196005 desert magazine 1960 may

8/14/2019 196005 Desert Magazine 1960 May

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M A Y , I 9 6 04 0 c e n t sMagazine of theO U T D O O R S O U T H W E S T

DesertQuaffThese birds

happiest sightson t he de s e rt

beautiful.article on

see pages2 and 3.


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A Q U A I L C H I C K . N O T E T H E H I N TO F A T O P KN O T O N I TS H E A D .

T H E Q U A I L see color illus-tration on cover

ter ruffles neck and breast feathers.With rising and falling crest (manyemotions are displayed in the rise andfall of the crest) the small pugilistssquare off, warily eying each other.Circling, pecking and slashing, theystrike with beak, feet and wings, rais-ing dust until one of the battlers re-

tires defeated to a nearby bush.But the victor is not always des-tined to get the prize. M eanw hile, thedemure object of the conflict may in-nocently glance at another male. Witha flourish the newcomer is at her side,bowing and bobbing, his topknot flash-ing jauntily. If bold enough, he mayglibly succeed in walking away withher while the battle is still going on.Later, the jilted males, rage for-gotten in this new turn of events, mayperch side by side in a mesquite tree,re-arranging their feathers. They dis-mally whistle the irony of lost loveand hopefully call for more responsivemistresses.Some hens apparently bide theirtime until almost the last minute be-fore deciding on a spouse, and conse-quently the spring air about the birds'favorite haunts is filled with the clearpleading notes of the persistent cock-birds.With flirtation and courting over,the quail get down to the serious busi-ness of raising aO n e of the d e s e r t s m o s t c a p t i v a t in g d e l i g h t s f'y I e N 0Tmere hollows inTRIPPING BY with quickenedcadence like tiny Shriners in gaudyheaddresses and black tassels, thehaughty Desert (or Gambel's) quailare the feathered Beau Brummels ofSouthwest desert and rangeland.

Beneath a maroon fez and flauntingblack topknot, the male is attired ina buff tunic and black cravat with con-trasting white trim. A Quak er graycape thrown about his shoulders com-pletes the costume . His mate is muchless conspicuous in her dress, retain-ing only the gray cloak and modesttopknot.

Shunning high altitudes, the quail'scheerful call can be heard on the des-erts from El Paso westward to PalmSprings. Utah to Upper Sonora, Mex-i c o , are his northern and southernextremes.There are three more species ofquail native to the deserts of the South-

west: the Scaled Quail, the Mearns'Quail, and the Masked Bob-White.The latter, which is probably now ex-tinct in the United States, is still foundB y W i ll is P e t e rs o n

in Sonora, Mexico. (The E asternBob-White has been introduced locallyin certain Southwestern areas).But of all the desertland quails, theLilliputian Shriners are by far mostnumerous. Known scientifically asLophortyx gambeli, the Desert Quailcan be found on rangelands, arid des-ert sweeps, citrus groves and alongcity outskirts of the Southwest.With the coming of spring, thequail's covey relationships are setaside as individual birds pair off. Whenfirst paying suit, the male selects achoice food morsel to attract the fe-male. If this tribute is met with ap -proval, he quickly takes heart andfinds more bits of food to deposit ather feet. While the hen relishes thesetokens, her suitor bows up and downuttering low sharp whistles. Thenwith crest rising and falling he sashaysin a mincing dance about his lady.However, these attentions are notliable to go unnoticed by other cocks,and soon our hero may have to makegood his claim among other males inthe covey. When affronted by an-other male the diminutive desert roos-

the ground, hidden under brush. Othersare cleverly constructed cups of leavesand grasses.One of the most popular nest habi-tats are clumps of prickly pear. Inthese the nest is situated so the henhas a wall of cactus to her back.While laying and setting, she faces anopening. This approach generallyleads between runners of cactus, form-ing a crude chu te. Needless to say,

such a formidable and spiny rampartdiscourages many would-be molesters.In some cases, needles protrude intothe home, but the hen seems to avoidthem withou t troub le. To view one ofthese snugly-hidden shelters the ob-server must lie prone to peer into thecactus hideaway.April normally marks the beginningof the setting period. Ten to 20 eggs,speckled with brown, comprise aclutch. The se she lays one a day untilfour or five of the treasures grace her

nest. Then she skips a day or two.The rest are laid irregularly. Incu ba-tion takes 23 to 24 days.During this time the male keeps hiswatch from a favorite bush or post200 to 400 feet away, scanning the

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


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underbrush and cactus-studded land-scape for any suspicious movement.His occasional cheery call undoubtedlyis reward enough to the beloved mateduring her lonely vigil.Perhaps twice a day the cock leaveshis lookout to escort his mate on for-aging expeditions. Following a dis-

creet and circuitous route, the malemakes his way to a point close by thenest. Hearing a call signaling his ap-proach, the hen leaves her eggs tojoin the food search.When the hen is setting there islittle the pair can do to ward offdanger. The cock may use the brokenwing trick, but this ruse is of littleavail when the nest has been found.Predators include coyotes, bobcats,skunks, snakes and to some extent,gila monsters.Since quail are in the order of gal-linaceous fowl, they scratch and glean.Probably 90 percent of all their foragemay be classed as vegetable matter.The mesquite is a favorite item of diet.Hackberry and buckthorn contributeberries. In summer, grasshoppers andother small insects are changes indiet.If water is handy the quail willdrink often. In arid locations it isbelieved the desert quail receivesenough moisture for his needs fromseeds and leaves and dew.On the twenty-third day, while stillinside the egg, the chick begins topeck a ring in the big end of the egg.Finally, this cap swings open, muchlike a ship's hatch. Pushing with tinyfeet, the charming bit of fluff stepsfree of the shell. Just hatched, thechick is no bigger than the end of athumb. Though his little legs are abit unsteady at first, it isn't long be-fore he can run with the same agilityas his parents.So endowed are the chicks with theinstinctive sense of self-preservationthat if the first cluck their motherutters is a warning sound, they will"freeze" not to move until theirparent thinks it safe to do so. Andso perfect is their camouflage that itis almost impossible to spot the elu-sive youngsters in this attitude.Even at an early age the animatedbits of down display a faint hint oftopknot. Their bodies are clothed inbuff suits, with darker gray-brownstripes running length-wise from theirheads. The little fellows look exactlyalike and are so quick and bright-eyed

that it is difficult for the hen to keeporder.

THEIR NESTS ON THE G R O U N D . THIS PAIRPROTECTED SITE UNDER A CLUMP OF C A C T U S .

During the first few days, the fam-ily's movements are limited. Restingand brooding are done under anyhandy canopy of desert growth. Onthese occasions the male flies to anearby lookout to keep vigilant watch.In this domestic chore the diligenthen gets little rest. Her chicks con-tinually vie for positions under wingand breast feathers, then peek out andpluck at the ground. Others desper-ately try to climb up on her back.Some nod and sleep in fitful starts.Scolding clucks from their patientmother bring back the more adven-turesome.The chick's wing primaries developrapidly. In seven to ten days theyoung are able to make short flights.This is extremely important becausenow the family can roost in shrubs,greatly eliminating danger from groundpredators.Juvenile plummage appears on thebody after wing and tail feathers areabout three-fourths inch long. By thetwentieth day, the little quail havetaken on their parents' characteristics.However, the youngsters look unkemptand ragged, with bits of down stillclinging to their bodies.

During the chick's development,feet look conspicuously large consid-ering the body size. The reason isquite evident. They must be stoutenough to carry the chick away fromenemies, they must be strong enoughto scratch, and they must be hardyenough to scramble over countlessrocks and fallen brush.Summer is a season filled withcoaching and tutoring for the offspring,for they must be "educated" by fall.Instruction is given in finding theproper roosting sites, food selection,acquiring wariness, and predator de-tection. Parents and youngsters staytogether as a close family unit untilearly fall when they group with otherfamilies to form coveys during wintermonths.

In October and November the youngmolt their drab mottled-gray juvenilefeathers and acquire their striking adultplummage. As mature quail they willlive from three to five years.When the tantalizing moods ofspring begin to be felt again, last year'soffspring will be ready to find theirmates. With the successful conclusionof their first responsibilities, the life-cycle will again be comple te .END

MAY, 1960


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Volume23

Number5

- m a g a z i n e of t h e O u t d o o r S o u t h w e s t -C H A R L E S E . S H E L T O NpublisherE U G E N E L . C O N R O T T Oeditor E V O N N E R I D D E L Lcirculation manager

C O V E R

WILDLIFELOST MINE

A R C H E O L O G YDESERT BOATINGDESERT BOATINGD E S E R T B O A T I N G

A RTP H O T O G R A P H Y

I N D I A N SN A T U R E

T H E H O M EN A T I V E C R A F T S

A Deser t Quai l lends h is beauty to PaloVerd e blosso ms in this star t - of - sum me rscene. Photo is by Will is Peterson of Phoenix.2 All About the Qu ail Willis Peterson8 W ilson 's Bonan za Harold O. Weight12 Rescuing a Mammoth Fossi l Gordon G. Pond14 The Boom Is On V. Lee Oertle18 Last Chance for Glen Canyon James Tallon20 A Guide to the Professional Gu ides21 Wh imsy Tommy Rogers May Thompson22 "These Are My Favor i tes" John L. Blackford24 A Visit to the Hop i in 1924 Laura Armer28 Enjoying the Outdoors Edmund C. Jaeger

31 The Charm of Adobe Amy P. Hurt42 Navajo W eavin g: The Dying Ar t Bill Bryan al so

Desert Quiz: 4Re ade rs' Letters: 6 33: Ne ws BriefsHard Rock Shor ty: 6 34: Ne va da Travel Gen oa35 : Utah Travel"Dixie"40: California TravelRiver Route4 1 : Editorial

N.M. TravelGhost Ranch: 27Southwest Books: 32Poem of the Month: 32The Desert Magazine, founded in 1937 by Randall Henderson, is published monthlyby Desert Maga zine, Inc., Palm Desert, Ca liforn ia. Re-entered as second classmatter July 17, 1948, at the po stoffice at Palm Desert, California, under the A ctof March 3, 1879. Title registered No. 358865 in U.S. Patent Office, and contentscopyrig hted 1960 by Desert Mag azine , Inc. Permission to reproduce contents mustbe secured from the editor in writ ing.

