Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
DESERT MAGAZINE
DESERT CALENDAR
June 1-2—Pioneer Days Celebration,
Clovis, New Mexico.
June 3-6—State Future Homemaker's COVER SOLID CITIZEN. Photograph b y Hubert A. Lowman,
Conference, Arizona State College, South gate, California
Flagstaff, Arizona.
PAGEANTRY Death Valley Encampment announcement . . 2
June 7-9 — State wide meet 20-30 CALENDAR June events on the desert 3
Club, Prescott, Arizona.
ARCHEOLOGY Trail of the 57 Shrines
June 7-9—Rocky Mountain Federa- By PAUL WILHELM 4
tion of Mineral societies conven-
tion, Phoenix, Arizona. HISTORY Geronimo, Apache or Greek?
By ELEANOR HODGSON 9
June 10—Return of De Vargas me- POETRY
morial procession to St. Francis Oasis, and other poems 10
Cathedral, Santa Fe, New Mexico. FIELD TRIP Rocks oi the Ages
June 13—Corn Dance, San Antonio By HAROLD WEIGHT 11
MINING
Day, Taos pueblo. Taos, New Mex- Current news of desert mines 16
ico. NATURE
"Miracle" Tree of the Sahara
June 13—Indian fiesta and ceremon- By WILSON McKENNEY 17
ials, Sandia, New Mexico. CONSERVATION
LANDMARK Protection of National Parks 19
June 14-16 — Veterans of Foreign For Those Who Follow Desert Trails . . . . 20
Wars state wide convention. Pres- PHOTOGRAPHY
cott, Arizona. Pictures of the Month 21
INDIANS When L.ttle Whiskers' Pension Check Came
June 15-16—State Press Association By SANDY HASSELL 22
Convention, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
LETTERS
Comment by Desert's readers 23
June 20-23—American Legion State BOOKS
Convention, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Reviews of Southwest literature 24
NEWS
From here and there on the desert 25
June 22-24—Future Farmer's Rodeo TRUE OR FALSE
(youngsters only), Santa Rosa, New A test of your desert knowledge 28
Mexico. CONTEST
Prizes for cover pictures 30
June 22-24—California Federation of FICTION
Mineralogical societies holds its an- Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley 31
nual convention at Oakland, Cali- LAPIDARY
fornia. Harold C. and Nathalie F. Amateur Gem Cutter, by LELANDE QUICK . . 32
Mahoney are co-chairmen of the HOBBY
committee in charge. Gems and Minerals 33
COMMENT
Just Between You and Me, by the editor . . . 38
June 24—Annual ceremonials includ- CLOSE-UPS
ing Corn Dances, San Juan Day, About those who write for Desert 39
Taos pueblo, Taos; and Acoma
pueblo, New Mexico.
The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Press, Inc., Palm Desert,
California. Re-entered as second class matter July 17, 1948, at the post office at Palm Desert.
California, under the Act of March .':, 1879. Title registered No. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office,
June 24—Saddle Club Rodeo and and contents copyrighted 1950 by the Desert Press, Inc. Permission to reproduce contents
Racing, Farmington. New Mexico. must be secured from the editor in '.vriting.
RANDALL HENDERSON. Editor BESS STACY, Business Manager
MARTIN MORAN, Circulation Manager E. It. VAN NOSTRAND, Advertising Manager
June—Exhibit of paintings by Paul Los Angeles Office (Advertising Only): 2635 Adelbert Ave., Phone NOrmandy 3-1509
Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledged
Coze, illustrating artist's conception unless full return postage is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for
of life in now ruined cliff dwellings damage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Sub-
and pueblos of Colorado, Arizona scribers should send notice of change of address by the first of the month preceding issue.
and New Mexico 1000 years ago. SUBSCRIPTION BATES
Southwest Museum, Marmion Way One Year $3.50 Two Years 98.00
and Museum Drive, Highland Park, Canadian Subscriptions 25c Extra, Foreign 50c Extra
California. Subscriptions to Army Personnel Outside U. S. A. Must Be Mailed in Conformity With
P. O. D. Order No. 19687
Address Correspondent? to Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California
JUNE, 1 9 5 1
Trail of the 57 Shrines...
On April 1 many readers of Desert Magazine gathered in front of LTHOUGH I have lived in my
Desert's pueblo in the Coachella Valley to dedicate the starting- of a Shrine little cabin at California's 1000
for those who follow the desert trails. For those who would like to know Palm Oasis 18 years, it was
more about such Shrines, and their Indian origin, here is a story that will not until a few months ago that 1 dis-
answer most of the questions, written by Paul Wilhelm, poet oi 1000 Palms covered on Bee Rock Mesa not far
Oasis. from my home what I believe is a
By PAUL WILHELM record number of rock mounds—Trail
Shrines of the ancient Indians who
Map by Norton Allen once camped at my spring. There are
57 of them along an old Indian trail
within a distance of one mile.
Bee Rock Mesa is in the heart of
the Indio Mud Hills, the "most pro-
saically named hills in the desert" ac-
cording to Harry Oliver whose "Fort
Oliver" home lies on the floor of
Coachella valley just south of them.
We residents of the area prefer to call
them Phantom Hills—because we think
they arc worthy of a prettier name than
"mud."
Actually, these sienna-hued clay
banks have much to interest the Na-
ture lover and photographer, as well
as the geologist and archeologist. In
this great up-lifted sedimentary de-
posit are found beds of marine fossils,
and along their 26-miIc length are
many oases of the native Washingtonia
palm. Indians once chanted their songs
among these palms, and cremated their
dead on the nearby mesas. We are
quite certain of this for the mesas and
ridges are zig-zagged with ancient trails.
Phantom Hills have a forbidding ap-
pearance to those who view them from
paved Highways 60, 70 and 99—all
three of these U. S. highways follow
the same route at this point. But those
of us who live among these hills have
learned that in the solitary places be-
hind and beyond their drab exterior
are vistas of indescribable beauty. The
whole story of creation is written in
these hills—for those who have the
interest to explore them at leisure and
study the strange phenomena of their
formation.
In the heart of these hills, for untold
centuries 1000 Palms Canyon was one
of the more important old Indian
campsites. This was due to an unfail-
ing supply of spring water forced to
the surface through fissures formed
by the San Andreas fault. This con-
tinuous 80-inch flow to this day makes
the canyon green with palm, willow,
mesquite, cottonwood and grasses.
Here can still be found artifacts of a
by-gone day: clay ollas, stone imple-
ments and obsidian spear and arrow-
heads, mementos left by the most re-
Although perhaps hundreds of years old, the ancient Indian trail across cent Phantom Hills dwellers, the Sho-
Bee Rock Mesa is still easy to follow. shoneans.
DESERT MAGAZINE
Paul Wilhelm and Cyria Henderson deposit their stones on one of the largest of
the shrines found along the Bee Rock Mesa trail.
Less than a mile south of this nat- I decided to hike its entire length. So northwest—the first of three luxuriant
ural watering place, I came upon 57 I tracked northwest, keeping well palm groves in 1000 Palms Canyon.
Trail Shrines. They were located on apart from the trail. 1 wanted to fol- Viewed from Bee Rock Mesa, that
either side of an ancient trail on Bee low it across the mesa from beginning green oasis in its dramatic situation,
Rock Mesa between 1000 Palms and to end. flanked by ochre-colored hills, was a
Hidden Palms Oases. The flat desert pavement over which painting in deep pastels. At the base
Excursions had often taken me into I picked my way was bone-dry, with of those palms were the Indians' un-
the Bee Rock Mesa area during my scant vegetation. Creosote bushes, failing springs. Vivid in my mind was
years at 1000 Palms Oasis. It was spaced farther apart than is their habit, the picture of a time when dusky fig-
high country—and there was adven- were grotesquely stunted, the leaves ures roamed the Phantom Hills. It
ture tracking hill ridges, or searching folded desperately inward to retain wasn't difficult to imagine a party of
for ollas hidden in caves a century ago every precious bit of moisture. Oc- them on the old trail carrying ollas
by the Wildcat and Coyote clans of casionally I walked over round smooth filled with spring water.
the late Mara tribe. clearings, from five to eight feet in I turned about and began following
This particular Sunday afternoon diameter. But the aridity of Bee Rock the trail. It was then that I first be-
the excursion led up a boulder-strewn Mesa was compensated by the view it held many low rock mounds on either
box canyon. Adjacent, and high to my afforded, old landmarks of the Phan- side of the trail—good luck shrines as
left, arose Bee Rock Mesa. From my tom Hills familiar from years of asso- white men call them, apparently erected
shoulder hung a canteen, and a cam- ciation: Squaw Hill, Cragg Bluff, Ele- by some pre-historic people.
era. I was intent on taking a photo- phant Butte and Gaunt Ridge. Far Under the slant of a hot sun, I was
graph of a rare cacti grouping. I had west arose the two-mile-high bk e sum- held there in that moment of discovery.
happened on it some weeks before— mit of San Jacinto Mountain. And I Perhaps it was the recognition of a
seven large bisnagas growing in a realized the peaceful charm of this residue of living left by a people in a
cluster on a gravel slope. mesa. It was an isolated little world place once frequented and loved.
of its own. The moment did not pass quickly.
The photo taken, I climbed the I continued studying those small heaps
mesa—and there was this ancient trail! At last 1 stood on the edge of a sand of loosely piled stones recalling, like
It meandered leisurely in a northwest, and rock-strewn slope. The trail zig- it was yesterday, a summer afternoon
southeast direction. zagged down in sharp switchbacks. three years before as I plodded up the
At first glance, it appeared older Below, on a flat of land, markings of trail toward the summit of San Jacinto
than the two trails I was familiar with the trail were barely evident. Those Peak behind my Santa Rosa Indian
in the foothills a mile east between faint stretches still discernable made a guide, Pablo Arroz. Nearing the sum-
Pushawalla and 1000 Palms Canyons. bee-line for my home Oasis one mile mit the Indian turned aside from the
UNE, 195 1
, ! " ' " ' . • • ' I I I V ,. ; i '*'V '.','.'• T029PAI
COACH ELLA
ELCCN1
trail. He picked up a stone, placed it grew to considerable size. The piles It is difficult to describe the peace
on a low mound of rocks, and then usually occur in groups, a fact that and quiet brooding over Bee Rock
continued silently ahead up trail. On may be explained by assuming that Mesa. I think it can best be explained
the peak, he walked to a large mound each clan constructed a separate pile. as a response to other lives lived long
and placed a flat stone thereon. I There is also evidence that not all such ago. It is as if there had never been
stood quietly beside him. His face structures were merely for the purpose any quarrelling or wrangling among
lighted and his lips moved as if in of recording journeys but were the out- those primitives that had passed this
prayer. On our way down the moun- growth of ritual practice. In such piles way. Surely they had been humble,
tain, Pablo revealed the purpose be- the travelers seem to have sacrificed loving one another. You cannot ex-
hind his acts. Shrine offerings had a portion of whatever they were carry- perience the mesa and have any ill
been made that we might be worthy ing in an effort to effect a successful will toward anyone. Along the trail
to ascend the peak which his tribe con- journey by appeasing seme spirit or you want to share this sense of peace
sidered sacred. deity. They were particular either to and love. And share it you do!
These piles of rocks are familiar to break or burn all offerings before Ahead of me now, shrines became
most of us who follow Indian trails depositing them." prominent on either side of the wind-
throughout the desert Southwest. In Among the Indians of Mexico, ing pathway. My steps hardly broke
the Navajo and Hopi country sprigs mounds of stone can still be seen along the silence and my slow progress gave
of juniper, sticks and wood fragments trails and in villages. Offerings are of ample time to study the mesa's con-
are to be found lining crevices of Trail a specific nature: small vessels, glass tour.
Shrines. In the Pima country of south- trinkets, and pottery images of animals Bee Rock Mesa was approximately
ern Arizona a large boulder surrounded and birds. Some mounds, if properly one mile across and two miles in
with stone and ringed with a circle of supplicated, are believed to attract rain, length. It ended abruptly in the east
smaller stones has been for centuries protect fields and assure an abundant at Gaunt Ridge and in the southwest
considered strong medicine. harvest. Others secure a village from on the slope of Elephant Butte. In
Malcolm J. Rogers of the San Di- lightning, and protect livestock and the immediate vicinity of the trail, its
ego Museum, authority on Southwest- household belongings. There is one terrain varied. Miniature arroyos and
ern Indians, discovered 17 separate shrine of the Huichol Indians of moun- rocky hummocks gave way to broad
stone piles along a California-Arizona tainous north central Mexico that, if levels of desert pavement, or mosaic, a
Indian trade trail. Each contained properly propitiated, is believed to surface paved with pebbles and weath-
shells and broken pottery. Concerning make hens prolific egg layers. ered down to flatness. From the cen-
this great east-west trade route, Rogers Continuing along the ancient trail ters of a few trail markers, creosote
has this to say: across Bee Rock Mesa, the markers and encclia raised brittle branches.
