Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
08256
Books MAI<E LASTJNq Gifis
OUT FROM LAS VEGAS by Florine Lawlor. Only A LIGHT HEARTED LOOK AT THE DESERT by
a few miles from the gambling casinos and Chuck Waggin. A delightfully written and illus-
neon lights of Las Vegas are four-wheel-drive trated book on desert animals which will be
trails and passenger car roads rich in history appreciated by both children and adults. The
and scenery. Paperback, illustrated, 36 p. $1.00 ARIZONA sketches are excellent and, although factual,
descriptions make the animals seem like human
LOST MINES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST by John beings. Large format, heavy quality paper, 94
D. Mitchell. The first of Mitchell's lost mine pages, $1.95.
books is now available after having been out of
print for years. Reproduced from the original DESERT GEM TRAILS by Mary Frances Strong.
copy and containing 54 articles based on ac- Field guide to gems and minerals of the Mo-
counts from people Mitchell interviewed. He have and Colorado deserts and adjacent areas.
spent his entire adult life investigating reports Paperback, $2.00
and legends of lost mines and treasures of the
Southwest. Hardcover, illustrated, 175 pages, NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MINING CAMPS
$7.50. by Stanley W. Paher. Covering all of Nevada's
17 counties, Paher has documented 575 mining
OVERLAND STAGE TO CALIFORNIA AND THE ARIZONA camps, many of which have been erased from
PONY EXPRESS by Frank A. Roof. A first-hand the earth. The book contains the greatest and
By DAVID MUENCH
account of a mail agent who lived and fought most complete collection of historic photographs
with the men who settled the West through Undoubtedly the finest pictorial presen- of Nevada ever published. This, coupled with
their efforts to establish communication across tation of Arizona ever published. There his excellent writing and map, creates a book
the wilderness during the 1800's. First publish- are more than 160 four-color photo- of lasting value. Large 9x1 1 format, 700
ed in 1901 and just republished. Heavy stock graphs by David Muench, whose works photographs, hardcover, 492 pages, $15.00.
and hardcover, original artist illustrations, two are among those of the best creative
1800 maps, 645 pages, this is a book for photographers in the world. Muench's WHERE TO TAKE YOUR CHILDREN IN SOUTH-
history buffs, $15.00. illustrations are augmented by the text of ERN CALIFORNIA by Davis Dutton and Tedi Pil-
David Toll who presents the historical and green. Now the kids have their own book so
GHOST TOWNS OF THE NORTHWEST by Norman geological picture of the Grand Canyon they can help mother and dad plan the next
D. Weis. The ghost-town country of the Pacific State. An ideal Christmas gift that will safari to unusual places which are of interest
Northwest including trips to many little-known long be remembered. Hardcover, large to both generations. Slick paperback, illustrated,
areas, is explored in this first-hand factual and 11x14 format, 200 heavy slick pages. 121 pages, $1.95.
interesting book. Excellent photography. Best
book to date on ghost towns of the Northwest. HELLDORADO by William Breakenridge. One of
Maps. Hardcover, heavy slick paper, 319 pages.
Only $20.00 until Dec. 31,1971 the most famous law enforcement officers of
$6.95. $25.00 the Old West describes his life and gives first-
hand accounts of the famous outlaws and law-
BACKPACK COOKERY by Ruth Dyar Mendenhall. men he knew. First published in 1928 and
Full of good ideas for making the most of de- 50 YEARS IN DEATH VALLEY by Harry P. Gower. long out-of-print, now available. Hardcover,
dehydrated foods. Paper. $1.00. First hand account of the dramatic mining years illustrated, 1883 map of Arizona Territory, 255
by a man who spent his life in the mysterious pages, $7.50.
LET'S GO PROSPECTING by Edward Arthur. valley. Describes the famous characters of Death
Facts and how-to-do-it on prospecting are pre- Valley, Paperback, illustrated, 145 pages, $2.95 MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER BOOK by Henry and
sented by the author who has spent 30 years Beverly Mockel. The well-known painter of
searching for gems and minerals in California. GREENWATER by Harold Weight. Called the desert wildflowers has combined his four-color
For those who think there are no more valuables "monumental swindle of the century" this is sketches and black and white photographs to
left in California, they will find a new field in the story of the 1906 stampede to the Black describe in detail so the layman can easily
this informative book. Includes marketing data, Mountains and how $30,000,000 disappeared. identify wildflowers, both large and small.
maps, potential buyers for discoveries. Large Paperback, historic photos, 34 pages. $1.00. Microscopic detail makes this an outstanding
8x10 format, illustrated, heavy paperback, 84 book for identification. Special compressed fiber
pages, $3.95. RHYOLITE by Harold Weight. Tales of Shorty cover which will not stain. 54 full-calor illustra-
Harris, Ernest Cross, Bob Montgomery, M. M. tions with 72 life-size drawings and 39 photo-
LOST DESERT BONANZAS by Eugene Conrotto. Beaty and the men and women who estab-
graphs, 316 pages, $5.95.
Brief resumes of lost mine articles printed in ished the famous mining town near Death
back issues of DESERT Magazine, by a former Valley. Paperback, historic photos, 40 pages. NEVADA'S TURBULENT YESTERDAYS by Don Ash-
editor. Hardcover, 278 pages. $7.00. $1.00. baugh. The best book about Nevada's ghost
towns and the rugged individuals who built
BARBED WIRE HANDBOOK by Thomas E. Turner. MY CANYONLANDS by Kent Frost. A vivid ac them. 346 pages, $7.95.
Contains 418 different kinds of barbed wire count of the early exploration of Utah's Can-
and associated items, described and illustrated yonlands by the author who spent his entire GHOST TOWNS OF ARIZONA by James E. and
with line drawings. Current value prices. Paper- life exploring America's new national park and Barbara Sherman. Well illustrated and including
back, 102 pages $3.95. who presently runs a guide service through the 13 maps, book describes 130 ghost towns with
scenic country. Hardcover, artist illustrations, exact locations. Well-written and researched.
160 pages, $6.95. Excellent historical photographs. Large format,
DEATH VALLEY BOOKS heavy paperback, 208 pages, $3.95.
EXPLORING CALIFORNIA'S BYWAYS by Russ
Published by the Death Valley '49ers these Leadabrand. The ninth in his excellent series of
five volumes have been selected by '49ers California guide books, the author explores the WHEN ORDERING BOOKS
as outstanding works on the history of Death "little mountains" such as the San Gabriels,
Valley. All are durable paperback on slick Kern Plateau Country and Greenhorn Country. PLEASE
stock. One of his best. This is VOL. # I V , so please
state when ordering. Slick paperback, well il- Add 50 cents PER ORDER
A NATURALIST'S DEATH VALLEY (Revised edi-
tion] by Edmund C. Jaeger, ScD $1.50
lustrated with maps and photos, 142 pages (Not Each Book)
$1.95.
MANLY AND DEATH VALLEY. Symbols of Des- for handling and mailing
tiny, by Ardis Manly Walker $1.25 MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by L. Burr Belden.
GOODBYE, DEATH VALLEY! The story of the About fabulous bonanzas, prospectors and lost CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ALSO
Jayhawker Party, by L. Burr Belden $1.50 mines. Paperback. $1.95. ADD 5 PERCENT SALES TAX
CAMELS AND SURVEYORS IN DEATH VALLEY EXPLORING DEATH VALLEY by Ruth Kirk. Good Send check or money order to Desert Maga-
By Arthur Woodward $2.00 photos and maps with time estimates from place zine Book Shop, Palm Desert, California
DEATH VALLEY TALES by 10 different au- to place and geology, natural history and 92260. Sorry, but we cannot accept charges
thors $1.25 human interest information included. Paperback. or C.O.D. orders.
$1.95.
FOR COMPLETE BOOK CATALOG WRITE TO DESERT MAGAZINE, PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260
WILLIAM KNYVETT, PUBLISHER
JACK PEPPER, EDITOR
ONTE
FEATURE
EDITORIAL, CIRCULATION AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea St., Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone Area Code
714 346-8144. Listed in Standard Rate and Data. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States, Canada and Mexico; 1 year, $5.00; 2 years,
$9.50; 3 years $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allow
five weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresies with zip codes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly. Second
class postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additional mailing offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1971
by DESERT Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts and photo-
graphs WILL NOT BE RETURNED unless accompanied by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.
3
T HE DESERT TORTOISE; which has sur-
V2.times a uetA
with a
DESERT Magazine gives Easterners a first-hand and vivid description of our Southwest and provides
Westerners with new horizons and adventures. Do your last-minute Christmas shopping the easy way
today by using the postage-paid Gift Subscription envelope in this issue. We will send a hand-signed
Happy Holidays Gift Card in your name and start the subscription with the January issue (in time for
Christmas delivery). Every month when the magazine arrives you will be remembered for your thoughful-
ness. You will be playing Santa Claus 12 times a year! If it's more convenient, we will bill you in January.
S 00 50 S
1 Year 5 2 Years '9 3 Years 13 0 0
Whether East or West, another ideal gift is DESERT'S handsome brown vinyl
binder which holds 12 issues. ONLY $3.50, including tax and postage.
MAGAZINE
PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260
Chapters on subjects such as boarding
houses, land grabs, mining camp finances,
INBOW'S
END...
Reviews plete the overall picture of those "rowdy,
reckless and raucous boom years."
Detailed maps along with artist illus-
trations of the types of mining equipment
'begins with a with descriptions of how they were used
enhance the graphic presentation. Wil-
liam Carter and the editors of Sunset
by Jack Pepper Books are to be congratulated for creat-
TREASURE LOCATOR! ing this living portrayal of one of Ameri-
ca's most exciting eras which changed
the history of the world.
