Desert Messenger

April 16, 2014 www.DesertMessenger.com 17 the supply source was not logged in or included in the archives. To- day the only samples of the glass trade beads offered by the Hudson Bay Company are preserved in the beautiful intricate examples of In- dian artwork displayed in muse- ums. The company still offers glass beads, but only stocks a limited number of colors and sizes of tiny seed beads that are imported from Europe. Today, the Indians still use the beads to decorate their ceremo- nial clothing. During a family camping trip to Northern Arizona in the 1950s, we camped near an archaeological dig that had recently been concluded by a midwestern college. While my husband and son were out deer hunting, I hiked with our nine and eleven-year-old daughters up near the ruins. In the months after the archaeological team had departed, on several occasions it had rained rather hard. As we walked near the site, I reminded the girls to keep an eye out as they walked along be- cause they might see an arrowhead or a shard of pottery. Then, right in front of us, perched on top of a little mound of dirt formed by the rain, were several little mud-balls about the size of a large pea. When we rolled one of the mud-balls in our hands, off came the mud, revealing a blue opaque glass bead. The girls plucked as many of the "little mud balls" as they could fi nd and put them in the pockets of their jeans. Back at camp, we carefully cleaned off all the mud. When we got back home to Quartzsite, we learned that they might be padre beads. According to our resource, this type of bead seemed to often show up in the areas that the early Span- ish explorers had visited and traded with the Indians. It is thought that the Indians may have handed the padre beads down from one gen- eration to the next. Even today, pa- dre beads are prized and collected by Native Americans and can be seen in museums and several pri- vate collections. BEADS FROM PAGE 16 There are a few mines still in opera- tion in Beatty. One of the largest ones is the Carrera Marble Mine south of Beatty. Many interesting abandoned mines can also be found throughout the desert and offer plenty of op- portunities for exploration. A net- work of jeep trails takes the explorer to many different mines. Besides gold, some of the minerals that have been mined near Beatty are Gypsum, Talc, Limestone and Diatomite. For a more modern mining experience, take the drywasher out for a spin in the washes and near the Amargosa River which runs through town and then goes underground before com- ing back up near Pahrump. The ghost town of Rhyolite is well worth the short drive out of town to visit. Rhyolite began in 1905 as one of several mining camps that sprung up in the Bullfrog Mining District. The Montgomery Shoshone Mine just outside Rhyolite produced ores assayed as high as $16,000 per ton at 1905 prices. At its peak, Rhyolite is estimated to have up to 5,000 people or more, piped water, electric power, railroads, telephones, newspapers, and its own stock exchange. Remains of several of the buildings are still standing, including the train station and an interesting bottle house. Other things to do in and around Be- atty include some interesting lime- stone formations called Swiss Cheese by the locals, and a fossil site called the Mud Mound containing fossil- ized sea creatures about 450 mil- lion years old. Petrifi ed wood and coprolites can also be found in the deserts and canyons around Beatty. For hot springs enthusiasts, Bailey's Hot Springs is on the edge of town to the north. For lots of great histori- cal artifacts, photos, and information visit the Beatty Museum and His- torical Society. Beatty is also a lesser used entrance to Death Valley. For an exciting 4-wheel drive excursion into Death Valley, you can take a trip through Titus Canyon. If you just want to take a leisurely drive into the park, take 190W out of Beatty and enter the park near Stovepipe Wells. For more information about Beatty, as well as photos and links, visit our Blog and our Facebook page. You can access both through our website http://RocksInMyHead.com. We have lots of interesting rocks and fos- sils from the Beatty area. We are still at A37 in Rice Ranch for a couple more weeks, or you can call us at 605-376-8754 or email Jenn@RocksInMyHead.com. You can follow us on Facebook, or order over the phone, by email, or on the website no matter where you are. Happy traveling and we'll see ya' online and again in Quartzsite in No- vember. In the meantime, remember: Life is Short. Go Outside and Play! Happy Summer, Jenn QPD Arrest Report The following arrests were made by Quartzsite Police Department March 26 - April 8, 2014 3/27: Carlos Ornelos, age 49, from Pecos, TX was cited and released for Assault. 3/30: Kelsey Wren, age 20, from Tempe was cited and released for Attempted Possession of Marijua- na, Attempted Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Speed. 3/30: Keslee Foster, age 22, from Tempe was cited and re- leased for Attempted Possession of Marijuana and Attempted Posses- sion of Drug Paraphernalia. 4/8: David Workman, age 63, from Quartzsite was arrested and booked into jail for an Active War- rant out of La Paz County Superior Court for Failure to Appear. All persons included in this report are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law. ROCKS FROM PAGE 15 Ma & Pa's "A Little Bit of Everything!" Downtown Bouse, Arizona Tons of New and Used Hardware, Plumbing and Electric; Odds and Ends Galore! TOOLS! Antiques, Incense, Indian Jewelry, Books, VHS Tapes, Rocks and Cacti. NEW Arizona T-Shirts and Tank Tops $3 each or 2/$5* (While supplies last) PROFESSIONAL PROPANE SERVICE AND QUALITY SUPPLIES! Custom Made Hoses, Regulators, Fittings, Hose-by-the-Foot, New Quick- Release Fittings, Extend-a-Says, and Tanks in Various Sizes for Sale 5 Gal Exchange Tanks - RV & Home Service, New Valves Installed, Certifications, Testing & Inspections on Heaters and Propane Systems We also BUY-SELL-TRADE Estate Sales, Yard Sales, Consignments FREE Appraisals! Open 10am – 4pm Wed. thru Sunday - Closed Monday & Tuesday 928-699-1338 DEADLINE : WED. APRIL 30 for May 7 th edition Desert Messenger Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com

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