English - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

8/14/2019 English - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

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MAGAZINE of the SOUTHWEST

LV


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IN LAS VEGASN O W1 0 0 0R O O M SA T H O T E L I

!M 1

Your Key to a TREASURE OF PLEASUREH o t el S a h a r a . . . t h e newvacation wonder in theworld's wonder city.. .now with 1,000 rooms androom for ever ybody! All the luxurious leisure,the fun and relaxation youexpect in one of theworld's finest resort hotels. . .at rates anyone can

afford. Sun-swimming in 3 spacious pools ...din-in g in 3 f am ous r es t au r an t s . . . s t a r ent er ta i nm entin 2great showrooms. Shops, buffets, health club,golfing, riding.. . a real "Treasure of Pleasure"'the vacation visit of a l i f e ti m e. . . H ot e l S ahara!A L S O - T H E W E S T 'S M O S T C O M P L E T E A N D L U X U R I O U S P R IV A TE C O N V E N T IO N F A C I L I T IE S - F O R 10 T O 1600 P E R S O N S .

STAR-STUDDED SHOWS in th e gr ea t Co ngo HOUSE OF LORDSRoom, where famo us nam es reign sup reme. elegant dining.Colorfu l , capt ivat ing show product ions!

1 , 0 0 0 "Y E A R S - A H E A D " R O O M Sa l l w i t h r a d i o and TV. D O N TH E B E A C H C O M B E Rd i n i n g - d a n c i n g . L I V E L Y C A SB A R T H E A T R Ed u s k - ' t i l - d a w n s h o w s .

E n j o y a " G O L D E N W E B O F H O S P I T A L I T Y " a t t h e s e o t h e r D E L E . W E B B h o t e ls : M O U N T A I N S H A D O W S S C O T T S D A L E , A R I Z . / O C E A N H O U S E S A N O I E G O / T O W N H O U S E S A N F R A N C I S C O


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DtAvxLC O N T E N T S

Volume 26 Number 9S EPTEM B ER , 1963

This Month's CoverBy CARLOS ELMER. View from Elephant Rockin Valley of Fire State Park near Overton,Nevada.

5 Desert CameraBy FRANK JENSEN.

6 New Ideas for Desert LivingBy DAN LEE.

8 Ne va da . R ecreation UnlimitedBy ROBERT WARREN.

10 Joy Travels the Back RoadsPhotos and story by NELL MURBARGER.

22 EsmeraldaBy CHORAL PEPPER.

23 Baud Street, WinnemuccaJoss House in historic Ch inat ow n. By STAN-LEY MILLER.

25 Land of ContrastsBy BILL KOHLMOOS. Ruby Lakes and Ely.

27 Lake of LegendsELIZABETH WARD writes of mystic PyramidLake.

28 Ghost Town Hopping30 Desert Research

By WENDELL A. MORDY, director Desert Re-search Institute.33 Queens of the Comstock

BOB RICHARDS writes of Virginia City.34 Nevada Centennial Events35 All Roads Lead to Eureka

By PEGGY TREGO.36 Desert Cookery-

Ne w ways with fruit. LUCILLE CARLESON.39 Survival in the Desert40 Egyptian Influence in Moapa45 Las VegasBy STAN IRWIN, entrepreneur of entertain-ment.46 Letters from our Readers

STALACTITES AND STALAGMITES CREATE WEIRD FOR MATIONS FOR VISITORSTO LEHMAN CAVES NATIONAL MONUMENT, JUST SOUTH OF ELY, NEVADA.

THE SOUTHWEST IN SEPTEMBER By JACK PEPPERSalute To Nevada. Nell M urbarg er capt u res t he spir it of N ev ad a an dsets the theme for this month's special issue in her "Joy Travels theB ackroads ." S i nce i t i s i mposs i bl e t o cover a l l of Nevada i n one i ssue ,next year we wi l l fea t ure ot her a reas . Everyone has heard of LasV e g a s a n d R e n o s o w e h a v e k e p t to t h e b a c k r o a d s to s h o w y o u o t h erpar t s of Nevada and t o capt ure t he fee l i ng of The S i l ver S t a t e whi chwil l be "100 Years Young" in 1964.Explore Lehman Caves. Although they probably wil l not find "l i t t lepeople with green faces" who, as superst i t ion has i t , once l ived inNevada 's Lehman C aves , a rchaeol ogi s t s t hi s fa l l wi l l s t a r t an ext en-s i ve expl ora t i on of R oom O ne , di scovered i n 1938 t o cont a i n bo ne sof ani m al s and hu m ans . Dr. C ha rl es R ozai re , C ura t or of Arch aeol og y,N e v a d a S t a te M u s e u m , w il l h e a d t h e g r o u p .Sweet Ferdinand. C ows are begi nni ng t o smel l l i ke orange bl ossomsaro un d Phoe nix a s a result of the efforts of former A ir Force M ajorCharles Wolfe, who has started the fi rst air-borne cow deodorizing

