M A G A Z •: - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

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Credit to Fray Garces . . . n Mission San Antonio de Pala Dear Mr. Henderson: Your magazine is one of the most interesting on the market. It is a credit to the Southwest. I would, however, take objection to depriving my brother Franciscan, Fray Garces, of the honor of founding Tucson's first mission. Father Kino, indeed visited the two Indian villages, formerly located on the present site of Tucson. He even held services at these places. Doubtlessly he planned a mission here. But in reality he did not get further than to place these villages under the tutelage of patron saints. The only missions founded by Kino in Arizona were San Xavier del Bac, some nine miles south of Tucson, and Guebavi near Nogales. Tumacacori and Quiburi were founded after the death of this intrepid missioner. There is no mention of a Tucson mission until the time of the Anza expeditions. At that time when Fr. Garces was in charge of the district around Tucson, the mission was founded. For information on this subject consult Dr. Lockwood's "Tucson, the Old Pueblo." FR. BONAVENTURA OBLASSER OFM. Father Bonaventura: Thank you for the correction. Desert Magazine made the error, common among lay readers, of regarding Xavier del Bac as the original Tucson mission, although it actually is located some distance outside the present townsite. — R. H. Gila Monster .. . Las Vegas, Nevada Dear Sirs: In marking answers to your questions on page 24 of the April copy, I marked all correct, then looked in the answers on page 37 and found you listed Gila monster as poisonous. This is false as I saw one man bit that put one inside his shirt in Searchlight two years ago. Several others whom I know were bitten and had no evil effects. The fellow from Searchlight was treated by Dr. Woodberry of this city, •who said before treatment that the Gila monster had no poison and the wound wouldn't even swell, which proved true. I've been 41 years a prospector, with time off hunting burros and fixing flats. T. J. DOBBINS. Old timer: The question oj a Gila monster's poison is always open to controversy. I believe many of the authorities agree on this theory: That the GM does not eject poison as does a rattler, but rather that the poison sacs are located in his jaws and the venom is released in the same ?nanner as saliva. Thus the victim becomes poisoned, only when the monster closes his jaws on the victim and hangs on for sufficient time to permit the poison to reach the wound. When the reptile's grip is broken 1 immediately there may be no poisoning. The official records oj Arizona list one death jrom Gila monster poisoning in the last nine years. — R, H. Desert Philosophy . . . Dear Sir: I enjoy your magazine very much as I am interested in the desert and take trips on the side roads whenever I have time. I have also read the stories of lost mines and have had a personal contact with one similar to that in your February number, which brought it back to my mind. About 15 years ago I was working a night shift here in Los Angeles. Each night several of us would eat our dinner at a restaurant near the shop. One night our waiter friend was all excited. He told us some eastern relatives had just come to visit his next door neighbor. The party included a man, his wife, and two children. Also a brother. After driving a short distance past the California state line the party took a short cut on a little known road. One of the tires went flat and while the two men were fixing it the children went out to play in a nearby wash. The little boy soon came back to the car and showed his dad a handful of "pretty sand" and wanted to take some of it to Los Angeles. The father filled several sacks and brought them along. When they arrived at their destination the children wanted the sand to play in. But when the neighbor saw what was in the sack he insisted that it be taken to an assayer. The sacks yielded nearly $3,000 in gold. A party was organized to return to the spot where the sand was obtained, but not much attention had been paid to landmarks on the trip through, and they were never able to locate it. E. H. MEHL. • • • Tougher Automobiles . . . Honolulu, T. H. Dear Sirs: Enclosed is check for a copy of "On Desert Trails with Everett Ruess." Just two weeks ago today I was enjoying myself on a 15-day trip in the desert at Vallecitos stage station and vicinity. Now I am writing from Honolulu. Thanks again for the fine magazine you are publishing. And keep up your efforts to get the auto makers to build a car suitable for desert travel. When I retire from the navy I'll want to have one of those cars to drive the desert with, thanks to your efforts. WALTER LEE WOLFE. Blessed Poet . . . Alexandria, Va. Selma, California Dear Sir: Dear Mr. Henderson: I have been a subscriber to the Desert Maga- Here is one more alleged poem for your zine for over a year. I find it a very nice magazine. I particularly enjoy the beautiful photographs and the