"Along such main trails, desert In- became so numerous that I was I paused momentarily at one of the
dians practiced the peculiar custom of prompted to count them. So I back- larger mounds. Among the loose stones
depositing small stones in piles to in- tracked. From the beginning I began I made a painstaking search for signs
dicate that they had made one of these checking them off one by one in my of broken pottery, stone implements
long treks. In time many of the piles field notebook. and arrowheads. Unlike the two routes
DESERT MAGAZINE
Hidden Palms Oasis is at one end of the trail Thousand Palms Oasis is at the other end
a mile east, not a single artifact was cleared spaces on the broad levels of dwelling sites. There was a possibility
evident. desert pavement. The clearings were that I had stumbled upon signs of a
There were signs of vandalism in from 20 to 100 feet off the trail. One primitive Indian Culture, predating
some shrines, holes dug down through such area, in close proximity to the those people of pottery and pressure-
the center to the ground surface. But trail, was ringed with small red stones. flaked instruments. At least it added
those who thought buried relics might Before reaching the summit I placed a scientific thrill to my adventure.
be found could have saved themselves my canteen on a marker that I would With a sense of discovery, I progressed
much labor. In the Southwest, no not lose count, and struck off to in- southeast, counting markers mean-
marker was ever placed over an In- vestigate. while, and analyzing the over-all pic-
dian burial. "When we go, we leave Though it was true that a few clear- ture of my findings on Bee Rock Mesa.
no trace" was as true in primitive ings paralleled the trail, the majority From Krober's "American Ethnol-
times as it is with the Indians of today. were widely scattered over the surface. ogy, Bulletin No. 78," I had learned
This wanton vandalism reminded They may have been primitive dwelling something of the Indians that had
me of the wishing wells so prevalent sites, since native camps generally lived most recently on the extreme
in southern California. They are the were located apart from—and usually north border of the Coachella Valley.
white man's counterpart of the Indian above—important watering points as Their history was brief:
shrines. How many of them have now security against enemies. A thorough Out of the fourth and fifth Shoshon-
been converted from a thing of tra- investigation of the campsite revealed ean tribes (the Alliklik and Kitane-
ditional charm to a money-maker for not a trace of an artifact. muk) inside the Sierra Mountains of
unscrupulous Yankee tradesmen! Eventually I arrived at the large California, there had developed a new
Still coursing southeast, it was ap- summit marker. It was eight feet in division of Shoshonean, the Southern
parent that the mounds were arranged diameter and three feet tall. Its com- California branch. Since the dialect
in definite series, spaced from a few position was entirely of loose red of the Kitanemuk was similar to that
yards to 100 feet apart. Far ahead, stones. Vandals had been busy here, of the people of the San Bernardino
the trail ascended a gentle rise. Situ- too. The marker's center was gouged M o u n t a i n s , " S e r r a n o , " meaning
ated on its summit against the skyline clean. A careful search gave up noth- "Mountaineer," was used in the wider
was by far the largest marker. I quick- ing but clay, and more stones. sense as the name of this division.
ened my steps up the slope. Significant was this complete lack of The Serrano, then, was the last of
Simultaneously, I became aware of artifacts in both the markers and the two bodies of people who united, be-
JUNE. 195 1
Against this deduction were strong
arguments: the trail seemed too well
defined, the stone shrines too recent—
even remembering that erosion worked
slowly in the desert, the attrition of
centuries in such a dry land being al-
most imperceptible.
Be that as it may, until the clearing
areas were proved dwelling locations,
and a single crude stone scraper found
as evidence of Roger's "prior people,"
the possible site of a prehistoric race
on Bee Rock Mesa would remain ten-
tative, the ancient trail and its markers
simply an easy pass through the hills
from one water point to another by
many clans of various periods.
Whatever conclusions are finally
drawn, it is an established fact that
the desert Indians never walked in
sand if they could help it. Thus the
old trails kept to the stony mesas when-
ever feasible. To prove this, go out
into the desert Southwest. You'll find
trail sections still intact. Some are as
On Bee i?oc& Mesa Paul Wilhelm examines on the circular clearings, pos- fresh as in the days when they were
sibly the site of an ancient Indian Wickiup. 1000 Palms Oasis is in the used constantly. All are enduring rec-
background. ords of ancient travel. Narrow, cleared
pathways winding their tortuous ways
from campsite to spring, from spring
to uplands where were sheep and deer,
cause of a dialect similarity, into a Mementos of these Shoshoneans and forests of pinyons for November
"Serrano division" of the Shoshonean were to be found in camps and burials harvest.
stock. Their territory was, first, the at nearby 1000 Palms and Pushawalla
long San Bernardino Range culminat- Canyons and other water points Now the trail across Bee Rock Mesa
ing in the peak of that name. Next, throughout the Phantom Hills. Arrow- descended down a long hill slope. It
they held a tract of unknown extent heads could be picked up every day. ended abruptly on the bank of a deep
north and east of San Bernardino On old trails between these water arroyo. A quarter of a mile below,
Mountain. In the east and southeast, points, pottery shards and arrow chips appeared green heads of the palms in
their domain was pure desert, and ex- were numerous in scattered markers. Hidden Palms Canyon. At their base,
isting oases. On the trail across the San Bernardino water was certain to be, cool and
abundant.
These people of the most southeast Mountains to Twentynine Palms Oasis,
Shoshonean area were of the Mara shards and arrowheads could be picked As I retraced my steps up the hill,
tribe. Communal life was centered at up after heavy winds uncovered them I glanced at my field notebook. The
widely separated points: Twentynine beneath fine sand. count was "57." On the spur of the
Palms, Thousand Palms and Pusha- moment I named it "The Trail of the
On Bee Rock Mesa there was no 57 Markers." The name conjured up
walla Canyons and adjoining oases. such evidence.
They were divided into two clans, the a brown-skinned, dark-eyed people
Who, then, were these primitives living an earthy, enviable way of life
Wildcat and Coyote. who had left undisputed manifestations on their isolated mesa.
Acorns were fairly abundant in the of a prior people?
western part of the Serrano territory. Malcolm J. Rogers states that the onAs the
I approached the large marker
highest trail point, I picked up
However, in the desert the Mara tribe oldest type of human occupancy in
had to procure its food in part from the Colorado Desert of Southern Cali- a round stone with a lustrous dark
western bands, substituting with roots, fornia—even ante-dating Pinto Man patina. I placed it on the shrine and
cactus meat, yucca stalks when young, —was the little-known Malpais Cul- faced northwest toward 1000 Palms
beans of the mesquite and wild palm, ture. Its chief characteristics, in the Canyon like many an Indian had done
and plant seeds. They hunted wild words of Roger, were "the small cir- before me. There it lay in the friendly
animals and birds with crudely fash- cular dwelling sites on stony mesas, embrace of the Phanom Hills, a palm-
ioned weapons. In the Journal of and the complete lack of stone ham- filled refuge of peace and quiet. A
Father Garces is an observation made mers, pottery or pressure flaked im- sanctuary for those who love the des-
on his travels through the desert in plements. In fact nothing but the ert unspoiled.
1776: "The desert people use a stick crudest stone scrapers are associated And then I breathed the prayer the
shaped like a boomerang with which with these house sites." Navajo men sing as they go toward
they ferret out lizards and rodents As an amateur archeologist on a field their sacred mountain:
from rocks and sand." trip across Bee Rock Mesa, I drew no Lo, yonder the holy place.
Symmetrically wrought pottery was conclusions. But in my fieldbook I Swift and far I journey,
made by both the Coyote and Wildcat made this notation: "It appears that To life unending, and beyond it.
clans, but was rarely decorated. Ar- the mesa's lack of artifacts, and the To joy unchanging, and beyond it.
rowheads were hewn .from obsidian circular clearings of wickiup sites points Yea, swift and far I journey.
obtained from wandering traders. Stone toward a prior habitation by a more I heard it echo again on ghostly lips
hammers and pressure-flaked imple- primitive group than, surely the Sho- as I made my way homeward along
ments were widely used. shoneans, possibly Pinto Man." that ancient Bee Rock Mesa trail.
8 DESERT MAGAZINE
Geronimo,
Apache or
Greek?
By ELEANOR HODGSON
JUNE, 1 95 1
OauU
By MARY PERDEW
Santa Ana, California
A wind, a seed, and a hidden spring,
An oasis has begun,
With a tiny tree, growing strong and free,
A welcome shade from the sun.
In a barren land of gray rock and sand,
The green glows glad and bright
To a weary man and a laden beast,
Who find peace and rest for the night.
And dream of a story that they will bring:
The wonderful tale of a new-found spring.
• • •
AN OLD MINER'S SHACK
By JOHN A. STEBBINS
Hi Vista, California
The wind blows sand through my open door,
Pack rats hide under what's left of my floor.
A rusty stove with embers long dead
Stands beside an old miner's bed.
DESERT MAGAZINE
of the magnificent chocolate and white Summerville Dinosaur bone which has been replaced with calcite,
formation buttes which make the Woodside Anticline collected in the Woodside Anticline. Actual size of
scenery so spectacular. piece, 13/t times IV2 inches.
JUNE, 195 1 11
beside the highway we planned to take
to Green River and beyond. So Wood-
side Anticline was filed on the "To Be
Investigated" list.
On our first trip into the area, we
left Salt Lake City early in September,
a period often subject to thunderstorms
but which this time proved ideal for
collecting and camping out. The Wa-
satch mountains were gaudy with the
scarlet, gold and orange of the dwarf
maples, box elders and aspen, a won-
derland of changing leaves. Dropping
from Soldier Summit through Helper
and Price, we caught the first far view
of tremendous Red Plateau, part of
the San Rafael Swell. Near its eastern
base, we knew, lay the Woodside Anti-
cline.
As we continued south the spectac-
ular Book Cliffs and their remarkable
headland, the Beckwith Plateau, dom-
inated the skyline to the left. Near
the base of that plateau, about 38 miles
from Price, we passed through the
little farming settlement of Woodside.
At 4.9 miles beyond Woodside, just
after going through a railroad under-
pass, we turned back sharply to the
right on the dirt road to Castle Dale.
The road had been graded and for the
most part, when dry, would be called
in good shape. But almost immedi-
ately we had to detour a series of
narrow break-neck trenches where
wooden culverts had broken down or
had been washed away.
We'd never been in the area before,
but our mental picture of the geological
formations there—obtained from the
reports we had read—was so clear that
it almost seemed a dream was taking
third-dimensional form. That purple
and green and dull red was a section
of the Morrison mudstones, going back
at least to Jurassic times when giant
reptiles clumped over a forgotten land-
scape. Those elegant thin-banded choc-
olate and white layer-cake cliffs be-
longed to the still older Summerville.
The peculiar greenish-gray sandstone
in a big squeeze. Something had to arched formations have weathered back weathering to a brown must be the
give and the crust, being the weakest down in such a way as to expose rock Curtis formation.
structure involved, .buckled upward strata which carry highly colored jas- We had gone about two miles from
into waves or folds. The tops of the per, chalcedony, agate and small the highway when we stopped to in-
waves, where the formations arched amounts of dinosaur bone and petri- vestigate the polished pebbles of a
up, geologists called anticlines since fied wood. We first learned about conglomerate which formed a high,
the strata were inclined or bent away Woodside prior to our Utah trip while steep bank on our right, and en-
from each other on either side of the browsing through likely publications croached even upon the road. Most of
arch. The lower parts, or troughs, of the United States Geological Sur- the pebbles were quite small, many of
they termed synclines as the formations vey. One paper, with magnificent dis- them a poor grade of red or purple
inclined toward each other. These regard for boxoffice appeal, was titled chert, others clear quartz. Less than
names, of course, describe conditions Sedimentary Rocks of the San Rafael a mile farther on we reached a pass
at the time the strata buckled. Ero- Swell and Some Adjacent Areas in area where this same conglomerate
sion or other geologic happenings since Eastern Utah, by James Gilluly and towered on both sides of the narrow
then may have altered the surface so John B. Reeside, Jr. way. Great boulders of it had tumbled
the syncline is a hill and the remnants In the section devoted to Woodside across the road and lay weathering in
of the anticline a valley. Anticline, we came across casual ref- the gulch to our left.
There are a number of anticlines erences to chert, jasper, rock crystal, It was close to sunset, and we knew
exposed in Utah, but Woodside held fossils, chalcedony, and nodules. Fur- we shouldn't be scrambling up the
particular interest for us because the ther, we found the anticline was right bank among those pebbles. But we
12 DESERT MAGAZINE
Morrison conglomerate boulder, foreground, and cliff in background. It is in this
formation that scattered pieces of dinosaur bone of cutting quality have been found.
were laboring under a subdued excite- We drove across the Pink Circle to gypsum. Their unreal quality in the
ment. If that was Morrison conglom- its western edge, turned left through dusk had been enhanced by the pink
erate— as we judged it was — there a narrow V of a valley, and discovered clay talus at their bases and the debris
might be jeweled bits of dinosaur bone we were entering another pink-gray washing down from the sedimentaries
among those pebbles. And at that amphitheatre, still more ghostly in the above.
time we had not located and collected fading light. In it we picked a camp- Early in the morning two pickup
any bone on our own. site, somewhat protected against the trucks bounced past our camp, on the
But the disappearance of the sun cool evening breeze. It lay a few rods road toward Castle Dale. In a few
behind the broken skyline ahead from the road, right against a huge minutes, one of them was back and
stopped these preliminary sorties. We flat boulder and near a large juniper. its occupants, Finley Blackburn and
had to find a campsite. As we emerged Before we crawled into our sleeping a Mr. Bullock, both of Ogden, Utah,
from the narrow winding canyon of bags, the wind had dropped. The night came over to introduce themselves.
conglomerate blocks, we found our- was cold and calm and silver-black "With your outfit and the California
selves in an enchanted area. It was a with starlight and shadow, and the sky license, we knew you were rock-
circular open space surrounded on a clear cloudless blue when morning hounds," Mr. Blackburn explained,
three sides by pink-gray cliffs—cliffs came. "so we wanted to say hello and see if
so tenuous and ethereal that we felt And when dawnlight gave way to we could be of any assistance." Both
our three-dimensional anticline was the sun, we discovered our pink-gray were rockhounds—and dealers on the
slipping back into the dream state. cliffs were largely the Summerville side — and members of the Golden
Over the sloping floor of the circle, formation, made up of layers and Spike Gem and Mineral Society of
gnarled junipers made strange blocky bandings of chocolates and dark reds Ogden.
patches of shadow. and gleaming whites and sparkling We wanted to know whether there
JUNE, 195 1 13
calcite, with calcite crystals growing
inward to a hollow center.
But Lucile made the first find of
cutting quality dinosaur bone—brown
to yellow, with the cell structure re-
placed with clear chalcedony. At first
she thought it might be coarse petri-
fied bark. But closer examination
proved it to be bone. And like many
other collecting rocks—once we had
seen what it actually looked like in the
field, we were able to find it in areas
we had just walked over and pro-
nounced barren. That—the first bone
of the ancient reptiles that we had
found—was the high point of the hunt.
