Professional Documents
Culture Documents
JUNE, 1981
$1.50
Water Conservation w
Imperative of the Des«* "*
Harris'
The Aristocrat of Hawks
(see page 8)
0 6
71 5 7 2 0 4 1 0 1
tfH&A •
purpose of
Desert Magazine
is to support
communications
about the
experience of life
on the desert.
i
Ed Seykota, Publisher
VOLUME 44 NUMBER 5 June, 1981
1
Symbol the Chinese Medicine
by Susan Dorr Nix Man
For more than 5,000 years, by Billie Durfee
hawks have been How Ing Hay became every-
worshiped, feared, admired body's doctor in eastern
or stigmatized. Oregon's immense John Day
page 8 Country.
page 38
Water Conservation:
Imperative of the
Desert A Dream with a
Purpose
N
by Dr. Sherwood B. Idso
Can man succeed in his iff *'• WBP& f by Mary Eileen Twyman
unending struggle to live at He stayed in Baja for the
peace with the sun in this
land of cactus and mesquite?
page 14
v • \T^J{ respect which he first
offered, and then had
returned a thousand-fold.
-'% Jk
page 42
Fred Oldfield, the
Cowboy Artist Petroglyphs of the
by Emily } . Horswill •
Coso Range
His paintings leave no doubt
that the artist has worn by Anne Duffield
chaps and boots, ridden Whoever they were, the
hunched against sleet and artists were gone by the time
dust storms. the first white explorers
page 20 appeared in the 1830s.
page 50
Camels for Uncle Sam ;
DESERT
SITUATION: Weld-on hitch receivers
Tow bar hitch receivers that are welded on to a vehicle frame can be improperly Magazine • Since 1937
installed. Under certain circumstances welding can weaken the frame, or nullify
the vehicle's warranty.
Editor
DONALD MACDONALD
SOLUTION: Reese Tbw Bar Kit Hitch Receivers Editorial Coordinator
Reese Tow Bar Kit Hitch Receivers have been individually designed to fit specific MARY EILEEN TWYMAN
vehicle frames to efficiently distribute weight through the frame structure. Wherever Assistant Editor
possible, kits bolt-on to the frame using existing holes, for efficient attachment KATHRYN KRAHENBUHL
without welding!
Copy Editor
The Reese Tow Bar Kit Hitch Receiver fit-list contains a bolt-on kit for
E. S. MITMAN
almost any vehicle. And, all kits accept a standard 2" x 2" hitch bar.
An adaptor bushing is available for use with the Reese 350 Mini Art Director/Photo Editor
Archives Librarian
SUSAN GOLDEN
Contributing Editors
CHORAL PEPPER, Special Projects
For information
NORMA LEE BROWNING, Special Projects
on the full line of Reese products,
KAREN SAUSMAN, Natural Sciences
write to: Reese Products • P.O. Box 1706
• 5 1 6 7 1 St. Rd. 19-N • Elkhart, IN 46515 WAYNE P. ARMSTRONG, Natural Sciences
A division of Masco Corp. ot Indiana WE ENGINEER SOLUTIONS MERLE H. GRAFFAM, Cartographer
Advertising Sales
KEVIN ANDERSEN, Mgr.
BILL SCHAUL
•
MARY ANN PERRY
Marketing Director
GEORGE E. SECTOR
Circulation Manager
ELEU TABARES
Financial Consultant
LIZ FERGUSON
Business Manager
TERRI BIANCO
Publisher
ED SEYKOTA
Executive Publisher
Energy Efficient Homes JULIE BRAZEAU
Domes.
73-744 Hwy. 111, Suite 2
Have an Old Fashioned Home Raising The
shell of your Cathedralite framing package
can be built in a day by you and your friends.
BY FORM 3579 TO DESERT MAGAZINE, 121 WEST E ST.,
ENCINITAS, CA 92024. Contributions: The Editor welcomes
unsolicited manuscripts and photographs, but they can be returned
only if accompanied by S.A.S.E. or international exchange coupons.
While we treat submissions with care, we cannot assume
Palm Desert, California 92260 responsibility for loss or damage. Payment is upon acceptance.
(714) 568-3283 Writers Guide free with S.A.S.E.; sample copy, $1.50.
Photographers: Please include technical data with each
photograph submitted.
There is GOLD in
them 'thar hills!
and it is
being found
with the
help of . . .
1Itieconhotel
Av. Mlslon de Loreto No. 148 • Apdo. Postal No. 190 • San Felipe. Baja California. Mexico • Telefono.: 7-1094 al 7-1098
Photographs by
10 JUNE, 1981
H AWKS AND doves were
powerful symbols in the
charged atmosphere of the late
'60s and early '70s, when Americans
were denouncing one another for pro
rather than eagle, owl, vulture or
falcon. Collectively, these five are
known as birds of prey, or raptors, all
sharing three anatomical features:
hooked, tearing beaks, strong clawed
or anti-war sentiments. Then, as in feet and excellent vision. Among
wars past, the birds were symbols of themselves, they are differentiated by
power and gentleness, of aggression size, wing and foot structure, preferred
and pacifism. prey, hunting style and habitat. One of
Like most of the 'Nam generation, I the most striking differences is that
allied myself with the peacemakers and which sets the owls apart. They are
decorated my apartment with the issue almost all night-hunters, with the acute
posters of bird and olive branch. Had I hearing and specialized vision
realized at the time that doves are necessary to nocturnal habits, whereas
technically pigeons—birds with far less other raptors are active exclusively dur-
emotional appeal—I might not have ing the day.
been so cocky about my totem. Nor at
the time had I ever seen a hawk,
silhouetted against a cloudless sky, or
looked one in the eye and recognized a
fellow creature. For more than 4,000years, man has used the
Few symbols, I suppose, can with-
stand close scrutiny. Although we need hawk's strength and speed to help him hunt...
them to enrich our language and
crystallize our thoughts, we also need
to know the thing itself, the real hawk
or dove, to give substance and depth to
our understanding. Up close, the eyes of a hawk are so
Demythologizing hawks isn't easy. startling, so certain, that the whole
The hawk is many birds, more than bird seems to be concentrated there. In
100 species world-wide, and 21 of conjunction with the violently hooked
these are native to North America beak, the effect is distinctly aristocratic
above the Mexican border. Hawk can and highly intimidating. A handsome
mean streamlined falcon or stocky buz- species like the Harris', or bay-winged,
zard. The word evokes images of hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) heightens
cruelly-taloned killers, of daring the impression of absolute, unyielding
180-mile-per-hour dives and of lonely, control. Poised on top of a tall saguaro
almost eagle-sized birds making lazy cactus or airborne and screaming to
circles in the sky. warn off intruders, this Swiss-chocolate
For more than 5,000 years, hawks colored, medium-sized hawk com-
have been worhsipped, feared, admired mands the respect not only of cowed
or stigmatized. In Egypt, the hawk was humans, but of larger, equally efficient
Horus, the Lofty One; to the Old red-tailed and ferruginous hawks.
Testament prophets, he was both Harris' hawk ranges through Central
evidence of the mysterious ways of and South America and briefly into the
God and one of the "unclean;" to the United States, where it is confined to
Incas, he was a supernatural protector, the southwestern border states of
synonomous with the sun. For more California, Arizona, New Mexico and
than 4,000 years, man has used the Texas. We know it as a Sonoran Desert
hawk's strength and speed to help him bird that nests in saguaro, mesquite
hunt, first for necessary food and later and yucca, or as a rarer resident of the
for sport. For centuries, gamekeepers, Colorado River margins from Needles
farmers and ranchers have protected to Yuma. Against this open desert or
their interests by killing these birds. semi-desert background, Harris' is
No single hawk is all of these things, especially dramatic, skimming above
yet each individual exhibits the ground or soaring overhead, sharp-
characteristics that clearly say "hawk" eyed for mice, gophers, lizards, snakes,
DESERT 11
cottontails and small birds. modified to the bird's way of life. Bird-
Those eyes again—but the world of eaters generally have long, slender toes;
this birds and especially birds of prey is
predominantly visual. The great rap-
mammal-eaters, short, powerful ones.
The feet and talons are dual-purpose
publication is torials are equipped with eyes nearly as
large as our own, some eight to 10
killing and holding tools which lock
automatically to secure prey. A hawk
cvailabte in times more acute. When we see has three toes pointing forward and
T
ANTIQUES glides or dives and where it lives. In HE FLIGHT and hunting style
MEMORABILIA* densely wooded areas, for instance, a of a Harris' hawk are
74-435 HIGHWAY 111 longer steering and maneuvering tail characteristic of two quite
PALM DESERT. CA. 92260 and shorter wings are an advantage. distinct genera: the soaring Buteos or
(714)346-1713 Likewise, the structure of the foot is buzzard hawks (e.g. the red-tailed
12 JUNE, 1981
hawk) and the secretive, gliding Ac- the nest with prey, delivering it either
cipiters or bird hawks, like the to the brooding female or to another
goshawk. (One authority dubs Harris' male who in turn feeds it to the chicks. Rockhound
the Jeckyl and Hyde hawk.)
They might be common red-tailed
They also gather to repel intruders,
circling and crying together, or stand-
GryphonAProducts
hawks making graceful spirals high in ing sentry on near-by perches until the energy efficient, and portable
the sky but for a conspicuous band of danger is past. DIAMOND
white at the end of the longer tail. At Why this solidarity rather than the MICRO WIRE
rest, they can be mistaken for red- isolation and monagamy that is the SAW
shouldered hawks because of the rusty general rule among raptors? No one
patches on their shoulders and thighs. knows. Contrast the behavior of the in-
To make a kill, however, this broad- cubating red-tailed hawk, whose own
winged buzzard look-alike takes on the safety takes precedence over the safety
appearance of a bird hawk, dashing of its offspring. The adult will aban-
through thorny bush or along desert don the nest when danger approaches,
water courses with remarkable speed. presumably because nesting success
In several other ways, Harris' hawks can be assured later by laying another 10 in 1
are highly atypical. Most raptors hunt clutch. LAPIDARY
alone and maintain a more or less ex- Harris' hawks are also fastidious WORKSHOP
clusive hunting range by conspicuous eaters, at least where bird prey is con-
cerned. They are known to pluck a kill
almost as completely as does a falcon.
They also keep the nest scrupulously
clean, discarding bones, fur, feathers DIAMOND
At more than 100 yards, a GEM LATHE
and other indigestable material after
hawk can sight a small green the chicks have fed. Because of their
cleanliness, bold looks, aggressive and
grasshopper against a agile hunting style, their rarity,
background of green weeds. cooperative behavior and ease of hand-
ling, they are highly prized by
American falconers.
Most of the raptors I see as a
naturalist at a refuge are damaged DIAMOND
perching or soaring. Once the kill is birds—victims of systematic poisons, BAND SAW
made, they assume a shielding posture gunshot wounds, accidents and
to conceal it from other predators, or malnutrition. That last is probably the
carry it off to a secure site to eat at most frustrating cruelty, the result of
leisure. Harris' hawks not only hunt well-meaning but uninformed human
cooperatively, they share the kill. interference with wildlife. Skilled
Three have been observed pursuing a falconers are not to blame, for they are DIAMOND MICRO WIRE SAW
rabbit and finally cornering it in a well-schooled in the needs of predatory Makes even the most intricate designs
bush. After repeated attempts to flush birds and have traditionally con- possible! with a diamond impregnated
it out had failed, one of the birds final- tributed new information to our wire blade only .008 inch in diameter.
ly slipped in and got it. Each bird in understanding of raptor biology and 10 in 1 LAPIDARY WORKSHOP
the hunting party received a share. behavior. Their less skilled imitators, A superb CABOCHON MACHINE
with selected accessories and tools
Even more unusual is their nesting excited by the prospect of taming a converts to a trim saw, drill, faceter,
and breeding behavior. William J. bird of prey, may be. Unfortunately, a polisher, slicer/slabber, glass beveler,
Mader discovered and documented the young bird whose exacting dietary re- cabbing, sphere making, buffing and free
fact that anywhere from one to three quirements have not been met, or who forming fire stones.
other adult birds, who would be con- has been kept in too small an enclosure DIAMOND GEM LATHE
sidered trespassers and quickly too long, is ultimately deprived of a Enables even the amateur to make a
great variety of round objects out of
challenged or attacked for their pains normal life. It may live up to 50 years gem materials.
by all but one other raptorial species, in captivity without once having flown DIAMOND BAND SAW
are welcomed as "helpers" by mated or hunted on its own, a partially- Cuts circles around any standard trim
pairs of Harris' hawks and are allowed realized thing. saw! By contour cutting, material yield is
to assist in defense and feeding duties. Until I saw macaws in the wild, it increased. Clean and quiet in operation.
The broad stick next generally was hard to think of them as anything Factory direct sales and service.
houses three chocolate and rust Harris' but colorful, rather clumsy birds. In Call or write for free catalog or come in
chicks. It sits eight to 30 feet off the and test our equipment for yourself!
flight in their natural state, though,
Weekdays 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
ground in a variety of plants, including they are whole creatures with a grace
prickly pear, Spanish bayonet, mes-
quite, cottonwood and saguaro, and is
and elegance that delights and sur- GRYPHON
prises. I hope when I see a Harris' CORPORATION
decorated with leaves, grass, Spanish hawk, it is screaming its harsh ter-
moss, elm shoots and other bits of 101 East Santa Anita Avenue
ritorial krrr over a desert landscape
Burbank, CA 91502 (213) X45-7807
greenery for no known utilitarian pur- where it belongs, both a symbol and
pose. The "helpers" regularly supply example of lofty power. 0
DESERT 13
WATER CONSERVATION
Imperative of the Desert
Can man succeed in his unending
struggle to live at peace with the sun?
I
T'S 2 O'CLOCK in an Arizona management. Many of the techniques for the changeover was the probable
afternoon. The searing rays of the developed were sound and lasted for destruction of mesquite, due to its
summer sun are beating merciless- centuries, but each finally gave way to heavy utilization as fuel for ceramic
ly upon a patchwork quilt of greens new innovations: today we stand on the production, which the Hohokam
and browns. A vehicle appears and threshold of perhaps the greatest civilization concentrated on for trade.
pulls to the side of the dusty road that technological leap ever envisioned by
zigzags through the blocks of vegeta- man in his unending struggle to live at THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE
tion. Two men get out. One of them peace with the sun in this land of cac- Why didn't this sytem of life, this
holds what looks like a small handgun. tus and mesquite. marriage of man to the desert, continue
He points it, first toward one field and Will he finally succeed? Let's check much beyond A.D. 1300? One reason
then another. his track record, and then let's look at was the change at that time from a
"Our sensors indicate the alfalfa has some of the new reasons for his summer-dominant to a winter-
used about 60 percent of the available ebullient optimism. dominant rainfall regime. With the less
water in its root zone," he says without Three hundred B.C. marks the start intense rainfall of winter prevailing,
expression. "Irrigation will be needed of significantly structured life in the rate of canal-filling by silt exceeded
within the next 36 hours." Arizona. About that time, the the ability of the Indians to keep the
"You're probably right," replies the Hohokam civilization emigrated into channels open. Thus, the Hohokam
other, "but let's check the data from the Salt and Gila river basins by way abandoned their aging system of canal
the airborne scanner. It can assess the of the "Piman Corridor"—a broad irrigation and converted to a floodplain
high spots farther out." thoroughfare up the west coast of Mex- system much like that used in
It sounds like a portion of a Star ico. The early peoples that traveled Mesopatamia, where they periodically
Trek episode, with Mr. Spock giving a this route brought with them traditions let the rivers flood adjacent fields by
report to Captain Kirk on the status of of large houses, figurines and ceramics, breaking their banks.
a farming venture on some far-flung turquoise, stone and shell work, and, This system worked well in the
planet in the distant future, but it is most significantly, the concept of canal valleys, but more complex approaches
not. The time is now, and the place is irrigation. were needed in range and hill areas.
the U.S. Water Conservation Labora- For the next 1,600 years, the practice On Fort Mountain near Cave Creek,
tory in Phoenix, Arizona, where scien- of irrigating terraces for food produc- for instance, a three-foot-high wall was
tists are conducting experimental work tion was vigorously pursued; more built to divert runoff from rainstorms
on the remote detection of plant water than 500 miles of canals have been to terraces on the hillside and small
stress—work that will one day be essen- charted for this period, many of them garden plots at the foot of the slope.
tial to the continued existence of with sequences of rebuilding. The Check dams were constructed along
agriculture in the demanding environ- canals were sophisticated too, with the two streams that parted to flow
ment of the desert. laterals, gates and overflow reservoirs. around the hill, and water thereby
Contrary to what many have long diverted to irrigation borders.
CONSERVATION IN HISTORY believed, however, these great irriga- Downstream, a canal system directed
Water conservation: It's almost as tion systems may not have been used the tailwater to another series of garden
old as civilization itself. A man named to grow cultivated crops such as maize, plots. Tempe Butte was similarly
Isaiah once said that the desert would but rather to augment the natural pro- farmed on its entire northwest slope by
someday "blossom as the rose." The duction of highly nutritious indigenous a multitude of small, half-moon
Mormon pioneers took him at his word foods. Saguaro fruit, barrel cactus fruit, gardens that were fed water from
and made him a prophet, indeed, but cholla buds of all kinds—these are the rainstorm runoff by a series of check
their ways of irrigating were not the staples of the desert. Indeed, the early dams.
first, nor were they to be the last. As Hohokam found that they could easily The Hopi Indians of Black Mesa had
far back as the archaeological record produce more mesquite pods on a unit yet another diversified system of water
can be deciphered, the great south- area of land than they could maize. It conservation, whereby every drop of
western desert has been the site of in- was not until A.D. 900 that corn rain that fell on their watershed was
numerable efforts at intelligent water achieved dominance. The only reason used in one way or another. Rain fall-
14 JUNE, 1981
Irrigation water is distributed and reclaimed by furrows in the parched desert cotton fields.
ing far back in the uplands infiltrated dreams were either dashed or fulfilled, in about 1850, canal irrigation became
the ground and eventually reappeared they moved on. Others came seeking a the way of life for the settlers. At the
at the base of the hills in the form of different kind of gold, and sank their start of this "modern" age of irriga-
springs. That which ran off the land roots into the fragile desert soil along tion, shovels were used to turn water
was used for floodplain farming at the with the Indians. Once again, new ir- from earthen distribution systems onto
edge of the mesa. rigation techniques were instituted. fields, where the slope of the land was
Even on the desert, they made use of With the shifting of the climate back relied upon to (hopefully) spread the
minimal rainfall by "sand dune farm- to a summer-dominant rainfall regime water evenly. With the advent of
ing." Sand dunes there lay upon an siphon tubes in the 1940s and gated
impervious clay layer, so rain falling pipe more recently, this labor-intensive
upon a sand dune would seep vertically system was significantly improved, but
through the sand and exit the dune efficiencies still remained low. Only
horizontally at its base. Thus, the Hopi about 50 percent of the water applied
planted their crops in the sand around to a field was ever used by the plants;
the base of the dune, where they were the rest either percolated through the
favored by practically all of the water soil to the groundwater, or ran to the
that fell over the dune's entire surface. end of the field and was lost. By in-
By each family owning a little of each stalling reuse systems that picked up
kind of land—spring, floodplain and runoff water from the ends of their
sand dune—they were almost always fields, however, farmers boosted their
assured of success in at least one farm- irrigation efficiencies to about 85 per-
ing venture each year, in spite of varia- cent. Even better figures were in the
tions in weather patterns. offing.
sloping-field irrigation, and also allow a fashion, working the high spots toward irrigation, the delivery of water to the
more uniform application of water. To the low areas, using the field map as a level basins has been automated. There
use it, fields must be accurately guide. In much less time than it could are now several systems on the market
leveled, so that there is no more than have been done in the past, the field is that, at an affordable price, will
one inch difference between the leveled with a degree of precision that reliably open, close or change irrigation
highest and lowest points. Until recent- was only a dream a few years ago. flow from field to field on a given time
ly, such precise leveling was nearly im- To enhance the benefits of dead-level schedule, ensuring that just the right
possible. In just the last few years, amount of water is applied.
however, the introduction of laser
technology to land-leveling has made it CONTROLLING THE WATER
commonplace. One of the most promising of these
To achieve precise land-leveling, an methods is a jack-gate actuator,
operator sets up a battery-powered powered by compressed air transmitted
laser transmitter on a tripod, and a to an air cylinder from a central con-
receiver is mounted onto a drag trol station. It delivers water to the
scraper. The transmitter projects a basins by opening and closing, in prop-
beam out over the field as it revolves er sequence, slide-type gates or ports in
around and around, sweeping out a the sides of modern concrete-lined
level plane in the air. The operator of canals.
the scraper then surveys the field by Other recent innovations in irrigation
driving about with the scraper blade technology deal with the means of
held at a no-scrape height. He reads water application. Foremost among
the blade elevations below the laser these developments is the center-pivot
plane from a tractor-cab console, sprinkler system, which has been
recording them on a field map. The touted as "perhaps the most significant
average field elevation is thus com- mechanical innovation in agriculture
puted and set into the control since the replacement of draft animals
mechanism. Switching to automatic An infrared thermometer senses by the tractor."
laser-leveling, the operator then starts when plants are in need of Why such strong praise? One reason:
driving in more or less random watering. center-pivot sprinklers provide accurate
16 JUNE, 1981
Do You Have
Friends Who Love
The Desert?
Here is an excellent Desert Magazine is one of
opportunity to share today's values, with beauty.
Each full-color page is an
the beauty and enchanting exercise in bringing
excitement of you the desert as it is today
Desert Magazine or as it was in past glory.
with your friends While Desert can't bring you
into direct contact with the
&w neighbors. ancient crafts, it can and
does bring you the real
Buy two desert with each and every
get one monthly issue.
free
FRED
OLDFIELD enigma, but his old friends know
that cowboy is Fred, and he is follow-
ing a familiar trail. It leads from cow
The Cowboy Artist country, 1860, to a posh party at some
big hotel in 1980. Fred is the guest of
honor. His cowpony failed to make the
time machine journey, leaving his
master waiting for the bus. That paint-
ing is Fred's autobiography.
I DON'T KNOW if I paint so walls. The paintings leave no doubt Fred was born in 1918 on the
good, but I got the reputation," that the artist has worn boots and Yakima Indian Reservation. His
Fred Oldfield chuckles. The col- chaps, ridden hunched against sleet Scotch-Irish father followed the
lectors and admirers who mob his art and dust storms, cooked bannock and harvest, taking his family by covered
shows and auctions don't agree with bacon over a campfire. Hand in hand wagon. Eventually, nine children were
Fred's self-assessment, and everyone with the titles, each painting tells a to take part in those migrations, of
knows his reputation. He is the complete story, with one exception. In which only one showed Fred's
cowboy-artist whose work is now sold the middle of the wall hangs the odd mother's part Indian ancestry. "My
with Charlie Russell's at the annual one. Here with bold, sure palette knife, pretty, sweet Mom. What a rough
Russell Auction in Great Falls, Mon- Oldfield has depicted a horseless life," Fred says. "My Dad? He was an
tana. Fred is also a throwback to the cowboy. honorable man, a hard worker, a gifted
1860s. In full regalia, the cowboy stands in talker. Everybody liked him. When I
Titles like Quittin' Come Payday, endless burnt sienna space, with a sad- was a little guy, and he'd toss me into
For 30 a Month and Keep, and Leaving dle in one hand and a bridle in the the wagon for a trip to town, I'd
the Humboldt march down museum other. The title, Bus Stop, adds to the whoop with joy."
20 JUNE, 1981
CHEYENNE WINTER CAMP
Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Joe Crouck
Fred was but three when he first saw Later, the boy saved the brown paper of Dad's sight for a while." The boy
cowboys in the cloud of dust hanging bags in which he carried his school took an alternate route to the harvest
over a roundup. Then he heard the lunches. fields.
bawling of the frightened cattle, Formal schooling was scanty and it That summer he learned how to hop
smelled smoke from the campfires and was from his mother's meager freights and cook beans on the railroad
the acrid odor of branding, saw the knowledge that Fred got his art train- tracks, but next to beans in importance
men crouched over the fires, the riders ing. "She'd had only an eighth grade was a sketching pad. In the fall when
on their sweating horses, their lariat education, but she had talent," Fred he drifted home, his mother admired
loops swinging, the horses braced as says softly. "It wasn't until years later his book full of sketches. His father
the loop settled. In his excitement, he that I realized how great she could clapped him on the shoulder and said,
almost fell out of the wagon. have been." "Boys will be boys." The incident was
It may have been then that Fred first Fred was 14, when, while lagging forgotten.
tried to capture western action with a behind the family caravan, he stumbled That year, Fred's father gave up
pencil. But, more likely, that came onto a whisky still and his first bottle wandering to sink roots on the Yakima
later as the covered wagon jounced of white lightning. He tasted and Indian Reservation, and the boy quit
from crop to crop. tasted. A younger brother doubled school to pick spuds and pitch hay. He
"I can't really remember when I back looking for him. "It had to be spent the winter alone in a shack,
began to draw," Fred says, "but I 'Decent Dick' who found me stretched feeding 1,000 pigs left-over bakery
know I decorated the wagon with my out giggling," Fred grimaces. "Still, goods for the animals' owner, who was
doodles. I drew on every scarce inch of disgusted as Dick was, he shared his away tending his bakery. A friend rode
paper. I covered both sides of scraps of lunch with me and since I couldn't go up to Fred's shack to visit, bringing
old building paper. I drew on barns back to the wagon, we rode all night to the latest news. It was about a
and fence posts." get me a camp outfit. We both knew "depression."
Fred's mother encouraged him. he wouldn't lie, and I'd better stay out "What's that?" Fred asked. He ex-
DESERT 21
and I always figured that gave me the
edge over all those other guys."
W
ITH THE war over and
murals going well, Fred
enrolled in The Burnley
School of Art in Seattle. Shortly, he
decided the training was inconsistent
with space, freedom, his oneness with
nature's seasons—all those things
which are his essence and the spirit of
his paintings. He says, "Stay with the
same teacher long, and you're in
danger of becoming a carbon copy. Get
stuck with rules, and you're in
trouble."
He quit and moved to a mountain
cabin. When he ran out of money, he
Fred Oldfield uses a palette knife to create a more active painted murals once again in order to
surf ace for his work. build Frontier Village near Mt.
Rainier, complete with teepees, Indian
crafts and his own art work. He also
plains, "I couldn't see any changes. he stumbled back to Sitka. He began offered visitors an opportunity to drive
Things were pretty much as they'd casing the honky-tonks for the most a stagecoach. His venture, unfortunate-
always been with me. If anything, a food for the least price. He broke his ly, antedated the craze for the Old
pinch better. Along with the hunting last dollar bill for a double order of West that was soon to sweep through
and fishing—and they were great—I hotcakes. He now knew that every the country. In 1964, he went broke.
had all the doughnuts I could eat." cheap bed and every inch of concrete Desperate to feed his family, he took
About that time, beef ranching came under a roof had a prior claimant. 12 paintings to a dealer, who offered
to the Yakima Reservation, and Fred Still, on a full stomach, the alley $300 for the lot. Fred walked out, only
settled into a saddle. Life, like his scenes intrigued him. Shortly, he was to return the next day to accept an of-
drawings, followed the cycles of engrossed in a drawing. fer reduced to $200. Still, he refused to
nature. Slow times, he covered walls of He looked up when a boozy voice go through bankruptcy. He went back
restaurants and taverns with murals asked, "You broke, kid?" A woman, to painting murals, hopefully for the
which mostly were awkward but con- who'd been sitting at the nearest bar last time, and paid every debtor.
vincing stories of the life of a cowboy. drinking, pointed at the drawing and But fate runs in strange circles: enter
"I was still lying fluently about my said, "That's worth a bed and the 1970s and western art. Sellouts fol-
age to get into the bars," Fred recalls. breakfast." lowed—and collectors. Recently, one
"Then, while I worked, customers By the time she had assigned him a collector priced at $34,000 10 of the 12
would argue with me about how I tiny room, he realized she was a paintings Fred had sold for $200. In
should proceed. A drunk would stagger madam. "The next few days, she woke 1976, Fred had a one-man show at the
over, pick up a paintbrush and help." me at daybreak, fed me, and hustled Frye Art Museum in Seattle. Today,
Fred shudders, then adds, "But, that me out to work. As fast as I could he doles out paintings, often still wet,
experience has been invaluable. Now, finish a picture, she sold my art to her to the collector highest on his waiting
demonstrations are easy." clients," Fred remembers. "I'll never list.
The murals were popular, and pro- forget her kindness." In January, 1981, Fred's biography,
prietors began to pay well. Of those With cash in his pockets, he bought by J. Moynahan, came off the press,
early efforts, Fred says, "Fortunately, a ticket home. and admiring crowds at an author's
in the spots still operating, owners There, he found that the younger party in Tacoma stood in line for the
have been able to redecorate." His brother he adored, handsome, hard- artist's autograph.
work improved. Soon most of the working Pat, had died in a factory ex- However, Oldfield hasn't forgotten
nightspots in the northwest testified to plosion, leaving a wife, Alice, with a the lean years. He encourages and pro-
his ambition. Then he ran out of art five-year-old child and another on the motes other artists, and he is constantly
commissions. way. working on a benefit show. At his own
He heard rumors of a good job World War II came. From his Army annual auction in Tacoma, a percent-
possibility in Alaska. He hitched his base, Fred began writing to Alice. age of every sale has gone to such
way to Sitka, where he learned he had "She was so very beautiful," he charities as the Juvenile Court, Gon-
20 more miles to go. He started walk- reminisces. "Yet, three-and-a-half years zaga University, organizations for
ing. The road was deserted. So was the later she married me. Why me?" He retarded children, Opera on Wheels
logging operation when he found it. It hesitates, then says, soberly, "I made a and his current favorite, the Northwest
had closed for the winter. Somehow, point of polishing my image as a papa, Kidney Foundation.
22 JUNE, 1981
CAMP ON DRY CREEK
Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Keith Corner
Asked about his extensive donations, manage it." He also manages to find 1945, Fred sold an adventure story,
Fred shuffles his feet, puts a hand in a time for Alice and their three children. Bear for Breakfast, to Outdoor Life.
pocket, and answers, "It's embarrass- There's beautiful Patty Lorraine, one Both Oldfield and Russell counted In-
ing. Everything I give seems to come of the area's most talented vocalists. dians among their best friends, and
floating back faster than I can give it. I She has appeared on the Lawrence each shared the Native American's
have more offers of vacation homes, Welk Show, but she takes time out to philosophy.
yacht cruises and dinners than I got entertain at her "daddy's" exhibi- Russell once wrote, "Where cattle
any use for." tions. Then, there is Jerry, the DJ in waded hip-deep in bluejoint, a gopher
In 1972, he gave a large painting to Portland, and Joella, who, with her couldn't graze now."
Spiro Agnew's family when the United husband, manages Fred's art shows. Fred has an update, "When I first
States formally returned 22,000 acres Give Joella a chance and she asks, rode in the Medicine Valley, bunch
to the Yakima Indian Tribe. "Have you met Daddy? Isn't he grass grew belly-deep to a horse. Now,
Fred still goes home to Yakima for marvelous?" like everything else that has any value,
fishing trips with friends and, of They will all tell you Fred was born it is an endangered species. Man is a
course, he rides in the annual fall in the wrong era, that he belongs in disease. He's eating up the world."
roundup in Medicine Valley on the the 1860s. Asked what education he would ad-
reservation. His eyes sparkle as he says, Fred Oldfield and Charlie Russell vise for the present generation, he
"We trail the herd 70 miles in two have much in common. Both were answers, "I'd advise them to get a
days. I get pretty stiff, but I can still always artists, both storytellers. In degree in Survival." @
DESERT 23
CAMELS FOR UNCLE SAM
by Richard Varenchik
American southwest?
I T WAS 1860; the sun smiled
down through clean air on the
dusty little town of Los Angeles,
California. Members of the Los
On March 3, 1855, at the urging of
then Secretary of War Jefferson Davis,
the United States Congress approved
By May 13, 1856, 34 camels had
been unloaded near the Texas port of
Indianola. The expedition ended with
an extra camel, despite the death of
Angeles German community laughed $30,000 (some say the amount was one adult beast during the journey.
and sang as they enjoyed a picnic. The $50,000) for "...importation of camels Several baby camels had been born
horses and horse-and-buggy rigs that and dromedaries to be employed for aboard ship; two had survived.
had carried the celebrants to the picnic military purposes." It was during the camels' stay in In-
grounds were scattered about; the dianola that Major Wayne became irri-
horses grazed peacefully. tated by suggestions that the animals
Tables were piled high with fine were too weak to ever be of much use
German delicacies including liver- in hauling supplies. The major
wurst, dill pickles and sauerkraut. marched out one of the beasts, had it
Baskets of pretzels were the target of kneel down, and loaded it with four
attack by children, who snatched and bales of hay, weighing a total of 1,226
ran to avoid the slaps of scolding pounds. People in the crowd made bets
women. that the camel would not even be able
Finally, the speaker of the day rose to stand up, much less walk off with
and cleared his throat. The happy the load.
crowd prepared to listen to an en- "But," Wayne wrote with some
thusiastic speech which would extol humor, "When the camel arose
the virtues of the Fatherland. without a strain and quietly walked off
Suddenly—like a shimmering mirage with his four bales...there was a sudden
from a faraway desert land—an incredi- change of public sentiment, most flat-
ble apparition wheeled into view. It tering to the outlandish brute and en-
Edward Fitzgerald Beale
was a strangely-dressed Arab in a couraging to his military sponsors."
yellow cart which was being drawn Henry C. Wayne, a U.S. Army ma-
along by two massive camels. The
idyllic picnic scene was quickly
transformed to one of wild chaos. The
picnickers' horses, spooked by the
jor, wrote of the proposed experiment:
"Its object being to introduce a new
animal into the heart of our continent,
where there are neither navigable rivers
I N FEBRUARY of 1857 a second
shipment, containing 41 camels,
was landed in Texas. With the
camels came several Arabian and
strange sight (and smell) of the camel nor practicable roads, and by means of Turkish camel drivers to assist the
team, bolted with terror. Parents it to hold in check the wandering tribes Army in caring for the animals and to
scrambled to snatch their screaming of Indians that are constantly warring teach soldiers how to use them.
children out of harm's way as upon civilization, to carry on com- Among the foreigners was Hadji Ali,
stampeding horses, some of them drag- merce, and to facilitate whose name was changed by the
ging overturned carts and buggies, sent communications.'' American soldiers to Hi Jolly. Home
tables of food flying through the air. Wayne, along with Navy Lieutenant for Hi Jolly, his companions and the
The camels gazed upon the tumul- David Porter, sailed to the Levant on camels was set up at Camp Verde, an
tuous uproar with a look of disdainful the Navy Ship Supply. After many Army post about 60 miles northwest of
boredom, calmly trotting off down the adventures and misadventures, in- San Antonio, Texas.
road and vanishing from sight with cluding the purchase of two sickly The Army had imported the
their buggy and driver in tow. camels that were quickly sold off to a camels as work animals, not curiosities.
It is said that Los Angeles news- butcher "for purposes known only to The time for serious evaluation was at
papers devoted colorful paragraphs to himself," the two men managed to buy hand. Former Navy Lieutenant Ed-
the incident the next day, describing 33 healthy camels. ward Fitzgerald Beale was assigned the
picnic grounds that looked like a bat- "I was much pleased with the task of putting the camels to the test.
tlefield arid hungry Germans who had dromedaries when I got them all on Beale was an energetic explorer who
to walk miles to get home. board and cleaned up," Porter wrote. had made many trips across the coun-
The whole bizarre incident would There was one problem, though: a try. He was very high on the idea of
never have taken place were it not for Bactrian (two-humped Arabian) camel using camels. His enthusiasm for the
one of the strangest experiments in the was so huge (seven-feet, five-inches beasts sprang, perhaps, from the book
history of the United States Army. tall), he would not fit in his stall. The Travels in Tartary, Thibet and China
The logic behind the experiment was problem was solved by cutting a hole During the years 1844, 1845 and 1846,
simple: If camels could successfully in the deck of the ship. On February by Abbe Hue. The book described the
haul men and supplies in the Levant 15, 1856, the Supply set sail from use of camels in those foreign lands;
(Arab countries), why could the beasts Smyrna, a seaport in west Turkey, for Beale read passages aloud to his com-
not do the same in the deserts of the Texas. panion, Kit Carson, during one of the
24 JUNE, 1981
When Beale's party became lost, the camels were used to search for water.
explorations they made together. approach was the jingling of the large journal, as recorded by Stacey, con-
Beale's assignment was to survey a bells suspended from their necks. tained words of praise for his ships of
wagon road along the 35th parallel Presently, one, then two, three, four, the desert:
from Fort Defiance, New Mexico, all until the whole twenty-five had come "It is a subject of constant surprise
the way to California. On June 25, within range in the dim light...Our and remark to all of us how their feet
1857, Beale, with a contingent of mules and horses were very much can possibly stand the character of the
troops, 25 camels and camel driver Hi frightened at the approach of the road. It is certainly the hardest road on
Jolly, set out for California. camels. They dashed around the corral, the feet of barefooted animals I have
Accompanying Beale to assist with with heads erect and snorting wild ever known. As for food, they live on
the survey was 19-year-old May Hum- alarm." anything and thrive. Yesterday they
phreys Stacey. The young man At first the camels were slow, and drank water for the first time in
recorded events of the expedition in a lagged behind the mules and horses. twenty-six hours..."
journal. He was in camp near San An- As they toughened up they set a good The explorer's admiration for the
tonio when Beale brought in the pace and were able to outdistance the camels increased even more during an
camels for the first time: other animals, in spite of the heavy incident that brought the survey party
"The first intimation we had of their loads they carried. By mid-July, Beale's near disaster. On September 5, Beale
Camels were generally more reluctant than horses or mules to cross rivers.
DF.SF.RT 25
When water was found the men, horses and mules rushed forward to drink, but
the camels looked on disinterestedly.
camped in the desert near some Indian other side of the river, but the camels While the main contingent of men,
ruins, a site near present-day seemed balky about the swim. horses, mules and camels went by way
Holbrook, Arizona. A few days later, Beale ordered the largest camel of Palmdale up to Fort Tejon (about
one of the guides reported he could brought up to the river's edge. The 40 miles south of Bakersfield), Beale
find no water and the party was lost. beast waded up to its flanks and then and Hi Jolly took two camels and head-
Beale ordered scouts, mounted on started to swim. The other camels were ed for Los Angeles.
camels, to search for water and try to soon coaxed into the water and made it On November 8, 1857, they rode the
pick up the trail west. Young May to the other side. desert beasts into the sleepy little town.
Stacey reported that it was remarkable Such was not the fate of the other Hi Jolly was decked out in a flashy
how the camels "...stood it so well as animals: "We lost 10 mules and 2 native costume, while his camel was
they did, traveling under a hot sun all horses by drowning, the Mohave In- strung with tiny bells. Their arrival
day and packing two hundred pounds dians had a great feast that night on created a sensation.
apiece..." The camels did not seem to dead mules," Stacey wrote in his Local children begged for rides,
be suffering from thirst while "one of journal. while horses bolted and ran off in all
the most painful sights I ever wit- The crossing, made on October 19 directions. Beale and Hi Jolly spent a
nessed was a group of [mules] standing about 15 miles north of present-day few days in town and then headed off
over a small barrel of water and trying Needles, marked the official end of for Fort Tejon. (It was Hi Jolly who,
to get a drink from the bunghole, and Beale's assigned journey. The great three years later, brought chaos to the
seemingly frantic with distress and adventure from San Antonio had taken German picnic when he rode by with
eagerness to get at it." four months and covered more than his camel team.)
Water was finally found in a small 1,200 miles. In a letter sent to the Secretary of
canyon and the party was saved. But Beale felt the trip had been a War, Beale was lavish in his praise of
water—too much of it this time—was resounding success. He was in such a the camels. "At times I thought it im-
again a problem when Beale's party good frame of mind that he talked Hi possible they could stand the test to
reached the Colorado River. California Jolly into joining him in playing a joke which they have been put, but they
and the end of the journey were on the on the people of Los Angeles. seem to have risen equal to every
26 JUNE, 1981
trial...
"With heavy packs, they have
crossed mountains, ascended and
decended precipitous places...I think it
would be within bounds to say that, in
these lateral explorations, they have
traversed nearly double the distance
passed over by our mules and
wagons."
