196711 desert magazine 1967 november

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DIRECTORY OF SOUTHERN NEVADA PLACENAMES by Walter Averett. Limi ted edi t ion. 1300entries. Includes obscure names of ghost townsand old mining camps. Hardcover . $5.00.WATER WITCHING by Earl Shannon. Entertain-in g and instruct ive, whether or not you acceptwater wi tching. Paperback. $2.75.A GUIDE TO WESTERN GHOST TOWNS by Lam-bert Florin. Includes maps andmileages of ghosttowns in 15 western states. Large format, card-board cover , $2.25.ANZA AND THENORTHWEST FRONTIER OF NEWSPAIN by Bowman and Heizer. Explodes myththat Anza founded c i ty of San Francisco andother interest ing data related to Anza. Goodear ly Cal i forn iana. Hardcover , $8.75.NO MORE THAN FIVE IN A BED by SandraDallas. All about early Colorado hotels, somefamous, some infamous. H ighly amusing, goodhis tory . Hardcover , $5.95.CALIFORNIA MISSION PAINTINGS byEdwin Dea-kin. Paint ings from the 19th century portrayearly missions prior to modern restorat ions. Finetext gives history of each. Full color reproduc-t ions. $ 7 . 5 0 .CAMPING AND CLIMBING IN BAJA by JohnW. Robinson. Guide to the Sierra San PedroMart i r and Sierra Juarez of upper Baja Cal i -forn ia. Paper, $2.95.OLD-TIMERS OF SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA byLester Reed. Recounts episodes of pioneers cov-er ing an area from Owens Lake to Anza-Bor-rego and f rom San Bernardino east to Twenty-nine Palms. Spi ra l -bound. $5.95.ARIZONA: GUIDE TO THE GRAND CANYONSTATE. Newly revised and edited by JosephMiller. Past and present covered. Highly recom-mended. 532 pages, i l lustrat ions and maps .$ 7 . 9 5 .SAN DIEGO BACK COUNTRY 1901 by GordonStuart. Fil led with local color and nostalg ia forhigh-button shoes and shivarees. 241 pages,$ 5 . 0 0 .HISTORIC SPOTS IN CALIFORNIA Revised byWilliam N. Abeloe. Only complete guide to Cal i -forn ia landmarks wi th maps, photos and l ivelytext covering both historical and modern eras .639 pages , $10 . 00 .BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND MAIL by Waterman L.Ormsby, a New York newspaperman who wasthe only through passenger on this f irst west-bound s tage. Western Amer icana, 177 pages,$4 . 50 .THE LIFE OF THE DESERT by Ann and MyronSutton. Covers desert creatures, perennial waterproblems and how an ima ls and plants survive.231 pages, $4.95.OFF THE BEATEN TRACK IN BAJA by Erie StanleyGardner. About people and places in enchant-ing Baja California of Mexico. Colored photos,368 pages , $8 . 95 .HANDBOOK OF CRYSTAL AND MINERAL COL-LECTING by William Sanborn. Describes environ-ment typical of collection sites and physicalpropert ies of minerals and crystals. Paper, 81pages, $2.00.REDIGGING THE WEST for old time bottles byLynn Blumenstein. Photographs of over 700bott les with art ic les that tel l the story and aphotograph of each . $4 . 25 .

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WILDFLOWERS OFTHE GRAND CANYON byJohnStockert. Fine photos and descript ion. Paper,$ 1 . 2 5 .FIRE OVER YUMA by Peter Odens. Historicaltales and anecdotes from the Lower ColoradoRiver area. Paper. $1.00.NEVADA'S TWENTIETH CENTURY MINING BOOMby Russell Elliott. First detai led work to coverthe promoters and leaders who in f luenced thestate's second mining boom. 344 pages , $5 . 95 .LANGUAGES, TERRITORIES AND NAMES OFCALI-FORNIA INDIAN TRIBES by Robert Heizer. Schol-ar ly book contains probably as much about theCalifornia Indian society as we wi l l ever know.62 pages , $4 . 00 .CALIFORNIA, A Guide to the Golden State.Edited by Harry Hansen and newly rev ised, itcontains an encyc lopedia of facts from earlydays up to the Space Age. Mile by mile de-script ions to camping spots and commerc ia l ac-commodat ions. Maps. Hardcover , $7.95.

DEATH VALLEY BOOKSPublished by the Death Valley '49ers thesefour volumes have been selected by 49ersas outs tanding works on the history of DeathVa l l ey . All are durable paperback on slickstock.A NATURALIST'S DEATH VALLEY (Revisededi-t ion) by Edmund C. Jaeger, ScD $1.50MANLY ANDDEATH VALLEY. Symbols of Des-t i ny , by Ardis Manly Walker $1.25GOODBYE, DEATH VALLEY! The story of theJayhawker Par ty , by L. Burr Belden.. . .$l .25CAMELS ANDSURVEYORS IN DEATH VALLEYBy Ar t hur Wood ward $2 . 00DEATH VALLEY TALES by 10 di f ferent au-thors $1.25

O N DESERT TRAILS by Randall Henderson, fde r and publ isher of Desert Magazine foryears. One of the f i rs t good wr i ters to rethe beauty of the mysterious desert areas. Hderson's experiences, combined with his coments on the desert of yesterday and t omake th is a MUST for those who rea l l y wot unders tand the desert . 375 pages, i l lus t raHardcover . $5.00.RARE MAP REPRODUCTIONS from theyear 18Series I inc ludes three maps, Ar izona, Cal i foand Nevada. Series II includes New MexUtah and Colorado. Reproduced on f ine paThey show old towns, mines, spr ings and tnow ext inct. Each set of t h ree , $3 . 75 . Be surstate series number with order.THE COLORFUL BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND STby Richard Pourade andMarjorie Reed. Wi t hstage coach paint ings by Miss Reed, theconcentrates on the Fort Yuma to San Franru n of the tough But ter f ie ld route. Albummat , heavy art paper , $6 . 75 .OLD FORTS OF THE FARWEST by Herbert HM a p s are inc luded wi th remarkably l ive lyaccurate accounts of Western forts back toWar t imes. This volume covers the SouthwLarge format , good photos . $12.95.THE NEVADA ADVENTURE, a History by JaHulse. Covers era f rom prehistoric Indiansranching, atomic tes t ing and tour ism of t o306 pages , $7 . 50 .NEVADA'S TURBULENT YESTERDAYS by Donbaugh. The best book about Nevada's gt owns and the rugged indiv iduals whot hem. 346 pages , $7 . 50 .GUIDE TO COINS. Recent U.S. coin prCanad ian , Mex ican and fore ign coins , metokens and emergency money, Colonia l , Tt o r i a l , and Civ i l War coins . Hardcover . $1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tibbitts.dated edi t ion of one of the best of the bbooks. $4.50.RELACIONES by Zarate Salmeron. Wri t t en17th century Franciscan and is only sourcknowledge publ ished for Spanish explorainto Ar izona and New Mexico f rom 1531 6 2 6 . 121 pages , $6 . 00 .A FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN REPTILES AAMPHIBIANS by Robert C. Stebbins. A PeteField guide. 207 species, 569 i l lus t rat ions,in ful l color, 192 maps . The best book oft ype. Hardcover . $4.95.NATIVE SHRUBS of Southern California byH. Raven. Wel l i l lus t rated, some in color , interest ing text anddescript ions of shrubs. P$ 1 . 9 5 .NAVAJO RUGS, PAST, PRESENT ANDFUTURGilbert S. Maxwel l . Concerns the history, legand descr ipt ions of Navajo rugs. Full photos . Paper, $2.00.OLD CALIFORNIA MINES (1899) byCharles Repr int f rom ear ly mining indust ry recPhotos show dif ferent types of min ing , min Mother Lode country. Text contains statand discussions of ear ly problems $2.00.EXPLORING CALIFORNIA BYWAYS from KCanyon to the Mexican Border by Russ Lebrand. Maps for each t r ip wi th photograhis tor ical in format ion, recreat ional fac i lcampsi tes , h ik ing t ra i ls , etc. Paper, 165 pa$ 1 . 9 5 .

