196912 desert magazine 1969 december

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D e s e r t M a g a z i n e B o o k S h o pROAD MAP OF CALIFORNIA'S PIONEER-TOWNS,GHOST-TOWNS AND MINING-CAMPS compiledby B. V. Terry. More than 400 place names arepr inted in red on this 38 x 25 blue and whi t eroad map with nor thern Cal i forn ia on one sideand Southern California on the other . $2.95.A GUIDE FOR INSULATOR COLLECTORS by JohnC. Tibbills. Long t ime collector and author ofseveral bott le books, the author has wri t ten twovolumes on insulators, covering 90 percent ofth e f ie ld . Insulators in Vol. 1 (127 pages] aredif ferent than those in Vol. 2 (119 pages l .Paperbacks, well i l lustrated. $3.00 each. OR-DER BY VOLUME NUMBER.ANZA-BORREGO DESERT GUIDE by Horace Par-ker. Third edit ion of th is wel l - i l lus t rated anddocumented book is enlarged considerably. Topsamong guidebooks, it is equal ly recommendedfor research material in an area that was crossedby Anza, Kit Carson, the Mormon Bat ta l ion,'49ers, Railroad Survey part ies, Pegleg Smith, theJackass M a i l , Butterf ield Stage, and today 'sadventurous tourists. 139 pages, cardboardcover , $3.50.THE MYSTERIOUS WEST by Brad Williams andChoral Pepper. Rare book examines legends thatcannot be proven true, nor unt rue. New evi-dence presented in many cases which maychange the history of the West. Hardcover.$5 . 95 .THE WEEKEND GOLD MINER by A. H. Ryan. Anelectronic physicist "bitten by the go ld bug,"the author has wri t ten a concise and in format ivebook for amateur prospectors tel l ing where andhow gold is found and how it is separated andtested, all based on his own pract ical ex-perience. Paperback, 40 pages, $1.50.BEACHCOMBER'S GUIDE TO THE PACIFIC COASTby the Editors of Sunset Books. Provides infor-mat ion about the publicly accessible beachesfrom San Diego to Cape F lat tery , Washington.Complete data on w h a t to do and w h a t to seewith detai led maps. Large format , four-colorcover, heavy paperback, 112 pages, $1.95.G E M , MINERAL AND4-WHEEL-DRIVE MAPS com-piled by Dale Hileman. Maps showing gemand mineral col lect ing areas, roads for passen-ger cars and 4WD roads only. Map No. 1 is onLast Chance Canyon, Mesquite Canyon andI ron Canyon in Kern County. Map No. 2 coversthe Opal Mountain and Black Canyon areas inSan Bernardino County. Map No. 4 is on theRandsburg - El Paso Mountains area. All are on16x17- inch parchment paper. $1.00 per map.

DEATH VALLEY BOOKSPublished by the Death Valley '49ers thesef ive volumes have been selected by ' 49ersas outstanding works on the history of DeathVal ley . All are durable paperback on slickstock.A NATURALIST'S DEATH VALLEY (Revised edi-tion) by Edmund C. Jaeger, ScD $1.50MANLY AND DEATH VALLEY. Symbols of Des-t iny , by Ardis Manly Walker $1.25GOODBYE, DEATH VALLEY! The story of theJayhawker Par ty , by L. Burr Belden. $1.50CAMELS AND SURVEYORS IN DEATH VALLEYBy Arthur Wo odw ard $2.00DEATH VALLEY TALES by 10 di f ferent au-thors $1.25

MEXICAN COOK BOOKBy EDITORS OF SUNSET BOOKS

Mexican recipes for gringo cooks havebeen thoroughly tested and suited forproducts available in the United States.Includes comprehensive shopping guide,all cooking techniques and recipes rang-ing from soup to desserts and drinks.Large, slick paper format, well illustrated,96 pages.$1.95

HISTORY OF THE SIERRA NEVADA by Francis P.Farquhar. History of the Spaniards , Argonauts ,pioneers, mil i tary and ra i l road bui lders whofought and conquered the rugged Sierra NevadaMountains . Paperback, i l lus t rated, 262 pages,$2 . 65 .S U N , SAND AND SOLITUDE by Randall Hender-s o n . For more than 50 years Randall Hendersonhas traveled across the deserts of the West unt i lt oday he is known as the voice and prophet orthis region of mystery, sol i tude and beautyFounder of Desert Magazine in 1931, he has de-voted his l i fe to unders tanding the great out-doors. His second and latest book is a culmin-at ion of his experiences, thoughts and philoso-phy. Hardcover, deluxe format, deckle-edgedpaper, 16 pages ful l color, excellent i l lustrat ions,$7 . 95 .LOWER CALIFORNIA GUIDE BOOK by Gerhardand Gulick. The authors have revised the th i rdedi t ion to br ing it up to date. Veteran travelersin Baja Cal i forn ia would not venture south ofthe border wi thout th is author i tat ive volume. Itcombines the fascinat ing history of every loca-t i on , whether it be a town, miss ion or a b a n -doned ranch, w i th detai led mi leage maps andlocat ions of gasoline supplies, water and otherneeded informat ion on Baja. 243 pages wi ththree-color fo lded map, 16 detai led route maps,4 city maps, 22 i l lus t rat ions. Hardcover $6.50.NEW MEXICO PLACE NAMES edited by T. M.Pearce. Published by the University of NewMexico, this book l ists and gives a concise his-tory of all the places, towns, former sites,mountains, hi l ls, mesas, r ivers, lakes, arroyos,etc., in New/ Mexico, including those sett led bythe early Spaniards. Paperback, 817 pages wi thmore than 5000 names, $2.45.MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by L. Burr Belden.About fabulous bonanzas, prospectors and lostmines. Paperback. $1.95.

TRAVEL GUIDE TO ARIZONA by the Editors ofSunset Books. Completely revised new edi t ioninc ludes maps, photographs and descript ivemater ia l for the t raveler throughout Ar izona.Large format, four-color cover, heavy paper-back, 96 pages , $1 . 95 .BOTTLES AND RELICS by Marvin and HelenDavis. This latest bott le book has more than 30pages of fu l l -color i l lus t rat ions wi th the bott lesshown in natural sett ings. In add i t i on to thecolor there are also dozens of black and whi t ephotos of more than 500 bott les. It also includessections of collect ion and d isp lay of relics suchas guns, horns, cooking utensils and other col-lectors' i tems. Slick paperback, 155 pages, four-color cover. $4.50.DEATH VALLEY U.S.A. by Kenneth Alexander.An excel lent photographer, the author presentsthe moods and history of Death Val ley throughhis pictures and descript ive text. One of thebest quali ty books published on Death Val ley .Beaut iful gif t . Large 9 x 1 1 format , qual i typaper, profusely i l lus t rated, hardcover , $8.50.1000 MILLION YEARS ON THE COLORADO PLA-TEAU by Al Look. For 40 years the author hashiked over and explored the Colorado Plateau.Cit ing the area as a t ypical example of theearth 's overal l evolut ion, he gives a v iv id ac-count of the geology, paleontology, archeologyand uranium discover ies s tar t ing back 1000mil l ion years . Wr i t ten for the l a y m a n , the non-f ict ion account reads l ike a journey throught ime. Hardcover, i l lustra ted, 300 pages , $3 . 75 .METAL DETECTOR HANDBOOK by Art Lassagne,2nd edition. Includes history, operat ing tech-niques, interpretat ion of signals, and Directoryof Manufacturers . One of the most completehandbooks of its kind. Paperback, 65 pages.$ 3 . 0 0 .HO W TO COLLECT ANTIQUE BOTTLES by JohnC. Tibbitts. A fascinat ing insight of ear ly Amer i -ca as seen through the eyes of the medic inecompanies and thei r adver t is ing almanacs. Ex-cellent book for avid bott le col lectors and thosejust start ing. Also includes chapters on collect-i n g , locat ions and care of bott les. Heavy, sl ickpaperback, wel l i l lus t rated, 118 pages, $4.00.FANTASIES OF GOLD by E. B. Sayles. Duringhis search for archeological f inds for more than30 years , the author was exposed to the rumorsand legends of lost gold and t reasures. Afterhis ret irement as curator of the Arizona StateMuseum, he classif ied and delved into thesest i l l unsolved mysteries. An interest ing and in-format ive book on lost bonanzas and legends,many of which have never been publ ished.Hardcover , wel l i l lus t rated, 135 pages , $6 . 50 .

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W I L L I A M K N Y V E T T , P U B L I S H E RJ A C K P E P P E R , EDITOR

JACK DELANEY, Staff WriterJOLEEN ROBISON, Woman 's Viewpoint Editor

Volume 32, Num ber 12 DECEMBER, 1969

Covered with a blanket ofsnow, Arizona's Oak CreekCanyon has its own nativeChristmas trees which con-trast with the red rockformations of the scenicvalley. Photo by Don Val-entine, Whittier, Calif.

