HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE

UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

VOL. 14 NO. 3

March 16, 1999

LOS ANGELES AQUEDUCT - Vision or Villainy?

For our program this month, longtime HSUMD member John DiPol has agreed to talk on the intriguing topic, "Los Angeles Aqueduct --Vision or Villainy?"

John has long been interested in the history of the aqueduct, and as a result of his readings over the years, he has formed the opinion that construction of the aqueduct probably came about through plenty of both vision and villainy.

"I'll point out two areas -- the San Fernando Valley Land Syndicate and the Mulholland-Eaton-Lippincott relationship -- where I think there was some chicanery," he said. John has also promised to bring along some of his collection of books about the aqueduct to allow interested members to browse after the meeting.

One of our best-known members, John has been active in the Historical Society for about as long as we've existed. He's a past member of the Board of Directors.

John and Dolores DiPol came to the Indian Wells Valley in 1950, and all four of their children went through the local school system. A former head of the Range Department at China Lake, John retired in 1980. Since then, he's been active in the community, including service on the Ridgecrest Redevelopment Agency.

The program will begin at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 16, in the Sylvia Winslow Gallery of the Maturango Museum. Come early to get a good seat -- we're predicting standing room only! Liz Babcock.

APRIL PROGRAM TO FEATURE LOCAL SOARING PIONEERS

One thing we can guarantee about next month's program -- we know it will really soar! Al Berryman has agreed to put together a panel of some of the pioneers of the sport of soaring in this valley. The Indian Wells Valley is famous in the soaring community for great thermals -- and great experts in the sport. The meeting will be on April 15 -- so finish up your taxes, then come to the Maturango Museum to enjoy a unique opportunity to hear about soaring history from people who have made that history.

Liz Babcock

A thank you to Susan Basden for the 1950's newspapers and the '49/'63 Rocketeers also the 1948 NOTS Michelson Lab dedication coin and to Sharon l. Jouret a thank you for an old metal door knob. Dot Gould

With this issue we add Bruce Wertenberger's name to the masthead as co-editor of this newsletter, a task he has been performing over the past few years. I apologize to him and you readers for not having the wit to do this in the beginning. Chet

Please also note that the e-mail addresses of those who used to be ndti.net have changed to Ridgenet.net (or ridgecrest.ca.us- both are the same thing as of now).

RENEWALS

Envelopes are being enclosed with your copy of the bulletin if the Treasurer still shows you owe 1999 dues. Please use them or bring your dues to the next meeting. Dues are the principal source of our operating revenue and thus help us put on meaningful programs and exhibits. Thank you.

THANK YOU

As host for the refreshments at our February meeting, I wish to thank Dot Gould and Joan Woodman for their help.

Chet Creider

GEORGE POMEROY

Some of us saw fellow HSUMD member George Pomeroy in town the other day. We are certainly glad and thankful that he is once again able to be up and around. Good going, George! Keep up the good work!

ANNUAL MEETING

Date for the Society's Annual Meeting has been set for May 21 at Farris'.

More info in the next newsletter as it becomes available.

WE HAVE A BUILDING!

We are pleased to report that our search for a building to hold our files and provide workspace has been successful. A local contractor, has donated the use of a building which will very nicely fill our needs. More details in a subsequent newsletter.

THE ENOS LETTERS

In our February newsletter we finished publishing a series of letters written in 1897, 1898 and 1899 by a young man, George Enos, just starting out to work in the world. The letters were written while he was in Hesperia, Argus, Mojave and Ballarat. We wish to thank Ms. Elinor Monjar for giving us a copy of these interesting letters which provided a view of life a century ago. Ms. Monjar is a granddaughter of a sister of Mr. Enos.

SEEP

Our involvement with the SEEP program has started up again. Charlotte Goodson is our board member in charge of overseeing our efforts and obtaining volunteers to help with guiding the fifth graders along the history walk in Sand Canyon. She earnestly solicits your help in this. If you can spare a few hours to spend in beautiful Sand Canyon, please give her a call at 375-6449 and volunteer your assistance.

VIGNETTES

One of the interesting characters of our desert lived at Ballarat. His name was "Seldom See Slim." He rarely went out or met others. Some said he came in 1910, others said 1905. No one really knew. Slim lived alone, didn't travel to populated ares. He mined and collected rock specimens and ore. He was quoted as saying, "I cut my beard with a scissors. If I shaved, people would think that I was a phony desert rat."

One writer tells that Christmas was a big day in Slim's life. That was the day he took his annual bath! He had a good sense of humor. It was reported that he collected empty cigar boxes and told people that he planned to make them into parking meters on a 1000 acre parking lot at Ballarat so more people would come to buy his rocks.

In 1906 William Henry Schmidt, known as "Burro" Schmidt, started a tunnel and spent 38 years digging by hand with a single jack, a four pound hammer and drill, moving the ore out first by wheelbarrow, then with an ore cart which he pushed and pulled himself. Schmidt, who came from Rhode Island had lost three brothers and three sisters there to tuberculosis. The doctors advised him to go to California for his health. When he died at about age 83, he was living near his tunnel.

A woman carried the mail on horseback 40 miles each day from the Milspaugh Post Office in Shepherd Canyon. This was half way between Darwin 20 miles one way and Ballarat 20 miles the other way.

In September in 1909 a flood hit at the head of Shepherds Canyon and washed it out and the mailman at that time quit after he made an attempt to get down the canyon and had troubles so the daughter of the postmistress took over the job. Woman's Lib started early.

Death Valley was made a historical monument on February 11, 1933. The Manley party is said to have given the area the name when they left the arid region to the east of us by saying, "Good bye Death Valley," as some of their party had died there. But did you know that in Death Valley there is Funeral Mountain, Coffin Canyon, Skeleton Mine & Dead Man's Gulch as well as Hell Gate?

Many early settlers of our valley found that tufa rock made very good insulated homes and many of the early timers built their homes of tufa. It helped protect them from the heat and cold. You couldn't beat the price: just pick it up and haul it over to the site. By the way, tufa is believed to have been formed sometime during the wet Tioga glacial stage about 10,000 to 23,000 years ago. They are formations of calcareous tufa deposits.

Sylvia Winslow, a well-known artist, worked at Scovern ranch in Kernville when she met "Slim," later her husband. she tells of him coming to see her and playing his ukelele and singing while she did her work there.

Later after they married they homesteaded and raised goats to provide their baby daughter with milk. She told the story that they took the goat with them when they went out mining and some people heard the goat and thought they were in trouble and came to help but found it was the goat that had been yelling.