price list. R. Berry & Co.. 5040 Corby each of the following materials: Mexican of Blythe, California.
St., Omaha 4, Nebraska. lace agate, India moss agate, and Surf
agate (a new material from Mexico).
ATTENTION DEALERS and novelty Postpaid for $3.25. R. Berry & Co., 5040 EQUIPMENT — SUPPLIES
stores: "Baroque Jewelry" — earrings, Corby St., Omaha 4, Nebraska.
necklaces, key chains, lariats, cufflinks ULTRA VIOLET lamps for spectacular
and baroques by the pound; also pol- OPALS, DEEP RED, blue, green, golden, mineral fluorescence from $14,50. Free
ished thundereggs, petrified wood, snow- flashing in all colors of the rainbow, brochure. Radiant Ultra Violet Products,
flake obsidian—ready for resale. Write direct from the mine, 15 for $5.00. 10 manufacturer, DM, Cambria Heights 11,
for wholesale prices now. Roy's Rock ringsize stones, (opal, amethyst, etc.) New York.
Shop, Box 133, Trinidad, California. ground and polished, ready to set $5.00. ALL FOR $2.95: Twelve Rayon bolo tie
Kendall, Sanmiguel d'Allende, Guana- cords (no seconds) six colors two of
OPALS AND SAPPHIRES direct from juato, Mexico.
Australia. Special — this month's best each, 12 tie slides and 24 tips, gold or
buy: cheap quality mixed black opal silver finish. Another special: AH for
COLORFUL ROUGH agate and chalce- $4.35 : twelve leatherette bola tie cords,
doublets, 30 stones ready for mounting, dony, $1.10 per pound, postpaid. Thomas
airmailed for $15. Send personal check, six colors two of each, same number of
Workshop, Cliff Road, Silver City, N.M. tips and slides as above. Look at this:
international money order, bank draft.
Free 16 page list of all Australian Gem- Sweater Guard has W pads for cement-
stones. Australian Gem Trading Co., 49 BOOKS - MAGAZINES ing stones to, medium size chain, gold
Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Australia. finish. 3 for $1.10. And this; 7" Brace-
HAVE REAL FUN with desert gems, min- let medium weight, gold finish 3 for 65c.
erals and rocks. The rockhound's how-to- Satisfaction guaranteed or your money
CUTTING MATERIALS do-it magazine tells how. One year (12 refunded. California residents add 4%
issues) only $3.00. Sample 25c. Gems for state and county tax. All items post-
DINOSAUR BONE. Gem quality colorful paid to you. The Tuckers, Dept. D,
agatized, jasperized, opalized bone 50c and Minerals, Box 687-D, Mentone, Calif.
3242 New Jersey Ave., Lemon Grove,
pound. Also beautiful red lace agate $1 California.
pound. Postage extra. Gene Stephen, THE BOOK of Mineral Photographs, 118
Route 2, Grand Junction, Colorado. pages, octavo, over one hundred pages
of excellent illustrations of fine minerals SC1NTILLATORS, REGULAR $495, $200.
TURQUOISE FOR SALE. Turquoise in the and rocks with descriptions. Indexed. Gun probe style, regular $640, only $225.
rough priced at from $5 to $50 a pound. $1.68 postpaid. B. M. Shaub. 159 Elm Write for literature, or information. Also
Royal Blue Mines Co., Tonopah, Nevada. Street, Northampton, Massachusetts. metal locators. Kenneth Mayhall, Bell-
mont, Mississippi.
6" DISC DRY sanding cloth. 220, 320. 6
for $1. Postpaid. Stop at our yard for
HAVE YOU SEEN IT YET? supplies. Jewelry. Rocks. Pollard, Rt.
2, El Cajon, California. East on 80.
We mean the new Hillquist, the modern fumbler made especi- BEFORE YOU BUY any lapidary equip-
ment, send a postcard for our new price
ally to give you consistently better results. Those who have seen lists on all types of lapidary equipment
and supplies. See how we can save you
it say it is the most exciting tumbler design in years. Absolutely freight costs, etc. R. B. Berry & Co.,
5040 Corby St., Omaha 4, Nebraska.
different; it has features you've always wanted but never NOTICE ROCKHOUNDS! —Hand-forged
one piece polished steel prospecting picks,
expected to find. $4 each postpaid in U.S.A. Ray Flarty,
Box 160, Nederland, Colorado.
You can see for yourself by sending a postcard for a picture and
MINERALS-FOSSILS
complete description.
