197604 Desert Magazine 1976 April

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Back Issue BargainsComplete' 6 6 , ' 6 7 , ' 6 8

' 7 0 , ' 7 1 , ' 7 2 , ' 7 3Volumes1974Volume1969 11 issuesonlyFeb.-Dec.

"Rain Barrel"Assorted Issues1959 to 19651975

Volume

Package of 20ai l al l orders to:DESERT Magaz ineBox 1318Palm Desert, Cal i f . 92260

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G OS T R DK Es e r i e s4 MINING CAMP SCENESIN PULL COLOR The Gold Rush14x17" w i th whi te marg inon high qual i ty paper . Nol e t t e r i n g o r f o l d s . T h ear t is t 's personal accountof how each phase of theseries came to be paint-ed is pr inted on the backof each pr int .O n l y $ 5 . 0 0

(POSTAGE AND TAX PAID)

REPRINT DEPARTMENTDESERT MAGAZINEPALM DESERT, CALIF. 92260

The Mining Camp

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Th e Mining Town

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The Ghost Town


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Publisher-Editor

Art DirectorANCES STRONG, Field Trip Editor

A. BARNES, Utah Associate EditorLapidary Editor

BOYNTON, NaturalistCirculation Manager

Volume 39, Number 4 APRIL 1976

CONTENTSF E A T U R E S

THE COVER:Poppy spread below EagleEye Peak, Aguila, Ariz.Photo by David Muench,Santa Barbara, Calif.

TOMBSTONE'S WILD BUNCH

INDIAN COUNTRY . . . OREGON'S NEWEST VACATION FACITILY

WORLD OF THE SACUAROS

WHAT IS AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY?

DEATH VALLEY'S TRAIL CANYON

BEDROCK CANYON AND BEYOND

WILDFLOWER PHENOMENA

IDAHO GHOST TOWNS . . . ALIVE AND DOING WELL

PEGLEG COLD IN NEVADA

2ND ANNUAL PEGLEC MINE TREK

10 Deke Lowe

14 Vivian Van Vick

16 K. L. Boynton

20 Wm. JackHranicky

24 Ernie Cowan

28 Mary Frances Strong

32 Paul Johnson

34 Gary Smith

40 Richard Taylor

41 A Liar's Contest

D E P A R T M E N T S

A PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE

BOOKS FOR DESERT READERS

RAMBLING ON ROCKS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

CALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS

4 William Knyvett

8 Book Reviews

42 Glenn and Martha Vargas

47 Readers' Comments

47 Club Activities

E D I T O R I A L AND CIRCULAT ION OF F ICES: 74 - 425 H ig h way 111,Palm Dese rt, California 92260. Telephone Area Code 714346-8144. NATIONALA D V E R T I S I N G O F F I CE S : JE Publishers' Representative, 8732 Sunset Blvd., LosAngeles, California 90069. Telephone Area Code 213659-3810. Listedin Standard Rate andData. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States, Canada andMexico; 1year, $6.00; 2 years, $11.00; 3 years, $16.00. Other foreignsubscribers add$1.00 U.S.currency foreach year. SeeSubscription Order Form inthis issue. Allow five weeks for change ofaddress andsend both newan d old addresses with zipcodes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly. Second class postage paid at Palm Desert, California andat additionalmailing offices under ActofMarch 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1976byDESERT Mag azin e andpermission toreproduce anyor allcontents must besecured in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed andstamped envelope.Deser t /Ap r i l 1976


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"Well Worth Finding"P U S H M A T A H AG a l l e r i e s , I n c .

On Brewer Road inSedona, ArizonaFeaturing:ARLIE FILES - CHARLES L.COCHRANE, A.I.C.A. -

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FREE DRAWINGS for prizes including aWhite's Metal Detector andother treasurehunting equipmentplus treasure films,desert ecology, slide presentations andlapidary exhibits and boothsplus Desertar t by Val Samuelson, Mickleson Tur-quoise Jewelry, relic and mining exhibitsand much, much more!

Partial list of exhibitors include:Joshua Tree National Monument, MalkiIndian Museu m, Agua Caliente Tribal dis-plays, Kaiser Steel, Palm Springs Histori-cal Society andoff-road vehicle exhibits.Senior Citizens (over 65 years of age)FREE! 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. Friday. $1.50adults, 75c children. 10 A.M. to 10 P.M.Friday, 10 A.M. to 9 P.M. Saturday.The most excitingdesert - gem and treasure showin thenationplan toattend!

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A P e e ]i n t h eP u b l i s h e r sP o k e

T HIS MONTH'S issue provides avaried menu with some f ine new au-thors entering thefo ld . Guest authorand Editor of Popular Archaeology, Wm.Jack Hranicky presents thef irst of a wo-part article on archeology in America. Itis informative without being too techni-al and explains thevarious phases fromsite surveying to the f inal interpretat ion.

Western Art is absent in Apr i l , g iv ingwa y to Mother Nature and the phenom-ena of desert wildf lowers. Park ranger-biologist, Paul Johnson, from the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, explains justwhat makes the desert burst forth intobloom. Due to the long and unseasonaldrought in Southern Ca lifornia, thepros-pect for a grand display of wildlfowers isno t toogood, although the heavy Febru-ary rains have germinated some species.

One popular feature of the West isghost towns and thestate of Idaho has tsshare of good ones. This fact is welldocumented by Gary Smith as he visitedthem as part of last summer's vacation.Please note tha t some of these areas areprivately owned and others protected bystate laws. Always seek permission be-fore entering private property.

The West comes to life again in histor-ic Tombstone, Arizona, where "TheWi ld B unch" is whooping it up! No, nota gang of cutthroats, just a happy-go-lucky theatrical group that is br ingingpleasure to any who catch their acts.Deke Lowe brings us up to date on theirant ics.

Ernie Cowan visits a lofty canyon inDeath Valley and presents a viv id ac-count of his t r ip to Trail Canyon withboth lens and typewri ter .

Naturalist K. L. Boynton reveals thewonderful wor ld of the saguaro andbrings George Ol in , ret ired NationalPark Service biologist, author-photogra-pher and long-t ime contributor toDesert

Desert/April1976


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ne, hack to our pages after a longnce. The stately saguaro could

htly be called "King of the Sonoranert," for he reigns over a vast array

Newcomer Vivian Van Vick gets us allinking about cool summer vacations infascinating setting in Oregon. This is a

Field Trip Editor Mary Frances Strongs to "Bedrock Canyon and Be-ending up in the mysterious

na Pinnacles, but only after camping

Richard Taylor throws all those Peglo-curve with a narrative thatPegleg gold in Nevada. J ust to

do not ramble on about rocks butl a tale about World War I and how it

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

BALLARAT, compi led by Paul Hubbard, Dor isBray and George Pipkin. Bal larat , now a ghosttown in the Panamint Valley, was once a flour-ishing headquarters during the late 1880s and1900s for the prospectors who searched for silverand gold in that desolate area of California. Theauthors tell of the lives and relate anecdotes ofthe famous old-timers. Paperback, illustrated,98 pages, $3.00.BOTTLE COLLECTOR'S HANDBOOK by JohnT. Yount. Contains a listing of 1850 bottles andtheir market value (including the prized JimBeams), where to sell and buy, identifications,etc. Paperback, 89 pages, $3.95.DESERT WILDLIFE by Edmund C. Jaeger is aseries of intimate and authentic sketches depict-'ing the l ives of native animals of ourSouthwestern deserts, from mammals to birdsand reptiles, as well as many of the lesser desertdenizens such as land snails, scorpions, mille-pedes and common insects. Paperback, well il-lustrated, 308 pages, $2.95.BACK ROADS OF CALIFORNIA by Earl Thol-lander and t he Editors of Sunset Books. Ear l ystagecoach routes, missions, remote canyons,old prospector cabins, mines, cemeteries, etc.,are visited as the author travels and sketches theCalifornia Backroads. Through maps and notes,the traveler is invited to get off the freeways andsee the rural and country lanes throughout thestate. Hardcover, large format, unusually beau-tiful illustrations, 207 pages, $10.95.

GHOSTS OF THE GLORY TRAIL by Nell Mur-barger. A pioneer of the ghost town explorersand writers, Miss Murbarger's followers will beglad to know this book is still available. Firstpublished in 1956, it is in its 7th edition. Thefast-moving chronicle is a result of personal in-terviews of old-timers who are no longer here totell their tales. Hardcover, illustrated, 291pages, $7.00.NAVAJO RUGS, Past, Present and Future byGilbert S. Maxwell. Concerns the history, leg-ends and descriptions of Navajo ru gs. Full colorphotographs. Paperback, $3.50.