SUB SCRIB ET O

or le t uss e n d i t t o a fr i end

One Year-$4 Two Years-$7j (Canadian subscription s 25c extra , fore ign SOc extra per year)! SEND DESERT MA GAZ INE TO:

(mailing address)(city, state)If this is a gift, indicate how gift card should be signed:Mail this information and your remittance to: Desert Magazine,Palm Desert, California.

Unsolicited manuscripts andphotographs submitted can-not be returned or acknowl-edged unless full returnpostage is enclosed. DesertMagazine assumes no re-sponsibility for damage orloss of manuscripts or pho-tographs although due carewill be exercised. Subscribersshould send notice of changeof address by the first ofthe month preceding issue.

Address all editorial andcirculation correspondence toDesert Magazine, Palm Des-ert, California.

Address all advertisingcorrespondence to Edith K.Whaley, 216 South Vermont,Los Angeies, California.

f t e & e t i Q u i j(Answers are on page 33)

Her parentswere killed,she was cap-tured by In-dians: (A) Nan Wickenburg; (B) LouisePrescott; (C) Olive Oatman.

2Delicate andrare is theb e a u t y o ft h i s p l a n t ' sblossom: (A) Saguaro Cactus; (B)Night Blooming Cereus; (C) IronwoodTree.

Spanning theC o l o r ad oR i v e r s i xmiles belowLee's Ferry is:(B) Navajo Bridge;Bridge.

. : - ' ^ . -. ? ' " - (A) Roosevelt Bridge;(C) Wahweap

L o w d e se r tr e g i o n s o ft h e S o u t h -west are thisbird's home: (A) Gila Woodpecker; (B)Rock Wren; (C) California Thrasher.

5A living leg-end of DeathValley is thisp r o sp e c t o r :(A) Shorty Harris; (B) SeldomSlim; (C) Drywater Blackie. SeenD E S E R T , M A G A Z I N E


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LETTERSFROM OUR READERSThe "Ghanats" of Peru . .To theEditor: A note on "horizontal wells"and the article by William E. Warne on theGhanats of Persia in the February issue:

Mr. Warne states that the horizontal wellsof Chile are evidently a Spanish introduc-tion. Perhaps so, but I have seen similarones in the Nazca Valley of southern Peruthat are not only pre-Spanish but probablypre-Inca as well. These ancient under-ground aqueducts were discovered by theplantation owners in the 1920s while dig-ging new wells to relieve the desperate watershortage of those years.The coast of Peru and northern Chile isthe world's most arid area. The only meas-urable rainfall of the past 400 years fell in1 9 2 5 , (about three inches) and was evidentlyrelated to a shift in the offshore oceancurrents. Probably less than 100 inches hasfallen here since the end of the PleistoceneA g e .The continental divide here is the sum-mit of the western range of the Andes,only 50 to 100 miles inland from the Pa-cific shore. A little rain falls on the west-ern slopes of this range and it is led intothe irrigation system of the valleys. Butthe rainfall decreases to the south and in

these southern valleys shallow wells are dugto augment the water supply.The slope of these alluvial fans is slight,perhaps 25 feet to the mile. The schemeof the ancient conduits (called puquios) isessentially the same as that described forPersia by Mr. Warne. The conduits weremade of squared flat stones, about 12 by20 inches in size, laid culvert style. Butthe method employed was evidently not bytunneling as in Persia, but by open ditcheswhich were then filled over. The partiallyfilled open pits at the foot of the mountainscan still be seen. I do not know if similarsystems are found in other coastal valleysof Peru. RONALD L. OLSONValley Center, Calif.Arango's "Nom de Guerra" . . .To the Editor: The article in the Februaryissue on Pancho Villa's widow was veryinteresting, but the author failed to men-tion the fact that "Pancho Villa" was aname suggested by an American journalist.The general's real name was Doreto Arango.

PERRY G. POWERSSunnyvale, Calif.

H v 4 R o c k S h o r t yof Death Val l ey"Dangdest noise I ever heardon th' desert?" Hard Rock Shortyrepeated the question put to himby the Tenderfoot who hadjoined the old-timers on theporch of the Inferno Store.

"Thet would hafta be th' timeme an' Pisgah Bill waz in th'Funeral Mountains a'huntin' fersome raw asbestos to mix intoour 'dobe bricks so they wouldn'tcatch fire durin' th' hot part o'th' summer."Pisgah waz workin' 'long oneridge, and I waz on t'other, jestacross this narrow deep canyon.We'd stop ever' hour or so tolook fer th' other feller so's tosee thet we still knowed wherewe both waz."Near 'bout sundown we waznear th' top o' thet mountain,an' th' canyon betwix us seemedit waz 10 miles deep. Pisgahshouted over somethin' to mean' I shook my head thet Icouldn't hear him. Then Ishouted back, an' he shrug hisshoulders so I knowed he didn'thear me neither.

"Thet waz somethin' 'cause we

waz only 40-50 yards apart, butseparated by this whale of a cutin th' mountain."Wai, we tried fer half anhour more to make ourselvesheard, then gave it up. We bothmade camp, cooked our grub an'turned in."Long 'bout midnight I hearPisgah's voice jest like he wazlayin' alongside me. 'Can yuhear me?' he whispers. 'Yu ol 'deef coyotecan yu hear me?Did yu find any asbestos?' Thenthis voice changes and he sez:'Now, why don't thet dangedfool answer me?'

"He goes on like this for ahalf hour mostly cussing meout fer bein' deef. Next daywhen we meet on top, we fig-ured out what happened."There waz sech a down-drafto' air in thet gorge thet ourvoices couldn't make it acrossin a straight linethey had totravel all the way down one

side o' the canyon, cross thewash on th' floor, an up th'other side. Thet' s what took 'emso long."

A Pcriute Arsenal . . .To the Editor: I have been a reader andsubscriber to your fine magazine for 20years, and I want to tell you how muchI enjoy your new style. The color picturesare really life-like, and would be niceframed if it were not necessary to cut upthe magazine.The story of the "Lost Arsenal of thePapagos" in the January issue reminded meof another "lost arsenal." This one wassupposedly located near Pyramid Lake innorthcentral Nevada.Many years ago while living in NevadaI befriended an elderly Paiute Indian. Hecould speak English fairly well and whenhe found out I was interested in the historyof his tribe, he told me the story of thestockpile of arrows he had seen as a younglad. His father had taken him to a caveon the northeastern side of Pyramid Lake,and there they inspected arrows fitted withshafts and stacked higher than the boy'shead. His father told him that these ar-rows were being cached for the day all theIndians would unite to wipe out the whiteman. As this battle never took place, thearsenal must still be there. I spent manydays trying to find this cave, but was neversuccessful.I relayed this information to Mark Har-rington and his son, a nationally-knowncave explorer. Harrington was head ofthe Southwest Museum in Los Angeles formany years, and has done more for thepreservation of Indian artifacts than anyother man. PERRY G. POWERSSunnyvale, Calif.Trail to an Oasis . . .To the Editor: In the January, 1954, Desertthere appeared an interesting article by Ran-dall Henderson on Stein's Restnow offici-ally Travertine Palms Oasis, California.Recently a friend accompanied me on asearch for the oasis, but it seems we"zigged" when we should have "zagged"and thus we failed to find our objectivewithin the time at our command. However,we were determined to try again, and havejust now completed a second trip to thearea with successful results. In the coolshade of the palms our lunch tasted mightygood after that hike.

I found four waterholes, with water, butthe water did not look clean enough to

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DESERT, MAGAZINE


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drink as it apparently oozes out too slowly.Surely many animals must visit this placeat night.The oasis is within the boundaries of theAnza-Borrego State Park. Loaded firearmsare not permitted. This is an interestingtrip for rugged hikers (stout shoes essential),taking about three miles from TravertinePoint. If anyone uses the map that ap-peared with the 1954 article referred to, Istrongly recommend going around the north-end of the intervening foothills rather thanclimbing through the first two saddles asindicated. C. I. KANAGYLos Angeles

A Crop of Homes . . .To the Editor: I was in Indio, Calif., re-cently, and stopped to eat lunch in theshade of one of the date palm groves. Iwas disturbed to see that the water hadbeen turned off and the trees were practi-cally dead. A real estate sign in front ofthe grove told the reason why anothersubdivision.