GASTROLITHS - FLUORESCENTS from
the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming, "The
LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT CO., INC. Rockhound's Paradise." Dinosaur gizzard
stones. Fluorescent calcite. Write for
1545 West 49th St., Dept. D-l Seattle 7, Wash. free literature and prices. Satisfaction
guaranteed. Lloyd Heron, Box 777, Wor-
land, Wyoming.
38 DESERT MAGAZINE
12 POUNDS OF beautiful Colorado min- MORE NEW OFFICERS . . . New officers of the El Paso, Texas, Min-
eral specimens, $8.00 prepaid. Ask for eral and Gem Society are: John H. Pettin-
list of others. Jack the Rockhound, P. O. New officers of the Eastern Sierra Gem ger, president; R. W. Vaughan, vice presi-
Box 245, Carbondale, Colorado. and Mineral Club are: Ralph Johnson, dent; Mrs. Cclia Pettinger, secretary; H. H,
president; Claude Walborn, vice president; Berryhill, treasurer; Mrs. Hortense Newell,
FOSSILS. 12 different for $2, Other prices Mrs. Henry Nichols, secretary; Marie Ru- historian; H. L. Zollars, bulletin editor.—
on request. Will buy, sell or trade. Mu- dolph, treasurer; and Clarence Dixon, Rollin The Voice
seum of Fossils, Clifford H. Earl, P. O. Enfield, Mrs, Mildred LeBleue, Alfred Part-
Box 188, Sedona, Arizona, ridge and Fred Springer Sr., directors.—
Inyo Independent
GEMMY FLUORITE octahedrons. 3 pairs * * * ROCK AND GEM SHOP
SI. Each pair a different color. Gene WEST t l U I AGATE
Curtiss, 911 Pine St., Benton, Kentucky. Hugh Burnside was elected president of
the Wasatch Gem Society of Salt Lake City. MINERAL SPECIMENS—FLUORESCEMTB
Serving with him will be Norman Hamil- HANDMADE JEWELRY
GOLD QUARTZ specimens for sale. Ex-
tremely rich gold quartz from a produc- ton, vice president; Marie Bird, treasurer; PECOS, TEXAS
ing Mother Lode mine. These specimens and Mary Anderson, secretary. Named to 630 8. Eddy Phone 5-3674
have been hand picked for their excel- the board of directors were Tom O'Neal,
lence as collectors' items. $2 and up B. D. Bennion, Robert Price, Marie Crane
postpaid. Also fine quality gold nuggets and Thelma Jordan.
$2 and up. Dell Riebe, P.O. Box 46, * # #
Grass Valley, California.
MISCELLANEOUS
Following new officers were named by
the Palos Verde, California, Gem and Min-
eral Society: Larry Coker, president; Vee
Converse, vice president; Mary Capozzi,
treasurer; and Dorothy Hewitt, secretary.
HIGHLAND IMIlk
THE LAPIDARY'S
LOOKING FOR a silversmith? See Dick * * *
Copp in Desert Magazine lobby. Special- STANDARD OF VALUE
izing in the creation and repair of jewelry. C. R. Wallace was elected president of
the Contra Costa Mineral and Gem Society BUY THK BKST
RARE GREEN GARNETS, $3.00; Finest of Walnut Creek, California. Also named
6 Ray Star Quartz resembling expensive to office were: Bart DeLorenzo, vice presi- roii LESS
Blue Star Sapphire, $5.50; Rare Green dent; Mrs. Helen Nelson, secretary; and CIHIKO J>la Hk.ilrs — S i z e s
Quartz Oval and octagon, $8.00; Rare Mrs. C. S. Holderman, treasurer. Range from 4" to 34" In
Oriental Black Pearls, $3.50; Beautiful + + + Light. Standard. Heavy
Moonstone Necklaces and Bracelets di- and Extra Heavy duty.
rect from Ceylon, $15.00; Rare Scenic The Del Norte Rockhounds of Crescent
Agates, and Fern Agates, $4.00; 100 City, California, have named these new
officers: Mona Merrill, president; Aletha Highland
gram lot Rough Star Rubies, $10.00; 1
dozen drilled imported Nugget Stones, Hills, vice president, Vincent Hills, secre- Park
$3.50; Amber with Flies in each, $5.00. tary-treasurer; Leslie Ziebell, show chairman Trim Saws
Very many other cut and rough stones and federation director; and Marian Denni- I! t> :i i I a n d
also. Ernest Meier, Church St. Annex, son, Leora Bouffard, Bill Chandler, Arm and rugged for Ions
Post office Box 302, New York 8, N.Y. Poirier and Fred Williams, directors. lasting service.
