197310 desert magazine 1973 october

8/14/2019 197310 Desert Magazine 1973 October

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OCTO BER, 1973 50cICO 08256


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A N O T H E R U N B E L I E V A B L E F I R S T FOR D - T E XA L L N E W D - T E X T O I N S H O O T E R "

Positively Differentiates Between Trash and Treasure.

Bill and Lorraine Kueter with 6 of their 8 children test the new D-TEX "COINSHOOTER". Coin hunting is their specialty with over 13,000coins plus numerous rings and other jewelry found in the last 15 months. They are members of The Prospector Club of Southern California.Camping and coin shooting is the family hobby. After testing. Bill says the "COI NSHOOTER" is the detector for him.

A V A C A T I O N T H A T P A Y S - T H E D - T E X W A Y* INFAMILY TOGETHERNESS * INFUN FOR EVERY MEMBER OFTHE FAMILY * INCASHMONEY INTHE FORM OFOLD VALUABLE COINS, RINGS & JEWELRY * INMORE GOODFINDS INLESS TIME - ELIMINATES UNNECESSARY DIGGING * WITH THE ALL NEW D-TEX"COINSHOOTER" YOU MAYSEARCH THEAREAS WHERE OTHER DETECTORS GIVE UP TAKES THEFRUSTRATION OUT OFCOIN SHOOTING * THE ONLY DETECTOR THATPOSITIVELY DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN TRASH AND TREASURE.F A R E X C E E D S A L L O T H E R M A K E S O F D I F F E R E N T I A L A N D A N A L Y T I C A L T Y P E D E T E C T O R S .REJECTS: Bottle caps, fo i l , nails and other ferrous and non-ferrous trash.DETECTS: Silver, gold or copper coins, gold rings and other jewelry.LOGICAL SPOTS: School yards, old churches, playgrounds, swimming beaches, old picnic areas,carnival sites, oldhouses. Even therecreation vehicle camp grounds. Around eachcamp area and theplayground.REMEMBER - EVERY PLACE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN, COINS AND JEWELRY HAVE BEEN LOST.The Coinshooter is made in twomodels, "COINSHOOTER I" and COINSHOOTER I I " . Both modelsreject sea water and may beused on the beach with no nterference from the water. Easily detects goldand silver doubloons and pieces of eight inthe sand and under sea water. The most efficient detector forbeach comb ing atany price. our * er onu n i ts w i t h f o l d e r i n c l u d e d . o r o u r c a t a l o g of al l D - T e x

THE FIRST REALLY NEW TREASURE LOCATOR IN 30YEARS!P 0BOX 451 F 9 D-TEX E L E C T R O N I C S G a r la n d , T e x a s 7 5 0 4 0614 EASY ST. - PH. 272-2622


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WILLIAM KNYVETT, P U BLI S H ER- ED I TO R

G E O R G E B R A G A , Art DirectorM A R Y F R A NC E S S T R O N G , Field Trip EditorJ A C K P E P P E R , Special Feature EditorE N I D C. H O W A R D , Associate EditorF. A. B A R N E S , Utah Associate EditorG L E N N V A R G A S , Lapidary EditorK. L. B O Y N T O N , NaturalistM A R V E L B A R R E T T . Circulation Manager

_T H E C O V E R :The Canyon Tree Frogin a dramatic close-up by G R E A TN o r w o o d H a z a r d of Idyll-wild, California.

Volume 36, Number

T H E OLD S T ORED E S E R T HAM

N E V A D A N O S T A L G I AO R G A N P I P E

N E W M E X I C O ' S P U Y E C L I F F SM Y D E S E R T

M O J AV E 'S P R O V I D E N C E M O U N T A I N R E G I O NR O C K H O U N D I N G IN S O U T H E A S T U T A H

D E P A R T M

P E E K IN THEP U B L I S H E R ' S P O K EB O O K S FORD E S E R T R E A D E R S

B O O K C A T A L O GD E S E R T S H O P P E R

R A M B L I N G ON R O C K SL E T T E R S TO THE E D I T O R

C A L E N D A R OF W E S T E R N E V E N T S

'AthfM AGAZ INE

1 0 O C T O B E R 1973

"1.nid HowardRobert HyallAl Watermanfack PepperBuddy MaysRobert HiltuneitMary Frances StrongF. A. Barnes

E N T S

William KnyvettBook ReviewsOfferings for Fall 73New Items of InterestGlenn andMartha VargasReaders' CommentsClub Activities

E D I T O R I A L , C I R C U L A T I O N AND A D V E R T I S I N G O F F I C E S : 7 4 - 1 0 9 L a r r e a St., Palm Deser t , Cal i fornia 92260. Telephone Area Code714 346-8144. Lis ted in Standard Rate and D a t a . S U B S C R I P T I O N R A T E S : U n i t e d S ta t es , C a n ad a and Mexico; 1 year, $5.00; 2 years,$9.50; 3 years $13. 00. Oth er foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Sub scription O rder Form in this issue. Allowfive weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresses with zip c o d e s . D E S E R T M a g a z i n e is published monthly. Secondclass postage paid at Palm Deser t , Cal i fornia and at additional mailing offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1973b y D E S E R T M a g a z i n e and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts and photo-g r a p h s W I L L NOT BE R E T U R N E D u n l e s s a c c o m p a n i e d by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.October, 1973


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. m e t a ll o c a t o ro b s o l e t e !

PRECISION'S MA RKSMAKES IT SO;N o w P r e c is io n g i v e s you the b e t t e r l o c a t o rto do the j o b s d e m a n d e d by t o d a y ' ss o p h i s t i c a t e d p r o s p e c t o r and t r e a s u r eh u n t e r .Heres whyit's better. Truetonel o u d s p e a k e r . S e n s i t i v ei n d ic a t i n g m e t e r . 7" s e a r c hl o o p . B a t t e r yt e s t e r . G r o u n dc o n t r o l . T-R c i r c u i t .

M e t a l - M i n e r a lc o n t r o l . T e l e s c o p i n gs h a f t . S p a c e ageh e a d p h o n e s V e r n i e rt u n i n g . 2 y e a rg u a r a n t e e .New ultra scan waterproo f search loop with up to4-times as much coverage os other T-R's. Com-plete with Precisions geo balance control, for work-ing in highly mineralized ground, salt water, wetgrass, etc.

O r d e r now. . . or s e n df o r m o r ei n fo r m a t io n .

G e n e r a l E l e c tr o n i c D e t e c t io n Co.1 6 2 3 8 L a k e w o o d B o u l e v a r dB E L L F L O W E R , C A L I F O R N I A 9 0 7 0 6

P u b l i s h e r sA s A RULE we do not accept essays butthere is always the exception. Intothis category falls R obert H iltunen'smanuscript that is featured in our cen-terfold this month. For all who readthis magazine the desert area has a spe-cial appeal and Mr. Hiltunen has putdown in words just what he feels inMy Desert. To me, it is beautiful, andI hope that it will evoke some peacefulthoughts in these troubled times.

On the nature side, Robert Hyatt tellsus about the "Desert Ham" and a basket-shooting raccoon and some light momentswhen he had one as a pet.Our Field Trip Editor, Mary FrancesStrong, has a great article on the Provi-dence Mountain region which shouldappeal to just about every type of outdoorenthusiast. The rockhounds especially willdelight in a never-before-published area ofopal, agate and jasp-agate.Rockhounds get another bonus with

F. A. Barnes' article on collecting in thesoutheastern part of Utah. The Beehivestate has long been a collector's paradise.Special Feature Editor, Jack Pepper, hasus go along with him on a trip throughOrgan Pipe National Monument and forthe ghost town buffs, Al Waterman takesus to Austin and Eureka in Nevada.Just about the only thing missing is

Russ Leadabrand, who took an extendedtrip to Mexico but will be back with usin the next issue.I hope to meet many of you at the 6thAnnual National Prospectors and Trea-sure Hunters Convention. Sponsored bythe Prospectors Club of Southern Califor-nia, it will be held October 6 and 7 atCalifornia City. Calif. Come join in thefun!

R A C KissueSPECIAL

Mail all orders to: DEPT. TDESERT Mag azine

Palm Desert, Calif. 92260Personal check or money order must

accompany your order.Be sure to include your zip code.Desert Magazine


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B o o k sD e s e r tH e a d e r sAll books reviewed are available throughDesert Ma g azin e Book Shop

UTAI

R E L I C S O FT H E R E D M A Nan dR E L IC S O tT H E W H I T E M A Pby Marvin andHelen Davis

H und red s of pictures and relics andthe prices they might bring are illustratedin color and black and white followingthe introductory pages of each of thesebooks. Each complements the other,though different in content and historicalbackground.

Marvin and H elen D avis offer somesage advice on how and where to collectIndian and early American relics. Theysay that no matter what part of the coun-try you live in, there are Indian relics tobe found, and that in the search for anykind of relics, a thorough study of thehistory of the inhabitants be made, wheth-er it be Indian or early white man. Theystrongly suggest that the relic hunter learnwhere the settlers built their villages sincethese are the most logical places to begina search.

Relics of all kinds are becoming in-creasingly hard to find, thus making manyof them almost priceless in value, especial-ly those of the Indians.

Lovely photos and short informativecaptions make for a clear understandingof what the hobbyist or serious hunterwould need to know about his search. Inaddition, there is some good advice (andcaution) as to "good mann ers" am ongcollectors and, above all, one should havecourtesy to get permission for a search onprivate or restricted properties.

Paperback, well illustrated, both bookscontain 63 pages, and are priced at $3.95each.October, 1973

U T A Hby David MuencbText byHartt Wixom

It is here in Utah that a rugged landchallenged a rugged people. H ow theymet that challenge is a unique story, un-rivaled in the New World. The readercan perceive through expressive photo-graphs and writing why the Mormon pio-neers of 1847 called U tah the PromisedLand. Effort is made not only to log whatthey did, but gain an insight into howthey did it against formidable odds.

