195210 Desert Magazine 1952 October

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Through Yon Window . . . Gold?

Ontario, CaliforniaDesert:1 was very interested in John D.Mitchell's "Lost Mine with the IronDoor" in the July issue of

Desert Mag-azine.

Mitchell indicates the lost mine islocated one league northwest of the

Ventana

or "Window Rock" in theCatalinas. According to this story,"when the miners stood at the mouthof the tunnel, they could look tothe southeast and see through thiswindow."On the south slope of the Catalinas,near the top, the.c is a rock formationwith a

V.entana

facing in a southerlydirection. Situated as it is, it is possibleto look through it to the southeast,south or southwest.On top and at the west end of thisformation is a stone face carved bynature. A picture taken looking to-ward the southeast shows the imagefacing the northeast.Although the directions do not gibeexactly, could it be that nature placedthis stone sentinel to watch and guardthe entrance to the Lost Mine with theIron Door?R. L. WITTER• • •

"Beercan Highway"

. . .Portal, ArizonaDesert:I have long been engaged in a one-man campaign to remove beer cansand litter from our highway-sides. Iam glad to learn, from "Between Youand Me" in the September

Desert,

that I have company.In this editorial, it is suggested thatthe brewing companies be forced topay for the roadside cleanups. How-ever, I cannot feel that the fault iswith those who sell cans, but ratherwith those who use them.I have written a humorous satirecalled "Beercan Highway" which willbe published in

American Forests

inthe spring. I suggested to the editorsthat breweries be approached andpersuaded, if possible, to include intheir advertisements a note remindingtheir customers: "Keep America'sHighways Clean! Please do not throwour cans out of your car." This wouldmake them thousands of friends andmight have an effect on the thoughtlessnitwits who heave their empty cansout on your roads and mine.Vandalism of all kinds is becom-

This rock formation in the Catalina Mountains of Arizona may be the clueto the long-lost Mine with the Iron Door, believes Desert Reader R. L. Witter.

ing one of America's foremost prob-lems today. I believe more of thistype of "Beercan Highway" articlemight reform some of the worst of-fenders.moron,put var.'that c'r.sNo one likes to be called aand the:;: articles definitely;

!

:, and beer can throwers inWELDON F. HEALDRock'iounds Take Warning! . . .Salt Lake City, UtahDesert:Recent issues of

Desert

have car-ried brief notes mentioning talks givenbefore gem and mineral groups bymembers of the National SpeleologicalSociety. I would like to point out thatslides illustrating these talks alwaysshow cave minerals

in situ,

it beingagainst society policy to collect cvc:ibroken specimens. To do so wouldencourage others to break off speci-

mens,

soon producing a thoroughlyvandalized cave.Rockhounds should further bewarned against collecting in caves sincein most states and in all national parksand monuments it is against the law.Violators are subject to maximum finesof $500 and six months in jail. Inview of the terrible desecration com-mon in western caves, the society w 11vigorously aid the prosecution of anys:;ch vandalism discovered.Many mineralogists innocently seekcave specimens. A warning againstsLich collecting might prevent serioustrouble as well as protect the beauty ofmany a ca.ve.DR. W. R. HALLIDAYMember. Board of GovernorsNational Speleological Society

• so

Virgin or Virgen? . . .Washington, UtahDesert:In "Lost Lead of the Santa Clara"in the September issue, I notice

Des-ert

uses the modern spelling of theVirgin River.I spell it Rio Virgen, the way it ap-peared in the old geographies. Manyof us maintain that it was named forThomas Virgen, one of JedediahSmith's men, and not by the Spaniardsafter the Virgin Mary.Escalantc called it "Sulphur River"because of the sulphur springs nearLa Verkin.RUFAS JOHNSONDESERT MAGAZINE

DESERT CALENDAR

September 27-October 6—New Mex-ico State Fair, Albuquerque, NewMexico.September 29-30—San Geronimo Fi-esta, Taos, New Mexico.October 1-2 — Taos Village Fiesta,

Taos,

New Mexico.October 1-31 — Special Exhibit ofAmerican Indian handicraft fromcollection of the late Kathryn W.Leighton, noted artist. SouthwestMuseum, Highland Park, Los An-

geles,

California.October 3-4—Spanish Village Fiesta,Rancho de Taos, Taos, New Mex-October 4—Feast Day of St. Francisof Assisi, patron saint of Santa

Fe.

