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OidenDesert Magazine BOOK ShopTHE SEA OF CORTEZ by Sunset Staff. Exploresthe Gul f of Cal i forn ia, Baja Cal i forn ia, andMexico's Mainland Coast. Fine i l lustrat ions.$ 1 1 . 7 5 .ART TREASURES IN THEWEST by Sunset Staff.Descriptions anddiscussions of paint ings, sculp-tures andart is ts d isplayed in Western museumsand publ ic p laces. Hardcover $11.75.THE COLORFUL BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND STAGEby Richard Pourade andMarjorie Reed. Wi t h 20stage coach paint ings by Miss Reed, the textconcentrates on the Fort Yuma to San Franciscoru n of the tough But ter f ie ld route. Album For-mat, heav> art paper , $6 . 75 .IT ALL HAPPENED IN TOMBSTONE by JohnClum. Eye-witness account of famous gun bat t lebetween Earps, Doc Hol l i day and the Clantonsand McLaurys by publ isher of TombstoneEpi taph. Margin notes by John Gilchriese.Hardcover, 45 pages, $4.00.DESERT GEMTRAILS by Mary Frances Strong.Field guide to gems and minerals of the Mo-have andColorado deserts and adjacent areas.Paperback, $2.00GOLD IN THE SUN by Richard Pourade. Fifth inseries of historical books about Southern Cal i -fornia. Covers Salton Sea, rec lamat ion of Im-per ia l Val ley and gemmin ing in SanDiego andRiverside count ies. Large format, beaut iful colori l lus t rat ions. $9.50.THE SILVER DONS by Richard Pourade recountsthe wrest ing of the Franciscan Missionary landby Spanish Dons and then lost to them byAmerican pioneers. Covers Mormon Batt l ion andf i l ibusters and war in Baja Cal i forn ia. Beaut i -fu l ly i l lus t rated. $9.50.THE GLORY YEARS by Richard Pourade coversthe early boom period of Southern Cal i forn iawhen San Diego's populat ion exploded, thencol lapsed overnight . Beaut i fu l ly i l lus t rated. Par tof above ser ies . $9.50.BOOT HILL by Lambert Florin. Sixth in his seriesof Western ghost town books. Dramatic photoswi th epi taphs and t rue tales out of the t ragic ,comic and scandalous West. Large format.$ 1 2 . 9 5 .GHOST TOWNS ANDMINING CAMPS OFCALI-FORNIA by Remi Nadeau. Theon ly good , hard-cover book on the Cal i forn ia ghost towns. Werecommend it h igh l y . $5 . 95 .OLD FORTS OF THE FARWEST by Herbert Hart.Maps are inc luded wi th remarkably l ive ly andaccurate accounts of Western forts back to Civ i lWar t imes. This volume covers the Southwest.1Large format , good photos . $12.95.HUNTING LOST MINES BY HELICOPTER by ErltStanley Gardner. As fasc inat ing as one of hisPerry Mason mysteries, the author takes youinto Arizona's Superst i t ion Mountains lookingfo r the Lost Dutchman mine and into the TrigoMount a ins in search of Nummels l os t bonanza .Hardcover, color photos. $7.50.JEEP TRAILS TO COLORADO GHOST TOWNS byRobert L. Brown. An i l lus t rated, detai led, infor-mal history of l i fe in the mining camps deep inColorado Rockies. Fif ty-eight towns are inc ludedthe almost inaccessible mountain fastness of theas examples of the vigorous struggle for exist-ence in the mining camps of the West. 239pages, i l lus t rated, end sheet map. Hardcover.$ 5 . 5 0 .

Send forFREE Catalog of ourRecommended Books

Dept. BC, Desert MagazinePalm Desert , Cal i forn ia 92260

HERE IS NEVADA by Effie Mack andByrdSaw-yer. A complete picture of every facet of Nevadain tex tbook manner. $12.50.PAPIER MACHE by Mildred Anderson. Instruc-t ions and ideas for dist inct ive objets d' art. Niceg i f t for hobby is ts . $3.95.DESERT PLANTS AND PEOPLE bySam Hicks. Tellshow primit ive desert dwellers f ind sustenance,shelter, beverages and healing medicines innature. Hardcover . $5.95.O N DESERT TRAILS by Randall Henderson, foun-de r and publ isher of Desert Magazine for 23years. One of the f i rs t good wr i ters to revealthe beauty of the mysterious desert areas.Hen-derson's experiences, combined with his com-ments on the desert of yesterday and t oday ,make this a MUST for those who real ly wantot unders tand thedesert . 375 pages, i l lus t rated.Hardcover . $5.00.STANDING UPCOUNTRY by C. Gregory Cramp-ton. Best book ever writ ten about Utah-Arizonacanyon country. Superb color. $15.WARNER, THE MAN AND THERANCH by LorrinMorrison. Tells the story of the color fu l t radingpost, stage stop, historical batt leground andl i fe that took place on the famous WarnerRanch. Paper, $2.00.REMNANTS OF THE OLD WEST by HarriettFarnsworth. The old West's last l iv ing characterswere interv iewed by th is author and the bookis f i l led wi th never-before publ ished t idbi ts thatdeserve recording. Anat t rac t ive book that makesa surprisingly inexpensive and wor t hwh i l e g i f t .Hardcover . $2.95.DESERT ANIMALS IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONALMONUMENT by Miller and Stebbins. Excellenthook and f irst of its k ind wi th thorough tex tand good i l lus t rat ions. Color p lates . $10.NAVAHO NEIGHBORS by Franc Johnson New-comb. One of the better books about NavahoIndians by an author who l i ved int imately wi ththem for over 30 years . $5.95.TREASURY OF FRONTIER RELICS by LesBeitz. Acollectors guide to western f ront ier re l ics wi thdescript ions, uses and prices. Hardcover. $6.95.

WHEN ORDERING BOOKSPLEASE

Add 25cents PER ORDER(Not Each Book)

for handling and mail ingCalifornia residents add 4 percent

sales tax, regardless of whether youar e a Republican or Democrat.

MINES OF THE EASTERN SIERRA by Mary De-Decker. Facts about the mines on the easternslope of theSierra Nevada and Inyo Mountains .Paper. $1.95.TERRIBLE TRAIL: theMeek Cutoff, 1845 by Clarkand Tiller. Narrates the t ragic tale of the Meekemigrant t ra in and lays the groundwork for asolut ion to the Blue Bucket lost go ld . $ 4 . 0 0 .LOST DESERT BONANZAS by Eugene Conrotto.Brief resumes of lost mine art ic les printed inback issues of DESERT Magazine, by a formereditor. Hardcover, 278 pages. $6.75.MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by L. Burr Belden.About fabulous bonanzas, prospectors and lostmines. Paperback. $1.95.TIN-CAN CRAFTING by Sylvia Howard. Patternsand instruct ions for making f igures, ornaments ,and useful objects with tin cans. $3.95.RARE MAP REPRODUCTIONS from theyear 1 886.Series I inc ludes three maps, Ar izona, Cal i forn iaand Nevada. Series II includes New Mexico,Utah and Colorado. Reproduced on f ine paper.They show old towns, mines, spr ings and t rai lsnow ext inct. Each set of t h ree , $3 . 75 . Be sure tostate series number with order.BOTTLE COLLECTOR'S BOOK by Pat and BoFerraro. Gives history, descript ions and pricel ists. Profusely i l lustrated, 107-pages. Paper-back , $3 . 00 .EARLY USES OFCALIFORNIA PLANTS by EdwardK. Balls. Tells how nat ive Indians used plantsfor subsistence. Checklist contains both popularand sc ient i f ic names. $1.75.PIMAS, DEAD PADRES AND GOLD by Paul V.Lease. The author prov ides fodder to the ideat ha t the Black Robes hid amaz ing amount s oft reasure in Pimer ia, which is now Ar i zona .Paperback. $3.COOKING ANDCAMPING ON THEDESERT byChoral Pepper. Also useful in your own backya rd . Contains chapter by Jack Pepper on dr i v -in g and surv iv ing in back country. Recipes arenamed for ghost towns and lost mines and suggest places to go and th ings to do. Hardcover ,$ 3 . 9 5 .SONORA SKETCHBOOK by John Hilton. Revisededit ion. Art ist Hil ton writes of his years of resi-den t in Alamos , theancient si lver capital ofSon-ora , Mex ico. Interes t ing, color fu l ly wr i t ten,Hardcover , $5.95.THE ANCIENT PAST OF MEXICO by Alma Reed.A rt andarchitecture of pre-Conquest civi l izat ionswi th up- to-date archeological informat ion. Wel l -i l lus t rated and wri t ten wi th easy- to-read s ty le.$ 7 . 5 0 .VISITING AMERICAN CAVES by Howard Sloanand Russell Gurnee. A t ravel book of cavest h roughou t the U.S. wi t h i n f o rmat ion abou thistory, seasons open, faci l i t ies for accommoda-t ion etc. $ 4 . 9 5 .HO W TORETIRE IN MEXICO on $ 2 . 4 7 a Day byEugene Woods. Presents an ent ic ing pre-ret i re-ment p lan that 's workable. Also, good t ravel in-format ion. Paperback, $1.95.ANCIENT HUNTERS OF THE FAR WEST basedupon forty years of research by the late Mal-colm Rogers. Brings together what is known ofEarly Man in North Amer ica. I l lus t rated in fu l lcolor . Large format . $9.50.

1 I Desert Magazine / A p r i l , 1967


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C O N T E N T SNumber 4

APRIL, 1967

JACK PEPPER,PublisherCHORAL PEPPER,Editor

E L T A S H I V E L YExecutive Secretary

M A R V E L B A R R E T TBusiness

ROSE HOLLYCirculation

A L M E R R Y M A NStaff Artist

n ia 9226 0 . Area Code 714 346 -814 4 .

