197503 Desert Magazine 1975 March

8/14/2019 197503 Desert Magazine 1975 March

1/48

! V V* . L

&

:JJ

1

i\\


2/48

D - T E X - C H O I C E O F M O S T P R O F E S S I O N A L S

IN THE PHOTO ABO VE, BOB M AR X, LEFT AND BILL M AH AN , JR.,INSPECT A ND DISCUSS THE NEW CUSTOM B UILT UNDER WAT ER DETECTORBUILT ESPECIALLY FOR BOB MARX.

Bob Marx, internationally known explorer, treasure hunter and underwaterarcheologist, after th roug hly testing this un it in Florida, had only one thing to say."L ik e all other D-TEX products, this unit is tru ly fanta stic."Bob will be using this unit in several locations around the world during the winter.In the summer of 1975 , he w ill be using it off the coast of Florida to locate a SpanishGalleon, the 1656 ALMIRANTA. This ship had bronze cannons and other hardware

and was carrying a cargo of large wooden boxes of silver and with no ferrous metal itis impossible to locate with a magnetometer. This unit is built to operate to 100 footdepths and is operated fr om the salvage vessel.Bob has used regular D-TEX detectors and says there is no other detector builtthat compares to D-TEX in depth, sensitivity and ruggedness.

At\hiA&For free illustrated catalogue of our regular detec tors plus treasure h untin gstories and finding tips,

D-TEX ELECTRONICS


3/48

WILLIAM KNYVETT, Publisher-Editor

GEORGE BRAGA, Art DirectorMARY FRANCES STRONG, Field Trip EditorF. A. BARNES, Utah Associate EditorGLENN VARGAS, Lapidary EditorK. L. BOYNTON, NaturalistMARVEL BARRETT, Circulation Manager

DutnLMAGAZINE

Volume 38,Number 3 MARCH1975

CONTENTS

T HE COVER:An d re a s Ca n y o n , n e a rPalm Springs, Cali fornia,is a cool oasis and an oldIndian campsite. Photo byDavid Muench of SantaBarbara, Cali fornia.

F E A T U R E SLITTLE FENNER VALLEY 8 Mary Frances Strong

THE DALE MINING DISTRICT 12 Howard NealDESERT TOAD 14 K. L. Boynton

THECHEMEHUEVIS 18 Georgia Laird CulpERLE'S BEACH 22 C. Wesley Hamshaw

THE GREATEST LIAR OFTHEM ALL! 24 Diana Lindsay

FOR THE FUTURE 28 Al PearceRECIPES FORM'LADY 37 Helen Peterson

OFF-ROAD VEHICLE PLAN 44 BLM ORV Map

D E P A R T M E N T SBOOKS FORDESERT READERS 5 Book Reviews

DESERT LIFE 31 Hans BaerwaldDESERT PLANT LIFE 39 JimCornett

RAMBLING ON ROCKS 40 Clenn andMartha VargasLETTERS TO THE EDITOR 46 Readers'Comments

CALENDAR OFWESTERN EVENTS 46 Club Activities

EDITORIAL, CIRCULATION ANDADVE RTISING OFFICES: 74-425 Highway 111, Palm D esert, California 92260. Telephone Area Code 714 346-8144.Listed inStandard Rate and Data. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States, Canada andMexico; 1year, $6.00; 2years, $11.00; 3years, $16.00. Otherforeign subscribers add $1.00 U. S.currency foreach year. See Subscription Order Form inthis issue. Allow five weeks forchange ofaddress and sendboth newand oldaddresses with zip codes. DESERT Magazine ispublished monthly. Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, California andataddi-tional m ailing offices under ActofMarch 3,1879. Contents copyrighted 1975 byDESERT M agazine and permission toreproduce any orallcontents mustbe secured in writing. Manuscripts andphotographs will not oe returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Desert/March 7975


4/48

White's builds 'embetter ....not cheaper! Find out whywhenyou try the fantastic newdeep-detection TR discriminatorsnow available on all Whi te 'sfamous Series II Models!Treasure hunt in your choice ofTHREE WAYS: (1) Set on manualand pinpoint the tuning the way youwant it; (2)Tune qn automatic andthe instrument corrects for changingsoil conditions; (3) Or set it for discri-minate and the instrument ignores junkitems such aspull tabs, bottlecaps, rustedcans and in foi l , but reacts strongly to coins,rings, jewelry, and precious metals.Owning a White's discriminator is like havingTHREE INSTRUMENTS IN ONE! Best of all,with a White 's discr iminator, you canadjust in-stantly to ANY DEGREE OF DISCRIMINATIONDESIRED!Go to town today and see the complete selection ofdiscriminator instruments at your nearest White'sauthorized dealer. Budget terms always available. WRITE FORFREE LITERATURE TO:

s electronics, incDEPT.DA5C1011 PLEASANT VALLE Y ROAD SW EET H O M E , OREGON 9738Other Locat ions: Abb otsford . B.C.C anada and Elk-Air Industr ia l Park, Elkha rt , Indiana U.S.A. Dealers located WorldwidDEALERSHIPS AVAILABLE IN SELECTED AREAS


5/48

B o o k s forH e a d e r s

All books reviewed are available through theDesert Magazine Book Shop. Please add 25c perorder for handling and California residents mustinclude 6% state sales tax.

THE K ING 'S H IGHWAYIN BAJA CALIFORNIABy Harry Crosby

A book that takes the reader by mule-back over the rugged spine of the BajaCalifornia peninsula along an historicpath created by the first Spanish padres,who pitted their strength and witsagainst a land of forbidding obstacles.

Only fragments of the or iginal road re-main today, and the King 's Highway l iesfor the most part off the beaten track oftoday's auto roads. Laid down by thepadres, the road was later followed byEuropean settlers, early explorers andgold-seeking '49ers. Then it faded andfell into disuse. This story brings to lightthe first penetration of the old trai l inmore than a hundred years, expecial ly inthe central highlands.Only a mule can follow the traces ofthis ancient road across arid plateaus,over volcanic hills and down througho ve r p o we r i n g g o r g e s . Ph o to g r a p h e r -writer Harry Crosby, with a student ofJesuit history in Mexico, made the longand tir ing, but rewarding, journey. Thisbook is the result of the original adven-ture and Crosby's subsequent visits tomany remote areas of the peninsula.

It is both a personal adventure and arecounting of vital history, br inging intoDesert/March 7975

focus the unhappy efforts to introduceChristianity to an Indian population faroff the mainstream of ancient life. It tellsof the life and death of the old Jesuitmissions.

It describes how the first Europeansettlers were lured into the mountains,along the same road, to remain and raisetheir families, tend their little ranchosand also wait out the centuries.

El Camino Real is a route of manyscenic adventures through mountain re-gions and desert wastes. These are pre-sented in magnificent photographs byHarry Crosby, many in str iking color.New revelations along the trail are pre-historic cave paintings by native inhabit-ants, who predated the Indians met bythe earliest Europeans.

Maps help set straight the record ofthe diff icult Baja California terrain, andshow the relation of today's motor roadsto the old t ra i l .The King's Highway in Baja C aliforniais a fascina ting tale of the past, the p re-sent, and perhaps the future of anawakening land.

Hardcover, rich in illustrations, 182pages, $14.50.

F I N D B U R I E D T R E A S U R ELocates buried gold, silver, coins,jewelry, old weapons. Worksthrough earth, vegetation,water, wood, etc.Write for free catalog andfascinating treasure booklet.Financing Available V ^ New Re lcod e t e c t o r s s e n de l e c t r o n i c b e a mfar into earth to seekout treasures lost or hid-den throughout the cen-

t u r i e s . S i g n a l s w h e nobject is detected.RELCO, Dept.D318, Box 10839, Houston,Tex. 77018

DealerInquiriesInvited

AmzoNACook Bookfid(3

s s af N D K N _

BMJOJCI5

Calif, residentsad d 6% sales tax

By AlandMildred FischerIncludes sourdoughand Indian fr ied breadrec ipes , as we l l asother mouth-wateringfavorites. Unique col-lection of hard-to-findWestern cooking. Pa-perback. 142 pages.S3.00

Please include 25clo r postage & handl ing.Magazine Book ShopP. O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, Calif. 92260

THE BLACK BEAR BOOKJoe Van WormerTalented wildlife photographer and w riter, Joe V an Wormer,here presents a simple and accurate portrayal of the life of theblack bear. Comical but pow erful, black bears a re among ourmost interesting and appealing wild animals, and the author hasphotographed them in all stages of their lives and in many oftheir pursuits. Accompanying the pictures is a well written textdesigned for the abilities of young readers, resulting in a bookthat is both a learning experience and entertaining.8> /2xll, 64 pages, 89 photographs, cloth $4.95THERE'S A MARMOT ON THE TELEPHONEJoe Van WormerFloogie, the yellow bellied marmot, came into Joe V an

Wormer's life when the man rescued the baby animal from a fivegallon milk can. From his first place of repose in the au tho r'ssweater pocket, to his adoption by the Van Wormer family, thiswarmhearted story portrays an appealing relationship betweena human being and the wild creature who came to trust and livewith him and his family.Illustrated with 33 photographs by the author.8'/2xll, 117 pages, cloth $5.95The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd.Box 700Caldwell, Idaho 83606


6/48

Send orders toI3ox1318,Palm De sert, California 92260Please add 25c for postage & handling

THE KING'S HIGHWAY IN BAJA CALIFOR-NIA by Harry Crosby. A fascinating recountingof a trip by muleback over the rugged spine ofthe Baja California peninsula, along an historicpath created by the first Spanish padres. It tellsof the life and death of the old Jesuit missions. Itdescribes how the first European settlers werelured into the mountains along the same road.Magnificent photographs, many in color, high-light the book. Hard cover, 182 pages, largeformat, $14.50.GHOST TOWNS OF ARIZONA by James andBarbara S herman. If you are looking for a ghosttown in Arizona this is your waybill. Illustrated,maps, townships, range, co-ordinates, history,and other details make this one of the best ghosttown books ever published. Large 9x11 format,heavy paperback, 208 pages, $3.95.OLD FORTS OF THE NORTHWEST by H. M.Hart. Over 200 photos and maps. Exciting pictor-ial history of the military posts that opened theWest. Hardcover, beautifully illustrated, origin-ally published at $12.50. New Edition $3.95.