TRAIL TO McCOY SPRINGCALIENTE'S BIG YEAR

HOW TO AVOID A BORDER INCIDENTTHE ELF OWL

THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWLALL THINGS TO ALL MEN

CANDLES OF THE LORDSCRATCH ONE LOST MINE

DOWN A DESERT HIGHWAYVULTURE MINE ADVENTURE

by Richard Bloomquistby M ike Engleby Jack Delaneyby K. L. Boyntonby Helen Walkerby Robert Hiltunenby Bernice Johnstonby Burrell C. Dawsonby Ann Showalterby Betty J. Tucker

E P A R T M E N T

A PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKEBOOK REVIEWS

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTSWOMAN'S VIEWPOINT

LETTERS

by William Knyvettby Jack PepperClub A ctivitiesby Joleen A. R obisonReader's Comments

ELTA SHIVELY, Executive Secretary MARVEL BARRETT, Circulation Manager

EDITORIAL AN D CIRCULAT ION OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea, Palm Desert, California 92260, AC 714 346-8144. NA TION AL ADVER-TISING OFFICES: 8580 Melrose Street, Los Angeles 90069, AC 213 653-5847. Listed in Standard Rate and Data. Subscription rates:United States, Canada & Mexico, 1 year, $5.00; 2 years, $9.50, 3 years, $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 currency for each year.See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allow five weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresses with zip codesDesert Magazine is published monthly. Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additional mailing offices under Act ofMarch 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1969 by Desert Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing.Unsolicited manuscripts and photo graphs WILL NO T BE RETU RNE D unless accompanied by a self-addressed and stamped envelope.


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A I N B O W ' SE N D . . .begins with a

T R E A S U R E L O C A T O R '

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A P e e ki n th eP u b l i s h e r sP o k eT I H E 2 5 T H of December will soonbe upon us once again and tomy mind it is a pity that Christmascomes but once a year. The specialfeeling of brotherhood to man thatfills the air is a good one. It is also atime of the year when being warm andfriendly is accepted for its worth andnot with a grain or two of suspicionthat one must have some ulteriormotive to be so moved. The poor,whose need is not any greater inDecember than it was in March orMay, are magically remembered; friends and relatives who have somehow strayed awayto distant fields are suddenly brought to mind, cards exchanged and pleasant daysfrom times long past are relived. What a revelation for all if this atmosphere couldprevail for more than just one week in fifty-two. It is a pity.

The fact that the Holy Land is also a desert region brings us even closeras the time for heavenly remembrance draws near. One should stop from time to timeto assess his reason and purpose in life, and a more fitting occasion could notpossibly arise. DESERT has chosen this month to feature an editorial and photographicarticle entitled All Things to All Men. Two gifted artists, neither one aware of theother, chose this time to submit individual efforts. The uniting of the text by RobertHiltunen with the photographs of Richard Weymouth Brooks produces a most movingand approp riate presentation. W e hope that all readers will share our thoughts andperhaps, God willing, peace will come to all men as we know it on our desert.Rounding out the December issue is the color photo of yuccas in bloom atVasquez Rocks in Southern California, taken by Roland and Karen Muschenetz.

With a New Year approaching we take pleasure in announcing not onebu t tw o new columns which will grace our pages starting with the January issue.For you rockhounds out there Glenn and Martha Vargas will be bringing you theirRambling on Rocks which should be of interest to so many. Glenn has taught classeson lapidary and jewelry for some 23 years and he currently instructs at The Collegeof the Desert in Palm Desert. For you dyed-in-the-wool desert buffs Eric Johson,a horticulturist, presently residing in Palm Springs and writing a Sunday column forthe Los Angeles Times, will commence his Desert Gardening feature. We here atDESERT Magazine are more fortunate than somewe know we're starting out theNew Year right and are sure you will agree.

Something new has been added to our little book shop. W e have incorporateda small Indian Crafts Corner with a selection of hand-made silver and turquoisejewelry. And the next time you are in the area drop in and visit our "bead trees."The staff joins me in wishing each and every one of you a Very MerryChristmas and a Happy New Year!


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Am az in g 2 00th Ann iversary Celebrat ionLim ited Tim e O ffer on th i s New Edit ion

O FFon this new200th Anniversaryedition ofENCYCLOPAEDIABRITANNICAY o u g e t a l l v o l u m e s n o w . . . d i r e ct f ro m t h e pu b li s h e r . . .p ay l a te r o n e a s y B o o k a M o n t h P a y m e n t P l a n

Few people are aware that the first ed ition of Br itannica wasorigina lly published over a three-year p eriod. That is why thepublishers have decided to extend the Anniversary Celebration.

Yes, the response to our 200th Anniver-sary Celebration last year was so favor-able that Encyclopaedia Britannica hasextended the Celebration, by makingavailable to you now, a completely newoffer. Under this new offer you may ob-tain this magnificent new 200th Anni-versary edition pictured above at afull 25% discount for this year only!In addition to this new offer, we'll in-clude Britannica Junior, free of extracost, on our Cooperative Plan. Both setswill be placed in your home NOW, yo upay later on convenient budget terms.It's as easy as buying a book a month.Benefits P a s s e d o n t o Yo u . You maywonder how we're able to make thisdramatic discount offer. First, becausewe hope for great demand on this mag-nificent new 200th Anniversary edition,we'd expect to materially reduce ourcosts. And, because we'd like everyyoungster to have the advantages ofthese two great encyclopaediasto helpwith homework and to answer questionswe pass these benefits on to you.Bri tann ica Junior is written, illustratedand indexed especially for children ingrade school... easy to read and under-stand, rich in picture interest and care-

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world's great authorities.Essential fo r Homework. For students,Britannica is indispensable. It is thefinest, most complete reference pub-lished in America. Its use develops theactive, alert minds that bring success inschool and later life. May we send youour special new 200th AnniversaryPreview Booklet which pictures anddescribes the latest edition? For yourfree copy and complete informationabout this dramatic discount offer a v a i l a b l e o n l y d u r i n g t h i s y e a r plusBritannica Junior free of extra cost onour Coop Plan, mail the coupon now.

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B o o kRev i ewsby Jack Pepper

THE CAHUILLA INDIANSBy Harry C. ]ames

There are few people who have notheard of or read about the Navajo, Hopi,Zuni and Apache Indians of the Westbut there are only afew who have know-ledge ofthe Cahuilla Indians ofSouth-ern California.Yet, this comparatively small tribe

played an important part in the early set-tlement of California byhelping andworking with white settlers instead ofwaging wars to protect their lands. Theydid with peaceful means what many otherIndians tried to do with war paint. Un-fortunately, inmany cases, their under-standing and tolerance ofthe white man

was greater than that of the invadingsettlers.

First printed in I960, The CahuillaIndians has been out ofprint for manyyears and has only recently been repub-lished. Afitting tribute tothe authorand aproof of the authenticity ofhisbook isthe fact the new edition is pub-lished by the Malki Museum Press. Lo-cated on the Morongo Reservation nearCabazon, the Malki Museum was estab-lished and is run by the Cahuilla Indians.It isopen to the public and well worththe time.

In addition tothis book, James haswritten four other works onAmericanIndians. His compassion fortheir pastand present plight is evident in all of hiswritings.His other books are The Treasure of

the Hopitu,, Haliksai! ABook ofLeg-ends of theGrand Canyon Country,The Hopi Indians, and Red Man-WhiteMan.

In The Cahuilla Indians he tells whothey were, how they lived, their legendsand ceremonial life, and the impact theyhad on the history of California. Itis in-

teresting to note the Cahuillas belongtothe Shoshonean division ofthe Uto-Az-tecan linguistic family which includessuch diverse peoples as the Hopi, Papagoand Pimas of Arizona, the Utes of Colo-rado and Utah and the Aztecs of Mexico.Other chapters are devoted toperson-alities: Juan Antonio, known as the "Lionof the Cahuilla" who devoted his life tocreating peace between his people and thewhite man; Fig Tree John, shrewd andcolorful trader who some people stillthink found agold bonanza in the SantaRosa Mountains; Ramona Lubo and JuanDiego whose tragic story was the basisfor the famous novel and pageant Ra -mona by Helen Hunt Jackson.

Miss Jackson's Ramona and her otherbook A Century of Dishonor helpedbring national attention to the plight ofthe American Indians.In his last up-to-date chapter, the au-thor discusses the complex problem ofthe Cahuilla Indians today and their rolein thefuture, especially in the PalmSprings area where swimming pools andgolf courses have replaced springs, cor-rals and ceremonial houses. Hardcover,illustrated, 185 pages, $7.50.

