Bisbee daily review., 1908-06-14
Automobile Driving in Desert Country

There is one place in America
where automobile drivers steer by
the compass. That is out in the des-
ert country of southern Nevada anu
southeastern California where new
towns String up overnight 40 lu. Ee'y
found ee9ter and silver outcroapings
ami Nltre men are too busy making
fortunes TO make roads, Says the New
York Sun
Zen sears ago no tLe dared 90 so
far into the waste places that lie
east OF the Sierras and east ano
south of the black range of the Pan
amits. Only the wandering pros
peetor with his burro loaded with oil
cans fun of water ventured out into
the wastes OF sand and cactus. He
left one can OF water a day in some
cache so that when he had gone to
tie limit of his water he could find
his way back alive
Now ali that is gone. The mining
promoter takes the Pullman aein
San Francisco TO Goldfield or SCUM
70 sohave beyond Tehachapi The
next morning he steps down from me
plush and leather upholstered car
and into a SO horsepower auto that
wifi swish him out of civilization in
five minutes and through the dreary
mountains of brown Stag and sand
he newest mining town in tho neart
o. the parcaed wilderness.
Motorists who Slip through the
leafy avenues on Long Island and oy-
II the blue hills of the RamapU utllI
know what it means. this trayel
by compass and landmarks through
1la ma nv
dead through the fierceness of its
heat and the absence. of water. Death
Valley. the Funeral Mountain. Dead
Mans dound-these names were not
chosen out OF freak impulse.
Very near the country where for
twenty years men have gone out, in
to The sage and the cactus on yaiu
hunt for the mythical Pegleg Smith
mine is the station of Mojaye on the
Southern sPacific and Santa Fe rail-
roads Moiaye is right over the
high pass in the southern bow of the
Sierras that divides the wheat fields
and fruit orchards of the San joaquin
Valley from the desert that stretches,
alvey over TO the continental divide in
Colorado TIE worst part of that
desert begins at Mojave. Tdere is a
big garage always ready with ir
machines that take one on a wild
plunge into the land of mystery.
There is q semblance of a road
from NIoiave over the low range of
mountains into Death Valley anu Ut
yond TO the new mining camps on the
lower ridges OF the Funeral Noun
tains. 1t is only a semblence, and tae
landmarks are always matters of
keen calculation TO the caauffeurs, be-
cause the winds that race across the
level sands make and unmake noun
tains and blot out trails in a weeks
time.
If the venturesome traveller wants,
TO go to Skiddoo. the mushI com
camp about the great copper deposits
at the north end of Death Valley, he
hires one of the Mojave autos for
price that seems fabulous until he
takes the trip once, then he maryeis
that. there are men and machines that
can do the trick and come out whole.
Well watered and with extra butt
water stored away in every avail
able place for emergencies, WITH
baggage battered down. and protected
against dust by tarpaulins and with
driver aud passengers goggled and
muffled against the whiriing alkai,
luS UAE lltIsthtIt puALS past -AOIeAhC
fiourishing array of saloons and in
the twinkiing of an eye is out in the
desert.
For the most part the floor Of the
desert is lard. baked by the suns of
many years. Everywhere between
the scrawny blotches oil the Joshua
trees-spindling cacti that wither
like dead ghostly arms-tiie leprous
scurf of the alkali shows while. The
low iiills are pimpled with the blue
punches of the scrub sage. There is
not one thing green. not thing that
looks as if water had touched it
since the day when the Colorado riy-
er damned up the Gulf Of California
and left an inland sea 10 stagnate
there and pass away.
As the auto ploughs over the hum
mocky floor OF the plain or goes
lettering down the incline of some
low hill a heavy cloud OF lust and
fine sand whirls up from under the
wheels and coats the passengers with
an incS-deep crust The sun smashes
down from the coppery blue sky. max
ing the Gnetal work on the ,tonneau
blisterirg to the bare hand. RED
eyed and gSsping Tor fresh breath
CT air tn Iaen in the seats see the
sIimmer'Eg of thc mirage, seeniiDgi.
only half mile away. End watch the
Shy line Of hills melt and run INTO
new forms with every change IN al
rection. The journey seems 10 be
Cvel the raid IA Uf the moon whel e
everything is IonS dead.
There are some stopping places
along the road where men exist pre-
cariously. These the shauffeur may
strike or run by in his method of fol
lowing only a star course through
the pathIess desert. If it happens
That the man at the wheel spies the
simmer of a tin vessel or picks out
the low roof OF some shack on On
the edge of a hill he will turn on the
course and chug-chug up to the
dwelling place of one of these ma
rooned people of the dry land. II
may be only to pass the time OF day
'.Hullo. Slim" this from the saunt
auto pilot of the desert. "How's the
water running at Ash Creek
aOh. pretty small" says the gray
desert dried little man who climbs
out from the spot of shade on the lee
side OF his house to greet the visitor
Hank was through here yesterday
in his car az he SEE tn boys is only
gittin' about thirteen bar'ls day
That amt hardly enough to keep
hun town ike Greenwater goin.
Always is their talk OF water
these desert people. Every place
Where water is known TO be found j:
a place that buIks in importance ovel
the capitals of the world and has
more interest than the doings o.
presidents. II the water Is low, j
IT'S high, IL the aikali is getting into
Ash Creek and souring the water, i
Bill Hawkins, the prospector, found
a new water.fole over near the ca 81