Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-06-01
MOTORISTS WILL
CHART BIG DESERT

To lessen the dangers of the great
American desert and It's annual toll of
human life is the mission on which a
flanders 800 motor car has begun an
|all-summer trip from Pasadena. Cal. At
lis wheel is Lou. Weston Beck, former
nas dedicated his life to charting and
posting the indefinite trails which traverse
he great inter-mountain region, n the
Indication to travellers by plain and Of
fective means of the spots where water
may be obtained.
Mr.. Beck's mission has been made los
sible by generous citizens of Pasadena,
acquainted with his work, who have sub
scribed the sun necessary to purchase
the car. Mr.. Beck has christened 1t the
'~Chuckwalla Flanders 20, :" In honor OF
he famous bloated lizard, which is the
only creature able to live in many parts
of the terrible waste. b
Annual Death Toll Twenty-Five.
An annual tribute of twenty-five vic
Tins is, 1t is estimated, exacted each
year by the grim region Immediately
east of the Coast range. Practically all
these are prospectors who, ignorant of
the nature of the country, leave ~civiliza-
ton with a scant supply of water and
fail to find more. Months, perhaps years,
after their bones are found, plucked
clean by the yultures. under the stray
Cling shade of some mesquite bush where
death finally had overtaken them. "Des-
ert rats they are dubbed by those in
the towns bordering on the vast ex-
panse.
To penetrate the desert In a motor car
has been tried several times, but with
uniform failure. Two years ago a party
of seven In a high powered car attempt
ed the trip. Two weeks later a search
ing party came upon the car, apparent
ly abandoned. Closer approach, however,
showed a black huddle beneath the car,
This was found to be a pile of corpses,
Nearby was a poisoned spring, from
which all apparently had taken water.
May Get Federal Aid.
Mr.. Beck knows the desert better, In
all probability, than any living man,
not even excepting "Scotty" of trans
continental fame. He expects to post
his signs in a way that mo- only will
direct the rats to good water, but also
Will warn them from that which Is bad.
His signs are ready, and represent his
labors of the winter.
The "Chuckwalla Flanders 30 will
penetrate this summer so far as the no.
~torious Death Valley" and will be the
first motor car to essay this arid region.
Its itinerary has been arranged to cover
about 900 miles, touching the railroad
once to take on a second supply of gas
ollne and oil. Mr.. Beck hopes to con-
tinue his work until the entire desert
is as we'll charted as a main-traveled
highway. In the completion of his task
he is trying to enlist the services of the
United States government. which, by
Installing large signs on buttes and
mountain tops, could fulfil a purpose
very similar to that performed by the
lighthouse and llfe-saving departments
on the coasts and the great lakes.
Will Have Dog ms Helper.
In his work Mr.. Beck will be helped
greatly by Rufus a big red dog of
mixed breeding, in which st. Bernard
blood apparently is dominant. "Rufus"
goes into the desert with a canteen
strapped to each side, and shod with
buckskin nearly to the knee as a protec-
ton against the hot sand, thorns and
deadly side-winders.
Rufus has a record Of saving n round
dozen lives. He has uncanny ability to
find men lost in the desert, and three
times has found a lost trail, enabling Ibis
master TO return safely, after hope had
been abandoned.
ut is hard for the average man to
understand the fascination the desert has
for one who has once braved 1t, and ':ome
back" says Mr.. Beck. HE may hold Out
against it's call as long as the h~ardships
and sufferings he endured are fresh in
his mind; but sooner or later he inls
himself signing for the heat, the sands,
the mountains, the sollr:des. and the
wind that sweeps along At q ate of 10
or more miles an hour, e-ching bis
face as 1t passes.
Nall. kIa T.~.Al nk