Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Many of our readers have asked what subjects we will be covering in upcoming issues. Here is a partial list of them.
DESERT visits the ARIZONA NORTHERN MINE, Dick Wick Hall's Glory Hole
Colorado River Subjects: Camping along and on the River, Lake Havasu City, Yuma, Glen Canyon, Steamboating
along the Colorado, Gold is Where you find it, Boulder Dam's 50th Birthday
Lost Mines and Buried Treasure Stories: The Lost Rhodes Mines
Quartz Crystal Hill Lost Mine
The Silenta Senora Mine
The Lost Horse Mine Hoard
Exploring Ghost Railroads of the West: The Virginia & Truckee Railroad
Carson and Colorado Railroad
The Yellow Pine Railroad
Pioche and Bullionville
Arizona and Swansea
C O N E N T S
BARREL CACTUS IN DEATH VALLEY FRONT COVER Chuck Gebhardt
COMING IN DESERT FOR 1985 AND BEYOND 2 Desert Staff
WONDERS OF DEATH VALLEY 4 Chuck Gebhardt
IN AND AROUND UTAH'S DIXIE 8 DW Grantham & Paul Richards
DESERT VISITS WHITEWATER 15 DW Grantham
MOUNTAIN 0' TOPAZ 18 Desert Staff
THE CHUCKWALLA 20 B. Crampton
AN INTRODUCTION TO EXPLORING
GHOST RAILROADS 22 DW Grantham
THE LOST DUTCHMAN REVISITED 25 Dr. David Redd
by Chuck Gebhardt
Along the scale of human emotions, Beneath your feet, the unseen Salt Mountains appear like marble ice-
anticipation can be the most descriptive Creek quietly flows underground cream as the sky lightens. The
characteristic of one's feeling when for another 30 miles south. The east side of Red Cathedral has
planning a visit to Death Valley absence of plant and animal life is justified its naming as the mount-
National Monument. A visitor may unnoticed as you absorb the chang- ain walls turn a brilliant red and
travel up and down the same roads ing character of the mountains in- its sculptured surface accented by
from season to season through the tensified by the sun's rising. the shadows.
Monument, yet view different landscape the salt pinnacles at the the desolation, replaced with
each and every time. That changing Devil's Golf Course as they begin beauty, as the sand dunes spread
scene may be brought about by the to glisten and sparkle like a field their shadows across Mesquite Flat,
time of day, the cloud cover, or even of grotesquely-shaped diamonds. the origin of the dune material.
the amount of rainfall during several Silence is gently nudged by the Watching closer, you see the con-
months preceding the planned visit. sunrise symphony of the salt tour of the dunes appear to alter
For example, an unstable cliff face crystals - faintly at first light - and exaggerate with each five
of sandstone may have finally given but clearer and more definitive as degree rise of the sun. Walking
way to the elements and left exposed the sun's gradual rising sends through the neighboring field of
a new facade of colors never thought warmer rays for the crystals to arrowweed shocks, you notice
to exist behind the otherwise bland absorb. As you bend down to the lengthy shadows cast by the
walls. A new wash might have been listen more intensely, a flash of shocks creep towards the dunes.
formed due to the previous summer's color suddenly strikes your eyes. The east side of the arrowweed is
rain, or a once familiar wash will have There, a few feet to your right, now becoming drenched in a pink
appeared to alter direction or size. is a sparkling salt cone of almost light. At your feet, the changing
These changes are in a continum as perfect dimensions, Here amid terrain continues to offer surprises
Nature rules over the weather,geology, the jagged rubble of salt and to the unwary. The solid and
and the plants. The extremes of the mud pinnacles lies a hollow and smooth looking surface suddenly
Valley's climate contribute greatly to delicate dome of salt crystals breaks like a pie crest thrusting
these changes; some subtle and some some eight inches high. Accumu- your foot into the soft sand
obvious. Assisting Nature in the near lations of salt in the mud, blist- underneath. Further on, the dried,
constant alteration of the Death ered by rising water, crystallize sunbaked surface crackles under-
Valley scene is Man. Man's influence to form domes or cones as foot with the sound of breaking
can be detected in one instance by a moisture evaporates. china.
slight extension of the back country
a rainbow of color dancing Inevitably, the morning must
trails. More commonly, in the litter
across the Salt Creek Hills as the move on to be replaced by the
that is randomly discarded at popular sun reflects its beauty off the harsh light of midday. At that time
sites and the more sacred hidden can- surface of the moving waters of of day, there is little of real beauty
yons. Salt Creek, Migratory waterfowl except for remote canyons and
Knowledge of these changes, noisely escape the surface of the mountain retreats where such time-
whether man-made or natural, is of great pools at the sound of your less beauty is enjoyed by the de-
little consequence to the visitor un- footsteps. A faint, narrow trail dicated lovers of Death Valley.
less they can be experienced first through the pickleweed can lead This can be the time to enjoy the
hand. Escaping the blacktop world you to a cliffs edge and in sight indoor wonders of Death Valley.
should be the goal of every visitor. of the only below-sea-level The Borax Museum, with its
Regardless of your age, sex or size, waterfall in the United States. fantastic mineral and gem collec-
take advantage of the many oppor- South and downstream, pupfish tions, is indoors at Furnace Creek
tunities to accompany a Park swim rapidly by the wooden Ranch. Taste the history of the
Naturalist on a brief exploration boardwalk exchanging glances area by a visit outside behind this
of an historical site, a natural with curious visitors. The inch- Museum. A variety of machinery
phenomena, or a colorful panorama. long, Ice Age fish are an endang- and vehicles from the mining days
Then, and only then, you will ered species, and the boardwalk past will bring you in touch with
witness yesterday.
