197211 desert magazine 1972 november

8/14/2019 197211 Desert Magazine 1972 November

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T R E A S U R E F O U N DDear Bill,

Recently I decided that I wanted to becom ea treasure hunter.Several of my friends were having prettygood luck at coin shooting so I decided that wasthe way to si art. Mo st o f them (the lucky ones)

were using D-TEX detectors. On May 5 th, I gotthe D-TEX "Winner" and, was soon launched, onmy new career.Hunting mostly around, parks and, schoolgrounds, I had accumulated the vast amount of264 coins and felt that was pretty good for abeginner in only 8 or 9 weeks. On July 13 (mylucky num ber) I got up at 5:00 A.M. and headedfor a neighborhoo d park to try to m ake it an even300. I found one penny by the swimming pool.Next the monkey bars and found nothing. Thennear the swings I got a loud signal. It was soloud I thought it nuts foil and started on. Thenchanged , my mind and decided to dig, thinkingno coin ever sounded that loud even o n thesurface. I h ad 'lug down abo ut 6 incites with myknife and thought I must of had a false reading.No detector would defect a penn y or even , a silver dollar that deep. J stuck the loop over the hole agaiand the sound was so loud if almost scared me, so back to digging. The first thing was an old rottepair of men'.-; suede leather gloves, then, I started, getting coins. First 4 or 5. then a h and full.By now the old blood pressure was getting u p. I realized I ivas going to need better digging

equipmen t, so looking furtively all around, I quickly covered the hole. Then taking my "Winner" noncha lantly sau ntered back to the car. Looking all around and casually whistling an d frying noto hurry. At last back to the car and envoy I went to get a, shovel.Hurrying hack, I again strolled slowly back to my location, this time with a small shovel and agailooking all around and being as casual as possible. I ivaMed no time digging it all, out and into a sackQuickly covered the hole, back to the car and away I go.At home a nd- still nervous as a cat, I w ashed and cou nted, the grand, total of 652 coins and, witdates from , 1911 to 1952. Makes you wonder, was it a stolen collection that the thief wa s afraid tspend and then later forgot where he had put them.Anywa y, it was my lucky day. I am noiv shooting for a total of 1,000 and don't have far to go

My total for the 8 to 9 weeks is noiv 916, so now I w ant you r new Delux. If the "Winner" could findthis, I should surely strike it rich ivith the "Delux". I also want to say "Thanks" for bu ilding sucfine detectors.Bob Martin2443 8. BeckleyDcdlas, Texas

For Full Information and Free Illustrated 1972 Catalog Plus True Treasure Finding Stories Write TodayDTEX IS FOR THE SERIOUS TREASURE HUNTER

P o B O X 451C9 D - T E X E L E C T R O N I C S G arland, Texas 7504614 EASY S T . - P H . 272 -2622


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WILLIAM K NYVETT, PUBLISHERJACK PEPPER, EDITORG EO RG E BRA G A , Art DirectorMARY F RA N CES S TRO N G , Field Trip EditorE N I D C . H O W A R D , Utah Associate EditorG LEN N V A RG A S , Lapidary EditorK . L . BO Y N TO N , NaturalistM A RV EL BARRETT Circulation Manager

Volume 35, Num ber 11 NOVEM BER 1972

CONTENTS

TH E CO V ER:O ne of the many attractionsin the Death Valley N a-tional Monument on theCalifornia - Neva da borderis the volcanic Ube hebeCrater. Formed some 3,000years ago. it is a half-milewide and 800 feet deep. Itis reached on a paved roadat the north end of theMonument near Scotty'sCastle. Photo by DavidMuench of Santa Barbara,California.

F E A T U R E SDISCOVER PANAC A Robert M. Starry

SEARCHING FOR DEATH VALLEY'S PUPFISH Rita S. BusbyBAD LUCK AT BLACK HAWK Van P. Wilkinson

A LO O K A T LO O K O U TS EG O . . . A WA Y S ID E CA N Y O N

CALIFORNIA CONDORSAMBLING ALONG DEATH VALLEY'S WESTSIDE

CA N D Y -CO LO RED O N Y X M O U N TA INTHE SAZERAC LYING CLUB

Mike EngleNema AndersonWarren and Barbara TransueMary Frances StrongCarolyn StricklerCraig MacDonald

D E P A R T M E N T SA PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE

BOOK REVIEWS"DESERT EDITOR" REVIEW

RA M BLIN G O N RO CK SN EW P RO D U CTS

CALENDAR OF EVENTSNOTES FROM THE FIELD

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

William KnyvettJack PepperThe Founder of Desert MagaGlenn an d Martha VargasItems of InterestClub ActivitiesInformation from ReadersReaders' Comments

ED I TO RI A L, CIRCULATION AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 71 -109 Larrea St., Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone Area Code714 3-16-8144. Listed in Standard Rale and Data. SUBSC RIPT ION RATE S: United States, Canada and Mexico; 1 year, $5.00; 2 years.$9.5O; 3 years $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allowfive weeks for chant;- of address and send both new and old addresses with zip codes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly. Secondclass postage paid a( Palm Desert. California and at additional mailing offices under Act of March 3. 1879. Contents copyrighted 1972by DESERT Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts and photo-graphs WIL L N O T BE RET UR NE D unless accompanied by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.


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AS A DRILLBasic unit. Drills clean holes iaster. Comes withmotor, chuck, foot rheostat, drill pan and drilling tem-& late. Booklet of operating instructions included,ickle Plated - - - - $42.50(Does not include price of diamond drill point.)

DIAMOND DRILL POINTSGood drill points are necessary with any drillpress. Two styles are listed below. The solid style hasa drilling point composed of a special alloy and dia-mond bort. This type of drill is delicate and needs carein its use. However, with care, the solid type is muchlonger lived and will drill more holes per dollar. Thehollow core style drill, has a hollow steel tip which iscoated with diamonds by a special process. This styledrill, drills very fast and is less delicate and can beused by the beginner with good success. We do recom-mend this type drill tor beginners and for extra fastdrilling in Opal, Obs:.dian, etc.N o . 14 2M M Hollow wr^diamond drill point .. _ - _ _ $5.50 EachThe New "WHIZ-Z-Z Sintered Diamond Drills

N o. Point Size Shank Six Price Each89 1.00 m m 1.0(1 m m . $5.5090 1.50 m m 1.50 mm _ _ _ 5.0091 2.00 mm 2.00 mm 5.5092 2.50 mm 3/16 inch _ 6.0093 3.00 mm 3/16 inch 7.0094 3.50 m m 1/8 inch _ 8.0095 4.00 mm 1/8 inc h 9.00P r i c e s o n r e q u e s t f o r l a rg e r d r i l l sap to 8 mmMetro Diamond DrillVitromet Bonded Diamond Drills

Here are the hardiest Vitromet Bonded DiamondTools developed for the Jewelry and Lapidary Crafts-man for drilling, reaming and beveling Gemstones.' " " ii - /2 miles west of Bayfield.Mailing Address:SHIPLEY'S MINERAL HOUSE, Gem Village,Bayfield D, Colorado 81122Phone: 303-884-2632SEND FOR NEW CATALOG No. 9-BLOTTIE M. SHIPLEY

A P e e ki n t h eP u b l i s h e r ' sP o k e

ONE OF THE joys of life is to be plea-santly surprised. And surprised wewere one day last spring when a long-time subscriber and avid desert lovermade us an offer we couldn' t refuse!George Kehew an d his company. Fun-trotter, a San Diego-based game manu-facturer, had developed a game for thewhole family to play and would we beinterested in distr ibuting the product ona nation-wide scale ' He just happenedto have a sample with him and we pro-ceeded to get hooked on his game. I twas such an impressive demonstration that

we asked George why he didn' t sell the idea to a large concern where he undoubtedlycould almost name his price. His answer was that he intended Desert Magazine to bea part of it from the very first concept. It was during weekend campouts on the desertthat the general format of the game was plotted. So it was quickly agreed that wewould promote George ' s game.

Since then the months have slipped by while we made slight changes anddeveloped the game board to its maximum excitement potential. The basic idea is torecover one or more of five treasures placed around the treasure trail. This part of th egame is reasonably easy, trying to get home safely with all your treasures is just plainunr ea l !

W e take pleasure in introducing Bushw hacker, The Vastest Van in the West!An exciting game with lots of actionand laughs. Quick to play and packagedto make it easy to tote along on outings.The f ive treasures involved in the gam e **carry names familiar to Desert readers,Breyfogle, Pegleg, Lost D utchm an, etc.whose mysteries have been chronicled inour pages over the past 35 years. If youlike Desert Magazine you' ll enjoy Bush-whacker! I t can be ordered by mail or ifyou are in the area, stop by the book shopand pick one up.

Th e new regulation regardingregistration of off-road vehicles is beingignored. Only 30,000 of an estimatedone million vehicles have been registeredduring the f irst three months the law hasbeen in effect.

The grace period for operatinga vehicle off the road on public land j _ .without the required special identif icationis over. Registration costs $15 and isgood for two years. Exemptions are vehicles already licensed for street use, those usedexclusively in sanctioned competitive events, or vehicles used only on private landwith expressed permission.

Law enforcement agencies have been requested to begin citing owners omotorcycles, trail bikes, dune buggies, snowmobiles, minibikes and all- terrain vehiclewhich are used on public land w ithout the special identif ication sticker.

George tit the drawing board

Desert Magazin


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The 7 3 Jeep .W e've got the guts to makeit even betteir.

The most famous 4-whee l d rive v ehicle of them all isnow tougherand longer-lasting...believe it or not!Some people believe a Jeep vehicle w ill lastforever. Soprobably they 'll expect this yea r'smodel to serve even longer. Because we've m adeit more rugged than ever. W ith stronger drivetrain components. Improved clutch linkage.Tougher tires. And a fuel tank skid plate. All asstandard equipment.This year, TheJeep comes with more style, too.The instrument panel ishandsome to look at,easy to read. This is a vehicle bu ilt for adventure.