{continued next page)DESERT is published m onthly by Desert Magazine, Inc., Palm Desert, Calif. Second Class Postage paid at Palm Desert, C alif., a nd ataddition al ma iling offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Title registered No. 358865 in U.S. Patent Offic e, and contents copy right ed 1963by Desert Magazine, Inc. Unsolicited manuscripts and photogr aphs cannot be returned or a cknow ledge d unless full re turn p ostage isenclosed. Permission to repro duce co ntents m ust be secured f rom the editor in wri tin g. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $4.50 per year {12 issues)in the U.S.; $5 elsewhere. Allo w five weeks fo r change of addres s, and be sure to send the old as we l l as new address.

To subscribe, or to give a DESERT gift subscription, use the coupon on page 5NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES:Arden E. Roney & Associates580 South San Vicente Blvd. , Los Angeles 4 8, C al i fornia . Phone: 651- 3930NEW YORK210 E. 53rd St. PL 3-178 0 SAN FRANCISCO 31355 Market St. UN 1-7175CHICAGO 135 E. Wocker Dr. ST 2-8196 DETROIT 26 6 58 Book Bldg. WO 1-6063

J A C K P E P P E Rpublisher C H O R A L P E P P E ReditorAddress Correspondence To:Desert Magazine, Palm Desert, Calif. Phone: FI 6-8144


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is a S p o r ts m a n 's P a r a d is eIf you like the thrill of the hunt, you'lllove Utah where every year thousands ofhunters "get their buck." General deerhunt is October 19 to 29 with specialhunts into December.

is a S c e n ic W o n d e r la n dIf yo u like the added bonus of scenicattract ions, then you'll love Utah withits colorful Rainbow Land, massive Mon-arch Mountains an d historic Mormoncountry.

is a F r i e n d l y S t a t eIf yo u like a cord ia l we lcome a n d alittle hospitality, you'll love Utah wherethe red carpet is out for your visit. Fora sample, just send fo r FREE informa-tion and you' l l get it by return mail.

SEND FORFREE FALLAND HUNTK I T !

UTAH TOURIST ANDDEPT. 156DCOUNCIL HOUSE

INCLUDES: 21 Tours Proclamation Outdoor Guide Road M a p

PUBLICITY COUNCIL

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAHPlease send me Fall an dNAMEADDRESSCITY

Hunt Ki t

. . . S T A T E

service. At least th at's the claim ofWolfe, who says his harmless GS17spray is making a hit with cattlemen.No comment from the cattle.Lake Powell Ferry Service. Ferryservice at Hall's Crossing belowHite, is still in operation, although itis best to make arrangements withJ. Frank. Wright in Blanding, Utah,in advance, according to J. FrankWright, of the Lake Powell FerryService, Blanding Utah. The veter-an Colorado river runner is also con-tinuing his tours and plans to en-large his service next season.September Calendar. Aug. 28-Sept.2 S an Bernardino County Fair, Vic-torville, Calif. August. 30-Sept. 2Days of S an Luis Rey, O ceanside,Calif. County Fair and LivestockS how, Elko, Nev. 2 Annual L aborDay R odeo and Fly-In Breakfast,W illiams, Arizona. 6-7Box ElderC ou nty P ea ch D ay s, B r i g h a mCity, Utah. 5-8 Nav ajo T ribalFair, W indow R ock, Ariz. 7-8 Ne-vada Square Dance Convention,Elko, Nev. 13-15 Aerorama, M u-nicipal Airport, Chico, Calif. 13-22Fiesta de la Luna, Chula Vista, Calif.Utah S tate Fair, Salt Lake C ity. 14-15 S hasta Gem and M ineral Showat Veterans' M emorial H all, R ed-ding, Calif. 14-16 Washoe CountyFair, R eno. 18-22 Thirteenth An-nu al Desert E mpire Fair, R idgecrest,Calif. 20-22 Air R aces , Elko, Nev.23-29 Kern C ounty Fair, Bakers-field, Calif. 27-28 County Fair Da ysCelebration, Twentynine Palms,Calif. 50th Anniversary Celebrationof incorporation of Needles, Calif.28-29 R aisin Festival, Dinuba, Calif.r DESERT Subscription Service

Utah residents: please send 26c for handling.

