Some of the places described in his books have classic old western names like; Tin Can Alley, Hercules Finger, Spooky Canyon, and Impassable Pass.

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2 Bill Mann giving a field lecture, brings life to the history of a lonely windswept cemetery at Silver Lake, near Baker Ca. in Photo by Mark Landis Some of the places described in his books have classic old western names like; Tin Can Alley, Hercules Finger, Spooky Canyon, and Impassable Pass. Bill s fascination with the Mojave began with his boyhood camping trips to the desert. In 1950, he began a mining company in Barstow with his cousin Ron Brubaker. The Brubaker-Mann company specialized in colored rock, but in the early years, Bill also got his blasting license and he used dynamite to do a wide variety of specialized (and sometimes odd) jobs. In one of Bill s most memorable blasting jobs, he set up a series of timed dynamite charges to carefully shake up the concrete on a mining relic at the Mojave River Valley Museum. With cameras carefully trained on the blast site, some of the charges went off prematurely, much to the annoyance of the cameramen. One of the cameramen spoke up; We ll just call you Shortfuse from now on. The name stuck, and Bill always signed his books Bill Mann, AKA Shortfuse. 2

3 Bill and Dottie relax and take a trailside lunch break with the group during one of the many desert expeditions he led. - Photo by Jennifer Mann Over the next years, I got to know Bill well enough to appreciate his knowledge and the gentle stewardship he held for his beloved desert. Each time I spoke to him, I was treated to a new story or a fascinating tidbit of desert history or geology. Although Bill was a fierce protector of the desert, he was also a seasoned miner and he held a practical view of balancing conservation with a sensible use of natural resources. Bill once told me; The materials for any product we use in life were either grown or mined. After spending considerable time trying to come up with something that didn t fit into either category, I realized that he was right. William J. Mann (a.k.a. Shortfuse) was born on December 30 th, 1926 in McPherson, Kansas and moved to California at the age of two. His father was an editor at the San Bernardino Sun and later at the Pomona Progress Bulletin. After graduating from high school in 1944, Bill served in the Merchant Marines on a ship that delivered ammunition to the Marine Corps. The ship made five landings during World War II to provide ammunition to the troops. Bill wrote about his tour saying; It was an experience that taught me to enjoy every day of life. When he returned from the war, Bill got his B.A. degree in history at Pomona College in Claremont. 3

4 Always ready to sell a book, Bill Mann poses with one of his guidebooks at the ghost town of Ibex Springs, in southern Death Valley, Photo by Mark Landis Bill s interest in local history grew and he was the field trip chairman for the Mojave River Valley Museum for 25 years. He also taught guided desert courses for the Cal State University system. Bill was even featured in episodes of Visiting With Huell Howser. Unreserved as always, Bill guided Huell and the film crew across the desert to some of his favorite sites that were described in his books. In October of 2003, I met up with Bill and his wife Dottie at a field course he was teaching entitled Mysteries of The Mojave Desert Part Five. The course was sponsored through the Cal State system based out of the Desert Studies Center at ZZYXZ Springs. A long string of 4-wheel-drive vehicles was assembling early that morning for the trip out across the desert. As if to signal wagons ho bill scooped up Dottie and carefully lifted her into the passenger seat of their truck. Bill gives final instructions to the caravan of desert explorers at ZZYX Springs, in

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6 Cliff Walker summarized some of Bill s contributions; Through his travels, meeting people, talking, and sharing, Bill and his love of the desert helped capture a lot of history that would have been lost. That s a nice tribute to a guy s life! A memorial service was held at the historic Santa Fe Depot and Harvey House in Barstow. There was standing-room-only at the service, said Dottie Mann. It was just the kind of thing Bill would have loved. The trains kept rolling by and we were surrounded by friends and family in that old building. This article was originally published in the San Bernardino Sun, on March 10, NewsPlus Barstow newspaper from March 2014, with Bill and Dottie Mann on the cover. The story showcased the donation of the Mann family's collection of Native American baskets and pottery to the Mojave River Valley Museum, in Barstow. 6