The year was 1883, and muleskinners were earning more than college graduates ($120 per month). It was hard-earned money, fraught with danger both natural and man-made. The miracle mineral borax, located in the very center of Death Valley, had been used for centuries to "fire" ceramics and as medicine to cure everything from rheumatism to alleviating palpi


Already Signed Up? Log in here.

Read this article now for Free!

Ready for a third free article? Create a free account by entering your email address and a password below.

— OR —

Sign Up Now for $29.95 a year and have immediate access to all of True West content, including the complete True West Archives dating back to 1953!

SIGN UP NOW or SIGN IN

This digital subscription is in no way connected to your Print Subscription. They are totally separate and cannot be connected. If you have a Print Subscription with True West, you will need to pay for a separate subscription to access this website and will receive a totally different Log In password. If you have an existing digital component to your Print subscription, you'll need to Sign In and request a new password.