194206 desert magazine 1942 june

8/14/2019 194206 Desert Magazine 1942 June

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M A G A Z NE

JUNE, 1942 25 CENTS


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L E T T E R S . . .Food for Men 's Souls . . .

Humboldt, ArizonaSir:With your beautiful DESERT for May stillwarm in my hands I dash to my typewriter todefend Marshal South's philosophy. While I.too, desired to hear more about that mescalroast, I would sorrow to have it at the sacrificeof the author's inspiring philosophy. The Mar-shal South feature as is is one of the highlightsof your gracious magazine. In days such as theseman can live without a knowledge of mescal,or other roasts, but he cannot live without aphilosophy. And if Marshal South has to "sellone of his loaves" may he still continue to giveus "white hyacinths for our soul."

DORA BELLE LEE

Memory of Happ y Days . . .Altadena, California

Dear Lucile Harris :Thank you kindly for sending on the extrabinders and the two minus copies with my sub-scription renewal. I appreciate that courtesyand here's my check.I am having a GRAND time checking overmy now complete files of The Desert Maga-zinefor which I wouldn't take a Pegleg nor aLost Dutchm an and re-checking the manyfamiliar facts, places and people that cometrooping off their pages to elbow memory andpoke reminiscent fingers into my aging ribs.For be it known that I was indicted a DesertRat, B. D. Q.before Desert Quizby who-ever it was that defined that critter as "one whohabitually, and of his own free will, frequentsthe desert." If I now plead guilty to perpetrat-ing a total score of not less than 15nor more

than 20 correct answers to the Desert Quizzes,am I to be sentenced a two-time Rator whathave you?But whatever rat-ing I draw, the Desert Mag-azine is rated one of the best by my family. Welike i t as is . . . the varied departments , thequality of composition, the philosophy of ye ed-itors, the excellent pictures . . . even the Williebovs . . . and the poetry. By the way would yourather have a poem or a rock that floats?

E M M A C H R I S T I N E R O O M E

When the Prodigal Returns . . .Wymore, NebraskaDear Mr. Henderson:

After having spent three restful years on thedesert near Florence, Arizona, it was necessarythat I return to my native Nebraska. Now afterthree years here I feel my heart is deeply rootedto the desert.

When reading your magazine I find it so verygenuine, free from "dressing up" and exaggera-tion, that it makes me homesick almost to thepoint of tears.I sincerely hope that some day I may returnto the beloved desert where I know the littlekangaroo mice will dance a welcome, the tor-toise will stick his neck out for a "Hi, there,"the gila monster may blow himself for a "How-dy," the packrat leave his respects, the quail willcome, as always, in full dress parade, and per-haps even the cholla will be stickin' 'round.In the meantime the desert will have to cometo me through my subscription to your grand

magazine. I hope you will always keep it as realas it has been in the past. JO SMITH

Where's the Biggest Tree? .. .Banning, CaliforniaDear Henderson:I wonder if you know the circumference of

the largest Joshua tree to be found on the des-er t ? I measured one up east of Cima on the Mo-jave desert that was 10 feet around, three feetabove the ground and below the branches, or doyou call them limbs?Recently I saw a picture of one that a chapclaimed was 11 feet. I would like to knowwhere the champion is located, or does someone know a bigger one yet? J IM P IERCE Getting Stuck in the Sa nd . . .San Pedro, CaliforniaDear Editor:I read the letter from that artist Clyde For-sythe about how to get through the sand.Sounds all right. But what's bothering me ishow to get out on the desert where there is somesand. I 've been putting in so many hoursbuildin' boats I haven't even seen the desert formonths, and my feet sure get to itchin' some-times. I would donate a month's overtime tocharity just for the fun of getting stuck in thesand once more. BILL HEVENER In Defense of Fast Travel . . .

Rankin, IllinoisDear Mr. Henderson:After reading "Just Between You and Me"page of the Desert Magazine for April, I dis-agree with you.Just suppose you had never seen a mountain,a desert, an Indian reservation, an ocean, aglass-bottomed boat. San Francisco's greatbridges, the Redwood forests, the NationalChristmas tree, the General Sherman tree, thestupendous dams of the western rivers, SaltLake with its Great Salt Lake, the wonderfulroads through the national parks, and the vari-ous wonders of the western stateswould yoube insane if you took a glimpse when given anopportunity?To one coming from the Corn Belt states, theWest is thrill upon thrill. We not only havewind-shield stickers but have collected descrip-tive literature on all interesting places. Thatand my diary have enabled me to enjoy a com-plete file of Desert Magazine.Without th is "racing vacation" D.M. wouldprobably be unknown to me. WellI just don'tlike to think what I would have missed.MRS. A. C. DROLL

Mrs. Droll: You win! But I hope youhave the opportunity sooner or later to re-turn and get better acquainted with out-desert. R.H.

The Philosophy from Yaquitepec . . .Tujunga, CaliforniaDear Sir:I want this letter to go down on record in de-fense of Marshal South, who was, to me, belit-tled by a C. H. Walker in the May issue of Des-ert Magazine. Bum philosophy, the man writes.From a letter like that you can see that he isinterested in the material things of life. He isnot interested in getting the peace of mind thatthe desert gives one, and which Marshal Southputs forth so well in his articles.Now that we are engaged in war, and can notget about as we would like to, I for one relyupon such good philosophy about the desert;which you can gain by roaming the desert. Nowwe have to stay home and help get this messover with, so we can go on roaming the des-ert; and it 's articles like South's that help thedesert lovers through these times.Keep up the good work of your magazine andcontinu ed success to you. uB 1 L L H I B B E T S

C e n t e r o f t h e S c e n i cM O J A V E E M P I R E

B A R S T O W. . . C a l i f o r n i a . . .

I M Y f J U HJust Instated This Seaw For Your BenefitBUCK AVISTAH O T f L 'CATERING TO C OMM ERCIALA N D T O U R I S T T R A V E Ldas. Ukiugktal- Manager

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Write for Informatio'nG E O R G E T. H A L LSo. Calif. Westcraft Distributor5614 W. WashingtonLos Angeles, California

T HE D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E


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D E S E R TQalendan,J U N E 1-2 Commencement, NewMex-ico Military Institute, Roswell.1-4 Intermo untain junior fat stock

show, North Salt Lake City, Utah.G. Roy Backman, secretary.3-5 P. E. O. state convention, Raton.New Mexico.4-7 Sheriff 's P o s s e SouthwesternChampionship rodeo, El Paso.Texas. Felix Hickman, chairman.6-7 Hot Springs, NewMexico, an-nual regatta at Elephant Buttelake.7-9 State V.F .W . Encampment, Clo-vis, NewMexico, with westernTexas participating.7-10 Convention of New M e x i c oCounty Officers association, Taos.7-24 Exhibit of watercolors by EliotO 'Hara , of Tucson and Goose

Rocks Beach, Maine, at Museumof Northern Arizona, Flagstaff.8-AUG. 1 T h i rt e en t h a n n u a l F ie ldSchool of Art sponsored byUni-versity of New Mexico at Taos .Headquarters at Harwood Foun-dation, dormitory quarters in his-toric Gov. Bent house. BrooksWill is , d irector .11-13 NewMexico Public Health as-sociation meets at Raton.13 San Antonio day celebrated byCorn Dance at Taos andSandiaIndian Pueblos, New Mexico.14-17 Regional conference, Business andProfessional Women's clubs ofColorado, Wyoming, Nebraska,Arizona andNew Mexico, at AL

buquerque.15-20 Joint convention of Utah Acad-em y of Science, Arts andLettersan d theAmerican Association forAdvancement of Science at Uni-versity ofUtah, Salt Lake City.17-19 Arizon a State F ireme n's associa-tion convention at Prescott.Charles Hartin, chairman.17-27 Prescott District Boy Scouts sum-mer camp. Camp Apache, GraniteBasin. Lavern Hansen, scout ex-ecutive.21 Sierra club toclimb Mt. San An-tonio (Baldy). Fred Eaton, Pasa-dena, leader.24 San Juan Day annual fiesta, corn

dance, San Juan andTaos Indianpueblos, New Mexico.25-27 American Legion and Auxiliarymeet inAlbuquerque.

IF Y O U A R E M O V I NG ! . . .It is important that DesertM agaz ine off ice be noti f i ed ofc h a n g e s in ad d res s not laterthan the 5th of the p r e c e d i n gmonth. That is, if the July issuei s to bes e n t to a n e w a d d r e s s ,this off i ce should be advised byJu ne 5.This will help us i nsure

d e l i v e r y of your Des e r t M aga-z i n e ev e ry m on th .

V o l u m e 5 JUNE, 1942 Number 3C O V E R

LETTERSCALENDARP H O T O G R A P H YT R A V EL O GDESERT QUIZA R T ISTHUM O RT R A V ELFIELD TRIPWEATHERC O N T E S TAR T O F LIVINGINDUSTRYM ININGPUZZLEL A NDM A R KHOBBYFIELD TRIPN E W SC O N T E S TC O M M E N TB O O K SPO ET R Y

Betatakin Indian Ruin, Navajo National Monument,Arizona . Photograph by Huber t A. Lowm an, Kan-sas City, Missouri, awarded first prize inDesert 'sannual cover contest, 1942.Comment f rom Dese r t Magaz ine readers . . . 2Current events onthe Desert 3Prize winning pictures inApril 4W e C a m p e d byTurquoise Wate rsBy RANDALL HENDERSON 5True orFalseA test ofyour Dese r t knowledge . 10He Thanks Taos forHis FameBy RUTH WATSON 11Hard Rock Shorty ofDeath ValleyBy LON GARRISON 12The Bonanza Road of N e v a d a 13W orks hop ofAncient Arrow-MakersBy JOHN HILTON 25April T empera tures onthe Desert 27Prize announcement 28Desert Refuge, byMARSHAL SOUTH . . . . 29Chem ica ls F rom a Desert Dry LakeBy H. H.MARQUIS V.Briefs from the Desert Region 35Bonanza Road Pictoria l Quiz 36Taos Mission, byRALPH J.PHILLIPS 38Gems and Minera l s- -Edited byARTHUR L. EATON 39In a Rock Collector 's ParadiseBy CLARK HARRISON 42Here andThere on theDesert 43Amateur Pr ize Announcement 44Just Between You and Me, bythe Editor . . . . 46Southwes te rn Archaeology, andother reviews . 47Song of ClayBy NINA PAUL SHUMWAY . . . Back Cover

The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Publishing Company, 636State Street, El Centro, California. Entered as second class matter October 11, 1937, atthe post office at El Centro, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registeredNo. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office, and contents copyrighted 1942 by the Desert PublishingCompany. Permission to reproduce contents must be secured from the editor in writing.RANDALL HENDERSON, Editor. LUCILE HARRIS, Associate Editor.