2 / Desert Magazine / November, 1967


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Volume 30 Number 1 1

NOVEMBER, 1967 C O N T E N T SJACK PEPPERPublisher

CHORAL PEPPEREditorELTA SHIVELY

Executive SecretaryMARVEL BARRETT

BusinessAL MERRYMAN

Staff ArtistJACK DELANEYStaff Writer

EDITORIAL OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea, Palm Desert,Cal i forn ia 92260. Area Code 714 346-8144.Unsolic ited manuscripts and photographs notaccompanied by self addressed, stamped and zipcoded envelopes wil l NOT be returned.ADVERTISING OFFICES: James March & Asso-ciates Inc., 1709 West 8th Street, Los Angeles,Ca l i fo rn ia 9001 7 , HUbbard 3 -05 61 115 NewMontgomery, San Francisco, California 94105,DOuglas 2-4994. Listed in Standard Rate & Data.CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT: 74-109 Larrea, PalmDesert , Cal i forn ia 92260. Area Code 714 346-8 1 4 4 . DESERT MAGAZINE is published monthly;1 year , $5.00; 2 years , $9.50; 3 years , $13.00.Foreign subscribers add 75 cents for postage.See Subscription Order Form in back of this issue.DESERT is published monthly by Desert Magazine,Palm Desert, Calif. Second Class Postage paid atPalm Desert , Cali f . , and at addit ional mail ingoff ices under Act of March 3, 1879. Tit le regis-tered NO. 358 865 in U. S. Patent Off ic e, an dcontents copyrighted 1967 by Desert Magazine.Unsolic ited manuscripts and photographs cannotbe returned or acknowledged unless ful l returnpostage is enclosed. Permission to reproduce con-tents must be secured from the editor in writ ing.SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $5.00 per year in U.S.,Canada and Mex ico. $5.75 elsewhere. Al low f iveweeks for change of address. Be sure to sendbotn old and new address.

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHSOne of the many spectacular sights in DeathValley is Zabriskie Point as shown by Photo-grapher Robert F. Campbell, Concord, Calif .This year's annual Death Valley 49er Encamp-ment wil l be held Nov. 9 through 12. Thedramatic photograph of Organ Pipe CactusNat ional Monument on the Ar izona-Mex icoborder on Pages 22 and 23 was taken by DonValent ine, Whi t t ier , Cal i f .

4 Books for Desert Readers6 Defiant Desert DwellerBy PHIL GOODSON

8 Town Witho ut a PastBy ROBERT HYATT

10 Lost Golden Eagle MineBy JOHN MITCHELL

12 Bottle BootyBy FRANK TAYLOR

14 Seldom Seen SlimBy FLORINE LAWLOR

15 Parker, a Fun-tastic PlaylandBy JACK DELANEY

18 Exploring Cottonwood CanyonBy ROGER MITCHELL

20 Gold in CoolgardieBy MYRTLE TEAGUE

21 Secret Under the DunesBy IDA SMITH

26 Calico, Old and NewBy STAN KELLOGG

28 The Titus Canyon RouteBy FLORINE LAWLOR

30 The Story of the Arras traBy GEORGE THOMPSON

32 Darwin, CaliforniaBy LAMBERT FLORIN

34 We Found Lost TreasureBy JACK PEPPER

36 Ghosts of the AmargosaBy DEKE LOWE

38 Back Country Travel3 9 New Ideas

By V . LEE OERTLE42 DESERT Cookery

By LUCILLE CARLESON43 Letters and Answers

Novem ber, 1967 / Desert Mag azine / 3


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r COOKING andCAMPING! on theDESERT1ORAU PEPPER

ERIE STANLEY

by Choral Pepperwith achapter on

Driving and Survivingon the Desertby Jack Pepper

Cooking and Camping on the Desert" ismore than just a book on preparing for adesert outing or making meals that willappeal while in camp. This book is a briefmanual on how to survive in the desert . . .the book is a must for anyone making atrip to the desert, whether it is his first orfiftieth. BILL HILTON, Santa Barbara News-Press.

ONLY $3.95Plus 25 cents mailing charges. California

addresses add 20 cents tax. Send check ormoney order to Desert Magazine,

Palm Desert, Calif. 92260AUTOGRAPHED COPIES ONREQUEST

bOOK REVIEW

R O C K P O L I S H E RG r e a t funf o r e v e r y o n eA w o n d e r fu lg i f t for s o m e o n e

The original Thumler's Tumbler polishes rocksto a fine, gleaming finish. Produced by thelargest manufacturer of small tumblers in thecountry. Guaranteed for one year.COMPLETE POLISHER only $19.95

All as llustrated above. Add $1.50 postage.2 Sets of 3 abrasives 2.98Rubber tumbler liners, pr .98Victor's Tumbling Manual 1.98

Ship accessories with tumbler oradd 35cpostage.In Cal i forn ia add5%sales tax.Enclose Playboy Key, American Express Acct.,Diners or payment.EASTMAN COMPANY144-2nd St.,San Francisco, Calif. 94105Dept. DM

THE HOME BOOK OFWESTERNHUM OREdited byPhillip H. Ault

The exhuberant, robust humor of earlyWestern settlers contributed a uniquechapter to the literature of WesternAmericana. It became one of peoplewhose struggles were often merciless,laughing atthemselves. Most oftheanec-dotes andhumorous comments includedin this book grew from the1830s,butsome are of ourtime. Among the con-tributors areMark Twain, Bret Harte,Bill Nye, Will Rogers, DanDeQuille,Artemus Ward, Dick Wick Hall, CharlesRussell, Harry Oliver, Owen Wister, O.Henry, Eugene Field, Ambrose Bierce,and others. Many of thestories have todo with desert places, such asSaltonSea,Death Valley, andearly mining camps.

The humorous incidents recounted byTwain and DeQuille have been pub-lished a number of times, butthis bookachieves a freshness in Western humorwith inclusions of excerpts from HarryOliver's Desert Rat Scrap Book andother regional humoristssuch as a punbased on a claim that many fine metal-lurgists were developed in Death Valleybecause of the mining interests there.One well qualified gentlemen had be-came soastute hecould take a weekendtrip to Hollywood, look at a goldenblonde, andwith oneglance determinewhether she wasvirgin metal or justcommon ore.

The book is hardcover, 364pages,$7.50.

THE CENTURY AFTER CORTESBy Ferna ndo Benitez

The colorful episodes of history thatcapture the imaginations of readers areoften exploited bywriters while equallysignificant eras, but less bold, areignored.This hasbeen the fate ofMexico's post-Cortes era,those hundred years followingthe great Conquest when anewly mintedaristocracy descended from the SpanishConquistador established thefeudal struc-ture that ruled NewSpain. It was the"Creole"those of Spanish blood bornin Mexicowho initially gave theMexi-can a distinct national personality of its

Books reviewed may be orderedfrom theDESERT Magazine BookOrder Department, Palm Desert,California 92260. Please include25c forhandling. Cali fornia resi-dents must add 5% sales tax.Enclose payment with order.

own. Their poetry, prose, avarice, human-ism, colonial life, mining accomplish-ments, religious dedication andsupersti-tions aredescribed as this reviewer hasnever found them sowell described be-fore. Interesting observations revealed inearly letters emphasizing the differencesin verbal expression between themestigoand pure Spaniard are set forth, whichultimately resulted intheexcessive artifi-ciality inphrasing which is apparent to-day in Mexican conversation. Otherequally revealing episodes illustrate tran-sitions of Mexican cultural development.This is anenormously interesting bookwritten by a native of Mexico City whodivides his time between living in thcapital andamong remote Indian tribes.It was translated from Spanish byJoanMacLean, whose interpretation escapesthe deadliness ofstyle evident insomanytranslations. Hardcover, 296,$7.50.

EXPLORING JOSHUA TREEBy Roger Mitchell

This little paperback book, well-illus-strated with photographs, is a splendidguide to theprehistory, mining history,flora, fauna, trails, campgrounds androads of Joshua Tree National Monu-ment. It tells thehistory of thearea,dif-ferentiates between the Colorado andMohave desertswhich meet within theenvirons of the parkand contains afine map. It is well-written by one oDESERT'S most popular writers. Wehighly recommend it toanyone interestedin this fascinating area where uniquegeology anddesert flora combine to provide oneof the most interesting settingon theSouthern California desert. Paper-back, 36pages, $1.00.4 / Desert Magazine / November, 1967


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Continued from Page 5TALES THE WESTERNTOMBSTONES TELLBy Lambert Florin

Second in a series about tombstones bythis famous ghost town writer, the newbook brings to life the famous and in-famous, the bad guy and the good guy,the gals like Lizzie King who was buriedbetween her lover and her husband andthe long-suffering women who traveledthe ill-fated Meek trail. With robusthumor, Florin writes about Jane Barnes,a London barmaid who divided her timebetween two lovers who safeguarded herhonor in an Oregon seaport by standingalternate watches. He recounts the briefhistory of the President of Californiawhose month of glory took place in Son-oma and he does a beautiful job with achapter on Jack London.As in his ghost town series, the mater-ial covered in this book reaches fromWashington to Colorado, including Cali-fornia, Idaho, Montana, Utah, NewMexico, Arizona and Nevada. Florin hasa knack for tuning into bits of humaninterest history found in letters and pri-vate sources which give a fresh slant towell-worn tales. His style is virile, hisinformation accurate. He is, perhaps, themost outstanding recorder of WesternAmericana of our time.

