198502 desert magazine 1985 february

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COMING IN DESERT FOR 1985 AN D BEYOND A PREVIEWf our readers have asked wha t subjects we will be covering in u pcom ing issues. Here is a partial list of th em .

on Un lim ited : California's Owens ValleyRiver Subjects: Camping along and on the River, Lake Havasu City, Yu ma, Glen Canyon, Steamboatingalong the Colorado, Gold is Where you find it, Boulder Dam's 50th Birthday

Tow ns: San Bernardino Co unty Lud low , ProvidenceRiverside Cou nty Gold Park, "N ew " Dale, Eagle Moun tainInyo County Cerro Gordo, Coso CountyArizona Silver King, Winchester, Hu mb oldt, The BradshawsUtah Silver Reef, Iron tow nNevada Rh yolite , The Yello w Pine Mining Distr ict, PiocheNew Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and the Mother Lode in Processures and Critter s: Humm ingbirds

The Desert TortoiseTrap Door SpidersSnakes Aliveand Buried Treasure Stories: The Lost Rhodes MinesQuartz Crystal Hill Lost MineThe Silenta Senora MineThe Lost Horse Mine Hoard

loring Ghost R ailroads of the West: The Virginia & Truckee RailroadCarson and Colorado RailroadThe Yellow Pine RailroadPioche and BullionvilleArizona and Swanseart Personalities, explorers, and pioneers: We llwood MurrayAlfred DotenJacob HamlinWilliam H. Prescott

nts, Trees, and Grow ing Things: The Mesquite TreePalo Verde TreesFishhook CactusChollaThe Joshua TreeParks and Places : Anza Borrego

Lehman CavesZion National ParkCoral Pink Sand DunesLaws MuseumMesa VerdePetrified ForestValley of FireMiners, and Rocks: GarnetsCopper Mining in ArizonaApache TearsAzur i teGold Mining on the Mother Lode


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D. W. GRA NTH AM , Edi torM. BANDINI, Nevada EditorP. RICHARDS, CirculationL. GARNETT, AdvertisingN. LONG, SecretaryVOLUME 49, No. 1January - February 1985ISSN 0194 - 3405

C O N E N T SB A R R E L C A C T U S IN D E A T H V A L L E Y

C O M I N G IN D E S E R T F O R 1 9 8 5 A N D B E Y O N DW O N D E R S OF D E A T H V A L L E YIN A N D A R O U N D U T A H ' S D I X I E

D E S E R T V I S I T S W H I T E W A T E RM O U N T A I N 0 ' T O P A Z

T H E C H U C K W A L L AA N I N T R O D U C T I O N TO E X P L O R I N GG H O S T R A I L R O A D ST H E L O S T D U T C H M A N R E V I S I T E D

i O S T T O W N S OF S A N B E R N A R D I N O C O U N T Y -P A R T I - " O L D " I V A N P A H

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M i c h a e l B a n d i n iD I C K W I C K H A L L

B O O K S F O R D E S E R T R E A D E R SE D I T O R ' S L E T T E R

D U M P AT T H E A R I Z O N A N O R T H E R N M I N E

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DESERT MAGAZI NE (USPS 535230) is published every other month. Secondclass postage paid at Joshua Tree, California 92252. Offices arelocated at 6373 Elwood, Joshua Tree, California. Telephoen (619)366-3344. Please address all mail to Post Office Box 1318 , PalmDesert, California 92261. Subscription rates: $15.00 USA, $18.00foreign, per year. See subscription form in this issue on page 42.POSTMASTER: Send change of address by Form 3579 to DESERT MAGAZINE,P. O. Box 1 318, Palm Desert, California 92261. Copyright 1985 byDESERT MAGAZINE. All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced in any manner without securing written permissionfrom the publisher. CONTRIBUTIONS: The editor welcomes unsolicitedmanuscripts and photographs but they can be returned ONLY if accom-panied by a fully postage paid return envelope. While we treatsubmissions with loving care, we do not assume responsibility forloss or damage. Please have a nice day.


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WONDERS OF DEATH VALLEYby Chuck Gebhardt


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Along the scale of human emotions,

season to season throug h the

am oun t of rainfall during severalFor example, an unstable cliff face

s. Assisting Nature in the nearscene is Man. Man's influence

Knowledge of these changes,

to accom pany a Park

the first rays of the morningthe Panamint Mountains withstanding ankle deep in salttaring out over the

Beneath your feet, the unseen SaltCreek quietly flows undergroundfor another 30 miles south. Theabsence of plant and animal life isunnoticed as you absorb the chang-ing character of the mountains in-tensified by the sun's rising.the salt pinnacles at theDevil's Golf Course as they beginto glisten and sparkle like a fieldof grotesquely-shaped diamonds.Silence is gently nudged by thesunrise symphony of the saltcrystals - faintly at first light -but clearer and more definitive asthe sun's gradual rising sendswarmer rays for the crystals toabsorb. As you bend down tolisten more intensely, a flash ofcolor suddenly strikes your eyes.The re, a few feet to your right,is a sparkling salt cone of almost

perfect dimensions, Here amidthe jagged rubble of salt andmud pinnacles lies a hollow anddelicate dome of salt crystalssome eight inches high. Accumu-lations of salt in the mud, blist-ered by rising water, crystallizeto form domes or cones asmoisture evaporates.a rainbow of color dancingacross the Salt Creek Hills as thesun reflects its beauty off thesurface of the moving waters of

Salt Creek, Migratory waterfowlnoisely escape the surface of thegreat pools at the sound of yourfootsteps. A faint, narrow trailthrough the pickleweed can leadyou to a cliffs edge and in sightof the only below-sea-levelwaterfall in the United States.South and downstream, pupfishswim rapidly by the woodenboardwalk exchanging glanceswith curious visitors. The inch-long, Ice Age fish are an endang-ered species, and the boardwalkconfines foot traffic to prevent cuttingtributary streams in the main creek.

the prominent spike of ManlyBeacon rising above a still-darkenedBadlands much like a golden fingerpointing up at the softly coloredmorning clouds, now dressed inpastel shades. Below Zabriskie Point,a coyote is seen loping through theshadows of the cuts and washes ofthe Badlands. To the south of ManlyBeacon, the foothills of the Black