* # * R-4 Trim Haw
HAVE 11,000 oz. placer gold, 900-f., beau- The following were elected to office by
tiful, at $50 an oz. Beautiful rock selec- the Gem Cutters Guild of Baltimore: Rob-
tions, $12.50 for 20 pounds. Gem and erf C. White, president; Margaret J. Wise, A Leader
cutting grade, geodes 50c each. No or- vice president; Etta Rasch Davidson, cor-
ders filled under $12.50. I. S. Wisdom, responding secretary; Florence M. Pearson, In Its Field
Goldpojnt, Nevada. recording secretary; and William M. Crosby, Hlt!lil;inil I'nrk I'on'fr-f••••<]
treasurer.—Gem Cutlers News Blab Sinvs. Sizes range
DEALER'S WIDOW must sacrifice large from 12" to 24". Metal
rock stock at fraction of $40,000 ap- or Lucite hood.
praised value. Includes crystallized speci-
mens, cutting material, cut stones, etc. RONETA — AGATES OF FIRE
Real property also available: shop oper-
ated this location 15 years; old house; A rare gem to treasure for a lifetime
VA lots fronting highway. Any reason- Polished to reveal fire—ready for you to Highland Park Combination Unit
able offer considered to close estate. Box mjjke the gem a tone of your dreams • From
Coon Hollow Area m Unusual coloring • Available In all sizes, i'erfect Combination
BW3, Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, Cal. Instructions how to finish without losing Unit for Lapidary work. Handles sawing,
colors enclosed 'with each order. grinding, sending and polishing. Excep-
Guaranteed free of fractures. Each stone tionally quiet operation.
shutis good fire*
Slabs to rimki1 cab-ochons
Engineers studying different metals as a
means of insulating auto windshields and
up to 20x15 min, „
Beautiful finished
..$5 and $10 each.
tfoin*. $15 and up
Please mail remittance with order- We pay
t JL
window glass against summer heat rays, postage.
have found that a film of pure gold about
1/30,000 the thickness of a human hair ERVIN E. SPIERS
filters out the heat producing rays, yet lets Jucrnita Mines and Laboratories
the cooler light beams pass through, — BLYTHE, CALIFORNIA
SM.S. Matrix E-10 Cum 111util ion Unit
Arbors of all sizes — Tumblers, two
moil i-Is. Wet and dry b«lt Sanders—
Plan Now to Attend the ROCKHOUND JUBILEE l a p i d a r y units in two different sizes.
Giant Mineral Show—"Artistry in Gems" 32 MODELS TO CHOOSE FltOM
The most complete line of lapidary machin-
Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ery offered by any manufacturer. See these
at your local Highland Park dealer or write
Sunday. April 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for free literature.
Main Exhibit Building, Orange County Fairgrounds A Product of
Costa Mesa, California
Sponsored by the MGIIUXD IMItK
ORANGE COAST MINERAL AND LAPIDARY SOCIETY
Box 2661, Costa Mesa MMUPitCTUIMir. d
FREE ADMISSION—FREE PARKING—FREE CAMPING 1009-1011 Mission Street
OUTSTANDING EXHIBITS — AWARDS — PRIZES South Pasadena, California
APRIL, 1958 39
The Kern County Mineral Society of SPRING SHOWS April 26-27 — Palestine Masonic Temple,
Bakersfield, California, named these new 41st Place and Figueroa, Los Angeles.
officers: Les Darling, president; Dr. Leon- 21st Annual Mineral and Lapidary Show
ard Duck, vice president; Frances Clark,
treasurer; Wilma Pruitt, editor; and Gae
Chenard, director.—Pseudotnorph
* * *
Orange Coast of the Southwest Mineralogists, Inc. Noon
to 10 p.m. on the 26th; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
on the 27th. Admission is free.
April 26-27 — Caldwell, Idaho. Owyhee
Gem and Mineral Society show.
Society Plans
By adding a few drops of liquid soap to
the water used for mixing cerium or chrome April 26-27—Wichita, Kansas. Gem and
oxide, polishing is made easier and faster Mineral Society's annual show at the
because the compound sticks to the polish- Kansas National Guard Armory, 3535
ing wheel longer.—Template W. Douglas.