More than thirty years of 4-wheel drive experiencehave made it dependable. M ighty Six and V-8engines have m ade it powerful. And itshighground clearance andshort overhang have madeit maneuverable.From anypoint of view, TheJeep is the winnerand still theoff-road champion of the world.Toughest 4- lette r w ord onwhee ls .vi Jeep

Buckle up for safety... drive your Jeep vehicle with care and keep America the Beautiful.November 1972


6/52

A I N B O W ' SE N D . . .begins with a

T R E A S U R E ! L O C A T O R !

" C O M M A N D E R " 7 20T h i s G o l d a k T r e a s u r eLocatcr is unsurpassed forlocat ing buried t reasure,coins. Civil War relics andfor beachcombing. Features"Tell-Tone" Signal. Locatesany matal object under dirt,sand, mud, rock, etc. Nocumbersome cordscom-pletely transistorized, bat-tery powered.When it comes to find-ing your pot of go/d, gowith the leadergo withGcldak!

E F F E C T I V E : D E P T H R A N G E(Under Normal Conditions)

Start out r ight-send $1.00 pre-paid for authentic gold-platedreplica of a Spanish d oubloonfound off Cape Kennedy.J i 3 i J X l j - \ j \ T H E GOLDAK COMPANY, INC.1101-A Air WayGlendale, California 91201

Please send free l i ter atur e on GOLDAK trea-sure locators.r j I enclose $1.00 prepaid for my gold-plateddoubloon replica with pouch.Name-Address-City

V Sta te -

B o o kR e v i e w sby Jack Pepper

All books reviewed ore avai lable throughDesert Magazine Book Shop

SOURDOUGHCO O K BO O Kby Don andMyrtle Molm

Author of the popular Old FashionedDutch Oven Cookbook, Don Holm haswritten a new culinary masterpiece whichwill make your taste buds propel you tothe kitchen for exciting adventures inmaking sourdough delights.

And, as he did in his previous book,the author not only presents a variety ofdetailed recipes, but also delves into thehistory of sourdough and relates anecdotesby old-t imers who maintained the threemost important items for survival weretheir rifle, burro and sourdough starter.

Wildlife and Outdoors Editor of thePortland Ofegonian, Holm not only listsrecipes gathered and tried by him and hiswife, but also those sent to him by hisreaders. Both Holm and his wife grew upin the northwest and were nurtured onsourdough biscuits.

"The belief that sourdough is only forbackwoods trappers and prospectors is awretched injustice, as you shall see," theauthor explains. "Sourdough cookery is anart that is equally at home in a camp, ona trail, or in your new all-electric kitchen."

"And, just to show you how simplesourdough is, you're going to learn howto make a sourdough starter in less than60 seconds: Place two cups of flour intoa crock, jar or Tupperware bowl that is atleast warm room temperature. Add 2l/>cups lukewarm water, and set the wholebatch in a warm but NO T H O T place.That's all there is to it."

Although there are many other recipeslisted in the book on how to make a sour-dough starter, those are the basic ingre-dients. And from the starter comes sour-

dough culinary delights such as biscuits,pancakes, waffles, bread of all varieties,doughnuts, rolls, muffins, pizza andcake, to mention only a few.

Holm tells of a woman who was cele-brating her 101st birthday and when be-ing interviewed was asked the usual ques-tion as to what she attritbuted her lon-gevity. "To keeping busy, staying decent,and eating sourdough bread, ' she replied.

You may not live to be more than 101by eating sourdough cookery, but you willhave mo re than 101 delightful culinaryadventures by trying the recipes-andread ing the tales in Th e Complete Sour-dough Cookbook. Slick, paperback, illus-trated, 136 pages, $3.95.

Holm's other book, Old FashionedDutch Oven Cookbook with the same for-mat and price is also available throughDesert Magazine Book Shop.

G H O S T T O W NBOTTLEPRICEGUIDEby Wes andRuby Bressie

Veteran bott le collectors and membersof a number of bottle collecting and treas-ure associations, the authors have up-dated their popular Ghost Toivti BottlePrice Guide, first published in 1964.

The new revised and enlarged editionalso has an expanded section on Orientalrelics. It is profusely illustrated withdrawings and photographs of bott les andrelics which can still be found by dili-gent hunters' . The approximate values ofthe bottles are also listed along with de-scriptions.

The authors also tell how and whereto search for bottles and relics and howthey have found many bottles in areaswhich had already been dug by previouscollectors. They tell the secret of theirsuccess in the book.

A "Find Reference Index" and a "De-scriptive Index" help bottle collectors toidentify their finds. Collectors will findthis new and revised edition a valuablehelp and guide for their field trips.

Slick, paperback, illustrated. 124 pages,S2.95.


7/52

BA1.LARATCompiled byPaul Hnbbard,Doris Bray andGeorge Pipkin

First published in 196') and out-of-print for several vears, the authors havereprinted their book on "the facts andfolklore of Ballarat ."

N ow a ghost town in the Panami n tValley near Death Valley, Ballarat wasa flourishing headquarters during thelate 1800s and early 1900s for the pros-pectors who searched for silver and goldin that desolate area of California.

Many found their, bonanzas and mil-lions of dollars ol ore were mined dur ingthe brief, but historic period. Ruins of thetown can still lx visited by taking thedirt road east approximately 20 north ofTrona from the paved road to Death Val -ley. Unfortunately, at tempts to preservethe town as a historic monument have notbeen successful andit is gradually fall inginto disrepair.

The authors tell of the lives and relateanecdotes of the famous old-timers suchas Pete Aguerebei r\, Chris Wicht , ShortyHarris and Seldom Seen Slim. Unfortun-ately, they failed to update thebook whichstates Seldom Seer. Slim is the last residentof Ballarat. Seldom Seen Slim died sev-eral yearsago.

Death Valley buffs will find this a wel-come addit ion totheir library. Paperback,illustrated with pictures of the old-timers,98 pages, $3.00.

Kl

G O L D R U S H C< ) UN TR YEARTHQUAKE COUNTRYCompiled bythe Editorsof Sunset Books

T w o pertinent books -one a travelguide and theother relating to your possi-ble survival have been revised andbrought up to date by Sunset Books.

G O L D R U S H C O U N T R Y is a detail-ed and historical 1) in form ative guid e to

California's Mother Lode where mill ionsof dollars worth of gold was mined dur-in g the days of the '49ers. It describes themining operat ions and the men and wo-m en who l ived during this dramatic eraof the W e s t and takes you on a tour of thetowns of central California which com-bine the old buildings of history and to-day's curio and antique shops.

T h e new "gold rush" of the Mot herLode Country is that of recreation. Vaca-tionists are f inding "color" in visit ing thehistoric sites and taking advantage of thenewly created lakes and recreational facili-ties in the area.

E A R T H Q U A K E C O U N T R Y b r i n g syou back to reality and is a hard look atwhat might happen to California whenthe next major earthquake occurs, and according to seismologists-it could hap-pe n any day. Wri t t en by Robert Iacopiwith a foreword by Dr. Charles Richter(or ig inator of theRichter Scale) thebookdescribes the recent San Fernando earth-quake.

It also tells where the faults are locatedand where to see them, possible damagein property and human lives and " W h a tT o DoW h e n theNext Big One Hi ts ."

Both books are large format, well illus-trated, heavy paperback. Gold Rush Coun-try is I 28 pages and Earthquake Country160 pages. S2.95 each.

NOTICE all the books re-viewed in DESERT Maga-zine areavailable throughthe Desert Magazine BookShop. Please add 50centsper order (not per book)for handling andpostage.California residents mustalso add 5 percent salestax

DON'T MISS IT!"ROMANCE AND SEX L IFEO F THE DAT E"FREE Admission108 Comfortable Theatre SeatsContinuous Showing, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.Write for brochures80-225 Highway 11 1, Ind io , Cal i f 92201"The Dale Garden Highway"

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Amateur treasure hunt-ing it a exciting, newoutdoor recreation ac-tivity. Thousands ofdollar* in coin*, lostand buried treasure, re-lics and artifacts arebeing recovered everyday. Send for a freesample copy of theworld'* leading maga-zine on this fascinatingPlease enclose 25?postage andhandling.

TRUE TREASUREPUBLISHING CO.Dept .D P. O. Box 328CON ROE,TEXAS 77301 Z


8/52

PLANNING ON traveling north orsouth on Nevada ' s U.S. Hi ghway93 , or west out of Utah's Bryce and Zioncountry on State 25?

Without real izing it a traveler can easi-ly miss one of Nevada's unique scenicareas and the interesting, historical settle-ment of Panaca. The first impression ofthe quiet tree-lined streets of the townan d the miles of semi-arid country aroundit is misleading. There is much that doesnot meet the eye.

Panaca, settled over 100 years ago byhardy Mormon pioneers , has kept pacewith the present yet managed to preservemuch of its early-day atmosphere. Build-ings erected in the 1860s still serve the

communi ty in much the same capacity asoriginally used. In the center of town isthe Panaca Mercanti le in the same build-ing that housed the Co-Op store of thefirst settlers. In the late 1860s supplieswere hauled by team and wagon 350milesfrom Salt Lake City, Utah. Four wagonswith teams of six mules each were con-t inuously on the road as the round triptook a month. Travel styles and methodshave changed, but the Mercanti le has re-tained its same posit ion in the communi ty .

One often wonders how a sett lementlike Panaca ever started where it did andho w it manages to survive much less pre-serve the pioneer atmosphere plus the de-scendants of the first settlers.The two ver-

byRobertaM. Starry

w()() persons livedin Bullionville, most of which were em-ployed in thefive mills and one furnaceoperat ion.

A narrow gauge railroad built tohaulore from mines to mills went out ofopera-tion in 1881. Mills were moved away,tent and cabins were deserted, andlittleremained except thetailing piles. Thirtyyears later even the tailings were shippedou t to asmelter forreprocessing.

