Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-10-15
LAND OF MIRAGES
Death Valley and Its TreaCherous
Lures of Beauty.
WORK OF A GOOD SAMARITAN.
Beck, the Prospector, Who Has Made
the Desert Bloom With Guideposts
Pointing the Way to Water and
Saved Many Men From Death.


Pointing the Way to Water and
Saved Many Men From Death.
In the American Magazine Is an artl-
Gle about Lew Westcott Beck, who Is
known as the good Samaritan of
Death valley" He and his dog, Ru-
fus, have saved many prospectors from
a horrible death by making the desert
blossom with guideposts showing the
way to water. The following is an ex-
tract from the article:
Time was when Beck was a plain
prospector in the Cripple Creek coun-
try He was in on the digglngs at
Leadville, and he panned around In
Montana awhile. Likewise he rushed
into the Big Horn at the time of the
mineral strike there, but he never
struck a lead that made him rich
Eventually he drlfted down through
Nevada and into Death valley, chasing
rainbows Wild rumors about Death
Valley Scottys big find in that section
electrified the country, and scores Of
prospectors rushed into the desert, eX-
pecting to make their fortune in few
days Beck was among those pres
ent
There were several In Becks party.
They hlked many miles through the
mirage land, finding nothing worth
while and worrying constantly lest
they exhaust their supply of water
For two days they sought water holes
and when out Of water they went for
hours with tongues swollen and lips
parched from want Of moisture. Then
when death seemed inevitable they
suddenly discovered n tiny stream
trickling out Of canyon at the base
Of the Panamlnt mountains.
when Beck returned to civilization
he was changed man He had seen
sands that were strewn with skulls,
and that sight had put big idea into
his head.
Game spring. and Beck made an
other trip through Death valley. At |
his side was Newfoundland dog.
The prospectoi carried bundle of tin
strips, They were slgnboards to guide
the wanderers steps Alright
Each summer since then the pros.
pector and his dog have made a jour |
ney to the land Of the purple mist, pill
Ing up rocks and attaching signs to
them, searching for lost travellers and |
incidentally keeping lookout for a
piece Of precious metal Once or twice
Rufus has led his master to prospectors
who, after long suffering from thirst, |
had fallen upon the burning sands to |
die
I'm signbonrding the desert Beck has |
saved n number Of thirst mad rain
bow chasers and has also in remote
districts stumbled upon the bleaching
bones Of dead men who may have
found fortunes In the silver sulphuret
district, but who did not live to tell
the world about it At one time he Ms.
sisted at the burial of four men who
died OF thirst within two miles Of
spring
"rhe country that Beck travcrscs ia
the most arid section of the American
continental dreury stretch of hun.
dreds Of miles Of desert, dotted here
and there with foothills, buttes, dry
creek beds, chaparrnl, prlckly pear and
sNrehrnsh. Springs are miles upon
miles apart Most Of them are bitterly
nlkall aud some are poison
"On an ordinary summer afternoon
the thermometer runs up TO about l3l
degrees IN the shade out in Death val. :
Icy aud the most unpleasant thing
about II Is that there IL denrth OF
ShNGc When man ventures ont upon ,
this tlaykless expunse tho shImmcrIng /,
hent dN2es him. the scarcity OF water !,
'rSes illm, and the mirage -treachcr.
ons' lying thing OF beauty that II is
looms ever before him, flashing upon
the canvns OF his minds eye verdant .
Wiley gorgeously green with growing n
IhlnSS fresh with flowers, wet with n
water aud waiting to welcome him. :,
lie can see grassy hill slopes lust /,
Ohtad' and tho mlrrored lake appears u
10 lie just beyond some beckonIng 4
meadow He follows on and on and ~
lfterward drains the last drop from n
hts cnntccn Then his throat becomes n
his tongue cleavcs to the roof n
of his mouth, and strange things pass :,
before his eyes The buzzards begin I,
10 soar over him, aud the coyotes sit a
upon their hunkers ana watch him /,
chase rninbows until he pitches for. II
ward upon his face and closes hts cyes n
upon II world that IL too mysterious
md merclless for him to llngcr In
onger"