197603 Desert Magazine 1976 March

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GA ZINE OF Th E SOUTHWEST

M A R C H , 1976 75cICD 08256


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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 pLAND OF POCO TIEMPO by Charles F. Lum-m i s . A reprint of the famous writer and historianof his adventures among the Indians of NewMexico, lummis was one of the foremost writersof the West. Paperback, 236 pages, $2.95.DESERT, The American Southwest by RuthKirk. Combining her knowledge of the physicalcharacteristics of the land, and man's relation tothe desert from the prehistoric past to the prob-able future, w ith her photograph er's eye and herenthusiasm for a strange and beautiful country,the result of Ruth Kirk's work is an extraordinar-ily perceptive account of the living desert. High -ly recommended. Hardcover, beautifully illus-t rated, 334 pages, $10.00.LAS VEGAS [As It BeganAs It Grew] by Stan-ley W. Paher. Here is the first gene ral history ofearly Las Vegas ever to be published. The authorwas born and raised there in what, to many isconsidered a town synonymous with lavish gam-bling and unabashed night life. Newcomers tothe area, and even natives themselves, will besurprised by the facts they did not know abouttheir town. Western Americana book lovers willappreciate the usefulness of this book. You don'thave to gamble on this one! Hardcover, largeformat, loaded with historical photos, 180 pages,$12.50.UTAH GEM TRAILS by Bessie W. Simpson.The casual rockhound or collector interested incollecting petrified wood, fossils, agate andcrystals will find this guide most helpful. Thebook does not give permission to collect in areaswritten about, but simply describes and mapsthe areas. Paperback, illustrated, maps, $3.50.DESERT EDITOR by J. Wilson M cKenney. Thisis the story of Randall Henderson, founder ofDESERT Magazine, who fulfilled a dream andwho greatly enriched the lives of the people wholove the West. Hardcover, illustrated with 188pages, $7.95.NAVAJO SILVER by Arthur Woodward. Asummary of the history of silversmithing by theNavajo tribe, Woodward presents a comprehen-sive view of the four major influences on Navajodesign, showing how the silversmiths adaptedthe art forms of European settlers and Indians inthe eastern United States,as well as those of theSpanish and Mexican colonists of the Southwest.Paperback, well illustrated, 100 pages, $4.95.OWYHEE TRAILS by Mike Hanley and EllisLucia. The authors have teamed to present theboisterous past and intrig uing present of the stillwild corner of the West sometimes called theI-O-N, where Idaho, Oregon and Nevada cometogether. Hardcover, 225 pages, $9.95.GOLD FEVER by Helen E. Wilson. Exciting andtrue story of a couple prospecting against for-midable odds during the Nevada Gold Strike inJarbridge. Fabulously illustrated with early-dayphotos. 140 pages, softbound, $5.00.FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS by RogerTory Peterson. The standard book for field iden-tification sponsored by the National AudubonSociety. 2nd Edition, enlarged, 658 pictures infull color. Hardcover, $6.95.

Send orders toBox 1318,Palm Des ert, California 92260Please add 25c for postage & handling

GOLD RUSHES AND MINING CAMPS OF THEEARLY AMERICAN WEST by Vardis Fisherand Opal Laurel Holmes. Few are betterprepared than Vardis Fisher to write of the goldrushes and mining camps of the West. He bringstogether all the men and women, all the fascinat-ing ingredients, all the violent contrasts whichgo to make up one of the most enthralling chap-ters in American history. 300 illustrations fromphotographs. Large format, hardcover, boxed466 pages, $17.95.LOAFING ALONG DEATH VALLEY TRAILS byWilliam Caruthers. Author Caruthers was anewspaper man and a ghost writer for earlymovie stars, politicians and industrialists. He"slowed down" long enough to move to DeathValley and there wrote his on-the-spot story thatwill take you through the quest for gold on thedeserts of California and Nevada. Hardcover,old photos, 187 pages, $4.25.THE CALIFORNIA DESERTS by Edmund C.Jaeger. Revised 4th Edition is a standard guideto the Mohave and Colorado deserts with a newchapter on desert conservation and aborigines.Hardcover, $4.95.

MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER NOTEBOOK byHenry and Beverly Mockel. The well-knownpainter of desert wildflowers has combined hisfour-color sketches and black and white photo-graphs to describe in detail so the layman caneasily identify wildflowers, both large and small,and his microscopic detail makes this an out-standing book for identification. Special com-pressed fiber cover which will not stain. 54 ful l-color illustrations with 72 life-size drawings and39 photographs, 316 pages, $5.95.THE KING'S HIGHWAY IN BAJA CALIFOR-NIA by Harry Crosby. A fascinating recountingof a trip by muleback over the rugged spine ofthe Baja California peninsula, along an historicpath created by the first Spanish padres. It tellsof the life and death of the old Jesuit missions. Itdescribes how the first European settlers werelured into the mountains along the same road.Magnificent photographs, many in color,high-light the book. Hardcover, 182 pages, large for-mat, $14.50.PUEBLO OF THE HEARTS by John UptonTerrell. Named Pueblo of the Hearts by Cabezade Vaca, this Opata Indian Village played host tosome of the most famous explorers of the 16thCentury, including Fray Marcos, Estenvanico,Diaz, Coronado and de Vaca, and was at onetime one of the most im portant fron tier outpostsin Spanish America. Although the village disap-peared four centuries ago, its fame endures.Hardcover, 103 pages, originally published at$6.00, now priced at $3.00.

OUTDOOR SURVIVAL SKILLS by Larry DeanOlsen. This book had to be lived before it couldbe written. The author's mastery of primitivskills has made him confident that survival livingneed not be an ordeal once a person has learneto adjust. Chapters deal with building sheltersmaking fires, finding water, use of plants fofood and medication. Buckram cover, well illustrated, 188 pages, revised ed ition boasts of 96 4color photos added. $5.95.MEXIC O'S WEST COAST BEACHES by Al anMildred Fischer is an up-to-date guide coveringthe El Golfo de Santa Clara to the end of thhighway at Manzanillo. Excellent reference fothe out-of-the-way beaches, in addition to thpopular resorts such as Mazatlan and PuertVallarta. Although traveling by motorhome, thFischers also give suggestions for air, auto, ferrand train travel as well. Paperback, well illustrated, 138 pages, $3.00.ENCOUNTER W ITH AN ANGRY GOD by Carobeth Laird. A fascinating true story of thauthor's marriages to anthropologist John Peabody Harrington, the "angry god," and to thremarkable Chemehuevi Indian, George LairdThe appeal of this amazing memoir is so broad has drawn rave reviews throughout the countrand is being hailed as a classic. Hardcover, 23pages, $8.95.HOW TO DO PERMANENT SANDPAINTINGby David and Jean Villasenor. Instructions fothe permanent adaptation of this age old ephemeral art of the Indians of the Greater Southwesis given including where to find the materialspreparation, how to color sand artificiallymaking and transferring patterns, etc. Alsgives descriptions and meanings of the variouIndian signs used. Well illustrated, paperback34 pages, $2.50.GOLDEN CHIAby Harrison Doyle. This book ilustrates the great difference between the higdesert chia, and the Mexican variety presentlsold in the health food stores. It identifies thenergy-factor, a little-known trace m ineral founonly in the high desert seeds. Also includes section of vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, etc., needed for good nutrition. Referreto as "the only reference book in America on thancient Indian energy food. " 100 pages, illust rated, Paperback, $4.75; Cloth Cover, $7.75A FIELD GUIDE TO THE COMMON ANDINTERESTING PLANTS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA by Jeanette Coyle and Norman RobertsOver 250 plants are described with 189 colophotos. Includes past and present uses of thplants by aborigines and people In Baja todayScientific, Spanish and common names argiven. Excellent reference and highly recommended. 224 pages, paperback, $8.50.CALIFORNIA by David Muench and Ray Atkes o n . Two of the West's greatest color photographers have presented their finest works tcreate the vibrations of the oceans,lakes, mountains and deserts of California. Their photographic presentat ions, combined with thmoving text of David Toll, makes this a classic iWestern Americana. Large 11x14 format, hardcover, 186 pages, $27.50.

California residentsplease add6% state sales taxPlease add 25c for postage & handlingDesert/March 197


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Publisher-EditorArt Director

Field Trip EditorA. BARNES, Utah Associate Editor

Lapidary EditorBOYNTON, Naturalist

Circulation Manager

DuvxLVolume 39, Number 3

MAGAZINE

MARCH 1976

CONTENTS

in Pintoin Joshua Tree Na-by David Muench,

F E A T UCABOT YERXA's MONUMENT TO THE HOPI 6

A NORTHERNER MAKES IT BIG DOWN SOUTH 8

VULTURE CITY, ARIZONA 12

FROM A DREAM TO A LEGEND 14

SANDPAINTING 16

PLUCKY PALISADE 20

CANYON RIMS RECREATION AREA 24

SCORPIONS 28

PALM SPRINGS' INDIAN CANYONS 32

MORONGO'SMALKI MUSEUM 36

RECIPES FOR M'LADY 41D E P A R T

A PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE 4

BOOKS FOR DESERT READERS 5

DESERT PLANT LIFE 39RAMBLING ON ROCKS 42

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 46

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS 46

R E S

Joe Kraus

Buddy Mays

Howard Neal

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

David Villasenor

Mary Frances Strong

F. A. Barnes

Timothy Branning

Joe KrausAnne Jennings

Helen Peterson

M E N T SWilliam Knyvett

Book Reviews

Jim Cornett

Glenn and Martha Vargas

Readers' Comments

Club Activities

ANDCIRCULATION OFF ICES: 74 -425 H ighway 111,Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone Area Code 714346-8144 . NAT IONALJE Publishers' Representative, 8732 Sunset Blvd., LosAngeles, California 90069. Telephone Area Code 213659-3810. Listedand Data. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States, Canada and Mexico; 1year, $6.00; 2 years, $11.00; 3 years, $16.00. Other foreignadd$1.00 U.S.currency foreach year. SeeSubscription Order Form inthis issue. Allow five weeks for change of address andsend both newd oldaddresses with zipcodes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly. Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additionalActofMarch 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1976byDESERT Magazine andpermission toreproduce anyor allcontents must beinwriting. Unsolicited manuscripts andphotographs will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed andstamped envelope.