Large format, profusely illustrated withmagnificent photographs, 192 pages,$12.95.

TRAILS AND TALES OF BAJABy Pel Carter

This is a warm, happy book about a65-year old groom and his middle-agedbride who bought a four-wheel drivepickup with camper to take a Baja honey-moon. They ran into storms and roadslides en route, which frightened theminto a retreat, but on their second attemptthey made it all of the way to the toe ofthe Baja California peninsula. A love ofthe people of Baja and their simple, butdignified, way of life is reflected on eachpage. Many of this couple's experiencesare ones that could and would happen toyou were you to make the trip. Theirfishing adventures will be eagerly readby sportsmen and campers will pick upmuch good advice. Full color photo-graphs, 206 pages, paperback, $4.80.6 / Desert Magazine / November, 1967

D e f i a n t D e s e r t D w e l l e r

by Phil GoodsonH E MOST non-conform-ing hippie in the rodentworld is the KangarooRat. This awesome crea-ture breaks a major lawof nature. He goes

through his entire life without swallow-ing a single drop of water!Known in our Southwest deserts asthe Kangaroo Rat, (Dipodomys ordii)this same general type of rodent is foundin all of the major deserts of the world,including Australia, Asia and Africa. Fora rat's eyeview of life inside a blast fur-nace, imagine pocket areas of desert landwhere moisture is practically nonexist-antareas which go without rain foryears at a time. It's here, with naked soilpredominantly of silica, that heat fromthe sun's rays aremagnified and reflectedfrom onegrain of sand to the next, fromone sand dune to the other, until surfacetemperature is built up to such a pointthat any luckless creature caught tryingto creep from one refuge to another, iscooked as if placed on a hot bed of coals.Only one thing on the desert is asscarce as rainand that's shade. The Kan-garoo Rat spends his daylight hoursunderground in order to escape the un-checked rays from the sun. There is norefuge above. The only shaded area con-taining sufficient humidity for the Kan-

garoo Rat to survive is in his under-ground tunnel.While other animals have found in-genious ways to overcome the desert'sshortage of water, such as chewing intothe juicy centers of cacti or burrowingdown to the moisture-laden roots of ashrub, the cunning Kangaroo Rat simply

makes his own water. When old-timersused to claim that this little desert ratlived entirely without water, they wereaccused of fabricating the yarn to makefools of gullible greenhorns. But as itturned out, the old-timer was absolutelyright. The Kangaroo Rat can live wherethere is no water because he manufac-tures his own.How does he do it? It's easy, if you'rea Kangaroo Rat. By eating only dryfoods, he is able to convert some of itto water by a unique internal process inwhich the hydrogen in his diet is oxi-dized. The amount of water thus attain-ed is meager, but so are his needs. Inaddition to his small size, his sweatglands are few so his body loses littlein perspiration. Then, to carry on theprocess of waste disposal, he possesseskidneys four times more efficient thanman's. By not conforming to the generalrule that water is necessary to life, hedefies the desert's worst threat. TheKangaroo Rat is probably our most extra-ordinary specialist in the field of desertsurvival.


7/44

Here's a book with newegends of the West.PUBLICATION DATE

NOVEMBER 1, 1967

This book examines many little-known stories and

h evidence that theest European navigators to set foot on American soil date

uncovered some miles southwest of A lbuquerque, Newcal finds or elaborately conceived anded hoaxes? These un usual discoveries form but a small

Included are such phenomena as the discovery of a

13 victims in the Nahann i Valley; and many other

T H EM Y ST E R IO U S W E ST .by Brad Williams andChoral Pepper $5 .9 5

Illustrated with photographs, this fascinating surveyof Western Americana will be welcomed by all readers inter-ested in the folklore and history of the United States.About the authors:B R A D W IL L IA M S has worked for various news-papers ranging in location from Oregon and California, toMexico and India. He has published several mystery novelsand nonfiction works; his books include Flight 967 and

Due Process.C H O R A L P E P P E R hails from the mysterious

west Palm Desert, California. She is the editor of DesertMagazine and she has been a columnist, free-lance writer,and author. Her most recent book is Zodiac Parties.Send check or money order to Desert MagazineBook Shop, Palm Desert, California 92260. Add 25tf forpostage and handling. California residents add 5% sales tax.THE WORLD PUBLISHING COMPANYA SUBSIDIARY OF THE TIMES MIRROR COMPANYCleveland and New York


8/44

A s t r a n g e s t o r y a b o u tA Tow n W ith ou t a Past

F you like mystery andriddles, the ghost townof Trementina, 50 mileseast of Las Vegas, N.M.,is your dish. But to solvethis puzzle you'll have tobe better than the local historians, whocan't tell you who built the town, or when,or why it was abandonedwhenever thatwas.Trementina is Spanish for turpentine,and the extraction of this product was the

reason for the town's founding. Or so itis believed. However, pinon and juniperare the only trees in the area, and theyare far from being good turpentine pro-ducers.Now, if the purpose of the town wasthe production of turpentine, why buildit many miles from pine trees and a mainroad? These are questions often askedabout Trementina, but they are not theonly ones by any means.Let's explore a few other possibilitiesfor this town's existence. Of the twodozen plus buildings and homes stillstanding, one was definitely a bank, onea non-Catholic church, and one a largedormitory-like building with an outsideentrance to each of its single roomslikethe quarters of monks. None of the roomsconqect with inside doors.The church is believed to be some Pro-testant denomination. There is a sign onit reading, "Built in memory of SantiagoBlea and Juanita Blea, 1912." Such a re-cent building date (if that is what thissign means) would indicate that therewere records of its construction. There

are none in Las Vegas or Santa Fe. Wherewere the building materials secured?There is a large rock in the town with1832 carved on its face. Founding date?Quien sabe?If a religious order caused the establish-ment of Trementina, as the dormitory-likebuilding suggests, then what order or re-ligion? This is predominantly a RomanCatholic region, as is all of New Mexico.Very old and tattered religious tracts, ofProstestant origin, have been found insome of the public buildingsbut this

b y Robert Hyatt

is not conclusive; they could have beenscattered there after the town's abandon-ment.As you enter the town, from Highway65, you see first the rusted tin roofs, anovelty in New Mexico. And again, mostof the buildings are masoned like thosein Indian pueblos, although, unlike In-dian houses, only a few are adobe; mostare built of stones and apparently with-out cement. Some of these are plasteredwith adobe inside, especially homes. Peerinside one of these houses and you'll seea beautiful rush-and-pole ceiling, smoothwalls, flat adobe floor. In a few thewindow shades are still there, discreetlydrawn, yard gate latched.It is as if the whole settlement hadan air of waitingwaiting for its peopleto return . Somehow you feel, visitinghere, that the residents have just left onsome holiday and w ill be back. But thewide, mesquite-choked streets and thebear grass and cholla growing wildly inthe house yards tell you this is not true.Long years of abandonment are starklyvisible.Not far from the church and dormitoryis the strangest sight of all. Stone-slab-covered graves built above-ground dot the

surface, like graves one finds now andthen in cemeteries of Mexico, but neverin New M exico. Chiseled lettering on thetop slabs is no longer visible, but thesuns, moons, clouds and animals in fadedred paint are still there, strangely sug-gestive of Indian art . . . but not Indianart, according to the experts.

Now, when a town appears to have nodefinite reason for being, no identitywith agriculture or mining, or indeed anypositive identity with the turpentine in-dustryit is a mystery unto itself. Thereis no kind of machinery, vats, etc., suchas one sees in turpentine camps in thesouth.Given a little knowledge of the past

even the most awed tourist can generallydetermine the reason for the existence ofmost ghost townsgold or silver wasdiscovered there, or the railroad had aspur, or it was a stage stop or fordingplace on a stream. But not so Trem en-tina.Was it a farming community? Hardlybecause the terrain is formidably rockyrough, and not at all suited to any typeof agriculture. Th e only indication of acommercial enterprise is the bank, and a



9/44

uilding that appears to have been atore. What was sold there? If thereere shelves, they are long gone . The reis no evidence of an office where busi-ness might have been conducted.If it was a religious establishment, stillthere had to be economic support. Evenreligion can't exist on religion alonenot whole town of possibly 500 residents.Trementina's locale is in a settingunique in all New Mexicoat the base ofstrange-looking mesas peculiar only to thisregion. There are large mesas topped bytiny ones seemingly to be riding on theiracks. It is a truly weird area.Whenever Trementina was built, and

and Santa Fe was really ancient. Th e bigquestion, then: How could a town of thisany years, without Las Vegas or SantaFe knowing anything about it? For there

There are several reasons why itgious leaders. But what isreal truth ?