ROCKS AND MINERALS OF CALIFORNIAcompiled by Vinson Brown, David Allan andJames Stark. This revised edition will save youhours of time by the description and pictures ofrocks and minerals found in this state. Color pic-tures with clearly developed keys show you howto identify what you have found and gives youfine tools to increase your ability as a field col-lector. Paperback, well illustrated with photos,locality maps, charts and quadrangle map infor-mation. 200 pages. $4.95.NAVAJO RUGS, Past, Present and Future byGilbert S. Maxwell. Concerns the history, leg-ends and descriptions of Navajo rugs. Full colorphotographs. Paperback, $3.00.

INSIDE DEATH VALLEY by Chuck Gebhardt. Aguide and reference text of forever mysteriousDeath Valley, containing over 80 photographs,many in color. Included, too, are Entry Guidesand Place Name Index for the convenience ofvisitors. Written with authority by an avid hiker,backpacker and rockclimber. 160 pages, paper-back, $4.95.

ANASAZI: Ancient People of the Rock, photo-graphs by David Muench, text by Donald G.Pike. This outstanding, moving publicationgives the reader the unique opportunity to seeand understand the Anasazi civilization thatexisted some 2,000 years ago. Blending withDavid Muench's suberb photography, historianDonald Pike provides a fascinating text. Hard-cover, profusely illustrated with color and blackand white photos, 192 pages, $18.95.THE ROCKS BEGIN TO SPEAK by LaVan Mar-tineau. The author tells how his interest in rockwriting led to years of study and how he haslearned that manyespecially the complex pe-troglyphsare historical accounts of actualevents. Hardcover, well illustrated, glossarybibliography, 210 pages, $8.95.GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCK-IES by Robert L. Brown. Written by the authorof Jeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns, thisbook deals with ghost towns accessible by pas-senger car. Gives directions and maps for find-ing towns along with historical backgrounds.Hardcover, 401 pages, $7.95.

MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER NOTEBOOK byHenry and Beverly Mockel. The well-knownpainter of desert wildflowers has combined hisfour-color sketches and black and whitephotographs to describe in detail so the laymancan easily identify wildflowers, both large andsmall. Microscopic detail makes this an out-standing book for identification. Special com-pressed fiber cover which w ill not stain. 54 full-color illustrations with 72 life-size drawings and39 photographs, 316 pages, $5.95.NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MININGCAMPS by Stanley W . Paher. Covering all of Ne-vada's 17 counties, Paher has documented 575mining camps, many of which have been erasedfrom the earth. The book contains the greatestand most complete collection of historic photo-graphs of Nevada ever p ublished. T his, coupledwith his excellent w riting and map, creates a bookof lasting value. Large 9x11 format, 700 photo-graphs, hardcover, 492 pages, $15.00.

.SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA by the Sunset Edi-tors. A new revision offering a wide variety ofexperiences to both the tourist and residentparks, beaches, fairs, resorts, wilderness, pluscities. General area maps plus useful travel in-formation cover areas from Fresno to the Mexi-can border. M any illustrations , paperback, largeformat. 160 pages, $2.95.BAHAMAS, A STEER TO REMEMBER byHarriett E. Weaver. A dram atic and tender storyof a boy, his pet, and the devotion they had foreach other, deftly weaving reality with fiction.Fifteen-year-old Brad is given Bahamas as aweak calf not expected to survive. The story en-compasses hard times in the giant redwood for-est and a flood that ravaged the country. Theauthor of FROSTY, A Raccoon to Rememberbrings you another fascinating story in Bahamasa book to be remembered. Hardcover, 181pages, $5.95.LOST MINES & BURIED TREASURES ALONGTHE OLD FRONTIER by John D. Mitchell. Thesecond of Mitchell's books on lost mines whichwas out-of-print for many years. Many of theseappeared in DESERT Magazine years ago andthese issues are no longer available. New read-ers will want to read these. Contains the origina lmap first published with the book and one pin-pointing the areas of lost mines. Mitchell's per-sonal research and investigation has gone intothe book. Hardcover, 240 pages $7.50.

THE CALIFORNIA DESERTS by Edmund C.Jaeger. Revised 4th edition is a standard guideto Mohave and C olorado deserts with new chap-ters on desert conservation an aborigines. Hard-cover, $4.95.GEM TRAILS OF ARIZONA by Bessie W . Simp-son. This field guide is prepared for the hobbiestand almost every location is accessible by car orpickup accompanied by maps to show sandyroads, steep rocky hills, etc., as cautions. Lawsregarding collecting on Federal and Indian landoutlined. Paperback, 88 pages, illus., $3.50.AMERICAN INDIAN FOOD AND LORE by Car-olyn Neithammer. The original Indian plantsused for foods, medicinal purposes, shelter,clothing, etc., are described in d etail in this fas-cinating book. Common and scientific names,plus descriptions of each plant and unusualrecipes. Large format, profusely illus., 191pages, $4.95.GOLD RUSH COUNTRY by the Editors of SunsetBooks. A revised and up-dated practical gu ide toCalifornia's Mother Lode country. Divided intogeographical areas for easy weekend trips, the8x11 heavy paperback new edition is profusely il-lustrated w ith photos and maps. Special featuresand anecdotes of historical and present dayactivities. Four-color cover, 96 pages. $2.95.

SOURDOUGH COOKBOOK by Don and MyrtleHolm. How to make a sourdough starter andmany dozens of sourdough recipes, plus amusinganecdotes by theauthtirs of the popular Old Fash-ioned Dutch Oven Cookbook. A new experiencein culinary adventures. Paperback, 136 slickpages, illustrated, $3.95.MY CANYONLANDS by Kent Frost. A vividaccount of the early exploration of Utah's Can-yonlands by the author who spent his entire lifeexploring America's new national park and whopresently runs a guide service through thescenic country. Hardcover, artist illustrations,160 pages, $6.95PHOTO ALBUM OF YESTERDAY'S SOUTH-WEST compiled by Charles Shelton. Early daysphoto collection dating from 1860s to 1910 showsprospectors, miners, cowboys, desperados andordinary people. 195 photos, hardcover, fine giftitem, $12.50.OWYHEE TRAILS by Mike Hanley and EllisLucia. The authors have teamed to present theboisterous past and intriguin g present of this stillwild corner of the West sometimes called theI-O-N, whe re Idah o, Oregon and Nevada come to-gether. Hardcover, 225 pages, $7.95.

Desert/March 797.5


7/48

California residentsplease add6% state sales taxPlease add 25c for postage & handling

DESERT, The American Southwest by RuthKirk. Combining her knowledge of the physicalcharacteristics of the land, and man's relation tothe desert from the prehistoric past to the prob-able future, w ith her photographer's eye and herenthusiasm for a strange and beautiful country,the result of Ruth Kirk's work is an extraordinar-ily perceptiveaccount of the living desert. High-ly recommended. Hardcover, beautifully illus-trated, 334 pages, $10.00.GHOST TOWN BOTTLE PRICE G UIDE by Wesand Ruby Bressie. A new and revised edition oftheir popular bottle book, first published in1964. New section on Oriental relics, plus up-to-date values of bottles. Slick, paperback, illus-trated, 124 pages, $3.95FIELD GUIDE TO ROCKS AND MINERALS byFrederick H. Pough. Authoritative guide to iden-tification of rocks and minerals. Experts recom-mend this for all amateurs as one of the best.Many color illustrations. Hardcover, $7.95.DESERT PLANTS AN D PEOPLE by Sam Hicks.Tells how pimitive desert dwellers find susten-ance, shelter, beverages and healing medicinesin nature. Hardcover, $6.95.GHOST TOWN ALBUM by Lambert Florin.Over 200 photos. Fascinating pictorial accountsof the gold mining towns of the Old Westandthe men who worked them. Large format. 184pages, profusely illustra ted, originally publishedat $12.50, new edition $4.98.

CALIFORNIA-NEVADA GHOST TOWN ATLASandSOUTHWESTERN GHOST TOWN ATLASby Robert Neil J ohnson. These atlases are excel-lent do-it-yourself guides to lead you back toscenes and places of the early West. Some pho-tos and many detailed maps with legends andbright, detailed descriptions of what you willsee; also mileage and highway designations.Heavy paperback, each contains 48 pages, each$2.00.GEM MINERALS OF IDAHO by John Beckwith.Contains information on physical and opticalcharacteristics of minerals; the history, lore, andfashioning of many gems. Also eleven rewardingfield trips to every sort of collecting area. Slickpaperback, maps and photos, 123 pages, $3.95TREASURE HUNTER'S MANUAL #7 by Karlvon Mueller. Treasure, or treasure trove, manyconsist of anything having a cash or convertiblevalue; money in all forms, bullion, jewelry,guns, gems, heirlooms, genuine antiques, rareletters and documents, rare books and much,much more. This complete manual covers everyfacet of treasure hunting. Paperback, 293 pages,illustrated, $6.95.DEATH VALLEY JEEP TRAILS by Roger Mit-chell A guide to the large network of back coun-try roads leading to old mining camps stampmills and other little-known areas of Death ValleyNational Monu ment. Paperback, Illus., 36 pages,$1.00.