PACIFIC NORTH! GIVE BOOKS THIS CHRISTMASby Don HolmA new and different kind ofsport fishing guidebook about the fabulousNorth Pacific rim. Ittakes you from skin diving for abalone and cabezon inMonterey Bay to salmon fishing in British Columbia and jigging for tomcod inthe Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. It also tells the fascinating story of theNorth Pacific itself, weather, harbors, marine attractions, and includes an up-to-date directory of all marine game fishes, fishing gear and boats. Compiledand written by the wildlife editor of The Oregonian.Approx. 350 pages, more than 60 illus. from photographsReady DECEM BER $12.50

OLD-FASHIONED DUTCH OVEN COOKBOOKby Don HolmAn outdoor cookbook specializing in old-fashioned Dutch oven cookery andin sourdough. There are many tempting recipes for hu ngry fishermen and hu nt-ers, including pot roasts, Mulligan stews, and dishes made from bear meat,buffalo, woodchuck. It has aspecial section on sourdough cooking, and a sectionof favorite recipes of outdoor writers of the Northwest.Paperback, approx. 106 pagesReady NOV EMBER $3.95

N O R T H TO D A N G E RBy Virgil Burford as told to Walt MoreyThe true adventures of ayoung American who sought work and excitementin Alaska and found plenty of both. Penniless w hen he arrived he went on toearn agood living as adeep-sea diver. He also tried pro specting, hunted th eKodiak bear, and sailed with Alaska fish pirates.Approx. 274 pagesReady DECEM BER $5.00For Details of These and Other New Caxton Titles Please Write for BrochuresThe CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd.Caldwell, Idaho 83605


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MEN ALONG THE TRAILBy Neil M. ]udd

Neil M. Judd's archeological trail be-gan in the summer of 1907 with an ex-ploration of the Indian ijiins and naturalbridges in White Canybn, Utah. Fromthere the trail led to other explorationsin northern Arizona, southern Utah andGuatemala.Along the way he met the desert peo-ple and settlers living in the isolatedareas where he worked. The well-knownarcheologist describes the places he visit-ed, the archeological endeavors, such asthe restoration of the prehistoric Betata-kin Ruins in the Navajo National Monu-ment, and relates anecdotes about thewealth of people with whom he loved,worked and spoke. Hardcover, illustratedwith rare old photographs, 161 pages,$5.00.

BODIE: GHOST TOWN 1968By Thomas W. Moore

Although the photographer-author hasselected a famous ghost town in Califor-nia as his location, he could very wellhave titled his book Ghost Town U.S.A.Within the pages of this volume he hascaptured the moods of the once boisterousmining town of the Westthe moods ofthe past and the present.

NOTICEUnless otherwise stated inthe review, all books re-viewed in DESERT Maga-zine are available throughthe Desert Magazine BookShop. Please add 50 centsper order (not per book)for handling and postage.California residents mustalso add 5 percent salestax for the total amount of

books.

Many times I have walked down thewind-swept streets of America's ghosttowns and, as I entered the silent build-ings whose only sound is a creaking shut-ter, imagined I could hear the raucouslaughter of the men who today rest un-der Boot Hill.Behind the buildings, which have with-stood the sand and snow for a hundred

years, can be found rusty mule shoes,rotted pokey bags which once containedgold nuggets, and a shriveled and sun-baked "high button" shoe which oncecovered the tiny ankle of a "shady lady."Was it the laughter of these ladies Iheard, or just the wind?Tn his pictorial presentation of Bodie,Thomas Moore has captured these im-pressions and moods for those who havevisited ghost towns and for those whohave not been able to do so.His black and white and color photo-graphs are made even more poignant bythe imaginative text accompanying eachillustration.The author visited Bodie during thehot summer months and during the win-ter when snows covered the buildingsand graves of what was once called "TheWildest Town in the West."Bodie, Ghost Town, 1968 is more thana story or a collection of photographs. Itis an experience in which the author takes

you with him as he goes back 100 yearsinto the exciting and historic past ofWestern America. Highly recommendedfor your own library or as a gift. Large9 x 12 format, full-page photographs onquality paper, hardcover, $8.50.

STOP THATTHIEF WITHI OCKSTRAPA revolutionary new designsecures all G.I. cans to yourcarrier. Attaches to rear slot.If for 4" high rear panelstate i f 1" slot or i y 2 " slot.All steel construction, brightzinc plated. e , - Type D Only 9 I IOU

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N e w f a c t u a le v i d e n c eo n th el e g e n d so f th e W e s t

By Brad Williams andChoral Pepper

This book examines many little-known stories and legends thathave emerged from the westernregion of North America.Included are such phenomena asthe discovery of a Spanish galleonin the middle of the desert; thestrange curse that rules over SanMiguel Island; the discovery of oldRoman artifacts buried near Tuc-son, Arizona; the unexplained be-heading of at least 13 victims inthe Nahanni Valley; and manyother equally bewildering happen-ings. Elaborate confidence schemesand fantastically imagined hoaxesare documented, along with newfactual evidence that seems to cor-roborate what were formerly as-sumed to be tall tales.Hardcover, illustrated, 192 pages.$5.95

Send check or money order toDesert Magazine Book Shop,Palm Desert, Calif. 92260Add 50 cents for postage andhandling. California residentsadditional 30 cents tax.


8/44

T r a i l t oM c C o yS p r i n gby Richard A. Bloomquist

I N T HE desert's heart there are hiddenplaces where beauty and mysteryabide, and where the pleasures of dis-covery still reward the traveler of dimtrails. McCoy Spring in California'sColorado Desert is such a place. Luredby its remote setting, I found a landlightly touched by man, yet rich in his-toric associations.The trail to McCoy Spring starts 29miles east of Desert Center at Interstate10's Wiley Well Road off-ramp inRiverside County. Here you turn ontoa pole line road that parallels the free-way for over a mile, then dips under itand finally gains the McCoy Springroad proper on the north side of Inter-state 10. For nearly nine miles from thispoint the unimproved track to the springfollows the western base of the lean-ribbed McCoy Mountains.The bajada is rocky with rough washeswhich the road crosses at close intervals.A pickup truck or four- wheel-drive isadvisable, for low-slung passenger carsmight high-center or find traction lack-ing in some of the arroyo crossings. Ex-cept for the stalwart ironwood tree, which

thrives here along the dry watercourses,8

there are few large shrubs or trees. Aftereight and one-half miles of wash-hop-ping a side road veers to the right, end-ing at McCoy Spring some two milesdistant.The waterhole may bear the name ofBill McCoy, who ran a government storein nearby Ehrenberg in the 1860s (Des-ert, March 1958, p. 17). Or possibly thespring was named for Jim McCoy, anIrishman who arrived in San Diego as asoldier in 1850, and who served as sheriffof San Diego County and as state senatorin the '60s and '70s. (The McCoy Moun-tains were within San Diego County until

1 8 9 3 , when Riverside County wascreated.)

The oasis and its environs are an out-standing example of the surprises thatso often await the explorer of remoteand seemingly undistinguished sectors ofthe American desert. Here, around aspring of cool water, are hundreds ofaboriginal rock writings left by earlierdesert dwellers whose trails and places ofhabitation were rigidly controlled by thepresence of living water. The markingsare concentrated along both sides of theabrupt and narrow ravine which knifes

through the bajada immediately belowthe spring. Other isolated groupings ap-pear on massy cliffside boulders abovethe waterhole to the north. Here andthere familiar forms stand outcrosses,"stick men," and signs apparently re-presenting sunshine and rainstormsbutfor the most part these glyphs say nothingto modern man, who sees only strangesymbols and labyrinthine designs. TheRosetta Stone of Indian petrography isyet to be found.While trying to read a possible mean-ing into a series of petroglyphs on aa large boulder near the spring, I saw aloose-skinned chuckwalla watching mewith unblinking eyes from the top of therock. With a scratchy slithering he hidhimself in a crevice when I ventured tooclose.McCoy Spring today is surrounded bya low enclosure of stone. The thoughtfulmason left an opening at the base sobirds and animals might drink, too. Ablack-throated sparrow did just that as Istood motionless a few feet away. TheIndians may have departed, but thespring is still life to other denizens of

the desert.


9/44

In Southern California's Riverside County there aremany hidden springs for weekend explorers. One of theseis the spring at the base of the McCo y Mou ntainsat the mouth of the canyon in front of author's truck.Photos by author.

Over the spring is an arching lengthof pipe which allows water to be bailedout with rope and bucket. At the time ofmy visit the water level was about fourfeet below the lip of the enclosure.

The spring looks out of place in itsrocky ravine. No reeds or other moisture-loving plants surround it, and only ascattering of shrubs can be found in thevicinity. I am sure, however, that thegiant ironwood a few yards down can-yon owes much of its girth to the neigh-boring water.Many dim aboriginal trails convergeupon McCoy Spring. It is ever a fascinat-ing pastime to trace out the old path-ways, pondering their possible destina-tions and unwritten history. At McCoy,the sheer mountain wall blocks all direct

routes to the east, but numerous trailsradiate to the north, west, and south.Those coursing north and south likelyfork to the eastand the Colorado Riveronce the mountain mass is cleared. Faroff on the southwestern horizon I madeout the broad canyon opening markingCorn Springs Wash; one path would al-most certainly lead to that palm-circledoasis with its abundant glyphs {Desert,January 1945 and October 1954).

