The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-06-09
THE COLORADO DESERT,
BY GEO. WHARTON JAMES.

The Army of the West" marched
from the Missouri River, took posses
sion of New Mexico, and then went
forward to California, in order to sub
jugate it and convert it into United
States territory. This was in 1916,
and the occasion was the war with
Mexico.
Gen. Stephen Watts Kearney and
his army had a hard time.
Long before they reached the Colo
rado River they had learned the ter
rors of the desert, the awfulness of
thirst, the distress that comes from
riding animals that cannot find enough
forage. 1t grew worse after they
crossed the river and found them
selves in that southeastern corner of
California that, for years, had been
the terror of all travellers on horse
back or on foot.
He and his soldiers did not have
much time to investigate conditions
on the Colorado Desert, yet they
could not fail to see many strange
things; things that were new and
that excited their interest.
At Indian Wells they found one of
the most peculiar wells in the borders
of our country. 1t would never be
looked for by anyone dying of thirst,
even though he might stand on the
top of its bank, unless he caught
glimpse of the delectable fluid below.
In some mysterious manner the earth
has cracked open into narrow pocket
ravine-a "blind alley" kind of place.
One might be within hundred yards
of the head of this and never dream
of its existence, for so slight "cut"
into the earth's surface cannot be seen
even at that distance. At the bot
tom of this crack is a tiny spring.
There is no outflow for the water,
and its source is matter of conjec-
ture. For untold centuries the Ia
dians have known it, and the trail to
it was made by them in the 'days of
the DID," When the fierce midday
sun shines down with relentless power
upon the Indian, who, with pottery
ola upon his head, goes for water,
the shadow cast upon the wall down
the trail is as black as the body of the
Indian himself. Here Kearney's men
found some water, though nothing
like enough to satisfy their own needs
and those of their thirsty animals.
In several places they came upon the
squalid settlements of few desert
Indians. These showed various stages
of wretchedness. Why human be-
ings should wish to remain upon the
desert, with the fertile mountains to
the north and the more fertile valleys
of California to the west, seemed to
them mystery. They did not un-
derstand that the Indian is both an
intense religionist and a conservative.
He believes that 'those above" placed
him upon the desert, there to live out
his life as best he can. Therefore he
dare not disobey the voices of his
gods. But even if he dared. his ma
ture is to stick to the ways of the
DID," Change is distasteful to him
he dislikes new methods or new con-
ditions. New environment embar-
rasses and distresses him, and there
is nothing an Indian dislikes more
than to feel that his surroundings
dominate him. Some of the desert
dwellings of the Indians are nothing
but mere shelters from the heat.
Here and there, where an under
ground flow of water has allowed
giant and vigorous tree to flourish,
in spite of desert heat, winds and
sand storms, the Indian establishes
his primitive camp. 1t consists of
but few palm branches, or masses
of arrow-weed piled up against
framework of willow poles. Else
where, with watt1ed willows and
adobe, he makes quite respectable
hut, in which not only shelter, but
certain degree of comfort may be at
tanned. And now and again, an In
dian who had wandered over the range
and had perhaps aided the Mexicans
or Spaniards, in or near San Diego,
had gathered together few boards
with which he constructed his rude
one-roomed shack.
More interesting, however, than the
dwellings, are the suquins or primi-
tive granaries that are always found
near the Indians huts. These con-
sist of rudely constructed circular will
low work, which, while secure, has
no pretense of being weaving in the
true sense. They are generally raised
above the ground on wooden stills to
protect the contents from the thefts
of animals or the ravages of vertnin,
and the cover shuts out the more di-
rect rays of heat, the rain (Which sell
dom falls), and the sand during the
fierce and terrible sand storms.
Acorns, pinion nuts, grass seeds,
roots, etc., are all stored in these SUI
quins, but the principal vegetable
product is the fruit or bean of the
mesquite. The mesquite is desert
tree that fourishes in spite of all the
disadvantages of its natural habitat.
1t is honored by the Indians in va
riety of ways, and some of their most
interesting legends are told Of its
divine or, at least, super-earthly orr
gin. The trees are gnarle6 and
twisted with a remarkable individual
ity of their own. The wood is very
solid, heavy and oily, and makes ex-
ceI1ent f;rewood bnt the LEAKAGE is