These date, groves are one of the bigdrawing cards for tourists. Why can't ourreal estate planners put the homes on theslopes where the ground is rocky and grav-elly and much better for home sites, insteadof on the wonderful fine agricultural landsdown in the flats?WILLIAM EARL HORNEBurbank, Calif.Lake Powell Crusade . . .To the Editor: I take issue with the state-ment in the February editorial that "civicgroups in Utah have proposed that the newlake to be formed by construction of GlenCanyon Dam in the Colorado River be

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America's Unique Event. . . 10,000 Indians!

A U G U S T11-12-13-14

C E R E M O N I A L A S S O C I A T I O NGALLUP, NEWM E X I C OD e p t . DM, Box 1029-D

Ofuniversal interest. .

The Classified Ads in theDESERT MAGAZINE'ST R A D I N G P O S T

Direct line merchandising, seller to buyer,in theTrading Post (seepages 36, 37, 38, 39)

named in honor of Major John WesleyPowell . . ."Over four years ago I made the originalsuggestion to the Bureau of Reclamationand at the same time to the Arizona Re-public that the reservoir be named LakePowell. Since then I have written dozensof letters in support of this move to Con-gressmen, members of the Administration,and other officials.Recently Congressman Stuart Udall ofArizona wrote me a letter in which hesaid: " . . . I think you should have amedal of some kind for your work ongaining official recognition for the explora-tions of Major Powell. I am sure that yourwork is at least partially responsible forthe decision to name the lake in his honorCongressman Udall now seeks to havethe dam itself bear Powell's name. Hisbill (H.R. 9030) will be voted on duringthe 86th session of Congress.CLARE E. REDDINGCamp Verde, Ariz.

Laura Armer Series . . .To the Editor: In reading recent issues ofDesert I find myself intrigued with LauraArmer's articles on the Four Corners' area.I am interested in that country. Would itbe possible for you to give me Mrs. Armer'spresent address?I can't begin to tell you in words howmuch pleasure Desert Magazine brings tome. I find myself longing for the peacefulwide open spaces of the desert country.BLYTHE H. TFEPLESan Jose, Calif.

(Mrs. Armer welcomes letters from read-ers of hercurrent series of articles in thispublication, hut at 87 years of age sheno longer has the time nor energy toanswer all of these Tetters. Heraddressis: 983 \4th St., Fortuna, Calif.Ed.)

ends of the octave and sestet caused me toraise my eyebrows. But, then I concludedthat the author did this to shock the reader.Other poets have purposely given readersshock endings. IMOJEAN E. YOUNGERMonterey Park, Calif.

Navajos in Oregon . . .To the Editor: I am enjoying my firstissue of your interesting magazine. WhenI read the article by Laura Adams Armerabout Navajoland in 1923 (March '60) thestatement ". . . by 1923there had been butlittle contact between these tribesmen andwhitemen" brought to mind a few thoughtsthat I believe will interest your readers.

In February of this year Chemawa Indi-an School, located near Salem, Oregon, cele-brated its 80th anniversary. This is signifi-cant because the children attending thisschool are Navajos. At the start of eachschool year our government transports thesechildren from their homes in Arizona toChemawa. They spend the summers athome.Several girls who have graduated fromChemawa are now working in hospitals inSalem, and a few boys are working in amushroom plant at Salem. 1 suppose thisis a rather lonely life for these youngsters,far from their homes in the land of redmesas and turquoise skies, but the lure ofgreater freedom than they knew on thereservation is probably the explanation fortheir decision to remain and work in Ore-gon. MARIE C. WOLFRAMPortland, OregonThe Beat's the Thing . . .To the Editor: I find the poem in yourMarch issue ("But, Let the Gadget Fail" byClarence Powell) to be a Petrarchan son-net with irregularities. When I first readit aloud the final reversed words at the

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Colorado River Boating RunsTo those of you who forego boat-ing thru the beauty of Glen Canyonin 1960you may be forever too late.GLEN CANYON DAM will becompleted; a 500 foot deep lake willrise, burying for all time hundredsof miles of canyon beauty, the finestin the West.Conic vacation in Utah in 19(>0.See your "Desert Magazine" forDec, Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., whichgives details on schedules and faresfor 3, 4, 9 and 10-day boating vacationtrips in April, May and June, 1960.Write us for information on theJuly-August, Arctic Expedition 1900.To those of you who may havehad no response to letters or depos-it checks, be advised, there havebeen three U.S. Mail Car fires dur-ing the past 5 months.Keep in mind that our base farehas not been raised in 16 years.Remember our offer of a $10 crediton fare for identifying THE photo.Special OfferYour full boat fare

will be refunded if you become our1001st guest in I960.Write, wire or phone us :LARABEE AND ALESONWESTERN RIVER TOURSRICHFIELD, UTAHM A Y , 1 9 6 0


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T H E L O S T W I L S O N B O N A N Z A. < % . OLD WOMAN M O U N T A I N S . T R E E S ,BUILDINGS MARK DANBY S T A T I O N .

" Q u a r t z " Wilson struck it big on the Mojave . . . but the big desertswallowed-up his horn silver strike when he andothers tried to relocate it

SOMEWHERE ON the MojaveDesert, within a day's horsebackride of a spring in the ProvidenceMountains and between this arid rangeand the Old Woman Mountains, is asmall rocky mound. On the rise is awindbreak (if it has not been obliter-ated by weather or man during thepast 80 years)a rough half-moonof piled rocks opening to the east.Nearby are a claim monument anda large stone apparently part of aledge projecting from the ground.

B yH a r o l d 0. W e i g h t

These are the keys to Quartz Wil-son's lost silver mine. The rocks andledge are fabulously rich in horn silver.Or so Quartz Wilson said. And manya prospector and lost mine hunter oflast century believed him, becauseQuartz had the ore specimens to proveit.

I have hunted Wilson's lost ledgehalf a dozen times, covering the jeeptrails and back roads between theProvidence Mountains and Highway

6 6 , and between that highway and theoutliers of the Old Womans, and everylikely mound within reasonable hikingdistance of them. And I still wouldnot testify that the bonanza does ordoes not exist. To settle that questionwould require months on horseback,working out from every known springin the Providences. So my sentimentremains mixed; my lost mine huntinginstincts tantalized.

Unquestionably such a ledge couldD E S E R T , M A G A Z I N E


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occu r in this cou ntry. Silver has bee nfound in a 75 mile north-south beltstretching from Clark Mo untain. Tobracket Wilson's lost ledge more pre-cisely, rich horn silver was mined atthe Bonanza King on the southeasternside of the Providence Mountains andwas reported from the southwesterntip of the Old Womans as early as1887.But if the ledge is there, describedwith such exactness in a definitelybounded area, why hasn't it beenstumbled on a second time? An an-swer plausible to all of us who havefooted after lost mine mirages is thateven a limited bit of desert becomesenormous when you are trying to lo-cate a small object in it. And W ilson'swindbreak would be small at best,while its possible habitat is discour-agingly large in terms of square miles.Whatever the facts about the lostsilver. Quartz Wilson was a realenough desert pioneer one of thefirst citizens of Twentynine Palms.Date of his arrival there is uncertain,but he was living at the palm oasis inthe early 1880s and spent much ofthe remainder of a long life in thatarea. Legally he was Jonathan W.Wilson, but he was better and vari-ously known through the years asQuartz, Chuckawalla. Johnny, Charleyand Dirty-Shirt Wilson. He is remem-bered in local geography by the place

name of Wilson Canyon, which liesin Joshua Tree National Monumentbetween Twentynine Palms and High-way 60-70.Col. T. W. Brooks of Pomona, trail-ing the Lost Wilson, visited its dis-coverer at the palm oasis in 1885:"He was living in a dugout and forcompany had procured a rooster tocrow and apprise him of day, and acat to hear his dreams of future mil-lions. He is a stamp and picture of atortured man; brains and bones nearlybaked, and in a sun and temperature

often of 130 degrees of heat, the skinwas peeling from his face as it hadoften done before. He is a man ofrugged build."Wilson was a good prospector,credited with the discovery of famousold Virginia Dale mine east of Twenty-nine Palms and the El Dorado on theedge of Pinto Basin, now in the na-tional mo num ent. But. he allegedlyhad the failing of "salting" himselfand his grubstakers through overen-thusiasm."He had the prospector's high hopesand his equally vivid imagination,"wrote George Wharton James, whomet Wilson at the oasis about 1906."Every time he came in from a triphe brought specimens of quartz which

he solemnly informed you were simply'buggy' with gold. 'Why, man, that'sthousand-dollar quartz if it 's anything,'he'd say. Tha t's how he got his nameQuartz Wilson." James must havebeen repeating local opinionwhichat that time principally consisted oftwo other well known TwentyninePalms prospectorsPhil Sullivan andBill McHaney.However, while Wilson was said tosell grubstakers the picture of an im-mensely rich mine, then lead them toan unproved prospect holehe didlead them to his discoveries, doubtfulthough their value might prov e. Heseems to have lost only one mineand it may be a sort of evidence forits actual existence that this one mine'sore was horn silver rather than "buggyquartz."Quartz Wilson found and lost his

silver ledge in the fall of 1880, on along prospecting tour through the up-per Mojave Desert. From discoveryof the Potosi mines, about 1860,through the Clark Mountain and Ivan-pah strikes, and the Bonanza King and

Apparently he was not equippedfor dry camps. When he started acrossthe valley, he carried only two quartsof water and no fodder for his horse.He also was without blankets. Theday was hot, the distance great, thegoing harddeep sand one story said.His water "lasted short" and it soonbecame apparent to him that he wouldnot reach the Old Woman Mountainsbefore night.

