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VOLUME 44 NUM BER 7 August, 1981

MAGAZINE OF THE SOUTHWEST

Traveling with TopoMapsby S. Lee RourkeTopo maps are a source ofinformation into those little-known and exciting places,waiting to be explored.page 12

The Saline Settlementsby April M. KoppFirst discovered by Spaniards insearch of fabled cities of gold,these pueblo communities sankto ruins and faded legends.page14

Portrait of an Artistby Rick LanningIf there is a spirit in the d esert, itlives in Ted DeGrazia. He's gotintelligence, talent and a wholelot of chutzpah.page 20

Easy on the Riverby Stephen SimpsonOne man 's reflections on a floatdown the Colorado River. Take apeaceful respite from your day-to-day routine. Relax and enjoy thebeauty.page 24

Big Bend National Parkby Jim Taulman and CarolVaughanA place of awe-inspiring, ruggedbeauty. Taulman and Vaughannot only inspire us pictorially,but tell us how to enjoy to thefullest the wonders of thisnational park.page 30

The California GrizzlyBearby Karen Sausman

A part of our heritage, the grizzlybear now roams in the printedwords of Sausman.page 36

Page 30

The Seri Indiansby William AdamsPerhaps the oldest living tribe inNorth America, the Seris areexperts at adapting. Throu ghflexibility and tenacity, the Serishave survived centuries. Withthese same self-madecharacteristics, they are nowmoving into the 20th Century.page 39

A Man and A Mineby Tom McGrathTogether and apart, each left amark on early California history.The excitement of discovery andthe wild ways of politics are tiedtogether in the story of Henry T.Gage and the Governor Mine.page 44

The Lost Grave of aNeglected Heroby Choral PepperRevealed at last: detailed clues tothe location of the grave ofMelchior Diaz, who may havebeen the first white man in theSouthwest.page 52

Departments4 Editorial5 Publisher's Notebook6 Letters

8 The Living Desert10 Chuck Wagon Cookin'48 Traces in the Sand56 Calendar58 Desert Rockhound61 Trading Post62 Our Desert Heritage

Cover: The Rio Grande ramblesalong through Big Bend NationalPark. In the foreground is ahedgehog cactus. Photo by DavidMuench.

InsideCover: Cacti at Saguaro Na-tional Monument near Tucson,Arizona by Willard Clay.

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EDITORIALToward a bigger heart, a broader mind

and a healthier body.

IAM THE NEW editor ofDesertmagazine. Many of you have beenreading Desert since before I was

born. Let me introduce my desert heart.I don't live in the desert, but I love it.

Like the sea, that love has a lot to do withspace and freedom. A family summer tripthrough the Southwest long ago taught mea lot about this dry land. I had never reallyseen summer thunderstorms, thought thatchollas really were fuzzy and didn't quiteknow w hat a flash flood was. I found reali-ty greater than my imagination at theGrand Canyon and cussed a steaming,overheated, '66 Chevy Impala by the sideof the road in the middle of nowhere. I saw

Four Corners before the power plants. I'veseen the fantasies of Bryce, Zion andMonument Valley. We bought trinketsand postcards and slept under skies so fullof stars that we hated to close our eyes.

I've been back many times since andhave met the Southwest on more intimateterms than that first introduction. I hikedthe finger canyons of the Kolob in w inter,watched a comet light up the North Rim,

met the quiet beauty of Schnebly H illRoad in red rock country. I have seen thethick adobe churches of New Mexico and

photographed the meeting of a cobalt bluesky with bright sandstone and ripplingdunes.I had b lue corn tortillas in Santa Fe,waffles in Prescott and fried eggs inGallup.

I don't live there, but I have been thereand have loved it, and will be back againmany times. I still have not done any of thegreat river ru ns, still haven't hiked into theMaze and still can't get enough of Stegner,Abbey, Lopez and Krutch.

I know the desert. I know the South-west. I know it better than some and less

than some, but I know it . . . and now Ifind myself in the privileged position ofediting Desert magazine.

My challenge is threefold: to nurtureand preserve the affection and communitythat Desert magazine has established withits readers, to become a better instrumentof service and communication as opposedto division, and, to put more meat in themagazine, to make it more healthy, morealive.

I read a lot of magazines and I especiallyread the letters to the editor. You are a veryvocal, very communicative, batch ofreaders. Please don't let those pens cooloff. Your affection for the person of themagazine is something to be proud of, a

real compliment.Our offices are two blocks from the

ocean. Sometimes we are asked how wecan publish Desert magazine on theseacoast. It's easy. The dry and dustymanuscripts come in the mail daily. Wejust publish itbut you write it. Nobodywrites for us about what they have not ex-perienced. FPE, first person experiential,is the imperative here. Anybody can putout inform ation, facts and figures. It's a lit-tle more difficult and a lot more rewardingto transmit experience. Tha t's what we are

here for.Th e Southwest, yours, mine and ours, is

such an expansive empty land, and yet thedesert is so full. M y experience of this landwill always be limited, but it will alwaysexpand. I think that is why many of youread Desert.It expands your experience,takes you where you may never go.Through these pages, we all go fartherthan our own cars or legs will every carryus. I think that was the intention of theman who startedDesert, Randall Hender-son. An excerpt from his first editorial (Oc-

tober, 1936) is on page 51 . It has beenreprinted in these pages before, but Ibelieve it is worth reading again. Hender-son was a sensitive man and a real com-municator. His vision still serves us well.What we were, we will become.Self-examination is a great teacher.

I am sure that by now you have all no-ticed the recent changes in ownership andeditorship. We have no intention of mak-ing vast changes in the magazine, only toimprove it. Henderson had a good ideaand benevolent motives. I see no reason to

change.

MAGAZINE OF TH E SOUTHWES

EditorSTEPHEN SIMPSON

Associate EditorsKATHRYN KRAHENBUHL

E. S. MITMAN

Editorial InternLIZA E. KAMPS

Art Director/Photo EditorT H O M A S T H R E I N E N

Design ConsultantPEGGY FLETCHER

Graphic ArtistsGITTA PFAHL

LIZ MCDONALD

Archives LibrarianJUDI PERSKY

Contributing EditorsCHORAL PEPPER, Special Projects

NORMA LEE BROWNING, Special ProjecKAREN SAUSMAN, Natural Sciences

WAYNE P. ARMSTRONG, Natural Science

Director of AdvertisingKEVIN ANDERSEN

Advertising SalesBILL SCHAUL

JOHN MORRISON

Advertising C oordinatorTERRI BIANCO

Circulation DirectorTERRY WILLIAMS

Financial ConsultantLIZ FERGUSON

Executive PublisherJULIE BRAZEAU

PublisherED SEYKOTA

ABC MEMBERSHIP APPLIED FOR 8/19/80Advertising Information: See Current SUDS, Sec. 30A

Desert Magazine ISSN 0194-3405, is published monthly Desert Communication Corporation. Editorial Office: P.O. 1318, Palm Desert, CA 92261. Telephone; (714) 568-278Business Office: 121 West E Street, Encinitas, CA 920Telephone: (714) 436-4218. Second Class Postage paid at cinitas, California and at additional offices.Copyright 1981 byDesert Magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this publicatmay be reproduced in any manner without written permission the Publisher. Subscription rates for U.S. and its possessionCanada and Mexico: 1 year, $15. Elsewhere: Add $4 per yearface, $20 per year air mail (U.S. currency). ToSubscribe, Renewor Change Address: Write Desert Magazine, 121 West ESt., Ecinitas, CA 92024. Please allow six weeks for processing andclude, where applicable, the address label from your most recopy. Exact zip codes are required by the Post Office. Donors osubscriptions should include their own name and address as wethose of the rccipient(s). POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGEADDRESS BY FORM 3579 TO DESERT MAGAZINE, WEST E ST., ENCINITA^ CA 92024.Contributions: Th eEditor welcomes unsolicited manuscripts and photographs, they can be returnedonly if accompanied by S.A.S.E. or interntional exchange coup ons. While we treat subm issions with carecannot assume responsibility for loss or damage. Payment is uacceptance. Writers Guide free with S.A.S.E.; Sample cop$1.50. Photographers: Please include technical data with eaphotograph submitted.

AUGUST, 1981


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PUBLISHER'S NOTEBOOKby Ed Seykota

These are a few of my favorite collected thoughts

about service. I hope you like them.

The most delicate, the most sensi-ble of all pleasures, consists in pro-moting the pleasure of others.

Jean de La Bruyere

Goodwill for a business is built bygood goods, service and truthfuladvertising.

E. R. Waite

May w e never be tempted to forgetthat there can be no real successapart from service, that success isbut service visualized.

B. C. Forbes

To give real service, you must addsomething which cannot be boughtor measured with money, and thatis sincerity and integrity.

Donald A. Adams

No business can offer proper serv-ice unless it makes a profit, andservice is what a business has tosell.

William Feather

Th e way not to lead a monotonouslife is to live for others.

Fulton J. Sheen

I don't know what your destinywill be, but one thing I know: theonly ones among you who will bereally happy are those who willhave sought and found how toserve.