GHOST TOWNS AND MINING CAMPS OFCALIFORNIA by Remi Nadeau. An excellentbook on California ghost towns. W e recommendit highly. Paperback, $3.75.A FIELD GUIDE TO THE GEMS AND MINER-ALS OF MEX ICO by Paul Willard Johnson Tipson food, maps and information, driving and trail-ering in Mexico, Border regulations, wrappingspecimens of gems and minerals and all aboutyour proposed mining venture are covered. Pa-perback, many good maps and illustrations, 96pages, $2.00.SOM EW HERE OUT THERE . . . Arizona's LostMines and Vanished Treasures by Kearny Eger-ton. A fascinating collection of 23 stories by anartist-writer, combining the most famous lostmine legends into an anthology. For all who be-lieve there's gold in them thar hills! Paperback,beautifully illustrated, $3.50.THE GREAT AMERICAN WEST by James D.Horan. With over 650 illustrations, many in fullcolor, this is the full western story from the daysof the conquistadores to the 20th Century. Manyrare photos never published before. Large 9x12format, hardcover, 288 pages, originally pub-lished at $10.00, now only $4.95.Desert/March T)7S

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS by the SunsetEditors. A comprehensive guide covering thenorthern coast and redwood country, the SierraNevada and northern mountains, the San Fran-cisco Bay area, central valley and foothills, thecentral coast region, the southern desert andmountains. Area maps and photos. 128 pages,paperback, large format, $2.95.DESERT PLANTS FOR DESERT GARDENS byPatricia Moorten and Rex Nevins. Compiled forbetter understanding and appreciation of plantsindigenous to the desert region, including pro-per design for desert gardens, container plants,pool areas and complete landscaping. Paper-back, illustrated, 113 pages, $3.00.NEW BAJA HANDBOOK for the Off-PavementMotorist in Lower California by James T. Crow.Discover the real Baja that lies beyond the edgeof the paved road, the unspoiled, out-of-the-wayplaces unknown to the credit-card tourist. Theauthor, drawing from his extensive travels inthese parts, tells where to go, what to takealong, the common sense of getting ready. Illus-trated, paperback, 95 pages, $3.95.TOP BOTTLES U.S.A. by Art and J ewel Umber-ger. The discovery of a rare old bottle opens up anew understanding of life at an earlier period. Acollection of old medicine bottles takes one backto a slower, less complicated life-style. A timewhen a concoction of aromatic bitters could curealmost anything. The authors have an expertisein their field that cannot be challenged. Profuse-ly illustra ted, paperback, $4.50.

HAPPY WANDERER TRIPS by Slim Barnard.Well-known TV stars, Henrietta and Slim Bar-nard have put together a selection of their tripsthroughout the West from their Happy Wander-er travel shows. Books have excellent maps, his-tory, cost of lodgin g, meals, etc. Perfect for fa m-ilies planning weekends. Both books are largeformat, heavy paperback, 150 pages each and$2.95 each. Volume One covers California andVolume Two Arizona, Nevada and Mexico.WHEN ORDERING STATE WHICH VOLUME.SOUTHWEST INDIAN CRAFT ARTS by ClaraLee Tanner. One of the best books on the sub-ject, covering all phases of the culture of the In -dians of the Southwest. Authentic in every way.Color and black and white illustrations, linedrawings. Hardcover, 205 pages, $15.00.TURQUO IS by Joseph E. Pogue. [Memoirs of theNational Academy of Sciences]. First printed in1915, Turquois has in its third printing (1973)been updated in many ways. Among them arelisted currently-operated Turquois mines, morecolor plates. The book is full of incredible resultsof research and an in-depth study of this fascina-ting mineral of superficial origin. Hardcover, 175pages, beautifully illustrated, $15.00.

TALES THE WESTERN TOMBSTONES TELLby Lambert Florin. The famous and infamouscome back to life in this great photo history in-cluding missionary, mule driver, bad guy andblacksm ith what tales their tombstones tell.Large format, 192 pages, originally published at$12.95, now only $3.95.THE BAJA BOOK, A Complete Map-Guide toToday's Baja California by Tom Miller and El-mar Baxter. Waiting until the new transpenin-sular highway openad, the authors have pooledtheir knowledge to give every minute detail ongas stations, campgrounds, beaches, traileroarks, road conditions, boating, surfing, flying,fishing, beachcombing, in addition to a BajaRoadlog which has been broken into convenienttwo-mile segments. A tremendous package forevery kind of recreationist. Paperback, 178pages, illus., maps, $7.95.WILY WOMEN OF THE WEST by Grace Er-nestine Ray. Such women of the West as BelleStarr, Cattle Kate and Lola Montez weren't allgood and weren't all bad, but were fascinatingand conflicting personalities, as researched bythe author. Their lives of adventure were a vitalpart of the life of the Old West. Hardcover, illus-trated, 155 pages, $7.95 7


8/48

LittleFenner\falleyby MAR Y FRA NCES STRONG

Photos by Jerry Strong

FlNLESS THE landscape is careful lyI scrutinized from an elevated vantage

U point, little Fenner Valley is lost inthe vastness of its larger namesake andth e h u g e , t r o u g h - l i ke B r i s to l - L a n fa i rBasin. Neatly encircled by low ranges ofhills, this 170-square-mile valley on theeastern edge of California's Great Mo-jave Desert, is not as well known as itshould be.

The valley is easily reached via Inter-state 40 and the paved, Old NationalTrai ls Road to Goffs. From this point,Lanfair Road provides ready access tohistorical sites, old mines and amplyendowed gem fields. Litt le Fenner Val-ley offers rewarding adventure for thedesert enthusiast.

Goffs is the "jumping off" point forsampling the charms of this ar id region.Once the junction of several desert trails,it became an important siding in 1883when the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad(now Santa Fe) was completed across theMojave Desert Sporting a two-story sta-tion and turntable for helper enginesthat pulled trains up the long grade fromNeedles, Goffs Siding also developedinto a busy shipping point for mines inthe surrounding distr icts.

Never a large community, Goffs' pop-8

ulation has fluctuated with the tides ofmining and railroading over the past 90years. A near population explosion oc-curred in early 1893 when Isaac Blakebegan construction of his "brain c h i l d " the Nevada Southern Railway. Thefirst, completed section ran from Goffsnorth to Manvel in the New York Moun-tains. Additional plans called for its ex-tension through the mountains and even-tually into Southern Nevada, possibly asfar as Pioche.

Blake hoped the numerous mines inthis immense region would utilize hisrailroad as well as his new mill (NeedlesReduction Co.) at Needles. His dreamwas to turn Needles into an "O re M il l in gCenter." Dreams are not often fulf i l ledand, as mining booms are prone to do,the "bust" was on its way!

Richness of the ore at Vanderbilt andthe Vontrigger had not lived up to expec-tations. When the rai lroad started opera-tions in September 1893, only a handfulof men were working in the mines.Blake's financial problems increased andthe planned expansions did not material-ize. Just over a year later, on December23, 1894, the Nevada Southern Railwaywent into receivership.

Revived by new owners as the Califor-

nia Eastern Railway, the line continuedto operate on a small scale for severalyears. This changed in 1899 when richores were discovered at the CopperWorld Mine, 30 miles north of end-of-track. To accommodate the new busi-ness, rails were extended into IvanpahValley and three years later, the SantaFe purchased the little line. Businesseventually slackened, the line was short-ened, fewer runs made; and, in 1923, theCalifornia Eastern Railway was aban-doned

Coffs Siding has withstood the chang-ing times. Homesteaders and rancherstrie d the ir luck not too successfullywhile a number of mines operated spas-modically through the years. With thecoming of automobile travel, Goffs be-came a supply point along the originalOld National Trails Road, though itsvigor as a settlement was waning.People moved away, the school closedand the rai lroad station was torn down.Only the small store and a few cabinshave valiantly kept it from becoming a"ghost s id ing . "

Today, there seems to be a resurgenceof interest in Goffs. Most of the cabinsand several trailers were occupied in theSpring of 1973. While we were there, a

Desert/March 1975


9/48

new family moved in. The l i tt le generalstore, run by fr iendly Margaret and JohnCahi l l , is a combination l imited-grocery,bar and gas station. It is open every dayexcept Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.for the convenience of residents, ranch-ers and miners, plus an occasional re-creationist.

Following Lanfair Road north fromGoffs, the photogenic old school house isquickly passed. Its architecture is a sur-prise in a region of largely frame cabins.Gradually cl imbing the gentle slope ofthe broad alluvial valley, the pavement issoon replaced by a good, graded road.The former rai lbed of the Nevada South-ern Railway follows this general routeabout a half-mile west, but i t is not visi-ble from the road.

Eight miles north, a well-defined,bladed road will be seen on the left. Itleads four miles west to a talc minewhich appears to have been a rather re-cent operation. The deposit is quite col-or fu lblue, green and p inkwith sev-eral adits and a large dump. Evidently,the ore was screened on the propertyprior to shipment.

However, the mine road has anotherimportant function. It leads to the oldrailbed and gives access to VontriggerDesert/March 7975

M mLeft: The smallcem etery at C offshas only twom arked graveson e a soldierwith the16th KansasCavalry,the other ayoung child.Below: HackberryWash providesaccess oseveral v eins ofgood cuttingmaterialwhich occur inthe white horizonjust below the darkoutcropping ledgesabove the pickup.The arrow pointsto diggings wherewe removedbeautiful red,golden-yellow,and greenjasp-agate.

Sid ing -th e loading point from thetr igger Mine, three miles east.

Long before the railroad crossed thedesert, prospectors had roamed the re-gion via shank's mare and burro. A num-ber of important discoveries had beenmade. Probably one of the earliestclaims was the Vontr igger in the north-east corner of Little Fenner Valley. Lo-cated as a placer deposit in 1858, it hashad a long career, first as a gold pros-pect, then as a copper mine in 1891.

Though a series of operators triedmany methods for recovering the valuesduring the past 80 years, their attemptshave not proven very profitable. It wasonly after 18 years of development thatthe firs t ore was shipped 29 tons assay-ing 8.87 percent copper. A leachingplant, then a 160-ton mill to separategold by cyanidation and copper by elec-trolysis, were among the fai lures. Themine is patented property but has notbeen posted during the various times w ehave visited it over the past 20 years. Itsmention here is not permission to tres-pass on private property.

Evidence at Vontrigger Siding seemsto indicate considerable ore was hauled


10/48

For over two decades, rockhounds have pounded on this huge boulder of cuttingmaterial in an attempt to break off specimens. It lies in Hackberry Wash and willgive new collectors an idea of "what to look for."to the railway and not shipp ed. Several ly fou nd!ore piles remain and copper specimenshave been scattered by flood waters inHackberry Wash for a considerable dis-tance south.

Exploration of Vontr igger Siding re-vealed evidence of far more occupationthan would be normal for just a siding.Quite possibly, it was the site of a maincamp during cons truction of the rai lroad.We counted nearly a dozen buildingsites some on the hillside s, o thers inthe wash all east of the railbe d.

Attention bottle hunters. We alsocame across two, undug chic-sale sites.Evidently, we are not dedicated bottlecollectors because we draw the line atdigging in outhouses even though thatis where "the best bottles" are reported-

Unti l you get out and walk aroundVontr igger Siding, only the overgrownrailbed (now a faint, tw o-track road) andt w o , widely separated telephone polesseem to mark the site. However, either agreat deal of beer and booze was deliver-ed via railroad to individuals at the sid-ing or there must have been a small sal-o o n . Piles of broken bottles and a greatdeal of interesting memorabilia havebeen left behin d. A few places have beend u g . If you dig, please remember to fillthe holes.