Manuscripts and photographs submitted must be accompanied by full return post-age. The Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for damage or loss of manuscriptsor photographs although due care will be exercised for their safety. Subscribers shouldsend notice of change of address to the circulation department by the fifth of the monthpreceding issue.SUBSCRIPTION RATES

One year, including gold-embossed loose leaf binder $3.00Two years, including binders for both years 5.00Ycu may deduct 50c each for binders if not desired.Canad'an subscriptions 25c extra, foreign 50c extra.

Address correspondence to Desert Magazine, 636 State St., El Centro, California.

J U N E , 1942


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jbeleitBy F. H. RAGSDALELos Angeles, California

Winner of first prize in Desert's monthlyphotographic contest is this shot of theskeleton of an evening primrose plantfound in the sand dunes just west of Indio.California. Taken with an Eastman 5x?view camera fitted with 9 inch VoigtlanderHeliar lens. 1/10 sec. at f45 on SuperPancro-Press cut film. Negative developedin Pyro-soda.

JtaaaluBy H. M. SEVERANCELos Angeles, California

This view of Havasu, also called Supai and Bridal Veil, fallson the Hava supai Indian reservation of northern Arizona, is win-ne r of second prize in Desert's April contest. Taken with an East-man 3A Special Kodak, Kodak Anastigmat lens, f6.3. Agfa Su-perpan Supreme. Distance 100 feet, Visec. at f22, yellow filter.

Special MendThe following photos were judged to have special merit:"Monument Valley," by John B. Breed, Swampscott, Mass."Thousand Palms Oasis," by G. E.Kirkpatrick, El Centra, Calif."Desert V," by Stanley Shuttleworth, Palm Springs, Calif.


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Navajo jails. Photographs by Josef M uench. Bridal Veil falls.

We Camped by Turquoise WatersM ember s of the S i e r ra c lub of California on the i r annual East e r t r ekth i s year took the long t ra i l to Havasupa i Indian v i l lage i n nor thernA r izona an d campe d in a l it t le me adow be twe en two of the most gor geouswa t e r f a ll s i n we s t e r n A me r i c a . It i s a r e mo te c a n y o n whe r e t h e sol it ude i sbroken on ly by the tumbl ing wate rs o f Ca tarac t c r e ek and the song ofcanyon b i rds . And i f you have wondered what i t would be l ike to l iv eaga in i n a wor ld wi th ne i ther radio nor n e wspaper far r emoved f rom an yhint of war, per haps you will find the an swe r in this story.

By RANDALL HENDERSON/ / EITHER tribal legend nor the re-S\ / search of the archaeologists havetold us when and why the Hava-supai Indians migrated to majestic Havasucanyon. They may have gone there to hidefrom their enemies, or to escape the dic-tatorship of a screwball medicine man, orperhaps because rabbit hunting was bet-ter in that isolated canyon.But whatever the reason, I will givethose old-timers of the Havasupai tribecredit for discovering a village site thatwould make a Southern California real es-tate subdivider green with envy.The Supai people of Havasu canyon

have everythinga climate that is mild inwinter and healthfully warm in summer,J U N E , 1 9 4 2

a bounteous water supply, fertile soil thatis easy to irrigate, and the kind of seclu-sion that certain isolationist-mindedAmericans once dreamed about but havenever attained. And in addition to allthese very practical assets Havasu canyonhas a scenic splendor that would make anartist out of a hod-carrier.My acquaintance with Havasu and itseasy-going Indian tribesmen is very re-cent. I spent Easter week this year campingbeneath a huge native ash tree on thebanks of Cataract creek a mile downstreamfrom Supai village.Before I go on with my story I think weshould get our place names straightenedout. Cataract creek was given its name by

Lieut. Joseph C. Ives during his exploringtrip in 1858. The lower part of the can-yon in which Cataract creek flows, how-ever, is now called Havasupai, derivedfrom the primitive people who dwellthere. Havasu is an Indian word meaningblue-green w ater, and pai m eans peoplepeople of the blue-green water. In com-mon usage Havasu and Havasupai areused synonymously as applying both tothe canyon and to the Indians who dwellthere.My companions on this jaunt into theland of the blue-green water were mem-bers of the Sierra club of California, ontheir annual Easter trek.

Our rendezvous Sunday evening, March29, was at Hilltop, Arizona. We reachedthis place by leaving Highway 66 at PeachSprings and driving 63 miles northeastover a graded road that winds across thenorthern Arizona plateau.Hilltop is the end of the road. It is justa boulder-strewn knob that projects outfrom the rim above Hualpai canyon. There

is parking room for about 20 cars, and notmuch else. Vertical walls drop 1500 feet


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Air photo of Havasu canyon looking upstream. Large cir cle mar ks Supai Indian village.M iddle cir cle, Bridal Veil falls; lower circle, M ooney falls. Sierra party camped in a tinymeadow between the two falls. Navajo falls, between Bridal Veil and Su pai village is be-hind the projecting cliffs. Photo by Robert S pence.to the floor of Hualpai canyon on threesides of Hilltop.There were 14 cars and 54 Sierrans inour party when we assembled for thecampfire program that first evening. It isstill a mystery to me where the firewoodcommittee found enough sticks and deadvegetation on that barren hill for a camp-fire. But since Sierra club members wouldrather miss their supper than go to bedwithout the traditional campfire party,they dug up the makings somewhere.We spent the evening singing and dis-cussing plans for the seven-mile hike downinto the canyon the following day. Dr.Harold C. Bryant, superintendent ofGrand Canyon national park with Mrs.Bryant and their daughter, Barbara, weremembers of our party. The leader wasWilbur E. (Andy) Andrews, who usual-ly draws the assignment when the Sierransgo into the desert wilderness for a pro-longed outing. Andy thinks of everything.Sleeping bags were spread that nightamong the boulders, wherever one couldfind space enough for comfort, and nottoo close to the edge of the cliffs.Arrangements had been made in ad-vance for the Supai Indians on the reser-vation to pack in our bedding and food.The horses came up the trail at sunup thenext morning. They were typical Indianponies, herded along the trail by a halfdozen dark-skinned riders. A dude-ranch

wrangler would call them a sorry lot ofanimals for a pack train. But they knewthe trail and did their work well.We were limited to 35 pounds of foodand bedding for each hiker. That justabout takes care of the bare essentials inbedding, food, extra clothing and cook-ing utensils for a five-day outing. Ofcourse one always has the privilege ofpacking a few luxuries on his own back,along with cameras, canteens and lunches.We weighed in our dunnage on a tri-pod scale, and then headed down thetrail for Havasu. From Hilltop the trailzigzags down the face of the cliff to thefloor of Hualpai canyon. This is a tribu-tary of Havasu canyon and is now theshortest route to the Indian village. A for-mer route, 14 miles in length, followedLee's canyon.There is no highway into Havasu. Overthis trail goes every item of food, clothing,building material and machinery used bythe 215 Indians in the canyon, and theschool maintained there by the Indianbureau.On such a trail the hikers break up intolittle groups, each traveling its own gait.The Sierrans are seasoned ' trail-hounds.They do not like to be herded along, norwould they tolerate it. They came to thedesert wilderness to get away from theever-increasing regimentation that civili-zation imposes on its victims.

After dropping down the steep wall ofthe cliff, the trail levels off to a gentle de-cline and follows the leisurely dry water-course of Hualpai canyon a distance of sixmiles.Sandstone and limestone walls with redthe predominating color close in alongthe narrow channel of the streambed. It isan easy trail to follow. There is much des-ert vegetation along the route but fewflowers were in blossom this year. Therainfall has been light.The junction of Hualpai with Havasucanyon is a mile above Supai village. Herewe entered a dense jungle of willow, cot-tonwoods and arrowweed. We could hearthe roar of Cataract creek through thefoliage ahead. Then we came to fences andlittle pastures of bermuda grass and final-ly to the stream.The Indians disdain such civilized lux-uries as bridgesbut 54 visitors in oneparty from the outside world is an epicevent in the lives of these remote tribes-men, and as a concession to the peaceable-invasion of folks who prefer dry feet, theyhad thrown a couple of these swingingbridges across the creek. They are wobblyaffairs, but stout and serviceable.The little valley in which the Supailive merely is a wide place in the canyon.The Indian bureau has tapped the streamabove and installed an irrigation canal.There are a few patches of alfalfa, squash.T HE D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E


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*~ The action of limestone and water" which created all these odd formations issimple: Limestone is highly soluble inwater, and when the two come together itimmediately begins to dissolveand theyI flow downstream in happy union. But it isJ a fickle sort of union. The water evidently- does not fancy the partnership, becausewhenever the current slows down it im-mediately begins redepositing its load ofmineral. And so, the stone in Havasu can-yon is in constant process of destructionand creation.Dr. Bryant, in one of his campfire talks,told us that he had visited just two placeson the continent where the rock crust of

