INDEX
[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] Q [R] [S] [T] U [V] [W] X [Y] Z
A Amargosa River, [96] American Potash and Chemical Co., [33] Archilette Spring, [95] Augerreberry, Pete, [58]
B Ballarat, [175] Ballarat Mines, production figures, [176] Beatty, Monte, [53], [77] Benson, Myra, [68], [133]-134-135 Benson, Jack, [133]-134-135 Bennett, Bellerin’ Teck, [23] Bennett, Charles, freighter, [31] Bennett’s Well, [21] Black Mountain, story of, [20], [60]-61 Bodie, toughest of the Gold Towns, [74] Borax, discovery of, [26] Bradbury Well, [76] Bowers, Sandy, gets a fortune for a board bill, [74] Brannan, Sam, Mormon leader, [95] Brandt, “Arkansas” Ben, [71], [83], [138] Breyfogle, Jacob; stories of, [154] Brown, Charles, Deputy Sheriff at Greenwater; store at Shoshone; road builder, supervisor, superintendent of Lila C. Mine at Dale; elected to senate; [Chap. XV], [102] Brown (nee Fairbanks) Stella, [69], [71], [104]-105, [107], [116], [135] Brougher Wils, at Tonopah, [49] Bruce, Jimmy, private graveyard, [168] Bullfrog Mine, discovered, [53]-54-55 Butler, James, discoverer of Tonopah silver, [48]-49-50, [59] Bulette, Julia, famed madam of Virginia City, [74]
C Cahill, Washington, Borax Co. official, [35]-36 Calico Mountains, [15] Calico, stories of, [15], [16] Carrillo, Jose Antonio, [97] Carson, Kit, guide and scout in Shoshone country, [20], [93]-94-95 Casey, John “Cranky,” noted desert character, [136], [137]-138 Cave Spring, [134] Cazaurang, Jean, wealthy miser, death of, [100]-101 China Ranch, stories of, [80], [94] Clark, W. A., [60] Clark, “Patsy,” [60] Coleman, W. T., [27]-28, [30] Comstock, “Pancake,” famous lode named for; buys a woman; suicide, [48], [74] Corcoran, “Wild Bill,” famous prospector; death of, [58], [177] Counterfeit gold piece, [179]-180 Cross, Ed, partner and co-discoverer of Bullfrog Mine, [53]
D Dayton, James, superintendent Furnace Creek Ranch, death of, [35]-36, [122] Dante’s View, [151] Davis, Buford, buys Noonday Mine; death of, [158] Death Valley, cause of; history of, geology, temperatures; first settlers, [19] Decker, Judge, convivial Ballarat Justice of Peace, murdered, [62] Delameter, John, early freighter, [156] Diamond Tooth Lil, glamorous madam, [62]-63 Dooley, William, bad man, [181]-182-183 Driscoll, Dan, partner of Shorty Harris, [91], [120] Dublin Gulch, [69] Dumont, Eleanor, (Madame Moustache), charmer of the Forty Niners, [74]
E Eichbaum, Bob, toll road, [21] Egbert, Adrian, at Cave Spring, [134] Epsom City, salts deposit; mono rail, [184]
F Fairbanks, Ralph Jacobus, at Ash Meadows; at Greenwater; at Shoshone, stories of; death; [Ch. XVI], [104]-105, [108], [110]-111 Fairbanks, Celestia Abigail, [105] Fennimore, James, “Old Virginny”; named Virginia City; swapped Ophir Mine for blind pony, [74] Flake, Sam, old timer, poker student, death, [68], [78] Fremont, John C., [93] French, Dr. Darwin, seeks Lost Gunsight, names Darwin Falls and town of, [21] Funston, General Frederick, identifies and names Death Valley flora, [24]
G Gayhart, W. C., assayer, part owner of Tonopah Discovery Mine, [49]-50 George, “Rocky Mountain,” [76] Godey, Alex, Fremont scout, fights Indians at Resting Springs, [94] Goldfield, named, [50] Goodwin, Ray, park official, [147], [149] Gorsline, Joe, Ballarat Judge, [177]-178 Gower, Harry, Borax Co. official, mgr. Furnace Creek Ranch, [41] Grandpa Springs, hole-in for old time prospectors, [50] Grantham, Louise, girl prospector, [139] Gray, Fred, Ballarat prospector, [116] Gray, W. B., [77] Greenwater, copper strike, stories of, [60], [63] Gunsight Mine, [21]-22, [157]-158