Dr. AlbertSchweitzer

Service: the occupa tion of a

servant. Webster

One of the best gifts you can give isto allow someone to contribute toyour life.

Dr. Jason Doty

The greatest comfort of my oldage, and that which gives me thehighest satisfaction, is the pleasingremembrance of the many benefitsand friendly offices I have done toothers.

Cato

Give me good health and thestrength to be of real service to theworld, and I'll get all that's goodfor me, and will what's left to thosewho want it.

William Feather

When people are serving, life is nolonger meaningless.

John Gardner

Service to a just cause rewards theworker with more real happinessand satisfaction than any other ven-ture of life.

Carrie Chapman Catt

Learn to derive so much happinessfrom the service you render theworld, that your happiness willcommunicate itself to all you rubshoulders with in your journeythrough life.

B. C. Forbes

American business needs a liftingpurpose greater than the struggleof materialism.

Herbert Hoover

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LETTERS

We Like It, We Don'tThan k you for your rational approach to

a complex problem [see Editorial, June'81] and in your continuing efforts inmaintainingDesert magazine's format andcontents within the view of RandallHenderson's intent.

Bo b PierucciStockton, California

I have not renewed because I amdisgusted with the new format ofDesert. Ido not like the "liberal" Sierra Club-typeof attitude now expressed.

James PopaGrass Valley, California

I must say that we were delighted to hearabout the change of ownership ofDesertmagazine. You thanked us for our contin-uing loyalty to the publication, but frank-ly, we were on th e verge of cancelling or atleast not renewing our subscription. It wasbecoming increasingly obvious that thiserstwhile wonderful and, at least,balancedmagazine was being more and moreslanted toward the off-road vehicles andthe other forces of destruction of the verydesert it purported to represent. Mean-while, best wishes to you, and we sincerely

hope to see a dramatic change in policyatleast a little more fairness toward all thosewho love the desert instead of just thosewho may someday love it to death.

Leo & Gloria NowakRidgecrest, California

Thank you very much for the two copiesof Desert that you sent containing my littlepoem. I was surprised and delighted to seeit on the page with David Muench'smagnificent photograph of Death Valley. Ihave always admired his work. Also, as anamateur photographermyself, I want to

commend you for including the informa-tion about the camera and settings andlenses used by Muench. So many times, Ihave seen a beautiful photograph in amagazine and wished information on howthe picture was taken had been included.I'm sure other photographers will blessyou also. I am mailing my check today fora subscription toDesert to your San Diegooffice. I don't want to miss any futureissues.

Helen CastleConcord, California

Please send me your magazine for a year.I love it. Nice variety ofstories.Enough to

make me go back to the California desert,looking at those Owens Valley pictures.

Art ForanClancy, Montana

More Information onConservation

In reference to June, 1981Desert, the ar-ticle Water H arvesting inIsrael. Some ofyour readers might be interested in a com-parative background by readingRivers intheDesert by Nelson G lueck, published byGrove Press, 1960. This is the Biblicalresearch on the Negev and the waterresources therein during the Exodus andlater events.

Glenn L. Lembke, PhD.San Antonio, Texas

Everett RuessPlease read the enclosed letter and then

forward it to Waldo Ruess in Santa Bar-bara. I hope you will give serious con-sideration to re-publishingOn DesertTrails with Everett Ruess,originallypublished by Desert Magazine Press in1950. It has been out of print for manyyears now, and there is a whole new

generation of readers who would be in-terested in the book, if only it were madeavailable to them . It has a ready-made au-dience in those of us who have read Ab-bey and Stegner and Krutch, and itdeserves to take its rightful place amongthe recognized classics of southwesternliterature.

Tom WrightScottsdale, Arizona

Readers Do AnswerI don't know what letters you got, but

here are answers to some I got. I simplytold of a "certain back-country meeting,"[Letters, Feb. '81] but some folks saw itdifferently, as you can see from thefollowing.

I thought Desertmagazine was a localissue and never dreamed it got as far asAlgood , Tenn es see ; Ches t e r f i e ld ,Missouri and Perth, Australia. So Ireckon this will be my last letter toDesert,'cause them "Shatneys" are gettingstirred up, and I want to avoid anotherfeud with them "bad" ones.

To Kate Shatney, Algood, Tenn: I amnot your absconded husband Jake. The" J" in my name is for a signer of the

Declaration of Independence, but thname has been silent since the late 185

and is now in memory of a Shatney wpleaded he didn't know a horse was the other end of the rope he picked uThat hanging rope is still on display the gold rush coun try of California. NoKate, any preacher with the infernal gto prop Jake up in front of a pulpit asprime example of pristine purity aborn-again sobriety when, in your owwords, Jake was dead drunk for the twweek revival, ought to be ashamed himself. Don 't keep it secret any longerthat preacher is responsible for half t

states of Kentucky and Tennessee beidry to this day. Legalize boozethe homfolks will get a different buzz in the hefrom the legalstuff.

To Morna, that sweet young thinthere in Tempe, Arizona with th"beautiful legs and disposition match," I'll certainly look you up.

To that artist (no name) in Windowrock, Arizona who draw'd "a partm e" doing my deportment a'top a huboulder, he should draw p ictures on roin California, which state protects roc

lizards, birds, goats, the terra-firma afauna. Folks wouldn't get within a thosand feet of your protected drawinmuch less understand them. But anyowho w ould draw pictures on rocks woalso commit "piscatorial acts in forbiddplaces." For that clown's informationstill use the same type "two-holeShatneys have used for years. Wh en I trude, I do as the Shatneys before melook and conjecture at the world befome through a knot-hole. You'd be sprised what you can see through a knhole in an outhouse door!

To Joslin E. Shatney, ChesterfielMissouri: I am not your long-lost husbaJoe. I was going to spend 18C on you, bnear the tail-end of your P.S. I couldbelieve the cuss words that tumbled outyou wroteall of them aimed at me. Ymust have married a "bad" Shatney to such language. However, such cuss woare really an ordinary greeting as well afarewell amongst Shatneys of sorts.

To C lemen t ine Sha tney, Pe r tAustralia: If you have read this far, dClementine, you now know two Shatnalready think I might be their abscondor long-lost husband. And I am not t

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high-rolling bounder who left you with thefive children. Your letter was the sweetestand most ch armin g of all, in spite of what aShatne y do ne to you . So, eff n I ever getthe means, I 'm comin' to see you honey!

J. Joseph Shatney, Jr.Still visiting San Diego County

Fans of Mary AustinCongratulations! These last two issues

of Desertmagazine are classics. I am an oldwoman, but the tr ibute to Mary Austinwas a thing of beauty, and it broughtmemories of my first reading of herLand

of Little Rain. The entire magazine is athing of rare quality.

Ruth E. GibsonIdaho Falls, Idaho

The article about Mary Austin'sLand ofLittle Rain by Jon Wesley Sering left outone important item about Mary Austin. In1930, the Grabhorn Press of San Fran-c i sco pub l i shed Taos Pueblo, pho to -graphed by Ansel Easton Adams anddescribed by Mary Austin, in an edition of108 copies. This started Adams on hisroad to fame.

R. R. D elareuelleWalnut Creek, California

Salton Sea RevisitedI'm writing you about your one issue in

which you talked about Salton Sea [Jan.'81]. I would like to know wh en and whe reyou took that picture. You have beenthere, I take it. How recently? I went thereSeptember30-October 2, 198 0.1 want youto know it smells. It's dirty-looking waterand you walk on dead fish constantly.

They (the fish) also roll in with everywave! How could you print something likethat? Oh sure, when it first came about itwas probably pretty. But now? I feel sorryfor the people wh o probably read your arti-cle and then went there. Such a disap-pointment.

That issue was the first I bought. I doenjoy your other articles, and whenever Isee a new issue, I buy it.

Joyce TroutDateland, Arizona

Our apologies for any connection be-

tween the article and your misery.We still feel that this is an interestingplace to visit.

Luxury on a Baja Be achf"\^ Lux ury o n a B JA

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BIG BENDthis natural spa.

The last of the three campgrounds is atthe west end of the park near Castolon,about 65 miles from Rio Grande Village.Take your time while driving through thepark (the speed limit is 45 mph). A re-duced pace follows naturally from this vastexpanse of timeless, peaceful desert. AtCastolon, there is a frontier store with adelightfully amicable proprietor, andunleaded gas is available. This is the leastdeveloped, most beautiful and serene ofthe camping areas. Chemical toilets andwater faucets are the only improvements.We listened to great horned owls calling toone another on our m ost recent visit there,spotting the nearest with the flashlight in acottonwood only 30 yards away.

Nearby Santa Elena Canyon is a pic-turesque place to spend an afternoon stroll-ing deep into the gorge or taking in a broadpanorama from the rocks up above thecanyon trail. There are several cool,peaceful spots to stop for a picnic underthe 1500-foot cliffs of the Sierra del PonceEscarpment.