Supai wo men still bake bread overthe coa ls of an open fire. The loavesresem ble extra thick tortillas.beans, corn and melons, and some ancientpeach trees, said to have been brought intothe canyon by John D. Lee when he wasin hiding after the Mountain Meadowsmassacre. Most of the tillable land is inbermudapasture for the ponies whichevery Indian owns.A majority of the Indians speak someEnglish. Those who have been to schoolspeak it well. They are friendly and easy-going. Their village is never overrun withtourists, and they evidently were pleasedto have visitors from the white man'sworld.They are closely related to the Hualpaiswho live on top the plateau, and are saidto belong to the linguistic family of theYumas. The men cut their hair short andwear denims. The women, in dress andhair styles, resemble the Indian womenyou'll see at the railroad stations in Yumaand Needles.They eke out a meager living from theirgardens, and the men occasionally go out-side to work on roads or other projects.There is a postoffice in the village, but notrading post. Visitors are charged $2.50 aday for animals for pack or riding pur-poses, and while the total revenue fromthis source is small, it is one of their mostimportant sources of income and perhapsexplains their friendliness toward visi-tors.Our campground was a tiny meadowshaded by veteran ash trees a mile belowSupai village. Imagine a grassy little parkat the foot of towering cliffs, with plentyof shade, abundant firewood, and a streamof clear cool water tumbling through thewillows nearbyand you'll understandwhy the 54 teachers, lawyers, engineers

This is on e of the last pictures taken of Chief M anakaja before his death early inM arch. In Supai village these ancient dugouts are gradually giving way to mor emodern houses. Park Service photo.and salesmen from the metropolitan areasof the Pacific coast loved this spot. TheHavasupai reservation lies entirely withinthe bounds of the Grand Canyon nationalpark, but in all the gorgeous Grand Can-yon country there is no scenic area thatsurpasses Havasu.

When Nature brings water and lime-stone together, strange and fantastic thingshappen. Anyone who has visited Carlsbadcaverns will understand what I mean.The springs that gush from the uppercanyon and form Cataract creek are heav-ily charged with limestoneand that ex-plains much of the bizarre beauty of Hava-su canyon. Limestone built the waterfallsand created the lacy patterns of travertinethat form the backdrop for each cataract.It created caverns, and adorned them withstalactites and stalagmites. In one place Isaw a cluster of stone tree stumpsshrubswhich had been caught in the spray of awaterfall and encrusted with a thick coat-ing of tufa.

the earth is in visible process of creation.One of these is the coral reefs in Florida,and the other is Havasu canyon.Just below Supai village where the cur-rent of the stream is sluggish, the limehas built up a series of little dams in thestream, like the coral atolls of the Pacific.Water-cress thrives with its roots in thesoft limestone thus formed, and the resultis myriad pools of turquoise-blue waterfringed with the luxuriant green of water-cress. They are like floating gardens inthe stream.The sandbars, the boulders, everythingin the stream is coated with limestone.And when the sunlight is reflectedthrough the water against the mineralglaze it gives the stream the blue-greenshades which led the Indians to call itHavasu.I've always liked that name Havasu, andafter seeing the beauty which it describedfor Indian names are always descriptiveI would like to pay a tribute to that

J U N E , 1 9 4 2


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aborigine of prehistoric America whocoined the word.Most Westerners are familiar, by pic-ture at least, with the gorgeous cataractsthat gave this creek its name. There arefour of them of major importanceandmany smaller ones.A ha'f mile below Supai village is Na-

vajo falls, where the creek comes to therim in a dozen rivulets between brilliantgreen islands of water-cress and tumbles140 feet to a churning pool of liquid tur-quoise. The trail detours the falls, givingmany fine vantage points for the camerafraternity.A quarter mile farther downstream isBridal Veil falls, also called Supai falls.The name Bridal Veil no doubt derivedfrom the lacy curtain of travertine thatcovers the face of the wall that flanks thefalling stream. The deep pool at the foot ofthis cataract was a popular swimming holefor members of our party. An old wooden

ladder c'eated to the wall of the cliff leadsup 60 feet to a small cavern where stalac-tites form many weird patterns. Some ofus climbed to the caveand later weretold by the Indians that the ladder wasnot considered safe.Another half mile below Bridal Veil isMooney fa'ls, 200 feet in height and themost spectacular of all the cataracts in thiscanyon. It was named for James Mooney,member of a prospecting party whichwent into the canyon in January 1880. Hewas killed in attempting to rope downover the face of the falls. The body waslater brought to the top of the cliff and

buried. Will C. Barnes, in his ArizonaPlace Names, reported that he took a pic-ture of the grave in 1886. It disappearedsome time later when a cloudburst camedown the canyon and made radicalchanges in the landscape.More recently, steps have been cut inthe travertine face of the cliff over whichthe water falls. It is a thrilling stairway,with balconies and tunnels decorated withstalactites. Iron pins have been driven infor handholds and the descent can bemade now with complete safety.

The fourth cataract, Beaver falls, isthree miles farther down the canyon, butI will tell about the Beaver cascades later.We remained four days in camp, fol-lowing the trails and exploring the covesand cliffs and jung'es above and belowour camp, which was between Bridal Veiland Mooney falls.One day some of us followed a steeptrail, which according to Indian legend,was once used by marauding Apacheswhen they made their periodic forays intoSupai country. Our route was up a narrowside canyon, and then with the help of arope to the summit of the cliffs overlook-ing camp.Another afternoon we explored an oldmine tunnel that was worked for manyyears by a prospector who expected tofind rich ore thereand never did. Butthe old tunnel is a treasure-house for therockhound pack. Its sidewalls are pockedwith little niches in which calcite crystalssparkled in the beam of our flashlights. Isaw crystals big enough for bookends. At

another place, along the trail, I saw anoutcropping of beautiful red jasper andchalcedony. But of course this is Indianland, and collecting is taboo.Ponies were always available for thosewho preferred to do their exploring onhorseback, and Cliff Siyuja, Supai Indianwho served as head wrangler, proved to

be an accommodating guide.It is surprising how much talent for im-promptu entertainment can be found in agroup of 54 people. Marion Jones, assis-tant leader, who was in charge of the eve-ning programs did a masterly job of com-bining comedy vaudeville with lecturesof chatauqua quality.Dr. Bryant, who has made a specialstudy of desert zoology was our ace lec-turer. He helped us identify many of thebirds which are plentiful in Havasu. Twoof the most common species were the rockwren, whose trill constantly broke the si-

lence of the canyon, and the white-throat-ed swift, which in flight looks like a cross-bow. It darts in and out among the can-yon walls, and so far has defied all ef-forts of the naturalists to discover whereit spends its winterswhether it goessouth or into hibernation in the crevicesin the cliffs.One of the unexpected pleasures of thetrip for me was the opportunity to renew along-standing friendship with James Ren-

n i e , member of the San Francisco chapterof the Sierra club. Twenty-seven years agohe was farming in Palo V erde valley whenI was editing the weekly newspaper at

- L E 6 E N D -P A V E D M A DD I R T >P A C K R O U T E

T HE D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E


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- I Pg

'-','" rm" -n'-.ti ."

11Beaver falls.

BJythe. A Scotchman by birth, now78 years old, he took the long hikeinto Havasu canyon without appar-ent fatigueone of those men whopreserve their youth by careful liv-ing and active minds.We visited the school at Supaivillage, found an Indian schoolboyspending the noon recess rattling agourd while he chanted an Indiansong. The Supai have their nativeceremonials, but do not take them asseriously as do the Navajo andHopi. Or, at least they do not devoteas much time to their rituals.

"Andy" Andrews and M arionJones, leader and assistantleader.Where the stream was shallow it waseasier to w ade than fight through thegrapevine entanglements on the banks.

M ooney falls.We bought most of the availablesupply of baskets in the village.Only a few of the Supai women arenow weaving basketry, but some oftheir craft work is of very fine qual-ity.The agent for this reservation

lives on the plateau at Valentine, andthe local federal authority is vestedin the school principal, Charles F.Shaffer. A scholarly man with a fineunderstanding of the Indians, hiswork since he came to Supai villagenine years ago has won the respect ofall who have been associated with

On the hike to the Colorado river, members of the party stoppedto admir e the cascades of Beaver falls. Crossing Cataract creek on the traver tine-coated boulders yo ueither keep yo ur balanceor else!U N E , 1 9 4 2


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him. Due to the illness of Mrs. Shaffer heis now being transferred to another post,and the vice-principal, Lonnie Hardin,will act in his place until a permanent ap-pointment is made.With Andy in the lead, 16 of us hikedone day down Cataract creek to its junc-tion with the Colorado. Leaving camp at

seven in the morning we followed a goodtrail as far as M ooney falls, and thenpicked our way over the rocks and throughthe thickets of willow and grapevine theremaining distance.We were warned in advance that thetrip to the Colorado would require fre-quent wading of Cataract creek. I put apebble in my pocket each time we crossedthe stream, and when I counted them thatnight there were 41,Sometimes the water was knee deep andthe footing was good. At other times wecrossed over lime-encrusted boulders with

deep water on both sides. It took a ratherdelicate job of balancing in a few placesbut our record was good until Andyslipped and took a ducking. That was theonly casualty.We became so used to wading that insome places we took to the stream to avoidfighting our way through the jungles ofwild grape that grew on the banks. Nextto cholla cactus, I think grapevines are themost exasperating of all the snares thatwaylay the wilderness hiker. Havasu hasmore than its share of them.Half way down the river we passed

Beaver falls, a series of cascades not asimposing as the falls upstream, but insome respects more colorful. The passagedown the canyon is difficult here, and wefound remnants of an old trail that de-toured up on the side of the cliff. Lookingdown on the Beaver cataracts from above,I saw one of the most colorful pictures ofthe entire trip. It was a picture in red,white and bluepools of rich turquoise,broken at intervals with the white waterof churning cascades, all against a back-ground of deep red sandstone. It wasworth the rather strenuous trip down thecanyon just to see Beaver falls from thehigh trail above it.Cataract creek enters the Coloradothrough a narrow rock portal with verti-cal walls and deep water between. Thereare only two ways to reach the Coloradoeither swim the last 50 yards or climb asteep cliff on the south side. We chosethe cliff, and ate our lunch sitting on alava bench at the edge of the daddy of allsouthwestern rivers.