I followed one trail in a northwesterlydirection for one-half mile before losingit in a confusion of shallow washes andWorld War II military tracks. Simplerock monuments still mark its course asit dips in and out of the arroyos, and notfar from the spring three potsherds laytogether along the trail. In one washseveral quail scudded out from the cover

Continued on Page 39

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10/44

1875...CALIENTE'SBIG YEAR!by Mike Engle

Once vital railroad equipment (above) now rusts in Caliente's storage yard. Th emain street (top) as it appears today is quiet com pared to the boisterous dayswhen it was known as Allen's Camp. Indian metate grinding boulders (right)can be found in the vicinity.10

F O R THREE hundred miles^ the South-ern Pacific Railroad moved relentless-ly forward from the north. At Bakers-field, the steel rails swung east towardsthe western slope of Tehachapi Moun-tains. In the spring of 1875, at Allen'sCamp, 16 miles east of Bakersfield, sev-eral hundred Chinese laborers and theirCaucasian overseers set up their tents. Be-fore them lay the difficult Tehachapi Pass.For 15 months, while the work crewsstruggled with the impossible terrain,Allen's Camp, soon to be known as Cali-ente, boomed. The single street resoundedto the boisterous revelry of the saloons,the clanging and jingling of wagon bells,and the noisy arrival of daily stages. Withoutlaws, shootings and stage robberies,the growing town soon held a reputationfor lawlessness.In the early 1860s, an experiencedfheepherder and packer named Allen, es-tablished his headquarters in a broad val-ley beside the waters of Caliente Creek.Supplies for the newly opened mines andcamps along the Kern River and ClearCreek near Havilah were needed badly.


11/44

Allen was prepared to supply them. Heraised Jacks and Jennies for the minersand prospectors and ran a pack train ser-vice to the mines. Here the wagon loadsof goods from Bakersfield were trans-ferred to kyacks and boxes. Here beganthe long plodding mule trains across themountains to Havilah and the Kern Riverto the north.

As the railroad approached Allen'sCamp, enterprising businessmen movedinto the valley and began to build a town.By March of 1875, with the steel railsonly a short distance away there were tworestaurants, four saloons, and a butchershop. A woman by the name of BillyDenver had nearly completed a black-smith's shop. A daily stage line had beenestablished between Bakersfield and thecamp. Travelers could make the trip forthree dollars each way and boarders wereaccommodated in one of the restaurantsfor one dollar per day.

As the surrounding hills, verdantlygreen and splotched with the colorfulbloom of spring, began to brown andparch; the early summer temperature

soared. The dry hillsides, dwindlingstreams, and explosive tempers in thevalley were obvious reasons to namethe new town Caliente.Blasting their way through solid gran-ite, cutting and filling across deep chasms,the railroad crews made slow progress.One correspondent, writing for the KernCounty Weekly Courier reported: "There

are 2500 Chinamen with a full corps ofoverseers; five or six hundred one-horsecarts, picks, shovels, drills and crowbarsin stacks, with derricks, hand barrows andsleds wherever needed. Powder is con-sumed at the rate of six hundred kegsw eekly, . . . "In the valley, activities moved at a rapidpace. By the end of March a toll roadfrom Caliente to Tehachapi, at the sum-mit of the pass, had been completed.Stages and wagons, packed with passen-gers and freight, in ever increasing quan-tities were moving east and south intoInyo and Los Angeles Counties. Pros-pectors and miners, bound for Inyo'sPanamint, New Coso, and Cerro Gordomining districts streamed into town onthe daily stage from Bakersfield. TheSouthern Californian of April 15, 1875reports: " . . . 11 saloons, no church, nojail, no graveyard . . . "On the 24th of April, precisely atnoon, the first Southern Pacific enginefrom the west pushed up the canyon andbraked to a stop in the center of town.Three days later, Remi Nadeau's frieghtteams, their wagons filled with the wealthof Inyo County's silver mines, rolled intothe town from the east. Almost overnight,

Caliente had become a full fledged railhead boom town! By the first of May,Bakersfield's Telegraph Stage Companyhad closed their doors in Bakersfield andmoved to Caliente.By early June, business was lively andconstruction of the new town was goingahead feverishly. Wells, Fargo and Com-pany, as well as the recently established

post office were both housed in the newrailroad depot which was 175 feet longand 40 feet wide. At one end was a largeloading platform to handle the shipmentsof machinery and silver bullion betweenSan Francisco and the mines of InyoCounty.The Kern County Weekly Courier ofMay 22 reports a hotel, three stories high,is nearing completion and says that it:" . . . will be quite an ornament to thenew and ambitious town."A few families, including 30 children,lived in Caliente during the early months.In June, the first school was opened. Dur-ing the same month, the Kern CountyWeekly Courier reported that there werethree or four barbershops, a harness shop,three or four shoe shops, and a drugstore. Facing Main Street, along the northside, were 25 saloons. There were plentyof places to drink and eat, but not enoughbeds to accommodate all the travelers.One restaurant proprietor claimed, on asingle Saturday night, to have fed 150

persons.By mid-summer, Caliente's populationhad reached 3000 persons. The KernCounty Weekly Courier reported two"Pharoah Banks" were doing business in


12/44

town. The newspaper stated that thesebanks differed from regular bankinghouses in that they refused to handlepaper currency. "Their currency is madeof ivory of handsome design, and is ap-parently the most popular currency ofthe place."With the advent of the banks, the in-crease in traffic and population, and the

inexhaustible supplies of whiskey offeredby the 25 saloons; Caliente quickly earn-ed a reputation for shootings, robberies,and reckless hell-raising. After the first

"Whenever there is a little stringency inthe circulating medium up there, all theyhave to do is to go out on the road anddraw on the driver at sight. The demandis usually promptly honored, and themarket is easier for a day or two untilthe next stage comes in."Caliente's last big fling as a boomtown occurred on January 7, 1876. Since

the previous October, the Southern Pa-cific had held back the wages of the work-men. On January 7 a train carrying threemonths pay rolled into town. In one be-

Caliente's present school, built in 1950, stands on the site of the original Chinesecemetery. When excavating, workers found bones and Oriental trinkets.

shooting, Havilah's small jail was trans-ported 24 miles to Caliente but did littlegood as it was far too small to accommo-date the many outlaws that frequentedthe town.By the fall of 1875, stage traffic, bul-lion shipments, and heavy express boxeswere daily passing through Caliente. OnNovember 29 there was an unsuccessfulattempted robbery of the stage fromKernville. The next day, only four milesabove town, the Los Angeles stage wassuccessfully held up. Later, in a singlenight, it was reported that the Los Angel-es stage was held up twice within fourmiles of Caliente. In December there weretwo more stage robberies, in one of whichthe outlaws escaped with the expressbox containing an estimated $2,000. An

editor was prompted to comment:12

lated, but long remembered and gloriousNew Year's celebration, Caliente whoop-ed it up as the half million dollar pay-roll began to circulate through the sa-loons and stores in a single day.In May, 1876, track had been laid asfar as Wells Station, twelve miles east of

town. The work crews had moved theirtents further up the tracks. By the end ofthe month, the Southern Pacific was car-rying passengers past Caliente andthrough to Wells Station.The abandonment of Caliente as therail terminus and the departure of thework crews signaled the end of Calienteas a major boom town. The saloons andstores were dismantled and moved away.For several more years, Caliente, occupiedby a handful of ardent citizens, remained

only as a freight terminal and way station

for the few isolated mines along CalienteCreek.In 1909, an explosion of dynamitestored in the railroad depot rocked thetown. Most of Caliente was destroyed.Four years later, heavy winter rains andthe flood waters of Caliente Creek wash-ed away what little was left. Today, onlythe steel tracks and solitary black water

tower remain to mark the lawless past.In 1950, workmen digging the foun-dations of the present school, uneartheda few bones and oriental trinkets. Theschool, standing on a plateau above thetown, marks the site of Caliente's origin-al Chinese cemetery. A few yards north-west of the intersection of the Caliente-Bodf ish and Bealville roads, a low moundrises. On top can be found two large andexcellent early Indian metate grindingboulders. Still further west, along theCaliente-Bodfish road, are the remainsof a Southern Pacific railroad storageyard with equipment rusting into oblivion.Caliente's main street is marked by anolder tree-shaded residence. An interest-ing bottle collection is displayed in a frontwindow; above the front door are twoantique stage coach lamps. Further downthe street stand the post office, generalstore, and gasoline station. Across thetracks along the north side of the mainstreet, where once stood 25 noisy saloons,now stand the residences of today's popu-lation.A visit to Caliente is a fascinating sidetrip into the past and the gateway to thehistorical and beautiful Walker Basincountry to the north. Camp grounds andpublic accommodations are no t availableat Caliente or Walker's Basin. The sur-rounding ranch lands are fenced andposted. However, at Tehachapi MountainPark, 25 miles east of Caliente, and atLake Isabella, 34 miles north, there areexcellent camp grounds. Motel accommo-

dations are available at Tehachapi and atLake Isabella.California State 58, between Bakers-field and Mojave, parallels the SouthernPacific tracks and passes within two milesof Caliente. Twenty-three miles east ofBakersfield and 15 miles west of Teha-chapi, is the well marked Bealville Roadto Caliente. Turn north and follow thispaved road as it winds through the pas-toral landscape down the steep hill to thevalley and town that once resounded to

the revelry of more than 3000 people. D


13/44

H O W T O A V O I D by Jac k DelaneyA B O R D E R I N C I D E N TThe photographs above and on thefollowing page are NOT typical of aUnited States-Mexico border crossingstation. They were taken at Tijuanaduring the height of the recent Opera-tion Intercept which, according to theUnited States Justice Department,would reduce the flow of narcoticsinto the United States.