Mountains appear like marble ice-cream as the sky lightens. Theeast side of Red Cathedral hasjustified its naming as the mount-ain walls turn a brilliant red andits sculptured surface accented bythe shadows.the desolation, replaced withbeauty, as the sand dunes spreadtheir shadows across Mesquite Flat,the origin of the dune material.Watching closer, you see the con-tour of the dunes appear to alterand exaggerate with each fivedegree rise of the sun. Walkingthrough the neighboring field ofarrowweed shocks, you noticethe lengthy shadows cast by theshocks creep towards the dunes.The east side of the arrowweed isnow becoming drenched in a pinklight. At your feet, the changingterrain continues to offer surprisesto the unwary. The solid andsmooth looking surface suddenlybreaks like a pie crest thrustingyou r foot into the soft sandunderneath. Further on, the dried,sunbaked surface crackles under-foot with the sound of breakingchina.

Inevitably, the morning mustmove on to be replaced by theharsh light of midday. At that timeof day, there is little of real beautyexcept for remote canyons andmountain retreats where such time-less beauty is enjoyed by the de-dicated lovers of Death Valley.This can be the time to enjoy theindoor wonders of Death Valley.The Borax Museum , with itsfantastic mineral and gem collec-tions, is indoors at Furnace CreekRanch. Taste the history of thearea by a visit outside behind thisMuseum. A variety of machineryand vehicles from the mining dayspast will bring you in touch withyesterday.One-half mile north of FurnaceCreek Ranch is the Death ValleyMuseum and the National ParkService Headquarters. A slow tourof the displays in the museum canprovide a comprehensive view ofthe basic historical, geological, andnatural phenomena for which DeathValley is famous. See the formationof the lakes, the making of the saltpan, the growth of salt crystals, and


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the abundance of wild things thatlive and survive in this less thanhospitable environm ent. Stay a bitand take in an interpretive talk ortwo - hear about Death Valley'sweather, animals, plants, or how theShoshone Indians made baskets andprepared their food.As midday gives in to late afternoontone can seek the wonders of colors inthe eastern Valley bejeweled by thered light of the waning sun. Stand atArtist's Palette and gaze out over themulti-colored hills which look muchlike the crash site of a rainbow. Walkout onto the hills and touch thecolors. Wonder about the miracle ofchemistry that transforms trace min-erals into a veritable kaleidoscopewith the help of heat and moisture.Leave here and venture up GoldenCanyon to the base of Red Cathedral.

The western face of that toweringstructure is now a fire red lighting upthe boulders strewn at its feet. In-vestigate the many side canyons andwashes to discover golden, upliftedland that seems to defy the rules ofNature.The brightness of day is soon tobe at an end. Quickly, now, positionyourself about one mile up GrottoCanyon road for the finale. Fourhundred feet below you to thenorth stretches the sand dunes and

all of Mesquite Flat. At thisopposite end of the day, the dunesagain appear to be altering theirshape and direction as the sun re-cedes. A wierd shadow is beginningto form along the eastern slip faceof the largest dune. Watch intentlyas the shadow reaches its height offantasyan outline of Pinocchiowith the unmistakable nose!Nature's greatest gift to DeathValley must be seen in the briefestof periods during March and April.

Time of day and sun's position isof less, importance when flower-waiching. The various elements ofweather, combined in the propermix at the proper seasonal time,can result in a prolific display ofblooms through the Valley.Com mon ly, the alluvial fansspreading out onto the Valleyfloor turn into entire slopes ofbright yellow. The Desert Gold,Evening Primrose, and Goldpoppycontribute to this coloring. Along-

side the roadways can be foundpurple Phacelia and Purplemat, andthe odd structures of the TrumpetPlant with its swollen stems. Onoccasion, one may sight the onlyorange-colored plan t in DeathValley - the Globemallow.A five-mile walk over andthrough what I call "Kit FoxCanyon" can be a botanist'sdelight in a good year. The rockystretch out to an old historicroad is littered with bloomingBeavertail cactus whose flowersrange from pink to deep magenta.Sharp eyes may pick out abloom or two on the GoldenCholla - a waxy-looking, palegreen flower which blends wellwith the plant color. Underfootat all times is the miniature DesertStar, a mini-Sunflower about thesize of Lincoln's head on aLincoln head penny.Dropping down into the first washof this canyon, a small, white flowercan be seen ahead virtually floatingon air. This is the flower of theTobaccoweed known as Gravel Ghostwhich perches atop a slim tall stemof some 18-20 inches in height. Ona slight slope of the canyon wall, apatch of bright green topped with anoff-white flower can be glimpsed.Reaching the plant, one may be dis-appointed by the closed petals whichprevent viewing its internal beauty.By gently blowing into the flower,a momentary opening is createdthrough which startled eyes maygaze at the pinkish inner petals andtheir tiny bases of crimson red.This is the Desert Fivespot, one ofthe most beautiful flowering plantsof Death Valley and, in harsh years,one of the most difficult to find.

These are but a few of thewonders of Death Valley. Thereis much more here to fill everyhour of today while tomorrowstands by awaiting your presencethe origin of the Greenwaterpetroglyphs, the mystery of themoving rocks of Racetrack Valley,and the hidden identify of thosebeneath the many, unmarkedgravesites these are yet to beexplored. Rise early to follow thesun; see, touch, smell, and heareverything within your range, andDeath Valley will be yours forever.