It was fascinating to watch the give-and-take battle where the blue waters ofthe creek meet the chocolate brown wavesof the Colorado. A wavering finger of tur-quoise would shoot out into the brownflood, only to be engulfed in a swirlingeddy. Then a surge of the muddy water

would crowd its delicately-tinted invaderfar back toward the portal. The conflictgoes on and onand the Colorado alwayswins.We reached camp at eight o'clock thatevening after climbing the face of Mooneyfalls with the aid of flashlights. Thecampfire program was in progress, and wenearly broke up the party by insisting thata special ceremonial of some kind must bestaged in recognition of our achievement.We put on an impromptu war dancebutit was very brief. Fourteen miles over un-charted canyon country makes a long day

for a bunch of white-collar softies on vaca-tion.Early Friday morning we said goodbyeto our Supai neighbors and took the longuphill trail to Hilltop. One could nothelp but have regrets at leaving such aplace.But Havasu will always be there for areturn visit. The fact that it is within theboundaries of both an Indian reservationand a national park gives double assur-ance against encroachment by interestswhich might despoil the beauty of this,land of the turquoise water.

T R U E O R F A L S E Most of us do not get out on the desert asoften as formerly during these days of re-strictions, and perhaps that is one reasonwhy Desert Magazine's monthly quiz is gaining in popularity. If we cannot go tothe desert we can at least keep our minds alert to its strange and interesting phe-nomena. This month's True or False is a test of the diversity of your knowledge ofdesert subjects. It includes history, geography, mineralogy, botany and the gen-eral lore of the desert country. The average person will answer less than 10 ofthese correctly. A score of 15 is worthy of a dyed-in-the-wool Desert Rat, and ifyou score more than 15 you are one of those super-students. Answers are on page45.

1The desert Kangaroo rat carries its young in a pocket in its skin.True False2Juniper trees grow wild below sea level in Death Valley.True False3Buffalo meat was once a main item of food for Yuma and Mojave Indians.True False4Coal is mined in New Mexico. True False% ~The Dirty Devil river is a tributary of the Colorado. True. False.6Father Garces often accompanied Father Kino on his journeys in Pimeria.True. False7Ironwood trees have thorns. True False8A rattlesnake has no bones in its body. True False9The blossom of the creosote bush is pink. True False

10Great Salt Lake is the largest inland body of water west of the Rocky Moun-tains. True False11 Dog-tooth spar is a crystallized form of calcite. True- - False12It is generally accepted that Joshua trees were given their name by the Mor-mons. True--- False13Coolidge dam in Arizona is on the Salt river. True False14Before the Spaniards brought horses to the New World the Apache Indiansrode on burros. True False15Peccaries are still found running wild in southern Arizona.True False16Indian Petroglyphs are found only on rocks facing the east.True.-- False17Nevada was once part of Utah territory. True False18The cereal used by the Hopi Indians in making piki is corn.True False.19Desert Indians gather pinon nuts by climbing the trees.True False20Arizona was the 48th state to be admitted to the union.True False

10 T H E D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E


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This Hennings painting entitled "Announcements" was awarded the Walter Lippincottprize, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

He Thanks Taosfor His FameIn nearly every important art gallery you will find

paintings from Taos, New Mexicocanvases whichreflect with striking realism the scenic beauty ofnorthern New Mexico, and the character and cos-tumes of the native Americans who were dwellingthere when the white men came to the New World,and still follow ancient customs of dress and reli-gion and daily life. Many fine artists come to thispeaceful environment to work, and if you wonderwhy they are attracted to this remote Indian settle-ment, Martin Hennings has given a very plausibleanswer in the accompanying interview.

J U N E , 1 9 4 2

B y R U TH W A T S O Nr HERE was a pungent, never-to-be-forgotten odor ofburning pinon in the air the day I drove across town tokeep an appointment with E. Martin Hennings , prom-inent member of the art colony in Taos , New Mexico.It was a bright February day with New Mexico's famed bluesky at its best. Perhaps, if I had waited longer for this inter-view, I might have been obliged to walk or use a bicycle ratherthan my car. I couldn' t help but think of the horrible chaos inthe rest of the world and rejoice that, so far, the fascinating lit-tle village of Taos is at peace., its citizens following their usualways of life only aware of the carnage outside from the head-lines and radio and the intermittent departure of selectees.Mr . Hennings came to greet me at his studio door before Iha d the motor cut off. He is a tall lean soft-spoken man of some50 years the exact opposite of the temperamental self-centered, ostentatious type so many people think a great artistshould be. His quick smile lighted up his rugged features as heinvited me into his unpretentious studio. As a matter of fact,

he might easily be taken for a lawyer, doctor, or teacher."Welcom e , " he said, "I see you have your camera and notebook with you. Come in." Dur ing the next half hour Martin11


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Hennings told me something of his ar-tist's education."Carter H. Harrison, former mayor ofChicago and a connoisseur of the fine arts,is responsible for my coming to New Mex-ico," he said. "It was through him that asyndicate of men interested in promisingyoung artists, agreed to buy a canvas if Iwould go to New Mexico and paint. I hadstudied at the Chicago Art institute forfive years and had spent two and a halfyears at the Munich Royal academy. Twoother young men already had accepted theproposition, both of whom have becomefamous for their work. They were the lateWalter Ufer and our mutual friend, VictorHiggins.""Taos was already on the map in theartistic world, wasn't it?" I interrupted."Yes. Its marvelous assets for paintingwere well-known in the East, and there

were more artists coming all the time,thanks to the pioneering of E. L. Blumen-schein and Bert Phillips. When I arrivedin 1917, and saw the unique backgroundof nature, the picturesque Indian puebloand the land-of-manana New Mexicans,I liked it! In fact, I feel that I owe whathonors I have achieved to Taos and itssubject matter."Later my wife and I toured Spain,France and Italy for 16 months, paintingand observing. Then, in 1921, the call ofnorthern New Mexico was so strong, wereturned to Taos to make it our perman-

ent home.""What is your favorite medium?" Ithought I knew the answer, but wanted tohear it from him."Oils, of course. Aspens in their fullglory, sagebrush and Indians in their gayblankets; paisanos squatting against adusty adobe wall smoking their eternalcigarritos . . . no where in the world canyou find such color, such enchanting con-trasts!" His voice warmed with enthusi-asm as he spoke.But Martin Hennings does not limit his

work to oil canvases. He is one of the mostversatile of artists, and when I asked himabout some of his other productions he re-plied:"I like almost everything. Lithographsand monotypes, illustrations and murals. Ilike doing black-and-white work for vari-ation," he added. "Of course, a muraltakes a great deal of time and capabledraftsmanship which I feel I have mas-tered fairly well. I have had the pleasureof doing a number of murals for publicbuildings in the past few years. My last oneis at the postoffice at Van Buren, Ar-

kansas, which I finished about a year anda half ago."At this moment, Mrs. Hennings joined

f

E. M artin Hennings in his studio.

us from the house which is separated fromthe studio by a few yards. She is a charm-ing and hospitable person whose devotionto and admiration of her husband and hiswork are quite obvious.It was from her that I learned about herartist-husband's hobbies. His greatest re-

laxation is in tramping along northernNew Mexico's streams with his rod andreel, but he also goes in for golf and swim-ming. In fact he is an enthusiastic out-door sportsman. Indoors he prefers chess.There are some smart players in Taos, andit is possible to arrange a game most anyevening.I have known these fine Taosenos forsome time, and in their presence I am al-ways impressed with the sense of friendli-ness and naturalness they give to theirvisitors. For an artist of the first rank,recipient of many honors throughout thecountry, Martin Hennings is one of themost unpretentious people I have everknown.

H ar d R oc k S h or t yof De a th V a ll ey"Rainbow Rock, as you calls it,"began Hard Rock Shorty, "usta becalled Steamboat Rock. That wasback when I first come here an' thegeologists hadn't give it no atten-tion. It still looks like a steamboatall right with that real sharp edgefor the cowcatcher end, but themred, white, yeller, blue an' greenstreaks is all new in spite o' the bigwords the college perfessors use todescribe 'em."Hard Rock stuffed his old corn-cob pipe and warmed to his yarn."It all started with Gene Banksgettin' married. Now, that's usuallybad although it sometimes wearsoff, but Gene starts in buildin' ahouse. An', 'way out here ever'thin'had to be hauled in on freight wa-gons an' it turned into quite a job.Things was goin' along goodthough 'til he got to the paintin.'" 'I wants this room pink,' d e-cides Mrs. Banks, 'an' this'n green,an' this'n blue with a cream bandaround things.'"Poor Gene got it all muddledup an' after he'd got the wro ng colorpaint three or four times he droveinto San Berdoo an' at a big paint

By LON GARRISONstore he bought a 10 gallon can ofevery color paint they had. He fig-gered he'd get a combination that'dsuit 'er if it took a wagon load."On the way back in he had thepaint stacked about four deep allover the wagon bed. The team wasjinglin" right along an' Gene wassort o' dozin' off a bit when thehorses run astraddle of a rattlesnake. That woke things up with abang. Gene tumbled back into thepaint cans an' right on out over thetail board. The horses was runnin'away an' no stoppin' 'em."The road run right up towardsthis Steamboat Rock an' when theteam got there they couldn't decidewhich side to pass it on. The geehorse pulled one way an' the hawhorse the other an' they finally eachtook a side an' kep' on goin.' Thesharp end o' that rock split thewagon wide open an' split paintcans from Azure to Zinnia. Thewagon was goin' so fast the paintdidn't have time to run out an' wasjust painted on the rock in big widestreaks."Rainbow Rock? That ain't whatMrs. Banks calls it."

12 T HE D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E


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14/48

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Following the colorful trail ofthousands of gold-hungry prospec-tors rolls the smooth-paved high-way from Boulder Dam to LakeTahoe. G enerations ago the falter-ing steps of sun bleached burrostapped out the road from LasVegas to Reno, and today this his-toric route links most of Nevada'sgreat gold and silver camps, ghosttowns, Indian reservations, andcattle spreads.