But there seemed to be very little
of the bone in that area, and after a
careful search, we moved on. This
country was so new and strange and
beautiful, that gradually we stopped
looking at it as a collecting ground,
enjoying it for itself. As we continued
west on the Castle Dale road we en-
tered other, smaller amphitheatres,
some enclosed with cliffs and walls
of red, others of pale gray, from time
Gnarled junipers of great age are scattered throughout this portion of Utah. to time relieved by a brown capping
This one has a trunk over four feet in diameter. or bands of green.
Within two miles after leaving our
camp, we were through the anticline
was any dinosaur bone to be collected black pickup, he hesitated, then called and in grassland, pricked here and
in the anticline. There was, but not back a last warning. "Don't ever de- there with cacti—the teddy bear and
in quantity. Blackburn pointed out pend on the seep water in the Swell. what appeared to be a small and very
the dark Morrison conglomerate on It'll make a blue wave come on your pretty species of Echinocereus. It was
down the road less than half a mile coffee, and it's full of iron. It won't late for the flower season, but much
from where we had camped. Both of quite kill you, but it will come close rabbitbrush still trailed its gold, a white
them had found dinosaur bone along to it." and a miniature rose-red buckwheat
that ridge. With the jeep loaded, we left our were blooming, and we often came
"When you get acquainted with this campsite, rounded a little rise and upon little purple-lavender asters. Much
country," he explained, "you can just headed west. At a little valley extend- locoweed and very tall desert plume
about tell where they are lying dead. ing north, just under the ridge of cor, had flowered recently.
They're often as close as a mile apart. glomerate, we parked off the road and Just under five miles from camp, we
Once I found two together, in the started hiking toward a dark brown, reached an old sign pointing north:
conglomerate, and you could see they'd buff-topped circular little hill which "Saleratus reservoir, South Summer-
been fighting." was the landmark the Ogden rock- ville." Hereford cattle were grazing
Finley Blackburn was well ac- hounds had given us for the petrified near by. Looking back, the Woodside
quainted with the San Rafael country. bone. The dark ridge, towering above Anticline had dwindled until it looked
Once he had owned a ranch at Caine- us crested with great broken blocks like a low ridge. But beyond it we
ville, and had punched cattle all over of the conglomerate looked like some could see the endless battlements of
this part of Utah. Before the two of tremendous defense wall. the Book Cliffs. Ahead of us rose
them, who were due in Ogden that When we examined some of the huge the mass of the Red Plateau. We were
night, left to do "a little jasper hunt- blocks, we found the individual pebbles making directly toward a tremendous
ing" on the way out, Blackburn warned cemented with something that looked red butte—like a great tower rising
us against the weather. With 15 years' like limestone, so hard our prospector's from colorful badlands. As we drove
experience in the Swell, he still checks picks simply bounced from it. But, farther, the junipers became bigger,
the weather forecast at the Salt Lake through the ages, enough of the ce- more ancient and more gnarled. One
airport before coming in. October, he ment had been dissolved or weathered of them, which we photographed, had
explained, was the ideal month for away so that the edge of the valley a trunk more than four feet in diam-
rock collecting in this area. In July below the ridge was carpeted with eter.
and August, and sometimes Septem- loose pebbles. That night we camped near the base
ber, you are subject to cloudbursts. Most of these rounded stones were of the great red butte, driving as close
"Don't trust this country," he con- a cherty material in black, white and as we could over the open country,
cluded. "Get out and get to a town gray, much of it carrying some sort of across patches of cactus, sandy mounds
as soon as you can if it starts raining. fossil material. Lucile kept picking up and dried mud holes. Before dark we
Even the short distance from the road what she called "jelly beans," colorful, hiked the rest of the way to the base
that you camped here would be too polished little pebbles of pink, red, of the butte. From a collector's point
far if the ground became soaked. I've orange, yellow and white. Then, just of view the trip was a disappointment,
seen the mud so bad you couldn't ride through a little gap and in the clayey since we found only tiny bits of chal-
a saddle horse through here." soil of the dark hill, I found bits of cedony, opal and chert. Scenically, it
As he climbed into the long-bedded bone "casts," composed completely of was terrific. And about halfway be-
14 DESERT MAGAZINE
tween our camp on the edge of a wash
and the butte, we entered the pinyon
belt and had our first experience in
gathering the ripe, succulent little nuts.
The next morning, we turned reluc-
tantly back toward the Woodside Anti-
cline. Our schedule — one of those
foolish things you should never pre-
pare for a desert trip — had allowed
only two days for this sidetrip, and
we were committed to meet friends a
long way off a short time hence. But
we were determined, if possible, to
find enough rockhound stones in the
anticline to please collectors who might
not want to come in just to see geol-
ogy-
Back at the first Pink Circle we had
reached coming in from the highway,
we made the first strike. Near the
center of the amphitheatre, but more
abundant to the south, we found beau-
tiful red, pinkish and lavender mark-
ings in almost clear chalcedony. The
material fractured too easily and we
found most of it in small pieces, but
it will cut into beautiful stones. In the
same area, we found many pieces of Camp in the heart of the Woodside Anticline. Cliff formation in the
vein and nodular material coated with background is made up of Summerville clays and sandstones.
quartz crystals. One outcropping south
of the road, a red ledge, appeared to
be made up of numerous imperfect sun was low again, and the amphi- here time had stood on its head! For
geodes grown together. theatre below was fading into a pink- that formation, just above us, was the
Less than half a mile beyond this grey mystery. It was a moving experi- Curtis, and the one just below us the
spot, toward the highway, we stopped ence to see twilight and then dusk Summerville and the one still lower
to see if there was anything of interest come to this strange and silent land, the Morrison. Yet when those beds
in the abundant debris at the foot of this unearthly land. I felt, as I have were laid down ages ago, their order
the Summerville formation, and slough- in a few other special places in the was just the reverse. The Morrison
ing down over it. Also, I wanted to desert country, that here was a spot should have been on top.
photograph as much of the amphi- out of the ordinary stream of world- Of course it was just a trick — a
theatre as possible from the top of the life. A place where time meant nothing sleight of hand stunt that Nature does
slope. But I had hardly started to —where the clock stood still with the aid of an anticline and ero-
climb, when I knew we had found a But that wasn't quite true of our sion. But it's a clever trick that man,
"field." Washing down with the clay anticline. Instead of standing still, even with his atom-popping, hasn't
were specimens of just about the been able to duplicate. First you arch
brightest jasper I had ever seen. Down Woodside Anticline Road Log your earth-crust up. Then you weather
below me, in the wash, Lucile had the high point down until the older
00.0 Woodside, 38.9 miles southeast formation is out on top. Then you
struck it too. I called to her to drop of Price, 25.3 miles northwest of
anything that she had there—after she Greenriver. Continue south on weather the next step so the next
saw what was up the slope, she wouldn't U. S. 6 and 50 through oldest formation is the one exposed.
want any of those little pieces! 04.7 Railroad underpass. Continue Still farther down the slope, you leave
south on highway to the youngest formation showing. Then,
The higher we went up the talus, the 04.9 Turn back, north and west on
more plentiful the jasper became, and bladed dirt road. Travel cau- with a little careful washing down of
the bigger the chunks were. We found tiously, checking for possible cuts debris from one step to the next, you
it in red wine and gold and purple, in road and detours where small can make it look as if you've turned
bridges have washed out. the whole scheme of time upside
sometimes with a little green and vari- 06.9 Swing back S.W. and go through
ous moss patterns or red and yellow. pass cut by stream. Warning: down.
The reds went through vermilion, This portion of Utah is subject The bowl below grew dark, the ages
orange, Chinese red. It was simply a to flash floods during some sea- blending and vanishing in the gloom.
case of picking up jasper until we sons. Do not camp in washes
or narrow valleys in the cliffs. We shouldered our sacks of bright
couldn't carry any more, then sorting 08.6 Road emerges in circular valley jasper and carried them to the jeep.
to retain only the finest pieces, then walled with pinkish cliffs. Highly Then we drove out through the anti-
picking up more until we had all the colored jasper may be found on cline—and out through the ages. From
high grade we felt we should carry slopes and ridges to south and the Summerville to the younger Mor-
east of road.
away. 09.0 Nodular and vein agate, some rison and the still younger Dakota
Then, of course, we weren't really crystals, south and west of road sandstone and Mancos shale and out
satisfied. No rockhound is. We won- on valley slopes. at last to the youngest of them all—
dered what it was like on the other 11.3 Road cuts through ridge of Mor- the thin layer of paving which man
rison conglomerate, where small
side of the hill. Probably it was even amounts of dinosaur bone and has spread in a network over America
prettier over there somewhere. But gastroliths have been found. to mark his stratum in the book of
there wasn't time to investigate. The time.
IUNE, 195 1 15
(II
Tonopah, Nevada . . .
A new mine operation undef the
direction of John B. Siri, former Gold-
field and Tonopah mining man, is get-
ting underway at the old Lucky Four
Washington. D. C. . . . Reno, Nevada . . . mine, located some 16 miles southeast
The U. S. Public Health Service says Latest scientific devices will be em- of Schurtz in the Gillis range. Al-
no occupational deaths have been re- ployed in a new search for the legend- though this operation is new, the mine
ported among the nation's 2000 ur- ary Lost Dutchman mine in Arizona's was a heavy producer of tungsten dur-
anium miners but that many have oc- Superstition mountains. The Earn- ing both World War I and II. Tung-
curred among iron curtain miners. J. s h a w - Tharp - Christensen corporation sten content of the ore ranges from
E. Flanagan, assistant chief of the plans to use radar, movies and aerial two to three percent. Holders of a
health service's division of industrial photography along with geophysical bond and option on the ground are
hygiene says the Public Health service instruments in a search for the pur- George E. Miller of Reno and George
and the Atomic Energy Commission portedly rich mine that was lost many B. Franklin, Jr., of Las Vegas. It is
are working to protect American ur- years ago. After aerial photographs said shipments will soon be going out
anium miners from hazards of very have been made of the area where the to the U. S. Vanadium mill at Pine
severe exposure to radiation and deadly mine is believed to have been, elec- Creek near Bishop, California.—Ton-
radon gas. Flanagan said eight public tronic devices from the laboratory at opah Times Bonanza.
health service employes are working Verde will be used to locate ore de- • • •
with the University of Utah, primarily posits, the corporation announced.— Yucca Village, California . . .
on health problems of the uranium Humboldt Star. Winding up its three day annual
and milling industry. P r e l i m i n a r y • • • meeting in Yucca Village, the West-
samples, he said, show that exposure Reno, Nevada . . . ern Mining Council passed a resolu-
to ionizing radiation and radon gas In handling approximately 1000 tion asking the government to open up
are many thousand times higher than specimens a month over many years, the rest of the Joshua Tree National
the currently accepted safe limit. Ra- the analytical laboratory at the Uni- Monument to mining, declaring there
don gas comes from radium as the versity of Nevada has been of incal- are 75 producing mines, most of them
element disintegrates. Flanagan indi- culable assistance to the miners of gold, in that portion of the Monument
cated it also comes from uranium ore. Nevada through free technical assist- not now open. Last year congress
—Humboldt Star. ance. It is estimated this branch of the OK'd a bill opening 289,500 acres,
• • • Mackay School of Mines has handled mostly in Riverside county. The coun-
Artesia. New Mexico . . . 559,000 specimens, Professor Walter cil hotly denounced proposed mining
Despite the general belief that there S. Palmer, director of the laboratory, law changes and renewed its demand
are no profitable ore deposits in this disclosed. In one instance, through the for higher gold prices. Former county
area, a reportedly rich deposit of gold, advise of technicians, who have pro- supervisor, Walter Pittman, presented
silver, copper and lead has been un- vided as much advise and counsel as a detailed history of tin mining opera-
covered on Twelve Mile Hill east of possible, a valuable talc mine was tions in the Temescal area from the
Artesia. Charles Eaker is credited with found and developed in Esmeralda time tin was discovered in 1853. The
making the discovery. Ten claims have county. The purpose of the laboratory council assured Riverside county men
already been staked at the old tur- as established by law in March, 1895, of help in their efforts to secure legis-
quoise diggings on state land within was to give prospectors of the state a lation that will make tin mining more
sight of Highway 83. Prospecting has place where they could secure an un- attractive.—Desert Sun.
turned up free gold, silver, copper and biased report on any mineral sub- • • •
lead in ore form, in addition to quan- stance discovered in Nevada, and a Trona, California . . .
tities of turquoise. It is estimated the limited number of free assays for those Tin production on a major scale in
ore and free metal, not including the who couldn't afford to pay. — Hum- the Trona region is planned by Donald
gold and turquoise, is worth $19.50 a boldt Star. F. McGrew and associates, if Defense
ton.—Mining Record. • • • Minerals Administration approves a
• • • Fallon, Nevada . . .
Gallup, New Mexico . . . $2,500,000 loan to finance develop-
A record-breaking $871,786 has The Vet Baxter mine southeast of ment and equipment. McGrew, Presi-
been pledged to the Navajo tribe by Fallon, now under lease and option, is dent and business manager of Tintype
successful bidders for oil and gas listed as the largest producer of fluor- Corporation of Oakland, California,
leases on 29 tracts of land in New spar in Nevada, with around half a states the property he owns in Shep-
Mexico, Arizona and Utah with top million tons of milling and shipping herds canyon near Trona contains an
bid registered by W. J. Weaver of Fort grade ore on the dumps and blocked extensive deposit of cassiterite with
Worth, Texas, who offered $230,- out. A survey, completed last fall by tests indicating ore running 78 percent
774.40 for rights to 4300 acres in the the U. S. bureau of mines, disclosed tin. Preliminary investigation by min-
Cow Springs area in north central Ari- from diamond drillings that high grade ing engineers indicate it is probably
zona. While the total of the successful ore extended downward 256 feet be- the richest deposit of cassiterite in the
bidders was higher than any previous low the present workings at a depth nation, and McGrew reports that when
Navajo lease sale, lands director Mar- of 250 feet. All of the 70,000 tons in full operation the property should
vin Long said the bids did not reflect shipped since 1932 have been high- be able to produce 4800 to 7200 tons
record prices on an average basis. Re- grade. One shipment to the DuPont of ore daily. If the loan is obtained, a
ports of the high bids are sent to the people was 99.94 percent. A 250-ton company to take over and operate the
geological bureau for certification, then mill is being planned by H. W. Gould tin property, may be incorporated
passed upon by the Interior Depart- and Company of San Francisco, which within three months. Virtually all the
ment before contracts are signed. recently took a lease and option on tin used by American industries is im-
Money obtained is then deposited to the property from Baxter, who located ported, no major deposit ever having
the tribal account with the United the fluorspar claims in July, 1922.— been mined in the United States.—
States treasurer.—Gallup Independent. Tonopah Times Bonanza. California Mining Journal.