This collection of landscapes and il-luminating words is a most beautifulunder-one-cover profile of Utah. Takingcenter stage is the rich experience of mag-nificent grandeur found in five nationalparks , scores of national monuments andrecreational areas, and the unexploredback country. In addition, the little thingswhich make up the Beehive State are notforgotten.

The impressions captured here withD avid Muench 's camera and H art t W ix-om's pen are little different from thoseof the first explorers. See with Muenchthe dramatic landscapes of Utah . . . therock art of ancient Indians, the splash ofchanging seasons, the fragile beauty of al-pine life and the contrasting qualities ofCanyonlands. Wixom unfolds the storyabout how the last major mountain rangeand river in the U nited States finally tooktheir places on the maps. Then, too, thetrophy-trout and wildlife are a part ofthis story. Discover the geology, geogra-phy, history and human resources ofUtah. Here, everything you wanted toknow about Utah is found in one book.

Hardcover, large ((11 x 14) format,188 pages, wel l i l lust ra ted , $25 .00 .($22.00 until January 1, 1974.)

FOR A COMPLETE LINEOF BOOKS AND MAPS ON

CALIFORNIA^WRITE FOR ILLUSTRATEDFREE BROCHURE

P.O. BOX 161LITTLEROCK, CAL IF. 93543

Your passportto a memorablevacation.Do you want to vacation off thebeaten track? Find the sights thataren't spoiled by hordes of tourists?See the real Southwest as theIndians and the pioneers knew it?Then ENJOYING THE SOUTHWESTby Catryna Ten Eyck Seymour is theguidebook for you.

Mrs. Seymour puts her empha-sis on the little-known places, whereancient Indian traditions andnatural scenery can best be ob-served. But she also offers pointerson visiting the standard touristspots while avoiding the mobs andthe distractions.She describes accommoda-tions, lists interesting side trips,and offers valuable shopping tips,F-inally, there is a detailed "how-to-do-it" section with helpful hints oncamp ing out. Every chapter of thisbook is illustrated with clear,easy-to-read maps and attractivedrawings.Senator Barry Goldwater callsENJOYING THE SOUTHWEST " areal addition to the grow ing libraryon Southwestern America . .extremely accurate and valuable."Order your copy today.At all bookstores or usecoupon below. Cloth $7.95,paperback $3.50.

D-1073J J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANYil East Washington Square,|| Philadelph ia, Pa. 19105II Send me, postage paidcopies hardcover ($7.95 each)and /or copies paperback($3.50 each) of ENJOYING THESOUTHWEST. I reserve the rightto return any book(s) within 10days of delivery and get a full re-fund. I enclose $ Check money orderName_IIII Address.CityState_ _Zip_Residents of Pa., N.J., N.Y., N.C.,N. Dak., Ark., Cal., Tenn., pleaseadd state and local taxes.


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FALL 1973CATALOG - PART 2 BOOKS OF

ALL OF MEXICO AND GUATEMALA by NormanD. Ford. The Guide that rates the choice hotelsand restaurants of both Mexico and Guatemalaby price. For as l i t t le as $6 a day you can stayat l i t t le posadas or inns, meals included. A com-plete travel book on places that beast moreancient history and culture than the rest of theWestern hemisphere combined. Paperback, 200pages. $2.00.

MAMMALS OF DEEP CANYON by R. Mark Ryan.A study of the habits of more than 40 animalsliving in the Deep Canyon Research Area in theColorado Desert. The site was selected becauseits ecology is typical of deserts throughout thewor ld . Paperback, i l lustrated, 137 pages, $2.95.BAJA CALIFORNIA OVERLAND by L. Burr Belden.Practical guide to Lower California as far as LaPaz by auto with material gleaned from extensive study trip sponsored by Univ. of Calif. Ineludes things to see and accommodations. Papeiback. $1.95.

OREGON COAST with photos by Ray Atkesonand text by Archie Satterfied. The fine st col lee -ion of four-color photographs of the magnificentshoreline ever presented. Excellent historic text,paper, 124 pages. Large 11x14 form at, hard,cover, $22.00.TRAVEL GUIDE TO ARIZONA by Editors of Sun-set Books. Beauti ful photographs descript ive ma-ter ia l , history and up-to-date maps make thisan excellent tour guide to both the northernand southern sections of Arizona. Large Sun-set format, four-cotor cover, heavy paperback,96 pages, $1.95.TRAVEL GUIDE TO NEVADA by Editors of SunsetBooks. Also the same format and size as theirArizona (above) and Utah Guide Books. $1.95.GUIDEBOOKS TO CALIFORNIA AREAS by RussLeadabrand. These books are exactly the sameformat and price ($1.95 each) as Leadabrand'sbooks described above. The five di fferent guidesare: Guidebook to San Bernardino Mountains,Guidebook to Sunset Range, Guidebook to MojaveDesert and Guidebook to Southern Sierra Moun-tains. ORDER EACH BY COMPLETE TITLE.OLD MINES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Reprint-ed from the Report of the State Mineralog ist,1893. Limited to 1000 copies, and included inthis detai led accounting are desert, mountain andcoastal areas as well as those of Calico-SalronSea, Colorado River Districts and Southern Coun-t ies. Sketches of many mines. Paperback, 96pages, $3.00.6

BIRDS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN DESERTS by GusseThomas Smith. Thirty-one of the most commonlysighted birds of the Southwest are described andi l lustrated in 4-color art ist drawings. Heavypaperback, 68 pages, $3.50.GHOST TOWN BOTTLE PRICE GUIDE by Wes andRuby Bressie. A new and revised edit ion of theirpopular bott le book, f i rst published in 1964.New section on Oriental relics, plus up-to-datevalues of bott les. Slick, paperback, i l lustrated,124 pages, $2.95.CAM PING HANDBOOK by Editors of SunsetBooks. Complete information on how to gocamping without making i t a drudgery. Includesselecting and transport ing equipment, publicand private campgrounds, maps, types andrenting of vehicles, cooking, etc. Large Sunsetformat, i l lustrated, paperback, 96 pages, $1.95.TRAVEL GUIDES TO BAJA CALIFORNIA by Kenand Caroline Bates. Published the Editors ofSunset Books, this is a useful book on Baja andshould be a companion piece to Gerhard andGulick's Lower California Handbook and Cli ffCross's Baja by Road, Airplane and Boat. TheBates' book takes the reader to the people withtext, photographs and maps. Anyone going toBaja should have all three books. Large 8x10format, heavy paperback, 80 pages, $1.95.50 YEARS IN DEATH VALLEY by Harry P. Gower.First hand account of the dramatic mining yearsby a man who spert his life in the mysteriousvalley. Describes the famous characters of DeathValley, Paperback, i l iustrated, 145 pages, $2.95GREENWATER by H arold W eig ht. Called the'monumental swindle of the century" this isthe story of the 1906 stampede to the BlackMounta ins and how $30,000,000 d isappeared.Paperback, historic photos, 34 pages. $1.00.

1SOUTHWEST INDIAN COUNTRY by the Editorsof Sunset Books. A concise and comprehensiveguide covering the 48 reservations and Pueblovi l lages in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico andColorado. Includes what to see, how to buy,conduct, history, and ceremonials. Large format,colored i l lustrat ions, heavy paperback, 80pages, $1.95.

RHYOLITE by Harold W eig ht. Tales of ShortyHarris, Ernest Cross, Bob Montgomery, M. M.Beaty and the men and women who estab-ished the famous mining town near DeathValley. Paperback, historic photos, 40 pages.$1 . 00 .

THE MAN WHO WALKED THROUGH TIME byColin Fletcher. An odyssey of a man who l ivedsimply and in solitude for two months as hehiked through the Grand Canyon. Combininghis physical prowess with Thoreau-like observa-t ions , the author has wri t ten a book of greatmagnitude. Hardcover, i l lustrated, 239 pages,$ 6 . 9 5 .AMATEUR GUIDE TO BOTTLE COLLECTING by BeaBoynton. Popular little book for beginners. High-ly recommended. Paper. $1.00.BOTTLE RUSH U.S.A. by Lynn Blumenstein. Anexcellent book for identi fying old bott les withphotographs of over 700 i tems and current pricelist. Background bottle information. 184 pages,paperback, $4.25.

0 . . . .

OLD MINES AND GHOST CAMPS OF CALIFORNIA,compiled by A. Ekman, I. H. Parker, W. H. Stormy,H. W. Penniman and M. E. Dittmar. A lot of informative reading takes you county by countythrough the vast mining areas of the MotherLode and adjoining rich properties. Paperback,photos, 144 pages, $3.50.NEVADA LOST MINES AND HIDDEN TREASURES,compied by Dave Basso. The Second Edition, Oct.1972, is updated with photographs and a newlook. Portions of U.S. Geological Survey topo-graphic maps are provided to give the reader anidea of the general locale in which the specificstory is centered. Paperback, 71 pages, $2.50,THE DESERT LAKE (The Story of Nevada's PyramidLake) by Sessions S. Wheeler. According to thisauthor, the parent of Desert Lake was born ap-proximately 70,000 years ago. The large lakewas named Lahontan and responded to manychanges over the last 8 to 9,000 years such asice sheets, flooding and dry stages. It is geo-logically concluded that during its low stages,the deepest of i ts "puddles" was the desert lake,Pyramid. Archeologists have discovered a popu-lation of humans lived in caves along the lake-shore and are called the "Lovelock Culture."Fishing, boating, Paiute Indian lore make this aland of contrasts and endless exploration. Pa-perback, i l l . , 135 pages, $2.50.THE HINGES OF DESTINY by Ben Lee Parker. Atrue story of ranch life in the early 20th Century,Ben Lee Parker's life in Texas was crowded withoutdoor excitement and adventure. He takes thereader to another era, to a kind of life no longerlived in America, now taken over by concrete,asphalt and tourist attract ions. Hardcover, i l lus.,149 pages, $5.00. Desert Magazine


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TH E W E S T USE ORDER COUPONON PAGE 45CALIFORNIA RESIDENTSPLEASE ADD 6% SALES TAXTHREE PATHS ALONG A RIVER by Tom Hudson.The San Luis Rey River in California's San DiegoCounty played an important part in t the historyof the West. Dramatic account of the Indians,Spaniards and Americans who sett led the area.Hardcover, 239 pages, $6.00.GHOSTS OF THE GOLD RUSH by George Koenig,To really enjoy a trip through California'sMother Lode Country one should have a know-ledge of the historical background and a guideto places to see. This travel and historical guidegives this information in a concise and interest-ing m anner. Paperback, i l lustrated, 7 2 pages,S I . 9 5 .GOLD RUSH CO UNTRY by the Editors of SunsetBooks. A revised and up-dated practical guideto California's Mother Lode country. Dividedinto geographical areas for easy weekendtrips, the 8x11 heavy pa pert a ck new edit ionis profusely i l lustrated with photos and maps.Special features and anecdotes of historical andpresent day activit ies. A -color cover 96 pages.$2.95.

