Desert Magazine from June 1944 PDF Document - Surrey ...

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peep is a rockhound's dream. Here one breaks a new trail in the Chuckawallas." springing up since this winter's heavy rains. If you will remember, the wild flowers always are the thickest and brightest where the desert crust has been broken. The graded sides of a road are invariably two bright strips of taller and larger flowers across the desert in the spring, for the breaking of the crust has planted the seed better and allowed more rain to get deep into the sand. The same thing has happened where desert maneuvers have taken place—only on a grander scale. The annuals are not the only ones to get a new impetus. Young smoke trees, ironwoods, ocotillos and even barrel cactus are springing up all over such areas. Last week I took a photo which illustrates my point perfectly. A wash was sprinkled with about an average crop of desert flowers except the path that had been made by a caravan of military trucks. These tracks stood out as if they had been painted by a giant brush across the sand. I am writing you this because there are a good many "sob sisters" of both sexes making quite a thing of how the army is "wrecking our dear desert." These folks, for the most part, don't know the desert very well or they would not be so concerned. You and I know that the desert is tough and adaptable. That it has been "torn up" by other hoards at different times and that today a few peaceful old ghost towns are the only evidence of all this activity. The desert is mighty hard to spoil. It's too darned big and resilient. It is going to take more than a war to destroy its peace and beauty. There are thousands of officers and men who trained here who have learned to like it and have a great respect for this land that others think is such an awful place. The average of those who like the country and intend some day to come back and show it to their folks is about the same as always, but the volume has been great. Hundreds of thousands of men from all walks of life and every part of our land have gone through training courses in our desert. Out of them will come thousands of boosters and others who will come to live and build up our young communities. I'm going out to hunt calcite next month if my ration board approves. I have several good leads and a lot of experience from the last mine. It still is one of the top strategic minerals. I hope also to have time to get out a few articles for the DM. Yes, Randall, the desert you love is still waiting for you. It hasn't changed a great deal and probably never shall, and the folks out here can hardly wait till you get back to enjoy it with us. As Ever, Your Friend, JOHN P.S.—I'm enclosing some of the pictures we took on these recent trips. "In the heart of the Turtle mountains we found a saguaro cactus over 30 feet tall, despite the fact it is supposed to be confined to the Arizona side of the Colorado river. This country looks like a combination of Monument Valley, Utah, and the cactus country of southern Arizona." 18 THE DESERT MAGAZINE
JUNE, 1944 19
Page 1 and 2: THE JUNE. 1944 M A G A Z N
Page 3 and 4: DESERT • The letter by John Hilto
Page 5 and 6: Jack Watson surveys Blind valley wh
Page 7 and 8: along fine. His herd increased and
Page 9 and 10: k th By MARY BEAL the Pentstemon qu
Page 11 and 12: Left to right. 7—Cakes of raw mat
Page 13 and 14: tight and corrosion resistant—and
Page 15 and 16: detent U diU waUincj, (a* you Therm
Page 17: turned to tortoises. The colonel an
Page 21 and 22: Above, left to right. 1—In the ea
Page 23 and 24: 10 Above. 10—Sometimes the crop i
Page 25 and 26: "Brown and golden and rich! Somethi
Page 27 and 28: LETTERS... Rock Collector in New Gu
Page 29 and 30: ARIZONA Mexico Water Treaty Shelved
Page 31 and 32: Boys Camp at Mesa Verde . . . GALLU
Page 33 and 34: GEMS AND MINERALS ARTHUR L. EATON,
Page 35 and 36: Kenneth C. Peer, chief chemist, and
Page 37 and 38: 7VlTH THE ALLIED FORCES IN AFRICA
Page 39 and 40: Hetween Uc has come to Camp Tarawa!

Desert Magazine from June 1944 PDF Document - Surrey ...

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