confines foot traffic to prevent cutting
tributary streams in the main creek. One-half mile north of Furnace
the first rays of the morning
sun as they wash the western side the prominent spike of Manly Creek Ranch is the Death Valley
of the Panamint Mountains with Beacon rising above a still-darkened Museum and the National Park
strong tones of pink and red. You Badlands much like a golden finger Service Headquarters. A slow tour
are standing ankle deep in salt pointing up at the softly colored of the displays in the museum can
and mud staring out over the morning clouds, now dressed in provide a comprehensive view of
Borax Haystacks. The many pools pastel shades. Below Zabriskie Point, the basic historical, geological, and
of brackish water clearly reflect a coyote is seen loping through the natural phenomena for which Death
these historic mounds of mud, shadows of the cuts and washes of Valley is famous. See the formation
once piles of borax scraped together the Badlands. To the south of Manly of the lakes, the making of the salt
by Chinese laborers for $1.25 a day. Beacon, the foothills of the Black pan, the growth of salt crystals, and
the abundance of wild things that side the roadways can be found These are but a few of the
live and survive in this less than purple Phacelia and Purplemat, and wonders of Death Valley. There
hospitable environment. Stay a bit the odd structures of the Trumpet is much more here to fill every
and take in an interpretive talk or Plant with its swollen stems. On hour of today while tomorrow
two - hear about Death Valley's occasion, one may sight the only stands by awaiting your presence
weather, animals, plants, or how the orange-colored plant in Death the origin of the Greenwater
Shoshone Indians made baskets and Valley - the Globemallow. petroglyphs, the mystery of the
prepared their food. A five-mile walk over and moving rocks of Racetrack Valley,
through what I call "Kit Fox and the hidden identify of those
As midday gives in to late afternoont beneath the many, unmarked
one can seek the wonders of colors in Canyon" can be a botanist's
delight in a good year. The rocky gravesites these are yet to be
the eastern Valley bejeweled by the explored. Rise early to follow the
red light of the waning sun. Stand at stretch out to an old historic
road is littered with blooming sun; see, touch, smell, and hear
Artist's Palette and gaze out over the everything within your range, and
multi-colored hills which look much Beavertail cactus whose flowers
range from pink to deep magenta. Death Valley will be yours forever.
like the crash site of a rainbow. Walk
out onto the hills and touch the Sharp eyes may pick out a
colors. Wonder about the miracle of bloom or two on the Golden
chemistry that transforms trace min- Cholla - a waxy-looking, pale
erals into a veritable kaleidoscope green flower which blends well
with the help of heat and moisture. with the plant color. Underfoot
Leave here and venture up Golden at all times is the miniature Desert
Canyon to the base of Red Cathedral. Star, a mini-Sunflower about the
The western face of that towering size of Lincoln's head on a
structure is now a fire red lighting up Lincoln head penny.
the boulders strewn at its feet. In- Dropping down into the first wash
vestigate the many side canyons and of this canyon, a small, white flower
washes to discover golden, uplifted can be seen ahead virtually floating
land that seems to defy the rules of on air. This is the flower of the
Nature. Tobaccoweed known as Gravel Ghost
The brightness of day is soon to which perches atop a slim tall stem
be at an end. Quickly, now, position of some 18-20 inches in height. On
yourself about one mile up Grotto a slight slope of the canyon wall, a
Canyon road for the finale. Four patch of bright green topped with an
hundred feet below you to the off-white flower can be glimpsed.
north stretches the sand dunes and Reaching the plant, one may be dis-
all of Mesquite Flat. At this appointed by the closed petals which
opposite end of the day, the dunes prevent viewing its internal beauty.
By gently blowing into the flower,
again appear to be altering their
a momentary opening is created
shape and direction as the sun re-
through which startled eyes may
cedes. A wierd shadow is beginning
gaze at the pinkish inner petals and
to form along the eastern slip face
their tiny bases of crimson red.
of the largest dune. Watch intently This is the Desert Fivespot, one of A creosote bush witnesses the dawn, with the moon
as the shadow reaches its height of the most beautiful flowering plants setting, over the dunes at Death Valley National
fantasy—an outline of Pinocchio of Death Valley and, in harsh years, Monument in California
with the unmistakable nose! one of the most difficult to find.
Nature's greatest gift to Death
Valley must be seen in the briefest
of periods during March and April.
Time of day and sun's position is
of less, importance when flower-
waiching. The various elements of
weather, combined in the proper
mix at the proper seasonal time,
can result in a prolific display of
blooms through the Valley.
Commonly, the alluvial fans
spreading out onto the Valley
floor turn into entire slopes of
bright yellow. The Desert Gold,
Evening Primrose, and Goldpoppy
contribute to this coloring. Along- Light and shade contrast i ' the Mesquite flat dunes of Death Valley National
Monument in California.
I J • *,%'.
'X1
I
IN AND AROUND UTAH'S DIXIE
9
P a r t of the duties of the
missionaries was the civilizing of the
Indian tribes of the area. To
i •
P e r h a p s t h e b e s t way to
superfically explore Dixie is by
automobile. While in St. George, be
sure to visit the summer home of
Brigham Young with its period
furnishings. The most predominent
building in the city is the Mormon
Temple, which rises from the valley
floor as a bright white jewel.
Completed in 1877, this was the first
Mormon Temple completed in Utah.
There is a visitor center and the
grounds are open to non-Mormons.
11
To the immediate east of St. George
is the town of Washington. Located at
the western edge of this community is
the remains of the Pioneer Cotton Mills.
As early as 1851, cotton was raised in
Northern Utah. In 1855, it was culti-
vated on a small scale at Santa Clara,
some 9 miles west. The planting of
cotton was in response to orders from
Brigham Young who wished his colon-
ists and colonies to be self-sufficient.
12
Traveling west from St. George to
Santa Clara, one may visit the Jacob
Hamblin house. Built in 1862, the
house doubled as living quarters and
a place of retreat in case of Indian
attack. Tours are conducted through
the house and admission is free.
.