To SubscribeM ail this form w ith yourpayment

o o ( D New Subscriptiong o j R enewal

WONDEItLAND EXPEDITIONS WONDER LAND EXPEDITIONS *

BOATING/HIKINGEXPEDITIONSESCALANTE/GLEN CANYONAREASEND FOR EXPEDITION LITERATURE

WONDERLAND EXPEDITIONSKen Sleight, River Guide| 6575 South Main Bountiful. Utah SNOI l l03dX3 ONYHf iaNOM SNOI l l tHdXJ aNVWJl lNOM

H u g h W h i te E n t e rp r is e s

M A I N M O T E LW H I T E S L A U N D R Y C E N T ER

E l y , N e v a d a

V-8 POWERED JEEP & SCOUTSWhen your rig is V-8 powered, your enjoy-ment Is tripled. Sand, hills, mud are nolonger obstacles. Highway travel is quicker,giving more time to roam the desert. Chu-ehua's adaptor housings are designed tomake each installation easy and strong.Adaptors are full bell housings, not plates,using 9'A" input shafts making little or nofirewall cutting necessary.Priced from $46.50 for all General Motors,Chrysler, and Ford and Mercury V-8's

Write today for FREE informationBRIAN CHUCHUA'S

Four Wheel Drive Accessory Center,1625 Harbor Blvd. , Ful lerton 7, Cal i f .

To Change Your AddressM agazines are no longer forwarded by the postoffice when you move. To insure uninterrupteddelivery please attach your magazine addresslabel here and print your new address below.

Name 1-year subscription$4.50 2-year subscription,or Two 1-year sub- scriptions . . $8.00

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To Give a Desert SubscriptionPrint your name and address above, and name and address of recipient below.

Indicate below how we should sign your gift card'' From .J


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CAMERAEdited By Frank JensenI N this day and age of automationit is a rare photographer who hascontrol over his exposure. T his col-umn will be devoted to the vanish-ing breed of photographic devoteeswho still use an exposure meter inde-pendent of the camera, and who tem-

per exposures with their own judge-ment.Exposure of desert scenes ordinari-ly falls in a category somewhere be-tween beach and snow scenes andthe average landscape. In general, ex-posures for a front lighted scene (withthe sun at your back) will require adecrease of a half to a full F-stop overwhat you would normally shoot.Even the side lighted scenes, sinceso much light is reflected into theshadow areas, will require a slight de-

crease in exposure. In general then,let it be said that you should believeyour meter when it tips the end ofthe scale and expose accordingly.During the summer months thiswriter prefers to shoot desert land-scapes during the afternoon. Say,from three o'clock on. In the lateafternoon the shadows become long-er and the light from the sun modelsthe contour of the landscape. Towardsunset the red end of the spectrumdominates, and the most spectacularscenics are often caught on film just

before the sun goes down.O n this point, here is a tip thatmight prove useful. Jus t before thesunlight fades on a scene, it willreach a peak brilliance. It is thenthat you shoot like mad, making cer-tain to bracket your exposures. Thatis, expose one picture according tothe meter reading, then underexposetwo full F-stops, and overexpose twostops.T he worst landscapes are generallyphotographed during mid-day. The

early morning hours arealso good forsummertime shooting, although Imust confess that I have an aversionto getting up early, so can't speakauthoritatively on this subject.

READY FOR THE ROUGHEST!

TRAILMACHINEDealerInquiriesInvited

Features 3-Speedgear box, le f t -hand operatedc lutch, r ight-hand operatedshift lever,telescopic frontforks, foldingkickstarter.Engine: Briggs &Stratton 5}4 HP.

MUSTANG MOTOR PRODUCTS CORP., 241 CONCORD ST., GLENDALE 3, CALIF.

W H E N Y O U W R I T E or phone in response to an ad in DESERT, it only takes amoment to mention where you saw it. The f i rm you are doing business with wi l lappreciate knowing how you learned of them, and DESERT will be gratefu l for yoursupport and fr iendship thus expressed.