If anybody ever comes up with theit will make good reading. I T ' S TMe Peo(J


10/44

By reader request DESERT Magazine will reprint a series ofarticles written by the dean of lost mine yarns, John M itche ll,

which appeared originally in 194 0 and 19 4 1 .

T WAS IN the summer of1902 that Alkali Jones,old time prospector anddesert rat set out acrossthe desert from Skidoo,California, to Searchlight,Nevada. His route lay across one of thehottest and most desolate regions of theUnited StatesDeath Valley. For cen-turies it has been known to the Sho-shone Indians as To-me-sha (Ground onfire). Alkali was in a hurry to reachSearchlight and he was traveling with onepack burro. He carried a .22 calibre rifle,a small prospecting pick, five pounds ofjerky, five pounds of bacon, some hard-tack, coffee, sugar, salt, a small fryingpan, coffee pot and an old army kit. Thistogether with a gallon canteen of waterand his bedroll made a total pack loadof less than 100 pounds.Two days after leaving Skidoo, whilecrossing a narrow arm of the valley, hewas caught suddenly in a fierce sand-storm. The sun hung like a copper diskin the darkened sky and the wind whip-ped the sand dunes into fantastic shapes.Small particles of sand driven by theterrific force of the wind cut like pointsof steel.Semi-darkness fell over the face ofthe earth and as the weary travelerstumbled on through the sand his atten-tion was attracted to a dark object that

loomed only a short distance ahead. Mak-ing his way toward it he soon came tothe foot of a small butte that stood alonein the desert. At the base of the friendlybutte were a number of huge graniteboulders. These seemed to offer someshelter from the raging storm so he madecamp beside one of them.

When the storm had abated and thesun came out again Jones left his shelterbeside the huge granite boulder and inorder to get a better view of the surround-ing country started to climb toward thesummit of the little butte. When abouthalf way up the north side his attentionwas attracted to some pieces of milkywhite quartz that lay scattered along thehillside. With the small pick that he car-ried in his belt he broke several piecesof the quartz and found it to be mattedtogether with large stringers of brightyellow gold!

Running along the side of the hill ina northeasterly and southwesterly direc-tion was a white quartz vein about threefeet wide. It outcropped for a distance ofabout one thousand feet before it dis-appeared under the sand at the foot ofthe little granite butte. The vein was afissure in pink granite and showed freegold wherever it was broken open.From a pouch he carried in his belt

Alkali took a location notice and while

engaged in filling it out he looked uinto the sky and saw a huge bird wheeling high overhead. It was so far abovhim he was unable to tell whether it waan eagle or a huge California Condothat was dogging his footsteps waitinfor a chance to pick the meat from hibones. At any rate he called the claimthe "Golden Eagle." When he had finished the location notice he signed hiname to it and then placed it in an empttobacco can. Then he gathered up abou10 pounds of the rich white quartz andplaced it in a small sample sack. Fromthe loose quartz and rock scattered othe hillside he built a monument andplaced the tin can containing the locationnotice in it.

It was getting late in the afternoowhen Jones climbed down from the littlbutte and headed for the higher mountains to the north. After traveling a distance of about one mile he came to thfoot of the mountains and started climbing. When a few thousand feet up he sadown to rest. Th e map in his pockeshowed that he was in the Funeral rangsitting on Coffin mountain looking dowinto Death Valley. And to make thingeven worse he had only one pint owater left in his canteen.As he sat there making a crude ma

of the location of his mine, the valle10 / Desert Magazine / November, 1967

Lost GoldenEagle Mine

by John Mitchell


11/44

below himsuddenly filled with water.Itdanced and sparkled inthe evening sun-light as thegentle waves broke intospray against the pink granite butte andthe great boulders at its base. Beautifultrees and fairy castles appeared along theshore. Jones, being amanofthe desert,knew thelake was only a beautiful miragethat had lured hundreds of less experi-enced men to a horrible death on theburning sands.So instead of heading out into thedesert waste to search forwater, heturned his footsteps toward the Funeralrange. When he had traveled a distanceof about two miles he came to a deepcanyon. Pausing on the brink he lookedinto the canyon bed farbelow. As hestood there hesaw doves, birds andwhitewings in pairs and small flocksflying swiftly upthe canyon. This heknew to be asure sign ofwater not faraway. Climbing down into the deep can-yon he continued to walk along its

bed for a distance ofabout amile andthen suddenly came to a large tank thatnature had scooped out ofthe solid bed-rock. Itwas full ofclear water and wassurrounded bythousands of quail andother birds. Asmall bed ofsand undera shelving rock in the nearby canyonwall offered an ideal place tocamp forthe night. Jones could have killed someof the quail orwhitewings for his sup-per, but he did not have the heart todestroy the friends who had saved hislife by leading him to their secret water-ing place. When he had filled himselfwith jerky, hardtack and coffee he laydown inthe warm sand torest.Little sleep came toAlkali Jones thatnight. He layawake reveling in thedreams ofbonanza. The wail of a coy-ote came up from the desert and owlshooted from the crags above the water-hole. From high up among the rocks abobcat screamed his challenge across thecanyon, but only the echo came back.Jones prepared a breakfast of bacon,hardtack and coffee, and was wellonhis waydown theeast side of theFuneral

range with hiscanteen full of fresh waterand the 10pound bag of rich oreclutchedin his hand when the first rays ofdawntinted the east and Death Valley wasagain flooded with golden sunlight.After leaving the Funeral mountainsJones passed into the Amargosa rangeand camped the next night on Amargosariver. From there hemade his waysouth-east to Charleston mountain, GoodSprings, Crescent and Searchlight. Uponhis arrival atSearchlight he took aboutone pound ofthe rich quart2 and had itassayed. It ran $41,000 ingold to the

ton. The remaining nine pounds wereground up in a mortar and returned$180.00 in gold. With themoney so ob-tained Jones purchased three burrosfrom Winfield Sherman, a desert char-acter well known toCrescent andSearch-light. At a store inSearchlight he pur-chased provisions and mining tools. Hethen wrote his sister in the east and wasready to return to theDeath Valleycountry towork his mine. While in themining town of Searchlight Jones tookhis meals at Jack Wheatley's eating houseand itwas there that the writer saw thewonderful ore and heard the story directfrom Jones' ownlips.

Three days later Jones loaded his outfiton twoofthe burros, mounted the thirdand set out across the cactus-covered flatsin the direction ofCrescent peak. Thatwas the last his friends ever saw of him.It was learned later by his sister whocame west tosearch for him, that hespentthe night at the Gus Halfpenney goldmine on the west side ofCrescent peakand afewdays later passed through GoodSprings headed for theDeath Valleycountry.

The years passed and no word of Al-kali Jones or his Golden Eagle mine evercame out of the desert. Then, one daytwo old Shoshone Indians making theirway across the desert along the east sideof the Funeral range came upon the scat-tered remnants of aweathered pack out-fit under a large mesquite tree. Scatteredin the sand were some old rusty miningtools, but thebody of Jones wasnowhereto be found. He isbelieved to have runout of water somewhere onthe desertbetween theAmargosa river and theeast-ern foothills of the Funeral range andto have started out on foot tofindhetank ofthe friendly birds where he hadcamped only afew weeks before. Eitherhe met with some accident or was over-taken by those twin demons of thedesertheat and thirst. The burros no doubteventually joined the wild herds whichroam that region.Jones' Golden Eagle mine may have

met the fate which is known tohaveovertaken more than one rich depositinthe Death Valley region, where winds ofhurricane velocity sweep across the desertat certain seasons of theyear. Thesewinds carry great volumes of sand andmay pile up adrift many feet indepthwithin aweek's time.But the same wind which often coversrich ore deposits may sooner or laterexpose them to view again, and there isalways the possibility that a prospectormay come upon a rich claim in a regionpreviously trod by other gold-seekers.

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Gentlemen: Please send free literature on Goldaktreasure locators. I enclose $1.00 fur myAmerican TreasureHunters' Guide (reg.$2.00 value).NameAddressCity

L State Zip CodeNovember, 1967 / Desert Magazine / 11


12/44

Bottle Bootyby Frank Taylor

s THE urge tocollectoldbottles reaches a feverishpitch, hundreds of backcountry travelers turntheir four-wheelers off thehighways to search forthese once-abandoned curios. Onewearyhobbyist said recently, "I know moreabout the dumps in Esmeralda and Au-

rora than I know about my ownneigh-bors !"Almost every town dump has beenpatiently dug up and for theperson juststarting to hunt, there is little to find.But two men have been astonishinglysuccessful at re-working sites thought toto exhausted. They have become soexpert,in fact, that collectors call them theBottle

Children discover the fun of running along an old board sidewalk. Thegroundbeneath old sidewalks usually isrich with curios and rare bottles.