Cliffs behind Springdale, Utah Beehive Kiln at an old Mining Town
13
** ™ ^
1)111
m m W W w 9
g. 1 I
Would you believe that there exists Most of the visitors to the located a few miles northwest of
an area where wild grape vines grow, Coachella Valley visit the standard Palm Springs. Take Interstate 10
trout may be caught, one can picnic destinations: The Palm Springs to the Whitewater offramp, then
under the shade of many trees, and Tramway, the golf courses, Living drive north about five miles on
frolic in a creek of cold, clear water, Desert Reserve, date gardens, and Whitewater Canyon Road. There
all within a few minutes drive of such. But few have the opportunity is a road leading to Whitewater
Palm Springs, California?? to visit Whitewater. The opportuni- from Highway 111, but this is
ties for recreation are strictly out- poorly marked. Once there, you
Yes, there is such a place. And it door. will find an adequate parking area
is a site frequently visited by many and lots of shade. The ranch is
people, all seeking recoreation in a There is a brook, several fishing open the year around every day
variety of forms. The name of the pools, outdoor grills, a shaded pic- except Monday. The hours vary.
area is Whitewater. To most travel- nic area, fish hatchery, and a store Use of the picnic area is reserved
lers, Whitewater is but an offramp with groceries, soft drinks, and for paying guests. One of the
of Interstate 10 on the way to or pole rentals. The pools contain best things about Whitewater
from Arizona or the southern part fully stocked schools of trout with Canyon in the summer is that it's
of the Coachella Valley. But to students eager to "drop out" at at least 10 degrees cooler there
those of us who know, Whitewater the wiggle of a worm. than in the valley.
is an area of unique attractions.
Whitewater Trout Ranch is Would you rather be a big fish
in a little pond or a little fish in
a big pond?? When referring to the
Whitewater Trout Ranch, it makes
no difference. In either case, you'd
have to await your turn at the worm,
so to speak. The pond population is
so dense at times that fishermen, in
baiting their hooks, turn their backs
to avoid the ever watchful eyes of
the fish. It is not sporting to catch
a fish in mid-air.
15
A Water tank along the railroad Wild grapes growing along the road.
18
book and enter the time they spent
looking for gems.
The hot summer desert sun has
bleached out these stones and
colorless, clear crystals flash like
diamonds in the bright sunlight.
With luck, a sharp-eyed person can,
in a few hours, pick up several
sparkling specimens. Everything
that shines is not, however, a gem
stone and the collector soon dis-
covers that most of the flashes
come from worthless fragments
that litter the ground. You will
learn, too, that many of the com-
plete crystals are fractured and are
of little value to collectors.
si
visited by tourists. On the way to
Delta, just a short drive from Ely,
Nevada is the Lehman Caves Park.
These caves are worth the visit.
They are very photogenic.
». '."1
the year and if your vehicle is in
good condition, you should have
little difficulty. However, be
care fill of loose gravel and watch
for wash-outs after a storm. The
•v :
•
with you because if your car does
break down, it might be sometime
before an other car comes along
• ^
Early morning the lizard crawls out of his hole into the sun
When danger threatens the Chuckwalla inflates his body **
21
Exploring Ghost Railroads — An Introduction
By DW Grantham
Chase Gold Mine site. Very quickly, right of way of the Ludlow South-
I must confess that I am a con- over just a period of a year or two, ern Railroad which connected
firmed ghost town buff. I spend I witnessed the town disappear for- Stedman with Ludlow. While
many hours pouring over old books ever into the desert sands through walking the roadbed, I discovered
and maps, hoping to find a lost or a combination of excessive vanda- many things one would not
at least forgotten remnant of the lism and reckless methods for normally be able to see or find.
past that has not yet disappeared collecting camp relics. One morning I found where the train was stored
forever. Over the years, it has while approaching the townsite, I and serviced. Spikes and tie plates
steadily become more and more noticed a plume of smoke rising were occassionally found sticking
difficult to find a site that has not from ahead. Upon arrival at Stedman, out of the sand. And I found
been collected or vandalized. we found a group of visitors from a various sites that indicated they
large city who had set the headframe were previously occupied by
It would not be practical for me of one of the mineshafts on fire and someone who preferred to live
to list all the towns and camps were sitting around watching it burn. close to the railroad.
that have totally disappeared over Their attitude was that of "who
the last decade or so. Ricardo, cares, it is not being used anyway". Then I started to notice the
Garlock, Providence, Stedman, various roads and trails that led
Lavic, the list just goes on and on. This level of destruction led me down from the hills to the road-
One of my more early and un- to seek other, more inaccessable bed. Many had not been used for
pleasant experiences came with sites to explore. I developed my a long time. Following these
exploring Stedman and the Bagdad- idea from walking the abandoned trails often led to a mine site or
22
An Abandoned Railroad right of way.
Note that it is narrow
other center of human habitation.
I was hooked.
REVISITED
Of all of the lost mine stories of L O S T MINES OF THE Indians-arid, the Peralta brothers
the American Southwest, perhaps the PERALTAS hoped, gold mines in the raw. For
best known is that of the Lost Apache thunder gods were first in the Peralta silver mines in Chihuahua,
Dutchman Mine of the Superstition the wild Superstitions. They were after two generations of furnishing a
Mountains of Central Arizona. More there a thousand ages before living in the pleasant manner due
has been written on this fabulously Conquistadores called the unknown Spanish noblemen, were at last near
rich lost mine than one can possibly exhaustion. Their owner, Miguel
land Pimeria Alta, before white men
read. But let's get one thing straight Peralta, had just returned home from
had given a name to that incredibly
right now-I do not believe that the a trip to the headwaters of the Rio
twisted maze of somber canyons and Salado with a perfect way to remedy
Lost Dutchman Mine exists, except as
a mighty tall tale. Nor do I believe jagged, lofty crags which rise abruptly the situation.
that Jacob Waltz or Walzer ever had a like a lost world set apart high above
rich mine, much less a lost or the Arizona wastelands.