A completely self-con-tained portable kitchen. . . Has its ownfuel sup-pl y . . . Baked enamelfinished in turquoise,white, yellow and cop-pertone . . . 50 lb. ice-box . . . two-burner bu-tane stove . . . sink andguaranteed pump . . .carrying handles foreasy moving . . . Tubu-lar steel frame for dura-bility . . .For Demonstration and Information, Write To PORT-A-GALLEY 269 W. Bonita Ave., Claremont, CaliforniaDealer Inquiries Invited

S A L M O N R I V E R T R I P !I D A H O P R I M I T I V E A R E A

FOR MORE INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS:Call or Write:Western River Expeditions1699 East 3350 South-Salt Lake City 6, UtahHUnter 4-4006

Per PersonThis 6 day trip on the Prim-itive Salmon River includes:food, transportation fromStanley, and all necessaryequipment for a river ex-pedition.The Salmon River offers:good fishing, exciting whitewater, excellent picture tak-ing, and a leisurely vacationyou'll never forget. The lasttwo runs will be for steel-head fishing.

AVAILABLE TRIP DATES:* S e p t . 26 Oct. 1 * Oct. 7-12 * S e p t . 5-10/ / these dates won't fit your schedule,le t me know what will!

Ideal for . . .CampingBoatsPatiosTrailersVansSportsmenJeepsCamper shellsPORT-A-GALLEY is36"long,181/2"wide30" highR etail: $299 FOBPomona


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WHEN YOU WRITE. . . or phone in response to an ad inDESERT, it only takes a moment to men-t ion where you saw i t . The f i rm you aredoing business with will appreciate know-ing how you learned of them, andDESERT wi ll be gratefu l for yo ur supportand fr iendship thus expressed.

IT'S EASY AND LOTS-OF-FUNMoke Beautiful Gems Now! Learn about thisfascinating hobby in a new booklet, "SO YOUWANT TO CUT GEMSTONES" and Informa-tive Catalog$1.50 value for only 25c. Sendfor yours TODAY

Lapidary Eng. Corp.Redlonds D, Cal i f .st. & Hwy. 99

L A N D R O V E R SStat ion Wagons and Trucks. 2 and 4 -Wheel Dr i ve

NEW and USEDSALES - PARTS - SERVICE

#Hal l MotorsCypress and Van BurenRiverside Arl ing ton

i HICKORY FARMS OF OHIO"BEEF STICK""No Pepper""No Garl ic""No V inegar""No Pork" FOR SPORTSMEN A MUST for Fishing, Hunting,Camping, Picnics, Boating, Pack-ing Tr ipsBecause of i ts longlasting freshnesswill keep wi th -out refr igerat ion.Guarantee of Satisfactionand Safe DeliveryNo Charge for Mailing1 0 0 % Pure BeefHickory Farms of OhioWestern DivisionP. O. Box 3306, Van Nuys, Cat.4 Ib, beef sticks are $5.98 ea. includ-packing and ma iling. Send check ormoney order.

Please ship me Beef Sticks at $5.98 ea.New Customer Old CustomerT o :

"GOLD MEDAL AWARD WINNER"

Approxing a ll

NEW IDEAS for DESERT LIVINGBy DAN LEE

Outdoor Storage RoomWish you had more space to store

garden tools or pool equipment?M aybe the answer is an extra out-door r oom. T he Urban Spacemakeris made of pre-fab aluminum panelswhich assemble to form a weather-tight outdoor storage. Size is 4-feetby 6-feet by 8-feet, or 6-feet by 6-feet.H eig ht is 6-feet two inches. T he big-ger model has a full 52-inch double-door opening to make easier loadingand u nload ing. Comes packed in sev-en pre-assembled sections, ready fore r ec ti o n b y t h e h a n d y m a n . T h eSpacemaker is pre-painted a lum inumroof and sidewalk, and a good itemfor the mobile home owner, poolowner, or hand ym an. Price avail-able from Urban Spacemaker, U r b a nI ndust r ies , Dept . DM 9, M ar ion,O h io .

Reflector C amp Ove nH ere's a new item tha t 's got prac-tical app eal for cam pers. A smallmetal oven that sits beside the camp-fire and cooks meats by reflection.