A creosote bush witnesses the dawn, with the moonsetting, over the dunes at Death Valley NationalMonument in California

Light and shade contrast iMonument in California. ' the Mesquite flat dunes of Death Valley National


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'1XI


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by P. Richards & D. Grantham

In the Southwest part of Utah liesan area known as Dixie. The namewas coined by early settlers whof o u n d the cl imate and growingconditions similar to that of the areaof the confederacy known as Dixie.The climate is mostly dry. In agood year the area will receive teninches of rainfall although theaverageis considerably less. Though hot, butnot unbearable in the summer, Utah'sDixie is known for its mild winters.The abundant sunshine and longgrowing season (which once enabledthe Mormon settlers to grow cotton)today make the area a very desirableplace to live or vacation.Dixie's first settlement was locatedat (Fort) Harmony in 1852 byMormon missionaries and colonists.Among those early colonists wasJohn D. Leeperhaps better known asthe operator of Lee's Ferry on theColorado River in Arizona. Harmonywas developed into an agriculturalcommunity although lack of waterlimited its success. The site today isnot recognizable although identifiedby a sign. Horse drawn wagon in Santa Clara

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Part of the duties of themissionaries was the civilizing of theIndian tribes of the area. Toaccomplish this, Jacob Hamblin andseveral other missionaries establisheda small settlement on the banks ofthe Santa Qara River-called FortClara-then Tonaquint Station-andpresently Santa Clara.

The time was December 1854.From this settlement the saintsspread out and numerous smallcommunities were formed-PineValley, Bloomington, Grafton,Toqueville, to name a few. Many ofthese communities retain theirindividual character today.

A visit to Dixie should start at St.George, the present county seat. Forthe historian, a visit to the Museumof the Daughters of Utah Pioneers isa must. Located just behind theChamber of Commerce, this museumhas numerous displays of artifactsand relics of the pioneer days.Admission is free and there is alwayssomeone there to explain theexhibits, answer questions, and tell astory or two about the area.Across the parking lot is the

Chamber of Commerce. Here onemay obtain information and literatureabout the area, where to go, what tosee, etc. The building they occupy isan exhibit in itself. For thephotographer, the building takes agood photo. It is the former CountyCourthouse built in the 1870's.

Perhaps the best way tosuperfically explore Dixie is byautomobile. While in St. George, besure to visit the summer home ofBrigham Young with its periodfurnishings. The most predominentbuilding in the city is the MormonTemple, which rises from the valleyfloor as a bright white jewel.Completed in 1877, this was the firstMormon Temple completed in Utah.There is a visitor center and thegrounds are open to non-Mormons.

Former Washington County CourthouseNow the Chamber of Commerce

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One of the many creeks inSouthern Utah


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The Mormon Temple in St. George Snow Canyon from on top of the Rim

Brigham Young's Summer Home11


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One of the many SandstoneFormations in Dixie

To the immediate east of St. Georgeis the town of Washington. Located atthe western edge of this community isthe remains of the Pioneer Cotton Mills.As early as 1851, cotton was raised inNorthern Utah. In 1855, it was culti-vated on a small scale at Santa Clara,some 9 m iles west. The planting ofcotton was in response to orders fromBrigham Young who wished his colon-ists and co lonies to be self-sufficient.

The nearby communities has 140acres under cultivation and the result-ing product was said to "be equal inevery way to that grown in Tennessee."The first extensive ma nufactu re ofcotton cloth was begun in 1865 whena cooperative cotto n factory was es-tablished in Washington, (see picture)Machinery was freighted from theMissouri River, more than 1,300 milesaway. Shortly after the opening ofthe factory, equipment to manufacturewoolen cloth was also acquired andinstalled. Large flocks of sheep wereraised locally to supply the mill.

The cotton industry flourished fora time, partly due to Civil War inter-ference with planters in the south.Part of the raw produc t went toCalifornia and some was freighted toNew York where it sold as high as$1.90 per pound. After the Civil War,the cott on industry revived in thesouth and the industry in Utah wasabandoned.

Pioneer Cotton Mill Building Roadside creek in Southern Utah


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Jacob Hamblin's home at Santa Clara

Traveling west from St. George toSanta Clara, one may visit the JacobHamblin house. Built in 1862, thehouse doubled as living quarters anda place of retreat in case of Indianattack. Tours are conducted throughthe house and admission is free.Just North of St. George is SnowCanyon State Park, an area ofintricately sculptured, beautifullycoloreed sandstone cliffs, curiousvolcanic formations, Indian rock art,and much more. In the park arepicnic tables, drinking water, and acampground. Near the north end ofSnow Canyon, the road passesbetween 2 (of 3) imposing volcaniccinder cones known as the DiandValley Volcanoes.Again heading north, we pass the

Hot Springs at Veyo and head up toCentral. Here we turn east some 7miles to Pine Valley. At an altitudeof 6,600 feet, the valley became aplace of retreat from the summer

.Cliffs behind Springdale, Utah Beehive Kiln at an old Mining Town

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1 ) 1 1 1** ^ m m W W w 9g. 1 I

Cemetary, Pine Valley Pine Valley Chapel

Many abandoned homes can be foundaround the outlying area

heat of the Virgen Valley. PineValley's wooden chapel is one ofUtah's oldest church buildings incontinuous use, having been built in1868 by Ebenezer Bryce, a formershipwright and the person for whomBryce Canyon was named. Nearby isPine Valley Lake, a fishing andc a m p i n g l o c a l e . F o r t h eadventuresome, a dirt road leadsnorth to the ghost town of Pinto, butwe do not recommend this routeunless you enjoy the challenge. Thereare easier ways to both Pinto's andOld Irontown.Returning to Central, we againproceed north about 6 miles to theturnoff (west) to Mountain Meadows.This was a well known stopping placeon the old Spanish and Californiatrails from the 1820's to the 1850's.It is also known as the site of amassacre in 1857. The area is alsorumored to be the location of a veryrich "lost" ledge of silver ore,appearing very dark or black in color,and located where ore would notexpect it to be.


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DESERT VISITS WHITEWATERBy D. W. Grantham

Would you believe that there existsan area where w ild grape vines grow ,trout may be caught, one can picnicunder the shade of many trees, andfrolic in a creek of cold, clear water,all wi thin a few minutes drive ofPalm Springs, California??Yes, there is such a place. And itis a site frequen tly visited by manypeop le, all seeking recorea tion in a

variety of forms. The name of thearea is Whitewater. To most travel-lers, Whitewater is but an offrampof Interstate 10 on the way to orfrom Arizona or the southern partof the Coachella Valley. But tothose of us who know, Whitewateris an area of unique attractions.