It should have been called OperationFiasco as it not only failed to accom-plish its alleged purpose, but createdadditional bad feelings between peopleson both sides of the border by reducingtrade to a minimum. What many peo-ple do not realize is that Mexican citi-zens spend approximately as muchmoney with merchants in the United

States as we turistas do in Mexico.It is a proven fact that countrieswhich exchange cultural ideas and havesound commercial trade relations havelasting friendships. This article is tohelp you understand both United Statesand Mexican customs procedures so youwill "have a good trip and a happyreturn."

I HAB NUFFIN to decuare!" This state-ment of a returning United Statescitizen at one of the California-Mexicoports of entry led to a search, which re-vealed that the man had a small portionof opium, in a cellophane envelope,concealed under his upper denture.Suspicious actions of a woman whoappeared to be pregnant led to a search,and the findings were that instead ofbeing "with child" she was "with mari-

juana!" Another case involved a unique

hiding placea five-pound ham in abedpan! Customs inspectors, through ex-perience, have learned how to distinguishangling characters from law-abidingtourists.Upon your return from Mexico, if you

are transporting olives, are they greenripe or ripe green ? (There is a differencein the rate of duty.) Is the beverageapple cider or apple juice? (The fer-mented variety, where allowed, carries a

duty ten times that for simple applejuice.) Is your souvenir a watch or aclock? (A timepiece is classified as aclock, for duty purposes, when the thick-ness of the movement is over one-halfinch and the diameter is 1.77 inches orlarger.) These questions call for on-the-spot answers by your friendly customsman.When you visit our good neighbors tothe south you are traveling in a foreigncountry and must abide by the rules and13


14/44

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15/44

the United States from a foreign coun-try. These will not affect your declara-tion at the border. Whether or not dutywill be assessed on thegifts depends onthe merchandise and its value. To avoidthe payment of duty, keep the value ofthe gifts in any one day within a $10limitation. Packages must carry thestate-ment: "Attention U. S. CustomsUn-solicited Gift Enclosed," and the fairmarket value. (Postal laws prohibit theshipment of alcoholic beverages.)

Yo u mayimport articles in excess ofyour customs exemption. The fair retail

price in the country where the articleswere purchased serves as the value forexemption purposes. A wholesale valueassigned by your customs inspector isused for assessment purposes on the ex-cess item, and the article carrying thelowest duty rates areselected. Sometimespayment of duty may be avoided by ajoint declaration, if members of a familylive together and are traveling together.

Be sure to save your receipts, list yourpurchases, and state the correct cost ofitems in your declarationtrying to putsomething over is definitely not worththe risk. Penalties for fudging areheavyand hard. The lawcalls for forfeiture ofthe merchandise, plus a penalty equal toits value in these cases.An actual incident involved a tourist

who failed to declare a purchase of

$10,000 worth of pearls. When discover-ed, he had to forfeit the pearls and paya $10,000 penalty! If his purchase hadbeen properly declared, the duty wouldhave been $300.Rates of duty are being lowered overa five-year period. Many will be reducedas much as 50%. Present rates onpopu-lar tourist items cover a wide range:

9.5% on motion picture cameras; 12%on still cameras; 11.5% on transistorradios; 36% on cigarette lighters; 10%on golf balls; 16% on leather cases;20% on lenses; 16% on chess sets;5% on passenger automobiles; and thehigh rate of 55%, plus 10 cents perdozen for china tableware valued from$10 to $24 per 77piece set.More attractive is the list of items thatare duty free. Included are antiques (ifproduced prior to 100 years before the

date of entry), books (by a foreign au-thor or in a foreign language), works ofart (drawings or paintings that areorig-inal or handmade copies), postagestamps, and frozen shrimp (a productin which the Mexican area excels). Ifyour bag is bagpipes or if your desire isto trifle with truffles, you'll be happyto know that neither of these necessitiesis dutiable!Certain articles are PROHIBITEDfrom entry into the United States. The

list includes: narcotics and drugs con-taining narcotics; obscene articles andpublications; lottery tickets; switchbladeknives; wild birds or their feathers oreggs; liquor-filled candies; counterfeitmoney; etc. Also prohibited is merchan-dise originating in Communist China,North Korea, North Vietnam, or Cuba,and all goods containing Cuban compon-ents. Restricted items must meet specialrequirements before they can be im-ported. Some of these are: trademarkedarticles; firearms and ammunition, goldcoins and medals; fruits, vegetables,meats, poultry; plants and plant products;and live birds, cats and dogs.

Trademarked articles arearticles whichbear a definite trademark of a manu-facturer. Since there are toomany to list(such as cameras, recorders, etc.) if youplan to purchase this type of article, be-fore going to Mexico obtain the Tour-ists Trademark Information pamphletfrom the Bureau of Customs office inContinued onPage 38

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C HILD OF the night, the little elf owlsings in the moonlighta strangewild song whose eerie notes float outover the vast and slumbering desert. Andthe song is heard again and again, forothers are on the wing, hunting in thedarkness, their golden eyes aglow.All through the night weird owlmusic fills the air, notes soft and sweet

seem to hang trembling until shatteredhy a wild burst of hoots, barks and yipslike chortling impish laughter. But whenthe first light touches the sky, the desertfalls silent. The elf owls vanish, not toreappear until darkness comes once again.Shy and retiring, these tiny owls areabundant throughout the arid Southwestin habitats ranging from hot low desertsto mountain woodlands up to 7000 feet.Little was known of their lives until veryrecently although early explorers en-

countered them, and later field natural-ists gathered a few facts. Then J. DavidLigon, zoologist, set about learning howit was that these little birds, with appar-ently no special desert life adaptations,could cope so successfully with the kill-ing heat and dryness characteristic ofmost of their range.What was needed first, he decided,was some light on the subject, since it isexceedingly difficult to check up on nightanimals in the dark. So he devised a sys-

tem of soft floodlights in the area select-ed for his studya canyon some sevenmiles south of Portal, Arizona. To hisdelight, he found that the owls didn'tcare whether his lights were on or not,but went about business as usual. Whileobserving what went on in owl society,he also recorded their conversation.Ligon put in several seasons work onthese little insect-eating owls includingtreks into Mexico in search of their win-tering ground, since when it is too cold

at night for insects to be active the owlsmigrate from all but the most southernpart of their breeding range. From thislon^ rtudv. only recently reported inrcientific literature, two main factsemerge: first, a hole to nest in is ofvital importance to elf owls, and second,in the conduct of their affairs, the dozenor more diffeernt sounds they make playa key role.Elf owls are the tiniest of all the owlclan, for an adult is only about six tosix and a half inches long and weighs16

COURTESY J . DAVI D L I GON

by K. L Boyntononlv as much as three packages of gum.They are cavity nesters. But small of bill,weak of foot, they can't make the neces-sary holes themselves and depend insteadupon the talents of the woodpeckertribe. These feathered carpenters withchisel bills and strong neck and headmuscles whack out cavities for their ownuse one season. Next season elf owlsare in residence. Several types of wood-peckers are busy providing owl housingin the desert regions: the Gila wood-pecker, the gilded flicker both drill holesin saguaro cacti; acorn and Arizonawoodpeckers do the honors in the syca-more woodlands; the gold and the ladder-

back woodpeckers work in Texas.To small animals in desert regions, ahole is a life saver. The elf owl uses hispenthouse in a giant cactus, for instance,in the same way that desert rodents andreptiles use their burros in the ground: aplace of escape from deadly daytimeheat, thereby solving the number oneproblem of desert living by simply avoid-ing it. Biologist Soule, specifically in-terested in the role played by the giantcactus in desert life, found the fibers ofthis amazing plant possess such high in-sulation value that no matter how hotthe desert day, the temperature inside ahole in it never reaches more than 105.8F. Humidity inside is also higher, par-ticularly when owls are present, thus cut-ting down on body water loss and en-abling the birds to withstand heat muchbetter.Elf owls are not well equipped by

nature to dissipate heat themselves. Somedesert birds, such as the poorwill, forexample, can open their wide moistmouths and cool themselves by gularfluttering, a special kind of panting thattakes very little work on their part. Theelf owl not only does not have the bigmouth area, but cannot do this withoutn great deal of effort, which produceseven greater heat strain. Without hishole house, as a sheltering protectionthen, the elf owl is a dead bird.Competition for nesting sites is rugged,for there are never enough second handhouses to go around. Woodpeckers them-selves might like to renovate instead ofbuilding a new one. Other hole nesterssuch as trogons, flycatchers and nut-hatches are also on the lookout for home-sites in some of the breeding areas. Sothe little elf owl simply has to get therefirst.Hotfooting it back from migrationearly, each gentleman proceeds at once

to stake out claims to one or more holes.He stoutly defends these, proclaiming hisrights in loud territorial song and inbattling contenders. So far, so good. Butthe next chore is to woo and win a ladyin as fhort a time as possible, installingher quickly in the nest cavity so herpresence will prevent other families frommoving in.All this must be accomplished in thedark, and herein is demonstrated thegreat importance of song and sounds inthe lives of these little creatures.