Chunks of scrap metal, broken bricks,bits ofglittering glass and parts ofwarp-ed board are all that mark Bullionvilletoday.


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T512 Hippy Tra cks -Merry Christmas and HappyNew Year - Christaf f ersen

B r i g h t c o l o r f u l s c e n e s fo l d to m a k ea r i c h c a r d 5" x 7". We can p r i n ty o u r n a m e o n l y , or n a m e and b r a n din red to m a t c h g r e e t in g . A l s o , y o ur e t u r n a d d r e s s on the d e l u x e w h i tee n v e l o p e s - e x t r a s i n c l u d e d . Youw i l l be p r o u d to s e n d t h e s e b e a u t if u l c a r d s and y o u ' l l l i k e our " s t a m -p e d e s e r v i c e " on o r d e r s r i g h t up' t i l C h r i s t m a s . T h a n k you k i n d l y .

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T 5 0 8 ASurp r i se inthe Sky Merry Christmas T107 Tid ings ofG r e a t J o y - M a y the warmth and T 6 4 0 B e e f an d B e a n s -We wish you happy holi T5S7 Yucca Kings on C h r i s t m a s E v e - M a y youand Happy New Yea r-T hom as love around us at Christmas t ime, etc. - E c h o H a w k days, and afull chuckwagon Y e a r - D y e beblessed with health and happ iness- Vannerson

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T6S4 " . . . a d e s t i n y t h a t m a k e s us b r o t h e r s , e t c . " T618 A C o w b oy 's P r a y e r - M a y thePeace and T652 " . . . o l d d a y s , ol d t i m e s , ol d f r i e n d s . " - TG13 ANe w Day's Promise of B e a u t y - M e r r y-Pe ac e and Good Will at Chi strres, etc. - D e l a n o Joy of Christmas be with you, etc. - S a l i s b u r y Christmas Greetings and Best Wishes, etc. - N i c i e s Christmas and Happy New Year Engle

T655 "From the r is ing til thes e t t i n g of the T621 D e s e r t S t a r - M a y thePeace and Joy of T568 Cande lab ra on the Desert Al ta r -May the T550 Winter L ights May theChristmas Spirits u n . . . " - Ma y you have theSpirit etc. - W a g o n e r Christmas be with you through all he Y ea r - S t e f f e n Blessings ol Christmas bewith you, etc. Hilton remain within your home, etc. - S h a d d i x

1 . FCT510 Desert Decorat ions - Christmas Greetingsand Best Wishes tor all the Year- l .au

T564 A New Day's Promise ofBeauty - May thePeace and Joy of Christmas, etc. Harvey

T616 Bronc toBreak fast - May there co m toyou th is ho l iday t ime. . .F r iendsh ips - C . M.R u s s e l l

T565 The Sp ir i t ofChristmas - We are thinkingof you today because it is Christmas, etc. - S n i d o w

H O W T O O R D E R : Circle total quantity and price. Mix and assort at no extra cost. Ordall of one kind or as many of each as desired. Fill out coupon or order by letter and mail wcheck or money order. Add postage and handling fee to price of order. Canada residents rein U.S. dollar values. Colorado residents add 3% sales tax. No C.O.D. Thank ycu kindTOTAL QUANTITYWITHOUT NAMEWITH NAMENAME AND BRANDRETURN ADDRESS

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NAMES TO BE PRINTED ON CHRISTMASCARDS (ENCLOSE DRAWING OF 8RAN0)SEND CARDSAND/OR CATALOG TO:Re.. St.. orBoi No. __City

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12/52

AS e a r c hf o rD e a t hV a l l e y ' sP u p f i s h

by Rita S. Busby

Area where author's teenage son an

DURING OUR second camping trip toDeath Valley, I was determined tofind some of the much talked about pup-fish, or Cyprinodon Salinus.They are found in Salt Creek, which isthe only year-round stream in Death Val-ley. Other species of Cyprinodons, andsub-species, live in pools of water in theAmargosa River and Saratoga Springs, butthe true prehistoric, glacial age, saltwater-loving pupfish inhabit this par-ticular creek which is six times saltier thanthe ocean and is sometimes hot enough toboil any other type of fish.During out first trip to Death Valleywe drove and hiked short distances to

many of the most popular attractions suchas Dan tes View, Golden Canyon, thecharcoal kilns, Badwater, Skidoo, Devil'sGolf Course, Ubehebe Crater and SaltCreek. Maps for these and other points ofinterest may be obtained at the VisitorCenter at Furnace Creek.We had stayed five days the previoustrip in February and just hadn't had timeto really absorb everything. The Valley isso immense and powerful that it almostoverwhelms youand it seems to grow in

memory.We had only three days this time be-


13/52

fish.fore my husband had to return to work, sowe wanted to make the best use possibleof this short interval. O ur m ain goals wereto visit the ghost town of Rhyolite and re-turn to Salt Creek and find the elusivepupfish.

"A short walk along the river bank usu-ally discloses the pupfish," was what thebook, picked up at the Visitor Center, hadsaid on our first trip. It just wasn't so andwe didn't have the time to hike any furth-er that day. Consequently, we had missedthem. Not so this tripI had my hikinglegs and determination, and the short hikeproved to be sort of an adventure. It wastwo in the afternoon when we parked bythe many other cars along the narrowcreek. Children were wading in the saltyshallow stream and parents poked aroundon bent knee looking for the elusive fish.People just shrugged. They couldn't findthe fish and didn't see anything. A fewhiked upstream to less populated areas.Without hesitation this is what we didand I didn't even begin looking until wehad hiked about a mileand then Ifound nothing.Finally, a m an backpacking a child, who

looked like a real hiker with tanned face,muscular legs showing above hiking boots,November 1972

Author examines one of the many ponds found along Death Valley's Salt Creek.smiled and said, "It's just a little ways."By now the air was cooling and shad-ows were playing tricks along the sandydesert floor. Where everything had a fewminutes before looked hot and dry itlooked like a cool pleasant valley. I ex-pected to see cattle grazing. There weren'tany other people around now except myhusband and two other boys who werehiking with my son.

I felt alone, peaceful, and as if I wereexperiencing something unique as a slightbreeze whipped across my face. The slo-ping hills looked like sleeping giants.Suddenly my son shouted, "Hey, here'ssome of them. All you've got to do is rus-

tle some of this brush and they comeswimming out." He had stepped into thewater for a minute to cool his feet and theyhad darted out between his toes.I was glad to finally see the smaller-than-an-inch, unobtrusive creature, butthen I realized that most of the pleasurehad been in the hikepast the groups ofpeople bending over the narrow trickle ofa stream where we parked the car, meet-ing and greeting people on the trail, walk-ing across the crisp desert floor when thenarrow stream bed turned into a sort of asalty swamp, and skirting around pools of

water after examining them on hands andknees, walking through the blazing sunright into the cool of the evening and thenfinally being able to say, "I saw the pup-fish."There is something about Death Valleythat makes you see what a speck you are onthis planet, but at the same time makes youfeel as important as if you just moved amountain.

I suppose it's that way with the pup-fish. They seem so small and insignificantif you've ever fished for trout, but theypresent another type of thrill all theirown. Many universities and scholars arebecoming more and more intrigued withthese tiny left-overs from a different age.Many articles have been written latelyfearing the extinction of the fish as manencroaches upon his territorybut I be-lieve man will protect these tiny creaturesfrom a prehistoric age.

Legislation has been proposed to formthe Desert Pupfish National Wildlife Re-fuge in Inyo County, and the board ofdirectors of the Sierra Club have voted tosupport it. So if you've got to hike and"get your feet wet," to find the pupfishand preserve themthen that is whatDeath Valley will have us do.13


14/52

X

**^Sfcl

Once called Lookout*? Canyon , stark, vertica

formations (left) choI the mouth of Black H

Canyon. Lucerne Vallsig is seen in the backgroj j ~ The outing is a

rewarding experience* for hikers.B a d L u c kB l a c k H a w k

A T RIP T HRO UG H BLACK HAWKCANYON IS A CHALLENGE FORF O U R - W H E E L E R S A N D H IK E R SW HO FIND THE HIDDE N OASIS INSOUTH ERN CAL IFORNIA OFFERSEXCIT ING EXPLORATION BY DAYAND PEAC EFUL SOLITUDE BY A

CAMP F IRE AT N IGH T .

14

by Van P. W ilkins onPhotos by the author

IN LO N D O N , a cluster of British finan-ciers sit poised around investmentcharts. Dialogue drifts from praisingthe British Empire to praising the locala l e .

In California, a crusty prospectorsquints questioningly up the steep sidesof an obscure, twisting canyon on thenortheast side of the San BernardinoMo untains. His thoughts are on a largedeposit of grey ore lodged atop the erodedcliffs rising from the Mojave desert.What's the connection? In the 1880s

it was gold.The prospector was one of several men


15/52

A view from countyroad 4N15 of the

tailings and debrisof the abandoned

Santa Fe Mine. Jaggedcliffs in Black Hawk

Canyon (below) showsscars of blasting forgold which began

in 1890.

