Desert Messenger

P��� 22 ���.D�����M��������.��� In search of Gold out Quartzsite Way by Jane Alene Boyles It is no secret that the area around Quartzsite has produced a lot of gold. Since the 1860’s, prospectors have combed the hills looking for the valuable stuff. Some of the earlier findings were in the La Paz District on the western flank of the Dome Mountains west of Quartzsite. Part of this land is now the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Reservation. Placer gold which is different from hard rock mining is usually found on or near the surface, often sent down washes by the infrequent heavy rains. Tracing this gold to its source can be difficult and frustrating as much of the movement happened over millions of years. One of my favorite mountain men was Paulino Weaver, a true adventurer. He traveled up from Yuma and discovered large nug- gets in 1862 in El Arollo de la Tenaja in the Dome Mountains. He returned to Yuma and brought back several prospectors and the rush was on. LaPaz district placers were discovered in the Goodman Arroyo, LaPaz Wash, Farrer Gulch, which runs into Gonzales Wash, the wash that I10 crosses over on the way west to Ehrenburg. A prospector named Jose Redondo recovered a nugget weighing more then two ounces and the rest is history. About a million dollars in gold was found the first year. The LaPaz District placers were known for the large nuggets that it produced, with the largest one found weighing 65 ounces. The gold found in the placers is attributed to erosion of the metamorphic rocks in the area. Placer gold found in the Quartzsite area on club claims. The area around Quartzsite is cur- rently being studied by a group of stu- dents from California State University, San Bernardino, Department of Geo- logical Sciences, under the direction of Dr. Erik Melchiorre. He will be pub- lishing a book next year similar to the Gold Atlas of Rich Hill (Stanton area) which was published last year. We will discuss other gold producing areas around Quartzsite in future articles along with gold prospecting methods. O������ 20, 2010 Compassion and the Individual Tenzin Gyatso; The Fourteenth Dalai Lama The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life. Ultimately, humanity is one and this small planet is our only home, If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self- centered motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another. If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self-worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others. I believe that at every level of society - familial, tribal, national and inter- national - the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities. Our lives are in constant flux, bring- ing many difficulties. When faced with a calm and clear mind, prob- lems can be successfully resolved. When, instead, we lose control over our minds through hatred, selfish- ness, jealousy, and anger, we lose our sense of judgement. Our minds are blinded and at those wild moments anything can happen, including war. Thus, the practice of compassion and wisdom is useful to all. PUZZLE PAGE (page 20) ANSWERS

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