" T h i s r i o drains a virgin
carefully hidden one. As always, I wilderness," he told his eager sons,
welcome letters from our readers on The thunder gods are still there hi
"in which gold anywhereill give clues
this subject. Maybe someone out the weird immensity of their domain
to itself as placer-erosion-borne
there knows something I don't. as all ggood Indians will affirm-and
particles~in the riverbed. Follow the
many white men also. But now there
river then until you find such placer
is gold, yellow glittering gold, found gold, and trace it back to its source."
Anyway, through my readings and and lost with bleaching bones to
explorations, I have come to the guard it, and strange noises in the This was excellent prospecting
conclusion that if any lost mine or nightwind. And a pagan curse is advice in any time or country. And it
treasure exists in the Superstitions, it was exactly what Pedro, Ramon and
abroad on the land-the curse of all
is most probably a Peralta discovery Manuel with their little band of
men who have too little and want
or maybe the lost Apache Gold Mine. family retainers were doing as they
too much.
I tend to favor the Peralta discovery, journeyed for endless weeks down
but who is to say that the Peralta's the ever-widening course of the Salt
did not find the Apache Mine or that The curse and the gold were found River. They followed the rushing
the Apache. Indians mined an together nearly a century ago, the waters through high sheerwalled
a b a n d o n e d P e r a l t a location? result of a deliberate treasure hunt. gorges cut through multicolored rock,
(Pesh-la-Chi? But the gold was lost again. And even travelled past boulder-choked rapids
today men are searching for the eight and verdant oases of willow and
fabulous bonanzas which were first cottonwood, briefly green against the
One of the most readable, although worked by the ill-fated Peralta
somewhat "enlivened" accounts of eternal browns and reds and greys of
expedition from Mexico. tuffa, sandstone, basalt and rocky
the Peralta ventures, appeared some
years ago (1945) in this magazine. The year was 1846. It was the soil. Occasionally they tested for gold
The text of that article follows. In period when Santa Fe as capital of a where tributary drainages poured
the next issue, I will explain why I remote frontier province was the water into the river or where
believe the Dutchman never had a jumping off place for a vast western sandbars or riffled bedrock made a
rich bat hidden mine-anywhere. t e r r i t o r y infested by savage natural gold trap in the riverbed
25
/* itself. And always they pressed
relentlessly on toward a horizon as
distant and vague as the purple
clouds at sunset. Then finally on a
lucky fall day they rounded an
abrupt bend in the river's shadowed
chasm to find before them (at the
present site of Mormon Flat) a
veritable paradise in that county of
sun-baked, rainbow-hued rock, a
small, verdant valley in the middle of
which La Barge creek, then unnamed,
tumbled down in minature cascades
from a range of jagged mountains on
the south. From the wild, uncharted
Superstitions!
26
into Boulder creek, on up Needle Canyon which drains the west slopes good ore behind, went down into
Canyon and into the very heart of of Bluff Springs Mountain, and left Needle canyon below, into which the
the Apache Thunder Gods' own another crosscut on the side of a hill. eastern slopes of the black-topped
sacred mountains. There within a Then finally high on the eastern mountain drained, and there made a
region from one to two miles slopes of a black-topped mountain a key marker by driving stones into a
northerly of a towering, hat-shaped mile and a half due north of La giant saguaro cactus. This cactus
peak which he named La Sombrera, Sombrera, he came upon rich twin stood upon the end of a rocky ridge
the placer trail thinned out and he outcrops of reddish, gold bearing which jutted into the canyon and was
fell to prospecting for the source of quartz. Circling around the same consequently outlined in bold relief
the metal. mountain he found a third on the against the sky so that it would have
north side and still another below the been almost impossible for him later
southwestern slopes. Four bonanzas! to pass by without seeing it. Then
First, he tried a steep tributary
from this marker he made a
canyon (now known as Bluff
Exciting weeks fled then in swift triangulation map by drawing the
Springs), followed its brush and
succession while the wheel of fortune outlines of both the fabulous
boulder choked course upward over
spun crazily. But soon provisions mountain to the west and La
waterfalls and cliffs to the top of the
were gone and the mules were Sombrera to the south so anyone
high, plateau like Bluff Springs
could return to the proper region
mountain, and left behind as proof of staggering under capacity loads of
merely by traveling up Needle
his presence narrow exploration shining yellow rock ready to be
Canyon until a point was reached
cross-cuts on several quartz veins. crused in the arrastas. Pedro, after from which both landmarks matched
Again, he tried farther up Needle the fashion of miners who must leave the chart from entirely different
directions.
27
with a fourth share for padre. Ant others into mining and prospecting constantly larger so that Pedro was
will draw each of you a chart shoi parties which were scattered over forced to place more and more of his
you desire later to return." several square miles in the wild region men upon guard duty to protect
around the black-topped mountain those mining. And unknown to him
The two copies of Pedro's map which he had mapped before. under cover of the harrassing attacks
which went south into Sonora with wily Apache chieftains far to the
Ramon and Manuel were bright The prospecting parties almost north across the river were massing
threads in the amazing skein of immediately discovered two more together hundreds of braves with
golden disaster which Apache potential bonanzas above the key whom to destroy at one blow the
Thunder Gods were even then marker in Needle Canyon, both lying invaders who so tenaciously worked
weaving with sardonic mirth. For the upon the steep slopes of a hill jutted and fought within their sacred
towering pinnacles and sheer, chasm- into the canyon from the western mountains.
cliffs of the Superstitions were side. Then directly across from this Pedro's first hint of the impending
age-long Apache domain-sacred hill in a steep-climbing arroyo which catastrophe came from the river on
ground to be guarded with life and ran up the canyon's eastern side and an unlucky September day when a
honor by every savage who feared the under towering cliffs still a third vein scout staggered into camp to gasp out
midsummer lightning bolts and of rich, gold bearing quartz was with his life a horrible tale of
crashing thunder, the roaring floods found. Later, further exploration massacre at the arrastas. The Apaches
of winter which angry deities sent located one more mine site about had slaughtered the astonished
down those deep, rough canyons! three-quarters of a mile east of La workers upon the river and even at
Sombrera, near the western slopes of that moment were ambushing guards
Back from Chihuahua City to La Barge Canyon. But this latter and packers. Then other scouts
mine, which was rediscovered in rushed into camp to inform the
1940, was merely a conglomerate miners that death was indeed upon
those same mountains came Pedro
placer deposit formed in prehistoric them, that hordes of fierce savages
again in the winter of 1847-48 with
times when the mountains lay under were swarming into the Superstitions
68 men and 200 mules. Back to the sea and its gravels failed to match in over-whelming numbers and had
golden fortune-and savage death! in fantastic richness the white and already surrounded them upon all
rose quartz ores of the other seven sides but the west.