GHOST TOWNS Large 11x9 format, heavy slick paper,
OF THE WEST hardcover, 255 pages. Special advance
"COMMANDER" 720 price of $9.95 until December 31. Regu-
This Go I dak Treasure
Locator is unsurpassed for By the Editors lar price after December 31 will be
locating buried treasure, of Sunset Books $11.75.
coins. Civil War relics and
for beachcombing. Features
"Tell-Tone" Signal. Locates
any metal object under dirt,
sand, mud, rock, etc. No This reviewer does not often use su-
cumbersome cords-corn- perlatives, but after reading Ghost Towns
pletely transistorized, bat-
tery powered. of she West, I can state it contains the SELDOM
When it comes to find- most comprehensive and finest collection SEEN
ing your pot of gold, go of both historic and present-day photo- SLIM
with the leader—go with
Goldak! graphs of America's dramatic mining era
ever published. By Tom G. Murray
EFFECTIVE DEPTH RANGE
(Under Normal Conditions The book has been three years in the
making during which time the editors of
Sunset Books examined an estimated Seldom Seen Slim, last of the Death
50,000 historical prints before selecting Valley single-blanket jackass prospectors,
the ones published. died in 1968 and was buried in a little
As the historical photographs were cemetery near bleak Ballarat, which had
being selected, Writer-photographer Wil- been his home for most of his 81 years.
liam Carter, in a special camping vehicle, Although during his latter years Slim
traveled more than 30,000 miles and liked to show the casual visitor around
took more than 10,000 photographs for Ballarat, he was very selective as to his
the present-day presentation. His black "friends" which could be numbered on
and white photographs with his accom- the fingers of his two gnarled hands.
panying text, coupled with the historic One of these was Tom G. Murray who
prints, creates a living testament to the also knew Shorty Harris and Death Val-
men and women of this exciting era of ley Scotty. (See Murray's famous pic-
Western Americana. tures of "Scotty" in the November '71
The book employs a unique editorial issue.)
Start out right-send $1.00 pre- structure that compares the past with Like the other single-blanket jackass
paid for authentic gold-plated
replica of a Spanish doubloon the present and provides a detailed as prospectors, Slim drifted into Death Val-
found off Cape Kennedy.
THE GOLDAK COMPANY, INC.
well as an overall picture of this period of ley from the east via other mining areas
1101-AAirWay our history. The value of the book is not looking for gold and silver. Some found
Glendale, California 91201 in listing all of the ghost towns of the bonanzas and - - like Shorty Harris -
• Please send free literature on GOLDAK trea-
sure locators. West, but in selecting those which best then sold them for a pittance, while
Q I enclose $1.00 prepaid for my gold-plated
doubloon replica with pouch.
mirror the rise and fall of the mining others merely eked out a meager living.
communities. But they all stayed and died in the land
Name —
Another factor which contributes to they loved. Few retained their legal
Address -
the publication is the way the editors names. Slim's was Charles Ferge.
City
describe the cause and effect, motivation Although titled Seldom Seen Slim and
State- -Zip.
and way of living of the protagonists. giving an intimate view into the pros-
pector's life, the book covers much more. glyphs, geological features, scenic areas As the author states, the map does not
It is a potpourri of vignettes, poems, and areas for exploration. Boundaries take the place of topographical maps,
tales and photographs of the Death Val- are from the Mexican border to the but armed with both, the explorer should
ley old-timers. Included are tales of the northern part of Joshua Tree National have an excellent shot at arriving at his
Wildrose Kid, Jim Sherlock, Chris Wicht, Monument and from Banning and Ra- destination or following the trails of the
Silent George, Shotgun Mary and Harry mona east to the Arizona side of the Old West. Heavy paper, folded to fit
Oliver, "the old mirage salesman" who Colorado River. in glove compartment, $3.00.
published the famous Desert Rat Scrap-
book.
These tales could only be told by a man
who knew the old-timers by sitting
around their campfire or in their "homes"
swapping yarns over tin cups filled with
coffee that only an old prospector could
Two Great Lost Mine Books
drink. Murray says one of the finest com-
pliments Slim ever paid to him was once by JOHN D. MITCHELL
he drove to Ballarat to see his friend who
was not at home but left the following
sign on his door:
"You S.O.B. don't take anything. I
might be watching." LOST MINES AND
Slick paperback, exclusive photos by
the author of the old-timers, 56 pages,
BURIED BURIED TREAURES
ALONG THE
$3.00. "TREASURES OLD FRONTIER
. c JOHN D. MITCHELL 7
Postpaid
Calif, residents add
5% state sales tax
10
Canyon's steep sides. Multi-colored quartz dently, those who made it this far in the
specimens lay eroded in various sizes, past were not after relics, just cattle or
good for rock gardens or the rock tum- adventure.
bler. However, the dumps and discards at
Some three miles from the gate, the the area of major activity have been par-
canyon walls move in and the road tially investigated. The shafts were prob-
worsens. The tracks bend in several S's; ably started in this region before 1900,
in this spot, rainfall or flooding would but have been worked on and off since
erase the path and trap a vehicle. then—deepened and reinforced. The tun-
Then, the canyon widens at a gentle nels at this site are relatively new, and a
cluster of desert willows. Up the north- nearby claim indicates that someone was
east canyon bank is a narrow 4WD trail still investing money in Rattlesnake Can-
leading to several shafts tunnels and yon as late as 1967.
collapsed out-buildings of the central A steep trail leads south from the
mining activity. One quarter of a mile flattened prospector's shack, presumably
further up the canyon, another, almost paralleling the canyon trail to Mound
identical trail (but wider) leads in the Spring and the Rose Mine region. This
same direction to a flattened prospector's is the direction from which explorers
shack. came in the 1860s. Another trail, mark-
About one quarter of a mile along the ed on the map, heads southwesterly from
Cftfe canyon the road ends for all but the Rattlesnake Canyon up a subsidiary wash
quartz sediment and loose conglomerate bravest with a very narrow 4WD vehicle; toward Granite Peak. Neither of these is
choke the canyon's south side in a few it is past this "road's end" about 200 for amateurs.
places as the Bighorn Mountain slopes yards that a tunnel strikes west into the Whether you find in the Bighorn
begin to near the road. The northerly canyon wall. Here, in the tailings, is a Mountains a chance to test your off-road
canyon banks show random mineral pros- collector's "relic'in reward." navigation, or whether you find a relic
pects and dune-buggy scars. The tailings of the 80-foot tunnel are to add to your collection, there's one
Mica, quartz-veined granite and schist small, but the abundance of undisturbed certainty: you'll be bitten by the lure of
are common ingredients along Rattlesnake cans amidst the debris is amazing. Evi- Rattlesnake Canyon. FJ
PROSPECTORS PICK
I AND
uiinnni i PLASTIC GOLD PAN
SECRETS
11
A good road leads through a variety
of country (left) along the eastern
edge of the Whipple Mountains near
Lake Havasu and Parker Dam. Photos
by Jerry Strong.
sable with S/C units. rich, red-brown mountains and deep blue cated just south of Parker Dam on the
At the present time, there is only one water will keep your color camera busy. California side.
public campground on the Strip—Em- At Parker Dam, stop and view the In just eight-tenths of a mile you will
pire Landing at the Crossroads. It is lower end of Havasu Lake. This area is see dirt tracks leading off to the left amid
being developed by the Bureau of Land part of a National Wildlife Refuge and some trees. Follow this short detour and
Management and, currently, provides you will see numerous waterfowl which you will be rewarded with a palm oasis,
only primitive sanitary facilities. have journeyed south to spend the win- waterfall and stream. It is a delightful
A circle tour up the California (or ter. You will also enjoy taking the self- spot for a coffee break or lunch.
Arizona) side of the River, crossing guided tour of the power plant which Back on the paved road a half-mile be-
Parker Dam and returning along the op- is informative and educational. yond the oasis, look left into the canyon
posite shore, will treat you to some spec- An interesting back country tour via as you near the summit. You will see a
tacular scenery. Through eons of time, paved road will take you through the narrow, rocky gorge filled with palm
the Colorado River has cut deep into the northeastern fringes of the Whipple trees.
iron-red sediments and formed a pictures- Mountains. A wide variety of scenery Beyond the summit, the road skirts
que canyon between Arizona's Buckskin will be enjoyed as the route winds the Department of Water and Power
Mountains and California's Whipples. around mountains and drops into deep Field Office Headquarters, then skips
Subsequent erosion has scoured an array canyons. Begin the trip by turning west along the edge of Gene Wash Reservoir
of chimney, fortress and castle-like for- from the Parker Dam Road at the sign —the beginning of the Colorado River
mations along its length. The contrast of "Black Meadow Landing" which is lo- Aqueduct. The paving narrows, rides
13
The Parker Strip
C a Ii f or n i a
roller-coaster hills, accomplishes switch- the few locations where they occur on Rock collectors will enjoy a trip up
backs and descends into a small gorge. the California Desert. They will be seen Wall Canyon on a good, graded dirt
Watch carefully and you will see the for the next two miles. road. Less than a mile from the Parker
first of a small stand of giant saguaros— The paved road ends at Black Mea- Dam, fine specimens of "ruby-lace" jas-
many resembling prickly telephone poles. dow Landing, a commercial resort on per may be collected on the steep hill-
They are not plentiful and this is one of Lake Havasu, 11 miles from the Dam. sides to the east. This material is found
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14
in float as reddish boulders- When an a short distance beyond. The material, development of the Lower Colorado
edge is chipped it appears to be granu- jasp-agate and jasper, will be found .8 River including the Parker Strip. A
lar, red jasper with veinlets of white or of a mile north. If the wash is impass- camping complex of several thousand
blue chalcedony. However, it is a "fool- able, an alternate route is shown on units is underway. The first one, Em-
er" as most of it will take a good polish the map. pire Landing Campground at the Cross-
with the lacy-pattern effect making at- This locale is unusual in that, although roads, is due to be ready about March,
tractive cabochons. Several nice speci- specimens are not plentiful, we always 1972. It seems probable that this region
mens of palm wood have also been seem to find one or two outstanding will become one of the largest recreation-
found here. Hike over the first hills to pieces. On our most recent trip, I picked al developments in the United States.
the east and try your luck. up a beautiful lavender, pink, blue and The next time you have a weekend or
A three-mile-plus drive up Wall Can- white jasp-agate weighing about two longer for a winter trip and want to get
yon will bring you to the aqueduct and pounds—just 50 feet east of the road. away from the crowds—head for the
its Whipple tunnel. Dirt tracks lead The Bureau of Land Management Colorado River. You will find fun in the
two miles north (see map) to the old has ambitious plans for the recreational sun along the Parker Strip. Q
Blue Cloud Mine. Turquoise has been
reported from the mine, but we saw no
evidence of it. Thin seams of chrysocolla
occur here and, possibly, have been con-
fused with turquoise.