Most of the visitors to theCoachella Valley visit the standarddestinations: The Palm SpringsTramway, the golf courses, LivingDesert Reserve, date gardens, andsuch. But few have the opportunityto visit Whitewater. The opportuni-ties for recreation are strictly out-door.There is a brook, several fishing

pools, outdoor grills, a shaded pic-nic area, fish hatchery, and a storewith groceries, soft drinks, andpole rentals. The pools containfully stocked schools of trout withstudents eager to "drop out" atthe wiggle of a worm.Whitewater Trout Ranch is

A group of kids at play in Whitewater Creek.From left, Edward, Donna, and Tina.

located a few miles northwest ofPalm Springs. Take Interstate 10to the Whitewater offramp, thendrive north about five miles onWhitewater Canyon Road. Thereis a road leading to Whitewaterfrom Highway 11 1, but this ispoorly marked. Once there, youwill find an adequate parking areaand lots of shade. The ranch isopen the year around every dayexcept Monday. The hours vary.Use of the picnic area is reservedfor p aying guests. One of thebest things about WhitewaterCanyon in the summer is that it'sat least 10 degrees cooler therethan in the valley.

Would you rather be a big fishin a litt le pond or a litt le fish ina big pond?? When referring to theWhitewater Trout Ranch, it makesno difference. In either case, you'dhave to await your turn at the worm,so to speak. The pond population isso dense at times that fishermen, inbaiting their hooks, turn their backsto avoid the ever wa tch ful eyes ofthe fish. It is not sporting to catcha fish in mid-air.No license is required and you maycook and feast on your fish at thepicnic grounds or take them home.Fresh caught trout are also availablefor purchase, without having to catchthem.The Whitewater trout ranch producesabout 800,000 trout per year. Theircommercial activity includes the supply-ing of fish to many other trout farms inSouthern California. While enjoying therecreational area, we suggest you strollup to the "working area" north of theparking lot-it will prove interesting.Here, you will see the rearing facili-ties with trout from the kindergartenstage up through the adult stage. There

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A Water tank along the railroad Wild grapes growing along the road.

are about 20 ponds containing purespring water wh ich is changed con-tinuously, 24 hours per day. The wateris not reused, it is send into the White-water wash and flows downstream.

It would be a good idea to mark theWhitewater Trout Ranch on your calen-dar as a place to go when "Old Sol"starts pointing his finger at the Desertregion in late spring and during thesummer monthsyou will enjoy thecool shade and quiet outdoor atmos-phere. Whether your interest is in pa-tronizing the fishing pools or just pic-nicing and relaxing, you will f ind wel-come relief from the heat in this happyhome of finny friends.Nearer to the freeway is the communi-ty of Wh itewater, which consists of apost office, building rock dealer, house,bridge house retreat, and some ruins. Inearlier times , Wh itewater was a majorstopping point on the old highway. Itboasted numerous businesses and evenseveral motels. Now it just sits and basksin the sun. At the east side of the town-site is a bridge that crosses over White-

Looking toward the town of Whitewater


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water Creek. For some good fun and re-creation, try visiting the creek. This areais open for visitors and one can sun, playin the water, ride an innertube, or picnic.The water is cold and inviting in thesummer heat.Whitewater is the site of a long vanish-ed Cahuilla Indian village. It got its name

from the color of the waterit lookswhite when running fast, due to the sus-pended particles of white sand carried bythe water. South of the highway is thesite of a stage station used by the Bradshawline and others, which saw service from1863 to 1877.If you happen to visit Whitewater on aweek day, stop in at the Post Office andbuy some stamps. This office is being con-sidered for abandonment and that wouldbe a real loss for the com mu nity. Theoffice serves many people in the canyon

and surrounding area. Unfo rtunate ly, itdoes not sell enough stamps and that isconsidered reason enough to abandon it.The post office is the key to the idenityof a community and the desert has lostenough of that idenity. Help retain thepost office at Whitewater. Buy yourstamps while passing through.

Whitewater Creek as it flows towards itsjunction with Snow Creek

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Whitewater Creek during the summer(Interstate 10 Bridge in the background)

For the electronic prospector ortrain buff, Whitewater holds severalattractions. Traveling south, White-water Canyon Road heads towardsHighway 111 and Palm Springs. Justbefore the junction with highway 111,several r ailroad tracks must be crossed.Right near here is the former site ofthe Whitewater Train Station, knownvariously as West Palm Springs, orjust the Palm Springs Station (afterthe Garnet Station was abandoned).There were numerous buildings atthis site and the area should be goodfor hunting for bottles, etc. For thosewith metal detectors, it may be toughas there is a ton of jun k around thearea. Try around the old station siteitself. If you find anything, let meknow. To the west of the stationsite is one of the few reamining watertanks along the Southern PacificRailroad.

Whitewater is just a one hour drivefrom San Bernardino or Riverside andtwo hours from Los Angeles. Why notconsider a visit to the area. It is atr ip I know you wil l enjoy.

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M o u n t a i n o lTopazby theDesert Staff

Smoky Mountain, Grassy TrailSilver City, Gold Hill, PigeonHollow Junction, and LaPlataarejust names onamap but namesthat make weekehd explorerstravel many miles over rough roadsin hopes of finding afaded pagefrom thepast and seeing an in-teresting place. Orperhaps dis-covering asun purpled bottle or apretty piece ofrock.

Topaz Mountain issuch anameand when I read it,I felt anurge tosee what themountain looked like.

Besides, any rock collector will tellyou that topaz isvery collectable.The only problem was that Iwasreading amap ofUtah andthat isquite aways from myplace on theCalifornia desert. But that remote-ness served tomake thetrip allthe more interesting.We drove east from Ely, Nevadaover Highway 50 towards Delta,Utah. After inquiring inDelta andvisiting acheese factory locatedthere, wewere northbound forTopaz Mountain. We drove west

LEGENDGrai/al RoadUnimproved Ofrt Road

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Topaz Mountain rises in the middle of a portion of isolated Utah desert

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Once-filled water tanks and grassy areas are now dry and barren.

Ruins of stone houses are good grounds for use of metal detectors.