GHOST TOWNS OF ARIZONA by James andBarbara Sherman. If you are looking for a ghosttown in Arizona this is your waybill. Illustrated,maps, townships, range, co-ordinates, history,and other details make this one of the best ghosttown books ever published. Large 9x11 format,heavy paperback, 208 pages, $4.95.EXPLORING THE GHOST TOWN DESERT byRoberta Martin Starry. Colorful history of theMojave Desert's Rand district in California. De-scribes the ghost towns, abandoned minecamps, freighter trails , Chinese camps and rock,bottle and relic collecting areas. Paperback,$1.95.RUFUS, by Rutherford Montgomery. From oneof America's best-loved children's nature writ-ers comes the story of Rufus, a fierce and proudbobcat struggling against nature and man. AsRufus grows and matures, his exciting adven-tures make fascinating reading for adults andchildren alike. Hardcover, 137 pages, $4.95.RE PT ILE S AN D AMPH IB IAN S OF T H EAMER ICAN SOUTHWEST by M. M. Heymann.Features 68 species, all in beautiful four-colorphotographs. Descriptions are stated in simple,non-technical terms. Extensive text tells of theirorigins and life-styles today. Extremely usefulbook for all who enjoy watching and learningabout wildlife. Paperback, 77 pages, $4.95.6

ENCOUNTER WITH AN ANGRY GOD by Caro-beth Laird. A fascinating true story of theauthor's marriages to anthropologist John Pea-body Harrington, the "angry god," and to theremarkable Chemehuevi Indian, George Laird.The appeal of this amazing memoir is so broad ithas drawn rave reviews throughout the countryand is being hailed as a classic. Hardcover, 230pages, $8.95.HOW TO DO PERMANENT SANDPAINTINGby David and Jean Villasenor. Instructions forthe permanent adaptation of this age old ephe-meral art of the Indians of the Greater Southwestis given including where to find the materials,preparation, how to color sand artificially,making and transferring patterns, etc. Alsogives descriptions and meanings of the variousIndian signs used. Well illustrated, paperback,34 pages, $2.50.GOLDEN CHIA by Harrison Doyle. This book il-lustrates the great difference between the highdesert chia, and the Mexican variety presentlysold in the health food stores. It identifies theenergy-factor, a little-known trace mineral foundonly in the high desert seeds. Also includes asection of vitamins, minerals, proteins, en-zymes, etc., needed for good nu trition . Referredto as "t he only reference book in Am erica on thisancient Indian energy food." 100 pages, illus-trated, Paperback, $4.75; Cloth Cover, $7.75.

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, boxed,466 pages, $17.95.SOUTHERN IDAHO GHOST TOWNS by WayneSparling. 84 ghost towns are described, alongwith the history and highlights of each. Theauthor has visited these sites by pickup, 4WDand by foot. 95 photographs accompany the textand maps detail the location of the camps. Anexcellent reference to add to the libraries ofthose fascinated by Wes tern history. Paperback,135 pages, $3.95.THE ROCKS BEGIN TO SPEAK by LaVan Mar-tineau. The authors tells how his interest in rockwriting led to years of study and how he haslearned that manyespecially the complex pe-troglyphsare historical accounts of actualevents. Hardcover, well illustrated, glossary,bibliography, 210 pages, $8.95.GHOST TOWNS OF THE COLORADO ROCK-IES by Robert L. Brown. Written by the authorof Jeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns, thisbook deals with ghost towns accessible by pas-senger car. Gives directions and maps forfinding towns along with historical backgrounds.Hardcover, 401 pages, $7.95.WHERE TO FIND GOLD IN THE DESERT byJames Klein is a sequel to Where to Find Gold inSouthern California. Author Klein includes losttreasure tales and gem locations as he tellswhere to find gold in the Rosamond-Mohavearea, the El Paso Mountains, Randsburg andBarstow areas, and many more. Paperback, 112pages, $4.95.

MEXICO GUIDE by Cliff Cross. All new, reviseded i t i on w i t h exce l l en t i n f o rmat ion on t ra i l e rparks , hotels , camping space; t ips on borderc ross ing , shopp ing , f i sh ing , hun t i ng , e t c . , aswel l as the his tory , cul ture and geography. 210maps, 675 photos , 195 pages, $4.95.HI S TO RI CAL ATLAS O F CAL I FO RNI A byWarren A. Beck and Ynez D. Hasse. Ex t ens i vedocumentation and pertinent detail make thisatlas a valuable aid to the student, scholar andeveryone interested in the Golden State. 101 ex-cellent maps present information on the majorfaults, early Spanish explorations, M exican landgrants, routes to gold fields, the Butterfield andPony Express routes, CCC camps, World War IIInstallations, etc. Hardcover, extensive index,highly recommended, $9.95.PHOTO ALBUM OF YESTERDAY'S SOUTH-WEST compiled by Charles Shelton. Early daysphoto collection dating from 1860s to 1910 showsprospectors, miners, cowboys, desperados andordinary people. 195 photos, hardcover, fine giftitem, $12.50.SAN BERNARDINO MOU NTAIN TRAILS [NewRevised Ed ition] by John W. Robinson. Easyone-day and more rugged h iking trips into thesehistoric California mountains. The 100 hikingtrails are described in detail and illustrated soyou will not get lost. Heavy paperback, 257pages, $4.95.

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A FIELD GUIDE TO THE COMMON ANDINTERESTING PLANTS OF BAJA CALIFOR-NIA by Jeanette Coyle and Norman Roberts.Over 250 plants are described with 189 colorphotos. Includes past and present uses of theplants by aborigines and people in Baja today.Scientific, Spanish and common names aregiven. Excellent reference and highly recom-mended. 224 pages, paperback, $8.50.MINES OF THE EASTERN SIERRA by MaryDeDecker. Here is the story of those mines lo-cated on theeastern slope of thegreat Sierra Ne-vada and in the arid stretches of California'sInyo Mountains. Included arestories of mysterymines such as the Lost Gunsight, over towardDeath Valley, and of the Lost Cement Mine ofthe Mammoth Lake region. Paperback, iIIus.,$1.95.RAY MANLEY'S SOUTHWESTERN INDIANARTS ANDCRAFTS is a full color presentationof theculture of theSouthwest including jewel-ry, pottery, baskets, rugs, kachinas, Indian artand sandpaintings. 225color photographs, inter-96pages, $7.95.WILY WOMEN OF THEWEST byGrace Ernes-tine Ray. Such women of the West as BelleStarr, Cattle Kate and Lola Montez weren't allgood and weren't all bad, but were fascinatingand conflicting personalities, as researched bythe author. Their lives of adventure were a vitalpart of the life of the OldWest. Hardcover, illus-trated, 155 pages, $7.95.

CaliforniaCamps

CALIFORNIA GOLD CAMPS, a Geographicaland Historical Dictionary of Camps, Towns andLocalities Where Gold Was Found and Mined,and of Wayside Stations and Trading Centers,by Erwin G.Gudde. Includes 7excellent maps,in addition to a List of Places by County, aGlossary and Bibliography. Highly recommend-ed . Hardcover, 467 pages, $19.50.OUTDOOR SURVIVAL SKILLS by Larry DeanOlsen. This book had to be lived before it couldbe written. The author's mastery of primitiveskills hasmade himconfident that survival livingneed not be anordeal once a person has learnedto adjust. Chapters deal with building shelters,making fires, finding water, use of plants forfood and medication. Buckram cover, well illus-trated, 188pages, revised edition boasts of 96 4-color photos added. $5.95.MEXICO'S WEST COAST BEACHES by Al andMildred Fischer is an up-to-date guide coveringthe El Golfo de Santa Clara to the end of thehighway at Manzanillo. Excellent reference forthe out-of-the-way beaches, in addition to thepopular resorts such as Mazatlan and PuertoVallarta. Although traveling by motorhome, theFischers also give suggestion;; for air, auto, ferryard train travel as well. Paperback, well illus-trated, 138 pages, $3.00.

NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MININGCAMPS by Stanley W. Paher. Covering all ofNevada's 17 counties, Paher has documented575 mining camps, many of which have beenerased from the earth. The book contains thegreatest andmost complete collection of historicphotographs of Nevada ever published. This,coupled with his excellent writing and map,creates a book of lasting value. Large format,700 photographs, hardcover, 492pages, $15.00.BAJA CALIFORNIA GUIDEBOOK by WaltWheelock andHoward E. Gulick, formerly Ger-hard and Gulick's Lower California Guidebook.This totally revised fifth edition isup-to-the-min-ute for theTranspeninsular paved highway, withnew detailed mileages anddescriptive text. Cor-rections and additions are shown for the manyside roads, ORV routes, trails and little-knownbyways to thedesert, mountain, beach and bayrecesses. Folding route maps are in color andnewly revised for current accuracy. Indispensa-ble reference guide, hardcover, $10.50.