. * % ,

*

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,

*

whose singular obsession was to developBlack Hawk Canyon (then Lookout Can-yon) and the Silver Reef hills into a pro-fitable mining region.Located 15 miles southeast of LucerneValley, this area was initially prospectedin the 1870s due to tantalizing loose auri-

ferous quartzgreat chimneys of gold-bearing material embedded in the can-yon walls.But transportation, fuel, and ore pro-cessing costs made the gamble too riskyfor investors, many of whom were con-tent to milk the already-paying m inesoperating succesfully further up in theSan Bernardinos, such as the Rose, Bald-win, Holcomb and Arrastre.In 1890, however, an English-backedgroup put in an $80,000 pipeline from

Cushenbury Springs (which they bought)and a 10-stamp mill in prepa ration formonu mental outpu t. Twenty years ofscrounging for money had ended, and ex-pectancies and expense accounts ran high.Some of the ore recovered from explor-atory shafts driven 40 to 100 feet into thecrumbling deposits tested at $16 to $20per ton. Ore from open cuts and raw blast-ing ran less$4 to $6 per ton. That'swhere the troubles began.Wood at $4.00 a cord, limited water,

and low-yield quartz sediments doom edthe venture to early failure. Plans for aNovember 1972

40-stamp mill were scrapped. Processingthe scattered breccia deposits of the SantaFe claims d own the moun tain slopeproved no more lucrative. Squabbles overtitle and liability erupted.Less than a year after its start, the dis-trict folded. Th e mill was partly dis-

mantled and the miners moved along toother mines still hitting pay dirt (OroGrande, Sidewinder, Calico, and the Ne-vada big-time strikes).The area was never forgotten, thoughMining started again after World War ICyanide tanks remain at the Akron SilverReef claim which is still occupied. A mas-sive concrete processing plant was erectedon the east lip of Black Hawk Canyonoverlooking Lucerne Valley and the OrdMountains.But World War II dealt the regionits death blow. Salvage crews ripped aparthe mill structures and removed scrapmetal. Bullet holes and beer cans replacedthe windswept outbuildings and orechutes.Today, the canyon and surrounding territory are hidd en but accessible; sandwiched between State 18 (CushenburyGrade to Big Bear) on the south and OldWoman Springs Road (to Yucca Valleyon the north, you can hike, bike, 4WD, o

just plain drive into the midst of this areaAccess from Cushenbury Grade is limited1


16/52

part is private andmost is treacherous.Hiking down from here into Black HawkCanyon is fun, if not tiring; but the panor-ama is impressive.Most explorers visit the region byleav-ing OldWoman Springs Road southwardon county road 4N15 (13 miles east ofLucerne Valley), which is marked with acounty sign and a massive limestone boul-der some 10 feet long. This road is flatand well scraped; the white dust on theroadbed is from quarrying.

Some three miles from Old WomanSprings Road youcome to the Akron Sil-ver Reef Mine, complete with reductiontanks, open tunnels, and"keep out" signs.Two more miles and you come to a tunnel-pocked foothill (Round Mountain) to theright. A county sign here identifies 4N15againgo right, west.This road is fine for pickups andcampers, as it cuts and jaunts along its

narrow, rocky way.Low-slung passengercars may get hung up. Keep going pastnumerous side roads south into the hills;most deadend or are private. About amile and a half west of Round Moun-tain youwill emerge suddenly onto a redlake of dried mill by-products. This is the

156 PAGESO F D E T E C T O R S - B O O K S - M A P S .. .MET AL- MINERAL DET ECT O RS

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Santa Fe Mine, abandoned in the 1940s.Beyond this desolate collection of con-crete ruins is a narrow, rocky canyonBlack Hawk Canyon. A very slender jeeproad is cut into the canyon's wallsnolong wheelbases here. A trek along thisold wagon road leads to the site of theoriginal Black Hawk Mine, a half milefrom the Santa Fe.

Tanks and storage buildings lay invarious states of decay; even the dumpshave been dug up somewhat. It's still re-markably quiet, closed in, and a trifle iso-lated.Continuing on foot up the sandy can-yon brings you to mini-avalanches ofdynamited ore stretching down from thevertical cliffs 500 feet above. A tinyspring wets the west bank about one-

quarter mile up from the mill site. It wasnear here that long ore chutes channeled16

blasted rock to deposit stations for reduction. There is evidence, too, of electriclines to feed themotors of mining in lateyears.Numerous camper and weekend spotsof seclusion are found within a shortdis-tance of the Santa Fe Mine. Straying toofar from 4N15 without 4WD can beriskythe Silver Reef region to the northis sandy and nearby arroyos are quitesteep. Caution here is cheap; repairs andrescues are not.There is much to take in near theBlackHawk andSilver Reef areas. Mineral spe-cimens and decorative rocks abound. Butdon't be bowled over with enthusiasm, atleast don't call your bank for a prospector's loanin 1890some British gentle-men paid $350,000 for a hillside of valu-able ore and all they got was a monetaryblackeye.

Desert Magazine


17/52

1 9 7 3 C h e v y B l a z e r .I n t r o d u c i n g t h e a d v a n t a g e so f f u l l - t i m e 4 - w h e e l d r i v e .

Blazer with full-time 4-wheel drive.*Our better way to get a w a y to it all.For the first time, there's a 4-wheel-d r i v e s y s t e m t h a t o p e r a t e s s m o o t h l y ,quietly and with improved handling evenat expressway speeds.For the first time, there's a vehicle thatcan towtrailers in 4-wheel-drive lowr an g e .O r be pul led behind a camper with nod a m a g e to the system.F o r the f i r s t t i m e , Ch ev r o l e t haseliminated the n eed for free-wheeling fronthubs . Because the 2-speed transfer caseincludes a third differential which can belocked out for extreme off-road use. Afloor-mounted shifter controls the system.There 's even neutral for power takeoffs.All this in a roomy vehicle that 's brand -new. With a tough double-wall build, astable new suspension system and im-proved standard power front disc brakes.Now that 's a better way.

* Included with V8 engine and Turbo Hydra-matic transmission.November 1972

New Blazer In te r ior . Unexp ected luxury in a sp orts ut il i ty ve hicle .Power s t ee r i ng and air condi t ioning ava i lab le . Also ava i lab le , anew f iberglass top and a ro l l -down rear window.

ChevroletBuilding a better w a y tos e e t h e U.S.A.


18/52

A LOOKAT LOOKOUTby Mike EngleA FLURRY OF mining activity wastouched off in the spr ing of 1875

when J. S. Childs , E. W. Burke, B. E.Ball, and J. E. Boardman discovered highgrade silver on the east slope of the Ar gusMountains . Their c la ims, on a roundedmountain top, overlooked California'sbroad Panamint Valley 1,500feet below.

N e w s of their discovery quickly spreadto receptive ears of San Francisco f inan-ciers, and in a fewshor t months , the Mo-dock Consolidated Mining Com pany andthe Minnietta Belle Silver Mining Com-pany sprang into jxistence. With in a year,the bus t l ing camp of Lookout seemedfirmly rooted on the m ounta in top. By theen d of the decade, it had become a ghostof the past.

Today, the stone shells of a few dozenbuildings , a toppled wooden public hall,the broken chips of hundr eds of cham-pagne bottles, and the relics of a oncevigorous past are all that remain.

A fewmonths after f iling their claims,Childs, Burke, Ball, and Boardman soldthem for $15 , 000 . The buyers includedSenator George Hearst whose companyconsolidated their claims. The holdingswhich stretched across the m ounta in anddown the side were incorporated underthe name of the Modock ConsolidatedMining Com pany .

When other prospectors located claimsalong the base of the m ounta in and inthe canyon to the south, the Minniet taBelle Silver Mining Company was incor-porated in 1876 to work them. Thoughthis latter company was a slow producerat the beginning, its or iginal holdings arestill being worked today. The operat ionsof the Modock Company have been longidle.

The f irst few tons of ore from boththe Modock and the Minniet ta proper t ieswere packed by mule train across the dryPanamint Valley and up the steep road

78

to R. C. Jacob's Surprise Canyon Mill inP anam in t City. The need for local reduc-tion equipment became quickly evident.

Super intendent C. J. Barber, with acrew of 75 men, began blasting roughroads "out of solid cliffs around the crestof the mountainsamid engineer ing dif-ficulties of no small moment." FromPanamint City, Jacobs hauled the equip-m ent to erect a ten-stamp mill for theMinniet ta Belle Company. The ModockCompany sent James Stratton from SanFrancisco to select a site for their furnaces.

While Barber began to pipe water threemiles from his company's springs in Stone-Canyon to the west, the Minniet ta Com-pany commenced laying pipes from theirspr ing in Snow's Canyon, six miles to thesouth.

Over the objections of Barber, the Modock Company accepted Stratton's sug-gestion for the furnaces to be located nearth e top of the mountain. In spite of thefact that it was cooler and far more-habitable at Lookout than on the valleyfloor, Barber maintained that they should

Desert tAuguztne


19/52

Largest building (beloiv)still standing on Lookout Mountain.

View from the mountain-top(right) with Panamint Valley

1,500 feet below. Bill Treder(below, right) examines some of therelics found in the area.

be built at the nountain ' s base ."Thousands of dollars would have been

saved by the company, in expensive roadsand almost continual up-hill packing ofore, wood, coal. etc. to the furnaces," itwas later reported, "while if they hadbeen located below in the valley all sucharticles as wood, iron ore, and charcoalcould have beer hauled in wagons to theirdoors, and na t i r e , so to speak, could havebeen harnessed and m ade to carry the orefrom the m ine down. "i out}itned on page 38November 1912


20/52

- 5 -

a jew walls and gutted buildings remain of what once was Sego. All photos by theauthor.S e g o m A W a y s i d eC a n y o n

20

C RO S S - CO U N T RY T RA V E L E RS f U 11 II e 1through. Thompson, Utah, on U. 5 0 , not knowing of its Sego Canyon. Andthat may well be why this wayside oasisstill has its little-touched ghost towns, itsMoqui ruins of a more ancient people, anumber of Indian pictographs, and weirdfumaroles of smoke and steam hissingfrom its burning coal veins.Sego's seven-mile-long roadthe old

railroad bedis surfaced with the coal ib y N e m a A n d e r s o n once carried. Criss-crossing the streamDesert Magazine


21/52

I'he road to Sego (right)foiloti's the old railroad bed

through colorful canyon walls."Andy"Anderson (below)

inspects one of the manyprehistoric Indian petroglyphs

and pictographs found in the area.

thirteen times, it;- bridges are trestles withparallel planks nailed over them for auto-mob ile whe els. C heck that they are se-cure before driving onto them; the onlyother precaution for visitors is to avoidstepping on the thin crust near the burn-ing coal vents.