1976


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B o o k s forH e a d e r s

All books reviewed are available through theDesert Magazine Book Shop. Please add 25c perorder for handling and California residents mustinclude 6% state sales tax.

CALIFORNIA YEARBSBK

CA LI FORNI A Y E A RB OOKBicentennial Edit ion

The complete story of Cal i forniaitsexcit ing past, its dramat ic development ,i ts promis ing future is now available ina single, comprehensive source.The California Yearbook is a new t i t lefor the widely praised California Infor-mation Almanac, one of the carefully

selected texts adopted for statewide useby the California State Board of Edu-cation.

Like the state it describes, theCalifor-nia Yearbook is colorful and interest ing.Researched, writ te n and edited by lead-ing California authorit ies, it is packedwith information sought by students,teachers, visitors, business a must foreveryone interested in theGolden State.Containing nearly 400 pages, theYearbook has accurate, up-to-date infor-mation and stat ist ics, plus explanationsto make thefacts meaningful. There aremore than 500 photographs, charts,maps and graphs, many in color, illus-t r a t i ng ach ievem en t s , ac t i v i t i es andpoints of interest in the state.

Twenty-f ive separate chapters covernearly all aspects of the statehistory,government, recreation, sports, educa-t ion, communicat ions, a gr icul ture, man-ufactur ing, cities, counties and manyother imp ortant topics. There is a specialsect ion, in ful l color, on America's Bi-centennial and California's contribut ionto our nation's greatness.

For quick reference, there is also acomprehensive index of names, places,topics and events.

To learn about Californiafrom Span-ish explorers and the Cold Rush to en-vironm ental concerns and theeconomyth e California Yearbook is indispensable.La rge f o rm a t , pape rbound , $4 . 95 ;deluxe cloth binding, with full-colorcover, $9.95.

HANS KLEIBER, Artist ofthe Big Horn Mountainsby Emmie Mygat t and Roberta Cheney

Hans Kleiber, Wyoming artist extraordinary, chronicled the out-doors that he knew and loved so deeply as well as any artist hasdone. He was devoted to both nature and art and combined the twoin a lifelong romance with the Big Horn Mountain country of Wyom-ing. The legacy of superb etchings and paintings that he left isadmirably presented in "HANS KLEIBER, Artist of the Big HornMountains."This lovely volume is produced in large horizontal format with8V2 by 11 inch pages. It contains 74 etchings in duotone, 22 paint-ings and 2 aquatints in full color, and 14 photographs. Bound inbeautiful Sturdite, gold stamped, each book is packed in a strongready-to-mail carton $17.95

PLEASE WRITE FOR DESCRIPTIVE BROCHUREThe CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd.

'/> Box 700Ca ldw ell, Idaho 83605

EXPLORING THEGHOST TOWN DESERTBy Roberta Martin Starry

Rand area in Cal i fornia 's Mojave Des-ert has anexci t ing mixture of sand, rock,rugged mountain ranges and colorfulcanyons interlaced with old t rails, aban-doned prospects and crumbl ing bu i ld -ings. Through each mile runs an invisi-ble thread that t ies the present to a ro-mantic past of f reighters, prospectors,investors, gamblers and dance hall g ir ls.

Roberta Mart in Starry, a former con-t r ibutor to Desert Magazine, has cap-tured the f lavor of those old days whichis still around for those who pause tolook, listen and feel. Adventure awaitsjust around thecurve of adusty trail andchallenging mountains hold wealth yet tobe discovered.

In the spring of 1895, three men dis-covered gold on the side of an unnamedmountain in theMojave Desert. They letno one know of their discovery as theyhurr ied to layout claims, but by the t imethe f irst corners were marked, prospec-tors started pouring in f rom every direc-tion to stake claims for themselves. Thefeel or knowledge of a new strike spreadto distant camps swift ly, consideringthere were notelephones or other meansof communicat ion.

Th is deser t count ry became thedestinat ion of the '49ers when theMother Lode gave out to the north. Suc-cessive strikes of gold, tungsten, andf inally si lver brought people swarming tothe new towns of Atolia, Garlock, RedMountain, Randsburg and Johannes-burg. These strikes eventually peteredou t and, in a few years, the desert laidclaim to the old towns again.

There is something for everything inthe Rand area: ghost towns, abandonedmine camps, freighter trails, remains oChinese camps and diggins, and vir tually untouched rock, bottle and relic collect ing.

Paperback, well i l lustrated, $1.95.Desert / March 197


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A P e e ki n th eP u b l i s h e r sP o k e

HIS MONTH'S feature art ist , DavidVillaseno r, is responsible for preserv-ing one of the country's earliest art

sandpaint ing. Orig inal ly these

through years of experiments,method of pe rmanent sand-

Through addit ional years oflectures and demonstrations,

To see one of his creations andis to gain a deeper under-

The biggest liars in the desert will

As is the custom from 30 years ago,

Bud Getty and Bill Jennings.True to tradit ion, contestants must

lost three small hil ls of. The lies about Pegleg's

ave persisted more than a century.the rocks an d early entries are

Desert Magazine.r m ail them to

of Your Life

Up . . . up . . . and away to an excit ing experience you' llnever forget! Night or day, the thri l l of a ride on The Tram isunequaled anywhere!Afte r 4 p.m . you can "R id e ' N ' D in e" for only $6.95. Tram carsleave Val ley S tation dai ly fr om 10 a.m . Last car down at 9 p. m .(714) 327-9711.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway


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ft

byJOEKRAUS

E VER SINCE King Khufu constructedthe greatest of the pyramids on theSahara Desert, desert people havebeen building one thing or another. Solo-mon built a temple in the Holy Land.Scotty bu ilt a castle in Death Valle y. AndDel Webb built a hotel and country clubon the edge of the Nevada desert thatwas soon to become the largest g am blingcenter in the world Las Vegas.

But there was another desert builderwho, although seldom mentioned in his-tory books, was just as exciting. Hisname was Cabot Yerxa. And he built inDesert Hot Springs, California a four-

This photofrom theHarry Vromancollection wastaken in 1955,ten years beforeCabot Yerxa'sdeath.

story-high, 35-room pueblo as a salute tothe Hopi Indians. Not only did it takeCabot some 23 years to construct his un-usual structure but he did it all nearlysinglehandedly in his old age.

Cabot was 60 years old and the yearwas 1941 when he began his massiveproject. There never was a blueprint. Tostart he just took a pick and shovel andcut down the mountainside, put theearth in wheelbarrows, and f i l led up thecanyon to make a front yard. It was inthis hole that he bui lt the pueblo becausehe wanted it to f it into the mountain.

For construction materials he confis-cated old lumber from desert shacks,took home discarded beams used in theconstruction of the Metropolitan Aque-duct and gathered all the cast-off rai l-road ties from the nearby SouthernPacific right-of-way. He used clay foundat the site, but mixed it with cement forbetter durability. Thousands of bentnails from demolished shacks were care-fully straightened to hold boards to-gether. Toppled telegraph poles, aban-doned after flood waters filled the SaltonSea, went into the project. So did tim-bers from Mt. San Jacinto that cascadeddown the mountain after a cloudburst.

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He hauled sand, rocks and water in anFord. He mixed his materi-

It was some 23 years after Cabot Y erxa

rch, 1965 and Cabot was 83 years old .ed slowly back and forth and

then he went to sleep. He was neveren a gain. Cabot Yerxa was dead.The full story behind this man who

What is known, however, is that he

teena ger. Later, on a second trip totradin g post, was a postmaster,

d twice, his second wife dyingHis greatest accomplishment the

yraud who l iterally stood in the way of

Later, Landm ark Con servators, a non-p ro f i t educa t i ona l co rpo ra t i on wasing the pueblo, Landmark has main-

esert/March 1976

Colbert Eyraud literally stood in the way of city wrecking crews to save Cabot's OldIndian Pueblo. He now is planning a tourist and health resort. When completed itwill be the most Indianish fun and health spa in the desert. It will include thepueblo.tained the property, opened it to thepublic and preserved the legacy of thestructure's builder, Cabot Yerxa.

Known as a rebel by city fathers,Eyraud is probably much more a vision-ary who wants to improve the land whichnature so endowed and share it withothers. He has long wanted to tap thehealth-giving mineral waters of DesertHot Springs into more productive uses.He is attempting to woo the NationalArthrit is Associat ion to build a NationalArthrit is Medical and Research Centerin Desert Hot Springs. He is also plan-ning to construct a tourist a nd health re-sort. This will include the present Indian

pueblo but wil l be enhanced by a 50-unitmotel in an Indian pueblo motif . Whencompleted the complex wil l be the mostIndianish fun and health resort in thedesert. In no way, however, has Eyraudlost site of Yerxa's original dream home,this Indian pueblo, th is "cast le" thatwas built with part of Yerxa's soul.