DEATH VALLEY GHOST TOWNS by StanleyPaher. Death Valley, today a National Monu-ment, has in its environs theghostly remains ofmany mines and mining towns. Theauthor hasalso written of ghost towns in Nevada and Ari-zona and knows how to blend a brief outline ofeach of Death Valley's ghost towns with historicphotos. For sheer drama, fact or f iction, it pro-duces an enticing package for ghost town buffs.Paperback, illus., large format, $2.95.BUTCH CASSIDY, My Brother by Lula ParkerBetenson. Official version of the authentic lifestory of Butch Cassidy, actually Robert LeroyParker, famed outlaw of his native Utah and ad-joining states, told by his surviving sister. Thebook also offers a new look at Utah Mormon His-tory by a participant. Hardcover, many rare pic-tures, 265 pages, $7.95.GOLD DIGGERS ATLAS by Robert Neil John-son. Maps covering the areas from Californiaeast to Texas and north to British Columbiashow where gold has been found. Gives likelysites of "buried treasure tales" such as theLostBreyfogle Ledge, Lost Adams Cave, Lost ArchMine, Lost mule Shoe Gold, Lost Black RockSilver and many more. Paperback, $3.00.CALIFORNIA YEARBOOK, Bicentennial Edi-tion. Contains 25 separate chapters covering allaspects of the state. Comprehensive index ofnames, places, topics and events. 400 pages ofaccurate, up-to-date information and statistics.Large format, paperback, $4.95.

California residentspleaseadd6% state sales taxPlease add 25c for postage & handling

DESERT PLANTS FORDESERT GARDENS byPatricia Moorten and Rex Nevina. Compiled forbetter understanding and appreciation of plantsindigenous to the desert region, including pro-per design for desert gardens, container plants,pool areas and complete landscaping. Paper-back, illustrated, 113 pages, $3.00.TIMBERLINE ANCIENTS with photos byDavidMuench and text by Darwin Lambert. Bristle-cone pines are the oldest living trees on earth.Photographer David Muench brings them to lifein all their fascinating forms, and Lambert'sprose is like poetry. One of the most beautifulpictorials ever published. An ideal gift. Largeformat, hardcover, heavy slick paper, 128 four-color photographs, 125 pages, $22.00.HAPPY WANDERER TRIPS by Slim Barnard.Well-known TV stars, Henrietta and Slim Bar-nard have put together . selection of their tripsthroughout theWest f' ,mtheir Happy Wander-er travel shows. Book have excellent maps, his-tory, cost of lodg'.ig, meals, etc. Perfect forfamilies planning weekends. Both books arelarge format, heavy paperback, 150 pages eachand $2.95 each. Volume One covers Californiaand Volume TwoArizona, Nevada and Mexico.WHEN ORDERING STATE WHICH VOLU ME.

MINES OFJULIAN by Helen Ellsberg. Factsand lore of thebygone mining days when Julian ,in Southern California, is reported to have pro-duced some seven million dollars of bullion. Pa-perback, well illustrated, $1.95.MINES OF THE HIGH DESERT by RonaldDean Miller Author Miller knew both thecoun-tryside of the High Desert and the men whowere responsible for the development of theMines of theHigh Desert. Here arestories of heDale District never told before, with many earlyas well as contemporary photographs of theearly mines included. Paperback, $1.95.INSIDE DEATH VALLEY byChuck Gebhardt. Aguide and reference text of forever mysteriousDeath Valley, containing over 80 photographs,many in color! Included, too, are Entry Guidesand Place Name Index for the convenience ofvisitors. Written with authority by anavid hiker,backpacker and rockclimber. 160pages, paper-back, $4.95.LOST MINES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWESTby John D. Mitchell. Thefirst of Mitchell's lostmine books is now available after having beenout-of-print for years. Reproduced from theoriginal copy andcontaining 54articles based onaccounts from people Mitchell interviewed. Hespent his entire adult life investigating reportsand legends of lost mines and treasures of theSouthwest. Hardcover, illustrated, 175 pages,$7.50.

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G I A N T B I N O C U L A R S !These large-aperture binoculars are superb! Designed by \u(roiilusts, to be the finest at any pric e, they equal o r surpass models sellingfor UP TO TEN TIMES MORE! Theincomparable instrument tor long-distance or nighr time use theyare endorsed by the world'sForemost experts. Astro n-omers, big-game hunters,ornithologists, yachtsmen,four-wheelers all agree you must own a pair.

9x65 binoculars $109.95 ppd10x70 binocula rs 119.95 ppd11x80 binoculars 149.95ppd20x80 binocula rs 159.95 ppd

Please send checkor money order to:

Novatron; Box 531-D, Big Bear City, Calif. 92314

B o o k s forD e s e r tH e a d e r s

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

MEMOIRS OF AN OREGONMOONSHINERRay NelsonThe end of Wo rld War I marked the be ginning of America 's strug glebetween th e wets and the drys. The Volstead Act made it i llegal to dr ink butdid l i tt le to quench the nation's thirst. The era was one of the zaniest incivi l ized history.There had to be sources of supply, and most of the l iquor was manufac-tured i l legally within our own borders. The moonshiner and his sti l l hiddenin the backwoods, became an impor tant par t o f the nat ion 's economy formore than a dozen years.Ray Nelson and his partners disti l led thou sands of gallons in the isolatedrimro cks of the Eastern Oregon des ert. He too k pr ide in his wo rk and turne dout good whiskey. His book tel ls exactly how this fascinating and i l l ici tbusiness was carr ied out.110 pages, 6 x 9 , photograp hs, paper $3.95

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MOST OF OUR READERS SAVETHEIR DESERT MAGAZINES FORFUTURE REFERENCE AND READINGPL EASURE THE BEST W AY TO KEEPYOU R BA CK ISSUES IS IN OURA T T R A C T I V E S P E C I A L L Y - M A D E

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JESSE JAMESWAS ONE OF HIS NAMESBy Del Schrader[With Jesse Jame s III]

Was Jesse Woodson James, born inKentucky in 1844, killed by ex-jockeyBob Ford at St. Joseph, Missouri, in1882, or did he die of old age at 107 yearsin 1951 at Granbury, Texas?

In this book, Jesse James Was One ofHis Names, Jesse III claims that his an-cestor had an undergroun d arm y and nota gang, and the St. Jo "murder" was ahoax to "get the people's minds offJesse James so he could go aheadmaking plans for Civi l War II, whichnever came." The St. Jo incident istermed the greatest cover-up in U.S.history.

The book relates that a bloodthirstyban d i t named Ch ar l ie B ige low l iesburied in Jesse's grave in Kearney, Mo.What did happen on Apri l 3, 1881? Theauthors say Jesse himself gunned downCharl ie, while Jesse's big Negro accom-plice, John Trammell, ki l led Bert andJohn, the other two Bigelow brothers. Ina bit of bravura, Jesse was a pallbearerat his own fune ral, and afterward sang inthe choir and heard the Rev. J. M. Mar-tin eulogize the 38-year-old outlaw as ahomespun Robin Hood.

The authors, newsman Del Schraderand Jesse James III, claim that Jamesused a total of 72 aliases during his 66years of exile in his own land.

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Does the book whi tewash JesseNot at all. He was one of the deadliest

en in his 107 years. Th e reader

The book on America's most colorful

Jesse James Was One of His Namesong) for the f irst t ime brings to l ight in-

ooks were closed in 1916.It was Col. Jesse James and Col.

i l l iam C. Quantr i l l ( real ly Elbert De-i t t Trav is, a younger brother of W i l-

l iam Barret Travis, who was in commandf the Alamo when it fel l) who buried

more than $100 bil l ion in treasure inConfederate depositories around thenation after the Civil War.Also, the book discloses that JesseJames shot his old enemy, Wild Bil lHickock, in a bar at Deadwood City in1876. And Jesse's hands, who were run-ning guns to Sit t ing Bu l l , claim in yel-lowed aff idavits that Gen. George Custerk i l led himself at L i t t le Big Horn.

The book also tears apart other myth s.For instance, Emperor Maximi l ian ofMexico survived an ambush in Mexico in1867, escaped to East Texas and died inthe United States.Jesse James, nearly blind from catar-acts and crippled by a broken hip,emerged from the shadows at Lawton,Oklahoma in May of 1948. Following acouple of giant parades, the alert, blue-eyed old man was taken on a nationaltour. Ch ristma s, 1948, foun d him in hisVan Nuys, Cal i fornia home.

Jesse James Was One of His Nameswas based on information supplied byJesse James II I , executor of his grand-father 's wi l l .Hardcover, i l lustrated with old photos,296 pages, index, $8.95

HISTORICAL ATLAS OF NEW MEX ICOby Warren A. Beckand Ynez D. Haase

New Mexico's long and dramatichistory was in many ways predestined byits location, vast size and abundant min -eral resources.

Treasure-hunting Spanish explorerstrampled across its plains and scaled itsmountains in search of the Seven Citiesof Cibola in the 16th Century. Theyclashed with descendants of the prehis-toric Indian populat ion to begin threecenturies of struggles that lasted unti lafter the white man's civi l izat ion came,in the 19th Century, on the steamrollerof U.S. expansion. The history of NewMexico is the story of the b lending of thethree cultures H ispanic, Indian andAnglo .