San Bernardino County isliterally covered with ghost townsand vanished camps. Perhaps one ofthe lesser known of those ghosttowns is Ivanpah. The name is ofIndian origin and is Southern Piutefor "good water", an obviousreference to the existing and formersprings at the site. South of theMesquite Mountain Range, on theeastern slope of the Clark Mountains,lies the remains of this old silvermining camp. The site is quite closeto the Nevada State line. This, theoriginal townsite, is not to beconfused with the present daysettlement and railroad facility, bythe same name, on the Union PacificRailroad between Nipton and Cima,Cal. That settlement, which I call"new Ivanpah", is a relativeyoungster, having been founded in1903.

The old, original town of Ivanpahwas situated around springs that arenow shown on topographic maps asIvanpah Springs. The records of thePost Office Department inWashington D.C. list the location as81 miles north of Fenner, on theSanta Fe Railway line to Needles.(Current location is 11 milessouthwest of Nipton). Ivanpah firstcame into public view as the result ofsilver discoveries and subsequentmining operations as early as 1867.This activity blossomed out to a fullscale boom town witcontinueddiscoveries of valuable silver ore intothe 1870's. The total silverproduction for the area has beenestimated to be four million dollars,and that at a time when silver soldfor less than $1.00 per ounce. At

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$8.00 silver, the production estimatewould approximate $35,200,000.00,not too shabby even at todaysinflated prices.A t the peak o f p roduc t ion ,between 1882 and 1885, Ivanpahboasted a population of 300. Wagonroads connected the mines with the

town and led to junctions with roadsleading to neighboring towns such asGoodsprings (Yellow Pine MiningDistrict) and Barstow (WatermanJunction). The townsite was brokenup into segments, each one near oneof the springs and having numerousstructures located nearby. In additionto the usual assortment of residencesand commercial buildings, the townhad a post office, which opened onJune 17, 1878.Some of the ruins are identifiableas to their purpose. Two mills werebuilt at the town,and one can berecognized. The ruins of the smelter,the assay office, someof the stone

buildings, a few adobe type blockhouses and a few "dugout" typeshelters are also recognizable. Inaddition, there are some remainsfrom later attempts to reactivatemining in the area.This is truly a ghost town. Notmany people visit the quiet old ladyof yesterday, and a feeling of aweand deep respect is prevalent as onewalks around through the ruins andunderbrush. It would not surprise meif there are still to be discovereddugout homes and adobe ruins in thearea, buried under many years ofgrowth of weeds and brush. Packrats,unmolested by man, have built manylarge nests. Some of these nests havebeen found to contain old bottlesand other relics of interest to theghost town buff or collector of

Western Americana.Unfortunately, two of the springshave gone dry, but one still producesclear, sparkling water that is caught

in two large metal tanks for use bycattle. Wild burros depend upon thissource of water and are still watchingover the townsite as not very silentsentries. If you are fortunate, youmay be able to take a few goodphotographs of the burros as theyclimb over the washes and hills of thearea.To reach the s i te of "OldIvanpah", travel north on Interstate15 towards Las Vegas, Nevada. Travelpast Barstow, by Baker, and 43.5miles beyond Baker you wil lapproach the Yates Well offramp.Exit the freeway at this offramp andtravd .6 of a mile west to a stop signon a stretch of the old highway.Make a right turn and travel north.Quickly, you will come across a gate.If it is closed, open it and pass

through. BE SURE TO CLOSE THISGATE AFTER YOU HAVE DRIVENYOUR CAR PAST IT' If it is open,you might be kind and close it.Otherwise, cattle can wander all over


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Four-tenths of a mile further up

g h v o l t a g e p o w e r l in e s , a n d

imes.Just beyond this abandoned house,the road forks. This is the site of theghost town of Ivanpah. The left forkcontinues six-tenths of a mile, endingat the previously described watertanks. At the tanks is a nice grassysp ot (in season) where water hasirrigated t he local vegeta tion. It is agood spot to stop and explore thearea. Nearby are the mill ruins andsome of the stone buildings. The areais best explored by foot. Remember,this is the desert and at certain timesof the year, walking must be donewith caution, less one suddenlydiscover a rattle snake.Returning to the forks of the road,take the right fork. In seven-tenths of

a mile the northern most portion ofthe town will have been reached. It isbest, again, to park your vehicle andwalk. For those who are interested inlooking for bottles, it would beadvisable to take along a metaldetector to help find hidden piles ofcans. Many of these trash piles wereshallow pits that are now filled withdirtand rock or covered over bybrush. Look for them in an area thatwould have been near a home or in aravine that would catch them aswater carried them away, during oneof the desert's infrequent gullywashers.

Anyarea that would have been anatural place for the people to havethrown their cans and bottles is agood place to start your search.Diligent searching shoulddiscovermany more relics. Who knows, maybeyou will be the next one to find asun-colored medicine bottle or someother token of a long gone era. Asalways, be careful not to damage the32

**

With a population of 300 in its heyday, Ivanpah's m ines produced more than$4,000,000 in silver. Today, the once flowing springs are dry and the rock housesof the m iners are occupied by packrats. Little known, the area may be rich inbottles and other collectors' finds. U ndergrowth has covered many locations.

'n' t

r SITE OF' O L D I V A N P A H

: - i S 7 , / House V M,iii|

walls or ruins of the structures andfill your holes if you must dig. Inthat way, there will be something leftfor future generations to visit andappreciate the past.


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T K E T E R R I B L E T A R A N T U L Ab y Tim St. G e o r g e

