The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-01
SECTION FIVE


ors from the far-away points where
supply stores were stationed for these
same people Thirty miles distant. ON
the Colorado river, We're the stores that
furnished goods to the Eldorado Min
ing district, and at some Of the springs
IN the Cottonwood range. where "A few
persons. all males. were seeking to
while their time away 20 their own
profit in the same manner that Mrs.
Stewart was.
These people. were all very kind TO
me-" said Mrs. Stewart Indeed
doubt if I could have got along II il
had not been for them. They would
come all the distance from their own
homes every now and then 10 see how
/ was getting along, and / always
knew that if anything serious hap
pened 1 could. as a last resort. hasten
10 their protection"
Treasures of the Desert.
Through constant meeting of the pros
pectors and desert-roamers. Mrs. stew
art early acquired the passion which
comes over all people who go into the
desert. 1t is the passion to 20 into
remote place and explore; 70 look for
mines. 10 penetrate the mysterious
caves, which are almost innu-
merable- to find the turquoise and
other precious gems. which promise vet
TO make the southwest rival the his
toric regions of the Orient. 10 venture
into the haunts Of the ancient tribes.
where the vestiGes of a civiliza ton that
/ has persisted are almost as absorbing
in interest as they are i'm Babylon or
Egypt. even To go into the Temotesr dis
tTictS for the pure sake Of adventure.
With a natural leaning Ia intellectual
matters with an excellent early e6u-
cation. and with a most keen power OF
observation. Mrs. Stewart became al
most scientific explorer she visited
the tracks of the Spanish padres W no
went into the upper regions of the
Colorado at the beginning Of the cen
try. and there. both by her own hands
and gift from the Indians. she col
lected many relics which may some
day prove TO be OF value TO archaic
OlOgy. Her home today is filled with
case after case Of antique and curious
mementoeS-. There are crucifiNes which
are obviously as old as the century
There are stone implements, and 9th
erS which seem to indicate the crude
efforts of earlier times TO melt iron into
useful forms such as hammers
Besides the historic relics, she col
lected an infinite number of evidences
OF tho great richness OF the desert i'm
unique and rare metals. Her shelves
resemble the shelves OF the lapidarys
shop or the precious stone section OF a
great museum So alluring and so sug-
gestiYe is the exhibit that the visitor rs
tempted almost TO abandon his attempt
to go farther toward his civilized des-
tinaJiOn and remain permanently in the
desert. with Mrs Stewart TO guide him
to the various places of interest.
But. of course, it Is not Mrs Stew
arts business TO guide visitors They
are welcome to all that she knows. and
If she takes a fancy to the person. she
may ask him or her to join her in her
proposed tour down into the turquoise
region during the ensuing summer
Her interest in things historic and Gu
rious Is purely intellectual. II has been
her pastime from the beginning. When
asked how she happened 10 have such
an interest and how she managed to
apply so much intelligence and appar-
ent scholarship TO her obseTVa tions,
Notwithstanding that she lived SO far
from cities or railroads or contact with
the intellectual public. she replied
Perhaps ] have been peculiarly for
tunate- At first, and, indeed, for long
time. my father was with US, and he
was man of culture That gave me a
chance for conversation and study
Then. later. rather than send my chill
dren away to California or the east for
study, / engaged Il tutor. and he. TOO.
WAS a man Of culture. The several Of
US managed TO keep up an active IN
tereSt in things that were worth while.
We got all the reading matter We could,
particularly upon scientific subjects.
and wife these stimulated our interest
in the extraordinary natural ph6uOm-
ena that surrounded us"
This keeping up of the mental side of
her life * doubtless the most remark
able phase of Mrs Stewards career.
Other women have lived IN isolation
almost, If not quite, as great as hers
/ but few have held themselves above
the natural tendency of isolation TO
warp or atrophy the intellectual. Most
men. indeed. yield to the pressure.
/ Mrs. Stewart not only has successfully
! taken care of the ranch of $500 acres.
witheaH its difficult and absorbing praC-
| teal Problems but she has brought up
| a family to each of whom d gOOdly edu-
/ cation has been given, she has retained
| the personal charm and culture with
which she started away from San
| Francisco in her carly youth. and is
/ today as well equipped for social life
4 in the cities as if she never had seen
( the desert.
! One year ago the Vegas ranch was
sold 10 Senator Clark. Mrs. Stewart
received. if report be correct, So, 900 for
| the property One would have expected
! that with this amount she would have
! withdrawn from the desert and spent
her remaining years in the comfort and
pleasures of large city, or in travel
/ throughout the world But, for some
reason, she has not done so. Her ranch
! and her home have been sold. but
! alongside the old ranch, in the irlme-
diate neighbOrhoOd of old memories,
she mas DuiIL a new nome ana expects
| always TO remain there She said 10
I the writer:
i My friends in California wonder why
! I stay out here. I simply ask them II
| they realize the power of memory and
| association 1 have lived here all my
| life. my children have been brought
up here. 1 have a thousand Things to be
attached to here where there are but
| a dozen elsewhere. Besides. this is a
beautiful spot and 7 shall soon have
| a new home scarcely less lovely than
! the old one"