In this volume, historian Warren A.Beck and cartographer Ynez D. Haasehave collaborated to depict specific as-pects of the state's geography andevents of its history, the narrat ive i l lus-trated by maps. Topics include geogra-phical data (from topography to wea-ther), sites of prehistoric civi l izat ions,S pan ish and U . S . exped i t i ons , f i r s ttowns, historic trails, the Civil War,stagecoach lines, railroads, county boun-daries, principal cit ies and roads, stateand national parks and monuments, andstate judicial distr icts. Maps appear onpages opposite the topics they illustrate.

As in their other publicat ion, Histori-cal Atlas of California, extensive docu-mentat ion and pert inent detail make thisatlas a valua ble aid to his torian s. Itsf luent style and simplicity of languagemake it an excellent reference book forhigh schools, colleges and libraries andis certainly an asset to anyone's librarywho is interested in the development ofthe Southwest.

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TH E OLD DAYS OF TH EW ILD WEST AREBROUGHT TO LIFEBY ATHEA TRICAL GROUPTHAT AREAPTLY CALLED" T H E W IL D B U N C H "

by DEKE LOWE

T HIRTY SECONDS- tha t a f te rnoon o fOctober 26, 1881-snuffed out thelives of three men and immortal izedfour others and also a town Tom b-stone, Ar izona.

Thirty seconds of incredibly quick ac-curate gunplay left Frank and TomMcLaury and 19-year-old Bil ly Clantondead or dying in the dust of the O.K.Corra l . Ike Clanton and Bil ly Claiborneran to die another day. Morgan andVirgi l Earp and Doc Holiday receivedwounds but Wyatt Earp alone was un-touched.

Who were the bad guys and who worethe white hats? There are as many an-swers as there are writers and his-tor ians.This classic gunfight did for Tomb-stone what Ed Schieffel in 's fabulous si l-ver str ike could not do. It created aninterest in the Old West and Tombstonethat has sustained the town for decadesafter the mines closed down.

Thousands of tourists annually strol lh istor ic Fremont, Al len and ToughnutStreets and find them much as they werein the 1880s. Old familiar names such asThe Wagon Wheel , Bi rdcage, O.K. Cor-ra l , Oriental and others are sti l l theredoing a thr iv ing business.10

Outside the town are the Lucky Cuss,Toughnut, Contention and Goodenoughmines and many more. Long dormantand flooded, they sti l l contain unminedamounts of si lver ore waiting, as Tono-pah and Virginia City wait, for the r ightconditions that wil l warrant their re-opening.

If i t seems a l i tt le quiet in Tombstone,there is great news. Wyatt Earp andbrothers Morgan and Virgi l are back! Soare the Clantons, McLaurys and JohnnyRingo. To make it even more intr iguing,the gir ls are back! Dutch An nie, Crazy 'Horse Li l , Red Marie, Madam Chloe LeDeau and the Over-The-Hil l DancehallGir l bustle about town in appropriatedress.

These characters and more, 25 in all,make up the Wi ld Bunch.

The W ild Bunch was born in 1972. Thecast is composed of local citizens. Its im-mediate success was due in part to theircostumes. Authentic 1880 period re-pl icas of cowboy, gambler, gunfighter,dancehall gir ls, and madams are worn byal l . A greater part of their success istheir extraordinary theatr ical abil i t ies.

This group reenacts the world's mostfamous gunfightthat 30-second blood-bath at the O.K. Corra l .

Inside the O.K. Corral, on show day,visitors see them in action depicting his-tory of early Tombstone. Violent, sad orcomic skits are done with a flair andshowmanship of professional quality.With l i tt le dialogue and lots of action,there are no dead spots.

Prior to each performance a resume ofthe act is read. From that p oint, the actorportrays the part in his own way. Thisfree-form style avoids mechanical repe ti-t i on . However, the people involved infight scenes are well trained before theyare given any part of the action. Womenof the Wild Bunch participate equally in

The Wild Bunch brawlsin the street in one of theirnumerous skits.

Desert/ April 1976

f ight scenes with the men. There's arumor about town that Crazy Horse Li land Red Marie really mean it when theyclobber a dude in a scene. It looks tooreal to be acting.

In their br ief history, the Wild Bunchhas per fo rm ed over 80 t imes inTombstone and 40 or more times out oftown, out of state and in Old Mexico. Inaddition to making a television show for"You Asked for I t ! " they were used ex-clusively in "Deacon, the High NoonD o g , " and published a book entit led"Tha t Wi ld Bunch in Tombstone . "

They have conducted more than 12


11/48

hangings. Hangings cannot be boughtfrom the Wild Bunch. This dubioushonor is bestowed. They, and only they,decide who is worthy of climbing thegolden stairs via the hangman's noose.They have hanged the Secretary of theArmy, two generals, one mine president,one plant manager, two mayors, thepresident of Historic Tombstone Adven-tures, one governor, one senator and thehead of the Arizona State Police.

Their evil plott in g has scheduled, verysoon, a holdup of the Bi-CentennialFreedom Train on its way through Ari-zona. Not once, but twice!

They have posed for, and wereimmortalized in oil, by art ist TonyRussell in "T hi rt y Seconds with the W ildB u n c h . "

Other credits are performances on"Gunsmoke" by Norman Wright Pro-duct ions; "The Wild and Wool ly West"by British Broadcasting Company, andmany other productions.

They have won an impressive array oftrophies including four first places. Twoof the latter were with a float depictingthe famous Madam Chloe LeDeau's"Establ ishment" complete with soi leddoves and customers.

If the Wild Bunch sounds bawdy,rowdy and somewhat evi l , then rest as-sured that this will make them happy.The actors and actresses boast that theypresent the most unusual show any-where and then proceed to prove it. Peo-ple return time after time because theycan't believe the Wild Bunch. The high-light of their visit to Tombstone is therealistic performances of this troupe.

These dedicated evil-doers can't be allbad, though. All money made by theWild Bunch, except for a few props andblank ammunition, is given away. Eachmember pays for his own transportation,


12/48

food and lodging on out-of-town trips.Each is also required toprovide, at theirown expense, his or her costumes andweapons.They have donated thousands of dol-

lars to the Chamber of Commerce,Christmas Baskets, medical bil ls, f low-ers to the ill or deceased; paid for dig-ging graves and buying tombstones;

helped tobui ld a tennis court anddonat-ed to the Junior Rodeo Association andmany other worthy causes.Now these actions, if not stopped, aregoing to destroy a well deserved evilimage so1 shall refrain from mentioningany more.As a matter of fact, I can't vouch for

the above information because it was

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,Right: Old

Tombstoneafter the

disastrousfire in1 8 8 1 .

Below:A prospectingteam prepares

to leaveTombstone in

the 1880s.C. S. Fly photo.

furn ished by a character named EvilB e n . Evil Ben is marr ied to Red Mar ieand plays Wya tt Earp in theWild Bunch.In everyday life, Evil Ben is none otherthan Ben T. Traywick, author of manywestern books and articles, who lives in

12 Desert/April1976


13/48

Tombstone nowadays.Tombstone has no particular tourist

season because its 4500-foot altitude as-sures good weather both summer andwinter. There is a fantastic amount ofauthentic memorabilia of the Old West .

It is a mecca for the author and photo-grapher as well as the vacationer.

Tru ly not r ip to the Southwest is com-plete without a visi t to Tombstone, theWild Bunch and the most unusual showon earth in thehistoric O.K. Corra l.

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14/48

C o u i N T R y . . .' N

y's N E W E S TB v c i l i T y

by VIVIAN VAN VICK

F OR YEARS, Oregon's spectacularcoast has been its leading summer-tourist attraction. Now, an inland re-sort is competing strongly for visitors byoffer ing attractive vacation faci l i t ies theyear around. This is Indian Country.

J ust 570 miles n orth of San Francisco,and 10 miles from the vi l lage of WarmSprings in north-central Oregon, is theKah-Nee-Ta vacat ion complex, "Gi f t o fthe Cods." It is located on the easternslope of the Cascade Mou nta ins , at 1,800feet. Here, the dry, desert- l ike cl imateclaims 340 days of sunshine a year awinter paradise for rain-soaked, fog-weary Pacific Coast residents. Its accom-mo d a t i o n s a n d r e c r e a t i o n a l f a c i l i t i e shave been planned to suit every purseand every interest, from inexpensive te-pee or trailer park to luxury lodge andconvention center.

What distinguishes Kah-Nee-Ta fromthe Pacific states' other resorts, motels,and campgrounds, is that i t is total lyowned and operated by Indians. In 1938,the Confederated Tribes of the WarmSprings Reservation (a blend of Wasco,Warm Springs and Paiute Indians) votedto take over self-management, ratherthan remain under the Bureau of IndianAffa i rs. The $5.1 mi l l ion Kah-Nee-Tacomplex is the resulta highly success-ful example of Indian self-determina-t ion. Money for the project came from agrant and matching loan from the Eco-nomic Development Administration plustr iba l funds.

14

The enterprise began with the Vil lage,offer ing tepees, cottages and trai lerhook-ups. Each towering tepee can ac-commodate 10 persons and is ideal forfamily camping. The cottages are mod-ern with one or two bedrooms, bath, l iv-ing and dining rooms, and some havekitchens. For those who don't want tocook outdoors or inside, there's a family-style restaurant and snack bar. Otherpopular places are the native crafts shopand the mineral baths.