As darkness fell he sought a goodcamping place and found a little rockymoun d. He tied his thirsty, hungryand exhausted horse to a large stonethrusting up through the mound andmade what preparations were possiblefor the night. With the sun gone, anincreasingly cold wind swept acrossthe knoll and he gathered loose rockand built a half-moon shelter againstit.At daybreak, after an uncomfortablenight, Wilson prepared to move on tofind water. Butalways the prospec-torhe examined the rocks that hadmade his bed and shelter. They werecomposed of "immensely rich" horn

~ v Supposed Area of ^--~

Calico booms of the 1880s, silver wasmuch sought by desert prospectors andWilson was among the early seekers.When he decided to take a pasearinto the Old Woman Mountains, hewas camped across the big valley ata little spring "at Providence Moun-tain." His starting point is identifiedonly in that manner. The Providenceswere defined by the 1890 CaliforniaState Mineralogist's Report as beingabout 80 miles long, "several partiallydisjointed masses being included, tosome of which distinct names havebeen given, though the whole prop-erly constitutes but one chain." SinceProvidence Mountain was specified,Wilson probably was camped near thebase of the main mass. Even so, hecould have started from any of aconsiderable number of springs, manyunmapped or little known today.

silver. Even his horse, according toa newspaper story of the 1880s, was"larietted to a part of a valuable mine."Even a good prospector can be mis-led about a number of ores and theirrichness. B ut horn silver cerargyrite,the chloride of silveris not likely tobe misidentified. It cuts like ho rn, itwill melt in a candle flame, it carriesa huge percentage of metallic silver.

Wilson lost interest in prospectingthe Old Wo man s. He dared not evengo on in the chance of finding waterthere. Building a claim monu men t andgathering samples, he headed back forthe spring in the Providences. But be-fore leaving, he sought, by memorizingsurrounding landmarks, to make cer-tain he could return to the ledge.

He picked, as a principal identifica-tion, a distant mountain showing aM A Y , 1 9 6 0


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large horizontal red band or streakwith a prominent white spot, whichhe believed lime, above the red. Themountain was timbered with pinyons,at least on the top, and was to theeast for he had seen the sun rise be-hind the timber.

Before he had gone far up the ba-jada toward the Providence Moun-tains, Quartz Wilson knew that he wasin trouble. Entirely without water, heand his horse faced a day rapidly be-coming hotter than the previous one.The grade, the soft ground and thehorse's exhaustion slowed them down.Sometime during the day, Wilson losttouch with reality. But the horseplodded on, and the man regained hissenses to find himself lying in the waterof the little spring where he hadcamped.

It is said that Wilson made severalimmediate attempts to return to therocky mound, unsuccessful ones "be-cause the heated condition of his brainwas not fully restore d." The n he gaveup and hurried down to San Bernar-dino where his samples were reportedto carry silver "worth $15,000 perton."More than seven dollars a pound!

Wilson had no trouble finding grub-stakers and a prospecting company.Soon he and Hank Brown, O. D. Gass

and Joseph Janson, well-equipped,were hastening back toward the Provi-dence Mo untains. A fifth partner, F .M. Slaughter, did not go along. Thiswas no group of easily-fooled tender-feet. Han k Brown was a noted figurein early desert historystage driver,freighter, explorer and mine r. O. D.Gass was a Fortyniner, successfulminer and former president of theArizona senate representing MohaveCounty. Fenton Slaughter, anotherFortyniner, a successful rancher andbusiness man, was then a San Bernar-dino County supervisor.

But Wilson could not return to hisstrike. Carefully they searched theentire area. The mound , the wind-break, the rich horn silver eludedthem, and it continued to elude themand other lost mine hunters throughthe years. Finally Wilson abandonedany attempt to find his ledge and tookup his gold prospecting at TwentyninePalms.But Hank Brown was a stubbornman. Convinced that the silver reallyexisted, he was determined to find it.And in the fall of 1885, Southern

California newspapers broke out in arash of excited stories.The fabulous Lost Wilson Minehad been rediscovered!Brown, in his continuing search,

/ { T H E B O N A N Z A K I NG S ILV E R M I N E A N D P R O V ID E N C\ J GH O S T T O W N A T F O O T O F T H E PR O V I D E NC E M l

questioned a desert Indian, describ-ing the windbreak and the monument.That Indian knew nothing about it, buta "Chimavaro" (Chemehuevi) whohad been listening told Brown hecould take him to that exact spot for$40 . The money promptly changedhands. The Indian took Brown di-rectly to the identifying landmarks.Brown found the ledge and broughtback to San Bernardino ore worth$16,000 a ton.The confusion and the events thatfollowed have never been explained.

Hank Brown, with a load of sup-plies, backtracked for the mine, whichwas described as being "30 or 40miles northeast of Twentynine Palms."O. D. Gass followed a few days later.Not far behind him came Col. Brookswhofrom information given him bySlaughterhad written the first storyregarding the ledge's rediscovery forthe Pomona Progress. All the menwent by way of Twentynine Palms.

Hank Brown was unheard of forweeks, then came the unhappy state-ment that, like Wilson, he had beenunable to return to the ledge. Therailroad between Barstow and Needleshad been completed since Wilson'soriginal strike, and Gass turned up atone of its stationswhich he calledCadey and which possibly was Cadiz.He wrote a letter explaining that the"Chimavaro" Indian was really a Pai-ute married to a "Chimavaro" woman,and that this fellow had taken off forNevada to pick pine nuts. Gass wasin hot pursuit and would bring thePaiute back to guide them once againto the ledge.

Col. Brooks got no farther thanTwentynine Palms, having to turnback when a member of his partydeveloped typh oid. At the oasis hemet Quartz Wilson. At this time Wil-son probably was doing well with theresults of his Virginia Dale strike. Buthe assured Brooks that Brown couldnot possibly have relocated his ledgeby going in from the west, northwestor southwest. Due to absence of waterand overabundance of sand, it couldnot have been reached in that way."Wilson," said Brooks, "can tellyou more of the desert, the wateringplaces and the habits and customsof the Indians than any man uponthe plains; in fact, Mr. Wilson seemsto be familiar with all important factsin that country except the whereaboutsof the Lost Wilson Mine."Back in San Bernardino the Indexreporte d: "Old miners hereabo uts say

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that the statement regarding the 'LostWilson' mine is a base fabricationmanufactured out of whole cloth.""Lost Wilson Mine Still Lost" news-paper headlines read.Apparently Gass never caught upwith the Paiute. And in all the yearssince there have been no importantadditions to the story of Wilson's lostledge. Continuing fall of the value ofsilver made the search for it less at-tractive. And lost mine hunters hada headier treasure to seek in that samearea when the story of Tom Schofield'sdiscovery of the Lost Dutch Oven inthe Clipper Mountains in 1894 beganto spread.Wilson's ledge has almost been for-gotten. Among the miners and pros-pectors and desert people I have ques-tioned, only the late Jack Mitchell

seemed to know the story. Jackdeveloper of Mitchell's Caverns in theProvidence Mountains, now a stateparkcame to these mountains in thelate 1920s to examine silver claims towhich he had obtained title. He hada silver-copper ledge practically in hisfront yard which he claimed wouldsome day pay off. The Caverns areonly a few miles south of the BonanzaKing, and other old silver propertiesare scattered roundabout. Jack wasin a position to know about Wilson'sledge and have opinions on it."The story ties together very well,"he said, looking out from his highperch on the Providences across thevalley to the Old Woman Mountains."There's no reason why Wilson couldnot have found such a ledge out there.There's silver all through this country."Had he himself looked for it? Jacksmiled. "There are very few areasanywhere around these mountains Ihaven't prospected. And very fewstories I haven't looked intosomewith a lot less basis in fact."Obviously, Jack never came acrossthe little rocky mound with its hornsilver bed. Neither have I. But I havehad a good deal of time to thinkabout it, tracing out the trails of thatbig and lonely country. And certainquestions have risen time and again.Why was the great Bonanza Kingmine never mentioned in accounts ofthe Lost Wilson? Could Quartz haveobtained his horn silver from thecroppings of the King? True, mostaccounts set its discovery prior to hisstrike, but I have found no documen-

tary evidence of the actual date. ItPASS NEAR THE SOUTHWESTERN END OFPROVIDENCE R A N G E . THERE ARE AT LEAST r\SPRINGS NEAR THIS T R A I L , ONE OF WHICH 1/HAVE BEEN THE SITE OF WILSON'S C A M P .

