Rose was wounded by Mojave Indians in the attack mentioned by Udell. After recovering from his wounds he went to Los Angeles and became one of its leading citizens.
14.
Some of the high carvings have the letters “U. P. R.” written after them. In 1868, the Union Pacific Railroad ran a survey through here, but the project was never carried out. The development of the Santa Fe Railroad 25 miles to the north effectively ended the use of El Morro as a stopping place.
There is good reason to believe that practically all of the names you see here on the point date after 1850.
Looking west along the rock, you will note that the inscriptions end about where the small juniper is growing. Probably the rough surface beyond the little tree discouraged carving.
But don’t stop here! Some of the best of the early Spanish inscriptions await you up the path.
15.
Slightly to your left, several miles away, is a multi-colored mesa. It is composed of the same material as El Morro, was formed about the same time, and is approximately the same height. The brighter colors are caused by thin films of iron oxide around the sand grains, which are not conspicuously present in El Morro. Lack of water kept the early travelers from stopping there.
16.
As the saying goes, the writer of this inscription “counted his chickens before they hatched.” He tells us: