Seldom Seen Slim aka Charles Ferge

A DesertUSA Reader Writes

by Tom Davis

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I read the article about Seldom Seen Slim by Lynn Bremner with great interest. When I was a kid, my Mom would get irked about me and my brother getting bored and underfoot during the long San Diego summers. Several times she and my Dad packed us up and dropped us off in Trona for a week or so at a time. My Granddad Ted Lang ran the Chevron station next to the Oasis restaurant at the time, and my Mom's sister (Aunt Bobbie) lived with him. We would help Grandpa as much as we could running the station. But it was so blasted hot that we relished it when Grandpa said "go get a block of ice from the machine across the street." With key and tongs in tow, I went over and sat down on the ice for a while. When Grandpa complained that it took so long, I told him the conveyor jammed.

A detail of the topo map that Slim carried with him showing the Coolgardie Camp area.

Grandpa had many friends in Trona, and one of them was Seldom Seen Slim. I was fascinated when Slim would come visit Grandpa, his faithful burros in tow. He would tousle my hair and say "Hey there, young 'un." Then he and Grandpa would go back to the darkest reaches of the gas station, amongst the dust, giant racy postcards and hanging fan belts. I was fascinated by this mysterious rendezvous. What they talked about they would never say, but Slim always had a topo map with him, and he and Grandpa would study it under the glow of a hanging light. After they got whatever it was straightened out, Slim would disappear back to Ballarat for months at a time.

Another detail of the topo map showing the Copper City area.

When Slim died in 1968, Grandpa was a pall bearer. His picture is on page 48 of Tom G. Murray's book about Slim, which I have a copy of. After Grandpa died most of his things went to Aunt Bobbie, and after she died most of those things came to me. I have many artifacts of the Chevron station, but the one thing that stands out is the topo map Slim and Grandpa shared. Slim’s pencil scratchings can still be read on the back, and the map includes long-gone place names like Kramer Hills, Jimgrey and Coolgardie Camp, as well as long since closed mines like the Belmont, Cork Screw, Juanita, Buck and Owlshead.

Below is the back of the map, with a crude drawing and legal description by Slim. I think the legal description reads thus: SE 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of 7, NE 1/8 of the NE 1/2 of 8. 

Slim’s writing on the back of the topo map.

Slim with visitors (below)

Santiago Panzardi wrote the following with the above photo, I am standing to the left of Seldom Seen Slim my friend Kip June, is standing to the right. In 1964 Kip and I were traveling to Death Valley and decided to take the jaunt to Ballarat. We had the great fortune of seeing, yes actually seeing, Seldom Seen Slim. As I recall he was very friendly and we enjoyed a brief visit with him. Thanks for the web page. It was very entertaining to read of days and characters of long ago.

DesertUSA NOTE: Did anyone you know go out to Trona or Ballarat at that time? We welcome your stories!

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Watch a video about Ballarat, Seldom Seen Slim and Shorty Harris