US-60 Life along US-60 Desert Sun, Volume XI, Number 48, 1 July 1938 — Ragsdale Relates Suffering of Party Stranded on Desert
Ragsdale Relates Suffering of Party Stranded on Desert
A tale as fantastic as the search for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is told l<y Ragsdale, proprietor of Desert Center and president of the U. S. Highway GO association. Four aged indigents of Los Angeles, three men and one woman, all over 60 years of age, had been saving I money from their meager dole checks for supplies with which to discover “a volcano with chunks of gold hanging just inside its mouth" which was supposed to be located in the Palen mountains. about 10 miles east of Desert Center. After driving as far as possible toward their goal, the treasure hunters parked the car and continued on foot, though the temperature was about 140 degrees early in June this year. Two of the old fellows consumed their entire water supply after traveling only 10 miles. The ruthless lieu' completely overcame one of them and he fell on the sand with horrible cramps, unable to rise. The other attempted to find the cur and wandered i through the desert all day and that | night till, hardly able to drag himself I forward he found Desert Center-Blythe ! highway. He was picked up by a tourist and taken to a hospital. News of the remaining treasure hunters was given and searching parties were organized. "Desert Steve" Ragsdale, an expert tracker who had lived on the desert for more than 30 years, was called upon to aid the sarchers. He had been ill for some time, but realizing the great danger to those on the desert, he volunteered to help. The searching party followed the car tracks to the car and nearby found ' la man and a woman, both in very had condition. They informer the searching party that the other man was ten blocks north, it was finally discovered that they meant ten miles. Continuing the search, Desert Steve, due to his illness, was overcome by the heat and became totally deaf and partially blind. When his comrades became .frightened and suggested taking him back to the hospital he refused. Following the partially obliterated | tracks across the burning sand all aft- 1 ernoon they at last sighted a small,! weatherbeaten prospectors’ shack, within which, naked and unconscious, the missing man was discovered. Two men were left with the heat stricken man and Steve and one other stumbled back into the hot desert sand to obtain help. They at last found the car and the rest of the searching party. Steve was unable to use his hands or legs so his son Stanley drove back after the sun-struck adventurer. Driving over sand dunes and washes with the bottom of the car dragging hundreds of times they at last reached Desert Center and a hospital. The next day Steve, refusing to be coddled or petted, pulled up flakes and left the hospital against the doctor’s orders.
US-60 Life along US-60 Desert Sun, Volume XI, Number 48, 1 July 1938 — Ragsdale Relates Suffering of Party Stranded on Desert
Ragsdale Relates Suffering of Party Stranded on Desert
A tale as fantastic as the search for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is told l<y Ragsdale, proprietor of Desert Center and president of the U. S. Highway GO association. Four aged indigents of Los Angeles, three men and one woman, all over 60 years of age, had been saving I money from their meager dole checks for supplies with which to discover “a volcano with chunks of gold hanging just inside its mouth" which was supposed to be located in the Palen mountains. about 10 miles east of Desert Center. After driving as far as possible toward their goal, the treasure hunters parked the car and continued on foot, though the temperature was about 140 degrees early in June this year. Two of the old fellows consumed their entire water supply after traveling only 10 miles. The ruthless lieu' completely overcame one of them and he fell on the sand with horrible cramps, unable to rise. The other attempted to find the cur and wandered i through the desert all day and that | night till, hardly able to drag himself I forward he found Desert Center-Blythe ! highway. He was picked up by a tourist and taken to a hospital. News of the remaining treasure hunters was given and searching parties were organized. "Desert Steve" Ragsdale, an expert tracker who had lived on the desert for more than 30 years, was called upon to aid the sarchers. He had been ill for some time, but realizing the great danger to those on the desert, he volunteered to help. The searching party followed the car tracks to the car and nearby found ' la man and a woman, both in very had condition. They informer the searching party that the other man was ten blocks north, it was finally discovered that they meant ten miles. Continuing the search, Desert Steve, due to his illness, was overcome by the heat and became totally deaf and partially blind. When his comrades became .frightened and suggested taking him back to the hospital he refused. Following the partially obliterated | tracks across the burning sand all aft- 1 ernoon they at last sighted a small,! weatherbeaten prospectors’ shack, within which, naked and unconscious, the missing man was discovered. Two men were left with the heat stricken man and Steve and one other stumbled back into the hot desert sand to obtain help. They at last found the car and the rest of the searching party. Steve was unable to use his hands or legs so his son Stanley drove back after the sun-struck adventurer. Driving over sand dunes and washes with the bottom of the car dragging hundreds of times they at last reached Desert Center and a hospital. The next day Steve, refusing to be coddled or petted, pulled up flakes and left the hospital against the doctor’s orders.