TheElfOwl


17/44

Sitting beside his potential nest cavity,our hero sings a commercial, advertisinghis presence and no doubt enumeratingthe advantages of his offer. Ligon, busywith his tape recorder, was unmoved bysaid song and clamor, but it fell not upondeaf ears, for out of the night a ladycame sailing and landed nearby. Thegentleman immediately broke into songnumber two, a new sequence deliveredwith rising fervor, all the while hoppingin and out of the hole, inviting her tocome in.Now, if at this point she responds witha song that indicates she's listening, offhe rushes, returning in nothing flat witha fat insect gift. If she eats it, they'reengaged.But can he entice her inside? Perchedin the hole with his face in the doorway,he begins his serenade, a new song, loud

and very persuasive. It may go on for 32minutes before the lady begins to showthat she might be interested in comingin. As she approaches, he gradually backsdown into the hole, still stoutly singing,though his song is increasingly muffledby the depths. The lady, overcome at lastby his charm and song, steps inside, andinitial housekeeping is at least underway.From now on the little gent elf owlhas his work cut out for him, his rolebeing Chief Food Catcher and Toter.

That first insect engagement present wasjust the beginning, for now he beginsto feed the female entirely although shemay not get down to egg laying and in-cubation for a couple of weeks.Scientists nod and say this behavioraccustoms the male to fetching food tothe nest cavity for the coming brood,and accustoms the female to being fedduring the long 24 days of incubationand staying home to mind the childrenafter the hatching. Termed scientificallyan important evolutionary development,it still adds up to a lot of hard, hardwork for the master of the household.If he's not johnny-on-the-spot withfood shipments the whole night long,loud, loud complaints issue from the fe-male in the hole. One fellow, upset bythe presence of another pair nesting tooclose, spent most of each night declaringhis right to the territory in song andfight. He ignored the calls for food fromthe little woman, which requests becameincreasingly irate in tone as time went

on. When he finally got around to check-ing up on things back home, he foundhe was a bachelor again, the Mme. hav-ing departed.The male's food-toting detail continuesright on after the youngsters are hatched,

the female as well as the young waitingopenbeaked for the next meal. And fur-thermore, when the chicks are at leastold enough to sit at the entrance and re-ceive shipments, the female begins tospend the night out relaxing and preen-ing, while he continues to work the fooddetail for the growing young. With threeyipping, squalling youngsters to feed,he's lucky his spouse has now gottenaround to hunting for herself.Fast on the wing, the elf owl captures

insects in midair, or in a hovering flightsearches the ground. He's a foliage hunt-er, too, purposely bumping bushes andplants to knock insects out for easy grab-bing. His feeding tempo for the young-sters is a fast one, the nestlings gettingdelivery sometimes as often as once aminute. He even brings extra insects,leaving them incapacitated but alive asfresh snacks for the youngsters duringthe long daylight hours when no hunt-ing can be done.Elf owls never drink. They obtain the

Nature's bousingdevelopment ofSaguaro cactus forthe tiny Elf Owl (whosleeps during the dayand sings bymoonlight) isgraphically shownin this photograp hnear Tucson, Arizonaby PhotographerRichard WeymouthBrooks.

moisture they need from their insect diet.Scorpions are added to the menu fromtime to time, the stinger being first care-fully removed.The elf owl is a past master at camou-flage. Clad in light browns and greyish

feathers with light and dark dots anddashes, he's off to a good start w ith arazzle-dazzle pattern hard to see at any-time. Next step in the hide-the-owl gameis a sudden break up of body form. Hisdumpy shape becomes tall and slim whenhe stands high and clamps down on hisbody feathers. He pulls a wing across hischest shield fashion and the owl isgone! What happened?When the wing moved into shieldposition, a collar of white feathers norm-

ally hidden under the brownish bodyfeathers, spring from concealment. Th ewhite spots on the wings stand out boldand clear, white feathers are erected onthe head to form a big V between theeyes. Gone is the fat owl outline, allthat is left is a mishmash of irregularand unrelated shapes, easily lost in thescenery.A bit of magic this, one more in theelf owl's bag of tricks that make thissmallest member of his tribe a very bigbird indeed in the desert. 11


18/44

Th eDevil'sPunchbowlby Helen Walker

E VERY N O W and then, nature seemsto protest the conformity of thelandscape plan. Without rhyme or rea-son, she triggers actions to produce acompletely unique situation in an other-wise uniform pattern. One of these odd-ities is located on the fringes of Cali-fornia's Mojave Desert, along thefoothills of the Angeles National Forest.It details a bowl-like depression, of near-ly 2100 feet, with an outer brim of ap-proximately two miles in width andlength. Picturesquely it has been named,"The Devil's Punchbowl."

The Punchbowl is a consequence ofthe two famous earthquake faultstheSan Andreas on the north, and the SanJacinto on the south. Both faults are apart of the circum-Pacific seismic earth-quake zone. A history of the activityalong these faults is evidenced by the dis-play of heterogenous rocks found withinthe Punchbowl itself. Heterogenous rocksare those that do not originate from with-in the immediate area, but have reachedtheir position by dislocation of sectionsof earth, and the relocation of othergroups into the void. This conditionexists along the fault line for approxi-mately 30 miles. The magnitude of the

18

movement may be better explained whenone realizes that the rocks that were atone time on the north side of the Punch-bowl, along the Andreas fault, are nowbelieved to be located 30 miles east alongthe Cajon Creek!From the bottom of the Punchbowl,slabs of buff-colored rock eject skywardto heights of 300 feet or more. Theiringredients are compactions of both con-tinental and marine sediments, believedto reach a depth of 10,000 feet. Withinthe past 25,000 years, this material wascompressed, faulted and folded, thenlifted in violent upheavals. Scars givevisual evidence of the force behind thethrust.

History and geology are etched in theweather-worn rock outcroppings. Igne-ous rocks, that have been formed frommolten matter, along with their partners,the metamorphic, or crystalline rocks,which are produced by heat and pressure,show the ancient volcanic action. TheTertiary period, dating back some 60million years ago, left both marine andnon-marine exposures. Other strata hasyielded remains of Miocene vertebrateanimals that roamed the area at least15 to 20 million years ago. From the fos-

sils forfeited, there have been identifica-tion made of primitive camels, three-toedhorses, a small antelope, and a skunktype animal.Today, a stream cuts away at the talus,as it meanders around, between, and thencascades over the rocks in its path. Densethickets of Manzanita and other chapar-ral cover the silt and fine gravel surface.At the higher altitudes, Big Cone Fir

and Jeffery Pine stand on the hillsides.Down through the ages, animal wildlifehave found it an ideal location to burroa winter home, and hoard their supply ofnuts and berries for a warm and comfor-table retreat.Early Indian tribes were aware of thehappy hunting ground. Primitive relicsand faded campsites of the Mojave, Pi-ute, Apache, and Serrano Indians havebeen left behind, helping us to fill in thepages of history. Pioneers who settled in

the area took advantage of their prede-


19/44

cessors and hunted the hills, collectedthe berries, and followed the traditionsof the Indians.The first written notice of the Punch-bowl was recorded in 1853 when Jeffer-son Davis sent an expedition into theterritory to search for routes for a futurerailroad to the Pacific. The geologist whoaccompanied the party reported the areawas inaccessible. No reference was made

on the record as to the geological fea-tures of the site.Four years later the great Fort Tejonearthquake modified the crack along theAndreas fault, making its surface moreprominent.Access to the bowl, in those early days,was through the adjacent canyons, onfoot or horseback. It was not until 1940that the roads were extended and im-proved, making it possible for the moreadventuresome to drive, instead of hike

the three miles to the Punchbowl.

Survey parties followed in due time.It took many years to acquire titles tothe 1310 acres, then to develop and carryout a master plan for the intended park.Finally, on December 4, 1963, the parkwas officially dedicated, "The Devil'sPunchbowl Regional Park."Today a paved road leads to the sur-faced parking area. Window-case dis-

plays show the locations of the fault lines,and acquaint you with the geology andwildlife. At the rim of the bowl thedepths of the depression and the heightand thickness of the slabs of rock are aspectacular sight. A well maintained,family type trail is provided for youruse. It is a mile in distance, and dips toalmost stream level, then backs up in aloop trip. Picnic facilities are available,but overnight camping in the park isprohibited.

For easy travel, whether you come overAngeles Crest Highway, the AntelopeValley Freeway, or San Bernardino, Vic-torville area, State 138 is your goal. Lookfor street 131 in Pearlblossom, and turnsouth. Make a left hand turn onto Tum-bleweed Road and follow the signs tothe "Devil's Punchbowl."For a delightful weekend trip, check

with the Forestry station in the shoppingcenter at the intersection of 131st Streetand Highway 138. They can offer sug-gestions of several desirable campgroundsfor your pleasure.Bring your camera, artist paints, andgeology notebook. The Devil's Punch-bowl is truly an example of where Na-ture changed the pattern of normality,and created a structural oddity for yourenjoyment.

Structural moveme nt, wind and rain created the sandstone formations (left)which tower 300 feet with pines clinging to the faulted rock. A m ile-long walkingtrail loops down (above) to the stream at the bottom of the cliffs. The outer

brim is approximately two miles. 19


20/44

TheDeseriAlEditorial by Robert Hiltunen

Photography by Richard W Brooks

20

White buds of yucca plant blossom onthe desert floor of Arizona's Monument Valley.

As they have for thousands of years, windsof Death Valley create a linear designon the drifting sands. Once a booming

Nevada m ining community, Rhyolite wages alosing battle to survive as the elements inexorably

destroy its concrete structures.