Old mines are always interesting to
visit. This area was not posted when
we were there; but this is always sub-
ject to change where private property
is involved.
A graded dirt road leads west along
the aqueduct through the Earp Bad-
lands. Wyatt Earp, the famed western
marshall, lived in this area for many
years. His small gold mine, long idle,
may be seen south of the road, approxi-
mately 41/2 miles west of Wall Canyon.
The drive can conclude by taking one
of the graded roads south to the high-
way.
Another rock collecting area lies less
than a mile north of the highway, 4.5
miles west of Earp. The turnoff is into
a wash a short distance east of a "Big
River" sign. Sometimes, storms erase quality for the dollar. No short-changing
the tracks crossing the wash but they
will be visible on the higher ground
It Raises, f on the production line. The patented
hydraulic lowering and raising mecha-
nism marks the design. You get the
Tra/7 0/ //>«• 15-mile hike led through Salvador Canyon (above) and into unmark-
ed areas (right) where the hiking party (left to right, Huie, McKinnie, Scharn
and Hesemeyer) checked their topographical map, and finally to the end and a
well-earned rest at Coyote Canyon. Photos by the author.
UCKED INTO the extreme northwest After much discussion, and my per-
T corner of the half-million acre
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in Cali-
suasive and naturally lazy nature, I
finally convinced him it would be much
our party consisted of Fish and Game
biologist Harold McKinnie, and friends
Jim Huie and Hal Scharn.
fornia's San Diego County is a vest- easier to hike down canyon. We began our adventure near Warner
pocket wilderness area nearly trackless "After all it's 90 degrees out there Springs on State Highway 79 in San
and unexplored by modern man. now and hiking uphill in that heat would Diego County. Our plan was to cover
So when Park Supervisor Jack Hese- kill us," I told him. So plans were made about 15 miles in the two days ahead.
meyer called me one spring morning and the date for our hike was set for a The trip would take us from the pine
and suggested we take a hike in a re- few weeks later. belt, down through oak-studded mea-
mote area, this area came to mind. The big day of the expedition arrived, dows, lower into brush-covered hills,
"How about hiking down Salvador but the warm weather had disappeared. then into gradually more arid canyons
Canyon?" I asked Jack. A steady west gale was blowing and the until we would end up on the desert
"Why don't we hike up?" he count- temperature hovered just around the floor in Coyote Canyon-
ered. "That would be more of a chal- goose pimple mark. Our purpose in hiking this wilderness
lenge." In addition to Hesemeyer and myself, was not only to explore a untouched area
78
G THE CANTONS
ANZA-BORREGO by Ernie Cowan
There are many interesting hiking and back country trails through Anza-Borrego
State Park in California's San Diego and Imperial Counties. For a free map show-
ing the area of this hike and the entire park, send a self-addressed, stamped en-
velope to Anza-Borrego State Park Headquarters, Borrego Springs, Calif. 92004.
FIND BURIED
TREASURE
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silver, coins,
jewelry, old
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weapons. Works
through earth,
vegetation,
water, wood, UP
etc. 5 powerful models
New Relco detectors
send electronic beam
far into earth to seek
out treasures lost or hidden through-
out the centuries. Signals when ob-
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Write for free catalog and fascinating trea-
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RELCO, Dept. D- 3 8 7 , Box 10839 Houston Tex.77018
NAMF
ApnRFSS
\ Jim Huie holds the main piece of a broken olla found along the trail. Indian
\ pottery is now on display in the park museum. Under the Antiquities Act of
1906 private individuals are prohibited from removing artifacts, so look and
photograph, but do not remove artifacts.
long been used by the Indians in passing bed, sometimes on slippery mountain
between their desert and mountain vil- side."
lages," Chase recorded. Soon Chase found a spring with wild-
He also mentions the finding of pot- flowers blooming around the abundant
tery scraps, beads and deep holes in solid water source.
rock "where generations of squaws had "The ground here was ablaze with the
"Won't BUDGE without
ground their flour." superb cardinal flower, a plant which
my OASIS C a n t e e n ! "
Chase continued: "The trail now be- surely represents nature's last effort in
FOR came yet steeper, one of the steepest, in- intensity of color. Even more charming
SPORTSMAN | deed, that I ever tackled. We made pro- were a few wild roses," he wrote.
CAMPER gress by scrambles of 40 or 50 yards at a Our trip began by following a rem-
FARMER time, sometimes in the bouldery creek nant trail for the first few hours. Perhaps
RANCHER this was the trail used by Chase. Near
LOGGER 1972 noon we found a pleasant oak-studded
BURROS
:
~ \ I I—
by Robert C. Likes
• f£ f l : */
f
places, is devoid of any growth, Holt, an engineer, was selected to ram- The train departed the mill at 1 o'clock
The paradox to this picture is the for- rod the project. In addition to this task, each afternoon, and arrived back at Bodie
ests of Jeffrey and Lodgepole pine a few Holt was operating a five-ton steamship by 6:00 P.M. The ten- to twelve-car
miles south of Mono Lake. It is surpris- and several barges on which materials and train was broken up into three sections
ing that this country could bear trees, and supplies were transported across Mono prior to the final approach to Bodie in
incredible that they would mature to four Lake to the railroad construction crews. order to negotiate the switchbacks and
feet in diameter. However, the country While the sawmill was being built, 3.8% grades. In addition to the problems
does, and the trees did, and therein lies grading for the roadbed was started at the caused by the sharp turns and steep grades,
the birth of a railroad. top of Bodie Bluff in May, 1881. With the rolling stock "was not equipped with
Huddled in the sagebrush-covered the aid of two switchbacks, many cuts, air brakes. Two brakemen were kept busy
mountain, 30 miles north of Mono Lake, and a 260-foot trestle, the steep and cir- hopping from car to car setting the hand
was the brawling, boisterous, gold mining cuitous grade down to lake elevation was brakes whenever the train began to gain
town of Bodie, California. With a soar- accomplished, and by mid-July, the first momentum. There were many derail-
ing population of nearly 12,000, the 20 miles of roadbed had been graded. ments, but no fatalities among the crew-
town's need for lumber to build homes, The first shipment of rails arrived in men were ever recorded.
timber for shoring mines, and wood for August, and as they were being spiked The southern terminus at Mono Mills,
fuel was tremendous. Teamsters could not into place, the final five miles of grading while not a large settlement, was a busy
begin to meet the enormous appetite was completed to the new mill. In all, one. There were 200 men employed in
Bodie had for consuming wood. The some 2,000 tons of rails, spikes and other the wood and lumber business, and the
stage was set for the obvious answer to supplies were used. The total cost of the aroma of fresh sawdust was everywhere.
the problem—build a railroad to the large road reached $450,931. In addition, Two large boarding houses and six
timber stands south of Mono Lake. $81,390 was spent for equipment that in- smaller dwellings were located near the
The Bodie Railway & Lumber Co. was cluded 4 engines, 12 service cars, 51 flat mill. The single store supplied all the
organized on February 18, 1881, and cars, and one caboose. The "last spike" necessary goods required by the residents,
shortly afterwards, J. T. Oliver surveyed was driven on November 14, 1881, and and was operated by Gilchrist, Sharp &
the route from Bodie to the mill site five a two-car lumber train arrived afterwards Company, who also had 40 mules pack-
miles south of the lake. When completed, to officially open the road. ing wood, and two large ox teams hauling
the proposed 31.7 miles of roadbed was The following weeks saw the new rail- logs to the mill.
to descend the 2,000-foot drop in eleva- way quite active with a scheduled train The well-equipped mill was one of the
tion and traverse the alkali flats on the leaving Bodie each day at 6:30 A.M. and best in the state. Located in a small ravine,
eastern shore of Mono Lake. Thomas arriving at Mono Mills at 10:00 A.M. the second floor was level with the sur-
MONO MILLS
ENGINE
HOUSE
HOUSING - ^
GENERAL STORE - — Q
HOUSING
MACHINE SHOP
LOG CAR
UNLOADING
Are millions of acre-feet of water being lost from the lower part of the Colo-
rado by a mysterious underground channel? How much more fertile crop
land in the United States and Mexico could be saved if we plugged the hole?
Dune Buggy
stuck in sand
1-5 iPinacate
SONORA
ni'
tographer to have made such a gross Aerial photo of Adair Bay in Mexico's
error in locating the mouth of the Colo- Gulf of California showing sand dunes
rado River. and terrain indicating how water from
Assuming Kino to have been correct, the underground river is flowing into
that now barren and desolate region on the "Sea of Cortez."
the western edge of the Pinacate lava
fields surely supported human habita- southeastern course; only to return to its
tion when the river, or its delta, was original course centuries later. What
located nearby. A map of 1774 shows caused such restlessness of the lower
the mouth of the Colorado to be near Colorado—if that many changes over a
its present site, yet all earlier maps lo- period of millions of years can be term-
cated it as Kino did, and show the ed restless?
northern gulf to be much narrower Our Desert Magazine exploration team
than today. decided to see what evidence we could
Why was it that shortly before 1774 find of that period in prehistory when
the river decided to go back to its an- the river flowed past the Pinacates and
cient course of hundreds of centuries on down to the gulf so far east of where
earlier when its estuary closed off the it enters today.
north end of the gulf and created an in- The first indication we came across
land sea where the Imperial and Coa- was the pattern of recent arboreal growth
chella valleys are now located? Then not yet covered by the encroaching sands.
ages later, after the dead sea had evapor- Then along what was once the eastern
ated, wandered back into the Salton Sink shore of the delta and its tidal flats
and created Lake Cahuilla, then again there were numerous sites where Indian
changed is course to flow back into the artifacts were found; pottery shards, me-
gulf! tates and manos, fire rings and council
Eventually it abandoned its channel circles, arrowheads and middens of sea-
west of the confluence with the Gila shells—items uneffected by time. Many
River and headed out on a generally of the shells were amply decalcified to
be hundreds of years old.
It was when we got onto the big
dunes, 300 feet high, or higher, that we
Make Your began finding conclusive evidence. The east of San Luis, Mexico, there is a lake
first clue was found by accident when covering an estimated ten or twelve acres.