April 26-27 — Azusa, California. Canyon
When in Arizona See
One of the Largest Collections of
GEMSTONE JEWELRY
11th Jubilee City Lapidary Society's first gem show
at Eagles Hall, 7903 No. San Gabriel
Canyon Road. Admission Free.
May 1-4—Dallas, Texas. American and
in the West Members of the Orange Coast Mineral Texas federations joint convention and
Send S5 for 2 lbs. mixed tumbled items and Lapidary Society of Costa Mesa, Cali- show, Dallas Fairgrounds.
WESTERN MINERALS fornia, have scheduled their 11th annual May 3-4-pColton, California. Slover Gem
in Texas Canyon on Hwy. 86. 18 miles Rockhound Jubilee for April 19-20. Theme and Mineral Society's first annual show
west of Wilcox, Arizona
Send orders ro: Box 211, Dragoon. Arizona of this year's show is "Artistry in Gems" at the Boy Scout Cabin in Colton Park.
and it will take place at the Main Exhibit May 3: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; May 4 : 10 a.m.
Building, Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa to 6 p.m.
Mesa, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the 19th; May 3-4—Stockton, California. Sixth An-
and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the 20th. nual San Joaquin Valley Gem and Min-
PASCOES Free admission, parking, trailer and eral Show at the Agricultural Building,
have bought the Max & Jessie Hi rath camping space are being offered to show County Fairgrounds. Theme: "Pictures
Ranch at Mariposa, California- Our busi-
ness at 83Z0 San Fernando Road, Glen- visitors. In addition to many outstanding and Scenes in Rocks." Show is sponsored
dale 1, California (Citrus 2-0604) Is exhibits planned for the event, the Orange by the Stockton Lapidary and Mineral
Coast show will feature prizes, working ex- Club, and the Mother Lode Mineral So-
FOR SALE hibits, commercial displays, and the serv- ciety of Modesto.
Inquiries Invited. We carry a complete ing of food and refreshments. May 3-4—San \fateo, California. Gem and
line of Machinery • Lapidary Supplies Mineral clubs wishing to exhibit should Mineral Society's show at Fairgrounds.
• Jewelry Tools • Jewelry Findings contact Mrs. John Ford, P. O. Box 266, May 17-18—Oakland, California. East Bay
• Hooks • Fluorescent Lamps & Min- Costa Mesa. Mineral Society's "Festival."
erals • Slabs • Beantllol Specimens, Here are the dates of cither spring gem May 17-18—Glendale, California. Lapidary
large and small, rare and common. shows: and Gem Society's 11th Annual show,
Come in and supply your needs—Many Civic Auditorium.
specials during April—Good values you April 12-13—Escondido, California. Palo- May 17-18 — Everett, Washington. Ro»k
cannot afford to missr mar Gem and Mineral Club admission- and Gem Club's show.
free show at Central School Auditorium. May 22-25—Chico, California. "Chest-O-
April 12-13 — Santa Monica, California. Jewels" show at the Silver Dollar Fair,
Gemological Society show at Recreation presented by Golden Empire Mineral
Club House. Society, Paradise Gem and Mineral Club,
"ROCKHOUHQ SPECIAL' April 12-13 — Burien, Washington. Puget
Sound Gem and Mineral Club's 6th An-
Feather River Gem and Mineral Society,
Yuba-Sutter Mineral Society and Shasta
BUS MUSEUM OF
ROCKS • MINERALS • INDIAN ARTIFACTS nual Spring Show. American Legion Gem and Mineral Society.
Mineralogies I and geological slide* Hall. May 24-25—Whittier, California. Gem and
in 2 x 2 " Koda chrome color April 12-13 — Eugene, Oregon. Mineral Mineral Society's show at Palm Park
Club's show at Lane County Fairgrounds. Community Center.
For sale or rented to clubs etc.
ask for free program April 19-20—San Jose, California. Lapidary
Send 50c for choice of one slide and catalog, Society's show at San Jose State College's
plus a 25c credit slip Women's Gymnasium, 7th and San Car- TRUE OR FALSE ANSWERS
Postage appreciated los streets. Questions are on page 28
GENE SCKENET - Phone HYacinth 2-3615 April 19-20—Camas, Washington. Sixth 1—True. 2—True.
Mail addrejs - P.O. Box 1226-D Annual Five Club Gem and Mineral 3—False. Geronimo died on the
Show at Crown Zcllerbach Hotel. government reservation at Ft.