JL HE DANCE of the T arantellastarted it. Malevolent Dr. Fu Manchuadded to the legend. And fear andignorance perpetuated the base can-ards about the ferocity and dangersof the tarantulas.No doubt these hairy arachnidsare somewhat creepy-looking, but thefact is, the North American tarantulabite is seldom administered until the

tarantula has been plagued beyondendurance by someone interested inmeasuring a spider's patience. Th ereis said to be one variety in SouthAmerica big enough and deadlyenough to capture and feast on smallbirds, but ours are friendly, usefulbug eaters.Tarantulas love to primp and en-joy being stroked or combed with asmall, soft bru sh. Youngsters occa-sionally match them for harnessraces, a thread being tied about thespiders' bodies to keep them on the

track. Squeamish teachers have dis-patched the author's son when histarantula accidentally popped outfrom a matchbox on the school roomfloor. (Dead, some boys chop thebody hair and use it as itching pow-der. It is an irrita nt and used by thespider in defending itself.)But such youngsters and tarantulasneed all the friends they can get. Thespider, not the boy, has a Nemesisin the form of a wasp, the "Taran-tula Hawk" (Pepsis thisbe) whichwill take on a tarantula several times

its size simply to lay one egg and per-petuate the hawk's clan.Once contact is made, the spiderand wasp circle warily, looking foropenings. Then one or the othermakes a lunge. Engaged, the taran-tula tries to sinks its hypodermic-likefangs into the wasp's abdomen. Butthere are armor-plated scales whichseldom are penetrated. Meanw hile,the wasp has inserted its stinger intoa vital area, always where nerveganglia are located. The effect isdramatic in that the stricken taran-tula staggers and shudders in truemovie fashion as he goes limp, preyto the Tarantula Hawk.The wasp is just as efficient in pre-paring the cadaver as a birthplace forits young. She first cleans herself ofany remaining tarantula venom, thenflips the tarantula over and drags itinto either the spider's own home, ora nearby burrow. Th e wasp care-fully scrapes away the irritating hairon the abdomen, then lays one whiteegg, and leaves, after carefully plug-ging the entrance with dirt and debristo insure a safe, large meal for thewasp when it hatches.Though being host for a parasite isits last act, the tarantula gobbles upnumerous harmful insects and gener-ally minds its own business withoutharm to man. Deserving a betterpress than it receives, the tarantulashould be recognized as harmless andhelpful, rather than hirsute andhorrendous. / / /

Water WitchingNo Water . . . No ChargeAlso, we Dowsefor Minerals and OilCHARLES WSHAW

(619) 262-22601205 46th St., San Diego, CA 92102

CLASSIFIED ADS* * * *WESTERN S Latin AmericanaSepd $1.00 for rare bookcatalogue.Jane Zwisohn524 Solano Drive NEAlbuquerque, New Mex.87108

MAGAZINES FOR SALE:Desert, Treasure, Westernrare back issues for sale.Send want List to:Harold MoodyBox 803P r o j e c t C i t y , C a l . 9 60 79

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Salome was so dryher legendary pet frogcarried a canteenandnever learned to swim becausethere were nopuddles of water.

HALLby Karen Davis

P * 1

It isn't easy to find outwho DickWick Hall really was. Most libraries,even in Arizona andCalifornia havelittle or no material onhim. RandallHenderson, Founder of DESERTMAGAZINE says he was a goodfriend. So just who was he? DeForest Hall (histrue name-originally)was born in Creston, Iowa onMarch30 , 1877.

His adventures were numerous. Heattended college , served in a war,collected rattlesnakes in Florida, andwent on to become Arizona's greathumorist. It was at theNebraskaState Fair that Hall heard about theHopi Indians of Arizona andtheirreligious rights. As an amateurrher-petologist, he was intrigued by theiruse of live rattlesnakes in religiousdances. So, in 1898, at the ripe oldage of 21, Hall travelled to NorthernArizona and theHopi Reservation.Here he took a job as a census taker.He then lived with theHopi for awhile, gaining a valuable insight intothe people andtheir philosophies.

After this, heobtained a jo b onth e oldTewksberry Ranch inPleasant Valley. This site, in north-eastern Arizona, isknown as thesetting of thebloody callteman-sheepman feud between theGrahamsand theTewksberrys.

Hall wrote enthusiastic accountsof live in Arizona to the familyback home. Thus, hisentire familymoved outwest. Hisbrother, Ernestlater became Secretary of State ofArizona. Dick Hall's closest encoun-ter with state government was hisnext job-on theconstruction of theState Capitol.DeForest's next venture was anindicator of things to come-as apromotorr For the remainder ofhis life, Hall was to become one ofthe greatest promoters of Arizona.This new job also set Hall up as anewspaperman. The job was editingthe Wickenburg News-Herald, whichha d notbeen an outstanding successbefore, andwhich, after about 10months under hisguidance, went deep

in the red. Toregain thelosses, Hallprinted anedition whose front pageglistened with a coating of real goldand copper dust. In that edition, hemade a request for financial supportfrom his readers. This request wasalso the first known example of hispublished humor. It read:"The past tenmonths serve toremind usEditors don't stand a chan ce

Editors don't stand a chanceThe more wework wefindbehind usBigger Patches on ourpantsThen let each oneshow howthey like usSend what you can to DickWick HallOr when thefall winds cometo strike usWe won't have nopants at all."

This isalso the first time wefind hisnew name in use. Bycourt order, he had it changed.From an article in theApril 27,1902 ARIZONA REPUBLICAN,34


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36/44

j \ U ADE WITH A LAUGH ON A UII. 'EOOFA?H BY A BOUGH IJFCKA BIGGER UNPAID CIRCULATION THAU LYPIA PIKKHAM'6DICK WICK HALL, EDITOR - "PUT" DRAWS THE SCENERY

DEAflSALOME, YUMARESQiJE COUNTY, ARIZONA,

"WHERE SHEDANCEU1"

I

I Thank You' for tn Kindly Feeling whlohPrompted You to write me Such a Nioe Letter - and IWant to Apologize for not being Able to write You aWarm Pe rson al L ette r Righ t Now, but So Many FolkB havebeen sending ire Po s tal Soquata - or e ls a Wanting toKnow How Do I Gat That Way - that ona Corner of theLaughing Gas Station ia A ll Pllad up Full of UnansweredMall, and I c an' t Keep Up . I am a 1 00 Miles from Phoenixand 300 from Los Angeloa and a l l tha Good (l ook in g )Stenographara are Afraid to Come Hore to Work fo r me onaccount of th e Un Temad Cow Boya or alaa they are juatJealous of tha way Salome dancaa.I do n' t know What Elsa to Do, so I am grind-; In g out th is Temporary Ex pre ss ion of My Appreciation:>-.. of your Writing ma, which was good fo r Both of

" n u i which i s just Their Way o f Having a Little Fun, andP A P A I Don't Like to have Strangers Get Rough with MyCactus and Er9ak tha Thorns all Off.