Outings our dune buggy became stuck on the lee There is no surface inlet or outlet to be
side of a crest. As we dug down into seen, yet, judging by the shoreline and
More Fun the dry blow sand to free the buggy we the vegetation bordering it, the water
encountered moisture within 18 inches of level remains constant. The lake lies at a
the surface. point where, according to the pattern of
Checking our reconstructed map show- the big dunes, we believe there was a
METAL DETECTORS /A
ing the general course of the old channels bend in the old channel swinging it
• Detect ron
and the delta we were not too surprised more to the east.
• Excelsior Find to find this great dune was directly over
Get the Best . .
On a later expedition we found the
Top Guarantee . . Gold where we believed the delta to have been, most conclusive evidence of all. We
Easy to Operate
From Old Coins possibly over one of the channels. There
had to be water below and it was being
reached the coast of Adair Bay, a clear
$64.95 to vestige of the ancient delta. Extending
$165.00 Treasures brought to the surface by capillary action out from the shoreline, in the floor of
and thus creating the big dunes—moist the bay, are several deep channels. A
Stop By And See Our . . .
sand does not drift with the wind. strong current is required to keep these
Western Artifacts, Indian Collection, Jewelry These dunes might best be described channels open against the powerful tides
Display, Lapidary Equipment, Tumblers, Gold
as sand hills, continuously growing on and their burdens of sand. There is ob-
Pans, Dry Washsrs, Books on Treasures and
Lost Mines . and other items of fun for
the same site for years. The dry dunes in viously a considerable underground flow
the entire family. For information |ust write adjacent areas were the so-called walking coming down the old river channels from
to or call: dunes, slowly moving in an easterly direc- the Colorado.
tion as the winds carry the sands from Not having seen the area north of the
COMPTON the up-wind side over to the lee; they border we can only guess at the point of
are crescent-shaped and sharply crested, divergence from the river. Judging by
ROCK SHOP dished in on the lee side. the dunes pattern and our estimated
1405 South Long Beach Blvd. The next clue was a real surprise. Far course of the old channels, it appears to
Ph. 632-9096 Compton, Calif. 90221 out in the dunes, about 20 miles south- originate somewhere in the vicinity of
28
^
met the current of the river huge sandbars their banks. Capillary action carried the
were formed and were enlarged by the moisture upward, dampening the sands
debris and silt carried by the river. as fast as the winds deposited them, first
Francisco de Ulloa, one of the earliest forming ridges and then dunes that con-
explorers to sail to the mouth of the Colo- tinued to grow into great sand hills. As
rado in 1647 reported, "A recent down- the moisture reached the top of the sand
pour to the north had put the river in it evaporated where the arid desert air
flood so that down the estuary came reached it-
floating great clots of grass-matted soil, Waters gradually drained from the
trunks of trees and other light debris. flood plains of the delta, joining the flow
Sometimes it was the color of lime—the still coming down the old channels. Bit
color of a river in flood, then yellow, by bit the water built up pressure when
then dark brown, and again the color of the capillary action and evaporation
chocolate or nearly black from the vol- could no longer handle it. The flow be-
canic contents of the soil." came more concentrated and its velocity
With the formation of these bars of increased as seepage broke through under
silt and sand, the channels of the delta the old barriers and soon became a free
were choked and eventually dammed. flowing underground river into Adair
The river became deeper and its waters Bay.
backed up to the confluence with the The last inhabitants who might have
Gila River, or farther up both rivers, and seen this all take place were the Arenero
spread across the tidal flats surrounding Indians. Most of them left while the
the delta. Finally a trickle overflowed waters were disappearing; the last of
the once-high west bank of the Colorado. them were run out or killed by a Mexi-
While the bank washed away the trickle can posse nearly a century ago—they had
became a flow, and the flow a torrent been responsible or were so accused, for
as the river rushed out into the lower more than 50 murders and robberies
lands to the southwest. Several hundred along the Camino del Diablo. They left
square miles were flooded before the no written records and their legends died
rampaging river once again settled down with them. Consequently the "how" and
in its ancient stream bed to the west. "why" the river changed is course is a
The water flowing over the west bank matter of conjecture based on existing
Yuma; above the Morelos dam and prob- cut deep to a ledge of bedrock where it evidence, with a few educated guesses
ably—but not positively—from below could go no deeper. This, however, was to fit the pieces together.
the Imperial dam. not as deep as the bed the river had fol- The amount of irrigation water being
After seeing this vast area below the lowed for several centuries. A greatly lost before it reaches the Alamo Canal
border, both from the ground and the reduced flow continued as it had before. and possibly, but not probably, from the
air, we were able to arrive at a theory as With the diminished volume of water All American Canal is also a matter of
to how and why the river shifted its going down the channel toward Adair conjecture until the comparative flows
course sometime in the late 1700s In Bay the river and the flood waters in can be measured.
those early days the gulf tapered to the the delta gradually stagnated and could In any event, if you're boating down
north, so that as the tides progressed up no longer carry away the blowing sands the lower Colorado take the right hand
its 750 mile length from south to north as they settled. Over a period of time branch—the other has a very low ceiling.
they became higher and advanced more
rapidly as the surface area narrowed.
the channels became filled to the top of •
Tidal bores in excess of 20 feet are a
matter of record. These great bores were
dissipated when they reached the north
FISH! FISH! FISH!
of the gulf and spread out over the TROUT, BASS AND CATFISH
tidal flats where the desert and dunes Get your share at Hall's Crossing
now lay, and at ebb tide would deposit
their vast burdens of sand. Surface tem- HALLS'S CROSSING MARINA OFFERS: Gas and oil, live bait and lures, fishing gear, boat repair
facilities, cold beer, ICE, groceries, slips and buoys for rent. Overnight accommodations that
peratures in the area have been report- sleep two to eight persons. Write or call for reservations. At the general store: fresh milk, eggs,
ed at 180 degrees in the summer months. butter, frozen meat, cold cuts and canned items for camping or picnicking. Take a boat trip to
Rainbow Bridge in one day. 2, 3 and 4-day tours to various parts of the lake, camping and
The blistering sun dried out the top sleeping under the stars. Ferry service for travelers' with light vehicles. All types of pleasure
sands in a matter of minutes after the craft for rent, from 14-ft. to houseboats. Airstrip is 4000 feet with tiedown facilities available.
29
A MONG LOCAL desert rodents, the ar-
rival of a badger in their midst is
very bad news. No welcome mat is hung
out for this heavy-set, low-slung charac-
ter in the greyish fur and white face
markings. Indeed, his advent is marked
by a frenzied fleeing in all directions, a
Desert
tumbling head over tail into burrows to
escape.
Not that it does much good. The bad-
ger, inviting himself for dinner, puts
if
r
The wily badger—always
playing the badger game—is
only vulnerable to mountain
lions, bears and man.
Photo below by Adrian Atwater
and, right, by G. E.
Kirkpatrick.
never makes it out his back exit.
Furthermore, if this particular tasty
item is the last course on the evening's
menu, the badger may not bother to go
home. The burrow he's in at the moment
is good enough for temporary layover
since it takes only a few lazy strokes of
his big clawed hands to enlarge it to fit
his broadbeamed body more comfortably.
In no time he's fast asleep, thus fed and
lodged by the rodent now reposing in '/
his stomach.
With a sharp nose to tell him where
food is and the digging tools to get at
it, the desert badger lives high on the
^f^
land. Kangaroo rats, pocket mice, ground
squirrels are eaten with gusto and in ',• M . ti
quantity. Lizards are also fancied as are in such an area there are a great many rows at regular intervals with plenty of
turtle eggs, scorpions, beetles, grasshop- holes which are the front doors and elbow room between them. While extra
pers and other insects in season, one bad- emergency exits of these private burrows. exits are opened from these nurseries,
ger being seen digging industriously In the course of the season, some bur- the youngsters tend to cluster around the
around cactus plants where cicada pupae rows contain females with their young. main entrance during .the first few weeks
were hatching and stuffing himself on Others have only one occupant—an old of their lives above ground, and hence
them. Ground-nesting birds are caught maid, or a male living bachelor style. the front door gets a lot of wear and
occasionally but this bad record is more The watching zoologists saw that time tear and shows it. A smart badger can
than offset by his high rodent removal after time when a badger came foraging tell a busy burrow just by looking.
score, particularly of ground squirrels he looked the holes over, passing up a Balph also encountered a badger who
who are known to be great little eaters number of them, before making his selec- capitalized still further on his knowledge
of bird eggs. The badger's moisture needs tion. Single animal dens were ignored, of squirrel psychology. It seems that by
are well supplied by prey he eats, and and each time the burrow finally chosen June or July the ground squirrel wooing
hence his ability to exist in the desert far was one occupied by a female and her season tapers off. Boundary lines are
from water. Yet, given an opportunity, young. Once the burrow was selected, lifted, territorial disputes forgotten and
he will drink copiously, and unaccustom- the badger located its one or two exits the squirrels frolic anywhere they please-
ed to water as he may be, he is a good and plugged them shut. He then pro- Running and playing or alarmed, they
swimmer, a skill that comes in handy in ceeded to dig leisurely into the main en- may dash into any handy hole. This par-
sudden desert flash floods. trance, trapping the entire family within. ticular badger, having carefully enlarged
An old hand at the hunting game, the The payoff of all this was apparent one of their burrows to fit himself with
badger knows a few labor-saving tricks. when subsequent investigation showed plenty of turn-around space, partially
Zoologists Knopf and Balph, studying that the badger, for the same amount of plugged up its two entrances until they
Uinta ground squirrels in Utah, found digging, thus netted some 700 grams of were only ground size. Escounced com-
that the local badgers likewise were giv- food as opposed to a maximum 340 fortably therein, he had only to wait a
ing the same ground squirrels consider- grams from a singly occupied burrow. short time before some silly squirrel,
able attention. It was obvious to the But how, the zoologists wondered, with chasing and fooling or frightened at
scientists from the first that their squat all the den holes here, there and every- something, whisked ino one of the en-
four-footed fellow investigators already where, did the badger always pick the trances. Nor would the catch be limited
knew more about the subject than they ones that contained the jackpots? to only one. These squirrels, being a
did, and that by watching the badgers The upshot of a lot of study was the light headed and giddy lot, the frolic
they could learn a lot. conclusion that these Utah badgers cer- continued above ground despite the one-
Now it seems that it is the wont of tainly knew their squirrel behavior. It by-one disappearance of their numbers.