M A Y , I 9 6 0

has been given as 1851, the 1860s,the late 1870s. But there is no recordof production until the early 1880s.John Brown, Jr., and James Boyd,in their "History of Riverside and SanBernardino Counties," say that about1880 a 10-stamp dry crushing millwas erected by Bonanza Consolidated

Limited. Official returns, printed ina newspaper, were $251,604.15 for arun of 115 days. The superintendent's1884 report stated: "Nearly $1,000,-000 has been taken from the mine in18 months and 10 days." The Cali-fornia State Mineralogist's 1888 re-port declared that from 1883 to 1887the King produced $60,000 a monthfrom chloride of silver ore averaging$100 a ton, 80% of the assay valuebeing recovered.Give or take a year or two for Wil-son's discovery and the finding of theKing, this might have been the ledgethat Quartz stumbled upon. The rockymound might have been a rise at thebase of the Providence Mountainsrather than the isolated knoll mostof us have hunted.Certainly it is possible Wilson mighthave obtained samples of King oreafter the strike andquite honestlyor through the confusion of his "heatedbrain"mixed them with specimenshe took from the knoll where he madehis night's camp.Whether the King might be the LostWilson could only be answered if weknew the point in the Providence chainfrom which Quartz started and the

point in the Old Womans for whichhe was striking. It can even be ques-tioned whether or not his rocky knolllies anywhere between those tworanges, or whether this is a confusioncaused by his sufferings or by theinterpretation of those who first heardhis story. Either the given location ofthe mine being "30 to 40 miles north-east of Twentynine Palms" is entirelywrong or the strike must have beento the west of the Old Womans. Thiswould bring it into a truly sandy andwaterless land like that described byWilson.Such puzzles and inconsistenciesare part of the fascination and despairof lost mine hunting. However, thearea in which Wilson is supposed tohave lost his silver ledge offers chal-lenge enough.Not long since, as we bumped onto

Highway 66 after darkand after aday-long back-trail crossing from thesouthwestern tip of the ProvidenceMountains, Lucile summed up thepresent status of the Lost Wilson forus: "There are too many springs andtoo many trails and too many mounds."But, planning a future try fromanother angle, we agreed that toparaphrase bold old Castaneda, whomarched with Coronado after thatphantom gold of Cibola whetherQuartz Wilson did or did not findand lose a rich silver ledge betweenthe Providence and Old Woman Moun-tains, he certainly gave lost minehunters a fine country in which tolook for one .END

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T H E A U T H O R P O I N T S O U T T H E B R O K E N E N D O F T H E M A M M O T H T U S KW H I C H H A D B E E N W O R N S M O O T H BY T H E A N I M A L 'S U S A G E . O N T A BLEA T R I GH T I S IM P E R I A L M A M M O T H ' S T O O T H . NO T E R I D GE PA T T E R NS .

RescuingtheFossil Remainsof anImperialMammothby G ord on G. PondLAST SUMMER I used a few days of my vacation tovisit the ranch of Carl Rainwater, near Scholle in cen-tral New Mexico . Know ing of my interest in natu ralhistory, Carl showed me a small Indian ruin on the backof his prop erty. This prehisto ric dwelling is situated onthe bank of an arroyo that is slowly undermining theruin, carrying away some of the old walls. After ou rinspection tour, Carl remembered another curiosity.

"There's something farther down the arroyo that I 'dlike you to see ," he said. "It m ust predate the ruin bythousands of years."'A hundred yards downstream he pointed out an un-usual piece of material protruding from the eroding bank.

A layer of wet chalky substance was easily broken off ofthe large "rock," and I put this in my pocket for futureidentification.I thought nothing more about the specimen until myreturn to California. By then the mystery substance haddried out to a peculiar yellow coloration, revealing strangelines on its surface. I took it to the Los Angeles C ountyMuseum where I had formerly worked as a scientific

illustrator, and showed the specimen to Paleontologist Dr.Theodore Downs. He confirmed my suspicions.Rainwater had discovered a tusk of an American mam-mo th. A rare and scientifically valuable find.This knowledge, and the thought of more water comingdown the arroyo and possibly destroying the tusk, sent mehurrying back to New Mexico.Carl and his wife were fascinated with the news Ibrought them. Leon ard, a young nephew who was stayingwith them for the summer, also showed keen interest inthe subject, and it was obvious that he wanted to help mewith the digging. When Carl released him from his ranchchores to go with me, the boy was overjoyed.Our first view of the tusk next morning was disheart-ening. Swift water had sluiced down through the arroyo,battering the specimen which was now clearly displayed.Only a few feet away, a mammoth tooth lay in the coarsegravel. Overc ast skies and the misty rain that w as fallingmade it imperative that we get our prize out before morewater came roaring down the gully.Freeing the tusk from the gravel and clay bank washard w ork. Finally, a five-foot length of tusk lay barebefore us. The large end, which had broken off somedistance from the skull, measured 22% inches in circum-ferencealmost a record size. The narrowing end showedthat the old fellow had broken off a length of tusk during

his life-time, and then had worn the jagged-end smoothwith usage.We were not able to find more of the animal's bones.The tooth and tusk, by virtue of their composition, hadpersisted for thousands of years in this soil. By the timewe had removed them to higher ground, heavy rains werefalling and water in the arroyo was rising.The remains we had found were those of the Imperialmammoth (Archidiskodon imperator) which at one timehad dominated the southern half of what is now the UnitedStates and parts of Mexico. The Woolly mamm oth roamedthe northern U.S. and Canada; the Columbian mammothranged throughout the middle U.S. (see accompanyingm a p ) .The Imperial, largest of the trio, attained the enormousheight of 13 to 14 feet at the shoulder, exceeding by severalfeet the height of the largest modern ele phan t. His longcurving tusks reached a length of 15 feet and were largerat their base than the circumference of a man's head.Unlike the smaller mastodon, the mammoth had teethwhich were composed of alternating layers of enamel andcement whose exposed ends appeared on the grinding sur-face as a patt ern of ridges. Only a few of these ridgeswere used at a time. As these wore away, they were re-placed from behind by new plates of enam el. It is the

For the past six years Gordon G. Pond has been aninstructor at Compton College, Calif. He was formerly staffartist and senior preparator for the Los Angeles County.Museum where he worked on the new "Hall of Evolving Life."His art skill is shown in the illustration accompanying this.article. Pond's hobbies and interests are in the area of naturalhistory and desert travel.12 D E S E R T , M A G A Z I N E


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number and thickness of these ridge plates that help deter-mine the kind of mammoth they came from.Huge ice sheets have made their advances across theNorth American continent four times during the last mil-lion years. The last great ice retreat began almost 30,000years ago, leaving behind it a broad plain to be drainedby the Colorado and Mississippi rivers. Animals musthave grazed at the edge of these ice sheets in much the

same way they do today, nibbling at the rich grasses ofthe new-born tundra and stripping leaves from the trees onthe mountain slopes.Pine trees, plants and grasses of many kinds growingtoday covered wide areas of the Southwest, but the terrainwas less eroded and rugged. The Petrified Forest in north-ern Arizona testifies to the fact that great trees coveredplains that are now desert. The inner gorge of the GrandCanyon which is 1000 feet deep at present, was only 100to 200 feet deep when the first Imperial mammoths roamedthis country.The very short sparse hair on these beasts made themfavor the warmer climates of the south; they drifted intoFloridatheir "last outpost" before total extinction. Whatwas the combination of events that led to their removal?Giant six-foot wolves (Conns dims) might have harassedthem from coast to coast. The mastodon and bison mayhave out-grazed the Imperials, making them easy prey toflesh-eating beasts and man.Evidence shows that man hunted and killed the mam-moth here in the Southwest. A man-made spear was foundembedded in the bone of the foreleg of a mammoth foundnear Clovis, New Mexico. A more sensational find of a"mammoth kill" was the celebrated Lehner site near Doug-las, Arizona. The Museum of Arizona, in Tucson, pre-

DISTRIBUTION OF MAMMOTHS IN NORTH AMERICA

sents a fascinating exhibit of material related to thisdiscovery, along with miniature dioramas and illustrationsshowing what the scene must have looked like when earlymen made their kill.The slaughtering of one of these elephants probablysupplied man and animal for miles around with enoughfood for days. No proof has yet been found that prehis-toric man in the Southwest used the ivory for any purpose,but other tusks found in frozen parts of the world havebeen traded by people for centuries. Tusks of the Imperialmammoth, long enough to encircle a small sports car, arenever found in a good state of preservation because ofclimatic conditions and the geology of this country.

Whole skeletons of the Imperial mammoth are rare,but the Los Angeles County Museum has a fine exampleon display as part of the Rancho La Brea collection.Completely fossilized sections of tusks have been foundin excavations for downtown Los Angeles buildingsas well as road-cuts along the coast highway ofSouthern California. Not long ago a large pieceof upper molar was tossed up on HuntingtonBeach after a storm at sea.END

MAY, 1960 13


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TH E D E S E R T B OATING BOOMBoating Authorityv. LEE OERTLEtells all about sailing the Southwest'swaterways . . . the special lureof blue skies, blue water and eroded,jagged shoreline . . . whereand when to enjoy this sport . . . whatequipment your family will need . . .