After arriving back at Fort Tejon,
Beale even ordered the camels out to
work in the snow. He reported that
they did quite well and did not seem to
mind the cold.
FISHEREED
On February 26, 1864, the Army
auctioned off the 37 camels it owned in
California. In 1866, a similar auction
was held at Camp Verde.
From then on the animals were sold Fisher Research Laboratory
to circuses or zoos, or put to work 1005 I Street, Los Banos, CA 93635
hauling freight and supplies. Unhappy
owners set more of the camels loose to
fend for themselves in the desert.
And for years, prospectors would
belly up to the bar in dusty
"We're Celebrating Our 50th Year"
southwestern towns and tell of the
strange beasts they had seen in the
desert. Some of these stories had more
than a little fiction in them—as, most
likely, did the story of how Hi Jolly
met his death.
It is known that the old camel driver
READ ABOUT
TODAY'S GOLDRUSH F l Jeep
died on December 16, 1903, in Quartz- Articles and news items about
"our only business"
site, Arizona. He was 75. Supposedly, prospecting, mines and mining, both
large and small operations. Pictures,
Hi Jolly was in a Quartzsite saloon
hints, tips, advertisements for ma- SALES - LEASING
when a prospector walked in and told
of seeing a huge red camel in the near-
chinery, mines and claims. Published
monthly. $5.00 per year. Send for
PARTS — SERVICE
by desert. sample copy. We Service What We Sell
Hi Jolly walked out of the saloon and
was not seen alive again. His body was JOHNSON'S 4WD CENTER
found several days later in the desert, Western PROSPECTOR b MINER
Dept. D 7590 Cypress Ave. at Van Buren
his arms wrapped around the neck of Box 146, Tombstone, AZ 85638 Riverside, Calif. 92503 (714) 785-1330
the red camel, which had also died. 0
The best way to learn a foreign language is to live where it's spoken
MAIL-PHONE Berlitz Publications, Inc. Dept. 9405 3490 Lawson Blvd., Oceanside N.Y. 11572 Please print name
COUPON and address cleari
YES! Send me your Berlitz Comprehensive Cassette Course in
this attractive attache1 case today at $95.00 each, plus $2.00 each Please indicate method of payment:
to cover postage and handling.
^] Check or money order payable to Berlitz
I I French I IGerman I Italian ~| Spanish
L
- ' 96100 96101
1
96102 96103 [^American Express Q Diners Club
Plus, send tne new European Menu Reader FREE! • 96420 • VISA • Master Charge
Card No.
Name . Expiration Date
flT»rt,r« flTttw 31
WATER
HARVESTING
IN ISRAEL
3,033 YEARS OF NECESSITY
BREED INVENTION
Sde Boker, Israel—On a bar- an arid valley where no more
ren hilltop in the Negev Desert, than one inch of rain falls every
the windswept ruins of a once- year, receive no additional irri-
affluent, ancient civilization gation. The fields, however,
stand guard over rows of flour- have been brought back to life
ishing fig and pistachio trees. after more than 2,000 years by Israeli technology has turned desert like this in arid
The lush orchards, growing in inquisitive Israeli scientists, who Aravah to growing vegetables.
have unravelled the technologi- nels help direct the water to the
cal secrets of water collection fields and orchards below. In
and storage used by earlier civili- order to collect enough water,
zations. The scientists intend to the catchment area must be 20
apply the techniques of the an- to 30 times the size of the actual
cients to modern agriculture in farm area.
the desert. "In the desert," he explains,
Avdat, which in the first cen- "we hope to close watersheds or
tury B.C. was one of a chain of catchment areas to capture rain
wealthy Nabatean cities in the water, probably with dams."
desert, is the setting for this un- The project has also uncovered
usual research project. It is only the possibility of creating wells
one of hundreds of ambitious from flood waters by catching
water research projects which rainfall and forcefully using it to
are helping Israel keep pace with recharge natural aquifiers.
growing water demands. In this The project has revealed sur-
half-desert country, where 95 prising facts about the water
percent of all practical water re- needs of certain plants. With the
sources are already being used, aid of geiger counters, it has
the quest for more water and a been proven that many crops
more efficient use of it is a matter can thrive with much less water
of necessity, not merely scientific than is being given to the same
curiousity. plants in a nearby kibbutz.
Professor Michael Evanari, "Policies governing water use
who for the last 20 years has ex- in both developing and devel-
plored the agricultural tech- oped countries are not aggres-
niques of early Israelites and Na- sive enough," declares Ben-
bateans, works in collaboration Asher. "Water research must be
with Dr. Yiftah Ben-Asher, one given top priority, not just in Is-
of a new breed of young Israeli rael, but in the world."
scientists. Ben-Asher, a soil phy-
sicist and agronomist, is tall, pre- Water for Agriculture
maturely gray — a former kib- In Israel, where there is a
butznik who knows that the pressing need for more water
future of food production in the now, the government plans to
world depends on wise use of increase Israel's available water
water today. supply an impressive 50 percent
"What we are learning here," by 1990. One of the solutions
says Ben-Asher, "are basic prin- will come through desalination
ciples of collecting and saving of sea water. Three flash-evapo-
local water. Rain is collected ration plants are already in oper-
from the hills surrounding our ation, supplying desalinated
farm in what is called the 'catch- water from the Red Sea to the
ment' area. There, some 30 per- people in the port town of Eilat.
Kibbutzim (collective farm) controls drip irrigation cent of the rainfall can be cap- This is only the beginning: Is-
tured and directed to the lower rael is in the midst of a 15-year
water with computers. farming area. Man-built chan- program to develop plants with
32
flights Olttn flllartrrrt
Amited to basic vegetable and
lion gallons per day (MGD). Is- fruit growing in restricted areas.
rael signed a $20 million agree- Now, with special disposable
ment with the United States to hoses, vast fields of cotton, sugar
build a plant at Ashdod, on the and potatoes, producing basic
Mediterranean coast, but the commodities, can be reached by
real news is that a 100 MGD de- this water-saving system of
salination facility will be built irrigation.
coupled to a nuclear power Further in the field of irriga-
plant, producing about 120 mil- tion, it is becoming more and
lion cubic meters of fresh water more common to see a kibbutz
each year at around 30? per with a special control room
cubic meter —the cheapest cost equipped with electronic remote
yet anticipated for producing sensing, control devices and a
fresh water from the ocean. computer. All these gadgets are
Water supplies will also be used to optimize water-saving ir-
supplemented by recycled sew- rigation systems for several
age and industrial liquid wastes thousands of acres producing a
— not to be used for drinking, wide variety of crops.
but for irrigating restricted agri-
Israeli subsidiary of Motorola leads in the culture. Israel currently uses 80 Mobilizing Resources
development of computerized irrigation control. percent of her water supply in The shortage of water has al-
the fields. Treatment of sewage ways been a problem in the
is a costly process; scientists at Holy Land, even in Biblical
the Technion, Israel's Institute times when the Jordan River
of Technology, Hebrew Univer- was the main practical source. It
sity and Ben Gurion University is only in the last 33 years, dur-
are involved in many promising ing Jiftah Ben-Asher's lifetime,
research projects to develop feas- that the problem has been tack-
ible treatment methods to aug- led. The land of Israel has always
ment Israel's water supply at a suffered the incongruity of a wet
reasonable cost and at the same north and a dry south. When
time clean up the environment. statehood occurred in 1948, the
Israelis immediately started to
Underground Water employ modern technology to
Newly discovered water re- transport large quantities of
serves located by hydrologists in water from the Galilee to the
huge reservoirs under the Negev Negev by means of the National
and Sinai deserts may be anoth- Water Carrier, a 108-inch diam-
er partial answer. Although eter pipeline, which along the
plentiful, the water (actually an way integrates thousands of
accumulation of rain water boreholes and wells.
which fell on the Judean Hills to Paralleling such engineering
the north and the Sinai to the feats as the giant carrier are the
south during the time of Jesus) constant stream of scientific in-
Dr. Yiftah Ben-Asher, one of the new breed of young has drawbacks; it is slightly novations which continue to
Israeli scientists, poses at Audat Experimental station. saline and costly to bring to the emerge in the areas of desalina-
Photo: M.S. Krosney farmer. tion, ground water research, irri-
Researchers at Israeli institu- gation technology and sewage
tions are now developing special treatment. The experiment at
strains of crops which can toler- Avdat is only one of thousands
ate and actually thrive on that of research activities which have
water. Cotton, tomatoes and taken place during Israel's 33
other crops are already growing years of existence, investigating
successfully and economically various aspects of water.
on this ancient water in no-rain Equally important is the high
areas, not far from where Dr. priority the Israeli government
Ben-Asher is conducting experi- has given to national water
ments at Avdat. planning and the scientifically-
oriented nature of the entire
Counting Each Drop water program: "Israeli research
It was 15 years ago that Israel, into water use must continue on
in keeping with her efforts to use a high, dynamic level," says Ben-
water wisely, gave to the world Asher. "What we are learning
her innovative system of drip ir- now is of course relevant.to Is-
rigation. Today, however, con- rael and other desert countries
trolled amounts of water, with today, but our present-day dis-
very little loss through evapora- coveries hold important conse-
-•••• • i - . -
tion, are mixed with soluable fer- quences for the future of the
Professor Michael Evanari applies irrigation methods tilizers and other chemicals and whole world." (Please see related
of earlier civilizations to modern agriculture —here, a fed to field row crops for the first article on page 17.)
flourishing fig tree. time. Before, drip irrigation was —Desert News Service
33
(Eacius (Etttr Clarion
THE DESERT ROCKHOUND
by RICK MITCHELL
Collecting Sites: Santiam canyon. Take it to the diggings. his merchandise. His reply was this guide. It is available free to
Lapidary will allow collecting on They are easily spotted on the that "everybody knows it is any member of the club.
their famous Dryhead Agate southern side of the cliff because standard practice to call synthet- Gem Slides: Gem Media is
claim again this summer. Cur- the color in the soil is lighter. ic green spinel, synthetic emer- marketing beautiful 35mm
rently, they plan fee collecting Simply climb to a promising ald." He also told me that other transparencies of cut diamonds
from June 1 to September 30, spot and start to work. synthetics touted to be tourma- and virtually all of the more
but in the future, the time may The spherical nodules are easy line, peridot, etc., are actually commonly encountered colored
be substantially reduced because to find, even when only sifting spinel or corundum, and not stones. These can be invaluable
the company is having trouble through the loose soil. I have what they are advertised to be. to supplement lectures and talks
filling all of its own orders. The had my best luck, though, using I disagree! A synthetic stone is by rockhounds and jewelers. I
rates will be $25 per person per a pick and shovel. A good col- a man-made chemical replica of have personally viewed them
day, with a ladies' fee of $20. I lecting technique is to have one the gemstone it duplicates. If a and they are all first class. The
suggest you bring a shovel, bar person doing the pick-and- merchant is selling synthetic price is $7.50 per set of five, or
and pick. A hammer and chisel shovel work, while another in- green spinel, he should advertise the complete collection of 110
are often handy, as well. To get spects the freshly excavated soil it as such, maybe with a note slides is available for $165. For
there, take Highway 37 north for the nodules. Their sizes range saying that it looks like emerald. more information, contact Gem
from Lovell, Wyoming, 35 miles. from very tiny to many inches in He should not try to pass it off as Media, Dept. D, 1660 Stewart
This is a good paved road for the something it is not. Genuine Street, Santa Monica, CA
first 25 miles, and then it turns synthetic emeralds are available 90404.
to gravel. There is a dry camp at on the market, and are beauti- Helpful Hints: A good way
the mine itself for those staying ful. Most people do not have the to accomplish two tasks at the
more than one day. The Dry- equipment to analyze what is ac- same time is offered by the Rock-
head agates are among the most tually sent, and are at the mercy hound Ramblers. They suggest
beautiful to be found in the of the seller's integrity. using shells to neutralize acid
United States, and the work in- Equipment: The Lev-Co De- that you want to dispose of. The
volved, as well as the fee, are well velopment Company, P.O. Box acid will do an outstanding job
worth it. For more information, 183, Pottstown, PA 19464, is of getting the shells ready for use
write Dryhead Agate Mine, producing a revolutionary new in jewelry, and they, in turn, will
Lovell, WY 82431. type of soldering block. It is neutralize the acid. This tech-
c===^Very nice agate-filled nod- unique, because it only gets hot nique is especially handy for
ules can be obtained near the in the area immediately near the bringing out the iridescence in
tiny town of Newberry Califor- work, while the rest remains abalone shells.
nia, which is about 20 miles east cool enough to handle. It is c ? = \ If you ever find yourself
of Barstow. Take Interstate 40 to diameter. Most have nice agate made from a very durable, hon- ready to start tumbling a barrel
the Newberry exit and drive interiors, but there are some eycombed ceramic, and should full of stones and discover that
through town to Newberry duds. This has long been a prove to be a most useful piece of you have no coarse grit on
Road. Turn south, going ap- prime source for nice agate nod- equipment for anyone who em- hand, I suggest using an old sili-
proximately eight-tenths of a ules, and it is still a most produc- ploys soldering in their lapidary con carbide grinding wheel. Just
mile to the fork. Head to the tive location. work. break it up into small pieces and
right, and continue until the Misrepresentation: A few Publications: The Ultra Tec place them in the barrel with the
road ends at the base of the weeks ago I saw an advertise- Company has an informative stones. The chunks will granu-
ment for a large, well known pamphlet available: The Econom- late quickly and then serve as
supplier of lapidary materials. ics of Semi-Pro Faceting. It con- grit. I have used this technique
They were having a sale on cut tains valuable information for and it does a good job, allowing
synthetic stones. Among the of- those who go beyond the hobby old wheels to serve a purpose.
ferings was synthetic emerald. I stages of faceting, using it as a Don't, of course, do this for the.
have collection of such stones source of income. If you already finer grits.
and therefore sent for some. I have an Ultra Tec machine, this Warning: There have been a
knew that synthetic emeralds information will be distributed number of articles published
could not be mass-produced as to you in their regular newslet- which suggest that antifreeze
economically as other widely ter. If not, you can get a copy by can be used as a good coolant in
known synthetics, so I was not writing Ultra Tec at 1025 E. saws. It does, in fact, serve that
surprised at their higher price. Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana, purpose very well, but poses se-
When the package arrived, I CA 92701. Please tell them you vere health hazards. Antifreeze
eagerly opened it and inspected saw it in Desert Magazine. is quite toxic, whether ingested,
the emeralds. They looked dif- p===\ The Automobile Club of inhaled, or simply absorbed
ferent from those I have pre- Southern California offers an in- through the skin. In addition, it
viously purchased, so I decided teresting, though basic, pam- can kill animals if they drink
mountains, about one mile from to test them for authenticity. phlet on rockhounding. It gives even a small amount. Therefore,
the fork. Here you will see where They were green synthetic information about rock types, I suggest avoiding it as a coolant,
others have camped, and you spinels, so I queried the dealer as mineral identification and col- and sticking with the more
can spot a trail going into the to why he had misrepresented lecting locations. I recommend standard solutions.