Uinta ground squirrels to congregate in seems that among ground squirrels the The badger is a firm believer in mind-
an open habitat, living closely together, ladies are highly territorial during the ing his own business, avoiding trouble
each in his own den- Consequently with- family raising season, spacing their bur- when he can by retreating forwards or
31
backwards into his burrow. Caught in time dig a hole into which he shortly pings helps in the creation of organic
the open, he cannot escape by running disappeared to safety. soil.
for 10-15 miles-per-hour is about top Alcorn reports trying to dig out a bad- Heavy of body, short of tail, the bad-
speed his short legs can manage, and ger who had a two or three foot start, ger is one of the biggest of the Mnsteli-
that for only a short distance as he is and while he could hear the animal cUte family which also boasts such illus-
squat and heavy. But given a minute or working away through the sand and trious members as weasels, skunks, wol-
two, he can dig a burrow where he is. desert rubble couldn' catch up with him. verines and otters. Like his skunk cousin,
One zoologist witnessing an encounter be- Another report tells of 10 men all equip- the badger has scent glands. The two lo-
tween a badger and a dog saw the bad- ped with shovels trying to dig a badger cated on his belly are mainly sex lures.
ger fend off his attacker and at the same out of sandy soil. After four hours of The other pair under his tail are used
digging they had gone down six feet for defense- The smell produced by a
MAKE THE and had a 30-foot passageway. The bad- cornered badger is pretty bad, but noth-
PUREST ger was still ahead of them. At this point ing, of course, when compared to that
DISTILLED they gave up, ready to admit that once a
badger gets into the earth his unbeliev-
of the skunk, nor can he direct the fluid
for an accurate shot, as does the old mas-
WATER able digging ability plus his trick of fill- ter smell maker.
IN YOUR ing in behind him as he goes makes fol- The Mustelidae are an interesting lot,
OWN KITCHEN lowing his route and catching him im- whose evolutionary history and clan re-
24 HOURS A DAY possible.
lationships are still not satisfactorily
Convert tap water to pure, delicious spring
fresh distilled water for pennies a gallon. Forced to fight, the badger puts every- straightened out. The tribe appeared
Eliminates bad tastes, impurities and thing he has into it, fired by a never- somewhere around 40 million years ago,
harmful bacteria.
Aquaspring® purifier-distillers are give-up spirit and supreme confidence splitting off from the regulation carniv-
fully automatic portable appliances. in his weapons- Crouching flat with his ores and going their own way ever since.
Take it wherever you go—weighs only
6 lbs. legs doubled up under him, he shakes Plesicitis was one of the badger's earliest
Plugs in like a toaster — no plumbing his long coarse hair outward as protec- ancestors and he already showed the short
hookups whatever.
2 year warranty. UL approved. tive armor. Where in all that mop is face and long brain case characteristic of
Write now for free information. the right spot for a killing bite or lethal today's models. The modern mustelids
UNITED VITO-WAY grip? An attacker is very apt to get only put in appearance about 10 million years
1930 E. Pacific, Dept. D12
Albany, Oregon 97321 Tel: (503) 926-3581 a mouthful of fur, or if he's lucky enough ago. Some became specialized as active
to connect with the hide underneath, he's meat eaters (weasels and wolverines),
little better off. The badger's skin is so some specialized for life in the water
tough it is hard to keep hold of. It is so (otters), some for climbing (martins)
loose that the animal can turn and twist and some like our hero and his European
without shutting off his own wind, and counterpart, became the most specialized
bring his own teeth and raking claws in- diggers of all carnivores, regardless of
to the act. A dog twice his weight can't kind.
lick him, and is liable to be a very dead With a good layer of fat under his
one if he tries. skin and a burrow for protection, the
Coyotes are usually far too smart to badger is active even during the winter
&&?
l>*-4-
S3*"
:•>/•-,
timber, massive Ponderosa pines amid
alpine meadows, crystal springs and
groves of aspen, all fused into one of
the few remaining primitive mountain
wildernesses in North America
This lesser known side of Baja is by
no means inaccessible. Rough, but not
inaccessible. Four-wheel-drive trails in-
tersect the towering pines and with the
construction of an observatory complex
high on the Martir range, the prospect
of a paved road through the San Pedro
National Forest will soon be a reality.
The completion of a dirt road from
MOST people, Baja California cactus and the rusty remains of less for- San Felipe on the Gulf of California
F OR
brings to mind the scorching desert,
bleached bones and roaring four-wheel-
tunate vehicles.
There is another and more delightful
side has further opened the scenic mag-
nificence of this unknown part of Baja
drive vehicles racing the 500 mile length side of Baja. High in the San Pedro de to travelers from all of the western
of the peninsula through searing heat, Martir range are vast stands of virgin states.
36
the usual purple jars, a beer, an opium, neck finish and a deep push-up base,
an old wooden-spoke car wheel and In-
dians points and chippings, we made
these items indicating a liqueur of some Authorized
kind-
camp at Reveille in Nye County. This type bottle was in use as a "serv- JEEP
"It was a very early camp and now ing bottle" or decanter from the cellars
there are only ghostly remains of rock of the owners and comes in many other
Sales and Service
LARGEST SUPPLY OF
walls. We didn't find much at the camp shapes and colors. Their fascination to NEW A N D USED JEEP PARTS
IN THE WEST.
as it has been dug over. It was while collectors lies in the fact the seals were
Looking for a Jeep—Try us!
hiking on a nearby hillside that we came handmade. They are found in oval, ob-
BRIAN CHUCHUA'S
across this one whole bottle laying by a long or round shapes, some tiny on large
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE CENTER
tree stump amidst various broken pieces, bottles, some overwhelming a small bot- Dept. DM 1625 S. Harbor Blvd.
necks and bases." tle. Sloppy and crude at times but very Fullerton, California
by
Adele Reed
AURORA6286 BEACH BLVD.
BUENA PARK, CALIFORNIA 90620
Phone (714) 521-6321
37
from the Orient. Burma, Cambodia and
the island of Ceylon are the best localities.
Rambling
A mine in Tanganyika and a new area in
Australia also produce fine crystals. Na-
Write For Gem Maker's tural zircon does not appear in the Orient
FREE CATALOG! as colorless, golden or fine blue as we
Showing Over know it. Instead, the crystals are reddish,
200 MACHINES AND
EQUIPMENT brown or green. Australia is the only
area that produces colorless gem material,
and no locality produces the golden or
blue. These popular colors are achieved
by heating the darker crystals found in
COVINGTON ENGINEERING CORP. the Oriental river gravels.
Box 35, Redlands Q Calif. 92373
This heating is done in two ways. First,
the brown crystals are put into a fur-
nace so that, while heated, the stones are
excluded from oxygen. This tends to
FOR GIFTS, PERSONAL WEAR OR PROFIT! change the color to blue in about 30 per-
and Martha Vargas cent of the crystals; some turn to a beau-
200 PAGE
I
1
CATALOG tiful golden color. Some do not change,
SHOWS HOW!
others are blue, but the color is murky.
EASY TO DO, NO SPECIAL SKILLS ZIRCON: BLUE ONLY AFTER
Earn Big Money in your spare time. These are reheated, but this time they
Sell your creations for 2 to 5 times
what you paid for them. This HEATING are exposed to oxygen during the pro-
:
REE CATALOG contains everything
VER SINCE diamonds became a popu- cess. Some of the brown ones turn blue
'ou need . . . send for hobby-crafts biggest and best
catalog. Contains over 10,000 items . . . loaded with
pictures — everything you need to get started at once.
SEND FOR FREE CATALOG
E lar gem, there has been a search for
a substitute. The search is actively being
or colorless and most of the murky
blue become colorless.
IGRIEGER'S Inc. pursued today. The first gem that was The first 'attempts at color change re-
offered as such was zircon. This gem has sulted in only colorless stones. This was
a brilliance and fire nearly equal to a done in Ceylon at the town of Matara.
FREE CATALOG diamond, but it is much softer, about After being cut into gems they closely
FUN & PROFIT the same as quartz and quite brittle. The resembled diamonds and were represented
WITH softness and brittleness rule it out for and sold as such. When the fraud was
METAL DETECTORS normal use, but is excellent for earrings detected, the gems became known as
Goldcik, White's, Precision, Bounty Hunter and pendants. The brittleness shows up "Matara diamonds."
Prospecting and Hiking Equipment in a very peculiar way. Zircon is cut into Stones from various locations behave
Books — Topo Maps
gems in the Orient where it is found, and differently when heated. Those from the
FREE—Indexes for Topo Maps, stock Western
states, each state has index. shipped to world markets in folded paper Kha district in Cambodia are the best.
JACOBSEN SUPPLIERS envelopes, known in the trade as "pa- They will consisently turn the popular
9322 California Ave., South Gate, Calif. pers." A large number of cut gems are blue (known as starlite) and a fine gold-
Phone 569-8041 90280 usually placed in a single paper, and dur- en color. The other districts produce
ing shipment they rub against each other, pieces that usually become colorless.
with small chips being removed. This Zircon presents an interesting chemical
1ICK CEPEK
P.O.BOX 1181 9201 CALIFORNIA AVE
(213]
569-1675
Each member receives a 160-page Mineral
and Rock book with 4 0 0 color illustrations.
Send only $10.00 for 6 interesting and ex-
the light into the colors of the spectrum.
The two separate molecules resulting
SOUTH GATE, CALIFORNIA 90280 » citing months, or send $16.00 for 12 months from the radioactive decay have greatly
membership. Join today and start learning. lessened ability to produce brilliant gems.
Addrass- Satisfaction guaranteed or money re\unded
Clly_ FOREIGN ORDERS II MINERAL OF THE MONTH CLUB
Thus, only partly altered zircon is known
Box 487-DM Yucaipa, Calif. 92399 as "high" zircon, and the highly altered
38
green pieces are known as "low" zircon some color in the process, but obviously
or better as metamict zircon.
At one time, the host of possibilities
lying between these extremes were known
are not blue or golden. Many amateurs
wish to cut a fine large natural-colored
gem, but such pieces are seldom available.