Redrock walls in Sego Canyon are cov-ered with a series of I ndian pain tings andpetroglyphs. The first mural appearsafter the crossing of the fourth trestle.This large pictograph and a half dozenothers nearby picture distinctively trian-gular huntsmen and their quarry. Mos tunus ual, the pig nents used by these an-cient artists still retain a red coloring.

I wo m ore trestle crossings reveal theright fork of the road cutting through adefile and, beyond, cabin and dugoutrums give notice of approach to the one-time town of Sego. Masonry walls ofSego's store and the two-story, white-painted boarding house stand in a clear-ing. An abandoned cookstove, bedspringsan d rodent-scattered mattress-cotton litterits room s. Relics of railr oa din g, especiallythe highly-prized spikes - which hobby-ists heat to bend, and weld together tofashion gilde d w irks ol art are muc h inevidence.

Water treated Sego, just as the failureof its springs started its decline. Am ongthe pioneer ranchers who, during the1880s, ran their herds in this desert can-yon of the spring-fed stream, was HarryBallard. Soon acquiring a sizeable spread,Ballard branched out into ownership of astore, hotel and pool hall in the settle-ment, then called Thompson 's , whichhuddled around the railroad at the footof Sego Canyon. The Denver & RioGrande Western Railroad built a smallstation at Thompson's. With his every-day affairs going so well, Ballard beganto poke around the canyon from whencecame his water. At the head, near the

continued on pdge 40November 1972

V


22/52

CoiNidoRby Barbara and Warren Transue

Photo above by Carl B. Koford

THAT oi.n saw about "a bird in thehand" makes good senseunlessthe bird in question happens to be thegiant California condor, in which case itsy' /Vfoot wingspread will probably pre-vent such close acquaintance.

William Leon Da.wson, in his Th eB i r d . ] of C a l i f o r n i a , 1 9 2 3 , s t a t e s : . . .for me, the heart of mystery, of wonder,and of desire lies with the Californiacondor, that majestic and almost legend-ary figure which still haunts the fast-nesses of our living wilderness."

Almost legendary, to be sure, because,.is of this year, the official census of thismagnificent remnant of the Pleistoceneage lists between 4() and 60 individualssighted. A sad promise for one of na-t u re ' s rea l masterpieces .

T he U.S. Forest Service has establisheda sanctuary for this vanishing species atthe condors ' nesting grounds in the LosPadres National Forest, which is nearLos Angeles and encompasses portionsof both Santa Barbara and VenturaCounties.

The birds are under the strict protec-tion or California law, the area having22

--"- 1 ' % . v ; i ?*^feDcu r


23/52

California's few remainingcondors are under strict

protection laws. Bird watchers(right) use all kinds of cameras

and binoculars. Looking forthe rare species (below) attracts

people of all ages.

been declared a Nature Monument by the1942 Convention on Nature Protectionand Wildlife Preservation in the WesternHemisphere. Within this sanctuary, thecondor finds ample food. Ironically, thevery hunters who hasten his extinctionprovide carrion for him with their "sport"of deer hunting. If air currents are favor-able, the giant creature can soar and glidefor over an hour at a time in his searchfor food-Nature and conservation groups like togather at the sanctuary's observation sitewhen the condors soar through the passin greater numbers than usual and on afairly predictable schedule. Bird watchersof all ages, with all kinds of sightingequipment, play the fascinating waitinggame on the windswept hill. The early-teenage segment is among the most know-ledgeable, expertly distinguishing be-tween the prevalent Cooper's Hawk andthe sought-after condor.The birds range a horseshoe pattern,

the upper corner of which is approxi-mately San Luis Obispo. The loop dipsdown through Santa Barbara and Sespe40 miles from the observation siteand back up through old Ft. Tejon andfinally the lower Sequoia area to the east.It is strictly against the law to capture ormolest a California condorshooting oneautomatically results in a $500 minimumfine. In a rare instance of captivity, oneof the condors is now living in the LosAngeles Zoo under the watchful eye ofcurator Frank Todd. This bird was dis-covered, young, injured and starving, inthe rugged area near its nesting grounds.


24/52

Having been abandoned by its mother, itfaced certain death. The zoo, which en-gages in an impressive program of pro-tection and breeding of endangeredspecies, welcomed the opportunity to res-cue the little victim and at the same time-to observe at fi rst hand i ts growth pat-t e rn and l i v ing hab i t s .

Todd and his assistants have success-fully brought their charge to his thirdyear, and will no doubt be able to studyhim lor some time to come, since such awild creature raised in captivity cannotbe released to fend for himself -he isincapable ol survival alone, even in hisnative habitat

T he C aliform,i condor (Gymi20gyp.\ctilijorniiiiiiii ) vanes in its appearanceaccording to its degree of maturity. Forinstance, juvenals the correct spelli ng inreference to birds in first-year plumage-have dark heads, and their wing liningsprogress from white to spotted, whileadults display orange heads and definitewhite wing linings. Two to three-year-olds are often mistaken for young eaglesor turkey vultures- hence the AudubonSociety warning, "Don' t shoot an y largedark bird!" At age four, the California

Canine condor counterwatches, from the hilltopwith his family. Photo* bythe authors.

condor is once again deceptive in ap-pearance, wearing a pale hood and asomewhat spotted wing lining as it ad-vances toward adulthood.

Earlier statistics proclaimed that theCalifornia condor might attain a wing-spread of 1 1 feet, but recent and moreaccurate sightings indicate that 8 to 9V2feet is more nearly correct. The condorand his mate nest usually in isolatednatural rock caves - - only every o theryear, and produce a lone egg. One canimagine the couple's difficulty in raisingthe cherished offspring in the face oftoday's noise pollution. The birds are ex-tremely sensitive to unusual disturbances,and such symbols of progress as the trailhike, the gun and the jet engine playhavoc with the precarious balance ofnature.

Roger Tory Peterson, writing in the"Birds" issue of th e Life Nature Library,i s c o n v i n c e d t h a t " . . . s o m e b i r d s m a y

'jr

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America during the Pleistocene, whenmammals were bigger and more abundantthan they are today."

Dead ends notwithstanding, man isgiving a material assist in the demise ofa king, the final ushering out of a magni-ficent legend. For in spite of the condor'swell known skittishness over human en-croachment, conservationists have untilnow been utterly frustrated in their effortsto gain passage of laws which will keepman from noisily invading Gymnogypscalrfomiamis' nesting grounds and fright-ening him out of the skies.

go out of the picture, not simply becausemodern man has made an ecological nuis-ance of himself, eliminating their habitat,the source of their livelihood, but becausethey have reached a cul-de-sac, a dead endout of the main stream of life in a chang-ing world. This could be the predica-ment of the California condor. Wi t h astatic pop ulation of pe rhaps 6(> birds,this is the last descendant of the giantscavenger that flourished in North

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catalog $1.00. Filter Press, Box D, PalmerLake, Colorado 80133.BALLARAT, 1897-1917, Facts and Folklore. Re-searched and compiled by Paul B. Hubbard,Doris Bray and George Pipkin. Send $3.50 forpostpaid copy to Trona Business Services,13193 Main St . , Trona, Cal i f . 93562.GUIDE TO MEXICO'S gems and minerals: locali-ties, mines, maps, directions, contacts. Eng-l ish-Spanish glossary, too. $2.00 postpaid.Gemac, Mentone, Cal i f . 92359. EQUIPMENTPRECISION LAPIDARY A bras ive Comp ounds fortumbl ing, pol ishing and gr inding. Send forfree catalogue and price l ist . MDC Industries,

400 West Glenwood Avenue, Phi ladelphia,PA. 19140. Dealer Inquiries Invited.G 6 T 5 ~ D R YW ASH ER S for fun and prof i t . $39.95to $199.95. Free information. Wilk ins Enter-prises, P.O. Box 1122, Hunt ington Beach,Ca l i f o rn ia 92647 .GOLD DRY Washer plans, portable hand opera-ted, recover gold from gold diggings, fromdry river beds, etc. , by air principle. $2.00.R. Bown, P.O. Box 79 1 , Arca dia, Calif . 910 06 GEMSSHAMROCK ROCK SHOP, 593 West La CadenaDrive. Riverside, California 9 2 5 0 1 . Parallelto Riverside Freeway. Phone 686-3956.Come in and browse; jewelry mountings,chains, supplies, minerals, slabs, rough ma-

terial, equipment, black l ights, metal de-tectors, maps, rock and bott le books.FIND GORGEOUS FLUORESCENT ROCKS! Turn or-dinary-looking rocks into rainbows of glowingcolors wi th new, go-anywh ere ul t rav io letlamps. Send for Free I l lustrated Catalog ofultr avio let lamps an d accessories. WLC Tech-nology, Dept. DAA-1, 842 So. State CollegeBlvd. Anaheim, Cal i f . 92806. |GEM SHOP WEST. Mineral specimens, customjewelry , gem ident i f icat ion, s labbing. 72-042Highway 11 1, Rancho Mirage, Cal if . 922 70.Phone 346-2812 . HEALTHBACK PAIN STIFFNESS: Get immediate relief.Now Know How. Self Chiropractor, easy i l lu-strated booklet. Send $3.00 to: Self Al ign-ment, Box 336, Corona Del Mar, Calif . 92625. INDIAN GOODS

FINE RESERVATION-MADE Navajo, Zuni, Hopijewelry and Kachina dolls, Navajo rugs, Yeiblankets, Chimayo blankets and vests, pot-tery. Nambe cooking and serving ware andunique gif ts. A collector's paradise. Openevery day f rom 10:00 to 5:30. Buf fa lo Trad-ing Post, 20115 Highwa y 1 8, Apple V al ley ,Cal i f . 92307.ARROWHEAD'S WEST announces its OpeningOffering only Tools and Relics of StoneageMan. Arrowheads, Ar t i fac ts , Bi rdpoints , Game-points, Darts. $1.00 each; 3 for $2.00 or 12for $6.00. Send for our l ist of available ma-terial to: Arrowhead's West, P.O. Drawer 80,Barstow, Calif . 9 2 3 1 1 .