The new, modern highway hascondensed the entire route withina sunrise to sunset drive, but mo-torists who appreciate the countryhave learned to take time to enjoythe fantastic legends, the historicand dramatic attractions of thislittle known desert area. Here is a trip that is an adventureinto the real, old West, for it

traverses a section of the oldbonanza country where customs,habits, and ways of living havere m ain ed l a r g e l y u n ch an g ed .This is one of the few spots inAmerica today, preserving thepicturesque originality of the fabu-lous, early day West.

INDIAN SPRINGS

LAS VEGAS

C I T Y # ^ Y B D A M L D E R


15/48

BOULDER CITYThis model community was planned and builtby government experts during the constructionof Boulder Darn. It is probably one of the mostbeautiful cities in the West, with curving streets,

trees, parks, in a jagged desert setting.Boulder City enjoys a view of great, sparklingLake Mead, abo ve the dam and offers all the ad-vantages of a modern western city on an inlandfresh-water sea.All buildings and homes are spotlessly newand attractive. Boulder people play on a beach,yacht harbor, or golf course. And their thrivingtourist industry is expanding from year-roundsunshine, good hunting, fishing, and fine ac-commodations.LeftLake Mead. U.P.Below Power houses below Boulder dam. KM .Right Boulder dam spillway. U.P.Lower lejt Day's catch on Lake Mead. U.P.Lower right Boating on the lake. U.P.


16/48

LA SV E G A

"Still a Frontier Town," Las Vegas is a sprawl-ing, growing giant in the Southern NevadaDesert. New industries, new mines, and ranch-ing have boomed this exciting city like some-thing from the Arabian Nights!Gambling flourishes. Weddings, divorces,and tourists bring a throng of thousan ds, an d thestreets flow with colorful activity all night andall day.New recreations have been found for tourists,and they range from winter sports, hunting, fish-ing, and riding, to rodeos, celebrations, and fies-tas. Las Vegas is the living 20th Century versionof the old time gold rush!

Left Charleston park near Las Vegas. U.P.Lower left Frem ont street in Las Vegas, day and night.Lower right Southern Nevada desert . V.

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17/48

B E A T T YDeep in Nevada's vast silent inte-rior lies the sun-drenched communityof Beatty, now awakened to an everincreasing crescendo of mining activ-

ity. On the brink of Death Valley,Beatty is within a few minutes of thehistoric Bullfrog and Rhyolite dis-tricts. The legendary Amargosa Riverof fable and song "flows" rightthrough the community.Of all the Bonanza Road country,Beatty is perhaps the least touchedby ch ange. H ere you will rub elbowswith desert rats, weather beaten pros-pectors, Indians, buckaroos, and thenewly arrived young mining engi-neers searching for defense materi-als.Top right Rhyolite's famous Bottle HouseRight Old depot at Rhyolite. N.H.Lower left Joshua tree. V.Lower right Death Valley. V.


18/48

G O L D F I E L DGoldfield still displays an effervescentdauntless spirit, undimmed by a third of acentury of "Borasca." Abandoned build-ings and homes dot the city, and the hugesix-story hotel, after lying empty for a gen-eration, is again coming to life.Goldfield is the gateway to Death Val-ley, Scotty's Castle, and the lost towns ofthe desert. Ghosts of countless horse andmule drawn freighters rumble over itsroads. In the abandoned yards of its emptyschools once played the children who to-day are leaders of Nevada's governmentand economic life!Goldfield is still the city of self-reliance,resourcefulness, and hospitality. The old-timers will hold you like the Ancient Mar-iner with their stories and myths of thedesert country and the exploits of its

people.

Upper left M ining in the boom days.Center Freighter leaves for Gold Point (about 1 9 0 6 ) .Lower left First aid and rescue crew in the boom days.Below Photograp h taken July 4, 1906.Bottom Relic of the boom days.


19/48

"The greatest silver camp in theworld" still offers a rushing bustle cfmining activity and the enthusiastichospitality which have made it fam-ous. Tonopah silver rebuilt San Fran-cisco after "The Fire," and to a largeextent has financed the growth ofmodern Nevada. Today you can seehuge mining and mill operations, baga deer, or take a fighting trout near-by. Mine dumps dot the city itself,their gaunt headframes loomingagainst the sky.

Tonopah offers many short sidetrips, best of which include a hugegold dredge, the "Lunar Craters,"and immense extinct geysers. Heretoo are the junctions with U. S. High-way 6 from Ely to Yosemite or LosAngeles. Elevation is over a mile,with clear crisp air and magnificentdesert scenery.

Top tight Tonopah today.Small prints M anhattan gold dredge. Railroad yards.Right M izpah hotel, Tonopah.Lower left Tonopah's new postofjice.Lower right Recreation club.

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11


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Both Mina and Hawthorneboast rail connections with "TheOutside" and have alwaysbeen active ore shipping pointsfor the countless mines in thedesert mountains for m i l e saround; Hawthorne is now en-gulfed in an exciting defenseboom, rising largely from hugedeposits of strategic minerals.The navy station on the edgeof Walker Lake is now closed tovisitors, but natives claim thatunder proper conditions youcan still see the fabled sea ser-pent in the vast desert lake.Heavily mineralized, this por-tion of Nevada is still being ac-tively prospected. You meetburros and old-timers along theroad, see new claims staked onevery side, and fresh tunnelsand shafts dot the hills.

Nevada prospec- Walker lake. L o o kin g for


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Y E R I N G T O N'PIZEN SWITCH

Surrounded by rolling fertile ranch ing valleys, Y ering-

Nearby are gem stone areas of such fabulous richness

p M ason and Smith va lleys are rich livestock ranch ing areas. Abandoned ruins of Fort Churc hill. N.H. M oving Nevada cattle to market . D.A.


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>LV I R G I N I A C I T YTwin cities of the dramatic '60s when Nevada becamea state, here swashbuckled the Bonanza Kings, gun

men, miners, cattle rustlers, ranchers, bandits, operastars, and the great figures of the day from every cornerof the world. Original buildings still are in use today.The ancient railway still puffs along with old style roll-ing stock. Elite volunteer fire departments trot out anti-quated hand pumpers on occasion!Here you can step back 75 years, for these communi-ties have kept the old ways and old things intact. MarkTwain's home and newspaper shop, the U. S. Mint,mines, mills, state buildings, the Crystal Bar, Bucket ofBlood, Piper's Opera House . . . are all open for you to

s e e .

Above M iner's Union hall on the Comstock. N.H.Upper left Cour thouse, Virginia City. N.H.Left Piper's Opera house, Virginia City. N.H.Lower left Gold dredge below Virginia City .N.H .Lower right Capitol at Carso n City. N.H.

C A R S O N C I T Y


23/48

The exciting "Biggest Little City inthe World" with its smart hotels,clubs, and bustling traffic is the centerof much to see and do. Some 40 milesnorth is vast, silent, Pyramid Lake ina Paiute Indian reservation.Lake Tahoe is a few minutes toReno's west, with resorts and play-grounds. Some 1,000 square miles ofgood ski terrain with lifts and warm-ing huts are close to town. Goodpaved highway s lead everywhere . . .to dude ranches, golf courses, lakes,rivers, mines, Indian reservations,the ghost towns of Washoe City, Ga-lena, Franktown, Poeville.You'll enjoy fine hunting for deer,pheasant, quail and bear. Good fish-ing is found in the center of dow ntownReno!Top right Fishing in the heart of Reno. C.B.RightCampus. U. 0} N. V. 'Below Gaming in Reno. B.Loner right Virginia street. Pyram id lake.


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v Y

W e ' l l B e S e e i n g Y o u . . .A lo n g t h e B o n a n z a R o a d !

We who have made th i s p i c tor ia l poss ib l e i nv i t e you tovis i t these historic and colorful places. Travel our smoothh ighwa ys , le t your imaginat ion run free . An d do drop inand ask for more i n format ion . We have i t ; or we knowsome old t imer who does!B O UL DER C IT Y C HA M B ER O F C O M M ER C EBOULDER CITY, NEVADALA S V E G A S C HA M B ER O F C O M M E R C ELA S V E G A S . NE V A D ABUSINESS MEN OF BEATTYJ. J. ChambersG e o r g e G r e e n w o o dRever t BrothersNor th e rn Su p p l y C om p anyA m a r g o s a P o w e r C o m p a n yEl P ortal CourtsR alph LisleJ oe A n d r eGO L DFIEL D C HA M B ER O F C O M M ER C EGOLDFIELD, NE V A DATO N O P A H C HA M BE R O F C O M M E R C ET O N O P A H , N E V A D AM I N E R A L C O U N T Y B O A R D O F C O M M I S S I O N E R S(Hawthorn e-M ina)HA WT HO R NE, NEV A DAY E R I N G T O N B O N A N Z A R O A D A S S O C I A T I O NYERINGTON, NEVADAR E N O C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C ER E N O , N E V A D ANEV A DA ST A T E HIGHWA Y DEPA R T M ENTRO BERT A . ALLEN, STATE E NGINEERC A R S O N C I TY, NE V A D A

Photographs in this pictorial section were furnishedthrough the courtesy of and may be identified by thefollowing key letters:U.P.Union Pacific Railway.N.H. Nevada State Depar tment oj Highways.B. Bennett Pix. Reno.C.B.Charles Bennett.V.Truman Vencil, Hollywood.D.A.U. S. Dept. of Agriculture.

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Fritiof Persson n the ancient Indian ivorkshop wher e thegroun d wa s covered with a profusion o\ obsidian chips.O n a r e c en t t r ip a l ong Ne vad a ' s B onanz a t rai l.John Hil ton and his art is t fr i end, Fri t iof Persson,made two d i scover i es of i n teres t to the rock co l l ec -torone of them an obs id ian f i e ld whi ch ev iden t lyhad be e n the workshop of preh i s tor i c arrow-makers .

an d the o ther a road that l i t e ra l ly i s pa ve d wi th ob-s id ian an d agate . Ne vada i s v i rg in countr y for thoses e ek i ng n ew m i n e ra l s p e c i m ens , and h e r e i s a s to rythat g ives loca t ions for those who sooner or la terwi l l be fo l lowing the deser t t ra i l s i n that reg ion .