Over the years the pueblo has becomea f it t in g mo nument of one's sincere faithand love for his desert commu nity. Yerxafound serenity and peace there, vital in-gredients of life in a restless world. To-day, visitors can share this peace, thisdedicat ion of a man bent of doing some-thing last ing with his l i fe. D

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\N o r t h e r n e rM a k e s i t,by BUDDY M AYS

A TA LE OF A SUCCESSFULTRANSPLANT FROM ICY LAKES

AND STREAMS OF THENORTH TO WAR M WATERS IN

SOUTHERN NEW MEXICOAbove: The author's wife, Mary, holds alarge Rio Grande northern pike. Oppo-site page: The author with apike takenon aspoon.

T WICE DURING the last 15 minutes,th e long, gliding shadow had grazedthe brightly colored bass plug, snap-ping at it just as I pulled it from thewater. Twice he had missed, slappinghis massive tail down onthe murkywater in frustration, scaring me half todeath with the splash. Worse, the un-seasonable March drizzle which hadbeen falling for over an hour was be-ginning to soak through my plaid lumberjacket. Iwas chil led through and throughand well on mywa y to becomingmiserable.Up and down the shoreline, the otherfishermen who had been there earlier

had packed up and gone home. Even afamily of coots, normally a water lovingbi rd , had taken refuge from the down-pour beneath amusty pile ofthumble-weeds. There they sat, preening theirfeathers and cackling in coot talk undoubtedly discussing the stupidity ofhumans who didn't know enough to geou t ofth e rain.

Then something whacked thebassplug almost hard enough to jerkmyspinning rod into the river. As Isnatchedit back, an elongated fish left the waterin aglit tering arc 40 feet out from theshore, my plug with it's treble hookshanging from one side of itsgaping

Dasarl/Msrxh107c


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As quickly as he appeared, hef l i ng -

Finally, the violent maneuvers over, I

That part icular f ishing expedit ion tookof an angler

y front doo rstep. Since then I 'vea dyed -in-the-wo ol, forever loyal

utte Lake and Caballo Lake allmiles from M exico.

The tale of New Mexico's pike began

lucius if he

1976 9

Then, in 1970, large numbers of fin-gerlings were dumped into ElephantButte and Caballo Lakes, two sprawlingirrigation reservoirs near the resort townof Truth or Consequences, 140 milessouth of Albuquerque. Previously, bothlakes had become recognized as excel-lent water for large-mouth bass, butwhether the northern pike could abidethe warm temperatures, no one knew.

W ithi n a year after the init ial plant,however, pike began to show up inangler's creels. From Caballo Lake,northerns migrated up the Rio Grande,thereby populat ing a lengthy sect ion ofr iver, and at the same t ime, pike plantedin the upper Rio Grande by Colorado fish

and game officers migrated down riveras far as central New Mexico. I t wasn'tlong before pike fishermen began to popup . But l ike most f ishermen, they kepttheir new found sport a well protectedsecret.

Although l it t le was said about theMia mi Lake plant, in all fairness the De-partment of Fish and Game has adm ittedthat there was some controversy sur-rounding the 1970 plant in southernwaters. Conservationists felt that thevoracious feeding habits of the pikewould decimate large-mouth bass popu-lations found in Elephant Butte Lake.Others maintained that pike f ingerlingswould simply die, wasting tax-payer's


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money since they could not tolerate adrastic change in their natural habitat.

So far studies indicate that northernsare not destroying game f ish populat ionsto anydegree. Infact, they control roughfish (carp and shad) better than anyman-made invention short of poisoning.And obviously, since pike are now an es-tablished game f i sh , the largest takenin the state weighing 12 pounds, theyhad no t rouble adapting to their newwarm-water home in the desert.

When ang ler /author A.J. McClanewrote of the northern pike . . . " W i t h

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our canoe toan over-Icl ipped a four- inch-

long wobbling spoon tomy leader andthe heavy lu re in to the

A few seconds after the spoon dis-in themurky r iver , itwas

lammed hard by alarge pike. He sky-rocketed from thewater three t imes into rid

imself of hethree-pronged hook stuckin his jaw.After af ive-minute bat t le Iboated the f ish and handed the rod to mywife. Seconds later she connected to an-other f ish from exactly the same spot.Before thepool was exhausted our totalcatch was four pike, the largest 29 incheslong.

Another excellent bait , onewhich al-ways looks natural simply because it is,are l ive waterdogs worked through theRio Crande's deeper pools. Normal pro-cedure is tohook the " d o g " t h r o u g hboth l ips with a large bait-hook orweighted j ig-hook. Theretr ieve shouldbe ajerk ing movement , g iv ing the im-pression that thewaterdog isswimmingnatural ly .

Since the f irst no rthern pike was takenon hook and line from New Mexicowaters, this great, toothy predator hasbecome recognized bythe few anglerswho stalk him as amost reliable gameDesert/ March 1976

One ofmy favorite backwatersalong the river.This is three miles e ast ofTruth orConsequences, New Mexico.

f ish, one whose possibil i t ies arealmostinf in i te. For instance, unlike most otherwarm water f ish, his feeding behaviordoes not necessarily decline during thewinter months. Infact thenorthern pikeactually prefers cold water, ra in , wind,and even snow. Consequently, f ishingfor him isbest from February unti l J une,the t ime when other f ish refuse tobite.

In addi t ion, hisf ight ing tact ics areboth ferocious and varied. Stubborn l ikea mule, agile as asummer-run steel-head, hecan just aseasily f l ing himselffrom the water in adisplay of rod bustingacrobatics or battle head tohead in ar iver pool, ut i l iz ing hisserpent 's body totwist monofi lament into arat 's nest.Onto p of all t h is , hemakes adelectableaddit ion tothe table when broiled ingarlic and butter. Fillets from an averagesized northern mayweigh two poundsapiece quite ahunk of f ish in any-body's book.

F r o m t h e w o r ld ' s la r g e s tm a n u f a c t u r e r /d i s t r i b u t o ro f p o r ta b le m i n i n g e q u i p m e n t

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G H O S T S by HOWARD NEALV u l t u r e C i t y , A r i z o n a

LOCATION: Vulture City is located approx-mately 14 miles southwest of Wickenburg, Arizona.BRIEF HISTORY: Henry Wickenburg ar-rived in Yuma, Arizona in the year 1862. He cameWest sharing a dream with many other young men ofthe day. His goal was to make a fortune through thediscovery of gold, that magic metal which meant in-stant riches.Wick enb urg's discovery came more quicklythan it did for most. In 1863, within little more than ayear froim his date of arrival, he staked his claim.Right on the surface of the desert, near the Hassay-ampa River in central Arizona , he found an immensequartz outcrop generously laced with gold. Henamed his mine the Vulture., Henry Wickenburg found his gold. It wasone of thjie richest strikes in the history of Arizona. Hefound, too, that making a fortune was a more elusivegoal. The nearest water was at the HassayampaRiver some 12 miles distant. Min ing the ore, ha ulingit to the river, and milling it, were tasks which weretoo much for one man.

Since Wickenburg could not afford to hireminers and other workme n, his initial solution was tosell ore to other miners at a price of $15.00 a ton. Itwas their job to mine it, haul it, mill it, and makewhatever profit they could. Some made quite apro fit. Ore w ith a value as high as $1,000 per ton wastaken from the Vulture during those first few years.It is said that the shores of the Hassayampa werelined with as many as 40 individually ownedarrastres, each producing many dollars for others butlittle for Henry Wickenburg.In 1866, W icke nb urg found wha t hethought would be a better solution to his problem.He sold an 80 percent interest in the Vulture to aneastern f inancier named Benjamin Phelps for$85,000. He received $20,000 down and was to gethis remaining $65,000 plus one-fifth of the profitsfollowing full development of the mine by Phelps.Phelps did develop the mine. Stone build-ings were bu ilt at the mine site, and what was to be-come Vulture C ity was born. A large stamp m ill wasbuilt by the river to replace the crude arrastres. TheVulture went into full production on a commercial

The VultureMine ball-millbuilding is one ofmore than adozen structuresstill standingat Vulture City.A ball-millconsisted of arotating cylinderfilled with castiron balls.Crushed oreplaced in thecylinder waspulverized, thenthe gold wasextracted bycyanidation.

Desert /March 1976


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The walls of theVulture Mine office buildings,

including the assay officeand bullion room,

are constructed from lowgrade ore from the mine.

Several buildings wereand many thousands of

dollars in gold recov ered.