The Village uses the natural hotsprings for i ts swimming pool. Six lifeguards are on daily duty due to the largec r o wd s e n jo y i n g th e wa r m m in e r a lwaters.

The colorful pageantry of Indian festi-vals attracts vacationers at various timesof the year. In Apri l , the important RootFeast is celebrated; in mid-June it's the"go od - t im e" fest iva l ca l led Pi-U me-Sha,which, l ike the Fourth of July celebra-t ion, features rodeos, Indian dancingand crafts, and their renowned salmon-bakes.

There is plenty to occupy the villagevisitor at other t imes: a nine-hole golfcourse (w i th a n ine -ho le a dd i t io nplanned for this year), miniature golf,two tennis courts, hiking on trai ls thatlead through strange rock formations,colored canyons and into exciting caves,horse-back r iding, and fishing.

The Warm Springs River runs alongthe Kah-Nee-Ta complex and is regu-larly planted with trout to insure success

to even the amateurs. Many other r iversand lakes on this 564,209-acre reserva-tion provide additional f ishing, boatingand camping.

The fisherman here must have two l i-censes that from the State of Oregonand also a tr ibal f ish ing perm it. Forcrawfish, however, you will need a spe-cial permit from the Fish and Wildl i feCo mmi t te e o f t h e Wa r m Sp r i n g sReservation.

A mile downstream from the vi l lage isthe posh Lodge and Convention Center.Shaped like an arrowhead, the Lodge isbuil t on three levels with pr ivate patiosoverlooking the valley. Rates for doublerooms in the past summer season(March 15-October 1) were $27-$30.There is no charge for children 11 yearsold or younger when in the same room.Included among their 144 rooms aresuites for $40-$50,and a Chief suite forthe luxury-minded consisting of threedeluxe rooms, two baths, and a kitchenfor $90. There are two restaurants. TheJ uniper room not only serves the popularsteak, pr ime r ib and trout dinners,buttradition ally prepared Indian dishes such


15/48

as venison and juicy game hen baked inclay.The banquet and meeting rooms forconventions are well-equipped with alltypes of audio-visual machines. There isa private theater and closed circuit tele-vision to make the Lodge a self-con-tained entertainment and conventioncenter.

Its new 18-hole golf course stretchesalong the river; and, for skiers, all-daywinter ski trips to Oregon's easy slopesare just an hour away. Equipm ent can beobtained at the Lodge.

Large numbers of persons who regu-larly frequent California's health spasare now enjoying Kah-Nee-Ta's warmmineral springs. A shutt le bus runs be-tween the village and the lodge for thosewho want to join in the activit ies andrecreation facilities of both places.

How to get there? From California,there are two routes. Take Interstate 5 toEugene, turn east on Highway 126 toRedmond, then take Highways 97 and 26to Kah-Nee-Ta. Figure on eight or ninehours from the border. An alternateroute is Highway 97 out of KlamathDesert/April 1976

Left:Aerialv iew ofKah-Nee-TaVillageon theWarm SpringsRiver. Naturalhot springsmineral watersuppliesthe hugeswimming poolat lowerleft.Great Tepeesare atcenter right.Below:Aerial view ofKah-Nee-Ta Lodgeshowingprivate patiosand enclosedswimming pool.

Falls, through Bend to Highway 26 atMadras, then on to Kah-Nee-Ta. It 'sabout six hours from Klamath Falls.

Here is a good opportunity for peopleto get exposure to the culture of one ofthe great racial systems of mankind. TheAmerican Indian has a definite contri-bu t ion to make to th is coun t ry ' st h ink ing.

Joseph Stacey, recently retired editorof the Arizona Highways Magazine,says, "The more we know and under-stand about Indian ism, the more we be-lieve that the longevity and welfare ofour civilization may depend upon the in-fusion of Indian culture into our social,moral and spiritual arteries. We mustemploy all means possible to preservethe Indian system, because we need theIndian's desire for spiritual and sensualsustenance to balance our civilization'sdrive for inanimate inventiveness and agrowing mania for mater ia l th ings."Indians are in transit ion, moving de-terminedly toward self-government inprograms that will enhance their l ives.They are currently the most disadvant-aged of the minority ethnic groups in theU nited States.

We can have a different vacation any-time of the year at Kah-Nee-Ta, and atthe same time get to know our PacificCoast Indians.

15


16/48

Photo by Fred H. Ragsdale

S PECTACULAR in their great height,with massive trunk and reaching up-ward arm structure, the mighty sa-guaros dominate their desert landscape.Standing sometimes almost alone, some-times like phalanxes of soldiers, they arethe largest of al l native North Ameri-can cacti. Individuals among them maybe close to 50 feet in height, weigharound 2,800 pounds, and reach the ven-erable age of 175 years.

Undeniably, the mere presence ofthese bizarre giants adds to the mysteryand lure of that enchanted land known asthe Sonoran Desert. But more than this.Theirs is a very important role in thedrama of l i fe about them a drama tak-ing place under such harsh conditionsthat the survival of al l l iving things,great and small, hangs in delicate bal-ance. Yet, not only are the saguaros suc-cessful themselves in this land of highheat and little water, they also furnishli fe-saving food, water and home sitesfor a host of birds, animals and insects.And these in turn play their parts in thevast desert drama; indeed, certain onesare responsible conversely for the suc-cess of the saguaros themselves.

The huge size of these giant cacti is initself astonishing. Wa ter being so vital toplant life and growth, how can such largeorganisms survive under desert condi-tions? Saguaros, it seems, upon investi-gat ion, have developed a wh ole series ofadaptations in form and in physiologicalfunct ion, all designed to further the ab-sorpt ion, storage and conservation ofwater.

Take their structure, for instance. Inessence a saguaro is a woody skeletonsurrounded by large volumes of tissuesdesigned for water storage. Its outsider i nd , all folded and pleated, is highly ex-pandable. As the plant swells with theincoming m oisture, the folds smooth out,increasing the surface and allowing vastquantities of water to be stored inside.Such an expandable form allows the cac-tus to store water during the rainy sea-son and use it to tide it over long periodsof drouth.

Loading the water aboard is a function

6 ^ ^ Desert/April 1976


17/48

of the roots, naturally performed underdiff iculty in desert condit ions. BotanistW.A. Cannon's important study showedthat the saguaro's combination of super-ficial and deep roots works exceedinglywell. The superficial ones are long withmany branches and lie close to the sur-face. They quickly take up any waterreaching the m, thus mak ing use of l ight-er showers. The deeper roots penetratefurther down securing moisture there,and providing the tall plcint with a moresecure anchorage. Such a root combina-tion works best on a rocky hillside wherethe soil is coarse and fair ly deep for easyroot extension. It does not work well in amesa type area where the soil is shallowand underlaid by a hardpan which thedeeper roots cannot penetrate.

How much water does a saguaro needto tank up? Cannon came up with the f ig-ure that two years of rainfall (11.4 inchesapproxima tely normal for the area of hisstudy) would be needed to supply a cac-tus 15 feet tall w ith the wate r it norm allyconta ins. So far , so good. Bu t now howdoes the cactus conserve this vital waterin the face of an annual evaporation fig-ure for a desert which even in favorabletimes is at least seven times the rainfall?

As a matter of fact, evaporation is aproblem to a plant anywhere, since a cer-tain amount takes place in the normalprocess of m aintenance and grow th, andit cannot be avoided. Evaporation takesplace through small holes called stoma-ta , located in most plants on the undersurface of the leaf. They open and closeby action of guard cells, tr iggered by theamount of water in the plant. But thingsget still more complicated, since besidesacting in the water balemce system, thestomata also function in the workings ofthe plant's food manufacturing depart-ment. I t is through them that the carbondioxide enters which the plant needs touse with water, green chlorophyl andcertain m inerals to make organic food foritself. Light is essential to this process ofphotosynthesis so that the job must bedone by day. Unfortunately, if the sto-mata are open daytimes to take up car-bon dioxide, water vapor is bound to go

e se rt /A r il 1976 ^ ^

Photo by George Olin

by K. L. BOYNTON1976

17


18/48

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-The saguaro blossoms have a sweet smell and lots of nectar. Photo by Ethel Capps.

P.O. Box 1318Palm De sert, California 92260

out at the same time, and if the air temp-erature is high and there is a hot wind inaddi t ion, the evaporation rate is ex-tremely fast. The plant begins to wiltbadly, and the stomata close to conservewater in spite of the fact that food isneeded and they should stay open.

True, cacti as a group have adaptedremarkably to desert evaporation condi-tions. They eliminated leaves whose thinstructure makes water control diff icultand transferred their food m aking site totheir stems and trunks , which have beengreatly increased in size. An d, of course,they developed the al l important waterstorage tissue.