The original route from m ine to sidingis well-defined and can be used today.However, the dropoff down the highbank into the wash may be a bit roughfor stock cars. Using the talc mine road,

Enjoy OurNew Modern M otelKitchenettesNew Camper ParkComplete UtilitiesRelax in OurHot Mineral BathsHydro Therapy MassageT e c o p a H o t S p r i n g s R e s o r tOld West HospitalityPhone 714-852-4373

Crisp Clean Air Warm Winter SunshineTecopa, California

10

then fol lowing the rai lbed north a half-mile, is the easiest route. Both roadsare shown on the mapso take yourchoice.

Four miles farther north, HackberryWas h a sizable drainage channel com-ing out of La nfair Va lley makes a loopthrough a narrow pass in the hills. Onthe west is Hackberry Mo untain long agood rock collecting locale for a varietyof cutting m aterial. In recent years, sev-eral new deposits have been located onthe southern flanks of the moun tain. Col-lectors who are wil l ing to "hike theh i l l s " are generally rewarded.

A good, open campsite wil l be foundon the left just beyond the second cross-ing of Hackberry Wash. See map. It is adry camp and o.k. for trai lers.

From the campground, look towardthe cl i ffs across the wash and you wil lsee a number of "d ig gi ng s" where veinsof jasp-agate and common opal occur.The best material lies below the darkhorizon in gray, compacted ash. Hardrock mining is required to obtain thevery attractive material.

I wil l never understand why somerockhounds wil l rush over to a deposit,pound the vein with hammer or sledgethen complain, "this stuff is al l fractur-e d . " It takes patience and work to re-move good cutting material. What's therush? Rock collecting is a hobby and onlya few pieces of quality material is re-quired.

The jasp-agate is a combination of red,golden-yellow, green, beige and blackjasper in milky to almost transparentagate . So far , on ly one ve in ofpistachio-green opal seems to have beenuncovered. It will add variety of color toacabochon collection. Both materials areslightly br itt le and must be careful ly re-moved from the veins to avoid fractures.

When talking about Hackberry Wash,I always hasten to discuss the petrifiedreed we have collected. As yet, I havenot met anyone else who has some speci-mens. They may be overlooked due totheir color. The reeds have been well-re-placed by bluish-white opal and they arebeautiful when polished. Tons of opalare eroding on the northwestern slope ofHackberry Mountain. Not al l of i t con-tains reeds, but finding one good speci-men is worth the effort of looking atdozens.

Petr if ied palm wood, plus unidentif iedwood specimens, occur at Hackberry

Dese rt/March 1975


11/48

Mnimtiin. Witch tor email limb sectionswith l ight-beige exter iors and centers ofdark, translucent agate. They are nolonger plentiful but may still be found byhiking away from the main collectingarea. Occasionally, some fine, opalizedwood (milky-white, often with colorfulinclusions) will be found in the ash.

Other materials to look for includemilky, moss and dendrit ic opal , plusvar i - co lo red aga te and cha lcedony.Chunks of discarded material wil l beseen in the campgrounds. They will givenew collectors some idea of what may befound here. Natural ly, i t wil l not be ofthe best quality and it is doubtful therewil l be any wood specimens.

A half-mile southwest of the camp-ground lies a large deposit of opalite inveins from one to six inches wide. Someof the veins appear to have been crackedby earth movement. Not br i l l ian tly color-ed, this material is, nevertheless, quiteinteresting. Patterns include brecciatedand banded. The colors are muted tonesof brown, beige, red, orange, pink andrarely, deep purple. There is plenty ofopalite here but specimens should beselected careful ly.

The main road, leading into the areafrom Lanfair Road (see map) continueswesterly around the base of the moun-ta in. It gives access to several mines andis used regular ly by cattlemen. W e wan-dered out this way and came across adiggings, high on the side of a hi l l . Petr i -fied wood is reported to have been col-lected at this location, but we saw noevidence of any. Perhaps the compact,metamorphic banding of this materialhas been confused or interpreted as pe-tr i f ied wood. Maybe we were on thewrong hi l l ! It is embarrassing to admit,but I forgot to take the milage on the wayout. Sohere is a possible "lost collect-ing site" that can easily be found.

Speaking of ranchers, considerablecattle are grazed in Little Fenner Valleyand two rules of the range must be ob-served. No Hunting and No Campingaround windmil ls or water troughs.Range cattle often travel many miles toquench their thirst. Though they may nothave drunk for several days and sorelyneed it, cattle will not come in if you arecamped by the troughs or along theirt ra i ls.

October through May is the best sea-son for visit ing this corner of the MojaveDesert. In years such as 1973, when aDesert/March 7975

T T

H A C K B E R R YM O U N T A I N

V i=1cattle i i | l "

LittleFenner\hlleyO N T R I G G E R r ^ 7

Vontrijger

LUDLOW 53miNEEDLES 29mi

M I / 1

*Mtn .S prs .Rd.Exit

l i t t le extra rain has fal len, spring wil lbr ing a br i l l ian t array of wildflowe rThe Valley is in Area 23 (East Mojave)

under the Bureau of Land Manage-ment's Desert Management Plan. It isdesignated as "Re str icted to DesignatedRoads and Trails for Vehicular Use."However, until designation is accom-plished and maps made available, vehi-cular travel is l imited to "E xis ting Roadsand Trails." There should be no confl ictin using the roads shown on the accom-panying map.

Little Fenner Valley is one of the G reat

Mojave Desert's hidden treasures. Itsvalues lie in the vast expanse of openspace, the clear, dry air and the oppor-tunities for outdoor recreation. Thoughthe mines are idle an d the Nevada South-ern Railway only a memory, the desertenthusiast may sti l l fol low old trai ls, visitformer camp sites and nostalgically re-call what we l ike to think of as "t he goodold days." Because of the forebodingtimes in which we now l ive, innerstrength may be gained by visit ing his-tor ical sites and relating to our proudand respected heritag e. n


12/48

G H O S T S by HOWARD NEALI I

LOCATION: The Dale Mining District is located ap-proximately 15 miles east of Twentynine Palms, California,south of Califc rnia H ighw ay 62 , and north of Joshua T ree Na-t ional Monurr ent.

A collapsing house at the Supply Mine. The Supply reachedits peak of activity between 1914 and 1 917 when it was oper-

BRIEF HISTORY: Placer gold was first discoveredat Dale Dry Lake, and in the Black Mountains (an eastern ex-tension of the Pintos), in 1883. Placer operations proved pro-f i table, and a small rush created the community of Dale. It is

ated by Charles Schwab's United Creenwater Company. TheSupply reportedly produced m ore than $2 m illion in gold.

Desert/March 1975


13/48

said the town was named for Virginia Dale, the first childLurn tdere. It is also reported that the population reachednearly 1,000.

Dale proved to be a town on the move. Most of thebuildings were really tents, and could easily be transported tonew locations. The first site, now called Old Dale, was nearthe present intersection of Highway 62 and Cold CrownRoad. The second location (Dale the Second) was four milessouth at the Virginia Dale Mine, the f irst major mine in thearea, discovered in 1885. Water was piped frpm Old Dale,and both mining and mil l ing operat ions were established.Whe n Dale moved again, the Supply Mi ne , the r ich-est in the district, was the reason. New Dale (Dale the Third)was located nearly two miles southeast of the Virginia DaleMin e , and.became the largest of the three Dales.

On the mountain, overlooking New Dale, extensivemining facilit ies were set up at the Supply Mine. Several mil- lion dollars worth of gold was mined. The most profitableoperations took place during the years between 1914 and1917 when the Supply was operated by the United Green-water Company, headed by financier Charles Schwab. Boththe Supply Mine, and the Virginia Dale Mine, were workedintermittent ly unt i l short ly before World War I I .

VISITING DALE TODAY: Traveling east on Califor-nia Highway 62, it is best to check your odometer at the east-ern edge of Twentynine Palms. When you have traveledabout 14 miles, you wil l f ind a relat ively wide, graded, dirtroad heading south. This, though probably unmarked, isCold Crown Road. The site of Old Dale is just north of the in-tersection. None of your present buildings date from the1880's. Traveling south you will see the site of the VirginiaDale Mi ne , approximately four miles from the intersect ion, inthe hills to the east The mine is an easy walk from the road.Here you will f ind cyanide tanks and other remnants of bothmining and mil l ing. Continuing south, and then east, alongCold Crown Road for another mile or so, you will f ind nothingremains of New Dale, but you will spot buildings and otherremains of the Supply Mine high on a ridge to the north. Theroad to the mine is a Jeep t ra i l , but if you do not have four-whe el-drive, the hike is not dif f icult . At the mine you wil l f indwal ls, foundations and sidewalks that attest to the populationand to the activity of a bygone period of desert history.

Upper right: Cyanide tanks rem ain at the Virginia D ale Mine.In these tanks a cyanide com pound was m ixed with finelym illed ore. Cold was dissolved and the solutionldrawn off forprocessing. John Wilson and Tom Lyons discovered the minein 1885. Right: The site of the Supply M ine sits high on aridge overlooking the basin and the Pinto Mountains. Rem -nants of mining and milling operations remain in addition towalls, foundations, sidewalks, and other evidence of earlieryears of prosperity.Desert/March 7975


14/48

. 4,i

*

- , , - . ' " S - ' : :

Photos by Jim Cornett

D e s e r tT o a dby K. L. BOYNTON

1975

14

IHIS warty way, Bufo punctatus,the desert toad, is something of acelebrity. True enough, for a toad,he's small, being only one and one-halfto three inches long. By toad standards,t o o , he may not be considered portlyenough, since he is slender and ratherflat in shape. But when it comes to beingflashily att ired, who in the desert canrival him? Each of his warts is cappedwith a spot of red, sometimes enhancedfurther by being set in a circle of black.Gaudy enough when dry, he's a dazzlerwhen wet, seemingly bejeweled withrubies. He is also a minstrel of rek nown ,a singer of songs in the s pri ng , or any oldt ime when it 's warm enough and there'senough water.