No sooner had he returned to the bonanzas.
arrastas upon the river in the fall of
1847 than skulng savages began to Pedro immediately ordered his
appear, were glimpsed here and there There began in the Superstitions mules burdened with treasure had
like furtive ghosts. then feverish activity such as the them packed with all the golden
m o u n t a i n s had never before concentrates which they could carry.
The very nature of that incredibly witnessed. Permanent camps, of A local cowboy in 1901 stumbled
rough country, the somber chasms of which there are still traces, were upon $35,000 worth amid a heap of
La Barge, Boulder and Needle established in Needle, Bluff Springs Spanish-shod mulebones on top of
Canyons, each with its labyrinth of and La Barge Canyons, and in one of the black-topped mountain. And
countless tributary arroyos made the arroyos at the foot of La while the miners fought a desperate
excellent cover in which silent Sombrera Pedro had a stone hut rear-guard action there Pedro himself
Apaches came and vanished like erected from which he could direct buried the remainder on the fabulous
furtive phantoms. And continually the mining. Nearby, too, charcoal pits hill which he had mapped, cutting in
from such vantage places warriors in which to retemper and sharpen solid rock upon the top in the form
kept the gold hungry invaders under drills were dug and fired, trees were of Spanish miner's signs a permanent
surveilance, occasionally transfixed a felled and hewed into mine timbers memorandum of its location and the
luckless miner with flint-tipped and always the shafts were sunk nearby locations of his richest mines.
arrows that seemed to come from deeper and deeper into gold-speckled Then his band of miners fled in
nowhere. ore which busy muletrains gathered frp»i7ied haste toward the open desert
and hauled to the arrastas. And so to the west-fled in the only direction
If Pedro had been a soldier he for many months the profitable which had been left open.
w o u l d h a v e r e c o g n i z e d the business of mining went on.
unmistakable portents of impending But they fled into a trap!
disaster and would have kept his men By now the winter of 1847-48 had
together. But he was a miner and the come and gone, the brief desert Apaches were there waiting, were
mad, driving urge to dig quick spring had long sincefaded and the indeed everywhere-hideously painted
fortune from his mines, the romantic, heat of summer was on the wane. s a v a g e s , r i d i n g madly upon
reckless impulse to search for yet And then suddenly the Apaches, who bare-backed ponies, screaming,
more gold at the same time made had been content with occasional fighting, killing in a blood-thirsty,
him ignore danger. And so he divided raids upon isolated miners and superstitious frenzy. They drove the
his strength, leaving a handful of packers, began to attack in earnest. miners back against the mountain
workers at the arrastas, splitting the The roving bands of warriors grew cliffs within sight and sound of the
present location of Goldfield. Then
28
from all sides came a deadly hail of t h e m i n e s h a f t s and the
arrows, savagely hurled lances . . . . abandoned tools back into the shafts.
yellow-flecked rock which had been Then they covered the mines with
uncovered there would no doubt be stout logs which in turn were covered
The Apaches promptly scalped found again. And then once more an
t h e i r victims and looted the with the natural caliche cement that
invading horde would swarm into the hardens into rock, placing over the
packtrain, thinking they had obtained mountains. Should such a thing occur
a fortune in booty. But unwittingly whole yet another covering in the
once more, said the medicine men cunning Indian fashion-this time of
t h e y l e f t a greater fortune holding solemn council upon the
behind-yellow dirt, so they thought, dirt and surface rocks to match the
matter, the Apaches might forever surrounding ground.
which they dumped disdainfully upon after be punished severely by storms
the ground. Many years later in 1914 and floods and all manner of natural
two prospectors., C.H. Silverlock and But with all this care the Apache
disasters which angry deities could
a partner, digging in curiosity amid squaws left one mine open because
contrive. So it was decreed that a
the debris of a massacre, found part they thought it so well isolated and
band of thirty squaws and two
of it there-$18,000 in glittering hidden that it would never again be
youths would be sent back into the
golden concentrates! found. And it was the most fantastic
Superstitions to destroy all traces of
bonanza of them all, a mere shallow
the workings and cover the mines.
Now the invaders had indeed been pit, newly opened, which was
destroyed to the last man. But there destined to become America's most
And there in the mountains this sought-for mine. This was the
still remained in the sacred domain of work party labored for one full
the thunder gods the sacrilegious legendary treasure that was to
moon, throwing ore and hastily become known later as the Lost
work they had wrought. Moreover,
Dutchman Mine.
by Michael Bandini
San Bernardino County is
literally covered with ghost towns
and vanished camps. Perhaps one of
the lesser known of those ghost
towns is Ivanpah. The name is of
Indian origin and is Southern Piute
for "good water", an obvious
* \
- - . m
' ~ & ;
to the Nevada State line. This, the
original townsite, is not to be
confused with the present day
settlement and railroad facility, by
the same name, on the Union Pacific
, -
Railroad between Nipton and Cima,
Cal. That settlement, which I call
"new Ivanpah", is a relative
youngster, having been founded in
1903.