But even these structural changeswere not enough to meet the evapora-tion challenge so successfully, the teamof D C . Des pain, L.C. Bliss and J.S.Boyer felt. There must be, they argued,some physiological system that cutswater loss in these big cacti further, andthey devised lab and field tests to findout. To their delight they discovered thatthe saguaro reverses the usual plantdeal: instead of taking up carbon dioxideduring the desert day and thus havingtrouble with too high water loss, the sto-mata in the saguaros open for carbon di-oxide intake during the cooler hours ofdarkness. It is then stored, probably inthe water holding tissues, and releasedlittle by little during the day to be used infood manufacture in the presence of sun-light. This reversal in time of stomata

18

opening results in a great conservationof moisture, and with the water storagesystem, is why such large succulents assaguaros can occur succes sfully in so hota desert as the Sonora.

Sti l l , the life of the saguaro is no cinc h,as the fol lowing account wil l show.

The saguaro saga begins in the merrymonth of May when the big cacti, be-decking themselves in large white flow-e r s , open their nectar and pollen res-staurants. Now as everybody knows,flowering plants are great hands to doth is, particular ly those such as the sa-guaro whose blossoms are self-sterileand must be cross-poll inated if fruit is toset and seeds form. Not designed for rid-ing the wind, saguaro pollen has to betransported from one flower to another.This means that living cargo carriershave to be conned somehow into doingthe job. If they can just be enticed to thefirst f lower, they're bound to brushagainst i ts pollen, dropping it off in thenext f lower they v isit. Showy blossoms, asweet smell and plenty of nectar bringscustomers and the p lan t ge ts i tspoll inating job done.

Only a few saguaro blossoms areready at a tim e. T hey open one by one atnight, unti l around 11 p.m. al l that wil lbloom that night are open. They remainopen, closing finally in the late after-noon. Pollination thus can occur bothnight and day, and the team of biologistsS.E. McGregor, Stanley Alcorn and

Desert/April 1976


19/48

out tosee who does itan d how it isdone. They enclosed bloom-ing plants in screen wire cages and theni n t r o d u c e d p o t e n t i a l p o l l i n a t o r s , onekind at a t ime, tabulat ing the results oftheir efforts in terms of successful fruitsett ing.

Honey bees, chosen to represent in-sect contestants, were first. Working beestyle they crawled deep into thef lowers.The average bee load of nectar was 40mi l l ig rams, and while they were busytanking up and stowing pollen in the i rleg baskets to be carr ied back to thehive, a lot of pollen adherred to theirbr i tches, fa l l ing off in the next f lowerthey visited. Efficiency score for thebees: fruit set in 52percent of the plantsthey visited. While domestic honey beesare relatively new to the Southwest andthus could not account for the very oldand venerable saguaros, wild bees werearound plus other insects, so poll ina-t ion from th is cont ingent has undoubted-ly gone on for a long t ime.

White winged doves were next given achance to show what birds can do and itwas quite apparent from the way the i rheads disappeared into theblossoms forat least 10seconds, that they were guz-zling nectar. The reappearing headswere dusted wi th po l len. Onedove vis-ited two dozen flowers from differentplants. Efficiency score for thedoves: 45percent. McGregor et al picked thewhitewings mainly because they are the mostprevalent day f ly ing b i rd around thesepairts during the saguaro flowering per i -od . But others the thrasher, cactuswren, g i lded f l icker and Gila wood-pecker also feed on the cacti and hencedo their share of pol l inat ing.

W h a t a b o u t n i g h t t i m e w o r k e r s ?Mo th s , of course. Thebiologists eyeingbats as another possibi l i ty elected a longnosed number w hich, win ter ing in M e x i -co, arr ives in Ar izona on schedule justwhen the saguaros areblooming. Thesebats are f ru i t and nectar eaters, beingequipped with long tongues good forslurp ing. Furry heads were thrust in tothe flowers as thebats crawled about ont h e m, and the faces that emerged worepollen powder. Bat score for f ru i t set: 62percent.

All these scores may seem low, buteven thecareful hand poll inating job hebiologists did came out only about 71percent. On uncaged plants in the f ie ldthe score was only 54 percent. Sti l l ,DBser t /A pr i l 1976

McGregor & Co. f igured that 15-20 ma-ture plants peracre, each with four f low-ers a day for a 30-day blooming period,should put out some two mill ion viableseeds. Taking into consideration the po-tential life span of about 175 years, justone plant from all these establishing it-self each year would maintain thepopu-lation . Thefai lure of saguaros torepopu-late in certain areas today is not due totack of viable seed production.

The seed-loaded fruit ripens in Juneand July red and juicy welcomefood in this heat-r idden land. Wingedcustomers arr ive: white winged doves,western mourners, curved bi l l thrash-ers, cactus wrens, Gila woodpeckers,gi lded fl ickers, dining on the f ru i t whi lesti l l on the plant. As it falls to the

Continued on Page 46

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. . . ' - ' . 1

Left: Excavated burial, dating from the WoodlandPeriod [ca. 1200 A.D.]. Abov e: Sample of prehistoricartifacts-obsidian kn ives [California], slate chisels[Pennsylvania], projectile points and clay disc [Califorma], conch shell bead [Maryland], pipe [Tennessee], large needle, bone breast plate ornament, andbone fish hook [Plains]. Ab ov e right: Stone chopperfrom the Southwest. Dates to the Desert Tradition[ca. 5000 B.C.]. This specimen shows wear along thecutting edge.

W hat isAmerican LTH OU GH TH E science of arche-

j \ ology is a relat ively new discipline, ft the observation and study of peoplehas been going on for many centuries.Interest in these studies could easilyhave started with Christopher Colum-bus, as he was the firs t to leave recordedaccounts of the Native Americans. Hewrote in 1493, "So lovable, so tactable,so peaceable are these people that Iswear to your Majest ies th at there is not

W M . JACK HRANICKYDesert/ April 1976


21/48

in the world a better nat ion nor betterland. They love their neighbors as them -selves and their discourse is ever sweetand gentle and accompanied with as m i l e . "

These people, with the possible excep-t ion of the Indians f rom Midd le Ame r ica,left no writ ten records; and thus the ar-cheologists, by excavating sites, can diginto the past and, from site analysis,offer explanations of how these earlypeople l ived in the New World. This isthe scope of American prehistoric ar-cheology within the United States.

The archeologist deduces from thematerial remains foun d on sites, such as:tools and weapons, food remains, houseand camp pat terns, c lothing, bur ia ls ,and the l i fe customs of commun it ies thathave long since disappeared. This re-construct ion of l i fe-ways, or culturemake-up, comes from the silent test i -mony of the remains now buried in theear th. The site, which is the smallestunit of archeological research, is onlypart of the archeologist 's endeavorscalled f ield w ork. These sites are not ex-cavated just for digging experience, butare excavated for part icular purposes,such as: f indin g o ut the age of a part icu-lar project i le point or the distr ibu t ion of apart icular type of pottery.

The excavation techniques are the cru-

cial elements in the study of prehistory,simply because the archeologist destroysas he preserves. Once a site has been ex-cavated, there is no redoing it; and allpossible information must be obtainedfrom a site. Accurate records, photo-graphs and maps are maintained foreach site. The excavation, in manycases, produces thousands of artifacts;and each is properly recorded and, laterin the laboratory, can be a clue as to justhow people l ived at a part icular t ime andplace.

These artifact collections, when ana-lyzed by an archeologist, can te l l : 1. themodes of l iving and, hence, the culture;2. the origin and development of theircultural complexes; 3. their migrat ionsfrom one part of the country to another;4. the extent of acculturat ion, or theirborrowing of ideas from other cultures;5. the decline or replacement of cul-tures; 6. the identification in some caseswith documented historic Indian groups;and 7. the nature and extent of theirtrade with other areas.

The l ist is virtually endless, but is de-pendent on good f ield work. Field work,however, is only one facet of archeology.There are four basic elements in arche-ologyeach of equal importance. Theya r e : 1 . t he su r vey ( f i nd ing s i t es ) ;2. excavation (the digging of a site);

3. interpretat ion (explaining what isfound on a site); and 4. the publicat ion(informing others what the site con-tains).The Survey in Archeology

An archeological site survey is the be-ginning step for an investigat ion of agiven geographic region. The surveyattempts to locate as many of the area'ssites as possible, to define the natureand importance of these sites throughsurface examination and the collection ofsurface artifacts and to produce an ade-quate record of sites for future consulta-t ion; for it is usually from the survey re-cords that the archeologist selects andjustifies an excavation of a site.

There are many techniques for f in din garcheological sites; but in far too manycases, sites are found by accident or dis-covered as a by-product of some otheroccupation such as farming, road con-struct ion or digging foundations for newbuildings. The locations of these f indsare often reported by local amateur ar-cheologists, historians or the interestedlay public. Road construction, real estatedevelopers and dam building are the pr i-mary causes of site destruction; and, ifthe archeologist knows about a site thatis threatened by this construct ion, an ex-cavation can be set up well in advance in

Desert/April 1976 21


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order to save the arti facts and informa-tion that the site offers.It is the accidental discovery that

causes problems because, generally,there is not enough time to excavate thesite completely and, thus, much of thematerials are lost forever. This type ofarcheology is called salvage archeologyand is what the name implies a salvageoperation. The record of site locations isessential to the preservation of Ameri-ca's prehistory, as well as history ( thedistinction being written vs. non-writtenrecords), and it is here that you can he lp.Should you fin d arti fac ts, bones, etc., onyour property, cal l the anthroplogy de-partment at your local university, andthey wil l tel l you the proper people tonot i fy.