Yours, Until the Frog Learns to Swim. ' , ADIOS, AUIGC:

HAPPINESS IS JUST iA STATE OF KIND, i

MAMA

DICK WICK HALL

A W A R M t3A6s I N

SEVEN YEARS OLDAN P i CAN'T SW I MJ'U SAY ITS DRY

A page front theSalome Sun

Hall also began promoting aminenorth of thesettlement, andhe gavthis theever glamorous name of theArizona Northern, orbetter knownas theGlory Hole. Litigation andbad engineering advice tied up themine formany years andtherefore,only thevery rich "glory hole"ores were ever extracted. For afurther story on themine, seeDesert, May 1985.

Both of these ventures weretobe placed on theback burner whenDick decided that therailroadunder construction from Wickenburgto Earp offerred attractive financialpossibilities. Along with E.S.Joneshe opened a store to supply theneeds of therailroad builders andtheir employees. This store was runby Jones who hadoperated asimi-lar oneinCongress and WickenburgDuring thenext fewyears, Dickspent much ofhis time promotingoil, mining,and real estate inCalifornia, Utah, Louisana, Texas,and even Phoenix. Buthe alwaysreturned tohis own town,Salome.With thecoming of thestatehighway, which paralleled therailroad from Wickenburg, busi-ness picked up. Unfortunately,this dictated a move for the townas it wasnorth of therailroadtracks and thehighway was on

the south side. Oneof thebetter known businesseswasthe Blue Rock Inne, operatedby theJones family. Theother wasthe auto garage.The garage wasonHall's landand hewasa partner in the busi-ness. Quickly, it became muchmore than a garage. Hall realizedthat motor travel washere tostayso he setabout planning to landmore of the tourist business.Calling onhisknack forwordsand hishumor, herenamed thegarage "TheLaffing Gas Station,"and began publicizing it by meansof a unique, single sheet news-paper, which hecalled the "SALOMSUN," avowedly "Just for fun-made with a laugh on a memeograpby a rough neck staff." This was, hsaid, a first class newspaper-"because it has to besent out in anenvelope with a 2cent stamp on it

36


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Sign of the famous frog(Anyone out there remember whena letter cost 2 cents to mail?) And,according to the masthead, thenewspapers main aim was "to makeyou smile for half a mile."

Dick had his own wry, yet gentlekind of fun poking wit that still iseasy on the ear and delights themind . His famous frog is an ex-ample of that wit. This is what hehad to say of how it came intobeing: Salome, Yumaresque County,Arizona"Where she danced"was dry long before Volstead wasweaned. The Lord initiated theDry Act here. We are not al-together dry here, however. Itdoes rain once in a while, butnever twice. We had a big rain inFebruary. That was in the year 1904or 1905, if I remember rightly.

The frog was not born here.Neither was I. I found the egg upin the Owens River Valley, nearLittle Lake, California, in aSlough back of Bill Bramlette's

Blue Rock Inneea rly 1900's37


38/44

GOLF COURSE EDITION SALOME SUH SALOME, ABIZOtTA.THK BLUE ROCK IMME'S FAliCUS GfiEASE'*OOD GOLF COUHSE.

L o c a t e d i n Kor thv /e s t Yu i r .a re sqy .a Coun ty , At and Arou nd 'SALOME, A RI Z. ,"Vhare Shs p a n c s t i " t he " O r i g i n a l Red Hot l l ama Bea r Foo t Ba re Tro t -t h e 1 t h a t i la d ? J o h n the B a b t i s t L o s e H is H e a d . The G o l f C o u r s e i s aL i t t l e o v 2 r 33 t l i l e 3 A r o u n d an d r o i k . 3 -vho h a v e P l a y s d i t say UobodyK e v s r Sa-.v i l c t h i n g L i k e i t Uo-.vhere P s f o ra . KOARTIFICIAL HAZARDS ANYWHERE OH THE COURSE - as t h e r e a re P l e n t y of N a t u r a l O n e s . F o l k scorns from A l l O v e r the V .:orid to ;"3nd the S e a s o n P l a y i n g A r o u n d i tJ u s t O n c e - and Some Aln t Got A r o u n d i t Yet . S c o r e s r u n n i n g O v e r1 , 0 0 0 a r e Co.L.i>on, a l s o Ei r d i e s of V a r i o u s K i n d s , E a g l s s , C o y o t e s &J a c k R a b b i t s - t u t H a b t r . t , B a d g a r an d Co yo to H ol es DON'T COUHT. GoodG u i d e s , C a d i y a &K o r c& 3 , C a n t e e n s , T e n t s &C a rr .p in g O u t f i t s L e a s e d byt h e S e e k , tonth or Y a w , PROVIDED a S u b s t a n t i a l D e p o s i t i s Made an dALL CADCYS &HORSES LOST OiJ THECOURSE "UST BE PAID FOR. A T r a v e l l -i n g B a r b o r Shop on t'.'.e C o u r s e H a k e s the R o u n ds E a c h M o n th . T o u r i s t sAl V i

This Far A FayFollows Across Table Top t. - 538. Rod s

Table -< Top MountainBandit CanyonLost Squaw Mine Dead Horse Hills

Uj Here - so arathe Prices Go !

' oustUi thing butiv> I H i l l 1a - ^ ?

APACHEPEAK1 \f q Y ^ Don't OverplayV J ' , x t h i s H o l e

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2AD LA-:D3Mar.y a. Brav^ i.ian has DiedH e r 3 . CO :.T0TCa.r.p Kara Alonea r . d L o t s ; j t . " i a ! i t . Go to Lazy L or the; o f It \ Hi p - 0 B a nc h - Rough bu t S a f e .Along Here \^ F l y i n g VIV ycorrals

0KA!JK\ G 0 D i] A. ' tor Spe nding 2 Cr 3 'Vjjks - or i ' icnths -I fi.i h'ujr: KCCiC I:.":E 111 Lock LikJ tn j 3ign . i 3:.. ' t.".-:rj Ji ot^ l a.'.i Bjana &Baccn . f i l l?2;)| Tj'.otJ lik,-- Oydtord a:U A l l i j a t c r ? . ' a r s ,

S a t i s A ^ c o r d a r - i to '."hat YouHavj A " in t .

