Salton Sea, California

This natural salt geyser is in 

the Salton sink, near Palm Springs.  It produced a pure sea salt from salt geyser that erupted every night.  It was flooded by a breach in the Colorado River forming the Salton sea--eighty feet deep.  Two English men were looking for gold in the gold rush, they never found any.  They were headed South when they heard the geyser, they could hear it from 10 miles away.  The salt was being shot into the air and then dropped down on a four mile square forming four to six inches of pure salt.  Sometimes the geysers were so violent they produced 18 inches of salt.  They then built the two narrow gauge railways  and put a rake between them.  The salt was raked up by Japanese workers.  They put it in piles and took it on flat cars to the refinery, but it was so pure it seldom needed refining.  They shipped it on the Southern Pacif

ic Railway from Indio to San Francisco, California where it was shipped all over the world.  They found white gold.  The springs are still under the Salton sea but the weight of the water stops the eruptions.  In Hobbs opinion the sea should be drained and salt refining continued as nature never wanted it to be a nature sanctuary for birds.  Today the birds are dying from the salt and being lured into the fake sea.  It was formerly a salt desert; Hobbs painted this to encourage its return to its original state.  There are many, many myths about this area and Dr. Hobbs painted this painting in search of the truth that is now lost.

Catalog

An attempt is being made to catalog all of Hobbs paintings.  This will prove their authenticity.  If you own a painting and want it added, please email the following:

• • Name of Painting

  • Size of Painting

  • Year Painted if known

  • Collection Name or Your Name

  • An image should be emailed

  •   Please let us know whether we may post the picture on line in the Collectors Gallery

  • This is all optional and if you desire confidential

Email: JOHNGBEESON@GMAIL.COM