16 DESERT MAGAZINE
In the foreground are young tamarisks planted for wind-breaking purposes around
a Coachella Valley date garden.
JUNE, 1 951 17
Indio in Coachella Valley, California.
Several years later Swingle wrote
Thornber that none of the specimens
in the original shipment had grown,
either in Maryland or Indio. Cuttings
brought to Indio from Tucson, how-
ever, gave the tree its start in Coachella
and Palo Verde Valleys of California.
The introduction of evergreen tam-
arisk by Thornber was formally rec-
ognized in a Department of Agricul-
ture plant introduction pamphlet. Gov-
ernment botanists named the plant
tamarix aphylla, discarding the T. ar-
ticulata and T. gallica which the French
had attached to it, as the meanings
were synonymous.
Thornber recalls that the French
publication in which he had read the
description said the evergreen tama-
risk was one of the two most useful
trees growing in the Sahara desert,
the other being the date palm.
Thornber said the name athel has
never been popular in this country,
Tamarisks not only provide dense foliage for shade, but if there is ample though in Imperial Valley it is rarely
water will reach a height of 40 or 50 feet. known by any other name. Dr.
Swingle stated that athel is the name
in common use in Algiers, Morocco,
soon clog up the lines. The only Thornber took them to see the "mira- and northern Egypt, where it is native
remedy is to remove and clean out the cle" trees. Dr. Swingle recognized the and widely used.
pipe line every few years, or remove plants at once as the tamarisk he had Evergreen tamarisk is the better and
the trees. Getting rid of the tree is not tried to introduce to this country sev- more popular name, the desert botan-
an easy procedure. It will live and eral years previously. He told Thorn- ist believes, because it relates the tree
grow as long as its root system remains ber that he had shipped some stumps to the large tamarisk group which
intact. and branches from northern Africa to grows in the Southwest deserts but
The fine slender leaves of the tree Washington, D. C , for trials in the distinguishes it from the salt cedar
have decorative value, but have no government garden in Maryland and and other deciduous or shrub tama-
merit as a mulch. The shallow root also for the experiment station near risks.
system spreads over a large area, ab-
sorbing the moisture in the soil at the
expense of other plants. These tamarisks are pruned back each year—but before the end of the
But the tamarisk's good points out- season will grow a dense top of new foliage.
weigh its disadvantages, and its phe-
nomenal spread over the Southwest is
no mere accident. Around desert ser-
vice stations, railroad depots, along
highways and streets and around farm
yards and citrus orchards it is becom-
ing more and more common.
In 1908 John James Thornber, bot-
anist of the University of Arizona,
read in a French publication about this
wonder tree of the Mediterranean re-
gion. He wrote a noted French sci-
entist in Algiers, Dr. Trabut, request-
ing a few cuttings. Six cuttings arrived
in April, 1909, but three of them were
dead. The three remaining twigs,
about six inches long and a quarter
inch in diameter, were wrapped in a
wet cloth and the cut ends immersed
in water for 24 hours. Thornber
planted them in the university plant
introduction garden and they started
growth within a few days. At the end
of the first growing season they were
seven or eight feet tall.
In the summer of 1910 Dr. Walter
T. Swingle and Novelist Harold Bell
Wright visited the university and
18 DESERT MAGAZINE
To clear up a confusing matter of
1
names, it would be appropriate to
point out that the genus has no con-
nection with Tamarack (Larix lari-
cina), which is an American larch, a
lodgepole pine which grows on the
Pacific coast. The name of this pine,
which grows thickly in the foothills,
is sometimes shortened to Tamrac.
During the winter of 1912-13 the
Tucson temperature dropped to six
degrees one night (most unusual
weather, the chamber of commerce
noted) and the trees which Thornber
had placed in the university garden
were killed. But Harold Bell Wright
had taken cuttings on that visit in 1909
and had planted them at his ranch
near Holtville in Imperial county, Cali-
fornia. From there, shade-hungry pi-
oneer ranchers quickly spread the tree
through the Colorado and Mojave
deserts. Prof. R. H. Forbes, at that
time dean of the department of agri-
culture of the University of Arizona,
planted cuttings at his home a block At Trona, California, this desert dweller has pruned his tamarisks to
from the campus and these giant trees, insulate his home against the midsummer sun. Photo by Ralph Cornell.
with trunks over two feet in diameter,
still live.
Desert, California. suggested establishment of forests on
Like most other plants indigenous inexpensive but easily irrigated land.
The wood, when finished, has a
to warm dry climates, evergreen tam-
blonde texture similar to ash but is There is every evidence that ever-
arisk has a root system which seeks
much harder. It takes a finish as well green tamarisk is here to stay. It
and finds every available drop of
as oak or mahogany. adapted itself readily to the Southwest
moisture within its reach. But unlike
Dr. Smith found that by using a deserts. But like the attractive and
true desert natives, it is rarely able to
simple process of creosoting tamarisk talented guest who outlasts his wel-
survive on scanty rainfall alone. It
posts, he could make good range fence come, this tree digs its hairy roots
must live near a plentiful supply of
which would stand firm for 25 years deep into its adopted land and refuses
water, often found by skilfull robbery.
or more. In order to make procuction to leave, whether we like its bad traits
Dr. G. E. P. Smith of the university's
economically feasible, however, Smith or not.
department of agricultural engineering
several years ago conducted extensive
experiments to determine the tree's
potential commercial value. He shipped
some large logs to a Grand Rapids,
Michigan, furniture manufacturing firm
for trials in furniture or cabinet mak-
TOM
ing. The experimenters found that When Secretary of Interior Oscar L. reclamation or other water developments,
when the logs were thoroughly dry Chapman several months ago approved and to prescribe procedures therefor.
they were too hard to be cut or hand- Sec. 2. National Parks and Monuments.
the construction of the Reclamation In furtherance of this policy, no bureau,
tooled. The wood tends to crack and Bureau's Echo Park and Split Moun- service or agency in this Department shall
check during the drying. The firm be- tain project on the Utah-Colorado line henceforth undertake or continue, within or
lieved it would be necessary to have his decision caused widespread con- affecting any national park or monument,
a supply of fresh-cut logs to be worked without the written approval of the Secre-
sternation among conservation groups, tary of the Interior, any investigations or
up in the green sappy condition. Since for the reason that this project is partly studies, or undertake any drilling, surveys,
this alternative was impractical and within the boundaries of the Dinosaur or other exploratory work incident to the
expensive, the midwest experiment was National Monument. preparation of reports or plans relating to
dropped. water development, or obligate any Federal
To allay the fears of those who have funds therefor, except where the Congress
However, an e x p e r i e n c e d wood- wondered if the Echo Park decision has specifically authorized such a project
worker, E. F. Woodhouse, established would establish a precedent for further in the reserved area concerned.
an athel products factory in Indio encroachment on the national system Sec. 3. National wilderness areas and
wildlife refuges. This order is hereby ex-
under the firm name of Casa Madera of parks and monuments, the Secre- tended to include established national wil-
Products. He developed his own secret tary more recently has issued an order derness areas and wildlife refuges.
process for curing and finishing the re-affirming the policy of the Interior Sec. 4. Reports. In those cases where it
wood, which he handles from the cut- Department as to the conservation of appears that it is in the public interest to
ting to the final highly-polished piece national park areas. The Secretary's permit the investigation of proposed power
and reclamation projects affecting areas
of furniture. For several years Wood- order is as follows: specified in this order, the resulting reports,
house and his son, Dal, have been Sec. 1. Purpose. The purpose of this including preliminary drafts of project re-
producing chairs, tables, bowls, serv- order is to reaffirm the long-established ports, shall contain comparable data on all
ing trays, and other products of ex- policies of the Department and the Con- alternate project possibilities, adequate for
gress, assuring the conservation of :he na- the Secretary to reach an informed decision
quisite quality. Their work is exhibited tional parks and monuments and their pro- as to which project, if any, should be
at the Desert Magazine pueblo at Palm testion from adverse effects of power. selected.
JUNE, 1 95 1 19
'WU
Pictures on this page were taken April 1 at the dedica- deposit on the Shrine as did ancient Indian tribesmen
tion of the Trail Shrine in front of Desert Magazine's in accordance with their custom. Below is the bronze
Pueblo at Palm Desert. Above is H. M. (Barney) Barnes, plaque which marks the Shrine, and Desert Steve Rags-
master of ceremonies at the dedication, as he signs the dale and little Steve Willis as they deposit their rocks
register. He holds in his hand the rock which he will on the Shrine. Willis photographs.
N. 0, T. S. ROCHHOUXDS
a . . .
Second prize was awarded to A. La
Vielle Lawbaugh of Downey, California,
who entered the accompanying picture
of the old mining camp at Calico, Cali-
fornia. Picture was taken in December,
1950, with a Speed Graphic, one second
at f.22 with Infra-red film.
2]
ways depend on the burro to stand
still. He could have ridden in his new
wagon but he didn't think it was proper
for an old warrior to be mixed up with
a whole bunch of women and children.
He liked to be noticed, and who could
see him in a crowd like that?
The trail to the Agency that Little
Whiskers took led straight across sand
hills and washes while the wagon had
to go around by the road. Somehow
they always managed to reach the
Agency at the same time. Sometimes
it took the wagon half an hour to make
the last few hundred yards when Little
Whiskers was late—but of course the
horses were tired and had to stop often
and rest.
Usually the burro made the six mile
trip over the trail in about two hours.
This was faster time than his usual
speed but the burro enjoyed these trips
and lost no time in getting there. He
could always find bits of hay and
grains of corn that some horse had
overlooked. Also at this time of the
year there would be watermelon rinds
Harrison Be J«i) and apple cores laying around. He
could eat almost anything—and did.
The burro went into action and showed as good an exhibition of bucking He usually went home with the satis-
as his age permitted. fied feeling of being well fed.
On these trips Little Whiskers made
his first stop at the trading post. From
When Little Whiskers' there to the superintendent's office it
was a short walk. He always left his
family and the burro at the store and
Pension Check Came went to the office alone. He and the
superintendent didn't want to be both-
ered with a lot of women and children
while they talked over their private
affairs.
By SANDY HASSELL Today there was the usual crowd
Sketch by Harrison Begay that hung around the trading post. A
Navajo Artist young Navajo who was fond of jokes
had been given a bottle of "highlife"
by a white man. He was told that if
•EFORE DAYLIGHT there was some of his friends at the Agency. He he put it on a horse it would make
a stir around Little Whiskers wanted to be prepared to show them him buck. He had his doubts about a
camp and smoke coming out of what a good eater he was and how burro but here was a good chance to
four hogans. Even Kellee the burro much he enjoyed their food. He did
try it. Unnoticed by Little Whiskers
had sounded his call an hour earlier drink a cup of weak coffee that had
than usual. This was the day Little been boiled with lots of sugar. He he poured a good portion on the bur-
Whiskers' old scout pension check usu- didn't like the coffee that came in tin ro's back behind the saddle. It was
ally came from Washington and he cans. He liked the kind that came in several moments before the "highlife"
must go to the Agency to receive it. bags better. But since he had been took effect. When it did the burro's
But he couldn't understand how a getting his pension he decided the tin tail took on the motion of a windmill
burro could tell what day of the month can kind was the best for its cost more. and his ears started keeping time with
it was. The burro had just noticed Getting himself and the burro ready his tail. An uninvited start and the
the activity around camp and had for the trip was a small chore. His motion of the burro's ears gave warn-
given his usual bray in recognition. big silver concho belt and turquoise ing that something unusual was about
The mutton stew they had for break- and shell beads added to his everyday to happen. Then it did happen. The
fast went untouched this morning. He attire dressed him up for the occasion. burro went into action and gave as
said what a man ate before noon was All the burro needed was his hobbles good an exhibition of bucking as his
what made him fat. Being fat was not taken off and the saddle put on. age permitted. Little Whiskers' long
his idea of a real man. His own figure years of riding experiences were now
If Little Whiskers had been young
was slender and he was proud of it. and active he would have ridden a put to use. He even tried yelling
He also liked to show the young folks horse but for a man of his age a burro "whoa" like he had heard white men
how strong-willed he was — even to was much more suitable. A horse was do when they wanted an animal to
going without water for a couple of never around camp when wanted but stop.
days at a time. Another reason was a burro was never- far away. When he No rodeo performer ever had a
he might have a chance to eat with mounted or dismounted he could al- more enthusiastic audience. Even his
22 DESERT MAGAZINE
Invitation to Canada . . . T h e F e u d Still G o e s o n . . .
Vernon, British Columbia Costa Mesa, California
Desert: Desert:
Received the April copy of your In your April edition, page 28 under
magazine and am much interested in "Good News for Fishermen" by Des-
Big Snakes of the Apaches . . . the story "Geodes on an Old Silver ert Barnacle, nearly proved "bad news"
for me, since it is not true that Cali-
Los Angeles, California Trail" by Harold Weight. fornia license is good on Arizona side
Desert: Perhaps it is coincidence that today
I picked up a large and lovely geode, of the Colorado River. 1 found that
Marjorie von Stadelman, who in out when getting ready to fish on Lake
1901 or 1902 was being held by the one third of it missing and the re-
mainder in the shape of a man's skull. Havasu, this last week.