Santa Fe, New Mexico.October 4 — Annual Fiesta andDances, Nambe Indian Pueblo,New Mexico.October 4-6 — Navajo Indian Fair,Shiprock, New Mexico.October 5—Fifth Annual ColoradoRiver Outboard Motor Boat Race,Needles, California.October 7-11—Eastern New MexicoState Fair, Roswell, New Mexico.October 9-11 — Las Cruces Lions'Cotton Carnival, Las Cruces, NewMexico.October 9-12 — Tri-State Fair andRodeo, Deming, New Mexico.October 10-12 — Greenlee CountyFair, Clifton, Arizona.October 11-12—Annual Liars Con-test (formerly on New Year's Eve)and Pegleg Smith Gold Trek.Borrego Valley, California. I Seepage 16.)October 17-19—15th Annual PioneerDays Celebration, TwentyninePalms, California.October 18-19—Cochise County Fair,Douglas, Arizona.October 19-25—Southwestern CattleFestival. Clovis, New Mexico.October 31—Hallowe'en Mardi Gras,Barstow, California.

Volume 15OCTOBER, 1952Number 10COVERLETTERSCALENDARPOETRYMEMORIALEXPLORATIONTRUE OR FALSEINDIANSFICTIONINVITATIONWILDLIFEPLAYGROUNDMININGPHOTOGRAPHYLOST MINECONTESTHISTORYCLOSE-UPSNEWSHOBBYFIELD TRIPLAPIDARYCOMMENTBOOKS

Storm over Taos Pueblo, New MexicoBy Willard Luce, Provo, Utah.Comment from Desert's readers 2October events on the desert ........ 3Land-Locked Sea Monster, and other poems . . 4Nevills Plaque is Dedicated 5Glen Canyon VoyageBy RANDALL HENDERSON

7

A test of your desert knowledge 12Tribal Meeting of the NavajoBy DOROTHY PILLSBURY13161617Hard Rock Shorty of Death ValleyPegleg Trek and Liars ContestDeath Valley Playmates, by PAT STURTEVANTCliff Home of the AncientsBy WELDON F. HEALD 18Current news of desert mines 22Picture of the Month 23Lost Pima Indian GoldBy JOHN D. MITCHELL 24Prizes for camera pictures 25The Salt in Salton Sea, by W. DEANE WILEY . 26About those who write for Desert 28From Here and There on the Desert 29Gems and Minerals 35Gems, Minerals and Mines Along SouthwesternTrails, by CLAUDE A. CONLIN, JR. ... 38Amateur Gem Cutter, by LELANDE QUICK . . 41Just Between You and Me, by the Editor ... 42Reviews of Southwestern literature 43

The Desert Magazine is published monthly by the Desert Press, Inc., Palm Desert,California. Re-entered as second class matter July 17, 1948, at the post office at Palm Desert,California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered No. 358865 in U. S. Patent Office,and contents copyrighted 1952 by the Desert Press, Inc. Permission to reproduce contentsmust be secured from the editor in writing.RANDALL HENDERSON, EditorBESS STACY, Business ManagerMARGARET GERKE, Associate EditorMARTIN MORAN, Circulation ManagerUnsolicited manuscripts and photographs submitted cannot be returned or acknowledgedunless full return postage is enclosed. Desert Magazine assumes no responsibility fordamage or loss of manuscripts or photographs although due care will be exercised. Sub-scribers should send notice of change of address by the first of the month preceding issue.SUBSCRIPTION RATESOne Year $3.50 Two Years $6.00Canadian Subscriptions 25c Extra, Foreign 50c ExtraSubscriptions to Army Personnel Outside U. S. A. Must Be Mailed in Conformity With

P.

O. D. Order No. 19687Address Correspondence to Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, California

OCTOBER, 1952

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