"

S A L T O N S EA H A S B E C O M E T H E CE NT E R O F M U C H B O A T I N G A C T I V IT Y

POPULARITY OF BOATING in the Deser t Southwestis moving ahead in seven-league strides. Jus t as theprairie fell to the plow, so now the desert waters arebeing tilled by the outboard propeller.Vast arid lands encircle every major Southwesternwaterway where else can water look so inviting? Westernskippers know the special lure of arid landscape andjagged skyline, the sharp separation of land and water.In the Southwest this division is distinct: we have practi-cally no swamplands; there are no populated flood-plains,no valleys under threat of inundation every time it sprinkles.Land is land and water is water, and each is a universeunto itself.There are two other big reasons behind the boom.First, boating is a year-round sport in the Southwest.Secondly, much of the back-country easily reached by boatis practically inaccessible by automo bile. Con sider tha tmost of the Lower Colorado River region, much of LakeMead's 550-mile shoreline, and nearly all of Baja Cali-fornia is semi-primitive, with few roads and small popula-tion. Entering these regions overland usually requires afour-wheel-drive vehicle and plenty of mu scle. By con-trast, exploration of these same areas by boat is possiblewithout real hazard and undue physical strain, and with

the maximum of pleasure. Backw ater lagoons and hiddenrocky canyons offer an isolation and privacy more rarethan diamonds.Though there are many lesser lakes and reservoirs, themost heavily "boated" waters in the Southwest are thosewhich "sur roun d" Southern California: Lak e Me ad, Lake



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Mohave, the lower Colorado River, the Gulf of Californiaand the Pacific coastal shelf extending from Los Angelesto south of Ensenad a, Mexico. An estimated half-millionboat owners regularly use these waters! Counting the fam-ily and friends of these skippers, the area is enjoyedaquatically by upwards to four million persons annually.Most obvious example of the Southern California boat-ing boom can be found at Salton Sea on the Low Desert.

Once its lonely beaches were frequented but rarelyanoccasional fisherman, a few duck hunters, the amateurgeologists. Transfusions of money and talent, triggered bythe boating boom, are changing the face of this land withalmos t frantic speed. Com ing into being practically everyweek are new marinas, trailer parks, homesites and boat-ing facilities of all kinds.Nearby, the Colorado River, long considered a roaringfroth of destruction, is in the throes of recreational evolu-tion. Flood control projects have tamed the river. Theoutbo ard family has opened the wilderness . A comp licatedlegal battle is shaping up over ownership of much of thesuddenly-valuable Colo rado River shoreline. Vast develop-ments are projected by local, state and federal agencies.

Already huge sums have been expended by private enter-prise, and more will follow. Within a few years, the bo at-ing family can expect to see many new marinas, trailerparks, public camps and better boating facilities fromHoover Dam to the Mexican border (see "RecreationRiver" in the Aug. '59 Desert Magazine).Baja California also is beginning to reap the harvestfrom boating pleasure s. Skin diving, exploring , fishing,extended outboard cruisesthese are but a few of themany new interests found in this old land.For those skippers desiring civilization and the com-pany of other adventurous souls, there are waterways withevery modern convenienceboats moored rudder-to-rud-

der. The Southwest offers the boating fan a wide-range ofactivities, and thus it follows that equipment-needs varyconsiderably.First, let us consider the matter of inboard vs. outboardmotors. Because of our peculiar Western problems offluctuating water, shallow river drainages, tremendous tidaldifference (in the Gulf of Califo rnia ), and the great dis-tances usually necessary to tow boats to water, I recom-mend the outboard boat without reservation.Outboard launching, cruising, and handling is far lesscom plex than inboard boa ting. Initial cost is lower, theweight factor is much better, insurance costs and mainte-nance expenses all favor the outboard . Inboa rds are bestsuited to deep-water situations, where they can be mooredfor months or years in one location.How large should the boat be? Here are the m ajorfactors to consider before selecting a boat for your family:1. number of persons in family; 2. intended recreationaluse of the boat (whether water skiing, cruising or rock-hunting); 3. where boat will be used (offshore or inland);4. how the boat will be transported (car-top or boat-trail er); and 5. budget. Supplying the answers to thesequestions will determine the right boat for you.Boats the prospective buyer may examine on his firstvisit to the marine dealer often leave the customer moreconfused than ever. Rem emb er: because the boat hasthree or four seats doesn't mean the craft can safely trans-

port six to eight people. Seats in small craft are designedfor maximum comfort in limited space, and have nothingat all to do with weight capacity. Choo sing a boat largeenough to accommodate your family is best done by con-sulting the manufacturer's rated weight capacity. Hereare some "rule-of-thumb" figures:

Re commended M inimumFamily S ize Boat Len gth (Feet)One or two persons 12Two adults, one child 13Two adults, two children 14Tw o adults, four children 16Three adults, two or three children 17Tw o adults , more than four children __18Though many marine dealers may be quick to pointout that boats smaller than those stated above can safelyhaul more passengers than I have indicated, I am assum-ing that the Southwest skipper will want to haul extracamping gear, some food and water, sleeping-bags andrelated equipm ent. Thu s an extra weight-safety factor isnecessary, for overloading is the second-greatest singlecause of serious boating accidents (excessive speed is first).No matter how powerful the boat's motive force, if its hull

IS" \ ' ' ' " "* " - - . *

*

!

B O A T C LU B M E M B E R S A S S EM B LE O N A S A N D Y B E A CH A T L A KE M O H A V E' T O P LA N D A Y 'S A C T I V I T I E S : G A M E S , R A C E S , S I N G I N G , PO T L U CK D I N N E Ris not designed to carry the weight-load placed in it, theboat is dangerous.

The following table will throw some light on require-ments needed to fulfill the second factor in chosing theright boat: intended recreational use.M inimum Size of Re commendedI nt e nde d Use Boat ( In Feet ) M ot or (HP)

Wa ter Skiingone or two perso ns.. .14 25Water Skiingtwo or more skiers,two or more boat passengers 16 50-7 5Fishingsmall lakes, rivers, bays,reservoirs 12 5Fishingoffshore ocean, Lake Mead,Gulf of California 14-18 35 -75Pleasure Boating (same considera-tions as Fishing)Extended River Cruises 14-18 35 -75Overnight Cruisingweekend camp-ing for two adults, two or morechildren 16-21 50

Here are some average speeds obtainable with variousContinued

M A Y , 1 9 6 0 15


16/44

-*

boat-motor combinations. These speeds are for "ideal"conditions: water calm, boat and load balanced.Boat Size

(Feet)1414141616161818

Number ofPassengers2444-64-64-66-86-8

Motor Size(HP)2535503550755075

Average Speed(MPH)25-2825-3032-4020-2528-3435-4022-2730-35

Speed on water is very expensive. Unless you have areal need for speed over and above that produced by thecombinations listed above, forget it. Automobiles, becauseof a tremendous variation in basic equipment, can bepurchased with high or low performance engines for smallextra-cost options. Increasing boat speed is a much differ-ent proposition. On water, it takes four-times the horse-power to double speed.

Initial cost of the more powerful outboard motors isover $1000. These include such power-brutes as theEvinrude and Johnson 75-horsepower engines, the Mercury60, 70 and 80-hp motors, and the Scott 60-hp motor.Many other makes are available, but these four are theleaders in the horsepower race.Bigger boats require larger motors to propel themat progressively higher cost. The intelligent boat buyeraims at a purchase that brackets his major aquatic desires90 percent of the time. The right boat should do almosteverything that falls under the heading of boating pleasurewith the sole exception of racing. Racing is a separateclassification, and should be considered only after muchexperience in the outboard field. It is very specialized andtime-consuming.Probably the most versatile boat-motor combinationin general use today is the 14-foot boat with 35-horsepowermotor. This combination will handle a wide variety oftasks, from fishing to water-skiing. Price range for anoutfit this size, including boat trailer, is from $1100 to$1600.Boat construction materials in the small-craft field areof four general kinds: fiberglas, aluminum, wood andsteel. All four materials are strong, durable and depend-able. Years of research and testing have eliminated manyof the "bugs" inherent in the use of plastics and metal-alloy hulls.

/ -vBO A T LAUN CHING IS A PROBLEM IN GULF OF CALIFORNIA BECAUSE O F FLUCTUATING TIDES, BUT THIS SKIPPER FOUND PLENTY OF HELP

Wood, of course, is the old stand-by, and its usage isfar from finished. The molded plywood hull has becomeextremely popular, and most competitively-priced boatstoday are built of this material. Natural flotation, lightweight, strength and low cost make wood the front-runnerin boat sales.However, fiberglas boats are receiving the most atten-tion. There are many reason for this sudden interest inreinforced plastic boats. Maintenance is reduced to anabsolute minimum. The fiberglas boat is molded, there-fore seamless. No water can enter; there are no problemsof dry-rot, mildew, swelling, splintering and cracking which

affect old-style wood hulls. Color pigments are added tothe plastic during the molding process, thus eliminating theneed for annual painting. Being plastic, the boat cannotrust or corrode. Spilled fuels and battery acid, salt water,weather and sunlight don't seem to bother fiberglas exces-sively. It is a good buy. From the standpoint of longevityand freedom from maintenance, it is tops in its field. Itdoes have a few very minor drawbacks. Fiberglas, heavyand non-porous, has no inherent flotation safety, but boatmanufacturers have molded buoyancy tanks into the hullas an added safety factor.Aluminum has several advantages as a boat-hull ma-terial. It is extremely lightweight, comparing favorablywith wood. Because the flotation value is zero, it also musthave built-in buoyancy tanks. Like fiberglas, aluminumcannot rust, and new alloys have made it highly corrosion-resistant. But, vibration is more noticeable than in thewood hull, and an aluminum boat is difficult to repair inan emergency. However, these criticisms are admittedlyminor.Steel boats are fighting an uphill battle against expense.Steel cannot be molded into shape without extensive internalbracing, and this sometimes leads to trouble. Bracing thattends to be too rigid won't allow the hull to "flex" with thewater, and therefore is susceptible to internal damage.Steel has not been used extensively in the small-craft field.Boat transport is accomplished in one of two ways:

car-top carrier or boat-trailer. The former costs just over$100. For the family that tows a travel-trailer, the car-topcarrier is practically a must. The one disadvantage is thatmud and water drip off the boat onto the car. The camper-coach, mounted on a pickup truck bed, makes the use ofa boat-trailer desirable. Boats in the 14-foot or larger class16 D E S E R T , M A G A Z I N E


17/44

are difficult, if not downright impossible, to carry on thecar roof.A good boat trailer takes most of the back-strain outof launching operations. Advanced models have dum p-bedframes, a geared-winch for retrieving boat from water,full-roller loading features, and weight-engineered designfor easy highw ay towing. Actu ally, the selection of theright boat trailer can mean the difference between fun and

despair on many an outing. Such areas as the shallowbeaches of Salton Sea or the sands of San Felipe on theGulf can be major obstacles to fun.What to take along on your desert boating adventuresdepends on how long you intend to stay and where, andhow much "comfort" you demand in the outdoors. Forpurposes of evaluation, here is a list of the gear and itsweight that I took on my last family boat outing.