The paved roads take you through mostof the park and hikes out from them let youexplore almost every region, depending onthe length of the hike and whether by trailor cross-country. In cross-country hiking,one severs the ties to the few conveniencesavailable in the park and, as one of theself-sustaining animals living here, becomes atemporary part of this desert ecosystem.This is the best way to see the park. Youare among the plants and animals and sub-ject to the w him of weather. By living closeto the earth with few man-made buffers,you get a first-hand understanding of thecomplex interrelations and orderliness in-herent in an environment unaltered byman . A few close encounters with a wilder-ness area give a clear sense of the perfectadaptation of organisms evolving togetherin a habitat over centuries. Taking in the

scope of animal life, it is impossible for meto deny a feeling of respect for them as in-dividuals.

With regard to clothing, no matter whatthe weather, short pants are ill-advised. Allbut a few plants in this harsh environmentsport thorns for protection, which effi-cient ly prick, jab, or capture the

(Above) A picturesque bend in the RioGrande, about 15miles from thewest en d ofthe RiverRoad.

(Left) Profoundstillness prevails as the RioGrande flows out of Santa Elena Canyon.

uninitiated hiker who brushes againstthem. You soon learn to meticulouslyavoid contact with a plant as you pass. Get-ting lost is no problem in the open desert;you always have a clear view of prominentlandmarks. The hills between the SouthRim and Punta de la Sierra, however, canbe a treacherous maze and should beavoided by inexperienced backpackers. Itgoes without saying that no one shouldhike without a topographic map (page 12),compass, and other essential, protectiveand emergency gear.

There are many unimproved roads tospecial areas of the park, some of which aretoo remote to reach on foot. Be sure to pur-chase the Road Guide to Back CountryRoadsat a store or ranger station beforeventuring off the pavement. It gives im-portant safety tips and explains points ofinterest along most of the primitive roads.It is also a good idea to ask a ranger aboutroad conditions. Don't take motor homesdown Big Bend dirt roads.

There are no morefences keeping you

a prisoner of theroadway.

River Road is the longest back-countryroad. It offers an opportunity to get off thebeaten path and drive to seldom-seen areasof the park. Cars are able to navigate theeastern section of the road under the bestconditions as far as the Talley turn-off atMariscal Mountain. This road leads to apopular fishing spot and an entrance to theriver for canoers headed through MariscalCanyon. West of the Talleyturn-off, onlytrucks are approp riate. One fellow we metstarted down the west section with somefriends in a VW van and a Mustang. TheVW broke down, and they had to bodilylift the rear of the Mustang to turn itaround. It ran out of gas on the way out,

and they had to walk to the main road.After hiking out, they were able to rescuetheir vehicles. Under other circumstances,such a casual foray into the back-countrycould have had disastrous results. It is bet-ter to use a little forethought and avoid anordeal. In general, if it has recently rainedanywhere in the vicinity, or if the weatheris inclement, stay off the unpaved roads.The tricky parts of River Road are thecrossings of innumerable washes. Theroad drops abruptly a foot or two into abed of sand and steps out just as abruptly

on the other side. A vehicle lacking ade-quate ground clearance can be damaged orbecome suspended by the rear bumper.

There is also the danger of becomingmired in the sand. One ranger told us thatthree cars a day on the west portion of theRiver Road constitutes a busy day. Be-tween holidays, the road is infrequentlytravelled. Stranded motorists have to de-pend for rescue on getting the attention ofan occasional Border Patrol plane passingoverhead.

With a capable truck and perfectweather conditions, River Road can offer aspecial view of the park. It is 51 miles fromthe start near Rio Grande Village to its ter-minus near Castolon. Side roads on theeastern section go to historic GlennSprings, where drinking water is available(no swimming) and to other remote places,mainly used for fishing or canoe-launching . We recently made the trip fromwest to east in seven hours and had to passup some attractive stopping places to get toRio G rande Village before dark. S tart earlyand allow nine to 10 hours, or, better yet,obtain a camping permit and spend a cou-ple of days exploring the many scenic andhistoric sites along the road. Th ere are pic-turesque dikes for those interested ingeology. (A dike is a narrow rock wallformed when molten lava pushed upthrough a crack in surrounding strata,solidified and remained after the originalrock weathered away.) Black Dike ispeculiar in that it extends out into the RioGrande, forming a dam around which theriver jogs before continuing on its course.Also along River Road are the historicruins of a ranch and an abandoned mer-

cury mine.Chief park naturalist Robert Huggins

advises visitors to write ahead to the parkfor brochures or other information thatmight help them pre-plan their trip. Oncein the park, the traveler should adopt aslower pace, spending as much time aspossible out of the car in order to explorethe desert first hand.

We hope that these tips will help you tosee Big Bend National Park as we do: aninexhaustible source of renewal, peace andperspective not available in an urban

environment. 0

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The CaliforniaGrizzly Pear

Text and photography by Karen Sausman

The grizzlywashonored w ith

dances and rituals.Willie, the hairy monster, doesn't seemall

that frightening when someone elseis incharge.

T HE YOUNG bear f idgetedat theend of his leash, strainingto get agood look at the 800-pound adultgrizzly being led toward us for the nextscene of the movie. He was not sure hewanted to be anywhere near sucha hugeanimal. The script describedthe scene: ayoung grizzly bearwas to race acrossthemounta in meadow, chas inga groundsquirrel, whilehis mother loped afterhim.T he "actors," both tame, were Willie,afour-year-old male,and Pooh,a six-month-

old male not mother and son at all, butthen, that's Hollywood.The cameramanexplained thatif I ran across the meadowcalling to Pooh he would certainly follow,while W illie, who was anxiousto play withthe young bear, would come after bothofus . It seemed simple.It was only afterwestarted the scene that I realized the realconsequencesof the chase,but the cameraswere rolling!

Across the meadow I went, being chasedall right, justas th e script calledfor, exceptthat Pooh was terrified of the hairy

monster galloping afterhim and was run-ning to me, his friend and protector, for

help. Dancing in my head were visionsofKaren fendingoff the playful swipesof an800-pou nd grizzly bear, whilea frightenedyoungster growledand fought back, usingme as a shield. In the midst of all of this, Ikept hearing the cameraman yelling"gofaster, go faster, you're getting in theframe." He needn't have bothered.For-t u n a t e l y, as we p a s s e d the s e c o n dcameraman,the young bear took refugeinthe legsof the tall tripod.The cameramansuddenly found himself havingto defend

not only himselfbut his precious equip-ment. Moments later,the bears' handlerarrived to lead the big male away, leavingus to untangle Pooh from $2,000 worthofcamera equipment.In the background Iheard the head cameraman say,"We mightry it again." Fat chance!

Grizzly bearsare the largest carnivoresin North America. At one time, thesemassive animals couldbe found rovingand foraging for food from KansastoCalifornia, from Alaskaand nor thernCanada south to Colorado and even into

the mountainsof northern Mexico. Whilthere is wide variationin body size, facia

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features and coloration, scientists agreethat all of the grizzly or brown bears inNorth America belong to one highlyvariable species:Ursus arctos. Th e variousdifferences in size and color indicate dif-ferent sub-species.

Like most of our large native animals,grizzly bears are slowly but surely disap-pearing from the areas of their ancestralrange. Although it is on the CaliforniaState flag, the last native grizzly bear in thestate was probably killed at Horse CorralMeadows, in the mountains of TulareCounty, in 1922.

Until the coming of the Europeans, thegrizzly bear was master of all he surveyed.He feared neither man nor beast. The im-posing hulk of a threatening bear standing10 feet tall was enough to rout anythingthat might challenge him, except perhapsanother bear. The Indians who lived inCalifornia treated him with great respectand fear. T he Indians were so intimidated

that areas which were abundantly popu-lated with bears were left strictly alone.Many early tribes never attempted to huntor trap them; in others, the grizzly washonored with dances and rituals and therewere bear doctors and shamans who weresaid to have some of the special powers andferocity of their namesakes.

When the Spaniards came to Californiaat the end of the 16th Cen tury, they foundliterally hundreds of bears. The bearsquickly became nuisances around the set-t lements , destroying l ivestock andchallenging their new human neighbors.

Spaniards were perhaps the first to at-tempt to rope bears from horseback andbring them back into the compounds alive.An article in the San FranciscoDaily AhaCalifornia of March 7, 1875 tells of lasso-ing a grizzly bear:

The b ear began sparring w arily . . . but Pacheco 's lasso shot like an arr ow,

and clasped about the huge fore-foot,when the horse (who saw every move-ment, and was fust as wide-awake asPacheco) sprang the other way,an dthe lassobeing fast to the pomm el, thebear was instantly thrown totheground, when two other men, quick aslightning, had thrown their lassos, andcaught the hindfeet; then another ridercaught theloose fore-foot, and the fourhorses took their positions like cavalryanimals trained by some noiselesssignal, and slowly marched down themoun tain's side, two horses in the vanand two in the rear, dragging UrsaMajor quietly down the grassy descent,the rear horses keeping just taut-line toprevent the bear from getting any useof his terrible hind claws.