Residence 114 La Placentia (call or write first)
SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA April 26-27—Tacoma, Washington. Agate Sill, Oklahoma, February 17,
Club's Spring show. 1909.
4—False. Pyramid Lake is in Ne-
vada.
5—False. Fossilization is believed
to have taken place while the
wood was submerged in water.
6—True.
e Seen. 7—False. Bill Williams was a guide
and Mountain Man.
Petrified Wood, Moss Agate, Chrysocolla 8—True. 9—True.
Turquoise, lade and Jasper Jewelry 10—False. The North Rim of the
canyon is highest.
HAND MADE IN STERLING SILVER 11—True.
12—False. Capital of Nevada is Car-
Bracelets, Rings. Necklaces, Earrings son City.
and Brooches 13—True.
SPECIALLY SELECTED STONES WITH 14—False. Sunset volcanic crater
CHOICE COLORS AND PICTURES
was formed in the prehistoric
past,
Writs for Folder With Prices 15—True.
16—False. Carlsbad Caverns were
discovered by Jim White in 1901.
ELLIOTT'S GEM 5H0P 17—True.
18—False. Wickenburg is on High-
235 East Suttd* Blvd. Long Batch 2, California
Acrc.li from Welt End of Municipal
way 60.
Auditorium Ground I
19—False. Navajo Mountain is near
the Utah-Arizona border.
Hour* 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dally Excapr Monday 20—True.
40 DESERT MAGAZINE
lections for some years. This garnet is
AMATEUR GEM CUTTER identical in color and general appearance
to the garnet found at the noted locality in
Idaho and the specimen may have origin-
ated there.
By DR. H. C. DAKE, Editor o( The Min«ralogi«t
The Kayser garnet is from the Wallowa
Here is a table showing the refractive Among the localities where star garnet Mountain region of northeastern Oregon
jndex (R.I. Note: only the lower refractive frequently is found in Idaho and Oregon are along the Snake River, and bordering the
index is given for those stones which have the Wallowa Mountain region in Oregon, Idaho boundary line. Garnets are fairly
more than one) and facet angles (C: main and the better known region of Emerald common and plenttful in the granites of this
crown facet; P: main pavilion facet) for Creek (also known as Ruby Creek) in Ida- mountainous region. The garnets weather
the principal facet-cut gems. Any stone not ho. out of the granites and are found loose and
listed can be fitted into the chart by refer- free of matrix. Gem hunters who have at-
Victor Kayser, well known gemologist of tempted to remove intact garnet crystals
ence to its refractive index, using the lower Portland, Oregon, has cut star garnets for from the matrix will appreciate the con-
one if there are two. more than 20 years, but has found only a venience of finding them weathered out,
Facet Angles vary few good specimens showing the very ready to pick up.
Diamond _ 2.42 C. 35° P.41" rare six-rayed star. Recently he finished a
six-rayed cabochon weighing 20 carats. This According to a number of gem cutters
Zircon 1.92 C. 43° P. 4 1 ' fine cabochon is an oval cut, fairly translu- who have specialized in star garnets for
Garnet— cent, good red color, and measuring % many years, perhaps only one star in 5000
Demantoid 1.88 C. 43' P. 40" inch long. As is nearly always the case with will show six distinct "legs" on the finished
Spessarite 1.81 C. 43° P. 40° specimens of this kind, the two "abnormal" cabochon surface. This is no doubt quite
Aimandine 1.79 C. 37" P. 42" legs in the star are slightly less pronounced true, for seldom do we see an even com-
Rhodolite 1.76 C. 37' P. 42° than the "normal" four legs. prehensive gem collection which includes
Pyrope 1.75 C. 37' P. 42' one of these rare star gems.
Hcssonite 1.74 C.37° P. 42° The stars in garnet definitely follow the
Andradite C. 37' P.42- planes of symmetry and the crystal axis.
Uvarovite C.37° P. 42' While eight and 12-rayed stars are theoreti-
Benitoite 1.75 C. 37° P. 42" cally possible, the writer has never seen an DIAMOND BLADES
Chrysoberyt 1.74 C. 37' P. 42* example of this kind. Since garnet belongs
Sapphire 1.76 C. 37° P. 42° to the isometric crystal system, orienting or Hrarj.linij Suiwr si mill
Epidote 1.73 C. 37° P. 42° locating the star is a simple matter. A Sn ik.-rngil. l'h^.1.