LayoutG reaseivood Golf Course

place seven years ago,I thoughtit wasa wild duck egg,but on thway home it hatched out a frog.raised him on a bottle, Shasta andPluto water mostly, and that iswhy he is such a lively and healthyfrog.The Salome frog is 7 years oldnow and even though hecan't swiyet, it isn't his fault. Henever haa chance but helives inhopes.Three years ago,fourth of July,Palo Verde Pete shot off a box ofdynamite and thefrog, thinking itwas thunder, chased the cloud ofsmoke two miles down the road,thinking it might rain. He isolder and wiser now and gettinglike the rest ofthe natives. Hejust sits and thinks. Sometimes Iwonder just what hethinks. Heprobably thinks he ishaving a

hell of a time. MORALEven afrog's tale can have a moral. Ifthe world looks blue and yourluck isbad and you think youare having a hell of a timewhy just stop and think of myfrog-seven years old and hecan't swim."In case you might wonder a-bout theorigin ofthename ofthe town, Salome, that was a-nother subject that Dick liked tojoke about and tell strangers

tales about. The truth is that henamed it after Mrs.Grace SalomePratt, thewife of a mining part-ne r ofhis,Carl Pratt ofPittsburg.Grace Valley wasalso namedafter her.Dick Wick Hall didmore thanjust make people smile. Hemadethem forget the many bumps andruts in the dirt highway thatranpast theLaffing GasStation.Healso carried on a running battlewith Yuma, theState Highway

Commission, and other officalsof the county togetbetter roads.His methods were novel andsometimes incendiary. Inaddition to the SALOMESUN,he once had printed and distri-buted red lettered hand billsthat said: "DANGER! Don'tgoby Yuma. Tourists are warnednot to attempt to go to LosAngeles byway of Y uma

38


39/44

100 miles out of the way andthrough terrible sand dunes thatdrift like snow, where planks,brush and boards are used formiles to keep cars from beingburied. Go by Blythe, theshortest and best route. . ."Needless to say, the battle ragedbetween the politicians in Yumaand the humorist in Salome. Eventhe YUMA SUN AND THE SALOMESUN exchanged unpleasantries.(Editors note: today Salome is inLa Paz County)Another of Dick Wick's more famousclassics is the fictional Greasewood GolfCourse. It spoofs the game of goldwhile kidding the city dweller and theirexaggerated fears of the desert. Itboasts a 23 mile course laid out oversome of the hottest, roughest acres inArizona, and he gravely warns players

against the natural hazards of poisonwaterholes, bandits, crouching taran-tulas and Gila Monstersand evenjumping cactus.Dick Wick Hall passed away onApril 28, 1926 while on a trip toLos Angeles. Thus Arizona lost oneof her best hum orists andphilosophers. One of his more

serious stories is about the town inwhich he lived. It tells a lot aboutthe man and is as follows: "Whenpeople say what a place to live, Ifeel sorry for them because I amfinding something for which theyare still seeking. So many say theywould rather die than have to livein a little town like Salome, whereeverybody knows everybody else,because it is so lonesome here. They

would rather live in Los Angeles orNew York or Pittsburgh where theycan live seven years in one place andnever know their neighbors and haveto ride seven miles on a street car tofind someone they know to say helloto . Civilization is getting so compli-cated now days that hardly nobodyraises any cabbages and green onionsin their back yard no more . Iwould rather live out here, lying onthe soft side of a big granite rock,soaking up sunshine and satisfactionaway from the worries of the out-side world where so many folks workso hard getting nowhere. I can getto the same place out here so mucheasier without working so hard."

Where Dick Wick Hall is buriedIn Hop dress

39


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e s e r t M a g a z i n e B o o k S h o pPLACE NAMES OF THEDEATH VALLEY REGION

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Great Way to SaveYour Back Issues ofD esert M agazine

The best waytha t weknowof to preserve and protectthose issues you want tosave Desert Magazine'shandsome, durable binderin brown vinyl with goldDesert logo imprint. Keepsyour back issues in orderfor easy reference whenyou want to plan your nexttrip or research clues tothat lost gold mine. An at-tractive addition to yourbookshelf, too.Each binder holds twelveissues.Order Yours Today!

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The editor of DESERT MAGAZINE welcomes the experiencesand opinions of readers (and desert lovers) and will publish asmany letters as space perm its. Letters to the Editor should beaddressed 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. Theonly exception would be the manwho found the Pegleg Gold who may remain unknown.

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T/V i* *

between Ifou and M i^PfM*^5i ^

B Y : D . W . GR A NTH A M

First, a note to all our loyal subscribers and in particular t o th e librarians among usThis issue, JanuaryF ebruary 1985is Volume 4 9, Num ber 1. There is no Volume 4 8, Number 6 as this issue was delayed by the Christmas holidays and wedecided to inco rpora te parts of it into this issue. All subscription ex piration da tes have been revised to account for thischange. At present, DESER T MAGAZINE will be mailed in the odd numbered m onths. In this way, you should receiveyour 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 no t com plete there are man y m ore subjects w e will be covering, but could n ot list them d ue to the limitedam oun t of space on a page. The uncom ing articles on Arizona G host Towns and the Gold Park, California article promiseto be excellent. As always, DESERT MA GAZINE will accept articles from its readers and any other knowledgable partywho cares to submit o ne. The rules are on the bottom of page 3.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Starting in the nex t issue will be the retu rn of one of the favorite columns of many readersletters to the editor. Do youhave a question?? Or a commen t?? Or may be you wou ld like to discuss a subject. Drop us a line. A self-addressed stampedenvelope will be required for a reply.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *We have received a lot of mail recently with many letters asking the same questionIs DESERT MAGAZINE in print.Obviously the answer is yes, yet m any of our former readers do no t know abou t us. If you happen to know anyone whois 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 incost. Simply put, tha t means the more subscribers we get, the more issues you get.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Am wondering w hat the w eather will be like for the next few m onths. 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 thisprogresses. There has been so much developm ent in the Coachella Valley that there will be little area left for the SandVerbena and the Primrose. I wonder if the Federal Government has such a thing as an endangered flower? I am afraid thatwe 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.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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