Now while this fellow is highly adapt-ed to desert life, he is still an amphibianand as such only a jump away from theold watery life of his ancestors. Thin-skinned, he is particularly subject to des-sication, losing body water fast by evap-

Desert/March 7975


15/48

oration. And, because he can't controlthe temperature of his body, his life isdictated by the weather about him , a factthat is bound to make things harder.Thus, he really shouldn't chance l ivingin a desert at all, and certainly not in hishomesites among the rocky hillsidesand arid canyons where c onditions are sobad even his cousin, the doughty spade-foot toad, can't make a go of i t.

The thing is that Bufo punctatusdoesn't know this and hence in succeed-ing to do so, has engaged the attentionsof many a scientist determined to learnhow in the desert he does it.

Two main problems, it seems, facethis l i tt le toad.

Number one is how to keep himselfa l i ve . Behav io ra l tac t i cs deve lopedthrough the ages help here. In the eventof lethal cold, heat or prolonged droughtconditions, he takes himself out of circu-lation, working his slender body deepdown into a crevice, or f lattened out sti l lmore, squeezes far back under a bigrock. Safely tucked away, he can awaitbetter t imes.

His answer for staving off dessicationis mainly physiological. That thin skin ofhis, while a drawback in losing waterfast, can, on the other hand, take aboardwater quickly. This is particular ly so in aspecial area, thoughtfully set aside bynature, on the undersides of his legs andbody. Always in contact with the groundwhen the toad is sitt ing natural ly, thishighly absorbent seat patch works likeblotting paper, picking up soil moistureno matter how little there is to be had.Also at work is a built-in water responsesystem under hormonal control which as-sists in keeping a proper body water bal-ance. In time of high heat and evapora-t ion, it steps up the speed of water intakeof the skin, and decreases the amount ofurine excreted. His bladder also acts as astorage tank for water that can be re-sorbed in times of dehydration stress.Basically, these desert toads can en-dure greater body water loss than theirrelatives among the humid land dwell-ers. They can also tolerate higher con-centrations of urea in their blood and tis-sues caused by lack of water. Both thesefactors enable them to be active undersevere desert conditions topside and tospend long periods undergro und. In fact,in t imes of extended drought, the toadsmay not come out at al l during the year.

Problem Number two is a bad one:Desert/March 7975

how to keep up the old clan numbers inthe face of such rotten conditions? Inde-pendent of water as these desert toadsare, they cannot escape their amphibianheritage. They have to have standingwater to lay their eggs in and this waterhas to be around long enough for thehatching tadpoles to mature. If the waterdries up before the magical transforma-tion of tadpole into toadlet can takeplace, the whole batch is lost.

Biologist Lloyd Tevis set about findingout how the red-spotted citizens of DeepCanyon, California, made out, for here isjust about as rugged a spot for tadpoleraising as a toad wouldn't ask for. Thescant water is almost entirely compli-ments of run-off down the desert slopesof the Santa Rosa mountains. In the up-per part of the canyon, there are fair lypermanent pools seepage fed, and hencebouncing populations of punctatus. Th elower end of the canyon, however, getsthe tail end of the spring water flow andwhile there may be a short- l ived streamthere, or at times even a sudden major

f lood, it is dry much of the year. In someyears, there is no water there at all. It alldepends on wha t happens upsta i r sweatherwise in the Santa Rosas. Yet, ingood times and bad, punctatus residesalso in the lower canyon. So Tevis cap-tured 93 individuals, marked and releas-ed them, and set about keeping hisrecords.

The opening gun in the punctatussocial season is a whooptedoo songfestcommenced in the spring as soon as theair temperature hits 70 degrees. Thegentlemen, having emerged from winterhibernation earl ier and being well hy-drated from sitt ing about in the waterwaiting for the air to warm up, now takeup calling stations at selected pointsalong the stream and let loose with song.Punctatus is a tenor, his voice two oc-taves above middle C. Loud and long ishis tr i l l ing song, his vocal cords twang-ing away, the sound amplif ied by a re-sonating sac inflated to a big round bal-loon under his chin.

Very important is this song of his and75


16/48

CharlesBrownCo."Where Death Valley Begins"

Shoshone, CaliforniaCOMPLETE MARKETICEL I Q U O R - B A R - C A F EMOTELANDSERVICE STATIONTRAILER PARK

CAMPING FACILITIESSWIMMINGComplete Servicesfor Local Residentsand Travelers

its very loudness, too. It must reach theears ot the distant ladies and bring themhopping to spots along the stream bestfor the eggs: where shallow water movesslowly over sand and they will not beswirled away by rapids, or banged withtumbling stones. From dusk to earlyA . M . , the desert canyon rocks withpunctatus song, and egg laying proceedsapace. The main push is over in a fewdays, with some 90 percent of the eggsnow la id. Yet, in checking, Tevis foundthat only about one-fifth of his markedand gravid females had bred. Not thatthe troubadours had given up, for indeedmany were still at it, weeks later, hope-ful ly tr i l l ing away from dusk to dawn.Once la id, the eggs hatch in two orthree days, and the brand new tadpolesneed 40-60 days to m ature. Time is of theessence and the clan has developedsome very good angles to speed up thiscritical period.

The tadpoles are black and conse-quently absorb heat faster than light-col-ored ones, importan t because more heat,faster metabolism, and so faster growth.Behavior tactics help, too. The newly-hatched tads aggregate into a tight

group, swimming constantly but alwaysin the very shallow stream edge by daywhere the water temperature is the high-est. At night they go to deeper waterwhich is warmer after sundown. Acouple of weeks old, with the water levelshrinking about them, they congregateon the bottom, feeding on organic debrisand there they are less liable to becaught in small isolated pools as thestream retreats further and further. Thefinal phase of their watery life is thechanciest, for now they are beginning todevelop legs and other toad appurten-ances and so the tads go back to the shal-low edges again, this time to spend thedays with their backs out of water, soak-ing up as much heat as possible.

What with these tadpole tricks andhopefully with the later lasting, theymake it to toad lets youngs ters gaylyspotted with orange, who hop away fromwater now to their new life on dry land.Things don't always turn out so wel l .In fact, not one tadpole in Tevis' earlybatch made it, the Santa Rosas failing tokeep up the water supply long enough.Everything dried up and all toads disap-peared from the scene.

Later in the summer, there still was norain, but a great flash flood swirled downthrough the canyon, the water comingfrom the mountains miles away. Still out came the toads, dry and sorry look-ing, but hopping determinedly towardsthe stream to sit and hydrate. In no timeat al l , the singing commenced. Puncta-tus, in short, is an opportunisitc breederwith no set season, given the right airtemperature and water, the minstrelssing and the ladies come, part of thatbacklog of non-breeding but ready fe-males available since so few had bred inthe spring.

And now here was a question: Therewas no ra in, but a flash flood thatbrought the water, so how did theaestivating toads in their undergroundretreats far from the stream locationknow there was water in the canyonagain? Biologists don't have the answer,but maybe Indians do, for the Zunis havelong employed the talents of thesered-spotted toads in certain rain-makingceremonies.

Anyhow, and unhappily to report, thesecond big songfest also ended in tad-pole disaster, the year's net gain for theclan in that spot being zero. But, again,th e punctatus toads have an ace in the

Desert/March 7975


17/48

hole, asTevis' records showed. Five ofhis marked toads were recaptured fouryears later, still ondeck, sti l l f lourishing.With longevity l ike this, andwith goodyears bound tocome some time , theclankeeps inbusiness.

Th e punctatus bunch are ndividual-ists, too, theadults notall reacting in thesame way. Some, forinstance, followedthe water as he stream dried up, migrat-in g tothehead ofthecanyon and jo iningthe resident toads there inthe perman-ent seep pools. Butothers went under-ground r ight where they were, gearedphysiologically to wait out the hardtimes. Parlaying their numbers out indifferent solutions is akind of insuranceagainst total ruin by thesame kind ofdisaster, anexcellent adaptation for des-ert l iving.

The toads that followed the recedingwater andmigrated upcanyon remainedto provide some genetic exchange, aclanvital izer. Thesituation among the toadsin Death Valley studied by ZoologistFrederick Turner, however, isdi f ferent,as they live inquite isolated populations.Th e CowCreekers, forexample, prob-ably derived from theNevares Springtoads, ranabout eight toanacre with amaximum recapture range ofabout 1200feet. The toads seemed toshuffle backand forth within this. Considerable dis-tance away were populations atFurnaceCreek Ranch probably from those atTexas Spring, andanother at the Innor ig inat ing, perhaps, f rom thepopula-tion at Travertine Spring. There wouldbe little chance forgenetic exchange be-tween these populations unless therewere major f loods, and hese, ofcourse,would carry the toads only downstream.The populations attheheads ofthe can-yons w ould get nonewnumbers this wayand with flood water, the distances be-tween the solated populations are toogreat formigrat ion.

Interesting enough, the f i rst punctatusto make itsbowtoscience wasdiscover-ed inDeath Valley in1891. Thepopula-tions there arerelics of heoldwetPleis-tocene days when theValley was thescene of Lake Manly, andpunctatusancestors lived all around its edges.Those were theeasy times. But today'sred-spotted numbers, equipped astheyare with survival techniques developedin theensuing years, arequite likely tobe decorating the desert scene for a longt ime tocome. Desert/March 1975

Southern California'sFour Wheel DriveHeadquartersNumber 1 inthe U.S.A. forSeven YearsLAND CRUISERS

ServiceandParts

7 a . m . to10p.m.Monday thru

Friday

MOTOR HOMESSales

DepartmentOpenSevenDays

A Week

45 Service Stalls Oneof the Biggest inAmericaComplete Body Shop andHuge Parts Department

For the Best Deal, andService You DeserveSee America's Largest Toyota DealerJust TwoMinutes from the San Bernardino FreewayLONOO TOYOTA10501 Valley Blvd., ElMonte, California

[213)442-1011 [213)686-1000A FAMILY VACATION

Lakeroweilas . . .Captain, First Mate andCrew of atwin-engine43'Luxuriously equipped Boatel Unmatched Beauty with clean air,Aqua Sports Paradise! s u n n y d a y S i a n d st arlit nights.A Change ofPace! FREE BROCHURES

Call collect or write:714 466-5316 H it e M a r in a In c . P.O. Box 218La Mesa,California 92041

G O R D O N ' S


18/48

by GEORG IA LAIRD CULPEditor's Note: With the hue andcry of special interest groups overdesert land use, it seems appropri-ate to highlight the struggles of asmall tribe of desert Indians whoseland was declared public domainback in 1853 .