R etains natur al juices, and givescook more control over open fires.It even folds flat to a thin half-inchheight, weighs just 2V i pounds, andhas a cardboard carrying case. Soundslike a worthwhile way to cook with-out using pans or other equipment,and st i l l produce something tasty.Priced at $6.95 prepaid, from Ponder-osa Industr ies, Inc. Dept. DM 9, Box3 4 8 , Butler , Penn.

Datsun Truck Those cagey Japanese have done i tagain. This t ime they have buil t alittle light pick-up to compete withFord's R anch ero, from the looks ofit. It 's compact, sleek-looking, low insi lhouet te , and s ty led mor e l i k ea passenger car than like a truck.O verall length of the new D atsunNL 320 pick-up is a short 13-feet, 8-inches, which indicates extreme easeof handling, parking, and driving inbusy traffic.T he new D atsun is powered by a

peppery 60-horsepower overhead valveengine, price $1696, plus license andtaxes. Datsun, Nissan M otor Corp.,Dept. DM 9, 137 E. Alondra Blvd.,Gar dena, Calif.


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Gas-Pow ered SearchlightIt has its owntiny gasoline engine,a 3A -horsepower two-cycle that powersa sealed-beam, 450,000 candlepowerlight. Fire up the little engine, andthe searchlight gives enough light toflood an entire fairgrounds or for pic-nics, search and rescue operations, ora hundred other uses. The Nobco

Power Beam is 20-times as powerfulas the brightest automobile head-lamp, according to the maker. En-tire power generator, engine, andlight weighs 20 pounds complete.Priced in two models from $150 to$170, depending on whether AC orDC unit is required. ThePower Beamis self-contained, and produces itsown light without outside power con-nections. Nobco, 151 North Pasa-dena Ave., Dept. DM 9, Pasadena,Calif.

Liqu id C oo le r C o a t ing If you live in hot country you areaware of the effect of mineralizedwater on water-cooler tanks. O rdi-nary paints won't stop this rusting.Brand new on the market is LiquidNeoprene Cooler Shield, a real "syn-thetic rubber coating that can beapplied right over corroded metal,it directions are followed. Liquidneoprene, after drying, leaves a toughelastic film like a blanket, from oneside of the cooler tank to the other.Because neoprene rubber is unaffect-ed by water, salts, minerals, or any-thing else found in home water sup-ply systems, Cooler Shield effectivelyblocks rust and corrosion, eliminatesscale, and should reduce pump clog-ging to an absolute minimum. Pricedat $3.95 per quart, plus freight, fromCooler Shield, Dept. DM 9, P . O .box276, SanDimas, Calif.

Sun-Visor Extension sNow you can get relief from thoseannoying afternoon drives when thesun sneaks past your car's sunvisorsjust past the ends of the visor. Thenew Glare Shields are extensionswhich slip on over the ends of thevisors, and can be adjusted up ordown or sideways as the need arises.Upholstered in grey-silver color, vis-ors are4-inches by A V 2 -inches, priced

at $3.75 each. For width of 6"by 6Vi-inches, price is $4.00 each,prepaid. J. D. Whitney Co., Dept.DM 9, 1917Archer Ave., Chicago 16,Illinois.

U N D E R G R O U N D E X P L O R A T IO N S B o x 7 9 3 M e n l o P a r k , C a l i f o r n i a

A H O B B Y T H A T P A Y SMARKET BASKET

PHOTO CO.P. O. Box2830 , SanDiego 12,Cal i f .Low priced photofinishing; film,cameras and Kodachromeprocessing.

Developing & 12 jumbo prints ^_ ._f rom Kodacolor f i lm ^ Z . T " ZDeveloping & 12 jumbo pr ints f romKodacolor f i lm inc luding a ^ - _ -new rol l of Kodacolor ... I p J . j UKodacoloreach repr ints jumbo, I6c8mm Movie Processing,color $1.05Other photo prices comparably low

Send for f ree mai l ing envelopeMARKET BASKET PHOTO CO.P. O. Box2830 , SanDiego 12,Cal i f .

FREE!Helpful brochurefor rock hobbyists!T h i s new b r o c h u r e ,fresh off thepresses, isa v a i l a b l e w i t h o u tcharge to rock hobby-i s t s and r e a d e r s ofDesert M agazine. Spe-cial sections on sharp-ening, revers ing andinstallation of diamondblades for better lapi-d a r y c u t t i n g . . . alsoincludes useful tips onc o o l a n t s , l u b r i c a n t s ,speeds and feeds, andother suggest ions onhow to get longer andbetter wear fromyour cutting equipment. Compact andeas y -read i n g , wel l - i l l u s t ra t ed . W ri t et o d ay for your copy.