Workshop of AncientArrow - MakersBy JOHN HILTON

11 / HEN Fritiof Persson and I leftYY Las Vegas to follow the Bonanzatrail through the old miningcamps of Nevada, we were sure we wouldfind some gem rocks in that highly min-eralized area.And true enough, we found thembutnot exactly as we had expected. In the firstplace, it isn't often that one can stop thecar along a paved highway and gather in-teresting specimens from the right-of-wayJ U N E , 1 9 4 2

along the roadand yet that is what wedid on Bonanza trail.But the most amazing experience on thistrip was the discovery of a field where pre-historic hammer-hounds had been at worklong before this generation of Americansbegan roaming the desert in quest of pret-ty stones. I had always assumed that thosemorons who go out into a mineral fieldand start smashing up the nice specimensto see what is inside of them were one of

the devil's most recent creations. But Iwas mistaken. The aborigines were doingit long before Columbus discoveredAmericaand contrary to prevailingopinion among rock conservationists inthis year of 1942, I only wish they haddone more of it.But to go back to the beginning of mystory, Persson and I had stopped at LasVegas to inquire as to possible gem fieldsin the western Nevada area through whichwe were going. The folks there were veryhelpful with their suggestionsbut whenwe began checking up we discovered thatmany of the best fields recently have beenset aside for military purposes, and areclosed to sight-seers and gem prospectorsand other humans whose business is non-essential to the making of war.For a long time, both visitors and nativeNevadans have been wondering whatgood use might ever be made of the great

open spaces of Nevada. Today the armyand navy have answered that question, andthe dry lakes and barren hills have as-25


26/48

Handful of ob sidian nodules picked up along Bonanza trail in N evada.Sumed strategic importance as traininggrounds for various branches of the fight-ing establishment.Then we met Bob Griffith, former sec-retary of the Las Vegas chamber of com-merce, and he gave us a clue that seemedto offer possibilities for a rockhound. Heshowed us some samples of obsidian andjasper he had picked up out of curiosityone day when he happened to stop his caralong the road. He marked a spot on theroad map 28 miles north of Beatty as theplace where he had picked up these color-ful pebbles.

We stopped at Indian Wells for a chatwith Tim Hornaday. Tim is a No. 1 des-ert rat who knows his part of Nevada ex-tremely well, and he mentioned manyplaces where gem stones were to be found.But today they are within the bounds ofa bombing range. Hornaday has sometempting specimens, but just now bomb-ing practice is far more important thangem collecting, and so we will have toawait that day when the shooting is over.The desert and its rocks still will be there.At Indian Springs we met Dr. AdrianVan Der Horst who has been carrying onresearch work in biology in that area. Hetold about many miles of fossil-bearinglimestone to be found in the range back ofthe Indian Wells ranch.

After we had talked with the doctor awhile, he said he would like to give us acollection of fossils. "I am leaving in afew days," he explained, "and I wouldrather give them to you than throw themout in the back yard."We accompanied him to his laboratory

where everything was in the confusion ofpacking. Boxes were being filled with pre-served reptiles to be sent to scientistfriends. Microphoto equipment lay par

tially dismantled and culture pans of des-ert shrimp were drying up. The doctor isleaving to join the Dutch air force.We were especially interested in thedesert shrimp. He had several specieswhich were being grown in cultures raisedfrom the mud of various dry lakes. Theaverage person, being told that shrimp livein the desert, would assume that this wasjust another of those tall tales of the des-ert country. But this is not fiction. Thedoctor said the shrimp not only werefound in dry lakes but are carried by windsto tiny pools and springs all over the aridcountry. The explanation is that they laytheir eggs in the drying mud of lakes andpools, and these eggs remain fertile foryears without moisture. Then when rainscome and the temperatures are right theyincubate.We appreciated his gift of the fine col-lection of native fossils which included in-teresting marine shells, sponges and somedecorative crinoidea. One slab of lime-stone showed so many varieties and sizes,

and the fossils were so completely erodedfrom the stone that the pattern looked likethe sweepings from under a mechanic'sbench. Some of the crinoidea looked likenuts and bolts while others resembledlock washers and other mechanical gad-gets.The folks at the springs assured me thatanyone seeking fossils will find a shorttrip back into the hills very fruitful, buthikers should keep in mind that the high-way is in the boundary of the Tonopahbombing range and that forbidden groundlies in the opposite direction.We left Dr. Van Der Horst with a feel-ing of added resentment toward the Ger-man warlords whose ambitions have madeit necessary for fine scholarly men of this

type to halt their constructive researchwork.At Beatty we inquired about jasper,agate and other gem materials. At first thelocal citizens assumed we were seekingtonnage deposits for commercial use. Theprospectors and miners have been lookingso long for gold and silver and other valu-able minerals they cannot imagine anyonerunning around over the desert looking forrocks with little or no commercial value.I hope we haven't started a "rush" for jas-per locations. We left the town with a feel-ing that our story of merely collectingstones for the fun of it had not been accept-ed at face value.

Just outside the town I stopped the carto take a photograph of an old ranchagainst a multi-colored hill, and foundmyself standing on the site of a prehistoricarrow-maker's workshop. And this iswhere the prehistoric hammer-hounds en-ter the story. The surface was literally cov-ered with chips of jasper and agate of manyhues. Apparently the Indians had foundabundant material in the surrounding hillsfor their arrow and spear points.

This place probably was once the shad-ed bank of the Amargosa river, and dur-ing the heat of the day when huntingwasn't so good they gathered here to maketheir points. Many of the chips are largeenough for cutting cabochons. The soilseemed to be full of the material, indicat-ing that it was used by the Indians over along period of time. Collectors will findthis an interesting field for exploration.We continued along the highway 28miles until we came to a side-road markedby a mailbox resembling a tiny house. Thiswas the place mentioned by Bob Griffith.Here were nodules of obsidian in pro-fusion, with occasionally a piece of yellowor brown jasper.Suddenly Fritiof called to me. "Justlook at the road," he said. "It is pavedwith gem stones."Sure enough, the oil-mix highway wasmade from the gem-bearing gravels whichcover the desert here, and black pieces ofobsidian were inlaid in the highway pave-

ment itself. There were occasional frag-ments of agate or jasper. A ll were exposedand partially polished by the rubber tirespassing over them.We drove up on the plateau that bor-dered the road. It was not necessary to getout of the car to see that the desert herewas covered with nodules of obsidian.Most of these were black, but I found afew with a mottled shading of red andblack. Some were a light smoky tint withblack stripes and I found a few having thatsilky luster which gives a chatoyant orcat's eye effect if a cabochon is cut with its

base parallel to the millions of lines of airthat have been strung through the obsid-ian like taffy. These easily can be dis-tinguished from the others in the field by26 T HE D E S E R T M A G A Z I N E


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their soft bluish-grey appearance and thesilky luster they display in sunlight whenwet. Jaspers were found here too, but notplentiful enough to make them of specialinterest to the collector.I was about to turn back to the car whenI saw something shining like brokenglass some distance away on my left.When I arrived at the spot I found it wasjust thatbroken glassbut this glasswas of volcanic origin and the Indians hadbeen flaking it to make weapons for thehunt and tools for domestic use. I foundthe larger flakes close to a large boulderwhich would have made an excellentbench for the ancient workman. Thisproved to be generally the case. Whilemany beautiful flakes too curved or toothick to be worked properly were pickedup during the short time we were there,the best material was always close to thelarge boulders strewn over the field.

At Goldfield we were told about somemarble deposits south of Beatty, and onour return trip we stopped to see the areanear Carrara where the desert is literallypaved with boulders of various coloredmarble. A large quarry and workingscould be seen from the highway, but themarble is easily collected from the road-side, just as in the case of the jasper, agateand obsidian.So here at last is a collecting area whereone need not put those precious tires overrubber-chewing rocks of the remote des-ert trails to collect all the specimens de-siredand this is one region in which thehammer hounds actually have improvedthe status of gem-collecting.

F R O M P H O E N I X B U R EA UTemperatures DegreesMean for April 66.3No rma l for April 67.0High on April 10 92.0Low on April 23 41.0Rain InchesTotal for month 0.76Nor mal for month 0.40W e a t h e r -Day s clear __ 15Days partly cloudy 7Days cloudy SE. L. FELTON, MeteorologistFROM YUMA BUREAUTemperatures DegreesMean for April 68.1Nor mal for April 69.5High on April 3 92.0Low on Apr il 7 and 30 ._ 45.0Rain InchesTotal for month TraceNo rma l for month . 0.10W e a t h e r -Num ber of days clear 19Days partly cloudy 8Days cloudy 3330 hours of sunshine out of a possible 390hours, the lowest for April in 33 years.Colorado riverDischarge from Boulder damvaried from 5900 second feet on the 5th to26,200 on the 15th. Average around 21,000feet. Storage behind dam gained about 1,500,-000 acre feet. Promise of fairly heavy springrun-off.JAMES H. GORDON, Meteorologist

V < -V .-*.D E T A I L OF C H I P P I N G A R E A

L I M E S T O N E H I L L S W IT H F O S SIL S(MOS TLY CR INOIOS )

J U N E , 1 9 4 2 27


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W A N T E DFirst issues of Desert MagazineNovember, 1937We willpay$3.00for each copy sent to this officein good condition

We will also pay$1.00 e a c h iorthe issue of February 1939.Desert MagazineEl Centre California

SUBSCRIBE TOH o o f s a n d H o r n sTo Keep Abreas t of the RODEOGAME an d its H A P P E N I N G S -Its news about Rodeos and Roundupsis the most authoritative of any pub-lished in America. Rodeo Associationbulletin and C owboy's Turtle A ssocia-t i on news are published monthly.Those who enjoy poetry of the OldWest will revel in the abundance oftruly typical poetry that appears ineach issue of Hoofs and Horns. You'lllike Hoofs andHorns !Each issue is generously illustratedwith pictures of the people and placesthat are important to the current andpast history of the Range country.Don't miss a s ingle copy!