APACHE ARROWHEAD CollectionsPerfect, jas-per , agate, f l in t , 25-$5.00, 1 0 0- $ 15.0 0.Dealers inquiries invited. Geronimo, DD1239,Apache Junct ion, Ar izona 85220. JEWELERYGENUINE COPPER bracelets for men and wo-men, $3.00. We pay postage. Acme Sales,13433 South Vermont Ave., Gardena, Calif .9 0 2 4 7 .CUSTOM-MADE JEWELERY at prices you can af-

fo rd . Full information sent on requestrings,pendants, pins, cuff l inks, etc. , mail orderonly. Freda M. Francisco, 11335 E. Lambert,El Monte, Cal i f . 91732. MAPSDESERT ADVENTURE Two m aps fe atu ringghost towns, mining camps, old trai ls, aban-doned rai lroads, scenic and unusual backcountry to explore . . . mult i-color, 22x35"on topo base. "Overview of Mojave Desert" $ 3 . 0 0 ; "Colorado Desert Overview" (River-side, Imperial, San Diego Counties) $3.00;both $5.00; rol led 25c extra. Desert Enter-prises, Box 286-D, Ontario, Cali f . 9 1 7 6 1 .OLD MAP KIT. Reprints of State and Railroadmaps, 70-90 years old. Send self-addressed,

stamped envelope for detai ls. Specify state.Northern Ma p Co., 2046 N. Tripp Ave., Dept. DM, Chicago, I l l inois 60639 : MINERAL S, PREC IOUS STONESRECEIVE INTERESTING and different MineralSpecimen each month! Free Ruby Crystal toeach new member! Free Information! Mineralof the Month Club, Box 487-DG, Yucaipa,Ca l i f o rn ia 92399 .

MININGASSAYS. COMPLETE, accurate, guaranteed. High-est quali ty spectrographic. Only $5.00 persample. Reed Engineering, 522 W. First St. ,Rialto, Cali f . 92376.FOR SALE: Three patente d m ining claims; M an-hat tan, Nevada49 acres , $6,000.00. Al lenMetscher, Box 1012, Tonopah, Nevada 89049.7 0 2 - 4 8 2 - 6 7 3 4 .

OLD COINS, STAMPSCHOICE UNCIRCULATED SILVER DOLLARS: 1880-81 S M in t ; 1883-4 -5 ; 1898 -99-19 00-01 -02-04 O Mint , $4.50 each. The lot $50.00.I l lustrated catalogue 50c. Shultz, Salt LakeCi ty , Utah 84110. REAL ESTATE

40 ACRES $25 0.0 0 PER ACRE. Develop you r o wnpoultry ranch or ret irement home in smog-free and people-free high desert . Interest inne w w e l l , good roads, surveyed, 5,000 f t .elevat ion, East San Bernardino County, $200d o w n , low monthly payments. Also 1100acres for larger investors. Owner, E. R. Lewis,5328 Park Lane, San Bernardino, Calif . 714-882-2146. Map mai led on request .

SOUTHERN UTAH. Invest now in Color-Countryparadise, Bloomington Country Club lots, Ko-lob lots, ranches, farms, commercial, mobilehome lots. Frank Pierce, Realty. Licensed Brok-er Utah and California. P.O. Box 12, St.George, U tah 84 77 0, 310 East Tabernacle St. ,( 801 ) 673-5000 .GOVERNMENT LANDS . . . low as $1.00 acreMil l ion acres! For exclusive "GovernmentLand Buyer's Guide" plus "Land OpportunityReview" l ist ing Ignds available throughoutU.S., send $1.00. Sat isfact ion guaranteed.United Lands, Box 19107-RK, Washington,D.C. 20036.

Desert Magazine


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HOW TO P UC E YOUR AD^ Mai! your copy anc f irst-insert ion remit-tance to: Trading Post, Desert Magazine,Palm Desert, California 92260. Classif iedrates are 25c per word, $5 minimumper insertion.DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS IS 1OTH OFS E C O N D M O N T H P R E C E D I N G C O V E R D A TE .

TREASU RE FINDERS TREASURE FINDERS

REAL ESTATEHOMESITES WITH EXQUISITE view of Twentynine

Palms and Joshua Tree National Monument,$600.00 acre. Will iam Simmons, 3335 NorthFlowing Wells Road, Tucson, Ariz. 85705.26 '/j ACRES at Palm Springs R.R. Depot. Level.Sacr i f ice . $18,500 for a l l . $2500 down, $150per month, 8% interest. Owne r. (71 4|2 4 4 - 9 4 5 0 .GOVERNMENT LANDSLow as $1.25 Acre! Buy,Lease or Homestead. . . Free Details! LandsDigest, Box 1555-DM, Tacoma, Wash. 9 8 4 0 1 . TRAVELC BAR H GUEST RANCH. American p lan , threemeals, room, horseback riding, swimming,rif lery, shuff leboard, horseshoes, ping pong,darts , archery, elc. Hayrides. Twenty-sevenmiles east of Victo-vil le on Highway 18. Ralphand Rita Chamney P.O. Box 307, LucerneVal ley, Cal i f . 92356. (714) 248-7666.MEXICO CARAVANS open to all recreation ve-hicles. Free brochure. Point South CaravanTours, 5309 Garden Grove Ave., Tarzana,Cal i f . 91356.4WD "JEEP" Scenic Adventure Trips, Death Val-ley region, all desert areas, Paul H. Thomp-son Enterprises, Box 2 1 , Dar win, Ca lif . 9352 2

STATEMENT OF: OWNERSHIPStatement of owne'ship, management and cir-culat ion (Act of August 12, 1970: Section 3685.Title 39. U nited State:, Code).1. Date of f i l ing: September 28, 1972.2. Title of public ctior,: DESERT Ma gaz ine.3. Frequency of issue: Monthly.4. Location of known off ice of publication:Palm Desert, Calif. 9:>260.5 Location of th? headquarters or generalbusiness offices of tic publishers: Palm Desert,Cal i forn ia 92260.6 Names and addresses of publisher andeditor: Publisher: Wi Ma n Knyvett, 79-890 Horse-shoe Rd., India, California 9 2 2 0 1 .Editor: Jack Pepper, 46-211 Willow St., PalmDesert, California 92260.7. Owners: Jack Popper arid Will iam andJoyce Knyvett.8. Bondholders, irorTgagers, security holders:None.

9. In accordance with the provisions of thisstatute, I hereby request permission to mail thepubl icatio n nam ed in Item 1 at the reduced ratepresently authorized by 39 U.S.C. 3626.1 1. Extent and nature of cir cula tion: Avera geover 12 month period of issues from November1971 to October 1972: 46,895 copies printedpaid circulat ion: 15,500 newsstands, 24,443mail subscript ions, 39,943 total pa id . 300 freedistribution, 5,500 newsstand copies not sold,45,7 43 total distrib ution; 1, 52 off ice use,spoiled, etc. Total: 46,895.Actual number of copies of single issue publish-ed nearest to filing date. Total No. copies print-ed : 44,500; Paid circulat ion, newsstands, etc.15 , 500 ; Mail subscript ion: 24,500; Total paidc i rculat ion: 40,000; Free distribution, samples,300 ; Newsstand copies unsold: 3,900; Totaldistributio n: 44,2 00 Off ice use, left-over, andspoiled after print ing: 300. To:al: 4 4 , 5 0 0 .November 1072

FREEVALUABLE TREASURE FINDER catalog sentby return mai l . Find coins, rings, go ld , silver,metals, relics. Write today. Jetco, Dept. CD,Box 26669, El Paso, Texas 79926.FISHER DETECTORS? You de se rv e' the best! Freeliterature, FRL, Dept. Dl 1 , P. O. Box 490,Belmont, Calif . 94002.TREASURE-METAL and mineral locators. Free 24page booklet. GeoFinder Co., Box 37, Lake-w o o d , Cal i f . 90714.GOLDAK Treasure LocatorsPleasure and profitin a hobby you'll enjoy. Find coins, relics,

go ld , silver. Charge on Bankamericard. Gol-dak, Dept . DM, 1101-A Airway, Glendale ,Cal i forn ia 9 1 2 0 1 .

FIND BURIED TREASURE with revolutionarypatented, analytical metal detector. Featurespush button and automatic tuning, negligibleground pickup, greatest range. Free catalogue.Gardiner Electronics Co., Dept. 51 , 472 9 N.7th Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85013. MISCELLANEOUS

POWERFUL METROTECH locators detect go ld , sil-ver, coins, relics. Moneyback guarantee. Termsfree information. Underground Explorations,Dept. 3A, Box 793, Menlo Park, Calif . 94025.FREE 128 page catalog on detectors, books andmaps. General Electronic Detection Co., 16238Lakewocd Blvd., Bellf iower, Calif 90706.METAL LOCATORS: White's, Goldak^Detectron",Metrotech, Precision, Excelsior, Fisher. Freecatalog. Aurora Prospector Supply, 6286Beach Blvd., Buena Park, Calif . 90620 ( 7 1 4 )5 2 1 - 6 3 2 1 .NEW BREED OF METAL L O C A T O R S . T r a n s i s t o r -ized, l ightweight construction. Mqney back

guarantee. Free literature. Roth Industries,Box 909 93 , Dept. 16, Los Angeles, C alifornia9 0 0 0 9 .GOLD, SILVER, RELICS! Loca ted" wi th pow erfu lDetectron Metal Detectors. Free information.Detectron, Dept. D - l l , Box 243, San Gabrie l ,Cal i f . 91778.