34
(finctus Cttg Clarion
DESERT CALENDAR
Listing for Calendar must be received at least three months prior to the event.
There is no charge for this service. Six
exhibit halls
dedicated to the
May 16-Aug. 2: A photographic exhibit mation contact Show Chairman: G. M.
horse. From early Greek
capturing the delicacy of the tiniest desert Halterman, 406 Tyrone St., El Cajon,
wildflowers opens May 16th at the CA 92020. to modern times.
Natural History Museum in Balboa Park, June 7-21: Albuquerque, NM. Arts &.
San Diego, CA. The exhibit will feature Crafts Show at the Textiles Co-op in Old
photographs by Robert I. Gilbreath Town. Work represented: Andrea Miller,
which were taken in the deserts of the mixed media; Betty Meador, weaving;
western United States and Mexico. For Harriet Reymore, stoneware pottery.
further information, call (714) 232-3821. Hours are: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a recep-
May 22-24: Northern California Square tion on the 7th from 2-4 p.m.
Dancer's Association will hold their 28th June 13-14: The National Petroculture
Annual Square Dance Festival at the San Society will be sponsoring an Energy Fair
Francisco Civic Auditorium. More than at the Sheraton-Anaheim in Anaheim,
1,000 dancers will be on the floor at any CA. The fair will feature some 70 exhibits
given time. Exhibitions will be held each and a continuous film festival encompass-
evening and on Saturday and Sunday ing diversified aspects of renewable
afternoons. Spectators are welcome in the resource and alternative energy in-
balcony for all events from 8 to 11 p.m. dustries. Hours are: Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 Original Remingtons • Russell
Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. General Bronze • One of Four Kachina
noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday. For further admission is $3, senior citizens and Chess Sets in The World • West-
information, contact Parker and Jill students, $2. For more information, con- ern T r e a s u r e s Valued at
Brown, Publicity Chairmen, 1587 Mizzen tact the National Petroculture Society, $1,000,000.
Lane, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 or call 3990 Westerly Place, Ste. 100, Newport Fine Indian crafts for sale in the gift shop.
(415) 726-6272. Beach, CA 92663 or call (714) 833-2333. Just 60 miles south of Tucson on S-83
May 22-24: Annual Green Fair and June 13-14: Gates Cactus and Succulent in historic Patagonia, Arizona
Balloon Festival. Spring exhibits. 8 a.m. Society Show and Sale at the San Bernar-
Open daily 9 to 5
to 5 p.m. at Red Rock State Park, Gallup, dino County Museum, 2024 Orange Tree
Your host: Anne Slradiing
NM. Lane, Redlands, CA. Hours are: Satur-
May 29-31: Lancaster, CA will hold its day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to
Annual Heritage Days Celebration on 5 p.m. For more information, contact
Lancaster Blvd. between Sierra Highway Doris S. Lutz at (714) 885-7692. Q I N S H O O T I N G * BOTy
and West 10th St. On Friday evening, June 17-20: Gallup, NM. Rodeo spon-
there will be a street dance. On Saturday,
a 10 kilometer run, parade, antique car
and fashion show, volleyball and Softball
sored by the Lions Club. Festivities,
which begin at noon, will include a barbe-
que and dancer's and fiddler's contests.
TREASURE tn
tournaments, barbecue and more. Satur-
day and Sunday at the Fairgrounds there
The rodeo is being held at the Red Rock
State Park. HUNTING n
will be an art show, gem and mineral June 27: Great Hi-Rise Baking Competi- The Outdoor Hobby
show and much more. Hours are 7 a.m.
to midnight Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5
tion at the Bazaar Del Mundo, 2754
Calhoun St., San Diego, CA. Judging will
for FUN and PROFIT! o
If you want to learn how to get (15
p.m. Sunday. For further information, begin at 11 a.m. Competitors and started in this fascinating hob-
call (805) 948-4518. onlookers alike are welcome. After the by, contact us today. We'll mail
June 4-6: Clovis, NM will hold its 1 lth competition, spectators get to taste. For to you a treasure hunting book, 03
Annual Pioneer Days Celebration. more information, call (714) 296-3161. a consumer's metal detector 0
Festivities include a balloon fiesta lift-off June 27-28: In Ventura, CA, there will guide, and true stories of peo- 09
at 5:45 a.m. and a rodeo during the even- be a spectacular Hower and Plant Sale, ple, just like you, who have 03
ing. On the 6th, a parade will be held at with many varieties of plants being ex- found treasure. No obligation. ffl
10 a.m. downtown. For details contact hibited and sold. It will be held in the D
Curry County Fairgrounds, Clovis, NM.
June 6-7: The 15th Annual Rockatomics
Agriculture Building at the Ventura
County Fairgrounds. The show will be
FREE BOOKS
TOLL FREE NUMBER 99
Gem and Mineral Show will be held at judged; admission is $1, with children
8500 Fallbrook Ave., Canoga Park, CA. under 12 free. Hours are: Saturday and
TEXAS m
1-800-442-4889
There will be exhibits, dealers, Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ALL OTHER STATES
demonstrations, free hourly prizes and
junior member participation. Hours are:
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. For further information,
June 27-28: The San Bernardino Coun-
ty Historical Bottle and Collectibles Club
is having its 13th annual show and sale at
the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds
1-800-527-4011
GARRETT s
O
contact Betty Martin at (805) 527-3718. in Victorville, CA. The show will feature ELECTRONICS CD
June 6-7: Convair Rockhounds Gem a variety of antique bottles, fruit jars, glass Dept. G100
and Mineral Show at the Convair and related collectibles. Hours are: Satur- 2614 National Drive m
Garland, Texas 75041
Recreation Hall, 9115 Clairemont Mesa day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 214 278-6151
Blvd., San Diego, CA. Show includes p.m. Admission is $1. For more informa-
dealers, Tailgaters Pancake Breakfasts (8 tion, contact Gene Kemble, 14733 Poplar,
a.m.). Hours are: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 Hesperia, CA 92345 or call (714)
p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For infor- 244-5863. v A1IWVJ
Cactus (Hits Clarion 35
Continued from page 29
around their sewer lagoons.
Huachuca City's burros save the
cost of sending men to the la-
BLM THREATENS SEIZURE
Trona, Calif.—The Bureau of not known whether the BLM Wyman, attention John Lovett,
goon area to mow or spray the Land Management's California would try to take the private at 14800 Seventh Street, Victor-
vegetation, a cost estimated at Desert Plan is threatening pri- property from Canning. ville, CA 92392. The Victorville
$2,000 or $3,000 a year. vate property in the Trona area. The Wilderness proposal is office of Assemblyman Wyman
The lagoon area is fenced and Peter Canning owns 520 acres not clear on how much of Crow may also be reached by calling
gated, and the third pond has near Indian Joe's old home. It Canyon and Homewood Can- (714) 245-1661.
water pure enough for animals. was also the home of John yon would also be included in It is important that the letters
The town had five goats forag- Searles, for whom Searles Lake protective custody, with no en- be dispatched at once to assist in
ing the 23-acre sewer lagoon was named after he discovered trance allowed. a pending court suit to stop the
area. They were.doing a good borax here. Canning has been Anyone having property that local implementation of the Cal-
job of keeping down the weeds notified that his property has may be threatened by the Cali- ifornia Desert Plan.
and grass, but local coyotes de- been included in the proposed fornia Desert Plan, including
veloped a taste for goat meat. Wilderness Area. This would mine prospects, is asked to send
Huachuca City decided to mean denial of access, and it is a letter to Assemblyman Philip -Trona ARGONAUT
adopt the burros because they
can graze just about anything ATTORNEY SEES BRIGHT
and still ward off coyotes. If the
project works, other cities may FUTURE IN MX
RULES PROPOSED TO CURB Carson
adopt burros for the same City, Nev.—A Ne-
purpose.
-Bisbee DAILY REVIEW
DRUGSTORE COWBOYS vada attorney forsees a bonanza
in law activity should the pro-
Reno, Nev.—A survey by the one to harrass or nag a cow posed M-X system be built in the
United States Department of which he did not personally state, with much of the litigation
WATT'S ANSWER Agriculture revealed that there own or had not been paid to having to do with claims against
Tombstone, Ariz.—"The fed- are approximately 100 million pester. the government by Nevada
eral regulatory regime affecting head of cattle in this country at Should these measures prove ranchers.
the mining industry is the result any given time. Another recent effective, the nation might look Dave Gamble, Carson City
of years of activity at all levels survey, by the United States forward to healthier, less neurot- attorney, says, "One of the
and branches of the federal es- Habadashers Association, re- ic cows and see a decline in the impacts of the M-X will be the
tablishment to achieve goals . . . vealed that there are more than number of people wearing cow- construction of a great many
have not only failed to achieve 200 million cowboy hats sold in boy hats, thus finding it easier to buildings and courthouses in
those goals, but have also creat- America each year. watch movies in crowded Nevada to house lawyers and
ed additional severe disrup- As everyone knows, the prin- theaters. law cases."
tions," wrote American Mining cipal responsibility and duty of a - T h e NEVADIAN -Humboldt SUN
Congress President J. Allen cowboy is to boss cattle around.
Overton, Jr. to Interior Secre- That was all well and good back
tary James Watt in response to
the secretary's request for exam-
ples of "excessive, burdensome
in the days when the cattle out-
numbered the cowboys. Now BATH BAFFLESDOG
that nine out of 10 people in by Don Felon up out of the creek all clean 'n
and counterproductive" regula- America are cowboys, the im- Tombstone, Ariz.—Over white, the dog wouldn't let him
tions under his jurisdiction. pact on cattle herds is devastat- Arivaca way they tell about a near his clothes nor his burro.
The secretary has asked for ing. tramp miner who used to work "I guess I didn't smell right,"
similar material from a variety of With two or three cowboys in some of the mines around the he said.
sources, including government bossing around each individual district. He mucked in the Mon- -Western PROSPECTOR &
agencies and environmental cow, the poor animals become tana Mine at Ruby, drilled in MINER
groups. He told Overton that confused and disoriented. They the Dos Amigos at old Oro
his request is part of an effort "to get depressed, lose weight and, Blanco, and rocked a cradle in ••••••••••••••••••••
end unnecessary and burden- in general, become stringy and Holden Canyon during the
some regulations now frustrat-
ing the balanced management"
tough. Great Depression days. $1000 REWARD
The newly formed Cow Pro- He got the name of "Bathless"
of the nation's resources. Watt is
also seeking data on recommen-
tection League is introducing Cooper for obvious reasons. FOR FEDERAL
laws in several state legislatures Some say it was 11 years, six
dations for changes in existing
legislation.
which would require that any- months since he changed socks. VANDALISM
one posing in advertisements for He was so gamey, only his dog Tombstone, Ariz.—The
In his response, Overton any product whatsoever (from would get closer 'n a rock throw Committee of 1,000 is a loosely
urged numerous changes in the cologne to automobiles to de- of him. organized group dedicated to the
department's coal management signer jeans) while wearing a One day Bathless disappeared suppression of vandalism and
program, which he says "will not cowboy hat must personally 'n they sent out a search party destruction on unpatented min-
in a timely fashion place suffi- own at least three head of cattle. lookin' for him. He was found ing claims by Bureau of Land
cient coal in industry hands to Additionally, all male models the next day sittin' on a rock in Management and Forest Service
meet our national energy appearing in western wear must the creek that flows through personnel. It offers a reward of
needs." In addition, he deplored have dipped snuff or chewed to- Smugglers' Gulch. Up on the $1,000 for information leading
the "attitude of the Interior De- bacco for a full 60 days before bank, here was his faithful dog, to the arrest and conviction of
partment [during the last 10 the advertisement or commer- snarlin' and yappin' every time such federal government em-
years] to emphasize other land cial is photographed or filmed. Bathless so much as blinked. ployees who commit these
uses, or even total nonuse of Finally, the Cow Protection What happened, we said/ He crimes. Address of the Commit-
land, at the expense of mineral League is seeking a constitution- says it was so hot he decided to tee is Box 146, Tombstone, AZ
production." al amendment which would go wadin' and he stepped off in- 85638.