For
as "intermediate" zircon. This term has
gone into disuse as it is very difficult to
decide just where the alteration is at the
Other cutters would like a fine large blue
piece to cut into a gem, and this is even
more difficult to find. (he
moment. Generally, if the material is
brown or red, it is considered to be
"high" or normal zircon, and if the pieces
are green, it is metamict. It has been
Some collectors do obtain a fine blue
gem that they have cut; the obtaining of
these is an interesting side issue of
native cutting. The native cutter is not
Birds?
found that the heating process tends to re-
unite the molecule and will change much
of the metamict back to the normal type.
really interested in cutting perfect gems.
He makes more money if he cuts them
quickly, and this tends toward poorly
You
Thus the two terms are really only valid
for unheated material which is not often
seen other than in the Orient.
cut gems. At times, a large poorly-cut
gem is available as a reject from the
jewelry trade. The poorly-cut gems are know
The amateur gem cutter experiences
diffculty in obtaining rough pieces of zir-
con to cut. There are some interesting
economic aspects to this. The better gems
sometimes a thing to behold, seldom with
two faces the same size or shape. Regard-
less, the amateur is overjoyed with these
imperfects, and proceeds to cut himself
it is!
have always been cut in the countries of a smaller, but finer gem. Large paper-
origin, and if the rough were sold out of worn gems sometimes appear, but usually
the country, the gem cutters would lack large gems are carefully packed.
employment. Those that handle the It is unfortunate that zircon was offer-
newly-found crystals are under the im- ed as a diamond substitute, for it poorly
pression that only the blue, golden, or fills the need. On the other hand, it is
white are desirable, and thus all pieces are a fine gem in its own right, and should
heated. The finest of these go to the cut- be considered as such. Q
ter.
A small amount of uncut material
makes its way to this country, but it is
usually far from what the average ama-
teur wishes. Most material available are
pieces rejected by the native cutter. These
are usually flawed, or badly shaped. Some
have been ground to various shapes be-
fore a flaw was discovered. Usually they
are a motley array of pieces. Also avail-
able are the brown pieces that did not
change when heated. These did lose
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secures all G.I. cans to your ONLY 2 " * * Postpaid
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If for 4 " high rear panel
state if 1 " slot or l>/ 2 " slot. Send check or money order to:
All steel construction, bright
zinc plated. mm e n
Type DOnly 5>liDU ~2)t4tfL. MAGAZINE
PLUS POSTAGE, 2 LBS.
DEALER
INQUIRIES Send for FREE Brochure Showing 103 N. MAIN ST., BISHOP, CALIF. 93514 Palm Desert, California 92260
INVITED. Other Models to Fit Any Vehicle. Dealer inquiries invited California residents add 15c tax
\ Route 4, Box 188, Salem, Oregon 97302 >
39
JEWELRY
The Trading Post Classified ids GIFT SHOP DIRECTORY—900 shops addresses.
Unlimited uses! How to Market Your Product
—detailed, $2.00. Resourceful Research, P.O.
Box 642 FDR-D, New York, N.Y. 10022.
• MAPS
BOOKS - MAGAZINES BOOKS - MAGAZINES DESERT ADVENTURE — Two maps featuring
ghost towns, mining camps, old trails, aban-
OUT-OF-PRINT books at lowest prices! You TREASURE HUNTER'S HANDBOOK, Almanac of doned railroads, scenic and unusual back
name it—we find it! Western Americana, Coin, Relic, Treasure Hunting. Personalities, country to explore . . . multi-color, 22x35"
desert and Indian books a specialty. Send Articles, Detector Information. $4.00. Slocum on topo base. "Overview of Mojave Desert"
us your wants. No obligation. International Books, Box 176, Reseda, Calif. 91335. — $ 3 . 0 0 ; "Colorado Desert Overview" (River-
Bookfinders. Box 1, Pacific Palisades, Calif. GUIDE TO MEXICO'S gems and minerals: locali- side, Imperial, San Diego Counties) $3.00;
90272. ties, mines, maps, directions, contacts. Eng- both $5.00; rolled 25c extra. Desert Enter-
GEMS & MINERALS," the monthly guide to lish-Spanish glossary, too. $2.00 postpaid. prises, Box 286-D, Ontario, Calif. 91761.
gems, minerals, and rock hobby fun. $4.50 Gemac, Mentone, Calif. 92359. OLD MAP KIT. Reprints of State and Railroad
year. Sample 25c. Gems & Minerals, Mentone, FREE 128 page catalog on detectors, books and maps, 70-90 years old. Send self-addressed,
Calif. 92359. maps. General Electronic Detection Co., 16238 stamped envelope for details. Specify state.
DESERT MAGAZINES for sale. Collection of 213 Lokewood Blvd., Bellflower, Calif. 90706. Northern Map Co., 2046 N. Tripp Ave., Dept.
different issues, including Volumes Number DM, Chicago, Illinois 60639.
1 and 2. Several complete years, in binders. • BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCHERS, ADVENTURERS, treasure and
Jan Gerbaz, 4779 Bancroft Drive, La Mesa, relic-hunters, we offer these maps: "Road
UNLIMITED INCOME AVAILABLE with $3500.00
California 92041. Map to Lost Mines—Buried Treasures of Cali-
investment in expanding international or-
WILD & WOOLLY WEST BOOKS, 3 0 # , Rails on fornia" folded, $4.00. "Road Map to Cali-
ganization. Information: C. J. Brown, 5220
Narrow Gauge Trains, Yukon Poems, Book of fornia's Pioneer Towns, Ghost Towns and Min-
Carlingford Ave., Riverside, Calif. 92504.
Pancakes, Navajo Weavers & Silversmiths, ing Camps," folded or rolled, $2.95. Both
(714) 684-7898.
Wet Plates & Dry Gulches (ghost towns), $6.50. "Oregon Trail," a decorative pictorial,
Simple Methods of Mining Gold, and others, showing routes and landmarks of 1810-1860.
$1.00 each postpaid, and illustrated. Send
• EQUIPMENT Fine artwork, rolled, $1.50. California tax
stamp for catalog. Filter Press, Box 5D, WANT TO KNOW more about our Custom 5 %. We also offer map-making services to
Palmer Lake. Colorado 80133. Crafted lapidary equipment? Write for Free order. Varna Enterprises, Dept. A, P.O. Box
"OVERLOOKECTFORTUNES" in minerals and gem Catalog. Great Western Equipment Co., 3444 2216, Van Nuys, California 91404.
stones; here are a few of the 300 or more Main Street, Chula Vista, Calif. 92011.
you may be overlooking: uranium, vanadium, DRYWASHERS, GOLD PANS, metal detectors, • MINERALS, PRECIOUS STONES
tin, tungsten, columbium, tantalum, nickel, books, custom Jeep seats, etc. Send for liter-
cobalt, gold, silver, platinum, iridium, beryl- ature. Hoffman's Desert Products, Box 402, NEWI SEND FOR new 1972 Illustrated Catalog
lium, emeralds, etc. Some worth $1 to $2 a La Mirada, California 90638. |215 photographs!) describing hundreds of
pound, others $25 to $200 per ounce; an different exciting Mineral Specimens, Beau-
GOLD DRY Washer plans, portable hand opera- tiful Crystals and Crystal Groups, Rocks, Min-
emerald the size of your thumb may be ted, recover gold from gold diggings, from
worth $1000 or more; learn how to find, eral and Rock Collections, and Amazing Geo-
dry river beds, etc., by air principle. $2.00. logical Oddities! (6 pages of photographs and
identify and cash in on them. New simple R. Bown, P.O. Box 7 9 1 , Arcadia, Calif. 91006
system. Send for free copy "Overlooked For- descriptions devoted just to single crystals!).
tunes in Minerals," it may lead to knowledge NEW TWO-WAY POWER WINCH for "Off Road Order your catalog today—it's crystal clearl
which may make you rich! Duke's Research Vehicles" for lots less dollars. Area dealer: Send only $2.00 Icredited on first order).
Laboratory, Box 666-B, Truth or Consequences Joseph Steger, 4957 '/2 Rangeview Ave., Los Satisfaction guaranteed, or money refunded.
New Mexico 87901. Angeles, Calif. 90042. Enclose 25c to cover Our 25th year supplying quality minerals.
cost of mailing descriptive literature. Filer's, Box 487-DA, Yucoipa, Calif. 92399.
CONTEMPORARY METALCRAFT, new quarterly
"Journal of Contemporary Metalcraft, Cast-
ing and Related Arts." Articles, problem
• GEMS • MINING
solving, reader questions answered. $4.00 SHAMROCK ROCK SHOP, 593 West La Cadena
per year. Box 22027S, Seattle, Wash. 98122. Drive. Riverside, California 92501. Parallel ATTENTION PROSPECTORS! Give deed to five
to Riverside Freeway. Phone 686-3956. gold placer mining claims; one large dry
LOST DESERT GOLD, legendary and geological
Come in and browse; jewelry mountings, washer International Caterpillar loader. Liv-
history of the southern California desert, with
chains, supplies, minerals, slabs, rough ma- ing quarters, you are in business, $12,000
photos and maps to pinpoint locations. $2.50
terial, equipment, black lights, metal de- cash. Can make fortune. Give phone. P.O. Box
postpaid. Gedco Publishing Co., Box 67, Bell-
tectors, maps, rock and bottle books. 1574, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101.
flower, Calif. 90706.
TEN GOLD NUGGETS with "California Gold ASSAYS. COMPLETE, accurate, guaranteed. High-
"UPPER MOJAVE DESERT," first book to reveal
Story," $2.00; 10 for $15.00. A Bit of est quality spectrographic. Only $5.00 per
route of extinct Tonopah-Tidewater Railroad,
U.S.A., 3131-T North 33rd St., Phoenix, Ari- sample. Reed Engineering, Box 121, Wright-
original names of present towns and cities,
zona 85018. wood, California 92397.
the Borax story, biographies of pioneers.