Spinel 1.72 C. 37* P. 42' rounded surface may be ground and slightly X ll.SS *10.50
polished on any area of the rough crystal 15.45 14.05
Diopsite 1.68 C.43° P. 39° Arlifir 19.80 18.00
Peridot 1.66 C.43° P. 39° or crystal fragment. If a star is present it RIM 26 .SO 24.24
Phenacite 1.65 C. 43' P. 39' will be readily revealed by a close examina- 41.60 36.50 33.20
tion. 4fl.fi(> 4I.ft0 37.80
Kunzite .65 C.43° P. 39° 78.50 •2.18 47.40
Tourmaline .62 C.43' P. 39' Some cutters first fashion a rough sphere 84 90 57.75 62,50
.61 C.43° P. 39' from a proven star crystal. This sphere is 102.40 83.30 75.70
Topaz fiftid 179 10 HI*, lax
Beryl (all varieties) .57 C. 45° P. 41° then partly polished, and studied to reveal 2H7.60 III r . l l f .
Quartz ( " " ) . .54 C. 45" P. 41° the best position of the star. The garnet is •Tux In Calif.
then sawed into two halves and finished as
As the index of refraction of a gem two separate cabochons.
stone decreases, less light is returned The Idaho locality is noted for the large
through the crown of the gem. Hence the crystals it has produced for many years,
lower the index of refraction of the ma- and from these some superb spheres have
terial, the less brilliancy will be possible. All been finished. Some are a little over two
stones having an R.I. of less than 1.65 will and one-half inches in diameter, and
show "wells" or dull spots on the crown. when aster ism is present, the star is cleverly H'ree Catalog: (thows 17 Covinslon -sk^MD
revealed as the specimen is rolled along on type grinders and polish e n .
Normal star garnets, showing four "legs" a smooth flat surface. 6 Covlngton Trim Sawn
One of the finest star garnet spheres is to ID choose from In latest
are fairly common to several well known Free Catalog.
localities in Idaho, Oregon and elsewhere, be seen in the Cleveland Museum of Nat-
but good star garnets, showing six rays or ural History. This magnificent specimen is
"legs," are not at all common. Nor do all over three inches in diameter, quite perfect
in quality, and shows asterism to a remark-
garnets show stars by any means. However, able extent. When the writer viewed this
certain localities appear to be more pro- specimen some years past, the museum cur-
ductive of star garnets, while at other lo- ator was unable to give locality, or data on
calities, where garnet may be plentiful, star where and when the sphere was cut. It
cabochons may be wholly lacking. appears to have been in the museum col-
Select any tint of 7
C o n i n g t o n Slab Saw*
from late*! Free Cats
SHOPPING FOR PRICE? log.
APRIL, 1958 41
By RANDALL HENDERSON
AM GLAD TO NOTE that increasing pressure is hearing much about it in the years ahead—plants absorb
being brought on the law-makers in Washington for energy from the sun and convert it into other products,
unification of the armed forces of United States. In one of which is the oxygen in the air we breath, and
addition to the economy and efficiency which can be another is the food that keeps us alive. If there were no
brought about by placing the Army, the Navy and the photosynthesis there would be food on this earth for
Air Force under a single command, there may be a very neither man nor beast.
important by-product which will be of interest to all Having learned this lesson, I henceforth will have a
desert people. 1 refer to the millions of acres of public much greater respect for the lowly shrubs along the road-
domain which could be turned back for the use of civilians side which we humans call weeds.
if the three branches of service were under the necessity
of coordinating their bombing and gunnery practice on Since most of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes
the same ranges. from plants, I recently asked a noted scientist this ques-
tion: "If there were no movement of air, would the arid
Already, under the pressure of demands for economy, desert where vegetation is sparse, be virtually devoid of
the Navy has announced that the Mojave Marine Corps oxygen?" His answer was: "Yes, that is true."
Auxiliary Air Station is to be abandoned, and the Marine
operation transferred to Vincent Air Force Base at Yuma, So, let's be as tolerant as we can of these desert winds.
for joint use of the Yuma range with the Air Force. This True, they pick up a lot of grit sometimes, and create
move cancels out an estimated expenditure of $81,000,- unpleasant tasks for the housewife, but a desert in which
000 previously earmarked for the Mojave Base. humans had to wear oxygen masks to survive would be
infinitely worse.