30
$8.00 silver, the production estimate buildings, a few adobe type block in two large metal tanks for use by
would approximate $35,200,000.00, houses and a few "dugout" type cattle. Wild burros depend upon this
not too shabby even at todays shelters are also recognizable. In source of water and are still watching
inflated prices. addition, there are some remains over the townsite as not very silent
from later attempts to reactivate sentries. If you are fortunate, you
At the peak of production, mining in the area. may be able to take a few good
between 1882 and 1885, Ivanpah photographs of the burros as they
boasted a population of 300. Wagon This is truly a ghost town. Not climb over the washes and hills of the
roads connected the mines with the many people visit the quiet old lady area.
town and led to junctions with roads of yesterday, and a feeling of awe
leading to neighboring towns such as and deep respect is prevalent as one To reach the site of "Old
Goodsprings (Yellow Pine Mining walks around through the ruins and Ivanpah", travel north on Interstate
District) and Barstow (Waterman underbrush. It would not surprise me 15 towards Las Vegas, Nevada. Travel
Junction). The townsite was broken if there are still to be discovered past Barstow, by Baker, and 43.5
up into segments, each one near one dugout homes and adobe ruins in the miles beyond Baker you will
of the springs and having numerous area, buried under many years of approach the Yates Well offramp.
structures located nearby. In addition growth of weeds and brush. Packrats, Exit the freeway at this offramp and
to the usual assortment of residences unmolested by man, have built many travd .6 of a mile west to a stop sign
and commercial buildings, the town large nests. Some of these nests have on a stretch of the old highway.
had a post office, which opened on been found to contain old bottles Make a right turn and travel north.
June 17, 1878. and other relics of interest to the Quickly, you will come across a gate.
ghost town buff or collector of If it is closed, open it and pass
Some of the ruins are identifiable Western Americana. through. BE SURE TO CLOSE THIS
as to their purpose. Two mills were GATE AFTER YOU HAVE DRIVEN
built at the town,and one can be Unfortunately, two of the springs YOUR CAR PAST IT' If it is open,
recognized. The ruins of the smelter, have gone dry, but one still produces you might be kind and close it.
the assay office, someof the stone clear, sparkling water that is caught Otherwise, cattle can wander all over
the place and either get lost or **
injured.
Water Witching
No Water . . . No Charge
Also, we Dowse
for Minerals and Oil
CHARLES W
SHAW
(619) 262-2260
1205 46th St., San Diego, CA 92102
CLASSIFIED ADS
* * * *
track. Squeamish teachers have dis- on the abdomen, then lays one white I.UJL
=•-»
floor. (Dead, some boys chop the wasp when it hatches. D&S •MHM
body hair and use it as itching pow-
der. It is an irritant and used by the Though being host for a parasite is . 1g.-uM.cn. 6000
R/'J'.i
spider in defending itself.) its last act, the tarantula gobbles up " :*.,".
1
!££?•:*
;
„ 19S
.„.
But such youngsters and tarantulas ally minds its own business without
need all the friends they can get. The harm to man. Deserving a better MID
spider, not the boy, has a Nemesis press than it receives, the tarantula
in the form of a wasp, the "Taran- should be recognized as harmless and ,000
tula Hawk" (Pepsis thisbe) which helpful, rather than hirsute and
will take on a tarantula several times horrendous. ///
33
>:,<•
P*1
DICK WICK
HALL
by Karen Davis
It isn't easy to find out who Dick After this, he obtained a job on in the red. To regain the losses, Hall
Wick Hall really was. Most libraries, the old Tewksberry Ranch in printed an edition whose front page
even in Arizona and California have Pleasant Valley. This site, in north- glistened with a coating of real gold
little or no material on him. Randall eastern Arizona, is known as the and copper dust. In that edition, he
Henderson, Founder of DESERT setting of the bloody callteman- made a request for financial support
MAGAZINE says he was a good sheepman feud between the Grahams from his readers. This request was
friend. So just who was he? De and the Tewksberrys. also the first known example of his
Forest Hall (his true name-originally) published humor. It read:
Hall wrote enthusiastic accounts "The past ten months serve to
was born in Creston, Iowa on March of live in Arizona to the family
30, 1877. back home. Thus, his entire family remind us
moved out west. His brother, Ernest Editors don't stand a chan ce
His adventures were numerous. He
attended college , served in a war, later became Secretary of State of Editors don't stand a chance
collected rattlesnakes in Florida, and Arizona. Dick Hall's closest encoun- The more we work we find
went on to become Arizona's great ter with state government was his behind us
humorist. It was at the Nebraska next job-on the construction of the Bigger Patches on our pants
State Fair that Hall heard about the State Capitol. Then let each one show how
Hopi Indians of Arizona and their they like us
DeForest's next venture was an
religious rights. As an amateurrher- Send what you can to Dick
indicator of things to come-as a
petologist, he was intrigued by their Wick Hall
promotor r For the remainder of
use of live rattlesnakes in religious Or when the fall winds come
his life, Hall was to become one of
dances. So, in 1898, at the ripe old to strike us
the greatest promoters of Arizona.
age of 21, Hall travelled to Northern We won't have no pants at all."
This new job also set Hall up as a
Arizona and the Hopi Reservation. newspaperman. The job was editing
Here he took a job as a census taker. This is also the first time we
the Wickenburg News-Herald, which find his new name in use. By
He then lived with the Hopi for a had not been an outstanding success
while, gaining a valuable insight into court order, he had it changed.
before, and which, after about 10 From an article in the April 27,
the people and their philosophies.
months under his guidance, went deep 1902 ARIZONA REPUBLICAN,
34
In 1903 or 1904, Dick, tired
From 7906 ««/*'/ few de<rtfc /« 7926, of prospecting around the area
D/c£ IF<V& HW/ brought inter- with his brother, Ernest, began
national fame to the town he founded. plans to develop the Salome area.
He is shown here in front of his He had become a victim of gold
fever when a miner, thought to
"Laughing Gas" service station.