Photographs by Howard Neal

basis. In 1879 water was piped to Vulture City andthe mill was moved and enlarged to accommodate 80stamps. The Vulture was a prosperous mine andVjlture City grew to a population of nearly 500.Estimates of the Vultu re's production rangefrom $15 million to an improbable high of $200 mil-l ion. Henry Wickenburg did, indeed, come West anddiscover a fortun e. U nfortuna tely, tho ugh , it was nothis to share. He was never paid the remaining$65,000 of his origina l sales price and he spent m uchof his $20,000 down payment in legal fees trying tocollect his remaining interest. His 20 percent interestnever earned him a cent. He did discover a fortunebut he died a pauper.In the summer of 1905, Henry W icken burg ,who had been born Heinrich Heintzel some 85 yearsbefore in Austria, took his own life. So many cameWest to find that golden dream of riches. So fewcame quite as close as that young Austrian whochose to call himself Henry Wickenburg.Deser t /March 1976

VULTURE CITY TODAY: A few miles westof Wickenburg, Vulture Mine Road crosses U.S.Highway 60. A sign at the intersection indicates thatthe Vulture Mine is 12 miles to the south. After a fewmiles the pavement ends and the Vulture Mine Roadbecomes a wide , well g raded, d irt road. To the east isVulture Peak and on all sides there is a profusion ofbeautiful high-desert growth. The peak of activity atthe Vulture Mine was in the years between 1880 and1897 and many buildings from that era remain inVulture City. In addition to the many mine and millstructures still standing there are a number of bu ild-ings, including storehouses and shops, built withlow-grade ore from the m ine. The last mining opera-tions at the Vulture took place just prior to WorldWar II, but the mine and ghost town have beenunder the watchful eye of a caretaker ever since. Inrecent years the public has been welcome and a self-guided tour map is provided for visitors. Certainly,Vu lture C ity ranks as one of Arizona's most notable,and best preserve d, desert ghosts.


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IP HE PALM Spr ings Aer ia l TramwayJ climbing smoothly over two and a half miles of cable to the eve rgreen

trees of California's San Jacinto Moun-tainsis one of the West 's most popularattract ions.

In minute s, the 80-passenger tramcarscarry visitors safely from thorny cactusand warm desert sands to invigorat ing

m oun t a in a i r and t he t h resho ld o f13,000-acre Mt . San Jacinto State Parkwhere more than 50 miles of hiking trailsand 11 campgrounds beckon.Behind the mountain stat ion a gentlysloping thermal wa lkway, free of snow inwin ter, leads to Long Valley where picnicfacilit ies are available in summer andsnowfun equipment may be rented in

winter at nominal fees. Observationdecks at the 8,516-foot high station af-ford a breathtaking view of the entirevalley, extending to the Salton Sea some45 miles distant.

The tramway, constructed in craggy,ravine-riddle Chino Canyon on the northedge of Palm S prings un der two hoursby car from Los Angeles didn 't simplyhappen. For years it was only the dreamof a young electr ical engineer namedFrancis F. Crocker.

In the beginning, in 1935, Crocker'sdesire was m ainly to find a way to escapethe desert heat. The longer he though t ofquick ways to reach the peaks of the SanJacinto Mountains, where temperatureswere, 40 degrees cooler than on thedesert f loor, the more the idea of build-ing some form of conveyance to the re-gion jelled. I t f inally clarif ied into thevision of a tram.

In the late 1930s, O. Earl C offma n, co-manager of the famous Palm SpringsDesert Inn, became immersed in Crock-er's tram idea and was eventually namedchairman of a committee to plan thestructure.

Though enthusiasm for the tram ideawas high locally, polit ical roadblockscaused num erous d i sapp o in t i ng se t-backs. Twice a tramway enabling bil lpassed the state legislature, only to bevetoed by then Governor Olson. ThenWorld War I I ignited the globe and theplans were shelved.

But the dream of a tramway to l i f theat-wilted desert lovers to the San Ja-cinto Mountains never died. Four years

Riding highthe 80-passen ger cable carnears the mou ntain station.Far below can be seenthe valley stationand the entry roadthat winds downto the floorof the desert.

14 Desert/March 1976


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In 1945 a new tram bil l was passed,

By 1950, technicians were going fullgns for the tramw ay, spending

The Korean confl ict caused further de-

Construct ion of the tramway was an

The superlat ive was earned be-

Only the f irst tower, r ising 214 feet,road. The

t he be au t i f u l 35 , 000 -squa re - f oo tFrancis Crocker's dream was complet-

Final cost of the project was $8.15raised through the private sale

Taking only 18 minutesthe Aerial Tram transfers passengers

from the warm desert sandsto a delightful winter wonde rland

with many typesof recreation available.

Those who take the excursion to themou ntain stat ion today are apt to think ofCrocker and Coffman as pure visionarieswhen they view gorges in Chino Canyondeeper than the famed Grand Canyon.The two yellow tramcars are named forthose pioneers and, in 1966, a 7,800-footcrag in the canyon was dedicated toCof fman.

Mr. Coffman died in August, 1967,but Crocker is still a frequent visitor tothe tramway, r iding to his favorite "nicean d co o l " spot above the desert.

Nearly three m il l ion persons have en-joyed the r ide into the majest ic moun-tains overlooking Palm Springs since thefacil i ty ope ned. The dream has become aliving legend.

1976 15

;- v


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,. mmr 1


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WESTERN ART

by DAVID V. VILLASENOR

Editor's Note: The author, David Villasenor, famed sandpainter andmember of the American Indian and Cowboy Artist s Society, tells his ownstory in an article reprinted from "T he Ma sterkey ," Vol. 41 , No. 4; Oct.-Dec, 1967, courtesy of Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, California.Carl S. Dentzel, Director.

T HE EPHEMERAL sandpainting is avery old Southwest Art in which themedicine man "p ai nt s" loosely uponthe ground, or on some occasions uponbuckskin or cloth, by letting the sandsflow with control and skill through hissensitized fingers. He may use also, inconjunction with sands of natural color,corn meal, flower pollen, and powderedroots and bark in the execution of hisritual.Due to the sacred nature of this cere-mony the sandpaintings are begun, fin-ished, used and destroyed within a 12-hour period, and are therefore virtuallyunknown except in the Southwest.In 1931 I attended my f irst " s i n g " andwatched a Navajo medicine man createan unbelievably beautiful sandpainting,only to have it destroyed within a shortperiod thereafter. I made a promise toDavid Villasenor, master sandpainter,demonstrates his artistry. Author,lecturer and craftsman, he hasspread this art form far and wide.Datart/March 1976

myself then that some day I would fin d away to make this beau tiful and meaning-ful expression perm anent. By 1937 I wasa Woodcraft Ranger, teaching arts andcrafts. Indian style sandpainting doneloosely upon the ground for our campfire ceremony was one of the main activi-ties. My quest for how-to-do-it per-manently was already beginning to takeshape but the results still left much workto be done in the future. With the warintervening, nothing more was doneuntil 1946 when I returned once more tooutdoor camp life, and the problem ofhow to make sandpainting permanentbecame part of the arts and craftsprogram.Miss Leila Livingston Morse, great-granddaughter of Samuel F.B. Morse,the inventor of the telegraph, saw theresults of some of the children's per-manent sandpaintings and was im-pressed enough with my own efforts toarrange a one-man show at the AmericanMuseum of Natural History in New Yorkin 1951. Dr. Frederick Hodge (to whom I17


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wen t for advice and crit icism on the com-pleted show before shipping it to NewYork) requested that these paint ings beexhibited at the Southwest Museumalso. The exhibit ion was held over inNew York, and upon return went direct lyto the Southwest Museum in 1952.

From t ime to t ime, and from age toage, the tradit ional primit ive arts andcrafts of nearly all the peoples of theworld have gone through a definitechange, addit ion, or modern adaptat ionas the time and the need demands it. Soit has been with our American Indian.

The sandpaint ings of the Hopi, Zuniand other Indians have gone through theleast change, while the Navajo sand-painters have been the most prolific.They have been the quickest to adopt in-novations and changes, but still staywithin the pr im it ive t radi tional pat terns.Mexican, Central and South AmericanIndians have injected or adapted manyChrist ian or foreign symbols to theirground paint ings, and include modernmaterials such as saw-dust brilliantlycolored with commercial dyes.

Permanent sandpaint ings dif fer from

Above an dopposite page:Examples of thedelicatesandpainting bythe author.Left: DavidVillasenor at workon a decoratorplaque.

mosaic, terrazzo or other mediums bythe very fact that the above mentionedarts and crafts are usually done with atechnique of color and design separationor segregated by a demarcation line onan even plane. Permanent sandpaint ingis most effectively done by using layerupon layer of sand, which thus achievesthe extra dimensional appearance of theIndian ceremonial variety done looselyupon the ground.

The technique of this new adaptationin the use of sands and minerals ofnatural color (applied with adhesive to aplywood base) is limited only by theability and vision of the craftsman orart ist; ranging in scope from jewelry,pictures, murals, sculpture, etc., to"tapestries in sand" which roll for ship-ping, hanging or storing, to architec-tural indoor or outdoor applications.

It has taken nearly 20 years of teach-ing, lecturing, demonstrat ing and ex-hibit ions for permanent sandpaint ing tobecome recognized and accepted as anew medium in its own righ t by the gen-eral public and by some art critics. It hasnot always been easy for art critics tomake elaborate comments on the tech-nique of sandpainting since it has notbeen taught in any school and is there-fore not recognized as an art medium.The anthropolgist, however, has beenmost delighted. In 1951 Dr. FrederickHodge, then director of the SouthwestM useum , said: " I am happy to be able tocommend these excellent reproductions

18 Desert/ March 1Q7R


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of the Nava jo sandpa in t ings. Theprocess which you have developed forreproducing them, and the faithful andunique manner in which you have ap-plied the colors, are beyond crit icism.Certainly there is no other way by whichthe Navajo sandpaintings can be moresu cce ss fu l l y a n d p e rma n e n t l y p re -se rved . "

Many of the more conventional In-d ians ob jected to permanent sand-pain t ing , but some of the more progres-sive members of the tribe recommendedthat this potential for preserving and re-cording some of the ancient culture forfuture generations be util ized.