To find a site deliberately, the arche-ologist must famil iar ize himself with thelandscape as it exists today and also beable to visualize what the terrain lookedlike in prehistor ic t imes. Essential lywhat may not be habitable today mayhave been an ideal location several thou-sand years ago. In making observationsof a particular area, the survey archeolo-gist notices things that look out of place,such as: an unnatural contour of a hi l l ,unusual kinds of vegetation, and/or soildiffer ing in color from that of the sur-rounding area. Direct inspection of sus-picious or unnatural topographic fea-tures of the landscape should revealwhether or not early man used the area.If the surface contains flint materials orpottery s herds, there is a good l ikel ihood22

Rattlesnakedisc fromMoundvil le,Alabama.Possibly aceremonialobject thatcan beattributed tothe "SouthernCult."Dates

' 1200-1500! A.D.

that the archeologist wil l f ind a sitethere.In find ing sites, the archeologist must

be famil iar with the type of culture he isseeking to investigate. Prehistoric hunt-ers preferred to camp near concentra-tions of game. Farming societies oftenpreferred to plant in certain types of soil.Gathering societies did not camp long inone place, but frequently did have sea-sonal migration patterns which enabledthem to arr ive in a particular area for thematuration of fruits, berr ies or wild ve-getables. One of the most importantlimitations on the location of the sites ofprehistor ic peoples was the availabil i tyof water. Sites are usually, but by nomeans always, close to a river, stream orlake. Also, they often preferred a loca-tion where two streams or r ivers ran to-gether. This availabil i ty of a watersupply must be based on the archeolo-gist's knowledge of paleogeology, forrivers change courses and lakes dry upand, thus, the environment of early manmay have been, and in most cases, quitedifferent from the environment of today.Once a site is found by the survey arche-ologist, he generally uses a site surveyform to record al l of the informationabout the site. Each state usually has itsown survey forms, but they alwaysinclude: site description and number,location and name of owner(s), condi-tions of the site, list of and the collectionof surface materials and, in some cases,the analysis of test pits on the site.These forms are then turned over to an

agency in charge of prehistoric re-sources. The files of these agencies arethe source of protection and of researchin archeology.

J ust know ing wh ere sites are can oftenaid regional, city, state or federal plan-ning commissions in the construction ofdams, roads, buildings, etc. For i f fed-eral money is involved in any construc-tion site, the law guarantees the ade-quate excavation or preservation of sitesth r e a te n e d b y co n s t r u c t i o n . W i th o u tsurvey reports, we would lose thousandsof sites each year; and , of course, once asite has been bulldozed, the evidenceabout prehistory is destroyed forever.The Excavation in Archeology

A popular misconception is that ar-cheologists just " d i g . " Excavation isonly one of the archeologist's tasks, al-though it is an important one. Anothermisconception is that archeologists digevery site that is found. N othing could befarther from the truth. The archeologiststry to l im it themselves to excavating sig-nigicant sites of past human occupationthat wil l add new information or helpsolve archeological problems in inter-p r e t i n g p r e h i s to r y . Th e se p r o b le msmight consist of inadequate dating ofparticular sites, t ime gap; or unclear re-lationships between cultures that areclose to time and area. The archeolo-gists, in trying to solve these problemsand others like them, select their sitesfor excavation in the hope that the an-swers may be found buried in the earth.

The most essential part of an excava-tion is keeping control of the digging.The technique of laying out a gr id overthe site and then digging each square isa well-established method in archeology.By digging each square in levels and re-cording everything that is found in eachlevel, a true picture of what happenedand when it happened can be obtainedfrom the site. These levels, known as thevertical stratigraphy of a site, generallyreveal the buried order of artifacts on asite. That is, the youngest arti facts areon or in the upper levels; and, converse-ly, the oldest arti facts are buried in thelower levels. By recording each squareby number and each level by number,the exact location of any artifact on a siteis known and its relative distr ibution orplacement among all artifacts yields themental picture of what the people didwhen they l ived there.

The basic part of an excavation is theDesert/April 1976


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notes make by the site director dur-ng; the excavation. These notes include:mcipping and plotting features (fea-urea group of objects or art ifacts,

rather than a single art ifact), photo-graphs, and the various printed archeo-logical forms such as the b urial fo rm (aseparate record is made showing the lo-cat ion, a dra win g, posit ion and associat-ed artifacts of a burial). The site map isthe plott ing of all permanent features,such as wells , f loors, hearths, concentra-tion of stones, burials and caches and isalso a major part of the director's f ieldnotes.

In working in a square on the site,most archeologists use a mason's trowelwith a four-inch blade. With practice,this tool can accomplish surprisinglydelicate work. Trowels are used in theactual excavation in what we call theoccupation area or midden, and for un-covering and excavating in the immedi-ate vicinity of burials, features and ar t i -facts. Other tools make up the archeolo-gist's tool box, such as: shovels, smallspatulas, small brushes, cutt ing tools,bamboo or orangewood sticks with point-ed ends. Each tool box differs accordingto the personal preferences of the parti-cular archeologist, and those that I havementioned are only a few of the basictools.

The actual work within a square maytake days or even months to f inish. Be-sides trowelling carefully and examiningeve rythi ng, whether rocks, bones or ar t i -fe ic ts , t h e a rch e o lo g is t a d d i t i o n a l l yscreens the dirt from the square to re-check it for artifacts that might havebeen missed in troweling. Another pro-cess after screening is called the flota-t ion method. This method involves put-t ing the dirt from a square in a watersolution and recovering all materials thatfloat to the surface. This will often catchseeds and other small objects missedduring the orginal troweling and screen-ing. A ll artifac ts fro m a. square are re-corded as to square number and leveland placed in bags for later analysis inthe laboratory.

For most people, an archeological ex-cavation in America means digging forprojectile points, or the popular term,"arrowheads." ( I t should be noted herethat archeologists never use the term' a r r o w h e a d , " since few projectile pointswere ever used as the points of arrowsand, thus, the term "pro ject i le point"

Thisapparatus

preparescarbon

samples forthe Carbon-14method. Thisequipment is

part of theRadiocarbon

Lab at theUniversity

of Georgia.encompasses all uses such as spears,darts and arrows.) Projectile points, inmany cases, are the minority artifactfound on an archeological site. While itis true tha t we excavate a site to find ar t i -facts, there is a vast variety of artifacts.These artifacts are the fossils of ancientc i v i l i za t io n s a n d , i n a me ta p h o r i ca lsense, reflect the development of thevarious cultures of mankind. Care, com-bined with observation, pert inacity andadaptability, is a necessary requirementfor excavating material remains on asite.

Mo st A merican sites contain essential-ly two types of artifacts. These are or-ganic artifacts and lithic and metal ar t i -facts. The former type of artifacts is rare-ly preserved, except under ideal con-ditions, for periods extending far backinto B.C. t imes. The latter, being moredurable, are generally preserved inde-f initely, with the exception of metaltools. The organic material remains in-clude bones, whether human or animal,and bone tools, such as bone awls,needles, fishhooks. This classification al-so includes wood, fibers, leather andskins, which were used in addition totools for clothing and shelter. The lithic(stone) tools include projectile points,knives, scrapers, dril ls, saws, chisels,grinding stones, axes, hammers and, inthe case of late sites, pottery . A notherminor class of artifacts are the metalimplements and shell and, sometimes,glass ornaments.

The excavation of human burials fromarcheological sites is, of course as neces-sary as the excavation of stone tools and

ceramics. However, it should be notedhere that there are social problems invol-volved here; and the complaints of theAmerican Indians are justif ied in theiraccusing us of grave robbing. I cannotoffer any solution to this problem, butcan offer reasons for excavating humanburials and point out that the excavationof prehistoric burials occurs all over theworld in the name of science. No singleartifact from an archeological site comescloser to reflecting what the original in-habitants of the area were like than thehuman skeleton.

Wh e n e xca va te d p ro p e r l y , h u ma nskeletal remains can give the archeolo-gist an abundance of data, such as burialtechniques, demographic statist ics, in-sights into types of diseases and mor-phological features of the former inhabit-ants. The entire collection of skeletonsfrom a site is the best indication of theover-all picture of the prehistoric popula-t ion. Thus, any one skeleton, like anyone projectile point, is only importantwhen considered with the total group orpopulation; and this collection can repre-sent the vital statistics.

These vital statistics, or paleodemo-graphy, include, among the parametersalready mentioned, the age compositionof the population, mortality, longevity,sex ratios, fecundity and the natural rateof increase or decrease in the size of theformer population. The more skeletonsthat a site director can obtain from hissite, the more accurate the estimation ofthe makeup of the former population.