Apache Indians in Arizona, told me
It weighs 15 pounds and would cover Am sure you know by this time and
following her release about some huge
a whole page of Desert Magazine. correction will appear in your May
rattlesnakes she saw.
The snakes were approximately 6V2 The entire geode is crystal, the outer issue.
part being clear crystals from one to We enjoy your magazine and very
inches in diameter and 10 feet long. proud to say, have every magazine
Their skins had the markings of the two inches in thickness. Much of the
beginning with your number one issue.
diamondback. The Indians, she said, center is a solid core of lovely clear A. N. ENDELL
thought these snakes came to them to mauve crystals.
If any of Desert's readers who are Thanks for your correction. We'll
bring them good fortune. They killed be glad when California and Ari-
them, however, in self defense—talk- interested in rocks are up this way I zona quit feudin' and give the
ing to the snakes as they did so. would be only too glad to take them
into a small petrified forest that is sel- fishermen a break.—R.H.
Miss Stadelman showed me three of • o •
the skins which measured over 11 feet dom visited by anyone.
STAN HUNT T w o W a y s t o S p e l l It ...
in length. They had been stretched in Los Angeles, California
the tanning process. Desert:
My husband and I prospected for Those Names in the Cave . . . Clearing up confusion as to the
many years in the Arizona deserts and spelling of a popular place name in
mountains, and saw many rattlers, but Berkeley, California
California and Arizona, I wish to cite
none over six feet in length. The Desert: a footnote on page 6 of the U. S.
snakes killed by the Apaches were the Since you seek to make your maga-
biggest I have ever known. zine a source of authentic information, government report titled Mohave Des-
LILLIAN G. DORAN please let me pick a flea from your ert Region:
issue of February, 1951, wnere on "By decision of the U. S. Geo-
page 21, William H. Behle says, graphic Committee board, the Indian
(Continued from previous page) "Neither Thompson nor Dellsnbaugh name applied to the Desert and River
own family added their cheers. That make a specific mention in their jour- in San Bernardino County is spelled
the old man might get dumped off and nals of their activities on January 25, 'Mohave'. The name of the postoffice
hurt didn't bother them in the least. 1873, ..." in Kern County is spelled 'Mojave'."
Not an Indian made an effort to help This is in reference to the name of MOHAVE JOE
Little Whiskers. Dellenbaugh being cut in the rock at • • •
Failing to get any relief by bucking Cave Lakes. Her Boss Likes Her Work . . .
the burro decided to lay down and Dellenbaugh's journal entry for Sat- Los Angeles, California
roll. Nothing could have pleased Little urday, January 25, 1873, was, "To- Desert:
Whiskers more for the old man was pographing as usual." On page 35 of the May issue I find
almost exhausted and it looked as if His entry for the following day was, "Miss Ruth Simpson, formerly con-
he was going to loose the contest. "John and I took a ride up to the nected with Southwest Museum." I
When the burro laid down it gave Cave Lake and the Three Lakes. They am thankful to say that Miss Simpson
Little Whiskers a chance to dismount looked about same as last time. Carved is still very much "connected with the
with all the dignity becoming to a man our names in the cave. Got back to Southwest Museum," and I hope she
of his importance. camp a little after 3, and also a little remains so from now on. Her title is
He first looked at the crowd and after dinner. Had a fine ride and en- Assistant Curator.
then at the burro. His first remarks joyed it." M. R. HARRINGTON
were addressed to the burro. "Hah ah One would draw the conclusion that
di sha bah nah al dih?" Which interp- he might have been there on some
rets something like, "now what in the prior visit and the conclusion would Summer Announcement
hell is the matter, burro?" be supported by his journal entry for During the summer months,
He now turned to his audience. Sunday, September 29, "Mrs. Thomp- from May until October 15, the
"Some people think a burro hasn't any son, Clem and I rode up the Kanab Desert Magazine art gallery will
sense but this one is smart. This morn- Canyon on an excursion today. Went remain open only 5Vz days a
ing he called me an hour earlier for up Tinney's Canyon to an alcove week, closing at noon on Satur-
he knew my pension check had come. which Clem named 'Nellie's Grotto' day. A fine display of art work
Then he brought me here much faster in honor of Mrs. Thompson. Then will be on exhibit during the sum-
than usual. He knew that I was in a rode on up to Lake Canyon and to mer, however, and visitors will
hurry for when my check comes I am Cave Lake where by appointment we be welcome during the open
a very busy man. This burro generally found Prof, with a lunch . . . The dis- hours. Harriett Day, director of
is quiet and gentle but look what he tance from Kanab to the lakes is the gallery during the past sea-
is doing now. That is the way my about five miles. . . . " son, plans to return early in the
women-folks have been acting ever It may please Mr. Behle to have this fall to resume her duties as man-
since I got my pension check and he support for his theory on the carving ager of both the art and crafts
is trying to be like them. He wants to of the Dellenbaugh name. departments.
show off." OTIS MARSTON
JUNE, 1951 23
Thanks to the University of New
BOOKS OF THE SOUTHWEST Mexico Press, Lieut. Emory's daily
log of the journey has now been re-
published under the title Lieutenant
Emory Reports:
STORY OF ARIZONA IS FIRST TO TELL THE STORY The present edition, with introduc-
TOLD BY HISTORIAN OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST tion and notes by Ross Calvin, con-
"Autumn brings to the tawney des- The year was 1846. General Kearny, tain only the day-by-day story of the
ert country of the southwest a refresh- under direction of the war department journey. The many pages of scientific
ing coolness, a hint of frost in the up- in Washington had assembled at Ft. data in the appendix of the original
lands and a wine-like quality in the Leavenworth, Kansas, an army of 2000 report have been omitted because they
hazy air over brooding wrinkled moun- men and officers to invade the Mexi- are of interest to scientists only. This
tains. It was on an autumn day more can Southwest and annex it to the book is for the layman who would like
than two centuries ago that a Pima United States. to become better acquainted with the
Indian guided a Spanish frontier trader One of the officers in Gen. Kearny's historical background of America's role
to a small valley some 25 miles west command was Lieut. W. H. Emory of in the Southwest.
of the border city of Nogales. There the topographic engineers. Emory's
the trader was shown huge slabs or No master stylist, Emory manages
duties were many. He was to keep a in simple sentences somehow to lend
lumps of nearly pure silver, some of record of the climate, topography, even to scientific data the underlying
them weighing a thousand pounds. geology, botany and accessibility of thrill of a young man's adventures.
The news of this discovery brought a the region between Fort Bent and the Colorful incident blends with shrewd
rush of Spanish prospectors to the Pacific. In other words, he was to see observation of people, customs and
region within a few months." whether the terrain seized and occu- political motives.
Thus Rufus K. Wyllys begins his pied by Kearny's army was worth Emory was the first to chronicle the
Arizona—The History of a Frontier keeping. desert Southwest—and students of to-
State, a tale of struggle and accom- No officer ever fulfilled a difficult day can be grateful to him that he did
plishment in the high, dry desert coun- mission with greater precision than did his job so well.
try called Arizona by those Spaniards this young lieutenant. Despite the University of New Mexico Press,
who coined the name from that of the weariness of long hours in the saddle Albuquerque. 208 pp. Maps. $4.50.
little valley, Arizonac. he kept an accurate scientific record of
Through the days of the Spanish ex- what he observed each day—the plants, This book available from
Desert Crafts Shop
plorer, followed by the missionaries wildlife, mountains, streams and astro- Palm Desert, California
and on into the colorful era when gold nomical observations. Congress thought
and silver sparked the state with min- so highly of Emory's report, titled
ers and prospectors, Dr. Wyllys car- Notes of a Military Reconnaissance, it Jim Williams, cowboy cartoonist
ries the reader. He paints the cowboy ordered 10,000 copies of it printed whose "Out Our Way" sketches of
with the clever touch of the natural and bound. life on the range have amused millions
story teller, yet never loses sight of the These old reports, now a collector's of American newspaper readers, has
historical aspects of his subject. The item, have long been recognized among just issued a new book, Cowboys Out
Mexican, Civil and Apache wars, the scholars as a gold mine of accurate, Our Way, containing nearly 200 of
struggle for statehood, follow one an- first-hand information. They were his latest cartoons. An earlier edition
other in proper sequence, spiced with written in clear simple English as a of Out Our Way has been out of print
conflicts between the sheep and cattle- day-by-day log, so complete it is still for some time. With a foreword by J.
men and the coming of the railroad. possible to follow the exact route of Frank Dobie, the new edition is pub-
Throughout the story runs the silvery the Army of the West as it traversed lished by Charles Scribner's Sons.
thread of water, one of the most im- the great American Desert. $2.00.
portant factors in building the desert
state. Bringing his history up to date,
Dr. Wyllys places Arizona as a state
still definitely western, yet sufficiently Life i n t h e I n d i a n C o u n t r y . . .
modern to have become one of the
important winter tourist sections of the
United States.
Dr. Rufus Kay Wyllys is head of
COWBOY AND INDIAN TRADERBy JOSEPH SCHMEDDING
the social studies department of Ari-
zona State College at Tempe. Al-
though not a native, under the tutelage Joe Schmedding was just an adventurous youth when he went
of Dr. Herbert E. Bolton, dean of to work for Richard Wetherill near Pueblo Bonita in 1903. He remained
western historians, and because of his in the Indian country 23 years—seven on the range and the next 16
own 18 years spent in collecting, as- as trader in Keams Canyon. Out of this rich experience has come
sessing, sorting and collating available one of the most readable books yet written about the Indian country
data on his adopted state, he has been and life on the desert range.
able to create an authentic historical
story of Arizona that will appeal to Autographed copies are available for those who order at once.
the entertainment seeker as well as to
the more serious reader. $5.00 postpaid
Dr. Wyllys has a study of Mexican
history in relation to the American California buyers add 3% tax
west, on his agenda for the future.
Published by Hobson and Herr,
Phoenix, Arizona. 362 pages. 9 maps PALM DESERT. CALIFORNIA
and 14 illustrations. $6.00.
24 DESERT MAGAZINE
o*t t6e 'De&ent
ARIZONA Artificial Rain Held No Threat . . .
Road Ordered Opened . . . WASHINGTON—Irving P. Krick,
COTTONWOOD — According to who is conducting rainmaking experi-
county engineer, Dick Merritt, the ments in the west, told a special Sen-
northern district engineer, J a m e s ate subcommittee it is "safe to say
Parker of Phoenix has ordered the there is no real need for concern" lest
Copper Canyon road opened so con- artificial rain production in one sec-
tractors can make inspection tours. tion dry up another region. Krick said,
Work on the once used route to old "I don't think anyone has the idea yet
Fort Lincoln and Camp Verde is ex- that artificial rainmaking is a proven
pected to begin immediately. The old thing." He said his own efforts at
road, now virtually impassable, leads Phoenix in 1949 and in Pasadena,
up the canyon from a point south of California, in 1950, produced three
the salt mine. The call for bids has and in some cases four times normal
not been announced but plans for the rainfall. Krick said his organization
new section are under way in the state also claims part of the credit for wheat
engineer's office.— Verde Independent. production of 20 to 27 bushels an
• • • acre in a southeast Washington area
Archeological Gift Moved . . . where the government had estimated % M
TUCSON — The $1,000,000 Gila production at IVi bushels an acre.
Pueblo archeological collection, gift of Krick told Senator Clinton P. Ander- Jf'aVe/ thepigh ways
Mr. and Mrs. Harold S. Gladwin of son that his proposal for a weather
Santa Barbara, California to the Ari- commission is "premature." — Hum- offtpmance fn
zona state museum, has all been moved boldt Star.
from Globe, Arizona. Dr. Emil W. « • •
Haury, director of the museum says New Meteoric Discovery . . .
imu IIIEXICO
it will be October before any can be WINSLOW—According to Dr. H. T H E L A N D OF E N C H A N T M E N T
placed on public display. Included in H. Nininger, foremost authority on
the 17 vanloads were approximately meteorites, anthills near the 4,150 foot
10,000 pots, many of which had been Meteor Crater contain a secret that
N ew Mexico's fine highways are a far cry
from the great cattle trails pioneered by
mended and were extremely fragile. may be worth billions of dollars. Tiny Goodnight and Chisum in the 1860's. During
Pottery ranged from miniatures to meteoric droplets of noncorrosive steel those epochal days they were trails of real
those with a capacity of seven bushels. alloy have been found in the anthills. adventure, but today, our highways are
—Tucson Daily Citizen. Dr. Nininger first found the globules modern roads leading to world-famed scenic
• • • with a magnet in 1948. He has since and historic wonders— Carlsbad Caverns
Tourist Bureau Requested . . . examined 127 samples of soil, some National Park, eight National Monuments,
PHOENIX — Governor Howard from the ant hill and some from other eighteen Indian pueblos; they'll take you
Pyle has indicated he will ask the State spots in the crater area and all con- through millions of acres of national forests,
Highway Commission to establish the tain steel globules. Meteor Crater, on through picturesque Spanish villages and
Arizona Tourist Development bureau U. S. 66 about 20 miles west of Win-
past great cattle ranches. As you drive
on a working basis. He estimated the slow, near Dr. Nininger's museum, is
bureau might double Arizona's pres- the largest proven meteorite crater in these Highways of Romance, you'll
ent S 100,000,000 annual tourist busi- the world.—Tucson Daily Citizen. discover that each day will become
ness. In the past the Highway Com- more memorable than the day
mission has been opposed to the • • • before. Start today to plan
expenditure of gas tax funds for any- CALIFORNIA your vacation of tomorrow!
thing but highway construction and Geologists Study Death Valley . . .
repair. However, the legislature set
up a bill calling for $150,000 of the DEATH VALLEY—More than 60
funds to be used by the tourist bureau. geologists, some from as far away
—Yuma Daily Sun. as West Africa, headquartered at Stove
Pipe Wells hotel in Death Valley re- AND WE'LL SEND YOU OUR
• • • cently on a field expedition in connec- FREE BOOKLETS AND MAPS
Indians Engineer Loans . . . tion with the annual convention of PRONTO!