MONOGRAMMED MONEY BELTS. Engraved ini-t ials. Belt is 1 ' / , " wide and genuine leather.In black or brown. Sizes, small, medium, largeand XLarge. $3.98. Calif , residents add 5%sales tax. Charlie & Betty's Gifts, 11096 Trail_ W a y , Morongo Val ley, Cal i f . 92256.

LLAMA WOOL PONCHOS from South America.Unique! Beautiful! Colorful! Excellent Christ-mas gift. Send $24.55. State color preferences.California residents add sales tax. L. Hiebert,Box 229D, Boron, California 93516.DRIFTWOODNaturally sculptured forms. Addinterest to f loral arrangements, garden andhome decoration. Twelve carefully selectedpieces, $7.98. postpaid. Beachcomber, 22275De Anza C ircle, Cupert ino, Calif . 950 14.OIL PAINTING, knife, brush. For beginners oradvanced. Free brochure. Degrees granted.Roy Keister College, 19 Washington St., SantaClara, Calif . 95050. B.GUMMED NAME AND address labels: 1000

$ 1 , 3000$2.25. Two week de l ivery. C.Friday, 4705 Adam Road, Santa Susana.Cal i f . 93063."ZENO" DIV ININ G RODS locate ~a7d~a~mazesatisfaction guarantee$5 with full instruc-t ions or informationFry, 879 Park, Perris,Cal i f . 92370.

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Easy Reading C hannel S electorThe new Messenger 1.22, manufactur-ed by E. F. Johnson Company, fea-tures all 23 CB channels on a uniquerotary selector drum. The new designhas easily read large illuminated chan-nel numbers and the Emergency chan-nel illuminates reel. Circuitry in thene w 1 22 is full) solid-state . A ceramicselectivity filte reduces interferencefrom adjacent channels. Voice-tailor-ed audio circuit and built-in speakersystem provide dear messages. Comescompletely equipped for installationand has 1-year parts and labor war-ranty at Johnsons 600 nat ionwideservice centers Suggested price is$139.95. For complete informationwrite E. F. Johnson Company, Dept.DM, Waseca, Minnesota 56093.

New Vibratory Tum blerCalled a "Lot O-T um bler" this newlapidary equipment operates on vibra-tory action rather than on the rotarybarrel principle. It agitates at a fre-quency of 40 cycles a second and pol-ishes without scratching or chipping,according to the manufacturers . Thetum bler w ill polish a variety of rocksat the same time and han dles '! lbs.of material per load. Highlights in -clude fast yet gentle action, easy in-spection, quiet operation, easy ioad-ing plus other features. Unit retailsfor $34.50. For additional informa-tion write Colorado Geological Indus-tries, Inc., Depc. DM, 5818 East Col-fax Ave. , Denser Colorado 80220.

D e s e r tS h o p p e rN e wa n di n t e r e s t i n gp r o d u c t sI tems appearing in this columnare not paid adver t isements

KamperKate

Kamper KoteA pentrating preservative that makesold campers look l ike new. Removesoxidation and leaves a lustrous pro-tective non-wax coating. Can be usedon all surfaces, painted or unpainted.After application, unit can be easilywashed with plain water. Priced at$1 . 29 . Wri t e t o TACT Product sCompany, Dept . D M, Box 845 , Es-condido, California 92021 , and in-clude your zip code.

New Koenig WinchA new electric winch for all two an dfour-wheel-drive vehicles has justbeen introduced by Koenig IronWorks, Inc., manufacturers of auto-motive PTO winches for 35 year. Thewinch is a complete assembly includ-in g 1 50 feet of cable and hook, chan-nel bumper with splash plates, four-way cable guide roller assembly, boltsand electrical hardware. It has 8,000l b s . of positive pulling power and fea-tures reversible I 2-volt DC opera tion,positive action touch controls andmany other new features. New two-color literature describes the winchdesigned for your specific vehicle.Free by wri t ing Koenig I ron Works,I n c . Dept . DM, P.O. Box 7726,Houston, Texas 77007.

Double Safety ChainUnlike most single-length safetychains which have only open hooksthat attach to the towing vehicle, theValley Tow-Rite Double Safety Chainhas two 32-inch welded link chainsthat are attached permanently to thetrailer tongue with U-bolts. At thevehicle end, the chain is connectedwith a threaded chain clip that is bolt-ed closed, form ing anothe r strong ,secure link in the chain. Designedfor Class III trailers, the Valley t o w -Rite has a 5,000 1b. capacity andcomes com plete. Retail price is $8.5 0a set. Write or send check to ValleyTow -Rite, Dep t. D M, P.O . Box 8 50.Lodi, Calif. 95210.


49/52

C a l e n d a r o fW e s t e r n E v e n t sOCTOBER 2l-2. i , GEM FESTIVAL tkS W A PMEET sponsored byand held at Southern Ne-vada Museum, 240 Water St, Henderson. Ne-vada. Wri t e Museum.OCTOBER 21 & 22, A N T I Q U E BOTTLES H O W &SALE sponsored by the Los AngelesHistorical Bottle Club. Civic Auditorium, 1401N . Verdugo, Glendale, Calif. Admission 50cents. Children free. Wri t e P.O Box 60762,Terminal Annex, Los Angeles, Calif. 90060.OCTOBER il N O V E M B E R 3, A N N U A L1972 NORRA MEXICAN 1000 RACE fromEnsenada to La Paz. Baja California. Competi-tive race down tin Baja peninusla with allclasses of back-count r\ vehicles. Write Nat ionalOff Road Racing Association, 1616 VictoryBlvd.. Glendale, CA. 91201 .NOVEMBER 4 & S. BEAR GULCH ROCKCLUB 10th annual show. Masonic Hall, On-tario, Calif. Free admission and parking. Wri teRoyal Fulton, 177(1 W. 9th, Upland . Calif.91786.NOVEMBER i t\ 5 S Y M P H O N Y IN ROCKSsponsored bythe Lake Havasu Gem &MineralSociety. Smoketree Elementary School, LakeHavasu City, Arizona. Door prizes, dealers,slides, etc. Wri t e Mrs.Ruth A. Reichel, Box1566 Lake Havasu City, A7. 86.103.NOVEMBER i & 5 I2TH A N N U A L G E M &MINERAL SHOW sponsored by 29Palms Gem& Mineral Society, Intermed iate School, Twenty-nine Palms. Calif. Wri t e P.O. Box 505,Twentynine Palms. CA. 92277 .N O V E M B E R II & 12. GEM tk M I N E R A LSHOW sponsored by Montebello Mineral &Lapidary Society, Masonic Temple . 6310EastOlympic Blvd., Has Los Angeles. Free admis-sion. Wri te Box 582, Montebel lo. CA 90640.NOVEMBER 17-19 RIO G R A N D E A R T S &C R A F TS A S S O C I A T I O N ' S a n n u a l s h ow .More than 200artists and craftsmen displayingoriginal handcrafted items for sale. Indian,Spanish and Anglo cultures represented. Jewel-ry, rugs, furniture, paintings, etc. Albuquerque(New Mexico) Convent ion Center. Wri te P.O.Box 14325. Albuquerque, N . M . 8 7 1 1 1N O V E M B E R IS & 19, RIVER GEMBOREEsponsored bySilvery Colorado River Rock Club.Davis Dam Recreation Hall. Bullhead City,Ariz. Free admission, door prizes, demonstra-tions, etc. Ample iainping facilit ies. Featureschalcedony roses this year. Write Box 431, Bul l -head City, AZ 86430.

Warn i ng . Four -Wheel er s !Acts of vandalism are occuring with

considerable frequency to parked vehicles.O ne hub is turned to the "lock" posit ionand when driven under these circum-stances the result is very costly damage tothe front axle differential.

Here is an easy way to check your hubsand prevent any damage. Paint a red lineacross them in the free position. A quickglance will tell you ii someone has tam-pered with them. Remind the "ga l " whodrives the i-Wheeler to check the hubsafter parking in a shopping area. This iswhere most of the vandalism occurs.C A L I F O R N I A

Death Valley JunctionMarta Beckct has completed the murals

on the walls of the Amargosa OperaHouse (Desert, March 7 1) . She extendsan invitation to all of our readers to stopby and see them.

If you haven't enjoyed an evening of"Bal l e t -Mi me" at the old opera house,you are in for a surprise and a delightfulevening. The fall season begins October2 and performances are given at 8:15p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Mondayevenings.

Way StationsThe first in a series of Deser t Way

Stations is scheduled for construction inthe Barstow area. Each station will providerest rooms, water and sanitary dump sta-t ion. A bulletin board will provide infor-mation and orientation via maps.

Mitchell 's Caverns State ParkThe cavern tour has been greatly en-

hanced by enlargement of the area opento the public. Though small , it is an in-teresting and beautiful cavern. Th e StatePark personnel are to be commended forthe many improvements at the cavern.Especially noteworthy is the excellent pre-sentation of geological and historical factsand the dramatic lighting effects createdto best display the formations.

Owens Val leyTravelers heading nor th (or south) on

U . S . 395will find two,good, free over-night campgrounds close to the highway,yet away from the noise and not heavily

used. At Lone Pine, turn west on WhitneyPortal Road for .5 mile to Tut t le ( reekRoad. Turn left for .1 mile to the entrance to Portugee Joe Campground.

Eight and ,i half miles north of Inde-pendence, turn west on Black Rock Roadan d drive .Nmile to Sawmill (reek Camp-ground.

OREGONA reminder to camper andtrailer own-

e r s - -Oregon has passed a new law againstwater being allowed to drip from RV's,even into a bucket. Strict enforcement isno w in effect.

MailBoxAn informative note from Doug Van-degraft was received recently. He mentioned some oi the interesting areasaround Baker. California one of hisfavorite stomping grounds. Doug , wethink you will be glad to hear that anarticle on tins area is scheduled for nextyear.