ANTIQUE BOTTLES by Marvin and. Helen Davis.Paperback, full color, 62 pages, $3.00.A GUIDEBOOK TO THE SOUTHERN SIERRANEVADA by Russ Leadabrand. I l lust ra ted wi thgood photographs and maps, this volume coversthe Sierra region south of the Sequoia NationalPark, including most of the Sequoia NationalForest. Paperback, $1.95.ARIZONA by David Muench. The f inest pictorialpresentation of the Grand Canyon State everpublished. One of the outstanding color photo-graphers of the world, Muench has selected 160of his 4-color photographs which are augmentedby comprehensive text of David Toll. Hardcover,11x14 format, 200 heavy slick pages. $25.00.MINES OF THE EASTERN SIERRA by Mary De-Decker. Facts about the mines on the easternslope of the Sierra Nevada and Inyo Mountains.Pcper. $1.95.THE SALTON SEA Yesterday and Today by Mil-dred do Stanley. Includes geological history,photographs and maps, early exploration anddevelopment of the area up to the present.Paperback, 125 pages. $1.00.OUT FROM LAS VEGAS by Florine Lawlor. Only 'a few miles from the gambling casinos andneon lights of Las Vegas are four-wheel-drivetrails and passenger car roads rich in historyard scenery. Paperback, i l lustrated, 36 p. $1.00

GOLD AND SILVER IN THE W EST by T. H. W at-kins. The author brings together for the first timethe entire story of gold and silver mining in heWest. It tells of conquistadores chasing myths inOld Mexico, gold and silver strikes in the West,Alaska, Mexico and Canada, the rise and fall ofmining ventures, promotional schemes and to-day's operations. Hardbound, large format, 212il lustrat ions (75 in 4-coior) 288 pages, $17 .50 .MINES OF THE HIGH DESERT by Donald DeanMiller. Describes life at the New Dale, VirginiaDale, Supply and other early mines of the highdesert country around Joshua Tree NationalMonument in California. Photos and map. Paperback. $1.95.LAS VEGAS (As It BeganAs Ir Grew) by Stan-ley W. Paher. Here is the first general history ofearly Las Vegas ever to be published. The authorwas born and raised there in what, to many, isconsidered a town synonymous with lavish gamb-ling and unabashed night l i fe. Newcomers to thearea, and even natives themselves, will be sur-prised by the facts they did not know about theirt own. Western Americana book lovers wil l appre-ciate the usefulness of this book. You don't haveto gamble on this one! Hardcover, large format,loaded with historical photos, 180 pages, $10.95DESERT G ARDE NING by the Editors of SunsetBooks. A "how to " book on wha t is dif ferentabout gardening in the desert. A thorough andhelpful book, it covers areas of Arizona's HighDesert, High Desert of New Mexico and Texas,California's Medium to High Desert, Arizona'sIntermediate Desert and Low Desert of Californiaand Arizona. Paperback, i l lus., 96 pages, $1.95.HO W TO COLLECT ANTIQU E BOTTLES by JohnC. Tibbitts. A fascinating insight of early Ameri-ca as seen through the eyes of the medicinecompanies and their advert ising almanacs. Ex-cellent book for avid bottle collectors and thosejust starting. Also includes chapters on collect-ing, locations and care of bottles. Heavy, slickpaperback, well i l lustrated, 118 pages, $4.00.

ROCKS AND MINERALS, A Golden Nature Guide.More than an aid to identifying rocks and min-erals, this book wil l also help the reader under-stand the importance of rocks and minerals inour daily lives. Tells where to look for rocks andminerals such as man-made exposures of hil ls,quarries, rock pits, road and railroad cuts, etc.Compact paperback, profusely i l lustrated, 160pages, $1.25.HO PI KACH INA DOLLS (W ith a Key to Theiridentification), by Harold S. Colton. Kachinadolls are neither toys nor idols, but aids to teach-ing religion and tradit ion. This is a definit ivework on the subject, describing the meaning,the making and the principal features of 266variet ies of Kachina dolls. Line drawings of eachvariety, plus color and b/w photographs makeit a complete guide to learn more of the rich-ness of American Indian cu lture. Paperback,150 pages, $3.45.A NATURALISTS DEATH VALLEY by Dr. EdmundC. Jaeger. In this revised third edition, Dr. Jae-ger covers and uncovers some of the mysteries ofthis once humid, and now arid trough. He tells ofthe Indians of Death Valley, the mammals, birds,repti les, amphibians, f ishes, insects, trees, wildf lowers and fossils. Paperback, 66 pages, $1.50.

OLD MINES AND GHOST CAMPS OF NEW MEXI-CO by Fayette Jones. Reprinted from New Mexi-co Mines and Minerals, 1905. Covers mines andcamps up to that date only. Descriptive land-marks make it easy for a reader to identify lo-cations. I l lustrated with photos and digrams.Paperback, 214 pages, $4.00.BYROADS OF BAJA by W alt W heelock. In addit ion to describing the many highways now beingpaved, this veteran Baja explorer also tells ofback country roads leading to Indian ruins, mis-sions and abandoned mines. Norte Americanoswill love this adventure, in armchair, passengercar, or 4WD. Paperback, i l lus.. 72 Daaes. $1.95.

EXPLORING DEATH VALLEY by Ruth Kirk. Goodphotos and maps with t ime estimates from placeto place and geology, natural history an dhuman interest information included. Paperback.S 2 . 2 5 .CALIFORNIA NATIONAL PARKS by the editorsof Sunset Books. This new edition, like other' Sunset Books, is we ll illustr ated and gives complete information about California and nationalparks. Large format, sl ick paperback, 80 pages,$1 .95 .FLORA OF BAJA NORTE by Tina Kasbeer. Theauthor is a botanist who spends all her free timein Baja and writes in detail of the endemic plantsof the country. Describes the use of certainplants for medicinal purposes by the Indians andresidents. Paperback, i l lus., 36 pages, $1.00.THE GREAT AMERICAN WEST by James D. Horan.With over 650 i l lustrat ions, many in full color,this is the full western story from the days of theconquistadores to the 20th Century. Many rarephotos never publ ished before. Large 9 x 1 2format, Hardcover, 288 pages, originally pub.at $10.00, now on ly $4.95.CAMELS AND SURVEYORS IN DEATH VALLEY byArthur W oodward. A diary-l ike accounting of theday-by-day experiences of an expedit ion for asurvey of the boundary between California andthe territory of Nevada. Paperback, 73 pages,$9.00.


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FALL 1973CATALOG - PART 2 BOOKS OF

THE GOLD HEX by Ken Marquiss. A single man'sendeavors, Ken has compiled 20 of his treasurehunts in book for m. His fai lu re to hit the "jack-pot " does not mean he is treasureless. From g oldpanning to hardrock, from dredging to electronicmetal detecting, he enjoyed a l i fet ime of "doinghis thing." Slick paperback, i l lustrated withphotos and maps, 146 pages, $4.00.

GEM MINERALS OF IDAHO by John A. Beckwi th .Contains information on physical and opticalcharacterist ics of minerals; the history, lore, andfashioning of many gems. Also eleven rewardingfield trips to every sort of collecting area. Slickpaperback, maps and photos, 123 pages, $2.95 .THEY FOUND GOLD by A. Hyatt Verrill. Treasurehunting is not restricted to the West, as is broughtout here. Instead, Verri l l deals with his effortsand those of others to locate treasures fromsunken ships off the coast of Yucatan and CentralAmerica, and ethnological expenditures aroundthe world. Hardcover, i l lustrated, 267 pages,$7 . 50 .THE STERLING LEGEND by Estee Conatser. Thestory of the Lost Dutchman Mine is in a classof its own. Here the author presents the JacobWalzer story in a realist ic and plausible manner.An introduction by Karl von Mueller, and a mapinsert leaves the reader to draw his own con-clusions between fact and fict ion. Paperback,i l lustrated, 98 pages, $3.50.THE NEVADA DESERT by Sessions S. Wheeler.Provides information on Nevada's state parks,historical monuments, recreational areas, andsuggestions for safe comfortable travel in theremote sections of western America. Old jour-nals, micro-fi lm copies of early newspapers andmemories of l iving persons make an excit ing his-tory of Nevada. Paperback, i l lustrated, 168pages, $2.95.TRADERS TO THE NAVAJOS by Frances Gillmorand Louisa Wade Wetherill. John and LouisaWetheri l l of Kayenta, l iving among the Navajosfrom 1900 into the 30s, served the Indians inmany ways from historians and school teachersand guides to explorers and archeologists. JohnWetheri l l was the fi rst of two white men toreach Rainbow Bridge. Paperback, 265 pages,$2 .95 .BACKPACKING by R. C. Relhmel. Stresses cautionand confidence in this popular sport and in-cludes detai ls about equipment, clothing, foodand techniques for trai l and camp preparation.Good for the novice, too, who wants to gowi lderness camping wi th fami ly or a few fr iends.Paperback, $3.95; Hardcover, $6.95.A FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS by RogerTory Peterson. The standard book for f ield iden-t i f icat ion sponsored by the National AudubonSociety. 2nd edit ion, enlarged with new sectionon Hawaiian birds. 658 in full color. Hardcover.$5 .95 .8

DESERT ANIMALS OF THE SOUTHWEST by RichardClayton. Delightful for chi ldren and grown-ups,this little book includes sketches and concise de-script ions of animals with accompanying foot-prints. Covering 38 creatures, it could be usedas a game around the campfire. Paperback,i l lustrated, 78 pages, $1.95.EXPLORING CALIFORNIA BYWAYS VOLUME VIOWENS VALLEY by Russ Leadabrand. Trips fora day or a weekend wil l lead the readers a merrychase in pictures and words up and down thenarrow Owens Valley. Your eyes wi l l feast onsuch attract ions as the Alabama Hil ls, MonoLake, Mt. Whitney, giant boulders of obsidian atGlass Mountain, Bishop Creek and the nowplundered Owens Lake and many, many more.Paperback, i l lustrated and mapped, bibliography.126 pages, $1.95.WILY WOMEN OF THE WEST by Grace ErnestineRay. Such women of the West as Belle Starr,Catt le Kate and Lolc Montez weren't all goodand weren't all bad, but were fascinating andconficting personalities, as researched by theauthor. Their l ives of adventure were a vi talpart of the life of the Old West. Hardcover, illus-t rated, 155 pages, $5.95.

