"Leaky" Olivas, 76
Pioneer 20-Mule Team Driver Final Rites Today

One of the last of the 10-mule team drivers of this area, 
Henry "Leaky" Olivas, 76, of Lone Pine, passed away March 
28 at Southern Inyo Hospital.  Wilfred Partridge of Bishop 
will officiate at graveside rites set for 1 p.m. today, 
April 1 at Mt. Whitney cemetery, Lone Pine.

Mr. Olivas was born Sept. 19, 1905 in Lone Pine. He is 
survived by his wife, Ethel; three children, Joe Ruiz, 
Margaret Terry and Charlotte Olson, all of Lone Pine; a 
brother, Pete, of Lone Pine; five sisters, Pauline Parker 
and Margaret Wilson, both of Lone Pine; Carmelita Southey, 
Independence; Louise Woods and Carrie Gill of Los Angeles; 
and Christine foster of Lucerne Valley; four grandchildren 
and two great-grandchildren.

Leaky worked with Russ Spainhower and Bruce Morgan in 
organizing and training the 20-mule team for the 1949 
centennial trek from Lone Pine to Death Valley in October, 
1949. He drove the team on the trek and on later appearances 
of that team elsewhere in California and Nevada. Last 
Memorial Day weekend, he worked with local packers in 
training a 20-mule team that hauled the 99-year-old Borax 
wagons in Mule Day events at Bishop. Leaky knew how to rig 
the team, repair the equipment, and train mules to work the 
equipment. He walked alongside of the teams during weeks of 
practice, and during the team's performances at the 
fairgrounds.

He had been active in the packing industry in the days when 
there was an Olivas pack station founded by his dad in Lone 
Pine. He had worked with the movie industry as a wrangler in 
promotion of westerns filmed in Inyo-Mono, and furnished 
horses and other livestock for scores of movies.

Besides his own livestock interests, he had worked for the 
Spainhower, Lubken, Lacey and other cattle operations in 
Southern Inyo.

Inyo Register, Bishop, Inyo County, California
April 1, 1982
Transcribed by Leilauni Holtz