Please mail meyour f ree brochure, "Do's& Don' ts for Lap idary Cut t ing . "N a m eAddressCi ty, State.DEPT. D-9

M K DIAMOND

Diamond Products12600 Ch.dron,Hawthorne, Calif.SINCE 1866


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B y R o b e r t W a r r e n , D i r e c t o r D e p a r t m e n t o t E c o n o m i c D e v e l o p m e n tDESPITE its small population,Nevada attracts more visitorseach year than such world-fam-ous tourist meccas as Florida andWashington, D. C. The fact thatnearly 50 times the state's permanentpopulation of 400,000 people visitNevada each year attests to the accur-acy of the state's official slogan: "R ec-reation Unlimited."

Probably no place on earth offersso much in the way of glamour andexcitement. T op talents put on theworld's best variety and theatrical en-tertainment nightly at a dozen "strip"establishments for the price of dinneror cocktails. Clubs along downtownLas Vegas' F remont S treet which,incidentally, claims to have moreneon signs and lights than TimesS quare feature famous names inscores of lounge acts. In the northernpart of the state, there is an almostequal variety of entertainment atworld-famous casinos at R eno an dLake Tahoe.O ne phase of Nevada which comesas a surprise to many visitors is itsextensive natural scenic beauty.Along transcontinental Highway 40,across the northern part of the state,the spectacular scenery changes fromthe deadwhite salt flats on the easternborder of Nevada, to the toweringR uby M ountains and lush valleysnear Elko, then to the rugged deserthills and valleys of the central part

of the Sierra Nevada M ountainrange.Farther south along the state's east-ern border is the spectacular Lehman

Caves National M onum ent, 640 acreslocated on the eastern flank of 13,061-foot Wheeler Peak, one of the highestmountains in the Great Basin. Guid-ed trips are provided along easy trailsthrough the cavesa series of under-ground rooms with oddly formedstalactites and stalagmites, flutedcolumns, needle crystals and the like.O ther unusual natural wonders,many of them priceless discoveries forthe camera enthusiast and the paint-er, include the lonely, "Sahara Desert"setting of the towering dunes of theS inging Sand M ountain, just offHighway 50 near Fallon; the strangetufa formations at (among otherplaces in the state) Lovelock, onHighway 40; Beowawe's great geyserfield (along with various other hotsprings which bubble and blowthrough the earth's surface at placeslike Steamboat Hot Springs south ofR eno) ; the state's nine state parks,

ranging up to several thousand acresand including free camping and pic-nicking facilities (among them is theValley of Fire, no rth of L as Vegas) ;the mysterious Amargosa Desert andthe edge of Death Valley.Nevada is blessed with four largeand spectacular lakes as well as scoresof smaller ones. In the far southeastis Lake M ead, created in 1933 by thevast engineering feat of the HooverDam. Built in Black Canyon, themighty ribbon of concrete spans a

rugged gorge of the Colorado R iver.There is beautiful Walker Lake, nearHawthorne, and Pyramid Lake 30miles no rth of R eno , which resemblesthe biblical S ea of Galilee. Both of

these awesome desert lakes are rem-nants of a vast prehistoric inland seacalled Lake Lahontan. And finally,there is the famous, incredibly en-chanting Lake Tahoe, astride theCalifornia-Nevada border in the highS ierra M ountains.The camper will have little prob-lem finding almost any kind of spotto pitch his tent or park his camperin Nevada. O nly a small part of thestate's 110,000 square miles is "citi-fied" or developed; within a few min-utes of the bright lights and sophisti-cated living of Nevada's unusualcities, man can find solitude andquie t. H e can explore literally scoresof Forest Service camp grounds, Na-tional Park Service public campgrounds or an isolated wilderness ofmountains or desert, where the sightof a man is a rarity. An excitingchoice of scenery from sagebrush totall pines, from desert sands to curv-

ing lakeshores is his for the asking .Nevada, moreover, is a paradise forthe outdoor sportsman. Aside fromthe many mountain and desertstreams which offer excellent troutfishing, there is un usual fishing ap-peal to the fisherman in Nevada'slarge lakes most of it year-rou nd.Big game hunting is open to out-of-staters in limited numbers. Deer,elk, bighorn sheep are the main at-tractions (the latter are limited to avery few hunters) . Upland game con-sists of partridge, chukar, sagehen,and the like.Water enthusiasts will find every-thing from individual sports amid