Tw o six-gallon fuel can s, full 110 lbs.Battery for electric-starter 40 lbs.Portable camp stove 35 lbs.Large box groceries 50 lbs.Ice-box, cooking utensils 50 lbs.Fo ur sleeping-bags 40 lbs.Cam p lights, toilet supplies 25 lbs.Fresh water (five gallons) 50 lbs.Ex tra clothing 20 lbs.

TOT AL 420 l bs.Modern outboard motors are as reliable today as autoengines, but a few spare parts offer a comfortable margin ofsecurity: extra propeller; several spare shear pins; propeller

"W H E R E E LS E CA N W A T E R LO O K S O I N V I T I N G ? " S CE NE B E LO WS H O W S BO A T S M O O R E D I N CA B A LLO R E S E R V O IR , NE W M E X I C O . < 3* "

nut; extra set of spark plugs; crescent wrench, pliers, screw-driver, hammer, knife; fire extinguisher, flares, matches.Always take a flashlight and extra gaso line. Safety eq uip-ment for the passengers includes a life-jacket or floatingcushion for each person in the boa t. Nev er leave the dockwithout them. An an chor, two paddles and a bai ling bucketare also on the must-h ave list. A fiberglas patching -kit canbe used to repair hulls of almost any basic materialevenmetal, if used by a skilled hand.Here are some recommended best times for boating onspecific areas:

Lake Mead and Lake Mohave: though visitors comeyear-round, best months for boating are Apri l , May, Octo-ber and November.Lower Colorado River: October through May are bestmonths. Summers are hot but livable. Water skiing isoften good in summer in the vicinity of Parker Dam, LakeHavasu and Blythe.Gulf of California: Boating is best in early springmo nths. Vicious unp redictable winds are always a haza rd.Summer heat is oppressive.Southern California Coast: Year-round boating, butbest time is during summer.Salton Sea: Best time for pleasure boating is fromOctober to Ma y. July to Septem ber is hot and sticky.Water temperature here occasionally rises to 100 degreesat surface!Arizona: Boating in the central portion of the stateis pretty much confined to the lakes of the Salt RiverSystem. The sport is a year-ro und activity. RooseveltLake, largest of the area's lakes, is 115 miles east of

Continued

M A Y , 1 9 6 0 17


18/44

BOATING BOOM ...continuedPhoenix and is reached by turning northwest on StateRoute 88 off U.S. Highway 60-70 between Globe andMiami. Apache Lake is 65 miles east of Phoenix; goodbass andcrappie fishing here. Canyon Lake is 51 mileseast ofPhoenix. Saguaro Lake is 41miles east of Phoenixvia theBeeline Highway north of Mesa. Saguaro is prob-ably themost popular boating lake in thearea. Still an-other lake, Bartlett, is 46 miles northeast of Phoenix viaCave Creek; fair togood fishing here forbass andcatfish.Boating in eastern Arizona is sparse because most of thelakes in themountains restrict the use of motors.

Utah: Major pleasure-boating areas in the state are:Utah Lake, near Provo, rated as "excellent" for boating,skiing and fishing. Bear Lake lies east of Logan on theIdaho border. There areseveral resorts along the shoreof this beautiful large body of water. Pineview Reservoireast ofOgden, 15miles. Popular boating and skiing water;recreational developments by Forest Service. RockportLake State Park, 50miles east of Salt Lake City, iswell-equipped with picnicking, camping, lodge, cafe and modernrental units. Fish Lake, near Richfield, offers good fishing

and boating, buthigh altitude makes water toocold forskiing. Campgrounds aremaintained by Forest Service,and there areresort andboat rentals in area. PanguitchLake near Panguitch offers excellent fishing, but boatingrestricted to10 mph; boat rentals, resorts and campgrounds.Navajo Lake near Cedar City is a high altitude lake; boat-ing and fishing aregood. Scofield Lake, near Price, isbeing developed as a State Park. Best time toenjoy Utahboating is from May toSeptember. Allboats using Utahwaters must conform to thestate law, andmust be num-bered.

New Mexico: There areseven major boating centersin the state: Alamogordo Reservoir, Conchas Reservoir,Conchas DamState Park, Bottomless Lake State Park,Bluewater State Park, Elephant Butte Dam andReservoir,and ElVado Lake.Nevada: Inaddition tothe Nevada side ofLake Mead,the major pleasure boating area in the state is at LakeTahoe where cruisers, speedboats, rowboats, canoes andkayaks can berented. Boating and fishing inWalker Lakenear Hawthorne aregaining in popularity. Boats can berented here. Pyramid Lake, 30 miles northeast of Reno,

is open to fishing year-round, butbest season is late sum-mer through early spring.END

The construction of Glen CanyonDam on theColorado Riverseals the fate of one of the greatestof allSouthwestboating excursions. Thissummer may bethe last time boatingparties will beable tofloat past thetowering cliffs of

G L E N C A N Y O NPHOTOGRAPHS

By JAMES TALLON

For a listing of profession-al boating guides andtheirscheduled trips through GlenCanyon this summer, see p. 20

18() ABOATING PARTY SHOVES-OFF FROM HITE

DESERT, MAGAZINE


19/44

B R O A D S H A F T O F S U N L I G H T S T R E A M S I N T O AD A R K E N E D M U S I C T E M P L E P O O L , O N E O F T H EH I G H L IG H T S O F M A J E S T I C GLE N C A N Y O N

H I S T O R I C H O L E - I N - T H E - R O C K W H E R E M O R M O NPIO N E E R S C U T A W A G O N T R A I L T O T H E R IV E RP R O F E S S I O N A L B O A T I N G G U I D E H A R R Y A L E S O NC H E C K S T H E O U T B O A R D M O T O R O N A R A F T

LO W E R P O R T I O N O F GLE N C A N Y O N W A L LS A R ELITERALLY CO VER ED W I TH PETRO GLYPHS LIKET H E S E F O U N D O N B A N K NE A R M U S I C TE M PLE

M A Y , 1 9 6 0 Continued


20/44

G l e n C a n y o n B o a t T r i pTH E P R O F E S S I O N A L G U I D EThe professional boating guides listed below havesafely escorted hundreds of people through therugged beauty of Glen Canyon. The informationgiven here regarding their trips for this season isby no means complete, but is intended to supplyyou with names and addresses of the guides, and to give a broad picture of types of trips available,scheduling, and cost. In all cases, prices quotedbelow include meals and guide service; and mostprices include round-trip transportation, and camp-ing equipment. For com plete details, write to theindividual boating op erations.

B O A T I N GO P E R A T I O N

Canyon Tours

Glen CanyonBoating

Harris-BrennanRiver Expeditions

Hatch RiverExpeditions

Share-the-ExpensePlan River Trips

WesternRiver Tours

Wonder landExpeditions

O P E R A T O R

Art Greene

Gay Staveley

Don Harris andJack Brennan

B u s , Don andTed Hatch

Georgie White

Harry Aloson

Ken Sleight

A D D R E S S

Wahweap LodgeBox 1356Page, Ariz.

White Canyon,Utah

3794 Hermes Drive,Salt Lake City 17

411 E. 2nd NorthVernal, Utah

435 W. Laconia Blvd.Los Angeles 61

Richfield, Utah

6575 So. Main StreetBountiful, Utah

S C H E D U L E D G L E NC A N Y O N T R I PS I N ' 6 0

2-day trips: SaturdaysThrough Sept. 24,except May 17.3-day trips startMay 3, 10, 31 ;June 7, 14, 21 , 28;July 5, 12, 19, 26;A u g . 2, 9, 16, 23, 30;Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27.7-day tr ip, May 17.

June 21-27July 30-August 8,Sept. 1-8, 13-20

April 17-May 6(tr ip can be joinedabout May 1for f inal week)

Any date ofpassengers' choiceMinimum: 10 personsin group

May and June tr ipsplanned; July 21-26tr ip scheduled

May 3-5, 10-13, 17-19,24-27, 31-June 2,June 7-1014-16, 21-24

May 1-7, 8-14,June 4-10, 9-15,July 16-22

D E P A R T U R EP O I N T

Wahweap Lodge

Hite, Utah

Hite, Utah

Fly from Page,Ariz, to Hite, Utah

Fly from Page,Ariz, to Hite, Utah

Hite, Utah

Richfield, Utah

T R I P P R I C EP E R P E R S O N

$77 (2-day trip)$99 (3-day trip)$192 (7-day trip)

From $145 (4-daypower-boat t r ipto Rainbow Bridge)to $305 (10-dayfloat trip)

$125 to $300

$135

$100

$85-$ 100(short trips)$17.86 per dayfor longer tr ips

$7 5

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

Up-river power-boattr ips to RainbowBr idge

Both float andpower-boat t r ips ,of 4 to 10 daysdurat ion. A lso1-day sight-seeingtr ips.