THE CHEMEHUEVI Ind ian Reserva-tion lies along the western shore ofHavasu Lake, in San Bernardino

County, California. These 28,233 desertacres are all that remain of the ancientheartland of the Chemehuevi people.

Unti l the coming of the white man, theChemehuevi Indians numbered in thethousands and roamed from the Teha-chapi Mountains in California throughsouthern Nevada and a small part of Ari-zona. Their language and culture arecompletely different from that of theother tribes along the lower CaliforniaRiver. They are Ute-Aztecan; part of thegreat Shoshonean linguistic family whichstretches from the Shoshones in thenorth to the Aztecs of Mexico.

The Chemehuevis were a nomadicpeople, first by necessity, then later bychoice. They were pr imari ly a hunting,seed-gathering culture ; although there isno triba l mem ory of a tim e when they didnot plant wheat beside the river. Theirbasketwork is considered among the fin-est in the world, although this art hasnow almost died out. The tribe hopes tobring back this important part of the cul-ture.

They had a very complex socio-politi-cal organization, consisting of many indi-vidual bands, each with its own sub-chiefor "mayor," al l united under the HighChiefs. There were three sections to thetribe, or nation: the Northern People, theSouthern People, and the Desert People.The form of government was truly demo-cratic; all the people met to decide im-portant matters, and each had a voice.

The High Chiefs were pr imari ly moralteachers, concerning themselves withthe ethics and morals of the tribe.

The fol lowing excerpt from the forth-coming book, The Chemehuevis, by Car-obeth Laird, gives perhaps the best de-scription of their character: "The Chem-ehuevi character is made up of polaritieswhich are complementary rather thancontradictory. They are loquacious yetcapable of silence; gregarious yet soclose to the earth that single familes oreven men alone might live and travel forlong periods away from other humanbeings; proud, yet capable of a gentleself-r idicule. They are conservative to adegree, yet insatiably curious and readyto enquire into and even adopt newways; to visit al l tr ibes, whether fr iendsor enemies; to speak strange tongues,sing strange songs and marry strangew ive s . ' "

This, then, was the Chemehuevi whenthe white man came. Through smallpox,f lu , and other diseases the people werequickly decimated. Soon the remnants ofthe tribe were left only along the Colo-rado River and in a few other scatteredplaces.

On March 3, 1853, the Chemehuevislost their terr i tor ies in California whenthe lands were declared public domain.In 1865, the United States Governmentestablished a Colorado River Reserva-t ion, mainly in Arizona, for all Indiansalong the Colorado River, but the Chem-ehuevis regarded this as al ien terr i tory.In 1906, Bureau of Indian Affairs SpecialAgen t C. E. Ke lsy wro te, " . . . bu t asDesert/March 1975


19/48

E H U E V I She Chimehuevis (sic) are of Shonshon-

ean stock and at enmity with the Indianslower down the r iver, who are of Yumanstock, nothing but the mil i tary power ofthe Government could make them go tothe reservation or stay there whenmo ve d . "

On February 2, 1907, the Secretary ofthe Inter ior withdrew 36,000 acres com-prising the Chemehuevi Valley and setaside the area for the Chemehuevi In-dians. This act extinguished the r ights ofthe Chemehuevis to any lands in Nevadaand Arizona. But the nature of theChemehuevis had not changed. Al-though they considered ChemehueviValley as the heartland, i t was not, andnever had been, able to furnish all theyneeded to live. For some years the peo-ple continued to roam the Mohave Des-ert, the San Bernardino Mountains andother places hunting game, gatheringyucca dates and pine nuts in season, andvisit ing other tr ibes.

This attitude made it easier for theBureau of Indian Affairs when, in 1912,they began persuading famil ies to moveto the Colorado River Reservation. Somewent because of promises that there theycould make a l iving; others were forceddown because they were needed forspecific work by the Bureau. But none ofthem ever rel inquished their r ights asChemehuevis, and al l sti l l consideredChemehuevi Valley as the homeland.Most of the people believed it was only atemporary move to the al ien country.

In 1929, the Metropolitan Water Dis-tr ict was formed by the State of Califor-Desert/March 7975

nia, and plans for Parker Dam were soonformu lated. In 1940, the entire r iver bot-tom, including an area of some 7,776acres of the Chemehuevi Reservation,was taken by the United States Govern-ment and turned over to the Metropoli-tan Water Distr ict for the formation ofHavasu Lake. The allottees on the riverlands were paid a total of $27,426.50,and $80,846.69 was put in trust for theChemehuevi Indian Tribe. This amount-ed to about $14 an acrenot m uch , but alot better than the 27 cents an acre laterawarded the tr ibe for the earl ier landtaking.

In taking this land, it was ruled thatthe Indians had no say in the matter. OnJune 21, 1940, the House Public LandsCommittee stated in i ts repor t : " . . . Noquestion of policy with respect to thetransfer of lands is involved. The landswil l be inundated in any event. The bi l lmerely authorizes the formal transferand puts the district in the position topay the Indians for the l a n d . " On eChem ehuevi, however, was appointed tothe board of appraisal which was form edin 1938.

It was at this time that the Bureau ofIndian Affairs proved once more that i tdid not understand the Chemehuevis'feeling towards their homeland, andeither by accident or deliberately, caus-ed dissension among the people when itdeclared that the tribe had no legal en-ti ty. A few Chemehuevis had begun toaccept the white man's concept of landownership, and 17 people claimed theyconstituted the entire tr ibe and were en-

ti t led to the landtaking money.Meanwhile, Chemehuevis l iving inother parts of the country and on the

Colorado River Reservation still consid-ered themselves Chemehuevis, and theirsojourn elsewhere as a temporary thing.Families became split and the culturedisintegrated even more, and the moneyfrom Parker Dam stayed in trust. TheBureau of Indian Affairs discouragedany organization of the tribe as a legalentity and encouraged Chemehuevis tocease to think of themselves as a separ-ate people and become just "ColoradoRiver Ind ians."

On Augu st 1 1, 1951, the ChemehueviIndian Tribe, under the authority of theIndian Claims Commission, brought suitagainst the United States G overnment torecover damages for the lands taken inCalifornia, Nevada and Arizona in 1853and 1907. The Commission determinedthat 3,600,000 acres of the land takenhad been used exclusively by the Chem-ehuevi Tr ibe, and a new judgment of$996,834.81 was awarded the tribe. OnApri l 30, 1965, Congress appropriatedthe money to pay this judgment. Afterpayment of attorney fees, the balancewas placed in trust for the tr ibe.

Through the work of the Special Com-mittee, and later the Tribal Council, abill was finally passed in Congress to dis-tr ibute the money "per capi ta" to a l lpersons having Chemehuevi blood. Atthe Annual General Meeting in Decem-ber, 1972, the Tribal Chairman had thehappy duty to announce that checks foral l Chemehuevis were in the mai l . Af te r79


20/48

"T he Largest Selection of PendletonSportswear This Side of Disneyland!"Bill Tosetti'sThe

P E N D L E T O NSpecialistFor Men & Women

Since 1954 -17632 Chat swor t h St .Granada Hills, Calif. 91344[213]363-2192

A gi r ls summer camp in Western Canada. 2week sess ions to the ent i re summer on alarge operat ing cat t le ranch. Sleep beneaththe arc t ic sky . R ide t ra i l thru p ines, mea-dows and spark l ing waters . Excel lent su-perv i s ion . For b rochure , w r i t e t o :

1806N. BroadwaySanta Ana, California 92706

TREASURE HUNTERS PROSPECTORS Metal-Mineral DetectorsD R E D G E SD R Y W A S H E R S M A P S

BOOKS TOOLS ASSAY KITS LUICE BOX E S MINE RA L L IGHTSL A P I D A R Y E Q U I P M E N TSend 25c for catalog to:AURORA6286 BE ACH BLV D.BUE NA P ARK, CALIF . 90620[714)521-6321COE PROSPECTOR SUPPLY

9 2 6 4 K A T E L L AA N A H E I M , C A L I F . 9 2 8 0 4[714]995-1703

RIVERSIDE C OUN TY'S LARGEST4-WHEEL-DRIVE HEADQUARTERS

Accessories for All Makesn JeepJOHNSON'S 4WD C ENTER, INC

7590 Cypress [at Van Buren]P.O. Box 4277Riverside, California 92504Telephone [714] 785-1330

so many years of waiting, this was truly ahappy season for Chemehuevis.

Because the United States Govern-ment did not consider the ChemehueviIndian Tribe a legal entity, no monies forleases, permits or landtakings could bedistributed to the people or used to de-velop the reservation. In 1942, and manytimes after that, various groups had triedto gain legal recognition for the tribe,but working from within an al ien reser-vation without funds, without education,without help from the government andwithout legal assitance, it proved impos-sible. Each time their efforts faile d bu tthe Chemehuevis never gave up.

In 1968, a group of non-reservationChem ehuevis tri ed once mo re. In J une ofthat year, after unsuccessfully trying toenl ist the a id of the Bureau ofIndian Affairs, they went ahead on theirown and called a meeting of Cheme-huevis at Havasu Landing, California.About 150 people attended, a constitu-tion was approved and council elected.One week later, the Bureau of Indian Af-fairs called a general meeting at Parker,Arizona, and selected six other Cheme-huevis which it arbitrarily added to theoriginal nine. The 15-man committeewas called the Special Committee forChemehuevi Affairs by the Bureau. Thisgroup, which represented all factions ofthe Chemehuevi people, set about work-ing together to organize the tribe anddraw up a bill for distribution of thejudgment money.

Many of the people were suspicious atfirst because the tribe had been split andscattered for so long and they wereafraid it was just another trick to takemore land away. (Twice the Bureau ofIndian Affairs had drafted a bi l l for dis-tr ibution of the judgment money whichincluded a provision that the land andother monies would be given to the Colo-rado River Tribes Reservation. Eachtime the people had voted it down.)Through patience and perseverance, theSpecial Committee eventually persuadedthe people that they were working for allChemehuevis, and slowly the split in thetr ibe began healing.

