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D������� 15, 2010 FROM BILL PAGE 22 Later he came to Quartzsite, took out a homestead, making it his home base. He was tired of roaming and searching plus he had found a sweetheart, Jessie Leah Conner Jasper. Soon they were mar- ried and together built an adobe house with rooms to rent that they called the Desert Beacon Hotel (the site of today’s McDonald’s restaurant.) They also built a little grocery store across the road. Jessie’s son from a previous marriage, ���.D�����M��������.��� Billy Jasper, helped out until World War I broke out and he joined the Navy. Billy learned all about radios and telephones and when the war was over came back to Quartzsite and helped Bill string a tele- phone line on steel pipes over to Blythe so that calls could be made via the Blythe Telegraph Office. Billy was offered a po- sition with a telephone company over in the Los Angeles area and Bill later sold the rights to the Quartzsite telephone lines to Roy Kamarar of Blythe. In 1930, Jessie passed away. Bill missed her as did the whole town and he searched for something to fill his loss. He remembered a story about a treasure of lost gold and began searching for the formations that he dreamed would pro- duce his own KofA-style strike. Jessie’s caregiver during her illness was Mary Stoddard whom Bill later well drilled on the highest spot on his property. He had Roberts Drilling from Salome begin the process. When he ran low on money, the drilling stopped. When he promoted another mine he called Roberts to continue drilling until he ran out of money again. Each time, he just knew he would hit water. Folks around town were saying, “Poor Bill, he just won’t give up.” Finally he hit water at 525 feet! The water was wonderful. Bill named the well Arrowhead Water. It was without minerals and Bill sold it to people who needed to drink soft wa- ter and for use in batteries. Note: You can read more about the early mining activities of Bill Keiser in an adaptation of his own writing in “Bill Keiser’s LOST MINES AND PROSPEC- TORS’ LORE” available at Tyson’s Well Museum and Reader’s Oasis Books. (The next story will be: “William G. “Bill” Keiser - A Love Story.”) “Have power over your money!” WHERE DO YOU WANT YOUR TAX DOLLARS TO GO... Beauty Salon Now 2 locations serving you! Nu Vu Salome & Quartzsite Across from Carl’s Jr. behind the Tool Store The Main Event 500 S. Quartzsite Blvd., Quartzsite A Full Service Salon Facial Waxing Walk-ins & Appointments 928-927-5201 The State or Public Education? The Choice is Yours! • Payments eligible through ARS 43-1089.01 • Any individual can donate to the public schools and receive credit • Credits will be used to reduce tax liabilities • Tax Credits will be delegated to school’s extra curricular activities such as sports or any event or activity desired by the donator • Each school receiving tax donations, reports annually to the AZ Dept of Revenue • Receipts given for every donation Make checks payable to: The Scholars‛ Academy 560 E. Coyote PO Box 3475 Quartzsite, AZ 85359 “Proudly educating our community’s youth since 1996” For More Information or Questions Call: 928-927-9420 married. In 1935 they bought a yellow four-door sedan. Thereafter, we would see Bill cruising along at 35 miles per hour, puffing away on his Havana cigar with his faithful black and white dog be- side him. Bill and Mary were fun to be around and we regularly played cards at their home. In the 1940’s Bill decided to have a The Scholars’ Academy Lower your taxes by $400 With School Tax Credits Donate to the only Public School in La Paz County that does not affect your property taxes! P��� 23