JUNE, 1951 25
California Castor Bean Center . . .
program to stamp out the poisonous • • • end of i thrilling ptck tnf from
reseed waste land to grass. The sen- San Juan county residents want to Write Bill Wilton. Tonalea, Ariienj,
ate appropriations committee has auth- secede from New Mexico. They have tor ratet ind descriptive brochure, of
orized $100,000 for an eradication signed petitions to Congress asking inquire at Cameron, Aritona.
and reseeding program, according to that the county be separated from the st lo October 15lh
JUNE, 1951 29
Texas. Last year about 500,000 were of the Spanish-American population of Barrett and son of Los Angeles; Frank
caught and returned to Mexico. Many the southwest. Realization of this M. Arnott of British Columbia; Svend
returned voluntarily when seasonal might lead to steps being taken to curb A. Mogensen and son of Ogden, Utah;
farm work ended. Others settled down illegal immigration, allowing a specific Owen F. Goodman of Los Angeles.
in a state of semi-hiding, accepting any number of Mexican laborers to enter. The party will spend 10 days on the
wages offered. Dr. Sanchez, head of Once the taint of illegality is removed river and exploring the picturesque
the history department of the Univer- they can demand current wages.—El side canyons, including a day and night
sity of Texas, estimates this influx Crepusculo. at Rainbow Bridge.
transforms the Spanish speaking people • • • • • •
of the southwest from an ethnic group, UTAH Seek Names of Indian War Vets . . .
which might be easily assimilated, into Record Party of River Voyagers . . . SALT LAKE CITY—In order to
a culturally indigestible peninsula of MEXICAN HAT —Announced as properly mark the graves of those who
Mexico. All studies on the question the largest group of river voyagers fought in Utah's first Indian wars,
conclude these illegal entries are not ever to undertake the scenic trip down Robert W. Inscore, Utah veterans
only a hardship on the migrant but a the San Juan and Colorado Rivers graves registrar, is seeking information.
definite threat to the living standard from Mexican Hat to Lees Ferry, a A muster roll of Captain John Scott's
fleet of six river boats with 24 passen- company of cavalry, Nauvoo legion,
gers and boatmen are scheduled to dated February 28, 1849, is in In-
THE BEST INVESTMENT ON EARTH leave here June 12 with Frank Wright score's possession, but detailed infor-
IS THE EARTH ITSELF and Jim Riggs as leaders. Those mation is lacking. According to the
$20.00 down, $20.00 per month buys 20 booked for the trip are Edwin McKee, History of Indian Depredations in
acres, $575.00 full price. Many others. geologist, and Mrs. McKee of Tucson; Utah by Peter Gottfredson, the Tim-
Some may be traded for City property. Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Nichols, panogos Indians permitted the first
photographers, of Tucson; Mrs. G. N. settlement on the Provo river reluct-
HARRY PON Lewis of Tucson; Mr. and Mrs. John antly, and shortly afterwards began
P. O. Box 546 Dept. DM. Mull of Philadelphia; J. J. McKinny, to steal from the pioneers. Captain
AZUSA, CALIFORNIA banker, and two daughters of Bruns- Scott, leading the men whose names
wick, Missouri; Mr. and Mrs. Vernon appear on the muster roll, set out from
Salt Lake City to pursue a party of
Indians near Willow Creek. They rode
to Utah Valley, where Little Chief
JUNE,1 9 5 1 31
FIRE OPAL
MEXICO
10 Small Pieces Average Vi" $1.00
AMATkVR GEM CUTTER
5 Larger Pieces Average % " — 1 " . . . . 1.00 • By LELANDE QUICK, Editor of The Lapidary Journal-
12 Nice Pieces Cherry & Honey Opal 1.00
(Suitable for Cabochons) When we went back to New York a year chon that is noticeably lopsided. It was
1 Small Vial Clear Fire Opal 1.50 or so ago we got into a long conversation one of our early attempts and we are very
1 Large Vial Clear Fire Opal 3.00 with Jimmy Conselman that lasted most of fond of it. It makes a striking ring that
the night on the Twentieth Century Limited always gets attention. Many admire it but
S7.50 journey between Chicago and the bigger occasionally we meet a perfectionist type
Entire Lot Postpaid ior $5.00 town. lapidary who looks at it and says nothing.
Jim was one of the greatest football We know what he thinks and it doesn't
Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money coaches in history and he was almost sob- bother us at all. He probably thinks "here's
Cheerfully Refunded bing over the defeat of his former Chicago this fellow Quick, trying to teach the whole
Bears that day. "They lost their perfection- world to be lapidaries, wearing a cabochon
Prompt Shipment on all Sizes ism, the thing that kept them unbeatable that my child could turn out. Man, I can
Felker Diamond Saw Blades when I coached the team," said Jim. do better than he can." And then he feels
good, like Kung's friend. We continue to
RALPH E. MUELLER & SON And then this nationally known speaker like the ring despite its imperfection and
pointed his remarks with a story, which we we prize it above any of the few really
307 Admiral Blvd. • Kansas City 6. Mo. have repeated in nearly every talk we have perfect cabs we've turned out. After all,
given since then. It offers a moral that an we've met a lot of perfectionist lapidaries
audience relishes. and few of them are happy any more be-
"Perfectionism can be carried too far," cause they no longer have any fun at the
DIAMOND BLADES he said. Then he told the story of Frank hobby for they are too good. Do you think
McGlynn, the actor who played the part the golf champion enjoys a game of golf
Heavy-Duty Super- Standard of Abraham Lincoln on the stage for so as much as a duffer? We hope we never
Suptr-Chgd. Charged Charged many years. "He played Lincoln so much" over-do perfectionism and we feel sorry for
6" $ $ 8.60 $ 7.60 said Jim, "that he became a perfectionist. those who do so.
8" 10.95 9.95 He WAS Mr. Lincoln. He dressed like
10" 14.50 13.35 It should be just about at this point where
12" 21.20 17.65 Lincoln, talked like Lincoln and practiced
14" 27.95 24.45 all of Lincoln's mannerisms when he was several readers will pause and resolve to
16" 31.20 27.70 off the stage. One day a couple of his write us about how wrong it is for a per-
18" 62.50 41.25 34.40
20" 74.25 49.50 37.95 friends were entering his apartment house son in our position to advise amateur gem
24" 88.80 62.60 48.95 as McGlynn was coming out. He bowed cutters not to strive for perfection. We are
30" 142.50 119.75 State
36" 215.30 179.10 Arbor very courtly to them and one of the friends offering no such advice. As our friend
sales tax in California. Size said to the other, 'you sure have to hand Conselman said, back in the first paragraph,
Allow for Postage and Insurance it to that fellow, he's a perfectionist.' 'Yes,' "perfectionism can be carried too far."
replied the other, 'he'll never be satisfied
Covington Ball Bearing Grinder until he's assassinated.'" It is recognized, even among professionals,
that the amateur gem cutter turns out bet-
ind shields are The story comes to us now and then in ter gems on the average than the profes-
urnished in 4 something we see or do. We see judges at
sizes and price mineral and gem shows looking for per- sional because he spends more time on
anges to suit fectionism among the amateurs' work and them. He's only doing it for recreation
your r e q u i r e - passing by some real imagination that per- and he doesn't have to worry about the
ments. Water and haps does not display perfect lapidary work. economic importance of an extra hour. The
grit proof. In our early days of learning gem cutting thing we are trying to point out is that if
we had a friend who said "if I show a you never attain perfection in gem cutting
stone to anyone and thev hand it back don't let it spoil your fun. If you do attain
COVINGTON 8" TRIM SAW and say it's 'pretty good' I never show it perfection don't be snobbish with those who
and motor are com again. If it's only 'pretty good' I know it cannot bring every cabochon to elliptical
pact and do not isn't finished and the person is tactfully and polished perfection and every facet to
splash. Save blades telling me so." geometrical Utopia. Take a lesson from
and clothing with An old Chinese proverb says: "It is my Mother Nature herself for it is an axiom
this saw. imperfections that endear me :o my friends. that nothing, absolutely nothing in nature
BUILD YOUR OWN LAP It is my virtues that annoy them. Every is perfect.
Chinese artist always leaves some little im- The same advice applies to those who do
and SAVE with a COV- perfection in his work so thai: the connois- silvercraft. James W. Anderson of Balti-
INGTON 12" or 16" Lap seur may find it and be pleased. The Nava- more, who originated the idea of combined
Kit. We furnish every-
thing you need. Send
jos do the same in their rug weaving; agate and silver tableware, says that the
for free catalog.
always leaving a little hole in each rug for greatest compliment a friend can pay his
"spiders to get through." efforts is to say that it looks handmade.
Carl Glick, author of Shake Hands with If a piece looks too professional Anderson
COVINGTON
Multi-Feature the Dragon, refers to this in reporting a says he whacks it a few places with a ham-
16" Lap Unit conversation with his friend Kung. He said mer just to be sure it will not be mistaken
I>oes to Glick "when I write a letter to a friend, for a machined piece. Silvercrafters can
everything
for you. if I have but one misspelled word, the be fussier than gem cutters at times for they
COVINGTON
recipient of my letter will be made happier. have design to consider. In conclusion we
12" 14" He will feel superior. He will say to him- offer another story for them.
or 16" self, "Kung has been to several colleges. I Our famous naval commander John Paul
Power Feed have not attended even one. In comparison Jones was the son of the head gardener to
Diamond
Saws I am supposed to be totally ignorant and the Earl of Selkirk in Scotland. In the
uneducated—but look, I know when he gardens, which he attended with fanatical
SAVE misspells a word.' So he finds pleasure in fussiness, there stood two summer houses.
BLADES discovering my mistake. It makes him feel One day he caught a visitor stealing fruit
important. I've had fun, too, for I knew and locked him in one of the houses. When
all the time what I was doing, and I feel the Earl came out to see about the matter
Send for New Catalog, IT'S FREE superior to him for feeling superior to me. he found John Paul Jones locked in the
I am happy. He is happy. My mistake has other summer house. "Was he stealing
COVINGTON LAPIDARY SUPPLY really pleased us both."
fruit also?" asked his lordship. "No sir,"
Redlcmds, California At times we wear a silver ring in which replied the gardener, "I just put him in for
we have mounted a large carnelian cabo- symmetry."
32 DESERT MAGAZINE
society, Oakland, talked on the selection
and polishing of jade material. Mrs. Ma-
honey displayed jade specimens from the
JUNE, 195 1 33
AMONG THE
GEm A D V E R T I S I N G R A T E
8c a Word . . . Minimum $1.00
ROCK HUNTERS
FLUORESCENT MINERALS (Franklin, N. J.) IF YOU ARE A ROCKHOUND you need the
Superb specimens of Calcium Larsenite with Lapidary Journal. Tells how to cut and polish
Willemite and Franklinite. Fluoresces vivid rocks, gives news of all mineral-gem groups. The Compton, California, Gem and Min-
yellow and green. Some specimens also con- Tells how to make jewelry, carries ads of eral society has set the date of its second
tain Calcite and fluoresce vivid yellow, green dealers in supplies, equipment, gems, minerals
and red. $3.00 to $15.00. Willemite or Cal- from all over the world. Well illustrated, annual show for September 29-30. Place,
cite, Willemite and Calcite, 5 beautiful speci- beautifully printed. Subscription $2.00 a year Veterans of Foreign Wars Building, 119 E.
mens (2x2) $5.00, single specimens $1.10, small —back numbers 50c. Sample Copy 25c if you Magnolia Street, Compton.
pieces $1.50 per lb. Larger specimens in have never subscribed or been sampled.
stock. Other specimens non-fluorescing. In-
quiries invited. Postpaid, money back guar-
LELANDE QUICK, Editor, Palm Desert, • • •
California.
antee. Fred W. Morris, 8804 19th Avenue, The first field trip for 1951 took the
Brooklyn 14, New York. Sequoia Mineral society, Parlier, California,
FOR SALE: Beautiful purple Petrified Wood
with Uranium, Pyrolusite, Manganite. Nice to Shark Tooth Hill. Nearly everyone
ROCK COLLECTORS ATTENTION—The Trailer
Rock Store is again open to visitors to the
sample $1.00. Postage. Maggie Baker, Wen- found one or more fossilized teeth, many
den, Arizona.
area between Palm Springs and Palm Desert, digging out as many as thirty perfect speci-
Hiway 111. The Rockologist, (Chuckawalla mens. At the April meeting George Smith
Slim) Box 181, Cathedral City, California. MINERAL SPECIMENS and cutting material of contributed a pair of sawed onyx book
all kinds. Gold and Silver jewelry made to
MINERAL SETS: 24 Colorful Minerals (iden- order. Your stones or ours. 5 lbs. good cut- ends, Asher Havenhill a specimen of cop-
tified) in l x l compartments, $3.00 postpaid. ting material $4.00 or $1.00 per lb. J. L. per, gold and galena and C. O. Sorensen a
James, Battle Mountain, Nevada.
PROSPECTOR'S SET — 50 minerals (identi- slab of green jade. An anonymous con-
fied) in l x l compartments in cloth reinforoed,
sturdy cartons, $5.00 postpaid. ELLIOTT tributor sent in a group of quartz crystals.
OVAL CABOCHONS — Symmetrically cut and
GEM SHOP, 235 East Seaside Blvd. Long beautifully polished. 3 for $1.(10 tax included, • • •
Beach 2, California. no C.O.D. Sizes from 18 to 30 mm. Lapis
lazuli—Agates—Amethysts, etc. Pacific Gem Identification of minerals with a petro-
TITANIA GEMS $5.00 per carat for stones over Cutters, 424 So. Broadway, Los Angeles, Calif. graphic microscope was described by S. A.