• -
be Shorty Alger, set off a dyna-
mite blast which uncovered a
fabulously rich pocket of gold-
• • " i *?[ comes the following: "Dick Hall
ore running $100 or more per
came down from Wickenburg
pound (gold sold for less than $20
yesterday and will be in the city
an ounce at this time). In no
(Phoenix) for a few days. He came
time at all, some 2,000 people were
for the express purpose of chang-
. - 1 milling around the area west of
ing his name and he is not going
Wickenburg. The bonanza was short
to get married to accomplish that
lived and most prospectors went
purpose either. He says 'Dick' is
•"•m,fl back home.
all right for a name as far as it
goes, but it doesn't go far enough. Dick decided that gold was not
% He is going to space it out there- only where, but in whatever form
- " I B ^^^ssiKr / \ fore with the alliterative name of
'Wick' so that hereafter he will be
you found it, so he and Ernest
filed on 100,000 acres of land and
r. ••>
1 known as 'Dick Wick Hall.' This
is purely a matter of patriotism
sank a well. This was called the
Grace Valley Development Company.
35
Hall also began promoting a mine
north of the settlement, and he gave
this the ever glamorous name of the
Arizona Northern, or better known
U
j \ ADE WITH A LAUGH ON A UII.'EOOFA?H BY A BOUGH IJFCK as the Glory Hole. Litigation and
A BIGGER UNPAID CIRCULATION THAU LYPIA PIKKHAM'6 bad engineering advice tied up the
DICK WICK HALL, EDITOR - "PUT" DRAWS THE SCENERY mine for many years and therefore,
only the very rich "glory hole"
SALOME, YUMARESQiJE COUNTY, ARIZONA,
ores were ever extracted. For a
DEAfl "WHERE SHE DANCEU1"
further story on the mine, see
I Thank You' f o r t n » K i n d l y F e e l i n g whloh Desert, May 1985.
Prompted You t o w r i t e me Such a Nioe L e t t e r - and I
Want t o A p o l o g i z e f o r n o t b e i n g Able t o w r i t e You a Both of these ventures were to
Warm P e r s o n a l L e t t e r R i g h t Now, but So Many FolkB have be placed on the back burner when
b e e n s e n d i n g ire P o s t a l Soquata - or e l s a Wanting t o Dick decided that the railroad
Know How Do I Gat That Way - t h a t ona Corner o f t h e
Laughing Gas S t a t i o n i a A l l P l l a d up F u l l o f Unanswered under construction from Wickenburg
M a l l , and I c a n ' t Keep Up. I am a 100 M i l e s from Phoenix to Earp offerred attractive financial
and 300 from Los Angeloa and a l l tha Good ( l o o k i n g ) possibilities. Along with E.S.Jones
S t e n o g r a p h a r a a r e A f r a i d t o Come Hore t o Work f o r me on
a c c o u n t o f t h e Un Temad Cow Boya o r a l a a t h e y a r e j u a t he opened a store to supply the
J e a l o u s o f tha way Salome d a n c a a . needs of the railroad builders and
I d o n ' t know What E l s a t o Do, so I am g r i n d - their employees. This store was run
; I n g o u t t h i s Temporary E x p r e s s i o n o f My A p p r e c i a t i o n by Jones who had operated a simi-
I :•>-.. o f your W r i t i n g ma, w h i c h was good f o r Both o f
" <i -'-' Ua, a s F l o w e r s i s S o a r c e Out Here and i t i a Always lar one in Congress and Wickenburg.
tha B e s t Way t o Send - and to Gat - tha F l o w a r s Before
,' t h e F u n e r a l - which Most o f Us Never Do, a n d have t o During the next few years, Dick
Walt u n t i l A f t e r we a r e Dead t o Find Out What Fdlka spent much of his time promoting
t h o u g h t a b o u t u a . So I Thank You f o r t h e V e r b a l and oil, mining, and real estate in
Mental Floirora, i n c l u d i n g t h e Brlok B a t s and B o u l d e r s
which s o m e t i m e s oome a l o n g w i t h t h e B o q u a t s , and Some California, Utah, Louisana, Texas,
o f t h e s e d a y s , a s soon a s I oan Get Time, I w i l l and even Phoenix. But he always
w r i t e you a R e a l L e t t e r - mayba t h i s Year o r Next - ' " returned to his own town,Salome.
whioh i s P r o t t y Soon f o r t h i s o o u n t r y , where some
o f t h e Mountains axe Over a M i l l i o n Years Old and With the coming of the state
Look J u s t t h e Same l i k e t h e y d i d whan I f i r s t oorae MAMA
h e r e and P l a n t e d t h e C a c t u s i n A r i z o n a . highway, which paralleled the
railroad from Wickenburg, busi-
I t Kseps ce p r e t t y Busy Watering t h s
Frog and t e l l i n g Bed Time S t o r i e s to my Family ness picked up. Unfortunately,
o f Household P a t a , . w h i c h "Put" h a s made some l i t t l e this dictated a move for the town
P i c t u r e s h e r e o f f o r you to S e e , and in Between Times I as it was north of the railroad
p e d d l a Laughing Gas ar.d Gum and B u l l Durham to F o l k s
Going to - o r 5oair.~ From - C a l i f o r n i a by t h e B e s t <4 tracks and the highway was on
Shorteot Route. A l l T o u r i a t 6 e i t h e r Smoke the B u l l the south side. One of the
or e l s a t h s y P e d d l e i t - and I Do Both - f o r Over better known businesses was
30 Years - and So Long now t h a t I F e e l A l l Undressed
i f I h a v e n ' t Got a Sack o f B u l l Somewhere in my the Blue Rock Inne, operated
C l o t h e s - which i s about A n you need C l o t h e s f o r Here by the Jones family. The
i n t h e Suunser Time. Even My Frog l a P a r t B u l l . I have other was the auto garage.
g o t to Quit Now. I hoar a T o u r i s t H o l l e r i n g O u t s i d e
D p .. u . , _ where Sirro o f "Jy P a t s haa made him Climb a C a c t u s , The garage was on Hall's land
ncL> n u i which i s j u s t Their Way o f Having a L i t t l e Fun, and
PAPA I Don't Like to have Strangers Get Rough with My and he was a partner in the busi-
Cactus and Er9ak tha Thorns a l l Off. ness. Quickly, it became much
Yours, U n t i l the Frog Learns to Swim. more than a garage. Hall realized
that motor travel was here to stay
— ' •• , ADIOS, AUIGC:
HAPPINESS IS JUST i
so he set about planning to land
A STATE OF KIND, i more of the tourist business.