MAP OF PIONEER TRAILS Compiled by VarnaEnterprises. Publishers of popular maps on lostmines and ghost towns in Cali fornia, Varna hasreleased a new large map on pioneer trai lsblazed from 1541 through 1867 in the westernUnited States. Supe rimposed in red on blackand whi te , the 37x45- inch map is $4,00.A FIELD GUIDE TO THE GEMS AND MINERALS OFMEXICO by Paul Willard Johnson. Tips on f ood ,maps, and information, driving and trai lering inMexco, Border regulat ions, wrapping specimensof gems and minerals and all about your propos-ed mining venture are covered. Paperback, manygood maps and i l lustrat ions, 96 pages, $2.00.

GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCKIESby Robert L. Brown. Written by the author ofJeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns this bookdeals with ghost towns accessible by passen-ger car. Gives direct ions and maps for f indingtowns along with historical backgrounds. Hard-cover, 401 pages, $ 6.9 5.WEST OF DAWN by Hugh D'Autremont. Theauthor's account of his l i fe of adventure whichstarted in the 1930s during which he lookedfor lost mines, prospected for gold in Mexicoand hardrock mined in Cali fornia. Reads l ike afict ional wi ld west novel. Hardcover, 1 87 pages,$5 . 00 .

PALM CANYONS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA byRandall Henderson. The beauti ful palm canyonsand isolated areas of Baja Cali fornia are de-scribed by the late Randall Henderson, founderof DESERT Magazine. Although these are hispersonal adventures many years ago, little haschanged and his vivid wri t ing is alive today asit was when he first saw the oases. Paperback,i l lustrated, 72 pages, $ 1 . 9 5 .

CALIFORNIA-NEVADA GHOST TOWN ATLAS andSOUTHWESTERN GHOST TOWN ATLAS by RobertNeil Johnson. These atlases are excellent do-it-your self guides to lead you back to scenes andplaces of the early West. Some photos and manydetai led maps with legends and bright, detai leddescript ions of what you wil l sec, also mileageand highway designations. Heavy paperback,each 48 pages, $2.00.COINSHOOTING, How and Where To Do It byH. Glenn Carson. This book presents tips andtricks' on coinshooting and hunting other itemslost by people over the years. Metal detectorowners wi l l f ind their hobby made more profi t-ab le , says this veteran "coinshooter." Paperback,i l lustrated, 58 pages, $2.50.THE CAHUILLA INDIANS by Lucile Hooper. Compared to the large tribes of the West, the Ca-hui l las, although being comparatively smallplay an important part in the history of SouthernCali fornia. Customs, l iving habits, the cultures ofthis tribe are better appreciated by the author'sinsight. First published in 1920, and again inprint. Paperback, large format, bibliography, 65pages, $2.50.GUIDEBO OK TO THE FEATHER RIVER COUNTRYby Jim Martin. This is a "must' for recrea tionenthusiasts eager to relive the discovery of goldin this country. Try your luck at gold panning,f i sh ing, boating, hiking and ice angling asdescribed in this western travel book. Slick paper-back, i l lustrated, 128 pages, $1.95.LET'S GO PROSPECTING by Edwa rd Arthur.Facts and how-to-do-i t on prospecting are pre-sented by the author who has spent 30 yearssearching for gems and minerals in Cali fornia.For those who think there are no more valuablesleft in Cali fornia, they wi l l f ind a new field inthis informative book. Includes marketing data,maps, potential buyers for discoveries. Large8x10 format, i l lustrated, heavy paperback, 84pages, $3.95.

SOUTHWESTERN INDIAN TRIBES by Tom Bahti.An excellent description, history and currentstatus of the Indians of the Southwest, includingd a t e : of their ceremonies and celebrations. Pro-fusely i l lustrated with 4-color photographs ofthe Indian Country and the arts and crafts ofthe many tribes. Large format, heavy paper-back, 72 pages, $2.00.

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HE WEST USE ORDER COUPONON PAGE 45CALIFORNIA RESIDENTSPLEASE ADD 6% SALES TAXWESTERN GEM HUNTERS ATLAS by Cy Johnsonand Son. A helpfu l book of deta i led maps show-ing gem and mineral locat ions, f rom Cal i forn iato the Dakotas and Bri t ish Columbia to Texas.Markings note private claims, gem claims (feecharged) and rock and gem locat ions. Alsosuggested reading for more detai l on areasincluded and other r ich areas not included inth is publ icat ion. Paperback, maps galore, col -lec tor 's l ibrary , 79 pages, $3.00.BACKPACK COOKERY by Ruth Dyar Mendenhall.Full of good ideas for making the most of de -dehydrated foods. Paper. $1.00.LOST DESERT BONANZAS by Eugene Conrotto.Brief resumes of lost mine articles printed inback issues of DESERT Magazine, by a formereditor. Hardcover, 278 pages. $7.00.THE ROCKS BEGIN TO SPEAK by L aVan M ortin -eau. The author tells how his interest in rockwri t ing led to years of study and how he haslearned that manyespec ia l ly the complex pet -roglyphs are historical accounts of actualevents. Hardcover, wefl i l lustrated, glossary,b i b l i og raphy , 210 pages , $8 . 95 .

B KJIN'TO'SISHIf'r .

GHOST TOWNS OF THE NORTHWEST by Norma nD. Weis. The ghost-town country of the Paci f icNorthwest inc luding t r ips to many l i t t le-knownareas, is explored in this f i rst-hand factual andinterest ing book. Excellent photography. Bestbook to date on ghost towns of the Northwest.Maps. Hardcover, heavy sl ick paper, 319 pages.$ 6 . 9 5 .

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THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTHWEST by the Editors ofSunset Books. A pic tor ia l w i th a br ief tex t show-ing modern day act iv i t ies of c i t ies such asPhoenix, El Paso, Taos, and communit ies belowthe Mexican border, and covering the South-western states, canyons and deserts. 240 photo-graphs of which 47 are four-color , large format ,223 pages, hardcover , $10.95.TIMBERLINE ANCIENTS with photos by DavidMuench and text by Darwin Lambert. Bristleconcpines are the oldest l iv ing trees on earth. Pho-tographer David Muench brings them to l i fe inal l their fascinat ing forms, and Lambert 's proseis l ike poetry. One of the most beaut i ful pic-tor ia ls ever publ ished. An ideal g i f t . Large l l x14 format, hardcover, heavy sl ick paper, 128four-color photographs, 125 pages. $22 .00 .NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA GHOST TOWNS byStanley W. Paher. Direct ions to and history about23 of Arizona's most famous ghost towns. His-torical photographs and art ist sketches enhanceeditorial content. Large, 11x14 format, sl ickpaperback, 48 pages, $2.95.JOURNEY OF THE FLAME by Walter Nordhoff.The most exci t ing tale of early Baja and AltaCali fornia ever wri t ten. Recounts lost t reasurelegends and is accurate historical account pre-sented in f ict ional style. Hardcover. $4.95.October, 1973

DESERT GEM TRAILS by Ma ry Frances Strong.DESERT Magazine's Field Trip Editor has revisedand brought up to date her popular f ie ld guidefor rockhounds. She has deleted areas which arenow closed to the public and added new areasnot covered before. The maps have also been up-dated. This is the "bib le" for both amateur an dveteran rockhounds and back country explorers.Heavy paperback, 80 pages and st i l l the samepr ice, $2.00.COMMON EDIBLE & USEFUL PLANTS OF THEWEST by Muriel Sweet. A descript ion with art istdrawings of edible (and those not to touch!plants along with how Indians and pioneers usedthem. Paperback, 64 pages, $1.50.REDIGGING THE WEST for old time bottles byLynn Blumenstein. One of the better bott le bookswi th 700 photographs. Paperback, $4.25.LOST MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by HaroldWeight. This is a new approach to the enigmaof Death Valley Scotty 's l i fe and legends andgives addit ional insight into the Lost Gunsightand Breyfogle bonanzas, plus other Death Valleymysteries. Paperback, historic photographs, refer-ence mater ia l , 86 pages $2.50.NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MINING CAMPSby Stanley W. Paher. Covering al l of Nevada's17 count ies, Paher has documented 575 miningcamps, many of which have been erased fromthe earth. The book contains the greatest andmost complete collect ion of historic photographsof Nevada ever published. This, coupled withhis excellent wri t ing and map, creates a bookof last ing value. Large 9x11 format, 700photographs, hardcover , 492 pages, $15.00.SPEAKING OF INDIANS by Bernice Johnston.An authori ty on the Indians of the Southwest,the author has presented a concise well-wri t tenbook on the customs, history, crafts, ceremoniesand what the Amer ican Indian has cont r ibutedto the white man's civ i l izat ion. A MUST forboth students and travelers touring the IndianCountry. Heavy paperback, 10x7 format, i l lus-t rated, 112 pages, $2.50.MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by L. Burr Belden.About fabulous bonanzas, prospectors and lostmines. Paperback. $1.95.

