Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-10-24
Land OF M|RAcES
Death Valley and Its Treaeherous
Lures of Beauty.
WORK OF A GOOD SAMARITAN.

Pointing the Way to Water and
Saved Many Men From Death.
In the American Magazine Is an arti-
Gle about Lew Westcott Beck. who is
known as the good Samaritan of
Death valley" He aud 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.
truct from the article:
Time was when Beck was plain
prospector in the Cripple Greek coun-
try. He was In on the diggings ut
I.eadville. and lie panned around In
Montana awhile. Likewise he rushed
into the Big Horn ut the time of the
mineral strike there. but he never
struck lead that made him rich.
Eventually he drifted down through
Nevada und into Death valley, chasing
ruinbows Wild rumors about Death
Valley ScOtty's 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 Beck's party.
They hiked 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 tiny stream
trickling out of canyon at the base
Of the Panamint mountains
"When Beck returned to civilization
be was changed man. He had seen
sands that were strewn with skulls.
and that sight had put big idea into
his head.
"Came spring. and Beck made an
other trip through Death valley. At
his side was a Newfoundland dog
The prospectoi carried bundle Of tin
strips. They were signboards to guide
the wanderers steps Alright.
Each summer since then the pros
pector and his dog have made 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 Il lookout for a
piece Of precious metal Once or twice
Rufus has led his muster to prospectors
who. after long suffering from thirst,
hnd fallen upon the burning sands to
die
I'm signlnarding 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 as.
sisted at the burial of four men who
died Of thirst within two miles of q
spring
"rhe country that Beck traverses Is
the most arid section of the American
continental dreary stretch Of hun.
dreds Ut miles Of desert. dotted here
and there with foothills. buttes. dry
creek beds. chaparral. prickly pear and
sagebruSh. Springs are miles upon
miles apart Most Of them are bitterly
alkali. and some are poison.
ION an ordinary summer afternoon
the thermometer runs up to about 1874
degrees In the shade out In Death val.
ley. and the most unpleasant thing
about It ia that there In a dearth Of
shade When man ventures out upon
this tracklrss expanse the shimmering
heat dazes him. the scarcity of water
crazes him. and the mirage-treacher
GUS. lying thing Of beauty that It is
looms ever before him. flashing upon
the canvns Of his minds eye verdant
valley. gorgeously green with growing
things. fresh with flowers. wet with
water and waiting to welcome him
HE can see grassy hill slopes just
ahead. and the mirrnred lake appears
to lie just beyond some reckoning
meadow. He follows on and on and
aftprwnrd drains the last drop from
his cnnteen Then bis throat becomes
parchesl. his tongue cleaves to the roof
Of his mouth. and strange things pass
before his eyes The buzzards begin
to sour over him. and the coyotes ait
upon their hmnkers and watch him
chase rainbows until ne pitches for.
ward upon his face and closes his eyes
upon world that II too mysterious
and merciless for him to linger In
longer"