Desert Messenger

18 www.DesertMessenger.com April 1, 2015 HIGHWAY PAGE 16 trade the town was known for. Those things are all clues of where to hunt for treasure, and what types of things to look for. If it was a mining town you can search for mining artifacts. If it was a banking, commerce, or trans- portation hub like a Railroad or Pony Express Station, you may fi nd old coins, jewelry, and other such items. Ruins of old buildings, train stations, parks, town centers, and other places where people gathered are places with plenty of opportunity to fi nd treasures. Ghost towns and old mines are rich in old treasures, too, from ore in the tailings piles to pieces of machinery or equipment, and even ceramics, bottles, and household items from the miners' quarters or camps. As always, when treasure hunting, be sure to know if, where, and how you can hunt for treasures. It may be OK to metal detect in some places, but to pick up stuff only by hand in others. Be aware of and respect historic sites, Native American sites, graveyards, and churches. Old maps, history books, magazines, and newspapers in the library, town hall or visitor center are good resources, and ghost town maps will be helpful if hunting tailings piles or mines. Many times the locals will also offer tidbits of information. The FROM TREASURES PAGE 15 man in the saloon told us that the ruins of the burned down historic area were abandoned and some people collected scrap metal out there, so we fi gured it was OK to pick up a few items like that ceiling tile. If the area of interest is private property or someone tells you not to remove anything, respect that and stay out or take only photos. So, the next time you are driving by some tiny town with old run down buildings, stop a while, open the cover, and start reading the book. You never know what special treasures you may fi nd, and even if you don't fi nd anything of value, the experience itself will enrich your life. As you leave Quartzsite and head out onto the road, come by the store at A37 in Rice Ranch and pick up some books, maps, old magazines, and resources for your travels. And if you want a store bought souvenir, we have those, too. We are still open until the end of April. And you can order online at www.RocksInMyHead.com, or by phone at 605-376-8754 and we can ship to you. You can stay in touch with Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our brand new, really awesome email Newsletter. And we'll see you when you get back in the fall. Mean- while, keep your camera and treasure bag in hand, and don't judge a book by its cover. Happy travels. VFW Post 769 VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 120 S. Palo Verde, Quartzsite, AZ, 928-927-7697 The Canteen is a smoking establishment • Members & Guests Only for Alcohol Service ACTIVITIES FOR CORPORAL BEN SCOTT POST 769 AND LADIES AUXILIARY 769 We are collecting coupons you may have that you won't use. These go to the military families who can use them up to 6 months after expira- tion. Collection boxes are placed in businesses around Town and at the Post. Please help us in this endeav- or to assist our Veterans.We are also collecting labels for the school. CALENDAR OF EVENTS:. April 4 – ALL FOOL'S DAY at NEW VFW BUILDING lots of activities: ATV Poker Run, Breakfast Bis- cuits and Gravy or Egg Scramble at 8:30 a.m. ($5.00 donation). ATV scramble begins at Gunny's Mili- tary Museum following breakfast; raffles, egg eating contest; bake sale; live music; live auctions; "Fools Beer"; hot dogs or ham- burgers for lunch; lantern release at dusk; and more. Come join us as we celebrate our move to the previous Palo Verde Café on N. Central. This day will be a smoke free building at our new Post. Open to the public. Check our VFW Post 769 website for additional activities being planned: www.vfwpost769.org Comrades meeting – APRIL 11 – 9:00 a.m. at NEW POST Ladies Auxiliary meeting – APRIL 11 – 9:00 a.m. at NEW POST House Committee meeting – APRIL 11 -10:00 a.m. at NEW POST Mens Auxiliary – APRIL 11 - 1:00 p.m. at NEW POST District 1 Riders meeting – 2nd Saturday – 2:00 p.m. – will be at Bouse Post 2357 fi nds of lode gold (abundant deposit of gold in rock) at mines such as the King of Arizona, La Fortuna, and North Star. They also lost out on great fi nds of placer gold (particles of gold found in an alluvial or on top of the ground) at the La Paz, Laguna, Gila, and Pothole Placers among other great mines. Overlooked as well were the great silver discoveries at the Red Cloud, Clip, Eureka, and Silent Mines. Lead and zinc was also found at the Castle Dome Mine. Unfortunately, many of those who went on to what they thought would be their treasure in California ended up losing everything they had without fi nding the gold they were seeking. Dejected, once again they crossed back over the Colorado River on the long trek back to central Arizona. When some of the gold seekers of Sutter Creek came back across the Colorado River many fi nally found the gold they had been searching for in the Pothole Placers. Throughout the 1860s, so much placer gold was located that interest in the lost coins along the El Camino del Diablo practically disappeared. Even though the oral history of the lost coins persisted among the Quechans, no known attempts were made to recover it. One Quechan elder suggested to Padre Engel- hardt that his people had worked for the gold and that it brought only greed and sadness. So after his people burned the mission, they threw the coins in the river. I think I like that ending, and I hope you do too. In Memoriam Rachel Irene Randolph was born in March of 1931 to Archie Otis and Ethel Tucker. She grew up in Laveen, AZ, and during her childhood she spent much of her free time cleaning the church for the privilege of playing their piano. In May 1946, she met her husband, Flay, and they married 3 weeks later. Their fi rst home was in Avondale. Flay and Rachel lived in numerous cities and towns throughout her life, and she always found herself as pianist of the First Southern Baptist Church in each of these places. For 20 years of her life, she owned and operated beauty salons. She also rode horses, knew how to use a pistol, and loved the Lord and her family. Rachel was a magnet for children, and she loved teaching Sunday school. Many of her students called her "Grandma," and some, who came from unfortunate situations, even came to live with Rachel and Flay occasionally, when the need arose. She loved country music and always found reasons to laugh. Rachel and Flay enjoyed traveling, and frequently took cross-country trips, or even weekends in the pines close to home. She is survived by her husband, Flay Randolph, her son, Greg Randolph (Debo- rah) of Mesa, AZ, her daughter, Sharon Cravens (Bill) of Phoenix, as well as 13 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and 10 great great grandchildren. Rachel is preceded in death by her daughter Sandra Wright, and two grandchildren. She was loved by many and will certainly be missed. A memorial service for Rachel Irene will be held Saturday, April 4th at 10 a.m. at the First Southern Baptist Church in Avondale at 1001 N. Central Ave.

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