LOST MINES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST by JohnD. Mitchell. The f i rst of Mitchell 's lost minebooks is now avai lable after having been out ofprint for years. Reproduced from the originalcopy and containing 54 art ic les based on ac-counts from people Mitchell interviewed. Hespent his ent i re adult l i fe invest igat ing reportsand legends of lost mines and treasures of the"Southwest. Hardcover, i l lustrated, 175 pages,$7 . 50 .HOW AND HERE TO PAN GOLD by WayneWinters. Convenient paperback handbook wi thinformation on staking claims, panning and re-cover ing placer gold. Maps and drawings.$2 . 00 .ON DESERT TRAILS by Randall Henderson, founder and publisher of Desert Magazine for 23years. One of the f i rst good wri ters to revealthe beauty of the mysterious desert areas. Hen-derson's experiences, combined with his com-ments on the desert of yesterday and today,make this a MUST for those who really wantto understand the desert . 375 pages, i l lustrated.Hardcover . $6.95.30,000 MILES IN MEXICO by Nell Murbarger.Joyous adventures of a tr ip by pick-up campermade by tw o wom en from Ti juana to . Guate-mala. Folksy and entertaining, as well as in-struct ive to others who might make the tr ipHardcover , 309 pages, $6.00.

GHOSTS OF THE GLORY TRAIL by Ne ll M urbarg er.A pioneer of the ghost tow n explorers an dwr i ters , Miss Murbarger 's fo l lowers wi l l be g ladto know this book is once again in print . Firstpublished in 1956, i t is now in i ts seventh edi-t ion . The fast-moving chronicle is a result of per-isona! interviews of old-t imers who are no longerhere to tel l their tales. Hardcover, i l lustrated,291 pages , $7 . 00 .THE NORTH AMERICAN DESERTS by Edmund C.Jaeger. A long-t ime authori ty on al l phases ofdesert areas and l i fe, Dr. Jaeger's book on theNorth Ameican Deserts should be carried where-ever you travel. It not only describes each of theindividual desert areas, but has i l lustrated sec-tions on desert insects, reptiles, birds, mammalsand plants. 315 pages, i l lustrated photographs,l ine draw ings and map s. Hardcover. $6.9 5.LOST MINES & BURIED TREASURES ALONG THEOLD FRONTIER by John D. Mitchell. The secondof Mitchell 's books on lost mines which was out-of -pr int for many years i s avai lable again. M anyof these appeared in DESERT Mgazine yearsago and these issues are no longer avai lable.New readers wi l l want to read these. Containsthe or ig inal map f i rs t publ ished wi th the bookand one pinpoint ing the areas of lost mines.Mitchell 's persona! research and invest igat ionhas gone into the boo k. H ardcover, 24 0 pages,$7 , 50 .


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Every old ghost town has its burial grounds, and the epitaphs indicate life wasextremely h ard for children and law enforcement m en. This one reads: Will Cox age thirty-eight Peace Officer Killed in the line of duty. Pearce, Arizona.10

b y E n id C . H o w a r dTHINGS A R E looking up around Pearce,Arizona, these days. The Old Storeis back in business, and population at lastcount numbered seven bonda fide citizens.It's been a tough climb away from theanonymity of a ghost town, to a respect-able tourist attraction. True, life is slow-paced in Pearce, but that is part of its newcharm. You will find it on Route 666, be-tween Douglas and Willcox, Arizona.

Around the Gleeson, Courtland, Tomb-stone mining camps in 1890, undergroundwater had all but stopped work on mostof the bonanza strikes, and miners werepulling stakes for richer territory. JohnJames Pearce was one of those who justcouldn't make it to support his familymining, so went to ranching in the wideopen land northeast of the Tombstonearea.But he still had mining in his head, andone day while scouting the range forgrazing land, he topped a hill, dismountedand sat down on a rock ledge where hebroke out a can of sardines and a bit ofbread. Well, he was always, just for theheck of it, cracking open rocks, and noreason he couldn't do it right there. Hecracked a couple, and they were loadedwith free gold. Those cracked rocks ac-cord ing to the assayer showed about$20,000 a ton in silver and $5,000 in go ld.Pearce partially developed his strikewhich he named "The Commonwealth,"

by hard pick and shovel work, then soldit to John Brockman of Silver City. TheDesert Magazine


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richness of the ore body at the Common-wealth was fabulous.A boom town developed around theCommonwealth, and was named Pearcefor obvious reasons. T he T ombstone,Gleeson, Courtland mining camps hadhad their glory, and now it was Pearce'sturn. It sprouted in 1894, and in a shorttime was roaring louder than any boomtown ever had before. New buildings were

put up the quickest way possible to housethe increasing population, along with mer-chandising establishments to supply theneeds of miners with plenty of money intheir pockets.The Old Store was built of adobe brickand was the largest adobe structure insouthwestern Arizona. Not only the store,but store rooms, stables and feed storagefacilities, built around a central court-yard where constructed of adobe, whichwas plastered with more adobe mixture

inside and out and painted or whitewash-ed. It supplied according to the need,fancies for women and substantials formen, along with trifles for children.Disaster struck The Commonwealth in1904 when water at the rate of 4,000,000gallons a day could no longer be con-trolled, and Pearce went the way of allthe other mining camps in the area. TheOld Store continued to function as aplace where die-hard desert rats couldpick up a can of beans, a spool of thread

or gasoline for those new-fangled gasbuggies. Much later it became a rockshop for rock hounds who wanderedaround the southeastern deserts of Ari-zona.But The Old Store never gave up, andone fine day John and Ginger Thurmanfrom Lake Bluff, 111., discovered it, de-cided that was their thing and bought it.True, the old building had begun to showits age, but that was the charm for theThurmans. They have within two years

and much hard work, reactivated TheOld Store as it was 60 years ago. It is atreasure trove of nostalgia.The Thurmans use the original coun-ters, show cases, and high shelves com-plete with rolling ladders to reach thehigh places. John is most proud of his"Cashier's Cage Office," with its well usedold roll-top desk and tilt back chair. Hecan be found there sometimes with hisfeet on the desk, just being happy!An incredible amount of stock hasbeen assembled in The O ld S tore. O n dis-play or for sale are contemporary, period,

October, 1973

HE OLD STOREPEARCE A R I Z O N A

The Old Store, at Pearce, is the oldest continuously operated merchandise facilityin Arizona. The present owners, John and Ginger Thurman have injected new lifeinto the old building by restoring to use many of the original fixtures.and antique items. They specialize in min-erals and rocks, and sell southwesterngifts and curios. Some items like oldfashioned glass candy jars full of sweetsor licorice sticksa collection of antiquecrank telephonesa couple of women'sbathings suits, circa 1918, and the oldpot-bellied stove, bring smiles and com-ments from travelers who wander in tobrowse. The Thurman's motto, "If wehave two of something, we'll sell you oneif we can find the other."

Ginger has a pet project which she calls,"The Pearce Room." When old-timersaround southeastern Arizona heard thatThe Old Store was on its feet again anddoing business at the same old stand,

they brought bits and pieces of the pastto Ginger, to either display or purchase.Most important were the old photographsthey presented to her. She has had en-larged copies made and framed, and theyhang in "The Pearce Room." They areof Pearce and the people who made itArizona's last big boom town.

In addition, John and Ginger are nottoo bu;;y to visit and talk about the historyof Pearce and the surrounding country.They have created a friendly atmosphereof welcome for all who stop at The O ldStore just to browse or to purchase. TheOld Store, and John and Ginger Thurmanare three of the nicest personalities youwill meet in southeastern Arizona. Q7 7


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H j ; is T H J; most dedicated thespian ofthe wood s circuit. O n stage he is aclever show-off; off stage a sly trickster.H e never removes his mask. H e wears itwith the same elan as the Hollywoodleading man wears his dark glasses. Whilethis affectation is inten ded to give anony-mity to both cha racters, both know itdraws peoples' at tention.

Neither is camera shy. Mr. C o o n , th efat man of the woodsy stage, gives hisbest performance when he has an appre-ciative audience. Look in on him at mealt ime, which is the most enjoyable momentof his life. In fact, Mr. Coon would rath-er eat than woo his leading lady. Whiledining, he' l l exhibit epicurean manners.

Say the menu is crayfish, a summer deli-cacy with him. While Mr. Coon huntsmost of his meals, he lets the crayfishhunt him. That is to say, he doesn't takean unfair advantage . H e pokes a daintyhand into a stream, while staring aroundnonchalantly, pretending he doesn't seeyou, and lets the crayfish nip his fingers.Then, with the decorum of a duchess eat-ing popcorn, he flips the crayfish intohis mouth.

His method of opening clams would

arouse the envy of a Cape Cod shellfish-erman. He fastidiously inserts a finger-nail between the shells, and in one deftsweep lays bare the goodies.

Mr. Coon's widely publicized habit ofwashing his food has given him a finebut part ly undeserved reputation forcleanliness . H e really does wash dirt andgrit off frogs, and crayfish, and grimyvegetables. Using his nails as Bowieknives, he expertly cleans fish of theirinnards. But much of his other food iseaten unwashed. When dining on eggs,ripe fruit, or mils-ear corn, he eats onthe spot without benefit of w ashing. H e isa remarkable "cob man," and manipulatesa roasting ear like an Iowa cornbeltfarmer.

A gourmet at table, Mr. Coon is alsochoosy when selecting a home. H e occu-pies the snug hollows of some of the-wilderness community's best neighbor-hoods usually the hardwood belts ifavailable, or the desert's finest landscapedareas--and tries to make l ife a pleasure.And matters have been so arranged thathis love life doesn't interfere with hisgreatest passion: eating.