Many of these bears were subsequently

used in bear and bull fights, where largebulls were pitted against grizzly bears inspecially built arenas. Bear and bull fightswere probably staged in all of the set-tlements of Southern California.

Despite al l the hunting that theSpaniards did, the bear population wasstill able to hold its own throughout mostof the state. It was not until Americans andEuropeans started coming to California inthe 1800s that the big bears faced an adver-sary they could not cope with. Theirdepredations on livestock, damage to prop-erty and threatening of human life aroundthe settlements made the bears publicenemy number one. Professionals werehired to hunt and kill them. Many wereshot purely for sport, as the bear was con-sidered big game. Men from the East cameto test themselves against the power, speedand cunning of the wild California grizzly.

Not all of the men that were fascinatedwith the grizzly bear wanted to shoot him.

One such man was James Capon Adams.Born in Massachusetts, Adams arrived inCalifornia in the summer of 1849.Although he was involved in mining andraising livestock, he also enjoyed workingwith wild anim als. In 1852, he establisheda camp in Yosemite in the Sierra Nevadasto hunt and trap. He collected pelts andtrapped live animals such as bear, moun-tain lion, deer, fox and bobcat. It was hisability to work with and train grizzly bearsthat earned him the name of "GrizzlyAdams." T. H. Hittell, a journalist, was sofascinated with Adams that in 1860 hewrote a book (which was re-issued in 1911)titled, The Adventures of James Capon

There were beardoctors and shamanswho were said tohave some of thespecial powers andferocity of theirnamesakes.

Karen Sausman resting with Pooh, bothrelieved that the chase is over.


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W eighing up to1,000 pounds , the

paws of the giantsa re 13 inches long

b y seven inchesw ide, tipped w ithfour claw s mor e

than four inches inlength.

This furry grizzly cub, cuteenough to cud-dle, may weigh as mu ch as 1,000 poundswhen grown.

GrizzliesAdams, Mountaineer and G rizzly BearHunter of California.Hittell describedhow Adams trained his bears not only tocarry packs and go everywhere with himbut also to ride in wagons. H ittell becameAdams' public relations man and pressagent, spreading the tales that still, more

than 100 years later, excite our imagina-tions and respect. Adams took his collec-tion of wild animals to San Francisco andbecame a showman. He featured threebears Sampson, Lady Washington andher cub, Benjamin Franklin as well aselk, lion, tiger, panther, deer andnumerous small animals. The bears wereapparently under perfect control andwould do a series of simpie tricks. Adamsmoved his menagerie to a facility thencalled the Pacific Museum, where hestayed from 1857-1860, and then on toNew York, where he contacted P. T. Bar-num and prepared to work with him. But,working w ith big animals such as bears isdangerous and rou gh. Adams had been in-jured many times by his charges, as well asby the wild creatures which he hunted. Afew months after arriving in New York, hedied of his many wounds and sheer ex-haustion.

While there are no longer grizzly bearsin California (they are also extinct inOregon and all but a small portion innorthern Washington), they exist today in

: r]

Alaska and Arctic Canada, as well as inparts of Montana and Colorado, still inspiring in man the same fear and awe thathe Indians understood well. Adult grizzlbears are large, powerful animalsweighing between 400 and 1,000 poundmeasuring up to 3 1/2 feet across at thshoulder. Their paws may be more tha13 inches long by seven inches wide anare tipped with four claws, more than fouinches in length. The common namgrizzly comes from the fact that their outeor guard hairs are silver tipped, givinthem a grizzled appearance. One featurthat sets grizzlies apart from all other beabut brown bears is the shoulder humpwhich results from the size and placemenof a muscle mass above the shouldeblades.

Grizzly bears are omnivorousoppotunists that will eat anything andeverything. While they will take livestocthey normally eat roden ts, fish, small gamand even carrion. They also enjoy feastinon berries, bulbs, acorns and clover. It not unusual to find bears literally grazinin a pasture of fresh spring clover when is at its sweetest.

Grizzly bears are loners, males anfemales living a more or less solitary eistence and coming together occasionalto breed and to feed wherever there is aabundance of food. The breeding season mid-summer. The cubs are born durindeep winter in a den while the female hibernating. Dens may be anything fromcave or a rock crevice to a hole under large downed tree or a pile of brush. Thyoung, usually two or three, are naked anweigh about 12 ounces at birth. Th e cuspend the better part of their first two yeawith their mother. While the adultseldom climb, the cubs frequently dThey are sent up trees whenever there danger and they also forage in the treeOnce the female is bred again, the cubs aleft to fend for themselves. They matuby the time they are eight or 10 years oland live up to 30 years.

Th e grizzly has been the official symbof California since 1846. It is sad that thonly ones now living here are in zoologicgardens and are the offspring of grizzlibrough t in from out of the state. There aareas within the state of California thcould easily support the populations grizzly bears. However, it is not likely thwill be reirrtroduced into the state: thesize and disposition make them potentiadangerous to man and livestock. SCalifornians must enjoy the grizzly beathrough experiences with them in othareas of North America or through the a

tics of Willie and Pooh as they cavort antell their stories to thousands of vieweof televised wildlife program s. @

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T H E S E R I IN D IA N S :Keeping Their Culture Aliveby William Adams

THROUGHOUT the southwesternUnited Statesat Indian trading postsand in museum gift shopsone can oc-casionally find small collections or individualcarvings of ironwood, exquisitely done by theSeri Indians of Sonora, a state in northern

Mexico.

EL DESEMBOQUE

KIN


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THE SERI INDIANSWith ageless simplicity ofdesign, these carvingsusually repre-

sent sea creatures fromthe Sea of Cortez (Gulf ofCalifornia):whales, dolphins, sharks,sailfish, mantarays, sea lions, pelicansand giant turtles.There arealso figures of quail,lizards, snakes,scorpions and bighornsheep from the greatSonoran desert. Eachof these sculpturesof finely grained, w eatheredironwood is a one-of-a-kind collector's item.They are expensive. Afew find theirway into museum collections.

Th is is not an ancientor historical Seri art, but onedevelopedinthe tribe's well-definedpattern of adaptationfor survival. Fromthe earliest times, theSeris have carved utilitarian objects frommesquiteand green ironwood,which, next toFlorida's leadwood,is the heaviestwood native toNorth America. Harpoons,yokes,oars, musical rasps, beanpounders, spearpoints, clubs for killingfish and gameall were carved fromthis hard, heavywood.

In 1961, A lexanderRussell, Jr. of Tucson, afrequent visitor tothe Seris, was presentedwith a block of polishedironwood carvedby Jose Astorga. Jose said, "It's something tohold your papersdown." Encouragedby Russell and equippedwith better tools,Astorga wasthe first Seri to begin carving "thingsthat swim."

I

Bo'otse, with an elaborately paintedface.

The Seris have staged a remarkableresurgence through their ability toadapt to changing economic and

physical conditions.

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% *


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TH E SER ISToday, practically the entire Seri tr ib e -

men, women and childrenworks on suchcarvings. Early carvings were crude,darkened by rubbing with old motor oil.Carvings are now finished like modernDanish furniture so the beautiful natural

grain of the wood can be seen. In one carv-ing of a quail, for example, the shaping in-corporates the wood grain in the bird'sfeathers.

Who are the Seri Indians?Here's how the National Geographic

described them in 1919:This tribe has never beentamed,

'uplifted' or exhibited. Yet it is older,perhaps, than the Aztecs; it may evenbe the last living fragmen t of theAmerican aborigines. The Seris, thesestrange people arecalled, and they in-habit a lonely, evil rock calledTiburon (Shark) Island that lifts itshostile head from the hot, emptywaters of the Gulf of Cortez.

Their poverty and degradation areperhaps the most absolute amonghuman beings anywhere. No house-keeping, no gardens, no animals, nofowl to care for, no tools, no utensilssave clay ollas. They just fish, rundown deer (which they eat raw) orspear a turtle.

On the verge of extinction at the turn ofthe 20th Century, their numbers down to100 or so, the Seris have staged aremarkable resurgence through their abili-ty to adapt to changing economic andphysical conditions.

The first Europeans to lay eyes on theSeris was Cabeza de Vaca, during his greattranscontinental journey in 1539. At thattime the tribe, estimated to number some

These Seri women are dig-ging clams, a staple in theSeri diet.

5,000 strong, occupied an area of what isnow Mexico's state of Sonora, stretchingfrom Guaymas Bay to about 75 milesnorth of Tibu ron Island and inland almostto Hermosillo. Tiburon Island was theheartland of the Seris. During the 1930s,nearly all of them lived on this "evilrock ."The largest island in the Sea of Cortez,Tiburon is 30 miles long, 20 miles wideand covers about 500 square miles. Two

mountain ridges, the Sierra Kunkaak andSierra M eno r, have a valley between themand run the length of the island. Bighornsheep roam peaks as high as 3,995 feet, andthere are mule and white-tailed deer,coyotes, rabbits, quail and other smallgame. Far from being empty, the sur-rounding cool waters are alive with anabundance of fish and sea life seldomfound elsewhere in the world.

This tribe is older,

perhaps, than the Aztecs;the las t living fra gment ofthe American aborigines.

Southwest of Tiburon lies San EstebanIsland and beyond that, San Lorenzo. Thisis the midriff, or narrow est, part of the Seaof Cortez. The open-water distance be-tween Baja California and the mainland ofMexico never exceeds 150 miles. This is adifficult but not impossible gap to cross onthe kind of balsa rafts once used by theSeris: they have always been skillfulseamen with inherent knowledge of cur-rents and winds.

Th e Seris speak a Hokan or Hokaltecantongue, which is related to the Yumanlanguage of the inhabitants of the Col-orado River and Baja California. T he sewncoils of their baskets spiral outward from

the center in the clockwise direction of thCalifornia Indians, unlike the counteclockwise coils used by other Indians of thSouthwestern United States. Unlike aother Mexican Indians, the Seris havnever had any use for corn; nor did theeat coyotes or dogs. Th is evidence suggesthat the Seris may constitute a survivinremnant of one of those very early wavesmigration which swept out of Asia, acrothe Bering Straits, and down the west coaof North America more than 10,000 yeaago.

What is certain is that the Seris remaito this day probably the most primitive Idian tribe in North America. Only withthe last few years has this proud , fiercpeople accepted any modern ways.

Tib uro n is separated from the mainlanof Sonora by a mile-wide strait called Bodel Infiernillo (Mou th of Little H ell). Thmainland here is called the Desierto Ecinas a vast expanse of desert sand annaked brown mountain rocks with abotwo inches of rainfall annually. Permanewater is found only in a few placeTemperatures of more than 100 degreare normal in summer. In winter, thdreaded None, a cold, damp wind, mayblow for a week at a time, causing intendiscomfort. Until recently, Seri men anwomen made daily trips from the coast fetch water in large clay ollas carried on thead or hung from yokes.

In large measure, the preservation Seri culture and even the tribe itself stemfrom the worthlessness of this land to bothe Spaniards and the Mexicans.

When the Spaniards came, the Serlived in settlements along the coast as was on Tiburon and San Esteban. Becauthey had no agriculture and because of tuncertainty of water, theirs was a nomadculture based on fishing, hunting agathering. They lived in simpleramada

42 AUG UST , 1981


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(arbors) of ocotillo poles stuck in the sandand covered with brush , animal or pelicanskins. Later they would build wattle-and-daub huts supported by mesquite cornersand walls.

For the most part a handsome people,the Seris are among the tallest and darkestof all Indians. T he women have a beautifulcarriage; the men are slender bu t wiry andcapable of great surges of energy. The

Seris are swift runners and, in early times,were fierce figh ters. Th ey used bows as tallas their chins with poisoned, iron-pointedarrows and fought viciously in hand-to-hand combat.

Oriented to the sea from which theydrew most of their sustenance, the Seriswere never comfortable inland. Theirprincipal gods were the green sea turtleand the pelican, although nothing in theirreligion prevented them from eating thesegods.

As they often had fought bitterly withtheir neighboring Ind ian tribes such as thePapagos, Pimas and Yaquis, the Serisbegan hostilities with the Spanish as earlyas 1541 when Coronado, then at RioGrande, sent Don Pedro de Tovar to Cor-azones to pu nish the tribe for a massacre.Don Pedro fled, leaving 17 soldiers dyingin agony from poisoned arrow wounds.

In the latter part of the 16th and 17thCenturies, Jesuit missions were estab-lished in northern Mexico to reduce theIndian tribes. It is said that 1,000 Seriscame to the missions and did their best tofarm. Just as they were achieving somesuccess, Spanish soldiers moved in,grabbed the best land, and hustled all thewomen of the Seri colonists off to slaveryin Guatemala. In the following years, a bit-ter struggle was carried on between bandsof Seris and Spanish and Mexican soldiers.

Eventually, the few hundred Seris whowere left were forced to abandon theircoastal villages and retreat to their laststrongholdTiburon Island. For decadesthey came to the mainland only to hunt,gather desert foods, fiber and extra water.

During the 1930s, the Seris graduallybegan returning to the Sonoran coast.They established colonies which remaintoday at Desemboque, Punta Chuca, Pun-ta Libertad and other coastal locations.Here on this harsh shore, with the sea onone side and the desert on the other, theyhave largely continued their primitivecultural lifebelonging to no one and notwanting to.

T

HEIR FIR ST step in adapting forsurvival under modern conditionsoccurred in the early 1930s, when

some of the Seris began working with non-Indians at Kino Bay in a fishingcooperative. Today they fish from wooden

boats with outboard motors supplied bythe government or wholesalers, who packtheir catch in ice and move it to markets inMexico or the United States.

Gathering, always a basic part of Serilife, is reflected in the array of lovelybaskets created by Seri women. Intriguingdesigns are woven into these baskets madeof the shrubstorote and paloblanco by usingstrands of thetorote that have been dyed a

rich burnt sienna color. Unfortunately,few baskets are being made today, andthese are usually made on order formuseums and collectors.

In prehistoric and later times, the Serismade pottery known as "eggshell" becauseit is thin yet fine, hard and strong. Ancientollasof eggshell are sometimes found incaves.The olla, formerly used to transportwater and food for storage, was the Seri's

A ny event is a n excuse for

a S eri fiesta w ith singing,music a nd da ncing todrums, rasps a nd Seri-

ma de one-s tring fiddles .

most important utensil. In sharp contrastto eggshell, recent Seri pottery has beendung-tempered ware heavy, coarse andcrudely wrought.

Many curious small ceramic figurineshave been discovered by archaeologists inshell middens along the Seri coast. Fine-grained and fire-hard, they are usually inhuman form and are thought to have beenfetishes, fertility figures, religious offeringsor, perhaps, simply dolls for children.

The Seris have long made and worn avariety of beads. A body in an ancientgrave was accompanied by a necklace of6,300 shell beads. Bead chains are fash-ioned from shells, bird, fish and rat-tlesnake vertebra, clay, seeds, dried flowerblossoms and bits of wood and reed. Theseare readily available in curio shops.

Seri women wear long, full skirts with

blouses and a shawl over the head. Menusually wear pants, shirts and a jacket. Allgo barefoot. On special occasions today, asin the past, both sexes paint their faceswith delicate, distinctive lines and flowersymbols.

Almost any event is an excuse for Serifiesta with singing, music and dancing todrum s, rasps and Seri-made one-string fid-dles.

In the 1920s, the Seris made anothersignificant adaptation. When the worldmarket for vitamins boomed, the Seris

learned how to build wooden boats toreplace their balsa rafts in order to fish forsharks in quantity. Shark livers were in

great demand.In 1965, the Mexican government took

over Tiburon Island as a game preserve.All Seris were moved off and navalmarines were stationed there to preventpoaching and, since there is a small land-ing strip, narcotics traffic. T he Seris wereforbidden to visit the island to exercisetheir aboriginal hunting and fishing rights.

In a marked reversal, the government

passed an act in April, 1977, returning theisland to the Seris under certain condi-tions.Only they may visit the island. Theycan fish, camp without restriction andgather plants, seeds and firewood, but theymay not hunt. Thus the island will remaina sanctuary for fauna, and new species willbe introduced for possible propagation.

Seri culture has been subjected to manyoutside influences during the last quartercentury. Missionary sects have tried tosubstitute hymns for the old Seri songs,banned dancing, smoking, cactus wine and

face painting. The Mexican National In-dian Institute has built cement blockhouses with three bedrooms, baths andelectricity. Stores offer canned goods, pat-ent medicines, polyester blouses andshirts, radios and other trappings of ad-vanced civilization.

Yet, a recent letter from Becky Moserwho, with her husband Ed, lived with theSeris for more than 20 years, studyingtheir culture and translating the Serilanguage, tells us that the Seris cling stub-bornly to their old ways. For instance, theSeri language is spoken almost exclusivelyin the home. Spanish is known but usedonly in conducting business. Fiestas arestill held in the traditional manner andthere is fishing and gathering in the desert.Seris wander up and down the coast, oftencontinuing to live in primitiveramadas onthe beach.

With increasing income, largely fromtheir carvings, and a new willingness tocooperate and meet with those aroundthem, the Seri population has nearly trip-led in recent years. In M ay of 1977, apopulation count listed 201 men, 250women and 258 children all of whomspeak Seri.

Like all small minorities, the Seris arevulnerable to the economic, governmentaland religious encroachments of those whoimpinge on their territory. It will be in-creasingly difficult for Seri youth to resistrock music, automobiles and motor bikes,the impact of radio, TV and the writtenword.

Can the Seris continue as a distinctculture while coming into increasing con-tact with people seeking to buy the wood

carvings and other handiwork of thisamazing band of Indians?Only time will tell. 0

DESERT 43


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A Mananda Mine

One was chosen to lead

California into the 20thCentury; the other paid offmore than $1.5 m illion in gold

Text and Ph otosby Tom McGrath

ON T H E FACE of one of the roll-ing hills that loom up alongsideHighway 14 as you travel betweenNewhall and Palmdale is an outcroppingof gray rock. It marks the spot of the oldGovernor Mine, once one of Los AngelesCounty's most productive gold mines.The dark gray tailings can be seen from faraway, but the headframe that oncedominated the site is missing.

The desert has a way of reclaiming herland, and subtle signs that m an's influenceis in retreat are everywhere. A lone sentry,the last standing fencepost still holds ontothree strands of barbed w ire. It has becomesurrounded by the green branches of amesquite tree. The main mine shaft iscovered over, and a secondary shaft, higheron the hillside, is crisscrossed with heavyplanks and surrounded by wire fencing. Acement foundation crumbles in the directrays of the noontime sun. Nearby, smallpieces of ironwork corrode in the sunlightas the desert takes back her own in slow,quiet steps. Sometimes the wind lightlystirs the grass, but the scene stands still,illuminated by the desert sun.

Th e scene was far different in the 1880s.Mining noises filled the air and the nearbytown of Acton was alive with boomtown

excitement. In the decade of the 1880salone, miners took more than $100,000 ingold from this spot. Eventually the main44 AUG UST , 1981

G o v e r n o r H e n r yT.G a g e , a m b i t iopolitician and once owner of the mine.

{

r

shaft would extend 1,000 feet down, withfour levels of tunnels reaching outlaterally.

This mine was to become the largestproducer of gold ore in the history of LosAngeles County, but its notoriety wouldnot end there. One of the mine's principalowners would become governor of Califor-nia. Mining and politics are riskybusinesses; both the gold vein and Henry

Gage began histerm with a bold

offensive that somefeared was too

ambitious.T. Gage's popularity would eventuallyplay outbut not before giving each a spotin California's history.

The story of the mine begins with theclose of construction of the railroad. Someof the men formerly employed in railroadconstruction began prospecting and find-ing gold here in the 1870s and 1880s. It

was known in the early days as the NewYork Mine, and Acton was known asSoledad City. In 1875, the Southern

Pacific Railroad decided the town namconflicted with Soledad in Central California and renamed its train station Acton, foa village in Massachusetts. The town tookthe cue and began calling itself Acton.

Little care was taken in those early dayto record events. There remains littlehistory of that era. Whatis known is thatHenry T. Gage, attorney and businessman, acquired ownership in the mineabout 1895. By that time, the New YorkMine was producing large amounts ohigh-grade gold o re. The mine continueproducing gold at a good clip until abou1897 ,when the vein was lost. The minewas closed as unprofitable, leaving HenrGage the opportunity to explore other interests.

Gage's immersion in politics began withis election to the post of Los Angeles CitAttorney in 1881. He had also been electea delegate to the Republican NationaConvention in 1888, when he took thpodium to second the nom ination of LevP . Morton for the vice presidency.

Gage was described by a contemporaras "above medium height, strong ancompactly built and w ith a face indicatingreat determination and character."

It may have been Gage's governor-lik

appearance, more than his political talenthat made his party nominate him for thhigh office. Nevertheless, the closing o


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One of the man y entries recorded on therecord books of the Cedar Mining Districtaround the turn of the century. This 190 9 en-try show s a tran saction involving o ne ofthe former governor's many mining claimsnear the present city of Acton, California.

the mine corresponded with the upcom ingelection campaign; in late 1897, candidateswere beginning to toss their hats into thering for an election not to be held until latethe following year.

After a spirited election campaign, Gagetook office January 5, 1899, in a ceremonycomplete with cannon salute and a band

playing Hail to theChief. From the start,Gage took a stern position against govern-ment bureaucracy, deficit spending andlobbyists. Gage began his term with a boldoffensive that some feared was tooambitious.

An immediate problem of GovernorGage's administration was his involve-ment in the contest for United Statessenator. Gage supported a candidate un-favored by several powerful newspaperpublishers of the era. A bitter fight fol-lowed when Senator Stephen White

retired in early 1899. The fight resulted ina 104-ballot deadlock in the statelegislature, and a cloud was cast over the

Gage administration at the outset of histerm. TheSa n Francisco Calland theLo sAngeles Times attacked Gage for his actionsin the senatorial campaign, and a splitdeveloped between Gage and thenewspapers. T he Gage administration wasblamed for California having only oneU.S. senator.

In the aftermath of the senatorial fight,the legislature passed and Gage signed twoanti-newspaper bills, designed to slowdown the newspaper attack. The opposi-tion became more intense. It was more

than a year later that the legislature finallyelected a senator, but Gage's candidate wasdefeated.

DESI-RT 45


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.*

(Above)The view from the Governor Mine,looking downon the outskirts of Acton,California.

(Above right)A still-life of heavy beamsawaits the slow processof decayas the desertasserts her control over the area. Somesaythere is still plenty of gold here, waitingto bemined.

(Right) A closeupof some of the remainingfindings amid the trailings,an accumulationof leftover oreand rock b lasted outof the wayto get to the gold.

ly whenhe noticeda stack backin a corner.He pulled the objects out and saw theywere old documents, leather-bound booksand records.On closer examination,theMilburns realized theyhad the originalmining documentsfor hundredsof claimsfiled for gold, waterand oil at the turnofthe century. Someof the records datedback to 1885.

It turnedout that HenryT. Gage, alongwith other prominent people,had claimsall over th e area. Included in thedocuments were ownership interestsinmines heldby English companies. Oneofthe most interesting thingswas the largenumber of claims for water wells."If theycould get water and grow cropsto feedallthose hungry minersout here," saysMilburn, "they figured theyhad the goldanyway." Estimatesof town populationat

the zenith of gold p roduction ran as highas10,000, with5,000 a safer guess.The Milburns kepttwo ceramic pieces,

also found in the house. Oneis a Chinesesoy sauce jug, whichis one of many madein China and usedin the United Statesbyrailroad laborers.The other is a "retortcup," which the production staffof themill in Acton once usedto test the goldcontent of theore.

According to Milburn, the same gold-production process couldbe going on to-day. "There is still plenty of gold downthere (in the Governor Mine),and it couldbe mined right now,if it were not for theLend-Lease program," Milburn says."We gave the Russians our pumpsandthere is no other way to keep out theflooding in the deeper partof that m ine."

The most recent chapterin the historyof the Governor Minehas ended. Is thisthe final chapter,the last hurrah for theGovernor? Only time will tell.

If you would liketo pay the Governoravisit, drive north from Los Angeleson theGolden State Freeway (Interstate5) to the

Antelope Valley Freeway (Highway14).Take 14 toward Lancasterand exit atCrown Valley Road. Turn leftat the stopsign, go back un derthe highway and con-tinue straightup the road. Stay on thisroad, past wherethe name changestoGovernor Mine road(1.2 miles fromthehighway), until the pavement ends. Th ere,to your left,is the Gov. @

, " 1 LANCASTER

^ \K PA L M D A L Er*

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yDESERT 47


48/64

TRACES IN THE SAND

Point Well Takenmust taKe some verbecome a successful cactus

Hedgehog cactus, south of Sacaton, Pinal County, Arizona. Photograph by Jeff Gn

48 AUGUST,1981


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The following is taken from Randall Henderson's original editorial plan andmission for Desert magazine, published in October, 1936. The world has changeddrastically since then, but the integrity of his vision has not. We will carry on thespirit of service and communication in w hich he began.

The Original Editorial

T HE REAL desert . . . is aland whose character is hid-den except to those whocome wi th f r i end l iness andunderstanding.

To those who come to the desertwith friendliness, it gives friend-ship. To those who come withcourage, it gives new strength ofcharacter. Those seeking relaxa-tion find release from the world ofman-made troubles. For thoseseeking beauty, the desert offersnature's rarest artistry. This is thedesert that men and women learnto love.

The editorial staff has two mis-

sions: First, to entertain and servethose Americans whom desire orcircumstance have brought to thislast great frontier of the UnitedStates; and second, to carry as ac-curately as is possible throughword and picture, the spirit of thereal desert to those countless menand women who have been in-

trigued by the charm of this desertland but who are forced by eco-nomic necessity to live elsewhere.

This is to be a friendly, personalmagazine, written for the people ofthe desert and their friendsand,

insofar as possible, by desert peo-ple.

This is to be a friendly, persona lmagazine, written for thepeople of the desert and theirfriends and, insofar aspossible, bydesert people.

The desert has its own tradi-tions: art, literature, industry andcommerce. It will be the purpose ofDesertmagazine to crystallize andpreserve these phases of desert lifeas a culture distinctive of arid butvirile America. We would give

character and personality to thepursuits of desert peoples, create akeener consciousness of the com-mon heritage which is theirs, bringthem a little closer together in abond of pride in their desert

homes, and perhaps break down insome measure the prejudiceagainst the desert which is born ofmisunderstanding and fear.

It is an idealistic goal, to be sure,but without vision the desertwould s t i l l be a forbiddingwasteland unin hab ited andshunned. The staff ofDesertmagazine is undertaking its taskwith the same eagerness and un-

bounded confidence which hasbrought a million people to a landwhich was once regarded as unfitfor human habitation.