articles by Marshal South. files—it is one that your comment on the effusions of "we poets" in April Desert, brought forth—so blame yourself, my lad! Are there to be no more articles by Marshal South ? It would seem to me that if the desert teaches man anything it would be to have a philosophical outlook on life and that, because of his way of life Marshal South is well qualified to express desert philosophy. Please note the following quotation taken from the December Desert Magazine. "For after all an understanding of conditions is the first step toward mastering them." WHEN SPRING COMES The while the flowers put forth new leaves, And fresh and fragrant petal, The "poet" bites his pen, and heaves Vast sighs—and tries his mettle. The air is full of pale green rhymes, And pinkish, dainty meter, We love to ring the 'bluebell's chimes,' Why not continue with a series of articles, And 'bird on branch,' to teeter. a little less personal perhaps, but giving him a wider range of expression. Whether he knows it or not he is qualified to give from his abundant experience, help which is very much needed in this troubled world of today. The desert remains—untouched by "isms" and "ain'ts"— it stands unscathed by mankind's trials, a sort of monument to Divinity expressed in Law immutable. Our every thought is 'strung with dew,' Our 'stars shine clear and bright'; Our 'violets are nodding', too, 'Black velvet', is our night. Our 'fleecy clouds' scud swiftly by, Our 'clover scents the breeze,' Our 'yellow beaked fledglings' cry Your magazine, with a little touch of philoso- From 'nests in swaying trees'. phy here and there as indicated would be even more fascinating than it is now. MARY R. HYDE. Lost Gold . . . Los Angeles, California We clog the mails with sticky verse, We're pests, and well we know it! But every spring we break out worse, And these lines plainly show it! Forgive us please— HAZEL GOFF. Thanks Hazel—/'/ all the poets had your sense of humor the poetry editor's job wouldn't be so bad after all.—R. H, Paging Marshal South . . . Moab, Utah Dear friends: Since coming to this desert place with its unusual inspiration and distinctive beauty 1 have realized the unusual value of your magazine. I am writing to tell you how much those of us in this little settlement are missing the letters of Marshal South. It is a rare and wonderful thing when human beings face problems and conquer them gladly and with such good humor as the Souths have done. With appreciation and all good wishes. Ingot of Gold . . . SUZANNE C. DEAN. Cupertino, California Dear Mr. Henderson: I feel that I must take issue with the anecdote on page 30 of your April number, relating Mr. O'Reilly's difficulty in lifting an ingot of gold. I have had four years experience in assaying and melting gold, and this is the way I figure the story from the data given: The bar was worth $49,500. Assuming that it was nearly pure gold the bar would weigh 1,414 troy ounces or 117.8 troy pounds, which is 106 avoirdupois pounds. However, I would guess the fineness about 800 fine, and that would raise the weight to 145 pounds, which, while heavy, should not be too heavy for a grown man to lift to his shoulder. if the fineness were low the weight would be great enough to give veracity to the story, but as the story stands it tends toward carnival sensationalism. True, gold is very heavy in small volume, and the uninitiated often rashly underestimate the weight of any given parcel of gold—but I believe you are the victim of an exaggeration in reporting. F. V. LEFEVER. The DESERT MAGAZINE
DESERT APR. 28-MAY 1 Southwestern division, American Association for Advancement of Science, to hold 21st annual meeting, Lubbock, Texas. APR. 30-MAY 2 Women's Aeronautics association meets, Albuquerque, New Mexico. MAY 1 Dedication of Albuquerque municipal airport and army airbase. 1-3 State convention of Arizona Veterans of Foreign Wars and auxiliaries at Mesa, Arizona. 2 Masque of the Yellow Moon, 16th annual dramatic production of 3 Phoenix, Arizona schools. Santa Cruz day, Indian dance and ceremonial races, Taos Pueblo, 3-4 New Mexico. Final performances pf Ramona Pageant, Hemet, California. 3-5 Annual Fiesta de las Flores, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. 3-6 Junior fat stock shows at Spanish Fork and Delta, Utah. 7-10 Arizona state Golden Gloves boxing tournament, Phoenix. 8 Boomtown Spree, Miami, Arizona. Johnson Fanning, chairman. 8-10 Old Calico Days, rodeo, pageant and carnival on Tom Williams ranch, near Yermo, California. 8-22 Exhibit of Arizona Pictorialists, Phoenix photographic club, at Museum of Northern Flagstaff. Arizona, Annual rodeo, Douglas, Arizona. 9-11 10-11 Wildflower show opens in Julian, California. Town hall, free admission. Also May 17-18, 24-25, 30-31, June 1. 10-11 Sixth annual convention of California Federation of Mineralogical societies, Oakland. B. E. Sledge, chairman. 11-16 Riverside Riding club to ride old Anza trail from Yuha well in Imperial county, California to Rivside. 