As long range missiles and submarines with atomic
warheads assume more importance as the weapons of the
future, perhaps the need for great bombing and gunnery
ranges such as have been established on the desert will I know this idea will not be popular with the real
estate men and the chamber of commerce secretaries, but
diminish. Some of the top military men are predicting if the forecast of Robert C. Cook, director of the U.S.
this will be true. Population Reference Bureau, is correct, then the time
will come when many of the communities in the South-
west will have to hang a big "No Vacancy" sign across
This is written in March, the month when normally the roadway into town. Cook points out that in Arizona,
we have our desert sandstorms. With all their skill, the California, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah increasing
population is steadily reducing the available supply of
building craftsmen have never been able to perfect a house water and it may eventually be necessary to restrict the
which is proof against the fine particles of sand and silt number of new residents and the expansion of industry.
which come flying through the air when one of our spring
sandstorms is in progress. Tragic? Not necessarily! We are all—regardless of
I can say nothing in defense of sandstorms—-but I where we live—facing the prospect of making radical
would not want to live in a world where there was no adjustments in our thinking and living habits to accommo-
wind. In fact, my scientist friends tell me this desert date ourselves to an explosive increase in population. In
would be wholly uninhabitable if there were no movement this situation, perhaps the civic committees which are
of air. now beating their drums to bring in more people and
industries, will find a new outlet for their energies in
I've been delving into the science books lately—the creating more beauty and cultural health in their home
ones written for lay readers. I find them fascinating read- towns—and it will be an infinitely more satisfying occu-
ing. For the scientists, within the last fifty years, have pation, both for themselves and for their neighbors.
learned more about the structure of the universe, and the
origin and evolution of life on this planet, than had been
known in all previous time. From my scrapbook:
One of the important conclusions of today's science "To those who come to the desert with friendliness, it
is that if there were no plant life on this planet there would gives friendship; to those who come with courage, it gives
not be enough oxygen in the atmosphere to support animal new strength of character. Those seeking relaxation find
life, including man himself. By a process known as photo- release from the world of man-made troubles. For those
synthesis—-and if you are not already familiar with this seeking beauty, the desert offers Nature's rarest artistry.
word you should add it to your vocabulary for you will be This is the desert that men and women learn to love."
42 DESERT MAGAZINE
about his introduction to the South-
west, Desert Happy, is an absorbing
experience, richly told.
Rigby and his wife, Elizabeth, both
contributors to Desert Magazine, spent
FLOOR PLANS. PHOTOGRAPHS subservience. As the pressure tight- their first desert year near Tucson. As
OF SOUTHWESTERN HOMES ened more and more Indians turned did naturalist Joseph Wood Krutch,
to alcohol and degeneracy. Rigby keenly observed and accurately
If you want a desert home with interpreted the interesting and often
character, build it out of adobe—and And finally, just before the last
fascinating parade of life which passed
if you want a wide range of floor spark of life was about to go out for- before his cottage door. He speaks
plans and exterior and interior styles ever, hope came from an obscure
with Schweitzer's reverence for life
for that dwelling, add the New Mex- Mason Valley, Nevada, Paiute prophet. about the birds and animals from
ico Home Plan Book to your library. The story of Wovoka, The Indian which he gained so much insight into
This publication was first brought Messiah is well told by Paul Bailey, life in general. Along with these
out in 1940 and reprinted in 1946. A whose previous biographies include sketches he provides a refreshing ap-
third printing of a revised edition last Sam Brannan and the California Mor- proach to what normally passes for
year again makes it available for those tle andJacob
mons, Hamblin, Buckskin Apos-
Walkara, Hawk of the Moun- the desert's more common features—
who want some good ideas on the tains. weather, aridity, space. And he tells
harmonious home styles of Southwest- about Arizona's most interesting in-
ern architecture. The book is edited Whether divinely inspired or not, habitants—man, past and present.
by George Fitzpatrick, and art work there can be no doubt that the explo- Published by J. B. Lippincott Com-
and layouts are by Wilfred Stcdman sion caused by Wovoka's preaching has
and Sahula-Dycke. few equals in the history of religion. pany, Philadelphia, Pa.; Illustrated; in-
dex; 313 pages; $5.50.
The work consists mostly of home The message which swept across the
drawings, floor plans and photographs American Indian world was essentially
of home features including fireplaces, this: do not fight, do not harm anyone,
stairways, portals, entranceways, etc. always do right; the Indians' oppressors Book Manuscripts
The house plans range from palatial will not share in the joys of the here- by cooperative publisher who offers authors
desert homes with hallways widened after—the earth will return to an In- distribution, early publication, higher royalty, national
and beautifully designed books.
into galleries; to a one-room adobe dian paradise. All subjects welcomed. Write, or send your
MS directly.
house which is surprisingly attractive. Basic ritual in the Messiah's new GREENWICH BOOK PUBLISHERS, INC.