Eight months after the organization ofthe Special Committee, the group heardabout California Indian Legal Services,an OEO-funded organization to help In-dian Tribes who had no funds. Althoughthe Chemehuevis had money in trust,because they did not exist legally, theywere unable to touch the funds. In20

March , 1969, California Indian LegalServices was retained by the SpecialCommittee to help. Without legal assis-tance, the Chemehuevis would neverhave succeeded in organizing. This legalservice helped in formulating a judg-me n t fu n d d i s t r i b u t i o n b i l l wh i ch ,through, the efforts of the SpecialCommittee and CILS, was passed byCongress in September, 1970. Becausethe people felt that this money, now a lit-t le over a mil l ion dollars, truly belongedto their ancestors now gone, a per capitadistr ibution to al l descendants wil l bemade, whether or not they wish to be-long to the Chemehuevi Tr ibe.

CILS also worked with the SpecialCommittee as advisor in drafting a con-stitution for the tr ibe. This constitutionwas necessary for the tribe to be recog-nized as a legal entity. On February 14,1970, a general meeting of all Cheme-huevi descendants was called to vote onthe proposed constitution. By a vote of161 for and only 11 against, the peopleshowed unmistakably that they wishedto be a recognized tribe. On June 5,1970, the Secretary of the Interior form-ally approved the constitution, and onOctober 10, the first Chemehuevi Tr ibalCouncil was elected. At long last, theChem ehuev is lega l l y ex is ted as atr ibe!

The Chemehuevi Indian Reservation isdivided into two distinct parts. Thenorthern section is mostly flat mesaland, gently sloping from the Chemehue-vi Mountains to a point about 15 feetabove the water, with no deep washes.The bays are shallow. The southern sec-tion is f i l led with winding canyons, pic-turesque cliffs and deep bays and coves.The two sections, although so completelydifferent, are both ideal resort areas.

Until December 28, 1973, the 21-mileshoreline was under the management ofthe Bureau of Land Managem ent and theBureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildl i fe.The regaining of control of this shore-l ine, which the Chemehuevis felt was i l-legally taken, was considered vital to thedevelopment of recreation on the reser-vation. The water's edge is between 400and 450 feet, but the land was taken tothe 465-foot contour line, and even be-yond in some places. Through manytr ips to Washington, D.C. by the toptr ibal officials, and with the help of thetr ibal attorneys, Mr. Phil ip Stevens ofUltra Systems, Inc., (who furnished hisaid free), and various Senators and re-

Desert/Ma rch 7975


21/48

presentatives of Congress, the shorelineis f inal ly being returned to the Cheme-huevi Tr ibe, to become part of the reser-vation once more. Until all legal workcan bedone (including an EnvironmentalImpact Study), the Chemehuevi Tribehas been given a use andoccupancy per-mit , to enable it to continue its economicdevelopment.

The tribal rol l was closed temporari lydur ing the latter part of 1970, so that thenine-man council could be elected. Atthat t ime, 131 tr ibal members were en-rol led. As soon as the council held itsf i rst meeting the rol ls were reopened forone year. When the rol ls were f inal lyclosed, in November of 1971, 315Chem-ehuevis hadenrol led in thet r ibe. A greatnumber of Chemehuevi people havesince app l ied, and the council is workingout ways of adoption of these people intothe tribe.

The Chemehuevi people are ambit iousan d areanxious to develop the land suf-f iciently so that there wil l be no needymembers. At the same time, the t r ibewishes to maintain its ancient culture inso far as it is possible. Toaccomplish itsaims, the tr ibal counci l has,with the aidof government grants, hired the Univer-sity of Southern Cali fornia to formulate amaster plan of the reservation. With thehelp of OEOfunds, a prel iminary studywas made in 1971-1972. Since then, thefunds have been given through the HUD701 grant, amounting to approximately$40,000 per year. A planning committeeof tr ibal members meets with the USCpeople working on the project twice amonth. Their recommendations are thenpresented to the tr ibal counci l at the

Continued onPane 18

Lowest Photo Print PricesHighest Quality

KODACOLOR FILMDEVELOPED & PRINTEDStandard 12Jumbo P r i n ts 1.93Standard 12 Jumbo P r i n ts and

New Roll of K O D A C O L O R 2.84K odaco lo r Neg.S tanda rd r ep r i n ts 14S E N D FORP RICE S HE E TS& E N V E L O P E S . All PhotoPrices are Comparab l y low.N o g i m m i c k s .No l ies. .More than 50 years of con-t inuous photo serv ice guar -antees your qua l i ty and ouri n teg r i t y .

MARKET BASKET PHOTO CO.P. O. Box 370, Yuma, Arizona 85364 orP. O. Box 2 8 3 0 , San Diego, Calif. 92112

The Rideof Your Life

Up . . . up . . . and away to an excit ing experience you'llnever forget! Night or day, the thril l of a ride on The Tram isunequaled anywhere!After 5 p.m. you can "Ride "N" Dine" for only $6.95. Tram carsleave Valley Station daily from 10 a.m. Last car down at 9 p.m.(714) 327-9711.Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Desert/March 7975 21


22/48

Loading the"MechanicalMule" aboardthe raft prior toferrying itacross theshallow waters.The 16-footZodiac inflatableboat is mooredon the beach.

H V A A lE RLE STANLEY GARDNER wil l longbe remembered for his mystery stor-ies; espec ia l l y the Per ry Masonseries. Somehow he managed to sand-wich, between manuscripts of mysteries,extended visits to an intr iguing and fas-c i n a t i n g , ou t -o f - the -way p lace ca l ledBaja California.

In December of 1959, Mr. Gardnerand a half dozen or so stoutheartedfr iends gathered together a caravan offour-wheel-dr ive vehicles, boats, motorbikes and trailers and headed south toBaja in hopes of studying and photo-graphing the California gray whale in itsnatural winter habitat, Scammons La-goon, and beachcoming a vir tually un-known and unvisited beach on a sand is-land which was said to be, l i teral ly, "t hedump yard of the Pacific."

Hunting the Desert Whale, the detai l-ed story of this trip, although out-of-pr int now, was published by Mr. Gard-ner in 1960. Many libraries have this

book available and it should prove inter-esting reading to those considering visit-ing the area.

Now, 15 years later, the bone-jarring,tortuous trail that once was the only" r o a d " has been replaced by a brandnew paved highway all the way d own.This invit ing new highway, together witha long standing curiosity of "what'sreally out there on that beach?" was toomuch to resist, so I set out to explore the"D um p Y ard of the Paci f ic," some 450'miles below the border.

The "i s la n d" is really only an island athigh tide. Even at low tide, however, it isvir tually impossible to walk from themainland to the island because of thesoggy salt marshes and maze-like la-goons that meander throughout the area.The only practical way to approach thissandy stretch of beach is by water. Wehad brought along an inflatable boatwhich proved to be made to order for thet r ip . The 16-foot, French-made Zodiacbehaved beautiful ly. Fully inflated, with

its unique feature of balloon-tired wheelssecured to a wooden transom , it waseasily towed, as a trai ler, from BlackWarrior Lagoon across the 30 miles ofbeach to Scammons Lagoon.Before leaving home, I had construct-

ed a simple ra ft that could be taken apartand put together without too much t rou-ble. At the old pier, nine miles out fromthe town of Cuerro Negro (Black War-rior), we were able to piece together thiscontraption and ferry across a war sur-p lus "Mec hanica l M ul e, " a four-wheel-dr ive machine, to the island. The dis-tance from the pier to the island is ap-proximately one mile. The Mule, togeth-er with the Zodiac, proved to be a fear-some twosome for the beach.

Wh a t is really out there on that beach?Mil l ions of old l ight bulbs, TV tubes,bottles of al l descriptions, lumber, logs,trees from all over the world, several oldshipwrecks mostly buried in the sand,cartr idge cases from warships, woodenstorage containers of every shape and


23/48

Once onErie's Beach,the "Mule,"with canopy

rigged, towedthe Zodiacand made

exploring theisland easy.

by C. WESLEY HAM SHAWsize, acres of whale skeletons, vertebraebleaching in the sun, three or four babywhales, possibly premature bir ths thatcouldn't make it, freshly washed up onthe beach.

There is little vegetation on the island.No romantic palm trees or native coco-nuts. J ust roll ing sand dunes, w ith an oc-casional area where the dunes are morestable and a fat, succulent plant with apurple blossom flourishes.In the 15 years since Erie StanleyGardner visited this area, I would guessthat just a handful of people have ven-tured there. The large, round glass f ish-ing net balls and old bottles turned pur-ple in the sun, are still to be found; how-ever i t takes some looking to find them.The easy ones apparently have beenpicked up.

At f irst glance, i t would appear thatmost of the "goodies" were washed justback of the surf area. After spendingseveral days there, however, it was evi-dent that the most interesting thingsDesert/March 797S

were washed way back, possibly a halfmile or more from the surf area, duringstorms. These areas are more difficultand time-consuming to explore, but ren-der very interesting rewards.

Very few tracks were evident of pre-vious visits to the island. This would notseem surprising since the wind movesthe sand considerably. It is interesting tonote that some tracks, made possiblyyears ago, were still evident in someareas; however, sand dunes an d vegeta-tion had moved in and covered overmuch of their traces, in the inter im.

The only wildlife noticed were coyotesand birds. Since there is no fresh wateron the island, one would question howthe coyotes get dr inking water. Mr.Gardner points out in one of his booksthat he had seen evidence of coyotes an dwild pigs (on the mainland) dr inking saltwater. This may be true here.

Scammons Lagoon is the principalwinter courting area and nursery for thebig California gray whales. The activities

of these monsters are well outlined inGardner's book, and is too vast a subjectto detail here except to point out th e geo-graphic location of the island in relationto the whaling areas. January and Feb-ruary is the pr ime whale-watching timethere, and where could there be a bettervantage point than from the mouth ofthis large body of water.

Interesting to note, at no time did wefeel the least bit apprehensive when outin the boat with the whales. We wereable to photograph them from 10 to 15feet away with no diff icu lty. Even a smallcalf (15 or so feet long) and her mammawere quite undisturb ed by our presence.

Whale watching is quite a th r i l l , an dcombined with beachcombing one of themost interesting (debris-wise) beachesanywhere, this is a winter vacation spotthat wil l be remembered for years tocome.

Indeed, it is a perfect place for onewho doesn't mind a little sand in hissoup to get away from it all.