Twins andaccuse them of having a gold-en shovel. In thepast 13years, thepairhas dug up nearly 3000 bottles.The brothers, Bart andHarold Reuck,don't think luck has much to do withtheir success. "It'sjust hard work," Bartsmiles. Like any other novice, the pairstarted outhunting for bottles that couldbe easily found. During their first six

months, they found only three bottles.Then they changed their tactics and returned to the first town where they haddug. In this location a weekend of workhadn't yielded a single bottle the firsttime. Ontheir second trip theboys found19 rare bottles and containers. Successcame after the two decided to dig atrench sixfeet deep across thetop of whatwas thought to be an empty dump. Sincethen, theReuck twins have worked bottledigging down to a science and haveevolved a system to eliminate hours offruitless work in thewrong spots.Now when they arrive at a prospectivesite, they walk over it back andforth in agrid pattern searching every foot of landwhere they expect todig. This visualsur-vey helps them select thebest spot to be-gin operations. Then they dig a fewtestholes to check for cans and shards ofglass and pottery before beginning towork inearnest."There is no use digging where youfind nothing but dirt," Bart explained."Unless there isother junk mixed in thesoil, you are wasting your time. What you

have to find for good bottle hunting is aformer out-house hole, a garbage pit ora dump. Find that and you will findbottles."Once they have found something, theyhave continued to dig down as far as 10feet. Their best luck occurred on an oc-casion when they accidentally stumbledupon a privy site and turned up a num-ber of bottles. The next weekend they re-turned to finish thehole and then won-dered where to start next. In pacingaround, Harold noticed another likelyspot 50 feet away. It turned out to be an-



13/44

other privy site. Before they finished inthe area, weeks later, the brothers hadfound nine more, each 50 feet apart. Ithad been a row of miner's cabins, eachwith its ownprivy andgarbage dump.Not all of their digging isdone inpits.Other favorite spots areunder sidewalkswhere the boards have rotted away andinside oldbuilding shells. The sidewalksare worked by trenches and a number of

gold coins have been found this way.Other curios have included a watch,but-tons, belt buckles and rusted shovels.The twins dig bottles for fun. Theynever sell what they discover, althoughthey occasionally trade for a bottle to fillout their collection. When they aren'tsearching for newspecimens, the twinsare cleaning up andcataloguing theonesthey have. This can consume asmuch timeas the hunting.

A hazard the twins have encountered isthe shattering of bottles when sunlighthits them for the first time in 50 oddyears. This is because oldglass is oftenvery thin and chilled by the cold earthand abrupt warmth causes them toexpandand crack. Now the twins warm each onein their hands before taking it out of thepit.When asked if allthe old bottles mightbe recovered within a fewyears, Bart re-marked that they have returned to sitesthey hadworked several times and aftereach new rain storm, more bottles appear.The need to find discarded bottlesandjunk of former generations is a strangeone, but as long as they are able, theReuck twins intend to keep shoveling."Antique bottles are about the only thingsleft in these oldghost towns," Bart said,"except for the ghosts."

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14/44

SELDOM SEEN - E X C E P T I N B A L L A R A T BY FLORINE LAWLORP ANAMINT Valley, somesay, is a small replica ofits big sister, Death Val-ley. Its scenery isn't quiteas vast, its views not asspectacular, the colors aremore subdued. The area is much smallerand its tourist drawing cards fall short,but Panamint Valley claims "SeldomSeen Slim," who overshadows many ofthe attractions of Death Valley.

Seldom Seen Slim lives alone in thedecaying ghost town of Ballarat. Slim,as he likes to be called, is everything hisname implies. This gaunt lean man ofsome 80 years has made Ballarat his homefor more than 45 years, with only theanimals of the desert for neighbors. But

ask him if he ever regretted this lonelyexistence and his reply would be, "Nopeif I had it to do over again, I wouldn'tchange an hour."Slim was born Charles Ferge, in Indi-ana, and spent his boyhood there until1905 when the lure of gold out Westcarried him to Nevada. After roamingthe state in his quest for riches, he foundonly enough to finance the next prospect-ing trip, which finally carried him intoCalifornia's Mother Lode country.By 1922 he had worked his way southinto Death Valley. Here Slim met andformed an alliance with Shorty Harris.Together they are credited with morestrikes than all the other Death Valleyprospectors put togetherSkidoo, Bull-

Seldom Seen Slim pauses for a visit with D eath V alley wanderers.

frog, Harrisburg, the World Beater, TheElephant and Golden Girl, just to namea few.Together these two could have hewn

an empire, but material things seemedto matter not at all to them and as oneboom town after another erupted, Shortyand Slim loaded their burros and headedfor the hills.On one of their ventures they teamedup with Pete Aguerreberry, a soft spokenBasque for whom Aguerreberry Point wasnamed. Slim soon decided, though, thatthree was a crowd, so went on his ownagain.In the ensuing years the Keane Won-der mine was discovered and the ore was

rich; so rich, in fact, that prospectorscame from all over the Valley to stakeclaims near it. Slim was one of them.When his claim proved fruitless he work-ed in the Keane mill to earn enough tobe on his way again. As time went on hestrayed less and less from Ballarat, hiscamp, working his claims in the flanksof the nearby Panamints to eke out abare living. As Slim says, "the desertjust growed on him." In Ballarat hemaintains Boot Hill, a tiny cemeterywhere he has buried many a friend. Thegraves are covered with wild flowers andstones and marked with epitaphs carvedby Slim, but the names on them are obli-terated by the elements.

Slim took us on a tour of his City,pointing out the adobe ruins where ShortyHarris had lived, the crumbling schoolhouse, a grocery store, a saloon and oneof hell-raising Ballarat's erstwhile bor-dellos. He showed us the road to Pana-mint City, "six miles straight up."W e spent hours pou ring over his age-worn photos of all the Death Valleygreats and his rock collection, unequalledanywhere. While we drank cup after cupof black coffee, Slim recalled the past,puffed on his beloved corn cob pipe andinquired about Las Vegas. He had "heardit growed" since he visited there in 1912.We assured him it had and invited himto come back with us and visit for a fewdays, but he declined our invitation, say-ing he didn't want to leave his peace andquiet.The day we spent with Seldom SeenSlim flew all too fast. As we drove away,we looked back. A proud giant of thepast raised his arm and waved.

14 / Desert Maga zine / November, 1967


15/44

Parker. .. a fun - tas t i c P lay landANY O F TH E refinementsof the large metropolitanareas of the West are notto .be found in Parker,Arizona. Visitors frommajor cities sometimeshave difficulty adjusting to the non-

smog atmosphere; lovers of snow andslush are disappointed by the lack ofthem here; tornado and flood enthusi-asts watch the sky in vain; and urban-ites are frustrated over the absence oftraffic jams during the rush hour.Parker is a desert town with a big,blue, wonderful rivera river that sawthe Spaniard, Alarcon, floating down-stream in 1540 and Father Garces com-ing up in 1776, and steamboats thatbrought soldiers and miners and Sup-plies to the towns along its length. Par-

ker was established in 1908 to providea shipping and trading center for theColorado River Indian Reservation. It isa small piece of private property carvedout of the northern end of the Reserva-tion that straddles the river for 50 milesto a point just above Blythe, California.The Colorado River is at least 1400miles long, but the 17-mile stretch be-

tween Parker Dam and the town of Par-ker has been called the most beautifulsection of all. It includes Lake Moovalya(Blue Waters, in Indian language)which was formed by the constructionof Headgate Rock Dam, a few milesabove Parker. Along this wide, deepchannel are gay waterfront resorts, mo-tels, trailer parks, cabanas, marinas,homes, and swim and ski beaches. Onthe Arizona side of the lake (or wideportion of the river) the area is popularlyknown as the 11-mile strip.There are two seasons on the ColoradoRiver. The winter season is popular withthose making the area their winter home.Then the climate is perfect for rockhounding, hiking, or just relaxing whilefishing for lunker bass and catfish. Crap-pie, blue-gill, trout, and sunfish are also

caught in abundance. Hunting possibili-ties include quail, whitewings, dove,duck, and desert bighorn sheep. In sum-mer months the river here is most popu-lar with the boating and water skiingcontingent.This stretch of the Colorado River iscalled the fastest water in the West be-cause speed records have been brokenhere seven times since I960. More than

Colorado River at Buckskin Park.