Atten. Mr. Sloe am, 480 fifth Are., N.V., N.Y,
Published by New Mexico Maga- physical was
religion the Ghost Dance — the
zine;
]
paper-cover; illustrated; 36 pages this earth,means by which the end of
the righting of wrongs, and
(8 / 2 x 11W inches); $1. the creation of a new world would be
• • • brought about. White men, frightened Looking for a PUBLISHER?
BEATEN INDIANS FOUND at the signs of new life in the beaten Do you have a book-length manuscript you
would like to have published? Learn about
HOPE IN NEVADA MESSIAH Indians, called the ritual a war dance our unusual plan whereby your book can be
published, promoted and distributed on a
By 1890 the white man had broken and soon Uncle Sam's soldiers chased professional basis. We consider all types of
work—f let Ion, biography, poetry, scholarly
the American Indian just as surely as it underground with gunfire. and religious books, etc. New authors wel-
come. For more Information, write for valu-
he had destroyed the buffalo and an- The strength of Wovoka's religion able booklet D. It's free.
telope. The Indians had been caught came from the fact that instead of VANTAGE PRESS, IXC.
in a whirlwind. After centuries of ranting against the hated whites (whose I Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, Calif.
Main Office: Xew York 1, K.I.
freedom, they were ushered onto res- overwhelming strength was recog-
ervations. White captors cheated them, nized ), he turned his attention to
destroyed tribal, clan and family in- making a new and happier world for
tegrity by trading scraps of food for Indians alone. Chief cause of the Second Edition—Enlarged
movement's death stems from the fact
that Wovoka set a definite date (1891)
Books reviewed on this page are
available at Desert Crafts Shop
for the end of the world.
Published by Westernlore Press as
ARIZONA
Palm Desert, California tenth in its Great West and Indian
Atid four percent sales tax on orders
to be sent to California
Series; illustrated; index and selected
reading list; 223 pages; $5.50.
GEM FIELDS
Write for complete catalog of • • •
Southwestern books BY ALTON DUKE
DOUGLAS RIGBY WRITES OF
The latest and most complete
FIRST YEAR ON DESERT
book on Arizona's gem fields.
DESERT BEST SELLER LIST* Few people are half-way about the Concise — accurate — detailed
1. A Naturalist's Death Valley desert. Most either love it or they maps — pictures. Written with
Edmund C. Jaeger $1.50 think people who love it are crazy.
2. Geological Story of Death Valley The moment of conversion—the first tourist rockhounds in mind. All
Thomas Clements $1.50 realization of desert understanding and fields accessible by automobile.
3. Death Valley Tales
Death Valley '49ers, Inc.... $1.00 appreciation—is a priceless experience.
4. The Manly Map and Manly Story Some folks can not put this feeling ARIZONA GEM FIELDS
Ardis M. Walker _ $1.00 into words—others can write books
5. Anza-Borrego Desert Guide Book about it. P.O. Box 1402—Yuma Arizona
Horace Parker $2.50 Price S2.S0—Add 8 cents Postage
*Based on February sales by Luckily for those who read, Doug-
Desert Magazine Bookshop las Rigby of Sedona, Arizona, is of Discount to Distributors
the latter school. The book he wrote
APRIL, 1958 43
Pictures of
the Month
Jack Rabbit . . .
"No animal is more familiar to the
desert traveler than the black-tailed
hare, popularly known as the desert
jack rabbit," writes Dr. Edmund Jaeger
in his "Our Desert Neighbors." First
prize winner of this month's photog-
raphy contest is Dr. John F. Kahle of
Flagstaff, who took this close-up of a
long-eared jack. Dr. Kahle used a
Linhof Super Technica 4x5 camera with
150 mm. Schneider Xenar lens; Super
Pan Press Type B film; exposed with
200 WS Synctron electronic flash with
Gxtension head set at f. 32.
Pebble
Pups...
Don't forget to take the
y o u n g s t e r s a l o n g next
time you explore the des-
ert — especially if you're
going out to look for gem
and mineral specimens. It
may lead to a lifelong
hobby of endless possi-
bilities. This is the advice
Joe L. Orr of Los Angeles
placed in the caption of
his second prize photo of
two boys discussing the
merits of a stone.