Permanent sandpainting is becomingone of the fastest mediums of art ex-pression of the Greater Southwest In-dians. A number of amateur and pro-fessional art ists throughout the countryare doing sandpaintings after one lessonor demonstration. Several Indians arenow successfully adopting this moderntechnique in much the same way that a"d uc k takes to wa ter " especiallyNavajos, among whom are Franklin andMary Jane Kahn of Flagstaff, John andMabel Burnside of Pine Springs, Ari-2:ona, Vernon Mansfield from the Hopit r ibe , and innumerable other Indians.

One of the basic principles of Indianteaching was the necessity to adapt tothe environment by util izing the mater-ials on hand for most of their arts andcrafts. Survival even depended upon it.With this thought in mind, nearly all the

materials for sandpainting usually comefrom the neighborhood whenever I havea class in summer camps, or even in thecity schools. Sands and minerals ofnatural color are found most abundantlythroughout the Southwest; in varyingdegrees in all parts of the country, andno doubt throughout the world.

Black sand is available in iron mag-netite (can be picked up with a commonmagnet, or gold panning technique,along creek beds, at the sea shore, evenin the sands of the recreational areaplaygrounds, schools and sand boxes),b lack mica , vo lcan ic c inders , b lackmarble, and, as a last resort, charcoal orcoal dust makes a nice black.

Blues and greens, which come fromchrysocolla, azurite, m alacite, turquoise,copper sulphate, etc., can be groundwith mortar and pestle, then siftedthrough screens to the desired mesh.

Red and yellows come from the ironoxide family (in the city use yellow andred bricks, ground and sifted to the rightmesh). Natural color sands are mosta b u n d a n t t h ro u g h o u t t h e So u th w e s t(Painted Desert, Grand Canyon, OakCreek Canyon, Arizona, Zion and BryceNational Parks, Utah, etc.). Alabamaand the South yield a deeper tone of redsand than the Southwest.

Browns, grays and beiges are commonanywhere; l imestone yields beautifulwhite and pastel shades.

Idaho garnet produces magnificentshades of maroon and lavenders, etc. M y

palette of natural colors contains morethan 30 shades, with infinite variationsin between. Mother Earth abounds intreasures which it is her pleasure to be-stow upon the one who observes.

My objective now is to return to theIndian, who is the inspirational sourcefor the medium of permanent sand-paint ing, this new adaption of this age-old m ethod for use in native a rt or tocreate an opportunity to utilize the na-tural materials around his reservation to"paint" landscapes, portraits, designsor other art expressions wit h sand.

Desert/ March 1976 19


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P L U C K YP A L I S A D Eby MA RY FRANCES STRONGphotos by Jerry Strong

T HE WORDS "ghost town" a lmostautomatically br ing forth thoughts ofmining booms and the skeletal townsleft behind when the glory days wereover. More than l ikely, such thoughtswould be fi tt ing, since hundreds ofearly-day camps grew to be towns de-stined to end their days as ghosts.

There are exceptions to the ghost townrule, even in Nevada, where settlementand statehood were mainly due to greatmining booms. Palisade, 10 miles south-west of Carl in in northern Eureka Coun-ty, is one of these exceptions. Born atend-of-track in 1868 as a construction20

camp, Palisade rose to station status afew months later. When the golden spikewas driven at Promontory P oint, Utah onMay 11 , 1869, i t became a major sh ip-ping and supply point on the first con-tinental rai lroad the Central andUnion Pacific.

Throughout the fol lowing century, thisl i tt le community would play an im-portant role in the drama of historicalevents in Eureka County. "Plucky Pali-sade" is not a misnomer. Through tr ialand error, growth and decline, fame andmisfortun e Palisade has r isen and fal-len. Yet, today it remains an entity as a

Almost in the centerof Palisade Canyon,a break in thesouthern mountainsallows theHumboldt Riverto meander in itscourse. A steep,narrow, dirt road leadsdown to the river andPalisade from theAirplane Hillcollecting area.Below: Though thesagebrush hasreclaimed the site,there is stillmuch evidence of thebustling town ofPalisade. Severalhouses are occupiedand the railroad sidingis active.

siding on the Southern Pacific Railroad.Palisade was a rough and ready camp

during the rai lroad's construction. Aftera long, hard day's work, men found l i tt leto do except "swil l the booze." This theydid with great gusto. Absenteeism fromhangovers became so prevalent that anorder f rom the top, "Absolute ly noliquor is to be sold along the railroadright-of-way near Palisade," was str ictly

Desert/ March 1976


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The greatRuby Hill Mineat Eureka

shipped over90 million dollarsin gold and silver

bullion via Palisade.Many piles of bullion

were often stackedon the platform

at Palisade Stationwhile awaiting

shipment. Such anunusual sight wasalways enjoyed

by train passengers.

enforced. It was the only means ofkeeping enough men on the job.

During the 1860's, a number of m iningstrikes had been made in Eureka andWhite Pine Count ies. Minera l Hi l l , Dia-mond City, Cortez, Ham ilton and Eurekawere among those rising to prominence.The new railroad provided these isolatedcamps with a welcome shipping andsupply point at Palisade. Within a dec-Desert/ March 1976

ade, it was a busy railroad town sup-porting a sizable business district and apopulation of over 600. Church missions,a Masonic Lodge and school were pro-viding residents with cultural activit ieswhile the Winchester Saloon offered thebest in liquid solace.

A second ra i l road , the Eureka-Palisade, was mainly responsible forPalisade's rapid growth. The f irst im-portant lead-silver strike in the UnitedStates had been made at Eureka andeventually resulted in the formation oftwo giant companies from a potpourri ofsmall claims. Fighting for supremacy,the Eureka Consolidated and RichmondConsolidated Mines each erected largefurnaces at opposite ends of town. Thelines were drawn and the fight was on!Litigation of their differences went on inthe courts for many years, finally reach-ing the Supreme Court where the land-mark decision established the ApexRule.

M inin g and mill ing went on at a fever-ish pace; while the transportation of bul-lion became a major problem. A railroadto Palisade appeared to be the only an-swer. Two local stage owners and sever-al other interested parties formed theEureka-Palisade Railroad in November1873. Work on the 84-mile, narrow-gauge roadbed began a short time later.October 22, 1875 found the line com-pleted. The celebration following the

arrival of the first train in Eureka wasreportedly a "h um di ng er " and not soonforgot ten.

The next decade brought prosperity toPalisade, the E&P and Eureka. Over 70million dollars in silver and 20 milliondollars in gold (plus a considerableamount in lead) had been produced byEureka's mines and shipped on theE & P . At t imes, freight traff ic was soheavy that bars of bullion lay stacked inthe open at Palisade station awaitingshipment. However, the "silver-goldme r ry -g o - ro u n d " w a s a b o u t t o ru ndown. The year 1885 found the r ich,high-grade ore exhausted and miningproperties being turned over to leasers.

The passing of the glory days foundbusiness on the railroad declining butthe E&P struggled on until it fell intoreceivership in June 1900. This turn ofevents resulted in many people driftingaway from both Palisade and Eureka.

Two years later, the railroad had newowners and the Eureka and RichmondConsolidated Mines had become onee n t i t y R i c h m o n d - E u r e k a M i n i n gCompany. Once aga in , the EurekaMines were producing and the railroadwas operating. Completion of a thirdrai l road, the Western Pacif ic, throughthe canyon brought on a new "boom" atPalisade.

All had been going well for half adecade when tragedy struck! During the21


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" : " :

This is the summit at Airplane Hll. Good collecting for colorful agate and matrix-less nodules will be found to the left of the pickup.latter part of February, 1910, l ightspring rains developed into heavy down-pours. When they were over, 11 miles oftrack had been destroyed. A locomotivelay buried in mud and a work train with crew and work gang werestranded half way between Palisade andEureka. They eventually had to walkhome, abandoning the train and engine.

This was not the end of trouble . Heavyrains came again on March 1st. The soilmantle was completely saturated andPine Valley had become a 30-mile longlake. Palisade was surrounded by fivefeet of water. In low places, water almostcame up to the roofs of buildings and therailroad roundhouse and shop were in-undated. Service on the E&P was sus-pended indefinitely and stranded trainswould not be moved for two yea rs. Floodwaters had smothered Palisade's fires ofcontinued success.

When the E&P resumed operations in1912, the rate per ton for freight wasmore than doubled. The Richmond-Eureka Min ing Company took a d imview of such actions. When the rai lroadadama ntly refused to lower rates and theRailroad Commission seemed to be inagreement with i t, the owners refused toopen the mines and they remainedclosed for many years. Though the rai l-

road operated until 1938, the great daysfor Eureka, as well as Palisade, wereover. It was largely due to the l i tt leEureka-Palisade Railroad that neithersl ipped into complete oblivion.

Our visits to Northern Nevada areusually made in November and over theyears we have encountered many a snowstorm. It is a breathtaking sight to seethe Beowawe Geyser Field (Desert,Jan. '71) under a l ight mantle of white,but clear ground is needed for rock col-lecting. Our most recent tr ip to AirplaneHil l gem field and Palisade found us,once again, under an overcast Novembersky. The peaks of surrounding moun-tains were snow-covered and a raw windwas blowin g. Late fal l and winte r are notthe best t imes to visit this region.We zippered our parkas and headedwest from Carl in on Highway 40. Justbefore reaching the summit of EmigrantPass, 10.5 miles west of Carlin, weturned south on a graded road. EurekaCounty maps designate the road as StateHighway 20. It is not shown as such onstate maps nor is the turnoff marked. Itis a narrow road that winds around theshoulders of the mountains to AirplaneHi l ls.