Hardbound. Many priceless photos. Only
$4.95 postpaid from author: Mary O'Conley, • HOME STUDY • OLD COINS, STAMPS
Baker, Calif. 92309. MAKE THE MOST OF your treasures! Whether CHOICE UNCIRCULATED SILVER DOLLARS: 1880-
RIVER OF GOLD, the richect treasure of them from desert or elsewhere, some of your finds 81 S Mint; 1883-4-5; 1898-99-1900-01-
all. A new book "Treasure Travels" contains deserve many hours of loving care in making 02-04 O Mint, $5.00 each. The lot $50.00.
all new photos, maps and other valuable them into permanent decoratives. Established Illustrated catalogue 50c. Shultz, Salt Lake
information on California's most fabulous correspondence course offers everything need- City, Utah 84110.
treasure. $3 postpaid. Gedco Publishing Co., ed to learn complex skills in metalcraft,
Box 67, Bellflower, Calif. 90706. models for lost wax casting. You sign no
SURVIVAL BOOKS! Guerrilla Warfare, Wilder- contract; buy one or more lessons at a time. • REAL ESTATE
ness Living, Medical, Guns, Self Defense, All items unconditionally guaranteed . . . PRIVATE CAMPSITES and Homesites now avail-
Nature. Books—Vital, Fascinating, Extraor- but these new skills will cost you hundreds able at Joshua Tree National Monument's
dinary,- Catalog free. Adobe Hacienda, of hours and several hundred dollars! William north entrance. Exquisite view of Twentynine
Route 3, Box 517A, Glendale, Arizona 85301. Garrison, Magic Circle Corporation, Box Palms and monument. Lots and acreage,
"DEAD MEN DO Tell Tales" By Lake Erie Schae- 22027. Seattle, Washington 98122. $400.00 acre. William Simmons, 3335 North
fer. Facts about Frank Fish's mysterious death, Flowing Wells Road, Tucson, Arizona 85705.
still unexplained. Sequel to "Buried Treasure • INDIAN GOODS (602) 622-8059.
& Lost Mines" the Treasure Hunters manual. FINE RESERVATION-MADE Navajo, Zuni, Hopi GOVERNMENT LANDS . . . low as $1.00 acre!
$3 postpaid. L. Erie Schaefer, 14728 Peyton jewelry. Old pawn and Kachina dolls. Navajo Million acres! For exclusive "Government
Drive, Chino, Calif. 91710. rugs, Yei blankets, Chimayo blankets and Land Buyer's Guide" plus "Land Opportunity
ANTIQUE BARBED WIRE Identification. Hand- vests, pottery. Kaibab moccasins. A collector's Review" listing lands available throughout
book hundreds of wires. Illustrated, names, paradise! Open daily 10 to 5:30, closed U.S., send $1.00. Satisfaction guaranteed.
dated, etc. Send $1.00 to Wire Sales, Box Wednesdays. Buffalo Trading Post, 20115 United Lands, Box 19107-RL, Washington,
6392-X, Bakersfield, Calif. 93306. Hwy. 18, Apple Valley, Calif. 92307. D.C. 20036.
40
• TREASURE FINDERS MISCELLANEOUS
HOW TO PLACE YOUR AD
POWERFUL METROTECH locators detect gold, sil- LEARN TO MAKE a five-gallon Patio Vase for
^ " Mail your copy and first-insertion remit-
tance to: Trading Post, Desert Magazine, ver, coins, relics. Moneyback guarantee. Terms less than $5.00. Send 25c for your instruc-
Palm Desert, California 92260. Classified free information. Underground Explorations, tion pamphlet to Mel-Mar Enterprises, 6175
rates are 25c per word, $5 minimum Dept. 3A, Box 793, Menlo Park, Calif. 94025. East Adobe PI., DTP, Tucson, Arizona 85712.
per insertion. FREE 128 page catalog on detectors, books and YOU CAN OWN four of the most beautiful color
maps. General Electronic Detection Co., 16238 pictures of Southwest Colorado ever photo-
DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS IS 10TH OF
Lakewood Blvd., Bellfiower, Calif 90706. graphed, 11x14"—$3.50 per set postpaid.
SECOND MONTH PRECEDING COVER DATE.
TREASURE-METAL and mineral locators. Free 24 Lester Tinker Photo, Route 3, Box 290, Dur-
page booklet. GeoFinder Co., Box 37, Lake- ango, Colo. 91301.
• REAL ESTATE wood, Calif. 90714. WANTED: OLD TOY trains made before 1942.
Cash for any make or condition. Send de-
GOVERNMENT LANDS: Low as $1 acre. Millions scription to Stan Macfarlan, 202 Calcita,
acres! For exclusive "Copyrighted Report"
• MISCELLANEOUS Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060.
plus "Land Opportunity Digest" listing lands REDISCOVER ANCIENT SOURDOUGhT formulas. GUMMED NAME AND address labels: 1000—
throughout U.S.; and valuable 17x22" Trea- Make fantastic pancakes, breads, pies, etc. $ 1 , 3000—$2.25. Two week delivery. C.
sure Map of U. S., send $1.00. Land Dis- Great for camping, boating and home. Com- Friday, 4705 Adam Road, Santa Susana.
posal, Box 9091-DE, Washington, D.C. 20003. plete instructions, recipes, history. Send $1.00 Calif. 93063.
Satisfaction Guaranteed. to Sourdough Sam, Box 4356, Irvine, Calif.
SOUTHERN UTAH. Invest now in Color-Country 92664.
paradise, Bloomington Country Club lots, 1000 DELUXE TWO-color name and address ZIP CODE YOUR MAIL
Kolob lots, ranches, farms, commercial, mobile labels, gold stripe, boxed, $1.00 postpaid.
home lots. Frank Pierce, Realty. Licensed Bro- Carroll, 2100 Palm, Manhattan Beach, Calif. FOR FASTER SERVICE
ker Utah and California. P.O. Box 12, St. 90266.
George, Utah 84770. 310 East Tabernacle
St. (801) 673-5000.
RETIREMENT CABIN, 2'A acres, clean air, view,
beautiful area. Owner, Box 35, Pinon Hills,
California 92372
60 ACRES, all or part in beautiful Lanfair Val-
ley, California. Contact W. M. Porter, P. O.
Box 2098, Santa Cruz, California 95060. DariL BINDERS
• TRAVEL
DEATH VALLEY and Desert Areas "Jeep" Photo-
See Tours, 4225 Paseo de las Tortugas, Tor-
ranee, Calif. 90505. Paul H. Thompson, Photo-
HANDSOME BROWN VINYL ONLY
grapher-Guide.
$
• TREASURE FINDERS
WHITE'S METAL DETECTORS. World's largest and
finest line of mineral-metal detecting equip-
ment. Find out how you can save on your
HOLDS 12 ISSUES
3.50
equipment at Burnett Electronics, 24 N. Buena
Vista Street, Redlands, Calif. 92373. Phone Order from
792-6309. Bankamericard financing.
FISHER DETECTORS introduces new 1972 models!
DESERT MAGAZINE, Palm Desert, California 92260
Free literature. FRL, Dept. D-12, Palo Alto,
Calif. 94303.
METAL LOCATORS: White's, Goldak, Detectron,
Metrotech, Precision, Excelsior, Fisher. Free
catalog. Aurora Prospector Supply, 6286
Beach Blvd., Buena Park, Calif. 90620 (714)
JM*A*HT SUBSCRIPTION FORM
521-6321. dam^mmrw^t PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260
WILL YOU GAMBLE $4.00 to save $200? Build D ENTER A NEW SUBSCRIPTION D RENEW MY PRESENT SUBSCRIPTION
one or several detectors from our 20-page
book "Build Transistor Treasure Detectors."
Easily followed instructions. $4.00. Trionics, NAME
Box 164, Brewer, Maine 04412.
12 ALL NEW METAL DETECTORS, write Compass ADDRESS ZIP CODE
Electronics Corporation, 3619 Pacific Avenue,
Dept. 122, Forest Grove, Oregon 97116. • SEND GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO:
Dealers—Compass is a "red hot" new line.
Inquiries welcomed. NAME
GOLD, SILVER.TJELICS! Located with powerful
Detectron Metal Detectors. Free information. ADDRESS
Terms, Detectron, Dept. D-12, Box 243, San
Gabriel, Calif. 91778.
NAME
GOLDAK Treasure Locators—Pleasure and profit
in a hobby you'll enjoy. Find coins, relics,
ADDRESS
gold, silver. Charge on Bankamericard. Gol-
dak, Dept. DM, 1101-A Airway, Glendale,
California 91201. Sign Gift Card: "From
GHOST TOWN EXPLORERS: Over 400 Mother One Year $5.00 Two Years $9.50 Three Years $13.00
Lode locations in "California Pioneer Towns," (Or 2 One Years) (Or Three One Years)
$2.50 postpaid. Goldbug, Box 588-D, Alamo,
Calif. 94507.
FIND BURIED TREASURE with revolutionary • PAYMENT ENCLOSED D BILL ME LATER
patented, analytical metal detector. Features • ALSO SEND DESERT'S 12-ISSUE HANDSOME BROWN VINYL BINDER FOR $3.50
push button and automatic tuning, negligible (includes tax and postage)
ground pickup, greatest range. Free catalogue. • Undated
Date Binder(s) with Year(s)
Gardiner Electronics Co., Dept. 5 1 , 4729 N.
7th Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85013.
41
Desert
Shopper
Tiny Camp Stove
A small camp stove for the back-
packer has been developed by A-
B. Optimus, Inc. It is 5 inches
New Battery Savers
Manufacturers of Battery Savers
claim life of a battery can be in-
high by 3% inches in diameter and
includes a tiny saucepan. Weighs
only 20 ounces. Called Svea, it is
and creased as much as 50 percent by
using their simple product. Fits all
standard automotive and truck-type
battery posts and guaranteed to pre-
made of brass and the saucepan is
heavy aluminum. Saucepan handle
is removable to form a cup. Oper-
ates on white gas, but ordinary gas-
interesting vent corrosion formation or build-
up if installed as directed. Installa-
tion is very simple. Secret of the
oline can be used in an emergency.
Saucepan is 1/2 pint and fuel capa-
city is 1/3 pint. Will boil a whole
products device is its vinyl honeycomb core
construction which sufpehds stand-
ard motor oil and provides a con-
tinuous flow of anti-corrosive lubri-
quart of water in approximately cation by capillary action to the area
six minutes. between the cable clamp and battery
Items appearing in this column post.
