The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1921-08-24
Will Advise On
Desert Travelling
ouide Book TO Mohave Desert Re-
gion, California, Issued by U. s.
Gealagical Survey

The largest county in the United
States is San Bernardlno County.
Calf, which contains more than 20.-
600 square miles. All of this county
except few hundred square miles
is arid land, forming the greater part
OF the Mohaye Desert. which includes
also adjoining parts of Los Angeles,
Kern, and Inyo counties.
Most persons who are unacquainted
with the desert believe 1t to be bar
rem waste. incapable of supporting
life and without yalue-a barrier
that separates fertile lands en- either
side of IL. But to those who have be-
come acquainted with 1t the desert is
one of the most interesting regions
OF our country. Animals and plants
are found there in considerable var
iety. The soil Is generally good and
where water is available for irriga-
tion It has produced crops in abun-
dance. Several thousand acres in the
Mohaye Desert region are already
yielding good returns, and doubtless
much more land can be cultivated.
The most valuable products of the
region, however. have been obtained
from its mineral deposits. The value
of the mineral products shipped from
this region during the last 20 years
is about s50,0o0,000. In 1918 alone
the value of the two principal min
eral products (potash and tungsten)
obtained from the desert portion of
San Bernardino county was about
100000.
Throughout most of this desert re-
gion places where water may be OBJ
tanned are few and far between. In
days gone by the desert prospeetor
used burros OF horses and wagons,
and he was compelled to carry with
him on his trips water for both man
and beast. II a watering place was
not found as he expected, or If the
we'll or spring was dry. he and his
animals might suffer great hardships
or even perish. Today the prospec-
tor travels by automobile and dis.
tance is of much less Importance. II
he does not find water at the water
hole, a trip of a few hours will US
nally bring him TO another.
Travel in the desert with an auto
mobile however does not necessarily
mean travel without danger Many
persons traverse the desert who are
not familiar with the conditions to
be encountered. On the transcon-
tinental automobile routes across the
desert the traveller is safe; bat Il is
much easier to get long distances
from known watering places with an
automobile than with team. and a
slight mishap at remote point may
prove 10 be serious. leaky radiator
States geological survey. department
plug may mean a tramp of many
miles and suffering from thirst. or
even worse.
The need of mapping the desert
roads and marking the watering
places has long been appreciated.
Parts Of the Mohaye desert region
have been mapped by the United
States gealagieal survey. department
OF the interior. and signpost0 have
been erected by the counties, auto
mobile associations. and other agen-
eies. but definite and precise inform
alton in regard TO watering places
hasn't been available for most of the
region In 1s17-iS. under an appro-
priation from congress. the United
states geological survey, in coopera-
ton with the department of engin-
eering of the state of California, sur
Yeyed the Mohave Desert region, and
recently the geological survey has
issued Water Supply Paper i90-B en-
titled Routes to Desert Watering
Places In the Mohave Desert Region,
California" by David G. Thompson.
The region covered by this guide
book extends from the Sierra Nevada
eastward to Colorado river and from
the thirty-fourth to the thlrty-sixth
parallel The guide thus covers the
south end of Death Valley.
Valuable features of the guide are
relief maps. which show the roads
and watering places, and logs of the
different routes In addition, the
report contains a brief sketch Of the
geography geology and physio-
graphy of the region, suggestions to
desert travellers, and short deserip-
tions of many Of the watering places,
including statements In regard to the
quality OF the water Chemical anal
yses show that the water from many
of the springs and wells, contrary
to the usual notion, Is not heavily
impregnated with alkali. In fact,
the water in several places was found
to be as good as the water used for
public supplies in some cities in the
laaa arid states. II not better.