Charter tripsavailable anytimeafter May 15

Offer wide var ietyof boat ing,overland tours

Specialize in10-day trips forphotographygroups

Non-scheduledtr ips availablethru fa l l .Arctic expeditionJuly 15-Aug. 31

Also offersnon-scheduledtr ips



21/44

rriOMMY ROGERS of Tucsonbegan his desert art careerin a conventional enoughfashion. He painted landscapesand did sculpturing of familiarSouthwest subjects. But, soonon his sketching forays into theback country he began to noticean unusual aspect about his sub-ject-matterthe capricious, oftenridiculous, sometimes beautifulshapes common to dead and dy-ing desert plants.

Fallen saguaros array them-selves in fantastic display, lyingabout the lush desert floor likesleeping giants. Dead roots ofthe mesquite shape - up likenaughty gnomes. Eroded chollacactus bark hides elf-like half-buried in drifts. Or in a tangle

of cottonwood roots might lie aDesert Madonna.Whimsical displays yet allwith a semblance of artistic use-fulness when seen through theimaginative eyes of Tommy Rog-

e r s . Here was a desert moodoften overlooked by "serious"artists. Rogers accepted the chal-lenge. He began to make orna-mental objects and figurines fromthese dead stalks, roots, skele-tons and tendrils.

In most cases, Mother Naturehas done the preliminary "carv-ing." Rogers adds a missingarm or leg or eye, a bit of rib-bon, feather and presto! apixie emerges. So important apart of his work today is thecreating of these sprites out ofdead desert vegetation that the

artist has re-named his place"The Desert Leprechaun Studio."Here Rogers works hard as-sembling the materials collectedon his frequent desert outings.He is very discriminating as towhich specimens he brings home,which he leaves undisturbed. An

entire morning can be spentsearching for just one piecebutit will be the right piece. Almostevery stick he gathers has a pre-destined place in a Rogers crea-tion. Obtaining this materialtakes time, patience and plentyof footwork.After every storm the desertlays bare new materials for Rog-ers to examine. Perhaps thereis something to the Irish folklorethat says fairies travel about inwhirls of dus t .END

T H E W H I M S Y W O R L D O F T O M M Y R O G E R SM a y Ml J h t i n p

f . ;

R O G E R S ' OURLADY OF GUADALUPET H E ARTISTO N A COLLECTINGTRIP INTO THE DESERT

THIS LITTLE FELLOWCAPTURES A

DESERT MOODTHAT FEW PEOPLE

REALIZE EXISTS


22/44

A distinguishedwriter-naturalistselects fourphotosas his best

John L. Blackiord's early acquaintance withphotography wa s inte nded to promote other inter-ests outdoors. Yet after several years' picture-taking in the De sert Southwest, he wa s ne ver surebut that the order of things had been reversed.Camera and tripod have since become as indis-pensable as binoculars and field book on hiscar-camping trips afie ld. Blackford is the a uthorof numerous books and articles on outdoor sub-jects, and most of these works are illustrated withhis outstanding photos. He is a resident of Libby,Montana.

22 DESERT, MAGAZINE

" T h e s e A r eM y F a v o r i t e s "


23/44

INDIAN GIRL: There was one among thehundred dancer s on the wi de p l azacl ad i n doe sk in boot e e s ,green skirt rose shawl and sat in bodice ,wi th be l ted waist and raven ha ir .Si lver a nd turquoise r inged he r f ingers.ba nde d her wrists an d ne cklace d her throat .Benea th f l a sh i ng eye s ,c er emoni a l symbol s pa i nt ed her che e ks .She w a s the one for the picture .San Juan Pueb l o , Ne w M exi co .CLIFF RUINS: Undou bted ly the g e m ofNorth Ame rican cli f f-dweller architecture .Cli ff Palace is seen in itsdramatic se tting from the prec ipice a bov e .For centuries this sitew a s the cultural center of a prehistoricpopu l a t ion on Me sa Ve rde i n sou thwes ternColorado. The Great Drouth of 1276-99forced i ts aba ndonme nt.YUCCA BLOSSOMS: Sheer startl ing beauty,contrasting vividly with the dese rt'sharsher mood s, i s portrayedby the tr e e yu cca i n b l oom.De l icate , crea m-white be l l s , clustered o nta ll sp ike s , a r e s e e n in ma ss e darra y in June in theflower forests of southern New Mexico.SILHOUETTED SPIRES: With fiery glow,da wn com es to theTotem Pole and Yebachcd Formationof inner Monument Valley, Utah-Arizona.The se sentine l rocks that soar1006 fee t high a re resistant,ou tlie r remnants of a m ass i ve me sa wa l lretreating slowlybef ore the irresistible forces of dese rt erosion.


24/44

A V I S I T T O T H E H O P I

B y L a u r a A d a m s A r m e rA T WILLIAMS Post I had con-tacted fine types. In two weeksI was ready to leave for theHopi village of Oraibi. The problemwas to secure headquarters in the vil-lage. That could only be done throughthe trader, Lorenzo Hubbell. I hadwritten him that I wished to paintpeach trees in bloom. I could get nodefinite answer as to a roof over myhead. The gentleman merely said:"Come."

Roy drove me and my baggage.After many miles through the PaintedDesert we glimpsed a village of dull-hued stone crouching upon a mesa top,colorless and insignificant in the land-scape, barely distinguishable from therocks which formed its base. Oraibi,the busy brown people named it 800years before, when the first stragglersfrom other mesa settlements foundedit upon the barren rocks. Oraibi, it istoday, the oldest continuously occu-pied village in the United States. It isa place of buried secrets, undergroundkivas and silent little people packingtheir water from some hole in therocks, drying their peaches on themesa-top, never forgetting the leanyears when famine stalked the land.It was at the modern village at thefoot of the mesa where Lorenzo Hub-bell's trading post and the government

day school took care of the Hopi pop-ulation, that I made my home in aone-room stone house, mud-plasteredin the interior. Mr. Hubbell had per-suaded a Hopi man and his wife tomove next door for the price of $30a month. A good wood-stove, a couch,a table and chairs were ample furnish-ings. Nelly, the Hopi owner, bakeddelicious bread for me, kept the waterbuckets filled, brought wood and wasaltogether a most helpful and sympa-thetic friend. But for her I shouldhave been desolate. The conservativeHopis withheld their smiles.In that little house field mice scam-pered about at night. I was forced to

set traps for them, not a pleasant task.I comforted myself philosophically,knowing that if I were to study primi-tive life in America, I must take what-ever came. I was pondering over thatnecessity one night as I lay on my cotin the dark. I heard a peculiar scrap-ing sound on the cheesecloth ceiling.I relighted the coal-oil lamp. To myconsternation I saw a four-inch centi-pede wending its way across the cheese-cloth. I knew that he must be way-laid. I pulled on my stockings andshoes, covered my hands with paintrags, grabbed a broom and climbeda chair. I brushed the articulated an-thropod animal to the floor. With ter-

rifying swiftness it sought to escape.Discarding the broom, I relied uponthe iron rod of my sketching umbrella.I managed to spike the hard jointedbeast. It was difficult to cut in two.When that was accomplished the partscontinued to wriggle and squirm. Ihad greeted that monster boldly.The next day, without premedita-tion, I painted a brown figure withlong black hair clasping an olla turnedupside down. Not one drop of waterfell to the parched earth below. Thatpainting of drouth expressed some-thing of the austere land where ele-mental powers announce themselvesin no uncertain terms; where wind-

storms spiral the sand, and drouthsears the souls of men with fear.In the center of the small village ofOraibi rose a sand hill which servedthe purpose of an arena for the town-crier. In the evening, his deep-tonedvoice filled the air as he stood on therise of ground, silhouetted against anorange sunset sky. Erect and sure,he spoke to the village people stand-ing near their doorways. Some sat onthe ground in front of their stonehouses eating their simple meals ofbeans and corn meal. They listenedwith interest to the news. The town-crier, announcing a rabbit drive for

2 4 D E S E R T , M A G A Z I N E


25/44

Third in a serie s oi previously u npublished a rticles by thedistinguished Navajo-Hopi authority, base d on he r1923-31 e xperie nces in Arizona."Nava joland in 1923" appe are d in the March Desert Ma gazine;"Beca use I Wore The Turquoise" in April .

T Y P I C A L A U D I E N C E A T A H O P I C E R E M O N I A L

the morrow, continued in a strongvoice:"Be up before daylight, young menof the village. T o the fleetest runnersI say: have your rabbit sticks ready.Go to the fields back from the wash.There the rabbits are eating our youngcorn."The town-crier finished his haranguewith one long drawn-out note, whichfaded into the evening air along withthe smoke from the village chimney-pots. Then he joined his family groupwhere his three-year-old

196005 desert magazine 1960 may

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