This is a very scenic drive actuallypart of a circle tour from Carl in. As you

drive along, you can look down into nar-row, steep canyons or view the highpeaks of distant mountains. This route isnot advisable for trai lers. The road southof Carlin would be the one to use if pul-l ing a trai ler and planning to spendseveral days in the area. However, youwil l not have fol lowed the old EmigrantTrai l , nor enjoyed the thr i l l ing views andpicturesque canyon drive.Even without mileage, you wil l knowwhen you reach Airplane Hi l l . The roadcrosses a small, flat area then seeminglydrops straight down into the canyon ofthe Humboldt River . Turn r ight onto d i r ttracks and park.

Small agate fragments and matr ix- lessnodules wil l be found on the surface.Digg ing generally produces larger speci-mens which are of good color and qual-ity. The agates are typical of specimensfound in tertiary volcanics and wereprobably deposited hydrothermally inlava.

From Airp lane Hi l l , the road rushes tojoin the Humboldt River. In just over amile, i t passes through a collecting areawhere f i s t - s ized chunks o f nodu la ragates occur. This is steep, rugged ter-rain and strenuous hiking is required.The agate specimens are not plentifuland they are also hard to see. In myopinion, they are worth the effort neces-sary to find them. Collecting is impos-sible during wet weather.

From the agate area, it is only a shortdrive to the canyon floor and site of Pali-sade. At th is point there is a break in thesouthern border of mountains which hasallowed the Humboldt River to meanderin its course. As a result, the site has apicture-book, pastoral setting.

Rising skyward on the east are therock formations which inspired the placename for both canyon and town. Theirsymmetry of form caused an 1833 ex-plorer to write, "a cluster of hi l ls, whichpresented from a distance, of a numberof beautiful citadels buil t up together."A later traveler (1869) wro te, "W epassed a genu ine Pa l isade whosecolumnar structure reminds one verymuch of the Giant 's Causeway."

Palisade Canyon is more than a regionof scenic beauty. It has played an im-portant role in the settl ing of the West.Along the great artery of explora tion, theHumboldt River, came Peter Skene Og-den in 1828-29 on his second HudsonBay Trapping Expedition. His explora-

22 Desert/March 1Q7R


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N E V A D A t Ogden Trapper Trail1826 1829Emigrant Trail

en's R ive r." He is also believed to havebeen the f irst white man to enterNorthern Nevada during his f irst expedi-t ion in 1826.

Joseph Walke r was next to travel w hatwould become the Humboldt EmigrantTra i l , when he led a scouting expedit ionin search of a pract ical, overland routefor wagons in 1833. In 1845, JosephWalker led half of John C. Fremont'sexpedit ion on an exploring and mappingtrip down the r iver. Fremont renamedthe r iver and t rai l "H um bo ld t" in honorof the German naturalist Baron Fred-er ick von Humboldt . When Fremont 'sextensive reports and detailed mapswere published, they helped open thedoors for one of the greatest migra-t ions in our country's history.

Du r ing t he yea rs 1841 -57 , over165,000 hardy souls (21,500 in 1850alone) followed the Emigrant Trail toCalifornia. Many made it others didnot. Few of these pioneers journeyedthrough or saw Palisade Canyon; thoughthey were all with in a few m iles of it . Thecanyon's narrowness forced the wagonroute to head into the mountains afterdepart ing the site of what is now Carlin.Deser t /March 1976

After crossing a 6,000-foot pass, theroute rejoined the river near Beowawea distance of about 17 mile s. Diaries keptby early travelers indicate many hard-ships were endured while traveling thissection of the t ra i l .

A few houses, some ruins and rubbleamong the sageb rush, scattered railroadbuildings and the siding are all that re-main of the once bustl ing railroad town Palisade. Freight wagons no longercrowd the main street and the false-fronted business district lives on inmemory and old photographs. St i l led isthe raucous laughter from the Winches-ter Saloon where railroad men andminers alike bell ied up to the bar. No onesteps up and shouts, "Drinks for every-one, I hit pay dirt today." Only the pic-turesque canyon and the slow-movingriver remain unchanged.

Palisade has mellowed as do all goodthings with age. Today, she offers mod-ern explorers wide places in which topark their trailers or camper; thri l l ing4WD trails to explore; mines to visit ;gems to collect; history to absorb andscenic beauty to savor. Plucky Palisadeis one of Nevada's many hidden trea-sures. Long may she endu re!

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A LITTLE-PUBLICIZEDAND LIGHTLY-USEDRECREATION AREA INAMAGNIFICENT SETTINGIN COLORFUL U TAH .

C ANYON RIMS Recreation Areacanbe entered by a paved road thatcrosses the lovely rolling sage-and-slickrock desert that lies to thewest ofU. S.163 between M oab and Mon ticelloin southeastern Utah. This approach toth is l i t t le-known and outstandinglyscenic Bureau of Land Management re-creation area offers colorful vistas andunspoiled plateau-top scenic beauty, butwe had traveled it many times and haddecided this tr ip to go into the area by itsonly other approach, a Jeep trail fromthe northeast.

We had turned off U. S. 163 a milesouth of La Sal Junction where Utah 46heads into Colorado through the La SalMountain foothills. Two miles along thedirt road we were following, ashort spurled toLooking Glass Rock, a large win-dow in a gigantic sandstone dome.From there the road wound and twist-ed across rolling, grassy flats, dippeddown into broad, sage-studded valleys,crossed slickrock wash bottoms, thenclimbed again onto rolling, scenic pla-teauland. Little was seen of the spectac-ularly deep gorges that defined the pla-teau, but we knew from our topographicmap and past explorations that thegorges were there, just out of sight.We always enjoyed this route toCanyon Rims Recreation Area becausealong the way the tra il passed several in-teresting oldranches and corrals, longsince abandoned but still picturesque.But this tim e, our trip was tobe given anextra thr i l l .The season was early summer, and thetime was late afternoon. As we traveledthe twisting, eroded road in ourToyotaLand Cruiser, loaded with gear forsev-eral days of camping, weadmired the24 Desert/March 1976

* *


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REAby F.A.BARNESscenic beauty all around us. The lower-ing sun toward which we drove back-lighted and accented the thousands ofclusters of wildf lo wers and clumps of tallgrasses that spread toward the horizon.Bright orange Globe-Mallow blossomswere the most bril l iant, with thousandsof tall clusters emitt ing an almost f luor-escent sunset glow of their own.

Then , as we topped out of the lastshallow valley and headed toward an oldranch built among and into a series oflow sandstone domes, our eyes caught aflash of white, just a few yards from thet ra i l . We slowed almost to a stop, so asnot to frighten the small group of prong-horn antelope that stood calmly lookingat us from barely 200 feet away.These beautiful, graceful animals arenot native to southeastern Utah, or atleast not within the history of white menin the area, but they have been "plant-e d " there in several favorable locationswithin the last few years by the Bureauof Land Management, in cooperationwith state and federal game manage-ment agencies. We knew they had thriv-ed in the Canyon Rims area, but untilnow had not seen them.

After several endless moments ofmutual exa mination , the antelope turnedand bounded off at an unhurried pace,their white rumps bobbing in an erraticcourse through the desert sage. Stand-

Need les Overlook, intoLockhart Basin.All photos by author.Desert/March 1976 25


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AnticlineOverlooklooms1745 feetabovethe Colorado,where thatsilt-ladenriver crossesan openstretchbetweendeepgorges.Below:The landto thenorth ofAnticlineOverlookis ajumble ofwarped andupliftedsandstonestrata anddeeplyerodedgorges.

Ing st i l l , the pronghorn antefope is athing of statuesque beauty, but when inmotion it is a living poem of grace andagility, and few animals on this planetcan match it for sheer speed when it is ina hurry.

Bemused by this brief but enchantingencounter, we drove on toward the Can-yo n R ims ca mp g ro u n d w h e re w eplanned to spend the night. The next daywe were to see still more antelope, onequite near the cam pground, and a wholeherd, including a number of spritelyyoungsters, not far from the NeedlesOverlook.

The more conventional approach toCanyon Rims Recreation Area leavesU. S. 163 about midway between Moaband Monticello. There, a highway signpoints the way toward this Bureau ofLand Management development.

The recreation area is essentially ahigh, canyon-rimmed mesa some 20miles long. The mesa is called HatchPoint on topographic maps. Develop-ments on the mesa consist of excellentpaved or graveled roads to three out-standing overlooks, interp retive displaysand other traveler conveniences at two ofthese over looks, p lus two exce l len tcampgrounds. A fourth overlook can bereached only by way of a rugged four-


27/48

Above: The Needles Overlook offersspectacular glimpses down into the red-rock maze below Hatch Point. It is welldeveloped, with paths, displays, seats,restrooms and safety fencing along thesheer drops. Above right: Hatch Po intCampground is on a wooded, rocky pro-mon tory. This excellent cam pgroundrarely has more than two or three occu-pants, and often stands empty even inmid travel season.wheel-dr ive t ra i l , and still other Jeeptrails lace the lowlands to the east ofHatch Point.

Both of the campgrounds are well de-veloped, but only l ight ly used. Theyhave good spring water, restrooms,tables and barbecues, and the campsitesare well spaced out among the pinyonand juniper trees that domina te the area.

Windwhist le Campground is only f ivemiles from U. S. 163 and is set amongmassive red and white sandstone domesand wa lls. Its 19 spaces are conven ient totravelers a long U. S. 163, and the camp-ground makes a good base from which toexplore the rest of the recreation area.Hatch Point Campground is more re-mote, and even less often used, but isequally w ell develop ed. I t sits on a wood-

e d , rocky r idge above sprawling mea-dowlands, has 10 developed spaces andis about 26 miles from the m ain h ighway .

