TAKING THE OFF-RAMP

Where'd You Get That Hat?

Nobody but the devil could wear this hat, a collection of lines and space rolled into a black ball and placed high on a shelf at the Tohono Chul Park gift shop in northwest Tucson. According to shop manager Linda Wolf, "What the heck is this?" seems to be the general reaction to the item known as a

The devil's claw hat with the $30-andup price tag. The answer can be found in the ancient history of Arizona, in the baskets of the native Tohono O'odham Indians. The devil's claw plant, growing in the washes and floodplains of the desert, has pods with long, slender extensions ending in hooks. These extensions provide the fiber for the black designs within the prized O'odham basketry. They can be hooked together into a ball for storage, the ball itself taking on a kind of artistry.

The devil's claw hats at Tohono Chul began with seeds given to grounds curator Ross Burroughs by an O'odham basket weaver. Groundskeepers weave the balls for the shop, four or five a year. Should you wish a oneof-a-kind chapeau, or just want a look at both the plants and the results, visit Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, Tucson.

Information: (520) 742-6455.

Countin' Cows

In 1920, the beef population of Arizona hit its highest point at 1,600,000 head. Today, cattle still roam, but the beef-on-the-hoof inventory now stands at 850,000.

For those who would hate to think the Arizona ranching way of life and legend has no place to go but out-of-state, Doc Lane, director of resources for the Arizona Cattlemen's Association, has some good news.

Says Lane of the difference more than 80 years can make: "The number of ranches doesn't really change, and the amount of land used for ranching really doesn't change much."

For a view of Arizona ranch land, Lane recommends a drive through southeastern Arizona and the town of Willcox, then around the north end of Bonita and straight up to Safford. Then you can head north and turn west across the top of the state. From desert landscape to hill country, you'll see the land that made cattle, along with copper and cotton, one of the three "C's" of Arizona economy through much of the 20th century. You will also see some mighty pretty country.

THIS MONTH IN ARIZONA

1864 The temporary seat of Territorial government moves from Fort Whipple to its permanent location in Prescott.

1867 Congress gives the western section of PahUte County to Nevada. The remaining portion is returned to Mohave County.

1905 Greer and St. Johns dams collapse and flood St. Johns valley.

1909 An Arizona court dismisses a 22year-old murder indictment against Geronimo, who had been removed to Oklahoma upon his surrender in 1886.

1910 The grand opening of Tucson-West Coast Mexico Railway sparks a giant Cinco de Mayo celebration in Tucson.

1911 The Parker townsite sells 1,000 lots in one day.

1912 Pima County supervisors rule that licenses will be denied to saloons in mining camps lacking law enforcement.

1912 The Legislature resolves to provide free textbooks for public schools.

Soiled Doves

The young women came from Ireland, Germany, Mexico and elsewhere. Some girls had sparkling eyes, others looked weary from fatigue, but they had one thing in common: 100 years ago, they were prostitutes in Tucson's Red Light District.

Today, these women's faces are immortalized in photos on walls of a back room in Tucson's SosaCarrillo-Fremont House, a branch of the Arizona Historical Society. One photo captures a woman dressed in a neck-high white blouse, black suit and gloves preparing togo into town. Another shows a girl shading her face from the sun near a house. The exhibit runs through this month. The museum also houses period furniture and family portraits in bedrooms and the parlor.

Along with photos, the exhibit "Soiled Doves" includes district maps and a census listing information about each prostitute.

Information: (520) 622-0956.

Stitches in Time

Ever wondered about the story behind that quilt made by your greatgreat-grandma? The Heritage Quilt Study Group at Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott invites you to take old quilts to the museum for documentation. Experts photograph the quilt, give approximate age, type of material, number of stitches per inch and record its history. No appraisal value is given.

The group also assists with the quilt archives, where donated quilts are preserved in an acidfree environment. Group members give quilting demonstrations at the museum every Tuesday.Information: (928) 445-3122; www.sharlot.org.

'Honorable' Robber Paid the Ultimate Price

Today, thousands of drivers on Tucson's northwest side pass Jaynes Station, an old stop of the Southern Pacific Railroad, now merged with Union Pacific. Unaware that the last attempted train holdup in southern Arizona occurred near there, most drivers hurry past the site, which is near Interstate 10 and the railroad tracks and is still used by the railroad as a reference point. On May 15, 1922, six bandits wearing black masks stopped a train and attempted to blow up the express box. But gang leader Tom Dugat was quickly shot dead, andthe others fled into the brush. SP employees heard car engines start as the bandits made their getaway. Something else made the Jaynes Station holdup different: Dugat's motive. He'd been sick and unable to make enough money as a goat rancher to support his wife, who was forced to work. She told the Arizona Daily Star that Tom was an honorable man who'd undergone two operations and suffered terrible head pains. "It was driving him mad tothink he couldn't make enough to support me or our little Corinne," she said. "He was prepared to make the supreme sacrifice so I could quit the work.... Whatever he set his mind to, he'd carry on to the end. This time he had set his mind to free me from doing this work. The end was death, and he met it for my sake."