The ColumnThe purpose ol this column is to pass

along timely news of general interest. Wesolicit your help amiwelcome your letters.Let us know about an unusual area youhave visited, that "special gem" you collected, changes in status, good campsitesor anyother news for the desert enthusi-asts.

If you have any questions, I will beglad to try and answer them, [list enclosea self-addressed, stamped envelope andallow time for a reply.

Mary Frances Strong,Field Trip Editor, Desert Magazine,Box 1318,Palm Desert, California 92260

AuthorizedJEEPSales andServiceLARGEST SUPPLY OFNEW AND USED JEEP PARTSIN THE WEST.Looking for aJeep? - Try us!

BRIAN CHUCHUA'SFOUR W HEEL DRIVE CENTERDept. DM 1625 S.Harbor Blvd.Fullerton, CaliforniaNovember 1972


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L e t t e r sE d i t o rLetters requesting answers must includestamped sel f -addresi ted envelope.

Triple Error . . .R e J ack P ep p e r ' "Ru n n i n g The C o l o r a d o

R a p i d s " in the September '72 i s s u e . T h r e e men n o ! two. left the P o we l l p a r t y and w e r e sub-s eq u en t l y s l a i n by the S h e v wi t I n d i a n s . T h e yw e r e W i l l i a m H. D u n n and the b r o t h e r s , O. G.an d Sen eca H o wl a i d. A m i n o r e r r o r of Pep-p e r s , but a d e f i n i t e error of the t h r e e !

H O W A R D M. B E R M A N .E d i t o r , The Agatizer , San P e d r o , C a l i f o r n i a .Coyote Controver sy . . .I en j o y r e ad i n g i); teri e a c h m o u t h an d m u s t

ad d t h a t the pictures ;.re v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g and Iab s o r b each cap t i o n I a l s o r ead ev e r y w o r df r o m co v e r to cover

I wish to f o cu s y o u r a t t en t i o n in particularon th e a r t i c l e titled, D e s e r t V o c a l i s t " in theM a r c h '72 i s s u e . I 'eel t h a t my r e m a r k s are asw o r t h y of attentior as t h o s e of the s ev e r a l menw h o set i h em s e l v i s up as s p ec i a l i s t s in thea r t i c l e . I h a v e s i u c i ed an d w o r k e d in c o m p e t i -t ion wi th th e co y o t e for m o s t of my 70 y ea r s .

I f t h e s e ex p e r t s in the co y o t e ha d l o o k ed att h e i r own f i g u r e s is s t a t ed w i t h i n th e a r t i c l e ,they would have :-p a i r s each p r o d u ce . . andso on. You f i g u r e it out.

The f i rs t pai r , now g r a n d m a and g r a n d p a ,w e r e and are ea t i n g rodents , r ab b i t s , s n ak es andk eep i n g t h em in fairly g o o d co n t r o l , at l eas te n o u g h to p l ea s e I he r a n c h e r as s ta ted by theex p e r t s . P l ea s e t e l l me w h a t all t h e s e g r an d -

children arc living on? They are living on thefarmer's chickens, geese, ducks, pigs, calves,lambs, even known to take coltsthis is a per-sonal experience and can be proved by partiesstill living with me.

If some of these conservationists who aremaking such a stand as set forth by the writersmentioned here (not named) were to get outon a farm of his own, make a living for afamily, educate children, pay taxes, feed coyotesand stand sand storms, cloudbursts, tornadoes,fire and theft, then battle the middlemen forprices, I'm not sure, of course, but do believethat better studies of actual conditions wouldbe placed in our reading material that could beaccepted by perhaps a few more people whoknow the facts of life.

Don't get me wrong. I do not believe in ex-termination. But I do believe in control. Thisis no more than the city dweller expects of thedog control laws. He doesn't want his neigh-bors to go without pets, but he is an Americancitizen and as such is entitled to, and should ex-pect, those dogs to be controlled.

I looked out of my window this morning andtwo of my neighbor's cats lay dead in the stree t,unable to escape the greatest predator of alliVIan.

FOURTH F. THOMAS,Princeton, Idaho.

EditotJi Note: We fell Reader Thomas badwme valid points, so we asked K, L. Boynton,Desert's Naturalist Editor and author of "Des-ert Vocalist" to reply. Here are Naturalist Boyn-lon's views. We hope both letters will helpreaders to evaluate the complicated wildlifeproblem.

Indeed you are right that a serious problemexists when the normal predator-prey balance ofnature is upset. Once this happens in an areathings are off-kilter until the balance is restored.In nature, as you know, imbalances that occurin the normal rise and fall of animal popula-tions are corrected in timesometimes by epi-demics, sometimes by starvation, sometimes byincreased reproduction, sometimes, as scientistsare finding in some species now, by a kind ofautomatic shut-off in reproduction when animalnumbers reach an optimum, populations decreas-ing even in the face of good conditions.

But, as you say, when man is around, thebalance can no longer operate normally or berestored normally. In the case of the coyote, itit almost always possible to trace back through'the years and find that either deliberate ly (as inrabbit drives, prairie dog poisonings, etc.) orinadvertently through changes made by agri-culture, overgrazing, or the spread of towns,etc., man has removed the coyote's naturalsource of food (both animal prey and plants)to the point where the coyotes must turn toother sources, harder to get, more dangerous totry for. And, in such an area, there is trouble,as nobody needs to tell you.

The normal reaction is to want to clean outthe predators which has been tried and foundto be a bad mistake because the other side ofthe balance swings up for worse destruction;i.e. the famous Kaibab Plateau case where cou-gars, wolves, coyotes were exterminated with aview to establishing big and fine deer herds forhunting. The result was that deer increased so

fast they destroyed the natural vegetationcau s ed s e r i o u s e r o s i o n and w a t e r s h e d d a ma gan d s t a r v ed off by the t h o u s a n d s . The s u r v i v o rwere s ick an d w o r t h l e s s . H u n t i n g c a m e to s t an d s t i l l . The en v i r o n m en t a l e f f ec t s of th i s badm i s t a k e are s t i l l being felt years l a ter .

A s you say, co y o t e ex t e r m i n a t i o n is not tha n s w e r and yet th i s is w h a t s o - ca l led co n t r o le n d s up w i t h b ecau s e man can ' t seem to s t os h o r t of g o i n g too tar in any d i r e c t i o n . Wh yth i s is so 1 d o n ' t k n o w , do you' U n l es s it ijust th e n a t u r e of the b eas t . Y o u r i d ea of cont ro l is f ea s i b l e if it is a temporary measure andw i s e l y h an d l ed by s o m e b o d y on the spot whunderstands the crucial need to keep a normabalance and who would try to build up thpre) side of the balance at the fame lime. Im i g h t w o r k very w el l and r e s u l t in a m a n - a i d eb a l a n c e d c o mmu n i ty that could set a p a t t e r n tb e f o ll o w e d e l s e w h e r e . I s t ress local d i rect ioo f s u ch co n t r o l .

I t w o u l d n ' t h u r t you any to be m o r e o p enm i n d ed ab o u t s c i en t i st s . W h i l e t h ey do w o ru n d e r co n t r o l l ed co n d i t i o n s in the lab and occas i o n a l l y in the field for s p ec i f i c an a t o m i ca l ob eh av i o r a l t e s t s , the m aj o r p a r t of real eco logcal f i e ld work is d o n e in u n co n t r o l l ed a r ea s ans ince d i f feren t sc ien t i s t s are at w o r k , in m a ndi fferen t local i t i es under s t r i c t ly natural condt i o n s as they actual ly ex i s t (Fi t ch ' s study ref e r r ed to in the ar t i c le , to r e x a m p l e ) and thr e s u l t s of such carefu l work are accurate, eveif th e fact s found turn out to be co n t r a r y to preco n ce i v ed n o t i o n s .

L i k e w i s e , it w o u l d do scien t i s t s a lot og o o d if they had a ch an ce to t a lk wi th sens ibp eo p l e l i k e you. see w h a t you are up ag a i nand l i s t en to your f i n d i n g s and g o o d i d eas . Tht r o u b l e is t h a t t h ey w o u l d w ea r out t h e i r wec o m e . I'm a f r a i d , for I t h i n k you w o u l d h a vm a n y a t a l e of I d ah o ' s p a s t to (ell also thw o u l d m ak e m i g h t y i n t e r e s t i n g l i s t en i n g t h ew o u l d p r o b a b l y k e e p on m ak i n g ex cu s es for nog o i n g h o m e .

I am glad thai you w r o t e . 1 enjoyed t inv i s i t by m ai l and am as k i n g Desert to p u b l i sthe g i s t of your l e t t er and m i n e .

K . L. B O Y N T O N .N a t u r a l i s t .

Dust Storms . . .R e th e l e t t er f rom Orvi l le Sm i t h ab o u t 60

i W D s o f w h i c h I was on e of th'.- dr ivers-caus ing dus t s to rms that descend on thet o w n .

In 1931, I was the co n s t r u c t i o n s u p e r i n t ed e n t on the b u i l d i n g of 36 br idges and thp a v i n g of the road f rom the co u n t y l i n eA r r o y o S a l a d o and al so in the w i n t e r of 1922 8 we p a v e d th e r o ad f r o m A r r o y o Sa l ad oth e E l mo r e R a n c h .

[f my me mo r y s e r v es me r i g h t t h e r e w ed u s ; s t o r m s b ack in t h o s e d ay s l o n g b e f o r e th- I W D s cam e i n t o b e i n g . A l s o a l o n g the roait was easy to f ind old a b a n d o n e d c a r s ant r u ck s w h i ch were b u r n e d out. T r u e , 1 wis ay t h a t p eo p l e s h o u l d not l e a v e b r o k e n - d o wv eh i c l e s in the d es e r t and cam p s s h o u l d bc l ean ed up, but do not b l a m e the d u s t in tha ir on the 4 W D s .

HAROLD HAWKINS,San Diego, California.

Desert Magazin


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