15-18 Federation of Natural Sciences of Southern California meet in annual convention in Hancock Foundation building, U. S. C. Los Angeles. 16-18 Helldorado celebration and rodeo. Las Vegas, Nevada. E. W. Craig. rodeo chairman. 25-JUN. 9 Navajo silver jewelry exhibit at Museum of northern Arizona, Flagstaff. Fine collection old and modern pieces, loaned by Laboratory of Anthropology, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado. Also sketches of Southwestern Indian types, by Eben F. Comins, of Washington, D. C. 26-28 Annual convention, New Mexico State Firemei's association, Hot Sp;ings. 27-28 Uintah Basin livestock show, Vernal, Utah. MAY, 1941 Volme 4 MAY, 1941 Number 7 COVER LETTERS CALENDAR PHOTOGRAPHY WILDFLOWERS CEREMONIAL GHOST TOWN NATURE LORE GEMS WEATHER FICTION POETRY BOTANY TREASURE PUZZLE LANDMARK CACTI ART OF LIVING ARTIST PLACE NAMES LANDMARK CONTEST MINING NEWS HOBBY TRAVEL BOOKS COMMENT CONTRIBUTORS YUCCA, by Carl E. Lawrence of Claremont, California. This picture awarded first prize in the Desert Magazine's cover contest in March. Comment from Desert Magazine readers . . . . 2 Current events on the desert 3' Prize winning photos in April 4 Where to find desert flowers in April-May . . . 5 Navajo Sing, by JOYCE ROCKWOOD MUENCH . 7 They Never Locked the Door of the Jail at Ballarat, by LeROY and MARGARET BALES . 10 He Learned About Scorpions By NATT N. DODGE 14 'Desert Roses' in Arizona By JOHN W. HILTON 19 March temperatures on the desert 22 Hard Rock Shorty of Death Valley By LON GARRISON 22 IN DEFENSE, and other poems 23: Pincushions for Desert Fairies By MARY BEAL 24 Lost Pesh-la-Chi, by JOHN MITCHELL 25 Desert Quiz—a test of your desert knowledge . . 26 I. D. Soda Works at Owens Lake 27 Echinocereus mojavensis, by ROY MILLER . . .28- Desert Home, by MARSHAL SOUTH 29 He Painted the Apaches By RANDALL HENDERSON 31 Origin of names in the Southwest 33 Indian Pueblos at Overton, Nevada By VERA PERKINS 34 Prize Announcement for May 35 Briefs from the desert region 36^ Here and There on the Desert 37 Gems and Minerals Edited by ARTHUR L. EATON 40 Rambling Rocknuts By BERTHA GREELEY BROWN 42 Reviews of Southwestern books 44 Just Between You and Me—by the Editor . . . 46 Writers of the desert 47 The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Publishing Company, 633' State Street, El Centro, California. Entered as second class matter October 11, 1937, at the post office at El Centro, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered No. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office, and contents copyrighted 1941 by the Desert Publishing Company. Permission to reproduce contents must be secured from the editor in writing. RANDALL HENDERSON, Editor. TAZEWELL H. LAMB and LUCILE HARRIS, Associate Editors. Richard B. Older, Advertising Representative, 416 Wall St., Los Angeles, Calif. Phone TR 1501 Manuscripts and photographs submitted must be accompanied by full return postage. The Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility for damage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised for their safety. Subscribers should send notice of change of address to the circulation department by the fifth of the month preceding issue. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year $2.50 — 2 years $4.00 — 3 years $5.00 Canadian subscriptions 25c extra, foreign 50c extra Address subscription letters and correspondence to Desert Magazine, El Centro, California
Page 1: THE MAY, 1941 M A G A Z • : > 25
Page 5 and 6: 0*1 rHIS is the Desert Magazine's w
Page 7 and 8: - Through the Navajo grapevine, wor
Page 9 and 10: ment everywhere. Figures rose up ou
Page 11 and 12: few buzzards in the sky, and way be
Page 13 and 14: a few ore samples—sets up beside
Page 15 and 16: Dr. Herbert Stahnke in his study wh
Page 17 and 18: he was unable to save him, determin
Page 19 and 20: John Hilton went out on his monthly
Page 21 and 22: chrome often brings out things not
Page 23 and 24: *1 BY FRANK MCCULLOCK Fernley, Neva
Page 25 and 26: Jloit Peik-U-(2kl OCTOR THORNE, an
Page 27 and 28: soon WORKS The accompanying photogr
Page 29 and 30: Marshal South and his family scout
Page 31 and 32: With his artist's kit in a buckboar
Page 33 and 34: Desert Place Names For the historic
Page 35 and 36: ^ ~ " -*•• ^ i. ButtbeM In Aetu
Page 37 and 38: H6R6 TH €R€ . 0*1 the, Globe .
Page 39 and 40: NEVADA Austin . . . "Yesterday afte
Page 41 and 42: Azurite Malachite Vanadinite Cuprit
Page 43 and 44: SUM'S MUSEO DEL DESIERTO Natural Gi
Page 45 and 46: tery from the primitive to the pres
Page 47 and 48: MARGARET and LEROY BALES traveled o
Page 50 and 51: LAND DF COLOR Whoever comes to Utah
Page 52 and 53:
FASCINATING Delightful trips throug
Page 54 and 55:
ABUNDANT WILD As a hunting TTFF ¥
Page 56 and 57:
X \ SCENES IN ZIDN For vastness, he
Page 58 and 59:
FANTASIES IN Gorgeous Bryce FDRM AM
Page 60 and 61:
INTERESTING Among Utah's many tribe
Page 62 and 63:
ENDLESSLY VARIED It is no exaggera-
Page 64:
COALVILLE J LAKE CH PARK CITY
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