Calling on his knack for words
DICK WICK HALL
and his humor, he renamed the
garage "The Laffing Gas Station,"
and began publicizing it by means
of a unique, single sheet news-
paper, which he called the "SALOME
SUN," avowedly "Just for f u n -
made with a laugh on a memeograph
A W A R M t3A6 s < SEVEN YEARS OLD by a rough neck staff." This was, he
HOT AT BOTH EUDS CUwi> I N ANP i CAN'T S W I M
said, a first class newspaper-—
J'U SAY ITS DRY
"because it has to be sent out in an
envelope with a 2 cent stamp on it."
In Hop dress
39
Desert Magazine Book Shop
PLACE NAMES OF THE
DEATH VALLEY REGION ROADSIDE GEOLOGY SERIES
by
Each volume discusses the geology of a certain
T.S. Palmer geographic area, using access by road as their
A paperback reprint of a very basis for observation and visitation.
scarse book. The original print-
ing was limited to 200 copies. Arizona 9.95
Lists names of people, places, Northern California 9.95
things, etc. for the region, gives Colorado 9.95
location, origin of name, earliest
known source. A valuable reference Northern Rockies 9.95
work for the Death Valley fan. Texas 6.95
§7.50
40
DESERT MAGAZINE BOOK SHOP
NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MINING CAMPS TURQUOISE, GEM OF THE CENTURIES
by Stanley W. Paher. Covering all of Nevada's 17 Large size, beautiful color photographs. One
counties, the author has documented 575 mining of the best books on this colorful stone. 7.95
camps, many of which have been erased from the
earth. The book contains the greatest and most CENTRAL ARIZONA GHOST TOWNS
complete collection of historic photographs of Contains many listings of ghost towns and
Nevada ever published. Large 9 x 12 size, 700 mining camps of Central Arizona including
photographs. Hardbound. 30.00 Prescott, Congress, The Bradshaw Mountains
and more. Hardbound. 4.95
LOST MINES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST
by John D. Mitchell. The first of Mitchell's lost WHERE TO FIND GOLD IN THE DESERT
mine books is now available again. Reproduced by James Klein. Discusses areas of Calif. &
from the original and contains 54 articles based Arizona where gold can be found, how to
on accounts from people Mitchell interviewed. prospect, pan, stake a claim. Paper. 4.95
He spent his entire adult life investigating reports
and legends of lost mines and treasures of the
Southwest. $10.00
41
Great Way to Save
The editor of DESERT MAGAZINE welcomes the experiences
Your Back Issues of and opinions of readers (and desert lovers) and will publish as
Desert Magazine many letters as space permits. Letters to the Editor should be
addressed to us at P. O. Box 1318, Palm Desert, Calif. 92261.
No unsigned letters will be considered, but names will be with-
held upon request. The only exception would be the man
who found the Pegleg Gold who may remain unknown.
ZIP CODE
Each binder holds twelve
issues. D SEND GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO:
ADDRESS
Address
One Year $15.00 D PAYMENT ENCLOSED
City
State . D ALSO SEND DESERT'S 12-ISSUE
-Zip
HANDSOME BROWN VINYL BINDER FOR
Desert Binders
Post O f f i c e Box 1318 Date Binder's) with Year(s) O Undated |
Palm t e s e r t , Cat. 92261 J
42
T/V i* *
^ PfM*^5i ^
BY: D.W. GRANTHAM
First, a note to all our loyal subscribers and in particular to the librarians among us—This issue, January—February 1985
is Volume 49, Number 1. There is no Volume 48, Number 6 as this issue was delayed by the Christmas holidays and we
decided to incorporate parts of it into this issue. All subscription expiration dates have been revised to account for this
change. At present, DESERT MAGAZINE will be mailed in the odd numbered months. In this way, you should receive
your copies earlier and there will be no long delay during the Christmas season.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On page two of this issue is a preview of coming attractions. We have lined up some very interesting and unique articles.
The list is not complete—there are many more subjects we will be covering, but could not list them due to the limited
amount of space on a page. The uncoming articles on Arizona Ghost Towns and the Gold Park, California article promise
to be excellent. As always, DESERT MAGAZINE will accept articles from its readers and any other knowledgable party
who cares to submit one. The rules are on the bottom of page 3.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Starting in the next issue will be the return of one of the favorite columns of many readers—letters to the editor. Do you
have a question?? Or a comment?? Or maybe you would like to discuss a subject. Drop us a line. A self-addressed stamped
envelope will be required for a reply.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We have received a lot of mail recently with many letters asking the same question—Is DESERT MAGAZINE in print.
Obviously the answer is yes, yet many of our former readers do not know about us. If you happen to know anyone who
is a desert lover, please let them know about Desert. For 1985, we would like to have a healthy increase in subscribers.
We are at a point now where more subscribers will enable us to increase the frequency of publication with no increase in
cost. Simply put,that means the more subscribers we get, the more issues you get.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Am wondering what the weather will be like for the next few months. Here on the desert, we have had a lot of rain, and yes,
even some snow. If the rainfall keeps up, then this could be a good year for the wildflowers. Will let you know how this
progresses. There has been so much development in the Coachella Valley that there will be little area left for the Sand
Verbena and the Primrose. I wonder if the Federal Government has such a thing as an endangered flower? I am afraid that
we will have to look to the foothills of San Diego, Northern Los Angeles, and Kern County for Wildflowers in the future.
And of course, selected parts of the Desert such as Joshua Tree National Monument and Anza Borrego.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
43