3 carats. Also mounted in 14K gold rings.
All precious gems at lowest prices. Ace Jerome of the New Jersey Zinc Explora-
Lapidary Co., Box 67, Jamaica, N. Y. DIAMONDS: Save 40% —Wholesale prices, $85 tion company, at the April meeting of the
to $2200. Loose brilliants. Resale. For price
list Airmail Joachim Goldenstein, Export Yavapai Gem and Mineral Society, Pres-
ATTENTION ROCK COLLECTORS. It will pay cott, Arizona. After Jerome's talk society
you to visit the Ken-Dor Rock Roost. We buy, Dept. 6. Antwerp, Belgium.
sell, or exchange mineral specimens. Visitors members had an opportunity to view a
are always welcome. Ken-Dor Rock Roost, FREE HERKIMER DIAMOND embedded in number of slides and thin polished sections
419 Sutter, Modesto, California. the book "Let's Hunt For Herkimer Dia-
monds." A must for crystals hunters. $1.00. of minerals. Door prizes were won by
Claude B. Smith, Box 291, Geneva, N. Y. Eugene Neuman and Gary Purviance.
MINERAL SPECIMENS, slabs or material by
the pound for cutting and polishing, Carbo- Specimens of fluorescent rock were on sale.
rundum wheels Cerium Oxide. Mountings. BLACK ONYX blanks 25c each. Red Onyx
Approval selection sent upon request. You blanks 35c each. Green Onyx blanks 35c
are welcome. A. L. Jarvis, Route 2, Box 125, each. Prompt service given to mail order The Orange Belt Mineral society held its
Watsonville, California, on Salinas Highway. jobs. All kinds of fine cutting. Juchem Bros.,
315 W. 5th St., Los Angeles 13, California.
April meeting in the social hall at Valley
SIX LARGE SLICES of Arizona Agates, $5.00 College, San Bernardino, California. Hugh
postpaid. Arizona Agate Mines, Cave Creek,
RADIOACTIVE ORE COLLECTION. Six won- R. Thorne showed colored slides of rocks
Arizona.
derful specimens of Euxenitu & Monazite, and the scenic Indian cliff dwelling areas
Autunite, Uranophane, Carnotite, Samaraskite of Utah, Colorado and Arizona. Mrs.
FIFTY MINERAL SPECIMENS, %-in. or over, and Lambertite in neat redwood chest, only
boxed, identified, described, mounted. Post- $2.00 Postpaid! Supply limited—Order now! Thorne displayed specimens of pottery done
paid $4.00. Old Prospector, Box 729 Lodi,
California.
URANIUM PROSPECTORS, Box 604, Stockton, by Rachele, aged Indian woman whose
California.
outstanding skill and artistry has been rec-
DESERT GEM SHOP under new management.
PREFORM BLANKS: Round stones from 12 to
ognized throughout the western states.
Lots of cabs., slab cutting material and min-
erals. Order by mail or stop two miles west 15 mm. in genuine Citrine, Smoky Quartz, or • • •
of Salome. L. C. Hockett, Box 276, Salome, synthetic Spinel in most colors. 20c carat.
Arizona. No waste, ready to facet and polish. Pacific At their April meeting, the Southwest
Gem Cutters, 424 So. Broadway, Los Angeles, Mineralogists of Los Angeles, enjoyed a
70 DIFFERENT MINERAL SPECIMENS mounted
California. picture of the recent eruption of Mauna
and labeled in l " x l " compartments, $3.75. Loa. This eruption was particularly inter-
Satisfaction guaranteed. Coast Gems & Min-
erals Inc., 11669 Ferris Road, El Monte, Calif.
BEAUTIFUL ROCKS from underground caves esting because the lava flowed from the
of New Mexico. Polished rock suitable for
paper weights at 50c, 75c, $1.00. Book ends three lower vents forming a slowly moving
BERYL CRYSTALS, Columbite, Tantalite, Pur- cut and polished $3.00 up. Lamps with photo river half a mile wide with a temperature
purite, Andalucite Crystals, Rose Quartz, Hell's shade $15.00, less shade $12.00. Good cutting of around 5000 degrees. Loyd Larson
Canyon Agates. Mac-Mich Minerals Co., Cus- material 50c lb. Nice samples of polished and talked on his trip through Mexico, via
ter, So. Dakota. unpolished cave formation and RIcolite $1.50.
Serpentine Ricolite same price. Postpaid. T. motorcycle, showing colored slides of rural
B. Perschbacher, 303 N. Mesa, Carlsbad, New flowering Mexico and the people, churches
Mexico. and ancient ruins.
ALLEN BEAUTIFUL SPECIMEN of black Tourmaline
crystals in flesh pink Rhodochrosite. Takes
JUNIOR fine polish, cuts beautiful slabs. $2.00, $3.00, The speaker at the April meeting of the
GEM $5.00 sizes. If you do not cut get one of Chicago Rocks and Mineral society. Pro-
these specimens for your collection. Yes,
fessor Cole of the Northwestern University,
CUTTER they are odd and nice, too. Jack the Rock
Hound, P.O. Box 86, Carbondsle, Colorado. talked on "Watch Cases of the Early 1800's."
He illustrated with colored slides of the
A Complete Lapidary Shop THE GOOD LORD made the rocks beautiful. I elaborately enameled and jewel encrusted
Only $43.50 love to cut and polish those rocks and find cases from the collection of Leopold Metz-
that beauty. Ken Stewart's Gem Shop. Cus-
tom cutting and polishing. Lapidary Equip- enberg. Stanley Ryba exhibited his collec-
• Ideal for apartment house dwel- ment and Supplies. 37 South West Temple, >/2 tion of Pennsylvania fern fossils, cabochons
block from Temple Square, Salt Lake City,
Utah.
and jewelry.
ers. • • •
• Polish rocks into beautiful gems. WHEN IN HOLLYWOOD visit Bea's Trading At a recent meeting of the East Bay
• Anyone can learn. Post. Stones from California and Oregon.
Petrified wood from Arizona. Indian goods
Mineral society of California, Frank Wil-
• Instructions included. and curios. 1149 N. Vine St., Hollywood 38, cox demonstrated his method of polishing
California. precious opal by hand. The method con-
Write for Catalog, 25c sists of securing the specimen or dopping
URANIUM identified ON-THE-SPOT! Prospect- it to the head of a large nail. It is then
ALLEN LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT ors save time, assay fees using proven Menlo
Uranium Test Kit with any blacklite. Pocket-
shaped by grinding with abrasive cloths,
COMPANY — Dept. D size kit contains everything for 25 bead tests. beginning with 120 grit, then 220 and fin-
Refillable. FREE list URANIUM ores with ishing with 600. Polishing is then done on
3632 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles 43. Cal. every kit. Valuable instruction manual. At a piece of soft leather, dampened and
your dealer's or order direct. S5, postpaid.
Phone Axminister 2-6206 Menlo Research Laboratory, Box 522-E, Menlo spread with a small amount of tin oxide.
Park, California. It took Wilcox 9 minutes to finish a stone.
34 DESERT MAGAZINE
LAPIDARY HUT OPENED LOS ANGELES LAPIDARY
BY TRONA SOCIETY SOCIETY WINS AWARDS Agate Jewelry
Recent opening of a well equipped lapi- At the April meeting, Norman Cupp.
dary hut by the Searles Lake Gem and president of the Los Angeles Lapidary so-
Mineral society at Trona, California, marks ciety, announced exhibits at the third an- Wholesale
fulfillment of one of its foremost ambitions. nual California hobby show attracted Rings — Pendants — Tie Chains
Equipment installed includes a 16-inch slab- crowds, the working demonstration of Brooches — Ear Rings
bing saw, a trimming saw, four 10-inch Charles Maples and Jack Deurmyers win- Bracelets — Matched Sets
grinding wheels, two 8-inch drum sanders, ning special award ribbons. The display of —Send stamp for price list No. 1—
two 8-inch disc sanders, one 10-inch cloth lapidary work, gems and jewelry took the
buffer and one 10-inch felt buffer. The hut
is open from 7 to 9 three nights a week for
blue ribbon for that division. Armand de
Angelis, gem cutter for the Krueger stone
Blank Mountings
the use of members under the supervision house, gave an informative talk on the art Rings — Ear Wires — Tie Chains
of a committee member. Techniques of of cutting stones. De Angelis has been a Cufi Links — Neck Chains
cabochon and flat specimen cutting as well professional lapidary for 25 years and has Bezel — devices — Shanks
as facet cutting are being taught. Dwight cut stones for many famous people. S. P. Solder — Findings
Sawyer is president of the society, replacing Hansen. charter member of the society, was —Send stamp for price list No. 2—
Nedra Merrill who resigned because of ill- presented with a life membership. The so-
ness. George Grau is vice president, Celia ciety meets the first Monday of each month. O. R. JUNKINS & SON
Forgee, recording secretary, Alma Bliss, • • • 440 N.W. Beach St.
corresponding secretary and Eddie Reden- Newport, Oregon
bach, treasurer. The Atlanta, Georgia, Mineral society-
received a special invitation to attend the
open house held in the new building of the
At the regular meeting of the Western Department of Geology at Emory Univer-
sity, March 9. Especially interesting were YOURS FOR READY-REFERENCE
Nebraska Mineral society, Chappell, Ne-
braska, Walter Peck was elected president. the minerals displayed in the halls, ar- RADIOACTIVE MINERALS
Serving with Peck are: Emmett Soule, vice ranged to take full advantage of light and
president; Freda Bergstrom, secretary-treas- background. Regular meeting of the so- Know first-hand the important types
urer. E. P. Chipman spoke on the "Plane- ciety was held March 12 when field trips of the world's most strategic minerals.
tary Theory of Evolution of the Universe." were discussed and business taken care of. 16 selected specimens attractively
Refreshments were served at the close of Dr. Frank Daniel, official historian, talked boxed plus data handbook
the meeting. on minerals and past field trips, illustrating (Me 71-d) $7.50
with Kodachrome slides. <Advi.se nearest Express office;
• • • shipment Collect)
• • •
The Santa Fe, New Mexico, Gem and The Napa Valley Rock and Gem club
Mineral club celebrated its first birthday sponsored its first Rock and Gem show NATURAL
March 20. New officers were elected. Those
serving are: Walter H. Wright, president;
March 31-April 1 at the Women's Club U/ADn'C SCIENCE
House in Napa, California. Nearly 1000
James G. Gates, vice president; Justine attended. Silversmithing was demonstrated. V Y A I l U 0 ESTABLISHMENT, INC.
Stehl, corresponding secretary; Bettie A. Rough rock, crystals, petrified wood, pol- P.O. Bo< 21. Reechwood Station. Rochester. N.Y.
Morgan, recording secretary; Marie Al- ished slabs and cabochons as well as
mand, treasurer. mounted stones and work in both gold and
silver were some of the items displayed. FAMOUS TEXAS PLUMES
At the annual meeting, April 6, new Santa Rosa. Benicia and Vallejo, neighbor- Red Plume and many other types of agate.
officers of the Washoe Gem and Mineral ing cities, also had exhibits. Slabs on approval. Rough agate. 8 lb. mix-
society were elected. Those who will serve • 9 e
ture postpaid. $5.00. Price list on request.
are: Mrs. Henry Obermanns, president; The Santa Monica, California. Gemolog- WOODWARD RANCH
Glen E. Drew, vice president and program ical society has elected Florence G. Strong 17 miles So. on Hwy 118
director; Thelma Jordan, secretary-treasurer; president, the first woman to serve the Box 453. Alpine. Texas
Gladys Hamm, publicity director. society in that capacity. First vice presi-
dent, Vern Cadieux and second vice presi-
• • • dent. Professor W. R. B. Osterholt, were
Mrs. Clarence Chittenden. former teacher returned to office. Harold Higgins was
at Pasadena City College, spoke on jewelry elected treasurer; Doris Baur, recording MINERAL SPECIMENS
making and design at the April 10 meeting secretary, Lefa Warth, corresponding sec- Lapidary & Jeweler's Supplies
of the San Gabriel Valley, California, Lapi- retary. James W. Riley, from Springfield, I. C. FILER 4 SON
dary society. She illustrated her talk with Ohio, spoke to the society, titling his talk 1344 Hiway 99, San Bernardino. California
blackboard sketches and an exhibit of fin- "Reminiscing by a Buckeye Rockhound." Midway between Redlahds and
ished pieces of modern jewelry. A recent The mineral display was arranged by re- San Bernardino
field trip took 26 to the Crestmore quarry tiring president and Mrs. C. E. Hamilton. Open Every Day
in Riverside county. Several varieties of
fluorescent minerals rewarded those who
went.
• • •
Dr and Mrs. Snook of Palmdale, Cali-
fornia, entertained 36 members of the Mo- ^eett j£o6(k*ty,
jave Mineralogical society April 4. Colored
slides covering Yoho, Kootney and Jasper Petrified Wood, Moss Agate, Chrysocolla
National parks in Canada were shown. Ted Turquoise, Jade and Jasper Jewelry
Purkheiser talked on the method of wet
sanding, especially good for polishing jade. HAND MADE IN STERLING SILVER
Hamburgers, ice cream, cake and coffee
were served. The April 6 meeting at Home- Bracelets, Rings, Necklaces, Earrings
land Park in Boron, was highlighted by the and Brooches
contest between Mojave and Boron for
honors in having completed the most jew- SPECIALLY SELECTED STONES WITH
elry and lapidary work during the month. CHOICE COLORS AND PICTURES
A special field trip April 8 took several to
the Caliprima Dolomite mine a few miles Write for Folder With Prices
north of Adelanto. By special permission
several men were lowered into a newly
discovered limestone cavern. A few stalac-
ELLIOTT'S GEM SHOP
tites and stalagmites as well as arawnite 235 East Seaside Blvd. LONG BEACH I. CALIF.
crystals, already broken off, were allowed Across from West End of Municipal
but no destruction of others permitted since Auditorium Grounds
plans to develop the cavern into a commer- Hours 10 A. M. to 9 P. M. Daily Except Monday
cial sight-seeing spot are under way.