The paved road within the recreationarea goes directly to Needles Overloo k, ascenic drive of some 23 miles from U. S.1 6 3 . About 16 miles from this highway,an excellent gravel road branches northfor another 17 miles to Anticl ine Over-look.

Needles Overlook is a high, spectacu-lar rocky point overlooking the Needlesdistrict of Canyonlands National Parkand the vast redrock canyon complexthat lies between the park and the cliffsthat def ine Hatch Po int. The viewpoint isfenced for the protection of visitors andoffers a shady pavilion and seats alongthe path around the viewpoint perime-ter. This path is short and easy, but canstill make visitors gasp from the sheer-ness of the cliffs below the viewpoint,and from the spectacular beauty thatstretches toward the distant horizon.

To the northwest, the great vert ical-walled peninsulas of Island-ln-The-Skyand Dead Horse Point dominate, punctu-ated by the isolated mesa of JunctionButte. To the west, the labyrinthinemaze of canyons formed by the Greenand Colorado rivers and their confluenceis bounded by the distant Orange Clif fs.To the south stand the twin spires ofNorth and South Sixshooter Peaks, andto the southwest are the Needles, wherethousands of colorful sandstone spirespoint f ingerlike at the sky.

And on clear days, it is possible to seeall three of southeastern Utah's lacolithicmou ntain ranges the La Sals to thenortheast, the Abajos to the south andthe Henrys on the far western horizon,looming above the Orange Clif fs.

The gravel road to Anticl ine Overlooktravels principally across open, roll ingt e r ra in , bu t a l so o f f e r s t an t a l i z i ngglimpses down into the vast, red amphi-theater below Hatch Point. A few milesfrom Anticl ine Overlook, a short spurroad leads to an unnamed scenic over-look from which the Colorado River isvisible far below.

Continued on Page 40

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\:::

S C O R P I O N S byTIMOTHYBRANNINGRJHE SCORPION, long the subject of& fables and legends, isprobably one4 of he most misunderstood creaturesalive. Mysterious and evil looking, ithas

been feared and respected for centuries.It was held insuch awe bythe earlyGreeks that they named aconstellationafter it,transforming the scoprion intoone ofthe signs ofthe zodiac.

The scorpion's notoriety, however, isnot totally undeserved, for its one of themost unique of all animals. Itbelongstothe class Arachnida and as such, scor-pions are related to other arachnids likethe spiders, mites and harvestmen. Theorder isScorpionida, of which there areabout 800 species. Of the 800, approxi-28

mately 30live in theUnited States,mostly inthe southern and western re-gions. Throughout the world, scorpionsare mainly found in the tropicalandtemperate climates. Although they arepr imari ly thought ofas desert animals,many species live in tropical jungles andsome have penetrated toaltitudes ashigh as 16,000 feet.

Scorpions usually vary incolor fromyellowish to l ight brown. In moist tropi-cal and high mountain areas, however,they may bebrown or black. In theUnited States, some species take on ayellow-green t int, although most areyellowish orcocoa brown and averageabout two and one-half inches inength.

They rarely exceed four or five inches.Insome regions, such as Guinea, scorpionsobtain alength ofabout eight inches.Ancient ancestors ofthe scorpion grewto be as much asthree feet long,al-though no such specimens exist today.

Often c alled livin g fossils because theyhave changed little since the Silurianperiod 400 million years ago, they arethe most primit ive of all land arach-nids. Scorpions originally were watercreatures and evidence of this is still ap-parent in the two pairs of "book lungs,"gill-like structures that enable the scor-pion to breathe. One of the oldest knownspecies, found in fossil beds in NewYork, was probably the f irst animal to

n s rt/March 1 7R


29/48

to terrest ial l i fe in NorthThe most str iking features of the scor-

are its segmented tail ending in aand its pedipalps, lobster-l ike

the f ront ofhead. These pincers arevery power-

l and areused tocapture and mash theIn addit ion, they serve

a type of " f e e l e r " for the scorpion.is important, since, l ike all arach-theground, thescorpion holds its

out ahead of its body,and prey as it moves.

a pair of sensory appen-thehead. Pectines arefound only

and probably provide thea kind of combined sense

and smel l .These sensory devices are especiallyto the scorpion since its eye-

is extremely poor. Several speciescan

day andis an ironic twist, because

In addit ion,two to five sets of la-

aswel l . These lateral eyes areas useless as the two pr imary

Wh i le in mot ion, the scorpion carriesto the rear. When itin contact wi th another anim al, it

its ta i l up over thebody,to strike. Since the scorpion is di-

12dist inct ly jointed segmentsfor the tai l and seven for the body)

is extremely f lex ible. It can strike ain any direct ion, and does so with

The scorpion's venom is injecteda large needle-pointed st inger

a bulbous thorn. Thewhile generally not toxic to

andthe scorpion's main diet. Scor-

toattack and kil laswel l as other small rodents.

of the larger species feed onThe st ing is usually not dangerous to

Opposite page: Thescorpion is amenacing sight with its stinger

and its pedipalps extended.Right: Amother prepared todefend

her young brood.Desert/ March 1976 29

man, and deaths are rare, although itcan cause severe pain and swel l ing, andsometimes fever or temporary localparalysis. Most deaths are at t r ibuted toan allergic reaction in the vict im. Youngchildren, e lderly people or those who arealready ill may also succumb to scorpionst ing.

In theUnited States there areonly twospecies which are noted as being dan-gerous to man. Both of them are foundexclusively inArizona, although they arealso common in Mexico where they pre-sent a serious medical problem. The twoUnited States species are Centruroidessculpturatus, wh ich is ye l l ow ish incolor, and Centruroides gertschi, which

is yellow w ith two irregular black stripesdown theback. Thevenom of these twoscorpions is a neurotoxin, which para-lyzes the muscles and causes cardiacfai lure. Untreated, such a st ing can re-sult in death within a few hours. Ant i -toxins are available, however, and arequite effect ive.

The chances of being stung are s l im,since scorpions are primarily nocturnalcreatures. During the day they hideunder loose rocks, boards, bark andother material. If disturbed, they wi l l runfor cover rather than str ike. Sprint ingacross the ground, they are amazinglyswift runners, but only for short dis-tances. Continued harrassment wil l re-


30/48

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suit in the scorpion's striking in selfd e fe n se . One sh o u ld be e x t r e m e l ycareful when working in areas wherescorpions are common, especially if the


31/48

a complicated square dance. Thisiscalled the "promende a deux . "

Courtship often lasts hours or eventhe couple locked intently to-

and disengagingon the ground.

the female is suff icient ly st imu-she replies with the necessary

and the twopresstocomplete hethe female

her affection by mortallyanddevour ing her lover.

The young are born l ive, after de-the mother for a long

several months to a year.Thearewhite in color and are en-

in a membrane at b i r th . Afterthemembrane, thethe mother's back

forseveral days untilto

for hemselves. During their attach-to heir mother they donot eat, butoff food stored within their own

It is a common belief, because ofto themother, that the

off her. This is not t rue,themother's back is hard

and thebabiesareweak. Theyoung develop

tof ive years to reachfor

During this matur ing per iod, youngare extremely vulnerable to

be wary ofl izards, ants, beetles and spidersoff thest inger. In tropical areas

aresometimes eaten by monkeysTheir cannibalist ic habits arealso wel

documented, andbecause of this, scor-pions generally live alone except duringmating season. They do not, however,kil l themselves when cornered or whenencircled by f i re , as some people main-ta in . Although potentially dangerousthey are generally not much of anuisance'. Timid and shy, they areseldom seen even by those who live inareas where they abound. Some havebeen kept as pets, andthey dowel l incaptivity, although keeping them in thehouse maybeunwise. Thebest policy isjust toleave them alone. They are simplyanother l ink in thedesert ecology and assuch should beconsidered no dif ferentf rom anyother desert creature. LDesert/March 1976

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33/48

JOE KRAUS

HbN YOU ta lk about Palm Springs,California these days, one thinks ofc e l e b r i t i e s , c h a m p i o n s h i p g o lf

One doesn't associate the town toNor do many know about majes-

earth. Or old Indian

Above: A 30-year-old photo shows beautiful Tahqu itz Canyon Fall before the areawas ruined b y though tless litterers. Oppos ite page: David M uench o f Santa Bar-bara, California captures the serenity of the Indian canyons.

All of this is certainly less well knownthan the other town assets. But if you areoutdoor-minded you can't beat PalmSprings' Indian Canyons. A series offour of the most picturesque canyons tobe found anywhere, the Indian Canyonsare all within the Agua Caliente IndianReservation and less than 10 minutes

from the heart of the resort communityof Palm Springs.

Centuries ago, the Cahuilla Indians,ancestors of the Agua Caliente Indians,lived in comparative isolation. In thosedays game was plen tiful. The rocky can-yons opened onto the desert floor. Andthere in the heart of it all was the hot

33


34/48

springs which gave the tr ibe its name.This area, which served as a focal pointof all activities, later became known asthe City of Palm Springs.

Today, of the reservation's 32,000acres, some 6,700nearly 10.5 squaremiles lie with in the Palm Sp rings cityl imits. The remaining sect ions fan outacross the desert in a checkerboardpattern south and east of the city. Somesections even mount the sheer slopes ofthe San Jacinto mountains to the west.

A photo fromthe Harry Vromancollection showsPalm Canyon as itappeared in the '50s.