25 racing events are held between Par-ker Dam and Headgate Rock Dam an-nually during the season which runs fromearly March to Thanksgiving Day. As aspectator, you may watch the action fromthe shore, fancy cabanas, resorts, or fromrestaurant windows while you sip a talllemonadeor something. You'll also en-joy the exhibition of water skiingsleek,slim speedboats towing sleek, slim waterskiers is a thrilling sight.The best known of these events, some-times called the "destruction derby" of .boat racing, is the Parker 9-hour Enduro,usually held early in March. This is thebiggest, fastest, toughest endurance racein the United States. More than a hun-dred participants roar up and down theriver for nine hours at speeds exceeding90 miles per hour. The marathon starts

with the boats dead in the water anddrivers lined up 50 yards away. Whenthe starting gun sounds, the drivers raceto their boats and the nine-hour grindbegins. It starts and ends at the BlueWater Marine Park (a Colorado RiverIndian Tribes project).Another highlight of the racing sea-son is the occasional running of drag


by Jack Delaney


16/44

races, in which about 75 boats partici-pate. Top speeds in these events are inthe 120 and 130 miles per hour class. Itwas during a drag race here that How-ard Brown set the upside down andbackwards record. He went through theelectric timer upside down and back-wards at 90 miles per hour!In order to avoid giving the impressionthat this is strictly a nautical racetrack,dominated by high-powered speedboatjockeys and supercharged water skiers, itshould be stated that these sports enthusi-asts are only a part of the attraction ofthe 11-mile strip. This is really a landof leisurecasual and carefree. The

common mode of dress is swim andbeach wearpeople here undress to goout! Gals in bikinis are much in evidence.(Could they be anything else inbikinis?)Entire familes spend hours each dayin their "gasoline gondolas," cruising,visiting friends, and stopping occasionallyfor soft drinks, sandwiches, and a bitof leg-stretching. In the evening a uniqueexperience is to travel by water to a resortrestaurant along the shore to enjoy asteak dinner. After docking the boat, theroutine is cocktails, sociability, and do-it-

yourself barbecuing. Al fresco dining isvery popular here and the cost is reason-able. A top sirloin steak with all of thetrimmings can be enjoyed for about $2.00in some places.The river is such a vital part of livinghere that when I drove up to a place ofbusiness, seeking directions to Lake Ha-vasu City, I was asked, "By water or byroad?" It was interesting that, had Iplanned to go by boat, there would beno problem. But by automobile, the opi-nion was that I just couldn't get there


Colorado River below Parker Dam.Parker Dam and power plant.

march of progress, let's assume that itpurposely saved a slice of early Westernatmosphere for present-day tourists to en-joy. It is here that the famous Westerner,Wyatt Earp, settled for a few years in the1880s. His old shack and corral are stillstanding, much to the delight of shutter-bugs seeking to record relics of the past.It appears that Mr. Earp's reputation

is subject to question. Some think of himas having been a hero, a frontier marshaland prospector; while other have brandedhim as anything from a fast gun oppor-tunist to a downright renegade. The resi-dents are inclined to consider the town'sname, honoring that old Western charac-ter, with levity. Some even doubt thatEarp's home was built here originally,believing that it must have been movedhere from the shore of the Coloradoriver where he spent so much time. How-ever, this is where it is and can be seenand photographed now.

from here! Frankly, I didn't even try toget there from herethe 11-mile stripoffered a full measure of fun, so whygo anywhere else?For a "history" break it is suggestedyou break from the "strip" to visit thetown of Earp and Parker Dam. Earp isa tiny community on the California sideof the river across from Parker, Ari-zona. It might be called a mini-town,excepting that the prefix "mini" todaycarries the connotation of somethingbrief and seductive. Earp is brief, but byno stretch of the imagination could it becalled seductive.This town consists of a grocery, motel,trailer park, gas station, trading post, postoffice, and a few homes. Should it ap-pear that Earp was out of step in the

For a quick transition from the past topresent, drive 17 miles north to Par-ker Dam. This is a concrete, variableradius arch structure. It is one of a seriesof dams on the lower Colorado Riverthat has transformed it from an unrulyriver to a useful servant. Parker's pur-pose is to provide municipal and indus-trial water to California coastal cities,principally Los Angeles and San Diego,via the Colorado River Aqueduct. Thedam was completed in 1938; first deliv-ery of river water to the Los Angeles areawas made in 1941; and benefits of thesystem were extended to San Diego in1947.

Dams, like famous bridges, always haveat least one dimension that qualifies themfor the "world's greatest" category


17/44

Every area can boast of an attractionfor visitors. The 11-mile strip above

The Administrative building is on the

All cabanas and camp sites have elec-

The rate for overnight camping, includ-ing bathhouse privileges, is $1.50 perday. Cabanas rent for $5.00 per day forup to five adults, and $1.00 per day foreach additional person over 12 years ofa g e . You may be pleased to learn thatdogs are permitted here provided theyare well-mannered and kept on a leash.

Indian culture has been a part of Ari-zona for many years, with one-quarterof the state's area in reservation land.A seventh of the Indian population ofthe United States lives on the 19 reser-vations in this state. One out of every 20persons in Arizona is Indian. In classi-fying various groups into the haves andand the have-nots, the quartet of tribesin the Colorado River Reservation shouldbe included with the haves. Here, Mo-have, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and NavajoIndians live in harmony under the watch-ful eye of a progressive tribal council.

The Indians realize income from leaseson a portion of their 264,000 acres ofriverfront land, and have poured theirmoney into tribal enterprisesa new ad-ministrative building, a library and mu-seum, a half-million dollar gymnasiumand recreation center, education, housing,and tribal welfare. Visitors are welcomeon the reservation and at the new tribalheadquarters near Parker. Hunters andfishermen are asked to obtain entry per-mits as well as state licenses. Inquiries onfishing and hunting should be directedto Colorado River Indian Tribes, Parker,Arizona. Tribal chairman, DempseyScott, will see that you receive the desiredinformation promptly.Whether you are planning a short tripor an extended vacation, the sun neversets on recreation at Park er.

N e w l o rr o c u i o u n d sRocks andminerals full-color foldertells where tofind what inArizona fromactinolite towulfenite.Special bonus:"Story of gold."A real " f i nd"for hobbyists!

aQu ick re fe ren cechart shows rock& mineral group-ings in 14 counties.

WRITE FOR FREE COLOR FOLDERAMAZING

ARIZONA DEVELOPMENT BOARD, DEPT. 1043443 N. Cen tra l , Phoenix , Ar izona 85012Pleast send Free Rockhound Guide

ADDRESS

Wyatt Earp's corral and h ome at Earp, California.

Mitch Williams Says:Before It GetsToo C ivilized SeeAmerica's New

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in special air conditioned 4-wheel-drive tour cars. Plan now to seethis scenic wonderland.Float tr ips on the exotic Coloradoand Green Rivers

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B A J A C A L I F O R N I Adown Mexico way. Two big 25-dayphotographic safaris through Bajafrom top to tip each Jan., Feb.,and March. Now is the t ime forthat Grand Adventure.FOR FREE BROCHURES WRITE OR CALLT a g - a - L o n g T o u r s

Dept. B 156 N. 1st W.Moab, Utah 84532Phone 801 253-4346



18/44

Follow the authors directions exactlyif you want to discover thisrare Death Valley retreat,

Exploring Cottonwood Canyonby Roger Mitchell

The Marble Canyon Narrows.

EATH Valley, as everyone knows, is as hot anddry and desolate as aplace can be. Yet there isa paradox, for amid thesun-bleached sands flowrivers of sparkling water lined with greenery. One such spot lies hidden in theCottonwood Mountains, a few miles wesof Stove Pipe Wells Resort on Highway190.

Here, in Cottonwood Canyon, a raredesert stream is forced to the surface bylayers of bedrock. In its brief life of onlya few miles, the stream supports a smalforest of Cottonwood trees and an untoldpopulation of native wildlife. Althoughlittle-known and seldom visited todaythis was once the home of Piutes andearlier tribesmen. Evidence of their oc-cupancy is chipped in the rock walls ofthe canyon.

Exploration of this isolated region isnot easy. Miles of soft sand and largeboulders make it impossible to get veryfar in a standard automobile. Vehicleswith high centers and four-wheel drivehave the least difficulty. The route isrough but rewarding.Across the highway from the Stove PipeWells Hotel, a National Park Servicesign reads "Jeep Road, Cottonwood andMarble Canyons." The desert road headsin a westerly direction across the valleyfloor. After traveling a distance of 5.2miles from Stove Pipe Wells, the roadforks. Take the right fork and withinthree miles you will enter a gorge cutfrom the massive wall of the mountainface. This is the entrance to CottonwoodCanyon and the door to the secrets iholds.