Su b sc r i p t i on R a t e s1 YEAR $1.003 YEARS $2.00 2 Y E A R S $1305 YEARS $3.50

MONEY MUST ACCOMPANY THIS ORDERS E N D NA M E ANDA D D R E S S TOHOOFS and HORNSP . O. Box 790 Tucson, Arizona

O L D M A N S I O N IN N E V A D A 'Who can identify this picture?

P R I Z E C O N T E S TA N N O U N C E M E N T . . .

There is an interesting story back ofthe stately structure shown in the abovephotograph. It is a story closely identified

UA T CDDIMS2C 10lh M I L E S N O R T H E A S TO F P A L M S P R I N G STHE LARGEST BEST EQUIPPED NATURAL HOTMINERAL WATERBATH HO USE ONTHEDESERTis open to the public every day, under scientific management . . .Ladies' and Men's DepartmentsA privatewarm waterswimmingpool.

Guest cardson request.RESIDENTIAL LOTS 50x130 FEET PRICED AT$250.00 UPTerms: 10%Cash Balance in 36M onthsSe e our Mr.Todd orMr.Duncan on the ground

L. W. COFFEE, Subdivider257 South Spring Stre et Los A nge les . C ali forn ia

with the boom days in Nevada's mininghistory.In order that Desert Magazine readersmay have thedetails, a cash award of $5.00is offered to the contestant whosends inthe most complete and accurate word-sketch about the people who built thismansion, the circumstances, and its pres-ent status.Entries are limited to 750 words, andthe story should include the location andaccessibility by highway or other means.

Entries must reach the Desert Magazineoffice bySaturday night, June 20, and thewinning story will bepublished in the Au-gust issue.

In ter -Rac ia l M arr iages Legal i z ed . . .Marriages between Indians andpersonsof Caucasian blood, heretofore prohibitedin Arizona, were legalized recently underthe provisions of a measure signed by Gov-ernor Osborn.The bill, passed at a special session ofthe legislature, also validates the marriagespreviously contracted between white per-sons and Indians.

28 THE DESERT MAGAZINE


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grow here in numbersfive now, where in the beginning therewere but twoour consumption of water increases alarmingly.Also our gardening increases, and our livestock. The well hasnot yet been located. Therefore the only answer, so far, iscement. Cement and more cement!For long we have had a standard joke that when there is suf-ficient water with which to mix cement there is no cement. Andwhen we have cement, then there is no water to enable us to use

it. This time, amazingly, however, we had bothseveral sacksof the precious stuff and ample water remaining in the outdoorpool to turn it into concrete. So we dug and plastered merrilyestablishing, before all our supplies were gonethree newpotential reservoirs. One on the slope south of the house; onein a deep excavation among the rocks north of the garden; andanother in a depression beside the hollow-topped granite boul-der which, when rain full, is known as "Lake Yaquitepec."No, these new catch basins are not finishedonly well start-ed. But we take abundant hope and satisfaction from them, andfrom the sight of their still thirsty-looking concrete glaringwhite beneath the turquoise sky. Someday, in those thirstydepths, there will be cool, gleaming waterwater for more gar-den ; for livestock; for every purpose. Life is good. "If you couldonly see the fine cabbages which I raise with my own hands,"wrote that old ex-emperor of Rome proudly, when urged to re-turn to the capital, and to power, "you would not wish me any-thing so unkind as that I should again assume the hollow pompof office."And lately there has been pottery to fire, too. Always a nervewracking job. For apprehension, like a gloomy owl, perches al-ways upon the shoulders of the potter until his wares comesafely from the fire. It was ever thus. The old Greek pottersmade pilgrimages to the temples and sought, by gifts, to bribethe favor of the gods. For the clay is temperamental, and thefinest of pots, wrought with loving care and bearing everypromise of sturdiness, will crack and shatter in the flamelikeso many promising humans who wilt and crumble under thetest of adversity. The old-time Indiansand the modern ones

tooknew the same troubles. "If the dirt don' like you it crackright away" a dusky skinned potter advised me once, withglum philosophy. And it is true. The clay, seemingly, haslikes and dislikes and whims and notions. Ah, how many gaypots and bottles and jugs and bowls go blithely to the fireas to the testing furnace of warand come forth only in thebitterness of ruin.Mayhap the potter de luxe has better luck. Dimly it is our no-tion that, beyond our horizon, there exist vainglorious kilns,fat with magnificence, in whose polished interiors haughy potsare "fired" by gas-flame and by electricity. We have read ofsuch things and, shudderingly, at times we have even peeked,for just a flash, at the kings-ransom prices at which such super-civilized kilns sell. But that is as far as our knowledgeor ourenvygoes. Yaquitepec pottery has need of no such frills. Inthe blaze of the open fire-hearth, as was the way of the ancientdwellers of the desert, it must take its trial. "Old ways are best"says the contented proverb. Well, at least they are often thehealthiest and happiest.Primitive man evolved all sorts of plans and notions for theoutdoor firing of pottery. The two main essentials are, how-ever, a1 dry spot of ground and an abundance of fuel. The firstis comparatively easy to find ; the second not always so simpleespecially in the desert.There are two types of fuel that are our chief reliance forpottery firing. One is the dry, dead mescal butts of last season'sblooming. The other is ancient yucca trunks. The latter is thebest, but there is more of the former. Mescals come, in greateror less quantity, every year. But the yucca is of slow growth.

The supply of ancient, dead trunks is strictly limited.For this last firing, however, we were in Fortune's path.By accident Rider and I had discovered, in a secluded littlespot on the lower desert, a veritable treasure of yucca fuel

enough for a generous firing, and to spare. Since it was easierto take the pots to the fuel than the fuel to the pots, we packedour sun-dried clay ware in back baskets and, one bright morn-ing, tramped away down the mountain. Rudyard came too. OurRudyard is growing and his feet are easier now to keep shodwith sandals. Baby feet are too small to handle sandals suc-cessfully; and for a long while this was the main reason forleaving him at home. Now, to his great delight, this difficultyis passing, and more and more he plods along on our excur-sions. Usually well armed with his bow and arrows for protec-tion against "savitg cweatures"for which he always scansthe desert attentively.A load of fragile, unfired pottery is not the least worrisomeburden that one would choose to pack down a precipitousmountain trail. We picked our steps carefully. But about halfway down a wild yell and a cascade of loose stones brought meto a sudden face about to discover that Rider's feet had slidfrom under him on a treacherous ridge of shale and, clutchingfrantically at his burden, he sat down heavily."Ow! Ow! All the potteree is bwoken! All the potteree isbwoken!" yelled Rudyard, dancing with excitement and bran-dishing bows and arrows as he peered into the basket. "Allbwoken! Every bit! Daddy, can I have al l the pieces.""It's not broken. Not any of it!" Rider scrambled to his feet."I just managed to save the basket from hitting the ground."He was a bit breathless."But isn't anything hurted?" Rudyard demanded. There wasdistinct disappointment in his tone."Yes," Rider said briefly, as he resumed his way down thetrail. "Those stones I sat on were hard.""Oh, is that all," said the mighy hunter of "savitg" creatures."I am sowwy." With which ambiguous remark he dismissed thematter. His arrow whizzed across the mescals and another fe-rocious "rhynosterous" fell dead.We reached the bottom without further mishap. In spite ofour early start the sun was well up and it was getting hot. By thetime we had trekked through the creosotes and over the little in-tervening rise to our destination we were glad to ease down ourburdens in the shade of a friendly juniper.There is an asserted thrill to treading where no man has evertrodden beforethough so ancient and well trodden is our oldearth that I believe it is safe to say that no man has ever ex-perienced it, no matter what seeming evidence to the contrary.A greater thrill, I think, comes from the continual proof that,no matter where we may happen to be, fellow human beingshave, at some time, preceeded us. At any rate it was so here.For, on the brown, glowing earth, not 10 yards from our tree,a roughly circular scatter of big, flattish stones told of an oldtime mescal hearth. And, stirring the deep mulch of fallen juni-per leaves with the point of his arrow, Rudyard found beneathour shade tree the fragments of a small, broken olla. One large-

section had been part of the neck. In it there was a neat holeevidently one of a pair of holes through which a string of fiberor raw hide had once been passed for carrying purposes.We piled the ancient hearthstones together and made a littlepaved floor. On this, carefully arranging the pieces so that allshould get as even a heat as possible, we set our clay ollas andbottles. Some of the nearer dead yucca trunks we brought andlaid around our pile of earthenware somewhat after the fashionof a fence. But not too closethe heat must come gradually atthe first. Then we dragged in all the dead tinder-like trunks wecould find. It is astonishingand heartbreakingwhat a vastamount of fuel a single firing of pottery will consume. Weworked until we had a small mountain of dead wood at hand .Then a carefully arranged priming of dry mescal leaves ina strategic corner of the pottery corral. Rudyard struck thematch. Smoke lifted and the red forks of flames ran right andleft. With long mescal poles Rider and I poked and shifted theyucca trunks, shoving some closer, others farther away. Toogreat a heat at the start will crack the pottery. It must be



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warmed gradually. Sometimes it is necessary to protect fragilepieces with leaned barricades of old, broken ware.We had forgotten our temporary weariness now as we be-came engrossed in the job of tending the fire. While Rudyardranged the immediate district, slaying "fewocious beasts" withwell aimed arrows, Rider and I poked and watched the burn-ing trunks, laying on new ones here and there; graduallyworking the flame-ring closer and closer to the pots as they be-came more heated. Finally we decided that they were safeenough for the main fire. Warily, for the heat was intense, webegan to roof them completely over with dry fuel; piling deadtrunks over and across until the pots were the center of ahollow, blazing mass. Dead yuccas can develop a tremendousheat. Through the crevices between the logs we could glimpse,here and there, our pots g lowing a fierce, cherry red.For half an hour we kept the fire going at full heat, filling in