JUNE, 195 1 35
COLLEGE OFFERS SUMMER Dale described the early day prospecting
EARTH SCIENCE COURSES of the Wichitas, much of which was
Professor Richard M. Pearl will teach a prompted by legends of lost Spanish mines.
series of courses covering varous phases of Gold, lead, copper, silver and zircons were
the earth sciences this summer at the Colo- sought. Professor Dale said probably no
rado college, Colorado Springs. They are area of similar size has ever been so thor-
directed toward teachers of the earth sci- oughly searched with such unprofitable re-
MERCURY ences in high schools and junior colleges as sults.
well as those interested in advancing their • • •
TUNGSTEN — URANIUM knowledge of geology and mineralogy. At the March 30 meeting of the Hum-
• e • boldt Gem and Mineral society Newton
That precious stones are tears is a com- Steward, chief of the KIEM news staff,
FIND VITAL mon mythological concept. According to Eureka, California, told of his experiences
WAR M E T A L S ! the Buddhists, the rubies and sapphires of in China and displayed Chinese art dating
Ceylon are Buddha's tears, caused by man's back 2000 years to the Han dynasty. Paul
with Ultra-Violet Mineralight sins. A Singhalese legend holds the gems McMillan described a field trip to the Van
of Ceylon are Adam's tears hardened. Dusen river area for those who were unable
MINERALIGHT instantly identifies mercury, Chinese mythology attributes pearls to the to go. Refreshments concluded an enter-
tungsten and many other valuable minerals tear of mermen and mermaids. On the taining evening. April 1 another field trip
island of Hawaii small spheres of aragonite took 29 society members to the beaches of
now in demand for rearmament. Dry Lagoon and Big Lagoon in northern
resembling pearls are known locally as the
5 MINERALIGHT models for every require- tears of the goddess Pele who ruled the Humboldt county. Agate, jasp-agate, petri-
great volcano, Kilauea and wept when she fied wood, jasper and californite were some
ment. Money-back guarantee. of the minerals picked up.
thought the subterranean fires were dying.
• • • • • •
The Tucson, Arizona, Gem and Mineral The March issue of the Dona Ana
Send for free brochure on society, meeting in the University of Ari- County, New Mexico, Rock club Bulletin
"Prospecting for Scheelite zona library March 20, enjoyed a talk on has four pages devoted to the club library.
(tungsten) with Ultra Violet." copper minerals by J. J. Normart. A movie According to the Mineral and Gem News
showing mining and smelting copper at the of the Rocky Mountain Federation, a so-
Inspiration mine at Miami and Globe, Ari- ciety owned library for the benefit of its
zona, illustrated the talk. On display was members is a worthwhile venture, involv-
ULTRA-VIOLET PRODUCTS, Inc. Nomart's large collection of copper min- ing some work, but paying large dividends.
145 Pasadena Avenue, South Pasadena, Calif. erals representing many localities. At the It also calls attention to the club's birthday
April 3 meeting, Fred G. Hawley described box in which those having a birthday de-
the meteorite crater in Arizona, displaying posit a sum corresponding to their ages.
specimens of various types of meteorites. Two This helps the treasurer, the Federation
movies were shown at the April 17 meet- states, and is not burdensome on the rock-
hounds.
THE COMPTON ROCK SHOP ing, both on the natural resources of Chile
and Columbia. • • •
• • • The Monterey Bay Mineral society at-
A Friendly Place to Visit tended an impromptu field trip in its own
Mr. and Mrs. Linton T. Riggs enter- back yard in Salinas April 1. Past president
tained the Oklahoma Mineral society at and Mrs. V. L. Fraser, who have collected
Belgian Congo Malachite — very their home in Oklahoma City on March 1. so many rocks during past years it was
The usual business meeting was dispensed impossible to move all to their new home,
good material 50c per sq. in. with in order to devote the entire evening invited members of the society on a field
to the program arranged by Professor E. E. trip in their back yard. A few specimens
Shattuckite — 35c per sq. in. Dale of the history department of the Uni- were presented to the society to use as it
versity of Oklahoma. He talked on Nava- sees fit. The balance, both cutting and
Tiger Eye Golden —$2.00 per lb. joe, a frontier cow-trail town that flourished specimen material was available to mem-
when Oklahoma was a territory. Professor bers through a generous "share with friends"
idea planned by the Frasers.
Open Tuesday Evening till 10:00 P.M. • • •
1409 S. Long Beach Boulevard
WANT *IO,OOO?, Professor Deidrick, president of the Cali-
Earn the govern- Super Sensitive P. R. I.
fornia Federation of Mineralogical societies,
Compton. California ment bonus. Locate r E i A r n f f t l l N T F I I was speaker at the late March meeting of
Uranium with a GSIBEK IUUN1 tK the San Diego Lapidary society. Professor
Also get one for Atom Bomb Deidrick explained with chalk drawings,
Defense!
Find gold, silver, and other how minerals are formed by the hot magma
ALTA INDUSTRIES valuable ores with a P.B.I. Trea Deo)er ,„,„•„ and steam forced up through cracks in the
Lapidary Equipment sure Locator. Worlds finest in- incited earth's crust. He also showed colored slides
Manufacture and Design struments. Free catalog. Write!
PRECISION RADIATION INSTRUMENTS of the Leviathan sulphur mine which is
16-18 inch power feed slabbing saw 41131) \V. Jefferson, Los Angeles 1fi. California owned by the Texas Gulf Oil Company.
Belt Sanders, including ball bearing
Drill press
Grinding arbor and trim saw
Send postal for free literature
Al/TA INDUSTRIES
4613 Central Ave. Phoenix, Arizona
BLACK LIGHT KITS
Visitors Welcome
FOR ULTRA-VIOLET FLUORESCENCE
NEW CATALOGS AVAILABLE NOW . . . you can build your own black light equip- '
If you want Choice Cutting Material, Fine & ment at a new low cost with these easy-to-assemble
Rare Minerals, Geiger Counters, Miner- components. Geologists, mineral prospectors and hob-
alights, Books, Trim Saws, Fluorescents,
Ores, Gems, Ring Mounts, or advice, write byists can easily make laboratory black lights for
to . . . mineral identification. Signs, posters, pictures, fabrics, house numbers . . . anything
MINERALS UNLIMITED painted with fluorescent paint glows with eye-appealing fluorescence under black light.
1724 University Ave.. Berkeley 3, California Kit contains: Ultra-Violet tube, brackets, ballast, starter, wire, plug and wiring diagram.
Watt Kit-(5'/4" tube). ......$3.00
ROCK and GEM HOBBY SHOP
Rock Cutting — Rings Mounted to Order
Special! J Watt Kit—(12 " tube) $4.00
FELIX V. BRADDI, Owner Enclose full amount with order Equipment shipped postpaid
Stones Ground and Polished
Uranium Ore Tested—Western Jewelry
1959 Harbor Boulevard C & H SALES COMPANY
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA 2176 EAST COLORADO STREET PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
36 DESERT MAGAZINE
JEWELRY MAKING EXPLAINED CASTRO VALLEY MINERAL SHOW The South Bay Lapidary Society, hold-
IN SIMPLE LANGUAGE RESULTS IN MANY AWARDS ing meetings the first Monday of each
month at Clark Stadium, Hermosa Beach,
Arthur and Lucille Sangcr, co-authors of The third annual mineral show of the California, is entering its fourth year. The
Cabochon Jewelry Making have been asso- Mineral and Gem society of Castro Valley. entire staff of officers has been reelected
ciated with lapidary work and silversmith- California, held April 7 and 8, resulted in for another year. Those serving again are:
ing for many years, at one time conducting many awards Jane Hagar, president; S. P. Hughes, vice
a studio in Chicago. Besides giving private both the seniorforand outstanding exhibits in
president; Gordon Bailey, secretary; Perry
lessons, they headed the lapidary and sil- addition to beautifullyjunior divisions. In
Williams, treasurer.
versmith department in the American the society had a tablearranged of
displays,
radio-active
Industrial Magazine and contributed articles minerals with a Geiger counter demonstra-
on making jewelry to various journals and tion by Louis Camenzind. Mrs. W;;rd
magazines. Lewis conducted the dark room, showing
Cabochon and Jewelry Making is for fluorescent minerals under ultra violet light.
those who have had some experience in Frank Wilcox demonstrated his techni UJ
the use of small tools of the trade. The for faceting minerals and Gladys Luce the
Sangers have selected silver as the material grinding and polishing of rock specimens.
for mounting various stones because it is Wesley Gordon, leader of the paleontolo-
easier for the beginner to work with and gists of Hayward, showed how rare fossil
not too expensive for small projects. specimens are cleaned and prepared. Minn e
"in making jewelry, me first ih.ng to do Buhn supervised displays of over _'i() floral
is make a design tor the stone mounting. dish gardens.
Lay the stone on a sheet of paper ;,nd draw
around it. Fill a whole sheet of paper with
draw.ngs of the stone, if you arc fishing for (Our Factory cutting and polishing Titania)
an idea. I his is not necessary where the TRUE OR FALSE ANSWERS RUTILE (Titania)
design is already in mind. Around each of Pacific Gem Cutters is first to offer you lliis
Questions are on page 28 most amazing (join cut in our own plant, .-it
the drawings, sketch some simple design, these Low Prices.
or parts of designs, if it is to be a repeat I—False. The coyote is also a meat Small stones con be had in pairs for earrings
motif. It is better to use curved lines, espe- eaier. %i lo 1 carat sizes at $10.00 carat
cially for the beginner, than angular ones, 2—True. 1 carat sizes and up at S 7.50 carat
3—False. De Anza followed Coyote Each stone guaranteed to be first quality.
as the curved lines will arrange themselves Brilliant cut stones facet for facet to dupli-
in pleasing fashion." Canyon to the top of the range cate the brilliant diamond cut. These syn-
Thus begin the general instructions in many miles south of San Gor- thetic balls of fire have a double refractive
gonio Pass. index and exceed the diamond in brilliance.
chapter one, indicating the easily compre- 4—False. The sidewinder derives PACIFIC GEM CUTTERS
hensive language in which the book is its name from its manner of LAPIDARY AND STONE SUPPLY
written. travel. Phone MA HH-l'y—Judson Hives Building
More than a hundred articles, including J24 South Broadway, Los Angeles 13, Calif.
buttons, necklaces, spring type bracelets 5—False. There are no buffalo in
and brooches with prongs and coils are Saguaro National Monument.
explained. If you are interested in lapidary 6—True.
7—False. Only 21 of the original Black Spider Web Turquoise
you will want to own this book. 29 palms are still standing.
Published by Charles A. Bennett Com- 8—True. Domestic and Asiatic
pany, Inc., Peoria, Illinois. 127 pages. $3.50. 9—True. •
• • • 10—False. The Papagos use long
Lawrence Oliver and Kess Philips of the Cut stones in all sizes
poles to knock down the fruit.
Denver, Colorado, Mineral Society exhib- 1 1—False. Gold often occurs in
©
JUNE, 1 9 51 37
ween uou an
By RANDALL HENDERSON
38 DESERT MAGAZINE
party returned to base camp at the end Two names which often appear in
of the motor road two days overdue. Desert Magazine are those of Aries
• • • Adams and Bill Sherrill, who generally
Paul Wilhelm, known among his accompany Randall Henderson on his
friends as the Poet of the Desert, also exploring trips into the remote desert
writes very interesting prose, and the areas. Aries Adams is the father of
editors of Desert Magazine regard his four girls and two boys. His home is
Betty Woods of Pagosa Springs, story of the 57 Trail Shrines in this El Centro, California, where he is
Colorado, who often writes feature issue of the magazine as one of the superintendent of the California Cen-
stories for Desert Magazine, is arrang- most readable archeological features tral Fibre corporation's mill in that
ing to spend the next few months on yet published. Paul has made his home city. This company is a subsidiary of
location with her husband, Clee Woods, for many years at the Thousand Palms the Acusta Paper corporation of Pisgah
also a writer, who has been selected oasis, in the heart of what the map- Forest, North Carolina, and its func-
as technical director for an Apache makers call the Indio Mud Hills. Paul tion is to process the flax straw grown
Indian picture to be filmed by Uni- would like to change the name to in Imperial Valley and ship it to the
versal-International. While the loca- Phantom Hills. There are many palms parent plant in North Carolina for
tion has not been definitely selected, in these low-lying hills along the north manufacture into cigaret and fine writ-
it probably will be in the Chiricahua side of Coachella Valley and during ing papers.
Mountains, stronghold of Cochise and his years at the oasis Paul not only
other Apache chieftains during their has found many artifacts of the ancient William (Bill) Sherrill is a member
long conflict with American troops. Indian tribesmen who camped at these of the U. S. Border Patrol. Within
• • • waterholes, but also accumulated many the last year he has had two promo-
Dora Edna Tucker, frequently men- legends of the Cahuilla Indians, who tions and is now Patrol Inspector in
tioned in Desert Magazine as the trav- are believed to be the descendants of charge of the Calexico station on the
eling companion of Nell Murbarger, the prehistoric tribesmen. California border.
writer for many western publications,
died at her home in Las Vegas, Ne-
vada, April 4. Aged 72, Mrs. Tucker
_was born in Maine, but spent 70 years
of her life in Colorado, Utah and
Nevada. Despite her advanced years
she was always eager for an exporing
trip into remote sections of the desert,
and has been Miss Murbarger's com-
panion on western writing assignments
for 27 years. "Aside from my mother
and father, she was the only real pal
I ever had," writes Nell Murbarger.
• • •
John W. Hilton, artist and writer
whose feature stories have appeared
frequently in Desert Magazine, was
34 * 72 . Z l b i .
married April 28 at the home of Mr. NET KAPOK.
GROSS WT.51b'
and Mrs. Sherman Clark of Twenty- STITCH THRU.
JUNE, 1951 39
UAM