24/48


25/48

by DIANA LINDSAY

N UT ON California's Anza-Borrego Desert, f ive miles from thecenter of Borrego Springs, lies a mound of rocks, a monument toPegleg Sm ith and to those who wo uld perpetuate the fabulousstory of gold. A faded register erected by Desert Steve Ragsdale of ,Desert Center in 1949 marks the spo t.It is also the site of the once popular Pegleg M ine Trek a ndLiar's Contest. On April 4, 1975, Peglophiles are in for a real treat.The first Mine Trek and Liar's Contest to be held in some 20 years isscheduled, appropriately eno ugh, on the birthda y of the greatestpromoter of the Pegleg legend that ever l ived, Harry Ol iver . Al thoughsome may wonder why there is so much ado about Pegleg and hismine, in fact, it is no surprise at all.

Next to that of the Lost Dutchman Mine of Arizona, the LostPegleg is the most famous lost mine of the Southwest. One auth orityof western lost mines has even placed it first, stating that "more menhave sought the Lost Pegleg than ever searched for any other so-calledprospectors "seem to f igure it 's easier to f ind a mine someone elsehas lost, than to find one no one ever fou nd , so most of them arehunt in ' for the mysterious lost ones, that's been talked about som uch . " Great controversy exists not only over the existence andlocation of this mythical mine, but also about the activities of the

Pegleg was, indeed, an authentic character a mountain ma n,Indian f ighter, horse thief, trader, a dventure r, and great teller oftales. Born in Kentuck y in 1801, Thomas Long Smith began hismoun tain man career in 1820 when he f irst went on a trapping andtrading expedit ion into Kansas and Nebraska terr itory with AntoineRoubidoux. Over the years, he trapped and traded thro ugh the Westwith many other well known mountain men such as Jedediah Sm ith,Swing Y oung , Thomas Fitzpatrick, Ceran St. Vra in, Sylvester Pratteand Milto n Sublette. As an Indian f igh ter, he was known to have takenthe scalps of his victims, but was not so lucky during one Indianattack. Smith's left leg was shattered by an arrow du ring a trap pingexpedit ion in the fall of 1827. W ith M ilton Sublette's he lp, Smithampu tated his own foot above the ankle. While he reco vered /histrapper fr iends fashioned a wooden leg for him and dubbed him

The lure of the desert and hidden riches permeates from this photo onthe Anza-Borrego Desert by George Service of Palm Desert.


26/48

In the summer of 1828, Smith rendez-voued at Bear Lake Valley, and joineda group that trapped the Virgin Riverarea. When a large supply of pelts werecollected by early 1829, the group choseSmith and trapper Maurice LeDuc tocross the desert en route to Los Angeleswhere they would sell their pelts. In lateryears, Pegleg claimed that he picked upa few black pebbles that were profuselyscattered about on the top of one of threebuttes in the Anza-Borrego area. He alsoclaimed that he discovered in Los Angel-es that the black pebbles were almostpure gold nuggets. But, evidently, hewas not interested in gold at that time.While in Los Angeles, he sold the pelts,went on a drunk, got into a fight, andwas run out of town by local officials. Onhis way out of California, he rounded up300 or 400 horses from the Californiaranchos and drove these to Taos to sell.

As the fur trade declined in the 1830s,Smith sett led down with fr iendly Ute In-

B. 12. 4 9 *f ^tm **

dians and turn ed to tradin g especiallyhorses which he procured from Califor-nia ranchos. This he profitably did forthe next several years. In the early1840s, Smith established a trading postalong the Oregon Trail in Bear River,Idaho. Smith was well known along thet ra i l , trading fresh horses and food for areasonable price. He left Bear River onlyafter the discovery of gold lured him toCalifornia.

Arriv ing in California in 1850, he wentto Los Angeles where he interested aparty in searching for his lost gold. Th etreasure seekers wandered about thedesert unsuccessfully for a few da ys. Re-portedly, Pegleg deserted the group tolater reappear in Los Angeles. Again in1853, with similar success, he led anoth-er expedition to find his mythical threebuttes. A third expedit ion, led the nextyear, attempted to find a gold ledge thattrapper Dutch George Yount found in1826-27 when they worked the Virgin

"Desert Steve"Ragsdale,a judge of theLiars' contest1948-49, withthe register heset up on the dateshown. Photo byRandallHenderson.

River area. The search for DutchGeorge's lost ledge also proved to be afailure.

Pegleg spent his last colorful days inthe San Francisco area, drinking andspinning yarns about his fabulous lostmine. According to Major Horace Bell, acontemporary of Smith's, Pegleg was"the most superlative liar that ever hon-ored California with his presence." Bellbelieved his mine was a lie conceived toprocure free whiskey. Despite the talestold, Smith was even awarded a statepension based on the help he gave Cali-fornia-bound emigrants at his Bear Riveroutpost. After he died at the age of 65,on October 15, 1866, the legend of hislost gold mine continued to grow. In fact,Pegleg's death may be considered thebeginning of the Lost Pegleg Mine story.

Because there are so many contradic-tory facts about and experiences attrib-uted to Pegleg and his lost mine, otherPeglegs were created in the minds oftreasure seekers to accommodate these.The general site of the three fabledbuttes moved about the Anza-BorregoDesert, with a few Peg lophiles p refer-r ing the Chocolate Mountains, on theeastern edge of the Colorado Desert.Legends of lost Indian gold mines havebecome entwined with Pegleg's mine.Adding fuel to the gold legend is theclaim of various persons having foundgold. The majority of prospectors claimto have either seen the gold or the threefabled buttes or have come very close tofinding it. Each of these has his own fav-orite version of the Pegleg tale.

According to one of the more famousPegleg prospectors, Henry E. W.Wilson , Thomas Smith had a mine w hichhe worked in the Chocolate Mountains.The Pegleg of the gold-covered butte,though, was not Thomas but John O.Smith, a guide and horse trade r. In 1852,this second Pegleg crossed the desertform Yuma to Warner's Ranch, attempt-ing a short cut through the Borrego Bad-lands. There he found the fabled threebuttes with black-coated gold nuggets ontop of one of the buttes. Thinking thesewere copper, he picked a few specimensup and took them to Los Angeles wherehe discovered they were gold. Later, hetried to relocate the site but was neversuccessful.

A few years later, a discharged soldierfrom Fort Yuma followed John O.Smith's route, found the three buttes


27/48

and the gold nuggets. He showed thespecimens he had picked to friends andlater went out with them to gef more.Their bodies were found sometime after-wards in the foothi l ls of the San YsidroMounta ins, accord ing to Wi lson.

Phil ip B ailey's description of the activ-ities of the later Peglegs, in his GoldenMirages, di f fer s l ight ly wi th Wi lson 's.Both of Bailey's Peglegs found their goldsomewhere in the Chocolate Mountains.One of these Peglegs was a desert guideand later a teamster hauling freight be-tween the Colorado River and SanBernardino. He claimed to have foundgold in the late 1860s. The other Peglegreceived his mil i tary discharge from theArmy at Fort Yuma and then later mar-r ied a Yuman Indian. Aft er a year ofmarr iage, he convinced his wife to dis-close the location of a gold mine knownto the Indians. He went to the site in theChocolate Mountains, picked up somegold, and was later found by a teamsterwandering over the desert after he ranout of water. W hen he returned to Yumahe met his wife's brother and engaged ina figh t wit h hi m, ki l l ing him by accident.He fled and later met a German whokilled him for his gold.

Peglophiles commonly cite stories,with more or less similar details, to sup-port the existence of the fabled gold. Inone story, a miner was crossing the des-ert between Yuma and Warner 's Ranchin 1869 when he climbed a hill to get hisbearings. The hi l l was covered with par-ticles of free gold. The miner emptied hissaddlebags and fi l led them with approx-imately $7,000 worth of gold, and thenhe resumed his journey to Los Angeles.There he became ill and was cared for bya Dr. DeCourcy, whom he took into hisconfidence. When he became better theyplanned an expedition to return to thegold site, but in the excitement of return-ing, the miner had a relapse and died.For years afterwards, the doctor search-ed but never found anything.

A few years later, in another story,two Frenchmen discovered gold in thedesert. One of them went to the miningtown of Banner and proceeded to bragabout his mine and showed samples ofthe nuggets. He was later shot, but be-fore he died, he told a Negro named J mGreen, who worked in the Banner sal-oon, the location of the mine. The otherFrenchman disappeared, but from thenon Green reportedly always had a gold

Harry Oliver, at Old Fort Oliver, who proclaimed him self Pegleg Sm ith's pressagent, and w as one of the two founders of the Peg leg Liars' Contest and Trek. Harryis touching up one of the wooden peglegs he produced to further the Pegleg legend.Harry scattered a num ber of these through the Borrego B adlands through the yearsto encourage hunters for the Pegleg Cold.supply. He loaned money to friends andeven bought property in Julian. While inthe desert he commonly camped at Bor-rego Springs which was once known as"Nigger Spr ings." One prospector ,Charles E. "M a c " M cCloud of Ju l ian,felt that Green's mine was located in theBorrego Badlands and was possibly thesame as Pegleg's.

There are also stories of Indianshaving knowledge of gold in the Anza-Borrego area. The Indian gold legendshave appeared both in connnection withPegleg's gold and separately. Some Peg-lophiles believe they should not be con-fused, while others believe they are oneand the same.

In one story, an Indian woman, stag-gering from thirst, came into a rai lroadconstruction camp at Salton in 1876 or1879. She told the crew how she hadcrossed the desert and run out of water.She cl imbe d to the top of one of "tr es pi-cachos" from where she sighted thesmoke of the construction crew's camp.She also picked up black-coated goldnuggets while on this hi l l , which shelater showed to the crew and gave onespecimen to the chief engineer. Afterresting, she went on her way and wasnever seen again.

In another Indian story , a Yaq ui Ind ianfrom Sonora married a Diegueno IndianContinued on Page 32


28/48

M


29/48

Pushawalla Canyon.Photo by I imon Covert.

F O R T H E F U T U R EOM E PEOPLE wil l complain they always do but theidea is to preserve at least a portion of the desert so visi-tors in the year 2000 will not have to wonder what it musthave been like.There's more to the idea. It amounts to something morethan just p utti ng a few acres of land aside for futur e genera-

tions; it's also a concept of prov iding recreation for the mostpeople possible.Because of conflicting interests, these concepts andideas are not generally easily applied. But the RiversideCounty Parks Department of California has somehow manag-ed to br ing the thing al l together; and its efforts wil l be

Date post:	31-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	dm1937
View:	217 times
Download:	0 times

197503 Desert Magazine 1975 March

Documents