Such celebrated hunters as the wolf

and cougar live far less luxuriously thanMr. Coon. Their meals are often wonafter weary miles on the hazardous gametrails in winter's severest weather. That'sgetting it the hard way and is not for Mr.Coon, w ho is no exercise nut. H e gorgeshimself to rotundity come winter, thencurls up in his apartment and, nourishedby his own flab, snoozes until spring. Inthis he differs from some Hollywoodactors only in that he is not bothered byphone calls and uninhibited actors' agents.

If married, the only thing that may dis-turb Mr. Coon's winter-long siesta is Mrs.Coon, who has to give some thought toperpetuation of the coonish race. Matingusually takes place in the big sleep period,preferably before the old man gets bleary-eyed and churlish from too much slumber.

The young arrive in late spring, andthere may be from three to six ugly littlecoonlets. They develop rapidly and get tobe quite handsome fellows in their coon-skin coats. They don their l ifelong masksat an early age and begin to act out variouslittle skits in everyday life. B ringin g upthe kiddies to the point where they canjoin the job hunt and other pastimes isMa Coon's duty. Papa at that t ime doesn'tshare in family life. Instead, he goes wan-dering as any good trouper should. Butthere is every indication that he rejoinsthe family circle in the late summer orfall.

Whether "civil ized" or wild, Mr. Coon


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Opposite page:A fleet-footed forward

makes it look easy.Photo by Bob Hyatt.

Right: Although rarelyseen in the daytime,

here the "desert ham"is caught up a tree.Photo by

Dr. Hans Baerwald.is a clever thief and becomes, while stilla youth, the stickiest-fingered gent in thewoods-desert. He quickly learns to opencupboards and drawers with the ease of asafe cracker. I've seen them shinny up barepipes, open doors by turning knobs, andprankishly turn off the lights by flickingswitches.Wild woods runner coons are no lessastute. When raiding henyards, they soonmaster gate and coop latches, drop ontohigh window sills from trees and fenceposts, and push open windows whichhave been left unlocked. A coon thatsnuck into a fishing camp shelter afterhe'd jimmied an unlatched window enjoy-ed new gastronomic adventures amongpreserves, molasses, sugar, chocolate andbottled fruit juices.

A neighbor once stored a crate of or-anges under the roof of a shed. Each dayhe found some of the fruit missing. Blam-ing the losses on pilfering boys, he pad-locked the building. But the oranges con-tinued to vanish. The contents of thecrate were nearly exhausted before heidentified the culprit a mother raccoon.Ma Valentine she was. While her fouryoung huddled outside, Ma, squeezedthrough under the shed's floor. Then,delving into the crate, she lugged orangesto an opening under the eaves, and drop-ped them to her waiting offspring.

Keller Breland, of Hot Springs, Ar-kansas, a long-time trainer of animals

through a psychological method he calls"behavior engineering," proved that theraccoon is one of the most intelligent crit-ters. He taught one to play basketballwith the agility and pinpoint accuracy ofa Wilt Chamberlain. I've watched himmake 10 baskets in a row without a miss,then sit down to his specially-built babygrand and bang off . . . well, he's no Lib-erace, but his stance is perfect and thereis a tiny candelabra on the piano.

While the coon's life is interesting andpleasurable, it sometimes gets pretty haz-ardous. Like when he has a run-in withdogs. The latter don't always come offwinner. Sixty-pound dogs are frequentlyout-slugged by 20-pound coons. Becausethe coon knows more tricks than a karateexpert. This is demonstrated when he

fights a dog in waterwhich is his fa-vorite battlefield for such pests. Many agood hound has lost his life in this typeof warfare.

A big redbone hound of my acquaint-ance came upon a coon mother and sever-al youngsters on the bank of a river. Us-ing tooth and claw to protect her babies.Ma decoyed the hound to the bank of theriver, "here, grappling with her adversary,she rolled him into the water, which wasdeep a: this point. Then employing a stra-tegy often adopted by her kindand areal sneaky feminine trick it is shewrapped herself around the poor hound'shead and held it under until he drowned.

While living in Arkansas some yearsago, my wife and I had a pet coon whoContinued on Page 34

Ortnhet


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I he old o pera house alEureka, Nevada.Color photo by Al Waterman.

E t l l l H 4 U S S


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, . . - . . : - v . v ; . . - -

N e v a d aN o s t a l g i ab y A l W a t e r m a n

Stokes Castle nearAustin, Nevada.

f l f cIN T E R E S T I N G P O I N T S of historic lmport-tance in the early opening and de-velopment of the OldWest may be visitedby travelers crossing the mountains andvalleys of the west central Nevada deserton scenic U. S. H i g w a y 50. The coursefollows closely the old Central Over landStage road and sections of the famousPony Express trail of 1860-61 .

The vas t expanse of this lonely and stillsparsely populated region appears muchthe same today as w h e n the pioneers firstviewed it from their wagons over 100years ago. At best, it then was regardedas a highly dangerous path through hos-tile Indian country.

D e m o n s t r a t i n g the practicability of thiscentral route as the most advantageouscourse to California, taking the shortestand best wayacross Nevada, the famousold freighting firm of Russell. Majorsa n d W a d d e l l , in a bold and dar ing gam-b l e , established the Pony Express fastmail service. Deliveries were made in tendays, and often less, by the flying ponybetween St. Joseph, Missouri and SanOctober, 1973

Francisco, a distance in excess of 1900miles.

O v e r 400selected horses and about 120experienced r iders were engaged in cross-in g the country each way,every ten days,in relays. Each rider covered 75 to 100miles, changing mounts about every 15miles at crude stations erected along theroute, manned by four or five men. Thestark remains of some of these old sta-tions are mar ked, and still visible alongH i g h w a y 50, west of Austin, Nevada.

The impor tant and interesting oldmining town of Eur eka is located on thishighway about 70 miles east of Austin,and about midway between Austin andEly, Nevada. Motel and restaurant facili-ties are located here amid attractive moun-tain scenery and interesting landmarks ofthe early West. Maps with numberedpoints of interest in the town are avail-able at the restaurants and stores.

Responsible for this old settlement werethe booted and bewhiskered prospectorswho prowled the hills and gulches of thearea in 1864, locating r ich lead-silver out-

croppings. Lack of thenecessary techniquein separating the two metals, however,delayed production for a few years, untilnew smelters were set up.

B y 1869 production was well underwa y and populat ion of th e old camp in-creased rapidly, eventually numberingaround 8,000. As newmines in thevicin-ity oiened, additional furnaces wereadded, f inally totaling 16. At this pointthe town was staggered by an air pollu-tion problem threatening lethal conse-quences to workers and the citizenry ingeneral .

Huge c louds of soot, smoke and leadfumes billowing from the smelter stacksengulfed the town, and Eureka probablybecame one of the earliest western settle-ments to experience such a nuisance. Theproblem was solved by laying elongatedstacks in trenches, up the side of themountain, to the rear of the smelters,where the fumes were carried away fromt o w n . The "V" trenches are visible today,above the slag piles at the south end ofM ain S treet. continued


16/48

H uge q uanti t ies of charcoal were es-sential to the operation of the smelters,produced by charcoal burners at scatteredlocations in the area at a price of 30 centsa bushel . This was arbitrari ly reduced to27 cents by the mines, creating serioustrouble and result ing in what was knownas the Fish Creek war.

Forcibly preventing any deliveries ofcharcoal to the mines, the Charcoal Burn-ers' Association seized the town, threaten-ing bodily harm to the mine managers,and the state militia was called in to re-

store order. A sheriff's posse attemptingto arrest some men at the Fish Creekcharcoal camp, about 25 miles from Eu-reka, ran into armed resistance and fivecharcoal burners were kil led. The cha-coal price later was reduced to 22 cents.

By the end of 1879, Eureka had pro-duced something in excess of $20,000,000of lead, si lver and some gold. The townhad become a crossroads and hub forpassenger and freight traffic in all di-rections and a railroad connected Eurekawith the town of Palisade to the north.

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As the seat of Eureka County, and atthe time the second largest town in Ne-vada, a courthouse befitting this import-ant mountain metropolis was deemednecessary, and one was erected in 1879at a cost of 153,000. Located on MainStreet, it still is in use.

Directly across the street in the sameyear, a labor union hall was started, butfinancial difficulties forced the sale toother interests. As a cultural offset tothe burgeoning saloon business, it wasfinished as an opera house, complete withthe architectural embellishments in voguein that era. It later became a movie theatre,but at present is not in use.

Located at the far south end of town,and denoted by a numbered marker, isthe solid old Tannehill log cabin, saidto be the first permanent residence builtin Eureka. It was built to last, and did.

At the rear of the courthouse, anddiagonally across the street, is the oldbuilding of the Sentinel, and importantand influential newspaper in those days.Interesting handbills and posters of the1880s cover the inside walls pertainingto events of the times.

Three fires swept Eureka in 1872, 1878and 1880 and a cloud burst in 1874, caus-ing heavy damage and some loss of life.Several fire companies were formed andthe old N ob H ill firehouse still stands,denoted by a marker. Many years haveelapsed since the old horsecart saw action.

The many graveyards in Eureka arc-located on a. slope to the west, at the southend of town. Plots in some of these, en-closed by ancient iron and wooden fences,are in somewhat of a delapidated con-dition, relatives and friends having longsince departed the region.

Many millions in silver and gold wereproduced in the Eureka district in addi-tion to tremendous quantities of lead, run-ning into the hundreds of thousands oftons. Mining companies st i l l retain prop-erty interests in the area and are said tobe awaiting more favorable economic con-ditions for future developments.

Eureka today, by no means a ghosttown, provides excellent educational facili-ties with a fine modern school, ably staffed.Cattle ranching is carried on in the vicinityalong with some other agricultural activ-ity. It is a most interes ting and friendlyold town to visit.

