The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-12-19

1.-The one thing of supreme import
ance in the desert is water" says Lou
Wescott Beck in the Popular Mechan-
les Magazine describing his work in
placing water signs in the American
Sahara" The inexperienced traveller
quickly learns this fact. To the ex-
perienced prospector who has spent
the greater part of his life in the
desert and has endured all it's hard
ships, who has encountered on nu-
merous occasions the dead bodies or
bleached bones of men who have
fallen victims to heat and thirst, a
realization of the greatest menace of
the desert-laCk of water--Is
brought home with terrible force.
The so-caIled American Sahara" in
which hundreds of men have lost
their lives, is a great desert region
covering about 10000 square miles,
located mainly in southeastern Cali
fornia, but extending into Nevada,
Arizona and Mexico. This region in
cludes Death Valley, the Funeral
Mountains, Furnace Creek, the Gao
tus Flats and many other less known
but equally desoIate sections. 1t is
not the gold hunter alone that is lur-
ed to his death in the desert. The
geologist and lover of nature find it
a fascinating treasure vault. Ad-
venturous men will continue to go
into the desert, and they will con-
tinue to die of heat and thirst unless
way is provided for guiding them
in case of necessity to the scanty sup
plies of water that exist i'll these bar
rem wastes. 1t was with such reliza-
ton of the deserts dangers as came
from sixteen years of prospecting,
and following a nerve-racking expe-
rience of his own, that the writer
undertook the task of placing in all
parts of the desert signs that would
guide the lost traveller to the near
est water.
The work was undertaken by the
/
writer from humane motives, but the
actual work of exploring the desert
and placing the signs became hard
ipractical question accompanied by a
great deal of danger. At first the
outfit consisted of a covered wagon
drawn by a good, strong team of
mules, but this proved unsatisfactory
on account of the necessity for car
trying a large amount of feed and
water for the team. Then a twenty
horse power automobile was secured
and this has been used in the work
for the past three years. This car
the "Chuckwalla, has penetrated tc
parts of the desert formerly thought
to be inaccessible except with bur
, ros, and has made one trip to the
lowest point in Death Valley, 4SC
T feet below the sea level.
In his work in the desert the writ
err is accompanied only by Rufus,
: a Siberian bloodhound. which, owinl
- to his crossbreeding, has the nose o
3 the English bloodhound and the in
. Itelligence of the St. Bernard. Ruff
a is provided with an individual 'gruI
= box" and while travelling has hi
e seat in the car When waite
t camp" is reached the work OF ex
J., ploring the surrounding country an
i placing the water signs is carried GU
: mainly on foot, since much OF tn
n country is impossible for vehicl
e Of any kind. While this work is be
S ing done Rufus wears saddle bag
d containing dog biscuit for his owl
a sustenance, canteens with water, an
S a camera case in which are restora
g tives for heat and thirst victims. Hi
feet are protected from the hot san