Mu ch of this land has been alloted outto the approximately 150 members of thetr ibe. Not subject to allotment, how-ever, was the Indian Canyons SanAndreas, Palm, Tahquitz and Murray.These areas of beauty were set aside bythe Congress of the United States in1959. Designated as tribal reserves, theywere preserved for the bene fit and use ofthe band as a whole.Although the Indians are in ownershipof the lands, they certainly are not keep-

M

The miles of bridlepaths lure equestriansto the canyons.Pictured here isAndreas Canyon,a favorite withdesert riders.34

ing the scenic areas a secret. Quite thecontrary. They not only open the can-yons to visitors, but encourage thoseinterested inside the compound. The In-dians say not only will a visit provide arare opportun ity to observe the beauty ofGod's creations in a natural state butp rov ide unusua l oppo r t un i t i es f o rrecreation.

The canyon areas (except Tahquitz)are open to the public for a small feefrom mid-October through May of eachyear. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.Picnic facil i t ies are available, but there isno overnight camping. I f you are enter-ing the canyons by car you must enterthroug h a tollgate on South Palm CanyonDrive, three miles south of the city.

If one wishes, horses can be rented(about $5 per hour) at the nearbySmoketree Stables. Even if you bringyour own horses, however, you mustpark your trailer at the stables and enterthe canyons throug h a special equestriangate. A fee of $1.50 per rider is charged,all of which goes to the Indians. All ar-rangements and fees to be paid must bem ade t h rou gh S m oke t ree S t ab les .Equestrians can enter the canyon asearly as 7 a.m.

What you wil l f ind once you enter thecanyons will be some of the oldest livingpalm trees in he world. Several of theWashingtonia Filifera have been estab-l ished to be more than 1,000 years old.The origin of the palms is unknown, butone theory is that they are survivors ofthe palm groves that once grew along therim of prehistoric Lake Cahuil la.

Am ong other sites are bedrock m ortarholes, stone houses and shelters. Thesecan be seen high on the clif f w alls. Builtcenturies ago, they tell a story of apeop le ' s s t r ugg le aga ins t a ha r shenvironment .

Andreas Canyon, named for "CaptainAndreas" one of the Cahui l la Indiantr ibe, is considered by many to be themost interesting of all the local canyons.The entrance alone is str ikingly ruggedand p i c t u resque . The roadway ap -proaches it at such an angle that one canscarce ly be l ieve that there is anyentrance throu gh the great rocky ba rrier.But it 's there just the same. And once inthe canyon one wil l f ind massive rocks,c lus t e r s o f co t t onwoods , s ycam ores ,alders, wild grapes and other variet ies ofplant l i fe. Added to this are the statelypalms.

Desert/March 1976


35/48

Along the stream in the f lat granite

Although you can have a good feelinghikers can experience even more

An easy hike south of Andreas Canyon

it is one of the largest of the In-

A band of wild ponies can sometimes

Another favorite in the Indian Canyon

The 15-mile length of canyon wilder-

d p alms. O r you can take an easy foot

Cool watersand dense foliage

add to themajesty ofquiet calm

in the canyons.trail that leads down into the canyon tosome of the better areas. Here, on thefloor of the canyon, you' l l f ind willows,sycamores, tamarisk and alders. Mes-quite, catclaw trees, creosote trees andvarious types of cactus can be found onthe canyon slopes.

Hiking back into the canyon a bit fur-ther you' l l follow a clear running stream.The waterway is fed from melting snowhigh in the Santa Rosa Mountains. Be-side this stream the moist earth has pro-vided habitat for green patches of water-cress and stands of slender bullrushes.And if you look close you'll find pools ofw a rm min e ra l w a te r b u b b l in g u pthrough the sandy bottomland. On therock walls above the stream are seeps ofwater where great patches of maidenhairfern grow.

Beautiful Tahquitz Canyon, with itswaterfal l , has been so abused by camp-ers, hikers and bathers that the ensuinglitter and water pollution has closed thisscenic area to public use. The film set-t i n g f o r t h e o r ig in a l mo v ie , "L o s tHor i zon , " th is one-t ime "Shangri- la" isliterally a paradise lost until people re-assess their values. Let us hope thishappens soon!

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36/48

MoRONqo'sMAlkiMUSEUIVI by ANN E JENNINGS

Carobe th Laird at 80 is achieving critical success with h er memo ir Encounter with anAngry God, a Malki Museu m Press publication. Photo by John Bosak.

36

MALKI MUSEUM, o f the MorongoIndian Reservation near Banning,California, first opened its doors tothe public in 1965 with the help of a

handful of enthusiastic volunteers. Themuseum's primary goal way to workclosely with Indian people of SouthernCalifornia, helping them to preservetheir heritage and share it with futuregenera t ions b oth Ind ian and non-Indian.

Now entering its 12th year of opera-t ion, the tiny museum has grown to aninternational organization of over 600members and has put together a recordof achievement totally out of proportionto its physical size and financing.

Malki is located in the scenic San Gor-gonio Pass of Riverside County, lessthan half an hour's drive west of PalmSp r in g s . Th e Mo ro n g o R e se rva t io n ,cupped between the brother peaks ofMt. San Jacinto and Mt. San Gorgonio,may have rocky ground and an uncertainwater supply, but the view is terrif ic.

You may reach the museum by takingthe Fields Road turnoff from Interstate10 and heading north for a mile-and-a-half. There, you will f ind the museumstill housed in the two-room temporaryquarters which have been its home sinceopening day. Walking south to f iestagrounds, you will pass the ethnobotani-cal garden and will come to the empty,adobe structure which is to become themuseum's new home when funds be-come available to complete the interior.This building was constructed entirelyby a work force of Indian volunteers.

Surrounding you will be the frame-work of a mam moth ramada which for 10

Desert/ March 1976


37/48

e scene of Ma i Id's an -

Greet ing you wi l l be Mrs. Jane K.the Wanakik Cahui l la woman whoMalk i 's f i rs t and most pers is tent

s f rom 10 A .M . to 5 P.M.Please don't ask Mrs. Penn where the

't ask her where the Indians are: Sheone. An d please don 't ask her why the

You wil l be able to view a port ion ofents, photos and references which

deal of the collection is still in storage,await ing a move into the larger adobebuilding, but much of the museum's pro-gram lies outside the four walls whichhouse its collection.

Despite its limited financial resources,its rural location and its geographicallyscattered volunteer force, Malki 's in f lu-ence has been felt throughout SouthernCalifornia and its reputat ion has beenslowly assuming state-wide and nationalproport ions through its publicat ions pro-gram. On the record:

1. The museum has awarded morethan $18,000 in scholarships to SouthernCalifornia Indian college students. Thescholarship fund is raised in smallamounts from donations by membersand f r iends of Malk i .

2. The museum has inspired otherSouthern California reservations to es-tablish similar operat ions. A thrivingconcern is the Cupa Cultural Center atPala, in San Diego County, and severalother reservation museums are in plan-ning stages.

3. The museum has yearly sponsoreda speaker series wh ich serves as a forum

for Indians to share their perspectivewith v is i tors.

4. Malki has provided information forschools and has welcomed thousands ofIndian and non-Indian school childrenfrom throughout the area.

5. Malki has become a headquartersfor research studies into the aboriginalcultures of Southern California. The mu-seum has been host to m any dist in guish -ed scholars and to hundreds of under-graduate and graduate students.

6. Of all Malki programs, unquestion-ably the one with the greatest impact hasbeen its publicat ions prog ram, under theguidance of Harry Lawton, author of theaward-winning desert manhunt saga,Willie Boy.

Operating without benefit of budget,Malki Museum Press has published 11full- length books, six of them originalworks, the remainder reprints of classicworks in anthropology, and a number ofbrochures and pam phlets. In cooperat ionwith the anthropology department at theUniversity of California at Riverside,Malki Press has launched the scholarlyJournal of California Anthropology.

KatherineSiva Saubel,president of

Malki

chairmanof the

museum'spublications

program,are shown

with asampling of

Malki books.

Photos byWeezy Wold.37

. 1 .


38/48

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within four issues, the journal has ac-quired a reputat ion as an outstandingacademic publicat ion with a dist inguish-ed roster of editors and contributors.

A hallmark of Malki publicat ions hasbeen the cooperation of Indians know-ledgable in the language and lore of theirpeople with non-Indian scholars. Suchbooks as Temalpakh by Katherine SivaSaubel and Lowell John Bean; Mu-lu'Wetam by Roscinda Nolasquez andJane Hi l l ; Let 's Talk I'ipay Aa by Theo-dore Couro and Margaret Longdon, andThe Autobiography of Delfina Cuero byFlorence Spikek represent such collabor-ation.

A major publication to be issued byMalki Press this spring wil l ref lect thiscooperat ion, although the author's l ist-ingC arobeth Laird is that of thewhite scholar alone. Mrs. Laird's co-authorher husband, Georgehas beendead for 35 years. The book, The Cheme-huevis, is a tr ibute to her husband'smemory, to his tr ibe, and to the manyyears the two worked together, record-ing language and mythology, tracingplacenames and trails throughout theChemehuevi desert county of SouthernCalifornia, Nevada and Arizona.

In her introduction, Mrs. Laird writesthat, wh ile incomplete for much oftheir material was lost after his death the book is truly George Laird's since itis built almost ent irely upon the informa-t ion he shared with her during theiryears of marriage.

Publicat ion of the 80-year-old author'sscholarly w

Documents

197603 Desert Magazine 1976 March