**..

T h e I n g H I I S H o t e lUnusually large and airy rooms, furnishedwith a type, size, and gr ade of furniture seldomfound in modern hotels. Your choice of doubleor twin beds, all with deluxe inner springmattresses and box springs, thus guarantee-ing the acme of comfort and luxury.R ATE S: Room wi th p r iva t e ba th$2.00-$2 .50 -$3.00, o n e o r t w o p e r s o n s . W i t h o u t p r i v a t ebath, $1.50-52.00, on e or two pe rso n s

S p e c i a l W e e k l y R a t e s Fourth and Spring Streets

L O S A N G E L E SA. C. BerKhoff, P r op r i e to r H a r r y J . W a l l , M a na ge r

burned-out gaps with new fuel. Then we dropped our fire polesand sat in the shade of the juniper to rest.We went home in the early afternoon, leaving our potterystanding, like the grim survivors of a battlefield, in the midst ofa ring of smoking ashes. It was still fiercely hottoo hot to getnear. It is best for fired pots to cool slowly and it would be along while yet before the fire completely died. The coyotes andthe brown ghosts would not harm our wares and the desertstarlight harbored no vandals. We left them alone in the silence.They were cold enough next day, standing cheerful and ash-flecked in the midst of a fire ruin that was as chill as they.Eagerlyfor this is the supreme momentwe thrust handsamong the soft, grey-white ash banks and drew the pots forthone by one, examining them critically; tapping them with ap-praising fingernails while we listened for the clear, metallicring that indicates a perfect piece. The day was warm and

_ glow ing; the silence was like wine.Against the brow n earth the fire-ash was atumble of snow. Piece by piece, withmounting excitement, we tested our pots.Y e s , the "dirt" had "liked us." Nothingwas cracked. By some miracle it had beena hundred percent perfect firing.

THE SIMPLE WAY// is the simple things that count,The little things that ur ge and swayAnd gradually mount and mountTo mold the life ive live today.It is not ha rd to choo se the right,Each act is like a guiding hand.Rememb er that the mountain height.Consists of tiny gr ains ofsand.Tanya South

N o R e w a r d for H i s S e r v i c e s . . . ?Dr. W. T. Hef i ern an , the man who suppl i ed fundsfor "R ockwood's cr azy dream" of br ing ing waterto th e Im p er i a l V a l ley w h en a ll o th e r s ou r c e sfa i l ed , rece ived l i t t l e more than a gratefu l " thanky o u " i n re turn for the i nves tment of a l l h i s sav ingsand the major years of his l i fe in the project .

His was the heart of a t rue pioneer. . . . He askedno reward for the service he rendered to Imperia lValle y . . . h e got no ne . . . an d to day the wh ole ofImper ia l Va l ley i s a l iv ing and grow ing monum entto his vision and courage.

Today also , wi th the Imper ia l V al l ey t ak ing i t sp l a c e am ong th e na t i on ' s l ead e r s i n na t i ona l d e -f en s ep rod u c i ng a n ev e r - end i ng s t r eam o f food -stuffs worth ma n y mi l lion s of dollarsthat splen -d id p ionee r spi r i t i s mi rrored i n the operat ion of the

grea t i r r igat ion sys te m Dr. Heffern an he lpe d toc r e a t e .Like the doctor, the management of that system,the Imperia l Irrigat ion Distric t , receives no rewardfor the Imperial Irrigation District is cooperative-ly owned by the people of this inland empireevery cent of profit reverts directly back to theirown benefit.The same water that i r r igates more than a hal fmi l l ion acres of one- t ime "waste land" also dr ives

the generators which supp>ly electr i c power to thisg r ea t a r ea .WATER AND POW ER Coopera t ive ly ownedAND THE PEOPLE REAP THE REWARD S . . . TrulyDr. Heffernan did not give his t ime and moneywi thout reward .

I m p e r i a l I r r i g a t i o n D i s t r i c tU s e Y o u r O w n P o w e r - M a k e i t P a y f o r t h e A l l A m e r i c a n C a n a l

J U N E , 1 9 4 2 31


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Brine pum ped from beneath the surface of the deser t dry lake is sprayed from theseelevated pipelines dur ing the winter m onths when low temperatur es will crystallizethe sodium sulphate in the water.

C h e m i c a l s F r o ma Desert Dry Lake

They c a l l it Dale Dr y lake . But it i s dry on ly onth e s u r fa c e . B en ea th th e p a t t e rn o f d ry c ra ck edearth that forms the floor of th is desert playa is ag r ea t s u b t e r ran ean p oo l con ta i n i ng m i l l i on s o ftons of minerals useful to mankind. It took fai than d cour age an d a lot of hard work to br in g the sech em i ca l s to th e s u r fa c e and conve r t th em tocom m er c i a l fo rm. But m en p e r s ev e r ed and h e r ei s the s to ry of the i r a c h i ev e m e n t .

^ / OR many months Lee Richardson/ had been telling me about DaleDry lake out in the desert end ofSan Bernardino county, California.His story was interesting. He and agroup of associates were pumping brinefrom beneath the surface of one of those

waterless playas which dot the map ofthe Mojave desert. Operating as the Des-ert Chemical company, they had workedout a process in which Nature, with thehelp of a small crew of men, was reclaim-ing 50,000 tons of chemicals a year.Lee invited me to visit his campandI was eager to go. Leaving Los Angelesearly enough to see the sun rise over theSan Bernardino mountains, we were inTwentynine Palms for breakfast.From the town we drove north a coupleof miles and then took the well gradedroad east across the floor of Big Morengovalley 20 miles to Dale lake.As we approached the eastern rim ofthe valley there was little evidence of in-

By H. H. MAR QUISdustrial activity. Then unexpectedly, apower line loomed ahead, and a couple ofderricks. A few minutes later we saw thelittle group of buildings that comprise thecompany's plant. Beyond were broad ar-tificial lakes, pumping stations, vats andnew roads.

At the camp we met the man who formore than 20 years has fought for the de-velopment of Dale lake, fought againstconstant obstacles for the realization of hispioneering vision. He is Irvin Bush, whofirst saw the possibilities of a giant desertchemical industry and after two decadeshas seen his dream come true.In 1920 Bush was chemist at the Supplymine, then operated by Charles M.Schwab. The Supply, still a gold producer,is in a draw on the southern rim of theBig Morengo valley. To reach the mine,Bush would leave the railroad at Amboy,and cross the valley near the eastern end.As he followed the old wagon roadthrough the smoke trees and greasewood,

he saw what appeared to be salt crust onthe adobe clay of the valley floor. He madetests that first indicated the presence ofpotash, but soon showed greater depositsof sodium sulphate and sodium chloride.Sodium chloride is table salt, while thesulphate, similar in appearance, is essen-tial to paper mills, rayon factories, plasticsmanufacture and many other industries.

For many centuries, minerals in solu-tion have been draining into Dale lakefrom a 1500-square mile watershed. Thereis no outlet to the lake and as the waterevaporated the minerals were deposited onits floor. Every rain brought its new loadof sodium. Between storms the sink driedup and lay parching under the sun. Thecycle has been repeated thousands, per-haps hundreds of thousands of times.Vision it must have taken, and aknowledge of geology and chemistry topicture a great chemical industry here.Certainly the desert shows little evidenceof the wealth it conceals. For Dale lake is



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entirely subterranean. No casual observerwould guess that water lies under most ofthe arid valley.Bush recalled the first problems his en-thusiasm faced, and eventually overcame.Money was needed to prove his discovery;money for test wells, for no one knewwhether the salts were in solid or liquidform. He interested Lyman Stewart, presi-dent of the Union Oil company, and aseries of ten test wells were sunk, demon-strating the presence of an undergroundbrine lake.Before further development could becompleted, Stewart died, and then fol-lowed many years of litigation, delay anddisappointment. Although Irvin Bush isnot now connected with Desert Chemical,he is one of the owners of the 1500-acreproperty under 99-year lease, and hastaken a leading part in every step of theproject's development. His enthusiasm iskeener than ever as he sees thousands oftens of valuable chemicals shipped fromthe site of his early discovery.To anyone acquainted with the mechan-ics of salt recovery it hardly seemed pos-sible that this modest little camp out hereon the desert could be shipping so large atonnage of mineral products every year.This brings into the picture the vision ofa younger man, whose imagination andtechnical knowledge was as essential asBush's discovery.

He is Lee Richardson, president of Des-ert Chemical company, who has crowdedinto relatively few years a wide experiencein mining and chemical engineering. Foryears, chemists have been telling Richard-son that he couldn't make a commercialsuccess at Dale lake. Proven productionand low costs have caused his pessimisticadvisers to retract their words!Dale lake hasn't a single boiler, con-denser, evaporator or any of the usualmechanical apparatus by which salts arerecovered from brine. Richardson letsNature do all the work. All Desert Chem-ical company has had to do is provide .sim-ple facilities.It's true, as Richardson and Bush ex-plain, that Dale lake is differentthatthe conditions are not duplicated any-where else. The process is unique, and al-most inconceivable to chemists trained inthe standard methods.First, the brine in Dale lake is an al-most completely pure solution of twosalts. One is sodium sulphate, widely usedby many chemical industries. The otheris common table salt.At any temperature below 60F., sodi-um sulphate starts to crystallize, but saltdoesn't, so the sulphate is separated byspraying the brine into huge vats duringthe winter, Then the water containing thesalt is pumped into huge, shallow lakes,where the hot summer sun evaporates themoisture, and salt is harvested.Dale lake has plenty of cold weatherand an ample supply of summer heatJ U N E , 1 9 4 2

Lee Richar dson, who furnished the technical knowledg e necessary to reclaim thechemicals that underlay Dale Dr y lake.also the only other requisitea con

194206 desert magazine 1942 june

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