21/44

h in g s to A l l M e nTO THE CITY dwellerit is a Dante's Inferno ofheat, thirst and dust; a placeto be avoided at all costsand only to be crossed in thecoolness of night and as swiftlyas possible. To the "desertra t" it is the promised land,interlaced with dreams of lostmines and Midas gold beyondthe next r ise. The "rockhound"knows the thrill of searchfor semi-precious stones amidcactus-covered slopes anddesert washes; a brief respitefrom another week of nerve-wracked traffic and deadlyexhaust fumes. The residentknows the freedom andserenity of the wide-openspaces. He has created a bondof understanding that canonly come when he hascompromised with Natureand has been acceptedas a fr iend . 21


22/44

Accentuated by ageless boulders, desertplants seem to wait anxiously for spring showersas a thunderstorm moves over the PintoMountains and into Joshua TreeNational Monument.

There's the landhaveyou seen it? its vastnessstaggers the imagination.Bathed in golden sunlightunder azure-blue skies itstretches from horizon tohorizon and on beyond intoinfinity. It is ageless; asubstance in God's plan ofCreation since the beginningand destined to go on unti l theend of time. It has survivedthe wrath of Nature; buffettedby winds, sand-storms andflash-floods it emergesunscathed. The carpet ofspring wildflowers, bloomingprofusely over the landscape,is Nature's peace offeringand the Creator's symbol thatlove wil l tr iump h over evil.22

Far from being a barrenwasteland we find instead aliving desert. The denizens tha tinhabit this land come in allshapes and sizes, from thetarantula and sidewinder to thewiley coyote of the plains.Plant life, over countlessgenerations, has learned toadapt itself to this uniqueenvironment. Tiny seeds lieimbedded in the soil for yearsunti l bountiful rains producetheir miracle of germinationand burst forth in a profusionof wildflowers. The cactushas a system of its o w n hoarding precious water itexists through countlessdry spells.

Lost mines will forever be


23/44

orever lost, f i l lis always

s our story u nfolds,

d up until no trace of its

The early prospector left

Their piercing needles highlighted by the afternoon sun,Buckhorn cholla share the rock-covered landscape with another

hardy desert plant, the Mojave yucca.Silence encompasses California's ghost town of Bodie asa once powerful ore crusher lies useless as it succumbs to time.

compass he strode like agiant across the land.Subs isting on a meager fareof beans and jerky he scoffedthe desert heat by day andstretched his blankets underthe stars at nightfree as theclear desert air and beholdento no man.Enduring hardship, privationand loneliness, that made aman old before his time,he pursued the will-of-the-wispsearch for the precious, yellowmetal. He worked hard, playedhard, and often-times diedsuddenly. The script wasdifferent but the ending wasalways the same. Whether byarrow or knife or quick-drawngun the glad, mad fearless

game was done. The dancehall gir ls, the gunfighters, theytoo passed this way, pausedbriefly, left their mark andpassed on .The ghost towns of theWest have their own storiesto tell and the desert has its

goodly share. Wherever a te ntcould be pitched and a plankstretched between twobarrels of whiskey a townwas bo rn. As the ore playedout the miners moved on andthe towns were abandoned tosit silent and brooding onthe barren landscape, relivingtheir dreams of past glory.Now dust and tumbleweedsblow down the desertedstreets. The buildings, what is23


24/44

left of them, are windowlessand the wind m oans eerily asit tugs playfully at the saggingshutters. A deserted ghosttown is truly the most desolateand lonesome spot on theface of the earth.As each town sp rang upso did i ts infamous "boot-hi l l ."

Wander amongst the raggedgravel heaps, where prair iedogs keep watch, and read thehistory written there. Thesun-bleached, rain-warpedheadboards hold one storyall too quickly told of somedaring soul that takes its restfrom spent desire or fruitlessquest. The ground-squirrelschatter in the sun and alitt le solemn owl sits on theworn board at the head of onewhose name was once fearand dread. Here all games end,here all trails meet.

The greatest treasure thedesert can offer, however, maybe summed up in the threewords, "peace of mind."To countless numbers ofpeople, struggling for positionand power in smog-fil led

Little desert animalsleave their trackson Utah's pink sand dunes.Bighorn Sheep windtheir way down amountainside to drinkfrom Nevada's LakeMead. He looks mean,but the desert hornedtoad liza rd is aharm less little fellowwho just wants tobe left alone.


25/44

cities of concrete and steel,the desert offers a haven fromeveryday cares and thethe precious gift of solitudeas balm for the tortured soul.To those who come as a fr iendthe desert offers fr iendship.And there is gold, a lotof goldnot gl i t ter ing

but vastly more rewarding toth e soul. It may be foundin fields of golden poppies; ontips of yucca waving theirgolden arms alongside somedry wash and in vast, goldenbars that fil l the eveningsky at sunset. These richeshave been there since timeimmemorial; they are theretoday, free for the tak ing forall who would avail themselves.It is for us to search oursouls and make ourselvesworthy of Nature's bounty.

Come and discover foryourself the magic world of thedesert. No one who has eversat around a campfire atnight while overhead a myriadof stars twinkles in theMilky Way, can fail to knowthe overwhelming feeling of

peace and contentment. Gazeinto the embers of thecampfire and let your mindwander as the smoke curlsaround the mesquite with lacyfingers and weaves ahypnotic spell of fantasy.A hushed stil lness holdsreign as all creation pauses

momentarily and cocks anexpectant ear to the voices ofthe past. And the past becomesthe present and the deep rutsof the Conestoga wagonsshine dark upon the plain asthe muffled hoofbeats of aCheyenne raiding party slowlymelts away in the distance .From somewhere, far distant,comes the low rum ble ofthe vast buffalo herds as theythunder over the plains ofyesteryear, with red-skinnedhunters in pursuit.

From somewhere on thehigh mesa a coyote sends forthhis lonesome call in searchof a mate, breaking the spell,and you crawl into yourblankets to doze until morning.The first burning rays ofsun, peeping over the rimrock,

awaken you to a bright, shiningworld of rock, sand and sage.Only those who have sleptunder the stars in desertcountry know the exhilarationof r ising with the dawn tothe smell of wood smokemingled with the aroma offresh-brewed coffee.The world of creation haseffected a truce. All things ofNature are at peace withone another.

The men and womenwho conquered the

West now rest underthe desert soil for

which they fought,loved and died.

The deep ruts of theConestoga wagons

shine dark as the pastbecomes the present

in the timeless desertwhich is all thing s

to all men.


26/44


27/44

Color Photo: Roland Muschenetz

CANDLESOf THELORD

IT WOULD seem the dry forbiddingdesert of the Southwest would be thelast place one would look for any mem-bers of the lily family. But here they arefound and considered such a blessingthey have been called Candles of the Lordand Praying Tree.

Probably the Indians' greatest giftsfrom their deities, next to water, werethe yuccas. To them, yuccas meant food,shelter, implements, clothing, medicine,games, hunting and fishing equipment,religious paraphernaliaand hair sham-poo.

The plant is an excellent example ofthe interdependency of desert life. Thereis a complete symbiosis between it andthe Pronuba moth. Without the moth,

by Bernice Johnston


28/44

A built-in needle and thread (above) is made from the yucca leaf consisting ofthe sharp pointed plant and the pounded fiber. Indian baskets (below) are madefrom the dried yucca such as the bundle on top of photograph. These are Papago

designs. Photos by Ray 'Johnston.

the plant would not bear fruit; withoutthe yucca, the moth would not live. Andhere we get into trouble. Which camefirstthe yucca or the moth?Yuccas bloom at night and probablythe fragrance and whiteness attract themoth. It enters the bloom, scrapes polleninto a little ball shape, drills a hole inthe pistil, drops in an egg, pushes pollen

particles down on top, lays another eggwith more pollen, and continues the lay-ering until the cavity is filled. When thelarvae matures, it eats its way out, swingson a thread to the ground, and disappearsinto itand that's the last you hear fromit until spring comes round again.In the meantime, the rest of the pol-linated seeds mature and fall, propogat-ing their kind. When blooms are readythe following year, sure enough the un-derground cocoon gets the message anda moth is produced just in time to startthe whole bit over again.Because of the closed shape of thebloom, neither bird or insects find iteasy to get in. Even the wind can't doanything about moving the pollen. It'sthe moth's "thing" to do the honors. Allyuccas are pollinated by similar means,slightly differing, but no yucca is entirelyindependent of the moth.Ideally suited for the Southwest, yuc-cas survive extremes of heat and cold and

will grow even in lava flows.Fruit of the yucca was eaten by theIndians along with birds and insects.New stalks were baked like potatoes.Green fruit was cooked and dried forwinter use. Walapais made molasses of it,and Navajos carried dried yucca, grassseeds, and jerked venison as war rations.Seeds of the brevifolia and whipplei wereground into flour.Southwest Indians washed their hairin suds from its root which contained

saponin. Hopis added duck grease tomake their hair grow betterand who hasever seen a bald Hopi? The same rootswere a laxative. Yucca suds were bestfor washing sheep wool as there is nogreasy or fatty substance in it. Early set-tlers used it in lieu of soap. The leaves,which also contain a small amount ofsaponin, have been processed for com-mercial detergents. Some Pueblo Indiansassociated the suds with clouds. It wasused in their ceremonies as washing ofhair was often part of the rituals. Babies