In the accomplishment of ourtask we invite the cooperation of allfriends of the desert everywhere.

Randall Henderson

DESERT 51


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The Lost Graveof a Neglected Hero

It is my hope thata Desert reader willrelocate the

truegravesite of Captain M elchoir Diaz.

by Choral Pepper

E ACH OF US seeks immortalityinour own way through children,good deeds, accomplishments.When great heroism goes unrecognized,Ifeel as betrayedas I do over false imprison-ment. I yearn to do something aboutit.That is why, at long last, I am about toreveal the true locationof the Diaz grave.

I used the historical factsof this storyfora chapter in my book, Baja California(now out of print) and also in LostTreasures of the West,but in deference tothe gentlemanwho confided in me, I with-held the locationof the grave. I would stillhesitate to reveal it, were I not convincedthat the present generation of desertwanderer is more concerned aboutthepreservat ion of the ecological andhistorical phenomenaof our shrinkingback country than were thoseof the past,

who often rode roughshod overthe vast,empty deserts.Does the grave contain treasure?I don't

know. Melchoir Diaz,the beloved Spanisharmy captainwho met his death by acci-dent, was a nobleman. Traditionally,hewould have wornhis family coatof armsengraved on a ring, a neck medallionorgold uniform buttons. Typicalof a Con-quistador,he would have worna helmet,sword and sheath, perhaps witha goldenbuckle and insignia.We know thathe car-ried a spear, which was the cause of his

death.Whatever treasurethe gravemay hold isi nconsequen t i a l , comparedto the52 AUGUST,1981

historical interestits true location wouldinvoke. The late Walter Henderson,whodiscoveredthe mysterious gravein the Ba-ja California desert, confidedthe full infor-mation surroundinghis find onlyto me. Itwas his wish tha t th rough Desertmagazine, whichI then edited,his suspi-cion that the grave held the remains ofDiaz couldbe confirmed. Unfortunately,it was one of the few opportunities thatIhad to leave unexplored when back coun-try vehiclesand equipment were availableto me.

I share it now hoping that a Desertreader will relocatethe site. Perhaps thenwe can obtain the cooperationof the Mex-ican governmentto uncoverit.

MELCHOIR DAIZ was dis-patched in 1540 by Coronado

to rendezvous with FernandoAlarcon, whose fleetwas carrying heavysuppliesup the Gulf of Californiafor Cor-onado's expedition to find the fabledSeven Citiesof Cibola.As Coronadoandhis forces moved north, however, theirguidesled them furtherand further towardwhat is now New Mexico and away fromthe gulf where they wereto meet Alarcon.When Coronado arrivedin a lush valleynear an Indian villagefar east of the gulf,he pausedto send Diaz west witha 40-manpatrol, mountedon his best horses,to meet

the ships.Traveling west, Diaz arrivedon thebank of the Colorado river, about100

Somewhere amid these rugged m ountainthe rock-covered terrain, liesthe lost graveMelchior Diaz.

miles northof the gulf. He learned fromanIndian who had tugged Alarcon's bothrough the tidal bore that Alarconhadbeen there,but was now down-riverand

had left a note near a marked tree newhere the river emptied intothe gulf.Diaz marched southfor three days, un

he cameto the marked tree.At the footofit, he dug up an earthenware jug whiccontained letters,a copy of Alarcon'sin-structionsand a record of the nauticalex-pedition's discoveriesup to that point.

Realizing that Alarconwas returningtoMexico, Diaz retracedhis steps up theriver to what is now Yuma, Arizonwhere he forded the river. The trail htook north through Sonorahad taken hi

army far inland. Diaz hoped thatbyfollowingthe west coastof the gulf southe mightbe able to sight the ships if Alar


53/64

con still lingered in the area.Marching southwest, Diaz and his men

came to Laguna de los Volcanos, about 30miles south of Mexicali. From this point,the narrative recounted by historiansgrows vague, except for a report of Diaz'fatal injury and subsequent burial.

The injury occurred when a dog from anIndian camp chased the sheep that accom-panied Diaz' troops. Angered, Diaz threwhis lance at the dog from his runninghorse. Unable to halt the horse, he ranupon the lance, which had upended in thesand. It shafted him through the thigh,rupturing his bladder. Statements vary asto how long he lived following the acci-dent. Coronado's official historian,Castafieda, writing 20 years after the factfrom second-hand information, reportedthat Diaz lived for several days, carried byhis men on a litter over rough terrain. A

more modern historian, Baltasar deObregon, wrote that Diaz lived for amonth following the accident. Herbert

Bolton, the distinguished Californiahistorian, w rote that after crossing the Col-orado River at Yuma on rafts, Diaz and histroops made a five or six-day marchwestward before turning back, followingDiaz' injury.

If Bolton's information relative to thedays they marched is correct, and ifCastafieda is accurate about the number ofdays Diaz lived after the accident, Diaz isburied on the west coast of thegulf. If helived for a month, however, the grave verylikely lies in Sonora. This has never beenestablished, although historians havesearched for his grave on the east coast ofthe gulf for several centuries.

In 1540, the Baja coast of the Gulf ofCalifornia lay considerably west of its pres-ent location and the m outh of the Coloradowas further north. This river was famousfor jumping its banks, until Hoover Damtamed it. During various stages of itshistory, the site of Yuma alternated be-tween the Arizona and California side of

the state line, marked by the lawless river,so the exact place where Diaz crossed re-mains in question.

D URING THE Depression of theearly 1930s, Walter Henderson,then a young man living in South-ern California, cranked up a Model Aroadster and headed south with a friendtoward San Felipe, which is on the eastcoast of Baja California. At a spot where awindow-shaped rock formation (stillmarked by a sign) known asLa Ventanastands, they unloaded their camping gear,filled their canteens from a water tank inthe rear of the car and set out on foot tosearch for a rare blue palm oasis oncedescribed to them by an old prospector.

As it turned out, they hiked too farsouth. Baja was only rudely mapped inthose days and Mexican woodcutters hadnot yet been forced that far below theborder, so there was no one to give themdirections. Throughout the entire Arroyo

DESERT 53


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Lost Diaz GraveGrande and Arroyo Tule watershed, theysaw nothing but twisted cacti writhingacross the sandy grou nd, occasional stubb ytarote trees and lizards basking in the sun.On both sides of the wide arroyo upwhich they hiked, jumbled boulders stucklike knobs to the mountainsides. In someareas, the mountains were the deep, darkred of an ancient lava flow; in other sectorsthey were granite, bleached as white as thesand in the wash.

When night fell, the hikers unrolledtheir sleeping bags, built an ironwood fireand fell asleep watching the starry spec-tacle overhead.

At dawn, they brewed coffee and refriedtheir beans from th e night before to spreadon hunks of sourdough. There was nohurry : Th ey had all day to explore, as longas they kept moving back in the directionof their car.

Late in the afternoon, after hiking acrossa range of hills, they came upon a curiouspile of rocks set back a short distance fromthe edge of a steep ravine. For milesaround there had been no sign of humanlife, modern or ancient. The pile was near-ly as tall as a man and twice as long as itwas high. I t was oval, resembling ahaystack. The stones were rounded, andalthough the ground in the vicinity wasnot littered with them, Henderson and hiscompanion figured that they had beengathered at great labor from the generalarea.

They lifted a rock and turned it over. Itwas dark on top, light-colored underneath.Desert varnish (the dark coating) formsslowly in arid regions such as Baja, whererainfall is practically nonexistent. The factthat these rocks were all coated on top in-dicated they had remained in their posi-tions for a very long time.

The rock pile stood close to the edge of anarrow ravine that twisted down from thehills. Th e site was not visible from the sur-rounding country, so it was not intended

as a landmark. That it was a grave, theyfelt certain, even thoug h it was an unusu al-ly elaborate structure for its isolated situa-tion. Baja California natives have alwaysconscientiously buried corpses found inremote countrysides, but usually the graveis simply outlined with a series of rocks,rather than built up man-high like a monu-ment. Whoever lay beneath this rock pilewas obviously revered by his companions,who m ust have numbered more than a fewin order to erect it.

Tilted against one end of the rock pile

was an ancient piece of weathered iron-wood nearly a yard long and as thick as aman's thigh. If a smaller crosspiece had54 AU GU ST, 1981

been lashed to it to form a cross, the addi-tion had long ago weathered away. Mex-ican woodcutters have all but d epleted thedesert of ironwood now, but during the'30s it still was conceivable to Hendersonthat a heavy log could have been foundclose enough to drag to the graveside.

By this time, the sun had fallen low inthe mountains behind them, so the menleft the pile of stones and hurried acrossthe desert to reach their car beforenightfall. They never had occasion toreturn.

A few years later, however, the memoryof the mysterious pile of rocks arose tohaunt Henderson and continued to do sofor the rest of his life.