For additional information of Svea
are nof paid advertisements
and other models write iA. B. Opti- Price is $1.00 per set, postpaid
mus, Inc., Dept. DM, P. O. Box from Kester Battery Products, Dept.
3848, Fullerton, Calif. 92634. DM, Mt. Vernon, Wash. 98273.
Mineralight Lamp
A brand new hand-held, battery
operated ultraviolet lamp for rock-
hounds and prospectors is now on
the market. Manufactured by Ul-
tra-Violet Products, a long-time
California firm, the new lamp is Silent Tumbler
made of Cycolac, a material strong- Covington introduces a new idea in
er than steel but light. Lamp with Gelatin Fuel tumbling featured in their new
batteries weighs only 41/2 pounds. Manufacturer says this new product, one-quart and two-quart Tumblers.
The novel lamp has a built-in flash- Fire King, can be used in many dif- The new design has a leak-proof
light. One switch operates. Has ferent ways. One spoonful starts a Hex Rubber Drum for silent but
6"x2l/4" filter opening. Filter can charcoal or wood fire or can itself quick tumbling action. Model No.
be removed for greater phosphores- be used for light cooking or heat- 262 (one quart) and Model No.
cence and to detect rare earths. ing. Also can be used as a safety 263 (two quarts) retail for $14-95
Uses two inexpensive and readily flare in case of trouble . . . also a and $19.95 respectively. Now avail-
available 6-volt lantern batteries. "floating fish caller." Never flares able at local dealers.
Wavelength selector gives short up or spills so is safe and depend-
wave and long wave together or For their new free catalog contain-
able. Fire easily extinguished by re- ing details on all Covington lapi-
separately. Retails for $49.75. placing lid.
For free brochure write Ultra-Vio- dary equipment and supplies write
let Products, Inc., Dept. DM., San Cost is $1-25, plus 25 cents postage, to Covington Engineering Corp.,
Gabriel, Calif. 91778. at DEVCO, Dept. DM, 2425 LTV Dep. DM, 11.2 First Street, Red-
Tower, Dallas, Texas 75201. lands, Calif. 92373.
Utah's Canyonlands . . .
Editor
Here is the whole southwestern one-quarter
NOVEMBER 27-DECEMBER 5, INDIAN
of Utah, including a National Park, with only
one paved north and south road and one paved ARTS & CRAFTS EXHIBIT, sponsored by
east and west road that are readily available to the Heard Museum Guild, 22 East Monte
Utters requesting answers must include the traveling public by car, but literally thous- Vista, Phoenix, Arizona. More than 2,000
stamped self-addressed envelope. ands of miles of jeep roads authorized for use selected and pre-judged items from Indian
by the proper governmental authorities and artists from Mexico to the Northwest Terri-
many of sufficient challenge to satisfy even tories. Exhibits, craftsmanship, etc.
Tonopah Trip . . . the most demanding enthusiasts. You are
DECEMBER 2-JANUARY 5, DISPLAY OF
familiar with the famous switchback on the
Meant to write sooner and thank Mary PAINTINGS by western artist, Kirk Martin,
Elephant Hill trail where you literally switch
Frances Strong for her article on Tonopah and Hi-Desert Nature Museum, Yucca Valley,
and then back! The road is too narrow and
the field trip she took us on when we met Calif. Woodcuts, western scenics and Indians.
the turn too sharp to make it any other way.
her there over Jim Butler Days. It was very
successful. We brought back some excellent And then outside of the Park, but in or near DECEMBER 16-19, CHRISTMAS PAGEANT
petrified wood of good workable quality. it or in Capitol Reef, are hundreds, perhaps "The Town of Bethlehem" presented by resi-
thousands, of miles of country roads for which dents of Joshua Tree, California, among the
MRS. GEORGE MARUTSKE, 4WDs are certainly an advantage, if not a Joshua trees of the local community. Write
West Covina, California. necessity. Comb Ridge, Waterpocket Fold, Burr Desert Playhouse Guild, Box 128, Joshua
Trail, Nine Mile Canyon, Indian Canyon, Tree, Calif. 92252.
Boulder Mountain Road, Escalante to Boulder
Horse Canyon Closed . . . JANUARY 15, BARBED WIRE SHOW,
Road (paved but out of this world), The Bear
Enjoy Mary Frances Strong's articles very Burroughs High School, Ridgecrest, Calif.
Ears and dozens more.
much. We also have her book. Could she tell Sponsored by the California Barbed Wire
This is not just a place to determine whether
us if Horse Canyon is open to rockhounds? Assn. Exhibits of barbed wire and associated
you can make a few miles without wrecking
B. MATTHEWS, items. Write Ellwyn Carlson, 1046 N. San
your vehicle, rather it is an area of unlimited
Maywood, California. Carlos St., Porterville, Calif. 93257.
horizons, meaningful challenges, which, when
Editor's Note: Mrs. Strong says Horse Canyon they are met offer beauties seen but by a few FEBRUARY 11-13, ANNUAL GEM AND
is closed to collecting and is unlikely that it persons, even today. MINERAL SHOW, Exhibition Hall of new
will ever be open as a sub-division is being And the whole thing offers not one illegal Community Center, Congress and Main Sts.,
planned for the area. or prohibited act of the type 4WDs are some- Tucson, Arizona. Dealer spaces filled. Hours:
times correctly accused of. Instead it is an Feb. 11, 9:00 a.m. — 9:00 p.m.; Feb. 12,
awe-inspiring adventure, filled with unbelieve- 10:00 a.m.—9:00 p.m.; Feb. 13, 10:00 a.m.—
Rambling Rockhound . . . able beauty, that is not only legal, but offici- 6:00 p.m. Information: Joe Kreps, 1402 W.
The enclosed poem was found in the wallet ally advocated by the State of Utah and the Ajo Way, # 2 7 1 , Tucson, Arizona 85713.
of the late John Farmer who was a good Government of the United States.
friend of ours. I do not know if he composed If I sound over enthusiastic, I am! FEBRUARY 12-13, FIESTA OF GEMS,
it, but thought your rockhound readers would Community Center, 2197 Chase Drive, Rancho
ARNOLD TILDEN,
like a copy. Tempe, Arizona. Cordova, Calif. Free admission. Gem and min-
MARION HECKENLIVELY, eral displays, dealers, snack bar, grab bags,
Editors Note: Arnold Tilden, whose articles
Oak View, California. prizes, working and teaching displays. Ample
have appeared in Desert Magazine, found a
parking, picnic tables.
new adventure in Utah. However, as he points
RAMBLING ROCKHOUND out, there are hundreds and hundreds of miles FEBRUARY 18-21, SECOND ANNUAL
I think that there shall never be of good back country roads, but in the Canyon- GEM, ROCK AND HOBBY SHOW, at Palo
An Ignoramus just like me. lands National Park and Bureau of hand Man- Verde Improvement Association on Clark Way,
Who roams the hills throughout the day agement areas, DO NOT violate established Palo Verde, 20 miles southwest of BIythe on
To pick up rocks that do not pay; rules and drive vehicles in prohibited areas. Highway 78. Tailgaters, food, field trips. In-
For there's one thing that I've been told: formation: P.V.I.A., Box 95, Palo Verde, Calif.
I take the rocks and leave the gold. 92266.
Boynton Booster . . .
O'er desert wild and mountain blue
Want to tell Mr. Boynton how much I FEBRUARY 26-27, NATURE'S ARTISTRY,
I search for rocks of varied hue. Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral Society,
A hundred pounds or more I pack, enjoy and look forward to his animal articles
each month. He writes so clearly, concisely at Santa Clara County fairgrounds, 344 Tully
With blistered feet and aching back: Road, San Jose, Calif. Donation of 50c for
and with great compassion for the animals.
And after this is said and done adults, children under 12 free when accom-
The illustrations are also excellent. I cut the
I cannot name a single one. panied by adult. Earth Science movies and
articles out and make them into a ready refer-
I pick up rocks where e'er I go: lapidary, rock swap, dealers.
ence booklet. We have been subscribers for
The reason why, I do not know. three years and like the whole magazine which
For rocks are found by fools like me MARCH 3-12, IMPERIAL VALLEY GEM
we read from cover to cover. AND MINERAL SOCIETY'S 25th annual
Where God intended them to be.
MRS. J. H. FRAKES, show at the California Mid-Winter Fair, Im-
John Farmer Tucson, Arizona. perial, California.
43
p
1
1
. • •
VALERIE JEAN has grown with the California date industry and through forty-four years it has maintained a quality
that has brought nationwide recognition.
Ses^oaal 'gift
The MAMMOTH Medjhool Date—We feature this date because it holds the record here at Valerie Jean's for
bringing in the most repeat orders. It is two or three times the size of ordinary dates and many folks ship it to
amaze their friends. In turn, the recipient writes to us and of course, that is what we all like in the mail-order
business, SATISFIED customers. We are enthused about this fruit and I am sure you will be too, when you try it!
Case of six
Each to one address
No. 138D—VALERIE JEAN MEDJHOOL SHOW DATES. Ib. del. $3.35 $15.50
Packed in individual cups and in a special gift box. lbs. del. 7.25 38.35
No. 107D—A VERY SPECIAL GIFT TRAY. iy 2 lbs. del. $4.35 $23.45
Fancy Medjhools and candied apricots. "Nothing better". 31/2 lbs. del. 8.10 45.60
No. 145D—VALERIE JEAN WALNUT-STUFFED MEDJHOOL DATES. 1 Ib. del. $3.45 $15.90
Few will use this quality date for stuffing, BUT WE DO to 2 lbs. del 5.50 28.45
give our customers something different. 3 lbs. del. 8.00 42.25
No. 146D—VALERIE JEAN FANCY MEDJHOOL DATES. 11/2 lbs. del. $3.85 $18.10
Highly selected and packed in a desert gift box. 3 lbs. del. 6.10 32.25
Fruit of unusual size and quality, carefully packaged in 5 lbs. del. 9.25 50.20
attractive boxes for special giving. 15 lbs. del. 22.30
Valerie StmnOt&v Stop For other date varieties and date products such as date
cake, date butter cookies, date crunchies, date honey
butter, date candy, date fudge, write for our complete
11 miles south of Indio on Highway 86 brochure. Russ Nicoll, owner
Box 786D, Thermal, California 92274 Telephone 714 397-4159