Charcoal Kiln Survives After 100 Years

A large stone charcoal kiln nestled in the ponderosa pine forest southeast of Prescott remains in good condition after more than 100 years. Built in the 1800s by two brothers, Jake and Joe Carmichael, the beehive-shaped kiln standing about 20 feet tall was used to convert wood into charcoal for use at the nearby Walker Townsite smelter. Sadly, the kiln was so successful that the surrounding forest for miles around was stripped of its pines, and the timbers were used for mine props or made into charcoal. The forest today is relatively new regrowth and is only just now becoming a productive forest. The miners have gone, but their presence can still be felt in the shadow of the Sierra Prieta and Bradshaw mountains. Many back roads reveal relics from the past that have survived the onslaught of time. From Prescott, drive 4 miles east on State Route 69, then head south 6.5 miles on Walker Road, also County Road 57. Turn left onto Big Bug Mesa Road or Forest Service Road 670 at the sign "Walker Townsite," and follow signs about a half-mile to the parking area. An unmarked trail heads west from the lot entrance, and it's just a few minutes' walk to the kiln.

Dining With Tucson Fliers

In 1940, Ryan Airfield was busy with fresh-faced young men training as pilots for the Army Air Corps in Tucson's clear blue skies. Now it is a popular general aviation airport that anyone can drop into, and breakfast or lunch at Todds at Ryan Airfield are reasons enough to head therewhether you're flying or driving. Serving deli favorites with a Southwestern flare, Todds uses local cactus and desert products to enhance its made-to-order menu. Regional chiles spice the homemade salsa, and bowls full of fresh ingredients give unique flavors to familiar choices. To drink, try Todds Red Tea made with syrup of prickly pear cactus. Information: (520) 883-7770.

Goodyear's Bible Museum Has Rare Editions on Exhibit

In 1382, Oxford theologian John Wycliffe made history, penning the first Bible handwritten in the English language. Wycliffe, who was also the inventor of bifocal eyeglasses, argued against the platform of the Roman Catholic Church and, as such, was known as the "Morning Star of the Reformation," even though the movement wouldn't actually begin for another 200 years. His arguments so enraged the church fathers that the Pope had Wycliffe's remains exhumed and burned 44 years after the theologian's death.

Some of Wycliffe's Bibles still circulate today and are among the most sought-out religious texts. But you don't have to travel to Britain to see these rare documents. A few of Wycliffe's manuscripts can be seen at the Forbidden Book Bible Museum in Goodyear. The oldest text at the museum is a complete New Testament translated by Wycliffe in 1392-an item that commands a price tag of $2 million. The unusual antiquarian Bible Museum-hosted by Jonathan Byrd's Rare Books and Bibles, the world's largest dealer of rare and antique Bibles, Bible leaves and ancient theology books-displays six centuries of English Bibles.

The Bible Museum, located in the Hampton Inn and Suites, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the vault is open by appointment. Information: (623) 536-8614; www.greatsite.com.

Some of the rare Bibles in the changing exhibit include a 1663 Eliot Bible, printed in a phonetic rendering of the Algonquin Indian language by evangelist John Eliot, and a leaf from the Old Testament in a Gutenberg Bible, the first major book printed in Europe in 1454-1455. The Bible was printed in Mainz, Germany, by the inventor of the mechanized printing press, Johannes Gutenberg, in an edition of 180 illegal copies.

HOOVER DAM'S MASCOT KEEPS ETERNAL WATCH

He always had a weak stomach, and, apparently, never had a name. But the men who built Hoover Dam during the Great Depression loved a stray black dog so much, they gave him his own bank account. According to dam records, someone found the abandoned pooch under a workman's dormitory in Boulder City in 1931, and before long, many of them were sharing their own meager lunches with him. Always eager to please, the dog overate and became sick, so his worried masters made arrangements to have his meals fixed only by the mess hall. Soon he, too, went to work every day aboard the dam transport bus, carrying his very own lunch sack in his mouth. His job? To enforce the "No Dogs Allowed" rule, of course. In spite of the fact that the men worked seven days a week and were paid in scrip rather than cash, they contributed to their mascot's keep, and eventually the commissary manager opened a bank account in the dog's name to pay for food, licenses and other needs. For about 10 years, the dog rode to work every day with his friends, dropping his lunch sack in line alongside the others. When the lunch whistle blew, he'd run to his sack and wait patiently for someone to open it for him. One day, he climbed under a truck to catch some shade and a snooze. The driver realized too late that the dog was there, and some claim that as word of the mascot's death spread, Boulder City experienced the quietest afternoon ever. Tough construction workers wept openly. That same day, workers jackhammered a dog-sized grave into the rock at the dam site so he could look forever over the dam he loved.

Question of the Month

What is caliche and what's it doing in my back yard?

Caliche is limestone mixed with clay. It forms a nearly impermeable layer at variable depths beneath the soil surface and affects planting and drainage. It's bad news when a contractor hits caliche while digging a swimming pool. That's when the schedule slows down and the price goes up.