To Be Concluded N ext MonthDesert/April 1976 23


24/48

Look ing south from Aguereberry Pointwith snow-capped Telescope Peak

dominating view.Trail Canyon is the

wash on the lower left.

S OMEHOW, MUSHING th rough s i xinches of snow as a cold winter windcut through my parka didn' t exact lyseem like the storybook image of DeathValley. But i t was March and I was highin the Panamint Mountains, in the sha-dow of Telescope Peak that towers morethan 11,000 feet above the floor of DeathVal ley.Although my feet were cold as I stoodin the snow at Aguereberry Point, I was

24

by ERNIE COW AN

looking down more than a mile to wherepeople were enjoying blooming wi ld -f lowers and temperatures in the 80s.

A friend and I were spending a weekin Death Valley and this day we had de-cided to fol low an interesting Jeep roadthat cl imbs to nearly 7,000 feet, thendescends to nearly 200 feet below sealevel. Our day-long journey would in-clude a visit to the ghost town of Skidoo,some spectacular view points , and an in-

Desert/Ap ril 1976


25/48

' - = : " ' ,

m t *

1 >


26/48

terest ing dr ive down Trai l Canyon.This part icular Death Valley tr ip is an

easy one-day loop from the National ParkHeadquarters at Furnace Creek. Youshould begin your tr ip by checking withrangers at the visitor center, since se-vere weather can close this route duringsome periods. In fact, when we checkedin with the rangers, they were unsurethe Trail Canyon route would be openbecause of the storms that had depositedthe snow we would encounter.

Much of the route we were to followwas a road that the average family carcan fol low, bu t f rom Ague reberry Pointdown Trail Canyon is four-wheel-driveonly. Rangers also recommend that TrailCanyon be considered a one-way route,down hi l l .

As I said, much of the route is pass-able to the average carusually.26

surrounding the town. Today, Skidoo ismore a memory or mood than fact. L it t leremains of the old town, and the onlysubstantial structure is a park servicesign.

After a tailgate lunch, we left Skidooheading for Aguereberry Point. Return-ing to the main highway and turningsouth, the Augereberry Point Road turnsoff to the left in 2.3 miles.

This road winds across a high desertf lat, gently cl imbing into the mountainspast the site of Harrisburg. It 's about 6.5miles to the lookout point.

At 6,279 feet, Aguereberry Point of-fers a comm anding view of Death V alley.Miner Pete Aguereberry thought so, too,so he built the road to this overlook usingonly hand tools and then he gave it to theNational Park Service.

At the p oint, the visitor can gaze downinto the valley and see everything fromsouth of Badwater to the GrapevineMountains on the northeast boundary ofthe monument. And on this part icularday, the recent storm had cleared the airso the intr icate l ines of faraway m oun-tains could be seen clearly. Before us,Death Valley was spread out in incredi-

The heavy snow required us to usefour-wheel-drive almost as soon as weleft the pavement. W e began our explor-ation by heading for the ruins of Skidoo.The turnoff to Skidoo is 9.5 miles southof Emigrant Junction ranger stat ion onthe Emigrant Pass highway.

Dropping my Blazer into iow gear, webegan to slip through wet, melt ing snowas we started the climb into the Pana-mints. The road to Skidoo buttonhooksaround a mountain about seven milesinto a wide valley w here hardy peopleonce established a toe-hold town.

Skidoo was a gold town tha t sprang tolife in 1906 for just a very brief 11 years.Eventually, about 700 people came tocall Skidoo home, but it was hardly morethan a tent city. But Skidoo did thriveduring its short l i fe, as $1.5 mil l ion ingold was gouged from the mountains

Desert /Apri l 1976


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Opposite page:This is the headof Trail Canyon

road where ittoward the floorof Death Valley.

Right: Theparking area at

AguereberryPoint.Below: These

playful-lookinglittle burros

actually wantedno part of us,

and when we gottoo dose,they fled.

ble clarity . It was like looking at a map ofthe utmost detail.

About 2 p.m. we left A ugereberryPoint and began the 12-mile plungedown Trail Canyon to the Valley floor. Isay "plunge" because this route is, inplaces, extremely steep.

Trail Canyon is only a few miles fromthe area where Patricia des RosesMoehlman conducted an 18-month studyof the wild burros of Death Valley andreported her f indings in the April 1972issue of National Geographic Magazine.So, as we began to drop into the warmer,drier desert, we started to look for evi-dence of the burro.

It wasn't long before we began to no-tice small tracks in the sandy road andthe characterist ic droppings. And off inthe distance we noticed two ears stickingabove some scrub and two curious eyesfollowing our progress. When the steeproad f inally dropped into a wash bottom ,we came face-to-face with four burrossocializing around an isolated waterhole.

They watched us for a t ime and did n'tseem worried about our being there untilwe decided to get closer. As we ap-Desert/April 1976

proached for pictures, they decidedenough was enough and trotted off.

Tra i l Canyon has some exce l len tplaces where you can camp if you wouldrather avoid the more developed camp-grounds. Park rules do allow for over-night camping if you are more than fivemiles from a designated campground,one mile from a paved or graded road,and not in a day-use-only area.

But we had camp already set up atFurnace Creek, so we had to continueon . As we were nearing the mouth of thecanyon, a colorful scene lay ahead of usas mountains, clouds and reflectionsfrom Badwater combined to create anartist's scene.

It was now about 5 p.m. and we werecompleting our day of exploration of apart of the Panamint Range along DeathValley's western fringe.

I think of all the places I have visited inDeath Valley, the Trail Canyon route isone of my fa vorites because it offers sucha variety of terrain from the windy, pin-yon slopes of desert mountains, to thelowest point in the United States.

Trail Canyon is a trail everyone shouldtake the tim e to enjoy.

27


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A C a l i f o r n i a F i e l d T r i p

B e d r o c kC a n y o na n dB e y o n d

by MARY FRANCES STRONGphotos by Jerry Strong

B EDROCK CANYON, in the north-eastern f lank of California's LavaMountains, has been one of my fa-vorite desert retreats for over twodecades. Offering a choice of campingamong Joshua trees on the high plain orelect ing to savor the solitude of primevalrecesses in the deep canyon, it wasa place to escape the routine of dailyl iv ing. Four-w heel-drive w as, and st il l is,a necessity, if Bedrock Canyon and be-yond are to be enjoyed.

Beginning at the summit of Kl inkerM o u n t a i n , m o i s t u r e f r o m i n f r e q u e n tstorms gathers and rushes down thes lopes ca r r y ing cons ide rab le deb r i s .When it reaches less resistant rock, thecutt ing act ion begins and, in this case,the result is Bedrock Canyon. Theseforces are still going on and changeshave been very noticeable even during28

my quarter-century of observation.Spring can be a very colorful event in

this canyon country, if rain has fallen atthe proper t ime. I t doesn't happen oftenbut whe n it does the sig ht is one thatwil l never be forgotten. Wildf lowers areeverywhere in such a profusion of varietyand color they dazzle the eye. Wi ld -f lower bloom is hard to predict and im-possible to do so here, since Desert goes"to bed" early. However, if there areseveral spring rains, condit ions for Ap rilf lowers wil l be encouraging.

Over the years I have shared my af-fection for Bedrock Canyon in the com-pany of a fr iend of long-standing andwith my husband Jerry. The f irst spring Isaw the canyon country in full bloom, Iwas with the late Edwin " K ir k " Kirk-land old fr iend and long-t ime residentof Red Mountain. We were exploring in

his l i t t le mil itary Jeep and the fragranceof the f lowers was almost overpow ering.It was hard to believe all this beauty hadbeen lying dormant in barren ground.

Down in the canyon, Kirk and I hikedup to Bedrock Spring and found waterrunning clear and invit ing. Springs inarid country provide the l i fel ine for des-ert fauna and the many tracks we sawalong the trail indicated a variety ofvisitors. A short tunnel had been duginto the bank at the site of the sp ring and"hummers" hovered over the mesquitebushes which l ined the path of overf low.While we rested and enjoyed this t inydesert oasis, Kirk told me what he hadheard about the canyon's history.

"There has been a lot of prospectingin this country. Men came through inconsiderable numbers between 1860 and1 8 9 5 . They discovered Last Chance

Desert/ April 1976


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30/48

. - ' . : ' .

The siding atSpangler, on heTrona Railroad, isstill inuse.vehicular use.

The old t ra i l f rom thesummit into thecanyon, hadbeen "chopped into a soft-d i r t s lush" by motorcycles and,severaldeep holes awaited unwary drivers. It sno longer advisable to go beyond thesummit wi thout four-wheel-dr ive.

Reaching thecanyon f loor, I was re-l ieved to f ind it largely thesame exceptfo r the "ever present" b ike t rai ls . Weparked at the old water tr

197604 Desert Magazine 1976 April

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Transcript of 197604 Desert Magazine 1976 April