H “Happy Bandits” (Small and McDonald), [164]-165, [167]-168 Harris, Frank “Shorty,” [Ch. XVII], [113] Harrisburg, scene of gold strike, [57], [114] Harmon, Pete, misses millions, [117] Hellgate Pass, [64] Heider, Billy, flees alimony, [180] Heinze, August, Copper King, [60] Henderson, W. T., names Telescope Peak, kills Joaquin Murietta, famous bandit, and pickles head; sees victim’s ghost, [164]-165 Hilton, Frank, finds body of James Dayton, [36] Hoagland George, burial of, [72]-73 Holmes, Helen, story of thriller, “Perils of Pauline,” [127] Hungry Hattie, Ballarat character, [119] Huhn, Ernest (Siberian Red), diligent prospector, [68] Hungry Bill, Panamint chief, [87] Hunt, Capt. Jefferson, Mormon guide; prominent in California culture, [21]
I Ickes, Harold, visits Shoshone, [149]-150 Indians of the desert, conflicting opinions of, [Ch. VII], [43] Indian George Hansen, owner of Indian Ranch, discovered silver at Panamint City, [154], [155], [171]-172-173 Ishmael, George, [152]
J Johnnie Mine, [90] Johnson, Albert, owner and builder of Scotty’s Castle, [133] Johnson, Bob, tamps friend’s grave, [72]-73 Johnson, Toppy, supt. of desert mine of W. R. Hearst, [183] Jones, Herman, discovered Red Wing Mine, road builder, [72], [142] Jones, J. P., Nev. silver king at Panamint city, [23], [166], [170] Johnny-Behind-the-Gun, [178]-179
K Kellogg, Lois, owner of Manse Ranch, [101] Kempfer, Don, mining engineer, official of Sierra Talc. Co., [158]
L Lee, Philander, owner of Resting Springs Ranch, [97] Lee, Cub, built first house at Shoshone, slays wife and son, [98] Lee, John D., established Lee’s Ferry; executed for massacre of emigrants at Mountain Meadows, [90] Lee, “Shoemaker,” [98] Legend of Swamper Ike, [173]-174 Le Moyne, Jean, recipe for coffee, story of mine, death, [176]-177 Lone Willow, murders at, [186] Longstreet, Jack, Ash Meadows bad man, [90] Lost Mines, all of [Ch. XXII], [154]-163
M Main, Eddie, [69], [78] McDermot, Archie, Strong Man, [185] McGarn, “Whitey Bill,” [70], [78], [138] Manly, William Lewis, [23], [157], [161] Manse Ranch, [155] Metbury Spring, first name of Shoshone, [72] Myers, Al, discoverer of Gold Field, [50] Modine, Dan, deputy sheriff, early owner of China Ranch, [63], [68], [84] Montgomery, Bob, owner of Montgomery Shoshone Mine, buys Skidoo discovery claim on sight, [54]-56 Murray, Billy, saves John S. Cook Bank and Goldfield from “run,” [51] Murietta, Joaquin, [95] Myrick, Shady, exports gem stones, [186]
N Nadeau, Remi, genius of transportation, [169] Nagle, Dave, [166] Naylor, George, sheriff, treasurer, supervisor of Inyo Co., [102] Nels, Dobe Charlie, at Bodie; at Shoshone, [74]-75 Noble, Levi, geologist, [39]-40-41
O Oakes, Sir Harry; in Alaska; at Greenwater; at Shoshone; makes strike in Canada; builds palace at Niagara Falls; knighted by King George V; slain by son-in-law, it is said—a renegade French count, in Bahamas, [105], [111]-112 Oddie, Tasker, mining tycoon, [49]-50, [60] Owens Valley, rape of, [147]-148
P Pacific Coast Borax Co., organized, [28]-29 Pahrump Ranch, [23] Panamint City, [166]-167-168 Panamint Tom, story of, [23], [109] Perry, J. W. S., supt. Borax Co., designer of 20 mule team wagons, [31] Pietsch, Henry, shot Ballarat judge, [62] Plato, Joe, on the Comstock Lode, [76] Post Office Spring, early army post, [175]
R Radcliffe Mine, [175] Raines, E. P., genial crook, [165]-166 Randsburg, gold discovered at, [181] Rasor, Clarence, Borax Co. official, [151] Resting Springs, named by Mormons, [96] Rich, Charles, Mormon pioneer, [96] Rickard, sports promoter, [51] “Rocky Mountain” George, prospector, [76], [77] Rogers, John, Bennett-Arcane party, [21] Rosie, squaw, love life of, [88] Ryan, Joe, desert philosopher, [70]-71, [73], [82] Rhyolite, discovery of gold, [54]-55
S Saratoga Springs, [93] Schwab, Charles M., at Rhyolite; at Greenwater, [55], [60] Scott, Bob, discoverer of Confidence Mine, [91] Scott, Mary, squaw, [90] Scott, Walter, “Death Valley Scotty,” [69], [Ch. XIX], [130] Scrugham, James, Governor and U.S. Senator of Nevada, [77] Searles, John, [32]-33, [159] Sherlock, Michael, “Sparkplug,” [180] Skidoo, gold strike, [55]-56 Slim, Death Valley, bad man, [102]-103 Slim, Jackass, [Ch. II], [20]; [Ch. XI], [64]-65 Slocum, Dr. Samuel, [181]-186 Smith, Francis M. (“Borax Smith”), [29]-33, [38] Smith, “Dad,” Old Man of the Mountains; came with Kit Carson, [184] Smith, Pegleg, [97]-98-99 Snake House, [78] Sorrells, Maury, [138] Stewart, Wm. R., Nevada Senator, mines at Panamint City, [23], [170] Stiles, Ed, first driver of 20 mule team, [31], [35], [37] Stump Springs, [23] Stovepipe Wells, [21]