-Western PROSPECTOR & make it a federal offense for any- to a deep hole. 'N when he come -Western PROSPECTOR &
MINER MINER
36
Cactus Cdtltt flllarrnn
s
OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
John Day
Country and
The Chinese
Medicine Man BY BILLIE DURFEE
T
HE LAND Oregonians refer to Astoria, where the Columbia flows into Eventually, because of bad weather and
as "the John Day Country," an the Pacific. Almost all of the 60 men lack of food, the men were divided into
area of 4,000 to 5,000 square who set out from Nodowa, Missouri, four groups, to increase their oppor-
miles, extends south nearly 200 miles were fur trappers, as was John Day. tunities for shooting game. Either at
from the mouth of the John Day River The Astor-Hunt group followed seven this point or soon after, Day, Ramsay
on the Columbia. U.S. Highway 26 years after Lewis and Clark had com- Crooks (his superior in the party) and
transects it east to west, and U.S. 395 pleted the first overland exploration to three Canadians became ill and
comes north from California through the west. dropped back, unable to travel further.
the empty desert to arrive at the Twenty-five years after the expedi- The Canadians joined with some
crossroads of the eastern Oregon town tion, John Jacob Astor paid $5,000 to friendly Shoshone Indians, but it was
of John Day. Washington Irving to write a book some time before Day and Crooks were
John Day is a name once given to about the Astor Pacific Fur Company. strong enough to continue west. Six
several small towns and stagecoach This book, Astoria, includes the only months later they were found by
stops, two rivers, one dam and three description of John Day: Robert Stuart, the leader of a few men
impressive fossil beds. The United who were canoeing down the Columbia
States Postal Service, however, was "He was about forty years of age, six towards Astoria. Day and Crooks had
forced to rename all but one of the feet two inches high, straight as an In- been attacked by Indians, and were left
towns to eliminate confusion. dian; with an elastic step as if he had naked on the river bank north of The
The use of the name John Day in so trod on springs, and a handsome, open, Dalles military post. It seems in-
many places is strange, since the man manly countenance. It was his boast credibly like a grade B western movie
himself contributed little to Oregon that, in his younger days, nothing that a canoe would simply paddle by so
history. He is known mainly for one could hurt or daunt him; but he had far out in the wilderness. However,
uncomfortably cold experience with lived 'too fast,' and had injured his this is what happened.
hostile Indians on the banks of the Co- constitution by excesses." The river near where they were at-
lumbia River. tacked was called Day's River and John
All this started back in 1811, when The Astor party experienced great Day's River before it settled in as the
the Astor-Hunt Overland Expedition difficulties from the beginning, but John Day River. It is curious that the
left the midwest to go by foot, especially in crossing the Snake River name Lepage's River, given by Lewis
horseback and canoe to the outpost of near the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. and Clark, didn't stick. It is even more
38 JUNE, 1981
BILUEDU
Picture of Ing Hay
(opposite page) was
taken when he was in
his early twenties, with
hair still in a queue.
Kam Wah Chung Co.
building (above) is now
a museum. The John
Day River runs
through the town of
the same name (left) to
create an oasis in
barren eastern Oregon.
BILLIEDURFEE
DESERT 39
curious that John Day's name has sur- Walla Walla, Ing, a handsome young try. Doc Hay made house calls with
faced so frequently when not one man, arrived in John Day in 1887. He Lung On interpreting and driving over
hamlet or stream has been named after was dressed in traditional Chinese the vast area, first in a buggy and later,
Crooks. Perhaps Crooks had lived less clothes, complete with queue, and soon a car.
riotously, or maybe he was just shorter. after arriving he met Lung On, who Ing became well known for his
Even though the-river bearing his was to become his lifelong partner. diagnoses through taking pulses from
name runs by the town, John Day Without Lung, Ing could not have four different places on the body. His
himself couldn't have been within 150 practiced his herbal skills. cures for blood poisoning, influenza
miles of the crossroads. Nonetheless, The two men were very different. and meningitis were respected by all.
today's townspeople call him theirs, Lung On, a young scholar, adapted Both men prospered but unlike most
and they are very proud of him. Their quickly to this country. He learned to other immigrants, they did not keep in
folk hero, they believe, was every bit as read and write English with fluency contact with their families back in
good a frontiersman as Daniel Boone. and he became a canny businessman China. Americanized, but still retain-
In fact, the Oregon Historical Society with successful investments in real ing much of their Cantonese heritage,
has several letters in its files which estate, cattle and gold. In later years, they became a respected part of the
claim that the two men came from the he owned the first automobile repair John Day-Canyon City community.
same part of Virginia, and must have shop in the eastern part of Oregon. Ing Ing must even have become a Mason,
known each other. Hay, however, always had trouble with for he was given a Masonic funeral.
English, but with Lung On as his con-
I L
N THE early years, the biggest stant companion and interpreter, he UNG ON died suddenly in
settlement in the John Day Coun- became the doctor for the immense 1940. He left an estate of more
try was Canyon City, a stage stop John Day Country. than $90,000 to his friend Ing,
for north to south and east to west Their partnership started in 1887, an amazing amount of money for a
transportation. It was here, in 1862, on when the two men bought the Kam Chinese immigrant to have made in
Hog Point near Whiskey Gulch, that Wah Chung Company Building, which such a small and remote town. After
gold was discovered, and a full-scale Hay's death, the estate was to have
rush followed. gone to Lung On's daughter in China.
During the peak of the gold rush, Because of the political situation be-
Canyon City had a population of tween the two countries, this never
10,000, and it is thought that by 1870 happened, and the money eventually
more than 1,000 of these were Chinese Ing became well known for his reverted to the State of Oregon.
who had come to work in the mines. diagnoses through taking pulses After Lung On's death, Ing Hay,
After a devastating fire, the Chinese who was slowly becoming blind, asked
population was forced to move a few from four different places on his nephew to come help him with his
miles north to what was originally practice. In 1948, he fell and broke his
referred to as "the other town," the body. hip, an affliction he could not cure
despite the fact that the Post Office with herbs. He consulted the town's
had already decided it was to be called MD, a man he had known as a child,
John Day. A Chinese community and the doctor persuaded him that he
developed, and a Cantonese herbal must have the hip pinned in a Portland
practitioner moved in. soon became the center of business and hospital. The hip did not heal proper-
Ing Hay, later to be known as "Doc" social life for the Chinese in eastern ly, and Ing spent four years in a
Hay, was born in southern China near Oregon. Translated, Kam Wah Chung Portland nursing home before he died
Canton. From 1860 to 1870 there was becomes the Golden Flower of Pros- at the age of 89.
a period of unrest in China and many perity, and it turned out to be a highly The Kam Wah Chung Building was
men left to find work in the United suitable name. given to the town of John Day. In
States, among whom were five of Ing The men enlarged the sandstone 1967, Gordon Glass, a councilman,
Hay's "uncles," who settled in Walla building to include not only the decided to look it over with the idea of
Walla, Washington. [Ed. note: The general store but also a pharmacy, restoring it as a reminder of the con-
term "uncle" could have included ac- medical office, gambling hall, bank, tributions of the Chinese to the John
tual uncles or more distant male assay office, opium den and religious Day Country. The Chinese population
relatives in the Chinese familial shrine. Barlow and Richardson, who had dwindled to 21 by 1940, the last
tradition.] wrote China Doctor of John Day, say available figure. The Occidental
The Chinese Exclusion Act was that the structure is architecturally like population had also declined;
passed in 1882 when gold strikes had many in southern China. nowadays, only 2,090 people live in
become less frequent and railroad It is thought that Ing studied herbal John Day, with an additional 690 in
construction was slowing down, the medicine in Walla Walla with Doc neighboring Canyon City.
purpose being to stop the influx of un- Lee, a pioneering Chinese herbal doc- The contents of the building, which
skilled workers who could be tricked tor in this country. Lee's books were are on display today, tell the story of
into working for so much less than found in the Kam Wah Chung Build- life among the pioneer Chinese
Americans. However, after this date it ing. It is evident that Ing learned well. workers in the American west. Most
was still possible to enter Canada and Initially his patients were the Chinese interesting among the items found
migrate south, and that is probably the miners, many of whom stayed to work from the attic to beneath the floor-
route taken by Ing Hay, who emigrated on the roads, but in time he became a boards were 500 different herbs and
with his father. trusted healer for everyone—Occidental medications, most imported from
After some years with the uncles in and Oriental—in the John Day Coun- China. Ing had ground these up and
40 JUNE, 1981
combined a variety of them to boil as a
medicinal tea. Many letters in the
Oregon Historical Society attest that, MILLION DOLLAR
no matter what the ingredients, the
brew tasted awful. Some of the more
exotic items found were jars of rat-
BLACKJACK
tlesnakes steeped in alcohol, opium Bv Ken Uston
cans dating from 1898 to 1913, opium
pipes, Doc Lee's herbal medicine book, Now you can own the most important blackjack book ever published.
Chinese lamps and the shrine, a receipt This long awaited event in the world of gaming books presents the most
for a Chinese poll tax (an early-day complete coverage of the game ever printed. Only the world's most ex-
Oregon law), a large chest with one perienced professional blackjack player, Ken Uston, could have written
dead bat, a burlap bag with two bear this book. Heretofore unpublished details of professional play, cheating,
claws and a jar with playing cards sur- team play, learning techniques and a host of inside secrets are revealed
rounded by herbs. for the first time in print. * This is the story of how Ken and six sets of
There were cartons and cartons of teammates won over $4,000,000 from casinos around the world. * This
records in Chinese calligraphy, some is a textbook that will take you from beginner to intermediate, to advanc-
being letters from parents asking for ed, to professional levels of play—with a system you can learn at each
help in finding sons who had come to level. The Uston Advanced Point Count —complete in this
work in the western mines. Seventy- book—previously sold for $97. * This is the most complete glossary of
two fifths of bourbon bearing labels no blackjack terms ever printed. * This is a guide to all the previously
longer on the market also surfaced: published blackjack books and the major blackjack schools. * This is
"Joel Frazier" and "Old Palmer" were over $500 worth of blackjack materials. * This is the book you cannot be
especially well liked. And, of course, without. BE THE FIRST TO HAVE YOUR COPY.
the shelves contained the dusty staples
that any grocery store of the era would ONLY $14.95 plus $1.00 postage and handling.
Use check, money order or VISA/MasterCharge [include billing address, card no., expiration date].
stock, such as ancient cans of coffee, {California residents must add 90<" sales tax. Gambling Times subscribers may deduct $1.50]
tea, baking powder and the like. SEND YOUR ORDER TO:
The money to rebuild the building
and to clean and inventory the contents SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SERVICES
came from the National Trust for
Historic Preservation, the Oregon State
889 N. Highland Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038
Parks and the Oregon Historical Socie-
ty. The manpower came from com-
munity volunteers as well as students
In the Heart of Beautiful Coachella Valley
and faculty from Lewis and Clark Col-
lege and the University of Oregon. Plan To Stay At The
The museum is now open. A leisure- Sands Hotel of Indian Wells
ly visit takes the curious a long step
back into a vastly different culture in
(1/4 mile east of Palm Desert]
132 PAGE CATALOG
pioneer America. It speaks well for a » Open Year-Round CAMPING FURNITURE & GEAR —
town the size of John Day that it RV ACCESSORIES
Children Welcome
worked so hard to reconstruct and • 4 8 rooms & suites
maintain the Kam Wah Chung (kitchens available)
Building, both as a reminder of the • Large Heated Pool
contributions of the 19th Century Color Television
Chinese immigrants to the west, and as • Individual Air
a memorial to the John Day Country Conditioning
herbal doctor, Ing Hay, and his partner • <&§$> Approved PLUS!
Lung On. 0 • Moderate Rates
EVERY ON-OFF ROAD TIRE KNOWN TO MAN!
OFF-ROAD LIGHTS — WARN HUBS &
CALL OR WRITE FOR WINCHES — ROUGH COUNTRY SHOCKS
& SUSPENSION KITS — ROLL BARS —
RESERVATIONS G.I. SURPLUS GOODIES - BOOKS &
REALLY UNIQUE ITEMS!
5302 Tweedy Blvd.
THE NESTL
Dept.D
^RESTAURANT
fcffctt (213) 566-5171
South Gate, CA. 90280
®
FREE CATALOG-SEND TODAY!
& FOREIGN REQUESTS
S 2 . U.S. CURRENCY
["^J HOTEL
OF INDIAN WELLS
75-188Highway 111,
Indian Wells, Calif. 92260 iSta .Zip.
Phone (714) 346-8113
DESERT 41
turista, becomes one with Baja and its
people.
In 1961, Don Johnson came to
Mulege for the sole purpose of check-
ing out an investment he had made
sight unseen, a part ownership in what
today is called the Hotel Mulege.
Though then and now he could be
INC.
1531 Pomona Road, Corona, CA 91720
The Prolific Jackrabbit
by Susan Durr Nix
DESERT 45
yucca, mesquite, wildflowers, cacti (in-
cluding cholla),( dried vegetation and
QlNSHOOTING * BO7>
TREASURE I
numerous other plants, including chile
peppers minus the seeds.
A jackrabbit near starvation will even
(9
g HUNTING
try to eat bitter creosote leaves and
stems, a litter of trimmings under the
bush being evidence of his lack of suc- The Outdoor Hobby
cess. Jackrabbits get most of their
for FUN and PROFIT!
water from plant material, although
If you want to learn how to get
they will drink free water if it is started in this fascinating hob-
20-MULE TEAM DAYS IN DEATH VALLEY by available. At the Living Desert by, contact us today. We'll mail
Harold O. Weight. Specialists and critics praise Reserve, they have been seen drinking to you a treasure hunting book,
this account of the great borax wagons of the from ponds and artificial water holes. a consumer's metal detector
1880s, the drivers and mules, the trail to Mojave. guide, and true stories of peo-
Story of Borax Smith, Wm. T. Coleman, Death Leverets are brought into the reserve ple, just like you, who have
Valley pioneers, Harmony Borax Works. First- for rehabilitation less frequently than found treasure. No obligation.
hand stories. Includes reprint of Henry G. Hawks'
report on Death Valley 1883. Pb., 48 pgs., 33 young cottontails, proving the greater
historic and modern photos, map. 5th ed. $1.00. self-sufficiency of young hares.