Abou t 70 miles west of E ureka, U. S. 50reaches the old mining town of Austin.Nevada, seat of Lander County. Discov-


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The old Gridley Stow.Austin, Nevada.

Louis World's Fair where it was auc-tioned for the last time, having raised atotal am ount of about S275,OOO in animpressive performance.Brochures may be obtained at the Aus-'tin Chamber of Commerce listing variouspoint;; of interest in the old town. Motels,restaurants and other services are avail-able here, offering a comfortable stopoverpoint for the traveler interested in theearly history of Nevada.

ery of a rich silver ledge in Pony Canyon,about a mile west of Austin, sparked arush to the Reese River country in 1862.and hundreds of claims were staked inthe area. By late 1863, population num-bered around 2100, and in succeedingyears increased to about 8,000.Using Austin as a base for supplies,prospectors spread out in all directionsestablishing numerous other mining campsin the Reese River area. The productiveyears of most of these were of shorterduration than Austin which still is theseat of Lander County and a supply centerfor cattle ranches. Mine dumps and pros-pect holes are visible on the hillsidesaround the town.Many of the old buildings still arein use along U.S. 50 which passes throughtown. An architectural oddity known asStokes Castle is located on a dirt road tothe left, off U.S. 50 at the west end oftown, about a mile from the highway.Built of stone blocks from local quarries,it is said to be a duplicate of a castle inRome.The two lower rows of supports pro-truding from the front of the castleoriginally held porches, and the top rowa sun shade. The lower floor contained akitchen and dining room, the second floora living room, and the third floor hadtwo bedrooms. The structure was built

for Anson P. Stokes in 1897 and served ashis home for several years. He operatedOctober, 1975

extensive mining properties in the areaand built the 92-mile Nevada CentralRailroad from Battle Mountain to Austin.Floors and stairways in the old build-ing were removed to prevent injury tosightseers in former years, and at presentthe structure is enclosed by a high wirefence for protection from damage byvandals. From the location of the castlea magnificent view of some 60 miles maybe enjoyed. Immediately below and nearthe castle is an old mine hoist and shaft.Toward the east end of Main Streetstands the old stone Gridley store, at onetime operated by Reuel G. Gridley, andmade famous by his loss of an electionbet. As a penalty, Gridley was requiredto tote a 50-pound sack of flour the entirelength of Main Street to the great amuse-ment of the townspeople.Gridley returned the sack to the center

of town where it was auctioned off forthe benefit of the Sanitary Fund to re-lieve distress and suffering caused by theCivil War, in a patriotic endeavor. Thesack was auctioned several times, eachbuyer returning it to be sold again andagain. Other mining settlements, hearingof the event and entering into the spiritof the occasion, demanded that the sackbe brought to their camps for similartreatment.Gridley traveled to many mining camps

of the west with his sack of flour, termin-ating his extensive mileage at the St.

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18/48

OrganPipeb y J a c k P e p p e r

Below: Organ Pipe cactus along the Ajo Drive with other types of desert vege-tation which are identified along the route. Right: A palo-verde tree completelysurrounds a saguaro. Th palo-verde is sometimes called a "nurse" tree as its over-hanging branches give a protective shad e to young saguaros. Opposite page: TheSan Jose church at Pisinimo.

' ' '

A L T H O U G H N E I T H E R as large in areanor as well known as many othersimilar Federal preserves in the West,Organ Pipe Cactus National Monumentcontains an unusual and vast variety ofanimals and plants which can easily beseen via two scenic drives through itsbeautiful landscape.Located in central Arizona on theMexican border, the monument is also acentral and convenient area for interest-ing trips to the adjacent Papago IndianReservation, into the quaint villages andfishing waters of Mexico and to the cul-tural and tourist attractions of nearby


19/48

Phoenix and Tucson.For back-country explorers, the areaeast of the monument abounds in oldghost towns and historic sites, and offersmiles of rugged country for rockhounds,bottle collectors and metal detector users.Named for a species of cactus rare inthe United States, the 516 square milesof the monument proper were set asidein 1937 to protect and preserve desertplants, animals and natural features inthat segment of the Sonoran Desert land-scape that stretches from northwesternNew Mexico to southeastern California.The area contains stark mountains,

Drtnhe 1071

sweeping outwash plains, rocky canyons,creosotebush flats and dry washes thattypify the beautiful but harsh land. It isthe meeting place of plant-defined ex-tensions of three deserts: the central gulfcoast phase of the Sonoran Desert, theCalifornia "microphyll" (which meanssmall leaf plants) desert from the west,and the upland Arizona succulent desertfrom the east.Organ Pipe Cactus National Monu-ment is reached by taking paved ArizonaState 85 south from U.S. Interstate 8 atGila Bend, just south of Phoenix. It isapproximately 80 miles from Gila Bendto the monument.

Forty miles south of Gila Bend is thepicturesque town of Ajo (pronouncedAh-hoe). Here is located one of thelargest open pit copper mines in theworld. It is but a short drive to the obser-vation point where you can look downinto the giant pit and watch the opera-tions. Spaniards mined copper here inthe early 1700s. Then activity ceased untilreactivation in 1854.Just south of Ajo is the little village ofWhy. D on't ask me "why" Why wasnamed Why. I asked the local residentsand they all gave different versions. Thisis the only gasoline supply until the Mexi-can border so it is wise to "fill 'er up."

Seventeen miles south of the monumententrance is the visitor center. I was im-pressed with the architecture of the build-ings which blend into the landscape. It ishere you register and obtain your sitenumber for overnight accommodations atthe nearby campgrounds which are locat-ed on a hill overlooking the valley belowwith the mountains in the background. Iphotographed one of the most spectacularsunsets I have ever seen by just sitting ina chair alongside my trailer at the camp-grounds.The beautiful campgrounds will accom-modate campers, travel trailers and tents.Each site has a charcoal brick stove and atable. There are water faucets and a build-ing with toilets and showers, but no elec-trical lookups. (For those who need moresophisticated facilities, there are privateparks in Ajo and Why.)There are no stores or services withinthe monument. However, such servicesare available at Why or at Lukeville, justthis side of the Mexican border, fivemiles from the visitor center.Even if you are not going to camp over-night, be sure and stop at the visitor centerto see the beautiful large photographs andexhibits which explain the desert and thetype cf life it supports. Park rangers willhelp you plan your trips.


20/48

Two graded scenic loop drives, whichstart at the visitor center, lead throughthe more remote and interesting sectionsof the monument. Detailed brochures oneach drive are available free.

The "Ajo Mountain Drive" is a 21-

mile graded one-way dirt road. It windsand dips as did the desert trails of yester-day, but a modern passenger car can easilybe driven around the loop. As the rangerssay, "Drive slowlystop frequentlyandsee the desert."

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The Ajo Drive has some of the finestscenery in the monument and follows aroute chosen to blend with the landscapewithout altering its primitive nature. Itpasses through beautiful and fascinatingdisplays of Sonoran Desert vegetation andoverlooks outstanding panoramas of des-ert mountains and plains. Average drivingtime is two hours.

The "Puerto Blanco Drive" parallelshistoric routes of early desert travelers asit circles the colorful Puerto BlancoMountains and skirts the northern borderof Mexico. Short side trips lead to foottrails. Allow at least a half-day for the51-mile loop trip.

Both drives have four picnic sites withramadas located in scenic areas. There isno water so be sure and take an ample sup-ply. Also stay on the designated roads ascar tracks on the desert floor will last foryears. Both for photographs and seeingwildlife, the best time for either trip isearly morning or late afternoon.

The monument also has excellent hik-ing trails, including the one-mile DesertView Nature Trail, plus longer ones formore seasoned hikers.

Although the monument is open year-round, the least pleasant months are Tune,July and August when it is quite warm.Winter days are usually sunny and warm,although sub-freezing nighttime tempera-tures and chilly winds occur during De-cember and January. Temperatures areideal the other months of the year.

While staying at the monument youshould take time to go "south of the bor-

Desert Magazine


21/48

der" and visit the little village of Sonoyta.You can either park your car on the Unit-ed States side, or drive. No permits areneeded to visit Sonoyta.Sixty-two miles south of the border ona paved road is the popular sport fishingcommunity of Puerto Penasco (RockyPoint). If you plan to visit this commun-ity, either for just the day or overnight, besure to get both a free tourist permit andcar entry permit at Sonoyta. Although

this does not take long, your birth certifi-cate or other type of identification, andcar registration are needed. It is also ad-visable to get Mexican automobile insur-ance at Lukeville, as your regular insur-ance is not valid in Mexico.A one-day loop trip through the PapagoIndian Reservation begins and ends atWhy. Take Arizona State 86 to Sells andthen return on the southern gravel road.From Sells it is only about 40 miles toTucson. Tucson and its environs, includ-ing famous Tubac, is one of Arizona'smost interesting and historic areas.The Papago (papa-go) Reservation has2,700,000 acres in which live 7,500 In-dians whose craftsmen are famous fortheir colorful and fine-woven baskets. Anexcellent collection of these baskets (somefor sale) can be found at the QuijotoaTrading Post on State 86, 38 miles eastof Why. There are other trading postsalong the loop trip. Half way betweenSells and Why on the southern part ofyour loop trip is the Indian village of

Pisinimo with its Catholic church andsmall mission.October, 1973

Open pit copper mineat A jo.

Called San Jose, the church is one of themost unconventional Catholic edifices inthe West. When building and decoratingthe church, Father Camillus Cavagnaro,O FM , allowed the Papagos full expres-sion. The designs are a mixture of Papago,Navajo and Mexican cultures. One of themost interesting scenes is a Mexican paint-ing on velvet of a suffering Christ.

The church is open to the public, butremember that you are a visitor on an In-dian reservation, so show proper respect.(For an excellent article on the PapagoReservation and church, see "I'll Take theLow Road" by the late Bernice Johnstonin the May '69 issue of D esert.)After this interesting loop trip you willreturn to your campsite at the Organ PipeNational Monument in time to get outyour camp chairs and relax while youwatch the sun make a kaleidoscope of col-ors as it sinks behind the mountains ofthis beautiful and historic land . |~J

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Mexico'sP u y eONCE TH E place was a citya sprawl-ing citadel seated high atop a greatdesert mesa where nearly 2000 ancientpeople lived and worked in harmony. Ttis called Puye Cliffs, and is located some50 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico.The city was in two main parts. Thelargest section atop the mesa boasted fourmassive community houses surrounding acobblestone courtyard. Something on theAbove: The Puye "hole houses". Left:Puye hosts a feast each August 12 , fea-turing traditional dances.

Desert Ma a ine


23/48

order of a college dormitory, each ofthese great dwellings contained nearly200 rooms.Below, and to the south of this "skycity," and built into the very face of avertical cliff, lay the second half of themetropolis. Hand-cut caves, the entrancesto which were protected from the weatherby log huts, ran the length of a 2000-foot-long belt of grayish-yellow "tuft" rock.The city's architects hung these "holehouses" on the face of the tuft as easilyas a wasp might hang his nest from arafter.

A few hundred yards away from theupper section of the city, lay a giant reser-voir, 1 20 feet long and 60 feet wide. Itquenched the thirst of people and landalike. Replenished daily by a two-mile-long irrigation canal, the reservoir, evenin the dead heat of summer, suppliedmoisture to the corn and squash fieldswhich dotted the valley floor below.The craftsmen who lived on the mesawere talented artisans who created deli-cate stone jewelry and beautifully paintedpots and bowls for use both in the homeand for units of trade with other tribes.The city's masons, artists in their ownright, carved building blocks from stoneand adobe to be used in the walls of theancient houses. The blocks were joinedtogether with such precision that centurieslater, long after the bones of the men

who made them had turned to dust, someof the walls were still standing uprightand strong.

b y B u d d y M a y sToday, 400 years after the last of theinhabitants mysteriously disappeared,much of the city is still visible on its desertmesa. Puye Cliffs, which, in the Indiantongue, Tewa, means the "Place wherecotton-tail rabbits gather," and its ruinsare located on State 30, north of Santa Fe.No one really knows what happenedto the people who once lived in Puye.Sometime around 1600 A.D ., during the"Pueblo R evolt," when most of the PuebloIndians of New Mexico combined their

forces and drove a multitude of Spanishconquerors from the land, the residentsOctober, 1973

Margarito T afoya, caretaker of Puye.of Puye simply disappeared, leaving be-hind no record of their departure or oftheir destination.

Scientists are baffled. Some believe thatPuye was devastated by an unknown dis-ease brought into the city by Spanish sol-diers. A believable story, but those samearcheologists can't explain the where-abouts of 2000 or so skeletons whichshould have been in the ruins and weren't.The residents of Santa Clara Pueblo, asmall Indian village 15 miles east of the

ruins, have their own theories. They be-lieve that the ancient people simply packedu p , lock, stock, and water pot, and movedcloser to the Rio Grande River in searchof more fertile farmland. According toSanta Clara Elders, the search ended whenthe ancients settled on the site that isnow Santa Clara Pueblo, consequently be-coming the founders of the village. Mostscientists agree with this theory, addingthat it is a good possibility that the streamsC ontin ued on Magr; 4U

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25/48

b y R o b e r t H i lt u n e nMy desert is a land of long shadows; of

box canyons filled with silence; of soul-restoring peace and solitude. It is a land ofdreams; a never-never land of mystery. Hereare the haunts of the outlaw and the prospector,the playground of the smog-weary citydweller with his sand-buggies and doodlebugs.It is a land of contradictions; of many moods.What man can truly say he knows the desert?To really know the desert, you must attuneyourself with nature; sense its every mood.You must feel the wind in your face, smellthe spine-tingling aroma of sage and yucca,see the first bloom of the cacti. You mustbecome as one with the creatures of the wild;know the habits of the furry ground squirrel,the lowly sidewinder, kit fox and fleet coyote,and the stately bighorn sheep that rule therocky heights. These are God's creatures in theirown elementlet not man come as anintruder.

Monument Valleyby Ed Cooper

a s


26/48

To know the desert is to love it. It is a loveaffair of mutual acceptance and understanding.Randall Henderson put it into words when hesaid, "To those who come as friends, thedesert offers friendship." It is a friendshipborn of a thousand years of peacefulcoexistence between the desert dweller andhis environment.The strangers who come to our desert topollute and despoil our surroundings are thearch-criminals of our age. The emptycans and torn candy wrappers give mutetestimony to man's inhumanity towardshis environment.The one-blanket prospector knew the desert

as well as any man may. His compass was aburro's tailwhat matter if i t pointed northor south or whichever direction. He was home,and where else would a man rather be?If he struck it rich he spent it and went onsearching. For it wasn't the gold itself thatmattered as much as the fin din g. It was away of life and who could ask for one better?

My desert is not always kind. It issometimes a land of searing heat; of blindingwind-swept dust and sand. It is a land ofthirst that drives men mad. It has knownviolence and sudden death in many forms, fromthe bushwhacker's bullet to the featheredarrow and Indian lance. Not to be outdone by


27/48

1 *3man, Nature, too, exacted her tol l , as witnessthe luckless prospector whose thirst-parchedlips, now long since grown cold, still seemto babble, Gold! Gold!The early pioneers knew my de sert in a way Inever shall. With their covered wagons theycrossed its endless reaches from the burningsands of Death Valley to Donner Pass andbeyond. Gold in California! Lush meadowsbeyond the Oregon Trail ! The word spreadlike wildfire. It took no urgingby the tensof thousands they came. The bleached bonesand unmarked graves gave testimonyto the hardships encountered along the way.Some made it to the promised land and thedesert claimed the rest.

This land is peaceful now, but like asleeping giant it will never be tamed. Theburning, summer sun still takes its toll ofunwary travelers and stranded motorists.To survive here one must accept its limitationsand strive for acceptance from Nature.This is the home of the miner. His was thereason for being; he led the way and the townssprang up behind him. While the Comstockpoured forth its wealth, the single-jack minereked out a solitary existence amid his driftsand tunnels. The thousands of abandoned"gopher holes," scattered throughout thisregion, attest to his shattered hopes andbroken dreams. Some drifted on to greenerpastures, while the others stayed on to becomea part of the desert they loved.

There is romance to be found here in mydesert. One can only conjecture as to whattales the four walls of a miner's cabin couldtell. The history of the Southwest was writtenin its boom camps. Visit one of the countlessghost towns, scattered through the Great Plainscountry, and take a journey into the past.The ghosts of yesteryear peer from thedoorways and alleys as you stride past.Listen intently and perhaps you may hearraucous laughter of the painted ladies,mingled with the clink of poker chips and the

tinkle of glasses. The wooden sidewalks resoundwith the tread of countless, roughshod feet,

and gunfighters still take their fateful walksdown the dusty street as they did so long ago.Nothing has really changed. It is all there asit was yesterdayif one will but look beneaththe surface.Here is a land where the blue skies areendless and crowned wth a landscape of pastelcolors that no artist's canvas can hope toduplicate. The air is crystal clear and the stars

at night twinkle like a mill ion sparklingdiamonds, so close you can almost touch them.Here are rocky pronontories awaitingthe agile climber; mysterious canyons beggingto be explored. Here, tco, are legends of lostgold and buried tre asi re tha t e xcite theimagination. This is rockhound country.Who knows, maybe the next shovelful of dirtwill uncover a rich find in turquoise or fireagate. So bring your picks and metal locators.Perhaps you, too, can be another Pe glegS mith.At the very least y)u will discover the

priceless feeling of freedom and well-being thatthis land, my desert, ha ; to offer.


28/48

*rih

S^"itfL4iO f

T H E G R E A T M O J A V F SP R O V I D E N C Ey M a r y F r a n c e s S t r o n gp h o t o s by J e r r y S t r o n gR e c r e a t i o n a l B o n a n z a !

Above: 4-WD or trailbikes are neededto cover the last mile down WoodsWash to the petroglyph site. The loosesand gave Roy Pur dee, left, and JerryStrong a real workout. Opposite pag e:Beyond the headframe of the BonanzaKing Mine, lie the ruins of the old townof Providence (circa 1870-87). Tufffrom the hill in center of photo wasquarried and used as a building stone.Past the standing ruins, downslope forsome distance, will be found the stonerubble from dozens of ca bins. Popula-tion rose to 500 at one time.2 8

THE FIRST rays of the morning sunskipped across the craggy, castle-like peaks of the Providence Mountainsas we left the paved road and headed intothe heart of the Great Mojave D esert.Ahead, rising like a gigantic citadel on avast sea of alluvium, this lofty range is thestalwart guardian of a region steeped inhistory, rich in artifacts and minerals,blessed with scenic beauty and offering arecreation area unparalled in California'sHigh Desert Country. For us, it was a re-turn trip to a region we have come toknow and love.

Our long and pleasant association withthe Providence Mountain Region begantwo decades ago. In the beginning, a visitevery few years seemed to suffice. As our

friendship grew, so did the frequency ofour trips. Now, we usually "stop by" fora few days during our annual fall safari.Interest in the region hasn't waned as wealways find new canyons and sites to ex-plore, as well as favorite locations to re-visit.There have been many changes in theRegion over the years. Originally, numer-ous roads were posted and gated byranchers who didn't take too kindly tothe growing numbers of desert enthusiasts.This has all changed and few "Keep Out"and "Private" signs will be seen. The Bur-eau of Land Management has openedWildhorse Canyon and improved theroad to provide access to a very scenicarea. It has also developed two fine camp-

Desert Magazine


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R E 6 I 0 Ngrounds H ole-In-T he-Wall and MidHills.The Providence Region, which encom-passes approximately 1700 square miles,cannot be fully explored in several weeks,much less a weekend. However, fromHole-

197310 desert magazine 1973 october

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