The Harrison times., 1911-06-17
Tcid bys Tramr.
Editor Times:

.
letter concerning my tnp across,
4 and some q zav experiences on this
dreary waste may be OF interest to
them. Al some future tine with
your pleasure expect 70 detail al
greater length MANY interesting facts
and feature Of things met with IN
nv ramblings. The very nature OF
the country embracing the north
western part Of Arizona and the
southern bOundry Of Nevada make
il somewhat difficult TO determine
lust where one enters the southwest
ern desert running through parts OF
Arizona, Nevada, and California.
However after leaving Prescott one
NAV well consider it on a desert.
This of course is not the extreme
desert for ii is for a few hundred
miles relieved by small settlements
clustered around old watering places
sought out by early day Indians and
later by such as ventured life for
COLDS sake in days of early pioneers.
After passing beyond these friendly
Oasises you bid farwell in manner
10 civilization and the blaze from
a glistening sands closes in upon
YOU. and around you Ike furnace,
and on till the great red sun heated
TO a molten state dips down in the
cooling waters Of the great pacific,
then your burros stop and you shake
down from his hot back your water
bags and blankets and lie down IN
the calm of silence that one seems
10 feel. You are now on the desert
and YOU look out over that dreary
waste Of sun baked, and wind whip
ped sands upon whose glitteriDg
white creast no human habitation
has ever reared it's dome.
Nor are there any signs OF life at
all. not even a bird whose friendly
song might relieve you while it sang.
| have visited a good many ceme-
teries in my life and have seen some
few prominent peoples monuments.
but ] passed two burial grounds on
the desert that awoke in my heart
a deeper reverence and truer melan-
cholly feeling than any other ever
yet in my life, the two ! shall men,
tion were near the south entrance
TO death valley in California, one a
burial Of seven persons who
had died from the effect of the Arsenic
waters in this valley, it was a small
granite shaft rudely constructed but
mounted with a beautiful bronze
crucihx.
The second was about two miles
up the valley and likewise a small
granite stone weighing perhaps l5U
pounds and on its uneven, and un-
polished surface was this legend H.
ADAMS B. 1852. have seen a !
great many lonely graves in my life'
all OF which appealed more or less
lnutely TO my sympathy, but | do
not remember an instance where |
drew the inspiration of a complete
sermon before from the bones OF utter
silence and drove me into mood of
mournful solemnity as did this lonely
grave upon the desert sands above
which stands this cenotaph upon
whose case is scribbled the lines by
some faltering hand these words
that might read of him over whose
bones the desert winds have howled
and shifting sands have formed for
more than fifty years.
Death Valley is about the most
desolate picture in nature that was
even photographed on the delicate
film of the mind of man.
In history this valley may be a
pleasant study, but to contemplate
it's supreme silence surrounded by
burning sands and barren hills IN
reality it is a nightmare and must
more than the falsihed ad-
ventures of "Scotty' to bring IT be-
pale of desolate sayagery into the
social favor Of humanity.
Death Valley perhaps claims more
victims than any, and all the rest Of
the desert and how many bleached
and long forgotten skeletons will
rise up out Of these treacherous, and
shifting sands at the final roll call,
ONLY the judgement books can know
use TO think the desert a fiat bar
en- waste devoid of hills or uneven
bed but quite to the contrary some
very high mountains surround wide
valleys, all over the valley part grow
huge ball cactus resembling much
Arkansaw hornets nests though
they are so interviewer with needles
that YOU dare not put your hnger