18 / Desert Maga zine / Novem ber, 1967


19/44

Upon entering the canyon the roadeases to exist. Start up the wash carefully,aking your way over, around, and be-ween the numerous boulders. If you'relucky, there may be the faint tracks of arevious visitor to guide you. As younter the canyon look for a display offaint petroglyphs on the northern wall.hose on the south side appear suspicious-ly fresh.As soon as you get accustomed to the

confining walls, the canyon opens ontoa large flat and an old sign, overlookedby vandals' bullets, marks a fork in thecanyon. To the right is Marble Canyonand Goldbelt Spring, some 14 miles tothe west. Backcountry vehicles can turnto the right here and continue for acouple of miles more. Shortly after enter-ing Marble Canyon, however, a narrowpot stops the wider vehicles and, withinanother mile, all vehicles are stopped bya huge boulder wedged into the bottomf the canyon. This should not stopikers, though, as Marble Canyon hasuch to offer in the way of scenery andetroglyphs.To see Cottonwood Canyon, keep leftat the sign and continue up the main

limestone will once again enclose theCottonwood Canyon. The cave in Cottonwood Canyon. Cottonwood Creek.

he sign, look for a large cave hollowedut of thick layers of sandstone. It isdifficult to estimate the age of this cave,ut it seems reasonable to assume that it

ians who lived and farmed in theA mile beyond the cave, a secondaryanyon enters from the right. Vehicularravel up this side canyon ends at a small

leaving the cave, remember to keep to theeft when the canyon forks. Three miles

Cottonwood Canyon will end on top of adebris of boulders and tree trunks. Hereis the unexpecteda rare desert streamin a cottonwood grove! The "road" goingup the canyon and the stream comingdown the canyon meet and end at thesame place. Here Cottonwood Creekslowly sinks again until it has percolateddown to the very floor of Death Valley.

After traveling this far, a hike up thestream bed almost seems mandatory. It is apleasant two mile hike up the canyon toCottonwood Springs, the source of thecreek. Somewhere along this two-mileroute you may see a herd of wild burrosgrazing along the stream or upon the hill-

side. Few of these animals have ever beendomesticated, owing their existence totheir ancestors who broke loose from aprospector. Over the years these strayshave banded together in herds and multi-plied. Today there are a surprising num-ber of these wild burros, particularly inthe Inyo County-Death Valley area.As you hike up the stream, watch themoist soil along the stream bed for variouskinds of tracks. Other less conspicious in-habitants of the canyon include numerouskinds of small rodents, rabbits, foxes,and, of course, the ubiquitous coyote.Keep your eye on the high ridges, too, be-cause the desert bighorn has been seen in

the canyon.Of all the natural history buffs, thebird watchers will probably find Cotton-wood Canyon the most fascinating. Atpractically any time of the year, the huge,spreading cottonwoods are alive withflutter and songs of various birds. Here,where the normally quiet desert is so noisy,nature seems suddenly "unbalanced."Whether you spend a day or a week inCottonwood Canyon, you will find thetrip, rough as it is, both rewarding andinteresting.



20/44

Gold at Coolgardie Todayby Myrtle Teague

E STOPPED our jeep amidut te r desola t ion . Theground, upturned as froma farmer's plow, stretch-ed out like a blanket ofsilence around a long-forgotten cabin constructed of sheetmetal. Old mining towns always exciteme. I could almost see the hustle andbustle when this town called Coolgardieboomed because a lucky miner had madea rich strike. I could also visualize thehardship its people endured in order tosurvive on desert land where each dropof water had to be hauled in or obtainedfrom a community well.

To reach this deserted, almost forgot-20 / Desert Magazine / November, 1967

ten mining camp, follow the Camp Irwinroad from Barstow, California. At Cop-per City, turn left and travel the short dis-tance to the bullet-riddled sign at theCoolgardie turnoff. There you will find anice camping spot under some Joshuatrees about a mile from town.

The upheaval of the earth at this sitewas an enigma. We had never seen placergold in dirt like this. Tempted to try ourown luck, we unloaded our metal detec-tor, shovel, gold pans and 15-gallonwater can beside the cabin built of sheetmetal. Once it had been well cared for,but now the door hung open, windowswere broken and debris lay scattered overthe floor's old hand-braided rug. A rock-

ing chair still held a place of honor andthe room's walls once had been coveredwith cardboard and painted white. Evenin this arid, isolated environment, peopleof pride had tried to create comfort andbeauty within their walls. To the rear ofthe cabin, where the ground had beendug up for several hundred feet, we tooka few samples of dirt which produceda small amount of color, but not enoughto make a man rich.

For a week we combed the old campfrom one end to the other,1 browsingthrough all of the tumble-down shacks,trash dumps and mounds of tailingswhere oldtimers had spent hours in back-breaking labor. We found an old shaftin which someone had lived. The tunnelcontained a bed, table, cabinet and stove,with its pipe leading out through the topof the tunnel. Rats had made nests hereand there and the place depressed us.At the north end of town an old manwas mining with a dry washer. His home-made camper was rigged with a woodstove for heat and he was having troublewith his stove pipe because the windblew the smoke back inside the camper.He had been camped there for severalweeks, slowly combing the grounds fora hot spot of gold that he was sure hadbeen overlooked by early miners. So farhe hadn't found it, but he did say thathe had dry-washed enough gold to buya two weeks supply of groceries.A few shacks still stand in Coolgardie

and could be restored very easily. Thereis still gold in the ground; we sampledseveral old placers and found colors inevery pan full. Without a dry washer,however, we had to do it the hard wayby carrying our can of water in the jeepand using an abandoned wash tub forour panning operation. We couldn't useas much water as we would have liked,so our gold mining lacked much in tech-nique. But there is gold still to be foundat Coolgardie. Only the hot spot remainsto be found.


21/44

Organ Pipe National ParkPhoto onfollowing page:by Don Valentine

Secret Under the Dunesby Ida Smith

OMEWHERE, NOT farfrom the old Caminodel Diablo (the Devil'sHighway) along t heborder between Arizonaand Mexico, the remainsof an old Spanish mission lieburied be-neath shifting sand dunes.For 200 or more years illusive storiesof a lost mission have been told bypros-pectors whochanced to wander near thespot when desert winds had uncovered

a part of it. Later, upon returning, thedrifting sands had again covered bothmission and landmarks. The prospectorswere never able to relocate thespot.It is said that at one time, whiletranslating an old Spanish document, aresearch worker at theUniversity of Ari-zona discovered an account of a Spanishmission built some 200years ago by theFranciscans somewhere along the oldCamino delDiablo. The story was follow-ed up by search parties, but no trace ofthe mission was found. The documentnamed themission, Mision de los QuatrosEvangelistos (Mission of the Four Evan-gelists).The stories of the lost mission centeraround a section of desert between theColorado river in Sonora State, Mexico,and Tinajas Altas across the border inArizona. It is said that thespot where themission wasbuilt wasonce an oasis witha good spring and was settled by theSand Papago Indians. A range of lowmountains had for generations protectedthe spot.Do the stories of the lost mission allrefer to the same mission? Was it theMision de los Quatros Evangelistos, oranother? In 1936 a strange account wasgiven to Ben Humphreys, a prospectorfrom Cashion, Arizona, by DonacianoGarcia, a Mexican dry placer miner.Among a number of lost mine storiesGarcia told Humphreys was one abouta mission buried in the Yuma desert.Humphreys had occasion to recall itwhen the two of them, journeying intothe Muggins Mountains north of Well-ton in search of placer locations, met a

prospector who told them that a groupof Spaniards, financed by a woman fromSpain, hadbeen in thearea searching forthe lost mission. The ir reconnaissance,by both ground and air, hadproved fruit-less. This led Humphreys to wonder ifthe Spaniards had evidence that the mis-sion contained wealth that had neverreached the coffers of Spain.A year later, in 1937, Humphreys

again made a trip to the old Camino delDiablo; this time accompanied by a pros-pecting partner named Claude Crokeras well as Donaciano Garcia. They wentby way of Tinajas Altas, a series of sevennatural "tanks" or depressions which ex-tend up a mountainside. "The top tankalways contains water," said Garcia,"even during the dry season. Many anearly traveler perished from thirst becausehe did not climb high enough." It was

Old grinding mill atO/iitobaquito where early Papa go Indians ground their meal.November, 1967 / Desert Magazine / 21


22/44


23/44


24/44

because of such tragedies the old highwaybecame known as the "Devil's Highway."Humphrey and his party camped fora week or more in the vicinities of TuleWells, Las Playas, O'Neil's Pass, andPapago Well; places all listed on an earlymap. While camped where the road forksoff the Devil's Highway toward BatesWell, they discovered that their waterwas running low so they decided to goto Quitobaquito Springs, six miles along

the Devil's Highway, to replenish it.About a mile from their camp theymet an old Papago Indian who was wear-ing a cowboy outfit and riding a sleekhorse with a fine saddle. His name wasJuan Orosco and he lived at Quitoba-quito, where he owned a cattle ranch withgrazing and water rights on both the Ari-zona and Mexico sides of the border. Hewas a very influential man in his tribe.