While reading the English translation ofth e Narratives of Castaneda, Hendersoncame upon a passage that read: "On aheight of land overlooking a narrow valley,under a pile of rocks, Melchoir Diaz liesburied." He would have known immedi-ately that he had found the lost grave ofthis Spanish hero except for the fact thatPedro de Castaneda, who travelled as ascribe for Coronado, believed that Diaz

The memory of themysterious pile ofrocks arose to hauntHenderson for therest of his life.

was buried on the opp osite side of the Col-orado River. As stated earlier, Castanedawrote his manuscript 20 years aftei it hadhappened, and then on hearsay, as he waswith Coronado rather than Diaz. Hender-son went to his own grave firmly con-vinced that the topographical features ofthe gravesite he had discovered and itsmode of construction matched all historicdescriptions exactly.

So convinced was he, indeed, that he

sought an appointment with the Mexicanconsul in Los Angeles to report his find-ings and suggest an investigation. Whatfollowed was amusing.

H e n d e r s o n w a s r e c e i v e d p o l i t e l yenough, but turned away by the deluge ofproblems his suggestion encountered. Hewas told that any such search party, to con-form to Mexican law of that time, mustconsist of two to four soldiers, an historianwith official status, a guide to show themwhere they wanted to go, a cook to feedthem and mules and saddles so the Mex-

ican officials "would not have to walk orcarry packs on their back like commonpeons." In addition, someone would have

to put the mules to bed and saddle theso a muleteer would have to accompathem, and a security guard would haveprotect Diaz' helm et, sword, armor, coijewelry and whatever else of value accopanied the skeleton in the grave.

All this was to be paid for by Hendson, should he wish to sponsor the expetion. A further stipulation stated that if area turned out to be too rough or tdange rous fo r t he r e t i nue invo lveHenderson would be obliged to call off whole thing and turn back, regardlessthe expense already incurred.

With not a single monument to honCortez in all of Mexico and the Coquistadors held in poor repute, it wunlikely that the Mexican gov ernment wparticularly eager to honor a poor, ignocaptain, even thou gh he was the first whman to set foot on Northern Baja aCalifornia soil.

So Diaz sleeps, a neglected hero, whMexicans and Amer i cans a l i ke p

'homage to lesser discoveries and explorwho opened u p the Southwest and livedenjoy their acclaim.

Today, the expedit ion could be acomplished with land vehicles insteadmules. P erhaps the grave could be spotby air. The landmarks, which I nevbefore have revealed, are designated on hydrographic chart of the Gulf of Califnia, as well as on other maps. A line drafrom Sharp Peak (31'22" N. Lat., eletion 4,690, 115'10' W. Long.) to an unamed peak of 2,948 feet, N 25' E frSharp Peak (about 12 miles away) wroughly follow the divide of a ranseparating the watershed that flows to sea. Somewhere near the center of tline, plunging down the westerly slope, irather deep, rock-strewn arroyo. On north rim of this arroyo, and set backshort distance, is a small mesa-like ptrudanc e, or knob of land. The re m ay bnumber of arroyos running parallel. Ion o ne of these where the land falls awathe west, that the rock pile overlooks arroyo. That was as close as Hender

was able to identify it.Anyone who shares my fascination w

history would experience great excitemover the prospect of d isprov ing prevalent belief that Padre Eusebio Kwas the first white man to come ashorethe west side of the Colorado. Even mrewarding would be to endow a neglechero with the immortality he deserves

If anyone is seriouslyconsidering going onsearch for this lost grave, p lease conta

Choral Pepper throughDesert magazine, ashe is most interested in the outcome ofsuch ajourney.


55/64

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56/64

CALENDARAugust 1 - August 31

CaliforniaThrough Aug. 2:A photographic exhibitcapturing the delicacy of the tiniest desertwildflowers runs through August 2nd atthe Natural History Museum in BalboaPark, San Diego, Calif. The exhibitfeatures photographs by Robert I .Gilbreath, taken in the deserts of thewestern United States and Mexico. Forfurther information, call (714) 232-3821.

Aug. 7-9: The 42nd annual Golden BearGem and Mineral Show is being spon-sored by the California Federation ofMineralogical Societies at the AnaheimConvention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave.,Anaheim, Calif. This event is an all-encompassing, competitive lapidary show.In addition to the competition, there willbe demonstrations of different techniquesof cutting, polishing and faceting; lectureson gem investments and identification;and retail and wholesale dealers. Admis-sion is $4 for adu lts; $2.50, 12 - 18; under12, free. Hours on the 7th and 8th are10 a.m. to 9:30 p .m.; on the 9th, 10 a.m. to5 p.m.July 14 - Aug. 30: The 15th AnnualSawdust Festival is being held in LagunaBeach at 935 Laguna Canyon Road.Hours are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days aweek. This festival is known for the mostunique crafts and fine arts exhibit in theworld. Admission is $1 daily or $5 for aseason pass. Children under 12 are free.The festival will feature wandering musi-cians, demonstrations of artists at workand many varieties of fine foods. Many ofthe crafts exhibited will be for sale. Forfurther information, contact Ron Ep, Pro-motion Director, Sawdust Festival, Box1234, Laguna Beach, CA 92652.Aug. 29 - 30: The San Francisco Gemand Mineral Society will hold its 27th an-nual show, Golden Gateway to Gems, inthe Hall of Rowers, Golden Gate Park,San Francisco,Calif. Hours on Saturdayare from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m . and Sundayfrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m . Features will in-clude original gemstone carvings; livedemonstrations on silversmithing, facetingof gemstones and creative carving; andmineral, lapidary and jewelry exhibits. For

further information, contact Mrs. Carl H.Riesen, Publicity Chairwoman, 295Stonecrest D r., San Francisco, CA 94132.Annual Contest:Th e 7th Annual PoetryCompetition sponsored by the World ofPoetry, a quarterly newsletter for poets,will be awarding a $1,000 grand prize.Poems of all styles and on any subject areeligible to compete for this, or 99 otherawards. For rules and official entry forms,

contact the World of Poetry, 2431 Stock-ton, Dept. B., Sacramento, CA 95817.

IllinoisJune 3 - Sept. 8:The Field Museum ofNatural History, Roosevelt Road at LakeShore Drive, Chicago, IL, is featuring anexhibit on the Hopi Indian. This exhibitcelebrates America's oldest continuouslysurviving culture and features large scalemodels of Hopi religious ceremonies, hun-dreds of kachinas and a hall filled w ith can-did photographs by Joseph Mora. Shortlyafter these photographs were taken,cameras were banned from Hopi publicdances. The ban is still in effect. For fur-ther information, contact Barbara Lanctotat (312) 322-8859.

New MexicoAugust 6-9: The 60th Annual IntertribalIndian Ceremonial will be held in Ga llup,New Mexico. More than 50 tribes fromacross the United States and Mexico willgather at this festival. There will be twodays of parades, four days of Indiandances, rodeos, arts, crafts and foods atnearby Red Rock State Park. Admission is$6 for dances, $4 for rodeos or $8.25which includes admission to the exhibithall, one rodeo and one night perform-ance. For information, contact IntertribalIndian Ceremonial, P.O. Box 1, Church-rock, N M 87311. Phone (505) 863-3896.Aug. 7-9: The 13th Annual Lincoln Daysare being held in Lincoln, New Mexico.Th is is the 100th anniversary of the deathof Billy the Kid. Events include eveningpageants, a 41-mile Pony Express MainRun from the ghost town of White Oaks, aparade, fiddlers contest, arts & crafts, ghosttown tours and food booths.

Aug. 15-16: 5th Annual Loop BicycTour. Starting in Silver City, 125 cyclwill pedal 75 miles through Gila NatioForest, past ghost towns, Lake Roband the Santa Rita open-pit copper mOvernight, Camp Thunderbird. Cos$20, which includes lodging and meRide starts at 7 a.m. For information, ctact The Bicycle Shop at (505) 538-56Aug. 22-23: 60th Annual Indian Mark

is being held in Santa Fe. More than artisans will be featuring jewelry, pottsculpture, painting and weaving. A jucompetition will be held. Admission Indian dances in the patio of the neaPalace of the Governors is $2. There icharge for admission to the Market. Hoare from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. For further inmation, contact the Southwest Associaon Indian Affairs at (505) 983-5220.

UtahAug. 1,3-8: Th e Festival of the Americ

West is being held in Logan, Utah. Mof the events will be held at Utah SUniversity's Spectrum, a massive speevents center. There will be a historpageant held each evening beginning aAdmission for adults is $5; under 12The Great West Fair will be held on Spectrum field from 2 - 9 daily. This re-creation of pioneer life with continuentertainment, numerous exhibits many samples of the way the west waart, cooking, crafts and day-to-day livAdmission for adults is $3.50; child7-11, $2; under 7, free. It's an experieof our legacy of the past that shouldn'missed. For further information call (750-1144 or 1145.

Th e Desert Calendar is a service for ourreaders. We want to let them know whis happening on thedesert. If you are hav-ing an event, or even a year-round activty, th at you think they would like to heabout, let us know. There is nocharge foritems listed in the Ca lendar. We only athat you submit it to us at least twmonths prior to the event. We (and oreaders) want to hear from you.

56 AUGU ST, 1981


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198108 Desert Magazine 1981 August