29/44

and brides were washed in these sudsas well as enemy scalps and hides fortanning.Blankets were made for winter coldby knotting yucca cords with little tuftsof fur or feathers so thickly placed as toform a solid "skin" that was mightycozy. The same technique was used forleggings or stockings. It is said the first

costume of Navajos was yucca with grassentwined. Sandals, mats, baskets, andbrushes were made from the fiber.Yucca cordage was strong enough tostretch across a river as a fishing net orfine enough to be used as thread. Indianwomen had it made where needles andthread were concerned. A yucca leafcomes to a sharp pointed end forming athorn about two inches long. All theyneeded to do was to cut off the leaf,pound off the flesh, and shred the fiberdown from the pointand there theywere. They picked needles already thread-ed right off a bush!Pottery painters could make any sizeof brush. Pulpy flesh was either poundedor chewed off a leaf exposing the "hair."The unchewed part was the handle. Thefiber is stiff until dipped into paint andthen becomes pliable. Points were usedfor fine line drawing. Yucca juice wasmixed with paint. Yucca flowers wereground for yellow paint. These samemethods are used today by some Indians.Almost all Southwest basketry usesyucca in some way. The red bark of theJoshua and baccata is often used as decor-ation. Fine white is from the whipplei.Watermelons were kept fresh by hangingfrom rafters in a yucca net. Sliced apples,chili peppers, and baked corn were strungon yucca and hung to dry.Pitch of yuccas was used to waterproofbaskets and to cover bullroarers. Tobaccoquids were wrapped in yucca. Necklacesand bracelets were of yucca intertwinedwith Douglas fir. Zunis are said to havemade bow strings of the fiber. Lightarrow shafts for bird hunting were madeof it. Hopis concocted a varnish for Ka-chinas from it. Folded leaves made drumsticks. A length of cordage was foundin the prehistoric Sunflower Cave inArizona that was 200 yards long and an-other from Mesa Verde in Coloradomeasured over 400 yards.Early white man saw the potentials ofyucca as producers of cordage and soap

but industrialists weren't as patient as theIndians with processing. In World War Ifiber shortages turned attention to theyucca. It was an expensive and slow pro-cess of brushing, boiling, steaming andchemical treatment. But in spite of this,8,000,000 pounds of bagging and burlapwere produced. World War II again fo-cused attention on the plant when therewas a cut-off of Manila hemp, Africansisal, and jute from India.In 1947, at Lordsburg, New Mexico,a pressure-cooker steam gun shot yuccaleaves into a backstop. It took six min-utes to blast the leaves into fiber. Theyneeded only washing to be made intorope and upholstery. Yucca was also usedfor making heavy kraft paper for flash-ing and weather stripping.Further experimenting showed that anaverage desert acre could produce 227-556

pounds of fiber. They figured there wasenough yucca growing wild in NewMexico, where it is the state flower, toproduce 200 tons of fiber a day for 25years.It must have taken the Indians manycenturies to discover all the uses of yuccasand other desert plants. They managed toget along by accepting nature on nature'sterms. They didn't make it over or wastewhat they found. They accepted the lim-itations and used all the potentials. Mr.L. A. Heindl of the U. S. Geologic Sur-vey says, "Perhaps the time to call our-selves natives is when we have learnedto live within the limitations."For over 100 centuries people in thesouthwest desert got along with nature'sproduction, patiently waiting for whitemen to come and make their lives betterwith plastics, alcohol, deodorants, tran-sistors, and potato chips. D

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30/44

S a n t a ' s D e s e r t H e l p e rYo u can play Santa Claus 12 t imes ayear by giving your friends and rela-tives a Gift Subscription to DesertMagazine. It provides Easterners witha first-hand description of our countryand offers Westerners new horizonsand adventures. And you can augment

the Gift with a handsome 12-issuebrown vinyl binder. Use the handy en-velope in this issue and we will seethey have their first magazine and abeautiful gift card in t ime to hang onthe Christmas Tree.

S h o p b y M a i l - S e n d f o r F r e e B o o k C a t a lo gAnd since you can't fly with Santa's reindeer, here's a map to guide you to

Desert's Christmas Gift Center

B O O K a n dG I F T S H O PWestern Books Note CardsWestern Prints Treasure MapsOil Paintings Gold PansStationery Ore Specimens

30

N e wC r a f t C o r n e rFeaturing a selection of authenticAmerican Indian crafts. Gift items

include earrings, pendants, roadrunnerpins, bracelets, bolo ties, and an assort-ment of beads displayed on our Manzanita"bead trees."


31/44

SCRATCHONE LOST MINE!

by Burrell C. Dawson

S CRATCH one gold mine from the longlist of lost mines of the West.RaySpears and I are the lucky guys whofound it.It all began in the office of a miningbroker in Los Angeles. I had justcon-cluded a deal through him with DonHays of Romoland, California, forDon'sgold prospect, the Twin Buttes. As abonus, and for a five percent royalty, Iwas persuaded to chase down a "lostmine." I felt I didn't have a darn thingto lose so I agreedthat is, when I hadtime.The broker handed me anold envelopewhich I didn't open for several weeks. Iwas too busy with the newprospect. Itwas a beauty and panned out well enoughto get a patent from the government.When I didopen theenvelope I near-ly flipped. This wasn't the usual lostmine yarn at all.This was a letter froma Franklin H. Heald written to someone

in Riverside in 1928. In it he told how heand a Charlie Carter andanother felloweach staked a claim in the Gavilan rushof 1894, the Infidel, Jamieson, andQuaker, "all in a row a little east ofnorth."Heald claimed he had thebest, "aboutfour and a half ounces." This wouldmake it run around $155 a ton. Worthgoing after. The reason hegave foraban-doning it, water at 30 feet, is no prob-lem with modern pumps.As Tsaid, I nearly flipped. I knew I

could walk right to this one. With thereferences Heald made to the HerneBrothers 5-stamp custom mill and theGood Hope Mine, a million dollar pro-ducer on the road between Perris andFJsinore, a child could find it.But I had theproblem of already hav-ing a good prospect and not being able tohandle both. So I got in touch with RaySnears, now of Pleasanton, California,and we agreed togo 50-50 on it with Raydoing thepreliminary development work.So the next morning Ray and I went toth Riverside Countv Courthouse tocheckFranklin Heald's location notice. Wefound it in Book 1, page 137, of MiningRecords, and we also found the noticesfor theJamieson andQuaker. Byputtingeverything together we knew the Infidelto be in thePinacate Mining District justeast of Steele Peak andabout two milesoff thePerris-Elsinore road. Or to put itanother way, it had to be in Section 9,Township 5 South, Range 4 West, San

Bernardino Meridian.Two hours later we were beating thebrush forHeald's 30foot shaft inSection9. We found the Jamieson, a pit on theside of a ridge, and theQuaker, a water-filled inclined shaft at thebase of a tallrock. But of the Infidel there was notrace.At two o'clock we quit. Tired, hungryand disgusted, we sat in the shade of atree and ate our lunch. We were plainpuzzled. Here wewere on the floor of a

small valley midway between the Jamie-

son and the Quaker and at the properspot where the Tnfidel should be. It wasimpossible to hide a 30 foot shaft here.The terrain was gently rolling with smallhummocks and the thin scattered brushand occasional skinny tree couldn't con-ceal a thing.After a cigarette and some conversa-tion, we gave up. We set it aside. Wequit. But we couldn't leave it alone.Every couple of months, one or theotheror both of us went over there andgaveit a go. This kept up for two years.One noon I sat on a low hummockunder a tree having a smoke after lunch.It was thesame tree we hadeaten lunchunder the first trip there. I sat there, thefingers of one hand idly playing in thedirt. Suddenly, like an electric shock, amessage came from my fingers.These particles weren't smooth. Theywere angular, sharp. In fifteen secondswe knew. We were sitting on the In-fidel dump. The shaft had caved, the

elements had filled it in, and the treegrew where the shaft had been. Sparsegrass and bushes growing around hadmade it look no different than a hun-dred other lowmounds in that valley.We checked it out. Three-fourths ofan ounce or around 27dollars a ton wasthe best we could do, not even mill-grade rock these days.So scratch onegold mine andremem-ber one thing the next time you go lostmine or treasure huntinggold is if you

find it. 31


32/44

DOWNADESERT HIGHWAY

52

by Ann ShowalterA RE THERE still those who think thedesert is drab and lifeless? Thosewho believe the word desert is synony-mous with a barren wasteland? If youknow anyone with such regretable mis-conceptions, take him along on a driveover the Ben Hulse Highway in Califor-nia's Imperial County.

From its beginning below sea level atBrawley to its end as it edges up to theColorado River near Blythe, the BenHulse Highway passes through some ofthe most varied and scenic desert land-scape in all Southern California.Even before you reach the Ben HulseHighway your desert skeptic will be im-pressed as you point out the fertile greenacres in Imperial Valley. This once dor-

mant area was brought to life by the

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196912 desert magazine 1969 december

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