mentioned the rumors he had heard ofthe lost mission, knowing better than toask an Indian a direct question. After apause, Orosco said, "It is covered bysand dunes in the middle of a vast wasteof sand." Then Orosco told Ben the fol-lowing story:"When I was a lad of about 15 mypeople lived along the Colorado river.One night a white man came to our vil-lage. We put him up for the night. Dur-

ing the night he stole one of our horsesand left. W e followed his tracks towardTinajas Altas, but lost them out in thedesert where the wind had covered themwith sand. We decided to go on to Tina-jas Altas for water. In that desert wastewe came across the top of a belfry amongthe sand dunesthe belfry of an oldSpanish mission long buried under thedesert sands. The winds had uncoveredffl

Quitobaqu ito Lake ha fed by springs for many centuries.Humphreys, who as a youth lived inMexico and learned the language, was

able to converse with Jose Orosco. Afterexchanging pleasantries, Orosco gavethem permission to replenish their waterat one of his wells, marked on the mapas Cipriano's Well, on the Bates Wellroad. Two years later they met again atan Indian camp west of Avondale, Ari-zona. This time Orosco was driving apickup truck and had several youngerPapagos with him.Orosco was interested in hearing aboutHumphreys' prospecting ventures. Afterhe had related those experiences, he

24 / Desert Magazine / N ovember, 1967

it in one of their strange sweeps acrossthe dunes. I do not know whether theburied mission was on the Arizona orthe Mexico side of the border.

"The story of the lost mission has beenhanded down for generations among mypeople," said Orosco. "Many years agothe Spanish padres came to our villagewith a religion that was strange and newto the Papagos. They taught my peoplehow to make bricks and persuaded themto help build the mission and to mine therich placer gold which they had dis-coveredleading the Indians to believethat the gold would belong to them.

"Then the 'mountains' that had pro-tected our village began to disintegrateand blow away, probably due to drouthand heavy winds. They had been hugesand dunes held together by moisture andvegetation for an unknown time. Thesand began to drift so deeply across ourvillage that most of my people migratedto the Colorado river. It was clear that themission would soon have to be aban-doned."There were three padres at the missionduring the last days there, and two Papa-gos who remained faithful to them. Theypacked what they could carry and headedfor Tinajas Altas, El Camino del Diabloand the road to Mexico."When my people discovered that theyhad taken all the gold, they went afterthem. At Tinajas Altas they overtookand fought the Spanish padres and theirtwo Papago followers. In the skirmish,the two Papagos were killed, but thefighting continued and on the third day

the Spaniards were all killed."A search revealed a freshly dug gravewhere apparently our fellow tribesmenhad been buried during the night. Therewas no trace of the gold, so my peoplewere sure that it had been buried beneaththe two dead Papagos. The padres knewthat our people would not disturb theirlast resting place and the gold would besafe until someday they could returnfor it."There was a moment of silence afterJose Orosco finished his story. "Thegold," he said, "came from the earth,and has gone back to the earth to beguarded by the spirits of our people."Somewhere in the desert, in the vicin-ity of Tinajas Altas, lies the buried trea-sure of the lost mission. And somewherein the surrounding desert the winds whipthe drifting sands hither and yon acrossthe secret place where the old missionlies buried. After a rainy season thesand dunes are covered with desert ver-benas that fill the air with a delicate fra-grance, as if nature were apologizing forman's pathetic mistakes.For many years Quitobaquito Springswas the settlement of the Sand PapagoIndians, who had moved there from theColorado river, but later years it alsobecame a watering place for travelers.When Jose Juan Orosco died a num-ber of years ago, he left his holdings tohis son, Jim, who maintained ranch head-quarters at Quitobaquito until the UnitedStates government bought him out andconverted the beautiful little oasis into apart of the famed Organ Pipe CactusNational Monum ent.


25/44

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26/44

CALICO ~ OLD AND NEW

Above: Calico's main street today. Right: Lane's General Store offers everything fromLong Johns to rock candy. Below: Tour through M aggie Mine starts here.

b y S t a n K e l lo g gT WAS in the spring of1881 that rich silver de-posits were discoverednear Calico, Californiaby three prospectors. Thearea's richest deposit,however, was found by two prospectorsgrubstaked by San Bernardino countysheriff John C. King, the uncle of Wal-ter Knott who was to later institute hisfamous Knott's Berry Farm in BuenaPark and who recently purchased andrestored the old town of Calico.

The deposit found by Mr. King'sprospectors was located near the summitof the mountain which towers over thetown to the north and was named "TheSilver King Mine" in honor of JohnKing. This rich mine produced over26 / Desert Maga zine / November, 1967


27/44

$10,000,000 worth of silver in slightlymore than 10 years of operation, aboutone-eighth of the total dollar value ofsilver taken from the Calico area duringits short life.More than 30 miles of tunnels honey-combed the mountain. Some of the veinswere four feet wide with the silver assay-ing from 200 to 400 ounces per ton. Sev-eral factors contributed to the ease andlow cost of mining in Calico. No shore-ing was necessary because the tunnelswere cut through solid rock. Water andfuel were available for the milling opera-tions and railroad transportation was con-veniently located at the nearby town ofDaggett, making it feasible to build aspur line to the dry lake where the stampmills were located. Last, but not least,was the high price of ore prevailing atthat time.There seems to be some confusion asto how the town came by its colorfulname, but anyone viewing the beautiful

multi-colored mountain will draw hisown conclusion. The town grew rapidlyto a peak population of 3500 inhabitants.The main street was located on a smallplateau running north and south with alength of about 400 yards. Chinatownwas situated on the eastern side of Calico.At one time the Chinese colony, led by atough old Chinese named Yung Hen, wassizable and included a restaurant andthree or four boarding houses in its en-virons. In its heyday, Calico's 13 saloonsfurnished thirsty miners the wherewithalto wash the dust from their parchedthroats, and a couple of dance halls, sev-eral hotels, three general stores, somerestaurants, two drugstores, a jewelrystore, assay offices and a town hall cater-ed to other needs. There were also achapel and a schoolhouse on a little pro-montory overlooking Wall Street Canyonon the west side of the town.

A fire swept through the little townin 1884, but the inhabitants immediatelyrebuilt and activities continued in a nor-mal vein. Then a more disastrous fireoccurred in September of 1887. Thesecond fire reportedly started in the roofof one of the restaurants and was spreadfrom building to building by a highwind until 135 buildings were demol-ished. Reconstruction plans this timecalled for every third or fourth buildingto be constructed of adobe in order toprovide fire breaks. Some of the marksleft by the fire can still be seen at Calico.

Calico's most productive years werefrom 1881 until the mid-1890s. In 1881the price of silver was $1.29 per ounce,but it fell to 53c an ounce in 1896, whenthe old mining town's death knell tolled.

When it was no longer profitable to minesilver ore, mines and businesses closeddown and Calico was deserted.Today you can re-live those historicalmoments in the ghost town of Calico byturning off of the BarstowLas Vegashighway (U.S. 91-466) onto the Calicoroad about 10 miles east of Barstow, Cali-fornia. Admission to the ghost town isfree, as is parking in one of the twoample lots. Vehicles are not allowed inthe town. A small fee is charged to takea ride on the Calico-Odessa Railroad, afavorite with both youngsters and adults.Another tour worth the time and moneyis the Maggie Mine. This is a self-con-ducted tour in which you may proceed asrapidly or as slowly as desired. At the en-trance to the tunnel is a gorgeous rockdisplay and spaced throughout the tun-nel are wax figures of miners which de-pict working conditions in those days.The tour terminates at the mine's gloryhole. An interesting museum of "The

Days That Used To Be" is located near^ C A L I C O

the center of town and you shouldn'tleave Calico without visiting Lane's Gen-eral Merchandise Store.If you wish to eat in Calico, the CalicoHouse Restaurant serves meals, andsnacks and soft drinks are available atother locations in the town.To see the rugged Calico Mountainsas they were in the old days, you maydrive your own vehicle up the Doran

Scenic Drive. To reach it, go east fromCalico along the foot of the mountains.At the sign "Scenic Do-ran Drive," turnup the road and follow it for five milesthrough the thrilling, forbidding, butwonderful Odessa and Bismark can-yons. In some places the road windsthrough rock walls and is wide enoughfor only one car. You wonder how old-time mule skinners drove their teams andwagons along the tortuous road. It is aone-way drive v/hich forms a loop and isno place for a vehicle in poor mechanicalcondition or one with doubtful tires. DGHOST

November, 1967 / Desert Magazine / 2 7


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Distant sand dunes roll into the empty vastness of Death Valley. Below: The rem-nants of Chloride City, a mining camp born in the 1800s which died in 1914. Thebuilding above wasonce abunk house.

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196711 desert magazine 1967 november

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