Jackrabbits void soft greenish pellets
FREE BOOKS
CHILI LOVERS' COOKBOOK compiled by Al TOLL FREE NUMBER
and Mildred Fischer. Two cookbooks in one. The as well as hard brownish ones, an TEXAS
first portion describes the best of chili cookery, average of 531 a day, according to one 1-800-442-4889
from mild to fiery, with recipes for some of the
best. The second part gives a variety of taste-
study, irrespective of age, sex, species ALL OTHER STATES
tempting foods made from chili peppers with many or type of forage. The greenish pellets 1-800-527-4011
suggestions on use and preparation. Spiral bound. are usually re-eaten. This practice,
Pb., 128 pgs. $3.00.
shared by other mammals, is called GARRETT
SCOTTY'S CASTLE by Dorothy Shally and coprophagy. It is an efficient way to ELECTRONICS
William Bolton. The sumptuousness of the castle, extract as much nourishment and
its history, construction, and design of the Dept. G100
buildings are told by the authors, both National moisture as possible from food. 2614 National Drive
Park Service employees who have been associated Garland, Texas 75041
Despite their potential for infinite 214 278-6151
with the maintenance and interpretation of the
property since the government acquired title in reproduction, jackrabbit populations
1970. Pb., large format, profusely illus., $2.00. fluctuate from year to year. Reproduc-
tion, directly affected by rainfall,
ANZA-BORREGO DESERT GUIDE BOOK,
declines during long periods of drought
A1IWVJ M3N
Southern California's Last Frontier by Horace
Parker, revised by George and Jean Leetch. A clas- and poor nourishment, but returns to
sic reference to America's largest desert park,
originally published in 1957 and now updated,
normal as soon as conditions improve.
enlarged and improved by the "dean of desert
rangers" and his wife. With excellent logs, maps,
and photographs brought up to 1979 standards.
Pb., 154 pgs., two maps, many photos, $6.95.
Any upset can affect jackrabbit
numbers, including overgrown vegeta-
tion and too few coyotes. Coyotes,
H Free!
whose normal diet is 75 percent
HIGH MOUNTAINS AND DEEP VALLEYS by jackrabbit, are an important check on
Lew and Ginny Clark, with photographs by Edwin
these animals. The coyote's meal is not
1981
C. Rockwell. A history and general guide book to
the vast lands east of the High Sierra, south of the without consequences, however. I Catalog
Comstock Lode, north of the Mojave Desert, and
west of Death Valley, by oldtimers who know the
Jackrabbits carry the larvae of 1 . •fa?^-~€>- _
area. Pb., 192 pgs., 250 photographs, and many tapeworm, which are activated in the
maps. $6.95 coyote's digestive tract. The cycle is
perpetuated when the tapeworm Camping
matures, lays eggs, and the coyote and Backpacking
Desert Book Shop defecates, depositing in the process Equipment *
Name _ numerous eggs on weeds and grass, Don Gleason's has been outfitting campers
Address later eaten by jackrabbits. and backpackers for 23 years. We have the ex-
perience and selection to fill all your outdoor
City _State _ _Zip_ Under normal circumstances, a equipment needs from our new giant 1981 cat-
I enclose $ jackrabbit has a 50 to 80 percent alog.It contains a complete selection of first class
Check, money order or charge chance of being eaten or dying of acci- quality camping and backpacking equipment, in-
MYCHARGEDM.C • VISA cluding many items that you will not find else-
dent or disease before he is one year where, personally selected by our staff of experts.
Credit Card No
old. When populations get out of hand, There is a wide selection of family camping
Expiration Date equipment, tents, dining flys, sleeping bags,
Month/Year
epidemics of rabbit fever, a sort of cooking equipment, backpacks and thousands
Signature
emergency substitute for normal con- of other items, suggestions and tips to make your
trol of predators, may wipe out 90 outdoor adventure safer and more enjoyable.
Write today for your free copy of this catalog and
percent. guide to the best quality equipment at reason-
The odds are against a jackrabbit able prices.
from the moment he is born. Speed FREE in U.S.A. and possessions
California residents add 6% sales tax Otherwise, add $1.50 surface mail,
$1.50
and vigilance are all he has going for $3.00 airmail, for postage and handling.
Postage/handling
Total .
him in a world full of hungry clawed
Mail today to:
and taloned creatures. He truly needs CC/ '^•CAMPERS SUPPLY INC-
Desert Book Shop P.O. Box 296, Goleta, CA 93117 both of his "good luck" hare's feet to 43 PEARL ST., P.O. BOX 87F,
NORTHAMPTON, MASS. 01061
keep him alive to see another day. @
46 JUNE, 1981
Tomatoes
by Stella Hughes
DESERT 47
Tomatoes and Corn
/ can stewed tomatoes (16-oz.)
3 or 4 ears corn, cooked and cut front
cob, or canned whole-kernel corn
Cowboy Salad
6 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 med. onions, chopped
2 or 3 green chiles, chopped
2 or 3 yellow banana chiles, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups vinegar
Place all ingredients in covered jar and
chill for one or two days before serving.
Serve with beans, barbecued beef, chile
con came or as a side dish with grilled
steaks.
Old-Fashioned Tomato
Pudding
Back issues of DESERT MAGAZINE are available. 5 or 6 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and
chopped
To get your copies, write: 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup dark brown sugar
Susan Golden 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
Desert Magazine Librarian 1 teaspoon salt
P.O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, CA 92261 6 to 8 slices white bread, cut into 1-inch
cubes
List the month and the year of the magazine(s) you In 3-quart saucepan over medium heat,
bring tomatoes to a boil, then reduce heat
desire and enclose a check (see price list below). to low; cover and simmer until tomatoes
Make checks payable to DESERT MAGAZINE. are soft. Uncover saucepan and cook
about 15 minutes longer, until tomatoes
1970-present 1.50 1945-1949 7.50 are slightly thickened, stirring often. Stir
in brown sugar, tomato paste and salt.
1960-1969 2.50 1937-1944* Arrange bread cubes in 3-quart casserole.
1950-1959 5.00 Pour melted butter over bread cubes; top
with tomato mixture. Bake at 375 de-
*For issues from 1937-1944 contact Susan Golden for availability and price.
grees for about 40 minutes. Makes about
10 servings. 0
48 JUNE, 1981
FUN IN THE
DESERT...
O
NE OF THE MOST spectacular collections of
petroglyphs in North America is found in and
around the Coso Range, which lies just south of
Owens Valley in California, tucked between the Argus
Range and the Sierra Nevada. Thousands of carvings are
scattered over only about 250 square miles. Random ex-
amples appear throughout the area, but the greatest concen-
trations are found in the canyons that slash their way
through the flat, boulder-strewn high desert plains that
slope away toward the southwest from the volcanic peaks of
the Cosos.
Rediscovered in the 1920s, the petroglyphs were locked
away inside the fences surrounding the China Lake Naval
Weapons Center in 1943, which hid them from the public,
but also protected these fragile treasures from the van-
dalism and thievery suffered by so many other rock art
sites. To its credit, the Navy makes special efforts to be
sure that the weapons testing program will not damage the
petroglyphs.
Featured in Desert Magazine in 1944, word of the Coso
petroglyphs gradually spread in spite of the fences. In 1964,
the two canyons boasting the largest number and best ex-
amples of Coso rock art were dedicated as a National Land-
mark. One of these, Little Petroglyph Canyon (called
Renegade Canyon on the U.S. Geological Survey contour
maps) can now be visited, under certain conditions (see
box).
A path leads visitors into the canyon from the parking
area. The canyon walls are a jumble of basalt blocks, here
vertical cliffs from 10 to about 60 feet high, there broken
over the years into a tumbled pile. The basalt has
weathered to a fine desert varnish, and this shiny brown-
black patina provided the canvas for the ancient artists.
They chipped or scraped the patina away, revealing the
lighter, unweathered rock beneath, so that the petroglyphs
appear as light figures on the dark background. Fragments
of colored pigment cling in a few places, hinting that
perhaps some were once painted as well.
The sheer number of carvings is overwhelming. A short
few miles of Little Petroglyph Canyon alone displays more
than 6,000 by one actual count, while nearly 15,000 have
been recorded in the entire Coso area. Far and away the
most popular subject was sheep. Sheep are everywhere. Big
sheep, some nearly life-sized, and little sheep. Stick-figure
sheep, round-bodied sheep, and others with flat backs and
There occasionally are whimsical, purely abstract Two men face each other with bows and arrows in
shapes at Coso that defy identification. one of the few "warfare" scenes at Coso.
round bellies, all balancing on skinny stick-like legs and climate, population pressures and thinning game herds
carrying long, curling horns. Sheep march in lines, graze forced them to move. The uniqueness of their art suggests
quietly or, more often, run frantically, chased by hunters they lived in some isolation, in which their distinctive style
and impaled by spears and arrows. Sheep appear inside evolved. Comparative ages among the carvings, determined
other sheep (pregnancy?) or occasionally with a head on by relative weathering and changes in style and sophistica-
each end. Still more sheep are symbolized by scattered sets tion, further suggests a society that was stable over a long
of bodiless horns. A rare antlered deer, squiggling lizard or period, while the great numbers of carvings also indicates a
bird joins the herds, but mostly, there are sheep. There are large population or a long time period, or both.
reported to be more sheep pictured here at Coso than in all Whoever they were, they were gone by the time the first
other North American sites combined. Clearly the sheep, white explorers appeared in the 1830s. The few Indians liv-
thought to be the desert bighorn, were of obsessive impor- ing at Coso then could only say that the pictures had been
tance to the artists. left by the "ancient ones." They knew nothing of their
Human figures do appear. Simple stick figures brandish origin, or their purpose.
weapons or attack the sheep. Knee-length robes covered Their age is just as uncertain. Obviously finished long
with elaborate designs costume the boxy bodies of others. before the white explorers arrived and asked about them,
Like the sheep, these costumed figures have kept their skin- they are possibly thousands of years old. Human groups are
ny arms and legs, and the head is a featureless ball perched believed to have inhabited the area for at least 8,000 years,
on a thin neck, often displaying fanciful headdresses or but it is unlikely that the art we see today is that old. The
hairstyles. Matching designs on each side of some heads desert varnish in which the petroglyphs were carved has
suggest earrings, and often dwarf the head itself. Many been shown to be very fragile, requiring specific weather
figures have fingers and toes painstakingly drawn, but and climatic conditions both for its formation and survival.
sometimes the artist seems to have lost count, and produced This means that the present patina probably formed since
three-toed feet or sunburst six-fingered hands. the last "wet" period, about 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. The
Fox-like animals thought to be dogs are pictured too, petroglyphs carved in it, then, must be younger still.
chasing and biting the fleeing sheep. Indian groups in the The weapons pictured provide dating clues, too. The
1800s were observed using dogs to drive game animals. atlatl, a primitive spear or dart-throwing device, appears in
Here we see their ancestors doing the same. great numbers, and to the exclusion of any other weapons
More mysterious are groups of abstract patterns enclosed in many scenes. Since the more efficient bow and arrow is
in circles of ovals. Like snowflakes, no two seem the same. believed to have been adopted in Southern California
Family crests, perhaps? Records of long-ago events, little around 1 A.D., the picturing of the atlatl alone suggests
histories we cannot read? that the artists were at work well before then. The bow and
More familiar are sack-like shapes, often elaborately arrow in other scenes would indicate that work continued
fringed, resembling the medicine bags used by many after 1 A.D. as well. This is not a precise dating tool,
historic Indian groups to carry sacred or magical objects. though, for Spanish priests recorded the atlatl in use by
Then, here and there are a few abstract designs that defy isolated groups in Baja as late as the mid-1700s.
explanation. Unlike other nearby sites, though, abstracts are Why did they draw these pictures? We can only
rare at Coso. Most drawings, with the help of just a little speculate. It must have been of great importance, both to
imagination, can be identified. the artist and to the society he lived in, to have justified the
hours, perhaps days, of slow patient work that would have
W
HO WERE THESE rock artists? They left little been necessary to create these pictures with simple stone
other than their pictures behind, and we don't tools. The work is careful and precise, although not always
know for sure. They were probably members of completed, and often very sophisticated. These were not
the large Shoshonean-speaking population that occupied aimless doodles.
much of Southern California for centuries, and finally The great numbers of sheep and hunting scenes im-
began drifting away about 1,000 years ago as the drying mediately suggest a hunting ritual—perhaps in advance of
DESERT 51
long accepted by archaeologists. The bow and glasses and discovered one more panel,
The Moab arrow was not supposed to have been used in
the west farther back than 2,000 years ago,
directly across the nearby Colorado River
on the west wall of the canyon, in front of
Mastodon while the mastodon was supposed to have
died out in this area 10,000 years ago. Yet,
the elephant's trunk. We drove around for a
closer look.
Text and Photos by Art Foran these story pictures involve both the bow and The fourth panel is of a bear. Figures at-
arrow and the mastodon.The people who tacking the bear with bow and arrow are in-
carved these stories obviously were quite cluded. Bears were used to show battle, as
familiar with both.