T Teck, Bellowin’, [23] Tecopa Cap, Indian Chief, [78], [79] Tecopa Hot Spring, [79] Tecopa, John, discoverer of Johnnie Mine, [90] Telescope Peak, [22], [93], [139] Temperature in Death Valley, [41], [42] Tonopah, discovery of silver, [50], [51] Towne’s Pass, named, [21] Trona, [33] Twenty-mule team, first driver, design of, [31] Tule Hole, story of, [35], [36]-37
V Vasquez, Tiburcio, bandit terror, [169] Volmer, Joe, [141]
W Wagons, [20] mule team, design of, [31] Wamack, Bob, at Confidence Mine, [91] Weed, Tom, noted Indian, death of, [89]-90 Wichts, Chris, noted Ballarat character, story of, [61], [179] Williams, George, [142] Williams, Bill, preacher and plunderer, [96]-97 Wilson, Cyclone, massacre of Chinamen at Lone Willow, [186], [187] Wingfield, George, famous gambler, luck of, [51] Winters, Aaron and Rosie, discovered borax in Death Valley, [26] Wolfskill, [92]
Y Younger, Tillie, member of Jesse James guerrillas, dies at Shoshone, [73] Yundt, John, Lee and Sam, owners of Manse Ranch, [99]-100
The Author
Nearly every newspaperman looks forward to the time when he can get away from the pressure of his journalistic job and retire to a little cottage by the sea, or a cabin in the mountains, and write a book.
The only difference between William Caruthers—Bill, to his friends—and a majority of the others is that he did write his book on the spot, preserved it and after retiring to his orange grove near Ontario, California he got around to the job of revision, which resulted in these pages.
Born on the banks of the Cumberland River in Tennessee, Caruthers’ career as a journalist began when he became editor of the local weekly paper at the age of 16. He took the job, he explains, because no one else wanted it.
His family wanted him to be a lawyer, and in compliance with their wishes he returned to school and was admitted to the bar in Tennessee when he was 19. But he wanted to be a newspaperman, and vowed that when he won his first $2,000 fee he would quit law. Successful as a young lawyer, the time soon came when he won a tough case against a big insurance company—and that was his chance. He closed his law office forever.
For a time he was editor of Illustrated Youth and Age, the largest monthly in the South. He wrote feature articles for the Nashville American, Nashville Banner, the old New York World, the Christian Science Monitor, fiction for Collier’s Weekly and other important magazines. His writings have appeared in most Western magazines.
After coming to California he first went to work on the Los Angeles Examiner, quitting that job to become a publisher and his little magazine, The Bystander gained nationwide circulation. While editing this magazine he became editor of Los Angeles’ first theatrical magazine, The Rounder, which was a “must” on the list of early movie stars and soon discovered that the most lucrative field for a journalist was in ghost writing. As a “ghost” he addressed big political conventions, assemblies of governors and mayors and in one instance, a jury as the prosecutor. One eastern industrialist paid him a fabulous fee when the address Caruthers wrote for him brought a great ovation.
Finally his physician warned him to slow down. It was then—in 1926—that he came to the desert, and, during the intervening 25 years, has spent much of his time in the Death Valley region. He has witnessed the transition of Death Valley from a prospector’s hunting ground to a mecca for winter tourists. This is a book of the old days in Death Valley.