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I M L I I M T E DGOVERNOR GRANT SAWYER

spectacular surroundings to majorunlimited hydroplane racing. Waterskiing is increasingly popular on allthe major lakes in Nevada as well asthe many smaller ones, man-madeand natural. In the southern andcentral parts of the state, it's a year-roun d sport. T he same goes for allkinds of boating speed boats, out-boards, sail.Nevada and snow skiing have beenclosely identified since the early daysof the West. A century or m ore agoJohn ("S nowshoe") T hom pson, whomay have been the first skiier in theunexplored West, used long, crudeskis to pack mail over the Sierra. To-day, some of the finest ski slopes inthe world are available in Nevada,most of them with the best of modernfacilities. A big advantage is prox-imity and convenience: S lide M oun-tain and M t. R ose ski bowls are 45minu tes from R eno; the excellent ski-ing on 11,910-foot M r. Charleston is45 minutes from the striking contrastsof warm, dry L as Vegas. O ther areasspotted throughout the state make itpossible for the skiing enthusiast tofind slopes and deep snows withineasy reach of almost any community.Several other areas of outdoor ac-tivities, unusual or unique to Nevada,beckons throngs of visitors. Amongthem are some of the breathtakingmodern man-made projects, such asHoover Dam, near Las Vegas; the

great open-pit copper mine at R uth,near Ely one of the worlds largest;and the fertile agricultural area nearFallon, created from the desert bythe Lahontan reservoir and its elabo-

rate irrigation system for some 670farms. (The area is famous for Fal-lon "H earts O 'Gold" cantaloupe andfor turkeys.) Known as the New landsProject, the system created a hugeman-made oasis in the desert andmade the area Nevada's mo'st impor-tant truck-farming area despite arainfall of only 5.3 inches per year.The state is well known as a para-dise for rockhounds. Semi-preciousgems and minerals of all descriptionsabound agate, geodes, jasper, b eryl,rhodonite, petrified wood, and gar-net. Nevada also produces 87% ofall turquoise mined in the world andyields some of the finest fire opal, sul-fur, quartz crystals and wonderstone.For those interested in archeologyand early man, there have been sever-al extensive diggings undertaken inthe past. T he L ost City M useum atO verton, in southern Nevada, gate-way to the Valley of Fire, containsartifacts dating back 12,000 years tothe earliest known days of man onthis contin ent. M any are from theprehistoric Pueblo city which nowlies beneath the waters of L ake M ead.Nearby in the Valley of Fire itself,the visitor can see other evidence ofancient man in the petroglyphs (pic-ture writing on rock). And in thecentral part of the state, at Ichthyo-saur State Park, he can see the fos-silized imprints of sea-going reptiles60 feet long and millions of years old.In the charming and friendly statecapital, Carson City, is the NevadaS tate M useum, formerly the U. S.M int where Carson City silver dollars

were mad e. It contains a wealth ofmaterial relating to Nevada's pioneerpast, some of it irreplaceable, and cul-minates with a replica of a mine inthe basement. Full-scale exhibitsshow the detailed operation of a west-ern mine with complete "head-bump-ing" realism in the 300 feet of tunnel.Near Carson and to the south is

Genoa, Nevada's first town, foundedby the M ormons on the western edgeof the fertile, sweeping Carson Valley.And to the east, along the Pony Ex-press trail and the route of the Forty-Niners, stand the lonely adobe ruinsof Fort Churchill, built to protect thepioneers from the marauding Indians.In short, the State of Nevada offersthe tourist a variety of attractions un-matched in the Union. And, as thestate's youthful and personable Gover-nor Grant Sawyer points out, thisvariety is accompanied by a quality

which is unique.Says the Governor: "I feel that inthe long run it is the intangible thatis responsible for much of Nevada'scharm. We call it 'climate.' O ur at-titude toward life, except under themost urgent provocation, is relaxed,tolerant, and mindful that if othersare allowed to go on their way un-molested a man stands a chance ofgetting through the world himselfwith a minimum of irritation."In a troubled and complex world,

these intangibles are the assets, thegifts, that Nevada gladly shares withall visitors within its gates in thesame abundance that they are enjoy-ed by our permanent residents."


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English - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

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Transcript of English - Desert Magazine of the Southwest