T HE MOAB area of Utah is filled bears are fighting creatures, while goats, for
with stories in stone. La Van Mar- The first panel we studied has the most example, were used to show action, as more
tineau, a Paiute from the San Carlos complete account, including information can be shown with four feet and antlers
Reservation, is one of the few people who can about a time of famine. This could bring the than with human stick figures.
read the inscriptions and, what is more, prove story even closer to our time. The elephant is Now a story at least 1,000 years old
his interpretations. He showed me a collection shown with water at his feet. A horizontal line began to come alive. The mastodon rock
of panels and interpreted each. He explains with vertical lines below it is the sign for rain- had been used during sieges: Water on top
his method in his book, The Rocks Begin to water. Water is also indicated at the elephant's made lengthy perching on top feasible, and
Speak.* I found it simple'to read some panels feet in the third panel by deep, drop-like the defenders had the advantage of throw-
after studying this book. pecking. ing rocks and other weapons down at the
When you begin to read rock writing, you The second panel in this series is a attacking enemy. The account of this action
will find that you are discovering things no locator panel. Included in a longer story is was inscribed in much the same intent that
one has bothered to look for before. You will one image that tells the reader to look we put up instructional signs in air raid
locate waterholes, hidden panels, abandoned elsewhere for the rest of the story. It says to shelters.
trails and caves. Occasionally, you will be able climb out of the canyon by the river and Martineau thinks the desert varnish is no
to relive adventures forgotten for a millenium. turn north. A trail lies near the panel. older than dated panels he had located in
Few will agree with your findings, because An oval is used to signify a canyon; a line Africa, which are 2,000 years old. Consider-
such things are not taught in schools. below the river and two marks at the top of ing that Hannibal crossed the Sahara on
The rocks near Moab tell a story of the rising line indicate a north turn after elephants, the implication is interesting.
mastodons or elephants, whichever you will. climbing from the canyon by the river. We The Southwest is filled with rock writing
We know such animals lived in the area found another mastodon panel by following telling similar stories. Once you understand
10,000 years ago, but this story indicates they these directions. a few of the symbols and know something
may still have been alive 2,000 years ago, long The mastodon pictured was using his of the locations, the game of panel reading
after the retreat of the ice from the tops of the trunk to toss water on his head. The panel is as fascinating as a treasure hunt.
Rocky Mountains. faces a great rock that is shaped much like You may unravel the unknown. Our
You won't find many panels as fascinating an elephant. We walked over to the foot of awareness of the first Americans holds more
as the elephant set. These writings are as alive the rock and found water pockets, full from mystery than knowledge. Reading what
as the discoverer who takes the time to read recent rains. Martineau mentioned that this they considered worth writing in stone can
them. They cannot be read from pictures in rain water was prized by Indians and used make anyone a discoverer.
books: The story is as much in the place for ceremonial purposes, in preference to Some archaeologists think rock writings
where it was written as it is in the images creek water. have little real meaning, while others are
themselves. The front of the rock is impossible to still struggling with interpretations. Both
Each of the four panels involving the climb; walking around it, we found the only camps tend to discount LaVan Martineau's
mastodon has much more to tell than can be way up, at the north side, or its back. On interpretations, because he is not a scientist.
understood, but the mastodon aspect is clear top of the head, we found a large, filled Well, okay. He's not a scientist—he's an
and engrossing, because it challenges dates waterpocket. Rain runs into the depression Indian, he learned the language of rock
off the elephant's back; it holds hundreds of writing from previous generations of In-
gallons. dians. They pass on their knowledge to
*K.C. Publications, Las Vegas, 1973 Martineau studied the area through field their own, but not necessarily to scientists.
The Country of
Lost Borders
An Appreciation by Desert is the name it wears upon the whom she adored, died. Her only
Jon Wesley Sering maps, but the Indian's is the better word. escape was in her enjoyment of books
Desert is a loose term to indicate land and writing.
that supports no man; whether the land The Land of Little Rain is an elo-
can be bitted and broken to that purpose quent series of essays which capture
is not proven. Void of life it never is, time and lifestyle within the Country
however dry the air and villainous the of Lost Borders. Austin's essays
soil. describe her passion for the natural
world and those who chose to inhabit
r
this land on nature's terms! She writes
HUS BEGINS Mary Hunter of Seyavi, a Paiute Indian mother and
Austin's now classic work, The basketmaker who, though blind, still
Land of Little Rain. * Written in "saw" through the experiences of her
1903, it is a book "east away from the memory. She met and wrote of the
Sierras, south from Panamint and Pocket Hunter, a prospector who
If one is inclined to wonder at first Amargosa, east and south many an un- searched for a small body, or pocket, of
how so many dwellers came to be in counted mile" of a vast land known to rich mineral ore. But, it is the way of
the Indian as the Country of Lost life, the open free spaces, not the occa-
the loneliest land that ever came out Borders. sional pockets of riches, which tend to
of God's hands, what they do there Mary Austin, author of approximate- shape that man's destiny.
ly 30 books and more than 250 articles, Mary Austin spent hours hiking and
and why stay, one does not wonder wrote on Indian folklore and an- riding the desert trails and made
so much after having lived there. thropology as well as women's rights copious notes on the plants and
and the arts. Unquestionably, the most animals. Although she was criticized
None other than this long brown successful and deeply penetrating ex- and called "peculiar" by her white
land lays such a hold on the position of her passion for the earth is neighbors in Independence, California,
The Land of Little Rain. she had a deep, spiritual tie with the
affections. The rainbow hills, the Born in Carlinville, Illinois, in 1868, Indian:
tender bluish mists, the luminous Mary Austin lived a very stormy, in-
tense childhood and youth. Her father, This is the sense of the desert hills, that
radiance of the spring, have the lotus
George Hunter, was a learned man there is room enough and time enough.
charm. whose health had been severely im- Trees grow to consummate domes; every
paired during service in the Civil War. plant has its perfect work. Live long
Susanna, Mary's mother, was deeply enough with an Indian, and he or the
bothered by the incipient lameness of wild things will show you a use for
James, their two-year-old son, and everything that grows in these borders.
troubled by financial difficulties. The
birth of Mary was greeted with bitter After graduating from Blackburn
resentment. College with a degree in science at the
Mary the child, hurt by the lack of age of 20, Mary moved west with her
her mother's love, surrogated nature, a mother and 12-year-old brother
substitution which formed the founda- George. They lived together on land
tion of her perceptions and writings. her older brother James owned near
By the time she was seven years of age, Bakersfield, California. Upon arrival,
she knew she would be a writer. Mary entered a dramatically new en-
Three years later, however, her vironment. Soon, her intense zeal for
world turned bleak and barren. Within the exploration and study of it became
two months of each other, her younger insatiable. Of her new awareness she
sister Jennie and her father, both of wrote:
*Houghton Miflflin Co., Boston, 1903; Univ. of Out west, the west of the mesas and the
New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1974. unpatented hills, there is more sky than
54 JUNE, 1981
DAVID MUENCH
DESERT 55
JEFF GNASS
JEFFGNASS
JEFF GNASS
(Previous page) Sunrise, Alabama
Hills; (above) Lone Pine Peak from
Owens Valley, California; (right)
Sierra Nevada crest across Owens
Valley from White Mountains,
California.
58 JUNE, 1981
any place in the world. It does not sit associated with writers such as James
flatly on the rim of earth, but begins Hopper and Jack London, and promis-
somewhere out in the space in which the ing poets like George Sterling. While
earth is poised, hollows more, and is full in Europe for her health, she met
of clean winey winds. There are some H. G. Wells and the young Herbert
odors, too, that get into the blood. . . . Hoover. Cured of her illness, she
There is the palpable smell of the bitter returned to the United States with new
dust that comes up from the alkali flats confidence and a public following.
at the end of the dry seasons, and the For almost 15 years she lived in New
smell of rain from the wide-mouthed can- York City until, by chance, she met
yons. And last the smell of the salt grass Daniel Trembly MacDougal, a
country, which is the beginning of other distinguished scientist with the
things that are the end of the mesa trail. Carnegie Institution of Washington's
Department of Botanical Research.
In 1889, Mary Austin began MacDougal was in charge of both its
teaching in a Kern County school 10 Coastal Laboratory in Carmel and its
miles from Bakersfield. Shortly Desert Laboratory in Tucson. In 1919,
thereafter, she met and married Staf- with MacDougal's encouragement,
ford Wallace Austin. Before their mar- Mary Austin visited and experienced
riage failed, Mary gave birth to a the Arizona desert. With a surge of ex-
daughter, Ruth, who was mentally citement from the return to the arid
retarded. It was during her marriage landscape of her love, she wrote a se-
that Mary Austin moved to the Owens quel to The Land of Little Rain entitled
Valley east of the Sierra Nevada. Soon, The Land of Journey's Ending. Of all its inhabitants it has the least
Mary began recording her mystical and In a pilgrimage to Inscription Rock concern for man.
sensitive impressions of the arid land- at El Morro National Monument in
scape, the source for The Land of Little New Mexico, Mary Austin strongly
Rain. identified with the spirit of this
Of her love of the desert and the massive sandstone monolith. In The
night skies she wrote: Land of Journey's Ending* she
prophesied: I like that name the Indians give to
For all the toll the desert takes of a man the mountain of Lone Pine, and
it gives compensations, deep breaths, deep . . . you, of a hundred years from now, if
sleep, and the communion of the stars. It when you visit the Rock, you see the find it pertinent to my subject—
is hard to escape the sense of mastery as cupped silken wings of the argemone Oppapago, The Weeper. It sits east-
the stars move in the wide clear heavens burst and float apart when there is no
to risings and settings unobscured. They wind; or if, when all around is still, a ward and solitary from the lordliest
look large and near and palpitant, as if sudden stir in the short-leaved pines, or ranks of the Sierras, and above a
they moved on some stately service not fresh eagle feathers blown upon the
needful to declare. Wheeling to their sta-
range of little, old, blunt hills, and
shrine, that will be I, making known in
tions in the sky, they make the poor such fashion as I may the land's undying has a bowed, grave aspect as of some
world-fret of no account. Of no account quality. woman you might have known,
you who lie out there watching, nor the
lean coyote that stands off in the scrub Mary Austin died in her sleep at her looking out across the grassy
from you and howls and howls. home in Santa Fe in 1934. At the sum- barrows of her dead.
mit of Mount Picacho, on the edge of
Mary Austin also explored the the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, her
eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, the ashes mingle with the rugged boulders
source of the streams which flow into overlooking her Country of Lost
the sandy Owens Valley basin. These Borders. And every spring the strong
stream courses are the "threads" of the westerly winds continue to blow
"streets of the mountains." toward the El Morro country, to the
The Owens Valley was Mary land of little rain.
Austin's home for 14 years. After
publishing The Land of Little Rain, . . . you may reach my country and find
three books followed in as many years: or not find, as it lieth in you, much that
The Basket Woman, a children's book is set down here . . . The earth is no
of Indian stories, Isidro, a novel set in wanton to give up all her best to every
early Monterey, California; and The comer, but keeps a sweet separate in-
Flock, a book about sheep and timacy for each. But if you do not find it
sheepherders. With the money from all as I write, think me not less depend-
the sale of her books, Mary placed her able nor yourself less clever. @
daughter in a private institution and
moved to Carmel on the coast of
California. *Century Co., London and New York, 1924;
In Carmel she became closely AMS Press, 1969.
DESERT 59
Te'll all agree there's nothing like enthusiasm and surprising productivity
the great outdoors, whether it be a walk of the weekend prospector. All profiles
down that gorgeous desert drywash, are unique, but always highlight What
hiking up a mountain trail, or stalling to look for, Where to go to find it, and
along the beach. But what most people How to bring it back. Sample articles
don't know is that just below the sur- include recovering gold, dating bottles,
face of that dry wash is gold—precious getting the most from your detector,
metal that can be recovered easily, and collecting and preserving surface
cheaply, and with no damage to the Indian relics and Civil War artifacts.
environment. Few hikers realize that Last but not least, you'll find docu-
that rusty can laying on the trail could mented leads on caches from coast to
be the key to finding old bottles nearby, coast—the countless hoards that still
many worth hundreds of dollars each. await discovery. So take advantage of
And the most accessible riches are the this special subscription offer today,
untold gold and silver rings, coins, and enter the fascinating world of
chains and assorted jewelry laying just treasure hunting!
under those beach sands, waiting to be
found!
Sound exciting? IT IS, and for the
whole family too! Where does TREA-
SURE MAGAZINE come in? Written
and edited by experts, it has been the
undisputed leader in the field forovera
decade. A typical issue contains in-
depth product reports on the latest
metal detectors, drywashers, sluices
and gold pans. Alternatively, regular
reports show how to build your own
low-cost equipment. You'll read inter-
views with people who have literally
struck it rich; world-famous treasure
8ft
hunters who take on the big ones, from LJ Enclosed find $11.00 for a one year sub-
the Lost Dutchman mine, to the Egyp- scription (12 Issues) to TREASURE magazine,
tian pyramids. And you'll share the at a savings of $7.00 off the regular newsstand
price. Send to:
NAME
Send to: TREASURE MAGAZINE ADDRESS
P.O. BOX 28816 CITY
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92128 STATE ZIP
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
On Advertising:
Being of Service
T h e purpose of Desert Magazine is to
support communication about the
experience of life on the desert.
Advertising is an important
communication; at its best it
communicates an experience about how
a product can serve the reader.
Cap'n Mike, Windjammer 'Barefoot' Cruises. P.O. Box 120, D e p t 1 7 2 1 , Miami Beach, Florida 33139
For Reservations Call TOLL FREE 1-800-327-2600
Send my free fall-color 'Great Adventure' Booklet
City/State/Zip .
Timeshare Vacations
International Resort Acqommodationsv
All Lc^ti^ns Luxuriously Furnished |
Highest Quality Units—Lowest Possible/Cost
Lifetime Memberships To First Class^/acatipns
Access JoMultipie Resort Locations <