44 . DESERT MAG AZIN E is pub lished mo nthly ;

4 New Books for Desert Readers6 Doing it the Old Way

By MARGARET MAZEI8 Cima Dome

By DENNIS CASEBIER10 The Middle-Aged Dump

By LEE HOWARD12 Lost John Clark Silver Mine

By JOHN D. MITCHELL14 Sonora Cave Painting s

By CAMPBELL GRANT18 Blooming Cactus

By L. S. BRAND22 The War Dep artment's Private GardenBy LEE DUFUR23 Springs Comes to Joshua Tree National Monum ent

Photo by ROBERT CAMPBELL25 Lake Powell

By CHORAL PEPPER28 Yuma, Then; Yuma Now

By FAYE C. MINNICH30 The Saga of Goldstone

By JOHN PITTS32 Duchess Castle Mystery

By IDA SMITH33 Roundhouse Gothic

By MARGARET DAVIS de ROSE34 Terl ingua, Texas

By LAMBERT FLORIN35 DESERT Cookery

By LUCILLE I. CARLESON37 Hints for Desert Travelers

By BRUCE BARRON38 Educate and Prosecute

By JACK PEPPER39 Western Events41 Subs cription Coupon42 Letters from Readers43 Lake Powell Map

THE COVERTuck, a 6-year-old collie doesn't look like Ferdinand The Bull ,but he l ikes flowers just as much. Wyman E. Bramhall, LosAngeles, took this spring photo north of Lancaster, Calif. A4x5 transparency with 1/50 at f25. Lack of rain may l imitwildflowers this year in most parts of the desert.

Apr i l , 1967 / Desert Ma gazin e / 3


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Modern dayAdventures! B o d s fan y ) e $ e / i f f t e a d e f i s

NEW 1967 EDITIONRevised and UpdatedCruising the Sea of Cortez by Spen-cer Murray. Modern-day adventure ina 25-foot power cruiser down theLower California side of the Gulf ofCalifornia. Includes maps and com-plete information for boaters. $6.75(plus 27 cents tax for Californiaaddresses.) A L S O . . .PowerBoating the West Coast ofMexico by Spencer Murray and RalphPoole. The only published guidebookfor power-boaters who want to cruisethe west coast of Mexico from thehead of the Gulf of California south-ward to Puerto Vallarta. Describesin detail route of sail, ports, accom-modations, supplies and all otherneeded information. $6.75 (plus 27cents tax for California addresses.)

Send orders for the abovelisted books to:B e s t - W e s tP u b l i c a t i o n sP. O. Box 757

Palm Desert, California 92 26 0

RELACIONESBy Zarate SalmeronTranslated by Alicia Ronstadt Milich

This account, written by a 17th centuryFranciscan Father, is about the only sourceof knowledge published for much of theperiod from 1538 to 1626. It is surprisingthat until now it had not been translatedin book form. In it, the Navajo Indiansare mentioned for the first time, called"Apaches de Nabaju." Reference is madeto six Zuni pueblos through which Onatepassed on his way to the Gulf of Califor-nia, and Salmeron writes of the highquality of garnets found in New Mexicoand about mineral deposits of the SocorroMountains and the extent of mineralwealth of the province in general.Salmeron gives a fascinating report ofthe men resembling Chinamen or Fili-pinos that a group of soldiers met alongthe Gulf of California at 39' who indica-ted by signs they came from very fairaway to buy metals and amber from theIndians. They had two ships anchoredin a bay and were camped under awningsset up as tents. This, of course, suggeststhai another race of people preceded theSpanish to New Spain.Other interesting tidbits will be foundamong the 121 pages of this book. Hard-cover, $6.00

BOATING AND FISHINGGuide to MexicoBy Spencer MurrayCovering the west coast of Mexicoonly, this little paperback delivers awealth of information for those interestedin fishing anywhere along the line fromEl Golfo to Topolobampo. Instructionsfor navigating your boat into each har-bor along with advice for cutting the redtape with Mexican port officials, anchor-ages, ramps, trailering information, anda wealth of incidental advice is fullycovered by writer-adventurer SpencerMurray. Marlin, cabrilla, rooster fish, redsnapper, lobster, yellowtail, sailfish andgrouper are prevalent in these waters andSpence tells you where to go for eachvariety. Illustrated with photos, 35 pages,$2.00.

Books reviewed may be orderedfrom the DESERT Magazine BookOrder Department, Palm Desert,California 92 26 0. Please include25c for handling. California resi-dents must add 4 % sales tax.Enclose payment with order.

ORIGINAL JOURNALS OF HENRYSMITH TURNEREdited by Dwight L. Clarke

"I must acknowledge here that I haveno taste for this mode of lifeit containsnot a single charm for me. There is noth-ing in the wild scenery about me to in-terest me for one moment." So wroteCaptain Henry Smith Turner, as hemarched along the Gila River in the con-quest of New Mexico and California withStephen Watts Kearny in 1846. He didadmit, however, that the climate of thedesolate region was unparalleled.

As a professional soldier, he brushedshoulders with many of the great leadersof his day. He regretted that Lt. Emoryhad a mania for immortality and was notmore agreeable as an associate. Hiscomments in this journal were meant forhis wife's attention only, but they doprovide researchers today with a frankappraisal of persons and conditions dur-ing the campaign, as well as a good lookat the Indians and wild life native to theregion at that time.

The book will be welcomed by re-searchers and collectors of WesternAmericana, although it isn't one youwould choose to read for entertainmentHardcover, 173 pages, $5.00.

NEVADA'S TWENTIETH CENTURYM I NI NG BOOMBy Russell R. ElliottThe history of Nevada has been verylargely dependent upon two great miningboomsthe Comstock Lode discovered in1859, and the Tonopah-Goldfield-Elyboom which began in 1900. Writers havebeen blinded by the opulence of the Com-stock characters and often overlooked thecolor of the 20th century boom. This is

/ Desert Magazine / Ap ril, 1967


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the first detailed work to center attentionupon it and in so doing, place events ofdiscovery in proper historical perspective.Much of the fantastic wealth of the latterboom remained in Nevada to stimulateother economic activities, while the Corn-stock era contributed little stability to thestate.The author writes of the early discov-erers and promoters of the 20th centuryminesButler, Stimler, Marsh, TexRick-

ard, Borax Smith, and so forthbut inaddition he writes of the big combinesthat developed the copper mines of Elyactive today, of the labor leaders andstrikers and politicians who influencedthe state's second mining boom. The textis lively, readable and fresh. Hardcover,344 pages, $5.95.OLD CALIFORNIA MINES (1899)By Charles Yale

A reprint from California Mines andMinerals, in 1899,most of the informa-tion in this paperback applies to minesalong the Stanislaus River area and theMother Lode country, although statisticscover all counties of the state in regardto output of gold and silver, fineness ofgold, etc. It describes early dredgingmethods, miner's accommodations, river-bed mining, and other conditions typicalof mining of that period. I doubt thatthe book will have much meaning forlost mine seekers, butprospectors and old-mine buffs will find the material interest-ing. Paperback, 73pages, $2.00.BISBEE NOT SOLONG AGOBy Opie Ri/ndle Burgess

Bisbee, Arizona, in 1881 was not rac-ially integrated. An unwritten law ex-cluded Chinese from mining cam ps. Thislaw wasn't based upon racial prejudice,however. It was made to protect thewidows and children of foreign minershose livelihood depended upon an in-come made by doing washing and iron-ing for the miners. Chinese from nearbyFairbanks were welcomed when theybrought fresh vegetables to sell, but theyhad to leave the canyon before sundown.The above is an example of early localcolor assimilated in this book. Much hasbeen written about this rip-roaring coppermining town. Its Indian raids and lynch-ings are legend. But here, for the firsttime, is told of the town's transition intoa responsible city by the daughter of anearly pioneer. Fine photographs datingas far back as 1881 are included, manynever before published. Hardcover, 179pages, $5.95.

AIRPORTS OF BAJA CALIFORNIAMapCompiled byArnold Senterfitt

This first full-color aeronautical chartof Baja California locates 114 Baja air-ports, as well as airports of entry, fuelstops and navaids. A mileage/course tableis helpful in flight planning; communica-tion facilities are listed and a pronunci-ation guide to useful Spanish expressionsso you can ask for fuel, oil, etc., if youdon't speak Spanish.A special feature for pilots unaccus-tomed to dirt runways is a recommendedway to approach and look over the fieldbefore landing to systematically evalu-ate the runway. Additional helpful infor-mation is also included. Baja explorerson land will find the map useful for lo-cating various canyons and peaks. $2.00.LANGUAGES, TERRITORIES ANDNAMES OF CALIFORNIA INDIANTRIBESBy Robert Heizer

After two centuries of acculturation,Dr. Heizer feels we know as much aboutthe California Indian society as we everwill. The main tribal units among theseIndians are determined by their langu-ages. A tribal map is therefore a linguisticmap. Four such maps are contained inthis book, two of them large fold-outmaps which show the territories occupiedby California Indian tribes. In additionto an outline of past efforts to trace thesetribes, the book provides lists keyed tothe Merriam and Kroeber maps showingtribal territories in separate regions of thestate, a review of concepts of native landownership, types of tribal organization,and a bibliography. Book is designed forscholars, but not for entertaining read-ing. It is hardcover, 62 pages, $4.00.

BOTTLE BOOKS"John Doe, Bottle Collector" a sequel to"Chips From The Pontil." Covers all pert inentinformation from the 1963 & 1964 issues of"The Pontil." PLUS many excellent photographsAND a handy reference Index to all subjectscovered in both "John Doe'" & "Chips . " Thephotographs make this book a collector's itemin itself! 120 pages of text and photographs.Good binding. $4.00 plus 25c mai l ing. "1200Bottles Priced". Well illustrated. Complete de-script ion on all 1200bottles. Covers entire f ie ld.164 pages, spiral binding. 4th & 5th print ingsinclude page of percentage price increases toJuly 1966. Has become a collector's bible in thisf ie ld. $4.50 plus 25c mai l ing. "CHIPS FROMTHE PONTIL". Covers the 1960, 1961 & 1962issues of "The Ponti l". Group photo in fu l lcolor on cover and 17 B&Wgroup photos. $3.50plus 25c mail ing.Al l by J. C. Tibbit ts, f irst president of theAntique Bottle Collectors Ass'n. and editor of"The Pont i l". Order from author at The Lit t leGlass Shack, 3161 56th St., Apt. B, Sacra-mento, Calif . 95820.

T H E A N T I Q U E B O T T L EC O L L E C T O R

Third Edition$2.50 post paid America's most popular bottle book tells howI to date and evaluate bottles of the nine-teenth century.

Price Supplement toTHE ANTIQUE BOTTLE COLLECTOR$1.50 post paidA companion book to be used in conjunc-tion with the ANTIQUE BOTTLE COL-LECTOR. Teaches one how to buy and sellold bottles with common sense and truevalues. Buy from author:Grace Kendrick

485 W. 4th St.Fallen, Nevada 89406

FREEOrder NewBook CatalogDESERT MAGAZINEBOOK STOREPalm Desert, California 92260

WESTERNGATEWAYSMagazine of the Golden Circle

WESTERN GATEWAYS IS A QUAR-TERLY MAGAZINE FEATURINGTRAVEL INFORMATION, MAPS,ARTICLES, AND PICTURES OFTHE INDIAN COUNTRY, UTAH'SCANYONLANDS, LAKE POWELL,AND THE FOUR CORNERS AREA.

Join us in time for theSpring issue, featuring A tour inside Glen Canyon Dam Capitol Reef Nat. Monument Up-to-date map of Lake Powell Many Roads to Rainbow BridgeWestern Gateways 2115 Talkington

Flagstaff, Ariz. 86001 1 yr. $1.80 3 yrs.$4.50Send to:NameCity State Zip Code

April, 1967 / Desert Magazine / 5


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Doing it the Old Wayby Margaret Mazei

n this landlocked cop-per valley in centralArizona, it is customaryto consider mining theonly breath of life. Fewpeople, even among thelocal residents, are aware of another cot-tage-type, industry which has quietly beengrowing to a position of some dignity.Pottery and its sister art form, ceramicengineering, is related to mining throughits raw material. The clay used by thepotteries in this area is a strip of buffermaterial between the mineral ore and thehard shale.Among the few potters in the nationto make their living at their craft areBob and Charmion McKusick, who liveand work in Globe, Arizona.Bob has lived in the area since he wasa child. His interest in pottery was spark-ed by a handicap; not his, he hastens topoint outhe avers staunchly that hewas always able to do anything circum-stances called on him to dobut in theeye of the beholder. When Bob was 15,he lost his left hand in an accident. Thefollowing year he spent the summer on theWest coast where he apprenticed with afamily friend who had a dinner warefactory. Later he enrolled at the Univer-sity of Arizona where he studied chemical

k I W " T i

j I* *

engineering as a prerequisite to ceramicengineeringand met Charmion. Theyoung couple found they could work wellin double harness, and were soon joinedin the pottery business as well as matri-mony. For some time the noted sculptor,painter and potter, Ted DeGrazia, wastheir landlord as well as their close friend.The McKusicks use an almost forgotten13th century technique in putting thecolor glaze on their tile. It is a Moorishprocess in which each hue is applied in-dividually in an inlay by means of a sy-ringe. The glaze itself is home made. Bobtakes responsibility for the manufacture;Charmion does the art work. Their duelefforts achieve other accomplishments inaddition to the tile. Among these is sgraf-fito pictures. These are made by pouring

several layers of colored cement andscratching through to the desired colorfor each feature.Examples of their sgraffito art hangin the Paradise Valley Country Club, alsoin the Club lounge are eight mosaic tablesfeaturing desert animals and on the wallis a 41-square foot tile mural of desertbirds which were made in their studio.Many homes in the exclusive ParadiseValley area are paved with McKusick

floor tile, which is currently their spec-ialty. So far as they have been able todetermine, they are the only factory inthe United States making the 12-inch tileby hand. They make three patterns,square, hexagonal and what they call a

6 / Desert Magazine / Ap ril, 1967


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Their work has been admired by many

The Robe, which had its world pre-

prayers and, by tradition , must be des-

Other products of the McKusick Mo-

The factory claims one full time em-

thority on the Hopi religion and wascommissioned to complete the notedGoldwater Kachina collection. Navajoartist, Beatien Yazz, was, as a little boy,both hero and illustrator of the AlbertaHannum book Spin a Silver Dollar.Less glamorous, but very impressive,are the machines which do the dirty workof the pottery. These consist of crushersof different sizes, huge screening beds,50 gallon drums fitted out like brobdig-

nagian butter churns, and, of course, thekilns. The tiles are in these for three days,counting the time it takes to heat the kilnto the necessary 2000 degrees and then toallow it to cool.Bob and Charmion have a strong feel-ing that the term "craftsman" is widelymisused; that the hobbiest who spendsmonths turning out one perfect specimenfor a craft show should be termed anartist. In a recent article in a well knownmagazine which dealt with several dif-ferent crafts, two woodworkers were the

only ones mentioned who made their liv-ing from their craft. The rest, accordingto these working craftsmen, should havebeen called artists. The new leisure, theyfeel, is going to mean an upsurge of in-terest in the old ways of working withthe hands.

MitchWilliamsT a g - A - L o n gT o u r sL e t ' s Go toThis winter. That's r ight! I 'mrunning two big 30-day tr ips thruBaja California, in old Mexico inmy air conditioned station wag-ons. Write for details.

C a n y o n l a n d sN a t i o n a l P a r k

at Moab, Utahin comfortable 4-wheel-drive sta-tion wagons. 1-day trips to 6-daytrips and river float tr ips.

MITCH WILLIAMS156 North First West Moab, Utah 84532Phone 253-4346

it's HYD RAUL ICt RAISESThe unique hydraulic mechanism which raises thecamper top can be safely operated even by a smallchi ld. Locks prevent accidental lowering. The top islowered quickly by the simple turn of a valve. Drivesafely at any speed with minimum drag and sway.Sit or recline on comfortable couches while travel-ing with top do wn. Alaskan camper top raises in sec-

onds. Enjoyroomy walk-in l iving quarters, weather t ight, high ce i l ing, "h om eaway from home," complete with three-burner stove,sink, cabinets, ice box, beds and many other luxuryfeatures.7 FACTORIES TO SERVE YOU

Write today to the factory nearest you for free folder describing the most advanced cam per o n the road.MOBILE LIVING PRODUCTS (B.C.) LTD., (Sales Office Only) 500 - 20thSt., New Westminster, B.C., Dept. D.R. D. HALL MFG., INC., Texas Division, 5671 Cullen Blvd., Houston,Texas 77021, Dept. D.FORT LUPTON CAMPERS, INC., 1100 Denver Ave., Fort Lupton, Colorado

R. D. HALL MFG., INC., 9847 Glenoaks Blvd., Sun Valley (San Fer-nando Valley), California 91352, Dept. D.ALASKAN CAMPERS NORTHWEST, INC., 6410 South 143rd Street,(Tukwila), Seattle, Washington 98168, Dept. D.PENNECAMP, INC., 401 W. End Ave., Manheim, Penna., 17545, Dept. 4.MOBILE LIVING PRODUCTS (B.C.) LTD., 5124-47A St., Lacombe,Alberta. Dept. D.

A p r i l , 1 9 6 7 / D e s e r t M a g a z i n e / 7


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LOOK TO THECIMA DOME

/ / the C ima Dome becomes a state park, areas like the above will be restricted to com-munal cam psites and those w ho prize camping in solitude will be forced to lookelsewhere.

CIMACITOCLITTLE DOME)

by Dennis Casebeir

HAPED like an invertedgold pan ten miles roundand a thousand feet high,the Cima Dome of theIvanpah Uplands loomsup in one of SouthernCalifornia's few remaining areas of un-spoiled beauty. Currently being consider-ed for inclusion in the State Park System,this region in San Bernardino County 30miles east of Baker should be visited be-fore it becomes "civilized" with regi-mented camp grounds.

A geological wonder, the understruc-ture of the dome is quartz monzonite,similar to the material that forms the ex-tensive outcrops which give the countryaround Joshua Tree National Monumentso much charm. Clusters of giant graniterocks are well-suited to climbing and pro-vide picturesque nooks for camping (seecover DESERT Nov. '66), especially inthe vicinity of Teutonia Peak. The allu-vium here is of coarse sand, ideal forcamping because it retains less dust thanfiner sands.

The dome itself presents a challenge toview-seekers. A combination of Joshuatrees and juniper growing among grotes-que boulders under a brilliant sky andviewed from the "top of the world" isworth the climb up the dome's gradualincline. From there you also might spotsome of the area's elusive inhabitantscoyotes, fox, wildcats and wild burro.Compared with other areas of the Mo-have desert, Cima Dome does not havean outstanding quota of old mines. Anextensive one at Teutonia Peak was oncea silver producer and its two shafts aresaid to be 40 and 200 feet deep, butlittle more of its history is known. TheSiliconia, a larger and more recentlyworked mine, is located at the northernend of an unnamed hill about one milesouthwest of Deer Spring. This place isespecially scenic and provides an endless

/ Desert Magazine / Ap ril, 1967


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number of protected campsites. To reachit, however, you must have a 4-wheeldrive vehicle.Crisscrossing the dome area is a net-work of old roads which, for the mostpart, can be traced back to the buildingof the Edison Company powerline on itsway from Hoover Dam to the Los An-geles area. Prior to the coming of thepowerline, a complex of roads existed toserve local needs, but when the well-

maintained powerline through the heartof the desert was installed, earlier roadswere abandoned. These provide goodhiking trails today.Cima Dome is approached via Inter-state Highway 15 and is marked on thefreeway with a sign reading Cima Road.For the first five miles the road is black-topped, then follows a good graded roadfor the remaining 13 miles to Cima, atiny town on the Union Pacific Railroad.Here there is an excellent store wheresupplies may be obtained. It is open onweekends. At a distance of about 16milesfrom thehighway, the road passes underthe Edison Company powerline and aroad may be followed to the southwestto get around the southern side of thedome.Midwinter is rather cold for this trip,and mid summer may be uncomfortablyhot. Late February through mid-May isideal, as are the fall months. Much ofthe area is at present leased by localranchers from the BLM and utilized as agrazing range for cattle. Improvementsmade by these industrious people are im-

pressive, especially near thesprings. Theirinvestments have been substantial in orderto make the scant water supply availablewhen and where it is needed for the

cattle. Local ranchers do not opposecampers generally, but they have sometragic tales to tell. A bullet hole in awater tank, for instance, might go un-noticed until it is too late to make thenecessary repair to save stored water. Ex-pensive steer have also been wantonlyslaughtered for no useful purpose byvandals. This is a poor area for targetshooting as both cattle and people candisappear among Joshua trees and go un-noticed until a stray bullet makes an un-fortunate mark. For these reasons, wehope that DESERT readers going intothe area will make a special effort tomaintain a clean camp and leave waterstorage facilities undisturbed.

The fact that this area has been de-clared suitable for a desert State Park doesnot mean it will become such. Factorswhich tend to work against its acceptanceby the State Legislature are the lack ofgood roads and the general isolation ofthe area. These factors would increase thecost of developing the 2000 campsitesand the 300picnic sites of the proposedpark plan. It is estimated that should thearea be declared a park, however, annualvisitors would number 350,000. Forthose who enjoy seclusion and adventurein remote places, this is a fearsomeprospect. (Editor's note: It is hoped that thethreat of prospects such as the above willimpress upon desert adventurers the im-portance of policing their own camps. Itis only bydoing this that wecan preventthe areas still left to us from being turned

into regimented State parks where ex-ploration has to follow prescribed trailsand camping must be suffered en masse.C.P.)

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10/44

Judging from the shape of this bottle, number one was used for Scotch Whiskey. It isa full quart, dark amb er in color and is a so-called whittle mold. This lip was eitherapplied or tooled,as the mold mark stops well below the top edge of the lip. Numbertwo is a Chapin and Gore barrel bottle. The words on it read "Federal Law Forbids,"but the fact that it is a barrel bottle should be enoug h to classify it as collectable. It isquart size, amber in color, and was used for whiskey. We are not sure just wh at camein the blob top beauty number three. It has been supposed that it contained a liqueurof some type. Apparently this bottle is machine made, although the manufacturingprocess seems foreign to this country. The m old mark on the body of the bottle andthe one on the last part of the lip do not align, making it appear that the lip was form-ed in a separate mold and app lied to the bottle later.

T h eM i d d l e - A g e d

D u m pby Lee Howard

For those who collect miniatures, the middle-aged dump is the answer. These samplebottles date back shortly after the repeal of the 1 8th amendm ent.10 / Desert Magazine / A pri l, 1967


11/44

Number four is a free-blown round bottom wine bottle. There are hand blown andautomatic machine-made bottles of this type also, but the free-blown ones are the mostdesirable. Quite a few have been found in the middle age dump. Number five, the BestBy A Dam site Coke bottle is a valuable collector's item and classified as a commem ora-tive bottle. The embossed label was designed by Otto Underhill who, along with Clar-ence Underbill, ivas the original owner of the Coca Cola Bottling Company in LasVegas. This bottle was used from 1933 to 1941 for the bottling of their products dur-ing the construction of Hoover D am on the C olorado River. The Polar Bear, numbersix, with the words "Casa Mexico D!F!," which, translated, means House O f TheFederal District Of Mexico. Its value is unknown, but it is interesting.

EET you in the dump,"is an expression familiarto bottle collectors. Theyare speaking of olddumps of course. Newdumps are frowned upon,as the everage new dump produces littlein the way of valuable bottlestoday,anyway.But what about the in-between dumpthe middle-aged one that dates betweenthe early 1920s and 1950s?Owing to population increases andurban building booms of the past severaldecades, many of these middle-ageddumps have been covered with buildings.Some, however, still remain accessible toany bottle digger who would like to tryhis luck. One such dump we like to probeis located near Las Vegas, Nevada. In-teresting and fair to good bottles havebeen found there. For collectors who

don't demand rare antiques, the middle-aged dump is suggested and there is atleast one adjacent to every town. The ac-companying photographs are of bottlesfound in this type of dump. All are ofinterest to collectors because they justmiss the "antique" classification, but arebecoming rare and soon will rank withthe best in value.

Dr. J. G. B . Siegert & Sons Angostura Aromatic Bitters. Number eight has been foundin several different sizes and in amber and green colors. Although this bottle is madeby an automatic bottle machine and has a screw top, it is marked Bitters, and is collect-able. Number nine is of an unusual type of rough texture and is dark amber in color.The neck is slightly crooked, as if it had been removed from the mold before it hadbeen alloived to cool to the right degree. This often happened in the making of hand-blown bottles. Embossed on the shoulder of this bottle are the words Ruf-Amber. Weknow of only three of these bottles that have been found and they are now in the handsof collectors. The principal attraction of this type of dump is realized in b ottle numberten the Royal Ruby Red B eer. It is the only available, known red bottle that was usedcommercially. Collectors consider them a "must have" item.


12/44

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

which appeared or iginally in 1940 and 1941.

by John MitchellOMEWHERE in the CerroColorado mining district,southern Pima county,Arizona, is an old mineshaft believed to be about125 feet deep and to con-tain, besides a rich silver vein, 40 tons ofsilver ore assaying 2000 ounces to the ton.The mine was discovered and worked fora short time by a man named John Clark,who left St. Louis, Missouri, in the early'50s to prospect for gold and silver in themountains of the West. Making his wayacross plains swarming with hostile In-dians, he came finally to the Cerro Colo-

rado district where he located a vein ofrich silver ore. The Heintzelman, Auster-litz, Albatross, and many other notedmines were being operated under pro-tection furnished by the United Statesgovernment.In 1861 the soldiers were withdrawnfrom the territory of Arizona to fight inthe Civil War. As soon as the troops weregone the Apaches under Cochise andothers again started their raids on thesmall mines and ranches. Many miners,freighters and ranchers were waylaid and

NOGALESimurdered. The two original locators of theo ld Albatross mine about five miles southof Cumaro wash were killed in a smallcabin near the mine entrance. Their twingraves may still be seen on the high bankof the arroyo just north of the old tunnel.

Raids were frequent at the Canoa andSopori ranches on the Santa Cruz andmany people lost their lives. During anattack on Sopori an American woman gavebirth to a girl baby. The mother was mur-dered on the high point of rocks justacross from the old adobe ruins whereshe along with others had fled for safety.The baby girl was rescued later and grewto womanhood in Tucson.Two Mexican bandits, disguised as min-ers, secured work at the Heintzelman mineand a few days later when they had famil-iarized themselves with the lay of theland, murdered John Poston, the superin-tendent, and eleven other employees. TheMexican miners joined the bandits in loot-ing the mine offices, store and the orebins at the mine. In their haste to reachthe border ahead of the officers they wereforced to abandon much of the stolen loot.The road from the mine to Saric, Sonora,

was strewn with merchandise taken fromthe store.When the officers arrived from Tucsonseveral days later they found the bodies ofJohn Poston and eleven employees, bothmen and women, scattered over the hill-side between the store and the mine. Thebodies of the dead were buried on thelittle red hill just north of the old storeand office buildings, only the foundationsof which now remain. The foundation ofa round watch tower at the northwestcorner would seem to indicate that theearly day miners had to fight as well asmine.Clark packed his ore in strong, leatherbags and had made one shipment of 40tons to St. Louis, with a caravan from theHeintzelman mine. This shipment nettedhim $80,000 as silver at that time wasworth $1.00 per ounce. When the soldierswere withdrawn and the Apaches againstarted their raids Clark had 40 tonsmined and stored in a small rock housenear the shaft. Foreseeing that he would

be unable to ship this ore with any cer-tainty of it reaching its destination, hethrew it back in the ground and pulledthe timbers out around the collar of theshaft, allowing the loose dirt to cave inon the ore and the vein from which it hadbeen mined.Clark and the other miners and ranch-ers who had not been killed abandonedtheir mines and ranches and fled to Tuc-son for safety. The Apaches continuedtheir raids until 1886, when by the jointoperations of the American and Mexicangovernments they were rounded up andplaced on reservations where they haveremained to this day.Clark died in the East, silver was de-monetized and the old mines, with fewexceptions, have laid idle ever since. Allrecords of Clark's early day operationsseem to have been lost. The late Mrs.Mary Black, wife of Judge Black, pioneerjurist of Santa Cruz county, taught schoolat the Heintzelman mine in the early '60sand knew Clark well. She told this writershe saw the pile of rich ore that Clarkthrew back in the old shaft. She further

stated the shaft was located some distancefrom the Heintzelman mine and that itwas on one of the great fault fissuresalong which the rich ore bodies of thedistrict are found. These fissures are inthe old andesite and are water coursesthrough which the rich mineralized solu-tions circulate. Wherever a vein or harddike cuts across the fault it has a tendencyto dam up the solutions causing them toprecipitate the rich ore in great bodiesof highgrade silver-copper. The rainwater that falls on these soft outcrops12 / Desert Magazine / A pril , 1967

LOST JOHN CLARKSILVER MINE


13/44

forms aweak soultion of sulfuric acidwhich leaches the silver-copper and car-ries itdown towater level where itis pre-cipitated as secondary enrichment. Thesoft outcrops aremade upofkaolin andiron stained quartz badly crushed. Occa-sionally rich pieces ofore that have re-sisted theleaching process arewashedout by heavy rains .In the early days theMexican minerswould leave their work after each storm

to hurry along these fault fissures andgather up these rich pieces of float, whichoften assayed from 5000 to6000 ouncessilver and 25 percent copper. Onegoodchunk wasoften enough to buy sowbellyand beans forseveral months.Clark's mine was somewhat isolatedand itwas notunusual toseesmall bandsof Apache warriors riding thehigh ridgesjust outofshooting distance for the old-time rifles inusebythesoldiers and min-ers throughout the country. Asub-chiefcalled Bobtailed Coyote andknown to theAmerican andMexican miners as Robert

T. Wolf, passed Clark's camp frequently.One day,when about half drunk, he lefthis little band ofwarriors outonthe flatsand came into camp alone. Hewasin asurly mood and demanded ammunition,tobacco, grub andmore firewater, threat-ening toraid thecamp ifhe did not get it.Clark told himthat while hewas shortonall theabove named articles, he didhavesome strong medicine with which hecould lick hell outofthechief and anynumber of hiswarriors.Clark was bothered with rheumatism

and ononeofhis trips east he had pur-chased oneofthose old time electric ma-chines used throughout theeast byquackdoctors. Clark set themachine up in theback room of hiscabin and hadbeenhav-ing alotoffun by trying itout on theMexican miners andfreighters in thecamp. Naturally thedrunken Indian wasanxious toknow more about the whiteman's strong medicine. After some persua-lsion theIndian took hold ofthehandleswhich hadbeen run hrough thewall intothe front room. Atagiven signal one ofClark's friends inthe back room turnedon thejuice bycranking themachine.Thechief got thesurprise ofhis life andwhenthe cranking stopped and he was abletoturn loose thehandles he rushed out thefront door andnever stopped running un-til hehad reached thelittle band of war-riors hehadleft on the flats.

Bobtailed Coyote continued toride thehigh ridges just outof rifle range, butnever again came into camp. However, al-ways when passing that wayheneverfailed todismount andwalk up tothe topof alittle hill and go through some insult-

ing movements. This annoyed Clark andhe decided to teach himalesson that hewould notsoon forget.One ofClarks' friends intheEast hadsent himahigh-powered rifle that hadjust been put onthe market. This guncarried several yards further than thegunsthen inuseintheWest.Sometime later thechief and his bandof warriors were seen riding the highridge just east ofthemine. As hadbeen

his custom inthepast, Bobtailed Coyotedismounted, climbed tothe top of thelittle hill on theprairie andprepared tostart hisshow. Clark poked thebarrel ofhis rifle through acrack inthewallandwaited. When thechief was humpedover Clark fired, putting abullet throughthe fatpart of hisbuttock. The chief

jumped about sixfeet into theairand letout alusty war-whoop. Hehitthegroundrunning and the last seen ofBobtailedCoyote hewasgoing over ahump in theprairie asfast asany buck Indian hadever done before orsince.Since theApaches were rounded up in

1 8 8 6 , Mexican andIndian gambusinoshave made agood living working theseold silver mine dumps. There isnotmuchleft onthe surface butany prospectoror miner able toread thesurface indica-tions should, atthe new price of silver,be able tofind something good intheseold silver mining camps that have solongbeen idle. Then toothere always remainsthe possibility of running onto the oldClark shaft with the 40tons of 2000-ounce silver oreatthebottom.

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14/44

CAVE PAINTINGS OF SONORABY CAMPBELL GRANT

HE inclined rock ledgeI inched along had nar-rowed to about 18inches when I first sawthe wasps. They werecoming out of crevices inthe fractured rhyolite cliffs ahead andthere was no way to continue up theledge without crawling directly overthem.I called to my companions, 30 feetbelow, to explain the problem. Past ex-perience with wasps had given me ahealthy respect for them, but we haddriven over 500 miles to photograph theprehistoric rock paintings on this 60-foot

high cliff above the stream bed and I hadno choice but to continue.Miraculously, the wasps ignored me asI worked past their nest. Presently theledge widened and I lowered a climbingrope to my friends at the base who tiedon the camera equipment.For a number of years I have beenrecording aboriginal rock drawings ofNorth America. The drawings occur aspaintings (pictographs) and as rock-pecked or incised designs (petroglyphs)wherever Indian cultures coincide withrock regions. For these studies, I wentthrough the scanty literature on the rockdrawings of Mexico in an attempt to re-late the rock art styles and techniques inthe Great Basin and American Southwestto examples below the border. I hadheard of an area between Hermosillo andGuyamas in Sonora, Mexico, where therewas a concentration of unique paintings.It was this that lured me now to the Son-ora site. Accompanying me were MarshallBond and Dean Blanchard of Santa Bar-bara, both experienced in exploratoryexpeditions.We spent our last night under a roofin Hermosillo and bought a few presentsfor the family of Senor Manuel Lopezwho, with four brothers, owns the cattleranch where the paintings are located.South of the city, the low, ruggedSierra Santa Teressa rises several thou-sand feet above the coastal plain, cut inseveral places by streams that have createddeep gorges through rock formations. W emet Manuel Lopez at the family-operatedcafe on the highway. He is a large, well-fed looking man with a small quiet wife

who does all the cooking at the cafe. Be-hind the cafe is a tiny chapel and in thecourtyard, the Senora's collection of localbirds in handsome cages made of splitpi tab ay a cactus.After giving the presents and havingCoca Colas on the house, we followedLopez in his truck to the spot where wewere to camp during our stay. Dean'snew 4-wheel drive station-wagon wasideal for the rough desert roads, but stiffthorntree branches quickly removed its"new" look.Our camp was at the entrance to themain gorge, the Car a Pintada or PaintedFace canyon. Before dinner, I made ashort reconnaissance of the cliff facesand rock shelters in the immediate vicin-

ity and found many single figures andsimple groupings of running deer, hunt-ers with bow-and-arrow, and elaborategeometric designs suggesting fabric pat-terns. All of these were carefully paintedin red and black and were very small,some figures less than two inches high.In the morning we explored cavernsformed by the rhyolite, a volcanic rock.Here were a few scattered paintings, allin shallow caves. With rare exceptions,the American Indians chose to paint andcarve their pictures by available light. The

lower end of the canyon was blocked bya deep pool of water extending betweenthe sheer cliff walls, walls barely 10 feetapart and as much as 150 feet high. Afterskirting the water barrier we were ableto descend into the upper dry part of thegorge by anchoring our rope to a figtree that clung to the rock. On our waydown, Marshall Bond was the first tosee the paintings on the opposite, sunnyside of the canyon. Though we were only50 feet away, most of them were difficultto see without binoculars. The mural con-sisted of innumerable small pictures inred, white, black and yellow. A few werenear the base of the cliff, but most were60 and 80 feet above the stream bed. Wewere able to climb to all but two of thepainted areas. The crumbled conditionsof the rock, ledges less than 10 incheswide, and a due regard for our necks,made us decide that they were not worththe risk.

The drawings here were of two types.The first consisted of human and animalfigures on a very small scale. Some menare shown with feathered headdresses indancing poses, and others armed withbow and arrow, shooting deer. Therewere several instances of horsemen. Theanimal figures shown are cattle, deer,14 / Desert Magazine / A pri l, 1967


15/44

orses and feathered serpent, a commonaboriginal motif from central Mexico toith handprints in black or red. Theeometric designs, usually in red, white,and black, were made in very fine linesuggesting fabric or pottery patterns.One day another Lopez brother tookus to a canyon called the Tetaviejo. Therewere five sites here located in rock shel-ters and quite different from those of

he Cara Pintada gorge. Featuring ani-als, fish, men, horsemen and cattle,hey appeared to be the work of anotherof people. Some resembled therock paintings of the Seri Indians fromiburon Island and the gulf coast westof Hermosillo.One site was beside a tinaja formed bysummer rainfall, 40 feet up a cliff. In dryears, the Lopez brothers have pumpedwater from this reservoir into their stocktank at the base of the cliff. Our onlyaccess to the pool was by climbing a lad-der made of poles, baling wire and notch-ed tree trunks. I attempted to climb thisrickety creation, but made the mistake oflooking down when half way up. Lopez,delighted at my failure, climbed the lad-der like a monkey.

On another day we were guided by Ra-mon, a Seri fisherman, to a painted cavenear Bahia Kino, a small fishing settle-ment on the gulf. Paintings of stick-men crudely drawn in red appeared tohave been painted with the finger.Though the paintings were disappointing,Ramon was not. With his horn-hard barefeet, he raced over the sharp volcanicrock in an astonishing manner. My hik-ing boots were cut and torn from thetrip, but Ramon's feet didn't show ascratch.On a previous trip Dean had arrangedfor a Senor Martinez to guide us to asite described as resembling the SistineChapel. After picking up this fine fellowwe drove for hours through a thornyforest, all the while listening to his talesabout lost treasure hidden by soldierswh o had stolen it from the bank duringthe revolution, and then had been killedbefore divulging the secret. On certaindays, said Martinez, if the wind wasright, groans and cries from the slainsoldiers were still to be heard. Eventuallywe arrived at a rock shelter that had beenused from time to time as a sheep corral.On its rough walls could be distinguishedtwo crude red figures of the Bahia Kinotype. So much for Senor Martinez andthe Sistine Chapel! Our return trip wassilent.The following day, our last in thearea, was the most rewarding of the trip.

Manuel Lopez had driven to our campthe previous evening to share our tequilaapertif and to bring a present of a roastedchicken. He listened to our account of thevarious painted sites we had visited withhis brother, nephew and son, and thensaid, "But you have not seen the bestpictures. They are in the narrow gorgedirectly above the water barrier in theCara Pintada. It is a tapestry."Fresh from the Sistine Chapel, we were

skeptical about the tapestry, but as thearea he spoke of was only a short dis-tance by trail from our camp spot, wedecided to investigate it.Directly below the cliff we had climbedon our first day, the stream bed dropped40 abrupt feet by way of a dry waterfalland the descent looked impossible. Thesimplest solution seemed an approach bywater from the lower end. Marshallstripped off his clothes and swam into

Above: Horseman and geometric design from the Cara Pintada cliff. Below: The largehorseman in the lower gorge.



16/44

the gorge and out of sight around thefirst bend. After what seemed a very longtime, he called for us to join him. Theproblem of transporting camera equip-ment was solved by using an air mattressto float everything to the upper end ofthe water section, which proved to beabout 75 yards long between narrowrock walls. From the dry stream bedwhere we landed our gear to the water-fall that had blocked our approach fromabove, there was a stretch of not morethan 200 feet literally covered with paint-ings, all above the summer flood line.

The first thing to catch my eye was anearly life-sized painting of a featheredfigure on horseback, identical to a tinyrendering on the cliff above the falls.There were many geometrical patterns,but the most curious were rows of smallmummy-like figures in red and white.Faceless and armless, each carried a dif-ferent design pattern on the body. Thesefigures were painted both vertically andhorizontally and so crowded and over-painted that the effect was not at all un-like a tapestry. On a high point on thegorge wall was a typical painting of athunderbird, one of three we photograph-ed in the canyon and similar to thosefound in Missouri, New Mexico and cen-tral Canada. It is surprising that most ofthe pictures are still in fair condition,considering their location on open cliffssubject to wind and water.Who painted these curious and pro-vocative pictures? How old are they and

Dean Blan chard explores the upper end of the gorge pool.

Above: Small geometric patterns jound inthe lower gorg e. Below: Paintings on fire-blackened walls of the Tetaviejo rockshelter.

what do they mean? These inevitablequestions are difficult to answer.To arrive at any valid conjectures onthe first question, it is important toknow something of the history of thearea. When the Spanish padres establish-ed their first missions in Sonora in theearly 17th century, Pimeria Alta (north-ern Sonora and southern Arizona) wasoccupied chiefly by various Piman tribes

such as the Pima, Papago and Opata.These people were agriculturalists with ahighly developed knowledge of canal irri-gation. Surrounding them were the ag-gressive and warlike Apaches to thenortheast, Seris along the Gulf of Cali-fornia to the west, and Yaquis to thesouth.The most feared were the Seri, a hand-some, tall people (average height of men,11 feet) with a low level of culture.Their chief weapon was the poisonedarrow from which the slightest scratch

was fatal. Once occupying a territoryalong the gulf several hundred mileslong and stretching inland to HermosiUoand the Sierra Santa Teressa, the Seriwere decimated by a series of extermina-tion wars and finally confined to Tibur-on Island and a small section of the ad-jacent coast.The fiercest battles fought between theSpanish troops and the Seris took place

in the Cerro Prieto, a rugged section ofthe Sierra Santa Teressa and slightlynorth of the main painted sites in theCara Pintada gorge. Some of the simplerpaintings in the Sierra canyons are un-doubtedly the work of the Seri.It apears most likely that the SierraSanta Teressa pictures are the work ofseveral tribes occupying the same terri-tory at different times to be near the con-stant water supply. It is possible that themore carefully executed paintings are thework of the Pima Baja, a tribe that split

16 / Desert Magazine / A pr il, 1967


17/44

insoutherntoApache persecution andtothe country south and eastonthe gorge walls are reminis-ofwoven headbands and belts of

Absolute dating of such paintings isanumberoftoaproximate dating. The frequentofhorsemen and cattle makes itthemid-17th century when the

There is some superimposition of draw-atthe Santa Teressa sites that indi-are theoldest, always appearing

andareseveral instances where later

To interpret thesignificance of thethebest method is tostudyis known from rock artareas inInAus-arestill being

torenew thepowerall things, rainfall, game animals,

of theNavajo performed ain healing ceremoniesof unseenbysinging was thought toa beneficial effect. In Southern

The Hopi Indians inArizona oftenof their clan totemsas aneagle, bear track orturtle toajourneythe "Kilroy wasidea. Inmany areas of westernof game ani-often impaled by an arrow or spear.tointhe chase. The manyofdeer and hunters on the Lo-ez Ranch suggest such amotivation.

On the basis ofpresent knowledge, allthat can be said with any certainty aboutthe Sierra Santa Teressa paintings isthatthey appear tohave been made sometimein the last several hundred years by var-ious groups of Indians. These Indianswere attracted tothe area by the perman-ent water and the game that would bein such avicinity as well as for protectionfrom enemies inthe rugged mountains.D

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The giant saguaro produces a surprise when its blossoms display a bouquet at the tipof each arm.

T h eB l o o m i n g C a c t u s

HE entire cactus family isnative to N o rt h andSouth America, but to no-where else. Yet the ap-preciation of this oddgroup of plants has beenmore enthusiastic in Europe, especiallyin Germany, than anywhere in this hemis-phere. In both Americas, cacti flourish indesert places. Their manner of growth isvarious, but the flowers themselves are,without exception, exquisite in form andtexture and usually of striking color.

The largest cactus in the United Statesis the Saguaro {Cereus giganteus) of Ari-zona, but the largest of all kinds of cactiis the Cardon (Pachycereus of severalspecies), growing in Mexico. Each of itsmany branches, rising from a heavy,wrinkled trunk, aproaches in size a singleSaguaro.The Organ Pipe Cactus (Lamaireocer-ens thurberi) of Arizona and Mexico isalso a large plant, but its individualbranches rise from the ground in a spread-ing group and are neither so thick nor sotall as those of the Cardon. Its close-ranked, vertical columns inspired its name.Another group which reaches a largesize is the Barrel Cactus, abundant in Cali-fornia, Arizona and northern Mexico. It iswell named, for it consists of thick col-umns which might look like barrels, grow-ing either singly or rising in clusters fromthe ground. The plant tissue is filled withmoist sap and it is this plant that enjoysthe reputation for saving travelers fromdeath by thirst. Some barrel cacti grow

taller than a man, but a height of two orthree feet is more usual. When theybloom, they produce a circle of waxy redor yellow flowers at the top of each col-umn. Some specimens are covered withlong, red spines, others with yellow orstraw-colored spines. All are formidablyprotected.The most widespread, certainly, of allcactus plants is the Prickly Pear {Opuntiaof many species). It is too abundant to becherished, and yet it blooms lavishly withflowers that are a match for any others.

18 / Desert Magazine / A pri l, 1967


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by L S. Brand

Large as roses with a crisp, silken textureand colored yellow, rose or apricot, thesold as tunas in the markets of Mexico.The plant itself makes fine forage forcattle and horses, after its spines havebeen destroyed by fire. Opu ntia of dif-ferent varieties covers more territory thanany other kind of cactus, both as nativesof this continent, and in Europe, Africaand the Hawaiian Islands where it hasbeen introduced.

Cacti have no leaves, except during abrief period of immaturity in some of thePrickly Pears. Stem tissue has been thick-ened to do the plant's necessary photosyn-thesis and to store large quantities ofwater. Some varieties have developedgreatly thickened roots, like the Peyote(Laphophora williamsi), or a thickenedcore like the Pencil Cactus {Wtlcoxia po-selgeri) to supply water within the plantwhere there is little in the environment.Arizona and Texas have more differentkinds of cacti than any of the other states.On the rocky terraces along the RioGrande in southwest Texas, there is an

Above: Organ Pipe Cactus on the Arizonadesert. Below: Barrel Cactus are filledwith a moist pulp. Their flowers form awreath around the top.



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astonishing variety. Two kinds of Straw-berry Cactus {Echinocereus stramineusand Echinocereus enneacanthus) consistof spiny fingers in masses as large as abushel basket. When they bloom inspring, the mounds are blanketed withrose-colored flowers. A similar plant{Echinocereus pentalophus) spreads itslong fingers over the ground in an ex-tended mat and when it blooms, thereare to be seen hundreds of large prim-rose-colored flowers, shading to whitetoward the center. The drawback is thatthe blooming period for all three kindsis so brief that it is difficult to be onhand at the right moment for the granddisplay.

The Claret Cup {Echinocereus triglo-chtatus) is also a lavish bloomer and, for-tunately, it is widespread. Driving alongany road in central or southwesternTexas, you will see large patches of brick-red, which close inspection reveals to bea spread of Claret Cups.The Lace Cactus {Echinocereus reich-enbachi) is an elegant plant which isalso widespread in central and southwest-ern Texas. "Lace" refers to the closelyspaced white or reddish spines which fol-low vertical ridges of the low, cylindri-cal columns like a lacy decoration. Itgrows singly or in groups of two orthree. At the top of the column it pro-duces one to several large tulip-shapedflowers, of a bright rose color. The Yel-low Pitaya {Echinocereus dasyacanthus)is so like the Lace Cactus in form that itis almost necessary to wait for it to bloom

Above: The prickly pear is the most com-mon cactus on the desert. Left: The lacecactus is delicate and beautiful.to be sure that it is different. The flow-ers are, however, of a golden color withthe sheen of silk and sometimes they areso large that they hide the plant that pro-duced them. There are many of thesebeautiful plants in the Big Bend NationalPark, but again, you must be there at theright time to see them bloomusuallyin late April or early May.A number of other small kinds may beadded to the numerous species of Echino-cereus. The Pineapple Cactus {Thelocac-tus bicolor) stands alone, but often incommunities on a rocky hill or well-drained slope. Its flowers, borne at thesummit of the "pineapple," are threeinches across and of a clear rose color,stained with orange in the center. It isone of few that blooms several times dur-ing the summer.

Mamillaria of several species are abun-20 / Desert Magazine / Ap ril, 1967


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Mamillaria grow singly or in

The Peyote (Lophophora williamsi),

the treatment of nervous or mental dis-orders. The plant is a gray-green ball,two or three inches in diameter which ismarked in a pretty pattern of depressedlines and little tufts of white wool. Smallpink flowers appear several times a year,either singly or as a tight little group oftwo or three in the center of the plant'supper surface.

The Pencil Cactus (Wilcoxia posel-geri), also mentioned earlier, is so aston-ishing when its lovely flowers look outfrom a tangle of dry brush that it addsthe value of surprise to its other merits.The plant itself is actually hard to find,because it appears scarcely distinct fromthe clutter of dry mesquite twigs in whichit usually grows. But in early spring the"pencils" reach for the light and producestrikingly beautiful rose-red flowers, themore striking by contrast with their un-lovely environment.

The Fishhook Cactus (Hamatocactussetispinus) grows almost anywhere andblooms almost any time during the sum-mer. It prospers where desert conditionsare extreme. The flowers are of a fresh,clean yellow, often marked with orangein the center. They are borne singly or intwos at the peak of the prickly, lowcolumn.

If the many kinds of cacti all bloomedat the same time, they would offer an in-credible display. But the truth is that theirperiod of bloom is short and that thevarious kinds bloom at different times.The greatest show of blossoms furnishedby any one group of cacti is that of thePrickly Pear. Wherever it is found, whenits rounded segments are outlined withmagnificent flowers it often covers entireacres in an extravagant burst of bloom.

peyote button has no spines, but it The pencil cactus looks like a dead twigmay be lethal in its effects if eaten. until its lovely red flowers burst intobloom.

The pin cushion cactus brightens the desert when it blooms.



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a b las t at th e --War Department 's Private GardenLee Dufur

s IT preposterous toclaim that one busyish,balding official couldlook out of a plane win-dow and joggle thewhole fate of our mili-tary installationsas well as that ofdesert lovers everywhere? That is what Ithink happened about twenty five yearsago. During a flight from the Pentagonto California, this official was so tenseover his lapful of papers that his should-ers strained upward to his ears. But whenhe relaxed and leaned back he saw whatappeared to be a great shinin g, beachbelow."What the hell is that down there?"The harried aide consulted his maps

and replied, "I believe it is the MojaveDesert, Sir.""What does it do?"Nonplussed, his companion restackedthe maps, squirmed in the narrow seat,and spread his hands in a gesture whichmeant, "Who knows?"Thus the official made it official busi-ness to find out.Now, down there, unseen by him, weremillions of plants and animals with themost outrageous forms and peculiarities.Each was going its unique way as for

centuries it had . . . without any aid fromthe United States government. But thisparticular official, never having heard ofa coyote or a Mojave rattler, a yucca orloco weed, was convinced that this barrensand bar was lacking in inhabitants. Hewas dismayed that this great heap ofsand . . . three times the size of Connecti-cut . . . was just lying there sunworship-ping and not asking what it could doagainst Japan and Hitler.By God, a war was going on and even

the desert should pay attention! When hisplane settled at Los Angeles, he hadreadied a list of other eager military menwho were to hear of the Mojave's unpro-ductivity. Together they would convertthis waste into a veritable garden of Edenfor our military installations.Now the burning old Mojave contained15,000 square miles, and the only warknown there was the war of survival.Because of the scarcity of rainfall, suchwar was endlessly necessary. The Indiansknew it. The first greedy, hurrying emi-grants to the gold fields of Californialearned it. The bearded and tough pros-pectors still lived by it. On the Mojaveone fought only to stay alive!But once the "no-retreat" minds of our

military had fastened onto the possibilitiesof the Mojave, they hastened to chunk itup into a dozen or more plots of vastsize. These would-be gardens were givensuch euphonious sounding names as:NAVAL ORDNANCE TESTING STA-TION, EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE,and MARINE CORPS TRAININGCENTER. Although one could drive ahund red miles and meet noth ing more for-midable than a horned toad, they strungup thousands of miles of woven wirefences. Each fence was topped with afew strands of barbed wirefor theesthetic effect.To make the unattractive gardens in-habitable, landscape artists were sentforth. Each in turn gasped at the choicesnature had made in her plantings. Theywere particularly disturbed by that thingupon the landscape called a Joshua Tree.It stood, from ten to forty feet tallbig,ugly and angularall over the hot faceof Mojave. Its trunk was rough and hard,with spiny spears instead of leaves. ThisJoshua tree was not really a tree, but a

rebellious member of the lily family. Butit did, in some cases, resemble the prophetJoshua with arms upstretched, command-ing the sun to stand still. The weird,wildly pointing branches spurred theplanner on like Don Quixote to do battleagainst them. But when they resisted withstubbornness born of centuries of fight-ing to live, he retreated to plan his stra-tegyand immediately sat on a thornycactus.All the desert plants proved as stub-born, so there was little hope of improve-ment, as enough water could not be foundto keep spring all year. Perpetual springwould have been ideal. Even a govern-ment landscaper could see that nature haddone a fine job with spring. Its adventwas an unbelievable wonder. Suddenly itcame, when the nourishment from thesand combined with the scant yearly rain-fall, brought forth blossoms with hues andshapes to be seen nowhere else on thisearth.Botanists say six hundred separate vari-eties bloom there, but to the viewer it isone magic sheet of color, blending, con-trasting and changing as the sun moveswarmly over it. By kneeling one can seethe brown land covered with incrediblyfragile primroses beside sun-reveringheliotropes and the showoff verbenaabove the little desert star who peeks froma crack in the rocks.But spring on the Mojave vanishes al-most before the human eyes can focus onits loveliness. Even the memory dimsquickly as the sun bears down and one al-most believes it was all a mirage. Leftstanding are the smelly creosote bush, thedeep-rooted mesquite and woody-stemmedyucca. They all continued to grow as be-fore, with the other natives; wild buck-wheat, desert ghost, mariposa lilies . . .and Joshua trees.

22 / Desert Magazine / Ap ril, 1967


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Undaunted by the gardeners' failures,the military went forward scouting for ani-mals with which to stock their gardens.Aware now of the desert's resistance tochange, they choose carefully. The animalsthey sent out were young, hardy, intelli-gent and adaptable. And they were calledMarines, Sailors and Air Force Men.Cleverly they put these newcomers to workto eradicate the undesirable native ani-mals. But the natives, too, were intelli-gent, hardy and adaptableor theywouldn't have won the survival on Mo-jave. The wily old Mojave rattlerwouldn't shake a rattle to give away hisposition. The chuckwalla melted intothe other scenery when approached.Finally the newcomers agreed to co-exist with the natives, with one notableexception. They reserved the right tobattle with the vinegaroon. This wouldhave been unnecessary, too, if some natur-alist had explained that he is really aharmless, friendly, but busy little bug. His

looks are his only defense. But thosegreat strong mandibles, looking as if they

could chew up a man, and the long, an-tenna-like palps would frighten a Marinesergeant. However, Mr. Vinegaroon hadno quarrel with the bountiful Marines.He loved bright lights, food and a goodbed as well as theyand showed up regu-larly wherever these were provided. NoMarine, Navy nor Air Force Man couldrun as fast, hide as well, eat as quickly,nor appropriate a sleeping bag as early asa vinegaroon. They could have learnedmuch from him. But one thing he couldnot understandthat he was not whatthey dreamed of when they thought ofsharing their bed and board.But happily the war ended and theyoung beasts were freed and stampeded totheir homes to find something more at-tractive than a vinegaroon or a hornedtoad with which to share their lives. Butsomething was missing and it still is.Something unheard of had happened. OldMojave had touched them with her ter-rible fascination. Almost without know-ing it they had learned to love her. Sail-

ors chuckled, and then were comforted byan ocean of sand. Marines had grown to

A forest of Cholla might intimidate a stranger, but desert lovers have learned to loveits soft contrast to the desert scape.

believe that the Golden Gate and the Red-woods were mere trifles compared to Mo-jave.At home they continued to think of herand would say, somewhat nostalgically,to a wife or child, "Someday I'll showyou the sunrise on the Mojave Desert."In the din of a city they would recallthe solitude that made Mojave seem aliento the rest of our earth.They would occa-sionally remember an old Mojave Indian

camp they hadn't explored for artifacts.There were agates, jasper and chalcedonyleft out there waiting to be hunted. Aboveall they remembered the clean, dry air andthe long night silences.They would tell their friends, proudly,as if they had had a hand in her creation,"More unbelievable things are true andmore fantastic lies are told about the des-ert than about any other place on earth."After a time, the length dependingupon how deeply they had inhaled thespirit of Mojave, they would gather uptheir families and head for a vacation on

the Mojave. They wanted to point out totheir sons the cleansing harshness of theMojave.But they planned without rememberingthe ways of the military, who were onlyusing minute sections now. Neverthelessthey have all these years, to this veryday, kept up the barbed wire fences and"RESTRICTED. POSITIVELY NO AD-MITTANCE" signs around their desertedgardens. Since when have governmentagencies ever released anything theirclutching fingers once touched ? So the

expectant family is frustrated. Also frus-trated and furious are the smog-chokedSouthern Californians. They need a placeto picnic, camp, rock hunt, or just plainbreathe. All these people stand outsidethose fences begging for what is right-fully theirs.One set of unfeeling officials confisca-ted the desert at a time when the countrywas sharing all its goods to win a war.Now their unfeeling and obtruse replace-ments are still unaware that it has anyuse if they don't need it. It seems to me

the time has come for all desert loverseverywhere to raise a mighty howl!Would it now be preposterous to be-lieve that if all these people sign a peti-tion that reaches from New Mexico tothe Pacific Coast that someone would un-roll it, and then roll up some of thatbarbed wire?"Then truly (to borrow words from theprophet) the desert shall rejoice andblossom as the rose. It shall blossomabundantly, and rejoice even with joyand singing."

24 / Desert Magazine / A pri l, 1967


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RESTED in the shade ofthe stone rainbow, won-dering why so manylament the way GlenCanyon used to be in-stead of praise the way it

Rainbow Bridge is the most impres-

Now you can rent a boat or launch your

From Northern Arizona into Southern Utah Lake Powell is 186 miles long with 1800miles of spectacular shoreline. Below, complete facilities, including a free launchingramp, are available at the W ahweap Marina, just north of Glen Canyon Dam.


L a k e Po well Adventure is Now!


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zona, and after a pleasant two-hour cruise,enjoy an easy mile-long hike to the but-tress of this fantastic structure. PresidentTheodore Roosevelt described it as thegreatest natural wonder in the world. Ifyou are suspicious that his enthusiasm wasengendered with relief after the hardshipshe endured in getting there, you shouldsee it for yourself. Like we did, and prob-ably like he did, you'll sit at its footwishing you could describe it in wordsstrong and beautiful and never usedbefore.

While Rainbow Bridge may leave youweak with aweand a little fatiguedfrom the uphill climbthere are lureson new Lake Powell more exciting thanits scenery. Old canyons and landmarksare under water, sadly enough, but likestars, as each falls another ascends to takeits place. Rising water levels, still about200 feet below maximum, continuallyreveal new country never before explored.The lake covers an enormous area,186-miles in length with over 500 milesof meandering shoreline. There are cur-rently three concessions where you maylaunch your boat, Hall's Crossing, Hite,and W a hwe a p, each far distant from theother. The only one with a paved roadto it is Wahweap Marina, across thebridge from Page, Arizona, on U.S. 89and within sight of Glen Canyon Dam.Here a luxurious motor hotel has beenbuilt by famous river runner Art Greene

For a map of Lake Powell and otherinform ation see page 43 .

and his marina, which lies in the bay be-low, can handle boats of any size. Thereis no season on Lake Powell. Trout andbass bite summer and winter. Snow coversthe mountain passes in Utah and Arizona,which adjoin this desert lake, so it issafest to tow in your boat before snowfalls, but in the lake region itself, youcan dress to suit the temperature andnever suffer with co/d nor heat.If you have wondered whether or not

Lake Powell is interesting enough for anentire season of boating, the answer isyes. Anything shorter is frustrating, butstill worth the time it will take to getyou there. The scenery is spectacular, al-most too much so in parts. It is fine forthe soul to experience Man's insignifi-cance in relation to Nature, but we'restill Man. After awhile this realizationbegins to pall. Then you want to feelalive. You want action and mastery. Yo uwant to propel yourself through water,land a fighting bass, or climb a hill above

The National Park Service maintains a pier at the landing area below Rainbow Bridge.The awesome natural arch is a mile hike from here through scenic ca nyons.

Also at the entrance to Rainbo w Bridge there is a floating marina ivith gasoline andfood supplies.

An ever changing geologic and color panorama unfolds as you travel along the shoreof Lake Pow ell and into the once inaccessible canyons.26 / Desert Magazine / A pri l, 1967


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the shore and discover a Moqui ruin.And this is what is so wonderful aboutLake Powell. The mystery of the pasttaunts the present. It draws you furtherand further into endless high-walled can-yons which finally grow so narrow youcan only imagine that they open into tan-talizing chambers impossible to explore.Less than four years ago, those canyonfloors, which now lie 400 feet underwater, may have been threaded with

trails left by a people too ancient for his-torians to define. But now you see theroosts of eagles. Perhaps when the waterrises another 200 feet to expose mesas ontop of these geologic cracks, you'll findsigns of a more recent tribe of man, theavajo Indian, whose legends describeRainbow Bridge as the rainbow that turn-ed to stone.As you start up-river from WahweapMarina, you are deep in Glen Canyon,looking up through a cylinder of fringe-straited walls. You know immediately

why Navajos weave rust, brown, gray andblack into their prayer rungs. This is thecolor of their land.There are no long stretches of beachhere, but canyons like Pick Axe or Cathe-dral open into sky-vaulted grottos wherefish dart among sunbeams in the emeraldwaters and each plop of your oar createsa melodic echo. Perhaps that is why youcut your motor in these serene, privatelittle pools; or perhaps it's because youdon't want to contaminate them with un-natural sounds. At any rate, most of thecanyons in this part of Lake Powell pro-

vide at least one sandy or clean sandstoneledge with plenty of room for a smallfire, if you carried wood, or to set upyour portable stove and camp for thenight.There are few, if any, wild animals inthis lower region of the lake. Ferns hangfrom cracks in walls and occasionalclumps of trees grow amid cacti, but eventhe bugs so common to other desert areashaven't descended these steep walls.About the time you begin to feel claus-trophobic, canyon walls diminish into

wide-spread, cascading cliffs and soon theterrain takes on greater variety. Water-fill-ed canyons and gulches may be level onone side of your boat, mountainous on theopposite shores. The thrill of this countrynow is in exploration. Other than the bigevents, like Rainbow Bridge and GlenCanyon Dam itself, no one can foretellwhat you'll find. What they saw mightbe under water when you arrive. On theother hand, you may find something mod-ern eyes have never seen.In the upper regions of the lake you

might see a herd of buffalo wander downto drink in a new lagoon created in awater-filled valley of the Henry Moun-tainscountry which has never known awheel. And there are fish, fish, fishtrout, big mouth bass, catfish. The fishare everywhere on the lake and the sea-son is all year.On any part of Lake Powell you canescape people in a matter of seconds.Those who follow crowds, congregate

around the dam area where you can takeoff on water skiis from Wahweap Marinaand return to civilization within an houror two. But once you leave the Marina

and skim a mile or so up-river, you rarelymeet more than one or two boats enrouteto, or returning from, Rainbow Bridge.Art Greene of Wahweap also has a float-ing marina at Rainbow where you canrefill your gas tank and replenish supplies.But if you want adventure and solitude,continue up-river from Rainbow. Wherethe shores grow more enticing, you'll dis-cover that beaches of bugless, burrless,snakeless red sandstone are softer forcamping than they look and that the wild,rainbow-hued incredible world that sur-rounds your campsite *s your own littleworld while you're there.

Sanderson Brothers River ExpeditionsO f f e r s y o u an E x c i t i n g A d v e n t u r eDown the incredible ColoradoThrough the GRAND CANYONWrite for our detailed brochure:

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W AH W EAP LO DG E & M ARINAP. O. Box 1597 Pa ge , ArizonaPhone 645-2761



28/44

The completion of the Laguna Dam set off a great celebration.

Yuma Then; Yuma Nowby H. Faye Minnich

(who was there then)CLIMBED down fromthe Southern P ac if ictrain on one of Septem-bers' hottest days 51years ago. I'll admit Ididn't know what tothink as I looked around, but I needed ajob so I began to call the situation, anadventure. I had come to Yuma to teach.

I learned as much as I taught.Yuma is in Arizona, bordering theeast side of the Colorado River, about20 miles north of Mexico. My teachingjob was on the west side of the river inCalifornia, post office Bard. Yuma was,and still is, the hub of the locality. There

was Main Street with a cafe or two, acouple of general stores, a drug store anda few saloonsthe old time kind withswinging doors. There were three or fourchurches, two doctors, one elementaryschool and a small high school which hadoriginally opened up for business in thenotorious old territorial prison.Occasionally a cowboy would drop into

town, throw his horse's rein over a hitch-ing post and go somewhere to eat ordrink, his chaps flapping around his legs.People who lived on the California sidedid most of their shopping in Yuma.They rode horses or came in spring wag-ons to the river, hitched their horses to

the mesquite trees on the bank, theneither walked the foot bridge alongsidethe railroad track across the river, or fre-ried across.The old ferry encouraged Yuma'sgrowth. Many a California-bound immi-grant crossed the river at that point, rid-ing the Butterfield Stage Coach. Ruinsof one stopping place west of the river,where travelers could get food and achange of horses, can still be seen. It is

now U.S. Route 80.For centuries the land in and aroundYuma belonged to the Indians, mostly theQuechans and the Yaquis and some smal-ler tribes. The first white settlers wereattracted by gold. There was a lot of itin the hills and shipping the ore by theSouthern Pacific became an industry. Je-suit missionaries taught the Indians andwere instrumental in getting the govern-ment to establish a school, a church anda hospital on a hill on the California sidein the late 1700s. That became Ft. Yuma.Gradually a city beg

Documents

196704 Desert Magazine 1967 April